19 March 2009

"I DARE JUST ONE MAGAZINE TO PUBLISH AN ISSUE WITHOUT RETOUCHING"

The French government may pass a law requiring magazines to disclose the amount of retouching in French magazine's pages. Check out this excerpt from The New York Times.

It is definitely a hot button issue. I'm actually on both sides...
What do you think about this issue?

WHAT THE FONT

whatthefont_for_iphone

With the iPhone version of WhatTheFont you can use the phone’s built-in camera to photograph the text in question (or choose an existing image from your photo albums). The app allows you to crop the image, focusing on only the important parts before uploading. After confirming which characters are used in the image, the app provides a list of possible matching fonts. You can then either e-mail a link to a MyFonts page with more info on that font, or open it up in the iPhone’s built-in Safari web browser.

Download it for free from the App Store.

VIA SWISSMISS

06 March 2009

EAU DE AMANDA

Nico Iliev Photography

Stumbled upon this interesting article via The New York Times and Refinery 29...
Admittedly making a little mockery of the holier-than-thou celebrity fragrance industry, the creators border on that line that straddles luxury and ridiculousness.
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A Buzz Without a Hangover

by Eric Wilson

YEARS ago, the mostly plastic, though undeniably authentic, transsexual performance artist Amanda Lepore gave up drinking, a hazard of the trade for those who make their livings in nightclubs. When she is on the clock, Ms. Lepore asks for a glass of ginger ale in a champagne flute.

Still, Ms. Lepore reeks of something bubbly, just as she did the other day when she walked into the Artware Editions gallery at 327 West 11th Street. Everywhere Ms. Lepore goes, people ask — though it may not be the first question that springs to mind — what are you wearing?

“I don’t drink, but I smell like I do,” Ms. Lepore casually announced, by way of introduction to a new fragrance that bears her name. Amanda, it is called. Like Ms. Lepore, the scent comes in a sparkly round package. It costs $950 and includes, among its many ingredients, a dash of Cristal.

Ms. Lepore, wearing a bombshell ensemble — a black Patricia Field skirt, black lace stockings and a bra from Agent Provocateur — was soon surrounded by her collaborators, Christophe Laudamiel, the perfumer; his partner, Christoph Hornetz, who designed the disco-ball-shaped bottle (together, they are known as Les Christophs); and Jon Tomlinson and Rebecca Epstein Kong, the owners of the gallery, which sells functional works by brand-name artists (bookshelves by Donald Judd; porcelain by Cindy Sherman). Amanda is supposed to be art, as opposed to, say, the weirdest celebrity fragrance ever.

“It’s not like Paris Hilton’s,” Mr. Hornetz groaned.

In 2003, Les Christophs had approached La Lepore at a party and asked if they could make a scent in her honor. It wasn’t intended to be sold commercially, Mr. Laudamiel said, but the gallery asked to make a limited edition.

This is why Amanda smells as distinctive as she does. Mr. Laudamiel started with a base of steamed rice, added mandarins, bergamot, orange flowers, strawberry and cucumber. Fittingly, the Champagne note is artificial.

“People will now recognize it, even before they see me,” Ms. Lepore said.

They might not soon forget, either, as the scent has a tendency to hang around, even when the party is over.

“It’s fermented,” she said.
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Amanda Lepore is an absolutely fascinating character. In my circle, she is most widely recognized as the subject of David LaChapelle's lens and her promotion of MAC cosmetics and Heatherette (RIP). An echo in her own right of artistic pioneers before like Orlan, Amanda is always challenging our notions of sexuality, appropriateness, and style.

05 March 2009

STAMP OF INTENT


There's a lot of hubbub (sorry I had to use that word) going on over at the ABC news blog.

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President Obama announced today that his administration will begin stamping an emblem on projects funded by the economic stimulus package so that people can easily recognize the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

All projects will be stamped with the ARRA logo (short for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) and lists the recovery.gov website on the emblem.

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Readers are questioning the validity of using "taxpayer money" to design this logo. Clearly, President Obama's team understands the role and power of design in communication. This is an effort to communicate. You can argue against his recovery plan, but at least THIS administration is doing their best to stay open and inform the American people.

THRU YOU


If web 2.0 brought us authorship, what will the web 3.0 bring? Here's a fun start: mash up authorship. Thanks to danthebeast!

AWESOME MUSIC


If you're feening some new music, head over to The Walrus. They've got tons of awesome indie tracks and the inside scoop on new releases.

RAINBOW SIGHTINGS


Love the simplicity of this idea.