Giving You Face

Accessories designer Solomon Chase and American artist David Toro have teamed up diversify the fahttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifces of all you know with their aptly titled project named “FACE.” The project seeks to explore temporary facial adornment as “practical accessories and self-expression,” say David and Solomon. The two seek to transform what they consider “the most important part of our outer selves” in ways not possible with “makeup or even cosmetic surgery,” say D&S.
Bindis with random patterns, images, smiley faces and even hair along with glow-in-the-dark eyebrows are unlike any collection of any sort. The appropriation of the bindi as a fashion accessory takes me back to the keffiyeh sometime last year, which was found politically controversial by some... (...mostly the same pundits who criticized Rachel Rayfor for wearing one in a Dunkin Donuts commercial.)
But if you want to take it there, what’s your take on the appropriation of cultural artifacts? I figure it's something like someone wearing a Television t-shirt and having never heard the band to some people, right?

To learn more about FACE, read an interview with Solomon Chase and David Toro at dazeddigital.com. Visit faceprojects to see more work from Chase and Toro.

Menswear for SS/08

Details and subtle touches to basics make pieces more unique and desirable this spring. (That's right — goodbye to basics.) Graphic art and broader color swatches make t-shirts and shorts more fun to incorporate into warm weather ware. Visit Mintshop, an online-shopping store in Australia for tees and singlets with graphic art prints.
Art and broader color schemes are exactly the distraction we need from the more conservative menswear reflecting upon our... "challenging times." (Good luck trying to stretch your dollar in overseas webstores, though.)

New York menswear boutique BBlessing comes in from the shorts end with navy, "fire" and khaki cut off shorts by Obedient Sons. The shorts have a price tag of $120 at Bblessing's webstore.
Those on the other southern hemisphere moving into fall/winter, a 100% cotton Raf Simons "lime special" sweater surely pops a unique color to your outerwear; the sweater goes for $365. The Raf Simons SS/08 collection piece fits true to size and can also be found in orange and purple in the webstore.



Conservative pieces have seamed their way into spring looks. Jackets, vests, hats come together with shorts in cool new ways by Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Miharayasuhiro; the trickle is evident down at ASOS with trilbies and fitted jackets.

About A Designer: Miuccia Prada

The New York Times Magazine's Art Issue puts Miuccia Prada front and center with her her beneficiaries, artists Francesco Vezzoli and John Baldessari. The article focuses on the Prada house's quietly built art foundation compiled within the past decade. The issue is out today. Tell us what you learned about it if you've happened to snag a copy.

Miuccia Prada continues weaving the Prada house with art when she instilled art illustrations in Prada's Spring-Summer 2008 ready-to-wear collection. The season's collection included art by Los Angeles artist James Jean. Jean's not only created prints in pieces but also helped set up the woodland backdrop for the SS/08 show, animated illustrations for a short promo Prada film and designed the wallpaper for the Beverly Hills and NYC Prada stores. James Jean's website includes a portfolio of the listed work at jamesjean.com.



Coming this week: some inspiring spring looks and where to shop for them.
And coming soon: a video podcast flip through the Acne Jeans SS/08 Lookbook fresh from Sweden.