Des Temps

Tag: Fashion

  • Yup, the 90's are the new 80's.

    save me dear

    I used to raid my mother’s closet for cool clothes.
    But now I just raid my own.

    -Erinn, 26

    Our cultural examination of last decade began in 2004 with the VH1 series I Love the 90’s. It started getting remixed amongst cool kids from NYC to Kansas in 2006. Grunge, Hypercolor and Hammer Pants were a clear influence at fashion shows throughout 2007. Musically, 90’s synth is coming back via DFA, DJs are spinning New Jack Swing and the fuzztortion rock of that time is coming back via Matador darling Jay Reatard. Hell, I even made tidy sum by flipping a rack of early 90’s track suits to a vintage boutique.

    oMLCrzy9TEs
    (is an ad campaign gonna grab this Running Man’s coattails?)

    —-
    superkewl!

    But.uh.but, so what? I might just be trainspotting. Nostalgia is normal like death + taxes, and with our increasing speed, the lag time between events and their canonization is ever decreasing.

    There is some thought in design circles that along with the angles and edges of 90’s design, we’re moving into new aesthetic ground, that magazines like Super Super or Men’s Vogue signify a ‘new ugly’ backlash to the cleanliness of Apple/Ikea/Google. But witness Tiger Beat’s font orgy from 1972. Or just think back to any collages made in your teen years. Or DaDa. Messy is always the hip response to clean.

    1972, same year Atari was formed.

    Graphic design is now a global conversation like never before thanks to our pal the internet. From Mumbai to Minneapolis, people are sharing in the experience of using the same aesthetics and architecture of MySpace, Apple, WordPress, etc… I wonder will this spreading + sharing foster a greater diversity of styles that get accepted as having value, both artistically and professionally? Or as we all begin to talk amongst ourselves, will it flatten out regional aesthetics like regional accents? If so, are we arching toward a common ground of efficient design, maybe even something naturally intrinsic? Toward beauty or toward Babel?
    kollagingb4u were born. or Prince was writing songtitles. or hipsters were drppng vwls

  • MSLM & The Pirate's Dilemma

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    So on the same day that I threw a rock at Vice, from Amazon arrives The Pirate’s Dilemma, a book about remix culture penned by Vice contributor Matt Mason. Love good timing. I opened the package, opened the book and was like a kid in a candy store. Here is a quick slide show that outlines his thesis:


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  • Vice = Playboy 2.0?

    madonnaplayboy.jpgIs Vice positioned in the hipster snarketplace as Playboy for Millennials? Starting in 06ish, Vice’s editorial content moved toward an even split of Issues That Matter (like women’s lib in India, Authors or Pollution) and heaps more T&A. (under the aegis of fashion)

    Maybe 15 year old lads are telling mom that they read Vice…for the articles. Now is the mag sending a message to women that they can best be a part of the Vice world sans shirt? Does it castrate the value of writing about India’s Gulabi Gang?
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  • A Hiring Lesson

    it's all in the approach

    a state of mind, yes

    Our valentine’s day bash, Seven Minutes in Heaven, successfully in the books, the hour for reflection is upon us. Here at Desedo Films, these skinny tie times have demanded much of us and our closets (let alone our chiseled physiques), not least of which being that we have had to vacate the double Windsor in favor of the Shelby. Our most recent hire, Jared, takes to the instruction with all the aplomb of a true gentleman.

  • Islam & Street Style

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    In a fantastic NYT essay about Islamic women’s writing, the author Lorraine Adams includes this 1925 observation from Virginia Woolf about Brits ‘exploring’ the USA: “Excursions into the literature of a foreign country much resemble our travels abroad. Sights that are taken for granted by the inhabitants seem to us astonishing. … In our desire to get at the heart of the country we seek out whatever it may be that is most unlike what we are used to, and declare this to be the very essence.” In the West, it’s the hijab that often stirs controversy and is interpreted as the visual ‘essence’ of Islamic women. I offer not commentary, but some pics of hijab rocking fashionistas. And to see far more, check the blog Hijab Style.

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    Pics thanks to Iranian, Sartorialist, Istanbul Street Style,

  • Clutch Magazine: Black Nerds

    dapper dan
    dapper dan

    Clutch Magazine thinks Raafi is one of 12 Black Men to Watch. At the office, we’ve noticed him striking camera ready poses:)

  • Marc Jacobs hearts our GFs. (really)

    hey Mickey You're So Fine
    Marc Jacobs now has 3 stores on Bleecker street and makes $20 million annually on items priced under $25. And yet with this, and Marc by Marc Jacobs, Mr. MJ magically has not diluted his brand.

    How has MJ retained value while selling $10 wallets? Well in a world of brands cloying to be your friend, Marc Jacobs actually succeeded. And you value things made by your friends.

    We’ll start with the fact that his women’s clothes look great in reality, not just on the catwalkers. But this is just Step 1. MJ connects not only with the body of his consumer, he connects with her mind – the brand’s face is often Sofia Coppola and Kim Gordon – ladies known best for their artistic prowess. Since MJ is proud to have them on his team, and dresses them well, this makes his brand a destination for the creative/thinking woman, a mental space not previously courted in lux fashion.

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    And these open arms even trickle down to the salespeople, who buck the fashion stereotype of insulting potential customers with snide looks. On the flipside, both MJ & his people are happy that YOU walked in the door – and think you’ll look ace in their clothes. (word on the street is that he flies every employee to NYC for his annual Halloween bash, not a bad way to court fealty)

    And so by valuing his customers, the customers returns the favor, ascribing value to even the ‘cheap’ items. A $10 wallet is perceived not as a scrap tossed out for the masses, but something fun made by our buddy Marc Jacobs. And that wallet retains a slice of lux mindshare. Heartshare too…

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    Jacobs’ brand may soon go even one step further, as he and business partner Robert Duffy have an eye toward creating a 3rd line that would compete with Gap/H&M. The LVMH brass aren’t too keen on it – they are, after all, a Death Star Lux brand – so we’ll see what happens. Will that dilute the brand? TBD. Vera Wang did Kohl’s and Proenza Schouler did Target successfully, MJ might just be the guy who can take it to the next level, Magnolia cupcake in hand.
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