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LUX Magazine atsunamatsui_185030310_2374574942685913_2771101987693475025_n Forever Fashion | Atsuna Matsui womenswear stylist Style modern Fashion Blogger

For as long as she could remember, Atsuna Matsui has always had an interest in fashion. Fashion is Atsuna’s outlet to self-expression and since her childhood she was always very expressive through fashion, even if she wasn’t able to express herself in other forms. “I was always very much interested in fashion for as long as I could remember. It was always a form of self-expression to me and a representation of what I was feeling that day. Growing up as a kid, I had a very shy personality, but I always took bold risks with fashion because it was essentially a creative outlet for me to be whoever I wanted to be,” Atsuna says.

As far as her career in the fashion industry, Atsuna started off as a photographer. “Photography was my greatest passion since I was twelve and through photography, I learned a lot about composition, color, and lighting. When I ended up becoming a blogger, I used a lot of my photography knowledge and incorporated that background into blogging,” Atsuna recalls. With the love of photography and growing audience, Astuna tried to branch out and try something new. it only took one post to help her expand her goals and give her the confidence to pursue more. “I initially started out as a photography account on Instagram. Then, I posted my first outfit photo and noticed so much more engagement on that photo so I started incorporating more photos with me in them. Eventually, I converted my Instagram photography account to a beauty, lifestyle, and fashion account. One thing that I love about blogging and social media is the community you build with your followers and other fellow bloggers so engaging with other users was what made it so fun and motivated me to always self-improve,” Atsuna explains.

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Personal style

Since Atsuna has been interested in fashion for so long, she has her personal style down pact. Her style is interesting, combining simplistic pieces with trendy counterparts. She is not afraid to make a bold statement. “As a born-and-bred Los Angeles girl that is accustomed to nearly year-round warm weather, my sense of style is minimal, breezy casual luxe with a touch of nonchalance. I balance between trendy pieces and classic, timeless basic threads to create fashionable ensemble,” Atsuna describes.

“I think, to a large extent people are defined by the things they say no to. I think this can also be applied to style and aesthetics. I try not to do excessive things and I generally stick to what I’m into the most.” -Atsuna Matsui

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Accomplished

Atsuna has accomplished great things in her career. One of the biggest accomplishments was her ability to convert a hobby into a full blown career. Trust me, it’s certainly something that not everyone can do. However, with her perseverance and optimistic outlook on life, she was able to find the key to success. “I think the constant novelty and challenges are at times difficult, but they also make it new and rewarding. Being self employed, you need to be a self-starter and always striving and pushing yourself which is something that I know will never go away on this path I’ve put myself on,” Atsuna explains.

Stay True

I find reaching people on social media to be so fascinating. There is so much potential there and yet there is a dark side to it as well and I want to address that here. I am by nature a very private person, but I also want to deeply connect with my followers. Navigating through the pitfalls of adult life we learn so much and can go through many hardships, but I hope that whoever reads this doesn’t ever lose hope in themselves and in the importance of maintaining values and virtue while doing it. Nobody talks about integrity and virtue anymore and I think that’s something that’s lost in our culture today and I don’t think it needs to be that way.

“I want everyone who reads this to know that I believe firmly in the fact that you can always improve and that nobody out there is better than you, no one.” -Atsuna Matsui

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Who do you consider the icons in the fashion & design industry?

Youji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, Ellen von Unwerth, Ryan Mcginley. I know the latter two are photographers, but they have had an impact on me.

What’s the next frontier in building your tribe?

First off, I love that you used the word tribe, I think it speaks to the true essence of the need of belonging for people. I want to continue to just fine tune my social media outlets. Curate better and take things in a more interesting direction.

What’s next? & why?

In general, I am always looking toward the future, but there are so many possibilities right now, I just haven’t completely decided on one yet, so we will have to see.

What are you reading these days?

I think we all don’t read enough these days, so I can’t say that I have been reading that much at the moment. Alain De Botton is a writer and philosopher that I always enjoy reading and there’s another book, Triggers, by Malcolm Goldsmith.

Atsuna Matsui

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LUX Magazine 04 Creative Foundation Style modern minimal luxury Fashion bags

Craig Steely explores the creative expression behind architecture.

The creative arts field is a huge industry. You have people that do everything from painting, drawing, music production, to fashion designing. But, one creative expression we often forget is the art of architecture. Ever just looked at a building design and explored the beauty of the structure? The aesthetic and the function is so personal. And each architect has their own style.

Craig Steely has been in the architecture field for many years. From an early age he knew he wanted to be an architect. “I remember the moment it “gelled” for me. I was around 14 and visiting the Sea Ranch community along the northern coast of California. I had spent the morning wandering around construction sites and sketching houses. Back at the place we were staying I found an old Sunset magazine laying around and honestly it was probably the first time I ever realized there was a thing called an “architect”—something different from just building, more like thinking about the possibilities of building.” Craig recalls.

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“I remember thinking “I should do this, I could do this!”

Designing Process

The creative process of designing building is much like that of designing fashion or creating music. You want it to have a certain appeal. You also want to invoke some of your own style through the structural design. Even though you have a client to please, creating a design is sort of like an extension of you. Craig, like many designers, has a sketch pad with models that he envisions in his head. Once a client becomes available he can then make modifications that incorporate the needs of his client.

Once the building comes to life, the finish product will still capture the essence and design of what he envisioned while remaining functional for the needs of his client. In comparison to fashion design, it’s sort of like the designer who creates a beautiful piece of clothing for a high profile celebrity. The celebrity requires alterations so things get modified to accommodate the wants and needs of the star. “It’s like solving a riddle. When I’m designing, in my mind I have “glimpses” of a finished project. Then at a certain point while designing, I begin to see the shapes come to life before my eyes,” Craig says.

LUX Magazine CraigSteelyArch_PetersHouse2_Photo_BruceDamonte Creative Foundation Style modern minimal luxury Fashion bags

The Client

Imagine you have the resources to build your dream home. You have this elaborate list of things you just have to have. Of course the typical person can’t just pull out the bricks and cement and build their home without any help. Your best bet is to find an architect. It’s important to find one that can relate to your style. It’s their job to take the vision you have in your head and put it before your eyes. That’s why the relationship between the architect and the client is so critical. “The clients become good friends.” Finished buildings come out so much better when the foundation of the building is the relationship developed between the architect and client.

LUX Magazine Craig-Steely1 Creative Foundation Style modern minimal luxury Fashion bags

“You should only work for clients you respect. Only do projects you can find something interesting in—be protective of your passion for what you do.”

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Projects

Craig has done projects all over the world. In fact one of the aspects of his job that he finds most rewarding is the places that architecture has taken him. Some of his most rewarding projects have been located on the Hawaiian Islands. “My Hawaii projects as a whole feel like a strong step towards an architecture that connects to nature in a contemporary way using contrast along with other more subtle ways of relating to the land than just the visual.” He is inspired to create architecture that integrates technological advances to nature. Where better to find inspiration than in the beauty of nature. “Architecture is uniquely positioned to promote the understanding that technology and nature must co-exist together. For me it’s continuing the search in my projects for a balance between rustic camping and the feeling of the Farnsworth House.”

“Travel to experience great buildings.”

Who do you consider the classic icons in architecture?

I’m interested in the work of Paulo Mendes De Rocha in Brazil, particularly his houses from the 70’s. There is a roughness and purity to the forms and materials that create a sensuality to the spaces.

What books would you recommend?

Read everything!

Read the architect and writer Pierluigi Serriano. I don’t know anyone more versed and knowledgeable on the roots of California Modernism. He searches out the rare and obscure. And he has a visceral and deeply personal knowledge of it — tracking down buildings and befriending the surviving architects involved to get a deeper narrative. Read all of his books. They can be read on multiple levels— visually (they are always filled with great architecture photos), as historic architecture narrative, or about the personalities of the architects behind seminal buildings.

Modern design in architecture is often revered and misunderstood at the same time. Why do you think that people in America have such misunderstood feelings about modernism?

Perhaps the misunderstanding comes from experiencing poor or inappropriate examples of it. Or maybe it is because some people see the world changing too quickly and others want it to change faster. I think it comes down to those who look forward or only look backwards. To me it seems inappropriate to build with new technologies and materials in any other way.

Craig Steely

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