NYU Art History and Studio Art grad, Julia Chiang works with various materials ranging from hand embroidery and etched mirrors to large-scale installations. Her new installation, “Emigrate,” is scheduled to open tomorrow, June 1st at gallery and clothing boutique, Travessia.

As the first solo installation at Travessia, Julia Chiang’s Emigrate is a site-specific piece for the gallery. In this installation Julia combined her preference for hand-made works and repetition while keeping in mind one of Travessia’s concepts of transition and movement, the thought and belief that everything grows and flourishes through travel and exploration. “I wanted to create something that reflected a moment of discovery or transition, and being that when one emigrates there is that time of leaving one’s country and as a result, a coming. Using Emigrate as the title told part of the story for me…I think the installation of vessels references something left behind as if they were forgotten or perhaps forced to be abandoned”, the artist explains.

Emigrate will consist of several empty vessel forms that function as planters. Individually hand made with no glaze, the vessels are left raw and organic in form and function. Placed throughout the boutique, this installation will encourage the public to explore and experience the exhibition and the space around and within it. The exhibit comes together as an installation inside Travessia, but to Julia, they are individual pieces that can be seen as sculpture or functional everyday items.

Seamlessly uniting art and design, Travessia’s founder, Hiroko Rodriguez, also offers sought after and rarely found women’s fashion brands such as Baum Und Pferdgarten, Custommade, StarStyling, Margarita Saplala and Travessia exclusive, Noma and Klasica. It is the first gallery and boutique that is constantly evolving, allowing the space to become transformed time and again. “I wanted to create a space for both art and fashion, where people could experience and see the reflection of our society. With the boundaries of fashion and art truly crossing over, I thought it was only a matter of time before this evolution become a reality at the retail level.”

Julia’s work has been shown in the Kantor / Feuer Window, Deitch Projects and Spencer Brownstone Gallery. Her exhibition at Travessia will run from June 1st through July 15th and is a one-time-only exhibition that will not be recreated.

Emigrate Opening Reception is tomorrow, Friday June 1st from 7-10pm.

Travessia is located at 176 Stanton.

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BLOWOUTS IN BABYLON

Tomorrow, June 1st, from 7-10pm powerHouse Books, MTV Press, Vice Books and Brooklyn indie-publishing land invite you to celebrate “Book Expo America, Brooklyn Style”. Music by The Misshapes. Click on flyer for more details.

On Saturday, Hoboken and Haberdashery present “Circa” Vintage Pop-Up Shop! Featuring 1st rate vintage one-of-a-kinds from the 70’s-90’s being offered to seasoned collectors. 12-8pm one day only! At Gabriel Urist’s World Fair. Sponsored by Cliche’, No Mas, Retro Kids and more. Click on flyer for more details.

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Born and raised in Santa Cruz California, John Bush has been surrounded by the music, skate and art world for much of his life. A lifelong interest in capturing his personal experiences - people, travel and other unique events - has propelled John into the forefront of documentary photography. His bohemian-like wanderings eventually led him to New York over 13 years ago, where he has become a fixture in the downtown art and social scene, immersed in the hyperkinetic multi-media existence that is NYC. Invisible NYC is proud to host the photographer’s latest solo-exhibit.

John’s travels have taken him to 54 countries, including a two-month stint documenting the war in Iraq. While John’s personal passion encompasses the documentation of both the street life of his beloved NYC and the many cultures he has encountered through his travels, most of his professional work focuses on the music industry. Bands that he has photographed include the Foo Fighters, NOFX, Greenday, Yellowcard, The Vandals, as well as many others. Additionally John has traveled with the Vans Warped Tour capturing both the shows and the behind the scenes exploits. His band photographs have been used for albums and other commercial purposes, and his photographs have been published in numerous magazines.

John’s work was the basis for a solo show at Max Fish and has been included in group shows at such venues as Dactyl Gallery. For his exhibit at Invisible NYC, John will present new photographs of urban downtown NYC skate culture. Being immersed in the culture, John’s photographs present a direct, intimate view into a unique world that few have the opportunity to experience first-hand. Rather than offering this lifestyle from the perspective the disassociated voyeur of a commoditized novelty, John’s works present a sincere, moving, and precious glimpse into a gritty and wild way of life.

Stop by the opening reception tomorrow evening, Thursday May 31st, from 7:00-9:00 PM.
The exhibit runs May 31st through June 30th, Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 8:00 PM.

INVISIBLE NYC is a fusion gallery and studio supporting the contemporary art and tattoo communities. It is a project of the husband and wife team of Troy and Jesse Lee Denning.

Invisible NYC
148 Orchard Street NYC
212.228.1358
www.troydenningtattoo.com

COMING SOON:
www.invisiblenyc.com

Visit John’s website: www.johnbushphotography.com

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SAMPLE SALE IN BABYLON
At her fashion show last season I fell in love with Mara Hoffman’s tiger print on chiffon mini dresses, and now I hope to get my hands on one! Mara Hoffman is having a sample sale starting tomorrow, Thursday May 31st through June 3rd. Make sure to show up early to get first dibs! www.marahoffman.com

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When Miranda July’s new book, “No One Belongs Here More Than You,” was released in April somebody forwarded me the website she created for the release. I received it late night, a little tipsy, just before bed when websites generally fail to hold my attention, but this one kept me clicking right on through to the end. The simple design of the website was genius, so I figured the book must be pretty good too.

The 16 poignant and delightfully voyeuristic stories are the perfect length for a cross-town subway ride, a quick read before bed, or in addition to your morning coffee and bagel. They delve into obsession and depravity with an acceptance that is deliciously sweet. This warm, yet cheeky portrayal of personal disappointment is the secret to July’s success. You can get a personal dose of it on her website, where you will need a password to enter. The trick is- everything is the right password!- and after submitting your password you are greeted with reassurance: “YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.”

A native California performance artist, writer and filmmaker, July has already written and starred in her own movie, “Me You and Everyone We Know” winning awards at both Cannes and The Sundance film festivals in 2005, and performed at the Guggenheim and two Whitney Biannuals. And, most of the short stories in her new book have already been previously featured in publications like the New Yorker, Harper’s, and the Paris Review.

July is currently on tour promoting her book and last week appeared at New York’s 192 Books and the New York Public library Live with David Byrne (the Talking Heads) and Becky Stark.

Visit her book’s website at www.noonebelongsheremorethanyou.com
And find out more about what she is up to at www.mirandajuly.com

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French fashion label April77, was founded in 2002 as a tribute to Rock culture and its way of life- tight, skinny leg jeans, black leather jackets and lots of Rockabilly and Punk Rock flavor. One thing they make sure to stay away from is in-your-face skulls and studded belts, preferring to make their references much more subtle.

Their 60’s inspired Spring-Summer collection, “Death Melody”, features pleat-front and tuxedo pants and consists of exactly the jeans you’re looking for with a wide assortment of colors in shades that aren’t too bright. Yellow, purple, red, and zebra print are some of the options available in both stretch denim and gabardine. Their prices are a nice change from high priced “luxury” denim, sort of their own response to Cheap Monday (though not quite that inexpensive.) Also offered are a selection of kids jeans for the growing rocker!

As a testament to the lifestyle, April77 has an on-going Rock music talent contest where each month their jury of rockers from music labels, media or installed musicians will elect “April77’s YoungBlood” of the month. The winners are awarded clothing, promotion and possibly the opportunity to “hit the town” with a live show or a studio recording with a chance of appearing on a limited edition collector vinyl record.

April77 is carried at the most influential boutiques across the globe including Dover Street Market (London), Colette (Paris), Loveless (Tokyo, Japan), and Seven New York (of course!)

Check their site for more info and to sign up for their newsletter: www.april77.fr

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The Lower East Side is booming so fast it’s hard to keep up with all our new favorite stores huddled around Alife Rivington Club, which at one time used to be our only destination east of Essex. We now have a selection of our favorite girly shops like Lola y Maria and Honey in the Rough, but there’s a neighborhood newcomer holding our interest, and this time it’s for the guys. The freshly finished Coat of Arms opened their doors last week so we stepped inside to check it out.

The all-glass storefront of the 400-square-foot shop invites passers-by to stop in for a look. It’s interior is constructed of custom built mahogany shelving, polished brass rods and a royal purple wall with matching flocked damask wallpaper which will soon hold two shelves reserved for the shops’ own brand of custom fitted caps, the specialty item that owner/designer Naghman Chaudry hopes to soon be the store’s biggest draw. The shop carries a mix of street and fashion brands including WESC, Eriffs, Secret Destiny, Evisu, Freemont and Subscript along with a section devoted to more rare gems such as 80’s deadstock Starter, The North Face, and Obermeyer jackets and soon-to-be selection of collectible toys.

The shop will also soon be acquiring some extensive vintage collections of Polo Sport USA. Stop in for some new threads or just to make friends with the newest neighbors.

Store hours are Noon-8pm, 7 days a week. Opening reception is coming soon, we’ll keep you posted!

Coat of Arms
43 Clinton Street
www.coatofarmsnyc.com

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BLOWOUTS IN BABYLON

“Are You Ready For The Summer?” Catch Disc Jockey FREE SIMON tonight, Thursday at Anchor Bar. 310 Spring St (Across from Sway, suckas!)

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Photographers Daniel & Geo Fuchs’ met with collector Selim Varol and his some 10,000 toy figures, laid out before them the magical power of this fairytale utopia. TOYGIANTS, a photo book project that took three years to bring to life was built on the success of their exhibition in the Museum Villa Stuck in Munich in 2006, an exhibition that was largely dominated by portraits of vinyl effigies of political characters – the book expands the vision of their toy world.

Through their photographs, Daniel & Geo Fuchs’ aim was to show the toys from an unexpected and personal point of view. The artists have photographed the toys as if they had reached Toyland in some strange way, which, to a certain extent, corresponds to the truth. Their cast of protagonists ranged from more contemporary American comic heroes, manga superstars and designer-vinyl creations to Star Wars heroes, movie characters and political figures.

With a playful style towards their subjects, Daniel & Geo Fuchs brought a peculiar reality to their fantasy world. Andy Warhol’s famous haircut is trimmed by Edward Scissorhands. Close-up portraits of fictional heroes like Batman and Rambo sit alongside real life villains such as Hitler and Saddam Hussein. Then there are the monumental group shots – some of which fold out to be almost a metre-wide. Collated by colour, these reminiscent of traditional ‘class of’ photographs – but with far more visually enticing alumni.

TOYGIANTS will be released in early summer 2007. As well as the regular edition of 2500, there will be also a limited, numbered and signed edition of 300. This edition may be ordered at www.toygiants.com and contains one of 10 original C-Prints from the book. An exclusive portfolio edition of 20 will contain all of 10 of the original C-Prints.

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Click on images to enlarge

ON A SIDE NOTE

Married to the Mob’s Summer collection is very soon to be released. Visit their website for more images of the new product. That Sarah is gorgeous! www.marriedtothemobnyc.com

BLOWOUTS IN BABYLON

Gaby and Angelo are at it again! Tomorrow night, Thursday, May 24th is the 2nd installment of Coochifrito! Salsa and Freestyle at Kingsize. Check flyer for more details.

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For those of you who love Nordic street fashion we’re sure you know Wood Wood. But for those of you who haven’t heard, Wood Wood is more than just your average t-shirt company. Founded back in 2002 by Magnus Cartensen, Brian Jensen and Karl Oskar, the line started out simple. They’ve come a long way – with 2 stores in their native Denmark and one in Berlin, Wood Wood has morphed from a smart streetwear brand into a retail powerhouse; offering everything from limited release Nikes to an exhaustive array of exclusive streetwear brands from around the globe.

While expanding their stores, they also began to design a full collection for the label. Now producing for both men and women, you can grab jumpers, jackets, dresses and a fresh take on the allover print trend. Wood Wood consistently offers an enviable combination of Northern European cool and an innovative approach. Whatever the newest trend is, it’s guaranteed they do it better! Their collections are full of unique additions to any wardrobe, beware- you’ll be tempted to wear them to a pulp. Don’t forget to peep their accessories – scarves, leggings and necklaces so dope you’ll wish you designed them first…

Wood Wood’s fresh factor doesn’t stop with their own label. They’ve teamed up for some pretty hot collabos with other more established labels such as Maharishi, Fred Perry and Adidas’ Adicolor.

Available at I Heart in New York, or act fast on limited quantities from Wood Wood’s own website. www.woodwood.dk

Chop, chop!

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