Go to page two for our perfect Manhattan workday lunch outfit splurge.

The movie follows Kitano as a Japanese gangster who wants out.  His bosses, however, want him to pull one last job out in Okinawa.  As with most last jobs, things go horribly awry leading Kitano and his team to hide out on the beach.  Once there, a lot of non-action happens, but much like Wong Kar-Wai does, Kitano manages to make this non-action incredibly beautiful.

Like every Film Friday entry, there are suits galore.  And like with most Film Fridays, it’s all about the fit and all about the details.  Even in the noir darkness, one can see that this plain blue blazer fits Kitano well.  And his colleague’s jacket, while it has gigantic lapels, is the perfect shade of grey for Spring or Summer, much like this Marc Jacobs blazer or these from Rag & Bone and Jil Sander.

Somehow, certain characters in the film manage to even make the most atrocious pieces look presentable if not downright stylish.  Check out this minor character’s tie, reminiscent of a collaboration between Beauty & Youth of Japan and The Hillside of New York.

Along with the floral ties are plenty of floral tops.  Again, the connotations of floral shirts (think Jimmy Buffett) are not exactly flattering, but the colors and patterns used make shirts like the ones above work.  Take notes, old white men traveling in Hawaii.  And the kid’s t-shirt in the first pic?  Not too different from the type of stuff Japanese brand 45rpm is doing.

There’s also a little bit of the weird here and there (if the floral tie didn’t do it for you).  Check out the pants on the somber gent to the left, oddly similar to this offering by the good folks at Oak.

Also, check out the other somber guy on the left, Mr. Short But Threatening, rocking a chalk-stripe suit not unlike this from Dolce & Gabbana or a reverse version of this Vivienne Westwood blazer.

And lest we forget about the ladies (a definite no-no), some more floral pieces.  The above like any number of tops you’ll see floating around this summer, the dress like prettier, more vibrant versions of these by Jean Paul Gaultier and Tsumori Chisato.

And, in a nutshell, there’s the style of Sonatine.  Like any previous Film Friday editions, of course not everyone will agree with this film’s inclusion as a movie with sartorial worth.  In fact, many will probably share the same opinion as Kitano’s character above.  The fact remains, though, that the characters in this film pull off both traditional and more daring pieces with ease and that makes it worth any Film Friday.

Japanese designer TsumoriShu Uemura Chisato has teamed up with Shu Uemura to create a cosmetics line. Tsumori says she grabbed some inspiration for the makeup from her fall/winter line in the collaboration. The line is expected to release in stores around September. Get ready!

LINKAGE: NYMag

I’ve been really into the grungy, slouchy tees lately, and while this Tsumori Chisato shirt isn’t priced for the grunge budget (a painful $420), it certainly fits that aesthetic I’m going for. Completely loving the embroidered oval designs and hey, nude is in, so the color is spot on! 

GET IT HERE: La Garconne 

This collection from Tsumori Chisato seems as though it was made by elves and fairies in a magical place far far away…

Thanks Bored and Beautiful for the pics

Thanks for the photos Hollywood Rag!

Candace Bushnell, the writer who brought us SATC, has defended the use of designer labels in her work – insisting that they play an integral role in women’s identities.

“I don’t think fashion is part of my work for the sake of it, fashion for many women is a weapon. It’s comparable to men’s suits. There’s the salesman in the shiny suit and then certainly in New York, successful men wear hand-tailored Italian suits. So, as you get older, your clothes express your status as opposed to, ‘I found the right handbag, this is my weapon, get back’. Money and power go together. We as women don’t like to acknowledge that, but it’s true, so when you have money, the power paradigm with men shifts.”

Thanks Vogue UK.

Tsumori Chisato is a Japanese fashion designer. She studied at the prestigious Tokyo Bunka Fashion College and began her work with Issey Miyake in 97. After launching her own line in 03, she moved to Paris and gained international recognition in both Europe and the US. Her aesthetic focuses on prints and has a “healthy dose of manga/bohemian cuteness