Apr 4, 2009

A Eulogy For My Friend And Inspiration

Posted April 4, 2009

I'm writing this eulogy in my '70s silver lurex jungle print wedding dress. It was chosen for me 20 hours before my wedding, May 1, 2007, by my mentor, inspiration and friend for 25 years, Ken at Deluxe. Ken passed away in September, I only found out today, the same day I found out Ken's last name was Spada.

Last names didn't matter in our world. What did matter was our shared passion for haute couture, the divine '30s and the ability to speak crassly with one another. If any other man would have told me I'd look better if I wore heels to hike up my ass and tits I would've clocked him. I respected Ken and his honesty.

It was 1984 when I first walked into his vintage shop, Deluxe Junk, I was a 14 year old kid and I wanted to sell him some clothes I bought at a thrift store with my allowance money. He wouldn't buy them outright but we agreed on a consignment deal. All my items sold and thus began a relationship that lasted 25 years.

By accepting my vintage pieces into his shop in '84, Ken taught me to have confidence in myself, my individuality and my dreams.

The years passed and my dreams began to turn to realities. My vintage collections were shown in prestigious exhibitions in New York City and Los Angeles and Ken was the first person I'd come running to with stories. He could have cared less who was there or who I sold to, he only cared what was there.

In 2005 Ken wasn't at the shop as much as he used to be, due to illness, and I missed going in to shoot the shit and talk shop with him. However, I was lucky enough to go by one day and I saw him there, standing, the gate keeper guarding the passageway to vintage heaven (the back room). It was then that I knew it was the right moment to tell Ken he was my inspiration. I thanked him for teaching me everything I know about haute couture, passion and perseverance. He looked out of place and told me he thought I'd probably be a dominatrix in the bedroom.

It's because of Ken at Deluxe that I am where I am today. He may no longer be here in body but he will forever be my inspiration and I will miss him more than words can express.

We will meet again my friend, only then I'll be in Chanel and wearing six inch heels.

Apr 3, 2009

From Vandalism To Home Decor - Graffiti Interiors

Graffiti Pillow
image © lovegrove & repucci

graffiti n. 1. (usu. in pl.) a piece of writing or drawing scribbled, scratched or sprayed on a surface. 2. Art a form of decoration made by scratches on wet plaster, showing a different colored under-surface. The Concise Oxford Dictionary.

I had first come across the work of Lovegrove & Repucci while thumbing through an art mag a few months back when some photos of graffiti tableware (NY Delft) caught my eye. I contacted Demian Repucci and Nick Lovegrove, the duo behind design collaborative Lovegrove & Repucci, to ask them a few simple questions about some of their new pieces; 'Graffiti Pillows' and 'Urban(e)' silk scarves. Their answers were so eloquent, specific and significant that I've chosen to publish them in their whole.

Who did the graffiti? Was it done on one big medium and then transposed digitally?
'We photographed graffiti in its natural habitat - delivery trucks, walls, alleys, etc. Then we manipulated the graffiti with Photoshop to make it into our own amalgam of sorts. Once the section was selected it was then digitally printed on the cotton twill covers (Graffiti Pillows).
'Urban(e)' Graffiti Silk Scarf
image © lovegrove & repucci

The same sort of process was used for our 'Urban(e)' Silk Scarves. I think the scarves are especially lovely in that the graffiti is done in fine silk. Quite a juxtaposition.

Both projects take what could be considered banal, culturally 'base' or vandalism even and put it in a different context. High fashion or home decor. Elevating one's perception of it (hopefully) from eye sore to art.'
Graffiti Pillow
image © Lovegrove & Repucci

Like the graffiti that inspired them, the Graffiti Pillows are a limited edition. There will be 500 of each. You may order them online from Lovegrove & Repucci by clicking here.

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10 Random Things About Jean-Michel Basquiat
Signature Series Street Art & Fashion
Joshua Van Dyke: The Skateboard as Rite of Passage

Apr 2, 2009

How To Wallpaper with Newspaper

wallpaper with player piano sheet music
photo Stacy Reynaud

Ace Hotel Portalnd drew attention to boring walls using a material not usually associated with wall coverings - player piano music. 

Achieve this look by using ordinary paper such as comics, sheet music, maps, blueprints, magazine cuttings, newspaper, paper doilies, or heavy foil — the more creative, the better.

wallpaper with newspaper
image © 1974 General Publishing

How to wallpaper with newspapers and other stuff.


Materials:
Polyurethane can be omitted. However, it gives a glossy protective coating.

**If you decide to use polyurethane, make sure it's water-based, or it will smear and run the print, and the picture from the other side will show through.

The polymer medium can be used as an undercoat and a final coat.

collage with magazine wallpaper
image © 1974 General Publishing
Steps:
  1. Cut the paper strips and turn them face down on a work surface.
  2. Apply polymer medium with a sponge brush. It dries quickly.
  3. Place the strips of paper on the wet surface and press down.
  4. Coat it lightly with the medium; if foam forms on the paper, it won't dry clear.
  5. Continue to cover the surface; overlap edges and corners to make a collage.
  6. Rinse the sponge brush thoroughly so you can reuse it.
use vintage maps as wallpaper
image © 1974 General Publishing


7. Once both sides have a coating of the polymer medium, they're sealed, and regular water-based polyurethane varnish can be applied on top. 

The polymer medium is used as a gluing agent and a sealer for the paper.

8. (optional) Use a paintbrush to coat all surfaces with glossy water-based polyurethane. This gives the paper a hard, protective finish. 

It takes 24 hours to dry and must be painted evenly in one direction.

try wallpapering with tinfoil
image © 1974 General Publishing

9. If you decide to omit the polyurethane finish, the surface will require several polymer medium coats to give it a final finish. 

This dries within fifteen to twenty minutes. 

The finish won't be as smooth as the polyurethane and will turn white if anything wet touches it for a prolonged period. Other than that, the finish is highly durable.

Here's a dresser I papered:

wallpaper with vintage comics and graphic novels

Tilley, my cat, makes sure the table is sturdy.
(RIP 2000 - 2019)

I grabbed this trashed side table, raided the complimentary newspapers, picked up some sponge brushes at the dollar store and invested in some polymer medium at my favourite art store. 

Fit To A Tee: 9 T-Shirts That Aren't Just Tops

I am my t-shirt and my t-shirt is me - or something like that.

Take your pick:
1. Ubiquity
at 80's Purple
2. Imaginary Foundation
available online
3. Jimmy Fontaine - Fun Polaroid
online
4. MadGods - Illuminations
online

5. Dutch Military Tee overdyed
at surplus shops
6. Tank Theory - Werewolves
online
7. Grn Apple Tree - Orgins
online here or here
8. Diet Butcher Slim Skin - Bug
at Blackbird online
9. Hysteric Glamour
online

Apr 1, 2009

Kicks! Little Pieces Of Who You Are

Having a penchant for wine, cheese, running and shoes there's no doubt Tranq Jones and I have a lot in common. A man with over 50 pairs of shoes, and he swears he wears each pair, is the perfect commentator for the uncanny obsession with sneakers. Mr. Jones I thank you as I leave the rest to you.

With so many styles, colors, and textures to choose from kicks are one of the easiest ways to express who you are by what you put on your feet. In some ways, sneakers have become an art form, transcending shoes in many ways, often at a fraction of the price. Limited edition art kicks though, do sometimes, get pricey.

For example, this rare, coveted, limited edition pair of De La Soul Nikes:
image © Tranq Jones
My eye caught these in the NYC streetwear store 'Stackhouse' about five years ago, causing the impulse removal of $300 from my wallet. But, De La Soul's '3 Feet High and Rising' was my first rap album and the disc played nonstop for months. Emotions kicked in, and boom, on my feet they migrated.

Wearing them around NYC, especially the subway, got a lot of... "Dude, where'd you get those? Awesome!". If you were ever a De La Soul fan you got it, simply by catching a glimpse of my feet. Sneakers are where your, 'personal rubber meets the road'. If you can't afford the limited edition styles though you've got other options.

I also possess quite a few pairs of sneakers I've personalized at the NIKEid website. Here are a few examples:
image © Tranq Jones
image © Tranq Jones

If you've never been to the NIKEid site go play around with designing your own pair. The navigation and tools on the site are brilliant, and you can easily make your own style statement. Puma, Converse, and most recently Adidas, all have their own design-your-own models as well. Most are around $100-$125, which is infinitely more affordable than many ridiculously priced high end shoes.

I posted a major portion of my kicks collection (keywords: shoe fetish) on my blog a few months ago. If you're looking for additional inspiration feel free to check that out as well (ed: my faves are his French Foreign Legion boots):
http://tranquilityjones.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-shoe-fetish-revealed.html

Thanks for giving me a guest spot on your blog today, Stacy. I'll leave you with my signature shoes, sprawled out on my back lawn, in the shadows of the Montana mountains.

The Vega - A Big Star Among Little Cars

1974 Vega
© 1973 Chevrolet Motor Division

Vega is amongst the top five brightest stars in the night sky and when Chevrolet introduced their Vega subcompact on September 10, 1970 the response from the automotive press was just as significant (awards here).

A cool looking little car that's going to get its time in the spotlight again. Check out the price tag on a vintage one here.

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Mar 26, 2009

9 Best Mens Boots For Spring Summer


Do not fear if you bought a $1300 pair of Golden Goose boots last season - you can still wear them. The worn in grungey look from F/W '08 is carrying over into S/S '09.
Here are 9 boots to make your feet your friend.
1. Diet Butcher
available at Blackbird Seattle or online
2. Buttero

3. n.d.c.
4. Golden Goose
available at Browns UK and online

5. Fiorentti & Baker

6. Frye


7. Ann Demeulemeester
8. Gianni Barbato

9. Marsèll



The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter & Psychedelic Folk


I bought The Incredible String Band's The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter (1968) off eBay ten years ago because it was listed as a favourite album on a blog/web page I frequented but have since forgotten the name. Ah, the excitement of the good old days of buying an album and giving it its first listen. My first thought upon listening to this album was; 'What the f*?#?'. The second listen made it one of my top five favourite albums.

Said to have influenced the likes of Robert Plant and the Rolling Stones it's still difficult to put a genre on The Incredible String Band. To most, psychedelic folk fits well.
The dog's name is Leaf.
A Very Cellular Song (12:55) weaves together different sounds which take the listener on an acoustic trip while telling the tale of an amoebae. Listen to Secret Temple below or here.

10 Random Things About Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat 1982
© James Van Der Zee
  1. Initially Basquiat wanted to be a fireman.
  2. In third grade he sent a drawing of a gun to J. Edgar Hoover (no reply).
  3. Basquiat played the synthesizer with Vincent Gallo in a band called Gray (named after the 1918 classic of human anatomy Gray's Anatomy).
  4. He was the only kid in his grade nine academic life drawing class to fail.
  5. His mother encouraged his interest in art and stressed the importance of education.
  6. In 1981 he made his first trip to Europe to exhibit a one artist show under the name SAMO.
  7. Basquiat described his subject matter as, 'royalty, heroism, and the street'.
  8. His heroes included Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Charlie Parker, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and Billie Holiday.
  9. The sidewalks of Greenwich Village were his temporary store front as he sold painted t-shirts and postcards under the name SAMO.
  10. Helped Andy Warhol rediscover his relationship to painting after 20 years of not picking up a brush.
Untitled (The Boxer), 1982 ~ sold November 2008 $13.5 million
© The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat
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