Hipsters....the new Dandy?

            Let's begin with the definitions: someone that I would identify as a "Hipster" today would be someone who  values a certain something about their image, be it their shoes (or lack thereof), their organic/free trade food, their loyalty to the 'best' brand, or their sensitive taste for coffee. The modern Hipster is someone who values being different from the rest, knowing better than the masses, and calling attention to this aspect; often through dress. The easiest Hipster to spot is the one in the new shoes, the interesting but not too wild sweater and the Buddy Holly glasses. Thinking Kanye West and Weezer perhaps? Both would qualify as Hipsters to me. But not all fit this easy category of Hipster, there are many variations on the (life)style. Some Hipsters may be more organic and wear only handmade or vintage clothing, or they could be more into wealth and wear a subtly styled and well-tailored version of popular dress. Be it a colorful cufflink, a plaid button-down shirt, a hand-dyed scarf, or even a gold chain; the Hipster makes himself distinguishable. He is known for his aspects of knowing better, of being better cultured, and of being better dressed; and he wants to be. It is against the Hipster attitude to be the same, to blend in, no, the Hipster wants to be noticed and remembered for their certain excellent characteristic.

            So what about the "Dandy?" The first Dandy in the 1800's was George Brummell, a man who not only dressed with the greatest of precision and at the forefront of fashion, but also in fact the man who began the trend of bathing daily. Leaving a time of extreme frivolity and mistake before the French Revolution, George Brummell chose to distinguish himself in society as a man of practicality but also of great stature and intelligence (even if only social). He cast off the ridiculous adornments of 18th Century France and opted for a simpler, cleaner look. His tailored coat and tails were functional yet stylish, working with his slim breeches to give him a sleek and clean look. Right down to the details, Brummell wore a top hat, before its popularity, and a perfectly folded cravat. His look and his attitude brought Brummell a name in society, a name associated with class and respect which he wore proudly. 

            Now you may be asking, why have I only spoken of men in this comparison of the Hipster and the Dandy. The Dandy was originally a title for men, when men were still at the center of fashion and what they wore was equally as changing and as important as women's fashion. In modern dress however, men's fashion has fallen by the wayside, content to remain in the same black suit and tie or just jeans and a t-shirt. Perhaps this even boosts the argument for the Hipster; with no pressure driving the modern male to dress in any particular way, he is going even further out of his way to dress so well and with so much care. However, I must say that the idea of a Hipster is definitely applicable to females. Somehow, a little bit more daunting with the huge variety in women's fashion. Yet, a woman who strives to dress significantly better than her peers, and one who is passionate and persistent about her views on this. A female Hipster formula does exist, and it is quite similar to the male profile. Often found in San Francisco, Portland, and New York, this girl also has Buddy Holly glasses to go with her vintage jackets, gloves, bags, scarves, shoes, bikes, furniture.....etc. Now that's just the obvious one, but the Hipster female comes in all shapes and sizes, a woman like Lady Gaga, for instance, could be considered a Hipster for her huge attention to detail and performance. A wealthy woman who doesn't just wear designer brands, but new brands that are 100% sustainable or recycled, or just classier than the rest. This woman expresses through her dress her desire to be better, and for everyone to know that she is.

            Now that we've broken it down, does the Hipster really fit the bill of a modern Dandy? Well, there's the cravat, the perfectly folded neckwear which greatly enhanced to look and feel of Brummell's outfit. Today we see scarves, bow-ties, the occasional ascot. A man dedicated enough to the perfect look of his outfit will pay great attention to his neckwear, and it will always be a piece that adds momentous class or that grabs your attention immediately. Secondly, the skinny jean of the Hipster...equatable to the slim breeches of George Brummell? If the dress of your Hipster doesn't tip you off to his (or her) Dandyish qualities, just listen to them speak, watch how they interact, and discuss with them the great pros and cons of life. You will notice, your Hipster despises the uniformity and the idiocy of today, he is passionate about distinguishing himself above the rest, about being noticed for all the right reasons. 

           George Brummell sparked changes in fashion back in the early 1800's just as changes in society occurred. The Hipsters would advise that we be at the forefront of the change, break out of the mold and start something new in our society.        

A New Way

            Human society has developed throughout time going through many phases and revelations, changing by the decade. From tribal communities and great indigenous civilizations to pre and post technology societies, humans have never stopped evolving. Now as we have come to the 21st Century, I look back and see a plateau, a lack in change in the past 30 or so years, and I think, what kind of human society is stationary? Could humanity standing still foretell a great flaw in our evolutionary position? But then I look forward, and I see great change waiting just around the corner. The earth itself is changing in great ways everyday with natural disasters and the slow change in global climate while human thought begins to change along with it. More and more people are coming to subscribe to a new way of thinking; of liberating ourselves from the uniformity of culture and repenting the crimes against nature, of giving up the culture of competition and returning to the rule of universal oneness, of global connection and respect. I see proof of this in the books we read, in the foods we eat, in the jobs we seek, and in the clothes we wear.

            Fashion has always been a telltale sign of the nature of humanity; from the clean and simple dress of the Egyptians and the functional woolen tunics of the Middle Ages to the frivolity and extravagance of dress prior to the turn of the Century and the functionally lazy dress of 'modern' society. While we are currently stuck in an age of repetition and ease, a movement towards more interesting dress is beginning to emerge. A look back to craftsmanship as well as a new idea of synthetics arise while the old and new opinions on sustainability come together to engineer new technologies for more natural environments. New fibers allow easier function and require less criminal materials. Old ideas of handmade clothing and more sensible construction return to complement our new collective thought and culture. 

            So what does this mean for fashion? I cannot claim to know for sure, but in the trend of our new thought I can envision what I hope for humanity and for fashion. Those who lead this new look and new thought will be dressed in uber-functional, completely sustainable, reasonably simple and easy to wear, but most importantly; they will be in style. Our youth is done with looking like everyone else, we will go forth into our new culture in the impeccable and classy colors and flash of our new look. What do I envision? Sleek silhouettes and functional additions to it, sustainable and naturally bright and texture filled fabrics, and new combinations of shape and pattern in ways which come off as powerful and unique. Lets begin the revolution!                

Maximum Pretty

About 3 years ago when the Maxi-Dress came "into fashion," I spent at least an entire summer hating on them and anyone who wore one. The Maxi-Dresses I witnessed were trashy color-blocked or hawaiian printed tents made out of heavy polyester/jersey fabrics. Not to mention, the Maxi-Dress of 2008 was more of an expression of spoiled white celebrities tromping around the Bahamas and (quite inappropriately) the streets of L.A.  Do we remember this horror?

Well now in 2011, I take back my numerous rants about Maxi-Dresses. Don't get me wrong, I definitely will never support the terrors of 2008, but I have been shown an alternative. The Maxi-Dress has grown out of its junior stages and evolved into the garb of worldly, sophisticated, and free spirited women. Instead of thick jersey, we have lace and silk to grace our spring gait. The new Maxi-Dress can be very simple with basic necklines and a streamlined silhouette to slim the body and to slink with its curves. In addition to this simple style, we have seen a lot of fringe, tiers and lots of fine details on Maxi-Dresses. Ruffled hems, lace necklines, elegant sleeves, and delicate pleats make the Maxi-Dress a playful thing, reminiscent of the girly dress up days. Somehow, all of these additions take away from the bulk of the dress, giving the length of fabric more flow and texture for the eye to enjoy. The trend applies to Maxi-skirts too by the way!! In fact....I might like the skirts even more, they bring a very 70's vibe to the style.

Some of my favorites:
1: Anna Sui (I know, I'm obsessed)
2: Free People (This dress reminds me a lot of an old Chinese gown my grandmother wore when she was a wealthy woman newly immigrated from China. It is good to see more cultural influences and ancient values in modern fashion!)
3: Michael Kors (this is actually made of polyester, guess I'm biting my tongue again!)

 

Fashion Week SS 2011

Hello again my readers!! It's been a long time, I know. I just can't seem to get all the ideas in my head formed into simple subjects to write about! That, and I have been spending inordinate amounts of time in my new Design classes....learning such useful skills like patternmaking, crocheting, basket weaving, and much more! The Fashion industry gets more and more interesting every day I learn something new about it...which is why I was hunting through the new Spring collections when I stumbled upon Anna Sui.

Now, there are a number of absolutely fantastic collections which showed at the recent fashion weeks (London, Paris, New York, Milan), and as usual every designer has pulled out all the stops for what is really the best season of the year; Spring. If you would like some suggestions, check out Missoni with his colorful prints, Marc Jacobs' wonderful colors and draped gowns, and Holly Fulton with her cool graphic prints and sleek simple lines. Also, check back here when we get closer to spring!! I have begun to collect some of the up and coming trends of Spring/Summer 2011, and let me tell you, they are getting good! I think it's going to be a great warm season for fashion!!

With all of the pressure and glamour on the events of fashion week, every show is bound to go above and beyond in their extravagant displays. However, despite how big or how strange the show, few designers actually hit a great theme in their garments. Anna Sui is this year's greatest exception; her collection is cohesive and clearly thought out. She brings the attitude of the 70's and the glam of the 21st Century together into a harmonious collection that I personally would LOVE to own.

Anna Sui's collection features a lot of floral prints, floral lace, patterned knits, soft silhouettes, and a lot of embellishing. I think maybe she made this collection just for me. The knits are interesting with vivid colors and new shapes (the vest/cardigans with long trailing ends are adorable) and are glammed up with the presence of crocheted lace. This particular aspect of Sui's collection is key, it adds an element of homeliness yet the peek-a-boo lace flowers give a girlish aspect of pretty to the garments. Sui uses knits and leather to give a Western feel to the collection, yet she adds these girly features such as lace, beading, and flowing silky fabric, combining the two elements in a way that is refreshing and extremely intriguing. I could stare at one of the fashion show outfits for at least an hour! The detailing is impeccable, especially on her beaded dresses and her ruffled hems. Sui's new collection has attitude and a sense of nature, allowing the down to earth girl to dress for a sunny day or a sizzling night. Oh and how could I forget the accessories!?? The beaded and feathered necklaces add texture and play to Sui's garments. And the shoes......the boots, sandals and clogs are to die for!

Please check out Anna Sui's Spring 2011 Collection and enjoy! Oh, and please buy me something?

Well We Are Living In a Material World

Where do we spend the most time? Where are we free to relax, let our guard down, and do things our way?  After a long day at school or the office, or even after a long vacation, we come home and we are comfortable, relaxed, and safe in our surroundings. We are familiar with our homes, we have had experiences in them and we hold all of our personal belongings within them. Every person has a different life, and no two homes are exactly the same. When we choose our homes, we choose them to fit our lives; close to other locations we see as important, fitting to our own personal budgets and habits. Our homes reflect our lifestyles because we build our living spaces to best accommodate our lives. Personally, I love my new apartment that is close to school, close to food, and close to friends. I have painted the space with my style; with colors, patterns, and useful objects surrounding me. This is my home, it is eclectic, convenient, open but cozy, and it is where I relax, where I create, where I am me.
But in the modern world people's lifestyles have become busy, focused, and without time for true personality or style. Uniform, popularity, and convenience become good reasons to follow a style, to take the easy way out. These people present the underlying disease in the relationship between home and resident. These people furnish and choose their homes not for aesthetics and without putting in much thought or energy. The result is a home. Liveable of course, but not living. The home is merely a place to eat, sleep, and shower. Yet, these people value their drab possessions thinking of them as all they have and all that they have worked for and accomplished in their uniform lives. So, though their homes do not reflect these people's lives or personalities at all, these are the people who become most attached to their material possessions and are hence chained to their material lives.
On the one hand, owning a home, owning objects to fill that home in a way suiting to your life, is exciting, it is luxurious and seems necessary. Yet on the other side there is the lust for adventure, the desire to owe nothing to anyone or anything else and to take off to merely exist, no attachments and nothing dragging you down. There are those who never settle down, who roam the globe or stay in their mother's basement even in their attempts to remain free of responsibility. Without possessions, homes, or home-owning bills, these people are free spirits, able to go and do as they wish. Yet, they are then left without a permanent place of safety and comfort with oneself.
Whether one is a resident of a sparse, convenient, and boring home, or an adventurous globe trotter (or the geek in mom's basement), one is lacking of a true home. Home is where your heart is, home is a place of warmth and comfort, of style and use. So instead of going without possessions, we can only remember that they must represent us, not define us.

A New View

In fashion, appeal lies greatly in the supposed message of clothing. A good designer tends to have a vision of the ideal wearer and their perfect attitude to fit and display their art. The girl who is "geek chic" or the Ralph Lauren country club man. In this way designers are able to display themselves and their values in their clothing, making it their art. Even before a contemporary fashion industry, the fashions of men and women were used to show status or occupation in society. Clothing is no different now in that it still shows one's place in society, however with many more categories, more specific categories. Our occupations still direct our clothing, yet more and more our individual attitude and lifestyle shine through our garb. The comfortable and average look, the business/sophisticate attire, laid back and outgoing is even a style. But don't think we can now judge a book by its cover, there are so many different mixtures of clothing which has created even more categories; more styles. That's the word, style. Then, in fashion, a combination of your society status, your lifestyle, and your unique attitude creates your very own style. We buy clothing to match our styles, and in turn, designers create clothing to match a certain style. Many designers are known for one style, a targeted market of consumers. Just like certain artists or genres have a select following among their supporters. No artist of any sort can truly be said to lack a style of their own. In fact, it is those without style who have no message and no appeal that do not survive the world of the arts. So instead of art, why don't we just call it style?

man it's bright out here!

I always hear that..."man it's bright out here." And I always have to wonder if it really is, because unlike the majority of my friends, and the rest of the friekin world, I do not wear sunglasses often. Obviously, I would if I weren't blind as a bat without glasses. And yes, I have tried contacts and unfortunately found them extremely itchy and, since I have seen my face with glasses since 5th grade, unattractive. Ok so now that I can't wear sunglasses......I'm obsessed. And while I am generally able to control my sunglasses obsession, I just spent a week in the presence of 3 people with insane amounts of sunglasses in SoCal, I am finding myself weak in resolve after such exposure. 

My absolute favorite shape for anyone in sunglasses is the aviator. Extremely easy to find and usually flattering. They always look great with metal frames (and super reflective lenses!) but are really fun with plastic frames. I personally prefer a lower, thinner drop shape, but the width and length of lenses differs on different face shapes.

Another classic shape is the wayfarer, the original Ray-Bans (in fact, as I remember, sunglasses were actually not cool in middle school before someone unearthed their parents old Ray-Bans...) I love the color of these.....actually color always makes or breaks the sunglasses for me.

Aside from those more classic shapes, recently a million other fun lens shapes have come around. I love the glamorous cat-eyes, the Lennon rounds, the old school half-frame half-lenses, and even the giant Hollywood glasses. 

These first 2 pictures are from Cuffs Boutique (where, by the way, there are about 100 $15 sunglasses and clear glasses!)

The next one is from SoCal where Lily Rothrock and I found some fab cat-eye glasses last year

The last one is an awesome round frame from Proenza Schouler

There are probably around a million more slight variations of shape and color of sunglasses that I love, but at the moment I'm hounding after some cute heart shaped ones. Currently searching and open for suggestions!! So please, readers, please do my shopping for me and find me some heart shaped sunglasses <3


<3 F. Fashion

Empty Canvas

I'm pretty much way too excited about moving into my new adorable downtown Davis apartment (with Hannah Johnson and Bomi Kim!!!!! eeeeekkkk!!!!! shits gonna get artsy) to not do this. I'm neurotic and I have a need for planning so all summer I've been allowing myself to get really interested in garage sales and thrift stores......some of the cutest furniture I have EVER seen.
For you I have an incomplete list of some great thrift/antique spots in Sacramento and Davis:

The Antique Company on X street has a lot of furniture and other cute knick knacks.
Fringe which is right behind The Antique Company is equally adorable with some glamorous clothing and housewares.
Homestyle is in between The Antique Company and Fringe, and it has a little less vintage but still a good selection of furniture.
The 57th st Antique Mall in East Sac is well known for a great selection and good prices.
Summer Porch on J and 33rd has good service and quaint easy to find pieces.
The Shabby Shack on J and 37th is a little difficult to navigate, but their cute antiques are negotiable in price.
Of course The SPCA is always reliable, there is one in E st in Sacramento and one on 3rd st in Davis.
L Street Furniture in Davis has a reputation for being disorganized but having some great finds and they are open to bartering.

  Seeing as I'm ridiculously poor, however, I have not bought a thing and have stuck to the extremely generous donations of my family and friends. Already I have my childhood bed, my childhood kitchen table, my best friend Hillary Livingston's old couch and her brother's old desk, and recently I discovered that I may inherit the dank, kushy, and original couch from Mat Carvalho's basement. So....anyone with some chairs coffee tables or bookshelves, I would love your old crap!! Haha, anyway, the parents have prevented me from buying anything new (though I did secretly buy an adorable antique jewelry music box and some flower power measuring spoons :p) so naturally I've had to scope it all out! Off the top of my head, here's some cute non hand-me-down stuff that I've been eying:

1. An adorable ashtray from Urban Outfitters.
2. A mosaic table that I am obsessed with from World Market.
3. A homage to Davis....this is from Urban Outfitters as well.
4. One of those super cool moon chairs...I couldn't find the exact one I like but they can be bought at World Market also.
5. This awesome wingback is from Anthropologie and comes in multiple cool colors and patterns.
6. This guy is one option for a sofa-bed...or in this case a chair/mattress bed from the one and only Ikea.
7. And finally, this is the sofa-bed I'd like to have...but yellow in this size would just be a bit much I think (especially since the 2 donated couches are already yellowish). This is of course from Ikea also.

I know, I'm typical of someone moving into their first apartment....and I love it. If you have any suggestions or donations for me and my soon to be home, please shout it out! Hope you enjoyed my neurotic ramblings and shopping

<3 F. Fashion

Sizzling Styles

Holy crap! When did August get here?? Whatever, it's still summer!! Especially here in the Central Valley......hot hot and hotter. Speaking of, summer styles are still worth the purchase, and if not, it'll still look great on you next summer right? That's what I thought. 

Literally, I have been obsessed with rompers since last summer. And by luck, my baby girl Hannah Johnson grew out of her adorable multicolored, patterned, but simple romper. Of course, seeing as she loves me dearly, her first move was to hand it over to me......for this I love you Han! But really. Rompers (also known as jumpsuits, playsuits, bodysuits....yknow) are the most practical and comfortable invention in fashion like....ever. Now I'm not gonna lie, it is difficult to go to the bathroom, but  I find this small hassle completely worth the effort. Now for some fun facts about rompers, and of course some snazzy suggestions :] As I was saying in my last post, retro fashion comes for us all, and the romper is no exception. These playful pieces are no newer than Windows 97 (though I honestly could not tell you what era they are from), and in fact, I have come across some vintage ones that are even better than the modern takes! Here are two of my favorites from the genius Cuffs Boutique: 

And if vintage isn't quite your fit, here are a few of the cutest playsuits I've come across this summer:

the first one is from Topshop, the next three from Cuffs Boutique (the first is the one I have...SO COMFY), then we have the more and more sophisticated Dakota Fanning, my personal British muse Keira Knightley, the simply chic Blake Lively, and finally the hardcore kooky Agyness Deyn!

So ladies, whether you like vintage, glam, business, flirty, casual...or whatever style! Just make sure you find the right fit for your personality and for your body. I cannot stress it enough, with a romper it is essential that it fit you perfectly or else you will be uncomfortable and you will look that way. But when you get a winner, let me tell you ladies....so absolutely worth the search!!!!! And as my good friend Lily Rothrock says, a good romper is amazing because you can "run and dance like you're wearing pants!" I know I'm sold.

<3 F. FASHION

Warm Welcome

CUFFS URBAN APPAREL BOUTIQUE

 Ok so it's been a while since I have poured my artistic heart out, but never fear, I have returned! And what better to return with than gifts? Gifts from the past in fact.

You know how everyone tells you that fashion goes in a big circle? Well here's your proof; gorgeous stylings from the 20's and 50's have resurfaced in this 21st century, and they are even better! Beautiful bodices and full skirts, sequins, feathers have all been taken and redone in the most inspiring and modern ways, and I for one am in love with these hybrid silhouettes. So ladies, if you're looking for something to show off the girls but to bring some more class and femininity to your wardrobe, these new/old styles are great!

Now I will return with fabulous photos and greater detail, but for now I would like to direct you to a small Sacramento boutique that expertly mixes new and vintage styles. Cuffs Boutique on J street in between 25th and 26th in Sacramento, CA has the formula down pat, and every day they are bringing in new funky styles! Cuffs ships all over the world, so check them out and support this smart small business, believe me, you won't regret it.

Illegal/Rogue Design

Design is a culture that infiltrates everywhere around the globe, into the homes and lives of every country, culture, religion, political affiliation or belief. No person is safe from design, for as a human being, one is constantly creating and being influenced by the creations of others. From the smallest functioning tool to the industrialized and mass produced economy of the modern world, design has its place in every life. Sometimes, certain designs are banned or looked down upon. For example, the illegal and rogue cultures existing in many modern adolescent populations. Specifically, I would like to focus on drug culture. It is interesting to discover that drugs inspire people even more than sobriety, especially in the realm of design.

Things like piercings and tattoos are often seen as unneccessary elements of design, things that display an attitude of disregard or disrespect for the rules. Drug culture escalates this same idea, yet many musicians, actors, and various other categories of artists are only socially approved of once their designs have been inspired by the illegal. This does not come as any sort of surprise to those immersed in that culture, for the drug culture is often about blocking out the bad in life and experiencing an otherworldly happiness or state of understanding. Altering one's state of mind often results in a higher state of art as well, with greater appreciation for color, texture, and idea. Also, the same attitude of drug culture in its disregard for rules must come to apply to the rules of design, for drug immersed designers are more likely to take risks in their art as well as in their lives. So, if this type of drug culture is so looked down upon that it is deemed illegal and highly punishable, why is it that the rest of society sees the products of such a dangerous way of life as some of the greatest works ever created? Is this a reflection on the human race's inhibitions against rebelling, while we all still harbor an innate desire for these "out of the box" experiences?

Design History

In the field of design, it is important to study designers aside from oneself. We find inspiration from preceding designs as well as concurrent designs when creating our own, but to know the work of other designers is more than inspirational. In the past few months, I have been exposed to many different designers and their different mediums of design as a part of my learning process. By studying the works of artists like Cy Twombly, Nathan Shedroff, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Charles and Ray Eames, Christine Gambito, Andy Goldsworthy and more, I have been exposed to their different takes on design and their process and message.

It has been important to be aware of these designers and their past work as well as their current work, and it is likewise important to remain aware of other designers as I grow in my own design career. By studying designs outside of my own, I create a context for myself to design within. Every design has a message; the designs of OBEY present a more obvious political message that provides a good example. Political messages or just a social commentary are constantly being created by designers everywhere, and it is these messages that allow designers now to see and understand the time period and the meaning of such designs. By playing off of these designs and techniques, we learn to propose concurrent or contrasting ideas to already existing enterprises. This is what gives design its purpose, the message and the process are the true driving forces behind design. With designers constantly pushing to create something that will present their ideas or the social ideas they experience, we must be able to pay attention to such comments and understand the role of design in our society.

More Sustainability

Nathan Shedroff's book, Design is the Problem, is in no way the first that the design world has heard from the sustainability issue. In fact, sustainability has become more than a mere issue, it has morphed into a trend, particularly in design. After the initial concern over global warming and diminishing resources, the design world in particular has been sent into a frenzy, with everyone attempting to hop on board to prove that their design thinking has always been eco-friendly and that their designs will always be "green."

Unfortunately, sustainability in design is more than the "green" movement and the trends, it comes down to the fundamentals of design and the thorough thinking of designers and consumers. Shedroff recognizes these more important aspects of the move towards sustainabilty, saying that design can never be fully sustainable, but that with work and thought, design can stop being the problem and become a more sustainable solution.

Shedroff's book goes through the different ways to be more sustainable in design, beginning with the idea. Function and aesthetics must conform to sustainability, resulting in sleeker, simpler products such as the thin aluminum keyboards manufactured for Apple Inc. Shedroff's process then takes care of itself, once designers begin to think about their products in a more sustainable way, use of raw materials will follow. Shedroff stresses this, that materials must be minimized so as to be rid of excess waste, and that they must be both enduring and recyclable. According to Shedroff, the application of these aspects of design thinking will lead to more sustainability in design, invoking greater creativity in designers and elminating design as the problem.

Opposites Attract-Colors

On the traditional color wheel, each color has an opposite, a "complement." Some artists will start out thinking that to use complementary colors in close proximity is not to be done, a sort of color taboo. However, the use of complementary colors is much more than the existence of opposite ends of the spectrum, it can invoke strong emotion and therefore sell the intensity of a design through the conflict and resulting harmony of the opposite colors.

For example, the most common combination of complementary colors in modern society is the combination of red and green, especially during the winter holiday season. The red and green combinations invoke thoughts of Santa Claus, presents, winter, family, and food. Despite cultural differences in the world, most will at least recognize Christmas from the combination of red and green. The complementary colors are able to invoke such an easy association because they have such impact when placed together. The red and green theme of Christmas is known worldwide for it represents a thing of so much harmony and celebration that it is easily recognized.

Though red and green are opposites on the color wheel, no new artist should shy away from such use, rather, the art world should and does recognize the potential impact possible with complementary colors. In this case, opposites attract to produce something with more meaning, something likely to be remembered, all because of harmonious color conflict.

Objectified

Gary Hustwit's film Objectified explores the processes, meanings, identity, and properties of design objects. The film presents numerous designs, from little, every day gadgets to larger scale, industrial technologies. Hustwit explores these objects, discovering them from the inside out.

In exploring design, Hustwit has found his belief that "every object tells a story," that every design has more meaning behind it that its mere function or appearance. Rather than remaining with our predisposed ideas of an object, we are encouraged to wonder about its function and how its structure lends to that function. Then we must ask why its function is important in society, or if it is unimportant, why it continues to exist despite a lack of necessary function. These questions lead on to further exploration of how the object was made and who made it. These details will give us insight into the reasoning behind designs, the passion and thinking behind an object.

Objectified takes the viewer through this process of deconstructing design and rethinking it with many objects and many different designers. It is the difference in passion and creativity between these people which is significant in design; innovation and new aesthetics or functions arise not from design itself, but from the designers who pour themselves and their thinking into the objects which then tell their story.

Gestalt Gives Power to Advertising

An image used as an advertisement looks to call attention to itself, therefore such an image should draw the eye in and invoke an emotional response in its viewer. This image shows a Southern California attitude, what with the sun and the surf; showing off natural beauty.

This image makes great use of focal point to draw the eye in with the incomplete circle. At the ends of the circle, there is an implied line which the eye continues along down the shadow of the body. This line is broken then by the horizon, bringing the eye back out and around to encompass the whole picture once more. The colors contribute to draw the eye in by emphasizing stronger silhouettes in the body and the horizon, contrasting with the soft, blurred lights of the water and the lens.

The circular line of this image not only begins the eyeline, but it surrounds focal point, drawing in and then sustaining the attention of the viewers eye. By encompassing every element of this design within the dark, visually strong, circle, everything is tied together. This grouping unifies the elements of the image to come together into a feeling of nature and beauty, that attitude of Southern California.

An image or a design isn’t simply good or bad, interesting or boring; it takes many elements to build an aesthetically powerful image. Lines work to draw the eye in, sometimes unifying elements in order to sustain focus within the image. Colors, contrast, and silhouette give meaning. All of these elements work together to create a successful image; giving the tools to manipulate viewers and potential customers.

Nelson Gallery

The African-American made quilts shown at the Richard L. Nelson Gallery show more than beauty and craftsmanship, they certainly tell stories and invoke feelings and memories of hardship and hope. The quilts speak of hard-lived lives and of morality and ideals. Through their dark and bold colors and the off-kilter juxtaposition of line, this artwork truly represents the purpose of art itself.

Color plays a huge role at this gallery, throwing together mixes of dark and bold or the more subtle flashes of bright color. Dark lines dominate this particular quilt, casting shadow on the whole piece. Darkness for this artist represents the sorrow, hate, pain, and work which soiled America during slavery. However, the darkness of the quilt is broken up by flashes of meek yellow and a hearty pink. These small bits show the hope and perseverance which, despite hardship, manage to shine through and contend for dominance amongst such shadow.

In addition to being lit by pieces of color, this quilt's dark, bold lines are brought to a stop by each other as well. The positioning of the quilt's squares allows each piece to stand out on its own, while it also recedes into a background all together. The bold lines which pop out, are forced to break and make way for the lines of another piece; preventing dark colors from overwhelming any one piece of the quilt. Such juxtaposition represents coexistence as well as conflict. Each separate square has its own colors, its own dark mood. Yet when sandwiched by its surrounding squares, one squares colors compete with those of the others, despite similarity. The squares, like people, have their own identity and emotion; both of which are put in check by the proximity of other squares, causing conflicting eye line and a possibly confusing pattern. However, when viewed at a distance, the quilt is harmonious and flowing as a whole.

Though the dark lines and competing squares represent the hardships of slavery and the sad conflicts of humanity, the pops of color and the overall harmony of this quilt hint at hope and a will to overcome.

More Power to You

Today, fashion and retail are all about marketing and money. The consumer to this industry is all about buying the new trends, the same items which retailers force upon them through endless and very clever advertising. Few retailers or consumers take a step back to see the vicious circle of supply and demand. The retailer stocks up a bulk supply of the newest trends, and then goes all out in advertising, using subtle tools to make people feel that they need whatever new trend is being sold. The consumer responds, nearly brainwashed by aggressive advertising, creating a greater demand for the trendy product. The unfortunate effects show easily manipulated consumers and corrupt, greedy retailers. The consequence of this circle that is given even less attention is the huge loss of creativity and originality in many retail stores.

Retailers like Bath and Body Works, Victoria's Secret, PacSun, Urban Outfitters (etc...) practice a type of marketing called "power retailing," a key to their success. Power retail involves corporate planning and control; every display and every product is set out and provided in specific numbers, specific places, and with little to no room for adjustment. This allows the company to have homogeneous stores, where they will be sure that their customer will see the messages and be taken in by the appearance of their stores. This sameness is strictly followed at such retail stores, apparently boosting the retailer's popularity. However, at the same time that this is a successful business technique, power retail takes the originality out of every single store owned by that company. There are no real people behind the marketing, therefore there is no true emotion or understanding of a product by the company which sells it. Even the most meaningful product is reduced to just another trend by greedy corporations, and the truly original pieces are lost among the show along with the morals of retail.

Sustainable Design Thinking

Today, the topic of sustainability creeps up everywhere; in the homes of the eco-conscious, in the lives of those who do not feel the need for more sustainable living, in government plans, as well as in small time designs or those of a large industry. The bottom line is, whether our planet is in a crisis or not, sustainability has been brought to the global attention, and it is an important tool for the future.

Sustainability is explored even in fashion design; this picture shows a dress made out of corn husks (in 24 hours no less) by Austin Scarlett. Scarlett's dress is a part of a Project Runway challenge in which each designer was asked to create a dress from materials found at a grocery store. Each season of Project Runway, in fact, asks its designers to work with unusual materials, from recycling to plant life to candy. Though nobody will be making and mass producing clothing made from edibles any time soon, it is the presence of these innovative sources which leads the way for this reality show towards sustainability in fashion. In fact, many designers have now made a point to work with more available and less harmful materials. For example, bamboo clothing has become more popular, and designers who utilize recycled materials are able to bring a new vision to their work.

Whether in fashion or in government, sustainability is a big discussion. Why is it that something as small as a corn-husk dress can be compared to the drama of the oil fields and the encouragement of wind or water-fueled power around the globe? Everything on our Earth plays into everything else around it, connecting us all. It is this connection which (whether global warming exists or not) asks us all to work cooperatively to keep the planet livable. Without the beauty of nature and its resources, our lives cannot function as we are used to, this is why design can have such a huge impact on sustainability. Design has the ability to bring the issues to the front, to get the word out around the globe, then it is time for government and society to step in and take it further with global sustainable thinking.

Nature's Hand

Andy Goldsworthy's art is impermanent, unplanned, and not for display or sale. Andy Goldsworthy's art does not rely on the eyes of others, the eyes of institutions, to promote or house and appraise his pieces, for he does not care for the generally accepted rules or ideals about art. Goldsworthy's art is not just design, it is nature.

Goldsworthy creates his pieces in a natural environment, out of nature itself. In fact, the artist is inspired by his medium and only his medium in the immediate time and space in which he creates. The lack of planning or agonizing over a prospective design or intended result gives a different quality to Goldsworthy's art, something more, well, natural. His day takes him into nature, where inspiration from nature finds Goldsworthy and the artist becomes the tool; it is not his point of view that he is led to create, it is nature's essence and the free-flowing feeling which causes him to create such art.

Goldsworthy's method and his medium allow him to be more than an artist, but to become a tool of the earth, a helper in expressing the rules and ways of nature. His art is real, more-so, perhaps, than the museum and gallery artists who depict human lives and human interactions, because his art is nature and because it is the direct result of unplanned, raw inspiration.