rock it to your lollipop

oh marc...

i'm not a huge orange fan...but this made me reconsider...

the polaroid...now an endangered species of the art world....*sniff*

hey there...

all pictures courtesy of various websites...

sooo this weekend was rather lovely.

first up: stephen sprouse, 'rock on mars,' at the Deitch Projects until feb. 28 (wooster st. location)...a fiesty retrospective of sprouse's fashion and collaborations with icons of the 80's, including debbie harry, keith haring, iggy pop, and of course, louis vuitton by way of marc jacobs. it's a neon-highlighter feast for the senses. some of my faves....a tv-collage of sprouse's fashion runway shows, obviously a party in itself; a wall of polaroids of his beloved friends - debbie harry, random models (i think i saw naomi campbell in some of them), sid vicious, etc...and a 'vandalized' mies van der rohe Barcelona chair (col. White) scrawled with black sprouse handwriting. the exhibit is housed in a garage-of-a-soho-loft-space that perfectly compliments the grungy punk-rock-pop aesthetic that was signature to sprouse.

it will take 15-20 min to soak it all in....so go on your lunch break!

nnnnext: pre-party rendez-vous chez malvin and company in the west village....joe's pizza, coronas, and make-up courtesy of MAC and nars. inspired by steven sprouse himself and his neon orange that was so prevalent throughout his retrospective, i decided to highlight my pout with bright (almost blinding) orange lipstick. it's not an easy look to pull off, and i was a bit self conscious that i looked like the Joker from batman. but then i rationalized, "if i'm gonna go there....i might as well GO there...." and go i did. malvin completed my nude shimmer eyes w/kohl and we were out the door. clad in neon and nyc black, we were ready to party.

and then....we end up at Pianos to listen to this band "hockey," which turns out to be in my opinion the new MGMT. and i heart MGMT. the band actually went to the same college as malvin and his friends so we were groovin' (ok, dancing like crazy) in the 'front' row as if we were the band's bffs. so much fun and dancing was had. and after the show, like the groupies ( i mean bffs) that we were, we chatted it up with them and hugged them to pieces. and then we had to go to our next shindig.

which was....in union square....a friend-of-a-friend's birthday party at a bar/lounge, a bit shi-shi for me but it's all about the people, no? my little clique for the nite and i had a swell time, dancing to justin timberlake (remember him??) and a mix of 'top40' tunes....a definite departure from the usual indie rock/lower east side/williamsburg/lowkey vibe in which we imbibe....but nevertheless, love of the nite didn't get us down.

sleepovers, egg/sausage/toast breakfast over conversation of fencing, cauchy's integral formula (say whaaat), and oktoberfest rounded out the next morning.

and so this brings us to moooonday.

if u need something to keep your groove going, may i suggest "lollipop" by MIKA....the best pick-me-up of harmony, clapping, kickin' beats, and "suckin' too hard on your lollipop oh love's gonna get you down....say love, say love, oh love's gonna get you down..."

and repeat. 

feelin' better?

ah, memories

i know, i'm such a diva

tonal outfits with my brother...and we didn't even have to try

so oldskool...so good...

jumping jellyfish!

Tibor von Halmay and Vera Mahlke

martin munkacsi, ca. 1931

courtesy International Center of Photography 

i wonder how this shot was produced...was a trampoline involved?  or pure run-up-to-the-wall-and-jump? it reminds me of the trampoline gym in san francisco. i still have yet to visit that gym, but from what i'm told, there are trampolines lining the ground and walls...probably not the best idea to test it out after brunch.

so i'm with my friend malvin yesterday, perusing the fashion photography exhibit at the ICP (int'l center of photography) in nyc. as we are both fashion insiders, relatively speaking, and as much as we love fashion, the love is usually passed around in small circles, as we generally find out "oh what a small world" we live in from conversation to conversation. it's nice to see that fashion photography (and thus, fashion) is made into a public statement, from time to time, and in a comprehensive manner, thanks to this exhibit.

celebrating some great fashion spreads from W magazine, Vogue (international issues), Another Magazine, Ten, POP, etc...one can see the amount of work and vision that is required to create a striking and story-telling photoshoot. many times the clothes are the accessory to the storyline. part advertising, part story, i suppose this is what fashion journalism is all about. a lot to do with lighting, posing, facial expression, and color, each featured spread tells a story with a simple underlying dialogue in 5-6 pages. it's like, a movie in print, in pretty clothes.

at the same time, because the fashion is secondary, sometimes you don't even notice the clothes. rather, it's the styling/hair/makeup, and composition, that takes the stage....

bottom line is, a story is told. fashionably, but of course.

go see it! like now!

strike a pose

sasha pivovarova

shot by hedi slimane, courtesy interviewmagazine.com

differ if you will, but i think this is a swell photo.

it's one of those images that make you stop, breathe, and observe just a bit closer.

let's ponder: the stance, model gaze, teased hair, sequinned jumpsuit (and you know how i love sequins)...that face...all create a striking line of the female form against a dreamy shades-of-grey backdrop.

she's one of my favorite models, and at age 23, does more than just model...she's an artist, and is working on a book ('scrapbook') of sorts for prada. yes, prada. 

as per madge...there's nothing to it.

mac daddy-o

i finally own a macbook. white.

!!!!

got it yesterday, and took moment by moment to savor the ceremonious opening of the box, gingerly lifting the said book from its foam cradle, sliding it out from the protective fusible-quality of a wrapping, and taking in the gleaming pristine glossy whiteness in all its glory.

i mean, it's gorgeous.

and it's easy to setup! even for a computer invalid like me, i did it. started skype-ing with my favorite cousin, in san fran, in no time.

and to the packaging engineers at apple...i was impressed with the circular cutout "grid," strategically carved from the foam filling...kinda marni spring '09, kinda genius. maybe i shoulda majored in packaging engineering...

...in other news, i've been taking pictures with my diana+ toy camera. it's a fun little thing, and definitely helps me observe things/people/life in a different way. the best part is seeing how the pictures will develop....hopefully i'll be returned from the photo developer stacks of dreamy, vignetted, delightfully old school images that reminisce of a wonderful life.  this ain't just any regular camera. it's analogue. 

i think i'm going to try cross processing (ahem, xpro to you) as well, to enhance the saturation, vignetting, and overall dreamworld aesthetic. we shall see.

sometimes i wonder why i'm so fascinated with an 'old school' aesthetic. old school sneakers, old school photos, anything nostalgic/vintage...imperfection. not to be confused with old- fashioned....because that's usually just boring (except when it comes to chivalry!). i mean, i do love the contemporary, modern, and minimal as well, but there's something about retrieving-the-old-and-making-it-new-while-retaining-its-original-cool that provides an ultimate challenge, in my 4-eyed opinion.....

let's muse, mmm?

oooh, new Office tonite.

and the color of the year is....

mimosa!

(according to pantone and fashionista.com)

so get your yellow on! (sunny, warm, cheery...as a citron or an ochre, what's not to like?) it's one of my personal faves.

anywho.

lolling around in the suburbia that is new jersey today, i finally got a glimpse and feel of the thakoon line for target. i must say, that despite really great prints and colors (signatures of thakoon), the fabric is beyond subpar. except for the striped cotton long sleeve tees, the handfeel of the printed cotton lawns and crepe-wannabe qualities were disappointing at best.

i've heard similar stories on the jonathan saunders collection for target. just really poor quality.

such a shame, no? because if target is to promote and spread the young designers' names to the mass consumers (who, let's assume, could care less about fashion), and this [scratchy and rough handfeel] is what they see and feel, they are doing nothing more than undermining the reputation of these award-winning Designers whom we in the fashion industry adore.. in addition to disappointing those in the fashion industry (ie: me).

i was even thinking h&m could do better than this. and they do.

and another thing...how come target's other house lines have better quality than the designer editions?

it's not totally the designer's fault, as they have limited selections for fabric when approached by the targets and uniqlos of the world. the designers do the designs, and approve the construction and fit, but the the fabric and production is done by the mass merchant. so i can understand how the result will never be as amazing as the designers' lines, hence the low pricepoint, but still.

i guess i just don't like the integrity of designer clothing to be compromised.

(all pictures, thakoon spring '09, as per thakoon panichgul, courtesy style.com)

richie rich

richard avedon...in the flesh

simply striking...reminds me of lanvin fall '08

Veruschka, dress by Bill Blass, New York, January 1967

richard avedon had a way of capturing movement, whether it be in a person's face, pose, or clothes.

and often in black and white. mmmmm.

there is so much more in his archives and website (www.richardavedon.com), but here's a little something to accompany your coffee sipping:

I believe in maniacs. I believe in type As. I believe that you've got to love your work so much that it is all you want to do. I believe you must betray your mistress for your work, you betray your wife for your work; I believe that she must betray you for her work. I believe that work is the one thing in the world that never betrays you, that lasts. If i were going to be a politician, if I were going to be a scientist, I would do it every day. I wouldn't wait for Monday. I don't believe in weekends. If you're headed for a life that's only involved with making money and that you hope for satisfaction somewhere else, you're headed for a lot of trouble. And whatever replaces vodka when you're 45 is what you're going to be doing.

:: richard avedon, 1988 :

i wonder what i will be doing when i'm 45....along with drinking some st. germain elderflower...

my morning breakfast...with jim

I wanted to find different ways to see the world, and reinvent myself, and try to wipe the slate clean,” he says. “The pace is a little slower back home,” James adds with some understatement. “I love the unpredictability of the city. I feel like I’m playing some crazy game here—like I’m Pac-Man or something. Even when I’m sleeping I’m there playing the game. Somehow I’m not my normal self. Yet maybe I’m more my normal self than I was before?

::jim james, My Morning Jacket, on his move to NYC:

look at me, look at me

new years eve '08, chez flatbush farm in brooklyn, shot by my friend scott. (...schuman, THE sartorialist?! no...campbell...silly)

fumika's expression is how i feel about 2009...holding my breath, closing my eyes, about to burst, and just going for it.

or maybe she's just blinded by my sequins.

secret's out

ah, found them...inspirations to end a long day:
kate moss at a Forum photoshoot + distressed pinky kicks
(courtesy hintmag.com...a fashion website new to me, maybe not so new to others)

allow me to explain....kate moss is a fashion icon, period. i don't know many [fashion] people who don't hold her in their 'top 5' lists for favorite model/style/winner-all-around...and i like backstage pics of anything 'fashiony,' mostly because they reveal everything BUT the 'perfection' that appears on the runway/magazine....which is usually more interesting because it's the real deal, sans retouching. and anyway, it's always good to see a genuine expression of laughter. a smile, a laugh, is a good look for everyone.

the pinky shoes...feels like something i would wear on any given day, if only i actually had them (and the search begins). as normal as these shoes may be (although, they are the kind of old-school i desire in a sneaker) the composition of the picture makes it more interesting and 'worthy' of posting on hintmag.com, by hintmag.com. something normal, made cool....my eye went right to the pink. i know yours did too.

also from the site are great probing interviews with hedi slimane of dior homme, katie grand of POP magazine (now in its last issue ever....i should probably fetch me one of those), and all sorts of fashion goodie gumdrops. i just stumbled upon this site today, amidst my aching for some inspiration after a long rainy day, long commute, and even longer nites prior.

but alas, a highlight of the day: erin wasson (model/muse/'designer'/etc.) and i made eye contact at Oak on bond street; i looked up from bottled perfumes and she from the jewelry case. it was a knowing glance. i mean, u know what i mean. like i've said before, people know me.

and another...getting to meet up with some beloved friends on said rainy evening over coffee, cafe habana, and negro modelo makes me feel like a lucky lady.

new faves for the new year

:: marlene dietrich : glamour queen; actress; singer
:: philip glass : the orphee suite for piano
:: the hours : the movie
:: casanova : the movie
:: egon schiele : gnarly portraits

kinda depressing and disturbed some of these characters were, but luxuriously and beautifully so...

...more to come....

like water for chocolate...nay...coffee

i know i'm not alone when i say this....i drink lots of coffee.

lots.

each pot i make is enough for 2 mugs....and i make that for breakfast and dinner.
in the afternoon, i may sneak in another.

it's my "water."
it helps me think and care about things...people...life...gets the ball rolling...at least in the morning.

...this is by no means a revelation...but just something worth mentioning, since it's a big part of my life. apparently i can't start the day without it.

addiction much? maybe that's a stretch...but i always rationalize that i could be consuming things much worse...=)