Another Berlin installment, as i clean out my inbox from RUGenius ~ She came across a T-shirt shop named “fleischerei” which translates to Butcher Shop. And it really is an old butcher shop, using the old meat cases and all! So more pictures below… if anyone knows more, let me know and i’ll update this post, but for now, it seemed worth sharing the pics.
So John Varvatos and Converse are responsible for that whole slip on/laces-free chuck taylor phenomena that won’t seem to go away. (Love it - Hate it - its inescapable). So with their use of hidden elastic to mess with people heads, i simply had to post up the new Crazy Laces, where i’m assuming they leave out the elastic on the inside, for the elastic laces you see. Slightly messy, kind of fun. Especially those mini eyelets. Looks like Rubin over at CoolHunting got his hands on a pair - i might have to pop over and check them out at the store later.
p.s. can you believe that Varvatos and Converse also did a full clothing line together? [Fall 06 Lookbook]
Ok, you know how i am when i fixate on a design, especially packaging. On Soft Service, how sweet is the vacuum packing? So here’s a teaser, hands on review coming soon perhaps…
Emails are great, especially when they brighten up my day with submissions of things i crave. Anyone else getting tired of the t-shirt trend? Or the abundance of designer tees around every corner? I love them to death, but have been noticing i’m wearing more and more black tshirts in different materials and cuts lately. It may also be that i have a temporary aversion to the silk screened ones this week from the t-shirt printing this weekend.
None the less, i digress. Emails! SoftService’s Sale turned up in my inbox, and i’m smitten and curious. This LA guy is doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that - and end results are hand painted sections with embroidered outlines of our everyday. They say “/unique/limited edition/hand painted/hand embroidered/sweat-shop free/made in Los Angeles//” I say, cute! and just different enough right now.
With the assortment of gold and silver dangerous and pop culturally inspired jewelry, Toy Me has a new twist on it… my favorite being the Hunting Trap Bracelet. You never know when you might need one? They also have some cute skateboards, guitar jacks, sneaks, cowboy toys, lego inspired bracelets and earings… and the best part? Playful set of flickr pics featuring toys… bear traps AND itchy and scratchy? Toy Me just made my night. [i love High Snobiety]
…. oh and check out these cufflinks.
For anyone who grew up loving origami, 3d Geometric shapes, and felt, take a look at these Tetra bags by Tokyo group Power Architects. They are just in at Berlin store, Less Rain.
Falling in love with these. Something clean, classy, romantic, and fresh about them. Simple sleek dress with a plunging neckline, and this around your neck? Something about plucking flowers that feels so dead, having that little bit of water seems to help feel like its more alive… or i guess you could even plant a little seedling in there… so many options. So beautiful? … but yes it does evoke memories of that VW Beetle vase, and the whole test tubes as vases craze. Also by Izik Levy, and only 36 Canadian Dollars.
[If i were actually thinking about weddings and such, i think these would make great bridesmaids pieces.]
Auj Collections - they make you question how preppy you are - inside and out, because this is one casual collection that over does the “wear your prepsterness on your sleeve” feel a bit ~ in a playful way, that is subtle enough for some to think its serious.
Here’s why the Toronto based Auj Collections isn’t like most other lines out there, run by Aaron Aujla, a 19 year old entrepreneur ready to save the world with class. With every product you receive a code where there is a team standing by for you to call, and they will help you with everything from researching where to best donate your extra cash to how to create your feature film on how you will perhaps drive your bio-diesel hummer (i actually SAW one yesterday) across the desert and cure global warming or something… use your imagination! It is an interesting twist on how much a t-shirt or hoodie purchase can change your life and those of others.
Below, i’ve got some behind the scenes pics of the Auj photoshoot (its fun to see the pictures behind the pictures on the site) as well as some pics of the shirt i received, so you can check out all the little details their site leaves you curious about! Oh! And my favorite piece from this collection is the “I would name my boat after you” hoodie - but they are out of stock! Really curious to see how the details of having the nautical ties for the pulls, and hand stitching details!
One more design quickie from the Paul+Joe Target Go International Collection - these iconic pieces were pretty nice, especially hanging from their twiggy display tree at the boutique’s cashier counters. These pins are about 4” tall and just made me laugh. They are beautiful playful plastic design pieces worth sharing. The turtle pin apparently isn’t online yet, but it is similar in style to the others, and in design to the turtle belt seen here.
When Target decides to step it up a notch or ten, it is apparently no joke. With their new Go International collections, every month there is a new famous designer collection at ridiculously low prices (i got this dress for 25$!) ~ and their third collection is by Parisian Paul+Joe’s Sophie Albou, available only from Aug1-31st. While only partial collections are available at your standard Target stores, the FULL collection is available in at the Target Pop Up Boutique on the corner of Melrose Place and La Cienega.
Shade Elaine and I went to check out all the hype - and believe it or not - it is VERY impressive in presentation and packaging AND the collection was as cheap as they claim, and better quality than i expected. But this post is about the impressive store and packaging and the insanity that was LA women clamoring as if it were a sample sale (the pseudo communal dressing rooms i wasn’t too pleased with - its was anti boutique to have 4-5 random women in each red curtained space), these women all had ARMFULS of clothes to try on. You’d think the clothes were free. The store “bouncer” and manager said i couldn’t take pics unfortunately, but thanked me for asking, so i have a bunch of external pics and pics of the bag below.
p.s. can you believe that since the “public” opening of the boutique friday they sold out of the Owl Purse, White Jacket, and are almost out of my red dress already? And they aren’t getting more. And when i said it was like an LA Sample Sale i mean it in the sense that the cuthroat sides of women were coming out as they grabbed everything in sight, as well as the bonding in communal dressing rooms. Its is a bizarre and impressive frenzied state they have created.
Silhouettes just don’t go out of style. And manage to add this flat yet perspective filled depth to anything it ends up on. Much like a good shadow, a good silhouette keeps you guessing as to what it once was, or hides in its simple lines. So that said, it’s hard not to love Jade Gedeon’s “Plastic People”.
“Owing much to her family’s nomadic lifestyle, Jade enjoyed extensive exposure to a myriad of nations and cultures growing up. Born in the United States and raised in Trinidad, she most recently has made her
home in Australia.” NOTCOT is all about the nomadic lifestyle - and design inspiration coming from the least expected places. via d*s.
This trend of over patterned shirts - that are colorful and filled with random pop icons, ponies, guns are everywhere in LA these days. And just stumbled upon these hilarious Miami Vice (ferraris, speedboats, etc) ones and Star Wars ones over at Digital Gravel by Once Upon A Time. The guns are by Rogue Status.
FAIL HARDER! It seems the be best best path to success, or getting posted on NOTCOT, because i am just loving the guys at WK12 more and more every week. First there was discovering their Pushpin piece with the fun meaning behind the saying… Then came the behind the scenes video. And in my mail yesterday i received what at first appeared to be a box of boxes of pushpins, but instead there was a Fail Harder shirt. Classy clear on white, so subtle it makes people try harder to see it. At the bottom front interior there is even a white print of their logo with the two guys and the keys. Handwritten card and all. If this is an example of Failing Harder… we should all try to fail like them.
Perfume - FLOWER BOMB. by Victor and Rolf. Kind of pretty, kind of bizarre, posting this just for the packaging.
For anyone that every wanted x-ray vision, these shirts are for you. They are also great for med students during exams. So here’s the backstory on how i found these - we were printing shirts - and Caroline (yes, the intern) started on about this fabulous vintage shirt she stole from a friend while living in Rome, but unfortunately he stole it back. First made back in the late 70s we didn’t think it would be possible to find again… but low and behold the artist is still making them. And there is quite a story behind it. This isn’t just any t-shrt designer. These Skeletees are the work of Dr. Leslie Arwin. Yes a medical doctor. She’s a physician, medical illustrator, and anatomist, and “can assure you that her T-shirts are 100% anatomically correct.” Besides these two designs (the front and back of the bones T, and the Stomach T) - there are also muscle tees, nerves tees, and apparently a heart, x-ray, and “keep on tickin’” shirt that dont have images on the site yet. Wow. I wish i had these during AP Bio. I wonder if they glow under black lights.
p.s. “Bill Murray sleeps in one in Tootsie. Also seen in Crocodile Dundie 2, EDtv, Spinal Tap, numerous TV shows, and even worn by a cartoon character in the Simpsons.”
