Some combination of Asian, tribal and Victorian, designer Mei Hui Lui, makes reconstructed garments with raw finishes in which she uses Victorian lace and antique trimmings to make limited edition or one-off garments. Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Mei Lui is 32 years of age and is now based in London where she recently opened her own boutique, Respiro.

The whole look including the henna type tattoos on the face matching the lace is such an inspired look; so much so it’s quickly become one of my favs. From Surface Magazine.

So, when I came across these…….

I couldn’t help but think how above girl and etched patterned glass lamps matched.

Outdoor hanging etched glass lighting holds pillar candles that lights gently for hours. From Domino online, look for a World Market store nearest to you @ worldmarket.com.

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Austin Kleon, an Austin Tx. writer/cartoonist/designer, has developed a new art form: Newspaper Blackout Poetry. It’s more than just the design or layout of his poetry that is so fascinating, but the fact that he can look at a paragraph (or two) from an article in a newspaper and find such profound meaning. For more, go here. And, Happy Mother’s Day.

Thank you to How Magazine’s blog for the heads up on this one.

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At the Victoria & Albert Museum March 15-July 13.

Right on cue with all the controversey about goods being produced and imported from China, it’s time we see the upside to this country’s progress. The V&A exhibit explores China’s current design, art, fashion and architecture scene. Journeying along China’s east coast, the exhibit moves south to north from Shenzhen, China’s manufacturing centre, to fashion capital Shanghai and architectural hotspot Beijing.

As the country has developed so has its arts, architectural and fashion practices. ‘China Design Now’ covers some 100 designers set to influence the international stage as they establish a new norm within their own shorelines.

For more information, downloads, and to order tickets, visit the V&A’s website or to their online shop for information on or to purchase the above poster, Graphic Design in China by Chen Shaohua, or any one of the Hi Panda collectibles (small versions of the larger ones seen in the show and designed by young urban designers Shirtflag).

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Opening May 7, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s newest show, “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy,” is a “celebration of the body fantastic,” so says Giorgio Armani, the exhibit’s honorary chair.

Clicking through the slide show of some of the costumes reminds me of some of fashion’s better moments both on the runway and on the silver screen. For more, go here.

Image courtesy Style.com. From the Superheroes, “The Doge Knows: Philip Treacy’s futuristic Venetian mask, photographed by Irving Penn for Vogue, December 1996.”

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“> Anyone ever heard of the Swiss dance/mime group Mummenschanz? For the longest time, Mummenchance was one of the biggest searches on this blog…..(among others); now that I am spelling it correctly, I wonder what will happen?

I compared them to a performance art group, the Rinpa Eshidan who do these elaborately painted rooms and record themselves while doing the painting, in the post “Not Since Mummenschanz: Room.”

To visit the real Mummenschanz and I strongly urge you to…on their homepage you can view a clip of your choice of one of their shows, go here. There is a new show, “3 x 11,” which is a 33 year retrospective of their work but you’ll have to go to Switzerland or Israel to see it, at least in 2008; later dates and venues are not yet published.

Mummenschanz is some of the most creative performance art I’ve ever seen……..the Rinpa Eshidan is also quite clever. And I understand “3×11″ does not disappoint.

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