Wang Wang World

Permalink
Perrier-Jouet x Makoto Azuma - This is probably the match made in heaven as both the brand and the artist embraces floral motifs as their artistry.  The suspended floral arrangements somehow transcends these flowers into poetry and a visual fantasy.  Rarely do you see such synergetic collaborations between brands and artist because normally the artist are just hired for merely a publicity stunt.  I applaud Perrier-Jouet for having such a vision for this amazing collaboration and once again Azuma has never ceased to amaze me with his work. Trendland

Perrier-Jouet x Makoto Azuma - This is probably the match made in heaven as both the brand and the artist embraces floral motifs as their artistry.  The suspended floral arrangements somehow transcends these flowers into poetry and a visual fantasy.  Rarely do you see such synergetic collaborations between brands and artist because normally the artist are just hired for merely a publicity stunt.  I applaud Perrier-Jouet for having such a vision for this amazing collaboration and once again Azuma has never ceased to amaze me with his work.

Trendland

Permalink
Steve McCurry Will Be the 2013 Pirelli Calendar Photographer This is probably the first time that a documentary photographer in recent years is hired to shoot the most coveted and talked about calendar in the world.  In the past years, it has been a very predictable progression of your A-list fashion photographers and even fashion designer such a Karl Lagerfeld shooting for the calendar.  But now Steve McCurry?!?  This will definitely be an interesting take on the calendar since over the years we have been bombarded by so much TnA that it almost seems like a softcore calendar with no limitations.  How will McCurry redefine the calendar and bring on sexy chic to the audience that is expecting a lot of skin?  We shall soon find out.  

Steve McCurry Will Be the 2013 Pirelli Calendar Photographer


This is probably the first time that a documentary photographer in recent years is hired to shoot the most coveted and talked about calendar in the world.  In the past years, it has been a very predictable progression of your A-list fashion photographers and even fashion designer such a Karl Lagerfeld shooting for the calendar.  But now Steve McCurry?!?  This will definitely be an interesting take on the calendar since over the years we have been bombarded by so much TnA that it almost seems like a softcore calendar with no limitations.  How will McCurry redefine the calendar and bring on sexy chic to the audience that is expecting a lot of skin?  We shall soon find out.  

Permalink
Jim Goldberg x Dazed and Confused - seeing these images this morning truly put a smile on my face.  Rarely do you see the mix of fine art/documentary photography in fashion these days, it has diminished faster than film it seems.  I truly feel that it was the last 90s and the early 00s that fashion photography was at its “modern” renaissance.  A lot of ideas from fine art/design were incorporated and it seemed like there was no stopping this trend for a while.  Iconic photographers like Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Larry Sultan, Cindy Sherman and Nan Golden were all revered within the industry.  Those were the days I miss the most.  Fine art photographers were shooting fashion and fashion photographers were trying their best to create images that were worthy enough on a gallery wall.  It was that synergy and the cross pollination of different genres that made photography so interesting and dynamic for a while.  Now the walls are built again and everybody is back on their side of the fence once again it seems.  However, with this being said I haven’t seen any editors do anything different, but this editorial sure made my statement look stupid.  Of course it could be more “Jim-esque”, but honestly I think it a happy balance between the “Jim look”, “Dazed and Confused look” and fashion.  The British fashion magazines always take the forefront of different concepts into fashion magazine, but rarely get the limelight that they deserve from the general public.  Shout out to Dazed and Confused and the editors who are willing to risk it for an ideal and not bow down to commercialism.  PS fashion ain’t too bad after all huh Jim?  ;) 

Jim Goldberg x Dazed and Confused - seeing these images this morning truly put a smile on my face.  Rarely do you see the mix of fine art/documentary photography in fashion these days, it has diminished faster than film it seems.  I truly feel that it was the last 90s and the early 00s that fashion photography was at its “modern” renaissance.  A lot of ideas from fine art/design were incorporated and it seemed like there was no stopping this trend for a while.  Iconic photographers like Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Larry Sultan, Cindy Sherman and Nan Golden were all revered within the industry.  Those were the days I miss the most.  Fine art photographers were shooting fashion and fashion photographers were trying their best to create images that were worthy enough on a gallery wall.  It was that synergy and the cross pollination of different genres that made photography so interesting and dynamic for a while.  Now the walls are built again and everybody is back on their side of the fence once again it seems.  However, with this being said I haven’t seen any editors do anything different, but this editorial sure made my statement look stupid.  Of course it could be more “Jim-esque”, but honestly I think it a happy balance between the “Jim look”, “Dazed and Confused look” and fashion.  The British fashion magazines always take the forefront of different concepts into fashion magazine, but rarely get the limelight that they deserve from the general public.  Shout out to Dazed and Confused and the editors who are willing to risk it for an ideal and not bow down to commercialism.  

PS fashion ain’t too bad after all huh Jim?  ;) 

Permalink
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
— Aristotle
Permalink
Pentax K-01 Launch - This is probably one of the most high profile camera launches in a while to take place, but the irony behind it all is that it’s not your usual geeky photography crowd in the mix.  Basically this party is a mix of the A-list editors, fashion photographers and celebs at the street/fashion mecca Colette.  Canon loves to market their share in the fashion world, while this time Pextax is directly hitting the consumers over the head by implementing in into the fashion crowd as this launch suggests.  Hit or miss, we’ll see with their sales of the K-01.   Party Images

Pentax K-01 Launch - This is probably one of the most high profile camera launches in a while to take place, but the irony behind it all is that it’s not your usual geeky photography crowd in the mix.  Basically this party is a mix of the A-list editors, fashion photographers and celebs at the street/fashion mecca Colette.  Canon loves to market their share in the fashion world, while this time Pextax is directly hitting the consumers over the head by implementing in into the fashion crowd as this launch suggests.  Hit or miss, we’ll see with their sales of the K-01.  

Party Images

Permalink

Pentax x Marc Newson - This is the first time that a camera manufacturer has teamed up a with an industrial designer to design their camera.  As we are all aware of the various objects that Marc has worked on designing over the years, to design a camera seems to make sense in a linear progression.  Personally I’m not too fond of this design even though I am a Newson supporter.  It’s more of a product rather than a camera I would say.  However, in that segment that this particular camera is aimed at it does its job quite nicely.  Most of the consumer market is driven by the notion of a product and lifestyle rather than the more technical side of things in the photographic world.  I hope this will not be the first collaboration between industrial designers and camera manufacturers as this could create a new sort of potential synergy.

Permalink
Ciao Stefano! - Finally this day has come to an end.  Stefano will depart from YSL.  It has been a couple years that rumors has been spreading about this day, but things seemed ok up until this point.  Personally I feel that Stefano is one of the least valued talents in the industry and deserves more attention.  It was not too long ago in a documentary Anna Wintour was talking to Pilati like as if he was a student in her class.  I’m sorry, but who is she to talk like that to a designer?  After all she’s just an editor with a lot of financial and political backing.  Well I guess sometimes the best things don’t happen to the best people.  If Jean Paul Gautier is never featured or talked about in any media or press these days, I guess Stefano Pilati can’t complain too much.  Anyhow hope this departure will lead him to land a better job elsewhere where his talent may been seen once again.  For now we are behind you Stefano, cheers.

Ciao Stefano! - Finally this day has come to an end.  Stefano will depart from YSL.  It has been a couple years that rumors has been spreading about this day, but things seemed ok up until this point.  Personally I feel that Stefano is one of the least valued talents in the industry and deserves more attention.  It was not too long ago in a documentary Anna Wintour was talking to Pilati like as if he was a student in her class.  I’m sorry, but who is she to talk like that to a designer?  After all she’s just an editor with a lot of financial and political backing.  Well I guess sometimes the best things don’t happen to the best people.  If Jean Paul Gautier is never featured or talked about in any media or press these days, I guess Stefano Pilati can’t complain too much.  Anyhow hope this departure will lead him to land a better job elsewhere where his talent may been seen once again.  For now we are behind you Stefano, cheers.

Permalink
“Art today is condemned to a separate existence. Our present day life is essentially tragic, but in some distant future art and life will be one.”
— Piet Mondrian
Permalink
Jil Sander is BACK! - The news of the return of Jil Sander at her own label came out this morning and a whole lot of mixed emotions came out (excitement, joy, relief and disbelief).  To be honest I was shocked at the fact that Raf Simons was leaving Jil Sander the day that the news was announced.  I was seriously wondering who could take over the brand that actually understood her aesthetics.  Finally this day has come once again and I do believe that this is the best move that the Prada group has made in a while.  The group is not doing well and it’s about time to do the right thing: returning Jil to Jil Sander.  I felt her collabo with Uniqlo was simply a revolution for her own design aesthetics, I felt that with +J she actually explored and had fun with the collections.  Now that Jil is back to the throne, we will once again witness her creative talents and the rise of the minimalist look that I have come to love.  Look out Phoebe Philo a new contender is in town!  *let’s keep our fingers crossed that she is here to stay at her own label this time… 

Jil Sander is BACK! - The news of the return of Jil Sander at her own label came out this morning and a whole lot of mixed emotions came out (excitement, joy, relief and disbelief).  To be honest I was shocked at the fact that Raf Simons was leaving Jil Sander the day that the news was announced.  I was seriously wondering who could take over the brand that actually understood her aesthetics.  Finally this day has come once again and I do believe that this is the best move that the Prada group has made in a while.  The group is not doing well and it’s about time to do the right thing: returning Jil to Jil Sander.  I felt her collabo with Uniqlo was simply a revolution for her own design aesthetics, I felt that with +J she actually explored and had fun with the collections.  Now that Jil is back to the throne, we will once again witness her creative talents and the rise of the minimalist look that I have come to love.  Look out Phoebe Philo a new contender is in town!  
*let’s keep our fingers crossed that she is here to stay at her own label this time… 

Permalink