Music Video of the Week

Grace Jones - "La Vie En Rose"

Speaking of Fasion Penis -

Remember when everyone used to be obsessed with Johnny Depp, before he got kind of old and reclusive and started dressing exclusively like his character in Secret Window? Well, I haven't forgotten him. And if we're going to start talking about internet crushes, it's time to break out some of those dreamydreamydreamy pictures of Johnny, the heartthrob of my teenage years.

"La Lettre"

Michel Gondry, a French film director (most famously noted for his work in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as well as Bjork's music videos), exemplifies the fine line between mysticism and realism; he unleashes the tension between what exists concretely and what exists imaginatively. Through visual and musical media, in his emblematic manipulation of our visual frames of reference, Gondry's work is a tribute to an inexorably childlike perspective, a lens of innocence and boundless creativity.

In one of my most recent youtube tangents, I stumbled upon this short film he made called "La Lettre"... A meditation on weightier ideas like space and time and the role of an artist as well as simpler notions like childlike naivete and the inevitable disappointment therein. I believe these ideas are relevant to all forms of expression, including especially the realm of fashion.

Designers today--Erin Featherston's Spring 2009 collection, for example--are constantly inspired by the act of collapsing the binary between a more dream-like fantasy world and things more practical. Just like Gondry.

Only ten minutes long! Watch it! Ponder and enjoy!

-Kate

First Lady, Glamor Icon?

After eight years of Laura Bush's conservative -- some might say dour -- style as First Lady, the US is setting itself up for a turn toward a sophisticated style set by either Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama. Either way this country shows stylistic promise, although the two have distinctly different takes on the trends, McCain with a nod to high-end couture characterized by a conservative look punctuated with bright colors, while Obama offers a more forward, experimental look. Think McCain = Oscar de la Renta, and Obama = Maria Pinto (a Chicago designer whose work pushes the limits while maintaining a clearly Midwestern sensibility). The poised, refined image these women exude will clearly become a part of the next administration's public image, but both have also shown that they aren't merely interested in taking the sideline role that Laura Bush assumed, a powerful message about the state of women in the realm of American politics. Regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, America is set to have a new glamor icon in office for the next four years.

Some Internet Crush

So, in another installment of C's internet crushes, there is this guy. He models some really killer hoodies & hoodie accouterments on a fanciful Etsy store (ruffeoheartslilsnoty).

Buy their stuff! Because, whether or not this dude makes the hoodies or just models them, they are really great.

Recommended:
White SARS GUARD hoodie thing (nice for biking)
Geometrical dress
Hahahaaaaa swooooon

- C

chic people do chic things

if you're like me, you often dream of a life surrounded by chicago's social elite, holding that effervescent glass of champagne (does anyone know a champagne that doesn't start with an A and end with a -ndre? because i don't.) and showing off your air-brushed legs in a cocktail gown designed to break hearts.

now, for $15, we too - the few, the midtermed-out, the underage - can be truly cultured for a night.

"See the Art Institute in a new light--After Dark. Immerse yourself in the luminous photographs of Jeff Wall. Surround yourself with music from Life during Wartime DJs and performances by the acclaimed theatrical ensemble Collaboraction. Grab a cocktail and enjoy complimentary appetizers. After Dark offers a whole new experience of the Art Institute.

Order tickets online, by phone at (312) 575-8000, or at any Art Institute ticket counter. Tickets will also be available the night of the event."

I like my couture well-done

The Chicago History Museum’s newest exhibition portrays the glamour of decades of Chicago fashion. Haute couture from Chanel, YSL, and Comme des Garçons are juxtaposed with the backdrop of a gritty, meatpacking Chicago. Escaping the Chicago of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, elite Chicago women frequently indulged in overseas shopping sprees. Visitors learn that these women, to counter the reputation of Chicago as hog butcher capital of the world, only wore the most upscale, high-end fashion. In the words of exhibit curator Tim Long, “If you were a Chicago matron who traveled internationally and wanted to prove to the rest of the world that you were sophisticated, you would buy not just Balenciaga, but the best Balenciaga.”

Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum runs until July 26, 2009.