I think every country has phone sex advertisements. This is how they look in Hong Kong.

DVD covers are in my opinion small movie posters. And I think there are some very good movie posters around! Unfortunately these sometimes great poster designs don’t translate to the much smaller DVD inlay too well (or they get re-designed completely). This DVD cover of the very strange movie I.K.U. is pherhaps an exception. Very subtle and graphic design.

You want to know about the movie? It’s a Japanese Sci-Fi Porn feature from the year 2000. A very weird movie about replicants selling virtual sex. I watched half of it and most at double speed. Too strange for me. Check out the official ‘flashy’ site with lot’s of info about the film, the cast and it’s female director Shu Lea Cheang.

In Japanese, IKU means going. When arriving at orgasm, the Japanese call out IKU, IKU. IKU is coming in Japanese. IKU is orgasm. (thus says the back cover) Also check out Marco’s post about Japanese sex slang.

Just a flyer I picked up at a music store. I liked the dark and mysterious look of the model. Judging by the site of the partyplace I don’t think a lot of Asian girls will attend though…

In my search for Asian design I found this series of posters by Tugboat for Otsuka Pharmaceuticals ‘Calorie Mate’. (source: Japanese Graphics Now! by Taschen) There were also some men, but decided to leave them out 😉 I have no idea who the models are, but one in particular I found very beautiful.

I could not find anything about the design company, but I did find this article about the founder of the agency, Yasumichi Oka. Tugboat seems to be one of Japan’s most-sought-after and -award-laden shops, with a client list that includes Kirin Beverage, East Japan Railway Co. and TV network tbs.

Because I am a designer myself, I would like to post about design every once and a while. But of course only about design that has something to do with (Asian) female beauty! Would not want to chase you all away! 😉

Today I present to you the work of Makoto Nakamura. A Japanese designer born in 1926. I will not bore you with his biography, but the man won several awards and his work was exhibited in the Louvre in Paris and the National Museum of Modern Art in Japan. Check out more of his graphic work here.

My thoughts on the design? Beautiful eyes! ;-)top-right: Subtle Perfume Drives You mad / Shiseido Cosmetics, 1978 (103×73 ofset)
bottom-left: Unpainted Lips are Nicer / Shiseido Cosmetics, 1978 (103×73 ofset)
bottom-right: An Evening of Prime Popular Culture, Cultural festival, 1986 (103×73 ofset)

Source: Kirei – Posters from Japan 1978-1993

On my way back from Vietnam to Amsterdam last week, I had a 9 hour stop-over in Hong Kong. I decided to take the train into the city. There I stumbled into a fashion show in the middle of a mall! I had no idea what the show was about, but there was a lot of press present and a pretty large crowd. From a distance I took some pictures of the Asian models. Check it out. I really think they have the ‘catwalk’ look 😉