"Asian Jon Snow", one of the best and most accurately mournful costumes this holiday season, is amazing. Simply amazing. The only life-form better than him is his extremely uncooperative dire wolf.
    
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M.joaofialho
Shared posts
03 Nov 04:00
Adorable, Lazy Dire Wolf Will Not be Trained by Jon Snow
by Callie Beusman
Idc.uva, Helder Moreira likes this
30 Oct 15:30
Is anyone in the world going to come up with a better Halloween costume than Edgar Allen Ho?
by Callie Beusman
Is anyone in the world going to come up with a better Halloween costume than Edgar Allen Ho? It seems unlikely.
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29 Oct 18:28
Architect Marcio Kogan Talks About His Short Films
by Jaime Derringer
São Paulo based architect Marcio Kogan talked to Crane about his new shorts focused around the people (and animals) who live in modern architecture and use it every day. The films are more of a cheeky statement on architecture and are pretty funny—watch them below the interview.
I think that I am a prostitute and the client paid for me to give pleasure. And I like this. I think it’s my mission.
View two of Kogan’s shorts:
Video interview courtesy of Crane.tv.
29 Oct 12:48
Ivan Ramen by Ivan Orkin — New Cookbook
by Dana Velden
M.joaofialhoquero no natal
Japanese food is difficult to do well in most non-Japanese homes (and several Japanese restaurants, too, if truth be told). The reason is its simplicity. When a dish contains only a handful of elements, each one must be perfect in order for the resulting dish to come together and reach the sublime heights to which it aspires. Obsessive attention to detail, the highest quality ingredients, a finely tuned sense of balance and restraint are all necessary and often sadly lacking. Which is why, if you'd like to taste a great bowl of ramen outside of Japan (and a few other places here and there,) you will probably need to take on the difficult task of making your own from scratch. But if you pick up a copy of Ivan Orkin's Ivan Ramen, such a dream is now quite wonderfully, if obsessively, possible.
26 Oct 18:54
You've been Disco-ed
by susie_bubble
>> State the bleedin' obvious why don't you, Susie. Disco Nail? Why, it's a veritable mecca for nail art enthusiasts. Except I'm slow and wasn't in the know until this trip to Tokyo that Nagisa Kaneko aka "Nagi" and her Disco Nail salon in Shibuya take nail art to a whole new outer-stratospheric level, that I didn't even know could exist. Especially considering that this is gel nail art we're dealing with - ya know, the stuff that doesn't chip for weeks (lolz, get me... trying to explain the ins and outs of nail know-how). It's a know fact that Japan is the epicentre for nail art trends that will diffuse around the world eventually. One look at the number of nail art magazines that are published here and you'll get an idea about the level of elaborate 3-D encrustations that can be applied to your nails. That's if you don't intend on lifting anything in your daily life.
As jaw droppingly intrictae as a lot of those typically kawaii nails are, they are a touch too sacharrine and a tad over-festooned with bows, roses and Hello Kitties. Not to mention that more often than not, they extend to over 3cm in length on each nail and are obviously out to obstruct daily life. Enter Nagi's own distinct sensibility that is world's apart from all that girly frou frou. Inspired by her own mash-up of fashion, music, art and culture, Disco Nail's bulging albums of nail art (of course you can design your own together with Nagi) are filled with twisted spins on pop culture icons, nods to recognisable fashion collections and better yet, a bit of dirt n' grime that the nail art world in Tokyo, nay the world, needs. Gore, weirdness and trippiness - all skillfully painted out with consumate dedication.
I'm probably not au fait enough with gel nail art but I didn't even know you could do such intricate designs with UV-activated gel paints. Watching Nagi work was mesmerising (although Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette on the retro telly was also distracting) as she'd work quickly, in stages, switching from hand to hand, finger to finger to ensure the layers of colours were applied accordingly. Always on the ball, Nagi had already created a set of Prada S/S 14 inspired nails in her album so I just asked to have more colours and gem stones to reference the razzle dazzle of this what for me was one of the shows of the season. Word of warning, Nagi's work doesn't come cheap nor does it a 10-15 minute quickie. I stayed the course and watched Kirsten Dunst go from rosy-cheeked debutante Dauphine to gaunt-faced Queen. Still, nail art on this level deserves patience. Especially since it's going to last a month if I'm vaguely careful. I'm only a wee bit sorry that I wear Prada S/S 14 simultaneously with these nails in a too much/matchy-matchy moment.
Joanatbernardo, Joana likes this
26 Oct 16:09
Janeane Garofolo Returns to TV as a Badass Lawyer and It's Perfect
by Laura Beck
M.joaofialhoirina <3
It looks like Janeane Garofolo know who's signing on to co-star — along with House's Lisa Edelstein and Private Practice's Paul Adelstein — in Marti Noxon's pilotThe Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, and it's pretty dammed brilliant casting.
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23 Oct 17:32
The Ups and Downs of Japan Fashion Week
by Susanna Lau
TOKYO, Japan — Last week, at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo, a group of fashion “influencers,” including myself, met up with officials from Japan’s ministry of economy, trade and industry. We were presented with a didactic presentation explaining what the government is calling the “Cool Japan Initiative.” Chock full of flow charts and diagrams, the presentation basically said that the Japanese government, along with private sector companies, would invest ¥50 billion (about $50 million dollars at current exchange rates) over a twenty year period to help Japanese companies in the cultural sector expand overseas.
That Japan is “cool” didn’t need to be explained with a flow chart. Tokyo could easily lay claim to the title of the world’s fifth greatest fashion capital, after the main four (New York, London, Paris and Milan), not just because of the hugely influential Japanese wave, including Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto, but also because there are few cities on the planet in which street style is as inspiring as in Tokyo.
Then, why is it that — beyond a trickle of names like Sacai and Toga — so many post-Comme des Garçons Japanese fashion designers remain largely unknown internationally? In fact, unless you’re a seasoned visitor to Tokyo, much of what’s most vibrant and stimulating about the city’s fashion scene remains inaccessible; locked away in the hives and hubs of Harajuku, Shibuya and Aoyama as well as in hipster areas like Koenji and Shimokitazawa.
As Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo came to another close, I was left wondering why the Tokyo scene was so fractured and why — beyond the obvious language barrier — it was so difficult for international press and buyers to penetrate.
The truth is, Japan Fashion Week (the body that organises Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo) has its own agenda — and designers must either get on-board or go their own way, resulting in a schedule that’s not only late on the international buying calendar, but fractured. “The show schedule is tight and there is a gap of creativity between the official JFW shows and off-schedule shows,” says Takura Ogasawara, writer for the esteemed Senken newspaper. “Some designers who show off-schedule are more interesting than the JFW shows. But the biggest problem is that JFW shows have not become a tool of trade, as the European shows are. Buyers don’t come to see many JFW shows. And some designers think taking part in the official schedule is not cool.” From a buyer’s perspective, Jesse Hudnutt of Opening Ceremony concurs. “We’re not discovering through JFW. We look at blogs and Tumblrs; we listen to our friends — word of mouth is how we find the brands we love for Opening Ceremony.”
I, too, came to rely on word of mouth to navigate Tokyo’s fashion schedule, as I tried to see everything that would be relevant from an international perspective and genuinely offered a fresh perspective. Brands such as Anrealage and Mint Designs, which offered up the slickest shows of the week in terms of concept and production values, were once part of the official JFW schedule, but opted to show off-schedule this season. I literally had to bump into a fan on the street, who addressed me as “Style Bubble-san,” to discover Shibuya’s Parco, where designers Mikio Sakabe and Yoshikazu Yamagata were putting on small scale presentations.
Then, there are the numerous showrooms, where some of Tokyo’s most impressive menswear labels, such as Phenomenon and The Soloist (designed by Takahiro Miyashita, formerly of Number (N)ine), were presenting their collections, quietly and unassumingly. Even a public and participatory event like Shibuya Fashion Festival, where young and exciting fashion talent Jenny Fax held her show, was not part of the official JFW schedule. In fact, it’s only once you’ve asked around, done your researched and visited key shops such as Candy in Shibuya that you get a more complete picture of Tokyo’s fashion scene: teeming with labels and brands that have the design chops to break out internationally.
Strong brands like Yoshio Kubo and Facetasm also put on strong shows at the Shibuya Hikarie building, the official JFW venue. But overall, the official events came up lacking.
Akiko Shinoda, in charge of international relations at JFW, acknowledged the fractious nature of Tokyo fashion, blaming lack of sustained government support as the primary deterrent for designers contemplating joining forces with JFW. “The problem in Japan is that our government positions change every year and a half,” says Shinoda. “Once we’ve spent the time convincing these bureaucrats that fashion is important, that person will leave and the process has to start all over again.” She rightly noted that other countries in Asia, such as Korea, Indonesia and Singapore are heavily investing in fashion and that, in Japan, despite its remarkable fashion talent and fashion legacy, the government is only beginning to realise the sector’s potential.
Others such as Yoshiko Edstrom, director of sales and PR firm Edstrom Office, were more pessimistic. “The government do have the budget, but they don’t understand how Japanese fashion can have an effect on the overall economy. We have top level designers from Comme des Garçons to younger labels. But Comme des Garçons was, itself, completely self-supported from the start. The Japanese government still doesn’t understand what it is that they do.”
This all begs the question of whether a company like Uniqlo could mirror what Topshop has done with the British Fashion Council in London and bring support and cohesion to Tokyo’s emerging fashion scene. When questioned on this possibility, all Shinoda would say is that they would endeavor to make an approach.
One thing’s for sure: there’s certainly no lack of desire on the part of international buyers to discover and bring Tokyo designers to global markets, despite the logistical challenges of navigating the scene. “We are pushing ourselves to go to places to find things that haven’t been seen,” says Hudnutt. “I think there’s a fascination with Japanese style from a young urban customer and, added to that, Japanese textiles and printing are somewhat unparalleled.”
But the bottom line is, like with London, even with the right building blocks in place, the road to Tokyo’s rise as a global fashion capital may be a very long one. Having talent is one thing, but harnessing it and correctly presenting it to the world is another. “There simply needs to be more investment,” says Hutnutt. “JFW needs to bring more buyers and press over. There’s such an interest, just not enough of a spotlight.”
Ogasawara is hopeful that Tokyo can rise as London has done. “I remember many press and buyers went to London Fashion Week when Christopher Kane began to show. I hope Tokyo becomes an incubator of young talent like London.”
As it turns out, new initiatives to bring Japanese designers to international markets are already afoot. Jakarta Fashion Week is the next destination for some of JFW’s designers. How the “Cool Japan” funding will be spent over the next few years still remains to be seen, but one hopes it will be spent wisely, possibly on a showroom programme to bring Japanese designers to New York or Paris. If JFW manages to provide a real international platform, then perhaps the best Tokyo designers would be more willing to present the kind of united front that would certainly wow the world.
Here’s a rundown of some of the designers that caught my eye in Tokyo:
Kunihiko Morinaga lauched his own brand Anrealage in 2003 and has slowly but surely built up a reputation for the kind of mind-blowing, conceptual fashion that could well make its way to Paris. His latest Spring/Summer 2014 “Size” collection featured magically shrinking dresses controlled by mechanical wires. They owe a debt to Hussein Chalayan, but who else out there is making this kind of moving fashion a reality?
Designer Bajowoo may be Korean but has made Tokyo his base, setting up his label 99%Is here last year. Bajowoo has already caught the eye of Dover Street Market, where he presented a collaboration with Mackintosh. His Spring/Summer 2014 collection was a tightly focused edit of monochrome and metallic leather separates that spoke to young Tokyo’s style crowd.
I remember Naka’s brilliant collection from his graduate show at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, so it was good to see this talented knitwear designer stocked at the likes of United Arrows and Isetan. Naka has learnt to commercialise his specialist knitwear techniques, taking advantage of fine Japanese craftsmanship to good effect.
Balmung Hachi started his design career making odd pieces for small shops and he’s still working on an out-of-sync schedule, as his Spring/Summer 2014 collection won’t be ready to show until December. Still, there’s something visceral and raw about his creations that are loved by Tokyo street icons like Mademoiselle Yulia.
The hardcore craft collective Blackmeans, consisting of Yujiro Komatsu, Takatomo Ariga, Masatomo Ariga and Tomoko Moriya, create incredible leather creations, rooted in Japan but often influenced by folksy or tribal elements. Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony is a fan of this specialist leather label that has sub-cultural backnotes.
Takeshi Osumi aka Big O’s menswear label is namechecked by everyone as a personal fave. Since launching his womenswear line and eschewing shows, Osumi has been concentrating on the commerciability of Phenomenon, known for mixing unexpected elements and gender bending. With the right support in Europe, the label is definitely at a level where Paris could come calling.
Kazuma Detto leads a collective that, since last year, has begun to express itself through clothing, influenced by what it calls a “Neo Sporty” aesthetic, populised by stores such as GR8 in La Foret and Candy in Shibuya.
Writtenafterwards/Mikio Sakabe
Designers Mikio Sakabe and Yoshikazu Yamagata of artsy label Writtenafterwards represent a very different side to Tokyo fashion, more fitting to our own clichéd views of Japanese conceptualism. They are eschewing commercial obligations and instead tapping into the raw seeds of creativity with their alternative fashion school Coconogacco. Their own collections and that of their students indicate the creative potential of young designers in Japan.
Shueh Jen-Fang, originally from Taiwan, started her label Jenny Fax in 2010 and has since been building a cult following with collections ridden with personal childhood and sub culture references. Her Spring/Summer 2014 show, held in a skate park as part of Shibuya Fashion Festival, looked to dodgy 1990s Chinese horror movies as she went to a darker place than her usual sweet and Kawaii aesthetic.
Maiko Kurogouchi named her brand after her nickname, Mame, meaning “bean.” Her incredible cut-PVC accessories have already caught the eye of Joyce and Opening Ceremony, but she’s also making headway with her beautifully crafted clothing. This season she was inspired by the traditional gestures of her grandmother.
Textiles whizz Hiromichi Ochiai launched his brand in 2007 and is one of the few unisex labels which showed at Tokyo Fashion Week. Like Phenomenon, Facetasm mixes up workwear, streetwear and high fashion to create a unique mix that sees hardy aprons take to the catwalk along with decorative ruffles.
There’s a whole host of menswear brands from Tokyo that deserve mention, but SASQUATCHFabrix and its brother brand EOTOTO are definitely at a level where international stockists have taken a keen interest. The concept is “High Performance Vandalism, Always Presenting a Sense of Freshness.” What that translates into is highly-nuanced menswear that borrows from influences around the world, without ever feeling heavy-handed.
10 Oct 09:40
Most Deluded Girl Ever on Catfish Truly Thought She Was Dating Bow Wow
by Madeleine Davies
Oof. Oooooof. I don't know if you've been watching MTV's Catfish (just me?), but last night's episode was a doozy. In general, the people featured on the show tend to be...erm...simple, but Keyonnah — the newest girl to be fooled by all of the internet's worst lies — took it to a new level. You see, Keyonnah doesn't just think she's dating some online rando. Keyonnah thinks she's dating Bow Wow (née Lil'). Spoiler alert: She definitely isn't dating Bow Wow.
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25 Sep 14:46
philoclea: Chloé, Fall 2013Marique Schimmel by Patrick...
Idc.uva, Lecatsportif likes this
21 Sep 16:14
Proof That Men Take Up Way Too Much Fucking Space on the Subway
by Katie J.M. Baker
I welcome this Tumblr that shames men who take up too much space on public transportation with open arms (although not unreasonably open arms, because I am a thoughtful human being.)
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Catarinamfialho likes this
20 Sep 10:43
Henry Darger, Throw-Away Boy: The Tragic Life of an Outsider Artist
by Dave
M.joaofialhomuch needed
11 Sep 11:00
Way More Women Still Die From Childbirth Than Abortion
by Katie J.M. Baker
Anti-choicers enjoy pressuring women into giving birth by listing the various (fake) ways you can die from abortion. But having a baby is riskier than not having a baby, even in 2013.
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11 Sep 09:52
hahamagartconnect: ERIN RILEY’S TABOO TAPESTRY Philadelphia...
ERIN RILEY’S TABOO TAPESTRY
Philadelphia based fiber artist Erin M. Riley is tackling taboo issues with her loom. She’s capturing the issues of today’s generation with very old school traditional form of storytelling. Her threads weave together depictions of female sexuality, drug use, birth control, car crashes, selfies, among others. The results of which are breathtaking in a very perverse way - most of the images will make you feel as if you’re sneaking a peek at private photos on someones phone, the element of being privy to what’s going on behind the scene but not being talked about - and at second glance you can’t help but stare in awe at the painstaking efforts that go into her work.
Erin’s work will be showing at Philadelphia based Paradigm Gallery + Studio from August 30th - October 12th, 2013. Hope you can make it out, these tapestries are sure to stir up a dialogue.
this is neat!!!
Andreiaalmeidarodrigues, Lecatsportif and 3 others like this
10 Sep 14:39
How I Live Now Is the Post-Apocalyptic Teenage Love Story We Deserve
by Doug Barry
We live in an age of cultural morbidity, which is exactly why we're getting yet another post-apocalyptic fantasy/nightmare movie — to let us all indulge our cynicism towards the human race. How I Live Now, based on Meg Rosoff's 2004 YA novel about a Manhattanite teenager who goes to live on a remote English farm during the outbreak of World War III: Nuclear Boogaloo, stars Saoirse Ronan and looks...pretty compelling, actually.
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Idc.uva, Helder Moreira likes this
10 Sep 13:33
How to Politely React to Your Friend's Terrible Engagement!
by HermioneStranger on Groupthink, shared by Jessica Coen to Jezebel
M.joaofialhobrilhante
You know, for when your friend gets engaged to someone who is "medium racist" or "uses the word feminist as an insult".
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Catarinamfialho, Jmsperling likes this
10 Sep 13:24
The Parking Mechanisms on Segways are Terrible
Submitted by: Unknown
Joao.de.melo, Federiquitomanuel and 2 others like this
07 Sep 22:55
The Fall Preview
by Dave
Upcoming and noteworthy films, albums, and September art shows in New York.
A Teacher (September 6th)
Directed by Hannah Fidell
Salinger (September 6th)
Directed by Shane Salerno
American Milkshake (September 6th)
Directed by David Andalman and Mariko Munro
Blue Caprice (September 13th)
Directed by Alexandre Moors
Rush (September 20th)
Directed by Ron Howard
Don Jon (September 27th)
Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Gravity (October 4th)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Captain Phillips (October 11th)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Machete Kills (Oct. 11th)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Escape Plan (October 18th)
Directed by Mikael Håfström
12 Years a Slave (October 18th)
Directed by Steve McQueen
The Counselor (October 25th)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (October 25th)
Directed by Jeff Tremaine
Ender’s Game (November 1st)
Directed by Gavin Hood
The Wolf of Wall Street (November 15th)
Directed by Martin Scorcese
Out of the Furnace (December 6th)
Directed by Scott Cooper
Inside Llewyn Davis (December 6th)
Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 13th)
Directed by Peter Jackson
The Monuments Men (December 18th)
Directed by George Clooney
Her (December 18th)
Directed by Spike Jonze
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (December 20th)
Directed by Adam McKay
American Hustle (December 25th)
Directed by David O. Russell
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (December 25th)
Directed by Ben Stiller
Joana, Helder Moreira likes this
04 Sep 14:52
Kim Kardashian by Karl Lagerfeld – “Miss USA” Cover Story for CR Fashion Book
by David Fischer
For the new Fall/Winter 2013 issue of Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book, Karl Lagerfeld captured a pregnant Kim Kardashian. Entitled “Miss USA”, the spread’s creative direction was done by none other than Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci. The story actually made the cover, with Kardashian wearing a rhinestone encrusted full face mask.
Kim Kardashian by Karl Lagerfeld – “Miss USA” Cover Story for CR Fashion Book is a post by David Fischer on Highsnobiety.
01 Sep 18:19
Therapy Llamas Are Coming to Take All Your Troubles Away
by Laura Beck
When it comes to comfort and rehabilitation, llamas aren't the first animals I think of. Warm puppies, soft bunnies, and spitting llamas? Well, apparently I was several shades of wrong because therapy llamas are here, they're awesome, they're wonderful, so don't fuck with them. Or they'll spit on you.
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Idc.uva, Alisongrinter and one other like this
28 Aug 16:50
A Kind of Guise Fall/Winter 2013 “Greetings from Bavaria” Lookbook
by Fritz Radtke
The heads behind German fashion brand A Kind of Guise do not only take pride in their expertly crafted menswear, but especially in their Bavarian heritage. Giving credit where credit is due, they staged their latest lookbook shoot entitled “Greetings from Bavaria” against the beautiful backdrop of their hometown Munich. The lineup once again features the kind of impeccable classic menswear staples with a distinct streetwear spin we came to appreciate about the brand over the course of the last seasons. The well balanced collection features everything a serious men’s wardrobe should inlcude, including blazers, patterned shirts, slightly dressy pants, roomy parkas, and an outstanding heavy shearling lined wool and leather jacket. Look for A Kind of Guise’s Fall/Winter collection to drop soon at select retailers.
A Kind of Guise Fall/Winter 2013 “Greetings from Bavaria” Lookbook is a post by Fritz Radtke on Highsnobiety.
Idc.uva, Lecatsportif likes this
25 Aug 18:51
An Outdoor Movie Party — Gatherings From The Kitchn
by Anjali Prasertong
This week I've been sharing the outdoor movie party I hosted with my friend Beth, and today I'm going to give you a full look at how we transformed her tiny backyard into a cozy outdoor living room perfect for movie-watching under the stars. We wanted to give our friends the full outdoor summer movie screening experience, but with lots of homemade touches to make it more personal than the usual movie in the park.
Being movie nerds, my friends and I have often kicked around the idea of throwing a party like this, but we never got around to making it happen. Don't make our mistake! This is a gathering that feels special, yet doesn't have to involve too much extra work for you. Want to see how we made it happen?
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23 Aug 16:29
Cats Star in Music Video to End All Music Videos
by Laura Beck
M.joaofialhodrogas e ver isto sem fim
Forget it, Katy Perry. It's called delivering a performance, Beyoncé. Lady Gaga's got nothing on these fabulous felines. Today's pop starlet would be best advised to sit down, get out a composition notebook, and start taking some notes — but not too many, cats are known to be territorial about their moves and I don't want anyone getting taken to cat court. (catourt?)
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Idc.uva, Helder Moreira likes this