Metrobloggen

Another artist that caught my attention: IAMX. His voice is a mix between Starsailor and Björk. Lots of make-up, lots of glam. His style can be described as British dandy meets discoball. No, seriously, loving all the top hats, suits and glitter. Watch his videos.. now!

Have you noticed how you have started to see the 80’s more and more? People’s nostalgia for the 60’s has finally died out completely. A need to replace the swinging sixties for something a bit more glamorous, even futurisic (though its a past trend). Interesting to see history repeat itself? There are more discomaniacs sprouting bright wigs, tracksuit and 20cm heels. There is more glitter and sequins in make-up and clothes. Jeans have become wider and high-wasted.

And then there are bands like Goldfrapp. They’ve managed to capture the spirit of the "neo-80’s" perfectly in their video "Ooh-La-La". One word: wow. We want more.

After the release of Factory Girl together with last year’s Andy Warhol Superstar mania, the Edie Sedgwick mass obsession is slowly dying out. Ever since I saw the Edie: Girl on Fire book at Urban Outfitters, I knew it would end up on my bookshelf one way or another. It did, after much ponderings if I really should cash out 440sek or risk buying it online, it went on sale, and that’s when I bought it. I love the girl, you can't help wanting to save her. She smiles, she dances, she’s rich and fabulous but at the same time she is the poor little rich girl who everyone is trying to save. I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book, to finally get a clear picture of her as a person, the flame that burned through the sixties -the top priority on everybody’s want-list, besides shooting up at the Factory. We love drug-addicts, its almost like we can have a bit of the action at a safe distance. And we love Edie because she gives it a dose of glam.

I scanned a page:

Conclusion? Time and effort is dripping off the pages - the layout design is polished to perfection and beyond. The creators must have splashed out to printing costs: lots of funky shiny silver special effects everywhere, great page quality... the book is eyecandy. Contents? Lots and lots and lots of commentary, interviews, notes, sidenotes, photos and a nice CD at the end of the book, revealing her voice to be pleasantly husky. Man, I love the way she laughs. But really in the end of the book, you are still left sitting and wondering: so what is Edie Sedgwick like?

Buy it, you won’t regret it. Great to have lying around on the coffee table for guests. The book’s sheer presence will light up the room.

" A party was considered a success if Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick came in. Well, when they came in Andy sort of... you never saw him at all after that, unless he was taking pictures with his Polaroid camera. Edie gobbled up the room with her energy.

She really was, as somebody said, she really could say hello. " - Burt Glinn

Kulturhuset is currently holding an Nobuyoshi Araki photography exhibition. He’s one of the most talked about living photographers both in Japan and every where else. Most of his photos are erotic, his favourite genre being bondage so nothing for the prude-minded. Lots of tied-up geishas, plastic animals sitting on spread-legged asian beauties and other provocations. He’s a master at making anything and everything look erotic, so be warned if you start to heat up after seeing a squashed papaya, noodle soup or... an eye. The photo below is the image that first comes to mind when I hear his name. The Man Who Put Eye Fetish on Photo. 

(Psst. Did you know that Björk is a dedicated admirer of his work and has actually posed as model for him?)

It was quite an experience seeing so much of his work all sorted together in a large gallery. The theme was pretty much the same throughout the rooms, nothing mind-blowing - we’ve all seen erotic photography before. It’s always great to see one big collection of an artist’s work than little tidbits here and there. A big plus to his explanations of the photos, so you don't feel like an idiot for overanalyzing something that has no real meaning or like a rock for not being able to see a supposedly blatant meaning. Hm, we heart explanations.

The gallery is on the top floor, Kulturhuset, and will be available for the public eye until the 27th January 2008.

A digital artist with an extensive gallery covering experimental, abstract, cartoon and just plain funky art. Loving the bright, vivid colours and splashes, the use of text and lettering to make a point. Combining techno and grunge. We like a lot. Make sure to visit his gallery.

Website: http://homepage3.nifty.com/of/ccc/

GIFT IDEA OF THE WEEK:

JUICY COUTURE

Juicy Couture sells everything from gift ideas, to clothes to make-up for your pet (no kidding!) to perfume cased in pretty, vintage glass bottles. We want more.

I heart gifts that are not only useful and original, but the designer took some extra time and thought up an exclusive packaging for the product. Who wouldn’t want a pair of striped boy shorts inside a lollipop? Not even Lolita herself could resist Humfrey Humfrey after getting a box of those. Juicy.

Go to their site (www.juicycouture.com) to see more.

It was released at 10.00 on the 8th November and a few hours later it was all gone. If you don't count some lucky scavenger finding a misplaced pair of leopard tights the next day. Phew. The question is: was it worth all the fuss?

* ok, the golden beaded dress is nice. Sparkly, flashy, showgirl. I love it. No, really, it looks good on the H&M photoshoot, embracing the bodies of supermodels. But for us normal humans it might look anything from trashy to show-off to wannabe. Reserved only for the bold, the brave and the confident. And photoshoots.

Conclusion: It was absolutely worth it if you had the time and the money. 8/10 Roberto is the man!

I hope none of you missed the Gallerian Fashion Award yesterday at 15.00 (press), 16.30 and 18.00, and today at 13.00, 15.00, 16.30 and 18.00. (www.gallerian.se).

"Gallerian Fashion Award är ett samarbetsprojekt mellan gallerian och Beckmans Designhögskola som för fjärde året belönar studenter med ett stipendium på 70 000 kronor. Syftet är att stärka kommande mode- och reklamdesigners."

If you had the unluck to miss the entire event, no worries, yours sincerely was there at the very front of the catwalk giving the brand new camera a workout. Here are the photos to warm you up:

Very inspiring, very original, as expected from Beckmans - one of the most prestigious schools in Scandinavia. The Fashion Show definitely lived up to its name. These kids have a future, you know it.

Welcome to The Design Blog!

I'm still working on the layout, need something fresh and simple. If you love design as much as I do, you've come to the right place. My name is Andy King aka Islatte and I'm always on the lookout for fascinating and innovative design, whether it's in an art gallery, at a fashion show, on the street or on the internet.

With all the rising superstars in the fashion&design branch, some, but not less talented, striving designers get left in the shadow. This doesn't mean we should ignore the superstars, but we can broaden our perspective to include names that have not yet made the headlines. 

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