Tags archives: Art For Progress
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8 years ago
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File this fashion endeavor under : WTF.
This week, as part of New York Fashion Week, Japanese label N. Hoolywood presented to the world a Fall 2017 collection inspired by homeless people.
Yes. Homeless people.
Whether or not N. Hoolywood was channeling Derelicte à la Zoolander, it's safe to say this fashion label's fetishized "ode to street people" was done in poor taste.
Photo: Imaxtree
Ill-assorted chairs and benches wrapped around a circular runway. The models bundled up in overcoats and jackets and holding what looks like trash bags, lumbered down the pathway in somber time. To round out their looks, some models had their legs wrapped in plastic bag like material.
As Daisuke Obana delineates in show notes: "As our designer traveled the cities of America, he witnessed the various ways in which people there lived on the streets and the knowledge they have acquired while doing so. His observations of these so-called homeless or street people revealed that them [sic] to be full of clever ideas for covering the necessities of life. Space blankets or moving blankets can be fashioned into coats for cold days, and plastic bags can double as waterproof boots when it rains. This season features designs that embrace their unique style of combining traditionally contrasting elements, such as unconventional layering or senses of color, along with experimental sizing."
Photo: Erik Maza on Instagram
In reality, there are over 600,000 homeless people in the United Sta[...]
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8 years ago
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Tomer Heymann’s documentary about choreographer Ohad Naharin, Mr. Gaga: A True Story of Love and Dance, begins with a rehearsal scene in which a dancer falls backward repeatedly, as Naharin encourages her to “let go.” This painstaking (and literally painful) process is familiar to most dancers and anyone who’s witnessed the art of making tough choreography look easy. In the case of the iconoclastic Naharin, artistic director of Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company and founder of the Gaga (no relation to Lady) movement technique, the choreography is both incredibly demanding and extremely rewarding, as his dancers and audiences can attest. Mr. Gaga, which delves into Naharin’s creativity as well as his personal life, includes interviews, archival footage and many performance clips. The result is a visually thrilling and soul-satisfying portrait of a remarkable talent and individual.
Born and raised on a kibbutz, Naharin was an instinctive dancer as a child, influenced by his music-loving mother Tzofia. Home movies show bucolic kibbutz life as an idyllic setting for a creative child. Later, Naharin served as an entertainer in the Israeli Army, during which time he first began to create dances. The choreographer, who narrates much of his own story, explains how the “absurd theater” of performing for soldiers influenced dances such Sadeh21. We also learn via an early interview that he began dancing because of a family tragedy, a dramatic story that will be revisited later in th[...]
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8 years ago
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A solid directorial and screenwriting debut by Australian actor and theater director Simon Stone, The Daughter borders on melodrama, but still manages to pack a considerable wallop. Stone originally converted Henrik Ibsen’s 1884 play The Wild Duck into a production set in present-day Australia for Sidney's Belvoir St Theatre in 2011. Like that version, some of the original story's details have been stripped away for The Daughter, yet the film retains a Nordic moodiness. As with live plays, the actors often sell the thing and The Daughter is no exception; Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Miranda Otto and Ewen Leslie, especially, deliver intense performances that make the film’s escalating drama compelling throughout.
These events are set in motion by Christian (Paul Schneider), who returns to his Australian hometown after 15 years in the U.S. to attend the wedding of his father Henry (Rush)—a wealthy lumber mill owner—to his much younger housekeeper, Anna. There is obvious friction, as the son seems disgusted both by Anna’s age and the fact that his father is still using the car that belonged to his late wife, Christian’s mother.
Complicating things, Henry has just shut down the mill, leading to an exodus of unemployed workers and their families from the town. Christian’s childhood friend Oliver (Leslie) is one worker who hasn't left; he and his wife Charlotte (Otto) dote on their daughter Hedvig (Odessa Young in a tough role), a bright high schooler who is also very cl[...]
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8 years ago
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Have you seen the movie 'Hidden Figures' yet? It's the first film, with an all female (and predominately black) cast, to remain the Number 1 movie in America for two weeks in a row since 2011's 'The Help,' according to Huffington Post!
And after Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the movie is poised to surpass the $100 million dollar mark.
Yas, kween!
What's also extraordinary about the 60s-era gender and race-barrier-breaking movie is the costuming by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus who recently a nomination for Excellence in Period Film by the Costume Designers Guild of America (CFDA).
"In many ways it's not a flashy picture, so the costumes have a fresh reality in a period way that's not... flashy," Ehrlich Kalfus tells Fashionista. To create the stunning looks seen in the movie, Ehrlich Kalfus referenced vintage issues of Ebony magazine, while adhering to NASA's ironclad rules for office attire.
However, Ehrlich Kalfus managed to find inventiveness and individuality when it came to the film's vibrant looks.
Regarding Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson)'s costuming, she adds: "There was some liberty in terms of colors, styles and shapes, because she did make her own clothes and I took advantage of that."
Photo Credit: Hopper Stone/20th Century Fox Film Corp. h/t Fashionista
Vivid and rich colors abound in 'Hidden Figures,' including 60s-era jewel-toned 2-piece suits and soft prints -- a sharp contrast to the male costuming of white button-down [...]
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8 years ago
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How much do we really know someone? That’s the main question posed by Claire in Motion, a quiet, uneasy new film co-written and directed by Lisa Robinson and Annie J. Howell. A sort of hybrid mystery/character study, the movie stars Betsy Brandt (best known for her role as Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad) as a math professor at a Midwestern university whose husband—a fellow academician—fails to return from a hiking trek. There’s no hysteria or big, crashing emotions in this missing-persons drama; conversely, it's a slowly-unfolding account of a woman traditionally ruled by logic and order, as she comes to terms with the unexpected and (initially) incomprehensible.
When Claire Hunger’s husband Paul, an ornithology professor and nature-loving survivalist type, fails to return from his solo hiking trek on schedule, she doesn’t immediately panic. That emotion sets in slowly as the days turn into weeks, the police call off their fruitless search, and the couple’s young son Connor (an exceptionally poised Zev Haworth) begins to accept the inevitable—that his father probably died somewhere out in the wilderness. Even then, however, Claire refuses to believe Paul is gone and keeps going back into the woods to hunt for him. (Overcast skies and a slightly greenish palette give everything a heavy, muted tone that accentuates the sense of disquiet.) When the town's police chief mentions having interviewed a grad student with whom Paul was working on an art project, the usually unde[...]
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8 years ago
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Sayonara 2016! As we wait to learn and experience more of what this new 2017th year of existence has in store for all of us, one positive thing is for certain: New year = new start!
And for starters, there are a few epic moments that we already know will happen in 2017. Check out three of the most amazing below. Happy new year!
Alexander McQueen Biopic
Announced in late October 2016, a biopic, based on the Alexander McQueen biography "Blood Beneath the Skin" by Andrew Wilson will start filming Spring 2017, and will hit movie theaters later the same year.
Starring former "Skins" heartthrob Jack O'Connell, all of buzzy buzz surrounding this movie seem to unanimously agree that the actor closely resembles the troubled designer, who committed suicide in 2010 at the age of 40.
We can't wait to see McQueen's incredible life story be brought to life.
Below Alexander McQueen, left and actor Jack O'Connell
Photo Credit: Getty
Gingham, Ruffles and Wide Legs, Oh My!
Key clothing trends to expect in 2017 are ruffles, gingham, and wide legged pants — items that you might still have in your closet from seasons past, might be ready to take centerstage again.
Below: London Fashion Week Looks from L-R: Toga, Peter Pilotto, House of Holland, Simone Rocha and Molly Goddard.
Photo Credit: Imaxtree/Fashionista
More Over, "It" Bag, Make Way For Mini Purses
When Nicolas Ghesquiere debuted an iPhone case shaped like a bag October 2016, little did we know that there was a bi[...]
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8 years ago
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It’s fitting that HBO is choosing to air Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey’s Every Brilliant Thing during the holiday season (starting on Monday). Their filmed version of the one-character play of the same name about depression, suicide and survival is funny, moving and heartening—appropriate viewing at a time of year when many people are not feeling their psychological best despite all the trappings of merriment. Recorded over three performances at the Barrow Street Theatre in 2015, Every Brilliant Thing stars British comedian Jonny Donahoe (best known in the UK for his comedy band Jonny and the Baptists), who co-wrote it with Duncan Macmillan.
We enter the small theater-in-the-round along with the audience, as they file in and take their seats. Donahoe, a stocky, cheerful sort, distributes pieces of paper containing various phrases and instructs the recipients to yell them out at his signal. He then proceeds to tell his character’s decade-spanning life story, punctuated by the items of the show’s title. “Every Brilliant Thing” refers to an inventory of things to live for, started by Donahoe’s narrator at the age of seven when his mother first tried to kill herself. The list—which begins with “ice cream”—would become a running theme in his life, disappearing, resurfacing, and evolving as he got older (“Hairdressers who listen to what you want”).
Aside from calling out list entries, audience members are enlisted to impersonate people in the narrator’s life during crucial m[...]
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8 years ago
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In the world of Google, names like Priyanka Chopra, Beyoncé and Hillary Clinton certainly ruled 2016. But did you also know that a fashion designer from Mumbai, India was also a top ranking search this year too? Of course, it was thanks in part to the Duchess of Cambridge's infamous 'Kate Effect.' (more on that below)
In the meantime, meet Anita Dongre, head of India's leading fashion houses House of Anita Dongre. Her Rajasthan-inspired designs have been well-known in India since she launched her fashion line in 1995.
Anita Dongre
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMb8JopAfE1/?taken-by=anitadongre
However, 2016 was the year where Dongre's name became recognizable worldwide thanks to Kate Middleton decision to wear one of her dresses — the “Gulrukh” dress from the SS16 Love Notes collection — during her visit to India and Bhutan in May 2016.
According to Telegraph UK, the original gown had a full length skirt, complete with matching traditional stole. Kate's stylist Natasha Archer helped to alter the look by shortening the hemline and adding a belt.
Kate Middleton playing Cricket in India, wearing Dongre's multicolored design.
Photo Credit: REX
It is also reported that Kate's final choice to wear Dongre's dress to a Cricket event was unexpectedly delightful as the designer "had no idea that her designs made the cut."
“It was a real surprise," she tells the news source. "I was at home when I saw the pictures and was so delighted.”
Since the princess wore the number[...]
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8 years ago
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Matthew Miele and Justin Bare’s documentary Harry Benson: Shoot First is an entertaining, at times astonishing, look at the career of a man who is responsible for countless iconic images from the past 50 years. In addition to a dizzying succession of photographic images, the film includes an array of testimonials from famous contemporaries and subjects in addition to family members, plus droll commentary from the 86-year-old Benson himself. Dan Rather, Carl Bernstein and Bryant Gumbel are among the journalists who weigh in on Benson and his work; Sharon Stone, Joe Namath, and (sigh) Donald J. Trump, among others, contribute anecdotes about their own experiences with the venerable photographer.
One of the film’s striking motifs is Benson’s uncanny ability to be in the "right" place at the "right" time, whether in Memphis when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated or on a beach when the famously camera-shy Greta Garbo was taking a swim. Another running theme is how the charming Scot befriended almost everyone he shot, a diverse group including Muhammad Ali, Richard Nixon, and Mark David Chapman. His talent and tenacity resulted in a huge collection of photographs unmatched in their immediacy and intimacy, from shocking images of a dying Bobby Kennedy to dreamy photos of reclusive chess champion Bobby Fischer nuzzling a white horse.
Though mainly known for shooting celebrities and political figures, Benson also traveled to places like Mogadishu, Somalia, and the [...]
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8 years ago
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In addition to the kick off of a Trump presidency, this winter is forecasted to be brutally cold. So why not embrace the frosty temps by looking cute in a fabulous, statement-making coat!
Recently, Canadian first lady, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau was seen wearing an "ELODIE" coat from House of Mackage for the Remembrance Ceremony at the National War Memorial.
Trudeau, with her husband Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Her choice of overcoat that piqued our interest in the Canadian outerwear brand, and in their collection of luxe, high-end cover-ups.
For those that don't know, House of Mackage specializes in outerwear for both men and women. Check out 3 gorgeous additions to their latest line of coats!
BABIE
We're partial to this camel version of this maxi length, cashmere blend belted wool coat. Notice the classic smoking jacket inspired notched lapel and semi-fitted silhouette! Supa dupa fly!
HELINA
This cloak is the perfect overcoat when you've reached maximum winter layering. The HELINA is a double- face wool creation that's longer in the front with zippered closure at the collar.
TRISH
TV Star Priyanka Chopra is seen here wearing a classic down-filled number that comes complete with a split hood that doubles as a sumptuous shawl collar.
Happy winter! Stay warm.
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8 years ago
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Johnny Ma’s solid debut feature Old Stone is a naturalistic yet surreal tale of a Chinese taxi driver whose good deed results in a bureaucratic nightmare. When cabbie Lao Shi (Chen Gang) is distracted by a drunken passenger and hits a motorcyclist, he brings the victim to a hospital rather than wait for the police or ambulance to show up. Though he has probably saved the man’s life, his flouting of procedure causes him no end of suffering at the hands of callous officials and others, including his own wife. As outrageous as Lao Shi's predicament may seem at times, it is not really so outlandish in a country where insurance policies exist specifically for rescuers of elderly people who have fallen, in case the Good Samaritan gets sued for causing the mishap.
The Shanghai-born, Toronto-raised Ma switched from a career in business to documentary filmmaking in 2008 (after receiving an MFA in film from Columbia University). His unique sensibility is reflected in Old Stone, which is has both both a raw, realistic quality and a moody, noir-ish ambience. Though the film (like its protagonist) eventually makes a sharp turn into a very dark place, it doesn’t feel disjointed or tonally uneven, as events build to an almost inevitable ending.
Lao Shi’s decency is apparent in the accident's aftermath, when he ignores the advice of rubbernecking bystanders and takes matters into his own hands. A cool, taciturn type, the cabbie is a classic misunderstood antihero, seemingly at odds wit[...]
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