AnotherMan's Dream

AnotherMan's latest editorial uses painting, the time honored method of image capturing, in place of the sleek customary fashion snapshots presenting moments of momentary beauty and commercialism (conveniently placed vitamin enhanced water!), and has been stewing in my head over the past few weeks. I've been swimming in the hazy-dreamy quality of Christian Schoeler's work and love the use of a slower and more indistinct method of fashion presentation.


Sometimes it's just about the feeling you get from a model's general "look", not the sharply defined things and obvious references (we get it, she's wearing a lot of eyeliner, must be in a punk phase) that are cobbled together for a story. My favorite fashion editorials have stuck in my head with images as blurred as AnotherMan's, still retaining the strongest spirit of the piece.


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SB

Bat for Lashes Love Bug

I too have been bitten by the Bat for Lashes love bug. It started with a slight obsession with anything feathered, caressing feathered headbands at Anthropologie for hours at a time. Then I knew I needed to spice up my makeup routine and add sparkles, the next logical step in my uber basic cat-eye kohl sweep on my top eyelids, to my cheeks or a dab of electric blue body paint coyly striped by one eye. And then I started to talk in an adorable british accent and refuse to switch back, to the dismay of the few friends I had left by this point.

I've recovered from my almost dangerously obsessive fan-girlism, thankfully, but not from Natasha Khan's chillingly beautiful voice and her music is still on constant repeat on my ipod, especially after seeing her show on Friday and realizing that the mp3 is just not not a powerful enough format to bottle up her stage presence and exquisitely tuned but powerful voice. It was vaguely religious since she was performing in the sanctuary of a Philadelphia church and we all just swayed to her voice washing over us.

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SB

Malick Sidibé's Printed Revolution

I was clicking through a black and white slideshow, in last week's NYTime's Sunday Magazine, called "Prints and the Revolution" and was impressed by the photographer's ability to recreate Malick Sidibé's studio portraits of Malian men and women.

The Tate Modern in London had an exhibit this past summer called Street & Studio: An Urban History of Photography that I dragged my cousins to (thanks guys!) and I remember seeing Sidibé's work in person for the first time and naturally drifting towards the portraits of men and women formally dressed and standing on a patterned floor, with a slight smile, seemingly sharing an elaborate joke with Sidibé.

Others showed a more complicated view of Malian life. Young men sheepishly grinning and posing with prestige items in their flip flops in front of a cityscape facade.

My favorite phographs by Sidibe are his energetic and exuberant snapshots of Malian nightlife.

After clicking through the slideshow, I looked at the credits and realized that Sidibé had recreated his own work!
And even more exciting was the use of Western designer clothing obviously inspired by traditional African prints. The styling is so clever, I had to do a double take when I read the labels and then found the pieces that when put together seamlessly create an authentic Malian "look" (obviously for a non-Malian observer, me).

Marni polka-dot top. Christian Lacroix striped top. Marc Jacobs dress. Christian Louboutin shoes. Dries Van Noten bracelet.

How wonderfully confusing. Western designers mish-mashed together to create an African look recreating studio photographs by the photographer who created the inspiration.

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SB

Au Revoir Simone at Topshop

One of my favorite dreamy-pop, keyboarding girl groups, Au Revoir Simone, showed up at the Topshop New York opening yesterday. (hold your squeals, it's finally stateside!)

Heather D'Angelo (on the right) showed up in heels that looked, on first glance, suspiciously like the Christian Louboutin for Phillip Lim Spring '09 collaborations that every woman (and adventurous male) has been swearing to sell kidneys, friendships or diginity for.

On closer look, however, I think they're probably some tamed down Topshop concotion that are alas, not online yet.

The real deal. I wonder if Barney's will accept the promise of my first born as a suitable barter?

Pictures: style.com

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SB

A Persol Birthday

My lovely friend SM of papermoon inspired me last year to start a list called "Things I want that I'm not buying myself" to keep track of the various random and occasionally absurd accoutrements that catch my eye. Highlights on my current list, safely housed on a tiny yellow stickie note on my computer dashboard, include a Lomo camera, Sabon bath soaps and a gold waist purse (I promise it's not in the "Intrepid American goes to Europe" style).

For my 22nd birthday yesterday, I was able to strike off one of my wishes.

I'm a bit sunglasses obsessed and if one ray of sun pierces through a fiercely cloudy day it's reason enough to whip out one of my extremely tinted pairs. I've been attached to my Rayban Wayfarers (real unique, I know) for over a year now but when I found Persol's folding 714 sunglasses I knew they were my next want-need item.

This isn't the best picture of me ever, but ignore that. I am just the mannequin so focus on the gorgeous example of plastic and metal before you.


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Chalayan for your Wall

I'm always looking for small things to enliven my little studio from its Scandinavian sameness and found this eerily beautiful limited edition poster from the Design Museum's Shop for about 20 bucks.

Hussein Chalayan has an exhibit showcasing his techno-sexy creations at London's Design Museum and if you're short of the necessary funds to jet over to see his wondrous designs in person, this poster could stem some of your intense Chalayan longing.

She looks like she's about to meld with the wall, stationary but seemingly in motion, propelled by the same force whipping her dress into sleekly streamlined points.


Here's a close-up on a similar Chalayan creation so you can better admire the molded tail.

(style.com)

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Kane plays Peek-a-Boo

This dress will haunt me until I find it again in 2050 at a vintage store in New York, throw over my millions of yuan or rupees (by then we'll be using Asian currencies) and then giggle hysterically with joy when I realize that 60 year old SB looks just as wonderful in this elegantly fitted dress as I vainly believe 20something SB would, but also feels like a cheeky 20something due to the peek-a-boo nature of the frock.

The nude coloring accentuates the affected simplicity of this dress and lets the black piping stand out, leading your gaze down the front.

It reminds me of NY's Guggenheim museum and the winding staircase that imbues your art viewing experience with a vaguely religious sensation because of your paced circumabulation.

Who would have ever thought that the shoulder blade would become the new collarbone?

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SB