A PROFOUND ONE

I am writing to you now as an older and wiser person. Last week I turned 24... I had a discussion with some girlfriends about what age you should start to freak out about not being young anymore - we concluded 26, because you will then be on the wrong side of 25. Luckily for me I still have 726 days till I get to that stage and, to be honest, I don’t think that I’ll will ever get there as even now I still feel about 15 years old. Every day when I’m on the train on my way to work I think to myself, ‘what am I doing on this train with all these adults on their way to work?’

Turning 24 has not been all bad – in fact for the first time since leaving school I am not in my overdraft!! That is cause for celebration I feel. I have to say though that one of my biggest fears along with heights and flying is to go through life without taking every single opportunity that comes my way. That is why I have decided to become the Yes woman.

I am going to say yes to everything that I am offered – within reason obviously. I won’t be saying yes to any sex orgies, injecting of class A drugs, or of course to wearing socks with sandals – there are just some things you shouldn’t do. But on the whole I will be a real ‘grab the bull by the horns’ kinda gal. I have started by saying yes to going on a trip to Russia instead of a generic lie by the pool summer holiday. I figured now is the time to sample the country where vodka is cheaper than water and the police ask you for money in exchange for your passport... it’s gonna be a corker.

Anyway enough of my holier than thou new philosophy on life. I would like to give you a review on an exhibition that I went to on Sunday at the V&A because it was simply inspiring.

In the wake of the tsunami disaster in Japan, I have a new found respect for the Japanese. They have throughout history been portrayed as a not very emotional nation - blockbuster films such as ‘Pearl Harbour’ don’t help... but there is so much beyond the yellow fin tuna massacring, Hello Kitty and the weird martial arts cartoons featuring characters with massive round eyes. They have Yohji Yamamoto...

Yohji Yamamoto is a Japanese designer who has achieved everything. He decided to study fashion - after completed a law degree - and went on to design some of the most fashion forward thinking outfits of his time (he was born in 1943 so he ain’t no spring chicken!)

He was extremely successful in Japan with his masculine clothing for women, and took his collection to Paris where he has since been honoured with prestigious French medals and titles. He has a black belt in karate. He has done the costume design for different Takeshi and Wim Wender films. He has made 3 music albums (not something I would download on iTunes, all a bit too alternative for my liking) and he has written books. He is my new life guru.

I like his clothes because they don’t take fashion too seriously e.g one of his collections is called the Madness catwalk – colourful doc martins and all. His clothes have that crazy feel that you sometimes get with Vivienne Westwood - with the mix mash of patterns, asymmetric lines and yet extremely feminine quality. I have to say I’m not a fan of the Y-3 Adidas range but then again I’ve never been a sports wear lover.

I advise you all to go and see the exhibition. It’s on till 10 July.

• If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch its cub.

I am going to let you guys interpret that as you will.

Cordelia Rosa