Intimate documentary sheds light on Yohji Yamamoto's life and work
YOHJI YAMAMOTO: THIS IS MY DREAM from Huge Conglomerate on Vimeo.
Discreet designer Yamamoto unveils his personality and creative process in a new documentary called "This is My Dream" — In it viewers will be able to follow the designer's intimate footsteps from the start to the closing of his SS 2010 Y-3 collection, from Tokyo to New York.
This documentary is a Harbor Film Company production, directed by Theo Stanley. The duration is 30 minutes brief, and is, at present, shown exclusively to select buyers in selected cities. A decision is yet to be made regarding its showing to the public by 2012.
Copyright © 2011 FashionMag.com All rights reserved.
31 May 2011
30 May 2011
memorial day - forgetting why we remember
Owen Freeman
Read this beautiful op-ed piece by David W. Blight in today's NY Times.
25 May 2011
24 May 2011
joplin
I think the kook that wrongly predicted the end of the world should take the $72 million his foundation is hoarding and give it to the people of Joplin.
Ways you can help:
Local Catholic Charities Chapter
send a check payable to “Catholic Charities” (memo line: JOPLIN) to: Catholic Charities, P.O. Box 952393, St. Louis, MO 63195-2393.
American Red Cross
Springfield Public Schools
Heart to Heart International
Salvation Army
photo: Larry W. Smith/European Pressphoto Agency
Ways you can help:
Local Catholic Charities Chapter
send a check payable to “Catholic Charities” (memo line: JOPLIN) to: Catholic Charities, P.O. Box 952393, St. Louis, MO 63195-2393.
American Red Cross
Springfield Public Schools
Heart to Heart International
Salvation Army
can art change the world?
JR, a semi-anonymous French street artist, uses his camera to show the world its true face, by pasting photos of the human face across massive canvases. At TED2011, he makes his audacious TED Prize wish: to use art to turn the world inside out. Learn more about his work and learn how you can join in at insideoutproject.net.
Read about the Inside Out Project in action in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn here.
Read about the Inside Out Project in action in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn here.
23 May 2011
self-realization fellowship - encinitas
On a recent trip down south, we stopped in at the Self-Realization Fellowship in Encinitas that overlooks Swami's (appropriately name) surf break. Although I had lived near there for nearly 20 years, I had never been through the gardens which are open to the public - and are beautiful.
21 May 2011
update - princess beatrice hat
As of this morning, the bidding on eBay is at:
This seems pretty nutty but the money does go to good causes: UNICEF & Children In Crisis. There's one day of bidding left.
18 May 2011
this could be yours - or not
The much-mocked hat worn by Princess Beatrice to Britain's royal wedding last month -- widely described as looking like a "toilet seat" -- is up for sale on eBay where bids have reached $31,957.
The tea rose, silk hat was "the most talked about hat of the whole occasion" Harold Tilman, Chairman of the British Fashion Council, said on eBay.
The fuss over the hat worn to the royal wedding of her cousin Prince William to longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton seems to have taken Beatrice -- who is the daughter of William's uncle Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson -- by surprise too.
"I've been amazed by the amount of attention the hat has attracted," Beatrice said on the auction site. "I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have."
Money raised by the sale of the hat will be equally split between two charities: UNICEF and Children in Crisis.
The hat, by milliner Philip Treacy, was given a starting price of 5,000 pounds and 32 bidders have placed 60 bids in the last six days.
The eBay site has linked the auction to Facebook where members of the public have celebrated the hat design.
Treacy said he was "delighted, flattered and touched by HRH Princess' Beatrice's decision to donate the hat to charity."
The auction continues until May 22.
17 May 2011
esophageal cancer claims another
Harmon Killebrew, Hall of Fame Slugger for the Minnesota Twins, Dies at 74
Harmon Killebrew, the Hall of Famer who developed the strength to hit home runs by lifting 10-gallon milk cans as an Idaho farmhand and grew up to be one of the most feared sluggers of his generation, died this morning at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., four days after announcing that he was ending treatment for esophageal cancer.
His death was announced by the Minnesota Twins, which featured him as the centerpiece of their franchise through the 1960s and early ’70s.
Killebrew said in December that he had begun treatment for the cancer at a Mayo Clinic branch near his home. Last Friday, in a statement released by the Twins, he said that his doctors had told him his illness was incurable and that “with profound sadness” he was ending treatment.
“I have exhausted all options,” he said.
Read more here.
Ron Silver, actor - died March 2009
Harmon Killebrew, the Hall of Famer who developed the strength to hit home runs by lifting 10-gallon milk cans as an Idaho farmhand and grew up to be one of the most feared sluggers of his generation, died this morning at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., four days after announcing that he was ending treatment for esophageal cancer.
His death was announced by the Minnesota Twins, which featured him as the centerpiece of their franchise through the 1960s and early ’70s.
Killebrew said in December that he had begun treatment for the cancer at a Mayo Clinic branch near his home. Last Friday, in a statement released by the Twins, he said that his doctors had told him his illness was incurable and that “with profound sadness” he was ending treatment.
“I have exhausted all options,” he said.
Read more here.
Ron Silver, actor - died March 2009
Tom Lantos, US Representative from N. California - died Feb 2008
Ann Richards, governor of Texas - died Sept 2006
Ann Richards, governor of Texas - died Sept 2006
this day in 1954
In the decision of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, handed down on May 17, 1954, the Warren Court's unanimous (9–0) decision stated that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." As a result, de jure racial segregation was ruled a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. This ruling paved the way for integration and the civil rights movement.
via wikipedia
Lawyers for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc (From l.): Louis L. Redding, Robert L. Carter, Oliver W. Hill, Thurgood Marshall and Spottswood W. Robinson III.
16 May 2011
15 May 2011
11 May 2011
words matter
This short film illustrates the power of words to radically change your message and your effect upon the world.
If it doesn't play here go here to see it.
Thanks Vicki.
10 May 2011
09 May 2011
plant search tool
As advertised, it is simple. Just type in a couple key words and filter by categories like hardiness zone, exposure, and soil. What you’ll get is a list of plants, each with its needs and features and a short description, plus the nursery that provided the information. This is a consumer-oriented plant-finder, not an online research encyclopedia, and it’s by no means close to comprehensive. Yet.
Plant Lust was started by Loree Bohl (Danger Garden), Megan Hansen, and Patricia Cunningham. It’s designed to connect gardeners to plants they might want as quickly and simply as possible. So far, there are 8,000 plants, with information contributed by a handful of nurseries, mainly in Oregon, but also including Plant Delights, Annie’s Annuals, and Tidwell.
I’m more of a researcher than consumer when it comes to this kind of search—my garden is just about stuffed full—but I was enchanted to type in “boehmeria” and instantly get 3 results. It’s not a plant most will have heard of, and it reflects the high quality of the sources used here. I love the idea of a beginning gardener using this site and getting talked into buying cool perennials they will never ever find at the big box.
06 May 2011
gray wolf removed from endangered species list
The 1,300 gray wolves in the Rocky Mountain region are considered recovered and are losing federal protection.
THE GIST
The U.S. government said Wednesday it is formally removing about 1,300 gray wolves in the Rocky Mountain region from the endangered species list, acting on the orders of Congress last month.
The Interior Department will also seek to remove thousands more wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered list because they have recovered to "healthy levels," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told reporters.
The issuing of the final rule means that states will manage control of the animals, and that hunting will resume in Idaho, Montana, and parts of Utah, Oregon and Washington.
Gray wolves in Wyoming will remain under federal management until that state develops a suitable management plan, he said.
"The recovery of gray wolves in the United States is a tremendous success story of the Endangered Species Act," said Salazar.
"From a biological perspective, gray wolves have recovered. It is now time to return their management to states that are prepared to ensure the long-term health of the species."
The move caps a long political and legal battle that dates back to the George W. Bush administration.
Last month, an annex was added to the highly disputed budget bill, removing the wolves in that range from federal protection, marking the first time Congress ever removed an animal from the endangered species list.
Environmental groups opposed the move, but admitted defeat after years of fighting in court to preserve the endangered status of the gray wolves.
The wolves had all but disappeared from the region until they were reintroduced in the 1990s, and their protected status has allowed them to reach a total population of 1,651 across the entire Rocky Mountain region, including Wyoming, which is not affected by Wednesday's decision, said the Sierra Club.
But ranchers say wolves are a nuisance to livestock and could even threaten humans if their population grows too large.
Salazar said the government would accept public comments on its proposal to delist gray wolves in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin before acting further.
"To be sure, not everyone will be satisfied with today's announcement," Salazar said.
"Wolves have long been a highly charged issue but let us not lose sight of the fact that these delistings are possible because the species has recovered in these areas."
From Discovery News
- Gray wolves in the Rocky Mountain region will no longer be protected under the endangered species act.
- This means states will manage control of the animals and hunting will resume in some states.
- Gray wolves in Wyoming will remain under federal management until the state has a management plan.
The U.S. government said Wednesday it is formally removing about 1,300 gray wolves in the Rocky Mountain region from the endangered species list, acting on the orders of Congress last month.
The Interior Department will also seek to remove thousands more wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered list because they have recovered to "healthy levels," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told reporters.
The issuing of the final rule means that states will manage control of the animals, and that hunting will resume in Idaho, Montana, and parts of Utah, Oregon and Washington.
Gray wolves in Wyoming will remain under federal management until that state develops a suitable management plan, he said.
"The recovery of gray wolves in the United States is a tremendous success story of the Endangered Species Act," said Salazar.
"From a biological perspective, gray wolves have recovered. It is now time to return their management to states that are prepared to ensure the long-term health of the species."
The move caps a long political and legal battle that dates back to the George W. Bush administration.
Last month, an annex was added to the highly disputed budget bill, removing the wolves in that range from federal protection, marking the first time Congress ever removed an animal from the endangered species list.
Environmental groups opposed the move, but admitted defeat after years of fighting in court to preserve the endangered status of the gray wolves.
The wolves had all but disappeared from the region until they were reintroduced in the 1990s, and their protected status has allowed them to reach a total population of 1,651 across the entire Rocky Mountain region, including Wyoming, which is not affected by Wednesday's decision, said the Sierra Club.
But ranchers say wolves are a nuisance to livestock and could even threaten humans if their population grows too large.
Salazar said the government would accept public comments on its proposal to delist gray wolves in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin before acting further.
"To be sure, not everyone will be satisfied with today's announcement," Salazar said.
"Wolves have long been a highly charged issue but let us not lose sight of the fact that these delistings are possible because the species has recovered in these areas."
From Discovery News
05 May 2011
postcard from provence
Poppy field in the Baronies
20cm x 13cm, oil on board
To be auctioned over 24hrs.
Auction starts;
Thursday 05 May at
16:32 GMT -00:00
(16:00 EDT -04:00)
View the auction
03 May 2011
mc queen at the met
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
May 4, 2011–July 31, 2011
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, 2nd floor
The exhibition, organized by The Costume Institute, will celebrate the late Alexander McQueen's extraordinary contributions to fashion. From his postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. Approximately one hundred examples will be on view, including signature designs such as the bumster trouser, the kimono jacket, and the Origami frock coat, as well as pieces reflecting the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s that he crafted into contemporary silhouettes transmitting romantic narratives. Technical ingenuity imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility that kept him at fashion's vanguard.
May 4, 2011–July 31, 2011
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, 2nd floor
The exhibition, organized by The Costume Institute, will celebrate the late Alexander McQueen's extraordinary contributions to fashion. From his postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. Approximately one hundred examples will be on view, including signature designs such as the bumster trouser, the kimono jacket, and the Origami frock coat, as well as pieces reflecting the exaggerated silhouettes of the 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, and 1950s that he crafted into contemporary silhouettes transmitting romantic narratives. Technical ingenuity imbued his designs with an innovative sensibility that kept him at fashion's vanguard.
mc queen retrospective
Patternpeople : Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty
The McQueen retrospective opens at the Met’s Costume Institute May 4th and I hope I can make it over to the east coast before July 31st to see it. They will be showing work from his post-graduate collection of 1992 on, which would be very interesting to see, and being able to see the cloth and stitching and draping and folding in person would send shivers down my spine! To get myself even more excited I went through what I could find online of his past collections (thanks syle.com!) Despite poor image quality of some of the older ones that are online, it is cool to see how many themes and inspirations carry forward into future collections and mutate into something even deeper and more distilled. For example, the Byzantine inspiration from Fall 2003 is pretty good (about the level that most other runway designers are at right now) but what it’s become in his posthumous Fall 2010 collection is nothing short of divine. I know I am gushing about McQueen again, and I did so when he was alive as well, but no other fashion designer approached the artistry, showmanship, or the absolute mastery of the craft that he displayed.
-Claudia
Courtesy of Patternpeople.
The McQueen retrospective opens at the Met’s Costume Institute May 4th and I hope I can make it over to the east coast before July 31st to see it. They will be showing work from his post-graduate collection of 1992 on, which would be very interesting to see, and being able to see the cloth and stitching and draping and folding in person would send shivers down my spine! To get myself even more excited I went through what I could find online of his past collections (thanks syle.com!) Despite poor image quality of some of the older ones that are online, it is cool to see how many themes and inspirations carry forward into future collections and mutate into something even deeper and more distilled. For example, the Byzantine inspiration from Fall 2003 is pretty good (about the level that most other runway designers are at right now) but what it’s become in his posthumous Fall 2010 collection is nothing short of divine. I know I am gushing about McQueen again, and I did so when he was alive as well, but no other fashion designer approached the artistry, showmanship, or the absolute mastery of the craft that he displayed.
-Claudia
Courtesy of Patternpeople.
02 May 2011
postcard from provence
13cm x 18cm, oil on board
To be auctioned over 24hrs.
Auction starts;
Monday 02 May at
21:00 GMT -00:00
(17:00 EDT -04:00)
View the auction
28 April 2011
solo sale
If you're in the San Diego area over the weekend you must visit Solo's annual sale. Solo is a co-op with about a dozen merchants under it's roof. My favorite merchant is Jennifer Price Studio, a collection of found and re-purposed wares from a different time and place.
26 April 2011
parisian chic
Iconic supermodel writes the book on Parisian style
April 22 - Before anyone gets the wrong idea, Ines de la Fressange would like to point out that you cannot just spend your way into becoming a Parisian.
"I do think it's a state of mind," says the original French supermodel turned designer and fashion consultant -- and, more recently, and much to her surprise, best-selling style book author.
"There are people who want to buy a lot. I'm the one saying, 'Don't buy a lot -- buy the good things'."
Since it came out in France last fall, "La Parisienne" has sold well over 100,000 copies, entertaining readers with its chummy, cheery prose and prompting an English version -- "Parisian Chic" -- for an Anglo-Saxon market crowded with finger-wagging what-not-to-wear guides.
"French women generally say they're not really interested in fashion, so when I was told that it had sold more than Harry Potter or Keith Richard's autobiography... it certainly was a surprise."
Conceived like a Moleskine notebook with a burgundy cover, it draws on De La Fressange's lifetime in fashion -- and her habit of making lists for advice-seeing friends -- to explain what it takes to truly look Parisian.
To hear her tell it, it's effortless.
Six rules apply: Mix styles and never coordinate. Reject bling. Explore new labels. If it feels right, wear it. Worship no fashion idols. Beware good taste.
Then stock your closet with a blazer ("belt it!"), trench coat (Burberry if possible, but not necessarily), navy sweater ("more sophisticated than a plain black sweater") and tank top ("a classy supporting act").
Not to forget a little black dress ("not simply an item of clothing, it's a concept"), the "perfect" jeans ("like salt, they go with everything") and finally a leather jacket ("guaranteed to save any overly-conventional look").
From those basics, accessorise as you wish. Keep your wardrobe minimal and regularly clear out what you no longer wear. Oh, and smile. "You can carry off anything with a smile," she writes.
Being of a certain age herself, De La Fressange devotes a few pages to those over 40.
"Never neglect yourself," she writes. Don't get stuck in a style you wore in your 30s, otherwise "it will age you instantly." And for those over 50, steer well clear of fur, unless you want that "wrinkled trophy wife" look.
Ironically for a style consultant at Roger Vivier, the Parisian accessories house whose eponymous founder invented the stiletto shoe, De La Fressange favours flats over heels, and raves about Converse sneakers.
"There are a lot of women who think it's not possible to go out without high heels," she told AFP in an telephone interview from Normandy, where she was on a pre-Easter break. "It's incredible... If they put on high heels just because they think they are too short, well, nobody cares that much."
For shopping, De La Fressange namechecks Monoprix, an unassuming French department store chain not unlike K-Mart or Marks and Spencer.
She also recommends venturing into the menswear department -- "it's usually very good, or sometimes too much for men but perfect for us" -- or dabbling in the children's section.
"I'm a shopaholic but I know you don't need that much to look good," she explained. "It's better to invest in some pieces like a nice handbag and nice shoes. For clothes, you can manage with cheaper things."
De La Fressange is the first to admit that her vision of Parisian style "totally, absolutely" reflects the well-heeled, intellectual Saint Germain des Pres neighbourhood where she lives. But she concedes that if she lived in any other city, her signature look would no doubt be different: "Personally, if I'd lived in London, for instance, I'm sure I would have a much more crazy style."
by Robert MacPherson
Copyright © 2011 AFP.
April 22 - Before anyone gets the wrong idea, Ines de la Fressange would like to point out that you cannot just spend your way into becoming a Parisian.
"I do think it's a state of mind," says the original French supermodel turned designer and fashion consultant -- and, more recently, and much to her surprise, best-selling style book author.
"There are people who want to buy a lot. I'm the one saying, 'Don't buy a lot -- buy the good things'."
Since it came out in France last fall, "La Parisienne" has sold well over 100,000 copies, entertaining readers with its chummy, cheery prose and prompting an English version -- "Parisian Chic" -- for an Anglo-Saxon market crowded with finger-wagging what-not-to-wear guides.
"French women generally say they're not really interested in fashion, so when I was told that it had sold more than Harry Potter or Keith Richard's autobiography... it certainly was a surprise."
Conceived like a Moleskine notebook with a burgundy cover, it draws on De La Fressange's lifetime in fashion -- and her habit of making lists for advice-seeing friends -- to explain what it takes to truly look Parisian.
To hear her tell it, it's effortless.
Six rules apply: Mix styles and never coordinate. Reject bling. Explore new labels. If it feels right, wear it. Worship no fashion idols. Beware good taste.
Then stock your closet with a blazer ("belt it!"), trench coat (Burberry if possible, but not necessarily), navy sweater ("more sophisticated than a plain black sweater") and tank top ("a classy supporting act").
Not to forget a little black dress ("not simply an item of clothing, it's a concept"), the "perfect" jeans ("like salt, they go with everything") and finally a leather jacket ("guaranteed to save any overly-conventional look").
From those basics, accessorise as you wish. Keep your wardrobe minimal and regularly clear out what you no longer wear. Oh, and smile. "You can carry off anything with a smile," she writes.
Being of a certain age herself, De La Fressange devotes a few pages to those over 40.
"Never neglect yourself," she writes. Don't get stuck in a style you wore in your 30s, otherwise "it will age you instantly." And for those over 50, steer well clear of fur, unless you want that "wrinkled trophy wife" look.
Ironically for a style consultant at Roger Vivier, the Parisian accessories house whose eponymous founder invented the stiletto shoe, De La Fressange favours flats over heels, and raves about Converse sneakers.
"There are a lot of women who think it's not possible to go out without high heels," she told AFP in an telephone interview from Normandy, where she was on a pre-Easter break. "It's incredible... If they put on high heels just because they think they are too short, well, nobody cares that much."
For shopping, De La Fressange namechecks Monoprix, an unassuming French department store chain not unlike K-Mart or Marks and Spencer.
She also recommends venturing into the menswear department -- "it's usually very good, or sometimes too much for men but perfect for us" -- or dabbling in the children's section.
"I'm a shopaholic but I know you don't need that much to look good," she explained. "It's better to invest in some pieces like a nice handbag and nice shoes. For clothes, you can manage with cheaper things."
Ines with her daughters
De La Fressange is the first to admit that her vision of Parisian style "totally, absolutely" reflects the well-heeled, intellectual Saint Germain des Pres neighbourhood where she lives. But she concedes that if she lived in any other city, her signature look would no doubt be different: "Personally, if I'd lived in London, for instance, I'm sure I would have a much more crazy style."
by Robert MacPherson
Copyright © 2011 AFP.
25 April 2011
life in topanga
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