High-Five Sundays

So without consulting my partner in crime, I have decided to instigate a blogging tradition of top five lists on Sundays.

Today’s subject (inspired by Marlon’s last post) >> Top Five Awesome Music Videos from the Nineties.

In the late 90s there were so many innovative music videos being made and a lot of them were made with very low budgets (compared to today’s wacky standards), proving money does not equal automatic awesome.  

5.

Intergalactic (Beastie Boys) 1998

I really should have included the alien-robot in this video in my 5 Aliens, Robots, and Alien-Robots I Like at the Moment list. What an oversight, he’s got a fucking moustache!

The video, made in 1998, parodies Japanese Kaiju films and much of it was filmed in various locations in Tokyo. Fashion fact: The uniform that the band is wearing in the video is what Japanese construction workers wear. Love it.

4.

Song 2 (Blur) 1997

This video concept perfectly reflects the fuck-it-let’s-lose-control attitude of Song 2. So effectively simple. Fun Fact: Song 2 is the second track on the album it was included in, the second single released from that album, is two minutes and two seconds in length, and peaked at #2 on the charts in the UK and Australia. Cheers Wikipedia.

3.

Windowlicker (Aphex Twin) 1999

This video is over 10 minutes long, but it’s worth a watch. Meant as a parody of the hip-hop videos being made at the time, the clip includes half-naked prostitutes, a 38-window length limo, and 127 swear words. It comments on our self-indulgent, self-obsessed culture in a way that will physically creep you out.

2.

Praise You (Fatboy Slim) 1999

Shot guerrilla-style in front of an unsuspecting audience, this video apparently only cost $800 USD to make. 

Directed by Spike Jones (Where the Wild Things Are & Being John Malkovich), Jones also stars in the video as Richard Koufey, the charmingly oblivious leader of the fictional dance group. This video has proven to be highly influential to my Friday night repertoire, as close friends will attest to.   

1.

Around The World (Daft Punk) 1997

I didn’t know about Daft Punk providing the score for TRON: LEGACY until I read Marlon’s post, SO AWESOME.

Their Around The World music video from 1997 may be my favourite of all time, I almost broke into choreographed dance in the middle of Blenz while watching it just now. Party on.

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

-Jessica

Nothing's cooler than a virtual world.

In 1982, a little old movie called TRON came out and basically blew our friggen minds across cyberspace. About 28 years later, the highly anticipated sequel is coming out and is sure going to dominate the box office with  uber stylized fight sequences, neon colors, and  Olivia Wilde (check out freakin Jeff Bridges transformed to look like a 30 year old too!)

In short, the original story follows hacker and arcade owner Kevin Flynn as he is broken down digitally by an evil software known as Master Control and brought into the 3D world of computers.  There, he teams up with his girlfriend and a bookkeeping system to replace Master Control by, you guessed it, TRON.





Now, TRON: LEGACY follows Kevin Flynn's son Sam, as he is brought into the new and more dangerous world after looking into the disappearance of his father many years ago. There he finds that his dad has been living there for the past 25 years, and soon they both set out to destroy the villain once and for all.

DUDE.

You know what the best part about this is? DAFT PUNK. CHECK IT. They are providing the score for the entire movie. 

This movie is going to be such a big hit, even with people who don't know the original.
TRON: LEGACY is going to blow our minds December 17, 2010.

Oh yeaaaaaah.

-Marls

Jasper Goodall

Continuing the sci-fi/fantasy theme of my last post, allow me to introduce/reintroduce you to my favourite artist of our current times, Jasper Goodall.

There he is

Based in Brighton UK, Goodall’s work has one foot in reality and the rest in fantasy. His technique of mixing illustration with photography for The Face magazine in the late 90s revolutionized the image-making industry and his style continues to inspire and influence artists and designers everywhere.

Medusa, 2009

His work is mostly based on the female form, commenting on fetishism, hedonism, and male chauvinism, melded into pieces reminiscent of sixties poster art and incorporating fashion, sex and subculture.

Pink Polish, 2009

Sometimes I feel as a woman I should be somewhat offended by Jasper’s objectification of the female form, but I can’t help but be inspired by how his point of view comes across so confidently through the way he uses texture, colour, contrast, composition and symbolism. Reading the few interviews on record of Goodall, it seems even the artist himself struggles with the message his art carries:

“There are days when I just feel a bit disgusted with it all. I suppose I’ve become more conscious that – it sounds wanky – but that it’s almost like a form of self-therapy. And I think there may come a time when I don’t feel a need to do that any more. When I don’t want to put any girls in there at all. I just want to get away from it all. Sometimes I just think I’m adding to all the crap in the world.”

(Taken from a 2005 interview in Icon magazine)

I think a lot of people in the artistic industries (including myself) share the same inner conflict Jasper describes in that last sentence, agreed?

Even if you’ve never heard Goodall’s name, you’ve likely been exposed to works of his commissioned by companies such as Levis, Nike, BMW and Warner Brothers (shown below)

Jasper’s latest personal project entitled The Sunrise Series, consists of a surreal mix of erotica and symbolism, using digital airbrushing to render slick, oily latex and soft desert sands (my inner adobe geek just high-fived itself) >>

The Eye of Horus

Perpetual Dawn

Into the Void

All images and interviews quoted were found at Jasper Goodall’s official site. Click here to visit it and check out more images, interviews and the online store (my favourite piece is The Eye of Horus and my birthday’s in January, cheers).

***

“I just really like the fact that you can tell a huge story in one image by being able to combine lots and lots of symbols that mean all kinds of different things. 

 Once you understand why certain things are there, it becomes a whole different piece of artwork.”

(Taken from a video interview at Semi-Permanent, creative conference, Brisbane, Australia, June 2010)

That is all.

-Jess

LOOKBOOKERS

Fashion can be a fickle thing. Feeling fashionable can too feel this way. Whenever I'm not dosing off, having my head in the clouds, I remember that there is a great website to gather inspiration, look at great fashion, and just plain get lost in (other than the deep and dark brooding mysteries in my head, of course). This website is www.lookbook.nu.

Now, if you've never heard of this website, all it is is a sharing community where people can post up pictures of their latest outfits to a) show you their different and personal styles, b) show you different takes on clothing/accessories that you might not necessarily think of wearing, and c) simply make you jealous. Being a fashion student, it's great to have this website to use for projects when you're "story boarding" or "target market researching" or "demographics-ing" (totally made that word up.)

I haven't been on it in a while, but man oh man, the fall fashion was good. And I mean...good, hardcore good. Here are some highlights:

Now this right here, this is how to do a proper chunky knit pullover with multiple colors and patterns. Everyone knows I rarely do bright colors...and never all at once..but this just looks... looks like a beauty.

This look screams stylish fucking fisherman. Talk about hook, line, and sinker (took me about 5 minutes to come up with that line). I can't even express the love I have for this whole ensemble (look at the gloves! damn!)

Yeah, it's Mr.Fisherman again. Combats, chunky scarf, jeans, shirt, and toque....I swear this guy has been through my closet. (Side note: I'm looking for new combats to replace my very loved but worn out ones...any  suggestions?)

This guy is rocking some serious fanny pack here. I'd tried to rock that bastard a long time ago, but it just didn't cut it...maybe its time to get back up on the horse? Plus, check out some serious layering...who knew a denim vest on top of a cardigan on top of a button up looked so good?

Sweet toque. Enough said. And the necklace is pretty sick too.

This as a whole is amazing. Even as separates these are amazing. The matching jacket to the pant is beyond phenomenal. It's casual-cool...how I wish I can dress like this everyday.  

I give mad props to this guy. It's so cohesive. And belting the jacket...well done. 

This guy is my favorite. It's really the small details that count in the long run, eh? And doesn't he kind of look like a more hip Wesley Snipes?

All images are from lookbook.nu

Peace Easy, Marls

Favourite Alien-Robots

Let’s discuss alien-robots, shall we?

The retro-sci-fi trend comes in and out of fashion every so often. The most recent offering which has caught my attention comes via Japanese Avant-garde label Undercover. Lead by maverick designer Jun Takahashi, the brand’s Spring 2011 collection stems from a comic book-style story entitled Underman (created by Takahashi), depicting a super-robot’s quest of saving the world from soul-stealing demons.

The look-book for this collection brilliantly portrays the collection’s concept while displaying the garments in a way that doesn’t disrupt the flow of imagery > >

 

                      

photographs via hypebeast.com

Being a child of the early 90s, I believe my curiosity for all things alien-robotic is likely due to my big brother never letting me play with his transformer action figures. Cheers bro, the following Top 5 Aliens, Robots, and Alien-Robots I Like at the Moment is for you.

5. Transformers – the television series, 1984-1987 >>

 

4. The robot that has the ability to project images in the Knights of Cydonia video by Muse  >>

 

3. Rosie from The Jetsons (who wouldn’t want her at home?)

 

2. Whoever those sexy creatures in Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 RTW show were >>

Photographs via style.com

 

1. Gort, the alien-robot from the original 1951 movie The Day The Earth Stood Still. 2008 has nothing on that dude >>

That is all.

- Jess

The Sexiest Androgynous Ever.

So, over the weekend I was having my regular movie nights (oh yeah, you can't go wrong with movie nights!) and I happened to watch I Am Love. The movie itself was beautiful, showing the life of an upscale bourgeois family that owns a manufacturing company. The movie deals with Tilda Swinton, the main character of the film, falling in love with her son's business partner (who's possibly more than a business partner?) and the trials and tribulations that fall under the "forbidden love" basket. 

Now, normally, I would be the one who would anazlyze the movie scene by scene, but my god, I cannot get past how captivating and sexy Tilda Swinton is! She, like the post title, is the sexiest androgynous I've ever laid my eyes on.

Look at how beautiful she is:

To top off her beauty, she is also a very talented actress having won an Oscar for her performance in Michael Clayton in 2008. Fashionable, talented, and gorgeous...she is the amalgimation of everything an amazing icon should be.  

Photographs from Fanpop.com

 -Marls



THE COMMONERS

Our names are Jess and Marl and we're fashion students in Vancouver BC. 

We like:

- Alien Robots

- Scary Movies

- Menswear

- Hot Chocolate

- Gin and Tonic

- Granville Island Pale Ale Honey Lager ( YUM!)

- Making fun of shit

- Sharing jackets

- Being bitter in general (we swear we're sweethearts though!)

- Student loans....NOT

- Awesome music

- Rad movies

- Cool people 

- Dirty jokes (REALLY REALLY!)

- Dirty hipsters

- Video games

- Margaritas 

- DOT DOT DOT

Yeah, there's a lot more where that came from. You'll find the rest out later as you keep reading.

We're cool, you're cool...lets just have a good time dot dot dot