Tags archives: Art For Progress
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8 years ago
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Finally! In the women's fashion realm, the Shacket has become a larger influential force this fall. Perfect for layering addicts who like to stylishly stay warm during the colder months, looks like the piece isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Here's what you need to know about this thick-and-chic versatile garment.
Stripe Shacket from ASOS
Photo Credit: ASOS
The insulated button-down known as the Shacket is the hybrid shirt + jacket that has been making the rounds in the men's fashion world for some time. "It's thick enough to act as a jacket, but equipped with the same layering capabilities as an open oxford," reports Refinery 29.
Yet, in terms of women's fashion, the Shacket has been slow to rise into prominence — that is until now.
Men's Shacket from Western Rise
Photo Credit: Jakob Schiller
And Here's An Example of a Women's Shacket from Gucci
Photo Credit: Net-A-Porter
Earlier this year, ASOS.com presented over 15 styles of Shackets, and British clothing emporium Topshop even created a customized hybrid button-down for model Karlie Kloss, per The Telegraph. Jacqui Markham, global designer director for Topshop told the newspaper that the popularity of the Shacket has grown to such an extent that they "now consider the piece as a key spring/summer staple.”
Authentic Washed Shacket from Top Shop
Photo Credit: Top Shop
However, during this autumnal season, we're seeing that this trend is stretching out into winter with more selections for women cropp[...]
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8 years ago
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"NYC based arts organization Art for Progress (AFP) teams up with local Miami artists to celebrate the link between Cuban and South Florida culture for Art Basel 2016."
NYC based arts organization Art for Progress (AFP) teams up with local Miami artists to celebrate the link between Cuban and South Florida culture for Art Basel 2016. The events will take place in South Beach with an art exhibit opening on Friday evening and a rooftop- fashion, music and performance art event titled, Cosa Rica is set for Saturday night.
The art exhibition, “P.U.E.N.T.E.” which opens Friday evening (6:00pm – 9:00pm) December 2nd, will feature eleven artists (Nestor Arenas, Willie Avedano, Orestes De La Paz, Michael Gray, Catalina Jaramillo, Brandy Lynn, Guido Mena, Cristina Victor, Sterling Rock, Belaxis Buil)working in various mediums (paintings, sculpture, installation, textile and drawings).
After many decades of frosty relations between the U.S. and Cuba, the recent positive developments have brought a feeling of excitement and hope to the Cuban people of both South Florida and Cuba. The exhibition observes the relationship of the artist to their environment- changing landscapes and ability to adapt-retreat, refuge and escape. The show which will run through Sunday, December 5th and is curated by Belaxis Buil whose work has been exhibited in “Intersectionality” and “Taz” at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami, Art Shanghai, China, Tacheles Museum, Germany and Art Basel Miam[...]
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8 years ago
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Documentary lovers, take note! The seventh edition of DOC NYC, America’s largest nonfiction film festival, begins this week, with screenings at Manhattan's IFC Center, SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea. The 2016 festival, which runs from Thursday, Nov. 10, to Thursday, Nov. 17, boasts over 250 films and events overall, including 110 feature-length documentaries. Included are 18 world premieres and 19 U.S. premieres, with more than 300 filmmakers and special guests on hand to present and discuss their films. Notable documentarians will be honored at the Visionaries Tribute Awards on Nov. 10, including Jonathan Demme and Stanley Nelson, who are receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Opening Night film will be Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, directed by Matt Tyrnauer, about writer and activist Jane Jacobs and her fight against NYC’s most ruthless power broker, Robert Moses. Closing Night film will be Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, directed by John Scheinfeld. In between the two is a dazzling variety of docs divided into several categories: Viewfinders Competition (directorial visions), Metropolis Competition (NYC), American Perspectives, International Perspectives, Fight the Power (activism), Jock Docs (sports), Sonic Cinema (music), Modern Family (unconventional clans), Wild Life (animals), Docs Redux (classics), Art & Design (artists), Behind the Scenes (filmmaking), DOC NYC U (student work), Shorts, plus two new sections, True Crime and Science Nonf[...]
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8 years ago
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Brooklyn's Slothrust will be releasing their second full length album later this week (October 28th) on Dangerbird Records, and if you're unfamiliar with this trio, it's time to give them a listen. The new album titled, Everyone Else grabs you immediately with a surf rock instrumental track that makes you wonder what's coming next, and then you hear the melancholy vocal intro of track two- "Like a Child Behind a Tombstone." It's a slow build up into a guitar driven rocker with metaphors abound, and now you're hooked on lines like, "I think my face looks like glass, but my body feels plastic" and "I feel like a child hiding behind your tombstone."
As impressed as I am with Wellbaum's eloquent lyrics, musically the band has great range. From the punk-esque, Violent Femme's like, edgey cut, "Trial and Error" to the bluesy "Horseshoe Crab" and the jazz influenced "The Last Time I saw My Horse," they achieve a range of music that isn't often heard from today's one trick pony, cookie-cutter bands. And if you're into the more classic rock sound, "Mud" takes you on quite a journey with a blues inspired intro, to a classic guitar driven, drum heavy rocker. Dare I reference the greatest of the greats Led Zeppelin?
This is an album for music lovers who can appreciate the achievements of a band that's hitting it's stride and has the ability to capture the best of rock, jazz and blues on one album.
--Frank Jackson
You can see them live at Irving Plaza on Saturday, Oct[...]
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8 years ago
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The title of A Stray, a sharply observed and gracefully filmed drama written and directed by Musa Syeed, refers to its teenage protagonist, Adan, a refugee living in Minneapolis’s large Somali community, as well as his canine co-star, Laila, a soulful terrier he reluctantly befriends. Visually, the film is both naturalistic and artful, featuring beautifully framed scenes shot throughout the city. A Stray seems to be a bittersweet valentine to Minneapolis, whose buildings, bridges, and landmarks (such as the iconic Pillsbury Best Flour sign) are featured prominently. In addition to its glimpses into Somali culture and the day-to-day lives of this particular refugee community, the film has a strong undercurrent of spirituality, with several scenes taking place in a mosque, and various prayers discussed and recited.
The story concerns the headstrong Adan (Barkhad Abdirahman, one of the pirates in Captain Phillips), who is thrown out of his mother's place after she suspects him of stealing jewelry, then flees a temporary crash pad after getting on the nerves of his disreputable friends. Adan initially finds sanctuary in a mosque where a kindly imam lets him stay in exchange for cleaning up the place. Adan asks for advice and a prayer to help him stay out of trouble.
He finds work at a restaurant through Faisal, one of the mosque's congregants, but loses the job when his car hits a dog en route to a food delivery. (The zealous Faisal is horrified when Adan brings the po[...]
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8 years ago
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It's official. The Obamas will be vacating the White House soon. And at their last state dinner, the first lady Michelle Obama wowed the world with a custom, rose gold Atelier Versace gown, made with chainmail.
President Barack Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/REX/Shutterstock
This gorgeous number can now be added to a long list of stunners FLOTUS has worn over the years. And from Jason Wu to Vera Wang, Mrs. Obama has represented her country flawlessly decked out in memorable American-designed creations.
She has also incorporated high fashion from international brands, including Versace.
President Barack Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Donatella Versace says in a statement: "I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to dress the first lady of the United States Michelle Obama. Thank you, Michelle, for all of the things you have done for America and for the rest of the world, for the women in the United States and the rest of the world."
As E! Online points out, rose gold is on trend thanks to Kylie Jenner's dyed rose gold hair, and actresses Blake Lively and Emilia Clarke's gown selections (coincidentally both by Versace) at the recent 2016 Emmy Awards.
Blake Lively
David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock
A final thought: Will Michelle Obama's stunning look serve as a hint to potential daring numbers a FLOTUS might wear in the future? Who knows.
But one thing is certain: Firs[...]
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8 years ago
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The story of Theo Padnos, an American journalist captured in 2012 by the Nusra Front (Syrian branch of Al Qaeda), Theo Who Lived is not quite like other hostage accounts, of which there have (sadly) been many. Yes, David Schisgall’s documentary concerns an idealistic do-gooder who puts himself in danger and it includes the familiar details of captors who veer from friendly to cruel, as well as the grim specifics of interrogation and torture, of terrible deprivations and conditions. Theo Who Lived, however, consists almost entirely of Padnos reliving his ordeal by revisiting various locales of his 22-month captivity, as he narrates his story with good humor, even wit.
A genial, often rather naïve-seeming sort, Padnos was a struggling writer from Vermont who thought he’d kick-start his journalism career by writing a story about Syrian refugees for The New Republic. In the film, he acknowledges being a lifelong risk taker, but also questions why he ever put himself in such a dangerous situation. He walks us through Antakya (Antioch), Turkey—a city where journalists, fighters and other interested parties gathered before crossing the border into Syria and shows us the house he shared with several roommates as well as the house where his kidnappers lived (and may still live). In Syria Padnos shows us the very room where he interviewed young men he thought we members of the Free Syrian Army, until they suddenly began beating him, declaring him their prisoner. Remarkably, he is ab[...]
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8 years ago
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On September 24, the National African American Museum opened its doors to public. And while the museum's timed passes are sold out for the rest of the year, it's still a great time to learn about what's currently on exhibit.
And if you are wondering if there's a showcase at the museum that relates to the world of fashion, you're in luck. The museum will be showcasing a selection of Ann Lowe's dresses, and they are a must-see!
Ann Lowe — a highly sought after designer in her day — is the first world-renowned black designer who created dresses for socialites and brides. She created looks for families including the Auchinclosses, DuPonts, Kennedys, Posts, Rockefellers, and Roosevelts. She is also the first black designer to own a boutique on Madison Avenue. And her stunning creations were also sold at Henri Bendel, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus.
Pink satin and organza ball gown, designed by Ann Lowe, 1959, once owned by Patricia Penrose Schieffer, wife of CBS News' Bob Schieffer. Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane. Photo courtesy of NMAAHC
Famously, Lowe designed Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding gown in 1953. Lowe crafted a dress made up of fifty yards of ivory silk taffeta for the Bouvier-Kennedy nuptials, and cost approximately $700 — roughly $13,000 factoring today's inflation, according to Racked's Danielle Kwateng-Clark .
And as Kwateng-Clark deftly sums up, Lowe "did the impossible in the Jim Crow-era by making a name fo[...]
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8 years ago
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A documentary that presents one of the most preposterous true-life scenarios ever connected with the movie business (or any business), Rob Cannan and Ross Adam’s The Lovers and The Despot also provides yet more evidence of North Korea's bizarre sociopolitical culture and the oddity that was Kim Jong-il.
In 1978, Kim—then heir apparent to North Korea's leadership and a major film buff—arranged for the kidnap of South Korean director Shin Sang-ok and his ex-wife, actress Choi Eun-hee. Kim was envious of South Korean cinema's originality, unlike the stilted fare that was coming out of his artistically backwards nation, and he wanted the renowned couple to be his personal filmmakers. The Lovers and the Despot uses interviews, footage from Shin’s movies, propaganda film clips, and reenactments, underscored by Nathan Halpern’s dramatically ominous music, to show the couple’s plight and their eventual escape. The resulting documentary unfolds like an artsy international crime thriller, albeit one with a few plot holes. It's a striking and effective approach, though just about any film covering this material would be fascinating for the story alone.
The Lovers and the Despot begins with a press conference given by Shin and Choi after their escape. It then travels back to the beginning of their relationship, as Choi recalls their initial meeting on the set of one of his films. (She provides much of the narrative; Shin died in 2006.) Scenes of the couple's subsequent success [...]
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8 years ago
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New York Fashion Week officially ended today.
If you've been following any news from this week's past events:
*You would know that Hood By Air made weird fashion magic with PornHub
**Kayne West's Yeezy Show was considered a hot mess
***Fashion insider Eva Chen was everywhere you wish you were.
Former editor-in-chief for Lucky Magazine, Chen is Instagram's head of fashion partnerships, as well as CEO of Trend Micro. (She's also my hero)
Over 600,000 fans keep track of the fashion maven via IG. And if you are an Instagram stalker like me, you'd know that she's pregnant with her second child to Tom Bannister, and loves to show off her shoes from the backseat of car services. I especially love her #ootd shots, featuring designer Rosetta Getty and Tanya Taylor.
Chen is also a brilliant digital strategist. In an interview with Business of Fashion, Chen lays out five basic principles for clothing brands big and small.
Paraphrased from Business of Fashion:
Seek real conversational engagement online. "It's not a numbers game," Chen says. "You can have millions of followers, but more important is whether people are commenting and tagging their friends. That means you’ve created something that people are talking about and that’s what makes a good post."
Possess a strong visual identity. "ust as when you pick up a magazine, whether it’s Self Service or Vogue, and you could remove the title from the cover, but you would still know which magazine it was j[...]
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8 years ago
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Demon, Polish director Marcin Wrona’s third feature, is an unlikely but entertaining hybrid between a raucous wedding comedy and a brooding horror film. That he managed to pull it off at all is a testament to his talent and unique artistic sensibility. (Sadly, Wrona died of an apparent suicide at age 42 just before the film was set to premiere in Poland last fall.) Those who like their movie genres rigidly defined may be confused by Demon, which isn’t all that scary (or hilarious, for that matter), but the rest of us can appreciate its gorgeously morose ambience; dark, absurdist humor and strong performances.
Based on Piotr Rowicki’s play Adherence, Demon concerns the laid-back Piotr (Itay Tiran), who has traveled from England to the rural Polish hometown of his fiancée Zaneta (Agnieszka Zulewska), for their wedding. The couple have only known each other for a few weeks, so the groom is meeting her parents for the first time. Piotr already has an easy rapport with Zaneta’s bro-like brother and initially gets along well enough with her jocular father (Andrzej Grabowski). When he begins renovations on the family’s rundown country house where the couple will live, Piotr unearths a pile of human bones and is immediately spooked, especially when he later glimpses what appears to be a female spirit wandering around outside. Soon his sunny personality gives way to sudden dark moods, and his body begins to react (via nosebleeds) to something or someone who is slowly taking him[...]
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8 years ago
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Hello, September! This fall, get ready for Kate Moss, patent leather, platform boots, Ally McBeal-inspired mini-skirts, and "Pretty Woman" style references!
From Alexander Wang's Fall/Winter 2016 looks to Thierry Mugler's 2017 Resort collection, various nods to the 90s are currently trending. Heck, even leggings are back, with Céline creative director Phoebe Philo styling stretchy pants under the label's latest set of skirts and dresses!
Here's a stunning example from Céline Photo: Monica Feudi / Courtesy of Céline
Gorgeous 90s inspired outerwear to look out for include Isabel Marant's red, Rock n' Roll patent leather trench, and Vivenne Westwood's puffer coat (below).
But in the world of womenswear, expect lots of style references this upcoming season from that memorable decade. Just this week, we saw the return of Kate Moss as the face of Charlotte Tilbury's fragrance "Scent of a Dream" (video at bottom), as well as Kenzo World's send-up to Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" music video, directed by Spike Jonze, featuring actress Margaret Qualley.
Check out this insane video below!
And just when you've thought you've seen enough genuflects to the 90s, there are mini-skirt suits from Alexander Wang à la "Ally McBeal," and cut-out looks from Thierry Mugler, harkening back to the Julia Roberts classic "Pretty Woman." Smells like Teen Sprit? Oh yeah!
A look from Alexander Wang, Fall/Winter 2016.
Photo: Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv
Thierry Mugler's 2017 Reso[...]
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