Outside The Lines, Too

Since the launch of her first publication in 2013, earning her the title of New York Times bestselling author, LA-based art enthusiast Souris Hong has been busy rallying yet another stellar line-up of creative masterminds for the sequel of her celebrated colouring book Outside The Lines (October 2013). 

Dig out your crayons and markers again – though shame on you for ever putting them away – because Outside The Lines, Too drops with over 100 fresh line drawings commissioned by international contemporary talent, ranging from artists, graphic designers and illustrators to photographers, street artists and filmmakers. CLAW MONEY, devngosha, Jack Black, Kevin Lyons, Charles and Ray Eames, POKETO and ThankYouX are a handful of innovative new contributors that make up the diverse scope of styles and context in this alternative colouring book. 

These Are the Ways We Stay Connected (detail) - Seonna Hong

Whether it's Dalek’s optical lines or the playful doodles of NIARK1, there is something for everyone and anyone with a mission to rid all 256 pages from its monochrome state. Evolving from the original title, the latest publication now features individually perforated pages for when you want to exhibit your very own unique artwork collaboration - not to mention useful for those times when kids of all ages just don’t want to share. 

MANY - Ryan Seslow

Young and old(er) will unite over this uber hip paperback bursting with potential technicolour and conceptual imagination as well as thrive on an unconscious education in the exploration of art and design from emerging and established artists from around the world – a critical ingredient to Hong’s success to date and vision for the accessibility of contemporary art beyond conventional audiences to a greater, more unassuming readership. 

Ollie & Grind, Part 3 - Leonardo Bravo

Outside The Lines Too will mark a West coast book launch at MOCA Los Angeles this weekend, Saturday 3 rd October at 3pm – visit MOCA Stores for full details.

For more on Art, Culture & Lifestyle visit jonathanvelardi.com

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Foot Werk

You don’t need Google to tell you anything goes on the internet. Add a hashtag to that anything and you find yourself sympathising with a global online community hungry for expression in as few and witty characters as possible. So to the recent buzz this week that has been reported by the likes of Dazed & Confused, i-D and PAPER Magazine on the curious hashtag that is #heelconcept. Punch this meme into Instagram and behold a collection of arched feet, precariously balancing atop resolutely lo-fi objects from the sublime to the ridiculous to create the illusion of a high heel shoe.

As DIY footwear floods our Instagram feeds, we ask the meme’s creator about #HeelConcept: http://t.co/nAflSa2nUx pic.twitter.com/yev2vzrZ84
— i-D (@i_D) February 11, 2015

First recorded by the grammer @m.sty in December of last year, who stood on a bronze figure performing autofellatio against the backdrop of a cutting mat, the hashtag has since inspired hundreds of avant-garde prototypes as a means of alternative self-portraiture. 

Ladies, step aside. The men are coming up with their own #heelconcept [SUB REQ.]: http://t.co/00jNCTbAKQ pic.twitter.com/i5q6VUBbB5
— WWD (@wwd) February 9, 2015

High fashion, contemporary art and a generous helping of irony at its most fabulous come together in an amalgamation of DIY beauty and anti-aesthetic style, which has left trend forecasters head over heels. Perhaps because on closer inspection #heelconcept has been attracting both sexes with fashion journal WWD headlining ‘Ladies step aside: The men are coming up with their own #heelconcept’, with their respective hairy limbs en pointe, including that of my own. Having come across the phenomenon on my feed last week I couldn't resist raiding the kitchen cupboards to channel the lexicon of none other than pop culture supreme Mr Warhol, by putting my toes to werk.

#heelconcept by @jonathanvelardi

From running water to ‘walking on water’ and even the edible, here are a few of my favourite vertiginous creations…

by @m.sty

by @puffy_vest

by @gouine.stefani

by @cannesfilthfestival

 

by @martaplaton

by @parasitictween

by @twitterdotcomslashhenry

by @ihatejakeg

by @lait2bloom

There are 764 images tagged #heelconcept on Instagram at the time of writing this post.

#heelconcept by @jonathanvelardi has been featured on:

- Dazed & Confused ('What the hell is #heelconcept?')

- i-D ('#heelconcept meme mum misty pollen explains it all')

- PAPER Magazine ('Behind #HeelConcept, the Fashion-net-Art Meme Blowing Up on Instagram')

- Smosh ('Shoes of the Future?: 20 of the Freakiest Images from #HeelConcept on Instagram')

Follow my Twitter @jmvelardi and Instagram @jonathanvelardi 

for more on Arts, Culture and Lifestyle from the www and beyond

10 Ideas

Ding-dong December is here and my Christmas gift guide drops for another year with ten ideas that will guarantee culture points under the tree this Holiday season. Inspired from the worlds of art and design that have caught my eye on my travels or have been featured here on the blog and on my Twitter throughout the course of the year, follow my curated countdown of discerning gifts for the naughty and nice…

1. Butt of the joke

Paris was the setting (and crime scene) for Paul McCarthy’s provocative public art work, Tree, erected in conjunction with his Chocolate Factory exhibition at La Monnaie de Paris this year. A souvenir of the work is being produced by the artist and French chocolatier Mademoiselle Chocolat during the exhibition.

2. Tribal Instinct

Discover society’s unconscious universality in photographer and flâneur extraordinaire, Hans Eijkelboom’s anti-sartorial publication People of the Twenty-First Century published by Phaidon

3. Desk sculpture

Haute-stationery from Japanese papermaker ITO Bindery for the aspiring curator – the recycled Memo Block is available at Please Do Not Enter

4. Adult Entertainment

Forgo the wood fire and turn up the heat over Robert Lazzarini’s distorted Puzzle series featuring images from 1970s porn - the limited edition of 50 jigsaw puzzles per design are produced by Brooklyn-based creative platform Grey Area

5. Child’s Play

Matt Austin Studio transforms our long-lost ephemera in the bottom of the junk drawer into a witty 8-piece collection of Chalk Ware for use or decoration - from Marc Jacobs Bookmarc

6. Stick your neck out

Be anything but square with this UNIQLO SPRZ NY X Keith Haring art bandana – available at UNIQLO stores worldwide

7. Light on your feet

ICNY defy the no-socks-for-Christmas code with these ‘Original Dot’ 3M reflective performance pair ideal for the urban athlete – available at ICNY Sport

8. Design Digit

For those who couldn’t give a festive f**k this holiday season, Maurizio Cattelan’s L.O.V.E Snow Globe is on (finger) point – available at MoMA Store

9. Model breakfast

Mark 2015’s highly anticipated return of designer John Galliano at the helm of cult fashion house Maison Martin Margiela with these alternative Fortune Eggs for a prosperous and stylish new year – by Maison Martin Margiela

10. Tea-total

Give the gift of wellness with this irresistible blend of loose leaf maté, green tea and lemongrass from the Detox collection at tea emporium Kusmi Tea

Images courtesy of Paul McCarthy, Phaidon, Please Do Not Enter, Grey Area, Marc Jacobs Bookmarc, UNIQLO, ICNY Sport, MoMA Store, Maison Martin Margiela and Kusmi Tea

Ain't Nothing Normcore About Rudeboys

Earlier this year New York-based trend forecasting group K-HOLE introduced normcore into the dictionary of streetstyle (The New Normal - The New York Times, April 2014). Waist-high white wash jeans, over-sized tees and non-descript sneakers were being spotted on fashion packs around the world. The look is post-aspirational, mall-in-the-middle-of-nowhere get up. Think out of office hours Obama, the late Steve Jobs or American tourists in Europe from the Nineties. Rarely do the words normal and fashion meet in the same sentence, however this neologism - borne from its distant metaphorical relation, hardcore - continues to trend amongst hipster boys and girls who want everyone to know they could give zero fucks about Yeezys or Yves Saint Laurent. 

This summer Somerset House presents the antithesis of normcore. Return of the Rudeboy is an original exhibition showcasing the sartorial subculture that bridges the swagger of the 1950s in Kingston, Jamaica to the sharp tailoring of London’s Savile Row. Unlike the peacocks that were parading down the King’s Road or Carnaby Street during the Swinging Sixties (Sex, Drugs & Fish n’ Chips, September 2011), Rudeboys (or Rudies) didn’t dress to impress but dressed for themselves. Caribbean immigration to the United Kingdom during this time led to a revival of dapper dressing between young rebels influenced by punk and reggae music of the era. The movement is an extraordinary insight of an attitude towards menswear that until only recently is being acknowledged by fashion commentators. The confidence demonstrated in recent seasons of male sprezzatura, or nonchalance, when it comes to one’s threads, borders on the aesthetics of Rudeboy culture. It is the routine and attention to detail reflected in the collaborative nature of the exhibition however, which firmly define the Rudeboy as much more than superficial swag from head to toe.

Return of the Rudeboys - Somerset House London

Central to the Rudeboy look is putting a twist on its heritage and this is successfully echoed by the visual mash up of garments and styling objects displayed in the neoclassical opulence of Somerset House’s South Wing Terrace Rooms. Creative director Harris Elliott and photographer Dean Chalkley, curators of Return of the Rudeboy, feature a host of bespoke contributions beside the quintessential suited and booted mannequins, that include objects by box maker Kitty Farrow and luggage maker Alstermo Bruk. Hats, shirt collars and even hair combs are given their very own custom splendour in exquisitely designed travel cases, perfect for the Rudeboy on the move. And how does a Rudeboy get around town? On an Opus Dopus freestep by Paul Gaba, paired with a tasseled pair of KIL-LER kicks by Mr Hare of course.

#style mix frm #RudeboysReturn exhib @somersethouse #London June13 - Aug25 2014. #doyathinkimsexy #fashion ... https://t.co/VDteCVOmdA
— Jonathan Velardi (@JMVELARDI) June 13, 2014

The Rudeboy lifestyle embodies everything from the accoutrements of fashion to the sounds that put a kick in one’s step. Alongside the large-scale photographic portraits of over sixty influential Rudeboys and Rudegirls on the scene today, a playlist of tracks selected by each subject to capture the spirit and soul of the Rudie philosophy offers a sensational experience through the multi-media galleries. The dynamic curation continues with the installation of a ‘grooming station’ from Johhnie Sapong X We Are Cuts that offers hair cuts and beard maintenance, by appointment only, in a fresh pop-up barber shop.

KIL-LER loafers by Mr Hare

Return of the Rudeboy is one of those exhibitions visitors will think twice about what to wear before leaving the front door. You have been warned: ain’t nothing normcore about Rudeboys.

  

Return of the Rudeboy runs to 25th August 2014 at Somerset House London. Visit returnoftherudeboy.com for details of special events and film screenings throughout the duration of the exhibition. 

Follow @JMVELARDI on Twitter and Vine for more 

#highlife and #lowlife art, culture & lifestyle.

Stick Your Neck Out

The long-awaited farewell to Winter may mean parting ways with our hats, gloves and scarves for yet another season, however neckwear is here to stay this Spring in the shape of the versatile cotton square. The handkerchief is understood to have been invented by Richard II of England in the fourteenth century and has since successfully transcended styles over the centuries. Most notably worn by labourers and revolutionaries throughout history for its utility and symbolism respectively, the revival for Americana in the late-twentieth century parodied its cowboy and rebel culture heritage and was subsequently adopted by a new generation of subcultures. Originating from the Hindi word bandhana, meaning ‘to tie’, the cotton square continues to be manufactured in 100% cotton and decorated using a variety of traditional printing processes. From screen print to discharge and fast colour techniques, the trusty handkerchief, neckerchief or bandana balances beauty and design detail with practicality. 

100% cotton squares – clockwise from top:

Labour And Wait, UNIQLO SPRZ NY X Keith Haring, Barbour and Hilditch & Key 

I have been collecting bandanas for many years. There is something so understated and poetic-like about its construct – its often complex design only fully revealed when unfolded – giving great satisfaction to its wearer. They are my souvenirs on my travels – a few of my favourite global pit stops are the Roman institution for vintage Omero e Cecilia; RRL's metropolitan ranch on Bleeker Street, New York; American Rag in Los Angeles and Daikanyama emporium Okura in Tokyo. 

Franklin Bandana - RRL

Prices vary from dollar store to designer creations. The market for original vintage squares is driven predominantly by Japan who have an affinity with the patterns and symbols similar to their own shibui aesthetic. Rare commemorative or political layouts incorporating stylised narratives surrounded by paisley or polka dot motifs are highly sought-after and feature in the pages of men’s lifestyle periodicals such as Free & Easy, for the discerning gentleman. 

Semper Fidelis, 2010 - Jonathan Velardi

My personal fascination with the history behind the accessory led me to design and print my own bandanas as contemporary artworks (Devon’s Political Archive Inspires Devon, BBC 2011) using the customary visual codes and allegory to create new contemporary dialogue.

Louis Vuitton Menswear SS14

For Spring/Summer 2014, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent showcased the menswear accessory of the season. Kim Jones for Louis Vuitton incorporated the luxury label’s iconic flower emblems into decorative bandanas. Worn as loose cravats, they deformalised the suits and business wear that they had been paired with down the runway. The theme continued with patchwork paisley packing a punch, emblazoned on oversized shirting. At Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane’s rockabilly-inspired collection presented a more familiar image of cardinal red squares in cashmere and silk-blend, tri-folded around the neck in bandit fashion topped with slick, pomade hairstyles. 

Saint Laurent Menswear SS14

Indigo also meets the cotton square at the trend junction this season. From tones of raw serge de Nîmes to electric International Klein Blue, there is a shade for just about anyone on the indigo spectrum. 

Basket Pattern Bandana - Okura

Accent indigo or denim workwear with examples of my classic spot squares in fresh hues of green and blue (top). Channel countryside dandyism with spotted compositions by Labour And Wait, Barbour and Hilditch & Key in timeless primary colours. For a more contemporary take UNIQLO’s latest artistic collaboration with MoMA for its SPRZ NY capsule collection includes trademark designs from the art foundations of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Drake's of London produce a range of modern and eccentric interpretations in multiple colourways - I particularly like this graduated spot print (below). Twist or tie the square around the neck or pop into a breast pocket for an effortless look.

Graduated Spot Print Pocket Square - Drake's of London

With Burberry Prorsum following the trend for neckwear in their Autumn/Winter 2014 collection – introducing a more loose style with large silk squares, worn nonchalantly on necks and shoulders - the neckerchief is very much here to stay. Square up to style and stick your neck out.

Addresses:

American Rag

150 South La Brea Avenue

90036 Los Angeles, CA 

USA

Omero e Cecilia

Via del Governo Vecchio 110

00186 Rome

Italy

Okura

20-11 Sarugaku-cho Shibuya-ku

150-0033 Tokyo

Japan

RRL

381 Bleeker Street

10014 New York

USA

Discover more about the design process behind my bandana artwork Semper Fidelis, commissioned by Devon County Council and Double Elephant Print Workshop in this series of related blog posts and read its full press release here. 

Follow @JMVELARDI on Twitter and Pinterest for the latest on arts, culture & lifestyle.

Runway images courtesy of STYLE.com

Air Play

My latest blog contribution for Ohh Deer enters technophile territory. London-based designers LIX launch the smallest 3D Printing Pen on the market that enables users to doodle in thin air. Powered simply via USB port, the LIX 3D Printing Pen uses plastic filament, similar to 3D printers, to draw and construct immediate freestanding structures by hand without the need for paper. 

Exploring our relationship between craft and applied science, I look at the type of audience LIX chose to target for its Kickstarter campaign as well as whether this creative gadget is a perfectionist's nightmare. 

Discover a new style of draftsmanship for the future in my full review now available at Ohh Deer.

Visit jonathanvelardi.com/writing for a selection of my published writing and follow @JMVELARDI on Twitter and Pinterest for more on arts, culture and lifestyle from the www and beyond.

Images courtesy LIX PEN LTD

Come Fly With Me

Cameron Heads To Lanzarote Holiday On Ryanair http://t.co/y2Jpas8VqP
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 13, 2014

Floor Space

On the eve of design’s most anticipated fairs of the year you can guarantee an art collaboration release is not too far behind. The rise of the artist collaboration within the worlds of utility and practicality, at least for the most part, has proved to be a successful formula providing consumers a veneer of the conceptual onto objets of the everyday.

The Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano launches this week and will showcase the best in furniture design and home styling from both Italy and around the world. Gothenburg-based Henzel Studio is one such exhibitor who will be presenting an exclusive collection of art rug editions in collaboration with leading contemporary artists. The Swedish luxury label has worked with twelve international artists on its ‘Volume #1’ collection. Assume Vivid Astro Focus, Marilyn Minter, Richard Prince and Juergen Teller are a few of the names who have defied conventional right-angle styles for more elaborate and curious compositions that will detract eyes from the wall firmly to the floor. 

Untitled, 2012 - Anselm Reyle

The abstract aesthetic of Anselm Reyle is a fine example of how successful an artwork can be translated through alternate media, particularly within the realm of interior design. Reyle’s Untitled, 2012 contribution to the collection is a replica of the artist’s gathered foil style imagery inspired by his series of paintings, which has been directly reworked in both design and structure onto a free-from monochrome rug, hand knotted in Himalayan and New Zealand wool and silk. The result is an almost three-dimensional effect of luminous folds in the pile that makes for a contemporary decorative statement. 

The Henzel Studio Collaborations series will debut in Milan at Superstudio Più before an official launch at Barneys New York Madison Avenue flagship during Frieze New York in May later this year. For more information about all the artists involved in the ‘Volume #1’ collection visit Henzel Studio.

Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano opens tomorrow and runs through to 13th April 2014 - click here for full details of exhibitors and events throughout the week.

Image courtesy of Henzel Studio

Midweek Moods

It may not be ‘Fiesta Friday’ quite yet, so hit up my Midweek Moods for some visual stimulation - and much needed distraction - to get you through to the end of the week. If you’re on Pinterest follow my #HIGHLIFE and #LOWLIFE boards for all the latest #lifestyleporn from the www and beyond...

Happy midweek everyone! 

#HIGHLIFE - Danesfield House

#LOWLIFE - Toile de #WORKBxxCH

#LOWLIFE - Casely Halford X H by HARRIS

#HIGHLIFE - Clooney X Kusama

Follow more #highlife & #lowlife antics on Twitter @JMVELARDI