Miss me?

These past couple of weeks have been very hectic for me, as there have been many changes in my professional and personal life (new job, new home). To add to all this my laptop has been quite temperamental lately and my wi-fi connections have been close to impossible, so I will need to bring it to a Geek Squad office very soon, but where is the time for that??
I hate to neglect Little-Pumpkins but as I have been very short on free time I cannot update it as often as I'd like to. I believe that I will be returning full-force within the next few days so hang on for many more fun and eclectic posts! My most sincere apologies...

South Beach Sea Shells

An iddle mind is the devil's workshop or sea shells as finger nails.

The Pin-Up Art of Bill Ward

I found some great images of cartoonist Bill Ward's work and had to post it here at Little-Pumpkins. The classic 1940's-1950's style is a favorite of mine and I just love all the great curvaceous torpedo-bra-wearing pin-ups in his work. One of Bill Ward's signatures were his "Telephone Girls", voluptuous blonds and brunettes laying about in sexy stocking and sheer negligees, sharing last night's gossip and sexy innuendos with their gal pals or would-be paramours. Love it!!!

To see more of Ward's great work go to his site - Women of Ward.

Bond No.9 - Andy Warhol's Silver Factory

Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory marks the start of Bond No. 9’s series of Warhol collectibles. Depicted on the bottle’s surface is a graphic image inspired by one of the pop artist’s most recognizable images—a boldly re-colored rendition of the Campbell’s Soup Can. But an Andy Warhol perfume? Well, Warhol once made mention of a company that was “interested in buying [his] aura.” Here it is, in liquid form. Warhol once remarked, “Another way to take up more space is with perfume. I really love wearing perfume.” What’s more, “for an iconic time, perfume is a way to see and be seen,” adds Bond No. 9’s president, Laurice Rahme.

Bond No. 9 is an edgy downtown perfumer, committed to art and design—not just the art of scent-making, but the visual components, too—including bottle and package design. It is all about New York neighborhood scents too. So the inspirations for the Warholian pop perfumes would be based on Andy Warhol’s favorite haunts. First among them? The Silver Factory—also known simply as the Factory. In operation from 1964–1968, Warhol’s original studio, hangout, and club central, located in a nondescript building on East 47th Street, acquired visual uniqueness with its aluminum-foil walls. These walls evoked silver-backed mirrors—emblems of the narcissism that suffused the times. The Silver Factory served as a galvanizing forum for artists, silkscreeners, actors, filmmakers, debutants, activists, hustlers, and misfits—all of whom somehow contributed to the creativity. It was here that Warhol emerged as an avant garde filmmaker, pop art progenitor, and all-around superstar.

Arriving December 1 - US$230, for 3.4oz

Available at Bond No.9

Surrealist Footwear

The realms of creativity within the human mind measure no boundaries. Though footwear design in principal is meant to be practical, comfortable and - dare we say - stylish, some designers and artists push these predetermined limitations from the futuristic never-seen-before creation to the plain silly. Sources of inspiration can be found in many places - everyday objects, conceptual-art or fetishist erotica. Recently shoe designer Christian Louboutin featured some of his more conceptual creations in Paris - in a gallery show collaboration with director David Lynch, that I covered here in Little-Pumpkins.

Here are some inspirational images found on the web that excite the imagination. Enjoy!

Via Curious Funny Photos

Bad Behaviour - The Calendar

Bad Behaviour 2008 is a collection of fetish inspired images, celebrating the art of fantasy and the expression of alternative desires. These dark, erotic fantasies are created with great sensitivity and detail, making them captivating, beautiful and sexy. Ross Brownsdon and Travis de Jonk have established themselves as two of Australia's most successful photographers both commercially and artistically. They have had numerous exhibitions and contributed to leading publications, both locally and internationally. This is their first calendar.

AUD $34.95 - Available at Bad Behaviour Publishing

Via Queerty / Via American Urge

Snowden Flood's Plates @ Three Potato Four

"Birds On A Wire", "Motorway" and "Factory" are a few of the ceramic bone china plates included in London-based artist Snowden Flood's Urban Landscapes collection.
Plates are available individually as well as in a set of 6. All plates are manufactured in the UK and can be special ordered from Three Potato Four. US$50.00 each

Love it!!

Urban Camouflage in Japan

Great article from The New York Times on the Japanese's obsession with safety and security in modern-day Japan, even when crimes rates are in decline. It showcases their creativity to combat such fears, using camouflaging devices to escape would-be aggressors and bullies, that would bring a smirk to most Westerner's eyes. Take the “manhole bag,” a purse that can hide valuables by unfolding to look like a sewer cover. Lay it on the street with your wallet inside, and unwitting thieves are supposed to walk right by. There is also a line of knife-proof high school uniforms made with the same material as Kevlar, and a book with tips on how to dress even the nerdiest children like “pseudo-hoodlums” to fend off schoolyard bullies. You may also outfit your kid with a backpack that doubles as a mailbox disguise, in case ones is in need of a quick cover-up. The silliest of the bunch might be the skirt that is lifted to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet open and stepping to the side of the road a woman walking alone could elude pursuers — by disguising herself as a vending machine. The wearer hides behind the sheet, printed with an actual-size photo of a vending machine!

These elaborate defenses are coming at a time when crime rates are actually declining in Japan. But the Japanese, sensitive to the slightest signs of social fraying, say they feel growing anxiety about safety, fanned by sensationalist news media. Instead of pepper spray, though, they are devising a variety of novel solutions, some high-tech, others quirky, but all reflecting a peculiarly Japanese sensibility.

To read the full article go to The New York Times website.

Martin Margiela's L'Incognito

Developing a new take on sunglasses is a little bit like reinventing the wheel. The formula is kind of a given—two lenses, a nosepiece, a frame. For next spring, however, Maison Martin Margiela teams up with Italian lens manufacturer Marcolin to do the unthinkable with a line of sunglasses made of solid pieces of reflective Polycarbonate. The lenses mimic the censored bar motif that the house has used in its catalogs and look-books for years. Which is fitting for a Spring collection that played on notions of undressing with nude bodystockings and jeans shredded to the point of no return. Available in black, brown, transparent, or mirrored silver.

The "L'Incognito" line of sunglasses is out in February 2008 at Maison Martin Margiela boutiques in NYC and L.A.

For more info go to Martin Margiela's website.

Via V Magazine

Vintage Biba Poster @ 55MAX London

New and Exclusive to 55MAX, unsigned original Biba posters by James Wedge. Posters were printed in 1974 to be sold in all the iconic Biba shops - never hit the shop floor as Biba just went bust. A serious collector's item and an investment for the future.

Poster Detail : Gold Biba Logo printed top left hand corner

28 x 13 inches(Print only) @ £150.00

28 x 13 inches(Gold frame) @ £295.00

Available at 55MAX London

Kristin Davis On The New Sex and The City Movie

Getting all the attention from the media, fans and paparazzi while filming Sex & the City in NYC is almost too much for co-star Kristin Davis. “It’s overwhelming,” the 42-year-old beauty confessed at the Viva La Cure event held at NYC’s Sea Grill Restaurant on October 17.

“Before we did the movie we thought ‘Oh we’re ready, we can handle it, we had it before.’ But we were not prepared for the intensity.”

Even though the fans are respectful as they watch the shoot, she fears too much of the plot is escaping.“I hope it doesn’t ruin the actual movie," Kristin revealed. "I want people to go see the movie and not know what is actually going to happen. We don’t want to let our fans down. You don’t want to pay your ten dollars if you know exactly what’s going to happen. We’re like ‘ooh, wow, we’ve gotta get inside the studio.’”

How are the ladies getting along?“We’re good. We’re hanging in there. We’ve had a lot of practice wearing heels for hours. It’s terrible to have very painful feet.”

Via OK Magazine

Takashi Murakami @ MOCA Los Angeles Exhibit

Arguably the most internationally acclaimed artist to emerge from Asia in the postwar era, Takashi Murakami effortlessly navigates between the worlds of fine art and popular culture and is best known for his cartoon-like, “superflat” style. This large-scale retrospective includes key selections that span the early 1990s to the present. More than 90 works in various media—painting, sculpture, installation, and film—will be installed in three sections, occupying over 20,000 square feet of exhibition space at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. The first portion will be an immersive, theatrically lit environment, recreating the annual “Wonder Festival” comic market convention. It will feature many of Murakami’s acclaimed large-scale otaku-inspired figure projects of the late 1990s, including a new version of Second Mission Project Ko2 (2000-07). The second section will comprise a grid-like shelving display of all of Murakami’s merchandise, including multiples, collectibles, and maquettes, among other items. The final section will trace Murakami’s artistic development since 1991, including early works that engage branding and the evolution of his signature character, DOB. Of particular importance will be the premiere of a new animated film, kaikai & kiki, and the debut of Buddha Oval, an enormous self-portrait sculpture in the guise of a Buddha. The exhibition is organized by MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel with Project Coordinator Mika Yoshitake and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

From 10.29.07 - 02.11.08 at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles

Go to MOCA's website for more info

You May Quote Me On That: Albert Einstein

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

Albert Einstein

Comme des Garçons Builds Niche Perfume Empire

What do Daphne Guinness and Stephen Jones have in common - apart from their English eccentric style? They are both launching first fragrances under the auspices of Adrian Joffe, who heads up the company of his partner Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and has developed for her a fragrance empire.
The idea of Joffe as the beauty industry's new prince of perfume sounds unlikely. But, as Joffe says, there is an increasing demand for niche marketing in this area where big does not always seem so beautiful.
The proof is in the steady development of Comme des Garçons fragrances since the early beginnings in 1993. When its Eau de Parfum was launched around the swimming pool at the Ritz, it seemed more like a medicinal congress than a beauty event, as bags of yellow liquid were the decoration of choice.

Instead of the standard $50,000 launch parties that reverberated through the 1990s, Comme des Garçons brought out a different concept each year, with the 1999 series of "Leaves" a hit with customers.
But Comme des Garçons Parfum has remained an individualist and a family affair.
Jones explains that he worked closely with Kawakubo herself on his concept, saying "she's not a perfume person," but that "she is a very good editor."
While Kawakubo has always been labeled an iconoclast, Joffe has broken the mold in a more nuanced way. The Dover Street Market, set up as a London multi-brand store, was dismissed as an aberration in the era of brand retail flagships. But now, with its mix of cool and traditional fashion and accessories - not least from Comme des Garçons' own labels, the store is looking increasingly visionary.

The financial side is also moving ahead, with wholesale figures up 32 percent to $3.5 million for year end to May 2007 and profits rising by 50 percent. The new phase of development will see Comme des Garçons managing its independent names and paying them a royalty. "Our role is like a producer in a movie," says Joffe. "And like a producer, we have to be satisfied with the plot and the text."

Text by Suzy Menkes

Via International Herald Tribune

The New Chanel Bike

Attention fashion victims all around: presenting the new Chanel Bike!
As an outdoorsy sports woman, Coco Chanel liberated women by creating clothing adapted to her time, freeing them from corsets and what-nots and allowing them to enjoy freedom of movement as well. Now the exclusive French maison is launching it's own luxe bicycle, faithful to it's iconic codes of elegance. It is outfitted in Chanel's signature black matelassé leather - including seat and utility saddle bag - and attached to 8-speed light-weight 16.5 kilos aluminum frame.
To rock a fancy Chanel bike does not come cheap - € 8,900.00 - or US$12,695.00 at today's rates.
I would invest in a VERY potent lock & chain set-up as this bike won't last long when parked anywhere outside in a big city.

Via Vogue Paris