Duct Tape as a Textile
New York Magazine brought an annual event to my attention I had no idea existed, but I wish I had in high school: namely, a Duck Tape “Stuck at Prom” contest. Costumes were judged based on workmanship (30%), originality (30%), use of colors (15%, accessories (15%), and quantity of Duck Tape used (10%). In addition...
A Daringly Stylish Politician!
I am embarrassed to say I failed the Huffington Post test on guessing who Yulia Tymoshenko when presented with a collection of photos of her. For all you fellow dunces, she is the Prime Minister of the Ukraine– and the first female Prime Minister the Ukraine has had. (My ignorance was especially embarrassing to me...
A Young Dandy
Photos of second grader Arlo Weiner have been circulating around the fashion blogosphere. The son of Matt Weiner — creator of the awesomely written, amazingly art directed 1960s period TV series Mad Men — has adopted his very own eclectic, elegant style. Referencing many influences and periods he never experienced personally, this 8-year-old shows a...
Free Prom Dress Charities
Always a fan of reusing / redistributing clothes, I was delighted to read about Project Bridesmaids. Sponsored by Modern Bride Magazine and in conjunction with Project Hope, women were encouraged to donate their lightly worn bridesmaid dresses (jokes of the unwearability of these single serving dresses need not exist!) and formal gowns. Several hundred dresses...
Obama’s Bullet-Proof Suit
Over drinks last week, my friend George mentioned he (in addition to many other Americans, I’m sure) was terrified Obama was going to get shot walking down Pennsylvania Ave on Inauguration Day. This opened a discussion about bulletproof clothes– I’d seen a TV documentary or something on a Colombian company that specialized in bulletproof leather...
From Fetish Object to Object of Discontentment
News about Muntader al-Zaidi, the Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at Bush during a press conference this week, has traveled quickly to alternating responses of horror and glee. The NYTimes reported that “Calling someone the “son of a shoe” is one of the worst insults in Iraq,” adding a new spin to what was...
Chanel’s Silent Movie
I’ve probably watched more silent movies than many of my peers (and possibly my peers’ parents, for that matter), and though I very much enjoyed the concept and spirit of Lagerfeld’s homage to Chanel, something was off. There was the flickering “film,” the hazy Holga-esqe framing, the deliberately choppy frames, ruby-lipped (and sometimes mustachioed) men...
Viktor & Rolf’s Online Fashion Show
An update to my earlier post about the much anticipated V&R online show “Funny Face” (a.k.a. “Shalom”), here is the link to the Spring / Summer 09 show itself: http://www.viktor-rolf.com/index.htm As previously stated, I love me some Viktor & Rolf. Though this was not my favorite show of theirs by far, I still thought...
Art Deco Fashion & Social Commentary
Yesterday I attended a lecture at the New York Public Library accompanying their current exhibit “Art Deco Design: Rhythm and Verve.” There was another lecture on art deco architecture that I attended a few weeks ago, but this one– “Fashions of the Art Deco Era”– was tailored for me. Paula Baxter, curator of the exhibit...
Viktor & Rolf Meets Funny Face
I am a huge fan of the avant garde designers Viktor & Rolf; I remember being introduced to them at an exhibit in the Museum of the City of New York (one of my favorite museums, a neglected gem in Spanish Harlem); the man’s style button-down shirt with the waterfall of collars peeling open (shown...
Kirchner & the Berlin Street
One of the few advantages of working in midtown is that I am just a couple minutes jaunt away from the MoMA, and every once in awhile, I actually take my full hour lunch break to soak up some visual culture. Yesterday I fought my way through the rainy day museum-attending mob (I believe it’s...
MAD Museum Opening Event & Exhibit
I attended the grand re-opening of the Museum of Design (somewhat humorously abbreviated to “MAD Museum”) at it’s new location on Columbus Circle, an event I had been hotly anticipating even before I received an invitation to the party; I love all sorts of crafts, and textile arts are often included under this broad header....
Iran’s Catwalk Regulations
I just read an article about rules being imposed upon models on Iranian catwalks by the Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry: “Move modestly. No garish makeup. Don loose and unrevealing clothing. Those are some of the new rules for Iranian models, who have been told not to attract too much attention during fashion shows. Live...
Susan Meiselas Photography Exhibit
Just saw the Susan Meiselas exhibit at the International Center of Photography. Though none of her carnie stripper photos were there, her pictures of the popular insurrection Nicaragua (1978-79) and Kurdistan were stunning, with an eerie unprofessional air about many of them. From the Nicaragua series there was one photo of a young woman in...
"Arbiters of Style" tour at FIT
I attended a lecture at the Museum at FIT last week. I’d visited the exhibition “Arbiters of Style: Women at the Forefront of Fashion” a couple months ago and thought it was a little weak (my usual complaint: “not enough signage!”, but I went to the tour believing that if I got more information about...
Book Review: "Fashion and Its Social Agendas"
Fashion and Its Social Agendas: Class, Gender, and Identity in Clothing by Diana Crane My review rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was so good! Lots of statistics– which as any fashion reader knows is pretty uncommon– of class, social, and monetary indicators, some of which suggested conclusions different from what I’d believed. Well...
Superheroes Attack!
Style.com listed “Superhero Worship” as one of its major Fall 2008 trends: “At about the same time that the Met will be putting its superhero paraphernalia back in storage, fashion-forward females will be preparing to unleash their new Fall power ensembles– a futuristic Balenciaga dress, for instance, or a caped jacket from Rick Owens. Pieces...
Palin’s Beehive and Other Political Fashion Statements