Playboy: The Complete Centerfolds

With the first Centerfold, who just happened to be the radiant Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Hefner masterminded a cultural icon: Playboy's Playmate of the Month. Now, for the first time ever, Playboy has gathered together every Centerfold from every issue into one luxurious collector's edition. That's over 600 beauties. They've reproduced these Centerfolds exactly as they appeared in the magazine to create a full-size, deluxe volume. Paging through this colossal, chronological collection provides a breathtaking view of our evolving appreciation of the female form: from the fifties fantasy of voluptuous blondes to the tawny beach girls of the seventies to the groomed and toned women of today. Housed in a handsome leather briefcase lined with velvet, this impressive tome is the ultimate indulgence for every passionate collector. (US$315.00) Love it!

Via Uncrate

Kehinde Wiley Tapestries

Cerealart's newest edition "The Gypsy Fortune-Teller" by Kehinde Wiley is an elegant 76 x 96 inch tapestry that was woven in Belgium. Recently "The Gypsy Fortune-Teller" was photographed installed in the ballroom at the historic Powel House in Philadelphia.

I couldn't find any pricing info on the site but I am sure it will cost a pretty penny. I really like and respect Wiley's work - urban thugs in classical painting settings - and his technique is amazing.

Doesn't it look GREAT in there? Love it!

Greatest Hits @ V Magazine

Great editorial from V Magazine by photographer Sebastian Kim & styled by Michelle Cameron. It reminds of the great British magazines from the mid 80's like Blitz and The Face, that I used to collect in my teens and still have them in piles at my parent's home in Rio. The images capture to a tee the New Romantic/New Wave look that was so hot at the time. Memories of androgynous Steve Strange and early Boy George come to mind looking in some of these over made-up face. Love it!

Via V Magazine

Woollyhoodwinks

Woollyhoodwinks are a cuddly bunch of mischievous and loveable woodland creatures that by their nature, are pranksters of one sort or another. Recently arrived from their home in the black north forest, they have since captured the hearts of children and the imagination of adults. Each one has their own unique personality. How can you not love a quintet of squeezable pranksters with their own theme song?
They are crafted from high quality, vintage-inspired wool fabrics, detailed with sweet embroidered faces and bright plastic safety eyes. All the ‘hoodwinks are handmade, so each one is completely unique. not unlike their homes in the black north forest, each one comes snuggly packaged in it’s own ‘tree’ complete with a few surprises inside!

Woollyhoodwinks stand about 7” tall, US$30.00 each and available at Unica Home

Los Mono - Promesas

To make a great music video all you need is imagination, a good song to go with it and a video camera on hand. Forget about the over-the-top special effects, the back-up dancers, the helicopters and the video-hos. This GREAT music video by Chilean pop group Los Mono proves that the simplest ideas can a long way and to superb effect. I simply love it and can't get tired of watching this guy's move. He is awesome! Give it a try!

Christina Aguilera @ Marie Claire

Humm...not too sure what to make out of Christina Aguilera's new spread at Marie Claire magazine. I kind of went "eew" for a second - sorry, first reaction - because I couldn't really get the reason why she was naked, specially since she is very pregnant. Don't get me wrong! There is nothing ugly or dirty about being pregnant and most women do get that wonderful "glow" when they are "with child". I just thought to myself, why naked? The cover photo would be 10 times better if she had a bra on as I only see it as an attempt to look hot & sexy, even if with a huge baby-belly. Maybe the sexualization of pregnancy is what turns me off or reminds of cheap niche-porn, you know that kind shot in basements with senior citizens, feet fetishists, animals or bizarre sex acts. They have those with pregnant ladies too and that is just gross. Christina is talented and gorgeous and I wish she had thought twice about this choice. Demi Moore did it first, but somehow it came out classier.

Click images to enlarge.

Cute Alert: Cuddly Critters!!!

Who can resist these images? Even I, that am not a "pictures-of-puppies" kind of guy couldn't avoid the smile that came on my face looking at these great photos. It actually made me miss my baby Booboo, that for the time being is staying with the grandparents in Rio, but soon to return to daddy with whom he belongs. You can see Booboo below in his first Halloween costume a couple of years back. I call it Booboo-Bee!

To see more "aaawh-inducing" images of too-cute little critters go to Marco Folio and get ready for all those gushing sounds of delight!

Dita Von Teese @ Frederick's of Hollywood

Goddess of Perfection Dita Von Teese as the new face (and body) of lingerie mainstay Frederick's of Hollywood in amazing images available at their website. She could not be more suited to embody the allure and grace of the 50's pin-up beauty and I applaud their flawless choice. Love you Dita!!

Available at Frederick's of Hollywood from US$12.00 for a sexy "Fuzzy Panty" to US$68.00 for the "Satin Beaded Tulle Corset"

For more gorgeous images of Dita Von Teese in Paris, her PETA campaign and more just give it a click!

Kidnap Madonna For Drug Money

I just went ga-ga over this T-shirt by Mishka I saw online the other day. How can it be more brilliant? Kidnap Madonna For Drug Money! LOVE IT!!
A little background on the label: based out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Mishka is a street wear brand that references any and all things the creators have been inspired by: The underground punk/ hardcore/post-hardcore & skate scene’s of the 80’s, heavy metal & indie rock, horror, comics, B-movies and pop culture in general. In addition, Mishka embraces emerging artists and works closely with them on unique graphic concepts. In Russian, Mishka [pronounced: mee-shka] means “bear cub”. Bear cubs in general are intelligent, independent and gentle, but anger one and it’ll tear your face off! Mikhail Bortnik and Gregory Rivera established the brand in 2003 and gave the word a new meaning by creating what is one of the most coveted underground street wear labels around.

For more Mishka pick your destination: blog , holiday catalog , site



Via Hype BR

Chloë For Chloé

For Spring 2008, everyone's chasing the Chloé free-spirited look. Meanwhile, the brand itself is defining the way it wants to smell with a scent that debuts in March. The new Chloé fragrance celebrates the chic and irreverent spirit that's become the house's signature in the '00s. It also celebrates three iconic girls of the moment: the actresses Chloë Sevigny and Clémence Poésy and supermodel Anja Rubik, as captured by Dutch photography team of Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin.

The fragrance, developed by Robertet perfumers Michel Almairac and Amandine Marie, combines powdery floral notes with peony and springtime freesia. All of which gives way to a rich and sensual side of the rose with notes derived from the deep interior of the flower. It deftly embodies the Chloé look, which always walks the line between the girlish and the seductively womanly. Look no further than the new ad campaign to see that dynamic in action.

Via V Magazine

Kaws & Comme des Garçons Collaboration Collection

American artist Kaws has teamed up with Japanese avant-garde label Comme des Garçons to create a series of very cool wallets. These wallets utilize the popular CdG zip style wallet together with the familiar styles of Kaws illustrations. This collaboration includes more than just wallets and will also feature clothing, bags and fragrances. These items are set to debut on November 23rd and will be available at Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market in London and Original Fake , Kaws co-owed shop with Medicon Toy in Tokyo.

They do remind me of something eerily organic like little hairy turds or limp penises, am I right? Maybe I just have a dirty mind or could Freud explain it?

Via Hypebeast / Honeyee

Heidi Klum @ Max Magazine

Supermodel Heidi Klum is in a revealing spread for Germany's Max magazine. Seal's baby-momma is in fantastic shape and wants to make sure that you know about it.

Project Runway is my favorite TV show but unfortunately I've been "Cable-TV-Challenged" for the time being but hope to be able to catch up this week so I can give my personal recaps of all the episodes. Go Heidi! And God bless Photoshop!

Via Egostatic

Fugly Alert: Oprah's Favorite Things

Oprah Winfrey just announced her holiday wish list on her website. Twenty hand-picked items are featured on the list and anything Oprah endorses is a guarantee best seller. Among her favorite items of 2007, that include camcorders, ice cream and panini-makers, is a specially FUGLY selection that made my jaw drop! Sample text below:

"After a long day of taping The Oprah Show, the first thing Oprah says she does backstage is change into something comfortable. Now, she's sharing her new favorite thing to lounge around in! This outfit by L.A. designer Rachel Pally is made from stretchy fabric that's both lightweight and super soft. "It barely feels like you're wearing anything!" Oprah says. The turtleneck and pants are available in sizes 2 to 24 and come in four colors—purple, navy, teal and brown. Approximate value: Swing Turtleneck $141; Sailor Pants $194"

OMG! Isn't that one of the ugliest, most un-stylish and unflattering outfits you've ever seen?? Doesn't Oprah have a single fashionable gay friend to tell her that's a BIG DON'T? Probably she is surrounded by "yes men/women" that go "Bravo!" at anything that Ms. Winfrey says or chooses. If Oprah loves it, everyone loves it! She must look horrible wearing that around the house or anywhere for that matter. It looks cheap and dated and even the tallest, skinniest woman will look 20 pounds heavier wearing that monstrosity. And it's not even affordable!! The whole ensemble will cost you US$335.00!! I need a moment to recoup now...or I might just go vomit.

Via Oprah.com

The Comeback: Grace Jones

Actress/singer/diva-extraordinaire Grace Jones is to release her first album in almost two decades. The former Bond girl is planning to resurrect her pop career with a brand new record entitled "Corporate Cannibal", featuring guest spots from rocker Brian Eno and trip-hop star Tricky. Jones, 59, whose last studio album was released in 1989, has been working on her new sounds with the help of her on/off lover, aristocrat Ivor Guest. A source tells The Independent, "It has been touted to at least one label and is meant to be a remarkable record."

Via Yahoo News

Faux 80's Video Game Commercial Contest

My good friend Marty sent me his oh-so-cool entry for Ziddio's faux 80's video game commercial contest and I just love it!! The challenge was to create a commercial for a fake video game that would have come out in the '80s. Contestants had to combine the provided music with video that they shot and edit it all together. The winning video will be showcased on G4's Attack of the Show. Also the creator of the winning video will receive "Live Free or Die Hard" on DVD, "Rock Band" for your game system of choice, a Drum Throne, Guitar Stand and be eligible for Ziddio's huge User Created grand prize! Attack of the Show is TV's "Only Source For All the Stuff You Care About" or so they claim. AOTS is a daily, live television show on G4 that covers video games, technology, movies, the Internet and all things pop culture every weeknight at 7pm. G4 is the one destination on television that feeds geeks' addiction for the latest must-have tech gadgets, web culture and video games.
Check out Marty's video and vote for his commercial that I think is hilarious!

To watch more videos go to Ziddio

Fergalicious @ Allure

Fergie photographed by Michael Thompson for December's Allure magazine looking very sexy and va-va-voom-ish. Here's a little sample from the mag:

"The lyrics to "My Humps," which she describes as "a little bit racy," made Fergie nervous at first. Although she considers herself a flirt, she's quick to point out her dedication to her boyfriend, actor Josh Duhamel. "I'm a very sensual person...and I love being with one man. My man."

I spent this past New Years in Rio de Janeiro and The Black Eyed Peas performed a free concert on Ipanema Beach, that started right after the fireworks. I must say that when Fergie sang her ditty "My Humps" it sounded almost like the recorded version. She was quite good in person, to my surprise, and she got the crowd of a few tens of thousands going throughout their performance. I did see some unflattering pictures of her in a tabloid, in a "before they were stars" kind of spread, that looked almost like she had some face work done. Who cares, right? She looks great now and I do like her sass and sense of style.

Via Allure

Erin Fetherston @ Target

The new GO International designer collection for Target hit stores this sunday. Erin Fetherston is Target's new designer for this season and she has designed a young, flirtatious, and girly collection that ranges from US$7.99-US$89.99.

The cute heart-shaped bad costs US$29.99 and the same goes for the shorts or the black & white bib-top, also bargains at US$29.99 each.

Doesn't it all screams Gothic Lolita? How "moderne" of Target! Love the great publicity images too. Available at Target. Kudos!

Via Fashion Smashion

You May Quote Me On That: Elizabeth Taylor

"My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked."

Elizabeth Taylor

Dreams of F*cking an R&B B*tch Tee

Canadian label Finale put out a quite, er, how can I put this...thought-provoking T-shirt. The effigies of many notable chanteuses and what-nots like Chaka Khan, Beyonce, Lauryn Hill, Sade, Whitney Houston and Rihanna, to name a few, adorn this lovely tee. The piece-de-resistance is the poetical verse that is printed below: "Dreams of F*cking and R&B B*tch", with the face of some chubby-faced rapper-looking guy (Biggie, is that you?) in lieu of the **.

A charmer, don't you think?

Click image to enlarge and try to make out who's who.

Rihanna Gets a Spanking @ GQ

Barbados stunner Rihanna is one GORGEOUS woman and she is not shy about showing off the goods in a kinky GQ spread. She gets a good spanking from some guy - Robin Thicke - that is also a fellow singer. I must live under a rock but I have no clue who he is... Maybe I've heard his song in the radio but the name didn't stick. Getting back to Rihanna, she is wearing some delicious outfits Cavalli, D2 Squared, D&G and Luis Vuitton, but my favorite is the gold Tomas Maier bathing suit on the photo below. HOT!

Via GQ

Viktor & Rolf Join The It-Bag Circus

The women who inhabit the collections of Dutch design team of Viktor & Rolf have had a lot of fantastical getups to choose from over the past decade, but until Spring/Summer 2008 they haven't had a single handbag to call their own. In stores early next year is a capsule collection of purses in the understated couture style that has become the duo's signature. Designs are kept spare and neat, with details that incorporate V&R emblems like the logo seal, the bow, and the Flowerbomb diamond shape. And each style has a name derived from the idea that they might all have a conversation together (the black patent "How are you" bag and the pink satin "Good evening" clutch, for example)—when they're not serving as conversation pieces on their own.

For info go to Viktor & Rolf's website.

Via V Magazine

Cute Alert: Ginger Bread Man @ Madame Tussauds

Ginger Bread Man is the newest - and smallest - addition to London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. The character from the Shrek movie series, along with the Shrek-meister himself are on now immortalized in wax and on display for everyone's delight. I was not a big fan of the series last installment "Shrek the Third" as it was far from the witty-ness of the earlier films, but I guess that goes with most movies that add a number to the end of their titles.

Via O Globo

Animal House By Catherine Ledner

Welcome to Animal House, where occupancy is strictly limited to the furry, the feathered, the hoofed, and the clawed. In this tongue-in-cheek peek at critters great and small, photographer Catherine Ledner has brought the animals indoors to create a collection of magical and clever portraits unlike any you’ve ever seen before. Discover a series of brightly-colored rooms, lined with plush carpets and bold decorative wallpapers, each inhabited by a different creature. Ledner’s whimsical images are perfectly paired with a selection of sophisticated light verse, witticisms, and humorous poetry from the likes of Oliver Herford and Ogden Nash: "The Cow is of the bovine ilk, One end is moo, the other milk." What emerges is a marvelous fantasy world where the animals rule the roost and the turn of every page offers unexpected delights.

Available at Amazon.com

Naomi Goes Nude For Tic Tac

Supermodel Naomi Campbell posed for photographer Sonia Sieff advertising long time friend Michel Klein's new "Tic Tac" watch completely nude. Naomi looks great laying on a bed of black sheets wearing the watch...which watch? Not sure many people will be paying attention to it anyway...

The black ceramic “Tic Tac” watch is now exclusively available at Colette in Paris, for just under 600 Euros/US$858 , but will be distributed by Seiko in the U.S., Russia and Europe. The ad will appear in magazines such as Elle, Vogue, Numéro, L’Officiel and Jalouse. Click image to enlarge.

Via Make Fetch Happen

Super Kawaii: Chapel of Dawn Tote Bags

Hong Kong artist Juno Mak began the first chapter of his ongoing lifestyle project Chapel of Dawn earlier this year with the release of his CD. This Saturday, November 24th will mark Chapel of Dawn's inaugural foray into clothing and accessories. Seen here is a series of totebags which incorporate a series of different inspirations. The super kawaii and practical bags feature two different prints on each side. One side is that of the "Wrestling Elves" designed by James Jarvis while the other side includes a canvas Chapel of Dawn patch. Three different sizes are available and prices range from $320 HKD (+- $41 USD) for the small tote to $620 HKD (+- $80 USD) for the large tote.

Only a few select stores around the world will run this first collection of Chapel of Dawn. They include SiLLY THING (Hong Kong), Supply (Sydney), Someday (Melbourne), Union, Hideout Store (London), Colette (Paris), Firmament (Berlin) and Sold Out.

Via The Hype BR / Hypebeast

The Comeback: Katharine Hamnett Slogan Tees

What is old is new again and British designer Katherine Hamnett seems to know that better than most. In the 80's her bold-lettered over-sized logo-ed political T-shirts were a must have staple. Do you remember "Frankie Say War"? Hamnet caused a commotion in the early 80's when meeting with then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wearing her own t-shirt with the slogan "58% DON'T WANT PERSHING", a reference to polls showing public opposition in the United Kingdom against the basing of United States nuclear weapons on Pershing missiles.

She is now re-issuing her classic & timeless slogan tees, at a moment when 80's nostalgia and environmental issues are at peak, on her cool website. The tees are 100% organic cotton and styles range from 1983's Choose Life to 2006's Bring Back God. My favorite might be 1989's Clean Up Or Die, as it couldn't be more au-courant when recycling and pollution should be in everyone's agenda. Love it!

They are £ 40.00 each and available at Katharine Hamnett

Velvet Painting Gallery

My friend Marty sent me this great link from Flicker on velvet paintings. Close friends know my taste for kitsch - myself a proud owner of a delicious tiger velvet painting among others (see below) - so I might as well share a few of these great gems with Little-Pumpkins readers. These here are to be found on display in the hallways of New Jersey's WFMU radio station and belong to the station's manager. The thing with "velvet art" is that it tries really hard to be good and probably it's painters actually believe they are good, but in the end the images speak for themselves. I do love the naive charm of their celebrity's homages, vaguely resembling famous icons but in reality simply turning them into disfigured monsters in the name of bad art. How can you not feel pity for poor Marilyn Monroe? She must be twisting in her grave with her depiction, looking more like a man in Marilyn drag than herself. Clint Eastwood, the rugged cowboy, seems like his face was used as a doormat at boot camp, not that Ronald Reagan looks much better either. The prize for most-tasteless-bad-joke is a tie between a zombie-looking Jon-Bennet, the murdered child-beauty-queen, and Monica Lewinsky with a stained dress. Gross. But I must confess that I would kill for the Jesus & Elvis combo...

Here we have the "Saddam Hussein Collection", as the ex-Iraq dictator was also a lover of the Erotic Fantasy Style, thought probably his were done in oil but nonetheless tacky. Images of Frank Frazzeta inspired work and a not-too-bad rendition of Vampirella are also part of this ode to the art of velvet painting.
This lovely tiger in the glossy white lacquer below is my own. I found it in Providence, RI, at a yard sale way back when, for a just couple of dollars. To have it framed I probably spent 3o times as much but I just couldn't resist it's camp charm! For more images click here.

Cute Alert! Felipe In Rome

I couldn't resist to post a picture of my nephew Felipe, that resides in Rome, Italy. He is 2 years 7 months old, as of yesterday, and the pride and joy of the whole family on both sides of the Atlantic and 3 continents. He is just too cute not to share with Little-Pumpkin readers!

High Art Beach Towels

Jump-start your holiday shopping, or replenish your stash of towels before guests arrive, with bath or beach towels decorated with images by the artists Cindy Sherman, Elizabeth Peyton, Jeff Koons, and Kehinde Wiley. The limited-edition towels will be sold at the Raleigh Hotel pool in Miami Beach during the annual Art Basel Miami Beach show, from Dec. 5 to 9. They will also be sold through Target.com and Worksonwhatever.com, starting Nov. 19.

The 60-by-70-inch, 100 percent cotton terry towels are $50 each, and the proceeds will be used to support public art projects around the country.

Via The New York Times

Plastic Fantastic Furniture

The Plastic-Fantastic series is a uniquely-styled in and outdoor furniture collection which has been treated with a special rubber coating- and it can be delivered in a variety of colors. Each piece is unique and is restored and conditioned at a very high level before being threaded with the coating. The series is designed to resist all weather conditions, and can easily be used as garden furniture! The Plastic Fantastic range will include chairs, sofas, fauteuiles, tables, closets etc. Prices start around US$980.00.

I love the concept of being able to leave these pieces outdoors, though the prices are a bit salty to let them weather away. Philippe Stark has developed a similar look for patio furniture in the past but it wasn't exactly cushy and it's texture got to feel grimy after a while. Wonder how comfortable these really are... They do look great!

Available through Designfront

David Bailey & Jean Shrimpton, New York 1962

I just came across this lovely art book by British photographer David Bailey called "NY JS DB 62". This cinema-verite style photo shoot was done in early 1962 in New York City when David Bailey, then a novice at British Vogue, was commissioned for a 14-page editorial in the Big Apple for the same publication. At the time fashion shoots were mostly done in studios and followed pretty classic guidelines of sets, poses and aristocratic styling. The minuscule travelling crew consisted of David himself, his then girlfriend supermodel Jean Shrimpton and a nervous & complaining Vogue fashion editor. Make up and hair style were done by Shrimpton herself, Bailey changed his own films, they travelled by cabs and endured freezing temperatures in the days they spent in New York. Unknown to them at the time, they were making fashion history with an innovative and ground-breaking editorial that permanently changed the way fashion photography was meant to look like. Instead of pretty pictures in front of the stone lions of the 42nd Street Library as the editor suggested, Bailey went to Harlem - inspired by his love of Jazz and clubland - and bohemian locations in the Lower East Side. He captured the downbeat energy of a moving city, it's gray streets reminiscing of Bailey's youth growing up in East London. It's tough/naive youthful vibe - touching and intimate at times - is a literal picture-in-time in the history of style, photography and culture. Love it!

Bar of Gold Door Stop @ The Conran Shop

This witty doorstop by industrial designer Arik Levy is gold-flash plated and available only for a limited amount of time. The date inscribed on each bar refers to the day that women were finally admitted to the London Stock Exchange – in 1973. The perfect gift for the man who has everything or the woman who’s worth more than her weight in gold.

It's made out of aluminium, cast iron, mild steel and gold flash plated. It costs US$79.00 and is available at The Conran Shop

T-Shirt Design Contest 2007 @ Computerlove

The T-shirt Design Contest is a special Computerlove event where the community and a jury of famous professionals award the most beautiful and craziest t-shirt designs.This year, Computerlove invited artists to interpret the theme of "Utopia" and get a chance to see their work crafted and win prizes, such as iPhones and Nintendo Wiis. Above a few of the finalists for your delight. The one below is called "Man Utopia". Click images to enlarge detail and try to make out what it says. I think it's grand!

Via Computerlove

Yohji Yamamoto For Mikimoto

When the revolutionary of women’s prêt-a-porter and a 114-year-old Japanese jewellery house collide, the outcome was destined to be a tempestuous affair. So it comes as no surprise that the jewellery range resulting from the collaboration between Japan’s forward-thinking designer Yohji Yamamoto and luxury pearl designers Mikimoto should be entitled 'Stormy Weather'.
The 29-piece line is a combination of innovative designs that evoke the atmosphere of rough waters and stormy skies. Yamamoto is no stranger to collaboration, already having worked successfully with Mandarina Duck and Adidas, and has connected with Mikimoto’s ethos of feminine beauty to create pieces filled with a truly romantic sensibility.
Together these two design giants, both synonymous with Japanese culture, have crafted three themes within the range; Moon, Drop and Le Cri. All feature stunning Mikimoto pearls, ranging from striking white to the deepest black, to create a dark and moody feel to the line. The Moon range draws influence from the lunar cycle, where glittering white gold discs capture a look of luminosity. Drop sees pieces replicate turbulent oceans and Le Cri is a more conceptual design which draws upon death as its main theme with stunningly sculptured pendants that draw inspiration from Munch’s ‘The Scream’.
As a whole, the collection has the feel of fluidity with a dreamlike aura that evokes the flowing silhouettes of Yamamoto’s clothing, and in a similar way to his fashion focus, embodies a striking avant-garde spirit that is far removed from current jewellery trends.

Via Wallpaper

You May Quote Me On That: Mary Quant

"Having money is rather like being a blond. It is more fun but not vital."

Mary Quant

Perma-Tan

For those already suffering from summer-tan-withdrawal-syndrome listen to the wise words of our friend Barbara Millicent Roberts - a.k.a. Barbie from Mattel (as in Jenny from the Block): "A plastic tan never fades".
With that in mind I found this great gift idea from 80'sTees.com (the glittery heat transfer decal sealed the deal for me): Malibu Barbie baby-tee in light gray cotton and U$24.00 cost. Sorry, girl sizes only...

Via 80'sTees.com

TimeOut's Public Eye

I was strolling in New York when I took these pictures a few weeks ago in early October. The photo shoot caught my eye and I couldn't resist the urge to butt in. I had asked the girl what were the photos for and she said it was for TimeOut magazine's street style section - Public Eye. I had totally forgotten about these and by chance I was surfing through their site and found the hipster guy that they were shooting that day (top picture). The style-picker was pretty un-stylish herself but I guess she must have a good eye for would-be-rocker-slash-artist types.

Sample dialogue:

-What do you do? I’m an art handler. And I make art, too.
-Like...? I did a lot of work revolving around remaking things, like reenactment videos of footage from public spaces.
-The word reenactment reminds me of Unsolved Mysteries and those horrible clips set to scary music. I love that stuff! Mine doesn’t have the crazy lighting or anything like that. It’s mundane, like people tying their shoes or falling off a bicycle.

-You strike me as an L rider. [Laughs] Hey!
-Where do you live? In Bushwick.
-Aha! And something tells me your facial hair is ironic. Oh, it’s definitely not. I used to have this giant curly mustache with wax and everything.But I’ve certainly seen a lot of mustaches since moving here. I figured mine had run its course when I started seeing them on American Apparel ads.
-Peter, you steal my thunder. My next snide question was going to be whether you’d consider modeling for them. [Laughs] I guess there are certain touchstones of the L rider: tattooed, ironic facial hair... modeling? I’ll do whatever pays.
-So what other kinds of art do you make? Well, I’m starting a band with my girlfriend: the Medieval Whale Song Band. We’re doing covers of medieval songs using whale song.
-Can you sing a few bars? I can’t, because I’m not a whale.
-You must be the only such band in the world. Oh, probably not. I mean, I’m sure there are other people who have, like, Renaissance whale song bands, Baroque whale song bands…and I’m sure they all ride the L train too.

Via TimeOut NY

Damien Hirst's $37,000 Napkin Doodle

I guess it should be no surprise that the most expensive living artist has very valuable doodles. This was proven recently when Damien Hirst did a little ink sketch on a linen napkin from The Ivy restaurant. It's a depiction of his diamond-encrusted skull, plus a couple of steaming coffee cups in the eye sockets and, of course, the all-important Hirst signature. He donated the sketch to MacMillan Cancer Relief's "coffee art" auction, where it sold to a private collector for £18,000. So do you think it was really just a doodle? Or a creative way to come up with something for the auction?

Via Luxist

Lip Print Art

DNA 11, an online company that creates personalized oil paintings from the buyer's DNA or fingerprint, introduced a new way for people to buy art--by puckering up. In partnership with cosmetics company MAC, DNA 11 now lets people buy a personalized painting by sending in a print of their lips, or what are called Kiss Portraits. DNA 11 has been selling on-demand paintings of people's genetic code for years. Its art work has even appeared on the crime show CSI as a fictional way to trace a killer, but technically that's not possible. To create a work, DNA 11 collects a sample of the buyer's DNA, which is immediately sent to a special lab. And then only a partial picture of the code is used to create an individual's painting--which typically looks like computer code on canvas.
Similarly with its new product, DNA 11 will send the customer a collection kit so it can create a high-resolution image of the lip print. The process begins with a Kiss collection kit that includes M.A.C. Viva Glam lipstick. The buyer can customize the color and size of paintings, which start at $290 and go up in price depending on size or framing. DNA 11 sells its art in museum stores such as New York's Museum of Modern Art and also online. With the Kiss Portraits, it's hoping to appeal to more women shoppers and a portion of every Kiss portrait goes toward the towards the M·A·C Aids fund.

Via News.Com

Sexiest Man Alive??

Say what?? Who voted on this poll? Was Adan Sandler busy or something?
Maybe in 1997 Matt Damon could have been a contender but in 2007?? No way!

Jesus Stencil Art

Via Moblog / Wooster Collective / Yatzer

Luey @ Strange Kiss

Luey is one of many minions in Satan’s army. Lueys do the devil's dirty work and like to raise hell on their own time. Whatever you do, don't give a Luey milk - they get drunk and belligerent on the stuff. Luey is a recurring character from LA-based artists Bob Dob. Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, CA, Bob Dob cultivated a taste for adolescent unrest early on, first expressing his talent as guitarist for the punk band Lunacy. Transmutation from music to art was a natural progression for him and he currently shows his works in galleries throughout the U.S. Luey is his first vinyl figure. Love it!

Available at Strange Kiss for US$17.95 each or US$54.00 for the set of 3

The Resurrection Of The Fendi Baguette

There was a time when the bag didn't rule the luxury market or take up a full page of every double-spread ad. Ten years ago, the Fendi Baguette changed the name of the game, igniting an It-bag craze that still spirals to newer heights every season. To celebrate the anniversary of the bag, Karl Lagerfeld brought it back onto the runway of the Spring/Summer 2008 Fendi show. The Baguette version 2008 is three times its original size, sans handle, and carried scrunched up in one hand or in the crook of an arm. The Fendi atelier also amplifies the detail and technique in the new outsized Baguette with woven leather, mini patchwork dots of mink, and lunatic multicolored fringe—often all at once. The options are seemingly endless, which is probably why the Baguette story never grows old.

Via V Magazine

Mamegoma Toilet Paper Roll Holder

Mamegoma is an adorable baby seal mascot franchise from San-X (also Tarepanda, Nyanko, Rilakkuma) that features cute and happy seals. This Mamegoma toilet paper roll cover is the perfect touch for cutening up your bathroom with some extra plush. Gives your plain ol' toilet roll a face to keep you company while you powder your nose. Reinforced plush cover with pink polka dot inner lining. Has a loop for hanging.

Available at J-Box for US$11.00

Silhouette Masterpiece Theater

Why didn't I think of that first? Kudos to Wilhelm Staehle, whose website - The Dollar Dreadful Family Library - reads: "Founded by the horribly disfigured gentleman: Mr. Wilhelm Staehle and his perennial beauty, Mrs. T.D Rio, DDFL was established in 1882 and is running stronger than ever. Wilhelm and T.D. currently reside in a dark and secluded castle on the East Coast of the Americas." Another tidbit: "There is something to be found for all, be it occult adventures, mysterious crimes, woodsmen, foreign lands, or domestic disputes! Our exciting tales are short enough for those of short attention spans, yet thrilling enough to keep one turning pages!"

Check it out. Love it!

Via Silhouette Masterpiece Theater / The Dollar Dreadful Family Library

Giving Credit Where It's Due

Always good to know that people out there dig what I've been doing (humbly) here at Little-Pumpkins. I just found two new links in the past few days relating to previous articles I posted here at the site and that makes me very proud! Damn, I must be doing something right! Right?? The first one was at Wooster Collective on the Miami "Adam & Eve" murals by Fila and the second was at the lovely site called Smut Life, covering an older post on pornochanchadas that I did way back. Thanks guys for appreciating my efforts! I sincerely thank you...

Yue Minjun @ Queens Museum of Art

“Yue Minjun and the Symbolic Smile,” at the Queens Museum of Art, is the first American museum exhibition of Yue’s work and further evidence of his remarkable rise in the super-heated field of Chinese contemporary art. The work at the Queens Museum ranges from a grouping of 20 life-size terracotta soldiers grinning cast bronze versions of the famous statues unearthed years ago at the tomb of China’s first emperor, to a painting of a laughing version of himself holding another aloft in front of the Statue of Liberty. A few years ago, Yue was eking out a precarious existence in one of Beijing’s artist colonies, trying to figure out a way to weave China’s tumultuous experience into his works. Now, largely on the strength of his signature grin, he has achieved stardom internationally. The mesmerizing enigma of that reddish face painted over and over again, with the wide laugh and the eyes tightly shut from the hilarious strain, is subject to a multitude of interpretations. The smile has been variously interpreted as a sort of joke at the absurdity of it all, or the illusion of happiness in lives inevitably heading toward extinction. “There were also paintings during the Cultural Revolution period, those Soviet-style posters showing happy people laughing,” Yue explained. “But what’s interesting is that normally what you see in those posters is the opposite of reality.” He said his smile was in a way a parody of those posters. But, since it’s a self-portrait, it’s also necessarily a parody of himself, he added. At the Queens Museum, there is also a series called “Hats,” in which Yue has painted himself in all sorts of headgear, from an American football helmet to a peaked cap of a soldier in China’s People’s Liberation Army, with that unvarying laugh on his face. Mr. Yue was born in 1962 in China’s far northern Heilongjiang Province and moved to Beijing with his parents as a child. He studied oil painting at the Hebei Normal University and graduated in 1989, when China was rocked by student-led demonstrations and their suppression on Tiananmen Square in June of that year.

From Oct/14/07-Jan/08/08 at the Queens Museum of Art

Via The New York Times

Hoo-Ray For Massachusetts

My friend Seth - my Boston attache - sent me these cool images of a building in Cambridge, MA. Great stuff, huh? Swiss cheese and building blocks comes to mind. He also e-mail me this fun window from Camper on Newbury Street in Boston. I love the vintage-looking robot dude made out of shoe boxes. Faboo!

Back in Business

After a few torturous weeks without reliable Internet access I can say that I am back where I belong! I missed the blog terribly and felt very guilty for not being able to update it as often as I wanted to but this was totally beyond my control - to paraphrase John Malkovitch in "Dangerous Liaisons". There was just too much going on in my life at the same time and my mind was just not there to have to hunt down Internet cafes to log on the blog. I am just not inspired to research stuff or write posts when I am paying by the minute and touching some disease-plagued keyboard away from the comfort of my own home. At the moment my home consists of a borrowed air mattress and a US$95.00 Target wicker bar stool, that I bought just to have a place to sit on and will returned as soon as my real furniture arrives this coming Saturday. The stool is very uncomfortable ad not really my style but I needed at least a place to sit when I had my meals (and use my laptop) and it was the least offensive they had. It looked sturdy enough so that I could return without too much fuss and show little wear. I also bought a tall paper lamp that will also be returned this coming week. So please accept my apologies and take me back into your loving arms...

Street Art @ Miami's Design District

Great street graffiti art in Miami's Design District neighborhood. It was clearly a commissioned mural but nonetheless fabulous and really striking, as I spotted it from about 2 blocks away. It reminds me of an "Adam & Eve in Paradise" reference and I am sure it might have been the artist's inspiration as well. The mural is the work of Danny Fila, a Miami-based street artist. I can't help seeing Shakira the longer I look at the girl's face. Am I crazy or doesn't she look like that Colombian fire-cracker?

Julian Opie @ Aventura Mall

As a brand-new Florida resident, I've been exploring my surroundings to get acquainted with what's out there. I was at Aventura Mall the other day, literally killing time, waiting for a friend's ride to pick me up. I decided to stroll around to check out what's there and at first glance it just seemed like any big American mall chock-full of chain stores and a very noisy food court. To my delight and utter surprise I spotted these two digital sculptures by British artist Julian Opie, whom I covered recently here at Little-Pumpkins. I am still not sure what they were doing there as there were no plaques or signs stating the purpose of the displays. Were they on loan or a permanent purchase? It kind of baffled me that they were there, lost amidst Banana Republic and an under-construction Christmas village. I must say that they worked perfectly with the passing traffic of strolling shoppers, as the displays perfectly mimicked their hurried struts, though not quite as runway-model like as his svelte female figures.

Juicy Couture @ Worth Avenue

Great window at Juicy Couture's Worth Avenue shop in Palm Beach, Florida . I love the whole design and the plane-as-a-hat prop is just delightful. The light pink background is perfect for all the black accents such as the gloves and opaque tights. Love it!!