about me

Hi. I'm Melanie Kobayashi. Sometimes I use Mel. I love dressing up, down, even sideways on occasion. Wearing what I love not only makes me feel good, but my clothes are portals to other personalities, places, and eras - a CEO in New York one day, a Hollywood silent film actor the next, and a socialite in Monaco the next. A spangle, a swath of leather, a vintage gown or even a men's jacket with an open imagination and attitude is all it takes.

But my style is not just personal. Sometimes it can be an exhilarating jumping-off point to critique or champion our times as well. As a creator and oft-called agent provocateur, especially in the context of being a woman over 50 (the wildhood years), the questions are always there: Who am I? Who do others expect me to be. And why?

I echo Virginia Woolf:

There is much to support the view that it is clothes that wear us, and not we, them; we may make them take the mould of arm or breast, but they mould our hearts, our brains, our tongues to their liking.

On Bag and a Beret I show you how I play between the lines with style, drawing heavily on humour and art, especially little sketches of my alter ego, Turniphead. Most of my clothing is from thrift shops. Unless otherwise noted, I take all my own photos with a tripod and remote control, and I film and edit my own videos, unless it's a project with friends.

At 55, I debuted as a model/actor and was featured in global and national campaigns for major clothing brands. For several years I have been in prominent online and print media where I'm listed as a top over-50 personality to watch. And I watch right back!

This is all a fascinating turn of events. I am excited by the doors that are opening for me and all women over 40. I welcome you into my world and thank you for letting me into yours. And I hope that if you're looking for a little more oomph in life, this meeting place and my Instagram and YouTube channel will inspire you to take a few plunges with me. Remember: Don't hold your breath. Just breathe. Breathe it ALL in. And let go.

Above is another alter ego, Miz Bagg. 

She directed the production of a fashion spoof

e-zine, VOGOFF, which I put together with 

contributions from friends.

VOGOFF is HERE.

I live in Vancouver, Canada, with my partner, O, who makes meditation art, which you can see here.

If you would like to collaborate, email me at actlikeadiva at gmail dot com.

Thanks for visiting!

Mel

(You can still view my previous bios HERE to see how my blog life has morphed since I started started Bag and a Beret in 2012.)