THE HOT FIVE

The Magic Words

2008-10-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

“Recession-proof” is the new black -- and like "the new black" itelf, it's a snowclone that every lazy journalist can latch onto for a timely hook. It's also the adjective with which every brand, company, industry and product hopes to associate themselves in these troubled times. I did a Google news search for the phrase in the last month to see just what specific concepts and things the pundits are aligning with the holy grail of being economically immune. And they are:

• Humor
• Death
• Liquor
• Gambling
• Sex
• James Bond
• The Olympics
• The Mall of America
• Organized crime
• Video games
• Denim
• Mac and cheese
• Celebrity gossip
• Medical sector stocks
• Fishing stocks
• The waste sector
• Waco, TX
• Filipino teachers
• Comic books
• Political campaigns
• The military
• The Dave Matthews Band

Of course, for every age-old vice, stalwart classic, niche profession or crappy band deemed impervious to the economic crisis, there's an ominous warning that "no one," "nothing," "no sport," "no industry," "no sector," and "I don't think anything, really" is recession-proof. So take your mac and cheese with a grain of salt.

Nice Guys Finish First

2008-10-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

...that's what the booklet for the fantastic Outsider street art installation at Houston & Bowery said, and that's the vibe I got from the very friendly & very cool people running things at the space.

The show's been extended to Oct. 26, so there's a scant two days left to see it if you haven't yet. It's well worth the visit, especially if you're just popping between the Elizabeth Peyton & Mary Heilmann shows at the New Museum and Man On Wire at the Sunshine (all highly recommended) as I was that day.

David Choe, Invader, Faile, JR & Blu are among the artists providing graffiti, paintings, sculpture, collage, mixed media, and Sesame Street characters in illicit & borderline alarming poses.

The work is fantastic and more to the point it's just fantastically well integrated into the gritty industrial setting. Coming into the space off Bowery is like stumbling into a surreal & subversive urban garage/wasteland/paradise, depending on your point of view. Don't forget to stumble downstairs too, where things get even deliciously darker. & say bye to the nice guys on your way out. They're definitely coming out on top.

The Golden Bowl

2007-08-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Gerald & Sara Murphy knew how to live. Swimming at Eden Roc, summering at Cap d'Antibes, befriending Cole Porter, Scott & Zelda, Dorothy Parker, Dos Passos, Picasso, Isadora Duncan, Hemingway, etc etc etc. They started the fashion of sunbathing on the beach (tho it eventually turned out the stylish look was a beauty crime). They inspired Dick & Nicole Diver of "Tender Is The Night," & possibly the young, carnal couple of Hemingway's "Garden of Eden." They are also the explicit subject of two of my favorite titled books of all time, "Everybody Was So Young" & "Living Well Is The Best Revenge." Their charmed lives, style & Gerald's paintings, including 1929's "Wasp and Pear" below, are now the subject of a retrospective in Williamstown, MA.

Sara's smooth, aristocratic beauty & signature strand of pearls made her an icon of her day, but Gerald is clearly stealing her thunder in the picture below. The classic striped nautical jersey, the waist-slung belt, the ropey sandals, the chic headscarf & that bamboo cane!

When the Murphy's two sons died a year apart, the couple eventually broke down & moved to New York; the fête had come to an end. Said Fitzgerald, "The golden bowl is broken indeed, but it was golden."

Let's Get Nautical

2007-08-02T15:20:00.001-07:00

The old reliable nautical look is about as hardy a trend as you'll find in fashion. & yet this shopworn story is almost always dredged out for spring. Leave it to Wendy Mullin to do nautical with a twist, by showing it for fall. & I love that she's using Robin Tunney as a model again this season. Note to self: queue up The Craft to see if it's as fun as you remember.

Anyway, the fall merch is just starting to trickle in at Built By Wendy (click here for the lookbook & available styles). I think their stuff can be overpriced, but since it's all got that very recognizable Wendy look, it doesn't really go out after a season. & their sample sales are a for-sure score, every time. Now, whatever happened to Fairuza Balk?

Work It Out

2007-08-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend swears that the main reason he never goes to the gym is that he can't find the right bag. I am partial to American Apparel's old-school nylon bags. They are cheap, colorful & cute. I have the yellow one, but I think the black & silver version is a sleek choice for the fellas.

But, after careful deliberation & a characteristically circumspect consideration of the American Apparel bag, the b.f. gave it a pass. He didn't like the idea of having to carry it awkwardly over his shoulder or worse have to hold the straps with his hand. A backpack was out, too, because it would have to be removed when he sat down on the subway (or stood on a crowded train).

At Flight 001, we both fell for a shoulder bag from Yohji Yamamoto's collaboration with Mandarina Duck. But it was expensive & not quite right (nor, unfortunately, is it pictured anywhere online). The salesman advised we check out Filson, whose high-quality sportsman's gear (their slogan is "Might As Well Have The Best") has been around since 1897 but has only recently been scooped up by trendy boutiques like Steven Alan & Opening Ceremony. I scoured their site & thought this bag fit all the criteria -- & looks amazing.

My boyfriend hates it. He thinks I'm a sucker for "buzz." I think this bag is classic, rugged, masculine, & has a little bit of quirky luxe, like a rich eccentric. What do you think?

Flip Flop: One Side of the Story

2007-07-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Havaianas are by no means new, but when did everybody in the fashion universe (editors, stylists, retailers from junior to contemporary, L-train hipster hotties, sample-sale whores et al) decide they were the only flip-flop worth buying, stocking or hawking? Even fancy-pants Diane T on Court Street, where I can't recall seeing much under $300, is showing them by the bucketful in the window (in silver & fuchsia, with the scanty silver selection looking in dangerously high demand).

I don't hate them -- I'm partial to the classic sporty versions with the tiny Brazilian flag -- but if there's anything that kills the je ne sais quoi of style it's a general consensus. This puts me in mind of white Converse, black nail polish & Rayban Wayfarers. Yes, they're all fabulous, but they looked a thousand times hotter on the first person you saw trying it than they did on the ten billionth. And with only one flip-flop-maker getting any real fashion credibility, it's like we're only getting one side of the story.

If you know of a hot flip-flop edging in on the Havaianas monopoly, put it in the comments...