The fashion world just had a heart attack—again. It wasn’t enough for
Lady Gaga to stop hearts when she scribbled on her white Hermès Birkin
with a black marker. This time, the pop singer has been photographed
toting around a haphazardly studded Birkin. In an industry where the
Birkin is worshipped and the five-figure bags often have a waitlist,
this is tantamount to sacrilege. Source
We suppose if you’re Lady Gaga, just owning an Hermes
Birkin bag isn’t interesting enough — you have to do crrrraaaaazy
things like doodle
on it or, we don’t know, attack it with a nail gun.
While last time she customized her Birkin we wondered
if Gaga meant it as some sort of commentary on the superficiality and
impermanence of fashion, but this time around we think she did it just
because it looks cool. Good for her.
Say it ain’t so. On a recent trip to
Tokyo, always one to raise eyebrows, Lady Gaga, took her antics to a
new extreme. The pop star stepped out in an Hermes Birkin bag, you know
— the $5,000 purse with a mile-long waiting list – that she had
scribbled all over with a black marker. The writings read “I love small
monster, Tokyo love.” Background – Gaga refers to her fans as
“monsters.” We’re wondering if there’s more to the antic than meets the
eye – perhaps a statement on how ludicrous the fashion industry is?
Terence Koh Defaced Lady Gaga’s Birkin
By Britt Aboutaleb
These pictures, “courtesy of
Terence Koh,” show the artist going to town on Lady Gaga’s white
Birkin last week. Whether the initial scribbles came from Gaga or Koh we’re not
sure, but he managed to cover the rest of the bag with Japanese
characters. It should be noted, however, that his own remained
pristine. Another shot, after the jump.
2009 REVOLUTION AWARDS
Presenting the world’s most outstanding watches by jack forster
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The 2009 REVOLUTION Awards have a special significance. Excellence is always a rare commodity, but in 2009, in many ways, it was more than ever the difficult choice. For the companies and watch-industry persons selected, perhaps the most distinctive and distinguishing common trait is the affirmation evidenced by their work that, for them, excellence is the only choice.
Juried assessments of works of art or design necessarily reveal as much about the prejudices of the jurors as they do about the quality of the nominees.
The REVOLUTION Awards, therefore, can’t be taken as a complete representative of the best in watchmaking — rather, it represents a necessary compromise between our objective
judgments, and our individual tastes. For nearly a thousand years, mechanicalhorology has been the point of convergence of the most advanced technology and the most elaborate and sophisticated craftsmanship in the history of civilization. And there is a fascination to watchmaking that goes to the very heart of human curiosity. Mechanical horology, far from being put to rest either by advances in technology or the vagaries of economics, is now more vital than perhaps at any time in its long history. While it’s customary to refer to the recipients
of awards as honorees, we can’t help but feel that we are the ones who are honored to be able to consider such a feast of horology as presents itself to us every year. And this year, especially, rather than toot our own horn, we’d rather offer up the 2009 REVOLUTION Awards as a gesture of deep thanks and gratitude to the recipients, whose hard work and genius are responsible for the magical little machines that continue to charm us all.
It’s a sign of how strong watchmaking is, and of its enduring appeal, that every year, the number of truly worthy potential nominees vastly outnumbers the actual award winners. That said, we can’t help but feel that our final selections have something special that sets them apart. You, of course, will agree or disagree according to your own disposition. But we’re just as grateful for differences of opinion as we are for the masterful timepieces we write about. After all, if it weren’t for diversity of taste, those of us who write about it would be out of a job!
The 2009 REVOLUTION Awards have a special significance. Excellence is always a rare commodity, but in 2009, in many ways, it was more than ever the difficult choice. For the companies and watch-industry persons selected, perhaps the most distinctive and distinguishing common trait is the affirmation evidenced by their work that, for them, excellence is the only choice.
Juried assessments of works of art or design necessarily reveal as much about the prejudices of the jurors as they do about the quality of the nominees.
The REVOLUTION Awards, therefore, can’t be taken as a complete representative of the best in watchmaking — rather, it represents a necessary compromise between our objective
judgments, and our individual tastes. For nearly a thousand years, mechanicalhorology has been the point of convergence of the most advanced technology and the most elaborate and sophisticated craftsmanship in the history of civilization. And there is a fascination to watchmaking that goes to the very heart of human curiosity. Mechanical horology, far from being put to rest either by advances in technology or the vagaries of economics, is now more vital than perhaps at any time in its long history. While it’s customary to refer to the recipients
of awards as honorees, we can’t help but feel that we are the ones who are honored to be able to consider such a feast of horology as presents itself to us every year. And this year, especially, rather than toot our own horn, we’d rather offer up the 2009 REVOLUTION Awards as a gesture of deep thanks and gratitude to the recipients, whose hard work and genius are responsible for the magical little machines that continue to charm us all.
It’s a sign of how…
A Closer Look at the Cartier Rotonde Central Chronograph
by Kyle
With its iconic watch collections such as the Tank and the Santos, Cartier has long been a brand whose watches tend to appeal to those more interested in high fashion and social status than to the true fans of fine mechanical watches and high watchmaking. However, at the 2009 SIHH Cartier introduced several exciting new models as well as its own in-house movements – all in an attempt to garner greater respect for itself in the world of “haute horlogerie“.
One of my favorites that Cartier introduced was the Cartier Rotonde Central Chronographe. The distinguishing feature of this watch, as its name implies, is its innovative central chronograph function. The clever design elements of this watch are subtle, but if you take a moment to understand them you will likely be impressed.
Cartier Rotonde de Cartier central chronograph
If you look closely at the dial you can see that the hours and minutes use blued hands which are invisible save for the tips. This is unlike almost any “normal” watch in which the hands extend all the way to the center of the dial. As for the chronograph function, a slim blued seconds hand begins to track the time when the push-piece is pressed, while the large counter in the form of an arc records each of its revolutions up to thirty minutes. The simple genius here being that the hands indicating the time never obscure those of the chronograph!
Perpetuelle.com partner TheTimeTV recently released a video which covers the 2009 Cartier Collection. If you watch the video here you will get a “real world” look at the Cartier Rotonde Central Chronograph watch – among several neat watches that Cartier introduced this year!
Mark Fast has been one of my favorite newer designers for the past
couple of seasons. Having just graduated Central Saint Martins in 2008,
the Canadian-born knitwear designer has been a rising star in London.
Unbeknownstly but cleverly so, he stirred up a bit of controversy when
he decided to use plus-sized models in his S/S 2010 runway show.
I was further impressed by him when he declined to lend clothes to
Lady Gaga, his soft-spoken voice stating:
“My work is about a lifestyle. It’s not fast-foodfashion. It’s
not about trends, it’s about classic, it’s about the body, it’s about
beauty. Maybe that gets lost in the picture with certain celebrities.”
With no disrespect to the Fame Monster, his clothes truly deserve to
shine for themselves.
For more info, visit <a onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview
(‘/outbound/www.markfast.net’);” href=”http://www.markfast.net/” target=”_blank”>Mark Fast
Mark Fast’s new affordable line “Faster” is available at <a onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview
(‘/outbound/www.shopcurve.com’);” href=”http://www.shopcurve.com/” target=”_blank”>Curve
And joining in with the rest of my favorite London-based deisgners,
he is the latest one to design his first ever Topshop collection, which
comes out in April/May. Can’t wait!
Pedro Almodóvar officially reached an iconic
standard so high (by Hollywood value charts) that he’s honored with a Harper’s
Bazaar pictorial! And not just any! The Mode of Almodovar,
featured in the magazine’s March 2010 issue (yes, the Kate
the Great one) featurs some equally iconic designers recreating
Almodovar’s movie posters.
I never imagined the
Kaiser in one of Almodovar flics so I’ll keep an open spirit while
trying to get these re-edits under my skin! (the story continues right
after the jump with more images! Click here for the gallery!)
The minor changes you’re picking on are not going to change one pleat
of the general idea: Almodovar the Great, Kate
the Great (Cindy the Great). This is one great issue for Harper’s Bazaar.
Some they nail, some they don’t. Almodovar is a go, for sure! Not to
mention it’s always a pleasure (at least in my calendar) when fashion designers step out into the light and do some honest
modelling! Who’s your favorite? (photos via)
Style Deficit Disorder — The Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo has
become an international style mecca, a street-level fashion scene
prowled by major designers looking for inspiration, and whose local,
cutting-edge labels enjoy global cache. Style Deficit Disorder
is the first book to explore this remixed, fast-forward fashion hotbed,
profiling its most daring and influential designers, labels, stylists,
and shops (including Comme des Garçons, Hysteric Glamour, Super Lovers, A
Bathing Ape, and Laforet). Featuring nearly 200 photos, essays by key
Japanese fashion editors, and commentary by Edison Chen, Patricia Field,
John Galliano, Shawn Stussy, Shu Uemura and others, this is a
must-have, insider’s look at an international fashion and pop culture
epicenter, past, present, and future.
Tiffany Godoy is a contributor to V and Vogue Nippon
and former fashion editor at Japanese culture magazines Composite
and Studio Voice. She lives in Tokyo.
Quotes
“Style Deficit Disorder is an awesome encyclopedic breakdown
of [Harajuku]..” —The Fader
“essential reading for anyone who wants to get the real lowdown on
the fabled district.” —Japan Times
Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief
of Vogue magazine for twenty years, is the most powerful and
polarizing figure in fashion. She is usually hidden behind her
trademark bob and sunglasses.
An insider says Wintour is being “completely controlling” in regards
to publicity for her flick, which she stars in but didn’t produce.
Perhaps she should spend more time managing her mag: Ad sales at Vogue
are down 36% from last year.
Genevieve Jones is a Manhattan socialite who has appeared in
magazines such as Vogue.
Vogue shows Genevieve Jones Some
Love
New York socialite and Zac Posen muse
Genevieve Jones, has finally launched her jewelry line and is featured
as a ‘designer on the rise’ in this month’s Vogue US. The ultra-petite
Louisiana native has been working on her jewelry collection since 2006
and has produced some really nice pieces. I especially like her diamond
and gold, safety pin earrings.
Genevieve I’m glad your putting
all that networking and popularity to good use. NYC WASP socialites
aren’t the only ones marketable these days. Get your money Genevieve,
get that money honey.
PS
Genevieve are you still working on your handbag collection?
Although considered a celebrity in the New York fashion scene,
details of Genevieve Jones’ personal life have remained a mystery.
Little confirmed information exists on her past, which has lent to her
Internet fame and mysterious appeal.
An article from the Wall Street Journal revealed that Jones doesn’t
have a regular job, but she refers to herself as an interior designer.
According to the same article Jones grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
and was not raised in a life of luxury. Jones has reportedly attended
college and has refused to reveal the source of her wealth on different
occasions.
Jones claims that her first boyfriend was singer Trent Reznor of Nine
Inch Nails. Jones started appearing in elite social circles after
moving to Manhattan in 1998. She befriended model Irina Pantaeva and
started attending parties and art exhibit openings.How ‘it girl’
scaled the world of fashion(September 14, 2006)
Style Crush: Genevieve Jones
For those of you who may not know her, it’s my
pleasure to introduce you to Genevieve Jones. The accessories
designer has been around for a while now but ruffled
some feathers when she first came onto the fashion scene – seemingly
out of nowhere- as a socialite with a wardrobe most starlets can’t get a
hold of. People wanted to know who this girl with no breeding was (their
words, not mine) so when reporters found out she was 31 instead of 27, they went crazy. How dare she lie about
her age? What kind of person does that? Arrest her right now!
I wouldn’t care if she was 40; the girl can
seriously dress!
I seriously crush on her style because she
looks like she has fun with fashion. She takes risks without looking
like she’s thinking too much about them.
I love the tights she wears in the second to the
last photo and have been looking for a skirt much like the one she wears
in the very first photo.
Photos by Gerard UferasTime for a trim, Givenchy-style.
Summer finally seems to be here, and it’s time to celebrate with a
new haircut. The most directional one of the season, as far as we can
tell, comes courtesy of the superstar stylist Luigi Murenu, who was
responsible for the tough, Latino-inspired buzzcuts at Givenchy’s fall
2009 runway show. Murenu turned heads with a supersevere two-tier crop —
the sides and back were fully shaved halfway up, and the rest was
cropped short. If you’re willing to try the look, we suggest you print
this page and take it to your barber; if you decide to use clippers at
home, we are not responsible for the outcome.
PARIS/NYC: Raphael Young is the intriguing, bad-ass shoe designer hailing from Paris. His collections are explorations in extreme craftsmanship, angular geometrics and monochrome embellishment that seem fundamentally fresh — yet reflect the classical style/quality of the iconic design houses and influences that nurtured his vision, including his uncle, legendary Monsieur Alexandre Narcy, who was the footwear director at YSL for over four decades.
In just three seasons Raphael (who is 34 and of Korean heritage) has cemented a position as the ‘edgiest’ most sought-after shoe creator by fashion aficionados the world over. This week, Raphael sat in the Priestess NYCatelier in the West Village, showcasing the intricate details of his super-durable carbon-composite heels and boots in a mosaic of metal and leather. From Vogue and Lucky to The Museum at FIT, the critics were mesmerized.
While they all heap praise on the collection, Raphael has the more theatrical role of conveying his vision — especially now that his talent has been recognized by major publications and prominent stores, and is the reason he has come to NYC to percolate his brand. Paul Viguier, Raphael’s Marketing Manager, says “creativity and craftsmanship are in his blood and Raphael gives methodical attention to detail, research and quality.”
Looking like a character from the d’Artagnan era, dressed in dark tones with his wavy-slick black hair and leather-spiked boots, Raphael is one of those rare talents who seem to fall from the sky — although the reality of his story is decades of hard work and collaborations with venerable design houses from YSL and Manish Arorato the Korean powerhouse, Avista-Kaylee Tankus. Yet for all his practical knowledge of design and production, his philosophy is fundamentally that of a master artisan.
“What interests me about shoes is the transformational process,” he says. “The process of turning a concept into a concrete with amazing artistic attributes and properties that cannot be easily replicated.”
For the AW/09 collection, that means focusing on futurist motifs and morphing images of the Art Nouveau and Bauhaus periods into chic battle armor shoes and boots for exquisite women: indestructible carbon and aluminum heels with silhouettes comprised of the finest nappa and specchio nero leathers and audacious metallic finishes.
He cites Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, Zaha Hadid and Le Corbusier as serious inspirations and is very keen on light-weight materials such as carbon-fibers and composites. Raphael’s contribution to modern fashion has been both his technical and abstract treatments of embellishment and innovative/cool décor. His ‘Eagle One’ Aluminio heels are to die for and have been seen on ‘it’ girls Eleonora Abbagnato (Dancer Etoile of the Opera de Paris), singer Katy Perry and bomb-shell Bond-girl, Olga Kurylenko. His work conjures images of strong, sophisticated women fused with courageous femininity.
Zaha Hadid
Le Corbusier
Olga Kurylenko
Eleonora Abbagnato
Katy Perry
Born in 1974 in Seoul and adopted by French parents, Raphael was raised in Romans near Avignone. His father was an engineer and his mother a pediatrician. Steeped in fashion from an early age and mentored by his uncle who was a master technician-artisan, he moved to Paris and in no time was recognized as a creative-genius. (He was also a Naval cadet where he took a keen interest in uniform tailoring and French military design).
Raphael showed his first eponymous collection three seasons ago in Paris and swiftly became a cult figure. Embedded in his work is a ‘gothic-chic-futurism’ that juxtaposes leather matte and shine, playing with textures and their reflective qualities. There’s nothing remotely simple about the complex, futuristic synthesis of line, cut, and glinting surfaces that manifest beautifully in his work (it is as if they might have been extruded from some techno-industrial machine). The shoe range is amazing and comes in iridescent gold, silver and copper tones enveloped in soft leathers with a raw, motor-bike aura.
Raphael’s genius is his projection of couture techniques into a universe of advancing and changing technology. A crude description might be “sci-fi gothic motorbike couture,” but in truth the right words are hard to find.
Raphael Young defies references or narrative, and fuses experimentation with materials and sculpture to the Nth-power. He is a visionary designer who is humble and grounded and whose shoes are, well, superb!
OPULUXE Lifestyle Design is A CREATIVE POWERHOUSE FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN EVENT PLANNING, LUXURY RENTALS & LIFESTYLE DESIGN. Come Shop to your heart’s content @ our online luxury boutique at www.OpuluxeLtd.com.
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