Family Circus

I found this editorial from W Magazine while perusing models.com last week. It was snowing in Vancouver at the time and I loved how this shoot utilizes snow as part of it’s dream-like, surreal and haunting portraiture theme. Check it out >>

Photographed by Paolo Roversi and styled by Alex
White.

Bring on the snow!!!

- Jessica

Word Play

Hello Commoners!

Learning is pretty rad. How about knowing some new words to impress the hoi polloi today?

*

1. Idee fixe (ee-day-feeks)

An idea that dominates the mind; a fixed idea; an obsession.

>>Wondering how fun she would be to chase, Jessica became an idee fixe of the dinosaurs.

2. Sycophant (sik-uh-fuhnt)

A person who attempts to win favor by flattering people of wealth or influence; a parasite; a toady.

>> Jessica threw a grapefruit at the sycophant's mouth, wondering if she were dropped as a baby.

3.Impregnable (im-preg-nuh-buhl)

Not capable of being stormed or taken by assault; unconquerable; as, an impregnable fortress

>> As Jessica attacked Little Transylvania, the villagers and vampires realized that she was impregnable.

4.Gambol (gam-buhl)

To dance and skip about in play; to frolic.

>>When the sun goes down, Jessica likes to gambol with Siobhan.

5.Brobdingnagian (brob-ding-nag-ee-uhn)

Of extraordinary size; gigantic; enormous.

>> Jessica had a brobdingnagian collection of gnomes.

6.Canorous (kan-or-uhs)

Richly melodious; pleasant sounding; musical.

>>When Jessica woke up, she realized that the canorous voice she heard down the hall was, in fact, hers.

7.Irascible (ih-rass-uh-buhl)

Prone to anger; easily provoked to anger; hot-tempered.

>> Jessica knew a lion that was irascible.

8. Foudroyant (foo-droi-uhnt)

Overwhelming and sudden in effect

>> The smell was so foudroyant, Jessica tried to kill the skunk with a hockey stick.

9. Busker (bus-kur)
A person who entertains (as by playing music) in public places.
>> Jessica seduced a young busker named Rain.

10. Hoi Polloi (hoi-puh-loi)

The common people generally; the masses.

>> The hoi polloi thought Jessica was a foreigner, an alien of some sort.

*

Hope you learned something new! More coming your way soon, Commoners!

Definitions got from dictionary.com

-Marley Marls

High Five Sundays

After skipping the tradition last week due to our filming commitments, we welcome back high-five Sundays!

Today >> Top 5 Most Fashionable Canadian Prime Ministers. Here we go!

5. Sir Charles Tupper

Canada’s 6th prime minister, Tupper holds the record for having the shortest term of office, being head of the nation for just 69 days. Style props go to his mutton-chops and chained pocket watch.

 

4. William Lyon Mackenzie King

On the fifty dollar bill and the first Mackenzie of this list, the dapper Mackenzie King is best known for being the countries prime minister during the Second World War. I find his style to be ahead of his time in many ways, plus a man who can pull off a fur coat like him is okay in my books.

 

3. Alexander Mackenzie

Canada’s second prime minister, Mackenzie was uneducated from the age of 13 and was best known for his routes in the working-class, as well as being a scary-looking dude. Very Scary. Nice beard though.

 

 

2. Lester B. Pearson

A Nobel Peace Prize winner and champion of the current Canadian flag, Pearson was in charge from 1963-1968. He wore a bow-tie for the entirety of his term, so it seems. I respect that.

 

1. Mackenzie Bowell

I feel these images of Bowell is explanation enough as to why he is the most fashionable Canadian prime minister. A true baller, I’m sure many a contemporary man would envy his wardrobe.

Images sourced via wikipedia

- Jessica

How To Sew a Wool Coat In 10 Easy Steps

A.K.A an early preview of POMP’s Fall 2011 collection.

To begin you will need >>

• A coat pattern
• Some wool fabric
• A sewing machine
• A good itunes playlist

Step1. Cut out fabric >>

 

Step 2. Ensure your workspace is appropriate  >>

Wrong!

Right!

Step 3. Have a well deserved break >>

Didn’t see me, too sneaky.

Step 4. Back to Work! Sew the outside >>

Step 5. Sew the inside >>

 

Step 6. Go to the Cambie >>

 

Step 7. Pockets! >>

 

Step 8. Toggles! >>

 

Step 9. Sew the outside to the inside >>

 

Step 10. Press and Pose >>

Isobella Goldin photographed by Marlon Vizcayno

Now you know how it’s done! Stay tuned for the complete collection in the near (ish) future.

- Jessica

Back to Black

Graphic design has always intrigued me. Intrigued me to a point where I decided that I would possibly take a few graphic design classes or two to "get better." Now, I was all set and jazzed about this idea, ready to go, until I was given an assignment that involved creating posters and logos . After that assignment, I decided, very quickly, that I am not as handy dandy on the illustrator front as I thought I was and vetoed the idea indefinitely. Now, even though graphic design isn't my holy grail in this Camelot, I am still an avid fan of graphic designers and their work.

Cue in: The posters for the movie Black Swan.

I love movie posters. Movie posters are one of those key elements that make or break a movie for me. Sure, for some people it's just imagery, placing a title to an image, but to me, it's more than that. It sets the tone of the movie, it shows the passion of a movie. Plus, people can get really creative when it comes to posters which makes everything to me that more enjoyable.

I haven't been equally excited about a movie and it's posters in a very long time (sounds weird, I know) but Black Swan has restored my excitement for imagery and graphic design again (though not to a point where I'm resurrecting my dream of being a boy wonder in GD).

Take a look at some of the amazing posters for this movie that put other posters to shame:

The other two posters that give me the chills are the ones of Natalie Portman basically embodying the films protagonist...and antagonist..?

 Take note out there, graphic designers. Create stuff like this and I'll guarantee you will be set for life.

Black Swan comes out December 3rd, 2010 and if you haven't seen the trailer yet you can watch it here .

Images taken from slashfilm.com and iwatchstuff.com.

-Marls

And PS, another reason to watch this film? The costumes were custom made "Swarovski encrusted tutus" and "spider web-y warm up knits" by none other than Rodarte. In an early review, the reviewer said that the costumes nearly upstaged the Oscar-buzzed creepy thriller by none other Darren Aronofsky. Imagine that-Rodarte topping the king of "what the hell just happened" type movies. Huh. 

Loci

As many know, before coming to study at AIV in Canada, I first completed a fine arts degree at Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design in New Zealand.

The very first project that every student completes within their first week at Whitecliffe is a series of small artworks that fall under the thematic banner of Loci. The plural of the word locus, meaning the scene of any event or action, the Loci project is designed for students to begin exploring and challenging their own identity as designers, artists, and humans, i.e locating themselves in context with everything they are and know.

I was reminded of this project that started everything for me whilst on the set of the fashion film that Marlon mentioned in his previous post.

Location in relation to fashion is a reflection or a challenge of the identity of clothing, and I didn’t really understand the importance of that connection until after my experience on set this past weekend. Environment can change or accentuate the main focus of design, and it can be used to further separate and individualize a designers point of difference, which is so valuable in an oversaturated industry like fashion. 

Below is a selection of shots that separate themselves from the masses by using loci effectively >>

www.urbanoutfitters.com

www.testmag.co.uk

www.testmag.co.uk

scanned from Vogue, March 2009

Pop Magazine, www.models.com

www.models.com

- Jessica