Monday 28 February 2011

CATALINA

We <3 <3 <3 the new Moullinex video for single CatalinaThe 3d footage was captured using a a Microsoft Kinect !!



Click here for a detailed walkthrough of how it was all done.

BORN THIS WAY

Gaga has just just just unleashed her new video for Born This Way, directed by Nick Knight. Like/love/loathe her, this will be everywhere. Check it out below:



*cough, cough*

Little Boots promo campaign, circa 2009

THE RAZZIES

We're very much Oscared-out right now, but allow us one final awards post. This is where the real glitz & glamour was this weekend: The 31st Annual Razzie Awards


You know the score; it's the alternative awards ceremony held the night before the Oscars, which recognises the past year's very worst efforts in film. The cast of Sex and the City 2 triumphed, picking up a collective Worst Actress gong, as well as the coveted Worst Screen Ensemble & Worst Sequel awards.

M. Knight Shyamalan was the real success story of the evening though, going home with the Razzies for Worst Director, Worst Eye-Gouging Use of 3D and (the big one!) Worst Picture, all for The Last Airbender (us neither). Sadly none of the winners could attend the ceremony, so here are some lovely audience members sharing their views after The Last Airbender's previews earlier this year:

OSCARS 2011


In a move that surprised nobody, the Academy gave most of its little gold fellas to The King's Speech. We fell asleep during the red carpet coverage, but thankfully most of the world's press stayed up all night to live-report who won what, so chances are you already know the deal (but here's a full list of winners if you don't).


Highlights: James Franco & Anne Hathaway in drag (above), and best supporting actress winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) dropping the f-bomb in her acceptance speech - the first time that's ever happened in 83 years of the Oscars. Nice one, Melissa.

Friday 25 February 2011

ANGLES

Sneak peek at The Strokes recording their upcoming LP, Angles:

MCQUEEN AND I


This is our 3rd McQueen post of the week, so you have might have gathered by now  that we are big fans. This time we're urging you to set your recorders on More4 at 9pm tonight for McQueen and I, a revealing new documentary about the relationship between Lee and Isabella Blow. The film contains interviews with the designer's family and colleagues, and is said to be both touching and shocking. One not to miss.

This has nothing to do with tonight's doc, but it's our favourite bit of McQueen on youtube; the man at work in Nick Knight's studio, deconstructing a bridegroom. We're not sure what that means, but we like it.

FRANKENSTEIN

Danny Boyle's much-hyped stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic gothic tale has received so many mixed reviews that we'll let the pictures do the talking (until we go & see it that is).







Thursday 24 February 2011

DESTROYED PERFECTION


If you're sick of super-sleek images of sex & beauty being thrown at you from every angle, this could be just the ticket: Sandy Kim and Anthony Maule are two young photographers on a mission to destroy perfection. 

As an emotional response to idealised notions of beauty, whether in fashion or advertising, their work manipulates, scratches and destroys everything that out culture deems 'perfect'. Here's a preview of what to expect from their joint exhibit, Destroyed Perfection, which is at Camera 16 in Milan until April 9. 





BYOB


An acronym for ‘Bring Your Own Beamer’, BYOB is a series of one-night exhibitions where artists are invited to bring their own “beamers” and explore the medium of projection. BYOB has already taken place in different cities throughout Europe and the US, involving artists of an extended and dispersed ‘Internet art community’.


Hosted by the Woodmill (tomorrow from 6.30 - 10pm), BYOB London will bring together more than 30 London-based and international artists to create a collaborative happening of moving light, sound and performance.This dynamic structure will be enhanced by a series of ad hoc installations, performances and special projects, creating an immersive environment of DIY spontaneity and experimentation.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

SAVAGE BEAUTY PT.2

Quick update re yesterday's Lee McQueen post; a preview has leaked - here are some of the pieces that will be on show at the Met in New York in May. Seeing these makes us wish he was still around.






ROPE

The Foo Fighters' new single Rope premiered today and it is definitely a return to form for the Seattle rockers. The track is taken from their upcoming album Wasting Light, which is their first release since 2007's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. Check it out below:

LFW AW11

London Fashion Week came to a close yesterday, and as every fashion editor, buyer, stylist and model heads to Milan for the next round of shows, we take a look at some British highlights for Autumn/Winter 2011.

New shapes & colours at Burberry Prorsum. The show, which was staged at the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, was a flurry of brighter, ampler versions of the trademark coats and trenches. The models all reappeared at the end of the show with transparent cloaks over their clothes as fake snow rained down on them (and the audience).


Matthew Williamson ditched stylist Vanessa Coyle in favour of styling his show himself for the first time in 14 years, and showed a streamlined, colourful yet light collection of effective simplicity (below, left). Whilst, still on the ditching theme, Richard Nicoll (who confirmed the end of his brief stint as creative director at Cerruti) changed his entire show just 1 day before showing, throwing away jewelry, stripping off feathers and dropping elaborate embroideries specially commissioned from an Indian manufacturer at great expense. The moth-motifed collection focused on movement, freedom & comfort (below, right).


Christopher Kane teetered boldly (as he often does) on the edge of bad taste with a weird & wonderful collection of craftsy crochet and sterile, almost clinical-looking plastic trims. The technology employed was impressive but the jury's out on its wearable/sellable potential (below, left). Giles, on the other hand, strayed from his usual girlie, romantic aesthetic in favour a largely monochrome, almost fetishist collection of accomplished beauty (below, right).


WORLD'S MOST LIVABLE CITIES 2011

The Economist Intelligence Unit announced today its list of the world's most livable cities. The highest score and number one ranking was achieved by Vancouver, Canada.


The City of Glass, which has topped the list for the fifth consecutive year, received a major boost to its infrastructure in 2010 when it hosted the Winter Olympics. It received a 100/100 ranking for its health care services, education system and for its culture & environment rating. The top 10 is dominated by mid-sized cities from Canada and Australia.

1. Vancouver, Canada
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Vienna, Austria
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Helsinki, Finland
7. Sydney, Australia
8. (equal) Perth & Adelaide, Australia
10. Auckland, New Zealand

Tuesday 22 February 2011

SAVAGE BEAUTY

The late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen is to be the subject of a major exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in May. The retrospective will feature over 100 examples of work from the designer's 19 year career, from his debut collection to his last, posthumous Angels & Demons collection (below).


A preview of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty was held today at the Ritz in London, and was unveiled by Anna Wintour and Samantha Cameron. Stella McCartney and (new creative director at the McQueen label) Sarah Burton were also in attendance. 

ONE TO WATCH: YUKIASH


Young photographer on the rise YukiAsh captures the world as he sees it. Whether bare city environments or intimate shots of his family, his candid work is grabbing the attention of the world's leading curators, as he prepares for his soon-to-be-announced first London exhibit.


He started taking photos when he left his hometown of Kyoto to study in San Francisco. He then dropped out and travelled to Tokyo to study graphic design, which is where he began to merge his photography with video and web design. Click here for more information on his work.

BLK DNM: FILM 1

We love this fashion short by Martin de Thurah, which serves to promote Swedish designer Johan Lindeberg's new line, BLK DNM. The 'fashion film' genre most often relies on a filmed version of a photo shoot; it's refreshing to see it develop into something altogether more fully-rounded. Enjoy.

Monday 21 February 2011

MURDOCH TO MURDOCH

In a move some have (foolishly) described as an exercise in nepotism, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has just announced a £415 million deal to buy the TV production company set up by his daughter.


London-based Shine Group - which owns several production companies & is behind programs such as MasterChef, The Biggest Loser, Spooks and Life on Mars - is selling the business to News Corp, which owns Fox News and the Sun and Times newspapers. Shine's chairman and chief executive Elisabeth Murdoch will join her father on News Corp's board.

Rupert Murdoch (pictured above with his daughter, left) said: "Shine has an outstanding creative team that has built a significant independent production company in major markets in very few years, and I look forward to them becoming an important part of our varied and large content creation activities." (quote source: Telegraph)

HOME-GROWN: BRUCE HUNT'S AD FOR CITROEN


Congrats to our very own Bruce Hunt, who has just shot an amazing ad for the Citroen DS3.


The DS3 won Top Gear Magazine's car of the year, and Bruce has done an excellent job of capturing its distinctive look and performance. We were lucky enough to be on-set for the shoot, and made sure to grab some behind-the-scenes mini vids for the blog - check them out below:



ALL OF THE LIGHTS

Released on YouTube just 3 days ago, Kanye West's video for All of the Lights, directed by Hype Williams, has already hit a staggering 2.5M views. 


The track features Rihanna & Kid Cudi, as well as backing vocals from an impressive array of artitst, including Fergie, Charlie Wilson, John Legend, Tony Williams, Alicia Keys, La Roux, The Dream, Ryan Leslie, Alvin Fields and Ken Lewis.

NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPARATION

Saturday's closing ceremony of the Berlin film festival saw an Iranian film sweep the board. The coveted Golden Bear for best picture was given to director Asghar Farhadi's Nader and Simin, A Separation. The film deals with the difficult break-up of a marriage, whilst providing a subtle examination of Iran's social divide, religious traditions and justice system. 


The festival's six-member jury, led by actress Isabella Rossellini, further praised the film by handing the best actor and best actress awards to its leads Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami.

Friday 18 February 2011

HOME-GROWN: TOMAS LEACH'S AD FOR POWERADE

Hot off the press, check out our very own Tomas Leach's excellent ad for Powerade ION4, starring Olympic medalist long-distant swimmer David Davies, world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis and paralympic marathon runner Richard Whitehead.


And here's a behind-the-scenes look at Tomas on set with all the athletes:

HEDI SLIMANE


French fashion designer and photographer Hedi Slimane (famed for his successful stint as creative director at Dior Homme) is having a busy few months. JRP Ringier is publishing Hedi Slimane: Anthology of a Decade in March; a four-volume retrospective book of his photography (fashion & other). 


Also on the agenda are two separate photographic exhibitions that reflect his personal relationship with his adopted home and current source of inspiration: Los Angeles. California Dreamin opens in Paris on 26 Feb, and Fragments Americana opens in Brussels on the 25th, both at Galerie Almine Rech.


LOTUS FLOWER

Earlier this week, we told you about Radiohead's 8th album coming out tomorrow, now check out the first video/single, Lotus Flower. Very much enjoying the refreshing, no-hype-no-frills campaign, allowing fans to tap into the new material, and non-fans to go about their day none-the-wiser.

Thursday 17 February 2011

I WROTE THE BOOK

Beth Ditto's video for (excellent) debut solo single I Wrote The Book pays homage to Madge's Justify My Love. Click here to view it.


UNSEEN WARHOL SELLS FOR £10.8M


Looks like pop art aficionado Andy Warhol is still as staggeringly popular as ever. A 6ft, square, red & white self-portrait of the artist sold for more than double its estimated price (to an anonymous bidder) at London's Christie's last night. 
The work has been in a private collection since 1974 and was only recently rediscovered and authenticated by the draconian Andy Warhol Authentication Board. "How it has remained undetected for so long and who owned it are mysteries that are yet to be unravelled," wrote The Telegraph's Colin Gleadell before the sale was announced. 

HOME-GROWN: FERGUS IN TODAY'S CAMPAIGN

XL

Does XL Recordings hold the key to the music industry's recovery?
The last 5 years have seen a deluge of features and interviews in the press whinging on (rightly so) about the demise of music sales and the industry in general. 

The Guardian have just done a great piece on XL's boss Richard Russell and his specific business model; one that focusses on a small & controlled yearly otuput of quality records, created by artists (Adele, Radiohead, M.I.A., Vampire Weekend, The xx, etc) who get signed almost solely for their ability to understand & market their own product. Click here to read it.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

GOOGLE ONE PASS

Just one day after Apple launch a subscription service for magazines & newspapers through its App Store, Google follow suit with One Pass. For those publishers who choose to charge for their newspapers and magazines, One Pass provides an all-encompassing, one-login subscription service delivering content straight to your computer, tablet & smartphone.


It's basically an online payment service for those who are keen to establish new charging strategies as print revenues decline. Some claim this could mark the end of free internet surfing (The Times paved the way by introducing its controversial paywall last year). If One Pass becomes a hit, it could indeed mean that our days of accessing free content from renowned news & entertainment outlets are numbered...

FRED LOVES FASHION


Eight designers have been invited to make an installation at Fred gallery (45 Vyner st, E2 9DG), to tie in with London Fashion Week. Rather than a standard display from the designers' current collections, they have been asked instead to show how they think & how they work. The custom-made, unique pieces range from the sculptural to the radical, the photographic to the wearable.


Expect displays of clothes, art-works, images, drawings, visual references and accessories, all linked by a dynamic, creative spirit with a grand sense of style. Fred Loves Fashion opens today until 27 Feb.

Contributing Designers/Artists:
A Child of the Jago
Bernstock Speirs
Boudicca
Andrea Cammarosano
Sian Hoffman
Kenny Campbell with Nelson Santos
Factoria Rent Me
Omar Kashoura

HOME-GROWN: CYRIL'S FILM FOR PRADA


We feel like taking a look back at our very own Cyril's short film for Prada. The brand approached nine young international directors to create 3-minute shorts inspired by their latest aftershave, Infusion d'Homme. Cyril's was out favourtie at the time (of course), and still is to this day. Here's To Myself.

BRIT AWARDS


More awards were handed out last night, this time to the music industry's finest, at the annual Brit Awards. Big winners of the night were 22 year-old rapper Tinie Tempah (best breakthrough act and best single for Pass Out) and Canadian ensemble Arcade Fire (best international band and best international album for The Suburbs).


Mumford & Sons walked away with the biggie: album of the year for Sigh No More. Rihanna won best international female, Laura Marling deservedly won best British female, Take That won best British group (wearing very strange yoga trousers), and Plan B won best British male. Congrats to all.