Material Archive

"Designer Bags"

By Jennifer Daniel

Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck

Friends can email photos directly to your WiFi digital photo frame

Great holiday gift idea:

"This frame, unlike other digital frames, does not require you to upload photos to it.. because that's just so last year. eStarling photo frame is WiFi enabled, you can register it so you get your own dedicated email where your friends and family can send you photos directly to the frame... and it checks for emails automatically every few minutes. Also, it links to most major photo sharing sites like Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa and Facebook and supports RSS feeds. This means if you search for a certain word on Flickr for example, the search result will show up in the frame. And if all that awesomeness does not appeal to you, the frame can retrieve photos from a camera's memory card... the 'old school' way." via Holycool   Buy it here.

Libertine Fall 09

Love the illustration on fabric and shrunken blazers. See the rest of the collection here.

David Webb Jewelry: Rock crystal lion bangle

Wow – amazing. See more here.

Loyal Loot Log Bowls

Saw these great Loyal Loot bowls for sale at the AGO. So Canadian...

"Absence of water" by Gigi Cifali

I could easily set-up house in one of these spaces – so beautiful! See more here.

Sinking Installation Art by Ivan Puig

See more here.

Art Directors Club Tees

Yup.

Buy them here.

Barbie Shoes

Source unknown

I ♥ Vanessa Paradis

Lusting after...

 

Lee Angel earrings from Intermix & Pedro Garcia satin ribbon booties!

Favs from Karen Walker Spring 2010

I want all of it! See the whole collection here.

Beautiful photo of the day

By the always amazing Tim Walker for Vogue UK. Click on it to see it large!

The Book on Prada

Here is an exerpt from the Wall Street Journal:

"This month, Prada moved dresses around its store to make room for a new arrival: the Prada book. Clocking in at over 700 pages, the new tome was designed by architecture firm 2×4 and retails for $125 at Prada stores and select bookshops. The book, which features a few words by enigmatic designer Miuccia Prada, makes its case via glossy photos and seductive graphic design. While that’s expected for what’s ostensibly a fashion book, the publication also flashes its architectural pedigree. Sections on past runway show spaces are illustrated with floor plans. A chapter entitled “Place” presents form development, zoning guidelines and photos of building models as well as circulation plans. It’s an intellectual approach to fashion, which is in keeping with Prada’s sensibilities. But the book also makes the case for a subtly immersive brand experience. The Prada brand is no longer limited to clothing and personal space. Branding, at least Prada’s take on it, assumes a place in the media ether, of course, but its extrapolation leads to an engagement with bigger and bigger public spheres. Where other labels might stop at a boutique, Prada has commissioned “epicenters” by Herzog & de Meuron in Tokyo and Rem Koolhaas’ OMA in Los Angeles.  In Tokyo, the epicenter includes a public gathering space, while LA’s store is notable for a facade that bears no logo or name on the building. These epicenters, Rem Koolhaas writes in the book, “function as a conceptual window - a medium to broadcast future directions that positively charges the larger mass of stores.”

Just reserved my copy. See more here.

The Blake Wright

See more of this Texas based graphic designer's comedic illustrations here.

809 Breakfasts

 




The first time I ever saw chocolate Jimmies on toast was in Amsterdam – goddamn I love the Dutch.
The lovely photos above were taken by Francesca Bondy who has documented her breakfast over 800+ times. See her entire colourful collection here.

Jimmy Choo for H&M

Ok. I confess. My curiosity did get the better of me and I went this Saturday to see the Jimmy Choo collection for H&M. And my verdict?...A whopping big meh. Surprisingly, even at the late hour of 2pm, there were still almost all of the styles above available and I tried each of them on. Not one did anything for me and I actually was in a buying mood. They just looked cheap, trashy and not special no matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise. That said, I thought the men's boots were rather nice but couldn't convince MB to get them despite emailing photo snaps from the store. He doesn't care for suede. Ah well.

FINN Boutique

My new office is just around the corner from FINN Boutique which is going to be dangerous! They carry my former clients Mercy as well as Ewankia, Hoi Bo, Designers Remix, Tocca, Camilla and Marc and furnishings by Missoni Home. I already have a shopping list!

1. Ewankia wool jersey Simone dress in dove grey. 2. Hoi Bo satchel with oiled canvas 3. Baby Alpaca hand-knit mittens in charcoal.

Their website is currently under construction so go to their Facebook page here in the meantime to see what's new.

Watercolours by Paul Ching-Bor

See more here.

HBO's Rome – A must see!

There's nothing worse than finishing a good book or a TV series you love – you just never want it to end. This weekend I finished watching season 2 of HBO's Rome and now I'm sad! It was an incredibly gory and sexy series with a production design that absolutely floored me each episode. I don't think I have ever seen a TV show so beautifully shot – it was very cinematic. And even though the second season was not as strong as the first, I would recommend you see this if you haven't yet – it's quality programming.

You Don't Know Jacques – O.P.I. Grey Nail Polish

  
 

 




Say what you will about Goop but she does have excellent taste. Her nail colour at the London Film Festival last year has spawned a grey trend for Fall 09 which I finally decided to try this week at Gee Beauty. So far, I must admit that I quite like it – the colour is You Don't Know Jacques by O.P.I.. In addition to the countless compliments, I think it's a much nicer option than black – which can look too harsh against pale winter skin.

As for the matte trend, I've tried a few colours from Knock Out at Aritzia, put still prefer the shine of a top coat. Something about the matte finish makes it look like chalky liquid paper to me.

The next colour on my list is YSL's Stormy Grey.

Clare Owen Illustration

I've always said that I should have been born French – Miss Owen shares the same sentiment. See more of her charming work here.

I agree with Jane Aldridge

Cute plea and given her visibility and projects with URBN and Gryphon, it might just work. It certainly never hurts to ask! via Sea of Shoes

Luxirare – a new kind of blog about fashion & food

 

Wow – where to begin. I came across the Luxirare blog a few months ago and am consistently stunned every time I see a new post. It's author is truly a Renaissance woman who acts as a clothing designer slash chef slash stylist slash illustrator and photographer. She posts alternatively about food or fashion – creating a sometimes very puzzling yet captivating mix of beautifully conceived creations.

Underwater Movie Magic

This looks like a reoccurring dream I've had. From Pinewood Studios in Britain.

Did I mention I live across the street from Charlie Pachter?

PROMENADE, 1986


MARGARET ATWOOD, acrylic & pencil on canvas 1980
What I especially like about this is how unfinished it looks.


TITANICAR, serigraph 1971
Love this!


PROCESSION THROUGH LANDSCAPE, acrylic on canvas board panels, 1972
This painting used to hang in The Spoke Club's dining room when I was a member. Not sure if it's there any longer though.



PIERRE BLANC, 1990


VAN GOGH'S BED
I remember thinking, when I first saw this, how clever it was that he had painted himself in to a place he wanted to be.



Every day, when I leave or come home, I get to admire Charlie Pachter's beautiful house dubbed the "Moose Factory" – which serves as the artist's iconic live/work space.. The building is such a tourist attraction that I often have to navigate around enthusiasts taking photos. For my part, it's just very neat to live near someone whose work I've admired since I was in high school.

I think there are few painters that have branded themselves as well as Charlie has – cornering the market on Canadiana subject matter – from mouse, streetcars, famous authors and politicians, to the Queen herself. In some ways, I think of him as our own Andy Warhol.

Above are a selection of my favourite works of his.

Hello, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce

The Mad Men season 3 finale did not disappoint! I love new beginnings and especially the starting of new companies. The dynamics are already changing. I particularly loved Peggy putting Roger in his place when he told her to fetch him a coffee – and of course that Joan is back. Although, I really do hope she negotiates a more significant role for herself. She proved how capable she was running the media department before, so hopefully she will take on something more stimulating than being the office manager.

With regards to Betty and Don, I'm glad that their loveless marriage is finally over. That said, how totally creepy is that Henry Frances character?

Maneki Neko Candy Pack

"A tiny cellophane packet achieves a surprisingly effective illusion: transforming its contents —(two gum-ball shaped candies)— into a miniature Maneki Neko. Different packets feature different facial expressions." Via the Dieline

A fox in socks

So cute. By Lisa Marie Norton

Moma to Warhol: "No thanks for the gift" – circa 1956

Click on image to see larger.

More facets: "The Animals"

See more here.

Amazing sculptures by Xavier Veilhan

 

How amazingly cool would it be to have one of these in your house? I adore the horse and bear and know fellow Star Wars nerds would love the homage to Han in carbon. See more here.

This Halloween:

Yup.

Delivery truck paintings by Kevin Cyr

See more here.

Vintage Illustrated Vogue Covers

With the trend of celebrities serving as cover models not losing any steam, it seems unlikely that we'll see any beauties like these in the near future. A shame considering how exceptional they are!

A must buy: Pictorial Webster's

Wow - this video of how the handmade Pictorial Webster's is printed and assembled is truly inspiring and a real labour of love.

If you're not familiar with the book or project here's a little intro from Drawn and a link to the book site.

"Fans and students of engraving, traditional printing processes, art history, and 19th-century ephemera alike should, like I did, fall instantly in love with Pictorial Webster’s: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities. Bookmaker John M. Carrera meticulously restored thousands of engravings from the pages of 19th-century Webster’s dictionaries, and has compiled an extraordinary visual account of Victorian history. In his introduction to the book, Carrrera suggests that the very juxtapositions of the illustrations tell a story: "The conceptual underpinning is that this book can act as a springboard for individual creativity. It was printed with a belief that the human compulsion to find meaning would lead readers to create stories that explain whole pages and perhaps even inspire some to derive unifying threads that might, in a Joycean fashion, enable a narration of the entire book."

It is a creative and romantic way to look at what amounts to a collection of images very purposefully arranged in alphabetical order, but he continues to admit the book is invaluable even just as pure reference: "The surface function of the book as a visual reference needs little explanation. The book contains many great examples of how to solve problems of illustration. … By virtue of the magnitude of engravings, their varying density and size, the book also becomes a study in design."

In this video I found on Vimeo, John Carrera gives us a detailed tour of the process, tools, and machinery used to print and bind the hand-made jaw-dropping deluxe edition of the book. It is nothing short of book-making porn."

Treasure Hunting at Three Potato Four

Some fun vintage finds here at Three Potato Four. Love the tin bowling pin markers.

Vintage Halloween Decorations

 

Halloween is without a doubt one of my favourite times of the year. These amazing masks and decorations are from the collections of riptheskull & finsbry.

Noir Jewels at Love of Mine Boutique

Last week I bought the Noir solid brass 18K gold plated Smooth Pyramid bracelet from newly opened Love of Mine Boutique on Queen West and I was literally stopped by 1-2 women in each store I went in after all day asking me where I got it. One girl squealed: "that bracelet is sick – I must have it!". Funny – I really wished I was carrying cards from LMB at that point as I was a real brand ambassador that day. The Noir line is really nice and although the pyramid style is similar to one from CC Syke – I actually like it much more. Now I need it one in every colour. :-)

John Derian Decoupage Plates

See more here.

There is a special place in my heart for Alexis Bittar

 
 


 

A deep desire to own an Alexis Bittar was what prompted me to make one of my first ever online purchases way back in 2001 – when the web was still like the Wild West. I've been hooked ever since on his work and am now a proud owner of an ever, albeit slowly, growing collection that I really love. The hand-carved lucite bracelets featured above are my current must-haves from his latest Summer and Fall collections. I'm hoping Santa will take note. ;-)

Marni & Ladurée!

Oh joy – two of my absolute favourite brands have decided to collaborate! Ladurée has invited Consuelo Castiglioni of Marni to add her unique touch and affinity for flowers and dots to the iconic brand's macaroon box – complete with gold leaf. Now, if they could only figure out a way to have them FedExed to me without arriving as gold dust. Trust me, they don't ship well.  via Vogue UK

Nice watercolour by Gipi

As seen on Drawn. More here.

Fanny Laugier Ceramics

I love the look of these ceramic pieces – don't they look like those disposable fast food take-away paper cartons for fries? See more here.

Favourites from Fendi Spring 2010

Love the colour palette, the use of transparency, the *amazing* lucite clutches and of course, the goddess platforms. See more here.

Some current favs from Solange Azagury-Partridge

 

Solange's work is so original and fun – it all looks like candy to me.

Busted by Google Street View

Look who was caught taking a break from work to go to Starbucks. Typical me was too busy looking at my Blackberry to bother waving at the octo-camera car driving by!

Daily covet: Tory Burch Watch Band Bracelet & Marc Jacobs Clutch

Get the Tory bracelet here. And isn't the bird detail on the MJ bag charming? I've seen variations of this clutch at Aritzia and Holt's but not this exact style yet. Canada never seems to get the full collection – disappointing.

We interrupt this broadcast for a special announcement

Happy birthday to Meat Leg! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxooxoxoxoxoxxooxoxoxoxxoxoxo