In a Storm

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I’ve been a bit off the map because I’ve been really sick with some mono virus for like 6 weeks and I’ve mostly been asleep during that time. It really sucks! But at least I’ve had some great entertainment to keep me company, which is what I am posting about.

I don’t really watch SNL nowadays, but I AM sad that the Stefon skits have come to their finality due to the departure of super-babe/ideal husband Bill Hader. He was basically the only reason I still had any interest in the show, so now I have none!

Also in the world of television entertainment, Mindy Kaling’s show “The Mindy Project” wrapped its first season and will be back for a second. She is an absolute RIOT- seriously makes me almost pee a new body of water with each episode- and the writing team is full of talent. Also, what girl doesn’t want to be best friends with Mindy K? I daydream about us shoe shopping together (mostly her buying me shoes because we probably can’t afford the same stores). I need to read her book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).

My friend Maitejosune Urrechaga had her art show opening at Swampspace in Miami, and she based the above painting on some of the photos I shot of her band Pocket of Lollipops. I love it and I love this girl!

One of the photos she drew inspiration from (photo by moi)

REAL EXCITED that my photographer friend Noa Azoulay mailed me this print of hers, which I’ve wanted since before we got to know each other. I’m honored to have a piece of work from that piece of work. Hehe!

Also, how cool is Noa’s STUNNING bungalow that was featured on Apartment Therapy?

Excited to read this book by one of my favorite authors Tom Robbins!

Soundtrack of the day.

The Teenage Mind is On Parade

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My friend Daniel is a special one. He wears black boots, a leather jacket, one hanging dagger earring and muscle tee’s. He looks like one of the vampires from The Lost Boys. He likes rock n’ roll, his disheveled Pee-Wee Herman doll, movies from the 80′s, troubled youth stories, The Winchester Mystery House, suburban punks, lost Americana, spooky shit and old educational films to name a few. He plays in a rock band called The Vigils.

Daniel started a painting series based on his interpretation of different types of outcasted teens- from their perspective. He found the photo of that boy below out of a big bin at the Melrose Trading Post fleamarket in LA, and he painted accordingly. He calls him “Chase”.

Daniel was clearly of the troubled youth variety himself, attending reform school and detention centers for all boys. They shaved his head. He wrote a book about it all. It is great and so is he.

Here are 2 interpretations on this character by a couple of Daniel’s pals, which I liked:

“First off, it’s visually enticing. Secondly, I think Chase is playing a little joke here. The teenage mind is on parade and being mocked on all of its traditional stereotypes. It transcends generations even, with the mention of Ozzy and LSD. Do kids even know what those things are? I thought they liked Blink182 and ecstasy these days. He doesn’t appear that dangerous to himself or others. One of those kids that’s mostly talk with the occasional detention from innocuous shenanigans just to make him look edgy enough to the other kids. He’s still pretty pissed that his parents got divorced last year but his dad tries to compensate by taking him to big arena metal concerts at any opportunity.”
“I can totally see the kid who drew this. Jean jacket, patches, and longish hair. Right now he is skipping class and getting stoned with his friends in the woods behind the school.  Sharing some whiskey he stole from his step-dad.  Fuck this school man!”

Here’s the trailer for a short film he made called “Sneak Out!”

Little Triggers

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Pick up the new issue of Whitewall Magazine because it’s a really gorgeous publication and also I have a couple of photos inside!

Reminding myself of this message that hangs in my friend Melissa’s bedroom

These pictures hail from an adorable Scandinavian craft blog and unfortunately I can’t find the link anymore! Also, unless you speak Swedish you wouldn’t understand what it says anyway.

Some very darling interiors I found on Pinterest

Two books I ordered as research for a collage project I’m working on that explores the connection between alchemy and the atomic age

Leather darling Zana Bayne has a super fun Tumblr called Game of Thrones Runway in which she takes a screen cap from a costume in a current GOT episode and puts side by side with a runway piece that resembles it. I love this one of Daenerys Targaryen with some Giambattista!

Kim Gordon for Saint Laurent. I love this beautiful and strong artist so.

My friend Jamie posted this picture of her friend-hosted high tea in Tennessee. I love the care that went into this preparation, and I myself want to serve high teas for good friends.

If you’re in the NYC area- definitely check out this amazing exhibition that opens tonight! MUSHROOM HUNTERS on behalf of one of my favorite publications, The Journal

Aaand also if you’re in the New York area, head over to Dashwood Books for this book signing on the 15!

But if you’re in the Miami area… TOMORROW (Saturday) is my friend Maite’s solo show at Swampspace, so you definitely need to check it out!

Plus Size Models for H&M? OMG

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It’s actually really sad that I have “congratulate” H&M on casting a “plus-size” model for their catalogue. It’s absolutely insane that these photographs of a fuller-figured woman are SO RARELY SEEN throughout advertising and media. You would never see a female with this figure wearing a bikini in a lead role in todays movies; however, this body type is much more the norm than let’s say Jessica Pare’ parading around in a bra and underwear on Mad Men. Why do we live in a world where we are told that it’s shameful to be womanly? That we shouldn’t take up space and that we should be frail? Where looking sickly or like a teenage boy is praised while standing strong and voluptuous with natural curves is frowned upon?

I saw this picture posted today- the infamous “hunch over and squeeze your waist” pose that has been plastered all over West Village/Soho billboards for well over a decade now- and I realized that this is far more commonplace than any of the H&M images I posted here. How do you think this disconnect from reality translates to the female public on a day-to-day basis? Being surrounded by these politics and guidelines is mentally unhealthy.

Frankly, I’m tired of the conversation, and I’m even more tired of there being minuscule changes within the world of casting. I am tired of the cheap marketing tactics that make us hate being in our own skin to ensure we’ll buy their low-calorie fucking yogurt. It is out of hand. I have no doubt that the general populace of women ages 18-30 has some form of disordered eating or body dysmorphia, and it’s even worse for younger girls. I can’t remember the last time I went out for a meal with a friend and one of us hasn’t gone through a slight panic attack at the portion size or opted for a salad instead of anything sandwiched in bread. I even think statements like this one can provoke negativity- the  scrutinization of how women look, or should look.

It’s devastating (as well as absurd) that these images of a STUNNING woman in H&M beach wear and clothing are ever-so SHOCKING. Marilyn Monroe is the most famous woman of all-time and her body was much like the model in these pictures.

To be clear; in no way do I think extremely skinny, tiny-boned women should be removed or replaced in the world of fashion and glamour, or that they are any “less” of a woman, but I do think the scale needs to be evened out and that the variety of shapes and sizes of women needs to be reconsidered, showcased and ENCOURAGED. I am tired of this conversation and the hysterics that surround it. It’s lazy advertising. Do better.

My Thoughts On The Met Gala (and all that could have been worn!)

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“I’m not chic: I could never be chic” – Sid Vicious

So last night was the Met Gala – celebrating the opening of the “Punk: Chaos to Couture” exhibition and I’m feeling strongly about it. It’s my understanding that there was to be a merging of punk + luxury. Apparently, celebrities took this as a cue to wear more eyeliner than usual and maybe dye their hair a different shade for the night if feeling *particularly* ballsy.

So, during this GALA “in the name of punk” (LOLZ ROFL LMAO) guests included: Kim Kardashian (who looked god awful in head-to-toe-and-finger-floral) and Kanye, Beyonce, Kate Bosworth, Taylor Swift (with a pink streak in her hair! SOPUNKROCK), Katie Holmes, Jessica Biel, Cameron Diaz, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, that “Gangnam Style” guy, Jessica Alba (wearing designer Tory Burch aka the bane of my existence), J-Lo and others. I couldn’t think of less edgy guests if I tried! Just kidding I could. Coldplay guy. He was there. THIS IS THE HEIGHT OF POP CULTURE IN 2013 HOW EMBARRASSING.

“Looking at the pictures from the MET Gala made me feel really weird. Like I was watching tailgaters at a Dave Matthews concert reminisce about how the early punk era and aesthetic has influenced their lifestyle and point of view. Actually it just sorta looked like a dELIA*s catalogue with models doing punk signs.” – my dear friend Jason Haaf

I personally feel very attached to punk themes- and I feel like last night was a display of cringeworthy theatrics when there is so much depth behind the concept. It created a similar feeling in me as when I’ve viewed old footage of a white person imitating other ethnicities- like Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I certainly don’t claim to be a punk- but youthful rebellion, anti-authoritarian ideologies, and DIY ethics resonate with me in an inmost way.

It angers me that all of these rich celebrities have access to the hands of our world’s most innovative fashion designers- they could have created such spectacular statements- and yet they looked like they were off to prom in the suburbs. It’s a bigger problem than what dress they had on- it’s the android expression being pumped out by agencies that worries me. I’m so bored of everyone playing it safe and being “lovely”. Where are the artists that push through confines and take chances? The fashion scene is characterless these days- especially in the US. At least Blondie performed!

And the one person actually associated with punk was cut off and censored, naturally. Viv was supporting Bradley Manning- a United States Army soldier who was arrested in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of having passed classified material to WikiLeaks: Here was an actual human with a real message; not just a talking head; and people didn’t want to hear it- they’d rather look at KIMYE.

Here are some memorable quotes via Twitter throughout the evening:

“The much-anticipated Kim Kardashian wears head-to-finger floral Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci.” – Style.com

“I’m feeling so good and so punk.” - Miley Cyrus in Marc Jacobs/Style.com

“Suzy Sue was the inspiration for January Jones’ beauty look.” – The Cut (LITERALLY WROTE SUZY SUE)

There were a few good looks, but I don’t feel like many really nailed the combination of punk WITH luxury- and even the ones that did were playing it safe. There were some really awesome looks, but these are the only ones I think did a good job of capturing the theme.

Coco Rocha in Emanuel Ungaro by Fausto Puglisi

Christina Ricci in Vivienne Westwood couture

Sarah Jessica Parker in a headpiece by Phillip Treacy and dress by Giles Deacon

Florence Welch in Givenchy couture

Sienna Miller in Burberry and Elizabeth Banks in an Atelier Versace dress

I don’t know who this chick Lilly Collins is, but I think she had the best overall look- in Moschino

Anyway, I had a bit of a manic-meltdown and heatedly exclaimed, “I NEED TO SEE MORE!” and then I researched haute couture over the past decade and made a giant collage and now it’s 1 in the morning.

So yeah, any of the following options would have been acceptable in my bratty opinion. I’m sorry, but there’s merit to what I’m saying, and no one that was or is a part of the punk movement would be content with how this charade was executed! It’s just annoying because the star-studded spectacle is exactly what this movement has tried to avoid. There used to be iconic performers that wanted to change things and it was powerful. Now they’re so manufactured and vacant. It’s kinda sad that Lady Gaga is the only one that does anything outside of the ordinary, and even she’s a total puppet.

Here’s an alternate universe if a punk gala was done RIGHT. (Also, there would be performances by some cool bands and not Kanye West floundering about).

*collage by me

Couture by: McQueen, John Galliano, Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy, Christian Lacroix and like one thing from Chanel because I don’t care for Chanel couture very much.

“It’s about trying to change the world, not just jumping around and spitting.” – Vivienne Westwood

“You know what style is? Truth and energy. Iggy Pop’s the most stylish person in the world and he’s naked all of the time. Style is the raw power of the truth” – Jimmy Web

“We wanted to strip everything down further, away from the showbiz theatricality of the glitter bands, and away from bluesiness and boogie. We wanted to be stark and hard and torn up, the way the world was” - Richard Hell

 

French Friday

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I’ve been nose deep in Stephanie LaCava’s book “An Extraordinary Theory of Objects: Memoir of an Outsider in Paris” which I’ve FINALLY gotten around to reading (far overdue) and I’ve been mesmerized by each and every page. Much like Stephanie, I’ve battled with a grim shadow of depression and anxiety throughout my life; and I too find solace in collecting treasures, relics from the past, and expanding my knowledge in culture. Her stories in France have yet again made me long for the Parisian lifestyle; browsing museums and fleamarkets, grabbing history and beauty by my very hands. Here are some pictures that are tying me over until that day will come.

Photos via The Paris Apartment and Trouvais

Edward Mobley Squeak Toys

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I’m a bit of an unconventional girl, it seems. For instance, I’d rather receive a vintage Edward Mobley squeak toy (of the animal variety only) for a gift instead of… say… nice jewelry.

I first discovered these treasures on a blog that featured a home tour; someone had a collection of them within an IKEA bookshelf, and I was immediately taken. Something about Mobley’s characters is so haunting and nightmarish, yet at the same time all the more adorable. The eyes remind me of porcelain Chinese dolls, vintage barbies, the Big Boy Burger mascot, and eyes that follow you from beyond a painting – all rolled up into one. They were distributed in the 50′s and 60′s.

Their inset stationary eyes open and close, they have molded and painted hair, they squeak and they’re spray painted in odd pattens. It’s hard for me to call them kitsch when to me they are such fascinating works of art!