Awesome video of statues on the South Banks of the Thames River in London that can be only be seen fully at low tide. These statues called The Rising Tide were created by world-renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. The pieces were created to help bring awareness and focus on the environmental issues plaguing our planet. All the statues are build a life size scale, but the horse's heads have been replaced with Oil Pumps. You can learn more about that their meaning HERE and you can check out more of Jason's pretty amazing work HERE.
Fashion History: The Origin of The Word Bra
My new fav podcast the Allustionist's 2nd episode is all about the origin and history of the world bra.
I Designed: Hand Drawn Chalkboards
I love when I get a chance to step away from my computer and do something with my hands.
Image Source & Credit: Melanie Pyves © 2015
Happy Birthday Coco!
Happy birthday to Coco Chanel, an inspirational lady whose innovative ideas and forward thinking revolutionize the fashion world. Oh, and I'm kind of obsessed with these fabulously designed videos (below) that Chanel created to give the average Joe an inside look into their past.
You can watch all the videos about the story of Chanel HERE.
Fashion Forward: 3D Printed Clothing
Danit Peleg, a 27 year old Israeli fashion design student 3D-printed an entire fashion collection from home! This just might be the future of fashion! I love the idea of being able to print my own clothing at home and not having to worry about the ethical problems that come with purchasing a new piece of clothing.
Inspire Moi: David Isay & Story Corps
"Everyone has a story."
This TED Talk from David Isay creator of Story Corps blew me away. Also, I cannot stop listening to all the interviews that have been collected over at Story Corps! They're all so inspiring and eye opening. I think they are a brilliant and very forward thinking way to collect history for future generations.
Happy Birthday Andy!
Andy Warhol would have been 87 today. Some people love him, some people hate him but either way he changed the art world. Personally his life story and large body of work fascinated me. I'm also fascinated by the profoundly sad, troubled and talented people he chose to surround himself with. A few years ago I read a book about Andy Warhol and a book about Edie Sedgwick who was one of his superstars. Both books were an interesting and eye opening look into each of their lives.
Andy Warhol & Edie Sedgwick
History Nerd: The First Electric Illuminated Billboard
If you love learning about the history of design and advertising like I do then you'll dig this episode from The Memory Palace podcast about the first ever Electric Illuminate Billboard. This 1892 billboard was located on the wall of the NYC Cumberland Hotel. The part of the episode where Nate DiMeo describes people seeing it for the first time gave me full on goose bumps.
Fashion & Disabilities: Options For Everyone
This weeks episode of The Seams is fantastic, it focuses on how the fashion world is treating individuals with disabilities. I love the idea of fashion being made inclusive to everyone. Inclusive fashion for me means people not just having to wear clothing that sort of works for them. We all deserve to wear clothing the meets our needs and makes us feel great. Like the the episode states fashion should include options for everyone!
Image Source & Credit: The Seams
History Nerd: The History Of The Opening Titles
I was recently watching the 1960 film The Apartment which is one of my favourite Hollywood Classic flicks and while their opening credits are nothing really special they still had me wondering about how opening titles were created pre the advent of the computer. So I did a little search online and came across a mini -documentary called The Film before The Film. While I still have many questions about the process of creating opening titles during the past up period of graphic design I still found the documentary very interesting. I loved seeing how the design and purpose of the open titles changed over time. Oh and I also learned that the 1978 open titles to Superman were the first computer generated opening titles created for a film.
Supermans Opening Titles - The First Ever To Be Digitally Generated in 1978
The Apartments Opening Titles (one of my fav 1960's NYC Hollywood Flicks)
Design Nerd: How Pantone Ink is Made
Swoon, a romantic look how how Pantone inks are made.....
Fashion History: The Breton Stripe (Happy Bastille Day!)
Happy Bastille Day! Here’s a little Parisian fashion history to help celebrate….
French Sailor's uniforms from the late 1850’s have everything to do with the history of the Breton Stripe. Inspired by the stripe fashion designer Coco Chanel introduced it to the Fashion World through her 1917 Nautical Collection. In the 1950’s & 60’s the stripe was made popular again by the Beat Generation.
Over the decades that followed the Breton Stripes 1917 debut it was made famous by a variety of celebrities; Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardot, Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Audrey Hepburn,James Dean and Jean Seberg.
To this day, the Breton Stripe still embodies Chic Parisian Style and is a staple piece in many a person's wardrobes.
Font Snob
For all my font snob friends this is hilarious!
1915 - 2015: 100 Years of Men's Fashion
Okay, gent's let's agree to pretend 1975 - 2005 NEVER happened, well at least fashion wise. I'm so happy that men's fashion is continuing to head back towards it's dapper beginnings. All the looks between 1915 - 1965 are stellar and 2015's look embodies a more modern version of those decades. A well dress man is the Bees Knees.
I'm Celebrating: Instagram
I'm celebrating 600 follows on instagram with photo's of vegan food, vegan fashion, Toronto and cats. If you're interested in any of those things you should head on over to my account and give me a follow!
100 Years of Style: Russia
As much as I love the video about 100 Years of Beauty in Russia, I kind of dig the video about the research into the history behind the video more. As a self proclaimed history and fashion nerd that there would be my dream job, it's the perfect combo of fashion and history.
I Style: Home Sweet Home
I just created this cruelty free Polyvore Set dedicated to my Home Sweet Home. The Kensington Market raglan tee is from local Toronto company The Neighbourhood Project. You can score a tee that represents your Toronto hood over on their website. It also features vegan pieces from Insecta Shoes, The Base Project, KeepCup, Lauren B Beauty, Zulu Lux, Black Crystals Jewelry and more.....
Have A Listen: The Seams Podcast
Great episode this week from fashion podcast The Seams about gender fluidity, textiles, pakour, consignment and entrepreneurship.
Image Source & Credit: The Seams Instagram (Designer: Chantal Galipeau @prattfashion @prattinstitute Designs from the 2015 Look Book!)
Just For Fun: Annie Golden aka (Mute) Norma
Did you guys know that Annie Golden who plays the mute Norma on Orange Is The New Black use to play at CBGB in the 1970's (The Golden Age of Punk!) with her band The Shirts!? She also did a little diddy for the 1980's classic flick Sixteen Candles called Hang Up The Phone. The video for the song is a 100% 1980's cliché which, of course, is super awesome.
History Nerd: Hokusai
Are you a fan of the much copied and parodied Japanese art piece "The Wave"? If so then checkout this great podcast^ from Stuff You Missed in History Class about it's artist Hokusai. You can checkout my fav homage to "The Wave" HERE.