CATHERINE MARTIN, PRADA & GATSBY
An interesting look at the collaboration between noted costume designer Catherine Martin and Miuccia Prada on The Great Gatsby, including behind the scenes footage and original sketches. “The idea for a collaboration with Miuccia Prada really came from a friendship that she and Baz have developed over the last 15 years.” says Martin. “This relationship dates from Romeo & Juliet, when she made a suit for Leonardo.” Miuccia made about 20 dresses for each of the ball scenes.
ADIDAS ADISTAR RACER
Just in time for summer, the Adidas Adistar Racer in white legend and ink bliss. As running shoes go, these are pretty laid back, with thinner tread, subtle two-colorway and lower stance. They’ll look great with shorts, your favorite beat up khakis – pretty much anything. You can also dial up the color and go with pool blue or navy. The style above, Q20718, is available at the Originals store on Wooster Street in Soho, or you can buy them online here, $84.
THE GQ COMEDY ISSUE
A fun video highlighting the launch of GQ’s fifth annual comedy issue, featuring James Franco on the cover, edited by Gordon Von Steiner, with the song “A Difficult Subject” by The Insider. Here’s the full song taking you into the weekend: (more…)
THE GRILLING BOOK
You should add this new book from Bon Appétit to the top of your summer wish list, right alongside that new pair of shades, flip flops and retro bicycle. Notice it simply says “Book” and not “Cookbook.” It might shed light on the approach by talented Editor in Chief Adam Rapoport, formerly the Style Director at GQ – that having skills in the kitchen, and behind a grill, are not narrow genres reserved for ‘foodies,’ but essential knowledge for men. Packed with over 350 tasty recipes, first-rate cocktails and tips on entertaining, it’s a (more…)
J.CREW NAUTICAL BOARD SHORTS
J.Crew deserves a shout out for these timeless summer board shorts. Nautical inspired in a vintage navy stripe, they’ll look great with a simple white or gray v-neck tee shirt and Wayfarers. At 7″ in length, they’ll fall right around mid-thigh. Don’t go longer. $69, available at J.Crew.
WHEN LOS ANGELES IS A MAN
This is a gem. A classic example of fashion taking itself too seriously.
KNOW THIS BRAND: ARTEMARE
ArteMare, based in California, makes beautifully crafted beach accessories inspired by seaside destinations from around the world. Their best product? The stunning beach racquet. From the company: “In Italy they call it racchettoni. In Israel they call it matkot. In Brazil they call it frescobol. At ArteMare, we call it one of the greatest beach pastimes and have infused our line of hand-made beach racquets with the look and feel of 1950s surfboards, making them classically Americana.” $98, available at ArteMare. Here’s a pic from their smart twitter feed.
PERFECT DAY BY LOU REED
“Perfect Day,” written by Lou Reed in 1972, featured on Transformer, Reed’s second post-Velvet Underground solo album.
A MODERN MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
This short film covers the remarkable journey of one rider as he spends close to two years traveling 82,000+ miles through 22 countries.
NORSE PROJECTS RAINWEAR
The “Elka” jacket from Norse Projects is that perfect summer rain jacket meant to be kept handy by the front door at all times. Go ahead and stash away your heavy wool overcoats and keep it simple. Pick yellow for some fun summer color. $170, available at Norse Projects.
BLUE MONDAY BY NEW ORDER
A classic to kick start the week.
THE CHECKLIST: JUNIPER RIDGE SOAPS
A few essentials this summer: tee shirt, shorts, kick ass soap. For an invigorating scent that will bring up memories of past treks through the great outdoors, try Juniper Ridge out of California. We love the brands summer camp simplicity, A+ packaging and story – avid hiker Hall Newbegin founded the company in 1998 at the Berkeley Farmers Market. Using a technique dubbed “Wildcrafting,” they harvest their aromatics directly from the wild. The end result is a blend of aromas with a depth (more…)
ALL AMERICAN SUMMER STYLE
Paul Newman looking about as relaxed as a man can get, chilling on the prow of a boat – nothing fancy, clothes worn and frayed, beer in hand – the perfect approach to a summer weekend. Todd Snyder makes a cashmere version of the traditional sweatshirt that’s worth a look. Expensive at $595 but an item you’ll live in. Available at Todd Snyder. And the shoes? Perhaps my favorite summer sneakers of all time, the Sperry Cloud CVO, $60, available at Sperry.
KNOW THIS BRAND: LA PORTEGNA
As summer travel season is upon us, Spanish leather goods company La Portegna is a brand you should definitely know about. Founded by designer José Urrutia, they specialize in bags, shoes and accessories that have a refreshing simplicity inspired by the timeless beauty of old Europe. Made with fine leathers that are vegetable tanned, then treated with olive oil, they age better, and are more ecological than typical chrome, chemically treated leathers. (more…)
$175 MILLION
"Iron Man 3" crushed it at the box office this weekend, raking in $175.3 million in the U.S. and Canada. Disney's huge gamble in 2009, when they bought the Marvel franchise for $4.2 billion, appears to be paying off. This is also great news for the industry as a whole as the vital summer season kicks off - so far domestic ticket sales are down 11 percent compared to last year.
