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Coveting something truly modern around your wrist? Then check out wares from design company Nooka.

While identifying itself as a full-fledged design company, Nooka currently is known for reinventing timepieces. Not only does it offer the market a more striking and visually arresting approach to watch design, it is also changing the way people read time.

Artist and designer Matthew Waldman created his line of watches using a "linear and graphic representation of time," which, according to the brand, is a more intuitive way to view time.

With Nooka, checking your watch has literally become more visually pleasant.

To see their online catalog or to order, click here.

If eyes are windows to the human soul, department store displays are windows to upcoming trends. For fall, Japan stays on the "natural" path, which is a logical follow up to spring fashion's hippie vibe. The looks veer from the streamlined minimalist tendency that is also big this season; instead, they go to the opposite end of the spectrum.

 

Hints of folk abound: paisley prints, fringes and embroidery on boots, and an explosion of rich colors like burgundy. Country touches are also seen in thick wooly fabrics (tweed is all around) as well as the fascination for plaid.

 

 

Being garbed in warm and comfy outfits may not seem very Japanese, but they make it their own. How? By staying true to their love for layering.

 

I've often wondered why journalists only declare a city as modern and cosmopolitan once big luxury brands like Hermes and Gucci come in.

 

Is modernity in fashion just equated to consumption of luxury goods?

Last I remember, modern means: "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of contemporary styles of art, literature, music, etc., that reject traditionally accepted or sanctioned forms and emphasize individual experimentation and sensibility" (Dictionary.com).

So for me, modern fashion is really more related to fresh ideas, not exorbitant prices. While it's great that the Philippines now has a slew of high-end brands to choose from, I hope local designers and their work won't be ignored. Being contemporary does not entail joining the world of logos only, but also through supporting smaller voices with truly creative work.