SCHOLARLY MUSINGS

The Nude in the Tub

Max Ernst, Une semaine de bonté (1934)

“Water, which has always been perceived as the feminine element of nature, in the nineteenth century was tied to a new ‘hygienic’ image of woman, which was itself a creation of the Victorian age. Only the late nineteenth century tied female nudity as a cultural symbol to the tap water of the bathroom. The proximity of suds and nude in the bath domesticated both water and flesh. Water became the stuff that circulates through indoor plumbing, and the nude became the symbol of a new fantasy of sexual intimacy defined by the newly created domestic sphere.”

-Ivan Illich, H2O and the Waters of Forgetfulness (1985)

DEGREES OF HYSTERIA

Is It Food? Is It Art? Is It Science?

With elBulli going on hiatus in 2012, making it now near impossible to secure a reservation… Albertine & Odette recommend this adventurous little solution to your food dilemma… Albert and Ferran Adrià’s, Texturas Mini-Kit for Molecular Cuisine. It contains everything you need to let your inner-mad-foodie-art-scientist rule the kitchen. Your dinner guests will be impressed!

Buy it here:

Texturas mini-kit for molecular cuisine – Texturas – Albert & Ferran Adria (El Bulli) – BienManger.com.

GENTLEMEN

Beautifully, Masterfully Brilliant!

I am sick with love, lust, desire, awe, inspiration, hope, yearning… The artistic genius of numerous designers is enough to blow the very breath of life back into one’s heart and soul. I am speechless!

More from Men’s Spring Collections 2011

Givenchy

Givenchy

Givenchy

Givenchy

Comme des Garcons Homme

Comme des Garcons Homme

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

Junya Watanabe

Junya Watanabe

Junya Watanabe

Junya Watanabe

Juun J.

Juun J.

Juun J.

Juun J.

Juun J.

Juun J.

Juun J.

Juun J.

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

Alexis Mabille

Gaspard Yurkievich

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto

SCHOLARLY MUSINGS

A Deep Thought For The Full Moon

“I wonder if one can love, enjoy oneself (jouir), pray, die from pain, or just die, plain and simple, in another language or without telling anyone about it, without even speaking at all.”

-Jacques Derrida, Monolingualism of the Other; or, The Prosthesis of Origin (1996)

EXTRAORDINARILY SACRED

Smoke & Wood

I am intoxicated by the smell of smoke and wood. I am not one who goes for floral perfumes or body products. I like my personal scents to have a masculine, earthy edge. A shortlist of handpicked favorites:

Shiseido's Feminite du Bois... My absolute favorite perfume!

Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap... Insanely Masculine

Sai Baba's Nag Champa

Bergamot Tobacco by Archipelago

SCHOLARLY MUSINGS

History if I could put you

“History if only I could put you

in my little bowl,

cherish you for your real self

you, source of what follows

and goes before.

Flama. Name. Story.

History if I could smoke you,

suck you up  into my brain’s blood

like a memory

of what really happened,

all the sides of it

the middle, top and bottom

including the beautiful

the boredom

including the painful burning parts,

my own part,

wrong, right and indifferent;

wisdom and war, love and foolery.

History, little golden glow

of understanding

let me blow and blow

on your heart.

Tell me something.

Tell me truly.”

-Judy Grahn, The Queen of Wands (1982)

GENTLEMEN

The Latest Drop Dead Gorgeous Looks From Milan… Boys Are Monopolizing Everything!

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Gucci

Gucci

Gucci

Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli

Roberto Cavalli

Etro

Etro

Etro

Etro

Canali

Canali

Moncler Gamme Bleu

John Richmond

Moschino Uomo

GENTLEMEN

Day Two of Spring 2011 Men’s Colletions

I like well-dressed gentlemen. Both Salvatore Ferragamo and Gianfranco Ferre provided some of the most exquisitely refined looks for men. Yes Please!

Ferragamo Finery

Ferragmo's Immaculate Casual Chic

Fashion Statement Ferre

Ferre's French Indochina

GENTLEMEN

2011… Spring Is In The Air

The Spring 2011 Men’s Collections kicked-off in Milan today. I confess that I found most of it rather blasé-blah. Four looks did, however, catch my eye and are posted below.

Burberry Prorsum Giving Us Military

Dolce & Gabbana's Timeless Texture

Calvin Klein Monochromatic Suit

Versace's Ultra-Clean-Cut Swim Trunks On a Heavily Tattooed Model Is Just Plain Hot

ESOTERIC ESSAYAGES

Animal Magnetism

In the 1990s a designer… or… artist, made a shoe like the ones below. I only ever saw them once in a magazine and then once on the feet of an actual, live person… a woman in New York City at an art gallery. It is one of the biggest fashion regrets of my life, not having hunted down and purchased a pair for myself. The mere suggestion of altering one’s appearance to be like that of a satyr is wickedly appealing.

German artist Iris Schieferstein, currently crafts art/footwear from  deceased animals. The raw materials and clever, thought provoking designs create an inspiring contextual patchwork.