Umberto Boccioni Hits the Runway

As I clicked around on the New York Times during my European travels I read about how an economist derived his own system of artistic ranking, placing quantitative measurements onto a genre that romanticizes its ability to eschew the concrete for the intangible sphere of ideas and concepts. But for those of us who aren't selling pickled animals for a cool $20 million (Hello Damien!), a formalized hierarchy doesn't seem so daft.

As I clicked on the top 5 list, I noticed Umberto Boccioni's sculpture, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space and I immediately thought of the shoes created for the Prada Fall 2008 collection.



Boccioni's sculpture seems strong and almost soldier-like in the thick plates jutting out on the thighs and shoulders but the posture is delicately held with the knees locked in position and toes ready to fly off the ground, like a futuristic Mercury running through the air to deliver an urgent message.

Prada's shoes, with a winged back and armored shield, encasing the arch of the foot are perfect for a woman bored with the YSL tribute,the ubiquitous sexy-girl, ankle-breaking blister-creating platform shoe of the season. These shoes are tough but lovely.





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Green is the New Black

If you've picked up a fashion magazine or browsed your favorite online shopping sites you'll recognize that green is the new black.

Natalie Portman designed a line of vegan footwear for Te Casan, Style.com touts an earth friendly beauty guide, and you can drop off your old tees at your local Barneys to be recycled into new items by Loomstate.

While I haven't bought into this new eco-clothing craze in the shape of $300 organic jeans and the absurd notion that eco-friendly fashion must be luxe and only attainable for those who can afford Stella McCartney's raffia sandals, I do recognize that taking a real look at the ways we engage with our clothing and the potential for real waste is a worthwhile endeavor.

In honor of Earth Day, I recommend 2 easy ways to inject a little green into your choices.

1. Check out Thread, the BBC's online eco-fashion magazine with colorful and inventive fashion spreads and great features on how you can decrease your impact by investing in vintage pieces or supporting independent labels that produce organic or sustainable clothing.
Thread also presents a well-informed and interesting argument for green clothing and an overall decrease in unnecessary consumption, I promise you won't be disappointed by the site.



Also click on Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts to watch clips from a new reality series on BBC where 6 young addicts of the "fast fashion" cycle (buy it at forever 21,wear it once, throw it out) travel to India and work the clothing factories that create their "cheap chic" pieces.
I definitely am going to think twice about where my clothes are coming from after watching the show and the ethics behind the West's feeling of entitlement for extremely cheap and disposable clothing.

2. Head over to your local Target on May 15th (or Barney's Co-op) and pick up some slouchy pants or tissue tanks from their first every green line made from 100% organic cotton. Rogan Gregory's line is proof that an award wining designer (of the line Loomstate and collaborator with Bono & wife for green denim) can create affordable clothing without sacrificing environmental values.



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