b3njamin lowy

BENJAMIN LOWY: taking a deserved timeout from the heat of warfare, lowy compelled a biography of his journey through the 09' fashion weeks. beginning his career covering the iraq war in 03, lowy has gone on to reside in afganistan, darfur, haiti, indonesia, and libya. currently situated in new york with his photographer wife, it makes sense his commissions come from the likes of ny times, fortune, time, the new yorker, and rolling stones. above are a assortment of the spectacular photos lowy covered during the course of spring 09' fashion month. shown: marison martin margiela (paris, sept 29.09, runway), miguel adrover for hess natur (sculpture and dress display @ matthew marks gallery, ny), rick owens (paris, sept 28.09, runway), christian dior (paris, sept 29.09, backstage), and marc jacobs (ny, sept 8.09, runway).

prot3ct ya' n3ck

PROTECT YA' NECK: maison martin margiela has been wrapping oversized scarfs around necks for two seasons passed, now all designers are caught up. the best accessory award for adding dimension to a neckline is not the neckless, pff, it's a scarf. wear it in bulk. the following looks hail from iceberg (coincidentally), burberry prorsum, and gianfranco ferre. 

manicur3d man

MANICURED MAN: double-buttoned or double-breasted, suits from mens fall 09' emphasized resilience, power, and brawny physiques. well tailored jackets and bottoms gave dimension and seamlessness. oh, look at the shoulders too. slouch or padded? i'll opt for the latter. pay attention corporate guys. the following looks are from raf simons, prada, and calvin klein collection, fall 09. 

product r3d?

PRODUCT RED? orange was seen being used over, under, and as accessories during mens shows. this is the seasons casual wardrobe color. the three examples come from band of outsiders, michael kors, and junya watanabe fall 09.

ny tr3nds

FAREWELL NY FASHION WEEK, HELLO TRENDS: credit crisis and economic doom halted headline designers from having the elaborate runway shows normally undertaken; marc jacobs hacked over 100 guests! yet, shows proceeded and persuaded us to unzip or wallets, devote our tax returns, and invest into depression chic. the images above are reoccurring pop-up's strut on runways the past week in new york; enough to call each a trend. 

gal3ri3 d3 ysl

GALERIE DE YSL: on feb.23.09, the late yves saint laurent and his partner pierre berge auctioned off their art collection. the works resulted in over $232 million profit. records were broken for several artists including piet mondrian, constantin brancusi, and marcel duchamp. however, the priciest painting, a cubist picasso (instruments de musique sur un gueridon), remained unsold which was expected to generate $32 million alone. the auction is being considered the 'sale of the century'. to match the grandeur, a lavish glass room in the grand palais showcased the art. the saint laurent collection offered cautious collectors a reason to bid: a celebrity owner of classic artists who scarcely become available to auction. all but 2 of 61 works sold, concluding the event was a success. henri matisse's 'les couscous, tapis bleu et rose' sold for $46 million but was quoted originally at $23 million. as for the unsold picasso, berge commented he'd keep it and for the meantime was 'very happy'. 

armani.

ARMANI: in progress since may 07', giorgio armani is set to open his fifth avenue flagship store next week, february 18th. the rumored 4 floor, 30,000 square foot shop will house armani signature, home, and jean collections. what the public knows is what armani hinted at in a previous press conference. the floors will be connected be a 'rolling steel' staircase created in italy to give a sculptural presence. on the lowest floor a realm of casual dresses, armani jeans, ea-7 sportsline clothing/equipment/swimwear will be shown. on the two above floors a refined selection of products becomes apparent; sophisticated perfumes, crema nera products, and giorgio/emporio shoes. shuffling along the top floor, customers can quench their hunger at the armani restaurant while enjoying fabulous views of central par in the background. look for it next week! 

3ti3nn3 bossut.

etienne bossut= myth busted: at the rodin museum in paris, french sculptor etienne bossut has proved marc newsom's orgone chairs are stackable. not only stackable but, flexible enough to bend in unconventional ways emblematic of a striking scorpion. in 2005 bossut exhibited a similar work as part of the ginette moulin and guillaume houze collection. the orgone chairs diversity to be mimicked as a sculpture and be visually impressive in itself adorns a new type of industrial design. design for art and practical use. 

at3li3r jacob.

IDS09: this past weekend marked the end of toronto's interior design show. students from the university of alberta, ontario college of art & design, and sheridan, among many others, featured products alongside firms around the world. the show embraced a range of furniture, lighting, ceramics, and textiles. among one of my favorite products was a chair called 'warp' by toronto's own atelier jacob; a studio started by peruvian born marco jacob. currently teaching at the ontario college of art & design, jacob obtained a masters from the school of architecture at the university of toronto. now operating at 36 maitland street, toronto, his multi-disciplinary designs focus on furniture, graphics, and architecture. atelier, a minimalist studio, outpours effervescent structures without the severity associated with minimalism proper. for example, jacob's 'pagoda side table' bears a striking resemblance to donald judd's 1990 piece, untitled (shown above).

"ballpoint stool"

philippemalouin: who would've imagined that one day it'd be possible to create art whilst gliding on a flat surface? surely, the answer is in the ballpoint stool. this chair tracks users movements by distributing ink as a pen would, whilst supporting human weight. the ink is revealed throughout the four cylindrical crystallized legs and exposes the tracking, writing, and drawings as a user glides in different directions. this trendy conversation starter is seemingly willing to give jackson pollock a run for his money.

clic furnitur3.

SIMPLE SOPHISTICATION: at the tokyo design fair, alexander pelikan showed his products for clic furniture. the chairs, done in bamboo, could be constructed in less then half a minute. pelikan addressed his interest in producing a similar product, however, instead of all wood, the arms would be in glass. fortunately, his promise has been delivered. the concept is simple, 'clic' the wood into the milled out material and relax. very easy, peddle pushing, and sustainable. pelikan's furniture is available at the strijp-x store.

r33bok.

8O's CALLING: reebok, a brand that conquered 80's footwear is rejuvenating its image. the 09' lineup of highly polished, sleek high tops will surely give competing companies a run for their money and hipsters something to drool over. moreover, for $90 no one's pocket is busted. very late last year the company created its first-ever pop-up shop in a 3000-square-foot art gallery. reebok had done this to commemorate 20 years of the "pump", and the neon infested interior (as shown) recalls stylish eighties in ny and vintage sneakers. now in the new year, reebok plans on releasing its new line in early february. keep an eye out.

raf simons.

HIS/HERS II: greetings earthlings! in every sense raf simons is a creative talent. first inspired by peddle pushing designers martin margiela and gaultier while still in school, the belgian has become a godfather to youth culture. it makes sense then his ss09 catwalk collection consisted of the 'astronaut boot'; a silver metallic high-top secured by velcro and lace. a stylish zip pocket hides goodies on the heel, while a leather cream interior morphs a classic sneaker into a raf simons delicacy. see you on the moon. 

giv3nchy boot.

HIS/HERS: givenchy flat boots! to me, the boot addresses riccardo tisci's conceptual leanings toward gothic touches. as the chief designer, he has pushed the french fashion house into a captivating dark space-age minimalism. tisci is very well the imaginative revitalization givenchy needs; as per the case with this black lace boot, intricately patterned to form floral motifs. the low wedge heel and open toe provide a perfect hint at warmer seasons ahead of us. 

prim3win3 bar.

hello friends, sorry for the delay in updates. with the holidays brought a vacation. so, new content was withheld a bit. we're right back on track with the new year! be sure to check routinely for your fix. 

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME: situated in the heart of ostermalmstorg square, sweden, primewine bar is an up and coming importer for wine around the world. the architects at sandellsandberg have given the bar an inviting and warm atmosphere in hopes of dragging people from the busy 24-7 metropolis outside its doors. this has been achieved using 120 brass plates that cover the walls and entire interior/exterior ceiling. the plates have a relief which create a large grapevine but also function as the buildings ventilation. inside the brass are dim bulbs that reflect off the glass and illuminate a high gloss racing green epoxy floor, and white marble tabletops. the subtle light provides a perfect sophistication for wine tasting and evidently has become a phenomenon amongst pundits and commoners. the wine cup chandelier is also brilliant.