|
|
Collette Blanchard Gallery presents “Too Good to be True”, a selection of archival prints by multimedia artist Rachel Hovnanian.
Hovnanian’s work engages the politics of beauty with minimal forms that expose intricate relationships that humans have to one another and inanimate objects. Her minimalist palette is nearly completely devoid of color; gray shadows reveal the soft dimensionality of her sculpted installations. The seemingly pure, neutral palette used in her work contrasts, and thus emphasizes the disturbing, and complex nature of perceived beauty and its delimiting consequences. To quote the artist, her palette “imparts…the precursor to reflection.”
 Beauty and the Doughnuts  Do no Evil  Leave me alone  No Prenup  Rumors The exhibition will be on view at 26 Clinton Street from May 26 – June 30, 2010.
Prada Marfa is a permanently installed sculpture by Elmgreen and Dragset, situated 2.3 km (1.4 miles) northwest of Valentine, Texas, just off U.S. Route 90. The artists called the work a “pop architectural land art project.” The sculpture cost US $80,000 and was intended to never be repaired, so it might slowly degrade back into the natural landscape. This plan was deviated from when, three days after the sculpture was completed, vandals graffitied the exterior, and broke into the building stealing handbags and shoes, and the word “Dumb” and the phrase “Dum Dum” were spray painted on the sides of the structure. The sculpture was quickly repaired, repainted, and restocked. The new Prada purses do not have bottoms and instead hide parts of a security system that alerts authorities if the bags are moved. Designed to resemble a Prada store, the building is made of “adobe bricks, plaster, paint, glass pane, aluminum frame, MDF, and carpet.” The installation’s door is nonfunctional. On the front of the structure there are two large windows displaying actual Prada wares, shoes and handbags, picked out by Miuccia Prada herself; Prada allowed Elmgreen and Dragset to use the Prada trademark for this work. Prada Marfa is located relatively close to Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation. The minimalism of Prada’s usual displays that are mimicked in this work play off the minimalism that Judd is known for as an artist. Along a ledge that runs around the base of the building, hundreds of people have left business cards, weighed down by small rocks.
    
The one year old L.A. based design studio is the collaboration of Ana Meier (yes, of Richard Meier), and Charlie Ferrer. Meier designs and Ferrer oversees the production, quality control and business operations. Together they have created a truly modern furniture collection of 16 pieces which Meier says was “most directly inspired by Gerrit Reitveld, in the way the furniture is broken down into basic shapes.” Meier/Ferrer
 The Creighten  The RM Bench  The Rosemary  The Troy
“It will be a modest exhibition, but it will include the most magical gowns ever made, like the historical wedding dress Balenciaga made for Queen Fabiola of Belgium,” enthused Hubert de Givenchy, curator of an upcoming fashion exhibit at the Château de Haroué, an 18th-century castle built and still owned by the Beauvau-Craon family in France’s Lorraine region, near Nancy”. The showcase will open May 6 for three months. The Givenchy archives and a Madrid museum lent him dresses he made for Audrey Hepburn; Philippe Venet got some from his clients, and Bunny Mellon lent a lot of her Balenciagas. Christiane de Nicolay-Mazery will publish a 144-page book at Flammarion especially for the occasion.
 Givenchy dress
OK, it’s almost swimsuit season ladies! Remember Jantzen? Well they are still around, 100 years later, and for around $100.00 you can get a great suit (which is a bargain in these days of designer swimwear). I love the look of these photos, very Vargas meets Norma Kamali. The 2010 Collection is so 40’s, 50’s Hollywood Glam.
In 1910, Portland Knitting Company began in downtown Portland, Oregon, with a few hand-knitting machines above a tiny retail store. Little did founders Carl Jantzen, Roy and John Zehntbauer know that they would achieve both fame and controversy as swimwear pioneers. Producing a wool suit for a rowing team they began offering “bathing suits” in their catalog.
 Black Maillot  Heritage Collection 40's inspired Bikini  Heritage Collection 70's inspired Velour Monokini  Pleated Swimdress Maillot  Bellisimo Mare Bikini  Heritage Collection  Pointelle Tunic and Intimate Geo Maillot  Magestic Embellished Tunic
I came across a blurb in the New York Times as couple of weeks ago on the history of the Delta Airlines flight attendant’s, Uniforms of the Jet Age (1959 – today). So I did some research and found it all.
1959-1965 Winter
Delta’s first Jet Age uniform was designed by Academy Award winner Edith Head, chief designer for the Paramount movie studio.
The shirtwaist dress of honey-beige wool gabardine was complemented by a leather belt and a “jet flame” orange ascot. The Chanel-inspired jacket featured fabric-covered buttons and three-quarter length sleeves. This uniform also included a variation of the 1940s military cap and “cinnamon brown” kid gloves, three-inch stiletto heels and a leather topcoat.
 
1965-1968 Winter
French blue crepe suit with a narrow skirt, semi-box jacket, and white overblouse. The “Delberet,” a pill-box hat designed for Delta by Mea Hanauer of New York, replaced the traditional overseas stewardess cap.
 Winter 1965 - 1968  Summer 1966 - 1968  Summer 1966 - 1968 1968-1970 Winter
Set of two A-line, wool dresses in red and black. A short double-breasted black jacket converted the black dress into a suit. A red topcoat and raincoat, black kid gloves, alligator print pumps or boots, and handbag finished the look. The serving smock was made of vinyl.
  
1969-1970 Summer
Set of three pastel polyester-knit dresses in “Aquanox Blue,” “Grenelle Green” and “Sunshine Yellow.” Accessories and the reversible serving smock echoed the colors of the dresses, so it was possible to have six color combinations in the cabin at one time. A tall “huntsmen” hat fit over trendy beehive hairdos! Short white gloves were standard issue.
 Summer 1969 - 1970 1970-1973
First Delta flight attendant uniform with pants—navy blue bell bottoms—and hats were no longer required. Pleated mini-skirts and tunics of wrinkle-free polyester came in orange, navy blue and white to coordinate with the interior of Delta’s new Boeing 747. The serving smock was bright yellow. Accessories included a navy blue ribbon beret, patent leather pumps or heeled loafers with gold hardware, and optional boots. In winter, navy leather gloves were available, in summer—white short gloves. This uniform also featured a “tomato red” topcoat, a yellow raincoat, and a yellow duffel bag purse with a red/white/blue striped shoulder strap.
 Summer 1970 - 1973 1973-1975
Return to a collarless, but more classic blazer in blue banded in red, or red banded in blue. The A-line skirts were still short, but the slacks were no longer bell bottoms. A new item was the short-sleeved, ribbed turtleneck. For the first time, a hat wasn’t a part of the uniform. The Delta “widget” logo scarf could be worn as a headband, tied around a ponytail, or draped around the neck. Paisley aprons protected uniforms during meal service. Black chunky-heeled loafers completed the look.
Male flight attendants joined the cabin crews on board Delta jets in 1973. They wore a wrinkle-free polyester navy suit jacket and gray pants with a red/white/blue striped tie.
 
1975-1978
Feeling trendy or classic? Female flight attendants could choose sky blue and camel leisure suits and Qiana nylon wrap dresses, or traditional blazers, slacks and skirts. Accent pieces in peach and beige included four types of blouses and three sweaters. A knit T-shirt, scarf and blue/white serving smocks featured the names of Delta destinations. Scarves were worn in a variety of ways around hair or neck. Brown leather handbag and chunky-heeled loafers finished the look.
 
1979-1983
This collection was sure to fill a closet! Each of the basic pieces, such as jackets, pants, and skirts, came in three colors—taupe, beige and rose. There were pleated and non-pleated skirts and slacks, silk and gabardine dresses and jumpers, and a variety of sweaters and blouses to choose from. Serving smocks came in brown or pink printed in white Delta “widget” logos.
1983-2001
It was back to basics with Delta’s longest-lived uniform—a professional, tailored suit of tropical wool in navy blue. Originally the jackets, pants, vests and skirt were also issued in gray, but navy became the preferred color. This was the first Delta uniform with maternity wear—a loose navy jumper. Scarves and ties were either red with a thin blue line and tiny white Delta “widget” logos or blue/gray/burgundy striped.
 
Song, 2003-2004
Song—Delta’s second low-cost carrier—started service with flight attendant and airport customer service uniforms of basic black pants, button-down shirts, black sweaters and sweater vests, and a scarf patterned in lime green/black/gold/blue squares.
 
Song, 2004-2006
In 2004, Song launched new uniforms of dark gray charcoal pieces with black knits and lime green accents. Kate Spade designed the female flight attendant and airport customer service uniforms and accessorized them with Kate Spade shoes and bags. Male uniforms were designed by Andy Spade under the Jack Spade label.
 "Song" 2004 - 2006 Delta 2006-Today
An elegant, professional uniform designed by Richard Tyler.
Bold red pops against midnight blue pieces. The collection features a regal red wrap-dress with cinched waist, jackets with molded shoulders and torso-lengthening silhouettes, and subtle stripes arranged in triangular shapes.
Since 2008, flight attendants have worn a pink version of the iconic red dress during the month of October, promoting Delta’s partnership with Breast Cancer Research Foundation to support Breast Cancer Awareness fundraising efforts. Pink shirts, turtlenecks, and a tie and scarf are also available.
 Richard Tyler 2006 - present  Richard Tyler pink dress 2006 - present
Edward James, a British poet best known as a passionate and early supporter of Surrealism. Rejecting the bourgeois’ dominating rationality, surrealists escaped into a world of fantasy and irrationality. He sponsored Salvador Dalí for the whole of 1938 and his collection of paintings and art objects that subsequently came to be accepted as the finest collection of surrealist work in private hands. He also provided practical help, supporting Dalí for about two years and allowed René Magritte to stay in his London house to paint.
His intellectual interest in surrealism is demonstrated by his sponsorship of Minotaure, a lavish Surrealist magazine published in Paris. His refurbishment of Monkton House, in a part of the West Dean Estate, was a Surrealist dream. It was done in collaboration with the pioneering British decorator, Syrie Maugham, and has some of the most iconic Surrealist works on display. His most fantastic surrealist creation was realized in the Mexican rain forest, a surrealist Sculpture garden, “Las Pozas” (“the Pools”) built by James, more than 2,000 feet above sea level. It includes more than 80 acres of natural waterfalls and pools interlaced with towering Surrealist sculptures in concrete.
Las Pozas is near the village of Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, a seven-hour drive north of Mexico City.
Between 1949 and 1984, James built thirty-six concrete follies – palaces, temples and pagodas. There were also plantings and beds full of tropical plants, including orchids; there were, apparently 29,000 at Las Pozas at one time. He also built a variety of small casas, niches, and pens that held exotic birds and wild animals from the world over. Massive sculptures up to four stories tall punctuate the site. The many trails throughout the garden site are composed of steps, ramps, bridges, and narrow, winding walkways that traverse the valley walls. Construction of Las Pozas cost more than $5 million. To pay for it, James sold his collection of Surrealist art at auction.
       
|
|
