Agnès Varda Makes the Academy Shortlist
- story Chioma Nnadi
Sadly, we missed the play dates for Agnès Varda’s latest movie, The Beaches of Agnès, when the film came to town this summer. The French director made her first feature in the early ’50s, and at the ripe old age of 81 still manages to produce films that stand up to cult classics like Cléo de 5 à 7. For The Beaches of Agnès, Varda turns the camera on herself for an autobiographical sweep of her own insane existence, through stories of her childhood in occupied France, her marriage to filmmaker Jacques Demy and those heady Rive Gauche days, the only lady in a band full of Gauloise-puffing New Wave directors. The documentary was just be added to the Academy shortlist and we’re sincerely hoping she gets a twirl on the Oscar podium, and dyes that amazing bowl cut platinum blond to match the statuette.
Keep X Ooga Booga Minishop Opens This Friday
- story Chioma Nnadi
Keep Company and Ooga Booga have put together a store-within-a-store for the holidays with a little help from their friends like Humberto Leon from Opening Ceremony, Dean Spunt of No Age and Rodarte sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, who curated the art, fashion and music gift ideas. The grand minishop opening happens tomorrow evening at Keep’s Fairfax location where shopping munchies (pickles and jam) will be served. Thankfully lots of the goods on sale sit comfortably under the $100 Xmas gift mark. Flyer after the jump.
Pharrell Makes “Pacifist” Bulletproof Jacket For Moncler
- story Chioma Nnadi
The first picture from Pharrell’s new collection for Moncler were released into the internet wild today, by WWD. He’s designed what’s been dubbed the “pacifist” bulletproof jacket, a bodywarmer lined with sweet and serene rainforest images, a series of photos that were shot by Japanese artist Keita Sugiura. This entire collection is, in fact, made from a special environmentally sound fabric, spun from recycled plastic bottles by a company called Bionic, which incidentally happens to be controlled by the man himself. The fact that Pharrell is getting all green and tree-huggy with age actually makes us feel fuzzy and warm right down to our recycled Birkis.
Boxing Kitten Fall 2009
- story Chioma Nnadi
The feline/fashion alliance gets deeper this week with a new line of women’s wear out of New York. Maya A Lake named her label after a super-powered cat that came to her in a dream, a fighter kitty with knitted boxing gloves who serves as muse, mascot and all around style sparring partner. Boxing Kitten is officially two seasons old, although Lake’s design training goes back way further—the New York native picked up dress-making smarts from her mother and studied the sartorial habits of women of the Civil Rights Movement at Wesleyan University. She references both conservative cuts of that era and the bolder fashions of the Black Power movement in her fall 2009 collection. Coca-Cola bottle va va voom is shot with feminine restraint, then filtered through a printed West African kaleidoscope, a look she’s christened “ethnic rockabilly.”
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Michael Stipe Sculpts Microcassette for Maison Martin Margiela
- story Chioma Nnadi
There are only 199 pieces in the limited-edition Michael Stipe x Margiela collaboration, and at least 32 ways to style the tiny microcassette, according to the press images released earlier today. Although there’s a fair amount of good times in playing around with the sartorial possibilities (cassette sculpture as eye patch, knuckle duster, and our favorite variation, the solid silver Stipe grill), the piece is probably more objet d’art than accessory, or as Margiela might say, both and neither at the same time. It’s unclear whether the collabo was battled out over the internet or whether Stipe actually had the chance to meet the elusive Mr Margiela in person—still this little nugget of information goes a long way to fleshing out a more accurate character profile of the dude. The project, they say, is a complete one-off and there will be absolutely no part two, which entirely destroys our theory that Margiela and Stipe are secretly recording a fashion concept album in the basement of MMM HQ.
Outlier Launch the Khaki OG
- story Chioma Nnadi
After months of research and several design modifications, bicycle clothiers Outlier have finally launched the khaki OG, a pair of pants designed to repel coffee/wine/dirt or any other trouser-destroying substance known to man. More impressive than the fancy nanosphere technology though is the fit—sharp, comfy and flexi enough to ride about in without the usual sweaty side effects. When we bumped into Outlier designer Tyler Clemens this weekend, he assured us that a lady pant of similar proportions was in the works too. Now if we could only swap out our goofy looking helmet for a reinforced bicycle beret the world would be a better place.
Confettisystem Makes Piñatas For Urban Outfitters
- story Chioma Nnadi
Unless you got an invite to Karen O’s birthday this year, then you probably haven’t had the pleasure of demolishing one of Confettisystem’s gorgeous piñatas just yet. Nicholas Anderson and Julie Ho are the Brooklyn-based artists behind the label, a system which according to them, sits in that happy place between the permanent and the ephemeral—in other words fancy party playthings for adults that you can also shatter around the house the morning after. Confetti have designed a special collection of festive items for Urban Outfitters due to drop sometime over the holiday season, with everything from shiny party hats to birthday crowns to okimono ornaments. Luckily the piñatas come in three smashable sizes.
Stylee Fridays: Louise Gray Brings Spring 2010 to New York
- story Chioma Nnadi
Designer Louise Gray was in town this week along with a busload of other Brit fashion stars, winged in for a seasonal gathering by the London Centre for Fashion and Enterprise. We met Gray for the first time earlier this year, a flame-haired soft-spoken Glaswegian who started out as a hand embroiderer, and has quickly built her obsession outwards into full-blown, gorgeously textured and endlessly playful collections. She makes quirky, colorful clothes to fill her own closet, working on instinct rather than second guessing the needs of some imaginary woman, or fabled inspiration. Gray is essentially her own best muse, and readily admits to wearing all her designs pretty much all the time.
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posted on Nov 13, 2009 in STYLEE FRIDAYS tags Diane Pernet, Judy Blame, London Centre for Fashion Enterprise, Louise Gray
CRUSHFanzine Pop-up Shop at the Ace Hotel
- story Chioma Nnadi
CRUSHFanzine’s most recent issue is all about obsession, and judging by the toe-suckingly tantalizing cover, they’ve made sure foot fetishists get their moment too. CRUSH are also curating a special one-day-only pop-up shop this Saturday at the Ace Hotel New York, filled with goodies inspired by issues past and present, like dark and handsome French actors and strapping Russian-American soccer players who moonlight as models, among other man crushes. There are reportedly limited-edition Converse on sale, and tasteful bits and bob from brands like Opening Ceremony and Commonwealth Utilities. Full shopping list and RSVP details after the jump.
Corduroy Lovers Reunite
- story Chioma Nnadi
We heard through the grapevine, aka We Are The Market, that members of The Corduroy Appreciation Club would be holding another one of their clandestine meetings this week. The gatherings are obviously bi-annual affairs, since 1/11 and 11/11 are the only two dates on the calendar that truly represent and resemble the grain of this wondrous fabric. Past keynote speakers have included Vahram Mateosian (respected tailor and costume designer of The Royal Tenenbaums) and writer Jonathan Ames, and this month Sloane Crosley is headlining. To be honest though, we’re holding out for November 11th, 2011, that golden summit when all the stars will be aligned and—if we have our way—cord devotee Wes Anderson will take his turn on the podium (he recently admitted to the Guardian, “I rely on corduroy.”). If the folks at Style Salvage are anything to go by, Anderson’s new movie, Fantastic Mr Fox is about to be a full-on homage to the woven and waled. Info for the next top secret meeting is after the jump. We only hope that this little dude is in attendance too.
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posted on Nov 10, 2009 in STYLE NEWS tags Jonathan Ames, The Corduroy Appreciation Club, Wes Anderson
