Blustery weather made a turn for the balmy last Friday and, for the first time in months, the cafe crowds in Taipei's Xinyi District seemed happy at the chance to sit outside and shed a layer of clothing. As they did, Nadia Lin (
That's not to say Lin's ensemble outfits -- a collection of both day and evening, business and casual wear -- was less than well-received. After a fashionably late start to the show, the audience was more than willing to be blinded by anything remotely brilliant. And as the theme for the event was jiguang (
What we got was a collection that reflected many of the colors of an aurora but little of its dazzle. Chartreuse, lavenders, gold-toned coffee colors, greens and grays took the stage in procession. The tones and hues of the fabrics more than displayed Lin's skill at picking and partnering colors, but the cocktails of color she shook together left us sober.
Instead, the brilliance came from the accessories. Belts and waist treatments aroused special interest as did many of the necklaces, wristbands, armbands and bangles draped around the models' necks. These seemed to set the outfits off more then the outfits themselves did. Pink and green we've long known compliment each other, but tie them together with a belt made of shells, add a splash of aqua blue and the effect is more than the sum of its parts.
"The clothes are nothing special," my colleague accompanying me said halfway through the show, "But the shoes are powerful."
She was right. But perhaps that was the point. Lin's spring and summer collection of mix-and-match outfits seemed more than anything to serve as a softly colored canvas to a woman's favorite accessories.
The styles were simple and classically cut. Lin prefers lanky fabrics cut to straight lines and rounded at the edges to eschew any angularity. These lanky fabrics of course looked great on a lanky, 2m-tall model, but put them on a fuller figure and the effect would be flattening. The look on most of the faces in the audience seemed to say that the fashions "look great on her."
Those looks brightened when Lin's embroidered outfits took the stage. Here is where the designer is at her best. The same classic lines -- often inspired from traditional Chinese patterns -- took on real character when embroidered with subtle floral motifs that either stand alone against the fabric or vine their way through it bottom to top. These flourishes were far better than the simple ruffled cuff and lapel on many of Lin's other ensembles but do nothing to detract from a woman's accessories.
She may not like to hear it, but Lin's latest collection is conservative. She seemed to go to great lengths last Friday to detract from this point, having shod her models in "powerful" shoes and given each of the dozen of them positively nest-able hair styles. But take away these accoutrements and the outfits themselves, as they looked on the hanger, were conservative.
The weather may be heating up, but Lin's "polar light" might leave you cold.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern