You make the yearly trip to Miami’s Winter Music Conference, spend most of your summers basking in the Montauk sun, throw yourself the bangin’est birthday bashes, and live to tell about an infinite number of all nighters- way too many to recall. You undoubtedly have the sickest collection of photography anyone’s ever seen! One day you even plan on publishing these photos, making your coffee table book the most significant photo chronicles of our time, beautifully encased in a hardback and proudly protected in a showstopping dustcover. Wait no longer, it’s time to get your long awaited book published!

Sorry to bubble burst, but you’re definitely not the only one who’s had this brilliant idea, although, you very well could be one of the few to see your idea materialize. Blurb.com invites users to download their free “Booksmart” software, choose your style of book, add photos and text, upload your work and snap! Your professionally bound and ready to display masterpiece should arrive in about 7-10 work days! And, to further your exposure, your book automatically goes into the website’s bookstore, available for public purchase. (Careful of those naughty photos!)

Not much of a partier? There’s a template for several different styles of books guaranteed to appeal to one of your creative bones. A personal or business portfolio, cookbook, poetry book, baby book, and even Typepad and Wordpress blog entries each have their own template. You have the option of 3 different book qualities, hard or soft cover and several page layout options. Blurb books are one of the most clever and personal holiday gifts we’ve ever seen. Prices start at $29.95 and the books can be as lengthy as 120 pages.

Get bookin’ to ensure timely holiday delivery!

 Email This Post to a Friend!

Ron Galella has been touted as the O.G. of paparazzi.  He pioneered the candid surprise attack in the 1950’s, catching celebs off guard in the midst of their daily routines, experiencing the earliest run-ins of heated celebrity retaliation.  Jackie O took out a restraining order against him, Marlon Brando busted his jaw, Richard Burton hospitalized him and Sean Penn couldn’t keep himself from spitting on him.   Nonetheless, this troublemaker always came correct with the kind of raw and obsession worthy photographs exposing pop culture’s most interesting icons- very real, very glam and very extraordinary. 

The Disco Years, featuring mostly Galella’s work, is a retrospective starting from the late 70’s to the early 80’s, the era many would consider New York’s heyday.  Rock gods, renegade artists, style muses, international socialites and smashed up party people alike were indiscriminately captured by the lure of his lens.  Works depict the time when high gloss living and impeccable style were regularly set against the backdrop of sexy lighting and indulgent behavior.  Among the photos not to be missed are epic snapshots of Gloria Vanderbilt, David Bowie, Mick and Bianca Jagger, Halston and Keith Richards. 

Tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1979!

The powerHouse Arena’s Disco Years show starts tonight, launch party is from 7 to 10p. View the photos while hearing tunes spun by Motherfucker DJs Michael T and Justine D. Grab a gift bag courtesy of Lancôme and Wrecords.

37 Main Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn, corner of Water and Main.

Click on image to preview show



 

 Email This Post to a Friend!

The height of urban fashion was only about 5 years ago. Velour hook-ups with contrast piping, fleece sweatsuits with enormous felt appliques, Mitchell & Ness throwback jerseys and Al Wissam quilted leather jackets… At the time there was no telling if it would ever come to a halt as season after season we watched the market evolve. Color blocked hookups and throwback jerseys were eventually replaced with woven shirts and prep school inspired sweaters. Today, even some of the hardest dressed uptown cats have retired the Sean John for allover printed Bape-like hoodies. Right before our eyes we witness the urban customer making the crossover into the skate and streetwear markets.

As most of the urban brands scramble to find their foothold, one brand remains at the forefront. LRG (Lifted Research Group) has placed themselves on the cusp of the urban and streetwear markets, undoubtedly proving to be the brand with the most staying power amongst it’s commercial market peers. Its soulful vibe, intelligent design, and energetic color palettes attribute to keeping the brand fresh while pledging their allegiance to the “skurban” consumer. Even in Japan’s declining streetwear market LRG remains one of the hottest labels, imported nonetheless… Now that’s proving it’s weight!

Come out to support what’s still left of America’s urban fashion as LRG holds the photoshoot for their latest Spring 2007 collection. It’s going down exactly how it went down last time- DJ Elle spinning the cuts, Michael Greenberg on the polaroid, and Kareem Black manning the shoot. Click here for a look at last season’s flix.

Raekwon and Lyfe will be starring in the new campaign so swing by to give props.

Today at Shop Studio. Noon-8pm. Check flyer below for more details. See you there!

 Email This Post to a Friend!

 Email This Post to a Friend!

80 feet beneath the street at 33 Liberty in Manhattan is a vault that holds $147 billion worth of gold bullion. This bedrock was one of the few foundations strong enough to support the weight of the vault, its door and the gold inside. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York whose main vault was opened in September 1924 houses gold from foreign governments and official international organizations making it the world’s largest accumulation of monetary gold. Herein lies another fantastic opportunity for us City dwellers… Yes! The vault is open for public tours.

Being a huge fan of gold jewelry, gold ink, gold foil prints and practically anything metallic gold, I came across the info about the Federal Reserve Bank when trying to find out more on “The Gold Standard” exhibit currently going on at P.S.1 MoMA in Queens. The exhibition examines the idea that, otherwise uninteresting objects, through material and surface transformation, taking on the presence of gold, become objects of desire. This exhibit focuses mainly on the themes of alchemy, religion, and its symbols of power and wealth expressed through works from both historical figures and younger artists. Doubling, copying, substitution, and decoys are some of the questions raised through the many interpretations communicated in the exhibit.

Further along on my quest for knowledge I discovered even another golden opportunity to view over one ton (2,000 lbs) in various forms at the “Gold” exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. This exhibit takes it’s visitors through every aspect of the world’s most precious metal; how it’s made, its properties and mining, the uses for trade and jewelry making, buried treasures, and where some of it is stored- the Federal Reserve Bank of New York! Did you know that India is the world’s largest consumer of gold? South Asian jewelry is generally of higher purity than western jewelry—22 karats, compared to 14 karats. Jackson Heights, here we come!

Find out more exciting facts at the American Museum of Natural History, the exhibit runs through most of next year so you might want to check out P.S.1 first which only runs through January 8, 2007. And if you’re interested in taking the tour of the gold vault at the Federal Reserve Bank make sure you call in advance for reservations.

 Email This Post to a Friend!

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day when we stop and reflect on everything in life we are thankful for… Our parents, friends, companions and other loved ones. Our health, careers, success and just the fact that we’re alive. There are also many of us who every year, think about and remember it’s historical meaning. Let’s not forget that for the natives of this land the arrival of the Puritans in Plymouth was not a happy time. Regardless of your viewpoint it remains a national holiday, a good day to take the time to gather with friends and family to celebrate and be grateful. Many households across the country will bond as they tune in and watch our city live as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marches down Broadway!

The parade began in 1924 when employees of the major department store held it’s first parade to bring in the season of Christmas. It was entitled the “Macy’s Christmas Day Parade”, and it was a huge success! During the early years, employees marched all the way from 145th down to Broadway and 34th on floats pulled by livestock such as horses, camels, elephants, donkeys and goats. In 1925-26 they added bears, tigers and lions but soon had to scrap that idea because of the fear it posed on children. Finally, in 1927 the first giant helium balloons were created like the ones we know today and the parade took on it’s new name, the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!”

For a few years, 1929-1933, the ballons were actually released at the end of the cavalcade. If you were lucky enough to find one of these ballons and return it to the attached address you could claim your prize of $25. Long gone are the days of balloon running but long live the flight of our favorite oversized children’s characters!

Happy Thanksgiving from your sisters at Worship Worthy. Now let’s get to grubbin’!

Here are some of our favorite ballons, past and present:

1924. The first ever giant helium ballon, Felix the Cat.

1924. Felix marches in the parade.

 Email This Post to a Friend!

Phew! Here we are with only one day left to prepare for the big turkey feast. Where the heck did the summer go? Like many of you my day is crammed with a million things to do. Maybe sharing will ease the stress, mine and yours:

1. Shop for tiles with the boyfriend, we’re trying get the house done before the snow starts falling. Of the places we’ve scoured Nemo Tile and Ann Sacks have the best in-stock options that don’t blow our budget.

2. Pick up some last minute Magnolia cupcakes to bring to Thanksgiving dinner- the limit is one dozen per person if you haven’t preordered. We’ll need at least a couple dozen of their heavenly delights so I guess I’ll be dragging him along for this too.

3. Meet up with Mary Magdalene because I took on the chore of walking her dog while she’s away. I’m actually excited about this though, I love dogs! Maybe I’ll pick him up some all natural molasses Buddy Biscuits, my last dog loved them!

4. Take a quick trip up to the New York Picture Library to do some design research with a friend. It’s jam packed with rows filled with every sized picture of every subject you could imagine, all categorized awaiting your discovery! An awesome place to get inspired, is it even open today?

5. Bring it back home with a bottle of Cotes Du Rhone, I’ll grab a few of these for tomorrow’s feast too. You can never have enough good reds!

And if you’d rather be out kickin’ it than taking it down with a bottle of wine, we’ve attached the flyer for the night’s best party. Newyorkfuckincity presents Thanksgiving Eve at the Delancey, music provided by Tony Touch, the Bangers, Elle, and Morsy. Or, if you have the need to just be around people this holiday season step outside on Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. The stores and streets will be overflowing with hoi polloi and the sidewalk Christmas tree lots crammed to the brink. Get your festivities on!

 Email This Post to a Friend!

“Lyz hit New York City at the tender age of 13, sneaking out of windows and the backseats of cars, escaping from the mundanity of suburbia. On one of these nights she met and fell for the continental adventurer, Josh. He was darkly handsome and cold as ice. They shared an appetite for brawling and balling. The satanic pair invaded the city with a force to be reckoned with. The dark hearts transferred their energy into the movement which became known through the underground as OBESITY AND SPEED……”

That’s how Lyz Olko, 26, and Josh Conner, 28, the duo behind the dark and mysterious brand Obesity and Speed, tell the story on how they came to be. The design duo began creating their line four years ago, a dialogue spawned from their need to participate in the confrontation between death and living which exercises and is driven by their devotion to one another. Over the years they’ve been picking and choosing select retailers to represent their Bernhard Willhelm and Raf Simons-esque clothing line in which they handsew about half of every season. Their homemade collections consist of oversized tops and tunics, spiderweb-like layering pieces and t-shirts bedecked with anarchy symbols, skulls, crosses and handsketched molars. (Death by root canal!) Although the brand remains relatively small, it definitely has a sizeable cult following, worn by a diverse assembly of hipster heavyweights and high profile celebs such as M.I.A, Lindsay Lohan, Naomi Campbell, Chloe Sevigny, Annabella Sciorra, Jason Schwartzman and their most visible hometown disciples, the MisShapes!

Preview their spring 2007 collection online or stop by one of their retailers to purchase pieces from the fall collection, in stores now.
Available at I Heart, Barney’s Co-Op, Dernier Cri, and Eva.

I feel the need, Obesity and Speed!

 Email This Post to a Friend!