May the Best Woman Win [Part I]

So what I thought was going to be a great week...well...wasn't...so when I am facing life's particularly challenging moments, I have various remedies I like to turn to. This week I got paid...so that only leaves one drug of choice:

Retail Therapy

Here's how my therapeutic session went:

2/28 Thursday: http://www.hautelook.com/
Set my alarm for 7 am to wake myself up for an 8 am online sample sale, which is just as cutthroat as the real thing, if not more, because you can't physically get down and dirty...No tag teaming with your best buds...remember Monica taking down that girl for her dream wedding dress? Classic. And also true. That really does take place at Filene's world famous event, also dubbed as the "Running of the Brides." (see pics above)

So what is Hautelook (HL)? HL, like I said, is an online sample sale website. This is a great opportunity for girls who do not live in a major city such as NYC, LA, or SF, to "attend' a sample sale and purchase designer goods, at up to 80% off.
HL holds its sales twice a week (usually), Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8 am to 11 pm. If you don't think you can wake up early...trust me you can. Once you are in a virtual tug of war for that desired item, you wake up!

** Bonus: if you are so gracious enough to share, you can sponsor your friends. Every time your sponsored friends purchase something through the site, you get $10 HL bucks to spend towards your own future purchases. That is if you don't mind more competition or giving up your secret source of designer goods at a fraction of the price. A dilemna I know!

HL TIPS:
#1: Before each sale, research the designer's collections. HL has some images that you can go through, which are a pretty good indication of what type of goods will be offered during the sale. Keep those favorites in mind, so you know exactly what to look for, the day of the sale.
#2: Once you find the item of choice, put it in your shopping bag right away. You only have 15 minutes to hold it, otherwise it goes back on the rack and you'll lose it. trust me i know!

Here's next week's HauteLook lineup:

3/4: Spendid

3/5: Ella Moss

3/6: Katy Rodriguez

2/29 Friday: Took my weekly mom and daughter trip to one my favorite shopping spots: Westfield Topanga Mall. Newer, bigger, and better, as well as the best selection of stores from high-end > Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Neiman Marcus to low-end >h&m, MNG by Mango, and Target.

Melissa

Meet Suzette

The latest and greatest addition to its Design Related, Suzette, our Photo Editor. She is originally from the Bay Area but resides in Brooklyn nowadays. The first time I met her was in the LES in New York drinking mid day margaritas with our friend Jessica. She highly encouraged mid day drinking and welcomed me to New York. Suzette is attending college while working at Reed Space. Her photography is sweet. She has an awesome eye for the quirky, conceptual, and obtuse characteristics. Suzette is currently writing from New York.
check Suzettes personal photography

Party Animals

Who doesnt love one?
This year a lot of buzz about the primaries, politics, and such so a little illustration wouldn’t hurt to post. I think this is a great way to support but not have to claim publicly your chosen party! You can print, cut, paste, do whatever with these illustrations.

Much Ado About Nothing

What is there to say about the 80th Annual Oscars, which aired this past Sunday, February 24, 2008? People were worried that the Oscars wouldn't be able to celebrate his 80th birthday, but is that an excuse for a Blah, Blah, Blah Oscar fashion year? Or maybe it was the rain, or the fact that the writers only had 10 days to prepare, forcing montage after montage upon us. Could this have caused the designers and stylists to scramble for Oscar worthy looks --resulting in a, shall I say it again--> Blah Red Carpet fashion display? Unlike previous years, you knew you were on the red carpet of the Oscars when you saw Reese Witherspoon float down the carpet in her Aubergine Nina Ricci gown and hot new bangs in 2007 (future bridesmaids of mine will be wearing this!), or Michelle Williams who never made Saffron look so good with Vera Wang in 2006. This year the fashion spread was basically safe and predictable. But nonetheless I feel obligated to get it off my chest. It's only been two days after the Oscars, so I’m still allowed. Maybe? Well anyways here goes…

Red was the color this year:
My picks are Anne Hathaway, My Devil Wears Prada Princess, in Marchesa, I Love Marchesa!! Rosettes/Floral detail, one-shoulder, Grecian Goddess draping. Ultra-Femme.


Heidi Klum, in John Galliano Haute Couture, my Barbie-Queen, with a Regal collar and flowing train.


My Red winner is, however, Katherine Heigl who has quickly become the new movie It-Girl. She epitomizes Old Hollywood Glam in Escada, which she topped off with the hair, red lips, and unapologetic curves. She simply took my breath away.

Black or Dark-Hued gowns: Penolope Cruz is the only one I find worth mentioning although Jennifer Garner and Hilary Swank looked just as beautiful. But Cruz is my girl, looking effortlessly beautiful in a Navy Blue Chanel Couture gown→ the true definition of a dramatic red carpet look.

Of the Preggers: Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, and Jessica Alba→ Alba is my winner, in Marchesa. Again, I love Marchesa!! The plum-purple, ostrich feathers, I’ve never seen a more well-dressed baby bump.

Now for my overall winner of the night, it's actually a tie. These two girls truly represent dreams coming true on so many levels…

Marion Cotillard, Best Actress winner for La Vie en Rose, was a sultry siren to the fullest in Jean Paul Gaultier. Only a designer such as Gaultier can make a fish-scaled, mermaid inspired gown look Oscar-worthy without evoking a Halloween costume disaster a la Bjork. Can’t talk about the Oscars, without mentioning Bjork....See what I mean, everyone played it safe, nothing too exciting to write about! But anyways...look at that detailing!





Saving the best for last, Diablo Cody. Only 29 years-old, this former stripper, turned Oscar-winning Screenwriter for Juno, truly represents a woman who is sure and true to herself. She is wearing Dior by John Galliano, all the while, sporting her tats, red lips, and short, jet black hair. Her acceptance speech was humble and inspiring--I can't wait to see what else she has up her fishnet stockings. Quick! Someone get me a stripper pole!



Okay, now that I got that off my chest, I gotta go read The Other Boleyn Girl before it comes out this Friday!
Melissa

Melissa our LA Fashion Editor

Caught Melissa by my old apt in midtown east, 59th and Lex, NY.

Melissa has joined me in expanding Design Related into the fashion world. It is a clear sign that Design Related could benefit from her passion alone. She follows the fashion industry on a daily basis, maybe even hourly. From a young age she was inspired by teen magazines, now it’s a way of life. At UC Berkeley she majored in pre-med and art history. Melissa has careful insight on trends, upcoming celebrities & stylists, and appreciates good design. Beyond her love for fashion, Melissa is focused on pursuing her medical career in the women’s health field with options in OB/GYN, or family practices. She is currently writing from Los Angeles where celebrities are at her fingertips, Coffee Bean is on every corner, and where America’s 2nd fashion capitol resides.

Right on Target

Hi Everyone!

Its Melissa here, your LA Fashion Editor, & although we haven’t been formally introduced yet, this just couldn’t wait…

If you didn’t know it was Spring by the weather…it is most definitely Spring and we are thankfully reminded by Target’s latest Go International Designer collaboration: Jovovich-Hawk-- established by Milla Jovovich and Carmen Hawk in LA in 2003. By nabbing this fabulous design duo, Target allows us to cross two things off of our Spring Trend Checklist, and that is florals (though more understated in this J-H collection) and 70’s bohemian, as well as satisfy our passion for all things vintage. Side note: The thing that is so great about Target’s Go International Collections is not that it allows us-- starving students and work hard-ly for the money-type folks-- to have a piece of these fabulous designers’ visions, but it more importantly introduces us to up-and-coming designers such as Proenza Schouler, Alice Temperley, and Erin Fetherston, to name a few, while enabling these talented individuals to make their mark in fashion history and in our worlds.

Take a look at some of my choice selections…but go pick out your own favorites, as the collection goes on sale this Sunday, March 2nd, 2008. Can you say Hallelujah!?

Floral and ruffles!


Vintage Sexy


It will be easy to make the Spring Transition with these looks: (if its still too cold to pull these off just add some some solid colored tights, and some ankle booties or regular boots and you are good to go!)



p.s. Target has quickly become our pipeline to the designer world, not just with clothes, but with home décor and furnishings with Dwell Studio, jewelry with Dominique Cohen, & Shoes and Handbags with Loeffler Randall → which explains why its nearly impossible to go to Target with the ambitious goal of only going in to stock up on cotton swabs and dog food. Go on I dare ya!

p.p.s Stay tuned for my Oscar Fashion Report....meanwhile start making your Target shopping list ;-)
Melissa

This is what im talking about

J Billions performance was great. Live and in person with his witty lyrics and cool beats. Wish you were here!

Seen here

at the Vapors Magazine and Huf party @ Mezzanine, SF



Here with Julie and Robert from Vapors/BPM Magazine marketing team.




and at the Wild 'N Krazy Kids Party, Club 6, SF

Here ChrisOne's New Era hat design for Leaders, Chicago.

Click here for ChrisOnes Designs

the morning after a good

the morning after a good nite out...the highlight was J Billions performance! Love the lyrics and the beats were on point

Design and Science with Paola Antonelli

Paola Antonelli's exhibit for the MoMA, "Design and the Elastic Mind", is deep, complex, thoughtful and enlightening. This insightful interview with Chuck Hoberman and Peter Hall covers a lot of ground such as design, science, sculpture, engineering, architecture, and computer programming.

Paola Antonelli began her curatorial career at MoMA in 1995 with Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design. Her exhibitions are consistently popular, challenging and expansive. In this interview she reflects on opening night and our emotional attachments to objects.


source: core77

For Design and the Elastic Mind exhibit schedule click here

bad designer

More than just room ideas.

Excellence. Ikea changes your perspective on bedding, linens, furniture, just about every product they have by presenting a real but exquistly interactive motion site. Forsman & Bodenfors produced this forward thinking presentation. The music choice is fitting as well.

Forsman & Bodenfors
http://fb.se/index_en.html

Ikea
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/rooms_ideas/tcb/index.html

Comm Arts ILLUSTRATION COMPETITION

Communication Arts magazine announces the deadline for their 49th Illustration Competition--March 11, 2008
Enter the most prestigious competition for creativity in illustration, the 49th annual Communication Arts Illustration Competition. Any illustration first printed or produced between March 14, 2007 and March 11, 2008 is eligible.
Selected by a nationally representative jury of distinguished designers, art directors and illustrators, the winning entries will be published in the July 2008 Illustration Annual. Over 70,000 copies of the Illustration Annual will be distributed worldwide, assuring important exposure to the creators of this outstanding work.

As a service to art directors, designers and art buyers, a comprehensive index will include addresses, email and telephone numbers of the illustrators represented.

For submission guidelines and FAQs, visit:
http://www.commarts.com/Competitions/illustration

To download an entry form go to:
http://www.commarts.com/download/entryForm_illus.pdf

Wish you were here!

the mood. the seductive sound.

DJ Rygar



DJay Jung

DJ Shortkut

It was a day for lovers and players, 02.14 at Taste Ultra Lounge SJ, CA. DJay Jung helped the crowd forget why this hallmark holiday even exists! His set "drew people in, got the dance floor going, he got all kinds of people dancin--even us!" a quote from the Taste owners, who enjoyed themselves some good NYC music. Check the pics! TM photography for Design Related
Design Related Web Gallery
DJay Jung from Elite Camp

not everything has to be "designed"

((concept))

The pizza stain is the new spot varnish.


Some folks over at Mass Entertainment produced a home made, user generated video. It has caught the eye of a designer. I think the handwritten, sharpie marker, makes an simple statement. Its functional, funny, and cost effective. The concept has yet to be determine but I think this video has a lot of design elements to work with. It already displays what they are about without being pretentious. The best part is the box says HOT-N-READY!

Check out Mass Entertainment and their weekly party starting Feb. 28th
FM Thursdays at Motif, San Jose California.
Mass Entertainment Website


Press Play



credits: music provided by DJ Cutso, Gerard the cameraman, and Paulo "hands guy"

Thank you to Vapors Magazine,

Thank you to Vapors Magazine, Imeem & Elite Camp for contributing to the goodie bags. Shouts out to 600inc & DJay Jung!

goodie bags before they go! wish you were here-DJay Jung tonite at Taste Ultra Lounge, SJ

This message was sent using PIX-FLIX Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

Spring Summer Sneak Preview

As if fashion week wasnt enough, and with the launch of Lipstick Jungle this week we've posted a lot of fashion related items. Here is another...55dsl sent over a sneak preview of their spring collection. Were currently waiting to see more before we write a full review. Check their site 55DSL.com

What to wear on a hot date

Yes because this might be helpful for this Thursday!

Le Grand Content

Sent to me from a fellow designer after I sent him these index cards designed by Jessica Hagy. You can enjoy her blog spot of hand written charts, graphs. It organic, fresh, and witty. Something I would assume Edward Tuft would appreciate.

Jessica Hagy
http://indexed.blogspot.com/

Edward Tufte
http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/

Three Stripes

Adi Dassler's innovative three stripes have become iconic and help define personal style for the rap industry in the 80's. "He was a true original, a one of a kind, and chances are that somewhere and sometime he made someting for you. Where truth and honesty is stitched into every shoe"

The full campaign
http://www.adidas.com/campaigns/adidassler/content/index.asp?strCountry_adidascom=nl

LOVE

The 2008 Grammys paid special tribute to the Beatles featuring a performance" LOVE by Cirque de Soleil" and the Beatles inspired film "Across the Universe". Hopefully someone will post the Grammys version on youtube for all of us to enjoy again and again.

do, keep doing and do some more

Is Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC?

Illustration by the New York TIMES

By NOAM COHEN from the NY Times
Published: February 4, 2008

STYLES make fights — or so goes the boxing cliché. In 2008, they make presidential campaigns, too.

This is especially true for the two remaining Democrats, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Reporters covering the candidates have already resorted to traditional analysis of style — fashion choices, manner of speaking, even the way they laugh. Yet, according to design experts, the candidates have left a clear blueprint of their personal style — perhaps even a window into their souls — through the Web sites they have created to raise money, recruit volunteers and generally meet-and-greet online.

On one thing, the experts seem to agree. The differences between hillaryclinton.com and barackobama.com can be summed up this way: Barack Obama is a Mac, and Hillary Clinton is a PC.

That is, Mr. Obama’s site is more harmonious, with plenty of white space and a soft blue palette. Its task bar is reminiscent of the one used at Apple’s iTunes site. It signals in myriad ways that it was designed with a younger, more tech-savvy audience in mind — using branding techniques similar to the ones that have made the iPod so popular.

“With Obama’s site, all the features and elements are seamlessly integrated, just like the experience of using a program on a Macintosh computer,” said Alice Twemlow, chairwoman of the M.F.A. program in design criticism at the School of Visual Arts (who is a Mac user).

It is designed, she said, even down to the playful logos that illustrate choices like, Volunteer or Register to Vote. She likened those touches to the elaborate, painstaking packaging Apple uses to woo its customers.

The linking of Mr. Obama with Mac and Mrs. Clinton with PCs has already become something of a theme during the primary. Early in the campaign, a popular YouTube parody of Apple’s “1984” Super Bowl ad made Mrs. Clinton the face of oppression. This week on The Huffington Post, Douglas T. Kendall, the founder of the Community Rights Counsel, a public interest law firm, made the connection more explicit.

But the designers believe the comparisons — but not perhaps the Orwellian overtones — are apt. In contrast to barackobama.com, Mrs. Clinton’s site uses a more traditional color scheme of dark blue, has sharper lines dividing content and employs cookie-cutter icons next to its buttons for volunteering, and the like.

“Hillary’s is way more hectic, it’s got all these, what look like parody ads,” said Ms. Twemlow, who is not a citizen and cannot vote in the election.

Jason Santa Maria, creative director of Happy Cog Studios, which designs Web sites, detected a basic breach of netiquette. “Hillary’s text is all caps, like shouting,” he said. There are “many messages vying for attention,” he said, adding, “Candidates are building a brand and it should be consistent.”

But Emily Chang, the cofounder of Ideacodes, a Web designing and consulting firm, detected consistent messages, and summed them up: “His site is more youthful and hers more regal.”

Mr. Obama’s site is almost universally praised. Even Martin Avila, the general manager of the company responsible for the Republican Ron Paul’s Web site, said simply, “Barack’s site is amazing.”

But the compliments are clearly double-edged.

While Apple’s ad campaign maligns the PC by using an annoying man in a plain suit as its personification, it is not clear that aligning with the trendy Mac aesthetic is good politics. The iPod may be a dominant music player, but the Mac is still a niche computer. PC, no doubt, would win the Electoral College by historic proportions (with Mac perhaps carrying Vermont).

While Mr. Santa Maria praised barackobama.com for having “this welcoming quality,” he added that it was “ethereal, vaporous and someone could construe it as nebulous.” He said there was a bit of the “Lifetime channel effect, you know, vasoline on the lens” to create a softer effect on the viewer. The “hectic” site that the Clinton campaign is offering could actually be quite strategic, exactly in step with her branding. After all, Mrs. Clinton repeatedly emphasizes how hard she will work for the average American “starting on Day 1.” If she comes across as energetic online, that may simply be her intention. If she shouts a bit more, typographically speaking, that may be the better to be heard.

Unlike the Republicans, the Democratic contenders have incorporated social-networking tools to their sites — allowing supporters to create their own groups, for example, though Mr. Obama is considered the pacesetter in that regard.

“Obama’s campaign gained attention here in the Bay area tech community early on when he launched the My.BarackObama.com portal that allowed for personal blogging from the public, messaging with other supporters, and a host of other tools,” Ms. Chang wrote in an e-mail message.

On the big Internet issues like copyright, Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford law professor who is supporting Mr. Obama, said there was “not a big difference on paper” between the two Democrats. Both tend to favor the users of the Internet over those who “own the pipes.” He is impressed by Mr. Obama’s proposal to “make all public government data available to everybody to use as they wish.”

In the long run, however, Mr. Lessig believes that it is the ability to motivate the electorate that matters, not simple matters of style. And he’s a Mac user from way back.

Super Tuesday = Supermarket Sweeps!

Be in it to win it! Go out and vote!

Zip this!

The folks over at 55DSL have designed this zip lock baggie for your travels, such as to NY for the Fall/Winter Fashion week maybe? Its a good promo piece that just about everyone needs. Have a safe flight!

Superbowl Ads, not impressed

Superbowl commercials is prime opportunity for the big ad agencies to flex their muscles and show the public their best work. Im not impressed. Some commercials were notable such as the Bridgestone commercials with the screaming animals, or Richard Simmons. The Coca-Cola commercial got good reviews for Macys Parade but still no "wow" factor! The Dell commercial felt like a hybrid between a Target and Apple commercial. I questioned my thoughts around with coworkers, friends, and designers. The sentiment is same, nothing stood out. What is the talent behind these major advertising agencies doing? And what does that say about the current state of advertising overall?

I did enjoy a couple of laughs such as the Doritos commercial. This commercial was a winner from a Coca-Cola ad contest. It was created by Billy Federighi of Beverly Hills, CA. Embedded here for your enjoyment!