colette
Artist Profile: Julien David
Graphic designers get really excited when the art world a.) beautifies and b.) acknowledges their daily design tools. Today we present you with Julien David and his most recent collaboration with Pringle of Scotland, Colette and DC Comics. Using bold illustrations, vivid colors and rich fabrics, David single handedly creates a playful dialogue for the luxury market to wrap it’s head around. The symbolism behind the keyboard and Superman logo remind us of the importance and influence both images hold on a global scale. By enlarging and repeating, we see how easy it can be to force an audience to heed a message. Whether you’re wearing a twinset or a scarf, all of David’s pieces are conversation starters, not to mention, exciting interpretations of pop culture.
Trend: Meaningful Contradictions
Contradictions are commonplace for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you work in politics, law or are on year 10 of a loving relationship, every topic is debatable. Interestingly, the fashion and design worlds have started reinterpreting these ambiguities with their own form of graphic messaging. The results are crisp, blocky, handwritten and an exploration of popular symbolism, true vs. false and clever witticisms. Here’s a collection of some of our favorite images portraying luck, fear and hope for the future.
- 1. vs Rogan Tee, $67
- 2. Dieter Rams Tee, Someday Shop
- 3. Night Break Rogan Tee, $67
- 4. Sir Drake, Achieve the Impossible Tee, Blue & Cream, $50
- 5. Mochino Cheap & Chic, FW 2010
- 6. Mochino Cheap & Chic, FW 2010
- 7. Colette Tee
- 8. TV on the Radio Album Art by Morning Breath
- 9.
Fashion: The Cosby Comeback
Ah, the infamous Cosby sweater. We’re all aware of the jokes that defined much of the 80′s. Fast forward a few decades and it seems like the creative folks at American Apparel, Calvin Klein and Oxbow for Colette are tapping this fun-house style for their latest lines. While the mismatched textures are somewhat overwhelming, the cuts are modern and the themes coherent, allowing customers of all ages to take part in this pattern bazar. It’s also interesting to note MC Esher and Dali’s influences continuing on into winter. We wonder if Patricia Field will be the next visionaire to jump on board, as these textures seem like a seamless fit for her eclectic style.
Fashion: Zip and Repeat
Zippers, the commonplace closure, have been striped of their hidden functionality and thrust into the spotlight, proving they can double as innovative solutions as well as decorative patterns. The results are striking, and slightly quirky. Part of the zipper’s appeal, perhaps, when compared to its closure counterparts such as buttons, hooks, and snaps, is the fluidity of movement. This is evident in Ji Woong’s Zip Up Tangles, a creative solution to the wiry mess we all experience when reaching for our ear buds. Stepping it up a few notches, Van Cleef & Arpels has recently dove into it’s archival library to revive it’s 1950′s Zip Necklace. While today’s version may be toned down, it’s no less elegant, and a primary example of how innovation can have timeless appeal.
In a French design studio not far [...]
Fashion Forward Dadaism
When Michelle Obama opted for Thakoon at the Democratic National Convention this past summer, his commercial success soared. Luckily for the pattern world, Thakoon Panichgul’s pieces are wonderfully risky, striking a playful balance of progressive elegance. This spring/summer 09 silk skirt, which is currently on display at Colette, showcases one type of “hair” that the fashion and beauty worlds are collectively approving: the eyelash. The longer the lash, the sexier the subject and Thakoon spotlights this obsession by sensationalizing the subject matter and removing all context. Though it may be a stretch to make Dada comparisons, Thakoon’s styles certainly prode our inner obsessions, presenting political fodder for the fashion forward.
Additional contributions by Emily Gup.
