The Wild Things Are on Cahuenga Blvd
- story Peter Macia
The last time we wrote about Urban Outfitters it ignited a firestorm of controversy over bicycles, so this time we’re going to keep it nice and simple. Spike Jonze just posted some behind-the-scenes photos of the new Where The Wild Things Are pop-up gallery/shop/fanfest at the Urban store on Cahuenga in Hollywood. Wild Things DP Lance Acord is handpicking stills to display in the store’s window and some other folks are building a crazy forest cave thing inside. Jonze also writes there will be some special items for sale in the store, possibly including Christian Joy’s specially made Wild Things outfits, at the opening this Saturday night, and that all proceeds will go to benefit the Wild Things co-screenwriter Dave Eggers’ 826LA writing program. Music will be provided by Jonze’s brother Squeak E. Clean. (via We Love You So)
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posted on Sep 15, 2009 in ART+CULTURE NEWS tags Christian Joy, Dave Eggers, Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are
Karen O is Still Awesome
- story Chioma Nnadi
Maybe it was the glare from Lady Gaga’s mirrored ballgown or the pyrotechnics on that boob flamethrower, but somehow Karen O’s stunning outfit at Glastonbury last weekend slipped though our fingers—until now. We’re guessing the costume is the work for her BFF, designer and costume creator Christian Joy, whose spring 2009 lookbook features bandana-wearing doggies, Fourth of July fireworks and dresses splashed with lobster print. Karen’s headdress of all-seeing hands actually makes us us want to spend the rest of the summer in a teepee on the roof.
Video: Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Zero” on Jools Holland
- story THE FADER
We’re officially salty that Jools Holland didn’t make the Carole King/ Karen O collabo happen. We mean, that was the obvious move, right? Carole could have played the piano and crooned, with Karen providing interpretive screeches and yelps. Nick and Brian could’ve played maracas in the background. Candles would be lit. Arpeggios would be arpeggiated. It would have been brain-breaking. Instead, we get a pretty amazing performance of “Zero,” the song y’all love to love, and a typically transfixing outfit donned by the Divine Miss O. The dress is likely Christian Joy, but who makes that covetous studded leather jacket? We were thinking Balmain but we’re pretty sure it’s not Balmain, and also, Karen O doesn’t make it a habit of dressing up like a fashion editor at [insert non-American country here] Vogue. Karen! Get at us about your leather!
Stylee Fridays: Christian Joy’s “Visitors Must Be Amused”
- story THE FADER
Despite the somber tones that hung over our heads for most of fashion week, there were, thankfully, sporadic moments of instantaneous joy and extraordinariness. None more joyful and extraordinary than the exhibit by fashion and costume designer Christian Joy, “The Visitors Must Be Amused,” open at the AVA gallery in New York, running until March 9th. CJ created a gallery full of otherworldly “female beings,” from outer-galactic space suits to stealthy black widow second skins. She asked friends and family to write character profiles for her cast of fantastic ladies, and in turn they used the costumes to create an image of their own design — a sort of brief and arty game of telephone. Nick Zinner, for example, describes a shadowy parallel universe that his creature the black ghost inhabits. “Despite being Dead” he writes,”the Black Ghost is in fact a very special ghost, feeding off of laughter and children’s joy, so she is almost at odds with her own predicament.” Fun-having ghosts and sexy aliens are what fashion week should always be made of.
Stylee Fridays: Christian Joy Video Interview
- story THE FADER
If you haven’t checked out/purchased/dreamed about and saved money in your piggy bank for designer Christian Joy’s debut collection of women’s wear then we strongly recommend you do, right now. We were lucky enough to get an invite to her studio a couple of weeks back, and extra specially psyched that our studio visit coincided with a package from the mailman—more precisely a package of spectacular archival Joy pieces created for her BFF Karen O straight off the exhibit floor of a museum in Tokyo. CJ and Karen O have been friends pretty much since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs started out and as well as talking us through the inspiration behind some of the most iconic costumes, she gave us some really great insight into what makes their creative chemistry sparkle.
Stylee Fridays: Christian Joy
- story THE FADER
Christian Joy is without question best known for the otherworldly outfits she conjures up for Karen O (peep the archives pic after the jump to refresh your memory), and she launches her first official ready-to-wear collection this spring. Much of the stage-stopping antics have, quite surprisingly, been side-stepped for a very simple but clever collection in black and white. Dresses come accented with sneaky hints of red and seem to work best accessorized with rouged lips, as demonstrated by O who strikes a pose for the lookbook on the website. Joy’s trademark playfulness and sense of fun is still very much in every design—from the mind-trickery of the monochrome palette on the silhouette of a dress, to the 360 degree pockets on a puffy skirt. She’s apparently also responsible for the Klaxons’ recent makeover in which they ditched all their neons.
