Wednesday, July 15, 2009

style | And They Said The Only Good Thing Out of Sweden Was ABBA

So I'm a bit ashamed, but what really had prompted this post was some indulgent eye candy:



Dancing is Polynesian reminiscent (not to mention overtly homoerotic), but Freddie Stroma can hula where ever he likes. (side note -- he plays Cormac McLaggen in the new Harry Potter movie)


Regardless of its eccentric soft core porn dance videos, Acne is a great brand. Hailing from Sweden, it's Scandinavian in every sense -- sleek, well-proportioned, and just plain beautiful. A lot of their ready-to-wear pieces drape really well and give this 1950's-Pony-Boy-meets-West-Village-Bohemian look that I love. I wish I could be more edgy.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

tube | Madly in Love: Mad Men

So I know I'm late on the bandwagon -- but look yonder over the great American television horizon: Mad Men!

I spent a good amount buying the two seasons on iTunes, which I regret after realizing that I was in Asia, the center of forged DVDs. But if that means that the show will sustain a longer life because of my monetary contribution, then so be it.

I'm two seasons late and two seasons regretful: Mad Men is sheer genius. This is what America television has hope for after Hollywood lost its golden sheen and the great 90's sitcom went down the drain. Mad Men was described in the perfect manner by its New York Times review -- not overly nostalgic but still retaining a 60's romanticism.


These men are, how you say, baller (I swear I do not use this word; it just encapsulates the Don Juan Draper so well). Chiseled faced and broad shouldered, they're the raw capitalist superman, ready to pump out slogans and lure in profit. They dine at the finest establishments. They smoke every other moment. And they drink until their gray flannel suits exude flammable vapors.

And, they're oh smooth with the words. Our American James Bond.

Yet, they're so flawed -- affairs, health failure, existential loss of self, dirty pasts. It's dramatic and studio lit, but understated enough to be convincing. But before analyzing too deeply the deep discontent psyche of these men, I'll stop and just say you'll fall in love -- a sick disgusting love -- with these men and their women.

So just take a look; the first episode is online for free:

stuff | Apologies and Architecture

So a good man hasn't been found since last March, but I guess it's better now than ever to get off my lazy tv-show-laden, summer-fed ass and start writing again.

I apologize greatly to all of my eight readers that I have not written in a while. As with most things needing daily attention -- like a normal sleep cycle -- I push it off for another day. But enough with excuses: I found a great article and a great piece of architecture that really galvanized me to start writing again.

The New York Times featured Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower today and its imminent destruction. Falling into disrepair in recent years, the Tower was the physical apogee of the Japanese Metabolism Movement (no, not a sashimi filled diet, but a futuristic leaning architectural ideal). In the 70's, it was all about movement and flexibility, innovation and design in Japan's technology driven society, and Kurokawa wanted Japan's buildings like that too.


Each capsule was built in a factory and attached to the two central concrete pillars that form the foundation of the tower. Like the K'NEX set you unwrapped at Christmas, the capusle pop in and out, able to form new building configurations. But, unfortunately, like the K'NEX set you unwrapped at Christmas and eventually had your dad build because the pieces were so damn hard to snap together, Kurokawa's vision was less than practical.

Now, to be honest, I don't find most post-war architecture appealing. It's mostly the bane of the New York skyline -- gaudy buildings put out of style ten years after they've been constructed and look like they belong in Epcot rather than a city. I've always been a big advocate of architectural preservation, especially with many of New York's neo-classical pieces from the 1900's, because that's really what gives the city much of its allure and its tradition.

But, the article brought up an interesting question: How old does a building have to be in order for it to be culturally valuable? Kurokawa's piece has really charmed me; I'm in love. It's flashy, dynamic, and most importantly a cultural monument of a bygone era. It's like a living Transformer (minus Shia LeBeouf thank god), what you wish Japan would still imagine the future to be like.

Hopefully, a good man will be found more often -- I'm in Hong Kong with nothing to do and ideas in my head, so I'm guessing he will be.