Coachella 2012: Music x Fashion

 

SEEING SPOTS...

RED ALERT...

EYE OF THE TIGER...

 ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG...

CRAZY LEGS...

   AND SOME OTHER THINGS WE LIKE....

 

 

[Fashion] x [Music] The First Interactive Shoppable Music Video

SSENSE.COM gets a massive round of applause for their creative and innovative genius, combining technology, business, music and fashion into one sensationally well-executed idea: 

 The World's First Interactive Shoppable Music Video

Online fashion retail is a young and flourishing multi-billion dollar industry. Virtually every retailer has an online shop, and some retailers exist only online. There are shoe sites, bag sites, rent-a-dress sites, and sites where users can buy and sell clothing in an online world not unlike eBay. 

The one problem nearly all online fashion retailers encounter is that of how to display their clothing, which is single-handedly a retailer's most important marketing weapon. The visual aspect is the make or break of a sale. Some retailers (like many buy-and-sell websites) display their clothing without a model, like the Toronto based ShopMyClothes.com. 

 THE VISUAL

#1

The dress on the left is labeled Classic Vintage Dior and is selling for a whopping $3500 CDN. The dress on the right is a $1695 never-been-worn Dolce & Gabbana. Both dresses are probably stunning, quality, figure-flattering dresses well worth the money - but because of these very unflattering drab photos, you'd never guess it. To give ebay and shopmyclothes credit, however, it's not at all the fault of the site: these sites are set up so that users themselves create accounts and post pictures, and the average woman of course doesn't have access to models and mannequins.

THE VISUAL

#2

These two dresses are both BCBG and are up on the online giant ebay.com. They retail for between $100-$150 and are presented with the second most popular retail technique, the mannequin. The mannequin was a smart invention and replicates the human body well, and these dresses are definitely presented better visually than the first two examples. However, the lack of movement can be the difference between a final sale and a return: clothing often looks different when moving than it does standing still.

THE VISUAL

#3

The awkward model who looks like she's getting her mug-shots done after a DUI arrest. 

Need I say more?

THE VISUAL

#4

I'll give credit where credit's due: popular fashion retailer asos developed a min-catwalk clip to display their products. This eliminates the hanger problem, as it uses a live model visual, while also eliminating the stiffness of a mannequin or a frozen photo of a model. With this clever visual, users can see exactly how the piece looks when worn and in movement, from all angles - without, of course, having to watch an entire fashion show. Smart, but now outsmarted.

THE VISUAL 

#5

Yep, a shoppable music video. Entertaining, fun, featuring the popular Diplo, Iggy Azalea, and FKi, and full of lust-worthy clothing. You simply click the small S logos as the music video goes on and it opens up a menu featuring all items worn. From there, you can click onward to the purchase the piece online or resume the video. More outfits would have been great, but the concept is solid and I can't wait for this trend to blow up.

[GOLDIE] A$AP Rocky x Hit-Boy

Fresh off his debut performance at Coachella 2012, A$AP Rocky drops the first single from LongLiveA$AP (due out in July), the Hit-Boy produced track Goldie. Hit-Boy is the magic behind Niggas in Paris and the recent Kanye track, Theraflu, and delivers another banger with this collaboration. 

Check it out on one of our favorite new Toronto music blogs, Your1Soundtrack.

Want of the Week

We covered the statement piece last week, and this week's WANT is just that. These are no ordinary sunnies: bold, big, cat-eyed and tipped with chrome, these should be worn only by the confident.

We've lusted over Alex Wang's cat-eyes since they were released, and now we can grab our own pair: Queen West's JACFLASH boutique is offering their own for a mere $55 CDN.

 

 

Think you can handle 'em? Get them here.

Cover of the Week: Anna Cyzon x The Weeknd

The Original

Echoes of Silence x The Weeknd 

The Cover

Echoes of Silence x Anna Cyzon

(Both artists proudly from Toronto!)

Paul McCartney: Natalie Portman x Johnny Depp

Seriously, though. Does it get any better than this?

McCartney also directed another two videos, one solely Johnny and one solely Natalie. Can someone put these two in a feature together? And thank you for existing, Paul. 

Wes Anderson x Moonrise Kingdom

  Perhaps the most hotly debated director in Hollywood, Wes Anderson is back after a three-year hiatus following the critically successful Fantastic Mr. Fox. Anderson is best known at the box office for smashes like 2001's The Royal Tenenbaums - featuring the familiar faces of stars like Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson - but his real success lies in his reputation for ironic, dry humor and careful, aesthetically pleasing cinematography. Films like Rushmore and Bottle Rocket have been praised by heavy-hitters like Martin Scorsese and achieved nothing less than cult status. 

So with the release of his newest film Moonrise Kingdom scheduled for May 2012, how can we not be excited? No shortage of celebs here: Bruce Willis, Ed Norton, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand, and the absolutely wonderful Bill Murray all star in what promises to be another quirky Anderson classic. 

Never checked out an Anderson film? Anyone interested in music, design, and fashion can appreciate his use of symmetry and color, not to mention the classic rock soundtracks. 

Every still passes for a 1960s Polaroid ..........

or if you happen to be 12, I guess I should say Instagram.

    

 

StudentStyle Vol. I.

 

Photos by Isabella Zavarise

Little Dragon Goes Burton-esque..

A Tim Burton-esque video for Little Dragon's Twice. 

The bird is in love with the girl and sends her away to deliver a package, crying when she leaves because he will miss her and doesn't want her to go. She treks along on her journey, grows tired and sits for a moment. The bird decides to go after her, looking for her, wanting her to be safe. They dream of being together. She hears death's sweet song and comes upon death himself, personified as the skeleton playing the flute..

Iggy Azalea vs. Azealia Banks

 

No clue why two Azalea/Azealia's have suddenly appeared on the rap scene at the very same time, and no clue why two female rappers - a rare breed in a male-dominated industry - would start beefing immediately after hitting it. Well, I do have a clue, and that's called publicity stunt, but legitimate female rappers are few and far between, and the immediate beef means the two are already known for petty cat fights and squabbles rather than their music. 

Australian-born Iggy Azalea is heating things up with her freshly dropped Murda Bizness ft. TI. Rumored to be A$AP Rocky's beau, Iggy was the first female rapper to be included in XXL's prestigious freshman class issue. Banks sounded off on Twitter that this "was just all wrong" and slapped Iggy with the race card. A little bitter that she wasn't included in the issue, obviously. 

We can't hate on Banks' Diplo produced track though, Fuck Up the Fun. 

Our verdict? Stop beefing, ladies, makes us all look bad.

The Statement

Solid colors and beautiful materials usually make for a simple, classic, and elegant look. 

But fortune favors the bold, and fashion does the same. These statement pieces are a surefire way to steal the show. 

 For something more subtle, try statement jewelry to jack up an otherwise simple outfit..

[Music] Nicolas Jaar

s p a c e  i s  o n l y  n o i s e 

Nicolas Jaar is a mere 21-years-old but is already a veteran. Born in New York but raised in Santiago de Chile, Jaar debuted on Wolf + Lamb records when he was 17. He now runs his own label, Clown & Sunset, and drops massive tunes with a sultry, 100 BPM "blue-wave" feel.  Jaar received an 8.4 "Best New Music" from Pitchfork and was ranked #20 for Album of the Year. 

Studying comparative literature at Brown University and running a bright young business at a mere 21...

Jaar is on the rise. 

Want of the Week..

The Talulah Down Lovers Lane Aztec Dress 

from Adore Boutique

Retails for $300 and can be found here. 

Claws Out, Kitty..

Fashion Finds..

www.saboskirt.com

SABO SKIRT is our latest fashion find and what a find it is. We were at a party in Toronto on Sunday when a girl walked in with high-waisted, acid-washed studded shorts (paired with black over-the-knee socks, chunky suede black heels, a crop top, and a Chanel quilted black leather bag). It was a stunning look and the shorts were the trump card. She told us about Sabo Skirt,  an Australian website launched in 2010 with some gorgeous pieces, and their own line launching next month.  

Though it's not an extensive collection yet, and though with shipping costs the prices are a bit higher than ideal,  we highly advise you to check this up-and-coming site out. We love the use of color (the seafoam green wrap shorts reminiscent of Tiffany's, the 60s inspired colored prints of the tops, the edgy gold metallics), the unique twist on classic pieces (check out the leopard cuffs on the white blouse) and especially the breezy, effortless feel that transports you right back to summer..