The latest creation by Japanese fashion designer Tae Ashida is truly out of this world — a blue cardigan and short pants outfit she made for her country’s astronaut Naoko Yamazaki.
The US space shuttle Discovery blasted off with Yamazaki and two other female crew on board, bound for the International Space Station (ISS) on a historic mission that put more women in orbit than ever before.
Ahead of her departure, Yamazaki, 39, asked Ashida, daughter of Japanese fashion guru Jun Ashida, to design her work clothes for the 13-day space mission and she came up with a slim knit cardigan in light blue with navy blue shorts.
“As a female designer, I chose a design and color with a sense of grace ... so that she can feel at ease as she carries out a tough mission in a male-dominated, bleak atmosphere,” Ashida said.
“It’s like a dream come true to see my clothes worn in space,” said Ashida. “I’m looking forward to seeing her wear my design.”
Yamazaki also brought a miniature version of the traditional Japanese harp, known as a koto, to the station to play an ensemble with her countryman Soichi Noguchi, who has carried his Japanese flute to the station.
Yamazaki asked a Japanese musical instrument factory to make a miniature version of the koto, which usually measures about 1.8m, to meet the size limit for her space shuttle cabin luggage.
“The sound is quite different from that of an authentic one, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing her play the koto in space,” said instrument maker Kenzo Ogawa, who produced the mini harp.(AFP)
日本時裝設計師蘆田多惠的作品，果真只應天上有─她為自己的同胞，女太空人山崎直子，設計藍色羊毛衫加短褲的太空工作服。
美國發現號太空梭這次升空，是搭載山崎直子和另兩名女性太空人上國際太空站，成為史上將最多女性送上外太空的任務。
升空之前，三十九歲的山崎便商請服裝設計大師蘆田淳的女兒蘆田多惠，幫她設計這十三天太空任務要穿的工作服，於是蘆田多惠便想出這一套淡藍色針織羊毛衫與海軍藍短褲。
蘆田多惠說：「身為女性設計師，我選擇優雅的設計和顏色…讓她在以男性為主又陰暗的工作環境中，能感到舒適自在。」
蘆田多惠表示：「看到有人在外太空穿我設計的衣服，就像美夢成真似的。我期待看她穿我設計的衣服。」
山崎直子也帶了小型的日本傳統十三弦古箏上太空，準備與另一位帶著日本笛上太空的同胞野口聰一來一段合奏。
山崎直子特別商請樂器工廠替她打造這小型古箏，以便帶進太空梭。正常的十三弦古箏長度大約有一．八公尺。
製造這個迷你古箏的樂器師傅大川健三說：「這把古箏的聲音與正常古箏的聲音很不一樣，但我非常期待看到她在外太空彈奏這琴。」（法新社╱翻譯：吳岱璟）
Photographer Franziska Stuenkel likes to take spontaneous urban shots, so she needs a nimble camera that is ready to go when inspiration strikes: her German-made Leica M11. “I have to be very quick and discreet,” said the Berlin-based artist who captures reflections of people walking past windows, their contours merging with the shapes behind the glass. Stuenkel’s compact Leica is the perfect camera for the job, the 51-year-old told AFP. Famous for its pocket-sized and retro-style devices, the Leica brand is celebrating a milestone as it marks 100 years since its first commercial camera was presented to the public. The
As global travel rebounds following the COVID-19 pa ndemic, the longstanding issue of overtourism has returned stronger than ever. Throughout 2024, numerous popular destinations worldwide struggled with tourist numbers that far exceeded their infrastructural and environmental capacities. Not only does this surge congest streets and pollute landscapes, but it also endangers cultural sites and disrupts the daily lives of residents. In response to the growing problem of “overtourism,” various nations have adopted diverse strategies, some of which have sparked controversy. Venice, Italy, has not hesitated to take bold action; since 2024, the city has implemented one of the
A: This year’s Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fundraiser, is coming on the first Monday of May. B: The event, featuring a lineup of stars, is often praised as fashion’s Oscars. A: Some Asian stars, like Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai, have also attended in the past. B: What are the theme and dress code this time? A: This year’s theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” It’s the first time since 2003 that the theme is focusing on menswear. The dress code is “Tailored for You.” A: 哇今年的大都會博物館慈善晚宴「Met Gala」，即將在5月第一個星期一登場。 B: 這可是被譽為「時尚奧斯卡」的年度盛事，許多巨星都會參加耶。 A:
1. 錢已經用一半了。 ˇ Half of the money is gone. χ Half of the money are gone. 註：Half of ... 作主詞時，動詞與介詞 of 後面的名詞或代名詞相一致，即名詞或代名詞是單數時，動詞該是單數；若為複數，則動詞也該是複數，例如： Half of the story is interesting. Half of the stories are interesting. Half of it is interesting. Half of them are interesting. 2. 許多人走過這條路。 ˇ Many a man has travelled this road. χ Many a man have travelled this road. 註：many a 意義上雖然作 many 解，但後面應跟單數名詞，動詞也用單數形式。 3. 敵人被迫投降。 ˇ The enemy were forced to surrender. χ The enemy was forced to surrender. 註：enemy 作為總稱，前面須有定冠詞，用作句子主詞時，動詞通常用複數形。類似的情形如 talent： Taiwan is known for its semiconductor technology and is actively working to attract and retain global talent. 4. 他倆誰都不該責怪。 ˇ Neither of them is to blame. χ
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