On my way to work this morning...posters of the man I was coincidently listening to ("Candy Says"). Is Lou Reed really Supreme's spokesperson? I hope they are worthy of the association.
Up With Grups By Adam Sternbergh "He owns eleven pairs of sneakers, hasn't worn anything but jeans in a year, and won't shut up about the latest Death Cab for Cutie CD. But he is no kid. He is among the ascendant breed of grown-up who has redefined adulthood as we once knew it and killed off the generation gap." [NY Magazine]
The best finds are often accidental. I recently came across this delightful article from a 1950 issue of Vogue magazine where couturier Christian Dior details a motor trip from Paris to Cannes, taken "with an eye for the worthy detour." Along the way we rediscover Dior's love of antiquities, art, architecture, landscapes, wine and dining, and easily see how his impeccable taste influenced and shaped his iconic collections.
Finally got the chance to see the Pierre Bonnard exhibition at the Met on Valentine's Day (it seems many in the city had the same idea). Known for his use of luminous color and deliberate brush strokes, the 80 paintings, drawings and watercolors on display solidly reaffirm Bonnard's vaunted reputation. This is the first exhibition to focus entirely on interiors and still lifes from the artist's later years. Of particular note is the room devoted to his drawings...Bonnard's little sketchbooks containing studious renderings reveal poignant snapshots into the artist's mind.
A haunting portrayal of Jazz legend Chet Baker - from 1950s idol to derelict. Weber's characteristic grainy black and white photography comes alive in this documentary that begins near the end of Baker's life on the beaches of Santa Monica. Tracing his fantastic journey in his own words and through the people he touched the most, this film serves as the perfect eulogy to this rebel without a cause. Originally released in 1988.
1968 "In this four part series, using archive recordings and music from the time, Sir John Tusa examines what made 1968 such a climactic year. Student protests, Soviet might, assassinations, war and famine - although these dramatic events took place more than a generation ago they seem incredibly immediate and astonishingly relevant today. Recapturing those events through the voices of those who made them, Sir John investigates if 1968 really did change the world." [BBC Radio]
This series was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and aired on BBC World Service on 1st December 2008.
Stereo Total, "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais" Pixies, "Here Comes Your Man" The Breeders, "Regalame Esta Noche" Elvis Costello, "I Want You" Marlene Dietrich, "Falling in Love Again" Suede, "Everything Will Flow" Prince, "When Doves Cry" John Lennon and Yoko Ono, "I'm Losing You" Morrissey, "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" Wire, "Three Girl Rhumba"
Mopey Indie - a term I'd use to describe the genre of music that most influenced my life. The melancholic side of post-punk and some of its offshoots, perfected in the early 1980s. This blog is a collection of random musings and finds by a fashion historian who lives and works in NYC. Maybe there are more mopey indies out there too.