Disintegration is my favorite The Cure album (tied with the ADHD-ridden Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me) and The Cure is probably my third or fourth favorite band of all time. So when I heard that Disintegration was being remastered I was obviously psyched to get my hands on it. Generally regarded by critics and the Doc Martens mafia alike as The Cure’s chef d’oeuvre, Disintegration is the most singularly cohesive, sacrosanct, and, well, high-period work of perfect Cure-ness that exists. Let’s see. There’s the expansive and monumental “Plain Song” which sounds like what gothic cathedral spires striving to overtake the stars looks like. The pathologically romantic “Pictures of You” which is a watercolor Smithian vision of drowning angels, rain, delicate whiteness, softness et. al. The timeless “Love Song” which was a wedding gift to Smith’s wife and has probably been millions of couples’“song” — probably some people with more than one person — since 1989. There’s the sexy swoony caterwauling push, pull, and scratch of “Fascination Street”, the broody “Prayers for Rain”, the cobalt grey wash of “Same Deep Water as You”, and the swirling vertiginous dizziness of the title track. So many people have memories attached to this album. So many people of all colors, shapes, ages, nationalities, creeds, and cultural/sub-cultural affiliations have a deep and abiding adoration of this album.
Archive for June, 2010
Currently listening: Disintegration Remastered
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010Icon: Christiane F
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010Christiane F (alternately titled ‘We Children From Bahnhof Zoo’) is a 1981 cautionary tale about a thirteen-year-old Bowie idolator who gets swallowed up by the dark side of the late 70/early 80’s Berlin club scene. Young Christiane (played by the delicate Natja Brunckhorst) lives in a bleak Berlin tenement with her mother and sister with her Bowie LPs serving as the only portal to an outside, more heroic and glittery existence. Infatuated with the glam-rock lifestyle she starts frequenting the discotheque “Sound”, meets a cute boy, experiments with drugs, sees David Bowie live, runs around and smashes store windows with her tragically hip friends, degenerates, degenerates, dyes her hair pink, scrounges for money, degenerates, rock bottoms. Bam. Junkiedom and prostitution. All in all it’s like a really sexy, stylistically provocative version of Go Ask Alice. Like afterwards you want to put on red lipstick, a silver metallic jacket and disco pants and dance to Bauhaus’ “She’s in Parties.” Although Christiane F is supposed to, ostensibly, serve as a PSA to convince any young wayward youths to STAY AWAY from drugs it’s more like “Uh, how can I score Christiane’s look?” — Marlo Kronberg
John Waters <3 Rei Kawakubo
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010Recently I started reading John Water’s new book entitled Role Models and was psyched to find that the Pope of Trash dedicated an entire chapter to Rei Kawakubo (this is almost as exciting as the time I found out that ROBIN WILLIAMS regularly buys burkas from Antwerp Sixer Walter Van Beirendonck.) Here’s a bit of what Mr. Waters had to say about his own personal fashion predilections and Ms. Kawkubo:
“Fashion is very important to me. My “look” for the last twenty years or so has been “disaster at the dry cleaners.” I shop in reverse. When I can afford to buy a new outfit, something has to be wrong with it. Purposely wrong. Comme des Garcons (like some boys) is my favorite line of clothing, designed by the genius fashion dictator Rei Kawakubo. She specializes in clothes that are torn, crooked, permanently wrinkled, ill-fitting, and expensive. What used to be called “seconds” (clothes that were on sale in baragin basements of department stores because of accidental irregularities) is now called “couture.” Ms. Kawakubo is my god. The fashion historian Kazuko Koike has described Rei as “almost like the leader of a religious movement.” I genuflect to Rei’s destructino of the fashion rules. She is formidable, reclusive, intimidating, and has described her work as an “exercise in suffering.”
For the Love of TOBIAS WONG
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010The design world is trapped in a perpetual state of mourning and confusion after the untimely loss of the man who was redefining the meaning of what it meant to be a designer.
Paul Smith Spring 2011
Monday, June 28th, 2010PAUL SMITH SPRING 2011
PAUL SMITH opens the floor to the late 60’s man, a bit rock and roll…. Its very apparent that this man is totally that of a day tripper! Its a great play of color, textures and yet is still that of SMITH’s quality of fit. Lots of Great sheer knit shirts and blousy tie-dyed looks… Its very La’ Vie en Rose meets a east-end london bloke… So good!
Dior Homme Spring 2011
Monday, June 28th, 2010DIOR HOMME SPRING 2011
KRIS VAN ASSCHE, Has a true way at a quiet force. In this Collection he encompasses the total package… Van Assche mends together the technicality of design and hones in on the soft form of the Dior Homme . Its quite apparent that there is a dialogue between the draping and the model… Its a gorgeous collection of cut-out sides, deep v’s and amazing capes. NOT TO MENTION THE BEST SANDAL IN ALLLLLLL THE COLLECTIONS THUS FAR. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE DETAIL SHOT!
Lanvin Spring 2011
Monday, June 28th, 2010LANVIN SPRING 2011
Lucas Ossendrijver amazes us with this seasons collection.
This season the trend is that of a tech-savvy, malable textured and unfinished quality to the clothing. We see a great deal of the unfinished in the garments and the play on an overly heavy neck with the accessory. The mix of colors and the direct play on the feminine qualities play up in this collection. As per the usual Lanvin is a favorite. The jackets the shoes, the intensity, and a new take on the stripes.
Craig McDean for Interview
Monday, June 28th, 2010The Amazing McDean turns out MISS FOX!
Alphaville – Big In Japan
Saturday, June 26th, 2010Alexis Mabille Spring 2011
Saturday, June 26th, 2010Alexis Mabille
Is set on portraying a flower child hippy in this collection, avec patchouli and beaded bracelets. A voyage that takes you through many elements that are all notable…. As we see best fitting; the jumpers, jackets, long shirts with cargo pockets and lots of little leather infusions… The leather sandal we love over the pants.