Lyell // Past Looks

Taken from Lyell's Early Spring 2010 lookbook // Found via tumblr.

A close friend of mine - Therese Burke - owns an etsy shop where she sells handmade scarves. A small lookbook of Therese's product has been in the talks, and I'm very excited to photograph it as a personal project. In the mean time, I will be creating a sketch/scrapbook of the aesthetic I aim to recreate for the prospective project.

Once I began to look further into Lyell, I found that they either changed the name of their label or that Lyell may have been a branch of the brand, Tocca. 

Find the Tocca Boutique flagship at: 

605 Hudson Street (Between Bethune & W. 12th St.) 

New York, NY 10014. 

Below is a further look into Tocca's current  w i n t e r   c o l l e c t i o n   s a l e.

b o w    b l o u s e

menswear-inspired / slightly fitted sleeveless blouse with pleated tie at neck /

hidden button placket / 100% silk

a r g y l e   s h i r t

netting-appliquéd silk organza creates a graphical lace blouse in a striking argyle pattern / 

wool-cotton back panel

g i l b e r t    h o o d e d   c o a t

diamond scalloped hooded parka will warm you up on the coldest winter days / 

fully lined / suede-covered button-front / hooded parka with an exaggerated inverted pleat on the reverse in our plaid mohair blend /  falls to the low hip  

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 more from tocca:

- about the brand

- follow on tumblr

- shop beauty

- shop collection

How Pinteresting // Crumpet Loves

I recently started following Stephanie Crumpet on pinterest and have found myself constantly repinning her. The above were taken off of her pinboard entitled Crumpet Loves, a favorite of mine. Her and I share a similar aesthetic and felt a need to show her work, etc. Find more of her personal projects here and here.

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unrelated internet finds...

- these words

- this chocolate bar

- these soap stones 

- this song

- these headphones

Amy's Wreaths + Weekend Plans

Use as inspiration / or purchase your very own wreath by Amy, here.


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weekend plans worth making:
dec. 15 / letterpress demo: tags, cards & papergifts @ Salt & Cedar
dec. 14 / music by prince rama @ MoCAD / 8pm / $10 cover 
hitachino ginger, white, red rice & espresso stout on draft @ Great Lakes Coffee
the meadow brook hall annual holiday walk / more info, here
a list of detroit christmas light displays

(photo source)

Andrew + Carissa Gallo / A Winter Video

Shaped, Coloured from VsTheBrain on Vimeo.

Happy Christmas: A beautiful short film by Andrew and Carissa Gallo.
Music: Sister Winter by (my favorite artist), Sufjan Stevens.

Together, they have inspired me in many ways through the projects they have collaborated on, the editorials they have contributed to—Kinfolk and Frankie—and simply the ways in which they lead and document their lives through her photography, his film and their words. 

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learn more about andrew + carissa and the work they do:

-collaborative effort // journal / a storytelling outfit / vs the brain

-carissa // professional website / twitter / instagram / pinterest

-andrew // professional website / twitter / instagram / pinterest 

Photo Series Inspiration

I'm working on a new photography series that aims to connote sadness, despair and abandonment in objects, living and otherwise, whose sole purpose for existence is [assumed] to bring us happiness, pleasure and solace. I've been collecting found images for inspiration so that I can provide my model with a more comprehensive idea as to what my intended aesthetic is. By no means do I plan to replicate any of these images or poses. 

[Edited, Nov. 30] My purpose is to examine the surfaces, textures, patterns, lighting, interior space, emotions, textiles, and so fourth. While exploring the perception of what we see in juxtaposition to the reality of what lies beneath the surface value, I will allude to the evocative contradictions that we have been conditioned to disregard and, more often than not, refer to as a cultural taboo.

Some artists who've provided inspiration for the series were Gusav Klimt, KT Smail, Steven Meisel, Bruno Dayan, Yann Weber, Miranda Clark, Laura Maskbresku, Sally Mann, Tatiana Leshkina, Audrey Kawasaki, Kelly Robyn, Ella Wood and many, many more.

Simply Breakfast

Jen Causey is the food stylist and photographer behind the well known blog, simplybreakfast. Her ability to style with such eclectic precision amazes me, and she has a knack for making breakfast look simple, quaint and tasty without being overly contrived—the way it should be.

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visit her official:

website.

pinterest. 

instagram.

Notable Artist // Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo de Rivera (1907-1954) was a Mexican painter best known for her self-portraits. I'd vaguely heard of Kahlo before, and until I had a better insight into her life I wasn't able to fully appreciate her beautifully tragic paintings. She must have had to endured a severe amount of physical and emotional pain in order to create such paintings.

Themes of extreme emotional pain and passion were more often than not evoked through her works, but her unequivocal, carefree nature was such an inspiration to me. It takes a great deal of courage to transform personal pains into art, and has always been an admirable trait in my eyes. Though she remained unaware of the fact that anyone could relate to the chaotic thoughts and feelings aroused in her paintings, it is these artists who have such a powerful impact on others. The movie based on her life, Frida, is an inspirational and intimate look into the beautifully tormented story and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about her.

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a few of Kahlo's quotes:

“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.”

“I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.”

“I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling.”

Notable Artist // Kseniya Simonova

Kseniya Simonova took first place in Ukraine's Got Talent series with her breathtaking sand animation performance piece. After watching this in one of my classes tonight, I wanted to share it with anyone who hasn't seen it. See a video of one of Kseniya's past performance under the cut.

Student Debt Refusal Pledge

I've been having a semi-difficult time keeping up with this blog since schools been keeping me pretty busy. While on the topic of school, I found a recent article I'd like to share with you that I'm sure any college student or graduate would appreciate.

OWS Education Activists Launch Student Debt Refusal Pledge 

In the wake of massive walkouts at colleges in New York on November 17 and statewide protests in the University of California system, student debt has come to the fore as a major animating issue for the Occupy movement. Young people face record student debt at a time when the employment rate among those under 24 is at its lowest since the 1970s. 

Today, the Education and Empowerment working group at Occupy Wall Street announced their next step in the fight against the burden of student loans: a debt refusal pledge. 

Students and faculty, dressed in caps and gowns, performed a bit of street theater under the now-famous red sculpture at Liberty Plaza, handing out debt bills instead of diplomas and draping chains around their necks. Then, Professor Andrew Ross of NYU addressed the crowd through the People's Mic, saying "Since the first days of the Occupy Wall Street movement, the agony of student debt has been a constant refrain. We've heard truly harrowing personal testimony about the suffering and humiliation of people who believe that their debt will be unpayable in their lifetime." 

"Education is not like buying a car or a flatscreen TV," Ross continued, "Education is a right and a public good."  

Notable Artist // Bri Emery

(one | two | three)

Bri is a California based graphic designer and art director for Rue Magazine. She comes off as such an enthusiastic and hilariously rad kinda lady who could surely b r i g h t e n up anyone's day! Bri has an impeccable eye for fashion, too. The above are just a few of her many wonderful designs. You can visit her blog here, and her style column here. 

3 words to describe her design aesthetic:

xx. happy blogging :)

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a bit more:

- an interview with bri

- her pinterest page

- her blogshop blogger classes (more under the cut)

How Pinteresting

I finally created a pinterest and think it's such a nicely designed site. It's a simple way to keep your visual interests categorized and there are so many boards to get inspiration from. If you're enjoy this blog, try checking out my newest pin boards.

Tattoo Inspiration

one | two | three | four | five | six

Happy Birthday Sujfan

(source)

As you may know, one of my favorite, favorite musicians is Sufjan Stevens. I just wanted to take a quick minute out of my day to wish him a happy birthday.

A few pictures from the Age of Adz concert my sister & I went to last fall...

my sister, catie^

me ^

and a video from the concert..

A couple of my favorite quotes of his.

"The story of my life is the story of half-finished projects and half-read books."

"Perhaps we don’t like what we see: our hips, our loss of hair, our shoe size, our dimples, our knuckles too big, our eating habits, our disposition. We have disclosed these things in secret, likes and dislikes, behind doors with locks, our lonely rooms, our messy desks, our empty hearts, our sudden bursts of energy, our sudden bouts of depression. Don't worry. Put away your mirrors and your beauty magazines and your books on tape. There is someone right here who knows you more than you do, who is making room on the couch, who is fixing a meal, who is putting on your favorite record, who is listening intently to what you have to say, who is standing there with you, face to face, hand to hand, eye to eye, mouth to mouth. There is no space left uncovered. This is where you belong."

-Sufjan Stevens

Read Sufjan's conversation with author Thomas Pietzinger, here!