magpie style

Heartbeats by The Knife

2007-10-03T19:45:00.000+01:00

Irresistable.

Zen Habits

2007-08-30T19:44:00.000+01:00

I have to admit, GTD (Getting Things Done) is very compulsive. For once, an addiction that has its pluses.

There is one site which I use over and over again. Zenhabits puts up a new post everyday. Mondays are for Productivity and Organisational tips, Tuesdays for Financial tips, Wednesday for Simplicity tips, Thursdays for Happiness tips, and Fridays for Health tips. You're bound to find at least one tip useful.

The guy who runs it, Leo Babauta, has six children, holds down a full-time job and blogs regularly. Quite a feat to pull off. He makes the rest of us look all sloth and laziness.

Teardrop

2007-08-27T19:50:00.000+01:00

Listening to Massive Attack's 'Teardrop' never fails to take me back to my teenage years in the '90s. Along with a few other tunes (which is another story altogether). I initially thought the video's by Chris Cunningham, but the director is actually Walter Stern.

The reason for bringing up 'Teardrop' at this point in time is that it's been given the acoustic make-over by Newton Faulkner. Very moving.

Lost At E Minor

2007-08-18T18:47:00.001+01:00

My piece on Elizabeth McGrath (previously blogged about right here at magpiestyle) is published on Lost At E Minor. It's a proper piece - an interview with Liz - as opposed to my on-a-whim posting.

There will be more from me at Lost At E Minor. It's a fantastic source of art, music, illustrations etc by the way, for those of you who don't already know.

Web Addiction

2007-08-14T19:51:00.000+01:00

The past few days were spent coming to terms with my Internet addiction. Normal behaviour is leaving it to run in the background while actual work is going on in Microsoft Word, then clicking over to check on emails or catch up on news and blog updates. Every task gets done in twice the time it should take. Multi-tasking, the buzz word in '90s, is now a sickness that everyone should do get rid of. Single tasking is a lot more efficient.

To help overcome my addiction, pageaddict.com was installed. Lo and behold, my Internet usage was not as bad as I'd imagined. The habit of keeping the browser open in the background is gone, gone, gone.

The sites chalking up the stats on pageaddict.com are:

Gothic Liz

2007-07-31T15:11:00.000+01:00

Elizabeth McGrath's toys are not for children. Grown-ups who still have a penchant for Barbie dolls also need not bother.

Her gothic illustrations, complete with dripping blood, is influenced by her Roman Catholic upbringing. Like Edward Gorey on speed - incidentally, she also cites Gorey as inspiration for her work. She expresses her dark art through various mediums and materials like dolls and paintings.

See: www.elizabethmcgrath.com

Emap Breakdown

2007-07-31T10:59:00.000+01:00

Emap is falling to pieces. Both metaphorically and literally. In the last two weeks, their Republic of Ireland radio station was sold off and 50% of their music TV business to Channel 4. Brands like Heat, Grazia and Pop are what makes Emap famous but Emaps' cash cow is their B2B division, which includes WGSN and Retail Week. Private equity firm Apax is in talks with the company, pricing the B2B business at £1.3billion. A demerger of Emap is certain (or according to Emap, a "strategic review"). It's a question of who will be snapping up the constituent parts.

My interest is in the consumer titles. At a time when magazines are still trying to define themselves in an environment of online magazines, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook and to retain readers' interest within a magazine's glossy pages, I wonder who will be the new owner of Grazia.

See: www.emap.com

Twyla Tharp

2007-07-30T09:09:00.000+01:00

Buy The Creative Habit from Amazon

Another book to fall casualty to my irrational and unstoppable spending sprees at Amazon is Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit. Tharp unveils the mystery behind the unseen process of choreography; what drives Tharp to create, where her inspiration and motivation comes from.

Artists and their creative processes have always fascinated me. And the deeper you dig, one discovers that it is less about inspiration and more about perspiration. Great artists put in the hours. For every success they would have had three previous works (or thereabouts) panned by the critics.

The Paris Review, back in the day when it was edited by George Plimpton, used to be a favourite. Especially the interviews, which - thanks to generosity of TPR - is now available online. I've got an itch to pick the magazine up again, but I can't seem to find it in the bookshops. If anyone knows, please let me know.

This Is London

2007-07-30T08:46:00.000+01:00

Deadlines in real life have come and gone. magpiestyle is back in business.

For a long time I have had my eye on This Is London by Miroslav Sasek. So when it came to do my ritualistic monthly order of books from Amazon, This Is London was put out of its 'Wish List' misery and the fateful order was placed. And my God, was it worth it.

The illlustrations throw you back to the '60s; a time when London was the largest city in the world, when tube tickets were made from stiff cardboard, when WH Smith was still run by Mr Smith.

Not necessarily a bedtime story just for kids, it's one for the grown-ups too.

Buy This Is London from Amazon

See: www.miroslavsasek.com

Exit

2007-07-19T08:40:00.001+01:00

Wallpaper* will be having guest editors on board the magazine for the first time since Tyler Brule launched the title in 1996. Take a guess who's going to be at the helm of the magazine... Hedi Slimane and Jeff Koons are just two names that have been announced. The first issue will be in October.

Roll on October!

See: www.wallpaper.com

I Am A Dancer

2007-07-16T09:57:00.000+01:00

Thanks to A Time To Dance for posting Martha Graham's 'I Am A Dancer'. An essay by the great American dancer talking about what dance means to her.

Here's an excerpt:

In a dancer, there is a reverence for such forgotten things as the miracle of the small beautiful bones and their delicate strength. In a thinker, there is a reverence for the beauty of the alert and directed and lucid mind. In all of us who perform there is an awareness of the smile which is part of the equipment, or gift, of the acrobat. We have all walked the high wire of circumstance at times. We recognize the gravity pull of the earth as he does. The smile is there because he is practicing living at that instant of danger. He does not choose to fall.

At times I fear walking that tightrope. I fear the venture into the unknown. But that is part of the act of creating and the act of performing. That is what a dancer does.

See: A Time To Dance

New York City Ballet in London

2007-07-16T08:49:00.000+01:00

Image borrowed from Sadler's Wells

New York City Ballet is coming to town. It's not on till March 2008, but it's worth getting excited now. Their first time performing in London in 25 years, I think to start getting excited now isn't overdoing it one bit.

More updates on dance soon.

See: Sadler's Wells, New York City Ballet

Exit

2007-07-12T14:40:00.000+01:00

Picking up from my last post about magazines going through a rough time, there are a few titles that go against the grain. Under experienced and enlightened editorship, these titles never fail to produce the goods every month.

Vogue (British)
Vogue (French)
GQ (UK)

Disappearing Landscapes

2007-07-12T14:24:00.001+01:00

London Eye, 2006-2007
Oil on canvas
160 x 130 cm
(Image borrowed from Alexia Goethe Gallery)

I love paintings. Good ole fashioned oil on canvas.

The British painter, Sacha Jafri, is living proof that painting is still very much alive (along with a few others, of course) and a breath of fresh air to the unending assault of conceptual art saturating the art scene. Inspired by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Franz Kafka, Wiliam Burroughs and Salman Rushdie, Jafri’s art is energetic and dymanic. His new solo show “Disappearing Landscapes” is exhibiting at Alexia Goethe Gallery in London. In an interview with WWD (12 Jul 2007), Sacha Jafri said: “This exhibition is about how these views of London are disappearing in people's minds because they're mundane and overfamiliar," he explains. "I want to reintroduce people; get them excited about their surroundings."

Art is all about new perspectives for me, and this one definitely ticks all the right boxes.

Disappearing Landscapes
1 Jun – 31 Jul 2007
Alexia Goethe Gallery
7 Dover Street
London W1S 4LD
T. +44 (0) 207 629 0090

See: Sacha Jafri, Alexia Goethe Gallery

Gordon Cheung

2007-07-11T14:00:00.000+01:00

I've been watching this artist for a while. Hong Kong-born and London-based Gordon Cheung is the Dali of today. Surreal landscapes of reality and hallucinations executed with Chinese ink, spray paint and oil, Gordon has been gaining exposure since his graduation from the Royal College of Art in 2001.

The piece pictured above just won the Laing Art Gallery's competition for emerging artists, Laing Solo. He used pages of the Financial Times to create virtual landscapes. Inspired by 19th century Romantic artist John Martin, Cheung explained: "I felt I could re-translate John Martin's Paradise Lost series into a contemporary and relevant context. The idea that we are losing, or certainly becoming increasingly urgent with, our relationship to Earth is compelling and to use an archetypal story as a means of understanding our era attracted me a great deal.”

28 Jul - 4 Oct 2007
Laing Art Gallery

See: Gordon Cheung's website

Exit

2007-07-11T09:05:00.000+01:00

There is no question that magazines are facing a tough time. Cosmogirl! and Jane have closed, and Arena is being sold off by Emap. It looks like the teen market has taken the hardest hit.

The National Magazine Company folds Cosmogirl! due to "the tough teen market" after six years of publication. Reported in Mediaweek (26 Jun - 3 Jul 2007), NatMags managing director Jessica Burley said: "We have really fought - it is just a very tough market. Teen girls have moved away to places like Facebook." The company will continue with its online publication Jellyfish aimed at women aged 18 to 25.

Conde Nast announced decision to fold Jane on Monday. According to WWD (10 Jul 2007), "executives at the company said it had given up on Jane filing out its portfolio by reaching a twentysomething female demographic".

Emap is selling off Arena. (Potentially) interested parties include Development Hell, Factory Media and Dennis Publishing. Published in Mediaweek (26 Jun - 3 Jul 2007), it reported that Arena has been 'hit by the increasingly tough men's magazine market conditions and has been struggling to achieve viable circulation scale'. What does this also mean for the future of Arena Homme Plus, I wonder?

Sponge Bob

2007-07-10T13:24:00.001+01:00

Sponge Bob Square Pants the unlikely hero of new rave? (New rave being the trend that is consuming London's youth right now.) Read more about new rave's hero by the ever prolific Style Bubble.

Serpentine Summer Pavilion 2007

2007-07-09T08:39:00.000+01:00

The Weather Project
© Olafur Eliasson Photo © 2003 Tate, London
(Image borrowed from Tate Modern)

This year's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is going to be by Olafur Eliasson. Beginning in August, it ends in November. After the rip roaring success of his Weather Project at Tate Modern's Turbine Hall - that was the talk of 2003 - Eliasson's Pavilion is much anticipated.

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2007
Visualization, exterior,
© 2007 Olafur Eliasson and Kjetil Thorsen
(Image borrowed from Serpentine)

Last year's pavilion by Rem Koolhaas, as a concept (and on photographs) was striking. But I think the idea of it was more exciting than the finished pavilion. Having said that, seeing the top of the glowing jellyfish-like structure as you walk towards the gallery from Hyde Park always brought on a serenity from the urban chaos of London. And a reminder of the daredevil spirit and openmindedness of the city.

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2006 © John Offenbach
(Image borrowed from Serpentine)

Jean Paul Gaultier Couture A/W07

2007-07-05T14:54:00.000+01:00

So many pieces from Jean Paul Gaultier's couture A/W07 one would love to have - even if he's done the rider look many times before.

All images borrowed from style.com

Couture A/W 07

2007-07-05T13:48:00.000+01:00

Couture hasn't died a death. It's alive and doing very well. Read all about it here.

Not forgetting John Galliano's Dior couture spectacle at Versaille, celebrating the house's 60th anniversary.

RM Launch

2007-07-05T11:33:00.000+01:00

Images borrowed from style.com

Roland Mouret is back - he was previously stuck in a legal battle over the use of his own-name brand Roland Mouret with his ex-business partner. His new line is called RM and was presented at Paris couture week. The line can be known as RM by the designer Roland Mouret but not RM by Roland Mouret. Prosaic but necessary for legal reasons.

According to style.com, every piece from the RM line can be reserved on Net-a-Porter. Everyone, get clicking now. And many many thanks to The Business Of Fashion for letting everyone know pre-ordering on Net-a-Porter starts as of 5:30pm London time today.

The Story Of Coco

2007-07-04T20:23:00.000+01:00

The World of Coco Chanel traces the life of the grande dame behind the eponymous design house Chanel. Written by Chanel's close friend and biographer, Edmonde Charles-Roux, the book's illustrations are drawn from Charles-Roux's archive. The result is an intimate portrayal.

Just bought from Claire de Rouen today, fresh out its wrapper, I can't wait to read the book cover to cover.

Buy The World of Coco Chanel from here.

Carsten Höller Slides

2007-07-04T08:45:00.000+01:00

Images borrowed from Tate Modern
© Tate Photography

Remember Carsten Höller at the Tate Modern's Turbine Hall? How brilliantly did his slides installation fill the hall's cavernous space. All who visited had such a fantastic time.

Apparently Miuccia Prada commissioned Höller to create a similar slide from her office into her courtyard. I'd love one for my office too!

Forced Entertainment

2007-06-28T09:01:00.000+01:00

Forced Entertainment had a one night only performance on 19 June as part of The South Bank Centre's Meltdown Festival.

Bloody Mess, I had reservations about my endurance for alternative theatre lasting slightly over 2 hours with no interval(s). The thought of DV8's choreography spurred me on. Bloody Mess is like 2 hours of non-stop Green Wing. I loved their use of the whole QEH's stage; there were props in every corner and one of the actresses ran up and down the middle of the stage like a screaming banshee throughout the 2 hours.

Forced Entertainment is all about improvisation. Towards the end, cast members were nearly doubling over at their own jokes. There is no storyline to Bloody Mess, more a journey than an escalating plot. (Same applies to all their other performances.) It is pure surrealist and absurdist comedy.

The highlight for me was when two of the actors started talking about 'what is silence'. Both started to take turns to describe silence. I can't recall the specifics, but will post it when I do.

Quote of the Month: July 2007

2007-06-27T14:36:00.000+01:00

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

- George Bernard Shaw

Radiohead Ballet

2007-06-19T09:45:00.000+01:00

A ballet's been created with Radiohead for inspiration. It's true, you heard it right. The Scottish Ballet will premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in August. Stephen Petronio's production Ride the Beast is set to five Radiohead tracks. "Expect the unexpected," accord to the summary of the production on Scottish Ballet's website. The Edinburgh International Festival runs from 10 August to 2 September.

My five tracks if I had anything to do with it are:

High and Dry
No Surprises
Let Down
The Bends
You Never Wash Up After Yourself

See here: Guardian Music News

Stella Vine

2007-06-18T09:59:00.000+01:00

The artist Stella Vine has created T-shirt dresses and tops for Topshop. Way to go, Stella!

See: www.topshop.co.uk

Bonde do Role

2007-05-21T20:22:00.000+01:00

It's all about Brazil, I'm telling you. The most exciting sound I've heard in the last few months is from Bonde do Role.

You've got to hear it to believe it.

Solta O Frango

Get the latest Bonde do Role news here: www.myspace.com/bondedorole

Five reasons to love Brazil:

Caipirinha
Brahma/Sagatiba
Samba
Beach Volleyball
Brasilia

Page Turner: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

2007-05-17T21:17:00.000+01:00

Those of you familiar with the oeuvre of Julie Garland and Jude Deveraux will love this book. However, du Maurier's command of the English language is quite something else. Straightforward storyline which one can guess from about 50 pages in (or less), but du Maurier sweeps you on a journey that leaves you wanting.

There's also the film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the leading roles.

Image borrowed from here. Rebecca, 1940. Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier.
Image courtesy of MPTV.net

Dance Roundup Spring/Summer 2007: NDT2

2007-05-17T20:19:00.000+01:00

As promised, here is my account of Nederlands Dans Theater's performance at Sadler's Wells last Saturday.

On occasions where dance, lighting, costumes and music come together, it is one of sublime enjoyment. And Nederlands Dans Theater 2's Sleight of Hand performance is just that occasion. Philip Glass's Symphony nr. 2: Movement II commanded that of the otherworldly. His haunting music conjured two tall giants in the background - two dancers sitting atop a structure nearly touching the ceiling, dressed in black with skirts falling to the floor. Three boys in tailcoats come on stage like black jokers tease the audience, in tandem to Glass's haunting and slightly dark melodies. The composition of the two giants with their sharp angular movements, the three black jokers' strong leaps and the lone, sad dancer in white was the work of Lightfoot Leon (Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon).

I went because of Jiri Kylian - Chapeau and Sleepless were his works, but came away discovering the enjoyment of another choreographer. Watch an excerpt here, and be seduced.

Image borrowed from here. Sleight of Hand, Nederlands Dans Theater II
Photographed by John Ross ©

NDT2 was originally conceived to prepare young dancers for the big move to NDT1. Over the years, NDT2 have become renowned for their experimentalism with different dance styles.

So they may be young, but NDT2 carried themselves with such aplomb. Can you imagine NDT1? I can't wait for their London arrival.

Image borrowed from NDT. Chapeau, Nederlands Dans Theater II
Photographed by Joris-Jan Bos

Back In Business

2007-05-17T20:00:00.000+01:00

My broadband connection is finally up and running again.

I've come back to find lovely comments left on my posts on type - thank you. I'm glad that there are so many like-minded people out there. Can you imagine a future like the one William Gibson imagined in All Tomorrow's Parties? The reality we live in now isn't all that far away from the one cooked up in dear William's mind.

Dance Roundup S/S 2007: Intro

2007-05-09T20:56:00.000+01:00

I am back on the dance circuit, after being ensnared by work commitments for the last six months. First up, Nederlands Dans Theater 2 this Saturday. Then Phoenix Dance Theatre (under the helm of new artistic director Javier De Frutos - can't wait!) on 1 June.

I will be posting reviews right here on Magpie Style.

A Love Affair With Type (Pt. 2)

2007-05-03T21:07:00.000+01:00

A continuation from my last post on type, here are some type which I find inspiring.

This is London by Miroslav Sasek
Buy from Amazon

Published in The New Yorker October 24, 1931
by Rose Silver

A Love Affair With Type

2007-05-03T20:33:00.000+01:00

What is it about type that is so intriguing? 26 letters of the alphabet that can be designed to communicate various emotions and messages. Just look at M/M (Paris) - image below.

M/M (Paris) - with Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin
The Alphabet [Generic], 2001
Image borrowed from Haunch of Venison

Other fans of type like ACEJet170, an English graphic designer with his collections of found type from holidays, car boot sales and other peoples' waste - just to name a few sources of his. It's thrilling to share someone else's finds (and passions) and be privvy to another person's perspective of what is beautiful.

Image borrowed from ACEJet170.

So this journey on type leads one right back to the fundamentals. Letterpress. A dying art form in this day and age of Quark Express and Indesign, letterpress is the precursor of the desktop publishing and printing that we know today. Letterpress is taught on most graphic design courses but the only commercial one I could find is by Harrington & Squires. In the crudest form of explanation, one could say that letterpress is akin to rubber stamping on a large scale. Like Chinese woodblock printing, letterpress is important to the history of printing and, therefore, extremely important that this art be kept alive now and for future generations.

Image borrowed from Harrington & Squires.

Beauty News

2007-05-03T01:06:00.000+01:00

The best cure to hands that have done too many washing ups: Burts Bees Hand Repair starter kit. Tried and tested.

New Books For My Bookshelf

2007-05-03T00:54:00.000+01:00

On dance, cooking and graphic.

A Master Of Control

2007-05-03T00:26:00.000+01:00

Colour Study of Group Behaviour and the Need to Control
by Alon Levin

There is something cathartic about Alon Levin's art. The straight lines, the order and control coupled with the prosaic titles is very appealing. Born in 1975 in Israel, he is based in Amsterdam and Berlin.

Wise Words

2007-04-10T21:03:00.000+01:00

The last month has been a rough ride. Relief in small doses came from discovering Zen Habits and The Happiness Project.

It might even make converts out of those who turn their noses up at self-help and inspirational babble. They are just one person's trek through life and how to make it a little more pleasant. Live and learn...

Knock Knock, Who's There?

2007-02-22T20:00:00.000Z

A blog to watch out for: Dead Air Space. And guess who's behind the abstract thoughts, anti-capitalism sentiments and the witty retort by Oasis' smart-arse remark about this band? It's none other than Radiohead's Thom Yorke. Beautiful...

A Writing Life

2007-02-20T23:57:00.000Z

A writer's life has always been an attractive enigma. Does one knock out 2,000 words a day, surviving on crackers, tea and cigarettes all the way through a novel? Louise Doughty's column on the life of a writer demystifies my romantic ideas of what a full-time writer's life is like. A lot of the time, nothing much happens. Hardly a firecracker.

I'm looking forward to Louise's weeks, living out my Ernest Hemingway fantasies through her blog. Cigarettes, rum, pen, paper... Moleskine for the latter of course.

Stellar Stella

2007-02-19T21:03:00.000Z

Hi Paul, can you come over... 50 x 60cm 2003
Saatchi Collection London

Stella Vine has her own blog out every Monday on Guardian's website. Yes, it is the same Miss Vine the British artist whose paintings of pop culture personalities Princess Diana, Kate Moss and Pete Doherty is nearly always guaranteed to receive several column inches. Her profile on the site reads,

British artist Stella Vine was born in Alnwick, Northumberland, in 1969. She left school at 13, fell pregnant at 16, and was a stripper before becoming an artist. She rose to prominence after being featured in Charles Saatchi's New Blood exhibition, with her portrait of heroin addict Rachel Whitear attracting widespread media attention. In 2003, she opened Rosy Wilde, an artist-run project space, in London’s East End.

Be sure to share Stella's adventures every week!

www.stellavine.com

Editrice Now

2007-02-19T20:49:00.000Z

Very interesting piece in Media Guardian today - an interview with Grazia's editor, Jane Bruton. In the current dog eat dog climate in the world of women lifestyle/fashion magazines jostle one another for sought after shelf space, Miss Bruton has got it all worked out.

News, views and plenty of shoes
Bucking the downward trend of most women's mags, Grazia boasts a healthy year-on-year circulation increase. Stephen Armstrong speaks to its editor about the glossy's winning formula of the serious and the frivolous

Monday February 19, 2007
The Guardian

Arriving at the Grazia offices, I meet Jane Bruton twice. There is a BBC documentary crew following the magazine for six months and my first arrival is not quite right so we have to do it again for the camera. They hover around the interview for the first 20 minutes, which makes for a curiously stilted set of questions. Bruton answers quietly and professionally, but as soon as the team leave she visibly relaxes.
"It's a bit of a nightmare," she confides. "Since they've been following us, everyone's come into work with full make-up just in case. The day you come in with a hangover - that's the day you'll be filmed all day."Initially Bruton was reluctant to accept the request from the One Life series, but she ultimately decided it was better than having a competitor on the screen.
"At the beginning it meant our meetings were suddenly very formal and stilted," she smiles. "But we're a weekly. We don't have time to pretend. That Marie Claire documentary 10 years ago was so staged. We are what we are. Certainly it'll disabuse any work experience girls who think we're like the Devil Wears Prada - sipping champagne, trying on dresses and going to parties. And if we're going to do a documentary, then now is the right time."
Now is certainly the right time in terms of Grazia's success. Last week's ABCs had the title up 23% year-on-year to 210,200, just shy of Vogue's 219,026. In a troubled women's market, this performance was even more remarkable. Marie Claire was down almost 10%, Cosmo down 1%, New Woman down 4% and InStyle down 8%, with Red and Elle holding steady.
"Grazia's advantage is that it was a completely new launch and it made its own market," says Natalie Rutherford, associate director at Vizeum, Coca Cola and River Island's media-buying agency.
"They have their own angle on celebrity stories which keeps readers coming back, and they offer buyers a good, valuable demographic. In a way, they might be at risk of becoming a victim of their own success. They don't want to expand too much beyond their demographic as it would water down their proposition."
Bruton acknowledges adland's accolade with a wry grin. "When we launched in February 2005, everyone kept saying 'you're very brave,'" she remembers. "They didn't know what to make of a weekly glossy. I was flat-planning an issue in May with five ads. But we stuck to our guns and didn't lower our yield. Then this time last year I was out in Milan, meeting Prada and Versace, and they were finally getting it - they'd been worried about mixing celebrity paparazzi shots with fashion, but finally they liked it. Now the Italian parent has changed to copy us and we've got all those labels advertising. I regularly flat-plan with 60 ads and we can't fit any more in."
Bruton maintains that fashion is readers' primary reason for purchase, and cites a recent story on a Marc Jacobs print Louis Vuitton bag that sold out almost immediately in London and prompted seven Grazia readers to take the Eurostar to Paris to buy one. But the magazine's engagement with celebrity culture has placed it under certain harsh spotlights.
Kate Winslet is currently suing the magazine - "I can't talk about that," she shakes her head, "I'm sorry." And Kelvin MacKenzie recently cited Grazia on Question Time when discussing the tabloid scrum surrounding Kate Middleton. Bruton sighs. "We have never put Kate Middleton in the magazine," she says, emphatically.
"We don't need to do it. I go with pictures that people know are being taken. We don't do cellulite shots. We don't poke fun. We're not in that market. Our readers want to see people looking their best."
She has taken on the size zero issue in features and news stories, covering the models who have died from anorexia, but also defends the fashion industry robustly.
"A lot of what went on in last week's Fashion Week was tantamount to bullying of models like Lily Cole," she says pugnaciously. "I've met Lily Cole, and she's not that skinny. No models are size zero. If a five foot ten girl was that thin she wouldn't be able to get out of bed, let alone walk down a catwalk.
"It [the debate] didn't even start in Paris or Milan, it started in LA with the likes of Nicole Richie. But I get called to comment on it about it five times a day. I think you have to say something, because if you don't, it seems like you're scared of it. There's a risk of being misquoted - I wanted Lily Cole to write a piece but she said anything she wrote would be taken and made into something it's not - but you have to put your view across. Personally, I think the whole cult of thin is awful and disturbing and our readers do too."
Although Bruton is confident of her magazine's attitude, it did take a while for Grazia to find its feet. A decision to put full-length pap pics on the cover and introduce a section called 10 Hot Stories, which mixes hard news with celebrity break-ups, proved the turning point.
"After that sales went up 10,000 in a month," she explains. "Some people are surprised and uncomfortable with that mix. How can you go from a really hard-hitting story about women's rights in Afghanistan to the latest on the Pete and Kate show or the return of white stilettos? I think the mix is key - it's about showing how confident women are now. We can talk about politics, social issues and shoes and that's OK. They're not mutually exclusive. A few years ago, if you wanted to work for Amnesty, you would never have admitted that you were obsessed with Manolo Blahnik."
The "news and shoes" approach is pretty much Bruton's life in a nutshell. She grew up in a working-class family in Wigan. Her paternal grandfather worked on the railways and her grandmother was a midwife. Her father was the first in the family to go to university, eventually becoming a librarian.
They were old-school, self-improving working class - her grandmother read her poetry, and had brothers and sisters who had won scholarships to Oxford but could not afford to go. At the same time, her granny was obsessed with clothing. She once spent £800 on a jacket in the 1940s, effectively £8,000 today, and had to take it back because she had spent the family's life savings.
Bruton was inspired by her father. He encouraged her to study for the love of it not to plan a career, so she took English and spent her time at Nottingham University in Doc Martens, holey tights and 50s dresses, smoking roll-ups and going on student demos.
"I never thought about being a journalist," she shrugs. "The only reason I got on to the City University post-grad course was because I didn't know what else to do. I have no idea how I got on, because everybody else had spent their college years working on student papers and I did a bit for our arts mag, but it was crap. I think I was just the lucky last one."
For all her engaging diffidence, however, her CV boasts circulation rises at every mag she has edited, as well as two British Society of Magazine Editor awards.
Sue Matthias, deputy editor of the New Statesman, worked with Bruton at Eve when she relaunched the mag and believes her success is due to her approach - a blend of the serious and the frivolous that few glossies have.
"I came to Eve from a newspaper features background, and my job was to come up with the stronger stories, the kind of thing many glossy magazine editors wouldn't really get," she explains.
"We'd come up with a story on how women in Sarajevo had become infertile through the stress of the civil war, Jane got it immediately and was right behind it for the relaunch issue. I think she's got a very strong sense of what her readers want - she's got a very sharp mind and she's far too clever to flaunt it."
What does she think of that? She is momentarily nonplussed. "I think . . . I don't know . . . I've got a good team," she rustles some paper as she thinks.
"Emap says it hired me because I wanted to create a magazine for my generation. I did the same at LivingEtc." And then she pauses and laughs a wicked laugh. "Some might call it lazy because I only ever work on magazines that are aimed at me, but it does mean I can dig inside myself to work out what readers want."
Curriculum Vitae
Age 38
Education Byrchall High School, Wigan, Nottingham University and City University.
Career
1990-91 Nicholson Travel Guides, editor
1991-94 Chat, subeditor
1994-95 Wedding and Home, features editor
1995-96 Wedding and Home, deputy editor
1996-98 Prima, associate editor
1998-2002 LivingEtc, editor, awarded BSME Editor's Editor
2002-2005 Eve, editor, won BSME Editor of the Year 2004
2005-present Grazia, editor, won BSME Editor of the Year 2006

Carbon Footprint

2007-02-13T00:29:00.000Z

It's not about the biggest house, the fastest car or how many times you eat out every week. Hot topic in the parliament and around the dinner table is carbon emissions. Just what is your carbon footprint? Mine is 7.2 tonnes with an ecological footprint of 4.1 global hectares. In simple terms, 2.5 planets are needed to support global consumption like mine. A scary thought. Considering walking is my main mode of transport and my last long haul flight was five years ago.

Carbon Footprint tells you all you need to know about it. Taking a quote from them that explains it a whole lot better than I could,

Carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

For those who emit excessive CO2, do your part to offset emissions. Carbon Neutral lets you donate to projects in order to make your recent European city getaway carbon neutral.

The smallest action counts. Ones I'm currently working on are reducing wastage - food, clothes, energy etc, buy locally and seasonal produce. It's difficult in view of my online shopping addiction. One must overcome... Hello Natural Collection!

ROH Spring 2007 Newsletter

2007-02-10T18:53:00.000Z

Just received Royal Opera House's newsletter. Great design with what looks like helvetica font. It has a very dynamic layout, conveying ROH's efforts to update the establishment's identity.

Just one complaint. Partial to how books and magazines smell (what an odd person, you must be thinking), ROH is an assault to the olfactory. On ripping open the plastic wrapping, it literally puts one off browsing the newsletter. Simply imagine, a beautiful woman who smells of sweat. That's what the ROH newsletter is. Over time, the smell does mute.

Soldiering on past the smell, the programme for Spring looks spectacular. There's Apollo (George Balanchine), Children of Adam (World Premiere - Alastair Marriott) and Theme and Variations (George Balanchine). The other one is La Fin du Jour (Kenneth MacMillan), Pierrot Lunaire (Glen Tetley) and Seven Deadly Sins (World Premiere - Will Tuckett).

Head Porter Plus

2007-02-10T14:11:00.000Z

It isn't very often that I wished I spoke Japanese. But for the practical purposes of online shopping, it would be an advantage. To be able to understand honeyee would be a plus too.
Head Porter Plus via honeyee's online store has the most delectable piece I would like to spend my shopping budget this month on. No Japanese needed to understand that the item's already sold out. At 10,080yen, it works out to be roughly £45. A bargain, to my mind.

New York Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2007

2007-02-09T23:17:00.000Z

Fashion week fever is abound once more. In New York, Marc Jacobs, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Proenza Schouler are favourites.

Marc Jacobs

3.1 Phillip Lim

Proenza Schouler

All images borrowed from Style.com

APC Mania

2007-01-27T01:10:00.000Z

Joy this week came in the form of a small white envelope that came through the post. The new APC Summer 2007 catalogue is here.

At least five items have made it onto my wish list.
1) Sparkly knit dress
2) Gold mary janes
3) Cat brooch
4) Cardigan
5) Short-sleeve pullover

And no doubt more items will be accumulated over the next few weeks.

MIA

2007-01-27T00:58:00.000Z

Photo borrowed from BBC News

Well... it's been a while since the last posting.

Most of January passed in a blur, stuck neck deep in the world of magazine publishing. The only respite coming from the heavy snow on Tuesday - probably not for the many commuters who couldn't get home. Note picture above.

Snowball fights, snowman, rooftops covered in a white blanket...

Vogue's Past

2006-12-21T01:17:00.000Z

For its 90th anniversary birthday celebrations, Vogue is showcasing its past covers, counting from the first issue in 1916, on their website. Here are a few favourites.

May 1935
Edited by Alison Settle

April 1937
Edited by Elizabeth Penrose
Cover by Pierre Roy

July 1937
Edited by Elizabeth Penrose
Cover by Anton Bruehl

All images above borrowed from Vogue

Digital TV Is All The Rage

2006-12-16T16:40:00.000Z

First there was MySpace, then blogging. Now, there's digital TV. Magazines like Nylon, Vice, Dazed & Confused and Vogue all have started their own digital TV service, featuring prime content that us mere mortals may not be privvy to.

Against the reality of harsher advertising climates where print advertising have taken a hard knocking, magazines need to come up with new ways of generating revenue. Digital television is a different way of presenting content to the consumer and engaging the MTV generation/Internet saavy audience. The writers have access to, say, fashion designers and need to write up their catwalk reports for the magazine. So why not rig themselves with a portable DV cam, record the behind the scenes footage and interviews, then repackage it for digital TV? It's called thinking laterally and being economical with resources.

The success of YouTube could also quite possibly have been another factor, demonstrating how easy it is to upload videos followed by an almost immediate worldwide response and appreciation of popular home videos.

The race of brand extensions continues...

Vice TV arrives 1 Feb 2007. Updates soon.

Vice TV ad from the website

On Dazed Digital Broadcast, there are interviews, behind the scenes footage of bands and recordings of the Dazed Live Sessions. There's also an exclusive with Charles Atlas, the video artist who works with dancers like Michael Clarke and Merce Cunningham. He's also worked with Leigh Bowery. Atlas recently had an exhibition of new video works 'Instant Fame' at Vilma Gold on Vyner Street from 22 Nov to 3 Dec. Tate Modern also showed a series of retrospective screenings of his work from 1975 to 2005 at the Tate Modern Starr Auditorium from 17 to 22 Nov. Both exhibitions I'd read about, told myself to remember to go, then forgotten about. Annoyed... All dance fans out there will no doubt appreciate this piece of digital TV.

Footage of Charles Atlas borrowed from Dazed Digital Broadcast

Nylon TV features Nylon's MySpace blogger, Tracy, showing off the cool gear that streams into the Nylon office and out on the streets of SoHo. The first episode takes her to the Tsubi store looking for boy-fit jeans.

Footage of Tracy in Tsubi store borrowed from Nylon TV

Vogue TV, sponsored by Estee Lauder, carries expert comment and footage of the London, Paris and Milan fashion shows. All shows are presented by members of the Vogue team. The team headed by Alexandra Schulman recently celebrated their 90th anniversary with a special issue. Latest video on Vogue TV is of Karl Lagerfeld in Monte Carlo. Behind the scenes footage of the fashion world is always interesting for the fashion voyeur. Die-hard Chanel fans please take note: this is definitely not to be missed.

Footage of Karl Lagerfeld in Monte Carlo borrowed from Vogue TV

Where Is Silas?

2006-12-13T23:25:00.000Z

In the past few days, I've been on a 'Rediscover Silas' journey. Searching high and low, trawling the web for Silas stockists, luck hasn't been on my side. According to the Silas website,

The new A/W 06-07 collections are currently being delivered to select stores only. The new collections will not be as widely available outside of Japan. Silas has decided to limit distribution worldwide and concentrate sales, production and distribution in the Far East. There are still a few stores outside of Japan that will carry product.

Why, oh why?

Images borrowed from the Autumn/Winter 06-07 lookbook
Photography by Dennis Schoenberg
Styling by Beth Fenton
Art direction by Ben Sansbury

Magazine Culture

2006-12-11T23:50:00.000Z

UK £27.50
Trade Paperback (10 x 13 inches)
ISBN10: 0-7893-1497-5 ISBN13: 978-0-7893-1497-0
Published by Universe
Buy from Magma Books

Magazines are social anthologies. In the case of independent/niche magazines, they are normally started by young creatives, probably slightly frustrated with the mainstream media. So the magazines they publish are a reflection of their desires, passions and aims. To make it all possible, a pool of like-minded individuals are normally called upon to photograph and write reflecting the same left-field view as the publishers'.

Today, we have Butt, Fantastic Man, Kilimanjaro and Werk along with many others; some too small that's yet to register on my radar. Not just the content, but the smell and feel of a magazine is seductive. Living a life in the thrall of magazines, I am eager to get my hands on the newly published The Last Magazine. Initially thinking it's a book about magazines, a description about the book in Magma's catalogue has managed to confuse me. It goes like this,

"Presented here in this visual anthology are the current boutique periodicals so cutting-edge, they will continue to flourish in print even as their mainstream contemporaries move to digital."

This hasn't detracted, and instead have heightened, my curiosity. I suppose the only way to find out is to buy a copy.

While on the topic of books about magazines, there's one that exceeds all others. 100 Years of Magazine Covers authored by Steve Taylor and designed by Neville Brody has to be the best of its genre. Now, Neville is know from his time at the now-defunct The Face. More recently, he was behind the way The Guardian website looks today and is a renowned designer with studios stretching from Berlin to London to New York.

The choice of magazine covers featured aren't limited to 'avant-garde' titles, but open-minded. The inclusion of fashion titles like i-D, The Face and Dazed & Confused isn't surprising. The editorial team did not forget that the magazine publishing business does stretch furtherer than that. So covers of Fast Company (business), Maxim (mens) and Mayfair (adult) sit comfortably with Tatler, Time Out and Vanity Fair.

UK £29.95, US $45.00
Hardback, 288 pages, 400 illustrations (23 x 30 cm)
ISBN10: 1904772420 ISBN13: 9781904772422
Published by Black Dog Publishing
Buy from Amazon

A Cardigan For Winter

2006-12-11T00:22:00.000Z

My heart is set on a round neck cabled cardigan from Inverallan (left). Inverallan is a Scottish company specialising in Aran knits. According to their site,

"Our Aran Sweaters are hand knits and the most complex and thus the most exclusive form of knitting, Each Aran garment takes a single knitter, working in his or her own home well over 90 hours and contains at least 25,000 stitches. Each Aran sweater is individual, made with enormous skill, and if treated with care will last a lifetime."

Going by the wet and windy weather of late, a cosy knitted cardigan is a must. The key is a piece that doesn't shout frumpy.

There is a similarly covetable knitted cardigan by APC (below). But after a recent APC spending spree, I'm finding it hard to justify another purchase. Otherwise, I stand the risk of becoming a walking APC advert.

Dance Roundup A/W 2006: Rambert

2006-12-10T21:15:00.000Z

Alistair Spalding, the chief executive and artistic director of Sadler's Wells, is doing an incredible job of attracting big names to this heavyweight London institution in contemporary dance. From Sylvie Guillem and Dutch National Ballet to Michael Clark and Pina Bausch, Sadler's Wells is the place to catch exciting dance.

Rambert, a Sadler's Wells associate company, presented a performance celebrating its 80th anniversary. Inciting minimal excitement from me (after all, didn't they just throw a big party for its 75th), I was more excited about the fashion designer Roland Mouret's involvement than its birthday celebrations. Anniversary novelty's run a little thin this time round.

Verge
© Richard Dean
Image borrowed from Rambert

Mouret's costumes for Verge didn't disappoint. Beautifully cut, each of the eight dancers were clad in different black-clad costumes. These dancers need to move, so certainly no Galaxy dress here. In Verge, Cameron McMillan explored,

With the idea of a major life transition and the experience of change, particularly the inherent conflict of fear and anxiety versus excitement ad anticipation.

His dancers performed to a score plump with a recording of the physical sounds of the dancers (composed by Elspeth Brooke), like a chair dragged across the floor and tapping feet. It's something that's difficult to imagine. When I read the programme, I could not for a minute imagine how it was going to translate on stage. The end result was rather exciting and an artistic collaboration - in music, costume and choreography - I hope to see more of.

Divine Influence
© Anthony Crickmay
Image borrowed from Rambert

Apart from Verge, there were three other parts to the programme: Divine Influence, Lady Into Fox and Stand and Stare. Divine Influence kicked off the evening. Two dancers challenge the constraints of classical ballet, dancing out their frustration.

Pieter Symonds and Simon Cooper in Lady into Fox
© John Ross
Image borrowed from here

Lady Into Fox was specially revived from the '40s, with a newly added prologue and epilogue by Mark Baldwin to the original conceived by Andree Howard.

Finally, there was Stand and Stare. Which I thought was disappointing. The piece did not hold together. Having a lot of dancers on stage at the same time can work, but in this case, I thought it failed. Perhaps choreographer Darshan Singh Bhuller meant to convey the crowd scenes from Lowry paintings. But I thought it was all at once too chaotic, and the big Lowry prints on canvas hanging from ceiling to floor made matters worse. It was a couragous and ambitious attempt.

Lasting about two and a half hours, including intervals, this was quite a long programme. Rambert should never be missed because its dancers are technically very precise and strong (Angela Towler was astounding demonstrating her strong sense of control over her moves). But this evening never quite climaxed.

Homemade Hobbies

2006-12-09T15:42:00.000Z

Currently addicted to knitting and crafting, this site (A to Z) makes one want to get the scissors, rubber stamps and stickers out. Between the two of them (Anne Louise and Zoe), they have oodles of talent.

Now, if only I knew how to use a sewing machine...

Dance Roundup A/W 2006: Rosas (Repertory Evening)

2006-12-09T13:51:00.000Z

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker/Rosas in Fase, four movements. Photo by Herman Sorgeloos.
Image borrowed from here.

One look at the programme and the name Bartok jumps out. My heart sinks. Bartok's music is difficult to listen to, but choreographers just love it. Rosas, presented Quatuor No. 4 to Bela Bartok's string quartet at Sadler's Wells. Fun evening ahead.

So far, of all the dance performances I've seen choreographed to Bartok hasn't engaged enough. I didn't have high hopes for this either. Also, it's my first time watching Rosas. After 10 minutes, I was bowled over. Never have I seen such intelligent choreography and deep understanding of the music. Anna Teresa de Keersmaker's choreography counterpoints Bartok's difficult music; where the music alienates, the dance draws you in.

Accompanied by The Duke Quartet, the dancers were strong and consistent. Very precise in their steps.

Quatuor No. 4 (1986), Verklarte Nacht (1995) and Die Grosse Fuge (1992) are Rosas' most popular works. Rosas was the focus of this year's Dance Umbrella.

If I Had Only One Day In London...

2006-12-09T01:14:00.000Z

What would I do? Where would I go? Do I go for the tourist attractions or choose from the countless arts events that London has to offer?

In no specific order, this is how I would spend my day.
1) Tate Modern
2) Sadler's Wells
3) Royal Opera House
4) Prince Charles Cinema
5) The National Gallery
6) Soho (Bar Italia, Patisserie Valerie)

How can one not be inspired by the London skyline (below)...

Modern Masters (Manet to Picasso)

2006-12-09T00:29:00.000Z

There is a redisplay of the Modern Masters (Manet to Picasso) at The National Gallery in London. With the current Velazquez exhibition going on, the modern masters have been moved to the Sainsbury Wing Level -2. Keep going past the cloak room, past the lift and head down the stairs. Until you can't go any further, you will see the little rooms with low ceilings crammed with 20 people or so. All crowded round Van Gogh's Sunflowers, chatting away. Surely this is no way to view great art; in a small room with low ceilings with no natural light surrounded by tourists. Roll on the end of the Velazquez exhibition and put the modern masters back where they rightfully belong.

Vincent Van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888
Image borrowed from here.

Pet Shop Boys Exhibition

2006-12-09T00:07:00.000Z

On the lower ground floor of London's National Portrait Gallery in the little foyer outside the bookshop, Pet Shop Boys is featured in a small exhibition. The highlight is the screening of their pop videos. Love Comes Quickly, It's A Sin, What Have I Done To Deserve This, every Pet Shop Boys classic you can think of. Just fabulous.

Don't forget to get the accompanying book Catalogue. It'd make for a great Christmas present actually.

The Power of Art: Mark Rothko

2006-12-08T23:38:00.000Z

Mark Rothko, Blue and Gray, 1962

Simon Schama's The Power of Art featured Mark Rothko tonight. One thing jumped out - apart from that he is an incredible artist of course. Rothko had turned down $2.5million for his art. Which artist today would turn down that kind of money? In today's dog-eat-dog every man for himself world, money is what makes the world turn.

I've always admired artists. They work tirelessly and continuously at their art, never earning much money in their lifetime. Possibly taking 10 years before discovering their style, and only to become posthumous millionaires.

This MySpace phenomenon is destroying talented individuals. Before their talent has the space and time to grow, they are hyped up into superstar status. Although I don't think Arctic Monkeys is complaining much nor Lily Allen.

Ballet Russes (2005)

2006-12-08T20:36:00.000Z

This film is pure documentary genius. Filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine pieced together a little gem about the famous Ballet Russes, using interviews with surviving members like Alicia Markova, Frederic Franklin, George Zoritch and Nina Novak. Cleverly mixing precious archive footages and new interviews, the film tracks the ups and downs of the dancers who counted great creators of this century like Nijinsky, Balanchine, Picasso, Matisse and Stravinsky as collaborators.

Su Blackwell

2006-12-08T19:56:00.000Z

Su Blackwell's art exudes such innocence and charm. Very Alice in Wonderland, her book/cut sculptures caught my attention and imaginations. Whimsical cut-outs that are carefully considered based on what the book is about. She's definitely someone to watch. Visit Su's website here to find out where her latest exhibition is.

Birds of the Open Forest (Dusk), 2006

Alice. A Mad Tea Party, 2006

The Secret Garden Series, 2006

Quote of the Month: September - November 2006

2006-12-07T23:54:00.000Z

The secret of all those who make discoveries is that they regard nothing as impossible.

- Justus Liebig (1803-1873), a German chemist

PS: So I didn't put up new quotes for two months. Bite me.

Dance Roundup A/W 2006: Royal Ballet Mixed Bill (Chroma/The Four Temperaments/DGV)

2006-12-07T22:14:00.000Z

If there is just one performance to catch this year, then it's Royal Ballet's mixed bill. Never before have I been to a performance as exquisite as Chroma/The Four Temperaments/DGV.

Chroma, a new work by Random Dance's Wayne McGregor (the man with the bald pointy head), opens with a spare and minimal setting. White floor, white walls, white light. I'm sure there's a narrative, but as with most dance, it can be hard to extract. Four Temperaments by George Balanchine, wonderfully revived by the Royal Ballet. As more time goes by, Balanchine looks increasingly dated. I've no doubt it was once the avant-garde act of its time.

Then there's Danse a Grande Vitesse. It's like snow on Christmas Day. Music by Michael Nyman (Musique a grande vitesse, initially composed for the opening of France's high speed train. Nevermind that for now), it's a spectacular spectacular show. Nothing can top it. Not even Michael Clarke with his Sex Postols or T. Rex. Let's just say, with DGV you don't want the moment to end. And Darcy Bussell. When you see her dance, you realise why she's the principal. She's in a class of her own - no other dancer in the company comes anywhere close. Nyman's music builds the dance with one magnificently choreographed moment after another, building up to the last 5 minutes (DGV lasts 29 minutes), where the music soars into an incredibly moving moment where music, dancers, lighting and set become one.

Lilja 4-ever (2002)

2006-12-07T20:20:00.000Z

The kind of film every angsty 20 year old must watch. Along with Dream Life of Angels.

It's all youth and energy in the first quarter, set against a grim Russian reality. That optimism then starts to spiral very quickly downwards. Into a unescapable abyss.

At the end, you end up willing Lilja to stay alive, to fight back. To right all the wrongs that others have done to her in her life.

It's not the sort of film for a Friday night in, unless you're in the mood for something quite depressing.

Singapore Biennale 2006

2006-12-07T20:14:00.000Z

Singapore recently held its Biennale. There were a few big names featuring. Like Hiroshi Sugimoto (very fittingly exhibited in a church) and Yayoi Kusama (loved her stairway to heaven). There's also an artist, Agathe de Bailliencourt, who caught my eye with her energetic graffiti-like scrawls. Wish I were in the Lion City...

Dance Roundup Autumn/Winter 2006

2006-12-07T19:45:00.000Z

A roundup of all the best dance performances this season will be posted shortly. From Michael Clark and Rosas to Royal Ballet and Rambert.

The one regret this season is having missed Stephen Petronio Company and, to an extent, Merce Cunningham. Hey-ho. There'll always be another time.

Jenny Holzer

2006-10-21T00:56:00.000+01:00

An Arts Magazine

2006-09-12T21:46:00.000+01:00

This free arts magazine is like a breath of fresh air in today's saturated magazine market. Run by Aaron Rose and Ed Templeton, I just wish I could get my hands on a physical copy.

Taken from the editor's letter in Issue 1,

In your hands you hold ANP Quarterly: a new arts magazine published by RVCA which will focus on a broader sense of art and community. The idea behind this endeavor is to make a magazine that will educate and inform openly and without the social or financial restrictions that plague many publications today and contribute more often than not to the "same old thing" again and again. Our goal is not to focus on current events or "who's hot" but rather to bring forward people and phenomena that deserve acknowledgement and coverage regardless of their place in time. For as long as we can make it happen, this magazine will be completely FREE and without advertising. We are beholden to nobody, save our own conscience, RVCA included. ANP Quarterly will be distributed around the world through galleries, bookstores, clothing and record shops.

Click here to see ANP Quarterly's website.

Robin Cracknell

2006-09-12T02:00:00.000+01:00

I first saw this in G2 section of The Guardian in an interview with Charles Saatchi, who very rarely grants interviews. He was talking about The Saatchi's Gallery blog. One artist caught my eye. Robin Cracknell says on the Saatchi blog,

"For a while, I've been exploring the themes of loss and alienation, specifically within the context of divorce and separation. For me, the surface of the photograph is as important as the context. For the 'Wing Damage' series, I've been working with chemicals and salts and bleach as well as physically distressing images to give them that added psychological dimension of neglect and decay."

See more of Robin Cracknell's work here.

The Little Prince

2006-09-12T01:22:00.000+01:00

Do you remember when you first read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry? I was about 10 years old, if I remember rightly. A long time has passed since. The Little Prince rebranded, entered the world of mass marketing and commercialism, spawning endless spin-off products like notebooks, mugs etc. Despite everything, I think it is time to give it a second read.

New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007

2006-09-12T01:16:00.000+01:00

Get your New York Fashion Week news here. Coutorture does a brilliant job of pulling together all the fashion commentary into one central location

The latest entry is an interview with Anna Wintour.

Just Another New Band

2006-09-11T21:48:00.000+01:00

I keep hearing about this Brazilian band CSS. Just today alone, I came across them four times - either someone telling me or reading about them in a blog. Leaving one with no choice but to get to the bottom of what I have (prematurely) dismissed as hype, and since having done so, I can properly recommend anyone to check them out.

Listen here to CSS, also known as Cansei de Ser Sexy. Their frontwoman, of Japanese-Brazilian mixed parentage, has a habit of throwing herself into the mosh pit.

Quote of the Month: August 2006

2006-09-11T19:41:00.000+01:00

Chance furnishes me what I need. I am a man who stumbles along; my foot strikes something, I bend over and it is exactly what I want.

- James Joyce (1882-1941)

On the Equator

2006-09-11T19:14:00.000+01:00

Originally hailing from the sunny shores of tropical Singapore, I made my way across the globe to London more than five years ago. Much has been stewing in the Lion City since. Thanks to the wonder that is the Internet, I am still able to get the latest on the street. No points to The Straits Times that is paid subscribers only. Boo.

So here's where I get my Singapore fix.

FL.ag magazine: I wish they'd put their content up online though.
The Clothes Project: Street Style a la Singapore style.
Fashion Is Spinach: A thrilling blog packed with local details.

If you know of other interesting sites, do let me know.

Mademoiselle Non

2006-09-06T21:08:00.000+01:00

Sylvie 'Mme Non' Guillem doing what she does best. Could it look anymore effortless?

No Surprises

2006-09-06T21:00:00.000+01:00

And how could this not be included in the blog. Thom Yorke at his most miserable. Beautiful.

Radiohead - No Surprises

Wink Wink

2006-09-06T20:44:00.000+01:00

How striking is this i-D cover? As recent i-D covers go, this is one of the most memorable. Photographed by Richard Burbridge, who's originally from the UK and now based in New York.

Read here for an interview with Hintmag's Lee Carter.

Feedback welcome.

Sashay Sashay Sashay

2006-09-06T20:30:00.000+01:00

Here come fashion weeks. Fashionistas round the world literally put everthing else in their lives on hold for the next few weeks. Nothing is important next to Marc Jacobs, Margiela, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent etc etc.

New York Men & Women Spring-Summer 2007
September 7 - September 15 2006

London Women Spring-Summer 2007
September 18 - September 22 2006

Milan Women Spring-Summer 2007
September 23 - September 30 2006

Paris Women Spring-Summer 2007
October 1 - October 9 2006

The Electric Company

2006-09-06T20:25:00.000+01:00

Another childhood fave...

The Electric Company

Fraggle Rock

2006-09-06T09:23:00.000+01:00

Remember this?

Ah, childhood...

Fraggle Rock opening tune

Marmite Mutiny

2006-09-06T09:09:00.000+01:00

Love it or hate it, it is a British institution. Marmite divides opinions.

Best way to have Marmite is on a toasted bagel spread with some butter then topped off with Marmite. Failing that, in Chinese porridge.

But why did the powers that be have to introduce 'Squeeze Me'? What was wrong with the glass jar? One word - NOTHING.

www.marmite.com

Tri-POP

2006-09-05T23:28:00.000+01:00

POP magazine is going triannual. On top of their usual Autumn and Spring issues, there will be an extra Winter issue published this November.

Katie Grand, Editor-in-Chief, says:

“Whilst fashion is moving faster with more importance being put on pre-collection and resort it's time for POP to move in line with the demand for more product from the consumer. The whole team is thrilled to have the backing of Emap to do this, it's a great time for POP to grow, and we can't wait to get started.”

But most important of all, POP will be reporting its first ABC in 2007. What does registering with the Audit Bureau of Circulations mean? Sure, this is only interesting for anoraks. According to the ABC website: an ABC Certificate holds valuable information for media buyers and media owners. It offers both accurate and comparable data, for use in buying decisions and provides an effective sales tool for attracting advertising. An ABC Certificate also demonstrates a media owner's integrity, in their willingness to be audited and to conform to industry standards.

POP magazine is growing up.

Michael Clarke Dances

2006-09-05T01:17:00.000+01:00

Another dance performance set to excite Londoners to no end. Michael Clark's Mmm... (Stravinsky Project Part 2) is on 27 October. Like Sylvie Guillem's September performance at Sadler's Wells, best make sure you get your tickets now. Seriously.

The Barbican
Michael Clarke Company

Notebook Frenzy

2006-09-05T00:14:00.000+01:00

Black, round corners, cardboard bound (with just enough flexibility). Hemingway had one, Picasso had one. A pretty notebook won't turn one into an overnight literary sensation, so some say. It may have sensory appeal but it's no quickfix for bad grammar and syntax. Real writers write on anything: bus tickets, cinema stubs, supermarket receipts. ... Don't care. ... I want my moleskin notebook. Pocket sized. Ruled or plain, I don't mind.

Moleskin diehards, please go here
Moleskin converts, please go here
Moleskin cynics, please go here

Arty Sound

2006-09-01T20:22:00.000+01:00

Tate Modern has organised something quite exquisite for the rest of the year. They've invited musicians to compose music based on and inspired by a work of art. Chemical Brothers kicks off the event on 1 Sep. What's there not to like?

From The Guardian today, a quote from director of Tate Media, Will Gompertz, on the point of the exercise:

"You don't have to have an art history degree to come and enjoy the collection at Tate, you can just come in and take the emotional, the visceral experience away with you"

Cocteau Twins

2006-09-01T18:41:00.000+01:00

It's just one of those days today. A moody and atmospheric tune is just the antidote.

Cocteau Twins - Cico Buff.

Tube Map

2006-08-30T18:59:00.000+01:00

The design of the London tube map epitomises simplicity and function. The brainchild of Harry Beck, the variety of colours represents the complex network of train lines.

Sylvie Guillem

2006-08-30T01:24:00.000+01:00

The month of September has finally come round.

Long have I waited for this day to come - Sylvie Guillem's performace at Sadler's Wells with Akram Khan opens in two weeks. Even before reading any details about it (a lie, of course), you know it's going to be a treat of a night.
Guillem's also been appointed the Associate Artist at Sadler's Wells.

19- 23 Sep 2006
Sadler's Wells

Bande a Part

2006-08-30T01:17:00.000+01:00

French art house films remind me of my early twenties. A lot of time was spent at French Film Festivals, sometimes catching two films in one evening. It's time to take out a membership with the local video shop again.

When I am Rich

2006-08-30T00:50:00.000+01:00

From Marni A/W 2006 collection, this is what my wardrobe for the coming seasons should ideally resemble. With enough money.

Hurt

2006-08-30T00:27:00.000+01:00

Yet another music posting. I promise to move on to other interests tomorrow. This is Johnny Cash's version of Hurt. The original version is by Nine Inch Nails.

Spinto Band

2006-08-29T20:14:00.000+01:00

While on the topic of music, here's another song that has one toe-tapping. The Spinto Band's Oh Mandy. What a song! Infectious and catchy, it's everything you wanted in a song for Summer and into Autumn/Winter.

O Yeah

2006-08-29T19:33:00.000+01:00

A bit slow to catch on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs bandwagon, I'll admit. Karen O's brand of punk has completely taken over my music playlists. Show Your Bones is unbeatable.

Here's a tune from the album - Turn Into.