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Where's my home? No idea but this world feels like a cool place to call home.
Unfocused postings on whatever catches my attention, makes me think or demands that I point and shoot.

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fashion

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Dare to dive in

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I've always been a fan of Collette http://www.colette.fr/ - where the focus has been on product and a soundscape that supports it.

Opening Ceremony started to inspire a sense of space that Collette's store did on Rue St. Honore but took it a step further - not requiring the sound to create a sense of space.

Now in London, there's a new space created by John Skelton and Dan Mitchell - As quoted by Wallpaper "Skelton has considerable pedigree as a premium level buyer for oki-ni and Harrods. Mitchell is equally recognised for his discerning musical taste through his Bad Passion club nights."

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They started a website http://www.ln-cc.com/ but then commissioned Gary Card to create a physical space for them in London. The end result takes one in to a space that can be best described by the objective the guys set:

"LN-CC isn't so much a retail site (space) but more an evolving platform of curated ideas encompassing clothing, music and art."

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The site and the space are alive and appear to suck you in to a world away from everyday. You fully experience LN-CC by being removed from known experiences.

Here's a good piece on Gary Card's approach to the space http://bit.ly/gGScSk

Filed under  //  design   engagement   fashion  
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Style Rookie

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Just reading one page from the style rookie's article in Pop makes you
realize why she's so compelling. The New Yorker featured an article on
her a few weeks ago.

Go straight to her blog http://bit.ly/9Gu3D7 and read the one page to get addicted to her
blog and to recognize the value she brings to fashion journalism.

Filed under  //  fashion  
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Spring Summer Time

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Fashion houses are jumping all over technology at the moment.

It's as if McQueen's death (he was the pioneer of tech in fashion) sparked an engagement with the iPhone.

Check out Marc Jacob's free app - a clock - inspired by his spring summer collection.

Silly? Absolutely. Marc Jacobs? Absolutely. Is this new fashion engagement with tech going to spark further innovation? That's a definite yes.

Filed under  //  Technology   digital   fashion  
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12,200 Results on $36,000 Fendi

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Yesterday, Fendi opened its new store in Vegas and used the occasion to launch a one of a kind $36,000 24-Karat Gold bag made from python skin.

No doubt people will say this is a crazy - some would say even outlandish - idea that anyone would buy such a bag in the current economic climate.

I would say that you are missing the point. The launch happened in the last 24 hours and already a simple google search is delivering 12,200 results.

$36,000 is cheap for that amount of coverage and I bet they sell it anyway.

Filed under  //  fashion  
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Fashion Loss

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This should have never happened. How many times are we saying this these days? 

Is it me or are suicides happening with greater frequency?

Alexander McQueen's death is a huge loss to fashion and culture on so many levels.

There are plenty of articles covering McQueen's death and contribution to fashion - I think this one's the best so far http://bit.ly/ajQU45

This quote captured a key aspect of McQueen that I greatly respected "McQueen, [was] an explosively imaginative designer who openly courted controversy (he called one of his early collections, a mix of military jackets and torn-lace dresses, "Highland Rape") but who also treated craftsmanship as a foundation and not an afterthought (he began his career as an apprentice on Savile Row, helping to construct custom-made suits for the likes of Prince Charles and Mikhail Gorbachev)." His dedication to learning the craft was driven by him alone; his artistic expression - the search for emotion in fashion - was in his DNA. 

The reason I really respected Alexander McQueen was his belief that the fashion show was a canvas to experiment; a way for him to dig deep; to be scared; to push way further than needed - and then lean back into the fashion that people would actually wear. Go in any store of his and see the workmanship and wearability of his clothing but also feel the influence of his experiments from the catwalk.

He also embraced technology - being the first to stream his show live but also he shared his design patterns like they were blog posts - here's one for a Kimono jacket http://bit.ly/aoNP0h

I'll finish with this quote that I think best captures his challenging mind "For Alexander McQueen, fashion was a means to grapple boldly with the deeper and darker side of human existence. His work always posed the question 'why shouldn't - why couldn't - fashion be emotional?" Alex Fury, SHOWstudio

Filed under  //  art   culture   fashion  
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VisVim

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It's hard to find recent coverage on Hiroki Nakamura and what he's doing for shoe design but his designs are quietly present in stores like Colette in Paris and Jeffrey in NY.

His designs are influenced by today's ubiquitous standards but his signature takes the standard to something unexplainably different. It's almost like his designs evoke a feeling rather than an explicit design statement.

If you can stand to hear stupid questions then this video's worth checking out to understand Hiroki's perspective on shoe design http://bit.ly/cxfi0j

I loved his comment about stitching the souls of the shoe in such a way that if the soul wears out, you can unstitch it and replace it with a new one.

His shoes are expensive but when you understand the passion he applies to each design, you know it's worth it.

Thought this interview from 2004 was good as well http://bit.ly/9KWkuI

Filed under  //  design   fashion   japan  
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Powder

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So I talked about bicycles made by car manufacturers a couple of weeks ago and today I'm struck by this new press release for Aston Martin that talks about their new skis.

I quote from Aston Martin, “Conceived as the ultimate all-rounder ski, the race-derived materials make them perfect for all downhill descents. As with the latest Aston Martin sportscars, the high-technology construction boasts the latest materials including composites, aluminium and carbon.”

Seriously?

They're sweet for sure but for something really sweet - check out this preview of insanity that my friend John Winsor brought to my attention.

Filed under  //  design   fashion   snow  
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Tattoos & Flowers

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Well no pain with these new Chanel transfer tattoos.

They were a huge hit at last Fall's runways and now they will be on sale March 1st for $75.

It's interesting to see how a trend that was started by rappers, celebrities and die hard brand lovers, could be adopted by the brands themselves and become a commercial enterprise in its own right. The success of brand tattoos this summer will be thanks to the crazy ones.

Filed under  //  fashion  
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