Heads up for Mac users!

Ever wonder what creates a human being's tendency to be materialistic?

This 24-karat gold plated MacBook pro with or without the diamond encrusted apple logo on it is the answer to that. This company called Computer Choppers is somehow behind this massive materialistic attention. It costs about USD$9000 with that precious stones on and approximately USD$1500 for just being gold plated.

Bling the sexy back......

Something to think about Fashion............

*Images are from Maison Martin Margiela, one of the fore-front thinkers of fashion.





Gilles Lipovetsky's The Empire of Fashion (hardcover edition of course), questions a lot of things within society and it's reflection upon the world of fashion. The following is an excerpt from his foreword.

"The question of fashion is not a fashionable one among intellectuals. This observation needs to be emphasized: even as fashion goes on accelerating its ephemeral legislation, invading new realms and drawing all social spheres and age groups into its orbit, it is failing to reach the very people whose vocation is to shed light on the mainsprings and mechanisms of modern societies. Fashion is celebrated is museums, but among serious intellectual preoccupations it has marginal status. It turns up everywhere on the street, in industry, and in the media, but it has virtually no place in the theoretical inquiries of out thinkers. Seen as an ontologically and socially inferior domain, it is unproblematic and undeserving of investigation; seen as a superficial issue, it discourages conceptual approaches. The topic of fashion arouses critical reflexes even before it is examined objectively: critics invoke it chiefly in order to castigate it, to set it apart, to deplore human stupidity and the corrupt nature of business. Fashion is always other people. We are over informed about fashion in terms of journalistic accounts, but our historical and social understanding of the phenomenon leaves much to be desired. The plethora of fashion magazines is matched by the silence of the intelligentsia, by its forgetfulness of fashion as both infatuation with artifice and the new architecture of democracy."

There’s a thought. Enjoy.

Valentino bids ciao to fashion.

Early last week, Mr Valentino has announced that he will depart from the head creative helm that is the house of Valentino. There was much speculation in the previous months that has followed up to this announcement. But it seems that Mr Valentino is departing on a high, after seeing out the season after just one more ready-to-wear and one Couture collection. A creative team has been hand picked by the master himself, with the once Gucci womens-wear creative director, Alessandra Facchinetti, heading up the team. According to Vogue UK, Ms Facchinetti 'will have back-up in the shape of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, Valentino's accessory designers, who will continue in their current creative positions, as the house announces a shift in focus to menswear'.

It is another milestone end in fashion's history, as Mr Valentino departs the fashion limelight.

McQueen for M.A.C

It seems that Mr Alexander McQueen has been rather a busy lad. Apparently not only does he design his bi-annual showing of his main ready-to-wear for men and women, diffusion line McQ for men and women, as well as yearly collaborations with Puma, and as reported Samsonite. Now........McQueen is collaborating with the large cosmetics house, M.A.C. Roping in make-up artist, Charlotte Tilbury, the two of them are creating a line of products for M.A.C, based on Alexander McQueen's autumn/winter 2007-8 collection show.

Well ladies the McQueen range for M.A.C will be available next month overseas, and later this year in Australia. So keep your eager eyes on local M.A.C counters near you.

Quote Of The Moment.......

" IF YOU CAN TOUCH ONE PERSON PROFOUNDLY.........YOU CAN TOUCH THE WORLD".

Jens Laugesen

Super Model Pay

If you think that supermodels today do not get out of bed for say anything "less than $10000"? Think again. According to Guinness Book of Records and Forbes.com's '2007 list of The Top Earning Models in the World’, the sultry, bronze, Brazilian 'hot-stuff' known as Gisele Bundchen has been reported to be the highest earning model in the world to date. 'Raking in at US$33 million, triple the $9 million banked by Kate Moss, who came in second, and various other well-known names such as, Heidi Klum ($8 million), Adriana Lima ($6 million) and Alessandra Ambrosio ($6 million)'.

Ms. Bundchen may have recently relinquish the number 1 title in the Victoria's Secret's stables, but it has not slowed her income raising stakes. Recently modelling for Dolce & Gabbana's AW '07 collections, the face for British label Aquascutum and grabbing the lead role in the next instalment of 'Da Vinci's Code', called 'Angels & Demons', starring along side Tom Hanks, things can only look better for this model, actress, and business woman.

It seems beauty does pay.

The re-birth of Halston

The US fashion label from the 1960's, Halston was renowned in the days of Studio 54 and Andy Warhol. It is a label that is iconic and legendary in America's fashion history. Last year the movie-making-mogul Harvey Weinstein secured the rights and ownership of the Halston label. With this in tow, heading up the new team is the recently appointed creative director, Italian designer Marco Zanini. Who? I hear you ask. Well Zanini is the head designer of womenswear, ready-to-wear and haute couture at the House of Versace.

To assist Zanini with creating and maintaining the flair and style of the "Studio 54" days' glamour in modern times, is the ex-Jimmy Choo director Tamara Mellon, who sits on Halston board. To top things off, the celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe is an advisor on the creative team. One could say there are exciting things to come.

Bring it on!

Hot off the press......it seems that Harajuku lovers and fans do not take kindly to "cheap-crappy-copy-cats". A "patron-saint" and great supporter of this style, Gwen Stefani is reportedly taking a "cheap-not-chic retailer, Forever 21" to court, after being caught blatantly knocking off Stefani's two lines. "In the suit, filed in Los Angeles, Stefani claims that Forever 21 has stolen designs from her Harajku Lovers and L.A.M.B. clothing lines". According to Vogue Uk reports, "It's not the first time the retailer has been in hot water; Diane Von Furstenberg started similar proceedings in March, claiming that it had breached copyright laws by copying two of her dress designs".

In an industry where stealing, copying and blatant disregard is common, it's good to see someone taking a stance and "holla-back" against this crap. As Gwenie-Gwen-Gwen would say...."this my sh#t"!

Jens is the man!

It is not everyday that you are asked to design a collection for Topshop, without being some-what of a big shot, heavy-weight designer or celebrity these days. So that makes Jens Laugesen one hell of a designer. Hailing from the UK, but of Danish birth, Laugesen has a collection of awards and accolades to his name. The LVMH prize, London's new-up-and -coming designer in 2002, as well as having Rei Kawakubo buy his entire collection for her shop in London, up-coming Topshop capsule collection and recently named as one of Fashion Forward's winning designers for 2007 as London's fashion elite looked on. His designs are renowned for clean minimalist shapes and cuts, with a play on black, white and grey colours.

We at Akiin are big fans of Mr Laugesen, having quite a few pieces between the two of us. We can honestly say they are pieces every wardrobe should have. Keep it coming Mr Laugesen!

Where art thou Monsieur Slimane?

Alas it seems the time has come for Dior Homme to show what it has done without its renowned instigator of thinner-than-thin menswear, that is Monsieur Hedi Slimane. As we last reported Dior Homme's newly appointed predecessor is none other than Slimane's assistant with his own label, Kris Van Assche. At the recent Paris Fashion Week for Menswear Spring/Summer 2008, Van Assche did not list Dior Homme in the fashion weeks' schedule. Instead opted to have a "private viewing" for the selected buyers, media and "guests". But according to reports from several sources, the models pictured in Van Assche's debut collection for Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2008, are not the only ones nostalgic and rather glum-looking about Slimane's departure. Tim Blanks for mens style.com reported upon the collection's silhouettes as "interspersed with these indulgences were sober, sleek suits with a little peaked lapel".

Let's just hope for the future's sake of Dior Homme that the new designer is more than a "little peaked".

New stars spotted in the fashion universe.

Images: Top - Christopher Kane SS'07. Bottom - Demna Gvasalia AW'07.


Amidst a world that is the fashion industry, where “flavour of the month”, “what’s in…” and “that is totally last season” are constantly berated, there is always a very select few shining stars in each season.

In very recent times it seems the name all over most Vogue Editor’s lips is the British designer Christopher Kane. Hailing from Scotland and the ever infamous Central Saint Martins College, Kane has graduated with flying colours, won the Harrods design awards for his graduate collection, shown at London Fashion Week and has featured in British, French, Australian and who knows how many countless other Vogue editorials. To add to his ever-growing resume, he consults for the house of Versace and is collaborating with Manolo Blahnik as well. It seems that his first collection of elasticised-neon-coloured-micro-mini dresses has launched this designer on to the universal fashion stage.

Another one to watch is Demna Gvasalia, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Antwerp, and another “Belgian designer” to watch. He won the ITS3 fashion contest in Trieste a few years ago, and showed recently at the Milan Fashion week with his menswear collection. It is truly good to see menswear, especially in Milan fashion week, that is different and a breath of fresh air to the collections’ styles. Gvasalia collection was one of “futuristic layerings” of textiles and shapes. A star truly to watch out for.

To succeed and exist in fashion history’s stratosphere is truly a hard ask, but who knows what the future holds for these shining stars of the fashion industry.

Future of art? Or art for the future?

All artworks are done by Ben Fry (http://acg.media.mit.edu/people/fry/)


It seems that everywhere we go there is some form of 'art' created or generated upon walls, spaces, canvases or LCD screens. That is correct. Art produced on LCD screens. Over the last 5-6 years, 'Digital Art' has been gaining popularity and momentum. According to Wikipedia.org, 'Digital art is art created on a computer in digital form. Digital art can be purely computer-generated, such as fractals, or taken from another source, such as a scanned photograph, or an image drawn using vector graphics software using a mouse or graphics tablet'.

Organisations such as Rhizome.org, created in 1996 'to provide a platform for the global new media art community', and the New Museum of Contemporary Art, in New York, are large supporters of this new art movement. One such artist that the New Museum of Contemporary Art support is Ben Fry. 'He was named in the “The I.D. Forty: Forty Designers Under 30 Years of Age” by I.D. Magazine and his work has been shown at the Whitney Biennial in 2002 and the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial in 2003. Other work has appeared in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, at Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria and in the films Minority Report and The Hulk'.

So the question still remains is this the future of art? Or is this art for the future? Maybe the question we should be asking is selecting the canvas version or LCD version?

Second Niche

Left: McQ by Alexander McQueen,
Raf by Raf simons and Z Zegna.











































Now gentlemen, think diffusions. Secondary or "diffusion" fashion lines have been named in the past as poorly developed and a cheaper concept. But now with rapidly gaining popularity in this niche, they are a sure target for the general market, with Alexander McQueen's McQ, Z Zegna, Raf by Raf Simons, and look out for Hugo by Hugo Boss. Their new art director Bruno Pieters, a Belgian designer has his very own impressive mens and womenswear collections. Not to mention my closet is already filled with a handful of his womens couture.

At various international fashion weeks this year, secondary or "diffusion" collections can be seen strutting along, all sophisticated, and every bit, the essential style that allures the younger clientele. This new niche is definitely a success.

Let's Battle

Speakers Set
DVD Player
Wall Mounted CD Player



Minimalist designs are Muji's best.
Once again, their modernist and minimal designs have already earned a place in New York's Museum for Modern Art. Having more than 30 stores around in Europe, one of their newest hits are their Audio and Speakers. It offers manifesto clear lines and clear audio which everybody can afford. So who wants to indugle in resonably priced, smart designs gadgets or exorbitant
brands still the choice?

Congratulations to 'The Sartorialist'!

As we all know reporting, photographing, sourcing and researching for articles and stories is not an easy task. Particularly when one man produces it all.

It is then a great honour and congratulations to Scott Schuman the creator and mastermind behind the infamous blog 'The Sartorialist'. Schuman's blog has been named in Time Magazine's 'Style & Design' issue as one of the top 100 influences in design internationally. Scott Schmuman's background is fashion based, in sales and marketing and use to own a showroom in New York. As well as maintaining the marvellous blog he freelances for major publications such as GQ and Vogue.

'The Sartorialist' is a blog based in New York, focusing on fashion, in particularly what is around on the streets of various cities around the world. According to Scott, "I started The Sartorialist simply to share photos of people that I saw on the streets of New York that I thought looked great. When I worked in the fashion industry (15 years), I always felt that there was a disconnect between what I was selling in the showroom and what I was seeing real people (really cool people) wearing in real life". It is more than just a blog, it has become an international community, which is linked together, via 'The Sartorialist'.

Well with that in mind, we here at Akiin, would like to wish 'The Sartorialist' a big "well done" and looking forward to many more brilliant posts in the future. Please check out 'The Sartorialist' via our link located in 'Favourite' on the right side of the page.

As requested..Domination of Footwear accessories continues..

(Clock-wise from the left: Balenciaga-lizard boots, Celine-patent wedge, Lanvin-plastic & leather platforms, Gucci-metallic leather platforms and Alexander McQueen-crocodile sandals).



Well it seems that our female readers has taken very well to our previous posting, "Domination of Footwear". So it only seems fair that we try to pacify your requests. So without further or do, here are some more international designer footwear for spring/summer '07.

Enjoy!

Domination of Footwear accessories

(Clock-wise from left: Lanvin-patent pumps, YSL-Tribute in suede, Alexander McQueen-woven leather boots, YSL-patent slingbacks, and Christian Louboutin-Decollete pumps).



Here it is ladies. The recently launched and enviously, salivating new collections of international designer footwear for sping/summer '07 has been released. We are talking YSL, Christian Louboutin, Lanvin, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga. Did I also mention that most of these shoes have already been sold-out? Oh and the waiting lists for them will set you back a couple of months.........say till the next financial year.

It seems that women’s designer footwear has made a roughly estimated turnover of "US$1.8 billion" last financial year, according to the "New Yorker". That's a lot of shoe-crazed women out there. But it is the interests in super-high-ouch-cannot-feel-my-feet, patent leather, exotic skins, bondage straps and utilitarian buckles trends that women internationally are seemingly after. Footwear fetishes have been dating back thousands of years; after all it is the empowering quality of shoes that has made the footwear business so strong.

This season's shoes will definitely tower, tease, magnify and aim to please obsessive-footwear-followers internationally. You know who you are!