The most astonishing runway show we’ve ever seen is Shaheel Shermont Flair’s deeply improvised TikTok series made at his somewhat bedraggled home on Fiji. With the serious, stylized prance of traditional fashion shows, he models his mind-blowing fashions that offer astute, really funny commentary on way more than the runway.
Read MoreAnni Albers’ on Material as Metaphor + Martin Margiela’s Tape Belt
We were stunned by the simple brilliance of clothing designer Martin Margiela’s packing tape belt. He recognized the most ordinary of materials as the perfect width, and texture to fulfill an instant need with astonishing personal style. It called to mind Anni Albers’ brilliant words.
Read MoreProtective Face Masks Get Stylish
Now that it has sunk in that mandatory wearing of masks will be with us for some time, masks are moving beyond surgical and bandana-ish into serious style and design. Check THESE out.
Read MoreCrazy Beautiful Joy Dance via Issey Miyake PFW20
We’ve watched this little video on instagram many times now, vicariously soaking up its unexpectedly BIG expression of joy AND its insight into the most common of personal catalysts…
Read MoreKarl Lagerfeld’s Inspired Ideas
The legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld had an immense talent and sensibility. Our friend Susan Dworski sent us this picture of him at his extraordinarily messy desk, which as with other these other views of his home, provides unexpected inspiration and…permission
Read MoreTaking ‘Keep Warm with Layers’ to a Chic Extreme
“LAYERS” is the essential strategy for achieving the right level of warmth in a dicey climate. At Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia took the idea a leap farther…
Read MoreAnnals of Bad Design: Fitting Room Mirror Stenciled with Busy Signage
How nice to have a sign in a fitting room that says: If you don’t find what you are looking for, we can order it online. UNLESS that sign is printed in bold right in the center of the mirror you’re trying to see yourself in.. That is what I found at Zara, a store…
Read MoreRei Kawakubo’s Creative Manifesto
In this rare manifesto designer Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garcons reveals some of the paths she follows to find absolutely NEW paths, her rigorous challenge to herself.
Read More2 Simple Strategies for Managing Stress (Eileen Fisher)
We learned a lot from this revealing snippet from an interview with Eileen Fisher, creator of the eponymous clothing line, about how she manages a global business and her life: two quick useful strategies in particular.
Read MoreMartin Margiela’s Philosophy of Art, Creative Process, Life
In this very interesting interview, purportedly with famously reclusive designer Martin Margiela, are some seriously insightful views of art, the creative process, and what’s REALLY important. Together they make a rather wonderful poem.
Read MoreNature Becomes Clothing and Adornment
In her work, photographer Agnieska Chabros often uses Nature to dress her models. We hadn’t thought of using shadows as a style element. Then we discovered other photographers dressing models with unexpected adornments from the natural world… … … … … Then of course, there is Brandon Stanciell, The Man Who Loved Flowers …and come to think of…
Read MoreClothes to Draw, Write, Paint On
At Kleidersachen, a German tumblr whose name name literally translates dresses things, sublime examples of out-there clothing and textiles had us transfixed, culling ideas right and left on a variety of themes, in awe, inspired. To start, we’re thinking about neutral apparel that can be drawn, painted, written on.
Read MoreThe Transformative Powers of Cheap Wigs
The extraordinary silvery wig above is $13.88 worth of identity experiment: a bargain. Having discovered that searching “wigs” at Amazon, yields an astonishing array of styles and colors, I bought the 32″ Long Curly Hair Lolita Custom Party Wig (Grey) to see what would happen if I went from brown to gray in a flash. I discovered way more.
Read MoreGirl Prison Antidote: Man Repeller + a DIY Scarf Dress
“Girl prisons” are publications so full of notions of “the right way to be a girl”, so fierce with implicit “shoulds” and shame as to become a”prison” in the reader’s mind. Girl and other kinds of Prisons are so woven through our culture, we are always on the lookout for ones that liberate rather than imprison. Our new favorite: MAN REPELLER.
Read MoreMen’s Hairstyles from the 60’s and 70’s: Creativity Meets Self-Image
(Video link HERE.) Inspired YouTuber 2869rjh compiled this hilarious montage of awful men’s hairstyles from the 1960s and 1970s, via pictures from Retronaut. It’s a reminder of the wondrously-insane creations divised in the name of fashion and self-image. Here’s to human beings (or being human)!! via Laughing Squid
Read MoreMindshift: Imagine Wearing Someone Else’s Outfit (or Body)
Artist Qozop juxtaposed the dress of youths with that of their elders in an project designed to show that societal beliefs and traditions are often reflected through the clothing we wear, especially in Asian cultures. By swapping the clothing of youths and their elderly relatives, Qozop literally places them in the others shoes. We’ve been using Qozop’s strategy as an interesting exercise in imagination.
Read Morerick owens’ step-dancing big girls fashion show
(Video link here.) Fashion designer Rick Owen’s blew fashionistas away with his rad fashion show in Paris recently, where models were real-girl step dancers. They brought fierce energy and Africa-rooted moves to the usual fashion show venue. They also showed that Owens’ designs work just fine on all sorts of bodies, breaking the usual svelt…
Read Morepersonal style: tattoos and chanel
We were wandering through Saks Fifth Avenue the other day fending off smiling sales people trying to spray us with perfume, when we saw a surprising woman with a bold tattoo of the classic feminist Venus fist ; she was sitting at the Chanel counter checking out some makeup. We loved her style that was…
Read Morethe safety pin (and other everyday objects) as improvisation
Every great invention, from the Murphy bed to the bicycle, started as an improvisation: an elegant solution to something someone needed or just plain wanted. But an improvisation never stops there. The improvised invention gets improvised upon, and that improvisation gets improvised upon, and so on, and so on. Viewing the everyday objects around us…
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