6 INCH ROCKETS
Posted: February 27, 2012 Filed under: Music | Tags: homewrecker, marina and the diamonds, marina diamandis, music Leave a comment »I left College early today, due to the fact that my Media Studies lesson was cancelled for a reason I can’t quite recall. Anyway, when I got home and graced Youtube (this isn’t something I do regularly), I was welcomed with the likes of Marina Diamandis and her phenomenal new single, titled Homewrecker.
Marina has once again outdone herself, and despite the fact that an official video has not yet been released, I already know from previous experience that it will be just as phenomenal as the song, and well worth the lengthy wait!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO “HOMEWRECKER” BY MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS
Throughout this song Marina talks about boyfriends, deception, perfection, love, hate, lonely hearts, girls, curls, gourmet vomit, boys, toys, 6 inch rockets, friends and lovers, among other things. I have accumulated 9 consecutive listens so far, and I plan on playing this song over and over for the rest of the evening.
What is my favourite verse you ask?
GIRLS AND THEIR CURLS AND THEIR GOURMET VOMIT
BOYS AND THEIR TOYS AND THEIR 6 INCH ROCKETS
WE’RE ALL VERY LOVELY ‘TIL WE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER
AS WE STOP BECOMING FRIENDS AND WE START BECOMING LOVERS
That’s right; I love it when Marina sings about gourmet vomit and 6 inch rockets.
Charlotte King Photography
Posted: February 26, 2012 Filed under: Photography | Tags: bristol school of art, charlotte king, charlotte's web, photographer Leave a comment »
I wanted to take a minute or two to introduce you all to a wonderful aspiring photographer, who most definitely fits the bill when it comes to the style of photography that I personally admire. Charlotte King resides in South Gloucestershire, United Kingdom and is currently a photography student at the Bristol School Of Art. With her being just 19-years-old, I’m somewhat surprised to see the sheer amount of passion she has for photography, and I’m almost positive that you will agree with me when I say that her passion for the subject spills into her work, and the outcome is truly inspiring.
After chatting to Charlotte, I can safely say that in addition to being handy with a camera, she also has a wonderful personality, and is possibly one of the sharpest dressed aspiring photographers I’ve ever come across.
Charlotte currently posts regularly on her blog, which is titled Charlotte’s Web. Not only does she post her work, the work of various photographers that inspire her and music she admires, but also outfit posts and fashion-orientated posts – which prove that she is a dab hand when it comes to looking fly. Believe me; this girl knows a thing or two about vintage clothing and vintage shopping!
Lastly, I would really appreciate it if you would take a second or two to head on over to the Charlotte King Photography Facebook page and hit the ‘Like’ button, and trust me when I say that this is the start of something phenomenal!
Images courtesy of Charlotte King
She Died Of Beauty Spring/Summer 2012
Posted: February 24, 2012 Filed under: Men, Spring/Summer 2012, Women | Tags: 2012, erin o'connor, kate halfpenny, she died of beauty, spring, summer Leave a comment »
I’m sure that you’re all familiar with the beautiful thing that is She Died Of Beauty by now, and if not, you’re truly missing out. Just in case a number of you have been hiding in your bedrooms without a laptop or computer for the past God-knows how long, let me briefly update you. She Died Of Beauty is a project by longstanding friends supermodel Erin O’Connor and stylist Kate Halfpenny. The pair have developed a quirky graphic label which provides twists on the brand name She Died Of Beauty, with graphics that read ‘She Died Of Perfection’ and ‘She Died Of Satisfaction’, among others. They then slapped the graphics across T-shirts and tote bags, and voila! She Died Of Beauty was born.
The assumed aim of the brand is to be a little comical, yet still down to earth. It is almost as if they’re throwing a handful of subtle, bitchy comments at the fashion industry, and then laughing them off.
The Spring/Summer 2012 collection from She Died Of Beauty is an expansion on the original concept, and introduces two or three additional descriptive words, including love, glory and shopping. A handful of the new graphics Erin and Kate have introduced include ‘She Lived For Love’ and ‘She Died Of Glory’, which are my two personal favourites, among others.
In addition to being a quirky, admirable brand, all of the garments in the collection are created using ethically and organically sourced materials. “After all there’s no reason why style and conscience can’t co-exist!” say Erin & Kate, meaning that you can poke subtle fun at the fashion industry, and feel good whilst doing so!
Overall I think that the concept behind She Died Of Beauty is a creative, innovative and quirky one, and I will definitely be ordering my first She Died Of Beauty T-shirt and tote bag accordingly!
Note that you can view the full Spring/Summer 2012 lookbook here, and purchase the full collection via the She Died Of Beauty online-store right here!
Images courtesy of She Died Of Beauty
Designer / Adolfo Sanchez
Posted: February 21, 2012 Filed under: Interviews | Tags: adolfo sanchez, designer, interview Leave a comment »
What would you consider to be the aesthetic behind Adolfo Sanchez?
The Adolfo Sanchez aesthetic can be described as unique, beautiful, edgy and timeless.
What were you doing before you formed Adolfo Sanchez?
I started working in retail when I was 16-years-old. I quickly climbed the ladder in the world of retail and ended up working at some of the top fashion houses like Gucci, Versace, and Carolina Herrera to name a few. While at Carolina Herrera, my manager mentioned that she was a freelance make-up artist on her days off and told me about a photo shoot she was going to work on. It was early 2006 and we collaborated on our first shoot. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be in the fashion industry.
Aside from designing, what other interests do you have?
Although I feel that my whole life has revolved around fashion design, I am also drawn to interior and furniture design (perhaps it speaks to the desire of having my own home collection someday!). I also love to immerse myself in all aspects of art, film and music. During my spare time, which is incredibly rare these days, you can find me losing myself at a museum exhibit or letting loose on the dance floor!
What projects are you currently working on?
At the moment, I am working towards the launch of my A/W 2012 collection as my S/S 2012 collection is on the road making appearances at a number of top, trade shows. I’ve also been tapped to dress and style a number of feature and independent films, which are both very exciting. It’d be a great, visual medium to showcase the movement, details and overall theatricality of my clothing. There are a few other projects in development, but it is too early for me to reveal. All I can say is: stay tuned!
In your own opinion, what is unique about Adolfo Sanchez?
I’m not someone that believes that there should be a look that you must have. I love being an individual and don’t like to look like everybody else. I enjoy people who have their own personal take on fashion/style and take their own taste to be able to demonstrate who they are in this world. I have always loved fashion and truly believe that it is wearable art and think one should be free to wear or create anything we love regardless of what’s current.
In business terms, what advice would you give to aspiring designers?
Patience, technique, dedication, perseverance, thick skin, and creativity with an understanding of wear ability; I also think that in order to be a designer you should have the knowledge of how to construct a garment from scratch. You should know the process that begins with the idea in your mind to the finished product that is ready for a client to wear.
Lastly, would you say that Adolfo Sanchez is successful?
For a fashion label that started in 2006, we’ve definitely made some big strides. Competing in a space that is dominated by other, more established, high-end labels have only made us aware and innovative.
Our clothes can be found at high-end boutiques throughout the West Coast and parts of Canada. Furthermore, we have a lot of online stores that carry the brand and are definitely looking to expand into the East Coast and international markets, especially in Europe and Dubai, as well. For a full list of stores of where the brand is available, feel free to visit our stockist page on the website. We also sell directly from our very own online-store.
We’ve dressed a number number of celebrities and artists, from Janina Gavankar of “True Blood” to JoJo, teenage pop sensation. So yes, I think we are successful but there’s always room for further improvement and challenges.
Images courtesy of Adolfo Sanchez
And our days go by
Posted: February 18, 2012 Filed under: Music | Tags: days, music, the drums Leave a comment »Currently playing: The Drums – Days
In addition to The Drums being one of my favourite bands, the video to their new song is not just phenomenally arty, but exceeds the majority of others I’ve seen. It really is great, and if you don’t give it a quick glance, you’re missing out!
Lazy Oaf Spring/Summer 2012 Menswear
Posted: February 17, 2012 Filed under: Men, Spring/Summer 2012 | Tags: 2012, art, graphic, lazy oaf, spring, summer Leave a comment »
As expected, the Lazy Oaf Spring/Summer 2012 menswear collection and lookbook is just as phenomenal as the womenswear collection and lookbook, which I typed about in yesterday’s post, Lazy Oaf Spring/Summer 2012 Womenswear. That’s right, 2 Lazy Oaf orientated posts in 2 days.
Whilst the womenswear collection featured fruit, floral, animal and asymmetric prints, the menswear collection has headed in a slightly different direction. Animals are still very much a standing theme throughout the collection, and staying true to the stereotypical Lazy Oaf concept, asymmetric prints are too. Something we didn’t see too often in the womenswear collection was almost comical cartoon-like graphic prints and admirable typography, which in a way seem to continuously distinguish the menswear and womenswear designs, after being a seemingly frequent occurrence last season in the Lazy Oaf Autumn/Winter 2011 menswear collection also.
Lazy Oaf seem to want their girls to look flirty, fun, friendly and attractive, whereas their boys are handsome, funny and tough. Perhaps this is simply an interpretation of what we all experienced in the school playground as children, and how the girls are always giggling among themselves and constantly pointing out the cute guys, whilst the guys are lapping up the attention and trying their absolute best to be as witty and tough-looking as possible. I mean, impressing girls was never my forte, as in most cases I’ve always been deemed as ‘one of the girls’, but it’s a possibility, right?
Once again, I’ve marked this collection as one of my all time favourites. And therefore once again, well done, Lazy Oaf!
The full Lazy Oaf Spring/Summer 2012 collection will be available to purchase via the Lazy Oaf website and London-based store/boutique. In the meantime, you can view the full Spring/Summer 2012 menswear lookbook right here!
Photography by Bella Howard
Images courtesy of Lazy Oaf
Lazy Oaf Spring/Summer 2012 Womenswear
Posted: February 16, 2012 Filed under: Spring/Summer 2012, Women | Tags: 2012, art, graphic, lazy oaf, spring, summer Leave a comment »
Once again, London-based art-graphic label Lazy Oaf has torn in another season with a phenomenal lookbook. Yes, I appreciate that some of you may feel that they have been producing these admirable accumulations of imagery consecutively for a more than appropriate amount of time, and they have been wonderful so often that they’re now getting boring, but no, not me. I’m still hooked on the stuff, and might even go as far as saying that the release of the Lazy Oaf lookbook is one of my yearly highlights, falling just inches behind the release of a new song and/or album by the dualistic Marina and the Diamonds, of course.
It seems that Lazy Oaf have really latched onto the large obesity figures here in the United Kingdom and feel that it is there responsibility to promote healthy eating, which is why a vast array of items from the Lazy Oaf Spring/Summer 2012 womenswear collection have some sort of fruit orientation. For instance, we have the Pineapple Crop T-Shirt, Fruit Cocktail Dress and Mixed Fruit Crop T-Shirt, followed by a handful of stereotypical Lazy Oaf prints, which include asymmetric shapes and/or patterns, animal prints, and to fit in with the whole Spring/Summer vibe, a handful of arty floral prints.
Honestly, it is only after viewing this lookbook that I have an odd, sudden craving for watermelon, pineapple, strawberries and oranges.
To summarise, Lazy Oaf have once again produced an exuberant collection that has been rammed full of fun, arty prints, and I have to say, this might just be one of my personal favourites. Well done, Lazy Oaf!
The full Lazy Oaf Spring/Summer 2012 collection will be available to purchase via the Lazy Oaf website and London-based store/boutique. In the meantime, you can view the full Spring/Summer 2012 womenswear lookbook right here!
Photography by Bella Howard
Images courtesy of Lazy Oaf
Illustrator / Francesco Lo Iacono
Posted: February 14, 2012 Filed under: Interviews | Tags: interview, francesco lo iacono, inverted commas, illustrator Leave a comment »Note that all answers in this interview were provided by Florence, Italy-based illustrator Francesco Lo Iacono of INVERTED COMMAS.
What would you consider to be the aesthetic behind INVERTED COMMAS?
I guess it’s all about the characters and the colours. I try to create characters that reflect some of our deepest feelings. I talk about hope, desire and disappointment; strong feelings that we try to control or fight. Most of those characters reflect me and my world, but I hope that everyone can relate to them – mostly because I portray seemingly common and primary feelings. Those characters live in my own private world, and they are ready to be shared and lived by anyone else. Colours are a massive part of my work. I’ve always worked with very bright colours, and I’ve always loved them. Why? I don’t know exactly. Colour has been something I’ve admired since my childhood. I rarely consider black or grey as colour options. I wanted to create strong contrasts. I tend to reject any loose theories about colours and their meaning. Everything comes naturally, and even though it’s a fairly simple concept, it’s difficult to explain.
What were you doing before you formed INVERTED COMMAS?
I’d say… what I’m still doing! I mainly work as a teacher and as a freelance translator/illustrator; I’ve got quite a busy life. INVERTED COMMAS is like my secret garden in which I try to share my own world. I try to manage all of my activities to the best standard possible.
Aside from illustration, what other interest’s do you have?
I love all forms of art. I’m into painting, photography and fashion. I adore going to exhibitions; it’s something which helps create a new vision of the world, to discover other points of view, to create, to search. I like music, mostly alternative and rock. My life is fairly busy, and it’s therefore extremely difficult to find spare time to relax or to cultivate other interests, but as soon as I’m able to, I like going out for coffee with friends or taking a walk – maybe with my camera, so I can then take some pictures too. I also consider myself a shopaholic!
What projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a handful of new illustrations for another round of INVERTED COMMAS tote bags. Previews of the designs are available via my Tumblr blog. In my mind I have lots of ideas. I’m thinking about some interesting collaborations with other artists and/or fashion designers – alongside other options. The only issue is that it requires a lot of time and effort, and I therefore need to figure out how everything would work before I get ahead of myself. I’m also currently considering making some INVERTED COMMAS t-shirts, since people have requested them numerous times.
In your own opinion, what is unique about INVERTED COMMAS?
I could say that they are unique because they show my personal point of view. But that may be a little easy. Still, it’s true. When I decided that I wanted to make some tote bags, I looked for some cool ideas, messages and trends to work on, but finally I told myself that I had to show my true self, and that’s why I decided to share my own world, without thinking “Will this be popular/successful?” I’ve been painting for so many years, with the majority being large and expensive paintings. This time I wanted the art to reach everybody, so I thought that tote bags could be an admirable compromise. My illustrations are unique, and you can’t find anything like them anywhere else.
In business terms, what advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?
I’m not too good when it comes to giving advice, but I do think that in anything you do, you need to give it your all. That’s what I do, in my all activities. I give everything I have when teaching, and I give everything I have when I make my own art. That’s the only way you can and should work. You need to love what you do, as it’s the only way that you’re going to be strong and professional.
Lastly, would you say that INVERTED COMMAS is successful?
I wouldn’t say that INVERTED COMMAS is successful just yet, because it’s not as popular as I would eventually like it to be. Although, it is successful in my own mind, and in terms of what I personally consider success to be. I’m relatively happy with the compromises I’ve made, and every time I see someone wearing one of my tote bags, I feel that I couldn’t ask for much more. After all, that’s how and why INVERTED COMMAS came to be.
Images courtesy of Francesco Lo Iacono
