Tribal narratives, wood cutouts and sumi-ink drawings have been around since the beginning of time. While geometric interpretations have been surfacing in art and fashion for over a year now, it’s refreshing to see a more fluid technique taking hold across several mediums.  A major influencer in this space is the Sumi Ink Club. Based in Los Angeles, this creative community is producing work at a rapid pace. From this Keith Haring-like blazer to this Lucky Dragon’s Open Power Record, it’s pretty clear that this topsy turvy style is gaining traction in several branding markets. Contrasting the soft shapes of the sumi brush, Dennis McNett reminds us that black and white texture can be sharp, surly and folk-like. Barneys Department store recently commissioned him to design their summer windows, bringing this underground skater-style art [...]

Greetings from Tokyo!

First off, I hope that our readers from the States had a fantastic 4th of July weekend.  While I missed the festivities, I have had the pleasure of visiting one of the most inspiring cities in the world.

From the back alleys of Harajuku and Daikanyama to the high streets of Omotesando and Ginza and the mega department stores of Shinjuku and Shibuya, Tokyo has been stimulating all five senses.

Next week we’ll be back with highlights from the trip.

In the meantime, check out our favorite new Japanese export, The Suzan, who’s new album was produced by Bjorn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn and John fame) and will soon be released on Fool’s Gold/Downtown Records.

Let us know what you think!

Between 1978 and 1992, Factory Records was one of the most influential record labels in Britain. Following the punk phenomenon of the ’70s, the time was ripe for Factory to usher in the innovative sounds and styles of the Post-Punk and New Wave Era. Factory launched the careers of Joy Division, New Order and the Happy Mondays; opened legendary Hacienda club and Dry bar in Manchester; and introduced high-quality, cutting-edge design to the music world. Working side by side with musicians, designers such as Peter Saville, Central Station Design, 8vo and Mark Farrow developed an entirely new visual vocabulary, the idioms of which are still widely recognized and imitated today.

In my pursuit to expand my own home library, I ordered two copies of the book- one to keep and one to give away. Let us know [...]

Oh, the proverbial question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The debate can go around and around. Much like the debates of who inspired whom, what inspired what, and where on earth do ideas come from. And of course, how do they become adopted by society and wind up as trends.

Because, we think we called it via our Interior Design Takes a Spin feature: people, they like change. They also like pixels. And in this case, web cams. We recently spotted Pepsi’s Refresh Project, One People tv spot, where a variety of people on their web cams interact with one another. Each paper conveys a pixelated vibe, and as objects are “magically” passed between squares, the concept is unified as global sharing. Naturally, we delighted at the synchronicity to our fun interior finds. Of [...]

As 2010 rolls on ahead, artists, writers, designers are all pondering the future, and it seems that burning the past (esp. 2009) might be a way to move forward. Burning, a cathartic ritual for many religions, releases the energy of the past to spark new beginnings.

The New York Times Magazine recently featured a stunning cover with the “T” scorched and engulfed in flames. Pyromaniacs set designer, Gary Card and the photographer, Jacob Sutton, were inspired by the “Wicker Man” 1973 horror movie and commissioned a welder to fabricate a 10-foot-tall steel T. After layering it with sugar cane and soaking it in alcohol, they lit it with a blowtorch and “ran for their lives”. Although the T was intended for an Anglomania themed issue, you couldn’t help but feel it symbolized the current demise [...]

Rather than eat Thanksgiving leftovers or reminisce at high school reunions, we plowed through Paris this past week, documenting everything from street fashion to high-end homegoods. One reoccurring theme we found throughout every neighborhood was graphic-heavy tights. Regardless of age, district or outfit, women were sporting asymmetrical looks, transforming their legs into fierce accessories.

Applying this textured technique to Susan Woo’s Spring 2010 catalog, Geordie Wood‘s hand painted photos reveals the perfect balance between mixed media and fashion photography. Proving equally playful, these leopard print leggings for kids remind us why even the youngest Parisians are so chic. In predictably beautiful fashion, Garance Dore’s portrait of Tennessee Thomas, the drummer and vocalist for The Like, is sporting a gorgeous pair of Emilio Cavallini stockings. It wont be long [...]

Most fashion aficionados and style connoisseurs will agree that white is a signifying color of summer- one that should be neatly tucked away after Labor Day. Interestingly, we’ve been noticing blatant references that defy this social rule in everything from music and beauty to fashion and (most obviously) home design this Fall season. Be it a jumble of sound equipment for Jay-Z’s newest album, Blueprint 3, this decorative West Village door, Jessica Simpson’s latest fragrance, Fancy Love, or Bergdorf Goodman‘s recent retail display, fanciful elements ranging from classic to contemporary can truly pop with a wash of white.

Growing up, the words “black and blue” generally applied to the bumps and bruises earned on the playground. This fall though, the phrase seems to transcend both aural and visual projects.  From the title of the new Alice In Chains album, to a track title on Miike Snow’s critically acclaimed album, it’s obvious to see how fashion, film and digital influences are continuing to make their cultural mark.

Bambi, beautiful women and blood have become synonymous over the past few years. From Giles Deacon’s Spring ’08 punk fetish collection to Stella McCartney’s Fall ’09 disney-inspired photoshoot to musical acts such as the Bambi Killers and Terry Poison, we wonder if we have The Sex Pistols to thank for this snowballing global fascination with femininity and a loss of innocence.

Meet the Bambi Killers, a creative troupe based in Manhattan and a true breath of fresh air to the downtown creative scene. Melding performance art, role play, costume design, audio soundscape and circus freakery, this trio explores topics such as government brainwashing, conspiracy theories and brut sexuality every time they go on stage. “Initially we were inspired by the loss of innocence, but our shows have evolved into a [...]

What’s a designer to do when told to pair down and get back to basics?  Do precisely that and wow their customers with innovative new staples. One route that appears to be gaining traction this upcoming season mimics the designs of the illusionary master, M.C Escher. This month’s cover of SOMA showcases a black and white checker print organza blouse by Alexander McQueen.  This sophisticated style transitions sharp geometrics into softer organic shapes.  We wonder if Ms. Winehouse has had an influence on this trend, as she’s sported this punk tank top for some time now.  Be it bird silhouettes or leopard print, we love it when math merges with nature for tactile wear.

Santigold is one of our favorite pattern and pop culture mavens.  Not only did she inspire our first post, we’re always amazed at the concoctions she throws together when going on stage, both lyrically and visually. It just so happens that Santi is the newest member of Nixon’s Women’s Program, a marketing initiative that fuses fashion, culture and music.  Interestingly, Santi’s signature pose is cloaked in an 80′s style jumper that’s covered with money. We have to believe there’s a satirical element to this layout, similar to Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s one dollar bill dress. With the economy on the tip of everyone’s tongue, creative reactions to our collective dependence on wealth are only a natural occurrence.

Bubbles have been inching their way into our commercial consciousness.  Be it a translucent outfit for pop starlet Lady Gaga, chemically treated typography on the visual tagging website, ffffound, or a high-end glass necklace made by the Sent sisters of Italy,  we can’t help but fixate on the transparent quality of this effervescent material. Danish poet, Hans Christian Andersen illustrates our voyeuristic sentiment best in his famous novel, The Emperor’s New Clothes.  Just as the emperor assigned value to the concept rather than the final product, the idea of wearable bubbles is certainly the definition of “fashion over function,” at least when sitting’s involved.