Josh Gordon is quickly rising the fashionista / art ranks in Dublin after his inspired ‘pop-up’ shop rapidly sold out of his limited run, bespoke clothing range. We’ve been fans of his blog and photography work for a while and with Yoda like prescience, good things in the future we do see for this one. Don’t fret if you didn’t make it down to the Temple Bar store, as you can find some of the range to buy online via his Big Cartel page.
Hopefully Josh will be over to We Love Space in September to shoot some rolls and capture the island in his own inimitable style. Meanwhile, enjoy these shots of the store, the clothes and the pretty people…
Firstly, what deeply strange places nightclubs are; hundreds of strangers, all as high as kites, crammed together in a deliberately disorientating space. And secondly, how much poignancy there is in something ostensibly celebratory; the idea that “the best days of your lives” will be wiped away by a change in fashion. Leckey captures this beautifully in the occasional sound of tolling bells, the endless headlong rush of the video timecodes, the snippets of empty rooms and the suddenly frozen images of young, apprehensive faces.
Jonathan Jones wrote that “(Leckey) haunts the secret parts of modern culture, where memory and emotion linger”. By doing so, he succeeded where almost everyone else fails – in accurately conveying what it feels like to be inside a nightclub, when being inside a nightclub is the most important thing in your life. Thanks to online video sites, the film is now available again; take 15 minutes to put on the headphones and sink back into Britain’s clubbing past.
The Vain Collective is a fashion blog and resource of the chicest order. Curated by friend of the family Kellydeene Skerritt based in London. The concept is vain vs pain i.e. good veers bad. It’s full of cult labels as well as the more well known designers. There’s also a couple of articles on home-made fashion which can teach you how to customize some basic one-we-made-earlier type pieces. There’s even some fashion analysis of pop music videos to peruse too.
A fresh and alternative t-shirt label from Liverpool based graphic designer Russell Reid, Wasted Heroes striking and unique prints really caught our attention. Russell is the designer behind the legendary Liverpool club Circus and is responsible for their history of twisted and surreal flyer designs. As well as his own designs, Russell regularly uses Wasted Heroes to feature and promote up and coming artists and has collaborated with stalwart Liverpool nights Chibuku and Circus on designing their merchandise. It’s clear to see this is a brand born from passion and heavily influenced by genres of electronic and indie music.
Lord loves a workin' man; don't trust whitey; see a doctor and get rid of it.
Without any significant industry investment in the distinctive, ongoing solo project of Nathan Joseph White, Whitey has broken through to daytime radio, movie, tv and video game soundtracks and fashion runways. Gradually this cult artist from London has gained a home in the shadowy but global ground between high fashion and mainstream entertainment. He maintains a dismissive attitude to the music industry as a whole, performing rarely and interviewing even less often. Clearly relishing and celebrating the outsider ethos of his work, he sings, programs, plays a multitude of instruments but has no formal qualifications and is totally self taught.
His blog over at myspace is a good read if you want to know about the torrid and exploited times of a musician trying to make his way in the “business“. He goes great lengths to explain the symptoms of the patronising stance the corporate music industry has towards the artists they feed off: “The artist is seen as a disposable commodity, easily replaced and transitory – and as such can be used up quickly and casually disposed of like any other cheap replaceable resource.”
It’s good to know that although the music business may be struggling, the human ability to create music is not. By his own admission his albums and singles are now a “flyer” for the live experience, which if accounts are to be believed, can vary from hedonistic affairs in deliberately darkened rooms, with chaotic walls of feedback electronic noise to gentle simple melodies played on tiny bells, acoustic string instruments and toys. He’s played alongside everyone from New Order and Iggy Pop to Soulwax and Peaches, from venues in New York basements to cavernous clubs in Ibiza.
His latest album has been released with no record label support, no press agent, no advertising budget and it has more or less bankrupted him in the process of recording it. So to those who feel inclined (or if you know another music fan who might enjoy The Cramps stalking Gary Numan down a dark alley) don’t hesitate to forward them to his page for details on how to purchase his latest release. You won’t be disappointed, this polished pop warps the light it reflects and leaves quite an impression on the mind. If you have the time, check out his lyrics blog for a fantastic insight into the poetry, emotion and ideology behind Whitey.
Colette.fr is an online French retailer of fashion and design products. Every item seems original in a way that you wouldn’t find anywhere else – it’s one of the best shops for online artsy goods. They carry an eclectic selection of clothes, accessories, books, CDs and DVDs but most importantly for the fashionista in you, a range of fresh-off-the-runway designs, displayed before they reach the high-street. Monthly art and photography exhibitions are held at their brick and mortar store at 213, Rue Saint Honoré, 75001, Paris. They’re currently hosting photographer Miles Aldridge whose artful composition and mastery of vibrant colour has led him to appear in Vogue and the New York Times.
The design of the site is second to none and it is a treasure trove of blogs on diverse but uniformly chic subjects.
Also note that fellow French taste-makers, Dirty Soundsystem who are perhaps more serious selectors than most DJs, have provided an exclusive mix for the shop which you can download here. It’s one of our all-time favourites. We featured their blog a while back too.
Who let the optics out?
In terms of what the shop has to offer right now, how about this Caperino & Peperone 2010 Calendar, shedding light on all the graphic forms of optical illusion. To be avoided, however, early in the morning on the first of the year…
