Saturday, May 24, 2014

White



Poiret had an incredible effect on fashion. It still lingers in almost neo-classical drapes of gowns, and one great example is from the old 1919 rare film The Master Man. The look of actress Kathleen Kirkham's wedding dress above is very interesting--a look at how the Victorian styles blended forward into the 1920s. The way the bottom is gathered up almost calls to mind some of Alexander McQueen's India-inspired collections.

It is always strange to remember how the white wedding dress trend began only a few moments ago with Queen Victoria. A woman wore her best dress, that was all; the same for rings. The diamond trend began only a hundred years ago as well. Women in ancient Rome wore a red dress to wed, and women in India still do. It is the same in China, Vietnam and many other countries.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Myth



For many areas of the world, this is a great time to get out into nature without intense heat or sun making the trip harder. Even a five minute rush around the block can be worth the feeling! I often get this feeling from art and from reading. The picture above is by illustrator Margaret Evans Price [1888-1973] from Jack and the Giant Beanstalk; it can be found in the 1930 Once upon a time book [here] of fairy tales, edited by Katharine Lee Bates. It's important to be sure that children are exposed to beauty at a young age. The white deer above is actually the beautiful Duke's daughter under a spell--who he saves and who wears a crown wreath of pink hawthorn blossoms.

For kids or people wanting to have a nice, simple time, reading Walter Crane's book with illustrations The Frog Prince and other stories here is well worth it for the illustrations alone; there's even Aladdin.

Many illustrators are the equal of great artists like the famous Erte, Beardsley, Barbier, Bakst and the later Edward Gorey in drawing especially. While artists often did children's books in the past, they used to do much more. Art used to be on the cover of most magazines and in other literary arenas.

People to check out are the Russian Ivan Bilibin (Ива́н Били́бин) [1876-1942] - I love his eerie Vasilisa and his take on Russian myth's sphinx-like alkonost monster; be sure to see Vasnetsov's gorgeous painting of them here.

Try looking at Katherine Cameron's [1874-1965] work, or even William Robert Symonds [1851-1934],

One neat American Impressionist to try who lived his life mostly in France is Frederick Carl Frieseke [1874-1939], for anyone who prefers or enjoys that style.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Tv Rewatch



One great show to show your kids or put on in the background for fun is the 90's Clarissa Explains it All. It was just great, in every sense of the word. It shows you what a different world the 1990's were. I urge all parents to ensure their children are exposed to classics--because while everyone is a product of their time period and zeitgeist, be sure to include some awesome stuff.

I will recommend a few things:
It's worth it to get an old Mac or PC computer and get the bookish, page-like Mercer Meyer and Arthur games. Also have kids play ReaderRabbit [for early reading] and NumberMunchers [for math]. Also be sure to get MuseumMadness and TombRaider is also good to spark interest in archeology and history, despite the graphics.

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey - a beautiful picture book about blueberry picking and Maine; by the way the state is also a great place for vacations for kids; Acadia National Park is truly beautiful, with ocean, tide pools and forests--and lots of ice cream parlors!

For pure fun and mystery, be sure to page through the confounding book Maze by Christopher Manson. It's like the Choose your Adventure books but even wilder. You can also look through it online here and the old page was here, but it's not the same--go through the 'doors' to specific pages and enjoy it, write notes along the sides.

While I don't love all the sequels, the YA book Sabriel by Garth Nix is great for girls especially. It presents true mystery, magic and gives you a sense of the vast open wildness of the world. It is truly an adult book, and it's important that children get a sense of how beautiful and moving books are, how truthful about the hugeness of the world. The sense of eerieness is important.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Music

Lots of people like to try new music, so here are two serious pop newcomers to enjoy:

Layla's Smokestacks and the Dimond Saints Remix are great, and try her slower, almost Bjork's Vespertine-tinged Oh My Love. Her Black Mud is a great track; it's also the name of a record of hers. This is what we wanted from the more popular indie people like Bat for Lashes, Sky Ferreira and Marina & the Diamonds. Also try her Yellow Circles.

Layla has a type of Beyoncé-esque edge to her, one that makes us think of her fifth album. It's excellent. Be sure to try her if you like Lorde, I think she's a little similar in some ways.

If you like Pan.American or minimalist music, try the excellent XXYYXX's almost underwater-sounding emotional yet mysterious music, like one eponymous album here, or Giraffafe's Feels.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Trips



For many people, summer means travel. There are two main types of vacations, among many: the lounging trip and the exploration trip. Relaxing and taking it slow can be great and revitalizing--one place to try it is on a glass beach or on sandy beaches on an island like Tahiti or Jamaica. California's Fort Bragg is one example of a beach full of brightly colored glass stones.

An exploration trip can be to Etruscan cave tombs in the Tuscan countryside, ie. in Tarquinia for example, or just experiencing the huge collections in Paris, Rome, Florence or London. Of course the USA has some great collections as well--in Boston, in Brooklyn, in Manhattan and in Washington, DC., which just had an exhibit of America's Andrew Wyeth; here's an example above from a Florida museum, it's the 1981 Wisteria.

Classical



Two songs to try if you want to get into classical music or introduce someone to it are:

From Il gattopardo's score from the 1963 movie, the track 'Angelica e Tancredi' by the famous composer Nino Rota [who did many Fellini movies]. It's beautiful and lush, and is an easy moment of classical music to enjoy.

Then try Mozart's short moment of 'Ah tutti contenti' [Italian: ah all are satisfied/happy] from Act 4 in his 1786 comic [buffa] opera Le Nozze di Figaro [The marriage of Figaro]--there's a great version on the Amadeus 1984 movie soundtrack. It's a very sweet yet relaxing and sweeping piece.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Country

There are many types of music that seem to be closed circles--like classical and opera, country music is something many people aren't exposed to in youth. There are always a few pieces in every genre that someone could enjoy, so here are some potentials to try if country is new to you:

Turn of the century early blues:
C.W. Stoneking - The love me or die
Alison Krauss - You Will Be My Ain True Love
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks - Georgia on my mind

Classic, very folk style:
Dolly Parton - Jolene
Lindsey Buckingham - Big love
Rachael Yamagata - Jesus was a crossmaker

Light road trip/driving music country style:
Gloriana - Wild at Heart
Little Big Town - Boondocks 

Miranda Lambert - Down
Miranda Lambert - Famous in a small town

Old style/twangy and propulsive:
Miranda Lambert - Texas as hell
Miranda Lambert - Gunpowder and lead

Slow choir:
Salt Lake Vocal Artists - Dixie [slow and a capella; excellent example]

Pop/cheery style:
Florida Georgia Line - Cruise
Lauren Alaina - Georgia Peaches
Lauren Alaina - One of those boys
Jason Aldean - She's country

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Fashion



Mary Katrantzou has shot up the charts in recent years and has a take on wild color and pattern that even a more old fashioned person can enjoy. We love how she incorporates the Greek key pattern [called 'meander'; Greek: Μαίανδρος) and is someone who's take on strong design is a worthy conversationalist with Alexander McQueen's famous work in the field [his reptile inspired stuff especially].

Her work has been worn by many more eclectic fashion oriented celebrities [Rihanna etc]. It's available at Net-A-Porter. Her 2014 collection is in darker hues, a little more subdued, but just as passionate.

Songs

Some music to try--we're recommending one per genre:

The female singer Florrie's song 'Shot you down' is a great example of pop music; it's is her best song in our opinion.

Mahalia Jackson's gospel songs are great, especially the Christmas songs, like her version of 'Amazing Grace'--it's slow yet lively and gorgeous, not drab like typical renditions. I don't even typically like the song, but she makes it incredible. Even if you don't like gospel, I would try it, it's unique. Also, she had amazing hair and style.

'Sheila ki Jawani' is a great song from the 2010 Hindi Bollywood film Tees Maar Khan--it's a great running or exercise song. Indian music often has great rhythm and would probably appeal to people who love EDM, dance/club or electronic music. 

Fashion



We really liked Chinese Lily Zhi's modeling in the Italian magazine Io donna's photos by Thomas Straub from Nov. 2011 and everything currently; they are also at Mode and at HWTF. She always has this Rihanna look about her--basically we'd want her in our posse.


Music

There is a very sweet, quiet instrumental song we will recommend, 'Cold out there' by Jon Hopkins--it comes forth like a breaking dawn through the clouds. A more eerie piece from him is 'Fading'.

Another piece that's neat is a kind of hip hop, light rap rhythmic number by MC Solaar called 'La Belle et le Bad Boy'. In a faster vein, but with the same type of rhythmic appeal is the German film Run Lola Run's soundtrack--try the fast, exercise paced track 'Running One'.

If you like classical music or want to try some that's easy to get into, put this on in the background and see if you like it--the song 'Barcarolle' from the opera Les contes d'Hoffmann [Tales of Hoffmann].

The real long name of the song is 'Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour' [French: 'beautiful night, oh night of love'] and it is sung by the famous Anne Sofie von Otter on her album of songs by Jacques Offenbach [1819-1880].

Some people find this 'Barcarolle' sweet, and it is, but others see a more complex reality in its harmonies. See what you think.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Tiles



We love the antique Andalusian tiles and big green plants in the tropical rooms of Benedetta Tagliabue's re-designed 18th c. apartments in Barcelona here at HWTF and also profiled here by Eva in Madrid. Too beautiful. The one above is from here.

Tile colors are often white, dark blue and orange--in Italy these colors [with yellow] are still used in white terracotta reliefs of the Virgin and child. Here's a famous one by Andrea della Robbia [1435-1525] from the Renaissance.

They are often called azulejos tiles or zellige tiles (Arabic: الزليج‎), which were Arab, Moroccan or Moorish and focus on geometric patterns and shapes.

We are very picky about interior design--it should be a haven, beautiful yet engaging, not too plain but not too full of modern tackiness. Be sure to look at the really unique religious ones of the Virgin Mary and another of the Virgin and child from Valencia by the Archbishop's Church of San Juan Bautista de Chiva. Be sure to check out the famous Casa de Pilatos in Seville, which has them. It's an antique Andalusian palace in Spain.

Desi


One of my favorite fashion inspirations and Bollywood [movies from India in Hindi] actresses is Sonam Kapoor from Mumbai--her feature in Femina India was amazing, which you can see here at AFashionistasDiary. I love the photo above with the dark blue coat especially.

She also looked amazing in Rohit Bal's fashion of India's Bridal Fashion week, profiled here at PeachesAndBlush; I love the jeweled offset hairpiece. She has excellent styling, hair and makeup, even makes that nose ring work [often part of ancient and current Indian fashion] and looks especially great in beautiful saris.


Getaway


For the summer, straw-like or raffia bags [that's the palm type above] are always a fun symbol of the heat and the beach--there are some great ones profiled here at CoutureSnob, the little tan circle clutch is cute, and I like the plaid-esque simplicity of the other dark blue tote. I also like the white cloth handles on this small tan tote here.

One neat modernist, almost Philip Glass type pop song is the lovely [pictured above] Leila Adu from New Zealand's songs 'I'm Calling' and  'Dark Joan'. Her music quite reminds me of Björk's, which we are often fond of.