by Mya Stark “Dream on” is the perpetual motto of artist, illustrator and designer Alia Penner. Raised in the sylvan groves of LA counter-culture haven Topanga Canyon, Penner makes psychedelic,…
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Certain things come to mind when the words “modeling agency” are mentioned. Rarely do those things include cabaret artists, stand-up comedians or burlesque performers. The new Berlin-based agency WeAreUnlikeYou aims…
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Like the scream of a frightened soul coming face to face with a monster, “Arrrgh!” is the title of a recently opened exhibition at Parisian gallery Gaité Lyrique, which deals with “monsters in fashion.” The playfully extravagant exhibition, running through 7 April, is based on the first comprehensive investigation…
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Seven everyday options that double as halloween costumes
For those who prefer comfort over the whole-nine-yards costumes—or if you’re just looking to save some cash and effort this holiday—we looked to our favorite jackets and other everyday clothing to double as your get-up. Intended as inspiration, why not turn the below frog costume into a pea-in-a-pod? The black down poncho-slash-coat could just as easily be a black cat too.
Everyone needs a great transitional jacket, and Nike’s Hybrid Destroyer is just about as versatile as it gets. Pair it with a few pieces of baseball paraphernalia for a major league costume this Halloween. The jacket sells from 6pm for $96, Starter’s Wiffle ball Snap back for No Mas goes for $30, Homage‘s fitted ball cap and tribute to the legendary Woody Hayes sells for $40. Round it out with the Japanese Nokona Buckaroo Series for $200 from Ball Glove Warehouse.
Clothe your crime-fighting alter ego with Zara’s new hooded trench. A great fall investment for inclement days, it also doubles as a Halloween costume to channel any favorite detective. (Inspector Gadget is our gumshoe of choice.) Complete the look with a wool fedora, magnifying glass and pipe. The double-breasted trench sells for $190 at Zara, the Borsalino hat goes for $350 at J. J. Hat Center and the vintage magnifying glass sells for $250 from Gilai Collectibles. For a touch of humor, slap on a classic fake mustache.
As if you needed a holiday to wrap the wee one in this adorable bunny sweatshirt— Talc’s critter hoodie adds both warmth and charm this Halloween—all it needs is a carrot for the full effect. The zip-front sweatshirt sells for $78 at Sweet William, with the toy carrot for $7 at Toy Boxes.
There’s no chance of trick-or-treating chills with a down onesie from Patagonia. Pair it with a foam frog mask for the cutest amphibian in town. The Patagonia Infant Down Sweater Bunting sells online for $130 and the foam mask can be picked up for $8.
For a Halloween costume that combines retro Rainbow Brite with supreme functionality—not to mention relatively high performance potential for a pair of flamboyant footwear—the North Face Gotham boots do the trick when worn with any candy-colored coat or clothing on top—bonus points for a hat and scarf. The boots sell for $120 from The North Face and the ultra-light down jacket can be found for $80 at Uniqlo stores. Check MoMA for the scarf ($48) and hat ($35).
The Nau Down Stole works not only for a fall-to-winter shift, but across costumes as well. When paired with a vintage broom and a custom satin peak hat, the jacket morphs itself into a nice, warm witch’s cloak. It’s $230 at Nau. Add a vintage broom ($48) or one from your kitchen and throw on a customizable satin witch’s hat, for $24.
There’s also something bat-like about the Stole, making it the prime top layer for a slightly creepy costume. Accessorize with a bat masquerade mask or, our favorite, the Batstache.
Contributions by Karen Day, Ami Kealoha, Kelly O’Reilly, Greg Stefano and James Thorne
A historic look at Italy’s fashion industry curated by two of its most prominent visionaries
In celebration of Italy’s 150th anniversary as a unified country, the marvelous Reggia di Venaria is hosting the exhibition “Fashion in Italy: 150 Years of Elegance” in the recently restored and equally ornate “Italian Versailles,” a few miles outside of Turin.
The long journey through the history of Italian fashion is divided in two parts. The first is curated by Academy Award winning customer designer Gabriella Pescucci and covers the years 1861-1970. The second section was conceived by Vogue Italia’s editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, which illustrates the birth of Italian prêt-a-porter and the contemporary fashion industry.
The exhibition not only covers the recent history of Italy’s transformation in taste, but it also analyzes the constant change in the social condition of women. The 200 garments on display span Risorgimento to the years of Italian Reign, as well as the Fascist era and World War II, continuing to the birth of a truly national style in the ’50s and the rise of contemporary designers such like Capucci, Albini, Valentino, Armani, Versace, Prada, Dolce&Gabbana.
Most of the historic clothes come from the foundation for the celebrated costume atelier Tirelli Trappetti. Some are original items, meant for daily use or special occasions, while others are famous costumes from classics films like Luchino Viscont’s Il Gattopardo.
Architect Michele De Lucchi handled the overall display and settings, which are based entirely on mirrors. A symbol of vanity, mirrors also allow patrons to enjoy the clothes from every point of view and feel immersed in the the evolution of style.
To further enhance the experience, Laura Tonatto custom designed four different fragrances to underline the spirit of the different eras, used in the different room throughout the exhibit.
“Fashion in Italy: 150 Years of Elegance” runs through 8 January 2012 at Le Venaria Reale. See more images in the gallery.
The future arrives in the present with a charity auction of 1500 pairs of long-coveted sneakers
Twenty-two years ago a film about time travel gave us a glimpse of the now not-too-distant future. The 1989 Back to the Future sequel looked forward to 2015, capturing the imaginations of kids like us who dreamed of one day riding their own hover board in self-lacing sneakers like Marty McFly. Those sneakers, a concept created by Nike’s own design head Tinker Hatfield alongside the film’s production team, went on to provide fodder for millions of clicks worth of Internet speculation, a petition and even DIY mock-ups. Today, this past vision of the future becomes a reality as Nike launches the Mag. Continuing to push the boundaries of limited editions, auctions and charity, 1500 pairs of the shoes will be available by auction only with the potential to raise $100 million for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research through a matching donation by Google’s Sergey Brin.
As Nike’s guest, I was present for the launch of this project in Los Angeles’ Universal Studios. A tour of the lot reminded us about the magic of movies, a point Hatfield reinforced by describing the original Mags’ oversized battery pack that bulged out of Fox’s back pocket—off camera, of course—to light up the LEDs in the shoes.
Nearly identical to the ones Fox work in the film, the shoes even include the LED panel in the sole and electroluminescent logo in the strap. Today’s version has a small internal battery hidden in each featherweight shoe. The glowing features last up to five hours per charge and the plug port neatly tucks away under the cuff.
Unfortunately, despite Nike filing the Automatic Lacing System patent back in 2009, the power laces detail from the film shoes didn’t make it to the production model. Given that feature shows a poetic respect for the needs of people suffering from the limited muscle control Parkinson’s Disease inflicts, Hatfield simply commented, “It’s not 2015 yet,” alluding to a future refresh of the Mag.
Back to the Future fans, sneaker-heads and philanthropists are invited to bid on the Mags in a series of one-day auctions that starts tonight at 11:30pm EST at nikemag.ebay.com and will run until 18 September 2011. To box out the typical reselling bonanza and ensure maximum dollars are contributed to to the cause, no pairs of shoes will be shipped until all 1500 pairs are sold. All proceeds will go to The Michael J. Fox Foundation and will be matched by Sergey Brin.
All photography by Josh Rubin
It looks like the total raised on eBay alone was $5,695,190.53 (before live auctions and matching grants)!
Artist Gwen van den Eijnde of France creates these sculptural costumes for his performances as bizarre fantasy characters.
Created using a range of materials including paper, wooden piano keys, plastic bags and toothpicks, the Baroque-inspired pieces feature pleated ruffs and dramatic headpieces.
Here’s some more information from van den Eijnde:
By means of sculptural costumes that I create piece after piece, I turn into fantasy beings during performances. The human body is the central point of my stylistic research. I am fascinated by the multiple ways that the natural silhouette of the body can be accentuated, exaggerated and distorted with clothes and accessories.
My costumes are constructed during a long process, organised in different stages: At first they are shaped with a “toile”, a prototype of the costume made out of cotton, pleated paper and cardboard.
I try to transform the body into a kind of sculpture, by composing with different volumes. The “toiles” are photographed, and then rectified and improved during several fittings sessions.
The photographs document the creative process and show the different stages of modelling the costume’s silhouette. The prototypes are then dismantled, since they will be used as patterns for the realisation of the definitive models.
The costumes are constructed in order to immediately create a strong visual effect. They are beautifully made with a special concern for colour and detail.
I improvise with a variety of materials: vintage fabrics, paper cut-outs, wooden piano keys, Christmas garlands, toothpicks, table sets, plastic bags… these are assembled by means of different techniques.
By using simple materials with a maximum of inventivity, I try to create sumptuous garments. The costumes then serve as mediums to incarnate and perform a gallery of imaginary characters. Artificial beings, androgynous creatures, that evoke a dreamlike world where the border between the human realm and the supernatural is blurred.
Combining stylistic elements from Mannerism and Baroque with contemporary and organic elements, I also play with court and ecclesiastical costume elements, along with masculine and feminine forms.
My characters are brought to life during performance pieces, where the main focus is the representation of the moment when imagination is “embodied”, and when the material world accesses the fantasy world.
I like to invite other artists from different disciplines on the setting of my performance pieces; for example, I have been collaborating with the past few years with the sound designer Jae-Ho Youn. The hypnotic effect of his music perfectly suits to the atmosphere I aim to convey during the performances. Moreover, I often work with a dancer/choreographer in order to develop the posture and the movements of the beings that I incarnate.
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| In No Time by Sandra Backlund | Clothes by Lamija Suljevic | Shell by Julia Krantz |
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