interTrend tidbiTs

interTrend Asian Consumer Research 2006

In-Language Media Consumption

In-Language TV Consumption Frequency

The interTrend Asian Consumer Research contains topline results of a comprehensive study conducted by interTrendâs Knowledge Center. The report strives to explore Asian Pacific Islander American consumer trends and insights in: demographic, language preference, media consumption, behaviors, attitudes, and purchase motivations. Please contact kc@intertrend.com for the full Table of Contents.

Knowledge Center
interTrend Communications, Inc.
555 East Ocean Blvd., 9th Floor Long Beach, CA 90802
www.intertrend.com
T: 562-733-1888
F: 562-733-1889

Best of 2006: Television

While Asian Americans have had great successes in areas such as science, medicine, and engineering, they still have yet to make a mark in film and television. And being a part of the media is so important in terms of truly integrating ourselves into the fabric of American culture.
"While it's true that 40% of the doctors coming out of medical school are of Asian descent, [they] don't really exist in the minds of many people unless [they're] on ER," says Slanted Screen director Jeff Adachi. "Political power is often defined by the reach one has to shape one's image or the perceptions of other people. If Asian Americans are excluded from popular culture and media, then we are excluded from society and access to it. Read more

ImaginAsian TV Launches New Anime Block

ImaginAsian TV (iaTV), America 's first 24-hour Asian American television network, announced today that it will launch a new two-hour primetime anime block called "Anime EnerG.” "We are very excited to partner with Geneon Entertainment in launching an outstanding primetime anime block populated with series that are fan favorites, all of which will be making their U.S. television premieres,” says David Chu, SVP of programming and production at ImaginAsian TV. Read more

Asian American Conference Information

• Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) Presents
"Beyong Rice: Inspiring Creativity in Your Asian Marketing" Asian Market Intensive Session and Conference

Date :
March 5, 2007 Golf Tournament & Awards Dinner
March 6, 2007 Conference
Location : Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa at Rancho Mirage, CA

Topic Highlight : “15/10/5 Year Perspective”: The evolution of Asian marketing.
Panelists :
Richard Fu, Senior Director, Asian Marketing, Harrah's
Tzu-Chen (Suchi) Lee, SVP, Asian Segment Manager, Wells Fargo
Teri Hill, Manager, Car Advertising, Toyota Motor Sales
Moderator: Sharmila Fowler, Executive Director, Business Development/Strategic Services, Cultural Access Groups

Topic Highlight : “New Media and Integration”
Panelists :
Bob Christman, Executive Director, Web Strategy & Development, AZN
Ben Chodle, Managing Partner, Stream 57
Wade Guang, VP Managing Director, Intertrend Communications
Marion Hom, Media Director, Pancom
Moderator: Karen Wang, Director of Adverising Sales, AZN Televison

Click Here for more information

Best of 2006: Style Makers

APA looks back on some of the biggest Asian faces and fads to hit the fashion world this year. From actresses to fashion to film, Asia Arts, UCLA highlights the Asian American breakthroughs in 2006. Read more

Best of 2006: Style Makers

APA looks back on some of the biggest Asian faces and fads to hit the fashion world this year.

UCLA Asia Institute
By Ana La O'
1/12/2007

In no particular order:

1. Du Juan: With looks that range from sweetly innocent to fiercely sultry, it's no surprise that Du Juan was declared one of the top ten new models of fall 2006 by Style.com. The former Miss China (2003) got her big break when she became the first Asian model to grace the cover of French Vogue in 2005. Since then, she has appeared on the Olympus Fashion Week runway, modeling collections from Anna Sui, Versace, and Carolina Herrera. Juan's entry into the mainstream fashion world that was exceptionally rare until Asian models like Anna Bayle (Filipina) Kimora Lee (African-American, Korean, and Japanese), and Irina Pantaeva (Siberian) paved the way for the future Asian models.

2. Geisha Glamour: Whether you loved or hated Memoirs of a Geisha, you can't deny that the costumes were fabulous. They were so fabulous in fact, that Western courtiers and retailers couldn't seem to get enough of obi belts, kimono sleeves, and large Japanese floral prints in 2006. In addition to Banana Republic and Fresh cosmetics releasing their own Memoirs lines at the tail end of 2005, modern Geisha-inspired wear popped up on the Spring 2006 runways of Hermes, Dries Van Noten, and Lanvin.

3. Doo-Ri Chung: Korean designer Doo-Ri Chung became high fashion's newest it-designer when she won the top prize at the third annual CFDA/Vogue fashion award in November and the Swarovski Perris Ellis award for Emerging Talent in June. Chung started her clothing collection in her parents' New Jersey dry cleaning shop after graduating from Parson's. She debuted her line Doo.Ri at New York Fashion Week in 2003. This year, Chung impressed audiences with her spring 2007 collection, which delved beyond her usual jersey knit draping and added sophisticated satins and sequined detailing to the mix.

4. Bollywood Basics: India showed transcontinental appeal this year. Olympus Fashion Week welcomed India-inspired collections from Indian-born designers like Anand Jon (Jeanisis), Ashish Soni (Ashish N Soni), and newcomer Sabyasachi, who debuted his modernized take on traditionally garish Bollywood style in September 2006. In fact, Indian style is so hot right now that spring 2007 collections from Lanvin, Carolina Herrera, and Michael Kors are also offering Eastern-influenced pieces like silk kameezes (Indian tunics) and opulent brocade skirts.

5. Shu Uemura: Japanese makeup brand Shu Uemura loves to push artistic boundaries and last year was no different. Known for their lash products -- particularly their eyelash curler (a fashion industry favorite) and their outrageous fake lashes -- Shu Uemura stunned us in 2006 with perhaps their most indulgent lashes yet: a custom pair of mink lashes adorned with diamonds, created for quintessential material girl Madonna. For those who can't shell out ten grand for mink lashes, 2006 also marked the opening of two new Shu Uemura Tokyo Lash bars in Boston and Costa Mesa, where clients try everything from natural lashes to funky neon colored lashes fit for a Harajuku girl.

6. Chloe Dao: This past spring, Vietnamese designer Chloe Dao became the first Asian woman and the least dramatic contestant to win Bravo's Project Runway (fans can attest to the catty attitudes of season one winner Jay McCarroll and season three winner Jeffrey Sebelia). Dao played it nice off and on the runway during the show, often creating minimalist and classically tailored clothing. Since winning Project Runway's $100,000 prize, Dao has been expanding her contemporary women's line Lot 8, which she established in 2000.

7. Don and Jin Sook Chang, Forever 21: Before Sweden's H&M invaded the U.S., American girls and recently guys, looking for a quick fashion fix, turned to Los Angeles's original fast fashion couturier, Forever 21. Established in 1984 by Korean immigrants Don and Jin Sook Chang, Forever 21 releases up to 200 trendy new designs into its stores on any given week and in spite of its European competition, seems to be doing stronger than ever: Forever 21 expanded into menswear in 2006 and is the top-earning privately owned fashion company in L.A., according to Los Angeles Magazine.

8. Thakoon Panichgul: Thakoon Panichgul hit it big with the stylish elite and masses alike in 2006. The Thai-born designer was a runner-up for the CFDA/ Vogue fashion award, thanks to a show-stopping spring 2007 collection inspired by peonies at New York Fashion Week. Far from the Olympus Runway, Panichgul also reached a more mainstream audience with a capsule collection of affordable shoes for Nine West's 2006 Project Front Row. He joined designers Sophia Kokosalaki and Vivienne Westwood.

9. The Asian Mullet: It's not exactly a "style maker," but the mullet has been so widespread among Asian youth that Asia Times actually published a satirical article about it three years ago. And today, I still see the mullet being rocked by hordes of Asians, boys and girls, in trendy neighborhoods and Indie and Emo concerts everywhere. Perhaps, an even greater testament to the mullet's unwavering grasp on Asian heartstrings is Josie, the only Asian contestant on Bravo's Top Chef, who made a statement with her Vietnamese inspired dishes as well as her badass faux-hawk mullet. Call it kitschy, but the mullet proved it still had its cool in 2006.

10. Rinko Kikuchi: It's not often that we see Asians working the red carpets and if we do, it's usually Zhang Ziyi in a classic gown from Armani. This year, however, breakthrough Babel actress Rinko Kikuchi decided to shake things up. At the Cannes Film Festival, Kikuchi clashed modern punk with Japanese tradition, wearing a lilac kimono and her hair pulled into frizzy, orange-tinted bouffant. Kikuchi took her punk-aesthetic even further at the Los Angeles Premiere of Babel, where she rocked the same lightened hair and a funky black and white dress over skinny jeans. Now that Kikuchi's been named one of Variety's Ten Actors to watch, it's likely that we'll see more of Kikuchi's funky fashion in 2007.

AZN Network Faces Challenge

Advertisers recognize the growing clout of Asian consumers, they're accustomed to targeting each nationality in its own language rather than as a culture,ä said Julia Huang, president of Long Beach, Calif.-based advertising firm interTrend Communications and head of industry group 3AF, The Asian American Advertising Foundation.
"For a lot of our member agencies, their bread and butter is the approach that the only way you can reach this market equals speaking the language. But more and more we are realizing that, before being language-centric, it's an insight-centric approach." Read more

Note: For information, please contact Knowledge Center at kc@intertrend.com


	Il Chianti Japanese Pasta? When you hear that, you’ll first think about ramen, udon, or soba, but I'm actually talking about Italian pasta, just done with a different hand. I'm lacking the true Italian culinary experience, since I've never been there, but I have tried plenty in America, ranging from the cheap to the pricey. Typical Japanese pasta usually lands itself at least in the flavor category, near the top. What's different about pasta from Japan? Already being a noodle and rice culture, the pasta is usually cooked perfectly, al dente, maybe just for the sake of being able to say those Italian words. The sauces, and "fixings" are usually more delicate and mild than what you may see at pasta haven like Spaghetti Factory, C&O’s, or even the pricey, Campanelli on LaBrea. You might also find, the infamous Japanese pasta dish, containing mentaiko (pollack eggs). iL Chianti in Lomita, is actually the American leg of a small chain of Italian restaurants in the Tokyo area. It's ambiance and style is a reason to go there alone, and the food rocks too. Walking in, you'll see a big wine aquarium. It's a glass box room filled with bottles. There's a front room, a large classy counter, and separate rooms including an outdoor area with more seating. If you don't have to wait, then you're in luck. It fills up quickly for the non-reservation lunch hours, and I'd suggest making a reservation for dinner. It's far from being a place for you and your posse, this is more of a "date" place, especially at night. Its ambiance is darker, the style is classy but not dressy, and in a quick glance, you'll see that faces in the seats are Asian. Yet, it's a welcoming environment, although you'll have to ask for a translation of the special menu chalkboard. Make the waitresses translate it! It'll be worth it. On my trip there for lunch, there's a selection on the menu that's basically a taste of everything, a "bento box," that's 10.50. In it was the pasta of the day, which was spicy tomato in what seemed like angel hair. The spice factor was mild, just to taste, and it's a simple pleasure to eat. It's not flashy, saucy, or overpowering - it's just right. The salad dressing was too salty for my taste, but everything else was spot on. Also like Japanese bento boxes, there are small sides, this one had a pasta salad, a seafood and edamame salad, pickled daikon, and a piece of fried fish. But there's more, you also get a soup and small dessert. Also on the lunch menu is the pasta of the day and the sandwich of the day. Today's sandwich was actually a taco-like baby squid sandwich. The menu isn't too huge, and ordering is easy. In a nearly must do fashion, one of my posse ordered the classic, mentaiko pasta bringing another meaning to "when in Rome". Check out Il Chianti when you're in Lomita. Remember to park across the street and to make reservations at night. -Eric Nakamura/Giant Robot- IL Chianti 24503 Narbonne Ave. Lomita, CA 90717 (310) 325-5000 Website (The website is in Japanese, but don't worry about the language barrier, English is welcome.) Back to Top