(Six towers support the kaleidoscopic patterns of color created by tinted Mylar petals)

Every spring we look forward to the announcement of the winner of the MoMA/P.S.1 Young Architects Program design competition, yet another sign that summer and P.S.1’s “Warm Up” music series is right around the corner. This year the Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center have an announced the competition’s 8th annual winning installation in P.S.1’s outdoor courtyard by Los Angeles-based firm Ball-Nogues, led by Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues.

The competition invites emerging architects to propose an installation for the courtyard of P.S.1 in Long Island City, identifying and providing an outlet for emerging young talent in architecture. 2007’s winning installation, Liquid Sky, designed by Ball-Nogues (Los Angeles), will be on view in the P.S.1 courtyard beginning June 21.

Liquid Sky will immerse the viewer in kaleidoscopic patterns of color created by sunlight filtering through an array of translucent, tinted Mylar petals that resemble blossoming flowers of stained glass. Together, the petals form a tensioned surface that reconfigures the horizon, cresting above the walls of the P.S.1 courtyard. Six towers constructed from untreated utility poles support the surface while providing discrete spaces at their base for relaxing on enormous community hammocks made of brightly colored netting. For the adjacent outdoor gallery, the team has designed the Droopscape, a slack catenary belly that shifts and flows in the wind, supported by drench towers that periodically soak visitors below with their gravity-induced tip buckets.
The winners receive the allotted project budget of $70,000.

Make sure to check back to their site for a list of all of this summer’s special DJ lineups.

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BLOWOUTS IN BABYLON

If you’re in LA this weekend, it’s DJ AM’s birthday bash- Banana Split at LAX on Sunday, April 1st. Steve Aoki and AM himself spinning tunes including a heavy metal set… Click here to RSVP.

Another Los Angeles event- make sure you save the date next weekend, Saturday, April 7th. Opening Ceremony celebrates the opening of their L.A. location at EchoPlex in Echo Park. Benjamin Cho, Brian Degraw, and Leo Fitzpatrick providing sounds. Click on flyer for more info.

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This is the most excited I think I’ve been all year! Here’s one event that’ll actually get me to leave the house:

17 original canvases of Mercedes-Benz by Andy Warhol plus commissioned work by Robert Longo and David Hockney, the CLK63 AMG Black Series- the hottest new offering from Mercedes-Benz, the unveiling of a new Mercedes-Benz-inspired work by visual artist and graphic god Kenzo Minami, audio stimulation by club queen (and Hail Mary lister) Justine D, and hosted by the coolest “it” girl of our generation, Chloe Sevigny! …Holy F*%#!

FAMOUS CARS + FAMOUS PEOPLE is an exhibition illustrating how Mercedes-Benz intersects with celebrated and notable people from the past through the present day. The cocktail party and exclusive preview happens on Tuesday, April 3, 2007, from 7pm – 9pm at Drive In Studios. 443 W 18th Street (between 9th & 10th Ave) … Now it’s up to you to actually get in!
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ON A SIDE NOTE

Opening Ceremony’s Los Angeles location opens today, Thursday March 29th.
451 North La Cienega Boulevard (btwn Melrose and Beverly)
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Tel (310) 652-1120

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Shake Shack, that is! Danny Meyer’s free-standing fast food joint boasts the best burger in the city but you can only get them during a few months out of the year. Last Monday they came out of hibernation and people have already been lining up to get their fix.

The Shack itself was built in 2004 as a part of the renaissance of Madison Square Park, the grounds on which it stands. The menu consists of burgers and hot dogs and the most deliciously indulgent sundaes, shakes and frozen custard “concretes”. It’s burger is pretty basic, nothing fancy to dress them up, unless you opt for the special “shack sauce”, but it’s the flavor of the steer beef patty that really herds them in!

Shake Shake was just voted “Best Burger” at the Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash held in February topping its competition from the country’s best and highly respected DB Bistro Moderne, City Hall, Smith & Wollensky and BLT Burger. All that prize-winning flavor for just $3.50! Not to mention, the architecture and Neutraface signage of the Shack add to its style and cool-factor appeal.

Shake Shake is located at the southeast corner of Madison Square Park at Madison & 23rd Street. Grab your favorite Ecko/Complex/Zoo York employee and take ‘em out to lunch! …Yo, Mena!
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BLOWOUTS IN BABYLON

This Friday looks like big FUN! (That’s the name of the party if you ain’t knowin’ yet!) DIPLO and Bonde Do Role make guest appearances alongside resident djs Eamon Harkin and The Bangers! It all goes down at Studio B in Greenpoint. Get your tickets early! Check flyer for more detailed info.

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Feelin’ a bit melancholy? We know how it goes… and so does Los Angeles-based (and former Pratt student) artist Audrey Kawasaki. At least that’s what we gather from the subjects in her delicate artwork.

Kawasaki posesses a very technical style that encompasses both the feeling of innocence and eroticism. Her imagery of young women have an air of mystery which combined with the grain of the wood on which she paints creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. Perfect for expressing your seductive side…

Though maybe you can’t afford to fork over for an original piece, her limited-quantity prints are still quite amazing and definitely worth the bucks! Check the shop on her site.

For a quick moodswing visit her website: www.audrey-kawasaki.com

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Happy Monday! Welcome to the last Confessional in the month of March. This week we have a quick one for you featuring Opening Ceremony’s Carol Lim. She’s another New Yorker transplanted from the San Fernando Valley and she’s one smart cookie who used to work in investment banking!

In 2002, Lim and her longtime friend and business partner, Humberto Leon, opened one of New York’s best indie retail stores that each year features the fashion from a single chosen country. This year get your fix of Sweden…

Five years and a Proenza Schouler/Target whirlwind later Lim prepares to cut the ribbon at Opening Ceremony Los Angeles. They’ve also recently launched their own clothing line of the same name. Way to keep the torch burning!

Name and Age, please:
Carol Lim, Age 32

Marital status:
Single

Where are you from?
Born in the Valley, CA!

How long have you lived in New York?
for 7 years

What neighborhood in NY do you live in?
East Village

What are your favorite memories of New York since living here?
Well, they range from a bike ride to the cloisters to right before the lights went on at The Hole on Saturday nights back in the summer of 2004.

Where did you go to college and what did you study?
UC Berkeley, Development Economics

Where were you working before you started your own business?
Working as a merchandiser at a small luxury fashion company, before that…investment banking.

How did Opening Ceremony start? And, how did you and your partner Humberto Leon meet?
HL and I met our first year at Berkeley. We were instant buddies….the kind of buddies that would meet for breakfast before class, ditch class together to go to the Oakland Salvation Army or drive to San Francisco late nights to go listen to trip hop (remember, this was a long time ago!).

Little did we know that a holiday to Hong Kong would turn into what is now Opening Ceremony. We were quite inspired from our consumer experience there that we thought it would be a great idea to bring that experience back to New York. After some thought, we combined many elements that were important to us and came up with the idea of Opening Ceremony.

Tell me about the name of your company? What does it mean to you?
The company is based loosely on the Olympics, so the name is quite appropriate. I really like the celebration aspect of the name.

Who is your target Opening Ceremony customer?
Opening Ceremony was created for everyone. Really…it was and is. Humberto and I love to travel and we think most people do as well…so when we decide to feature a country, we represent it the way we experience it…from the items that are common to that country, to the designers that are emerging from that country, as well as those established in that country. Also, we like to include other creative elements such as publications, music and anything else we find interesting. We think that most people experience a country like this as well.

How important was it for you to introduce lines from abroad to New York City?
Having lines from a new country every year helps build anticipation. Also, the idea of exclusivity is important for New Yorkers. We are exposed to so much… it’s nice to experience that feeling of discovery.

What other projects or events are you currently involved with?
We are always working on something….right now, we are getting ready to open our Los Angeles store.

Who in the fashion retail business, or any business, do you admire?
Well, I really admire those who work tirelessly for the welfare of others. One organization that comes to mind is Aid for Aids. They collect medication from different sources and redistribute it to those who don’t have any access to such medications. I think it’s important to not only be aware..but to play a part an active part somehow.

Got a long term plan?
It would be nice to have an Opening Ceremony somewhere tropical. Maybe in Fiji?

Do you have much free time? What do you do when you’re not working?
Not really…but when I do…I like to try as many new restaurants as possible. And stop by Other Music too!

Who are your favorite artists and entertainers of all time?
Marc Chagall

How would you describe your personal style?
Loose. I like to be comfortable at all times. it makes the times i have to dress up all the more special.

What’s your favorite accessory you own?
My opal pendant from my mother.

What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own?
Well, at this moment it will have to be a Marni dress.

Where do you like to shop?
I love shopping for home things. i really like John Derian and any flea market.

What music have you been listening to lately?
The Papercuts

What is your most recent discovery/exploration in New York?
Playing ping pong 24 hours a day

Do you plan on living in NY forever?
Probably not… i’d like to be bicoastal between here and Los Angeles.

What’s your favorite rolling paper and your cocktail/drink of choice?
Favorite rolling paper is Aleda from Brazil and favorite drink is Jameson’s on the rocks.

Name one New York woman that you would nominate to our Hail Mary! list.
Isabel Asha Penzlien.

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I dreamt about them for a good year ’til finally in the fall of 1990 I made a 3-hour drive to a store called The Cramp and purchased my first (and only) prized pair of black 8-eye Dr. Marten’s boots (with custom purple laces, of course.) I was fourteen and the first person in my small-town high school to own a pair. Renee, a tall Liv Tyler-looking girl in my phys-ed class, came up to me during lunch hour… “Nice Docs.” We became instant best friends!

The boot had a history long before I ever rocked a pair being the uniform for skinheads around the globe, but for me they’ll always bring back memories of the first time I saw Mark Arm and Mudhoney perform, Hammerbox, Christ on a Crutch, the Screaming Trees, and cruising around town with the stereo cranked up listening to my favorite album “Bleach” by a hardly-known band called Nirvana. I trekked to hundreds of bonfires and crowd-surfed a handful of mosh pits all in my trusty and well-worn treads. As we know, all good things come to an end (death by oversaturation!), and Dr. Marten’s was no exception.

Another thing we know- In fashion, all good things recycle! So if you ain’t heard- they’re baaack! Yup, that’s a shot of the platform version from Chloe’s ‘07 Winter Collection.

Bust out some plaid laces and download some grunge cuz the doctor is in! …Touch me, I’m sick!

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Since the 90’s Brazilian born, New York-based artist Vik Muniz has been incorporating everyday objects into his works to create witty and deceiving images. Included in his photojournalism and art history based photos Muniz reinterprets familiar imagery borrowed from pop culture and historically classic paintings to create his pieces using every day items such as dirt, wire, string, and other “junk” in an approach he refers to as “the worst possible illusion.”

Shown for the first time in the U.S., Muniz’s “Weimar” series is also on view. This capsule is a departure from his object assembly compositions and is rather a collection of black-and-white espionage-like, seemingly documentary photographs.

Vik Muniz: Reflex is on display at P.S.1 in Long Island City from February 11th- May 7th.
www.ps1.org

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It’s hard to imagine with the crazy hail and snow storm we just survived but spring weather is a lot closer than you think. Soon we’ll be stashing our sweaters and boots to make room for our skirts, bikinis and sandals. This also means we’ll be dusting off, spit shining, and greasing up our prized New York rides… a.k.a bicycles! Maybe this year it means you’ll be treating yourself to a new 2-wheeled toy… Here’s a look at some of our favorite options.

The Oma Citybike by Vancouver based Jorg & Olif is modernizing the traditional Dutch city bike with style and authenticity. This bike features fenders, chain and skirt guards plus dynamo powered head and tail lights for us female night riders. Check their site for spring price specials through March 31st.

Electra’s Ultra Cruiser Super Deluxe 3-speed is perfect for getting over the Williamsburg bridge. The white-wall tires and tan leather seat and handles add sexy contrasting details to this aqua-bodied beauty. They have a huge selection of cruisers, townies, tandems, and their own version of the Dutch “Amsterdam” city bike. www.electrabike.com

Though not quite adult-sized, some of us lucky enough to fit on this kids classic will reek of style! The takeover of BMX bikes in the early 80’s lead to the end of production of this stylish ride but in 2004 Schwinn brought back their ’60’s and ’70’s classic, the Stingray…and it’s back in high demand. The upright seating and banana seat make for a comfortable city ride. Check the new Grey Ghost 5-speed or their original coppertone and metallic grape colored versions. www.schwinn.com

Lastly, if BMX is more your style, then opt for the best from Brooklyn Machine Works. Unless you’re ordering just the frame or an occassional in-stock bike, these machines are customized starting around $3,000 and a wait time. Not a bad price to pay for a one-of-a-kind customized and super-sporty heirloom. Stop into their shop in Williamsburg or check them at www.brooklynmachineworks.com

Get warmed up for that 5-borough bike tour taking place in early May! We’re thinking about putting together a Worship Worthy bike crew to ride the tour together… Leave us a comment if you’re in!

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