I AM A TUMBLR

Hey my faithful readers:

I have created a Tumblr. It is for the LOLz I find on my daily internet journeys, and not for fashion or news or anything really time-sensitive, but a repository of GIFs and ads, pictures and videos of the terrifying, banal and gorgeous.

It'll be like this, except awkward for everyone involved.

Summer is for (Hat) Lovers

Ask anyone who has walked into a retail space with me the last six months: I've been on a holy mission to find a hat. Wait, no, not just a hat, but THEE hat. The hat to bring me comfort, joy, compliment my wardrobe, make any late day look a little less rushed.

Eugenia Kim is one of my favorite haberdashery makers (haberdasherers?). She's certainly made a name for herself as a purveyor of fine hats, and her straw hat has made its appearance on pretty much every St. Mark's knock off stand this side of 14th street. But, lets be frank, her hats are pricey. So I'm pretty psyched she's doing a line for Target.





While I think that all of these are fine summer options (especially the sun hat with the bow), I like the fedora best, I think. In black. Obvi. Since they will be under $20, I may snatch it on April 18th. With the Cynthia Rowley yellow platforms. Oh Target, how you slay me.

For My 100th Post, A Tribute to Alexander McQueen

On the first day of FW2010 presentations in New York, we all woke up to discover Alexander McQueen had killed himself. My love for McQueen was well-known, especially on this blog, and I feel a bit at a loss. He was one of the few mainstream avant garde-ians. I don't think I can think of another industry death that would make me more sad. People say RIP a legend, and I would point out McQueen was not a legend, but a viable, vital force in the fashion industry (unlike a 'legend', like, say, Vivienne Westwood).

Better people with more knowledge could do a more fitting tribute, but I'd like to collect some of his fantastic imagery in one place. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite looks of McQueen, spanning the last few seasons.

Spring 08

Spring 08

Fall 09

Fall 09

Mens Fall 09

Fall 08

Fall 08

Men's Fall 2010

Spring 2010

Spring 2010

Resort 2010

His epically understated pre-fall 2010

Pre-fall 2010

Pre-fall 2010

RIP McQueen. You made extraordinary, tortured, impassioned things and the world is richer having been your playground. Let us celebrate you, and your creativity.

Shane McGowan Still Alive, Teams with Johnny Depp

Not to be a harbinger of doom, but with all of the recent celebrity demise, who'd have thought Shane would outlive Swayze or even Lux Interior? But here he is, alive, and helping Haiti.

How amazing would it be to actually be present for the recording of Shane's newest project? The Pogues frontman has gathered all of punk's royalty, including my hero Nick Cave, my heroine Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jones, Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream, Glen Matlock and Paloma Faith. Oh, and also, on guitar is this guy Johnny Depp. You may know him from some of my favorite movies of all time. (I wonder how Shane and Johnny got to know one another? What a bucket of crazy those two would be. Amazing crazy, of course.)



Apparently, this mega group is going to cover 'I Put a Spell on You' (too bad he didn't as Diamanda Galas to join) for the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. It was recorded last Friday, so expect it out next month. And also it expect like a lovely car crash. (Thanks Pitchfork)

Mitch the Monster

Every now and again I appreciate a well-created plush toy. Mostly because I adore all things cuddly, and now and again I really think its crucial to snuggle up with something artistic and adorable.

I love Kauzbots, I think they are a great gift, especially because they have a bit of a altruistic slant. I also thoroughly enjoy Doma plushes, which are creative and a little bit morbid, and have a certain corporal charm. And for your sneaky needs, a Shawnimal's ninja melts your heart.

Last week, a new buddy emerged on the scene, with my pal Jake's (and crew) cyclops Mitch. Mitch is effing adorable, with a droopy eye and a soft, snuggle-able body made of recycled felt. He just looks like he needs a buddy, with his one furtive eye, pleading for your acceptance. And you, my dear, are perfect for him, especially at the key price of $40.



Scoop him now. Special edition, ya heard?

All Right, Jerks

Enough of this hiatus. I am back, with my own personal blogging passion. I have a vendetta. I have an urge to purge. I am here because all of the tiny bits of information I gather through out my day need some sort of place to rest their wary heads, and this blog is as good as any.

So get ready for previews and insights. And in the mean time:


Be a dear and order me these JC limiteds fron Need Supply, would you? They are just the right amount of studded, but still have that Mary-Jane t-strap we all need now and again.




Thanks a ton.

Leila Goes To Germany, Loesers Are Involved

I've been painfully, horribly bad at updating you, my sweet sweet blog, but I just wanted to show you what I've been up to. In the whirlwind of journalistic would I've undertaken, my friend Tony at Asylum and I hopped on over to Germany, and I helped him find his family (kind of). Mostly, we failed. Scroll to 2 minutes to see us not find the Loesers in Germany. Also, we drove some Volkswagens.

Boys! Boys! Boys!

Refinery 29's "How To" guide for guys in hot weather hits the nail right on thee head. Simple, fitted and colorful. Makes me want a drink with an umbrella in it.

A couple other gems for boys:
What Comes Around Goes Around's Palma shirt, on sale for $65




















Zuriick's cheery canvas slip ons - $55

J.Crew's poplin button up for $40

























Little style snacks for you.

Happy Monday!

New Look!

How awesome is my new logo?

Thanks so much, Zach Weiss!

Best Fashion Movie Quotes of All-Time, Ever

Remember when Cher pleaded with her mugger not for her life, but her Alaia dress in Clueless? Or Singin’ in the Rain musically immortalizing a “string full of pearls with a suit of tweed?” As Bruno busts up the box office in Thierry Mugler, I'm going to recall classic fashion quips, and count down my top sartorial-inspired cinematic quotes:


10. “I think tomorrow is a ‘Say Something’ hat day.” Patrick Swayze, in a brilliant turn as Vida Boheme, attempts to cheer up her fellow queens as the ladies are stuck in Kansas, for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

9. “Yes, Derek, they’re jeans and they’re in order.” Parker Posey’s Mary chastising her closet-rifling friend in Party Girl.

8. “This is a really volcanic ensemble you're wearing, it's really marvelous!” Duckie, one of my favorite fashion inspirations, in Pretty In Pink.

7. “Impossible! You're in the fashion world. We're cold, artificial and without sentiment.” Anna Wintour predecessor Maggie Prescott tells it like it is in Funny Face.

6. Cher: "Oh, no. You don’t understand, this is an Alaïa.” Mugger: "An a-what-a?” Cher: "It's like, a totally important designer.” Mugger: "And I will totally shoot you in the head. Get down!” Alicia Silverstone fights for Azzadine during Clueless.

5. “A string of pearls with a suit of tweed, it started quite a riot. And if you must wear fox to the opera, Dame Fashions says dye it.” Gene Kelly oversees a musical that tackles changing fashions in the classic Singin’ in the Rain.

4. “Clothes make the man. I believe that. You say to me you want to go shopping, you want to buy clothes, but you don't know what kind. You leave that hanging in the air, like I'm going to fill in the blank, that to me is like asking me who you are, and I don't know who you are, I don't want to know.” Marshall, the wise chauffeur who teaches Tom Hanks the value of Armani in Joe Versus the Volcano.

3. "A lot of the style gurus in Austria are saying like Osama Bin Laden is thee best dressed guy, do you think so?" Sascha Baron Cohen taking it a bit too far in Brüno.

2. “Well, it's all about looking good, helping the silhouette…and all about getting a great fuck, honey.” Thierry Mugler, explaining his fetishistic inspiration to fictional reporter Kitty Potter in Robert Altman’s chaotic Ready To Wear.

1. My number one pick isn’t as much of a quote as it is a powerful monologue. Watch, and see Meryl Streep explain why we do what we do.

Dear Ladies at Is-Mental,

I hate the summer. Well, that's not true. But I hate wearing shoes in the summer, because I am pretty much a boots/heels type girl and, while summer boots are a wonderful thing, I'm beginning to feel like I need to up my shoe game and not get a calf-and-up boot tan.

We both live in New York. Can you, in all of your fashion expertise and style curatorial skills, give a good round up of acceptable, New York sandals? Is there such a thing, or will be feet end up covered in street goo and rat feces? What is acceptable, especially for a girl who kind of dreads sandals and anything with the word "gladiator"?

Thanks in advance, and I would love to hear what you have to say on the matter.

xo,

Leila at Battledroid

Why Today Is Good: The Maxx!

"Most of us inhabits two worlds, the real world, where we are at the mercy of circumstance, and the world within, the unconscious, a safe place we where can escape..."

Oh man, one of my favorite nineties shows has finally been revived via the interweb, thanks to MTV realizing that Julie Winters and her luggish pal, The Maxx, is worth a second look. They are currently streaming six episodes online, which is only half of the series.

The comic itself is totally twisted, dark, hilarious and hopeless nineties. While the TV show talks about Julie and her rabbit, it only covers, like, the first trade paperback. The series itself follows Sarah way more, and the outback, and Maxx as a homeless guy. The TV series does a fantastic job of staying totally true to the comment, though Maxx's wheezy voice can be a bit much.

But it keeps one of my favorite quotes eve, which is Julie telling a creepy homeless guy to, "Keep in mind that I have a job...while you have a blanket with vomit on it."

Man, MTV Oddities were so good. I have The Maxx, Aeon Flux (which is way darker than that Charlize Theron monstrosity) and the totally dark, funny The Head. Wherever did that one go?

Eternally love the 1990s...

The Maxx

Here's the clip where Maxx chases the Isz dressed as a grandma.

The Maxx

And this is the crabbit moment, which I dig. "The outback slug can leap nearly a quarter mile into the air! But...it hasn't mastered the ability to land. It has no natural enemy...it's just stupid."

My Imaginary Life Through McQueen

Gilt Groupe had an A. McQueen sale today. I trolled the site, pretending to put things in my cart and imagining the ways I will wear them. Sigh. Just tossing a couple grand towards a new dress. I mentioned to a friend that Alexander McQueen is probably one of my top five favorite designers of all time (For the record: Nicolas Ghesquière, Jil Sander, YSL, Rei Kawakubo - dark, elegant and pretty hard to argue with), though I tend to cycle through designers. So here is the existence I must have if I were to purchase any of these Alexander McQueen pieces (ranging from $600-$2000, each):


For hosting my first socialite event:


If I ever were to get married:


When I win my first Oscar:


The Oscar afterparty (after I won):


Announcing my company has gone public:


Someone else's party, that I still need to make a serious appearance at:



God, what a great life I lead.

I'm so sorry, little blog (Friday Videos on Monday)

I've ignored you. It's not my fault - I've been busy writing over at Switched.com. They are good to me there, and you are good to me too, but things come first, you know? So to make up for it, I'm going to show you a couple of my favorite songs to listen to to get into the mood for spring. Ok? I'm glad we can agree.

Love,
Leila

Because, don't we all want to be adored? I love the droney rhythm guitar in this. Stone Roses paved the way for so many nineties bands: Pulp, Oasis, um...Bush? It's a really poignant song. With a simple message.

Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
Uploaded by jesus_lizard.

An amazingly classic find. This is early 808 State doing some crazy minimal acid house with a wacky guitar solo. Why can't we have parties with people just filming random people swaying in warehouses anymore? 1990 was so cool. Everything was so excessive and baggy.




I would like to point out Tom Hingley's gnarly teeth. Only in England...this is a great sing-along song. And I wouldn't really include it, because it isn't groundbreaking music, but the Michel Gondry video is rather lovely. Early, I believe...



A bit later in their career..but I've always liked this The Fall song because it kind of reminds me of something rockabilly. And Marc doesn't have that super dull, typical-talk voice, and I kind of like him all squealy.





Can you guess the theme of my videos? The correct post gets a prize!

Interview With German Painter Evol

German tromp l'oil artist Evol started off being everything that I have a hard time connecting with in art: graffiti-based, German, hyper and obviously political and performative. But I was have been interviewing him for a piece I'm working on and I've gotten quite familiar with his work, and its really quite astounding. Growing up in a war-torn Berlin with all of these pre-fabricated concrete slabs with bullet holes and spraypaint marring its surface allowed Evol to celebrate the grit of the city. And he did this meta-urban thing, where he started using cubes and electrical boxes to paint on other structures, so it was like this mini buildings next to the real thing. It's pretty engaging.

This is going to be in Surface next month, but they aren't running nearly any of the interview, and I thought that he was so articulate I had to post it somewhere. He is such an unpretentious, interesting artist. I think if all artists talked about their process as just a "It's just what I do and its to make things pretty" like he does, I would...er, interview more of them.



BD: A lot of your work deals explicitly with architecture - usually run-down, extremely urban looking spaces. What continues to draw you towards these dilapidated buildings? Do you find beauty in them? What about your background (educationally or otherwise) that pushes you towards the urban landscape?

Evol: In fact, the works sort of portray the area that I moved to almost nine years ago. Most of the buildings looked like that back then; most of them weren't renovated, and of course, you couldn't have called it a posh neighborhood, because it appeared rather poor. But in the end that offered possibilities and space for people to make things happen with little or no money, like off-cinemas, illegal or improvised bars and clubs or galleries or other projects. You just could do it - no one really cared and you didn't need resources to do something spontaneously or temporary, and what you described as rundown or dilapidated was in fact was pretty charming: visible history on facades with marks from generations of inhabitants, silent stories of existence (isn't it that what all the tourists like about Venice or small villages in Southern France e.g.?)

So because to all the stuff that happened here, the area got more and more popular. And just like anywhere else gentrification happens, prices go up, thousands of gallons of yellow paint were dumped on those buildings and took away the charm, the people and the possibilities. So for me, the surface of those buildings is a symbol for a neighborhood that offers a lot of discovery /exploration because it hasn't been commercialized yet.

Installing the work at Flamingo Beach Lotel

BD: How did you start in product development? Are you drawn towards architecture in a similar way? Why or why not?

Evol: I drew all my life and as far back as I can remember, Iwanted to study graphic design back. After a few tryouts/internships, I couldn't imagine spending my life doing it. So I tried it out by adding another dimension: I´m not naturally drawn to architecture, it simply is my surrounding. I like living in a city, and if you spend your days or nights walking around or looking for spots to be played or spots others have played, you start developing an eye for it. I mean, buildings or architecture in general are the stone manifests of our society ...



BD: You came from a graffiti-filled background, but your work seems to vary from typical European graff artists. What did you take from the graffiti scene, and what do you think it could do better without? Do you think your similarities are mostly in the fact that you and graffiti artists paint outdoors?

Evol: I think there is no typical European style or something, since there´s a huge difference between Prague, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam...and that´s what I like about it: when people try to develop their own visual language or playground of expression (I mean, it's difficult to throw funky letters like from the New York 80's. On the other hand: that has been done in the 80's already). And/but that´s what I took from it; the possibility to tell your own story by leaving your mark in public spaces. Get to an audience you don't know, leaving something on their daily ways, using impartiality and the unexpected.

I wish people would be more aware of this, the joy of discovering your surrounding/social environment.




BD: Would you consider doing more commissioned work? Your show catalogue talks a lot about "artistic schizophrenia" and having two VERY opposing sentiments: Nike's and armored tanks, anti-commercialism on a product box. Can you speak a little more about being so contradictory?


EVOL: As a product designer, I was doing commissioned work. And there´s nothing wrong about it. Abstractly seen, it´s a problem with certain parameters, and you gotta find a solution for that. There´s nothing wrong with shoes, your feet can be quite cold without them. It´s the level of commercialism we have to deal with these days.

The tiniest corners of your life get branded ("brandalism" as someone whose name I can't remember right now once subsumed it), so as an artist, I´m my own client, and my reflections on the things surrounding me are the products.


BD: What is your favorite type of place to paint?

EVOL: It could be my studio, because I´m struggling with a tiny, fragile stencil that almost doesn't survive from the cutting mat to the table the way that it should to get sprayed, or a well chosen place in public where a certain impact can be made on the passerby...

Images courtesy of the artist and Wilde Gallery