In honor of Halloween I thought I should post something about costumes…so…check out the 2007 Oscar nominated costumes at FIDM in LA. Some really fabulous designs. Not sure if the exhibit is still up since it’s been a few months since the awards, however you can see some great images online.
(I know this info is about a week old, but I was delayed posting due to insane homework obligations-nonetheless, this is a post I started last week and perhaps some of you didn’t read about this fun designer yet)
I’m equally impressed and laughing hysterically at the ideas of an experimental fashion designer from Japan. She is trying to ease public safety fears by constructing quick change garments which switch from a skirt or a kimono to a pop machine, and a purse which can double as a manhole cover. They’re pretty remarkable concepts and the execution is surprsingly good, as well as really fun. But I cannot take it all that seriously as a crime prevention method. Social commentary yes, as good as pepper spray or a swift kick to the groin-I don’t know. However, I would love to see a pop machine prancing down Cass Avenue in Detroit with stilettos on.
Fabulous Fakes: Costume Jewelry of Kenneth Jay Lane is a new exhibit at Rhode Island School of Design Museum running through Jan 27. Lane graduated RISD in ’54 and ever since has been a go-to designer for anyone in the public eye. Serious glam stuff.
NYTimes had a fairly interesting commentary about whether the official merch sold by the presidential candidates is an indicator of their character and abilities. While some will read it and think it’s a stretch, or funny, I think there may really be something there, at least something worth continued analysis. If nothing else, the idea is a look into the highly strategized and conceptualized way that politics tries to manipulate us, or, effectively communicate to us, or somewhere in between. In this era of endless political advisors, I cannot imagine so much as the shade of blue or the stitch on a Rudy hat goes without discussion. Look at the frenzy over Obama’s flag pin from a few weeks back (see previous post).
This came across my mailbox so I thought I’d let you know about it if you didn’t already…
“Illuminate ’07: Where art, music, cuisine and drink illuminate the image of Detroit as a great place to live.”
“Tomorrow, Illuminate, along with Detroit Synergy Group, invites you to a night of art, music, food and fashion that is all unabashedly Detroit. Presented by the DeMattia Group and Midtown Developments, this year’s festivities will be held at Willy’s Overland Lofts, on Willis between Cass and 2nd. Doors open to the public at 8:00PM for this charity event benefiting StandUp For Kids – Detroit and the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID).
Hors d’oeuvres provided by Goodwells Natural Foods, Majestic Café, Motor City Brewing Works, Slows Bar BQ, Twingo’s and R.J. Hirt Co.
Full bar including Michigan beers and wines provided by Pulse, Atwater Block Brewery, Cost Plus World Market and Barefoot Wine.
Music by Lull Tucker, The Decks, The Prime Ministers.
Fashion by Bad Kitty and FLO
Artwork by Matthew Hanna, Dominique Moroz, Simone DeSousa, Ravindra Kharmai, Teresa Petersen, Steve Coy, Mark Sengbusch, Jamison Jaramillo, Jason Grant Benberry, Heather Dagenais, Sarah Burger, Jack Johnson, Shannon Burnett, David Bowen, Ron Finch, Scott Hullinger and Lidia Simeonova
$10 admission includes one complementary drink ticket and free admission to the after party at CAID’s Funk Night.
For more information e-mail: [email protected]
Appearently there is a Twin Cities Fashion Week coming up in mid-November. I was unaware. While their site leaves a lot to be desired, the concept is of course worthwhile so maybe I’ll check it out.
If anyone knows more about this drop me a line.
Lagerfeld participated in designing a line for Fendi, which debuted using the Great Wall of China as its catwalk. Trance music, celebrities, and centuries old history merged for this unusual fashion event.
Here are a few conferences to consider attending or submitting papers to:
The Power of Beauty: Aesthetics, Politics, Morality, held at Yale on April 5th, 2008 , 9am-6.30pm, has a deadline of November 30. The description is: The Graduate Student Symposium Yale Center for British Art, will host a one-day graduate student symposium which will explore the aesthetic, political and moral power of beauty. Contact: [email protected], www.yale.edu/ycba or http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=158769
The 6th Annual Material Culture Symposium for Emerging Scholars, held April 12, 2008 in Delaware, with a deadline of November 12. The description is: The Winterthur Museum & Country Estate and The Center for Material Culture Studies at the University of Delaware invites submissions for papers to be given at the Sixth Annual Material Culture Symposium for Emerging Scholars. Contact: [email protected], www.udel.edu/materialcultureemerging_scholars.html or http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=158778
Love Objects: Engaging Material Culture held in Dublin on February 14, 2008, with a deadline of Nov 16. The Description is: The Design Research Group are organizing a one day conference on the relationships between people and their objects, to be hosted by the Faculty of Visual Culture, National College of Art and Design. Contact: [email protected], designresearchgroup.wordpress.com/ or http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=158781
I am totally amazed (or maybe I shouldn’t be) of how much airtime and print Obama’s lack of a flag pin is getting. And here I am adding to this exhausting issue. For anyone unaware, Barack Obama decided to let go of the ubiquitous U.S. flag lapel pin that politicians and public figures have been wearing since Sept. 11. I could write a term paper on this mess, and perhaps I will address it more later, but for now I’m out the door to a conference (on American Culture and Pop Culture nonetheless).
Anyway, I think the slack he’s getting for A.) deciding he didn’t want to go with the fashion flow and B.) the value people put on the pin and that it has the ability to be a sign of patriotism or protest C.) the fact the pin can been seen as such a political statement that your candidacy could be in question, are all absolutely remarkable, and the whole debate is right up my alley. It is worth further discussion and I hope to get back to it.
I am still trying to figure out some sort of project or paper or documenting from a dress perspective I can do next year when the Republican Convention comes to the Twin Cities, where I live. There are so many hot issues, and the word is the protests will be tremendous. Any ideas for apparel related projects would be greatly welcomed.
I typed ‘fashion travel’ into Google to see what kinds of trips are out there these days, as there are lots of organized or pre-planned trips that go to fashion oriented destnations.
Interestingly, one of the first things to pop up was about French railways that are being redisgned by Christian Lacroix and are amaming to look sat, and I assume even more fabulous to be aboard. The site The Cool Hunter had some good images and more details, dating back to a few months ago. This may be well worth adding to the “to do” list.
