October | 2012 | THE HARLOW

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OPPOSITES ATTRACT – FLO FOX AND GIGI STOLL, PARATISSIMA 2012

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Isabella Cecconi

Opposites Attract is a story, made of images and friendship. A story that has been linking two people for years. The story of a mentor and a student, the story of curiosity and rules to be changed and twisted, of pulsing and beating lives, of fighters and survivors, of strength and wisdom where nude bodies melt with street photography, where irony meets drama, where Flo Fox meets Gigi Stoll. Continue Reading →

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TEEN DAZE, THE INNER MANSIONS

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Maxim Deluxe

The Inner Mansions is the second full length record from TEEN DAZE, and it is also his second of 2012! The album is a collection of songs that were written between the months of May and June 2012, and they are his most introspective and moving to date. While his debut, All Of Us, Together, evoked feelings of a futuristic, electronic utopia, The Inner Mansions focuses inward, both thematically and sonically. This is an album of spiritual and musical journey, and features some of Teen Daze’s most captivating songs.The Inner Mansions” will be released on November 6. Follow TEEN DAZE on Bandcamp

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I SEE YOU AS YOU ARE, I SEE YOU’RE TRANSPARENT

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Teresa Cannata'

You know that faith in flats starts wavering when your heart skips a beat for a certain pair of high heels. This rarely occurs to me – I’m a girl of strong beliefs – but when it does, well, it’s an unforgettable love. I’ve got a thing for plastic shoes and in general for shoes made of artificial materials: I think their “futuristic” vibe is extremely appealing and kind of glamourous. Put all these elements together and you’ll see why I’m currently lemming Valentino Rockstud transparent slingbacks.
Continue Reading →

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GUCCI CRUISE 2013

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Marco Maggetto

The colder it gets, the summery I browse. As my colleague Teresa once said, fashion is a dream, a great escapade. Many of us won’t leave winter for a single day for at least three months, can you imagine? It’s Better To Travel, as my beloved Swing Out Sister once sang, at least in our minds. Plenty of writers that wrote exotic books about places they have never been. Plenty of fashion offers for a Sunny season somewhere else. Welcome to the game of cruise collections where the sun shines bright and women goes updated to the very last trend. I remember a good friend who used to go around in cheap clothes. She was so charming everyone was asking what she was wearing. She used to reply ” It’s blablah cruise line”. People were amazed. Not for the designer name she made up but because of that cruise in the end. The cruise is the last of everybody’s necessity, the ultimate promised land: cruise means you can, cruise means you are so bored that you can afford to go shopping for 8 seasons a year. Continue Reading →

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CUT THE RIBBON: VIRGINIA OLDOINI, LA CASTIGLIONE

Posted on October 30, 2012 by admin

La Divine Comtesse! Long, wavy blonde hair, pale skin, delicate oval face, green and violet eyes. The Countess was known for her beauty and her flamboyant entrances with elaborate dresses at the French imperial court. Virginia Oldoini, (Queen of Hearts), Countess of Castiglione, better known as La Castiglione, was an Italian aristocrat who was sent by cousin Count of Cavour on the very first mission to the French court of Napoleon III to plead with the emperor the Franco-Piedmontese alliance. La Castiglione’s skills and charm, prevailed over politics and surely made her a first ribbon cutter in many ways; maybe embarrassing but useful for to Italian politics. The large presence of her seductive institutional cause, gave the expected results:in her luxuriously house in Paris, she was a ‘mondanissima’ and official mistress of the Emperor Napoleon III, arousing envy, great scandal and the fury of the catholic Empress Eugenie. It was even said that the rivalry came to the point that, having been the emperor target of an attack in the house of the Countess in Rue Montaigne, everything had been orchestrated by the Empress itself to damage the opponent. The Countess significant power, being aware of her beauty, ambition and intelligence made her a sharp shooter and rigorous instructions follower, considering her plead to the cause of Italian unity with Napoleon III of France. Her achieved notoriety and scandal led her Italian husband to demand a marital separation. The Countess returned to Italy in 1857 when her affair with Napoleon III was over. Four years later, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, conceivably in part due to the influence that the Countess had exerted on France. In her declining years, La Castiglione would spend her days in her Parisian apartment in Place Vendôme, where she had the rooms decorated in funereal black, the blinds kept drawn, and mirrors banished.

She is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. .

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CIRCUS AND THE CITY, NEW YORK 1793-2010

Posted on October 30, 2012 by admin

The Bard Graduate Center is proud to present “Circus and the City: New York, 1793-2010”. Curator Matthew Wittmann has fleshed out in great detail, with over 200 items from more than 30 lenders. He traces the circus’s debut in New York to August 7, 1793, when an Irishman named John Bill Ricketts created an open-air arena on Greenwich Street and performed equestrian feats. The crowd, according to one newspaper, “expressed their approbation by frequent clapping of hands, and at the conclusion, by a general huzza!” Spectators and impresarios had a symbiotic relationship: the former were hungry for cheap entertainment , and the latter were eager to tap a market of 40,000 people and quickly expanding. A signal moment was January 1, 1842, when Phineas Taylor Barnum opened, at Broadway and Ann Street, Barnum’s American Museum. Previously, he was manager to an elderly African-American named Joice Heth, whom he billed as the 161-year-old nurse of George Washington. He thrived on the outlandish: an early hit was the Feejee Mermaid, a half-monkey, half-fish. Walt Whitman wrote in 1856, “The Circus is a national institution. Though originating elsewhere, and in ages long previous to the beginning of History, it has here reached a perfection attained nowhere else.”

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IN LOVE WITH FALL, LAZZARI

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Anna Torossi

I’m hopelessly in love with fall. The chilly air and the falling leaves’ colors have an unquestionable charm on me. Moreover, I love getting dressed in this season, because I can wear warm, but not heavy, sweaters and thick tights, that are my favorite ones. Combine this with a ’70s allure and you’ll understand why I adore the fall/winter Lazzari collection. Its style is a combination of grown-up items and fairytale inspired prints, perfect for young women that want to dress properly without being too serious. The prevalent color in the collection is brown, declined in almost every possible shade, with incursions of blue and red, and romantic prints like hearts, fawns and unicorns. My favorite items are the brown fawn-printed shorts and the red Montgomery with heart-shaped elbow patches that makes me think of a modern little red riding hood. The must have of this collection is surely the blue outlined cape: warm and romantic with the little bow on the back it reminds me of “Moonrise Kingdom”‘ Suzy Bishop style.

http://www.lazzarionline.com

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EVERY NIGHT WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Teresa Cannata'

Do you daydream? It happens to me all the time, especially when I feel miserable (like today) or exhausted (like today!). Daydreaming is certainly part of my character; it took me years to come to terms and accept this side of my personality, but I’ve learnt to be proud of it. One of the reasons why I love fashion so much is that it’s a gate to different worlds, the perfect subject for a daydream.

One of my recurring dreams is lounging on a tropical beach at sunset, an image that Kotur Barnes Tassel clutch brings back. The woven buntal this oval bag is made of is dyed with the colours of the setting sun: the degradé effect – from hot pink to yellow (the Cerise version) and from blue to turquoise (the Caribbean one) – highlights that image.
Continue Reading →

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PINES, A FINE FRENZY

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Maxim Deluxe

PINES, Alison Sudol’s third full-length as A Fine Frenzy (release date: October 9, 2012), is a fable about a pining tree who is given the unheard-of chance (for a conifer) to make a life of her own choosing. Drawing inspiration from the redwood forests and dramatic landscapes of Northern California and Washington’s Cascade Mountains, the thirteen new original songs survey a sonic landscape as vast and deep as the woods, their namesake.
Sudol crafted PINES in response to our accelerating pace of life in the 21st century.

“Sometimes I feel like the world has been strapped onto the back of a giant rocket and it’s hurtling us into the unknown at a pace we’re not entirely equipped to deal with. All kinds of things are falling off, good and bad. It’s a crazy, exciting, terrifying time- so much is changing, and fast. Yet some of the most wonderful things in the world are slow- rivers and seasons and turning leaves and growing older with the ones you love. I wanted to create an environment where a person could retreat to, somewhere vivid and real where their minds and hearts could wander freely. I wanted it to be a place you could go to feel, like a quiet spot in a forest or the sea on a cloudy day.” Continue Reading →

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CUT THE RIBBON, ELEANOR LAMBERT

Posted on October 26, 2012 by admin

The very first fashion week was held in New York in 1943. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert organized this event that was designed to attract attention away from the disaster of World War II. French fashion Houses were suffering during those years and industry insiders were unable to travel to Paris. That was, despite the tragedy, the time to do something in New York. Lambert, from Crawfordsville Indiana, was the first Press Director of the Whitney Museum of American Art and helped with the founding of the Museum of Modern Art. She also represented important artists like Jackson Pollock, Jacob Epstein and Isamu Noguchi. The very first fashion week was called “Press Week” and turned out to be a success. Fashion magazines like Vogue, which were normally filled with French designs, increasingly featured American fashion moving the attention from global, to local again. After this experience Eleanor was involved in the promotion of American fashion all over the world and and in 1962 organized the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Labert attended her last fashion show in 2001 and died at the age of 100 in 2003.

Photo Mrs. Lambert by Cecil Beaton

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TRICK OR TREAT? FRANCESCA’S HALLOWEEN COOKIES

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Francesca Lanni

Are you getting ready for next week? These spooky cookies are sure to go down a treat with children at Halloween. I’m sure they will also love to get involved with making them too. My 1year old son goes in his play kitchen and starts doing what I do! Simply bake cookies in suitable Halloween shapes and decorate with colored sugarpaste. For more realism, try adding a bit of texture to the icing before it dries.

225 g of butter at room temperature 110 g caster sugar 275 g plain flour pinch of salt ground spices or vanilla (optional). Preheat oven to 180C . Make the dough: In a medium bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add vanilla or spices (if using). Reduce speed and gradually add flour and salt and beat until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half. Between 2 sheets of floured parchment paper, roll one half of the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter and repeat with remaining half of dough. Reroll dough scraps and cut more cookies.

Bake and cool the cookies: Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake just until golden brown — 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

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KANEBO

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Arianna Pistorello

Inspired from the ancient ritual called Saho, the Japanese tea ceremony that sets rules for an unforgettable guests entertainment, Kanebo creates a real cleaning protocol to be used everyday. After many years in the perfumery branch, I never had the opportunity to try the double cleaning made by this exclusive and prestigious brand. The occasion? The presence of the Kanebo expert at the shop for an entire week. Amazing experience, after trying it, I have decided that this is my favourite cleaning routine. The only luxury process that becomes necessity. During the week, I received two samples: a product phase one, it could be a milk, a cream, a gel or an oil. These can be chosen according to skin type but favoring the search for a sensation. This phase is used to “strip” the skin from all impurities such as sebum, smog which is deposited on our skin during the day. This is followed by a phase two which is used to “wash” the skin and carries out a micro-exfoliation. This process makes the skin smoother in a few days. Brighter and ready to receive any kind of treatments, face gets illuminated and refreshed. Kanebo two steps is also great for the man, the only recommendation is to use very little product, because it is extremely concentrated. Cleaning is only Kanebo, the rest is cleansing.

http://www.kanebo.com/

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MOLESKINE PHOTO BOOKS

Posted on October 24, 2012 by admin

Moleskine+Milk Books got together to create a range of well printed photo books. This online service enables anyone to create and print their own Photo Book or Photo Album with classic Moleskine features including trademark hard cover with elastic closure, rounded corners, lie-flat stitched binding, ivory colored fine paper, expandable pocket, multiple text styles & color options, elegant design templates, unique invite function so you can create with friends and family. The new Moleskine website was born from a collaboration with award-winning international photography book publisher Pq Blackwell, the creators of Milk Photo Books. The print on demand book will be created with new technological and qualitative standards through an innovative and user-friendly website that delivers an unprecedented quality photo book product. The Moleskine range of Print will be available in four sizes and multiple page extents from 20 to 200 pages. There are no virtual storages or clouds, paper is the latest place for memories. Romantic.

http://www.milkbooks.com/moleskine/

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EL DìA DE LOS MUERTOS, A CORKSCREW

Posted on October 24, 2012 by admin

In May 2011, Kikkerland Design Inc., in collaboration with designer Ariel Rojo and the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) organized the Mexico Design Challenge. Five finalists were chosen out of 25 participants and their work was presented at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. The objective of the design challenge was to create products for a “real-life” sponsor with a Mexican cultural reference. The contest was open to all students attending the Centro de Investigaciones de Diseño Industrial, at the UNAM which is the oldest university in North America, built in 1551. Ariel Rojo and Stephanie Suarez, designers, used a simple design technique as the basis for the project and the result was the Day of the Dead corkscrew. Continue Reading →

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ULTRAISTA

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Maxim Deluxe

ULTRAISTA is a band formed by Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker
and artist Laura Bettinson. Conceived from a love of afrobeat,
electronica, art and inspired by tequila. Listen the new album :
‘Ultraìsta’ and follow on ULTRAISTA

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FAIR ENOUGH? ONFAIR!

Posted on October 23, 2012 by admin

It’s about art, it’s about sharing art. It’s about the interaction of young art collectors from all over the world during contemporary art fairs. It’s about being from 20 till 35 years old. Onfair is a new club and a new project which aims to constitute a network of young art collectors. The idea is to create an interactive forum for sharing experiences, information or opinions on art as well as foster potential business related interaction and professional cooperation. Members will range from art experts to leaders in media, fashion or the financial industry as well as artists, gallerists, businessmen. They are all part of the evolving new global art market that is creative and conscientious in equal measure. Onfair would like to solve the issue that young people do attend art fairs but no specific events are organized for them. OnFair will strive to gather young art collectors during art fairs and enable them to have both a professional and an enriching experience through a series of events specifically designed for them. Founders and managing directors of the club are Alina and Olivia Sartogo and Beatrice Maccaferri. In this very first year Onfair will reach three fairs, the just happened Paris FIAC 2012, ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2012 and ART BASEL 2013.Stay tuned for future events!

http://onfairart.com/

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VOGUING AND THE HOUSE BALLROOM SCENE OF NEW YORK CITY 1989-1992

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Marco Maggetto

Paris Dupree was at Footsteps, an after-hour club between 2nd Avenue and 14th Street, the day she gave a name to Voguing. Not that she invented it, a lot of poses come from African and Egyptian hieroglyphics and there are traces of it in American masculine jails and balls of the 20ies, but she sharped it, defined it, glamorized it. She was hanging at Footsteps then with a couple of friends throwing shade at other Queens. Paris had a Vogue Magazine in her purse, and while she was dancing she took it out pointed a page and imitated the pose of a model. Another queen came up from the crowd pointed a page, and did a pose. Paris returned: the battle had started. The Voguing was born. The mechanism that lead to the creation of Houses, balls, competitions was meant to last a decade. Voguing was an interpretation of society based on glamour and on matriarchal kind of family. There was a mother, in some cases a father, and there were children joining along the way. Every house had his name, his statement and signature pose. Continue Reading →

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LE SLEAK C’EST CHIC! IMPERIAL INDUSTRIES BARBER PRODUCTS

Posted on October 22, 2012 by admin

Usually when pomade is applied to hair, the hair becomes slick and shiny. Popular since the beginning of the 1900’s til the 70’s, the pomade saw a comeback in 2010 for street style. Men with very neat and shiny hair who unlike hair spray or hair gel, would use pomade because of the wet effect. The difference between hair wax and pomade is that pomade gives the hair a slicker, shinier appearance, while wax doesn’t. The name pomade derived from French, pommade, meaning ointment, arising from Latin pomum, apple, because the original ointment recipe contained mashed apples. After such a prologue, are you still curious? Hair shapers this is for you. Far superior to any other pomade, The Imperial classic pomade gives a touch of shine and an amazing hold to your hair. The reason is due to The team behind, Inc. which has spent a combined 26 years in the Los Angeles and New York City barber culture. During that time, they have worked to perfect the craft of classic American styling. Pomades, gels and waxes were either too weak, too greasy, waxy, or too fragrant, while shaving products often fell victim to an onslaught of hype that never met general expectations. So they tried (and made it) to built the perfect products themselves. Their first result was the premium water-based CLASSIC POMADE has become the strongest water-based pomade in America. The hold was amazing, the wetter the hair, the lighter the hold. It also was reactivatable, for easy re-styling with just a bit of water. Are you still in search for the perfect look?

Made by barbers. Made to work. Made in the USA.

http://imperialbarberproducts.com/

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MY MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA DRAPED T-SHIRT

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Clara G

Maybe I was born wearing Maison Martin Margiela, and this is why I feel such a strong identification with this non-designer fashion house. I can not remember which was my first piece but roughly the 40% of the labels in my closet are attached with four white stitches (the Margiela discrete trademark), I am sure that everything I have ever bought it is still in my closet, perfectly wearable, even the garments from the Hermes collections designed by Martin Margiela on the late 90’s. I have some impossible shoes and dresses but also very simple and easy pieces like this grey-blue t-shirt bought here in Berlin last Spring, both casual and fashionable, perfect with leggings and oxford shoes, but also with formal pants and high healed sandals. It has been my favourite basic this summer, this is what I love from Margiela, it is minimal but not boring, it is well done but it is not preppy, it is special but not obvious. Continue Reading →

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POR UNA CABEZA..HORACIO COPPOLA!

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Isabella Cecconi

Have you ever been to Buenos Aires? To me it’s like feeling home. I simply adore this city, giving that I’m more than sure that I was Evita Peron in my previous life or Carlos Gardel, the tango singer. And do you know who Horacio Coppola is? Oh well, you have to. Think about the 30’s. Think about cafes, side streets and neon-lit boulevards of the capital of magnificent Argentina. Think about ordinary objects like a typewriter or a doll, a shop window, a simple man reading a newspaper, a restaurant. Coppola’s photographs of Buenos Aires are a pictorial love letter to his city, demonstrating Argentine metropolis emerging from its grand traditions to embrace modernity either in its street scenes or nocturnal vistas with bars and music halls, trams and all the vibrant and juicy material of his photography. In his 105 years of life (yes sir, I said 105), Coppola has been documenting his city thought superb black and white shots. Mr. Jorge Luis Borges, a friend to Coppola, launched the photographer’s career by using some of his shots to illustrate a book of poet Evaristo Carriego. Born in Aires, to Italian parents, he was the 10^th son of an immigrant couple. All though his long life, Coppola explored many photographic approaches in search of the “magic chiaroscuro”. Coppola’s influences included the modernist movement, architectural angles and shadows and obviously his fascination with cinema. All the shots were executed with a 35mm Leica. Brassai is to Paris like Coppola is to Buenos Aires. Viva Argentina!

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EL PERRO DEL MAR

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Maxim Deluxe

Discover the new scandinavian heroine called El Perro Del Mar. Her New album ‘Pale Fire’is out on November 12th. Watch the official video of ‘Walk on by’ on El Perro Del Mar

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I’M HIDING FROM YOU AND YOUR SOUL OF ICE

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Teresa Cannata'

Halloween has not even arrived, but nail polish companies are already gearing up for Christmas and the holiday season. I must admit holiday collections are always super-exciting because they include many shades of red (the festive colour par excellence) and lots of glitters!

I’ve got my eyes on a collection in particular, Naughty or Nice by Orly. I’ve immediately felt drawn to it because it features exactly what I love the most – two great red shades (one sparkly and one creme) and silver sparkles. I’m not a great collector of Orly nail polishes, but the ones I own are excellent in quality and colour; for this reason, I wouldn’t mind finding one of these Christmas-inspired polishes in my stocking 😉
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DON’T FORGET THE ARCADE

Posted on October 18, 2012 by admin

Space invaders of the world, are you listening? No we’re not talking about Persian carpets this very time. But we love rugs, in general. Approaching 10243 is Hussein Chalayan’s new creation. The British/Turkish Cypriot designer has always been an avant-gardiste in terms of pushing the boundaries. This very time he has matched décor and past tradition with contemporary technology and arcade lovers. Approaching 10243 is part of the 2013 home collection, if you have a spare 5,000 dollars this can fit for a nice gift.

http://www.ruckstuhl.com/en/carpets.html

www.husseinchalayan.com/

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LES NE’RE’IDES

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Marco Maggetto

Les Néréides, créatueurs de bijoux haute fantasie, was created in 1980 by Pascale and Enzo Ammadeo with the intent of making “pizzaz” fine costume jewellery. In Greek mythology, the Néréides were sea nymphs daughters of Nereus, the old man of the sea. When there was 50 of them, they had the power to re invent themselves. The name, chosen by Pascale’s grandfather, was never been so suitable to a jewellery line. During the years Néréides has always found its inspiration in travelling and collecting items. Every trip made by Pascale and Enzo, was the discover of a new world with a consequent come back in France with small treasures made of old dolls, night lights, statues, vintage jewellery and of course, paintings. Néréides had been growing up along the years meeting the tastes of a major number of clients. They have created indeed small collection lines (Le Bucoluques, Les Histoires, Les Bourgeoises, Les Citadines, Les Precieuses) that embrace the nature, tales, Italian classics. From noble materials, till easy to wear jewellery to mix with the busy woman’s wardrobe, every woman is represented. Irony, joye de vivre, this small company is an example of familiar enduring legacy, 360 degrees creativity and witty philosophy.

Discover les Néreides at http://www.lesnereides.com/

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HALLOWEEN CUPCAKES

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Francesca Lanni

Warning: it’s going to be Halloween soon. My sons have their scary masks ready and we just need to bake scary cakes now. This cupcake recepie is light and tender, with the perfect balance of pumpkin and fall spices. I have made them with white chocolate cream cheese frosting before but I think I prefer them this way, with just a thin spread of classic cream cheese frosting so the cake is really the star. Continue Reading →

(FILES) Photo dated January 1983 shows N

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CUT THE RIBBON, SALLY KRISTEN RIDE

Posted on October 17, 2012 by admin

Adventurous, Sally Kristen Ride, born in Los Angeles in 1951, studied physics and English at Stanford University. In 1978, on an impulse, she applied to NASA’s training program for astronauts and became one of six women of thirty five trainees chosen. She was a capsule communicator at mission control and later was chosen as a member of the space shuttle’s mission in 1982, becoming the first American woman astronaut. She was in the crew of 1983′ space shuttle ‘Challenger’. Sally’s life showed how gender barriers could be broken and how courage and daring could be part of women’s heart. Ride still remains the youngest American astronaut to be launched into space and the very first officially known declared LGBT person that was sent over the atmosphere. Two ribbons cut and a legacy that will endure for years to come. Go Sally, go.

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MO

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Maxim Deluxe

MO is Karen Marie Ørsted from Copenhagen, Denmark : “The snow nation is eating your brain and your young heart dark as the apocalypse. So just go perish in the snøw “.
Listen to her on Soundcloud or follow on

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FAB FIVE ELLESSE

Posted on October 16, 2012 by admin

18th October is the date. Second part of Fab Fives Project will hit stores, be ready to grab a selection of sneakers to expand your collection. Ellesse heritage have teamed up with five of the world’s most renowned, and cool, stores to re work archive Ellesse sneaker style from late 70’s and 80’s. For few who doesn’t know, Ellesse is an iconic sportswear brand started by Leonardo Servadio in Perugia in 1959 that gained reputation for mixing functionality with street-level fashion styling. Continue Reading →

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WATCHING THE SHIPS ROLL IN

Posted on October 16, 2012 by admin

‘A contemporary and domestic interpretation of the deck chair’. I know some of you are against it, but I want summer back. As rain was pouring the other day, I started reading some design magazines and stumbled into this marvelous collection called The Bay. Made out of beech wood, this structure with cotton canvas mattress and cushions is called The Watching the ships roll in and truly is a domestic yet summerish interpretation of a deck chair. Parisian designer Marie Dessuant has realized this neat seat and stool as a personal interpretation of a seaside resort’s collective memory. Influenced by memories of salt crackling on the skin, and states of mind like the strange distance holidays, the chair is a simple and creative product. A daydream with an off season taste. Please note that Watching the ships roll in, is a limited edition so you better be ready and quick if you want to have it. I crave for it!

http://www.mariedessuant.com/

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KNOW ME FOR THE FIRST TIME

Posted on October 15, 2012 by admin

Los Angeles artist Siri Kaur is currently on display at Blythe Projects Gallery with one of her most ambitious and personal body of work . Kaur received her MFA in Photography from California Institute of the Arts in 2007, and an MA in Italian Studies (2001) and BA in Comparative Literature (1998) from Smith College. Kaur was the recipient of the Portland Museum of Art’s Biennial Purchase Prize in 2011. She has participated in numerous exhibitions, including solo shows at Blythe Projects and USC’s 3001 galleries in Los Angeles, and group shows at the Torrance Museum of Art, California Institute of Technology, and UCLA’s Wight Biennial. In this exhibition she continues her visual investigations into longing, desire, history, and memory. Kaur uses photography to suggest a poetic counter-world while acknowledging the abysmal and the uncanny lurking beneath the surface of utopian fantasies. Her images, originating in diverse locations including Iceland, New England, Alaska and Southern California, present psychologically charged places and individuals whose emotional states teeter between despair and redemption. Keep an eye on Siri Kaur.

From October 29 – December 17, 2011

Blythe Projects 5797 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232.

www.blytheprojects.net

Photo: Otto, 2011 pigment print.

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DON’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, JUST TAKE IT! LEONI LEVALIERE

Posted on October 12, 2012 by admin

Since long time before the age of reason, men and women have adorned themselves with jewelry. Garlands of flowers, bracelets of woven grass, shells, stones. Simply, decorations to beautify the human body. Over the time, jewelry has been constantly changing in style and materials have evolved with the advances of civilization, transforming and modernizing forms and elements. In 1972, Florence gave birth to bicultural Giulia Leoni, handmade jewelry designer, whose upbringing was spent between the Machiavelian Florence and the Supreme-in-everything New York. When in 2008 Giulia moved back to her Florentine native city, she founded Leoni Levaliere. Easy to do and easy to say for a polyhedric mind, whose creations are a compilation of aesthetic effects which intend to provoke and satisfy nothing but all that is alluring. Ever since its very beginning, Leoni Levaliere has been increasingly gaining popularity and generous feedback for talent, passion, determination and obviously the business savvy, are Giulia’s natural expressions and appeal. Many of her handmade jewelry designs feature bold and classic at the same time, using beading, gemstones, Svaroski sparkling crystals, shiny and blinking daydreaming conceptions. Leoni Levaliere is a spicy expression of Italian style with a distinguish American touch. Stunning, elegant and captivating, Giulia Leoni’s bracelets and necklaces are easily portable, bringing glamour and originality in every occasion. Leoni Levaliere goes beyond the commonplace of jewelry and tradition, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers. It’s an ornament, an embellishment, an object of attraction and charisma, a treasure of beauty to be desired and owned, to be loved and forgotten. In few words, like Giulia once said: ‘Don’t take it seriously, just take it!’

Continue Reading →

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THE FIRST 40 YEARS

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Marco Maggetto

Apparently getting older has its positive turn ons: you can write a memoir, you can trace your past, finally you have one. W Magazine celebrates its 40th birthday with this book we have already pre-ordered. We cannot miss it. True, W had been pushing too much lately. True we had been on and off with our subscription but it’s 40 years of groundbreaking fashion stories, no matter if they caused a Steven Klein allergy on most of us. W has also very good qualities like its big size, its like velvet paper, its pop character that never bores. This book then deserves to be on our shelves. I remember with immense pleasure unwrapping W Magazine and going straight to the last page. Oh The Countess Louise J.Esterhazy and her column called Last Laugh; it were closing with irony all that sex, all that gold, all that artifact world. What a better way to tell your readers, guys, don’t take it seriously? Is The Countess still writing for W? The First 40 Year is a book divided into three sections—Who, Where, and Wow—supervised-edited by Stefano Tonchi and celebrating in full regalia 40 years of excesses good writing and great photographers. Do we need more from a book?

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WRAP ME UP IN ALWAYS

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Teresa Cannata'

Have you ever noticed the abuse/misuse of some terms in the world of fashion? Besides the positive adjectives (when I read “amazing” a million times in the same article or post, I feel the urge to scratch my eyes out), there’s a word – “statement” – used for anything. It should refer to a piece of clothing or accessory which stands out and focuses the viewer’s attention, but how many “statement” things are really such? People sometimes seem to use words just because they sound good, but I like using them with care. Coming across a unique piece and defining it “statement” is always so satisfying!
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THE DOWNING CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Anna Torossi

When I started University, I also started to look forward and bring a little style in my faculty. Full of geniuses of course, but certainly lacking in the “fashion department”. I admit that sometimes I surrender to the power of handiness and use a backpack, but I’m in love with the English classic style, so it’s no surprise that I always wanted a big and beautiful Cambridge satchel. I simply adore the new limited edition, the Downing. Inspired by a visit to the UK’s Prime Minister house, this satchel is characterized by Oxblood and Navy blocks. Red and blue are two of my great passions and seeing them together is paradise for me. I find this new collection elegant and, as always with the Cambridge satchels, practical. Moreover it is presented in a range of sizes from 11 to 14 inches, meeting the most various needs. Completed by a top handle and shoulder strap, I think the Downing will soon become a must have. I want one really bad and I’m paradoxically sorry that my studying days are ending soon but I’m also sure I will find a way to use this great bag as an everyday companion of my future working days.

http://cambridgesatchel.co.uk/

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FAMILY COLOR, 1991

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Emilia Garcia Romeu

I first heard of Sally Mann (www.sallymann.com) by the mid-1990s, when I was at school in the U.S. At that time, she was famous for having outraged the general public with photographs of her own children. It was no small thing: Mann was accused of abusing her kids and even Artforum refused to publish her photographs. That’s why her name popped up in class every time we dealt with art, sexuality, and censorship. In this controversy, I was ready to side with Mann: Both series, Immediate family (1984-1991) and Family color (1990-1991), portray her kids at absolute ease, wild in action and indolent when not, as lazy and comfortable in their own skins as cats in the sun. For me, there is such a distinctive atmosphere of intimacy and candor that obscenity (overexposure, exhibitionism, abuse) is simply out of the question. It is true that these children are depicted in extreme situations (i.e. injured and bleeding) and mostly naked, like savages in nature and culture, but that’s probably the beauty of it. Continue Reading →

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HOLLOWAY SUNGLASSES

Posted on October 10, 2012 by admin

VIVA AUSTRALIA! I will always holler it! Holloway Eyewear is a Brisbane based company that has managed to use sustainable and quality materials including old furniture, instruments and skateboards to create a superb selection of eyewear. David Suzuki and David Attenborough are eco-conscious and indipendent designers who, some time ago, have designed the SK8 sunglasses, created out of recycled skateboards. There’s a variety of styles and colours you can’t miss, plus it’s a good way of supporting the Australian environment and a local group of passionate artisans.

http://www.hollowayeyewear.com.au

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FLYING LOTUS, UNTIL THE QUIET COMES

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Maxim Deluxe

Composed, according to Flying Lotus, as “a collage of mystical states, dreams, sleep and lullabies”, Until the Quiet Comes has the distinct feel of this nocturnal trip. From the twitching descent into a subconscious state and the out-of-focus time-ether of the journey that follows, the sound is an unhinged, yet elegant evolution of the melodic and rhythmic interplay that is woven into the DNA of Flying Lotus’ aural personae.
All this stylistic mingling and genre-melting has contributed significantly to shift music in a direction that makes intellectual leaps without forsaking the all-important heft of a bassline or unimpeded ‘swing’ of a drum beat – the same way so many masters of soul music have infused their songs for lovers and dancers with brilliant and heady subtext for decades. Continue Reading →

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AGAINST OPULENCE AND PRETENTIOUSNESS: JOHN RAWLINGS

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Isabella Cecconi

What a nice story: there’s a boy, born in Ohio in 1912 who has moved to NYC in the 30s to start, after graduation a freelance career as store window dresser. After buying a Leica to photograph his work for potential clients, he has discovered the love for pictures and has started shooting his aristocratic clients. Then, years later you see the same boy in a circle of friends. These friends meet in a Magazine headquarter, for instance let’s say…VOGUE.

I’m talking about the fab five: John Rawlings, Irving Penn, Horst P. Horst, George Hoyningen-Huene, George Platt Lynes. This very time, I’ll brush up John Rawlings, who, with over 200 Vogue and Glamour covers and more than 30,000 photos of personal archive immortalized maybe the best era of American fashion and style. With his three-decade affiliation with Conde Nast, Rawlings has expanded the power of fashion press, giving a never-seen-before attention to society stars of the 1940s and 1950s. His subjects included Marlene Dietrich, Salvador Dali, Veronica Lake, Lena Horne, Montgomery Clift and many, many more. But, when opulence and pretentiousness were prevalent in fashion photography, I’m referring to Brit Cecil Beaton, or German Horst, or the Russian Hoyningen-Huene, Vogue decided to change direction and place more information and less art in its pictures. The change of direction happened to be with a very young and talented Rawlings who later became one of the most prolific and important photographers of the twentieth century. Crave with me these marvellous shots, which are still extremely contemporary and stunning. You can’t avoid loving Rawlings at first sight and appreciate his simply beautiful photography.

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CUT THE RIBBON: TUPOLEV TU-144

Posted on October 9, 2012 by admin

The first commercial flight to break the wall of Match 2 was made by a Russian aircraft called Tupolev Tu-144. It was July 1968. Despite what mosts think about supersonic flights , the Concorde, made from a collaboration between Ari France and British Airways, was not the first to break this record. The Tupolev, nicknamed Concordiski to recall his competitor, was constructed by Vaso in the URSS under the direction of Andrej Nikolaevic Tupolev. Europe and URSS were trying everything to discover a faster way of travelling: a continuous battle to arrive first. The romantic side of these hazardous airplanes was that they were made to generate the dream of a modern life, a better future, just breaking in half distances between places. The first attach to the reputation of Tupolev Tu-144 emerged during an International Fair in Paris Le Bourget on 3^rd June 1973. A maneuver forced the pilot to make a quick dive that caused the destruction of the aircraft . Fifteen homes were devastated, six people of the crew and eight people on the ground were killed. From 1973 on there were more accidents, more sad stories that lead to the revocation of Tupolev Tu-144 in 1978. While this very expansive project was dying, the Concorde was continuing, in style, to cross the Atlantic. Twice a day from London and from Paris all the superstars and the rich continued to fly New York, dance at 54 and go back without booking any hotel. The supermodels were flew rapidily, the business man were transatlanted to meetings in few hours. Then September Eleven, the crisis, a major accident and even Concorde was out of the game in 2003. The supersonic era, its romantic allure, was over.

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NUTELLA CAKE

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Francesca Lanni

Baking chocolate cake with kids can be a recipe for disaster. Most children adore home-made chocolate cake – but many recipes are a little heavy-handed with ingredients like cocoa powder and chocolate fudge frosting, making the finished product way too rich for little tastebuds. Nutella chocolate cake is the exception to that rule – this is far and away one of the easiest cake recipes you’ll find. You literally throw everything in a bowl and beat – and its distinctive hazelnutty chocolate spread flavour practically guarantees that it won’t last long. Which is probably for the best, as it’s not a cake for anyone watching their weight. Continue Reading →