Beyond Embellished: The Art of Nick Cave

Posted by: Sienna Orlando

June
17
2010

Out of common materials appears the uncommon work of NickCave. A trained sculptor, performance artist and dancer, he has made best friends with everyday items including buttons, sequins and embellished sweaters, sisal fiber, crocheted doilies, and fake flowers.

Cave creates elaborate costume-like works of art that cover every part of the body minus the heels, which is a vital part of activating these pieces in contemporary dance. "African ceremonial costumes and mask are obvious points of reference” writes Cave in a personal statement.

The wearer is often burdened by a large and awkward assemblage of materials ranging from antique toys to woven handbags. At the same time these pieces give the dancer a chance to move in a new way and often have a audio element to them.

Coined "Soundsuits", the original suit was made from hundreds of fallen twigs gathered by the artist and cut to 3" in length. The suit made a beautiful series of sounds when worn.

One of Cave's largest compilations of work was on view at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, until June of last year.

Day 2 of the Music Must List: Crystal Castles

Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

April
6
2010

Crystal Castles is the name of a Canadian duo who've graced the music scene by creating eclectic electric tunes and dance beats.

I highly recommend listening to them while doing anything that needs a little extra motivation. You're feet will move to the rhythm and you're heart will follow the beat!

Listen away and have fun!

Crystal Castle Crimewave
Uploaded by Differentrecordings. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

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Kristin Knuaff: PAPER MAGAZINE & CONVERSE KICK-OFF

Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

February
10
2010

Kristin Knauff Reports from L.A.:

PAPER MAGAZINE & CONVERSE KICK-OFF WE L.A. (LOVE ART) – JANUARY 22-23 AT THE MONTALBAN THEATER

Kristen Knauff just sent us exclusive pictures from a pretty sweet sounding Paper Magazine event in Los Angeles. Paper Magazine is one of my personal favorite publications (ever since I got stuck in their elevator as an art student in NYC) and they seem to be throwing some of the coolest parties this year.

This event was a three-part series focused on bringing together emerging artists, art, musicians and students in an interactive experience. The WE LOVE ART party was catered towards making ongoing and interactive art installations focused on audience participation. A large studio was open for high school and college-aged students to get creative who attended the event.

Live music performances during this experiences included: Samuel Stewart, son of Eurythmic’s Dave Stewart and Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey, and the CobraSnake, celebrated local DJ and event photographer. DJ Ana Calderon from the indie label Dim Mak set the mood. Popular DJs Skeet Skeet and TOKiMONSTA will be spinning and live performances by headliners Best Coast, and Dum Dum Girls kept people movin!

Girls were wearing their brights out to this event! Layered lace and lots of neon were a big fashion must-have for this party.

Artists in attendance included Karen Kimmel, Confetti System, Damion Silver, Scott Patt, Darren Romanelli, Telefantasy Studios... and many more...

One of the exhibitions was Karen Kimmel’s “Art of Exchange” stencil workshop; an ongoing series that encourages people of all ages to make their own creative mark. A dance class was taught by Ryan Heffington called Sweaty Sunday's and included artists, photographers, fashion designers, and screenwriters wearing their best Lycra and bright pastel outfits for a dance-off to indie rock, techno, and 1980s new wave hits. Ryan Heffington is a choreographer, performance artist, and designer.

Featured throughout the course of the two days will be a series of 24 short films, created by Converse, that shine a light on unknown artists from around the globe. Sharing a common thread of passion for their work, the films show the artists at work, conveying personal stories that show their creative process and inspiration. Each film ends with a call to action that challenges the user to find their path to creativity.

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The Danseuse: Lou Doillon

Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

February
4
2010

I happened upon this enchanting video one day and keep going back to watch it over and over again.

Here, Lou Doillon (a fashionista, designer, and actress), is documented while doing an improv dance (wearing Vanessa Bruno) to the music of Stéphanie Di Gusto. Style.com did an interview with the him and states that Di Gusto created the music inspired by and for Doillon specifically. Di Gusto told Style.com this about working with Doillon:

“There’s something really primal about Lou; she has great freedom, we just left it up to her, and at one point, she just let go".

You can really see an emotional freedom in her that is almost to be envied as she runs, jumps, laughs, cries, and tumbles in this timelessly romantic video.

Note the wonderfully layered and styled clothing. Check out our new pieces and romantically inspired dresses to create a similarly dreamy look for yourself...

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Ali Lee our Vintage Model Extroardinaire!

Posted by: Siobhan Barrett

November
4
2009

After Kathleen did her interview with Nikia (and we realized that our models were pretty amazing young women), we decided to try and involve more of the models into the blog as often as possible. This week I got in contact with Ali Lee, who wrote me some pretty amazing things about her life, how she got into modeling and what her favorite items of the season are.

"Modeling, like dancing, is an outlet that I can use to express myself through movement and expression.- Ali Lee

After studying classical ballet for 12 years, Ali Lee made it into a modeling agency in her home of Hawaii. There is something to say about the fact that Ali grew up in Hawaii, where she states, she found "beauty in many different forms, but focused most of [her] energy into [her] dancing." After dancing for so long, Ali Lee was trained to work hard and soon started modeling for trunk shows, fashion shows, and even got to walk for Chanel!

Ali took a break from modeling to go behind the scenes and study film at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. It wasn't until her senior year, when Ali became friends with a musician in L.A. and started performing in his music videos, that she hopped back on the main stage.

Ali says this of modeling: "I love being in front of the camera, and I have my love for the stage to thank."

"Fashion is an extremely fickle world, but I feel like you can never go wrong with simple basics. A good fitting pair of tapered black pants are necessary, and its worth it to splurge a little. I am currently looking for the perfect pair of black, buttery leather ankle boots with buckles and an Inspector Gadget style trench coat." -- Ali Lee