#AArtxFashion: Miljan Suknovic and Artfully Awear

Last week, I celebrated the launch of my first capsule collection of clothing in collaboration with artist Miljan Suknovic.  

Even as I type these words, it seems a bit surreal that Artfully Awear has taken the form of an actual clothing collection!  It's an understatement to say that I'm excited.

Miljan and I have been friends for about a year and a half, during which time I've visited his studio on numerous occasions and always gleaned inspiration.  When Dreams on Air asked him to do an installation of work in their SoHo store, we knew it was the perfect time and venue for us to do something amazing together.  I got to work making a collection of garments inspired by his work.

Ahead of the event, Miljan installed a number of his large-scale pieces throughout the boutique, and created an awesome window display featuring his paintings as well as one of my garments.  On the evening of the event, we hosted over 200 people for champagne and a viewing of the work, including a photo booth (with hand-painted wearables) and a live painting demonstration by yours truly.

We were surrounded by all of our friends and received such an overwhelmingly positive response to our work together.  All of my hand-painted garments sold out!  It was truly one of the best and most memorable nights of my life!

Photos by Peter Sealy Art & Photography and Dezfitmedia

Model: Luiza Farber

WARM UP 2014

Even though the weather is already cooling down, you still have a few more chances to Warm Up at MoMA PS1.  The gravel courtyard of the Museum of Modern Art's contemporary outpost in Long Island City swarms with trendy folks on Saturday afternoons, grooving to one of many DJ sets and posing for photos.  You'll also get to explore The Living's installation in the courtyard, the winner of this year's Young Architects Program.  The installation is called Hy-Fi and is made of 100% organic materials, all self-contained and produced.  You can read more about it here or just head over to PS1 on Saturday.

Check out my outfit from last year's Warm Up here.

Tunic: Mara Hoffman
Chambray pants: J. Crew
Shoes: Belle by Sigerson Morrison
Sunglasses: Duane Reade

My dear friend Katie, founder of the dating website Clycked, kindly shot these photos & facilitated mingling.  Thanks to Hannah Kauffman for providing gratis tickets!

Yinka ShoniBirthday

The Dutch Wax work of Yinka Shonibare MBE, a Nigerian artist who lives and works in the UK, has fascinated me for the past 5 years or so.  Having recently seen his Magic Ladders exhibition at The Barnes Foundation, I decided to allow my love for his work to infiltrate my 28th birthday celebration.  It was a wonderful, colorful evening; thank you to every who came to celebrate!

Fabrics from AKN Fabric in NYC

Flower pins and barrettes: handmade

Flower crown: Handmade

Dress: thrifted/altered

Shoes: Loeffler Randall

Venue: Salvation Taco

Photos by myself, Kathy Paciello, and Lauren Ricciardi.  Shonibare images from yinkashonibarembe.com

LADY GAGA'S ARTRAVE

I had the pleasure of attending Lady Gaga + Jeff Koons' ARTRAVE last night, the launch party for Gaga's new album, Artpop.  I have mixed feelings about Koons' work -- on the one hand, I can appreciate its accessibility and its Warholian kitsch, but it doesn't really appeal to me aesthetically.  I feel similarly about Gaga's music; I acknowledge her importance as a popular culture and fashion icon, but I wasn't exactly counting down the days until her album's release.  ARTRAVE, however, was a true spectacle in every sense of the word, appealing to all five senses at once, and the excitement of all the "little monsters"at the Brooklyn Navy Yard was palpable.  But the real highlight for me was enjoying the concert alongside some of the industry's most revered (and notorious) players, such as Tony Bennett, Terry Richardson, Christian Siriano, and my most revered performance artist, Marina Abramovic, who was the perfect addition to our group of friends.

THE EVENT OF A THREAD

I first wrote about an Ann Hamilton installation, Indigo Blue, over two years ago (see my 2010 post here).  When I heard about her installation, The Event of a Thread, currently on view at the Park Avenue Armory, I knew it would be a must-see.

Consisting of wooden swings attached to a network of pulleys which manipulate a massive sheet of fabric in the middle of the room, the visual did not disappoint.  When participants swing, the pulleys move the textile, creating an exhilarating rippling effect (seen in my video, above).

The Event of  Thread emphasizes "individual encounters" and "congregational gatherings" focusing on the individual viewer/participant and the group.  The installation also incorporates readings and sound, for the ultimate multi-sensory experience.

The installation is only on view through January 6, so I highly recommend that you check it out this weekend if you are in the NYC area.

[Top photo by Chelsea Temkin; video and lower photo by me.]

PLEATS PLEASE

I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the new Taschen book, PLEATS PLEASE, outlining the 20-year history of Issey Miyake's clothing line that drastically changed the guidelines for what a garment should provide to its wearer.

"PLEATS PLEASE are clothes designed to suit the needs and style of every woman.  They are valued not only for heir beauty but also for their practicality.  The clothes continue to be as popular today partly due to the fact that they project an air of authority suitable to any occasion, whether special, everyday or for travel; regardless, they require almost no maintenance."

As the ultimate art-to-wear garments, Issey Miyake's PLEATS PLEASE collections are not only a feat of technology (a process which is described in detail in the book), but is also deeply tied to contemporary art.  In addition to exhibitions such as Big Bang: Creation and Destruction in 20th Century Art, PLEATS PLEASE has completed a number of Guest Artist Series, resulting in garments  adorned with the work of Yasumasa Morimura (pictured above), Nobuyoshi Araki, and Tim Hawkinson.

I'm wearing PLEATS PLEASE scarf/blouse, Ellen Tracy silk skirt, vintage leather bag, and Calvin Klein leather booties.