couturiosities

Is There Anyone Out There?

2011-05-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Lets us listen to this while we read...

Just a quick note to let you know that I opened a store about 6 months ago and don't have time to blog here anymore. I thought I could juggle both projects, but there is just not enough time in the day and really at the end of the day, the aesthetic and vision of Pygmy Hippo is where I'm at.

Together with the help of my right hand man, we built every inch of the shop from the ground up in just over 3 months. We wanted it to have the look and feel of a store you'd find in Disneyland, and we based the stores color scheme around our favorite wallpaper from Grow House Grow.

The idea behind Pygmy Hippo is simple: offer unique vintage and handmade goods, mostly from local artists and designers, at affordable prices, in the tiniest space EVER. If you're not in the neighborhood, you can take a look at our on-line shop here. We rotate the small selection of goods out on-line every month or so, but ideally, we'd love for you to come see the space in person.

I still work on Cloven Hoof when I have the time, and I sell the piece exclusively at the shop, so if there is anything you're looking for, drop us a line.

Pygmy Hippo Site

♥

Pygmy Hippo Facebook

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Pygmy Hippo Twitter

Set & Drift

2010-08-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Cloven Hoof will be selling a handful of limited edition pieces, as well as pieces from the current collection, from September 3rd to 5th at MERCANTILE, a design pop-up shop showcasing a collection of limited edition hand-crafted objects by 8 American designers and artists.

MERCANTILE is being curated by Set & Drift to accompany "CURRENT", an exhibition featuring the West Coast debut of internationally acclaimed designer Kwangho Lee.

Opening Reception: Saturday September 4th, 2010
7-10pm and free to the public

Location: The Bakery
1701 National Ave.
Barrio Logan San Diego, California 92113

For more information about the exhibition and pop-up shop, click here & here.

Desert Adventure

2010-07-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

The New Collection Is Complete!

2010-07-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

Take a peek at the rest here.

Brilliant

2010-07-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

I've always loved Anna Sui. When her La Brea store closed down I was devastated, only to be elated yet again when she re-opened on Sunset...my excitement was short lived and quickly followed by shock and deep depression when that store too closed down with no notice. She never re-opened and I still don't know what happened, but in the end it's okay since the stores demise has inadvertently saved me a lot of money and it's now one more place for me to visit when I'm in New York and Tokyo.

I'd read about her on going lawsuit with Forever21 a while back, but I had no idea that three years ago, guests at her Spring 2008 runway show were gifted this hysterical shirt she had made.

The t-shirts were printed with an old western-style "Wanted" poster on them that featured a portrait of Don Wong and Jin Sook Chang, the deeply religious founders of Forever21, depicted as "Don Cassidy and the Sundance Jin." Since the founders are well known for printing John 3:16 on their shopping bags, Sui included an appropriate verse for them at the very bottom of the shirt: Exodus 20:15 "THOU SHALT NOT STEAL".

Brilliant.

I found out about the shirt a few days ago via the "ForeverUnfair" blog, who have just recently posted a great Sweat-Free Shopping Guide. The blog also offers an informative list of links (minus Peta, sorry I just can't) to sites that cover topics ranging from drug offenders in our jail system to whaling commisions. I don't know who runs the blog, but I have a lot of respect for what they're doing.

More! More! More!

2010-07-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

I usually like to do a recap at the end of fashion week with all my favorites at once, but I just HAVE TO post these pictures NOW!

Gaultier's collection SCREAMS Auntie Mame to me and I'm IN LOVE!

Also equally blown away by Givenchy. Riccardo Tisci's extraordinarily elaborate ornamentation is awe inspiring.

Viva Vivienne!

2010-07-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

Dame Westwood's Anglomania collection was the first to show for S/S Fall 2011 yesterday.

I love the straw hats, the mini-berets, the mini-crinis, the foliage prints, the red-and-white gingham, the corset-belts, the emerald lamé jacket, the trademark sac shoes and bold leopard, the blue eye shadow, the chunky jewelry and those gold brocade waistcoats! I LOVE IT ALL!

view entire collection here

Nature Is The Most Inspiring Teacher

2010-07-06T10:03:00.001-07:00

Dior Fall 2010 Couture

John Galliano ♥ Stephen Jones
all photos via style

Daphne Guinness, My Hero

2010-07-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

It's been three years since Isabella Blow’s death, and it was recently decided that her entire wardrobe would be auctioned off by Christies in order to raise funds to pay off all her debts. Her fashion archive includes some of John Galliano’s early work, pieces by Hussein Chalayan and Giles Deacon and over fifty hats by Philip Treacy. Alexander McQueen makes up for the largest portion of her collection, consisting of well over ninety of his outfits.

While it's understandable that Isabella's debt's have put her family in a financially strenuous situation, the notion of this auction was still completely horrifying to me. The idea that her life's collection (her life's work in essence) would be picked through and spread thin amongst who know how many people was unsettling. To clarify, I never knew her, but was a huge admirer of everything she did and stood for. In my teens I'd scour news stands looking for photos of what ensembles she'd put together and articles on people and designers she thought were note worthy. Those who didn't follow Isabella's life and career wouldn't understand the issue with this type of auction.

So in mid June when I read that Daphne Guinness had put a stop to the sale and purchased Isabella's entire collection her self, a sense of relief came over me. Daphne being a very close, old friend of Isabella's understood the urgency of the situation better then any living person could. “The auction would not be merely a sale of clothes; it would be a sale of what was left of Issie, and the carrion crows would gather and take away her essence forever. It needs to be kept whole, it is like a diary, a journey of a life, and a living embodiment of the dearest, most extraordinary friend.”

On July 3rd, Daphne wrote an article for the Financial Times explaining in depth why she had to call the auction off. It is a must read in my opinion.

Fourth of July Festivites

2010-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Incomparable Armen Ra

2010-06-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Chic. Haunting. Glamorous.
Those are just a few words I use to describe my dear friend Armen.
photos via Tim Palen

In addition to being the hottest ghoul in school, Armen also plays the theremin...FLAWLESSLY I might add.

His debut album was just released and it is truly breathtaking. It features many of the works of composer Komitas Vardapet as translated by Armen, via the theremin.

I highly recommend you pay a visit to his new website and familiarize your self with all things Armen Ra.

You can buy the CD directly from his site, or below at
iTunes or Amazon

Best of Resort 2011

2010-06-21T19:53:00.001-07:00

Celine

Sonia Rykiel

Marc Jacobs

Givenchy

♥♥♥

Bioephemera

2010-06-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

The lovely Jessica Palmer of Bioephemera recently gave Cloven Hoof a little mention in one of her final blog posts.

Incidentally, the Cleopatra necklace Jessica mentions is on sale right now on Catbird's website. You can take a peek at it here.

Sadly, Jessica is going on an indefinite hiatus, but you can (and should!) go though the archives and look through all of her old posts. Bioephemera has been one of my favorite blogs for the last three years and I hope she comes back soon.

Sixty-Two Today

2010-05-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

♥

Vivienne Westwood for Cole & Sons

2010-05-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

I first saw Vivienne's Squiggle print transformed into wallpaper in the November 2004 issue of Vogue. At the time, Serena Rees and Joe Corré had it custom made to cover the walls and chairs of their London home and I went crazy for it. It was so brilliant that I just knew she would eventually have to produce her own collection of wallpaper.

While the entire Cole & Son collection is lovely, I feel like it's a bit too safe for Vivienne. I wish she would have made some of the prints from her Spring 2001 Exploration Collection into wallpaper, like the books or botanicals.

I still love the Squiggle though, and my second favorite print from the Cole & Son collection is the Trompe l'oeil Drape.

See the entire collection on the Cole & Son website.

Counting Down The Days...

2010-05-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Next weekend is the 24th Annual Bug Fair at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles!

The Bug Fair has been a favorite annual tradition for me and my clan for the last 6 years. We like to get there early to avoid the crowds and we always stay late to explore the rest of the museum, which is open and operates like any other day at the museum.

The first floor of the museum is filled to the brim with live and preserved insect specimens, entomology books and supplies, and even bug related products, like fresh honey and silk.

(Insect display from last year. Photo by Jon Dragonette)

The museum also hosts a bug cook-off which I have to say, I've never actually participated in. At the 2006 Bug Fair, my best friend tried some Cajun Crickets and Popcorn Ants, and she said the Crickets were fishy and that the ants tasted like butter at first, then followed by an intense bitter after taste.

(Photographic evidence of Marie 's Pop Corn Ants)

Since I'd rather wear and stare at my bugs then eat them (thankyouverymuch), I'm not exactly sure about the details of the cook off, but the Natural History Museum's website has the low down on the entire event.

If you decide to go, don't forget to check out the Pavilion of Wings too!

See you there!

The Naturalist Collection

2010-04-20T19:02:00.001-07:00

I've been obsessed with wallpaper ever since I moved into my grandmothers house at the age of 10. Her wallpaper was from the 60's and had yellowed and deteriorated from years of smoking in doors and zero up-keep, but I still thought it was beautiful. We don't have wallpaper in our current home because we rent and I feel like plastering a rental with wallpaper is the equivalent of leaving original artworks on the wall when you move out. How could I bring myself to do that? Mind you I love renting and I'm not eager to be a homeowner anytime soon, so there will be no wallpaper for me in the near future, but I still lust and fawn over it.

My friend Jen just sent me a link to Grow House Grow, who design and hand silkscreen all of their wallpaper in Brooklyn, NY. They recently released their Naturalist Collection and it's so beautiful that I'm almost tempted to buy some and save it for when we do buy a home!

The Naturalist Collections pays homage to 3 inspiring women in the world of nature and science.

First, my personal favorite, Ms. Ward.

Mary Ward was an Irish scientist born in 1827 to a renowned scientific family, but since Universities didn't accept woman during that time, she was forced to learn and study on her own with the help of family and friends.

She was an avid insect collector and would study and draw them by looking at them through a magnifying glass. When her father finally bought her a microscope, she was able to transform her insect obsession into full-blown, self-taught microscopy. She had the honor of being one of just three female recipients of the Royal Astronomical Society's newsletter (one of the other two women was Queen Victoria!) and she self-published 250 copies of her first book "Sketches with the Microscope", which she thought no one would buy because she was a woman. To her dismay the 250 copies she printed sold out in weeks, and the book was republished as "A World of Wonders Revealed by the Microscope" and reprinted eight times between 1858 and 1880. It eventually became a bestseller.

Tragically, Mary is also well known as the victim of the world's first motor vehicle accident. She was killed in 1869 when she fell under the wheels of an experimental steam car built by her cousins.

I think Grow House Grow's homage to Mary is perfect, with it's pattern of late-Georgian silhouettes and over-sized insects, it really is an entomology enthusiast's dream!

The other 2 brilliant women immortalized in the Naturalists Collection are Mary Treat (1830 – 1923) and Jeanne Villepreux-Power (1794-1871).

Mary Treat was an entomologist, an ornithologist and a botanist, focusing mainly on carnivorous plants. She published her first scientific article in 1869 at the age of 39, and Charles Darwin has written about her experiments saying that they were "by far the best, as far as known to me, which have ever been made." Mary Treat is responsible for discovering a new species of an orange aphid, an Ichneumonid fly, two spiders and an ant. She also collaborated with Darwin in research on carnivorous plants and Darwin acknowledged her contribution in his book, "Insectivorous Plants", published in 1875.

Ms. Treat by Grow House Grow

Last but not least, Jeanne Villepreux-Power was a pioneering female French marine biologist who in 1832 was the first person to create an aquarium for experimenting with aquatic organisms. She is known as the "mother" of aquariophily and her writings can been found in leading Natural History libraries. Jeanne also was the first woman member of the Catania Accademia, and a correspondent member of the London Zoological Society as well as sixteen other learned societies. In 1997 her name, "Villepreux-Power," was given to a crater on Venus discovered by the Magellan probe.

Mme. Jeanne by Grow House Grow

While the Naturalists Collection is by far my favorite endeavor from Grow House Grow, I have to give an honorable mention to their Spring 2009 Parlour Room Collection.

Cattle Kate

Captain Smith

Aleister

I won't go into detail about the 3 amazing people they chose as the inspiration for this collection (Aleister Crowley, Captain Edward John Smith, and Ellen Liddy Watson) because that would have to be an entirely separate post on it's own, but as you can see above, both the designs and the subjects are brilliant.

Happy Happy Birthday, Baby

2010-04-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Gingerbread Bird House

2010-04-05T00:32:00.000-07:00

Joyeuses Pâques

2010-04-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Belated Birthday Present

2010-04-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

My friend Kiana's mom made me a felt snail and a felt cupcake for my birthday.

Completely hand sewn, utterly adorable and all mine.

♥Thank you Linda♥

66 Pages of Amazing

2010-03-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

A special edition for Purple Fashion Magazine #13

Me in 30 Years, if I'm Lucky

2010-03-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

The Inside Source (eBay's on-line magazine) has recently posted the first of a four-part series featuring one of my style icons, Lynn Yaeger.

The interview starts with Lynn walking us through her daily regimen:

"Here is what I do every single morning, in between teeth-brushing and waiting for the coffee to boil: I turn on my laptop and type “baby locket” into eBay. This is followed by “baby brooch” and then either “sweater 1930-46 (Depression, WWII)” or “antique enamel charm bracelet” or “Becassine doll." I do this because I am an avid, some would argue rabid collector, with a shifting catalog of enthusiasms that at the moment includes vintage cardigans and 1920s bracelets; rag dolls meant to resemble French cartoon characters (the aforementioned Becassine dolls} and Victorian children’s jewelry—the rarer, the more elusive, the less findable, the better."

"Why am I searching the four corners of the earth for this old stuff? How is it that these links with the past, these talismans from another time, exert such a powerful pull on my imagination? I can’t pretend to know, but of one thing I am certain: I am not alone in my passions. Plenty of other people—people with excellent jobs, people who are in many cases at least semi-famous—collect all kinds of weird stuff too, though thankfully for me, it isn’t usually Gallic comic strip dolls or shabby reindeer sweaters."

Being that I'm a avid collector of varying objects (ranging from vintage taxidermy to antique catechism photos, secret society memorabilia to fake food, hair jewelry to all things snail related), it was a real treat to take a glimpse inside the mind (and home!) of a fellow collector, not to mention someone who I already have a great amount of respect and appreciation for.

I can't wait to see what she has in store for her next three posts!
You can read the entire interview here.

GET ON MY FEET!

2010-03-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

Irregular Choice

Chica • Mo Money • Bambino • Toodle Loo

Mother in Law's Tongue

2010-03-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

meatball ingredients
meatball instructions

Summer Rayne Oakes Interview on StyleCaster

2010-03-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

After graduating from Cornell with a degree in entomology and environmental sciences, Summer Rayne Oakes decided to become a model. And an author. And a designer. And a magazine editor.

She's basically Wonder Woman.

Oh and she's also a fan of Cloven Hoof.

Read the entire StyleCaster interview here.

Learn more about Summer here.

Aurel Schmidt for Opening Ceremony

2010-03-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

Cigarette butts fashioned into an "E"?

I need you so bad.

$60

O P E N I N G C E R E M O N Y

ERIN GO BRAGH!

2010-03-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Saint Patricks Day

A Squirrel's Guide to Fashion

2010-03-17T01:27:00.000-07:00

"Tommy Tucker was a squirrel adopted by a woman in Washington, DC, in the early 1940s after she found the critter orphaned in a tree. He soon became part of the family, as it were -- accompanying the lady of the house on shopping trips, for instance. She also, it turned out, enjoyed dressing him up in specially made outfits. And so it begins..."

All Photos by Nina Leen/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images - Jan 01, 1944

See the full set here from LIFE magazine.
(via neatorama)

Fashion Week Favorites from Copenhagen - Fall 2010

2010-03-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

CIFF Press Show

Designers Remix Collection

Designers' Nest - Minimarket - YDE

I need this in my life!

2010-03-09T01:42:00.000-08:00

For $45 with shipping I don't know if a microwavable donut making kit should be at the top of my shopping list, but it is.

jbox

Legendary Zaire '74 Concert

2010-03-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

Every second of Soul Power was mind blowingly amazing to see. Even though James Brown was the headliner, Miriam Makeba really stole the show for me. Not only did she look stunning (THE HAIR!!!), but she spit the most bone chilling, bad ass breakdown about her name right before she performed her famous "Click Song". Miriam's full name is made up of the first names of her male ancestors, followed by a one- or two-word description of their character and that night she made sure everyone knew exactly what her name was.

"They called me Miriam Makeba, but thats not really my name. My name is Zenzile Makeba Qgwashu Nguvama Yiketheli Nxgowa Bantana Balomzi Xa Ufun Ubajabulisa Ubaphekeli Mbiza Yotshwala Sithi Xa Saku Qgiba Ukutja Sithathe Izitsha Sizi Khabe Singama Lawu Singama Qgwashu Singama Nqamla Nqgithi."

Miriam suffered a fatal heart attack in 2008 after what would be her final performance at a benefit concert in Italy. She was an awe inspiring, unparalleled performer and she is missed.

download music

Gummy Snails!

2010-03-08T02:29:00.000-08:00

♥

VIKTOR & ROLF!!!

2010-03-06T23:32:00.000-08:00

They put on such a spectacular show today! My favorite model has always been and will forever be Kristen McMenamy, so seeing her open (and close) the show was an extra amazing treat!

Fortuitous Purchases of the Day

2010-03-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

shamrock for my St. Patty's project

sprinkles for my baking project

rhinestones for my hosiery project

fake food for my life

Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2010 Favorites

2010-03-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

I loved this catacomb print when I saw it in his last Men's collection.

Magically Delicious

2010-03-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

Unbeknownst to me, Target has been selling limited runs of General Mills reissued vintage cereal box designs for the last 2 years or so. I found a box of my all time favorite today.

New Work from Kembra Pfhaler

2010-03-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

via hypebeast

I've loved Kembra since the Anti-Naturalists days. I only got to see TVHKB once when I was 17 at the Troubadour and I caught a pair of giant beige panties Kembra threw into the audience during Underwear Drawer. It was the greatest night of my 17 year old life.

Fashion Week Favorites Fall 2010

2010-02-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

So far...

Victor de Souza

Temperly London

John Rocha

Vivienne Westwood Red Label

Topshop Unique

Stephen Burrows

Naeem Khan

Marchesa

Malandrino

The Leopard Lady

2010-01-11T20:46:00.000-08:00

I'm not a die-hard Lanvin fan, but a lot of the shapes from Spring 2010 were oddly inspiring. I'm also not really into the color palette nor do I usually go for flowy or asymmetrical cuts, but something about it gave me weird Auntie Mame vibe, and anything that reminds me of my favorite movie of all time is welcome in my life.

For Pre-Fall 2010, I read that Alber Elbaz was inspired by the "leopard lady" who he says is a French woman that he sees all the time in Paris. Apparently she never leaves the house with out her leopard coat, come rain or shine. He also said he wanted to "take all these animal prints out of the jungle and into the chic city".

My favorite Pre-Fall looks.

With that kind of statement I guess I envisioned Auntie Mame meets Princess Tam Tam at a drag show (dream come true), but with the exception of those 3 leopard numbers above the whole collection was really safe and pretty boring. Or maybe I'm just easily bored and want everything to look like an over-the-top circus?

Aurel Schmidt

2010-01-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

It was around this time last when I saw MANEATER sitting on my friends coffee table.

I didn't know what I was about to see and I certainly wasn't expecting to be blown away, but when I cracked open the book I couldn't believe my eyes. Her work is unreal. Clusters of maggots, cigarette butts, rats, dildos and filth effortlessly combined and elegantly drawn together to form portaits and faces. Her attention to detail is ridiculous.

When I got home later that night I googled the shit out of her and could hardly find anything. A few weeks later I was telling a friend about her and suddenly there was a flood of information online, including this short interview with Vice.

The paranoia, the doom, and "bad thoughts" are all so real and I think her ability to put that out there so openly and with out pretense was great. I really felt that interview and dreamt about her paintings for a few nights after I watched it.

her website

Tesla Coil

2010-01-06T21:44:00.000-08:00

Nikola Tesla is best known for his revolutionary work in the field of electromagnetism in the late 19th and early 20th century. He is also one of the most important contributors to the birth of commercial electricity. The Tesla Coil is one of his most famous inventions.

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) and one of his coils, c. 1899

The Tesla Coil is basically a high-frequency air-core transformer. It takes the output from a 120vAC to several kilovolt transformer & driver circuit and steps it up to an extremely high voltage. Voltages can get to be well above 1,000,000 volts and emit in the form of electrical arcs. Tesla coils are unique in the fact that they create extremely powerful electrical fields. Large coils have been known to wirelessly light up florescent lights up to 50 feet away, and because of the fact that it is an electric field that goes directly into the light and doesn't use the electrodes, even burned-out florescent lights will glow.

Tesla coils built by Syd Klinge for Coachella 2006

In 2007, Tesla enthusiasts Steve Ward and Jeff Larson constructed two musical Tesla Coils for the "Lightening on the Lawn Teslathon" in Wisonson. The music that you hear is coming from the sparks that these two identical high power solid state Tesla coils are generating. There are no speakers involved. The Tesla coils stand 7 feet tall, are spaced about 18 feet apart and are each capable of putting out over 12 foot of spark. The coils are controlled over a fiber optic link by a single laptop computer. Each coil is assigned to a midi channel which it responds to by playing notes that are programed into the computer software.

A longer clip of the concert (just under 10 minutes long) and can be seen here.

www.teslasociety.com

Who is Sam Brown?

2010-01-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

I like Jay Z.

I love Swizz Beatz.

But who is Sam Brown?

Gravediggaz were 16 years too early with their horrorcore and people weren't ready for that shit. I guess I'm drawing a narrow comparison because the video is on the dark side. The difference between the two is huge because the lyrical content in this is safe and the video executed like an Italian Vogue editorial. It's so good.

I hope Rza resurrects his fang grill soon.

HERE COMES KRAMPUS!

2009-12-24T06:04:00.001-08:00

Museum of Witchcraft

2009-11-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

tour the museum

founder Cecil Williamson

catbird NYC!

2009-11-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

catbird's new site went live this morning and it's beautiful!

and now you can finally buy Cloven Hoof online!

When you are in Brooklyn, you have to stop in and see the store for your self. Walking through the front doors, you feel like you've stepped back in time into a fancy lady's wardrobe!

The owner, Rony, has selected the perfect mix of jewelry, accessories, home decor, cards and trinkets, all mostly made by local designers with a few outsiders (like me!) mixed in.

(photo from putucos.com)

I highly recommend going to Catbird when Leigh is working. Don't get me wrong, all of the ladies at Catbird are super sweet and lovely, but Leigh has that extra special something, and that something is called Teepee.

(a rare glimpse of Teepee in her natural habitat)

I've been a big fan of Catbird since my first visit to Brooklyn in 2007 and I'm really thrilled to have the line available at the shop. It's a perfect match and I'm happy to know that Cloven Hoof is in good company amongst the other fantastic designers at Catbird.

219 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 599 - 3457

open everyday from noon to eight

Catbird Blog

Cloven Hoof at Catbird

Your Museum Makes You the Coolest

2009-11-25T00:14:00.000-08:00

There is one thing that New York has that I am unquestionably jealous of...

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The AMNH is hands down the best Natural History museum in the United States.

They are well funded, have the best special exhibits, and jaw-dropping dioramas.

A couple of years ago I stayed at a friends apartment on 82nd and Columbus and I went to the AMNH every morning for a few hours for 5 days straight and that STILL wasn't enough time to see everything! I only got through the 1st two floors AND I was rushing.

Right now at the AMNH, there is an exhibit on a golden cloth from Madagascar made of undyed silk, which took four years and some 80 people to produce.

Oh and it was made by over ONE MILLION GOLDEN ORB SPIDERS.

Other then the amazing Spider Silk exhibit, there is also an all new Space Show narrated by Whoopi fucking Goldberg. Like I said, they're the best.

Clara Rockmore

2009-11-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

She was without peer as a performer in the early decades of the theremin's use. While many listeners have heard the theremin played poorly or used mostly as a spooky special-effects device, Clara used it to perform classical works. Under her control, the theremin sounded like the blend of the cello, violin and human voice.

Clara Rockmore & Léon Theremin c. 1991

letter from Clara to Léon, c. 1975

"The young generation today is very interested in electronics, and even though "our" instrument is one of the very first ones, it is still the most beautiful in terms of sound, and the most magical, because it is the only one that is space- controlled. Now that we are sending people to the moon, I have no doubt that there will be a renewed interest in the instrument from which one extracts the sound with hand motions in the air. Last week, I was invited to do a radio interview, where I answered various questions about the theremin. Of course I spoke about you, your work, and about how the new generation may become acquainted with "space" music. I think that in the near future, it would be very desirable to attract the interest of a fresh young public to your instrument, and I will do everything possible to make it happen."

Clara Rockmore

March 9, 1911 - May 10 1998

Style Icon : Anna Piaggi

2009-11-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

c. 1974

c. 2008

Cloven Hoof at The Hive!

2009-10-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

402 Micheltorena St. @ Sunset Blvd.

323 . 665 . 1028

M.T.Th.Sa 10am - 8pm

W. 12pm - 10pm

if you're in NY you better fucking go

2009-10-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

SUBCULTURE CAPITAL

RONNIE CUTRONE . RAMMELLZEE .

KOSTAS SEREMETIS . ROSTARR

GALLERY EXHIBITION: OCTOBER 14 – NOVEMBER 15

OPENING RECEPTION: OCTOBER 14 6-9 PM

Kostas is a genius.

Ronnie is a legend.

Rammellzee is an alien.

Sad I can't be there.

All About the Shoes

2009-10-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

the show was incredible...

the presentation was phenominal...

the prints are gorgeous...

the hair was perfect...

the concept of live streaming the event was brilliant...

BUT THE SHOES KILLED ME DEAD.

little works of art. completely unreal.

What a shame that Lady Gaga Twittered to her million followers that McQueen was going to premiere her new single during the show's live stream, thereby causing the site to crash and ruining the finale for everyone. Thankfully, the show is still up in it's entirety and available to watch on the SHOWstudio site, sans Gagaites.

Rather then look through a bunch of stills, I highly recommend seeing it all for yourself. There's also a 30 minute interview with McQueen that photographer Nick Knight filmed four days before the show. If you're a fan it's well worth a viewing.

Alexander McQueen - Best Collections

2009-10-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

I can't WAIT to see what McQueen has in store for Spring 2010.

Le Cochon Danseur

2009-08-24T18:12:00.001-07:00

Fashion Week Favorites from Copenhagen

2009-08-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

Spring 2010

By Malene Birger

Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair

The Danish Design School Graduate Show

la moineau

2009-08-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

Fashion Week Favorites Fall 2009 Couture

2009-08-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Lacroix

Dior

Givenchy

Amazing Grace

2009-07-28T00:44:00.000-07:00

She performed at the Hollywood Bowl last night and I missed it. I'd known about the show for months but completely forgot until my friend called to let me know she was stuck in Highland traffic due to her performance.

I can't even begin to articulate what a huge inspiration Grace has been for me over the years. She hands down has the most vicious style I have ever seen in any artist of my time.

(V Magazine)

I'm devastated that I missed her. A close friend tells me she'll be back and that this was a sort of mini teaser tour. I certainly hope so because judging by photos and write up's, it was spectacular.

And this is why I fucking LOVE youtube. I know it pales in comparison to the real thing, but at least I can live vicariously through the audiences' shitty camera phone clips.

Her opening song "This is the Life" was performed completely covered in a silver lame sheath only to reveal her INSANE AMAZING zebra-like ensemble at 4:50.

And altough the sound is shit, cover of Roxy Musics "Love is the Drug" is brilliant.

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THAT OUTFIT?!?

Philip Treacy and Eiko Ishioka KILLED IT with the hats and costumes. I can't even get into my undying love for both Philip and Eiko's work right now, let alone the reality that Grace Fucking Jones rocked them both for her entire tour. What a dream!

I left my heart in Tokyo

2009-07-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

I just got back from spending some time in Tokyo with one of my besties and my love. Needless to say, I've yet to recover. Tokyo is the most magical, inspirational place I've ever been to.

I don't know how to explain the experience except to say that anything you can dream of already exists somewhere in Tokyo. I took over a thousand photos and have a million memories but its all too much to tell.

One of our more memorable ventures (and there were many!) took place at the worlds only museum devoted to parasites.

Established in 1953 by Dr. Satoru Kamegai, the
Meguro Parasitological Museum is part museum, part research facility and is run by volunteers, scientists and lab assistants.

The set up of the museum is super minimal and beautiful. The 1st two floors of the 6 story building are devoted to the exhibition of parasites, while the remaining 4 stories are used for research, education and lectures. As soon as you enter on the 1st floor, you're presented with beautifully constructed charts, vinyl models and bottled specimens, giving you a basic overview of parasites. Its not until you reach the 2nd floor of the museum that you get to see their breathtaking collection of 300 parasites and learn more about their life cycle. While the museum showcases 300 plus parasites, they actually house somewhere around 45 THOUSAND. Truly amazing.

The MPM is also home to the worlds longest tapeworm!

John Galliano Spring 2010 Menswear

2009-06-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

I've never followed Men's Collections too closely but because I adore all of Galliano's work I decided to take a peek at his line for Spring. I'm in love with all the egg-like turbans and that Romanesque bust print in the likeness of his face really killed me.

The Eye of the Needle and the Museum of Jurassic Technology

2009-04-29T04:38:00.000-07:00

Founded in 1989 by Diana and David Hildebrand Wilson, the Museum of Jurassic Technology houses an array of artistic and scientific exhibits which evokes the cabinets of curiosities that were the 18th century predecessors of modern natural history museums.

What appears from the outside to be a tiny, defunct store front is in actuallity a rather large labryinth-like myriad of exhibits.

From microscopic collages made entirely from individual butterfly wing scales and stereographic X-ray photographs of flowers, to a collection of decomposing antique dice once owned by magician Ricky Jay, a small room dedicated to unusual letters and theories received by the Mount Wilson Observatory, and my personal favorite the collection of micro-miniature sculptures and paintings done by Hagop Sandaldjian (1931-1990).

Born in Egypt and later settling with his wife and children in Armenia, Hagop was a highly regarded violin soloist with the Yerevan National Orchestra. He was also a conductor and taught at two music colleges as well as at the state conservetory. It wasn't untill the late 1970's that Hagop began to explore the art of microminiature sculpture.

Through these tiny tedious sculputures, Hagop found an art form parallel to music in its extremes of commitment, passion, and extravagance channeled into controlled, precise movement.

Born of obsessive devotion, an idividual sculpture could take as many as fourteen months to finish. Each sculpted micron represented not only endless hours of toil, but agony laden peril, as his work could be easily destroyed or lost. An unexpected sneeze of misdirected breath could blow away months of work. In view of the fact that even his pulse could cause an accident, Hagop trained himself to apply his decisive strokes only between heartbeats.

Hagop and his family immigrated to the United States in 1980 and for the next decade untill the time of his death, he produced a collection of 33 miniatures. Inhabiting the margins between dream and reality, these figures of impossible dimensions appear at once banal and elusive, meticulously crafted and dreamily insubstantial. Straddling the line between science, craft, art and novelty, his work befuddles our ability to make such distinctions, and in so doing, opens a space for wonder.

{photos: saschapohflepp & MJT}
{various text: MJT}

Wallpaper

2009-04-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

I love how the intereiors of homes during the Victorian Era were covered with busily patterned wallpaper. One of my favorite local wallpaper boutiques is Walnut. Since I rent I sadly can't put wallpaper up in my home, but I go to Walnut once a month for design and pattern inspiration.

(samples from Walnut Wallpapers shop)

My favorite contemporary wall paper designers are Dan Funderburgh, Mark Mothersbaguh of Walteria Living (and Devo!) and Alistair McAuley & Paul Simmons of Timorous Beasties.

(Dan Funderburgh)

(Mark Mothersbaugh)

(Timorous Beasties)

If you're interested in how, why and where wallpapering originated, Barbara Krasner-Khait has written a fabulous article for History Magazine about the history of wallpaper, while Rebecca Schunck breaks it down with a to the point timeline.