Jason LEAR

   

     I am in love with Lear's illustrations...the contrasts of the media textures and force of lines are fantastic...

LAURENCE airline

    It's always exciting to see a new creative talent on the rise, but what of an entire culture? At the beginning of the month, ARISE magazine once again played host to leagues of Nigerian Fashion Week style scouts for a celebration of African derived talents. In its second year, ARISE Fashion Week displayed designers from within and without the continent who found inspiration in African culture. Many a delightfully patterned catwalk was to be seen, but a personal favorite was Cote d'Ivoire couturier Laurence Chauvin Buthaud of Laurence Airline...

    Working with Ivory Coast craftsmen and women for the fabrication of his garments, Laurence is striving to prove that "fashion and cultures can successfully collaborate to create possibilities for the future." And what a future it shall be. In the creation of these street style gems, Buthaud is building a base for an economy in a community that has been struggling with violence and political unrest for a decade. Currently, the designer is working on plans for a learning space where youth will be taught fashion skills such as sewing and knitting. 

 And so, you go Laurence Airlines, you look fly, and you help pull a community out of the economic pits. I believe what we have here is a win-win kind of deal...

The Row sunnies. Isabelle Marant Aba sweater. Yohji Yamamoto shirt. Stella McCartney Pembridge tote. Givenchy necklace. Zara sandal. Vega shorts

Give it to Me Straight, and Keep it Short

    Designers were feeling volume, straight cuts, and short fits for our nether regions in the A/W 2012 season...

The Row

Suno

Miu Miu

Celine

Hermes

Calvin Klein Collection

Top Shop Unique

Word On the Street...

    ...is that the recently vacated Creative Director throne at YSL will be taken by none other than designer turned documenter-of-debauchery Hedi Slimane. We know from his years at Dior Homme and as Menswear Director at YSL that Slimane can make a man look good, and from his diaries that he can sure as hell make a model/L.A. rockstar/Young Hollywood look great, but only time will tell for the devoted female followers of the Yves Saint Laurent house. I opine that YSL could stand to benefit from Slimane's past devotions to the worlds of menswear and pop culture photography; after all, Yves himself was famed for his "I stole this Le Smoking jacket from my husband" look, and luxe interpretation of the Beatniks, the hedonistic warriors of his time.


    For now, we wait. Although, I must say that with all of these high-profile design house takeovers going on this season, the fresh starts of the Spring 2013 season could not seem farther away...

MAARTEN DONDERS

    This is Maarten Donders. He is a crusader for the fading craft of poster and album art. Nostalgic stylings, whimsical lines and coloring, and dark matters marry in some of the most kick-ass cover art I've seen this side of the 1970s. He also keeps a collection of illustrated musings in his moleskine that are rather nice to look at...

Hats off to you Donders for keepin' it real in the face of MP3s, pint-sized Cover Flow, and Facebook music event pages!

http://maartendonders.com/