April 9, 2008
Sub-Broadway
I was totally digging on these trunk-sized slabs that are the skeleton beneath the concrete streets of Houston and Broadway. City workers were replacing a 100-year-old sewage pipe over the weekend. Seeing these transported me to the days when horse-drawn wagons pounded down Broadway, and I almost forgot about SoHo's current crowding of Euro-powered tourists toting Apple bags. Sigh...
Posted by Catherine at 2:31 AM
April 4, 2008
Apple vs Big Apple
In ironic copycat fashion, the champions of open source software aren't equally liberal about the use of their fruity logo. Following suit from the Beatles' Apple Records, who Apple Computers was in drawn-out disputes over trademark rights for decades, Apple is now trying to stop the City of New York from using the apple logo in a city-wide green campaign.
You would think after their previous defensive litigation, they would relax a bit about copyright issues. I guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree...
photo courtesy of AdAge.com
Posted by Catherine at 12:54 PM
April 2, 2008
Nouvel Takes the Prize
Nouvel portrait courtesy of nytimes.com
After more than 35 years of work, the Hyatt Foundation's nod to Jean Nouvel seems long overdue. The Pritzker jury announced last Sunday that Nouvel was chosen because of his "persistence, imagination, exuberance, and, above all, an insatiable urge for creative experimentation"
With no stylistic signature, Nouvel's relevance relies as much on his bold spaces as his mastery of controversy as marketing for his buildings. His project list is liberally marked with proposed and unbuilt projects.
In spite of or because of his brazen attitude, the uncompromising Frenchman has become fashionable... in New York City alone, he is currently building another luxury midrise for Andre Balazs along the architectural hothouse of the Westside Highway, as well as a residential tower adjacent to the MoMA in Midtown.
Much like the jutting boxes and intense hues of his buildings, Nouvel's singular career keeps us in awe and wonderment at every angle.
Posted by Catherine at 12:07 AM
November 18, 2007
Alicia Rocks
I can't get enough of this song, I found this video of Alicia Keys performing my new favorite song at the Fashion Rocks Show in October.
Posted by Catherine at 2:54 AM
June 12, 2007
Boyz in the Hood
New M.I.A. video. Check it.
Bonus footage! The making of Boyz video in Jamaica. Girl's picked up some moves. Respek!
Posted by Catherine at 12:09 AM
March 26, 2007
SAS-sy
Once a phrase is acronymized, you know it's officially part of the popular vernacular. Although the Second Avenue Subway (SAS) is nothing more than a series of fragmented tracks, tunnels, and abandoned efforts, it seems to evoke the romance and charm of a once-living legend.
This morning the legend and folklore died, and disruption and doubts took its place. City Officials chipped away at the 1970s concrete wall (from the third attempt at the SAS)to initiate the $3.9 billion Phase 1.
Since, I didn't make it up to 102nd street this morning to document the MTA's foray into 2013, I'm sending you to NY!'s video coverage.
Posted by Catherine at 2:13 PM
March 5, 2007
The Bowery Hotel Bites GPH's Steez
According to Hotelchatter.com, the Maritime team's Bowery Hotel staff asked that they decline from taking pictures "at these early stage." Perhaps, it's so that Ian Schrager and Julian Schnabel don't catch wind that BH totally bit GPH's medieval Spanish theme, right down to the rose-colored velvet armchairs. I guess they ran out of time to come up with an original design concept with all that zoning wrangling.
The Bowery Hotel Lobby (photo courtesy www.hotelchatter.com)
GPH's Rose Bar (courtesy of the Gramercy Park Hotel)
Posted by Catherine at 3:12 AM
Field Follies
Last Tuesday was a sumptuous freak feast (I mean that in a good way), as friends and fans came out to Cielo to celebrate fashion priestess Patricia Field's 65th birthday. There were more than a dozen performances but the real show was usually found in the crowd of fashion-obsessed partiers.
more flix + video after the jump
Continue reading "Field Follies"
Posted by Catherine at 2:24 AM
February 25, 2007
Yellow is the New Lime
A few months ago, my friend Marivel who is a co-founder of MOD told me that Yellow was going to be the hot new color for interiors. It was hard for me to imagine the hippie hue of the '60s and '70s in a contemporary context. But now I see it being used as the primary color in interiors from Andre Balazs's Beaver House and for floors and walls at the Studio 63-designed Miss Sixty shops around the world.
Pix after jump
Continue reading "Yellow is the New Lime"
Posted by Catherine at 11:08 PM
February 20, 2007
Dog's Balls
According to a story in Sunday's NYT, librarians are creating a big to-do about the use of the word "scrotum" in an award-winning children's book "The Higher Power of Lucky." Although the 132-page book for 9-12 year olds has been described as "poignant" with characters that are "uniquely unforgettable;" librarians, from Colorado to Kentucky, are refusing to stock the book because of that one word.
According to the NYT story, the librarians argued that teacher's wouldn't want to have to explain that word to their students. If I remember correctly, sex education starts in the fourth grade. Besides that I was reading juicy novels by VC Andrews and Jackie Collins in the fourth grade, at least these kids are learning the proper medical names. In the piece, another librarian says "you won't find men's genitalia in quality literature." But the book actually uses the word scrotum in reference to someone's dog. No wonder American kids are behind in test scores, school librarians aren't even reading the books themselves.
Posted by Catherine at 4:36 PM
February 13, 2007
Mercury in Retrograde
Expect delays, confusion, and technology issues 2/13-3/7 +/- a few days.
Posted by Catherine at 12:11 PM
September 27, 2006
Hotel, Motel, Condo-mini-um
The scaffolding is down at 335 Bowery, revealing the corner restaurant and bar of the latest boutique hotel/hotspot enterprise ingeniously named the Bowery Hotel. The Maritime Hotel team (Eric Goode also owns neighboring B-Bar) managed to get around the residential zoning by renting out the top three floors of the 17-story "hi-rise." Louie, a security guard, said that they are planning to put a jacuzzi tub on the penthouse and that the owners hoped to open in a couple of months (good one, guys).
more Boutique hotel business after the jump
Continue reading "Hotel, Motel, Condo-mini-um"
Posted by Catherine at 7:02 PM
September 21, 2006
Around the World
Posted by Catherine at 12:37 AM
September 12, 2006
New iPods
Apple announced the release of new iPods today. The Nano has regressed to iPod Mini colorways and materials, but is much thinner. The Shuffle has been reduced to a 1.62" clip, perfect for running or unobtrusive accessorizing of your new fall outfit.
Posted by Catherine at 2:27 PM
July 8, 2006
Supernatural and Natural
07/06/06- Downtown Thursday including "After the Reality" opening at Deitch Projects, curated by Hiromi Yoshii featuring five up-and-coming Japanese artists and the art collective Enlightenment.
Then the 9th anniversary celebration of bespoke shirt-makers, Seize sur Vingt, hosted a backyard bbq behind the Elizabeth street store. We also went to a new wine bar on Mott Street, but were unaware of the downstairs lounge so no pix of that.
Flix after jump.
Continue reading "Supernatural and Natural"
Posted by Catherine at 3:12 PM
April 30, 2006
Insa: Graffiti Fetish
Last Thursday nite, Mass Appeal magazine presents British writer Insa's first NYC show at the Classic Car Club. Pieces include stiletto heels, Nike dunks, action figures, low-rider bike and a Lincoln. Flix after the jump...
Continue reading "Insa: Graffiti Fetish"
Posted by Catherine at 8:14 PM | Comments (2)
April 29, 2006
Cheney Gang
This morning, I awoke to what sounded like a parade on Broadway. When friends informed me an anti-war protest was scheduled it made me realize how out of touch I've been. So I ran down to Union Square to capture a handful of 350,000 protesters (incl. Susan Sarandon and Rev. Jesse Jackson) who assembled to air their concerns via papier mache and balloon animals. Flix after jump
Continue reading "Cheney Gang"
Posted by Catherine at 10:51 PM
February 10, 2006
Bow Our Heads
Backspin Promo, the publicist for BBE Records, just announced that producer-extraordinaire J-Dilla, aka Jay-Dee, real name James Yancey passed away this morning.
I am a bit overwhelmed right now.
Posted by Catherine at 8:07 PM
January 24, 2006
Freemans Sporting Club
Mon.1.16.06
Everyone's favorite "hidden gem" of a restaurant Freeman's has cunningly expanded into a showroom/game room/bespoke tailor's space upstairs and around the corner on Chrystie. Named Freeman's Sporting Club, the space is designed in the old-world vein of the restaurant with a vintage pool table, and designer Taavo Somer creating "made-to-measure" suits of British wool.
The opening event felt more like a housewarming party than publicity event, as we sipped bourbon, stroked stuffed squirrels, browsed t-shirts racks, and ate several handfuls of oily Italian cold-cuts in the rustic-chic loft. Photos after jump.
Continue reading "Freemans Sporting Club"
Posted by Catherine at 5:30 PM
December 20, 2005
Dammit!
Stupid non-negotiating!
Posted by Catherine at 4:01 AM
PR of the Year
Rockstar with a cause Bono looks so thrilled to share Time magazine's Persons Persons of the Year title with uber-capitalists Bill and Melinda Gates.
In an article that addresses balancing out the world's inequalities, all the billions that are thrown around in the story sure do make a girl feel inadequate... Although the article dutifully differentiates between pity and passion, it does more to sing the praises of the Great Gateses and the impassioned Irishman, than inspiring and informing regular folk oh how to act locally.
The issue itself is an example of socio-economic inequities: A story of brief profiles honoring everyday heroes from around the world vs. multiple pieces on the cover stars including ample wordage documenting Bill and Bono's musings about Hendrix. I guess you can buy your way into heaven.
Posted by Catherine at 3:32 AM
December 11, 2005
Skin and Bones
A friend's screenprinted x-ray t-shirt was the inspiration for my first batik piece which is modelled by the lovely and talented Briana Cartwright from LA duo J Davey. My new handmade line, called Panoply Forms, will explore how clothing protects our bodies while exposing and expressing our inner selves (mind,soul,and emotions).
More pieces with cosmos/psychedelia themes including: off-the-shoulder knitshirts, duffel bags, lamp shades, and a showcase capelet to follow. 2006, here we come!
Posted by Catherine at 8:33 PM
November 8, 2005
Etsy-Betsy Spider...
With handicrafts and handmade items knitting their way into fashion among the youngsters in our over-automated digilization, BK firm Iospace Design has launched online craft fair Etsy.com. Don't know about the name, but maybe the domain www.hipstercraftprojects.com was taken.
Anti-Brooklynism aside, there are a few clever creations amongst the tchotchkes. The tiny octopi crocheted from hand-dyed wool calms my psychedelia urges, and pink coffin-shaped soaps will be make great holiday hostess gifts.
You can sort items by location, color, or category (incl: glass, furniture, & geekery). The best part about this website is reading the seller profiles. Unlike most craft fairs, these goods aren't produced by underpaid women and children in sweatshop settings.
Posted by Catherine at 4:36 AM
October 24, 2005
Crifs Merge With Bloods
Previously settling turf wars via decree of non-competition ordered by the Department of Justice, leftist weekly Village Voice is set to gang up with indie publishing house New Times. Upon approval of the Justice Department, The New Times would combine their mostly southern market with the Voice's six cities to run tings in 17 major US markets. The Voice celebrates it Golden Anniversary Wednesday.
Posted by Catherine at 4:32 PM
October 2, 2005
The Buddha Prince
This Saturday, I helped out at a wonderful production about the life of the 14th Dalai Lama in Central Park. It was a rich and moving experience on several levels. The Buddha Prince is staged as a "walking play" that moved from various areas of the park, the audience followed the masked yaks and monkeys along the pathway as a white Dalai Lama narrated. Along with Lecoq-style choreography, a chorus, and musicians the play was fun and taught lessons on oppression and peace without being preachy. With puppets, gorgeous traditional Tibetan instruments, and hi-energy (albeit sometimes goofy) story-telling the kids were having a ball while learning a little about Tibetan history. The performances were donation-based; and people who passed by without staying for the show even donated. The best part was working with people who were clearly there to create a welcoming and spiritually-illuminating environment, something very rare in the city. Originally a Minneapolis production, created by Shambhala Center Sadly, the people of our fair city truly need negativity-management guidance.
Posted by Catherine at 9:28 PM
September 27, 2005
Collecting the Cosmic Dust aka Making Sense of It All
There have been a few pinpoint moments along the timeline of my recent cultural and trend-spotting tours. I've been a longtime fan of psychedelia — in pop art, graphics, movies and music. The first marker came with making the acquaintance of the artist Dan Kopp who is also from the Midwest. He paints stark landscapes in a psychedelic, super-natural color palette. They may seem like black-light poster reproductions to some, but I totally get it. Then came Jeremy Blake's solo exhibition Reading Ossie Clark at Feigen Contemporary Gallery. The video art collages revealing narration from the fashion designer's diary with sketches of personalities in his life, and flowery digital imaging; resulting into a psycho-visual trip inside the designer's world.
Continue reading "Collecting the Cosmic Dust aka Making Sense of It All"
Posted by Catherine at 8:43 PM
July 26, 2005
Terrorism At Its Best
Humanity at its weakest. Initially, it seemed Muslim terrorists were mainly after the ostentatious American capitalist epicenter, New York City. After the suicide bombings in London, and the knee-jerk shooting of a "suspicious" Brazilian man by London Police on the subway (NYT). It seems real fear of dark-skinned attacks is creeping into our everyday existence everywhere.
A flight from LAX to LHR was grounded in Boston due to "suspicious" activity from a group of Pakistanis (NYT). Maybe the crew saved lives, and maybe the London police really did sense something truly wrong, but how is all this mistreatment justifiable? And when did some lives become more important than others? Have these "anti-terrorism responses" become our standard of behavior? It's open fire as we are killing as to not be killed, and extreme confrontational behavior has become the norm.
Posted by Catherine at 11:15 AM
July 6, 2005
Cool Down from Warm Up
Last Saturday was the kick-off for 2005's Warm Up at PS1. With the combination of new sponsors NOKIA and Target, plus a bunch of new staff, chaos was the keyword. I worked the VIP line as the Warm Up "Press Consultant," and received the crowds, each armed with multiple dramas, face on. I was so spent from the endless interaction with strangers, press, and acquaintances that I slept all day on the following Sunday.
Complaints ran from long beer and food lines, to bad music, to an awkward architectural installation. Everyone liked the art though, and most visitors left with smiles on their faces. By the end of the nite, it wasn't hard to hype up next Saturday's lineup with Norway's Lindstrom and Prins Thomas.
Overall, a little challenge never scares the GAG. And I think this summer's lineup really has something for everyone; and the Greater New York show alone makes the trip worthwhile.
Posted by Catherine at 12:25 AM
February 18, 2005
Silhouette Brown | Soundtrack for Month of L_O_V_E
So glad to get my next fix of future soul/broken beat with Dego and Kaidi's new release. And this shit's so good, my eyes roll back sometimes when I'm really feelin' it. So moved that I've been pondering getting a bigger space to make room for a Rhodes keyboard myself.
I could go on and on about each track but the bottom line is that this album is much needed: thoughtful lyrics, sick beats, and, of course, those slinky keys. This is a true album that gets played straight through and replayed. Now if only I could get some funkier remixes.
Posted by Catherine at 11:50 PM
January 7, 2005
Sequins of Hope
Just made it to Susan Miller's book signing at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square last night. The room was packed with a rapt audience of NYCers looking for someone to tell them, "Everything will be alright."
Miller is so excited about 2005's dance between Jupiter and Neptune that she showed up ready for clubbing in a silver sequined tank and fitted jeans. Per last year's reading, she covered each sign's main points. Aries, of course, were the most rambunctious of the crowd, but Libras are the Celestial Favorite of the year. Check out my notes for your sign. (Rachel also gave me the Year Ahead for all signs, if you want to borrow)
Continue reading "Sequins of Hope"
Posted by Catherine at 5:52 PM
November 15, 2004
The End of an Era: R.I.P. O.D.B
Beloved father of 13 and devoted husband of Iceline Jones leaves this world much too soon at the age of 36. Cause unknown. Public service in Harlem TBA.
Wu-Tang Forevah!
(http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/252867p-216516c.html)
Posted by Catherine at 3:09 PM
November 3, 2004
Get-Around-Girl Dips Her Toes Into 2005
So now we know John Kerry isn't going to ride in on a white horse and save our country, it's up to us to make the world in our vision. Get-around-girl knows that we all need some stimulation, love, fun, friends, and lovely accessories to make life beautiful. She has an open mind, a careful heart, and winged sandals to carry her around as she seeks to satisfy her curiosity.
Posted by Catherine at 12:23 PM
