LONDON CALLING 2
LONDON CALLING (2)
WEBSITES: HYPEBEAST
For all things cool…
Starting out in 2005 as a small sneaker-geek website, Hypebeast now has an infinitely wider remit. Its global team of very savvy contributors are on the pulse of the hottest developments in the universe of urban creativity and design — from the latest Pharrell/fashion-brand collaboration to the hottest party, to new music and DJs, or even the best website for graffiti boys to buy their Krink. Its vibrant content is constantly updated, making it a must-view site for anyone whose business is being and selling cool.
DAILY CANDY
Sugar-coated goss for city-siders
Malika Dalamal, the young London Editor of Daily Candy, has been described as "a real life Carrie Bradshaw" by no less an authority than the Telegraph — giving you some idea of the aspects of the contemporary female existence dealt with by the site, such as shopping, cocktail bars, sample sales, more shopping...
Yet, while Daily Candy does cover these essential topics, and very well, there’s a lot more to the site. With each edition’s content (and advertising) tailored to where you are or planning to go — 11 US cities are currently covered, and London — its become every jet-setting, go-getting gal’s secret city-insider weapon. (Or, if you just want to know what’s going on Everywhere; select the "All Cities" edition.)
THE BUSINESS OF FASHION
Minus the gossip and glamour
Founded in 2007 by fashion business advisor Imran Amed, The Business of Fashion website is now an invaluable portal for those whose interest in the aforementioned business of fashion is more than superficial.
TBoF offers a much more considered approach to fashion content, offering serious profiles and video interviews with industry heavyweights. For example: While other sites might ask a designer or CEO their favourite place to find a cappuccino, TBoF will ask insightful questions about the trajectory of how they became successful in what is a difficult business. With subjects that range from Net-a-Porter’s Natalie Massenet to designer Giles Deacon, the profile interviews are fascinating and intriguing.
The Business of Fashion founder Imran Amed in conversation with Jefferson Hack, April 2010
TBoF also runs live discussions and lectures with guest speakers. In a past interview between Ahmed and the Dazed & Confused group’s Jefferson Hack, they covered the beginnings of the Dazed group before branching off into the effects of new media, such as how bloggers have become fashion authorities and innovative ways in which the iPad can convey future fashion content.
The website also has a very chic black-and-white interface, which makes catching up on essential fashion news through its incredible "BoF Daily Digest" so much easier on the eyes then trawling through all those sites yourself each morning.
ALEXA No, this site has absolutely nothing to do with a certain willowy brunette television presenter surnamed Chung. But, if you wanted, you could find out how many times this month the stylish Miss Chung has been searched, plot a graph of such, and see any other statistics relating to her, all in a matter of seconds.
Charting what’s hot and hip
Alexa, ‘the Web Information Company,’ is the next stage of post-Google intelligent statistical analysis sites, which can be used to chart the next trends when they are just bubbling around the blogosphere. Whereas Google will give you a simple list of references, Alexa will automatically intelligently sort the results of the search.
For sure, Alexa is an incredible tool that will only become even more useful and essential for statistic lovers.
ART:
PHILLIPS DE PURY
The world’s most seriously fashionable auction house
London’s esteemed Phillips de Pury has, in the past few years, actively established itself as the most willing of today’s reputed auctions houses to really anticipate the moods and demands of contemporary art buyers, whose tastes change with the speed of lightning, and who hear about — and want to buy — the next hot thing. Immediately.
Serious while also glamorous, the house has really fostered the recognition of fashion photography as a valid and museum-worthy purchase medium, beginning with its striking “Unseen Guy Bourdin” exhibition of 2007. Today, it proudly presents an exhibition by über-photographer, Mario Testino, featuring images from his latest book, “Kate Who?,” that exclusively features his muse, Kate Moss. (Testino has taken to launching new releases with Phillips — images from his previous book, “Obsessed By You,” also featuring an unposed Moss, were exhibited and feted by them in 2008.)
On the pulse’ of contemporary art and style, Philips’ dynamic-themed auctions are curated up to the bleeding edge, containing important ultra-contemporary as well as mid-century modern works.
http://www.phillipsdepury.com/
JEAN NOUVEL PAVILION AT THE SERPENTINE GALLERY
A beautiful contrast of lightweight materials and dramatic metal structures
Each summer since 2000, The Serpentine Gallery in London’s Hyde Park has invited a top international architect to create a dream pavilion upon the grassy space between the gallery itself and the park. The project was kicked off by Zaha Hadid — followed by other design greats, including Daniel Libeskind, Oscar Niemeyer, Rem Koolhass and Frank Gehry — and ever since, it has been a highlight of the London summer to see who and what will spring up there.
This year sees great French architect Jean Nouvel give us his effort – which is a grand showcase of the use of colour and contrast. Based on the idea of a giant intersection of solar panels, the vivid red structure strongly juxtaposes with the pure grass green of surrounding park. Nouvel, who has previously never completed a structure in Great Britain, designed the structure with enjoying summer in mind: There are hammocks, chess tables, bicycle seats and ping-pong tables for all to enjoy.
Nouvel is currently enjoying a new vogue in the art/fashion intersection. He’s working on the new H&M flagship store on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Let’s hope he’ll be as playful as he’s been here in the park.
MUSIC:
NADJA RANGEL
A music insider to be friends with
Berliner Nadja Rangel is now based in London, but is the kind of girl who is as likely to be on the way to Los Angeles to hear a new band as to be in the city of bobbies and The Queen. A DJ as well as the manager of perhaps the coolest girl in indie rock, Alison Mosshart, Rangel is now also involved with the singer’s band, “The Dead Weather”, a super-group founded by the White Stripes’ Jack White.
Rangel hears of bands and artists way before any one else, not because she read about them on a blog, but because she was there when they met, or the one who introduced them to each other.
From her Facebook profile, you can see she’s not only into music, but fashion too. Rangel calls upon her personal music taste to make any event just that extra bit hipper, without even trying.
