Archive for October, 2011
The Amulet Helmet by designers Kim Jungwoo & Kim Yoonsang takes influence from the Sun Ja Mun pattern, a traditional Korean symbol that you’ve probably seen before. It represents love, living, & luck. Whether it will bring you any of those things or not, there’s no denying that it’s one cool looking piece of headgear.
Weather it’s live, on video, or in any other medium, someone playing the MPC live is always amazing to me, the same way it is for anyone to watch any artist produce live music. The M.V.P. of the MPC, Mr. Araab Muzik, is a world class musician that has transcended the label of a simple “beat maker”. Luckily for his fans, he’s on tour, all over the U.S. and has recently put out a docu-video proving his dopeness to those who remain unfamiliar. But if you’re already up on your Araab music, keep looking at the top of the screen for the tour dates streaming by.
Zaha Hadid Architect and Roca recently announced the opening of the Roca London Gallery (a design inspired by the power of water as a transforming element to carve a sequence of dynamic, porous spaces for the gallery). Fissures and slices in the walls give permeability consistently throughout the gallery. The design theme of water extends to the facade, which appears as a set of ripples in movement across the exterior. One of the sickest building designs I’ve seen yet.
After a recent post featuring some celebrity portraits, I was pretty much accosted by a colleague of mine to post some more up. So I found a collection pictures from Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin featuring some visually stunning images of some of the most famous people on the planet.
During an interesting conversation with one of my best friends about women who’s second language is English, we somehow awkwardly stumbled into discussing the concept of talking dirty. When speaking a language thats not your primary one, ‘talking dirty’ can go awry, but even if your English is perfect and things goes wrong, it can be very awkward. (or incredibly funny). It so happens that a few hours after said conversation, my homegirl sent me this instructional video to show people about just how to talk dirty.
Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, a collaboration between young Belgian architects Pieterjan Gijs (Leuven, 1983) and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh (Leuven, 1983), have built a see-through church in the Belgian region of Haspengouw. The church is a part of the Z-OUT project of Z33, house for contemporary art based in Hasselt, Belgium. Z-OUT is an ambitious longterm art in public space project that will be realised on different locations in the Flemish region of Limburg over the next five years. The church is 10 meters high and is made of 100 layers and 2000 columns of steel. Depending on the perspective of the viewer, the church is either perceived as a massive building or seems to dissolve (partly or entirely) in the landscape. On the other hand, looking at the landscape from within the church, the surrounding countryside is redefined by abstract lines.
The design of the church is based on the architecture of the multitude of churches in the region, but through the use of horizontal plates, the concept of the traditional church is transformed into a transparent object of art. The project is called ‘Reading between the Lines’ and can be read as a reflection on architectural themes such as scale, ground plan etc., but the project also emphatically transcends the strictly architectural. After all, the church does not have a well-defined function and focuses on visual experience in itself (one could even consider it to be a line drawing in space)
Hand-crafted in England from the finest materials in the world, sizing and fit may be different from ordinary brogue boots or shoes. The BKc + Tricker’s Brogue Boots are available in two colors; Black and Honey Brown. The cost is $550 USD plus a $20 shipping fee for orders being shipped within the U.S. and a $50 shipping fee for orders being shipped internationally. The boots have UK men’s sizes and this means the US men’s size equivalent would be half a size up. (For example a UK 8.5 would be a US 9. So be sure to choose the correct UK size when you place your pre-order at the BKc website)
At the Odd Future concert in Atlanta, GA recently, Tyler the Creator brought out Waka Flocka to perform ‘Karma’. Just the sight of these two, young, unconventional artists on stage was enough to bring the house down. Check out the footage below.
Isaac G. Salazar is the artist behind these incredible book “sculptures”. He’s been creating these intricate works of art since October 2009. His books first started out simple and have recently become more complex in design. Check the method.
Just yesterday I was schedule to come to through to a Porsche event in the Bay Area, and although I couldn’t make it, I tried to look up some pictures of the event this morning. I didn’t find what I was looking for, however, what I did find was that ‘Research in Motion’, in collaboration with Porsche Design just launched its latest BlackBerry smartphone Porsche Design P’9981. The exterior is made up of a forged stainless steel frame and the rear is covered with hand-wrapped leather. It also boasts of a laser cut QWERTY keyboard. The P’9981 comes fully functional with 8 GB of hard-drive memory, a 1.2 GHz processor, as well as Dual-Band Wi-Fi capabilities and offering 720p HD video. The device offers a smooth browsing experience and a built-in compass, as well as the usual selection of exclusive appl on BlackBerry App World™ 3.0. The BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981 smartphone is set to hit stores later this year. Pricing information is not yet announced, but the device is anticipated to cost $2,000. “The Porsche Design P’9981 is a truly modern luxury smartphone, where the timeless style of Porsche Design meets the unmatched mobile experience provided by BlackBerry,” Todd Wood of RIM said describing the phone. This will be RIM’s first collaboration with a luxury brand to release a smartphone and RIM now joins other collaborations on the market today, including Samsung with Armani, LG with Prada, Asus with Lamborghini, and Acer with Ferrari.
Click the pic to listen.
The first time I remember seeing Pac Div was on the ‘Great Hangover’ Tour with Asher Roth, and the entire show they put on was praiseworthy. So seeing Asher and the Pac on the same track doesn’t come as a surprise, what may surprise some is why they haven’t done this a million times before. Click either of the pics to take a listen to the lyrical banger ‘Useless’.
Click the pic to listen.
Not just once, but for the second year in a row, Michael Jackson has topped Forbes magazine‘s list of top-earning dead celebrities. The King of Pop, who died two years ago at the age of 50, brought in $170 million for his estate over the past 12 months, enough to place him ahead of every other pop music act of the past year — both living and dead — except for Irish rock band U2. Elvis came in second place, earning $55 million, thanks to his songbook and a hit Las Vegas stage production featuring his tunes mounted by Cirque de Soleil. In third place was movie siren Marilyn Monroe, who had $27 million in earnings over the past year.
“Peanuts” cartoon creator Charles Schulz was fourth while John Lennon tied for fifth place with screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor, both earning $12 million. While much of Lennon’s revenues came as payment from other musicians performing his music, Taylor’s largely came from her perfume White Diamonds. The fragrance had gross sales of $54 million in the United States in 2010, according to industry experts cited by Forbes. Taylor’s estate also appears likely to net handsomely from a December sale later this year by the Christie’s auction house featuring the late actress’s jewels, art work and gowns. Experts said it could fetch $30 million.
Forbes, which compiled its list by consulting agents, lawyers and other experts, said the year’s 15 deceased top earners were:
1. Michael Jackson
2. Elvis Presley
3. Marilyn Monroe
4. “Peanuts” cartoon creator Charles Schulz
5. John Lennon, tied with Elizabeth Taylor
7. Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein
8. Children’s author Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel
9. Jimi Hendrix; Stieg Larsson; Steve McQueen; Richard Rodgers
Hermès has launched a new collection dubbed “Petit h”, a series of “unidentified poetic objects” formed from defective inventory and factory-floor leftovers. Various artists have created a series of one-of-a-kind handcrafted accessories and toys ranging from leather stuffed animals to porcelain beaded bracelets. The items are part of the Petit h collection, which is being presented at the Madison Avenue store in New York from November 2 to 23. The collection features 2,200 creations, including doorstops made from leather and pebbles ($730 to $760); and a bamboo and crocodile swing (price upon request). A series of items created specifically for the New York sale also will be available, such as a life-size panda bear (pictured below) made from calfskin… $100,000.
I’ve been a T-Pain fan for quite some time, from his music, to his sense of humor, down to his iPhone app, I just appreciate the man’s work. His new album Revolver has been pushed back time and time again, but since singles from the anticipated CD have begun to drop, it’s very clear that Mr. Pender-ass is taking his music in a new direction. Check the video for his latest single featuring Dawn Richard titled ‘Fantasy’.
Steve Forstner the German skater came together recently with Gravis Footwear to produce a super sick skate video on behalf of the shoe company. Check the method below.
Organizers of the Top Marques Monaco event are looking to fuel Asia’s love affair with all things related to luxury when they bring their event to Macau next month. Macau has established itself as the world’s gaming capital over the past decade, and Top Marques Macau (to be staged from November 24 to 27 at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel) will certainly give those gamblers plenty to think about. Top Marques Monaco has been staged in April for the past eight years at that city’s Grimaldi Forum and has been labeled “The World’s Most Exclusive Auto Show” by The New York Times, and “The Greatest Show on Earth” by the Financial Times. The event bills itself as the only “live” car show in the world as guests get a chance to test drive the motors. On show in Monaco have been “the fastest, most technologically advanced, bespoke cars” and the event promises to bring the same formula to Asia. There will also be the opportunity for some lucky guests to take those cars out on the road as a special 2.1-kilometer test circuit is being established around the venue.
Boxing has been a world renowned sport for generations. Cities, and countries alike breed fighters from birth to be able to say they have the best competitors in the world. Cuba is a region where some may not think the sport of boxing is a serious past time, but Gimnasio Rafael Trejo put up a collection of photos that prove other wise. You may not have the best equipment in the best facilities at the disposal of the best trainers, but in Cuba, that doesn’t mean your can’t be the best.
Antwain Mitchell, the fashion blogger is no man to be trifled with when it comes to knowing whats fresh. His blog Another Fashion Book has amassed a literal army of viewers, and continues to grow daily. Being a stylist, and attending school for Fashion Merchandising has given him a unique and uncanny knowledge of style which he shares with the public every day. Recently the blog moved from Tumblr to the self enclosed site anotherfashionbook.com and continues to prove that Antwain is a master of his craft. Click either of the pics to check out his new site, and see why he’s manipulating the world of fashion, post by post.
Click the pic to visit the site.
A single malt whisky produced by a distillery in a remote part of Scotland has beaten 1,200 whiskies from around the world to be crowned World Whisky of the Year. The Old Pulteney whisky produced by the Pulteney distillery in Wick, northern Scotland, took the top spot in Jim Murray’s respected 2012 Whisky Bible. Despite Scotland’s reputation as the home of whisky, it is only the second time a Scottish distillery has won the coveted title. The 21-year-old dram scored 97.5 points out of 100, equalling the best ever score achieved by a whisky in Murray’s ratings. Whisky expert Murray tasted more than 1,200 whiskies to put together the eighth annual Whisky Bible. The Pulteney 21-year-old was one of the last whiskies to be put to the test. Murray said:”I was on the home straight after four months of continuous tasting. By that time I was pretty sure I knew what the winner was going to be. It needed something exceptional to knock the leader off its perch. “That’s exactly what happened. To be honest, I was amazed. I had never come across a Pulteney 21-year-old like it.” The whisky is matured in American Oak casks and bottled at the 185-year-old Pulteney distillery which claims to be the most northerly distillery in mainland Britain. Despite its long history, Murray said the Pulteney single malt (which sells for £75/$120 a bottle) is still largely unknown because it lacked “the financial muscle of the major whisky barons”, Murray said. Two US bourbons were runners up in this year’s rankings. George T Stagg took the second place prize and 10-year-old Parker’s Heritage collection Wheated Mash Bourbon finished in third.
This ambitious, sweet and exotic Brazilian beauty, Suelyn Medeiros. Living most of her life in and out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she returned to the U.S to follow her big dream of becoming a doctor. Despite all the advice from friends and strangers that she should not put to waist her spontaneous personality and unique beauty and should become a Model. In 2005 Suelyn was invited by a friend to participate in a fashion show at fashion week in NYC and there she was scouted by an agency. She began to do photo shoots and book countless jobs. Soon modeling was no longer seen as a hobby it became a career option. Suelyn was intrigued by the charming magical world of fashion. No longer ignoring her possible star quality with her drive, and strive to succeed in something that became a new challenge she worked hard and in a little less than two years she has been on covers, various magazine spreads, swimwear catalogs, lingerie catalogs, clothing and beauty ad campaigns with the most recent L’Oreal Ad. Her interest in acting has landed her in Music videos, Commercials, TV Shows and two movies on the works. She’s been on Law & Order (one of my personal favorite shows) and featured in the movie “I Think I Love My Wife” with Chris Rock.
Flexin’ is a urban term that can be used to describe many things, flexing muscles, initiating physical conflict, or boasting materialistic wealth. All of these various definitions could very well be attributes of both T.I. and Big Krit, so it’s no wonder they came together to film the video for their new track “I’m Flexin”. The official video has yet to be released, but you can check out some of the behind the scenes footage below.
Everyone knows that as time goes on, people grow, places change, and entire civilizations evolve, but seeing these types of changes in photographs really make the point hit home. This collection of large cities from all over the world proves that better than just the thought. From the city I reside in (San Francisco) to the Upsala Glacier in Argentina, you can see right before your eyes how much change has hit certain places.
Amongst my friends I’m know for having a somewhat… acquired taste in terms of my humor. I love to say and do things that most would find crass, but I personally think are hilarious. So seeing a collection of every day signs that others have decorated with the intent of sarcasm was refreshing to me. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one with a odd sense of what’s funny.
It’s no secret that as a studio engineer, I’m enthralled by the creative process that goes down in the music studio. It shouldn’t be a secret that ASAP Rocky and Araab Muzik are 2 of Hip Hop’s growing generation of young and talented artists, so getting to see a little bit of the magic that goes down between them at Quad Studio’s in NY is for sure something I wanted to share. Check the method below.
The Pierre is one of the most beautiful houses I’ve seen in a long time and its view over the San Juan Archipelago is incredible. The house celebrates the materiality of the site and that combined with a green roof makes the house blend with the surrounding, making it almost invisible from certain angles. I’m having a hard time finding anything wrong with the exterior or the interior for that matter. The interiors combination of older looking, inviting furniture stands in wonderful contrast with the raw concrete walls. Well what can you say, Olson Kundig Architects really did their thing.
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