Hole - Miss World

I used to be a huge Hole fan and today I wanted to watch this beautiful video I had forgotten about... I think it's strong and amazing. The girlie touch is fantastic. I love it and I think Courtney is very charismatic...

My interview with AnOther Magazine online

I am really happy today because the interview I gave to AnOther Magazine has now been published... and without being too egocentric here it is:

http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/564/Art_is_Alive

And of course you will remember this fantastic cover with Tilda Swinton...

Ad Hoc by Jean Marie-Massaud for Viccarbe

color matching

 

Being an artist means I'll be doing some color matching for the walls of my next place. (I'm fussy when it comes to color) I'll be color matching my favorite nail polish. Essie's Mink Muffs for sure.

paint: benjamin moore. photo's metropolitan home, design darling

ikat in unexpected places

I have ikat placemats in my dining room, for an unexpected pop of ikat. 

But I'd take this material or these plates in a heartbeat.

photo source unknown, plates dandelion sf.

better together: leather armchairs + navajo rugs

Two things I am obsessing over lately: leather armchairs, and navajo rugs. People may disagree, but to me these two go together just as well as pb & j. I'll be picking up either two leather armchairs for my new space OR one long distressed sofa. I am leaning toward the chesterfield styles but am open to your suggestions.

 and i think they look even better with these rugs.

 tradercity.com, stylistik.com.au, sweetpeaandwillow.com, treadwaygallery.com, archiexpo.com

madewell

Am I the only one who has been loving madewell recently? I know where I'll be making a stop this weekend...

The remaining keys...

...are now only at nest. These were featured on designed sponge on the day of launch so most are gone. Prices lowered AND most goes to charity. ENJOY!

Many of you got this via email during the week from nest. If not check it out here!

L.12.12 by Lacoste

I've always been a huge fan of Lacoste and I've talked about it several times on Art is Alive. The renaissance of the brand is one of the most interesting case studies in the history of marketing. This new birth mainly comes from the innovative push they did in their ad campaigns (on the beach, some guy once said to his friend about me: "this guy looks like the guy in the Lacoste ad" which I thought was really flattering). 

But let's go back to history. René Lacoste founded La Chemise Lacoste in 1933 with André Gillier, the owner and President of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm at the time. They began to produce the revolutionary tennis shirt Lacoste had designed and worn on the tennis courts with the crocodile logo embroidered on the chest. Although the company claims this as the first example of a brand name appearing on the outside of an article of clothing, the "Jantzen girl" logo appeared  on the outside of Jantzen Knitting Mills' swimsuits as early as 1921. In addition to tennis shirts, Lacoste produced shirts for golf and sailing. In 1951, the company began to expand as it branched from "tennis white" and introduced color shirts. And the rest is history...

The new website of the brand is amazing! It  allows the user, through an interactive adventure video, to create his/her very own story. The story follows a man who travels across the world in search of his girlfriend. The user and his/her clicks are in sole charge of their fate – depending on what fit the user chooses he should wear, his travels take twists and turns. Throughout the adventure, the brand presents the different L.12.12 polo shirt cuts for Men. Italian, Rugby, Fitted, Retro, Original… Each cut has a world of its own... And for each click a different path. A very creative, innovative video which focuses on the interactivity of internet users... I personnally really like the ultraslim cut which I think is really classy. Wear it with a slim white pants and you'll look fab. One of the videos the brand made which, from a stylistic point of view is fantastic is this one: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrCp9CQ25N8&feature=player_embedded

On top of that, the Romeo&Juliet scene takes place in London which reminds me of the play I had scene at the Shakespeare's theatre Globe!! Have a look at it!

Visit the Lacoste website too and check the below video to get a better idea!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c15i4Hbmu8

More info on:
http://www.lacoste.com/l1212   
http://www.facebook.com/lacoste  

fall beauty products

(don't forget to enter this!)

I recently was in nyc for the day for a photo shoot with Gotham magazine. (will share the photos from the shoot this holiday season) Loved talking beauty products with their makeup team. Here are a few things, I'll be picking up for myself- as an early holiday gift.

To: Dallas, From: Dallas 

 

 

(There I am: diva.)

Products: tarte good as gold lip gloss set, jane iredale highlighter pencil, neil george perfect hold hairspray, Dolce and Gabanna blush, Tarte royal collection

shop style / foley and corinna

I designed a moodboard look for foley and corinna at shop style! How would you style your F&C bag? This is my look- and it's very "Dallas". Hope you like it. (If not, create your own at shopstyle!)

I love my Dallas Shaw Paper Dolls so much that I...

Do you love the Dace paper dolls as much as we do? 

We hope so. The very last set is available for download beginning now! 

Show us how much you love your dolls and enter to win a great contest they are having by clicking here!

The guest judge is your truly! So let the posting and tweeting begin. xo

Tribal Tattoo Art

Tribal Tattoo Art

Although today abounding accept to beautify their anatomy with tattoos allusive to them, the history of tattooing is somewhat different: Affiliated tattoo art, which was the capital affectionate of tattoos activated in age-old times, was allusive to the absolute tribe, and the best of what tattoo anniversary being would get was not his own but that of the tattoo artist.

Tribal tattoos are usually atramentous or aphotic blue. The ink is fabricated from austere copse or from vegetable carbon. At the beginning, tattoos adumbrated fertility, activity and added things that were important to the tribe. Such was the alliance tattoo. Back abounding archaic peoples believed that your spirit is a replica of your body, tattoos were fabricated to assure spouses will acquisition anniversary added in the afterlife.Tribal Tattoo Art

Another tattoo ritual is a girl's rite of access into adulthood. This is performed alike today in tribes, area girls are advised aces of a good, able benedict afterwards they accept withstood the affliction of a facial tattoo. In added tribes, a babe who cannot bear the affliction is a babe that will not get affiliated back it is believed she will not be able to bear the affliction complex in adolescent labor.

However, in some tribes, avant-garde association girls are chargeless to accurate their assessment and some accept not to go through this aching ritual. This best can accomplish the babe a accountable of ridicule. Some tribes attention the tattoo ritual as blame adventuresomeness and a babe who cannot or chooses not to bear the acute affliction is advised a coward.Tribal Tattoo Art

Unlike the electric tattoo machines that are acclimated today in tattoo parlors about the world, affiliated tattoos are fabricated with chisels and knifes. These accoutrement for tattooing fabricated the tattooing action far added aching and complex abounding added bloom risks. Maori affiliated tattoos, for example, are alleged ta moko which agency "to tap": borer on the bark with a blade is the way acclimated to actualize the Maori affiliated tattoos. Another accepted way of authoritative affiliated tattoos is abrading ink adjoin the bark afterwards authoritative incisions in the appearance of the capital design.

Lauren Moffat

For as long as she can remember, Lauren's mother kept a dress from her honeymoon hanging in her closet. While designing her new collection, Lauren kept going back to that dress - worn decades ago, but special enough to keep hanging in her closet all those years. 

 The story is just as sweet as the collection. Lauren Moffat

navoh

I am more than happy to spread some love for one of my favorite companies: navoh. I was happy to be a very small part of this brand last year - providing artwork as they grew. I personally own a few of these bags and can tell you- the quality is amazing. Check out their new website.

some of my favorite bags this season at navoh the isabella in black, the emily in brown and the christopher in pale pink (not only are the designs classics & wear-with-everything BUT the prices are the best around!) 
rumor has it you can also win free bags on their facebook page...

Japanese Tattoos- Way Beyond Flash

While the art of Japanese tattooing, or irezumi, is said have continued for a hundred centuries, the introduction of the Buddhist faith to Japan discouraged its widespread use. The Chinese, who brought Buddhism to Japan, abhorred the art of tattooing, and their influence made its way to the upper classes of Japan.

From the early seventeenth to late nineteenth centuries, during Japan’s Edo Period, Japanese tattoos were most often seen on Japanese prostitutes, who used them to entice customers; Japanese firemen were known for their remarkable horimono, or full body tattoos which were quite unlike any other tattoos in the world. The firefighters regarded their tattoos as signs of brotherhood and masculinity.

The other class of Japanese regularly tattooed during this period were criminals who for one hundred and fifty years were marked either with a tattooed ring, or tattooed character on the forehead, on the arm for each crime They may have resented being permanently marked, but prior to the introduction of tattooing, the usually means of identifying criminals was to amputate their noses or ears.

Japanese tattoos regained their popularity when a woodblock printed Chinese novel, “Suikoden,” illustrated with warriors bearing horimono of tigers, dragons, and flowers. The book was wildly successful with Japan’s lower classes, who began demanding similar tattoos.

But the only tattoo artists available were the woodblock printers themselves. Because the printers had no tools except the gouges and chisels with which they created their woodblocks, they used them and their special black ink which will change its color to a bluish green when it reacts with human skin.

All authentic Japanese tattoos are still applied by hand with “tebori”, groups of handmade needles attached to wooden or metal handles; it takes a great deal of practice to master the art of tattooing by hand. Having a “suit” of Japanese tattoos applied with tebori, as everyone who was tattooed in the mid-1800s did, was a time-intensive experience; an entire tattoo could take up to five years of weekly sessions to finish. As tebori are more likely to cause bruising than the tattoo machines widely used today, they were in many cases very painful years.

Japanese tattoos are rich in symbolism; one of the most popular is the koi fish, or carp, which can outlive many humans and represent endurance and wisdom. Dragons bring luck, and are often depicted with clouds or rivers and lakes, so necessary for the rice crops which have sustained the Japanese for thousands of years. Snakes add a negatic4e element to Japanese tattoos, and are included only when the artist can add peonies, cherry blossoms, or other flowers which bloom at the same time that snakes become active after the winter.

You may have to travel far and wide to find a tebori master to apply your Japanese tattoos, but you can find tattoos of traditional Japanese subjects at every tattoo parlor!

My portrait by David M. Buisán

 I was so happy when I opened my emails and discovered the portrait the artist David M.  Buisán made of me. I think it's brilliant! Many thanks David!

More info on:

www.buisanart.com 

www.facebook.com/dmbuisan
http://davidmbuisan.blogspot.com

photos on a monday

Just sharing some photos I like this monday with you.

the top from petekdesign, and the bottom from lily lodge

Paradise Tattoo artist and owner Corey Paradise

Happy Friday

Yesterday I spent a cold, rainy day in nyc. I stopped by to see some friends at dkny & oscar and had a wonderful meeting at french connection. Before leaving town, the team at Walt Disney Signature invited me to the lovely Gramercy Park Hotel for the Noir launch party. They must have heard I like a little sparkle in my life?

 Speaking of jewelry, I  received a very pretty gift this week from red envelope as a thank you for some work. I love it- it's like  wearing a big shiny medallion , in a good way ;) 

marie claire

I fell in love with this photo shoot in marie claire 2010.

Also, love the little lace ankle socks- by anna sui.

whats up in the shoulder season? INK in SKIN at Paradise Tattoo