Apr
28
A relative newcomer to the world of shoes, Alain Quilici takes clear inspiration from our world of architecture and expresses it through a clever exploration of material.
Description of the Designer by Public Image:
ALAIN QUILICI, Shoe designer:
A fan of cinema, art and design. A lover of travel as an expression of culture and an inexhaustible source of knowledge. Attracted by the infinite possibilities of the world, Alain Quilici is a visionary, curious spirit, continually seeking links with the inner self. His collections are the result of unconscious observation of the nature surrounding him, which comes to him in the shape of new stimulation that he processes and modifies along the way. Alain observes and elaborates relentlessly, analysing and recreating, to express a unique, personal style. Get the whole story »
Apr
27
Let’s welcome the newly remodeled, expanded and reopened Marc by Marc Jacobs Provincetown store. I just love the marc by marc branded branded blue bench, and really who doesn’t love a five foot tall gigantic swan…
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Apr
27
The well know Miami villa of Gianni Versace has been transformed into a 10 room luxury boutique hotel by famed Florida restaurateur Barton G Weiss. Prices start at $2,100 a night, what may be considered a bargain to stay in Versace’s old bedroom. The villa is rather extravagant with fantastical details and decoration, specific to Gianni’s own asthetic. It’s may not be quite my cup of tea, but it is rather extaordinary…
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Apr
27
California born fashion designer, Rick Owens is set to showcase his furniture for the first time in Berlin beginning May 30th, in a show entitled ‘To Pop a Boner’. The show will be curated by publisher Angelika Taschen for Gallery weekend in Berlin running until May 2nd. Owens’ furniture collection was developed originally for the raw space of his Paris headquarters, made predominantly of plywood, and resin on fiberglass.
Apartment Alexanderplatz
Memhardstr. 8
10178 Berlin
Apr
21
Hey all, sorry I’ve away for a few days things got kinda hectic, but now I’m back! Earlier this month my dear architecture friends at USC had the opportunity to show their first collection at the Fashion Industry Association Fashion Show at USC this year, and it was quite the hit. Sorry I couldn’t be there, my darlings, believe me I would have been hoot n’ holerin for you! Their fashion objective is dear to our hearts here at THE MOD ONE, the marrying of the mediums of architecture & fashion. The two disciplines parallel each other so closely, but rarely successfully meet in the middle. But now, FORMATIVE has taken it upon themselves to accomplish this much needed task….
formative
Pronunciation: \ˈfȯr-mə-tiv\
Function: adjective
Date: 15th century
1 a : giving or capable of giving form
To get a better understanding, let’s hear it in thier own words…
“And we as formative are solely existent to give form and shelter to the body. The Spring 2010 line consists of 8 pieces that transition from the hard masculine and geometric ’side’ of architecture to the classical feminine draping nature of fabric.”
FORMATIVE: spring 2010 collection
“What happens when the worlds of fashion and architecture collide? How much does the role of visual pleasure play into this hybridized design discipline? Or are we simply building pragmatic structures that house the body?
Faced with this challenge, we as Formative underwent an extended period of tortured existential wondering about the characteristics of the body and various explorations of the essence of fabric materials.
Ultimately we accepted the difference between fashion and architecture and used the irony of the relationship as a driving force. As sculptural assemblages, the Formative collection is a play of the distinctions between modern sculpture and technology versus drapery. Or even the structural and masculine sleekness of architecture versus the classical femininity which is found simply in the nature of fabric.
The Formative collection is the resulting pearl in the oyster of our creative expression and design. We humbly thank all of those who have been there to contribute to the show as well as those who have watched Formative to grow from an idea to our first show. Thanks again and enjoy.”
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Apr
16
‘The Wooden Beacons’ is a new installation by architect Matteo Thun in collaboration with the house of Marni. Intended to represent and create a talking point on the lifestyle, the installation is meant to be representative of the mediums of architecture and fashion by its uses of both ‘hardware’ and ’software’. As Matteo’s favorite material, wood was the obvious choice for the project’s beacons. Marni then adorned the various wooden structures with their ’softwares’ of floating paper patterns, bundles of stuffed Marni fabrics, and as pictured above, hanging jewelery pieces.
Installation Date: April 13-25, 2010
Installation Address: Università Statale di Milano, Portico Largo Richini,
Via Festa del Perdono 20121 Milano
Marni has, also just recently, added a little something new to their boutique, as an addition to the other ‘beacons’, ‘The Wooden Bench’ will greet the store’s patrons as they approach. The intention is the same as the other works, to bring up he life cycle of product as a talking point, from its inception and through its design and manufacture. Do you think we may see a bit of Matteo Thun’s work at the next Marni show? I sure hope so…
Via: Wonderland + Mateo Thun+ Dazed Digital
Apr
14
Something new will greet Zara patrons today as they enter the Italian flagship, an installation by architects UN Studio. Towering at 5 m tall and 4.85 m in diameter the new addition is fabricated of shaped coated aluminum lit form within by LEDs. Two smaller versions of the project are on display in the store’s front windows. The project appears to be a welcome addition the the otherwise classical interior, mimicking the curvilinear interior themes as it is further enhanced by the reflection off of the highly polished marble floors and gold coated dome. I think the installation is to be a permanent fixture of the store, I can’t imagine it would be only temporary. What do you think, welcome addition or blasphemy of the classical interior?
Via: Mood
Apr
14
Here’s some photos of the new Ralph Lauren Flagship to read more and see the video go here…
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Apr
07
After reading an article in Man About Town #5 about Rick Owens and artist Andrei Molodkin the name Joseph Dirand came up several times as the two artist’s mutual architect. Now, I’ve come across Dirand’s work a few times, but it wasn’t until I recently investigated further into his work that I became thoroughly obsessed. There are few architects that I love whole-heartedly, believe me the list is very short, and I’ll share it with you soon enough, and Joseph Dirand is on that list. I love modernism but it can be cold and I love neo-classical/Boroque/Rococo but it can be over-sensory, but Dirand achieves a perfect medium that I always try to achieve in my work, and thus I greatly respect him. He uses many classical references, yet keeps it contemporary.
He may use all black and white to the point where you may think it’s just a B&W photo, but the spaces don’t loose their warmth, it’s fantastic. Most impressive, is his command of space and ability to orchestrate his program to enhance the viewer’s conception of their surroundings. He fabricates narratives of a luxurious lifestyle and as a result his work is not generic, but takes on its own character, which is rarely achieved contemporarily, in my opinion. Considering all this, it’s obviously apparent that his command of spacess extends into the world of fashion, which may be seen in his recently completed Rick Owen’s London store and (our mother-ship) Balmain, Paris.
To see his entire portfolio visit: JosephDirand.com
Alsom check out a Joseph Dirand interview with: A Shaded View of Fashion
Via: JosephDirand.com
Apr
07
Every so often I fantasize about what my boutiques would be like if I had my own label, or was creative director of one. So, amidst my thinking I was though, why don’t high fashion labels have a miniature archive museum at their flagships, like a mini retrospective museum? They could rotate with seasons, even release parts of the archives to show corresponding with fashion weeks. It would be bound to bring in great traffic that could convert to sales. And, to avoid the riff-raff coming through the store, maybe they could use a separate entrance that can open up to the main store in the back. Car manufactures are already doing it. Armani did something similar this year with his red carpet retrospective at the NYC store, and it was a huge draw, and I’m sure they saw an increase in sales. Anyhow, Just a thought for the future…
