Less Effort, More Style

Photographer Michael M. Koehler shares a thought with the Back Row Mafia on photography we think speaks volumes on style:

"I have found that when I am thinking too much, I miss the moment or am looking for a certain shot that I have thought of and miss the beauty in front of me. I try to have my work inform me and find the wildlife in me."

"Wildlife" is a reference to Koehler's current humanity wilderness project for which he has been photographing throughout some of America's major cities.

Photos courtesy of michaelmkoehler.com

See more here.

A Horse of a Different Neutral

We've been feeling mixed neutrals for a while, and we saw it all over Berlin's Fashion Week 2010. What we love most is its seasonal versatility: great right now to match the winterscape and great this summer for its breezy quality. It's all over next fall's lines, and we don't see it going anywhere soon. Plus, the mixed tones give personality and depth to an otherwise flat outfit.

Neutrals all over emerging German label Lala Berlin's summer 2010 line, both below, give way to their fall 2010 designs.

Photos courtesy of lalaberlin.com/lala/galerie_en.php

The beauty of this fall 2010 look from Lala Berlin, below, is mixed neutrals all wrapped up in one chic item and its balanced with equally neutral and equally fabulous stilettos. The Mafia Materialist says, "Yes," to year-round neutrals.

Photo courtesy of lexposure.net

NYTimes Gets Growlers Right, Misses the Boat on Bier

Robert Simonson reports from Park Slope, Brooklyn, "Growlers have become the beer accessory of the moment." He addresses the many appealing aspects of growlers from the ever-trendy green movement (growlers are the recyclable glass Coke bottle of beer, for the whole family) to the convenience and affordability. The beauty of the growler is that it's like sharing a six-pack with your friends, from the tap and thus the freshest and most delicious.

Personally, we think he glazed over the simple fact that beer is where it's at, thus we'd argue growlers are the accessory of the moment. We think beer gets a bad rap for the same reasons many other over-processed and terribly-handled products do. Just like chocolate or olive oil, you want the strongest, the least processed and the best-tasting(!) when it comes to beer. Moderation is key for avoiding the negative effects of the alcohol. Plus, beer bellies are only linked with the over-consumption and lack of exercise that come with binge drinking. If you sip on the right brew, you'll hopefully soak up some magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin and B vitamins. A great spot to get all the brews you need to stay healthy? Recently-opened biergarten Der Schwarze Kölner, meaning "the black man from Cologne," opened by the black man from Cologne Dale Hall and his wife Randi Lockermann in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. No growlers, just great bier and traditional northern German cuisine.

See Simonson's article here.

Perfectly Simple: Kings of Convenience's "Mrs. Cold"

Aside from our longtime crushes on Kings of Convenience duo Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, this video strikes a chord, literally and figuratively, for a number of reasons. The beautiful lyrics, of course, are just one of many. We're happy to be impressed by their newest album Declaration of Dependance after all these years, during which the pair has produced great music while remaining true to their style. Both artists experiment with their musical interests by participating in additional bands, Øye in The Whitest Boy Alive and Bøe in Kommode.

Don't forget to note the lovely simplicity of the painters' airy tees and unadorned jeans. The outfits feel like an homage to the coed who occasionally gets lost in feathers and drapes. The Mafia Materialist also loves that Øye has made a trademark for himself with those square-rimmed, plastic frames, which also appear on one of the girls.


Courtesy of françois nemeta

"Hey baby / What is love?"

Found in Translation: Feathers and Draping

Never underestimate the power of evolution. Trends are limiting, but the evolution of fabrics from one season to the next, from one look to another, and from what works on one person to what's right for another can mean the difference between wearing what's now and wearing what's next. For example, fur is cropping up in literally every single pre-fall 2010 line. Personally, the Mafia Materialist thinks fur will come and go, but the truly forward can and will don feathers. We agreed when we saw this pre-fall look from Celine, below, inspired by Manx label Preen by Thornton Bregazzi's 2006 look, further below.

photo courtesy of style.com

photo courtesy of preen.eu

Not for you? What both permeates and transcends looks for spring/summer 2010 and fall 2010 is draping. This look is refreshingly simple and beautiful while ranging in intricacy, which the Mafia Materialist loves because it can dress up or down. See the look from Chloé, below.

photo courtesy of chloe.com

UPDATE: Women's Wear Daily did an article on feathers on January 25, 2010. We're glad to see someone's taking cues from the Mafia Materialist. See it here.

For Anyone Who's Ever Had a Rough Day: RJD2's "Let There Be Horns"

We believe it's true what they say: Good art should make you uncomfortable in some way. It should cause tension and require something of you as a viewer and participant. If a Xanax-popping minotaur doesn't do that, we're not sure what does. We hope you enjoy this first video release off RJD2's brand new album The Colossus, "Let There Be Horns." Don't miss RJD2's Hitchcock-esque appearance in the pawn shop. Hats off to director Thom Glunt for making us feel very uncomfortable. We also feel weird about wanting fur-covered boots after this video, fyi.

A Photographer to Spin With

Whether you're spinning on a tire swing or the Coney Island Cyclone, Dan Martensen injects needed movement into spaces and moments suffocated by shadow-drenched walls and furniture and graffiti-filthy sidewalks and plywood. We love the curious couple in the background of the Cyclone photo below. What we need? Center parts and teased hair.

Also note the floppy, wide-brimmed felt hat. Reminds us more of the Panama than the classic fedora.

Photos courtesy of danmartensen.com

See more here.

At this particular moment, it's cool to know the time.

Many very cool people who are interested in books and stuff will be wearing timepieces, in particular gold-faced ones reminiscent of George Best's below.

Other very hot men who know the time:

(In order: Elvis Presley, Paul Newman, Yves Saint Laurent)

Photos courtesy of GQ.com

A Collision of Medias to Represent New in a New Age

Prada somewhat forwardly describes 'First Spring,' their video collaboration with Yang Fudong, as a symbol of "an exciting new direction for Prada's visual communications at the start of this decade." Firstly, we have to admire Prada's endorsement of a young, contemporary Chinese artist whose name means nothing to the vast majority of their audience. The video is a risk for many reason, if not simply Jin Wang's eerie music and the ambiguous plot.

What is perhaps most impressive and interesting about the video is the seamless union of Prada's clean, sleek and classic design with the film medium in a thought-provoking way. (Interesting Prada should release the video less than twelve hours after the Martin Scorcese film tribute and Scorcese himself both convinced us we're completely inadequate.) The nine-minute video completely defies everything we know and experience about advertising. With few exceptions, we're constantly looking and buying what can be processed quickly, what can be provocative without requiring anything of us and what can "make a statement" without really saying anything at all. Further, the video defies fashion advertising to date. No sex, no bare backs or breasts, not even a kiss.

What we love most about the wardrobes is the international convergence of styles. This video can serve as a concrete example of the global tunes that will play through every great outfit of 2010.

Watch the video here.

A Song You Want Stuck in Your Head: La Roux's "I'm Not Your Toy"

Everything about this video is sweet from the tribal-esque backup dancers' sequin hot pants and dance moves to the sideways glances of every bearded man, watermelonface, and bug-eyed little boy to lead singer Eleanor Jackson's awesomely androgynous look. And, then there's the tune and lyrics...

"You don't want me / You just like the attention."

It's been a great run, fedora, but...

We need this new Panama style pronto.

Photo courtesy of jcrew.com

A pout has always been sexy, but a smile is stylish.

Support Haiti!

There is without a doubt something beautiful in the simple fact that a major disaster like the recent earthquake in Haiti has resulted in an overcrowded airport, overcrowded not by those fleeing (of course, very few have the luxury of fleeing), but those arriving to aid in the disaster relief efforts. We commend those individuals who race to the scene of a dangerous mess risking their health and safety in order to ameliorate someone else's. Please consider supporting these individuals:

Color of the Day: Hot Pink.

Such as this one-shouldered Cacharel dress (top) from the automne/hiver 2009/2010 collection, which is more than vaguely reminiscent of this Cynthia Rowley autumn 2009 number (bottom).

Photo courtesy of cacharel.fr

        

Photo courtesy of cynthiarowley.com

Heads, Shoulders, Wrists and Ankles

We know you're loving the cozy coats, scarves, fingerless gloves and boots of winter 2010 fashion, but don't be discouraged if you can't seem to fit sexy into the aforementioned outfit (which conveniently enough lacks pants). Don't worry. Betty and Veronica had this dilemma, too. The less skin you flash, the more meaningful what you show off is. Think Thom Browne's floodwater ankle pants are only for men? Guess again. If there's ever been a year of menswearmania, (and your grandmother can tell you there have been many), 2010 is it. Anything you can steal from the guys, do it. And, don't forget: Bold shoulders easily balance short sleeves to expose bare wrists.