Monday, August 9, 2010

New Phrase of the Week


What is the phrase of the week, you may ask? But it's only Monday...

Ah yes! But I'm sure this one will last more than the week out. It's called "Snow Monkeying".

What the hell does it mean to "snow monkey"? Well, we personally coined it to mean torturing the hell out of a fabric. When one has over-manipulated, fingered around, squeezed, wrinkled, and tortured the hell out of a fabric to the point of it being incredulous; you have "snow-monkeyed" it.

If you don't know what a snow monkey is or what they do, please look it up and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Merci Beau coup!

~Mac

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Mother Nature; Fashion's Greatest Couturier












Since the beginning of time we as humans have been using a variety of elements for fashion. Of course the obvious reasons for clothing began simply for the purposes of keeping warm and dry. As cultures began to develop it also became the method of covering up one's private parts. That is when man and woman decided they needed to have a sense of privacy and sexual separation. But I didn't post this to start a lesson on the history and mystery of why people began wearing clothes. Actually I wanted to bring attention to a particular kind of fashion and style that still culturally pervades today in Africa.
What was originally intended for protection from the sun's rays, many tribes in Africa have developed unique and stylish ways of decorating their skin. I, having been to Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, have a particular fascination with the people, their style, traditions, languages, food, and history. Africa is such a vast and anthropologically rich continent with several dozen countries, a myriad of languages, tribes, and regions.
There is a particular area of the lower valley of the Omo which I find really stylish and rich in tradition. This valley borders up with Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan which is home to the Surma and Mursi tribes. This region has vast flowing rivers that run throughout the driest and even desolate landscape. These rivers provide the surrounding land with unique and abundant wild flowers, papyrus and wild fruit trees. The tribe's people in an amazing spectacle, like in most parts of Africa, use nature's fruits and plants to not only eat but also adorn their bodies with. They create a body paint made with plants, berries, powdered stone, and river mud. After the body painting is complete, they use all of nature's splendor to create an infinite wardrobe of accessories ranging from head pieces and earrings to footwear and anklets. Flesh becomes a blank canvas to create extravagant living art. This to me is so fascinating and also serves as proof that it's a humanistic desire to dress (or not) and style however you see fit. Fashion and styling has been around for millions of years in one form or another and constantly evolves. It goes to show that the most well established couture fashion house in the world is indeed Mother Earth.

Photographs are courtesy of Hans Silvester
If you are interested in Hans Silvester's work, I would greatly recommend his book: Natural Fashion, Tribal Decoration from Africa

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Slavery to technique?

Iris Van Herpen S/S 2011 courtesy of Pleatfarm.com
I wanted to add this image because I feel that it's very evocative of the route that many young designers are currently taking. It shows a clear mastery of technical skill and an almost slavish devotion to technique itself. The piece is awe-inspiring to say the least; however, in my opinion the extreme amount of fabric manipulation renders it clinical and overtly calculated. I feel that such extreme fabric torture allows very little room for the audience to create their own sense of fantasy. That's not to say that Ms. Van Herpen isn't a designer of liberated imagination, but my own beliefs in what makes for exciting fashion leaves me feeling that such a garment is more sterile than moving.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Comme des Garçons Spring 2011...black, white, and blood red








If you haven't had a chance to check out the Comme des Garçons menswear 2011 show, I can't jump up and down saying, "oh god! You simply must check it out!" I just pulled a few pictures off on-line to give you an idea of the feel. Rei Kawakubo did this macabre, yet humorous, one-note salute to the skull print. In fact she called the collection "the skull of life." She did the skull motif prints with an exaggerated twist. At first glance with a lot of the looks you would think that they were all just simple prints. However, some of them were more a trompe l'oile using the skulls as cut-outs and not actually flat prints. I LOVE the black skull blazer and also the innovative use of a printed sock with the shoes. In one the pictures included here, there is a model that has on a printed sock and black shoes that tricks the eye (brilliant Rei!) into making you think it is a spectator high-rise shoe. And please, if you ever want to catch my attention, put a man in a man-skirt or man-dress. I'm half Irish so of course I have a few kilts and love wearing them. In fact, many a time walking on the streets of New York going to a meeting or something, you can catch me wearing a man-skirt. Personally I find it to be very masculine and needless to say, edgy and curious. Wearing clothing like that really shows one's enthusiasm and love of all things fashion. Fashion pieces should be lived, not hung in the back of the closet. If you love it wear it!

The show as a whole had absolutely no colors besides black, white, and "blood red," which I don't mind. I thought it was interesting, and a lot of fashion reporters would probably agree, that it drew a close parallels to Alexander McQueen's frequent use of the skull theme for its morbid romanticism. Archetypal Rei Kawakubo. A tip of the hat to you.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Why no SNL The Best of Maya Rudolph?

Ummm, why haven't the Saturday Night Live (SNL) production company come out with the best of Maya Rudolph??? I think I'm going to start some kind of on-line petition if I cannot find one already. Whoever agrees please pass the message along!
~~ Mac

Friday, April 9, 2010

Victor Dinaire spins the house up







For all those techno/dance (club)/Progressive House fans, if you're not a fan of Victor Dinaire you are truly missing out on a world of intense audio nirvana! Check him out!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Old School Glamour


This fabulous lady we caught a glimpse of walking on Canal Street

Proof that true style is timeless...



Tuesday, March 30, 2010

In respectful memory of Alexander "Lee" McQueen









You were truly a visionary, an artist in every sense of the word. You fought the establishment of fashion and were a champion of empowering women and men alike. Through art and fashion, you made people feel beautiful whilst changing their perception of what beauty meant. You will be missed by many generations of people from all over the world. Be at peace with mum, Isabella, and all the other greats of history. You're are the eighth wonder of the world Lee. Forever and ever...

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Don't bite the hand that feeds you...

I am certainly not known for my participation in gossip of any sort. With that said, what I wish to blog about is certainly not gossip, however, fact. It is fact followed by opinion and wrapped in aggravation.

The other night my husband and I were watching an episode of The Real Housewives of N.Y. called “fall in Manhattan”. During the episode the housewives and company attend “fashion night out” which is a popular event that takes place in most major cities around the world to celebrate everything fashion in any way you wish. Alex and Simon brought their friend stylist Derek Warburton, an openly gay man, to an event that the cast attends. Being true to form with her big mouth, Jill Zarin makes caustic, snarky, and extremely judgmental comments about Derek’s clothing. She says, and I quote; “Alex and Simon arrived with this freaky guy. I was a little shocked. I really was. Like, he scared the crap out of me. I don’t know what he was wearing. He was wearing a corset and bag and…you know I’ve been around gays, I mean, this guy was like overly beyond.”

As gay men ourselves, my husband and I share a strong sentiment about this comment that I’m sure a lot of gay people can attest to. First of all, I need to mention that Jill’s best friend Brad is an openly gay man. So indeed with that fact alone she is cracking open the flood gate of hypocrisy. But the most frustrating bit about this situation is something that is not as obvious. In my experience and observations it is all very well for us as gay men to be the trendy accessory friend for straight women. We spend our precious time and resources for these women playing psychiatrist and advisor. We make them look pretty, tell them what to and what not to wear, what shoes and hand bag to go with their outfit, and how to properly apply make-up. We are the friend for them that is there at 3 in the morning answering the desperate phone call because they’re having relationship troubles. We are the ones who hold their hair back while vomiting in the bushes after a pitcher of Sangria. For them we are the best gal pal that they never had and the perfect man that they could never have.

So what is my point with all of this you may ask? I have been in a couple situations myself but have observed more of others in the community that are this loyal friend to straight people. But at the end of the day to a lot of these people we can be seen but not heard. When it comes to expressing ourselves either by the way we dress, act, or speak it all of a sudden become “too much information.” Being gay is a challenge enough at times but at the very least we would like to be who we are without fear of contradiction, particularly by people that regard us as best friends.

This sentiment can also be related to the Adam Lambert performance at the VMA’s. People love his voice and energy but the minute he started expressing himself on stage people shuddered, turned the channel really quick, and put their hands over their children’s eyes.

So I say, good for you Derek, dress however you want and please keep being yourself. Thank god for people in this world over like Derek, Adam, Alex, Simon, my husband, and myself who are not afraid to be who we are. We also need more people in this world with open minds and open hearts. So to Jill Zarin I will say this; if it wasn’t for us you would have little to no clothes, shoes, accessories, or interior décor. I’m also sure that our community is a good chunk of the demographic that buys your husband’s fabrics therein spreading butter on your bread. Derek is not a “freak”. He is a unique person probably with a good self image and is chock full of integrity both for himself and his community. Maybe you should take that advise from Bethany, Mrs. Zarin, and get yourself a hobby. In fact, get yourself a life.

Friday, March 26, 2010

In like a lion...

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz
I wonder where all the flowers is...