My sentiment on the Paris Runway Shows. Now over, it’s all such a blur.

Opinions vary almost as much as the various collections presented themselves on what was good, what was hot, and what was not, with the exception of one….and that would be Alexander McQueen (Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons has critics as well as fans). Rave reviews from all around, McQueen took on the establishment, his peers and himself for being too referential in their collections from season to season. This season, as an almost too easy way to dialogue with the current recession, the eighties came back almost with a Twenties Roar but may crash in the end as a theme for fashion. Perhaps this was just a designer’s way of giving into the recessionary times, too overwhelmed by it to think of much more than the last time this all happened, ahem, the 80’s, Duh. Talk about self defeating.

This awkward 2009 FW season came with all the potential landmines known to the industry given the economic precipice the globe seems to be teetering on, but that did not stop the fashion industry from doing their part in trying to tip the scales in their favor. While the future of many in this industry remains unknown at least to the general public right now, one thing is clear…..there is still a market for creativity and innovation perhaps now more than ever.

Behold Alexander McQueen Women’s FW 09: (for more see Style.com and Eric Wilson’s NYT’s article, McQueen Leaves Fashion in Ruins)

Headpiece by Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen FW 09
Top image, Street Movement Blur, from Righthandbits.

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No sooner said (my last blog post So Nu? referencing menswear for Fall 09, then here comes Karl Lagerfield with his Paris Haute Couture Spring 09 collection. (see style.com for full view.)

And, boy howdy, did he ever display the example for the “Texturize Me” trend I also just blogged about. Beautiful. Lovely. Exquisite detail….words escape me. But, still, ever so Chanel.

Then an Honorable Mention goes to Alexis Mabille. With some very interesting modern and fresh takes on fashion, he’s one to watch. Not every piece was something to shout about, but there’s promise in there.

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On Christmas Day I wrote a blog post on 2modern’s design blog about Typography, ’cause, if you haven’t already noticed, it’s (typography) design’s new darling…..

Then Voila! there’s December’s British Vogue titled Fantastic Fashion Fantasy with all kinds of my favorite things all wrapped up in one issue. “Through the generations there are visionaries who conjure fabulous creations that go beyond the boundaries of the imagination.” And this is an understatement. It was, in my estimation, British Vogue’s Christmas present to me. All for a mere $10.99.

And if per chance you didn’t catch the issue, call them to get a copy (I know for my British friends, this is last year’s news and more than a few of you didn’t care for Kate Moss on the cover, again, but my love of this issue has to do with the typography as well as pulling some of the decade’s most creative fashions together in a crazy wonderful photo montage among other things). Besides creating these incredibly creative, and imaginative pages ( Unbelieveable Fashion, photographed by Nick Knight, above, Where the Wild Things Are photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, below), you can catch Nick Knight’s video of his shoot, Fantasia, at Showtimestudio.com. From the credits it looks as if Epilogue Imaging did the digital artwork for the magazine issue, which I take means that oh so cool typography.

There’s more in there, much more….it was all just so delish I couldn’t help but give the issue some space on my blog. For someone like me who craves visual creativity, this has been my double chocolate mousse cheesecake with chocolate cookie crust and white chocolate and whipped creme on top (in case you are wondering, I had that too during my holidays….my holidays were great by the way, how were yours?).

I loved the editor’s letter too: “Forget the It-bag, the serviceable coat, the investment buy; this is all about how extraordinary things can be–a celebration of the unusual.” Given the times, Ms. Alexander Shulman (British Vogue’s editor), this seems like a wise course of action.

As a final note, as if all of the above weren’t enough, Karl Lagerfield chimed in with Karl Lagerfield’s Secret Ball (above). I did not have to be at a glam mystery ball to get the best of what this might be about, Lagerfield’s paintings were enough for me!

I think this one’s a keeper. What do you think?

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I’ve been thinking about this medium ever since Dale Chihuly had one of his blown glass installations at the Missouri Botantical Gardens.

While I’ve seen other works around, it wasn’t until I walked past my neighborhood Erker’s (that’s right, eyeglasses) that I’d found what was the answer. They had these exquisite, tall and in some cases, odd shaped vases in the window and I’d passed by them so many times wondering what the heck. Finally I stopped to find out the story.

The story is, they brought the pieces in originally for decoration in the store but had so many people asking about them they started selling them directly to people.

Found them on the internet and wanted to share. Their shapes, their colors, and their techniques all very unique and available (pricing is affordable….some of the four foot tall vases were only $400.00).

Makora Glass from Krosno, Poland. See more here.

all images of glass are Makora Glass

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Patterns In Design, Art, and Architecture by Petra Schmidt (Editor), Annette Tietenberg (Editor), Ralf Wollheim (Editor).

I do like coffee table books and this may be one, but one I’d recommend.

In starck contrast to a contemporary and minimalist movement came the New Baroque movement. Flourishes, leafy patterns, stripes, polka dots, and pattern all appear on bedheads, wall papers, lamp shades, chairs or entire rooms. This book shows how new looks at old ways can produce fresh alternatives to the minimalist movements.

Using examples of contemporary work by internationally renowned designers such as Tord Boontje, Michael Lin, Olaf Nicolai and Sauerbruch & Hutton, the diversity of colours, shapes and applications are laid out before the reader, illustrating the impact and influence of technical innovations such as laser engraving and digital milling on patterns and our perception of them.

Often humorous, very colorful, and rarely plain the movement may be showing signs of maturity but I think it’s always important to see where we’ve been to also know where we are going. Not to mention that the technology factor they bring out has been a tremendous feature to this movement and is probably just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we will be able to accomplish as a consequenc of new technologies.

The book is available in both hardbook and paperback at amazon.

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“>Sea Orchestra.Surely awards will be won if not already. Surely these will set off a flurry of animation in commericals the likes of which have not been seen ever.

United hired international teams of animators, musicians, artists and directors from India to South Africa to Norway to France to China to create these masterpieces. Robert Redford is the voice over (I knew I recognized that voice). Their pr spin reads “New ads create an artistic interpretation of the emotions travelers feel when flying United’s new international service.”

So if artistic mastery weren’t enough, they launched them during the Olympics. Sea Orchestra, featured above, was first shown during the Opening Ceremony which is when I saw it and only a commercial like this could break through the spectacular nature of what the Olympic Opening Ceremony turned out to be.

“>Two Worlds. Then yesterday, Sunday, I saw the second one, “Two Worlds” which takes you from a black and white scenario (again animated) to one with color. You can’t miss the ads though, right, besides being visually arresting they have these catchy little customized versions of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” performed by the L.A. Philharmonic. In Sea Orchestra a United airplane crosses the ocean and
is serenaded by an orchestra of animated sea creatures that are playing a
unique version of Rhapsody in Blue using tubas, violins, French horns and
the Indonesian gamelan. The score was created by Shy the Sun, a South
Africa-based directing team, which used hand-drawn textures, computer
animation characters and photographs of water, reefs and skies. The Two Worlds commercial combines two different and distinctive animation styles created by directors SSSR, a Norwegian and Japanese team, who was responsible for the monochromatic world that was mostly computer-generated with a hand-crafted feel, and Gaelle Denis, a French director, who was responsible for the colorful
fantasy world that uses using live action, computer generation and matte
paintings, including textures such as Japanese rice paper.

So, I did read where the campaign “It’s time to fly,” created by ad agency BDM has earned the Gold Effie Award for marketing effectiveness and was nominated for an Emmy Award. I’ll say.

You can’t beat the timing. That alone is brilliant since what they are advertising is United’s new international first and business class service with flat bed seating. If the flying is as comfortable as these commercials make it look, then they win all around, regardless. It’s first class advertising not to mention international in nature (which is what really makes it all fly) and launched with not just one but 5 different spots to be aired during the Olympics where you get more international eyeballs than any other venue at one time.

Bravo BDM. Bravo United. Bravo Marketing Team. I’m on board. It’s time to fly!

(for more on the teams and intent behind each of the commercials go here and to see the rest of the new ads go here).

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(Adam Pretty/Getty Images for Boston.com)

The Chinese Olympic Opening in Beijing was full of symbolism, art, history, and choreography as well as technology, but mostly it was full of lots of people performing minute details that added up to masterful feats of synchronized movement that in turn became a feast for the eyes.

(Jeff Gross/Getty Images for Boston.com)

I am hard put to say which one of these beautifully choreographed movements was my personal favorite. That said, the above image which referred to how the Chinese invented silk and reminded us of how they were into trade long before their nation burst onto the scene in the latter part of the 20th century may have come close. Their nation is rich in history and culture and have had a sometimes unseen as well as unparalleled impact on the rest of the world.

While this opening was a tremendous undertaking and powerfully well executed my takeaway is yes, their richest resource is its people who can do amazingly detailed work in order to create magnificient things, but there are still a lot of problems to be solved. Now that we’ve all witnessed this at least in great numbers hopefully we can throw some weight behind it to solve them. It would seem to be worth it.

China has both extended the olive branch and thrown down the gauntlet at the same time. Anyone care to pick it up where they’ve left off? If I am referring to the next Summer Olympics, I vote for Brazil. Rio would be able to compete with this extravaganza (not so sure about Chicago). Otherwise, I leave this interpretation up to the viewer/reader.

(as a final word on the opening ceremony, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how far along LED lighting has come and will be with us now for some time to come after this)

(AP Photo/David Phillip for Boston.com)

For more spectacular images like these I encourage you to visit Boston.com; they’ve done a magnificient job of parlaying the images (many more than I am showing) into the powerful story China’s film director, Zhang Yimou, created.

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I don’t usually read InStyle any more, but the August issue held some unique tipping points, such as Rhianna’s tatoos which are some of the most alluring and well done I’ve seen to date.

That’s not to say there is anything wrong with the other type, but Rhianna gives us chickens (those who have yet to committ to getting one) some designs that allow for a certain amount of rebellion and discretion at the same time.

There are other methods now too if you don’t actually want to have your skin permanently altered by getting a real tatoo; clothing now exists to give an impression of some really heavy duty tatoos (this is interesting), Ed Hardy apparel for one, and Sleeves Clothing for another; but perhaps the most telling sign that tatoos have gone mainstream and has options is in the crafts section of Wal-Mart. You can get tatoo art to put on your skin that will of course wash off.

Where to go from here? Transfers to fabric so you can do your own style of tatoo clothing (we need the paints for that too)…I’m just sayin’.

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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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