Monday, March 15th, 2010
Chromium Dumb Belle
Chromium Dumb Belle creates an appliqued & satin world of flash and fancy that would be easily at ease upon Scrumbly’s doily outfits in Native Funk & Flash or in Barbara Hulanicki’s doe-eyed emporium, Biba.
Friday, March 12th, 2010
Swedish Fabric Design
When I visited Sweden, one of the things that first struck me was that everyone’s apartments, houses, and public spaces seemed beautifully designed, in this contemporary, bright, cheery and somewhat 50’s/60’s Mr. Men kind of way. There’s a vibe in the air that encourages a similar stlye of living- they do have the highest standard of living in the world. I completely fell in love with this sensibility, the bright and airy floral curtains, vibrant and playful placemats….making your space a joyful one. (Maybe ’cause it’s so cold in the winter.) Ahh, Sweden. Take the wallpaper above, inspired by “an idea to pattern a porcelain mug with crystal glasses and so make it fine for serving celebratory drinks.” Classic! No fuss, just simple, iconcally graphic depictions that encourage you to drink champagne from a mug- you can still live elegantly while avoiding pretension by trying something new! Move over IKEA- check out these lovely designs from the Scandinavian Design Center.
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Galliano at War
I came across this John Galliano couture collection from 2006 and couldn’t help but laugh. I’ve been thinking about the great question of war & peace ever since hearing snippets from a rare house debate on the subject on NPR the other day. I don’t really have any answers on the state of the nation….apart from presenting Galliano’s bedraggled mud-slang revolutionary rockers doused in oil make-up, flip-flops, Galliano branded life vests (?), Michael Jackson-inspired spike shoulder pads and fake beards. Is Galliano lampooning the ridiculously luxe couture high-fashion world? Or our mythological idealizations of fighting desperados? Perhaps Mad Max is upon us.
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Nick Cave
Chicago artist Nick Cave is currently showing at the Fowler Museum. We got a chance to interview him last year. Nick transforms found objects into what he calls “Soundsuits”. These suits are not just sculptural works but meant to be worn. Imagine wearing one of these to the next costume party you attend? Performers inside the suits emit noises, hence the title “Soundsuits”. The above image reminds me of our BD shirt: Explosion. Apparently Cave, an Alvin-Ailey trained dancer, plans to eventually have a world-traveling show with 90 Soundsuit-creatures.
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
Jean-Philippe Delhomme
So the other day I met this super cool french girl who turned me on to Jean-Philippe Delhomme. Mixing equal parts flattery and satire, his unique vision of the contemporary social scene is bitting and beautiful all at once. Turns out Delhomme worked as an illustrator at Glamour for years creating his signature brand of ‘fictional portraits,’ depicting the outlandish attitudes and behavior of high society. He also runs an awesome blog called The Unknown Hipster, and with a name like that, how could you not fall in love?
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Niki Pilkington
Fashion Illustrator Niki Pilkington draws girls you probably went to art school with. I enjoy how you can really feel Niki’s hand in her work.
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Gaga for Philip Treacy
Philip Treacy takes millenial millinery to new heights! His outlandish creations play with the sculptural nature of hast- which, in Treacy’s world aremore like sculptures that play with their site-specific locations on people’s heads. Hats don’t just hide bad hair days, but become floral landing pads for butterflies, another face, or a gloved hand, the moon and stars, and beyond. His designs are favored by everyone from Lady Gaga to British royalty. Talk about a heshin’ haberdasher!
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