Go Dolce Vita . Style . Beauty . Food . Fashion . Design . Trends .

Change is a good thing

2011-09-01T08:59:00.002-04:00

New posts are now hosted on Tumblr.

(You're gonna love 'em!)

xoxo Mindy

Perrier-Jouët Celebrates Its 200th Anniversary

2011-06-02T16:56:00.007-04:00

Champagne House Perrier-Jouët celebrated its bicentenary with the unveiling of Bi-Centenaire—the very first Living Legacy champagne designed to be passed on to future generations.

An exclusive guest list gathered for the unveiling of a new kind of Champagne experience by the house renowned globally for its Belle Époque Cuvée. Guests were also treated to the unveiling of a new work of art commissioned from American artist Daniel Arsham, designed to embody the spirit of Bi-Centenaire—a true invitation to celebrate life.

Perrier-Jouët Bi-Centenaire tells the unexpected tale of a great vintage wine with two stories. The first takes place today: a champagne-lover treats himself to a magnum of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1998. Many years later, a descendant in turn enjoys a magnum of Belle Epoque 1998, passed down through the generations, preciously stored in a private cellar in Perrier-Jouët for up to 100 years.

Just 200 guests from 10 countries attended the private launch, set in the stunning glass courtyard of the iconic Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, symbolizing Perrier-Jouët’s passionate family spirit for passing on artisanal and artistic craftsmanship. Guests enjoyed a unique exhibition of photographic portraits by legendary Studio Harcourt, showcasing iconic examples of family legacy including French movie stars Alain Delon and daughter Anouchka, American model and actress Jerry Hall and daughter Georgia May Jagger, Catherine Deneuve and son Christian Vadim, the world’s oldest Circus dynasty Patriarch Sampion Bouglione and son Francesco, France’s oldest jeweller Olivier Mellerio and daughter Emilie, and more.

The evening concluded with the unveiling of Daniel Arsham’s unique diptych sculpture, revealing glimpses of the bottles through an original and distinctive architecture, designed to express the philosophy of this champagne. “It was this spirit of Perrier-Jouët continuity that I wanted to illustrate by creating a diptych that combined both the essence of Perrier-Jouët and my universe. My initial inspiration came from Perrier-Jouët’s vines and its cellars, the detail of Emile Gallé’s anemone flower,” commented Daniel Arsham.

Perrier-Jouët Bi-Centenaire is available in very limited quantities (100 pieces only) at the Champagne House’s Boutique in Epernay and by appointment only including a privileged hospitality experience. It is also available through the exclusive Pernod Ricard network for an average RSP of 10,000 euros.

Via & Via

Jill Platner's Sculpture Garden

2011-05-04T20:13:00.005-04:00

On May 4th, Manhattan-based jewelry designer and artist, Jill Platner, will debut her large-scale copper, bronze and steel sculptures at a pop-up gallery next to her famed store on 113 Crosby St. Eleven works ranging in size from 4 feet to over 10 feet tall will be shown throughout the month of May and will be available for sale.

Though this is the first time Platner has collectively shown her sculptures, they were originally conceptualized years ago when she first began making jewelry; which she has always considered to be wearable art. With this group of work she was finally able to explore the mechanics of balance and weight on a much larger scale. Movement, gravity and connectivity are essential elements of her nature-inspired designs–allowing for the possibility of interactivity with the viewer, an integral component to her bold installation.

Platner’s “sculpture forest” is composed of hanging mobiles and standing pieces that will fill the gallery space. As Platner notes, “The work is meant to be touched and moved. I love the interaction that one can have with a sculptural piece”.

A FANTASY IN LIFE

2011-04-22T17:49:00.000-04:00

NAM are a collective of creative individuals encompassing photographers and graphic designers to make-up artists and stylists. There are "about" 10 members and their reluctance to define an exact quantity of collaborators speaks volumes to their philosophy and overall aesthetic.

Beginning this Friday (2/25) A Fantasy In Life opens at Public/Image.3D a multi-purpose event space in Shibuya. For the first time ever a number of Nam's previous works will be on display, as well as new work created specifically for this show.

The group was founded in 2006 by graphic designer Takayuki Nakazawa and photographer Hiroshi Manaka. Nakazawa talks about the groups beginnings in an interview here. He had enlisted Manaka to take a portrait of himself but, unsatisfied with the results of a conventional portrait, the two decided to take clippings from an old movie poster and collage it onto the face. Looking at this work Nakazawa recalled Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali's 16-minute dreamlike film Un Chien Andalou. Nakazawa confided in Manaka and the two, inspired by what the human psyche could create, began NAM. The naming is simply derived from the initials of the two founders. It's a nice story but it's also crucial in understanding the body of work that ensued over the next 4 years.

Perhaps the most striking characteristic of their work is the visual effects, or lack thereof; they employ none. Each scene is meticulously constructed using lots of strings, conventional photography and other old-school (and low-budget) techniques. It's hard to not notice the dream-like imagery that walks a thin line between fantasy and nonsensical. I personally find their work both mesmerizing as well as little scary. I find myself staring at their work, feeling like a helpless child who is trapped in some odd dream, unable to discern reality from fiction.

———————————–

NAM Exhibition | A FANTASY IN LIFE

Public/Image.3D (GMAP)

2011.2.25 – 3.13 (closed Mondays)

12:00 – 19:00 (reception on 2.25 opens at 19:00)

BEAUTY CULTURE

2011-04-19T16:02:00.004-04:00

BEAUTY CULTURE, a photographic exploration of how feminine beauty is defined, challenged and revered in modern society will open at The Annenberg Space for Photography on May 21, 2011 and runs through November 27, 2011. Featuring works from iconic photographers such as Albert Watson, Bert Stern, Herb Ritts, Man Ray, Jean-Paul Goude, Guy Bourdin, Horst, Melvin Sokolsky, Matthew Rolston, Philippe Halsman, Lauren Greenfield and Tyen, BEAUTY CULTURE encourages a social dialogue about the allure and mystique of the pursuit of female beauty, as well as the cult-like glorification and multi-billion dollar industries that surround it. Daring, provocative and at times controversial, the exhibition presents diverse viewpoints on beauty as it has evolved through the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibition compellingly illustrates the power of the still image in shaping cultural ideals and expectations of feminine beauty – and photography's undeniable influence on conceptions of the Self.

"As much as beauty can astonish and inspire, it can also corrupt and subvert, rendering all else - and even itself - broken and obsolete. The great contemporary photographers do so much more than chronicle and celebrate what is beautiful in our time. They dig beneath it, they confront our compulsion with it, and they turn art's mirror on ourselves as well. I can't think of a more important conversation for the Annenberg Space to have," says Wallis Annenberg, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation.
Other noted photographers and visual artists in the exhibit include: Andres Serrano, Carrie Mae Weems, Chuck Close, David LaChapelle, Ellen von Unwerth, Erwin Blumenfeld, Gilles Bensimon, Greg Gorman, Leonard Nimoy, Lillian Bassman, Lynn Johnson, Martin Schoeller, Mary Ellen Mark, Michel Comte, Nino Munoz, Norman Jean Roy, ORLAN, Patrick Demarchelier, Paul Lange, Robert Maxwell, Terry Richardson and William Claxton.

Showcasing images of performers, professional models and pop-culture icons, BEAUTY CULTURE features portrait and editorial images of Alek Wek, Angelina Jolie, Anja Rubik, Beverly Johnson, Bo Derek, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Cheryl Tiegs, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Crystal Renn, Du Juan, Elizabeth Taylor, Gisele Bundchen, Grace Jones, Helena Christensen, Hilary Swank, Iman, Jean Shrimpton, Kate Moss, Kristen McMenamy, Lakshmi Menon, Linda Evangelista, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Megan Fox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nadja Auermann, Nancy Kwan, Naomi Campbell, Sophia Loren, Stephanie Seymour, Tatjana Patitz and Venus Williams.

Through the following themes, BEAUTY CULTURE will examine both traditional and unconventional definitions of beauty:

What Size Is Beauty?
What Color Is Beauty?
Beauty, Inc.: The $300 Billion Cosmetics Industry
Beauty for Money: The Professional Model
Beauty from Cradle to Grave
Dreams on Paper: The Pin-Up Girl
Extreme Beauty
Pageant Culture
Reaction and Revolution
The Hollywood Glamour Machine: Vamps, Vixens and Bombshells
The Marilyn Syndrome
Androgyny

In addition to over 170 photographs featured in the print gallery, BEAUTY CULTURE will showcase nearly 500 digital images in vivid detail on high-resolution screens in our Digital Gallery. The exhibition is accompanied by a short documentary film directed by acclaimed photographer and award-winning documentarian Lauren Greenfield, shown in the Digital Gallery. The digital film expands upon the print exhibit's themes, and features interviews with well-known photographers, models, historians and beauty experts who will guide visitors on a fascinating photographic exploration of the culture – and cult – of beauty.

The IRIS Nights lecture series will continue BEAUTY CULTURE's dialogue and examination of the impact of photography on the image of women. Cutting-edge photographers, filmmakers and stylists will discuss their work and stories from their creative quests to project, capture, reshape or challenge the prevailing vision of feminine ideals.

Manon Slome- critic, independent curator and founder of No Longer Empty- is the exhibition consultant. The curatorial advisor for this exhibit is Kohle Yohannan, author and cultural historian.

Via

Karl Lagerfeld Designs Pop-Up Schwarzkopf Store

2011-03-16T09:42:00.013-04:00

Karl Lagerfeld has designed a pop-up hair salon and concept store for Schwarzkopf in his home town of Düsseldorf, reports WWD today.

The German city – also home of the Schwarzkopf hair care brand – will play host to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in April.

The Lagerfeld’s Schwarzkopf Lightbox by Karl Lagerfeld, which will stay open for four weeks from April 16 before moving on to Milan and Paris.

The 3-storey Lightbox salon, café and shop will offer hair care and colour workshops from Schwarzkopf, as well as events with musicians and well-known stylists.

The outer walls of the store will be decorated with silhouettes of models such as Coco Rocha and Lagerfeld muse Baptiste Giabiaconi, as well as an image of the designer himself.

Intrigued? Appointments can be made immediately at schwarzkopf.de or directly in the salon! Every visitor who spends at least 15 Euro will receive a shopping bag designed exclusively by Lagerfeld.

Via

Not Just A Container

2011-03-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

Urban Space presents ‘NOT JUST A CONTAINER’, a competition to uncover the most creative and innovative use for a shipping container to be located in a downtown Brooklyn retail location.

Geared towards the design and emerging entrepreneurial community, “NOT JUST A CONTAINER” is a competition to re-imagine a recycled shipping container as shelter for art, commerce or agriculture.

The winner will build their concept at Dekalb Market, a new community destination coming to downtown Brooklyn’s Fulton Mall this spring. Dekalb Market, housed in a collection of salvaged shipping containers, will bring together Brooklyn’s creative entrepreneurs in a community setting that will include an incubator farm, food market, events and performance venue, and a collection of eateries and work-sell spaces.

The goal of the competition is to support the growth of Brooklyn’s creative community by helping a local entrepreneur realize his or her dream of opening a bricks and mortar location and to raise awareness of the Dekalb Market.

In the spirit of the Dekalb Market, Contestants will be judged on the following:

KEY CRITERIA. Design Quality, Sustainability, Community Impact, and Entrepreneurship.

SUGGESTIONS. Uses for the space could be, but are not limited to: a farm structure, store, art installation, work-sell space, restaurant, sports and music venue.

PRIZES. Our winner will be awarded with a container license (work/sell space) rent free for six months, $3K design/construction budget and free consultation, select construction materials from Green Depot, one year membership to 3rd Ward, one year membership to the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, press exposure and online feature at www.dekalbmarket.com.

SCHEDULE. Your entry deadline is April 9, 2011 11:59pm EST. Construction will start at the Market opening date. The five top finalists, selected on April 19, 2011 by our panel of architects, designers, artists, media partners and entrepreneurs, will be featured on the Dekalb Market Facebook page for public voting until April 30th. On May 1, 2011, Urban Space will announce the winner according to the tallied public votes on its Facebook page.

CONTAINER SPECS. Designs must conform to an 8’ wide by 20’ long by 9.5’ high ISO steel shipping container. Second and third prizes may be awarded to conceptual entries but 1st prize will be awarded to a buildable entry. External interventions, depending upon specifics, may or may not be possible to implement on site. More information can be found here.

A Look at the Smallest Car in the U.S.

2011-01-26T08:27:00.001-05:00

Via: Smart Cars are teeny-tiny vehicles that get amazing gas mileage and can park anywhere. The Fortwo is the smallest gasoline-powered, street-legal vehicle for sale in the United States, a good choice for urban commuters...

p.s. This is a very clever viral Car Insurance campaign.

The world's largest aquarium // ATL GA

2011-01-16T12:31:00.003-05:00

This made me happy today.
... So I'm sharing it with you.

the world's largest aquarium // ATL.GA from stillmotion on Vimeo.

Is Your Brain Built For Twitter?

2011-01-04T08:22:00.003-05:00

A new study reveals that there is a correlation between the size of someone’s social network and the size of their Amygdala. Through magnetic resonance brain scans, researchers were able to prove people with larger Amygdala’s have richer and more complex social connections both online and in real life. Researchers say the brain developed to cope with mankind’s more hectic social life.Magnetic resonance imaging scans found a positive link between big amygdalas and the richest social lives. Professor Lisa Barrett, a psychologist at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, reported the findings in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

She said they were consistent with the social brain theory, which suggests the human amygdala evolved to deal with an increasingly complex social world. Other studies of primates have shown that those living in larger groups tend to have larger amygdalas. [From The Daily Mail.]

This would mean that many people who are self-professed experts at social media may be predisposed to excel at the technology. It would also appear to suggest that social media is not necessarily a replacement for personal socializing but simply an extension of pre-established social ability. Although social media is not mentioned in the study it is interesting to speculate how this might relate to the increasing importance of social technologies in our culture.

Interesting, isn't it?!

Via Original Post: http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/twitter-spot-brain.html

Museo Casa de la Memoria

2010-10-23T08:28:00.006-04:00

A collective of Colombian architects have designed a memorial museum for Medellín, Colombia, to commemorate victims of conflict.

Separated into three floors, the building's main exhibition spaces will be located at ground level, with archives on the first floor and an auditorium, cafe, workshop spaces and offices in the basement. The building will be supported internally by portico and concrete slabs, with an outer metallic skeleton supporting the facades and roof. The roof lights will allow indirect natural light to enter the top-level archive space.

Centered on the Santa Elena Stream around which the city developed, new leisure facilities will include an open theater and an interactive cascade of water. The museum will form part of a larger park commissioned to commemorate the country's 200th year of independence. The scheme has been commissioned by EDU, the Urban Development Corporation of Medellin.

The park is in its first phase of construction with work on the museum beginning in early January 2011.

Via

Meet Matthew Williamson

2010-10-20T12:36:00.003-04:00

Matthew Williamson will be hosting a book signing at his Meatpacking District boutique tomorrow night.

Matthew Williamson Book Signing

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

6:30pm

415 West 14th Street

NYC

RSVP: info@matthewwilliamson.com

Hermès to Launch New Hermessence: Iris Ukiyoé

2010-10-19T19:17:00.002-04:00

The house of Hermès will launch their latest and 9th addition to the Hermessence collection of boutique fragrances called Iris Ukiyoé this November. Composed by in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, the perfume is inspired by the genre of Japanese wood-block painting known as Ukiyo-e and meaning "images of the floating world." Centered on the iris flower rather than on its roots, Iris Ukiyoé is composed like a Japanese bouquet full of nuances and paradoxes.

A Day At The Carnival

2010-10-01T09:01:00.005-04:00

the schueberfouer from Vitùc on Vimeo.

Why Design Now?

2010-09-30T17:27:00.007-04:00

How can we power the world with clean energy? How can we improve the quality of life through health-care innovations? Design has emerged as a powerful tool to help businesses offer ingenious and often disruptive solutions to the world's most complex problems.

Join GE & Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum for a day of inspiration and insights into design as a problem-solving tool. For more information, visit http://www.cooperhewitt.org/designconference/.

The quince pouch

2010-09-30T17:21:00.010-04:00

I came across this pouch and thought it's worth a spotlight. This clutch is made of military surplus cotton tent canvas and vegetable tanned leather. Webbing surplus strap handle and organic cotton twill lining. Simple, practical... beautiful.

Leather colors: cognac (pictured), black, chocolate brown.
Available in shops & online this October.

A love potion indeed

2010-09-28T15:37:00.004-04:00

One of three love potions from an exquisite collection of scents, this unforgettable fiery fragrance is inspired by the Aztec love potion, a very naughty and ancient magical concoction. It was said that Emperor Moctezuma drank up to fifty cups a day before visiting the women in his harem… then offered to Cortez in 1519. Decadent chocolate and hot red pepper come together in sensual explosion for the bewitching hour.

What an exquisite scent! L'Artisan Parfumeur Piment Brulant perfume is available at MiN New York at 117 Crosby Street in New York City or online at MiN.com. $135 US. Suitable for both men and women.

Bottega Veneta RTW Spring 2011

2010-09-28T15:24:00.002-04:00

Cool shades, inspired by the concrete jungle, meets soft fabric, Tomas Maier's Spring 2011 collection is unstructured and sporty.

"I'm not inspired by red carpet events or the little starlets who pose in front of those logo-printed walls," said Maier.

"I'm inspired to make clothes for women."

Via

3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2011 RTW

2010-09-16T08:50:00.003-04:00

Via

Hermès Unveils Chinese Luxury Brand

2010-09-16T08:32:00.002-04:00

Hermès International will today take a major step for a Western brand in China, unveiling a new brand created specifically for one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury markets.

Shang Xia, which means “up down” in Chinese, will today unveil its first store in the Hong Kong Plaza mall here to display a full range of lifestyle products, including clothing, accessories, furniture and porcelain.

“Our philosophy is timelessness, simplicity, lightness and functionality,” said the brand’s artistic director, Jiang Qiong Er, adding she drew her inspiration from Chinese philosophy. “It is the meeting of the opposites, as in the Yi Ching ‘up and down,’ the ying and the yang, the woman and the man, the sky and the earth.”

The elegant and ethereal 1,300-square-foot store, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, features a translucent, whitish glass facade. Inside, white fabric petals drape from the ceiling and walls to give the space a dreamy feel. The store opens to the public Friday.

Hermès International has been working on the project for about three years. A chance meeting between Patrick Thomas, chief executive officer of Hermès, and Jiang, a Shanghai designer who had created Hermès display windows in China, proved to be the right fit. The 33-year-old Jiang, a graduate of Tongji University in Shanghai and the Decorative Arts School in Paris, was running her own design studio at the time. After she was officially tapped to head the project, Jiang hired a team of 30 Chinese designers to create Shang Xia. To honor the Chinese heritage, Jiang has focused on craftsmanship of the past and given it a contemporary, minimalist twist.

Hermès is the second major Western fashion brand — but probably won’t be the last — to create a label specifically for the Chinese market. Levi Strauss & Co. last month launched a collection specifically for China, South Korea and Singapore called Denizen, with a plan to open 50 stores by the end of the year.

Thomas, who is traveling in China, said investing in a new brand seemed like the best way to tap into the fast-growing Chinese market for luxury goods. “Instead of buying another company, we thought, ‘Why not create a brand from the ground up that shares our philosophy — outstanding quality, creativity, and strong style?’” he said.

The executive declined to disclose investment figures or sales projections for the new store, but said he was proud of how it came together.

“We have no sales target for Shang Xia. We have only one target — to surprise our customers. We want to show the world the strong tradition of China, a tradition of thousands of years,” he said in a phone interview.

Thomas said Hermès is taking it slow with the new brand. The current plan is for a store to open in Paris next year, and a third store to open in Beijing within a few years.

“We are going to take it step by step, and slowly,” he said.

Thomas quickly pointed out that Hermès itself waited six years to open its second store in China after only entering the market in 1997. Clearly Hermès didn’t feel the need to rush with Shang Xia; the French company said late last year that the new brand was originally scheduled to launch in the spring.

The Shang Xia clothing line puts the focus on craftsmanship, with all the cashmere knits woven by hand and the silk border also sewn on by hand. A sculptural cashmere felt jacket can only be made to order. Distinctly Asian shapes and minimal lines dominate the apparel offerings, including angular shawls and drapes in very light woven cashmeres. Crumpled scarves in silk and cashmere give off a bohemian vibe.

Prices range from 180 yaun, or $26.67, for a pochette scarf to 1,800 yuan, or $266.68, for a cashmere separate to 35,000 yuan, or $5,185, for a piece of fine jewelry.

Jiang said an eggshell porcelain tea set epitomizes the brand’s philosophy. The pieces are inspired by classical Chinese designs, and handcrafted by masters in the city of Nantong. Finely hand-woven bamboo baskets made by weavers in Sichuan finish off the set.

“We want to be understated, low-profile,” said Jiang.

Even though some luxury market observers consider Chinese customers to be flashy and ostentatious, Jiang doesn’t appear fazed.

“Our brand is not for everyone,” she said. “But I know there are Chinese who will respond to our quality and excellence, Chinese who are looking to discover their roots. Of course we need to get feedback from the market. We will evolve.”

Via

Scent of a Parisian secret summer night

2010-08-11T15:49:00.003-04:00

Parisian summer nights are too romantic to be resisted. The bright lights and vibrating Paris night life are intoxicating, almost hypnotic. They have a kind of transparent grace about them, a secret sensuality, a disturbing magic that electrifies the senses.

With NUIT DE TUBEREUSE, L’Artisan Parfumeur, the daring alchemist, working with master perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, offers a new and tender look at tuberose, darling of the night. A contemporary tuberose - a secret, almost narcotic perfume you want to feel on your skin, with an attraction that expresses itself according to the moment and the way it evolves on the skin, in multiple and astonishing ways.

Built around an absolute of tuberose, this magnificent perfume magnifies every single facet of this mysterious, ambivalent flower.

The top note is delicately spicy (a hot and cold bouquet of cardamom, clove absolute, pink berries and pepper) and citrus fruits which turn to velvet beside sweet notes of tender but highly narcotic white flowers (tuberose, orange blossom and ylang-ylang). Rose takes its place in the form of essential oil and absolute to give the floral heart notes warmth and color. Mango gives it that touch of sparkle. An almost mineral vibration that emanates from tuberose root mingles with angelica in an unusual harmony. Gorse absolute strengthens its mellow but slightly tangy aspect. And its base vibrates in concert with an ensemble of rare woods ranging from sandalwood to pallissander, glazed with sensual musks and enveloping balms (benzoin, styrax)

Nuit de Tubéreuse, the perfume of a secret summer night in Paris. A luminous harmony built around the ambivalence of tuberose, pure and innocent, poetic in its exaltation and an almost narcotic sensuality.

Grand Re-Opening of H&M Soho

2010-08-11T12:16:00.002-04:00

Join H&M at 558 Broadway at Prince on Thursday, August 12th at 10AM as they unveil their new look. The first 300 people in line will receive giveaways and a gift card valued up to $300.

American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity

2010-08-08T14:24:00.006-04:00

To mark the new relationship between the Brooklyn Museum and the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum presents an exhibition of some of the most renowned objects from its costume collection. American High Style consists of approximately eighty-five dressed mannequins and a selection of hats, shoes, sketches, and other fashion-related material that will reintroduce the collection, long in storage, to the public. The exhibition is organized in groups representing the most important strengths of the collection. Works by the first generation of American women designers such as Bonnie Cashin, Elizabeth Hawes, and Claire McCardell are featured, as well as material created by Charles James, Norman Norell, Gilbert Adrian, and other important American designers. Also included are works by French designers who had an important influence on American women and fashion, such as Charles Frederick Worth, Elsa Schiaparelli, Jeanne Lanvin, Jeanne Paquin, Madeleine Vionnet, and Christian Dior. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will celebrate the arrival of the Brooklyn Museum costume collection at the Met with a related exhibition, American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity, on view May 5–August 15, 2010.

The first Costume Institute exhibition drawn from the newly established Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Met, this collection explores developing perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940 and how they have affected the way American women are seen today. Focusing on archetypes of American femininity through dress, the exhibition reveals how the American woman initiated style revolutions that mirrored her social, political, and sexual emancipation. "Gibson Girls," "Bohemians," and "Screen Sirens," among others, helped lay the foundation for today's American woman.

Go to Flickr for gallery views and behind-the-scenes photos of the exhibition.

How do you like them apples?

2010-08-02T12:41:00.003-04:00

Brooklyn based artist Julia Chiang has created a unique edition of 50 glazed porcelain apples available at OHWOW. Chiang is drawn to the apple both as a symbol of desire and as an icon of the city of New York. Each apple is approximately 3” high x 3 1/2” diameter and includes a signed and numbered card. According to Chiang, "Most of what I do reveals the unevenness and imperfection of my hand." "I am interested more in what are viewed as flaws rather than perfection, and in finding objects and materials that hold a story and history."

Nitrogen ice cream parlour

2010-07-30T07:40:00.013-04:00

‘One scoop or two’ is so last season. Traditional ice cream outlets are undergoing an epic makeover with three new ventures in the capital guaranteed to get us excited come rain or shine. The Chin Chin Laboratorists in Camden is Europe’s first nitrogen ice cream parlour, Spitalfields' Le Bouchon Breton is launching Le Palais du Glaces.

Inspired by the likes of Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal, former city broker, Ahrash Akbari-Kalhur and his wife Nyisha Weber gave up their jobs two years ago to research nitro ice cream and now their labours have paid off with the opening of their first venture.

Bespoke flavours from vanilla to the more exotic basil are mixed in seconds in front of wide eyed customers via an ingenious process which sees liquid nitrogen hosed into a metal jug from a 180 litre tank. Staff wearing leather gloves and safety glasses - looking more like mad scientists than Mr Whippy – top off the concoctions with violet marshmallow or peanut brittle and you’re good to go!

Apart from the unmistakeable wow factor, this instant freezing avoids the tiny ice crystals present in regular ice cream so the result is an altogether smoother taste sensation. The redoubtable duo are even investigating a glow-in-the-dark version!

However if molecular ice leaves you cold, then Le Bouchon Breton’s giant brandy glass style coupes served at the new Palais du Glaces are surely the haute cuisine of frozen pudd. Breton’s pastry chef has devised a repertoire of classic French style sundaes. Served up in giant goldfish bowls and intricate sugar lattice work, you’re not quite sure whether to dig in or just gaze in awe. We’d recommend the former though when it comes to the Chocolat and Hazelnut Liegois with white, dark and vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, crushed hazelnuts and Frangelico Chantilly cream.

101 Cookbooks shows us how to make liquid nitrogen icn cream at home.

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Recipe

4 cups whole organic milk
1 vanilla bean, split
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place three cups of the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla bean over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining 1 cup milk into a large glass measuring cup. Add the sugar and the cornstarch. Mix well.

When the milk starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and pour in the cornstarch mixture, stirring the whole time. Return the saucepan to medium-low and stir, stir, stir, until things start thickening up, 10 to 12 minutes. It should end up thicker than, say, a runny milkshake, but thinner than a frosty one.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a mixing bowl, whisk in the vanilla extract, and let it cool on the counter for 20 minutes or so. I like to then chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight until it is completely chilled.

Now you are ready to place this mixture in a metal-bowl mixer and do the liquid nitrogen thing (see above links and do your safety reading and research first), or you can just freeze this using the manufacturer's instructions on a standard ice-cream maker.

Serves 6.Via

Links for 2008-07-02 [del.icio.us]

2008-07-03T00:00:00-07:00

Comme des Garçons builds niche perfume empire

Links for 2008-04-14 [del.icio.us]

2008-04-15T00:00:00-07:00

Garbage Island - Part 1 of 12 - VBS.TV

Links for 2008-04-12 [del.icio.us]

2008-04-13T00:00:00-07:00

welovebeauty.com

Links for 2008-04-06 [del.icio.us]

2008-04-07T00:00:00-07:00

Tree Seedling by Jouko Karkkainen

Links for 2008-04-02 [del.icio.us]

2008-04-03T00:00:00-07:00

Couples who work together enjoy close relationship :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Lifestyles

Links for 2008-03-27 [del.icio.us]

2008-03-28T00:00:00-07:00

Hedwig And The Angry Inch - Origin Of Love (Japanese)
When the earth was still flat,
And the clouds made of fire,
And mountains stretched up to the sky,
Sometimes higher,
Folks roamed the earth
Like big rolling kegs.
They had two sets of arms.
They had two sets of legs.
They had two faces peering
Ou

Links for 2008-03-17 [del.icio.us]

2008-03-18T00:00:00-07:00

To feel good is to look good