30 March 2011
26 March 2011
Geraldine Ferraro : good night
Geraldine A. Ferraro, Trailblazer, Dies
The former Queens congresswoman who strode onto a podium in 1984 to accept the Democratic nomination for vice president and to take her place in American history as the first woman nominated for national office by a major party, died Saturday in Boston.
She was 75 and lived in Manhattan.
The cause was complications from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that she had battled for 12 years, her family said in a statement. She died at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she had been undergoing treatment since Monday.
Read more here.
She was 75 and lived in Manhattan.
The cause was complications from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that she had battled for 12 years, her family said in a statement. She died at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she had been undergoing treatment since Monday.
Read more here.
25 March 2011
triangle shirtwaist factory fire
Garment workers around 1900. (Credit: Kheel Center, Cornell University, photographer unknown)
100 years ago -
Turn back the clock on New York City’s garment district to around the year 1900.
“The average work week was 84 hours, 12 hours every day of the week,” said Ellen Rothman with the Jewish Women’s Archive in Brookline, Mass. “During the busy season, the grinding hum of sewing machines never entirely ceased day or night.”
Conditions had begun to improve by 1911, but just slightly. On March 25th of that year, fire erupted at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in lower Manhattan. It was one of the worst workplace disasters in American history: 146 people died, mostly teenage girls and women, immigrant Jews from Eastern Europe and Italians.
Shifting Work, Shifting Danger
Garment jobs have been shifting to lower-cost operations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Asia for decades, as have dangerous working conditions.
“Effectively what we have done is exported our sweatshops and exported our factory fires,” said Robert Ross at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. And it’s as if the 1911 conditions had been lifted up by an evil hand and dropped into Bangladesh.”
Why?
The question is: Why does this keep happening? Labor laws exist, both international and country-specific rules. But Heewon Brindle-Khym, with the Fair Labor Association in New York City, said laws are often ignored in places like Bangladesh and China.
“It’s cheaper for many factory owners to not abide by the law because it costs them money,” said Brindle-Khym. “In terms of the enforcement of the law, there’s just aren’t enough inspectors to go to each and every factory in China to ensure that labor rights are being enforced.”
Most American clothing companies are completely removed from the manufacturing process. They often don’t know what goes on in their overseas factories, or they choose not to investigate.
Still, part of the blame for unsafe working conditions in garment factories also lies with American consumers, argued Robert Ross.
“The average American has eight pairs of jeans,” said Ross. He said trends show that show Americans continue to spend less and less money on clothes, while buying more and more stuff. “People should buy better and fewer clothes. That would be good for garment workers.”
But that’s not something consumers generally want to hear.
Still, 100 years after the Triangle Fire, labor organizers, activists and social researchers want to remind people that there’s a worker behind the cheap clothes we buy. And in many parts of the world, The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire isn’t just an anniversary marking a bygone era.
Read more and download an MP3 here. More info here.
22 March 2011
casa de las olas
sunrise from our room
Casa de las Olas is where we stayed in Tulum. It's a five-room property, all rooms having kitchenettes. The owner, Jimmy Greenfield, made our stay really wonderful. He took us shopping in town the first day to stock up on food. Not to the big super market but to the small shops: bread from the bakery, barbecued chicken, hand-made tortillas, and ice cream.
It's the very last place to stay on what I called "the strip" before the entrance to the biosphere making it extremely quiet. Quoting their website, "Untamed nature, unmatched serenity... " is completely true!
entrance to the villa
the suite - not our room
our room
villa from the beach
walkway down to the beach
the beach
21 March 2011
a visit to tulum, coba and the sian ka'an biosphere
It's hard to believe that less than a week ago we were in the Riviera Maya where daytime temps were in the 80's and the warm water of the Caribbean was lapping at our feet. It's currently 58 degrees in Topanga and raining.
Tulum (Yucatec: Tulu'um) is the site of a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city serving as a major port for Cobá. The ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs, along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have been the cause of its demise.
The Maya site may formerly have been known also by the name Zama, meaning City of Dawn. Tulum stands on a bluff facing east towards the Caribbean Sea. Tulúm is also the Yucatan Mayan word for fence, wall or trench, and the walls surrounding the site allowed the Tulum fort to be defended against invasions. Tulum had access to both land and sea trade routes, making it an important trade hub, especially for the obsidian trade. From numerous depictions in murals and other works around the site, Tulum appears to have been an important site for the worship of the Diving or Descending god.
Temple of the Frescoes
Tulum was first mentioned by Juan Díaz, a member of Juan de Grijalva's Spanish expedition of 1518, the first Europeans to spot Tulum. [1] The first detailed description of the ruins was published by John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood in 1843 in the book Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. As they arrived from the sea, Stephens and Catherwood first saw a tall building that impressed them greatly, most likely the great Castillo of the site. They made accurate maps of the site’s walls, and Catherwood made sketches of the Castillo and several other buildings.
Tulum was protected on one side by steep sea cliffs and on the landward side by a wall that averaged about three to 5 meters (16 ft) in height. The wall also was about 8 m (26 ft) thick and 400 m (1,300 ft) long on the side parallel to the sea. The part of the wall that ran the width of the site was slightly shorter and only about 170 meters (560 ft) on both sides. Constructing this massive wall would have taken an enormous amount of energy and time, which shows how important defense was to the Maya when they chose this site. On the southwest and northwest corners there are small structures that have been identified as watch towers, showing again how well defended the city was. There are five narrow gateways in the wall with two each on the north and south sides and one on the west. Near the northern side of the wall a small cenote provided the city with fresh water. It is this impressive wall that makes Tulum one the most well-known fortified sites of the Maya.
El Castillo
There are three major structures of interest at the Tulum site. El Castillo, the Temple of the Frescoes, and the Temple of the Descending God are the three most famous buildings. Among the more spectacular buildings here is the Temple of the Frescoes that included a lower gallery and a smaller second story gallery. Niched figurines of the Maya “diving god” or Venus deity decorate the facade of the temple. This “diving god” is also depicted in the Temple of the Diving God in the central precinct of the site. Above the entrance in the western wall a stucco figure of the “diving god” is still preserved, giving the temple its name. A mural can still be seen on the eastern wall that resembles that of a style that originated in highland Mexico, called the Mixteca-Puebla style.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coba (Cobá in the Spanish language) is a large ruined city of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located near Tulum.
Coba is located around two lagoons. A series of elevated stone and plaster roads radiate from the central site to various smaller sites near and far. These are known by the Maya term sacbe (plural sacbeob). Some of these causeways go east to the Caribbean coast, and the longest runs over 100 kilometres (62 mi) westwards to the site of Yaxuna. The site contains several large temple pyramids, the tallest, in what is known as the Nohoch Mul group of structures, being some 42 metres (138 ft) in height.
Coba is estimated to have had some 50,000 inhabitants (and possibly significantly more) at its peak of civilization, and the built up area extends over some 80 km². The site was occupied by a sizable agricultural population by the 1st century. The bulk of Coba's major construction seems to have been made in the middle and late Classic period, about 500 to 900, with most of the dated hieroglypic inscriptions from the 7th century. However Coba remained an important site in the Post-Classic era and new temples were built and old ones kept in repair until at least the 14th century, possibly as late as the arrival of the Spanish.
wikipedia
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raised walkway to the lagoon
Sian Ka'an is a non profit and non governmental organization biosphere reserve formed by a group of conservationists in the municipality of Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, whose mission is the conservation of the biodiversity. It has been a Mexican national park since 1986 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
entrance to the biosphere
With the participation of scientists, technicians, students, fishermen, farmers, rural promotors and administrators, together with regional and international partners, have successfully carried out more than 200 conservation projects basing all conservation actions on scientific and technical information for planning and implementing environmental policies and the proposal of viable solutions for sustainable use of natural resources and focusing their efforts established within eight protected natural areas that include the reefs of Banco Chinchorro, and Xcalak at South of Quintana Roo, Sian Ka'an Bisophere Reserve, Cancun, the island of Cozumel that is located in front of Xcaret and Contoy Island up North, covering 780,000 acres (3,200 km2).
wikipedia
all photos taken on an iPhone using the "shake-it-photo" app
20 March 2011
ways to support japan
Taking a moment to encourage everyone to do what they can to support relief efforts in Japan.
Among the many organizations working in Japan, here are a few quick links for contributions:
18 March 2011
yamamoto - fabric & form
Yamamoto retrospective opens in London
A major exhibition of work by Yohji Yamamoto, one of the world's most influential fashion designers, opened in London on Saturday with a showcase of his innovative use of fabric and form.
The retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum traces three decades of work by the Japanese designer and highlights the timeless appeal of his clothes, his use of space around the body and his fascination with textiles.
"He really is in love with designing, and you can see it in his work," curator Ligaya Salazar told AFP. "He disregards trends -- he designs for life."
While many of the dresses are in Yamamoto's signature black, the exhibition features blazes of colour such as a yellow strapless silk dress with matching oversized hat, or a red asymmetric dress in wool felt with a crinoline skirt.
It is the first such exhibition that includes menswear, and a man's brown suit with metal flower brooches worn by Vivienne Westwood at his 1998 show are one of several that nod to the way he plays with gender in his designs.
There are more than 80 garments in the exhibition, arranged around the room to allow visitors to walk in between them and get a close look at the fabric.
"Central to Yohji Yamamoto's work are the textiles," Salazar said, noting that the fabrics are made in Kyoto to his exact specifications.
He works with his team "to come up with the exact relationship between the warp and the weft and to get the right thickness -- he starts with an idea of the fabric and then that creates a story of the collection".
The outfits are informally grouped to display key attributes of the designer's work since he graduated from Keio University in Tokyo in 1966.
One is his fascination with women's backs, highlighted in a 1995 grey jacket with a protruding section resembling a bustle, or a black dress from 2001 with a low cut-out back and a black sequinned bag incorporated into the fabric.
"He thinks it's the most beautiful part of the women's body and a lot of his clothes, he starts designing from the back," Salazar said.
Another key trend in his clothes, which was quite shocking when his creations first appeared on the Paris catwalks 30 years ago, is Yamamoto's sense that they should leave space for the body to move.
"He tries not to force a proscribed shape onto the woman's body. They're all very airy, they allow for different female body shapes," Salazar said.
A simple off-white long, floating dress inspired by German choreographer Pina Bausch was one example, as were a grouping of white felt pieces which appear almost as statues.
These white dresses were shown separately from the main exhibition, dotted around the museum's permanent displays.
In the same way, three mannequins wearing coats in red carded wool were displayed alongside medieval tapestries, picking up the colour of the faded hunting scenes on the walls.
Yamamoto gets much of his inspiration from techniques of the past, and incorporates "shibori" into his clothes, an extremely expensive form of tie-dying which was used on a 1995 black kimono-styled dress with a white and purple dyed section, and "yuzen" hand-dying, used for multi-coloured motifs.
The designer also pays homage to past couturiers. He evokes Balenciaga, with a black ruffled cape and silk dress from 1999, and Dior, with a houndstooth check jacket with puffed lower sleeves from 2003.
Two other events are being run in London to coincide with the V and A show: a display of photographs entitled "Yohji's Women", and "Yohji Making Waves", an installation of an oversized silk wedding dress with bamboo crinoline.
"Yohji Yamamoto" at the V and A runs from March 12 to July 10, 2011.
by Alice Ritchie
Copyright © 2011 AFP
The retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum traces three decades of work by the Japanese designer and highlights the timeless appeal of his clothes, his use of space around the body and his fascination with textiles.
"He really is in love with designing, and you can see it in his work," curator Ligaya Salazar told AFP. "He disregards trends -- he designs for life."
While many of the dresses are in Yamamoto's signature black, the exhibition features blazes of colour such as a yellow strapless silk dress with matching oversized hat, or a red asymmetric dress in wool felt with a crinoline skirt.
It is the first such exhibition that includes menswear, and a man's brown suit with metal flower brooches worn by Vivienne Westwood at his 1998 show are one of several that nod to the way he plays with gender in his designs.
There are more than 80 garments in the exhibition, arranged around the room to allow visitors to walk in between them and get a close look at the fabric.
"Central to Yohji Yamamoto's work are the textiles," Salazar said, noting that the fabrics are made in Kyoto to his exact specifications.
He works with his team "to come up with the exact relationship between the warp and the weft and to get the right thickness -- he starts with an idea of the fabric and then that creates a story of the collection".
The outfits are informally grouped to display key attributes of the designer's work since he graduated from Keio University in Tokyo in 1966.
One is his fascination with women's backs, highlighted in a 1995 grey jacket with a protruding section resembling a bustle, or a black dress from 2001 with a low cut-out back and a black sequinned bag incorporated into the fabric.
"He thinks it's the most beautiful part of the women's body and a lot of his clothes, he starts designing from the back," Salazar said.
Another key trend in his clothes, which was quite shocking when his creations first appeared on the Paris catwalks 30 years ago, is Yamamoto's sense that they should leave space for the body to move.
"He tries not to force a proscribed shape onto the woman's body. They're all very airy, they allow for different female body shapes," Salazar said.
A simple off-white long, floating dress inspired by German choreographer Pina Bausch was one example, as were a grouping of white felt pieces which appear almost as statues.
These white dresses were shown separately from the main exhibition, dotted around the museum's permanent displays.
In the same way, three mannequins wearing coats in red carded wool were displayed alongside medieval tapestries, picking up the colour of the faded hunting scenes on the walls.
Yamamoto gets much of his inspiration from techniques of the past, and incorporates "shibori" into his clothes, an extremely expensive form of tie-dying which was used on a 1995 black kimono-styled dress with a white and purple dyed section, and "yuzen" hand-dying, used for multi-coloured motifs.
The designer also pays homage to past couturiers. He evokes Balenciaga, with a black ruffled cape and silk dress from 1999, and Dior, with a houndstooth check jacket with puffed lower sleeves from 2003.
Two other events are being run in London to coincide with the V and A show: a display of photographs entitled "Yohji's Women", and "Yohji Making Waves", an installation of an oversized silk wedding dress with bamboo crinoline.
"Yohji Yamamoto" at the V and A runs from March 12 to July 10, 2011.
by Alice Ritchie
Copyright © 2011 AFP
fashion trends - "sobriety"
Mudpie : Sobriety - Male & Female - Spring/Summer 2011
The material excesses of the pre-recession society are forgotten, in favour of a humble, wholesome existence. Pleasure is found in relationships, community and life experience; a utilitarian revival begins, placing emphasis on style based on authenticity and timelessness instead of conspicuous and needless consumption. The idea of change fills many with hope for a new future founded on simplicity, ethics and wisdom.
Fashion interpretation:
The simple and unfussy design of the Amish lifestyle inspires this trend as a palette of slate and denim blues are coupled with bright American red and hints of clay pink, buttery yellow neutrals, deep burgundy and burnt orange. Silhouettes are modest, with high necklines and low hems reflecting the chaste undertones of life as a pilgrim settler. Layered textures, handcrafted garments and textural contrasts work with 'prim and proper' graphics and prints, resulting in a contemporary twist on traditional settler's clothing. The look incorporates interesting contrasts of fabric and finishes; adornment is kept to a minimum, instead the emphasis is on utilising the charm of unfussy design. The rugged outdoors of the American West is interpreted with a workwear aesthetic. Durable materials reflect an appreciation of industry and manual labour. Distressed finishes and haphazard styling give a tough look, completed with details such as rivets, straps, cinches and angular stitch detail
www.mpdclick.com
The material excesses of the pre-recession society are forgotten, in favour of a humble, wholesome existence. Pleasure is found in relationships, community and life experience; a utilitarian revival begins, placing emphasis on style based on authenticity and timelessness instead of conspicuous and needless consumption. The idea of change fills many with hope for a new future founded on simplicity, ethics and wisdom.
Fashion interpretation:
The simple and unfussy design of the Amish lifestyle inspires this trend as a palette of slate and denim blues are coupled with bright American red and hints of clay pink, buttery yellow neutrals, deep burgundy and burnt orange. Silhouettes are modest, with high necklines and low hems reflecting the chaste undertones of life as a pilgrim settler. Layered textures, handcrafted garments and textural contrasts work with 'prim and proper' graphics and prints, resulting in a contemporary twist on traditional settler's clothing. The look incorporates interesting contrasts of fabric and finishes; adornment is kept to a minimum, instead the emphasis is on utilising the charm of unfussy design. The rugged outdoors of the American West is interpreted with a workwear aesthetic. Durable materials reflect an appreciation of industry and manual labour. Distressed finishes and haphazard styling give a tough look, completed with details such as rivets, straps, cinches and angular stitch detail
fashion trends - "enlighten"
Mudpie : Enlighten - Male & Female - Spring/Summer 2011
Traditional styles blend with contemporary visions in a trend influenced by the rich and vibrant country of India. New India inspires a cosmopolitan lifestyle, while national pride is embodied in an unwavering devotion to cricket and travellers seeking out unique cultural experiences.
Fashion interpretation:
Inspired by modernized Indian elements this trend incorporates a vibrant and opulent colour palette. This rich palette combines vivid violet, vibrant coral, citrus green and shocking pink, whilst the colonial military aspect of the trend is represented through tones of duck egg blue, raspberry pink and sepia. The clashing of colours with an earthy base tone is key. Haphazard layers cinched with a belt create an eclectic and slightly bohemian silhouette. Multiple prints styled together, coupled with natural fabrics and combined with tactile silks and wovens, leather sandals and accessories complete this look. Slick tailoring coupled with Eastern elements, smooth and luxury styled fabrics enable this trend to contrast between minimalist styling and flashes of opulent print. Gloss contrasts with matte effects create a formal sports style as Enlighten takes inspiration from traditional cricket styles, while an aged military edge harks back to India’s imperial past.
www.mpdclick.com
Traditional styles blend with contemporary visions in a trend influenced by the rich and vibrant country of India. New India inspires a cosmopolitan lifestyle, while national pride is embodied in an unwavering devotion to cricket and travellers seeking out unique cultural experiences.
Fashion interpretation:
Inspired by modernized Indian elements this trend incorporates a vibrant and opulent colour palette. This rich palette combines vivid violet, vibrant coral, citrus green and shocking pink, whilst the colonial military aspect of the trend is represented through tones of duck egg blue, raspberry pink and sepia. The clashing of colours with an earthy base tone is key. Haphazard layers cinched with a belt create an eclectic and slightly bohemian silhouette. Multiple prints styled together, coupled with natural fabrics and combined with tactile silks and wovens, leather sandals and accessories complete this look. Slick tailoring coupled with Eastern elements, smooth and luxury styled fabrics enable this trend to contrast between minimalist styling and flashes of opulent print. Gloss contrasts with matte effects create a formal sports style as Enlighten takes inspiration from traditional cricket styles, while an aged military edge harks back to India’s imperial past.
fashion trends - "fable"
Mudpie : Fable - Male & Female - Spring/Summer 2011
A return to innocence manifests itself within the majesty and intrigue of the forest. Epic children’s literature and the romance of idyllic, natural ways of life are underpinned by resurgences of fantasy ideals within cinema, fashion and design. Nature fuses with technology to produce a unique, hybridised vision of an ecological future, while retaining a vital link to times long since past.
Fashion interpretation:
A sense of mystical wonder and fantasy is evoked as the ethereal Fable palette incorporates natural bases, tonal fresh greens, delicate neutrals with highlights of sunshine yellow, dragonfly blue and medieval red. Translucent watercolours and soft bleed effects are central to design; a hand-drawn, illustrative theme runs throughout, working alongside layered effects and scripted typography to create unique and complex graphics, reflecting the delicate and mystical aesthetic of the trend. The fusion between nature and technology influences graphics and prints; designs display a futuristic, digitised look, taking cues from the angular feel of avant-garde art movements such as Cubism or Abstract Expressionism to create unique, hyper-real imagery. Block panelling, wide sleeves and corset shapes create a medieval style. Details are unassuming yet effective, such as braiding and rouleau button loops, adding to the Middle Age styling by embellishing the outfit with authentic-looking elements.
www.mpdclick.com
A return to innocence manifests itself within the majesty and intrigue of the forest. Epic children’s literature and the romance of idyllic, natural ways of life are underpinned by resurgences of fantasy ideals within cinema, fashion and design. Nature fuses with technology to produce a unique, hybridised vision of an ecological future, while retaining a vital link to times long since past.
Fashion interpretation:
A sense of mystical wonder and fantasy is evoked as the ethereal Fable palette incorporates natural bases, tonal fresh greens, delicate neutrals with highlights of sunshine yellow, dragonfly blue and medieval red. Translucent watercolours and soft bleed effects are central to design; a hand-drawn, illustrative theme runs throughout, working alongside layered effects and scripted typography to create unique and complex graphics, reflecting the delicate and mystical aesthetic of the trend. The fusion between nature and technology influences graphics and prints; designs display a futuristic, digitised look, taking cues from the angular feel of avant-garde art movements such as Cubism or Abstract Expressionism to create unique, hyper-real imagery. Block panelling, wide sleeves and corset shapes create a medieval style. Details are unassuming yet effective, such as braiding and rouleau button loops, adding to the Middle Age styling by embellishing the outfit with authentic-looking elements.
11 March 2011
08 March 2011
05 March 2011
post modern palm desert
02 March 2011
postcard from provence
17cm x 13cm, oil on board
This painting will be auctioned over 24hrs starting today at:
04:00 UTC -00:00
(23:00 EST -05:00)
Follow the auction
eco index
Apparel industry leaders to develop sustainability label
Giants in the footwear and clothing industries have teamed up to form the Sustainable Apparel Coalition: a group whose goal is to create and adopt a system that will measure the social and environmental sustainability of products, thus respecting nature as well as workers.
The list of brands, retailers and manufacturers speaks for itself: Adidas, Esprit, Gap Inc., H&M, HanesBrands, JC Penney, Lenzing, Levi Strauss & Co., Li & Fung, Marks & Spencer, New Balance, Nike, Nordstrom, Otto Group, Patagonia, Target, Timberland, Verité, VF Corp, Walmart, C&A and others are some of the names. The group has the support of the United States–based nonprofit organisation Environmental Defense Fund.
Based on previous work made by the Outdoor Industry Association, this ‘Eco Index’ tool is still a work in progress, but brands and retailers concerned should start testing new ways of measuring sustainability from as early as next month. Eventually, the plan for the future is to gather all the information, develop a scoring system and turn it into a label which customers will be able to consult when shopping for products.
By Matthieu Guinebault
Giants in the footwear and clothing industries have teamed up to form the Sustainable Apparel Coalition: a group whose goal is to create and adopt a system that will measure the social and environmental sustainability of products, thus respecting nature as well as workers.
The list of brands, retailers and manufacturers speaks for itself: Adidas, Esprit, Gap Inc., H&M, HanesBrands, JC Penney, Lenzing, Levi Strauss & Co., Li & Fung, Marks & Spencer, New Balance, Nike, Nordstrom, Otto Group, Patagonia, Target, Timberland, Verité, VF Corp, Walmart, C&A and others are some of the names. The group has the support of the United States–based nonprofit organisation Environmental Defense Fund.
Based on previous work made by the Outdoor Industry Association, this ‘Eco Index’ tool is still a work in progress, but brands and retailers concerned should start testing new ways of measuring sustainability from as early as next month. Eventually, the plan for the future is to gather all the information, develop a scoring system and turn it into a label which customers will be able to consult when shopping for products.
By Matthieu Guinebault
01 March 2011
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