Glamour and Glitter

Cowboys

July has become a time where we reflect upon our love of cowboy dressing.  

The Calgary Stampede, the world's largest outdoor rodeo, runs this week.  Here are some authentic shots of real-life cowboys doing what they do best.

Loving the Hockey Helmet... so Canadian

Also in Cowboy news, Adam Kimmel's Spring 2010 collection was inspired by champion bullrider Rocky McDonald, as well as photographer Jim Krantz's images (best known as the creator of the Marlboro Man campaigns).  Adam's lookbook captures cowboys at work in what at first glance we buy as authentic cowboy garb...  On closer inspection, we see more fashionable details like reversible jackets and luxurious fabrics.

Further images from Jim Krantz taken during the Lookbook Photo Shoot.  Super amazing, totally inspiring:

Couture Sewing Techniques

We are becoming more and more obsessed with Couture details.  That's why we're asking for this book for our birthday.  Writen by Claire B. Shaeffer, sewing techniques from the legendary ateliers of Chanel, Givenchy, Dior, and Balenciaga are revealed to all.  We hear that she is preparing to write another book, in which she interviewed at length one of Yves Saint Laurent's cheif modelistes.

Related is this video of the making of Look 39 from the recent Chanel Haute Couture show.  This shit gives us tingles.  We die.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Disney has released some of the concept art for Alice in Wonderland.  The movie is coming out March 5, 2010.  We love the roses.

We recently re-watched the Disney cartoon version of Alice.  It's all about drugs, right?

Also released were images of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway in character.  The white on ivory on cream on nude with accents of brown and deep red colour story is dreamy.  We totally have a thing for almost white hair on pale skin.

Le Love

Swooning over new blog discovery Le Love:  a collection of romantic images.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House

Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1924 , is going on sale for $15 million.  The Los Angeles house has been in the hands of a non-profit group since 1980 but they have now decided the house would be better off privately owned (and restored).  The house famously served as backdrop to many films, particularly Blade Runner.  It was also featured on Twin Peaks.  

The design of the house is Mayan-inspired and is one of only four of Wright's "textile block" homes.  We thought since designer's are endlessly inspired by Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, maybe Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House would inspire them too.

Still from Blade Runner

Feathers

These dudes are awesome.

Ari Tabei

Japanese artist Ari Tabei has won Sprout's emerging artist competition.  We don't really know what that is, or what Rebecca & Drew is either, the store where her work will be displayed, but this image we found on Hint Mag is super cool.  

Ari Tabei has shown at A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn, NYC and Onishi Gallery in Chelsea, NYC.  She constructs intricate garments that tend to take on a life of their own, consuming her.  Her work is performance based, and filmed and photographed for record.

Prunelle

In our Internet travels, we came across this awesome illustration by Prunelle.  She's a Paris based artist that was recently part of a group show at agnès B..  She has done some awesome illustrations for playing cards, as well.  Some quality prints of her work are available on her website.

The Big Chief

Leslie Hall's Gem Sweaters

Leslie Hall is best described as a performance artist / hip-hop artist.  A graduate of Boston's School of the Museum of Fine Arts, she has recorded 3 albums, and toured the world.  She is a long-time collector of 'Gem Sweaters', which according to her website is "a knitted or crocheted pullover which has been decorated and embellished with one or more of the following; gems, rhinestones, beats, studs, jewels, or pearls. A Gem Sweater is not a cardigan or decorated with the following; puffy paint, buttons, embroidery, ribbon, iron on transfer or metallic thread."  She finds them usually in thrift shops, adopts them and gives them names like Moon Light Gravy, Feel the Desire and Astroids Avalanche.  To commerate her collection, she has photographed herself in these sweaters in always the same pose, with a bouffant hairdo, glasses and gold leggings.  

Her website Gem Sweater was an Internet sensation in the early 2000s.  Using that fame, she recorded a hip-hop album.  The funny thing is, she is a really talented musician.  Her lyrics are funny and her beats are good!  Songs like Gold Pants include the lyrics "Thank you Momma for making me Gold Pants, ones I can dance in and make romance in".  She's also written songs in homage to 80s films likeGirls Just Wanna Have Fun and Willow.  Leslie has been featured on VH1, MTV2, Nickelodeon's Yo Gabba Gabba, and Arte's Trax (France).

Leslie Hall is the essence of Glamour and Glitter, n'est pas?

Home

Home is a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and produced by Luc Bresson and François-Henri Pinault of PPR.  It premiered June 5th, World Environment Day.  It is available to watch on the Internet, DVD, TV, and movie theaters.  On the day of its release, screenings were held around the world including Central Park in New York and beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Home reminds us that we have only ten years to reverse the effects of global warming.  It makes us aware of the full extent of the changes we have inflicted in only the century.

WIth footage from over 50 countries, all seen by air, this film is extremely beautiful to look at.  Even though the message is dark, the images we see, even those of pollution and destruction, are beautiful.

If we took more time to see the beauty in nature, would we appreciate it more, conserve it better?  Below some images from the film to perhaps celebrate through fashion.

Print Inspiration:

Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Frozen Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia

Pantanal Wetlands, near Corumba, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Colour Stories:

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

Khudiala, Rajasthan, India