Art

Black Swan’s costumes may have been snubbed by the Academy Awards, but designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte are garnering a win with their Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles exhibit slated to open tomorrow, March 4.  Curated by MOCA Associate Curator Rebecca Morse and designed by Alexandre de Betak, Rodarte: State of Matter features conceptual vignettes showcasing the sisters’ creations as sculptures. It’s the first West Coast solo show for the designers, UC Berkeley grads who’re known for their artsy and often dreamy creations. Amongst the featured pieces include looks from the Fall 2008 and Spring 2010 runway shows, as well as those Black Swan dancers’ costumes that got so much controversial press earlier this year. Continue…

For those of us not lucky enough to run off to the haute couture collections, find solace in fact that winter sales are as common as paint-splattered jeans in Lower East Side. We’ve been big admirers of Andrew Yang & The Kouklitas’ runway dolls since they launched for Fashion’s Night Out this past September. With their straight from the runway designer looks and handmade fashionable sulks, it’s dolls for the anti-Barbie set. Now the collectibles are available at a steep discount at Barneys. They’re still going for $499 a pop (down from $1,350), but at least we can dream of owning the whole set.

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Despite early predictions that street culture would be a trend, the urban fashion-y meets graffiti aesthetic keeps on growing and changing and morphing. While many American heads were turned toward Colette’s Parisian take on street and high fashion, the artsy folks up north in Denmark were taking notice of Oslo native Martin Whatson. The young Norweigian stencil artist (with obvious nods to Banksy) has attracted buzz as of late over his blend of logos, street graffiti and fine art. Those willing to brave winter temps in Scandinavia will be rewarded with Whatson’s solo show, What Have I Done?, at Black Pop Gallery kicking off February 4. Continue…

It’s a good thing fashion illustrator aleXsandro Palombo doesn’t live in NYC, because chances are the reigning queen of fashion Anna Wintour may not take kindly to the latest round of Humor Chic editions. The alleged ice queen is showcased in all kinds of compromising positions with “Doh!”, Mr. Homer Simpson. Although, we do have to say Anna rocks a teddy with panache. Continue…

There are some rare creatives who inspire just as many of their contemporaries when they were alive and kicking as they do posthumously. Fashion photog Helmut Newton is known for his woman-power black and white shots (most notably of Nadja Auermann) and while his imagery evokes a certain type of ’80s empowerment, on closer inspection it’s rather timeless. Woman power in fashion will always be an issue – inevitably when we’re talking clothing women or featuring them with a lack thereof, the same ol’ questions of objectivity, beauty and empowerment come into play. For Helmut fans,  a three photographer ode curated by wife June Newton is under way at Clic Gallery in NYC. Continue…

We were going through our overflowing inbox, when what do we see? Our own Bee-Shyuan Chang in a sexy Humor Chic illustration by aleXsandro Palombo with strawberries raining and boobage overflowing. Suffice it to say there was some blushing in the office today, but when the satire company includes Anna Wintour and Hillary Clinton, what’s not to love?

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We’ve read somewhere before that for guys who prefer women, staring at boobs can cause a sense of calming satisfaction that includes lowered blood pressures. Well, the edgy folks at Six Scents Parfums are taking boob stress relief to a whole new level. The company has taken over The Standard Hotel Miami with a pool installation of 300 stress release squeezable boobs bobbing in the water. There’s also a selection of specially commissioned films for the project including today’s selection (Dec. 2), “Boobs and Flowers” by Olaf Breuning. And of course for you experimental types, this year’s limited edition of fragrances from the company is available for purchase. Eau de Boob coming up next?

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Miami Art Basel, the hot-blooded brethren to the more serious Switzerland art fair, officially kicks off tomorrow, but not before some pre-opener antics. The New York art set is in heading South with two notable stops tonight. First up, Creative Time is launching “Oceanfront Nights,” a four-city experimentation on the artistic process. Tonight’s program features Detroit (the city needs someone on their side) while the next days will highlight other burgeoning artist centers (aka places with cheap rent) Mexico City, Berlin and Glasgow. See full schedule below. Continue…

For anybody who can call themselves a fan of fashion photography, Cecil Beaton’s influence runs in the same family as Avedon, Penn and Elgort. For fashion-philes, Beaton has mostly been remembered as a photographer with an eye for capturing portraits – Pablo Picasso was a famous subject – but the Brit also had other creative enterprises including designing costume for the theater and, in a firm rebuttal against those who poo poo craft, a scrapbook devotee. Now Assouline is releasing images from Beaton’s never before published visual diary via the tome Cecil Beaton: The Art of the Scrapbook. Going for $250 a pop at Assouline stores and via Assouline.com, it’s not exactly a bargain book, but the 392-page hardcover will make for a beautiful gift for admiring aesthetes. Continue…

We’re relieved the latest book to come across our desk isn’t some reality TV star’s ghostwritten memoir. Instead, it’s this quirky, imaginative tome by Paris design duo M/M.  While having worked on many a magazine (Interview notably), this is the duo’s first foray into book publishing. Titled The Alphadicks, expect a sort of phallic insurgency. The limited edition (1,000 copies will be made) will feature the drawings of Mathias Augustyniak, one-half of the famously admired duo, inspired by Willy Vandeperre’s photography work. Another Interview alum, Glenn O’Brien, offers up some pithy captions. It’s the coffee table book of the season so snatch it up before prices skyrocket. Here’s a sneak peek before you commit. Available at Colette for $56.34. Continue…