1.12.2010

Regardez: Najee Wilson Branding

 
My official branding is about my design aesthetic minimalism and texture. 
Designed by najee wilson
Printed on  Starwhite Soft Touch Available at Neenah Papers.com

Regardez Ceci: 3.1 Phillip Lim



Phillip Lim is currently expanding internationally. I was looking at his new store in Cheongdam, Seoul Korea where the brand's cool sophistication comes to life. After Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo, the designer decided to create a store in Seoul to fit with the brand image. The store was designed by the New York architectural studio Leong Leong.The idea was to convert a small, unique building into a true reflection of the Phillip Lim essence. He wanted to continue the design themes that originated in L.A.: a fluid, minimalist, natural space dominated by tactile materials, which is definitely my design aesthetic. The external panels bring personality and a pure, futuristic touch to the building.The store houses the designer's full collection, including his children's line as well his organic garments.

1.11.2010

Just BE-cause

Be, be here, be there, be that, be this
Be greatful for life, be greatful to life
Be gleeful everyday, be boundless energy, be no one except I
Be a strong academic student, Be invited, be long-living, be forgiving, be not forgetful
Be peaceful if possible
Be high when your low, be on time but knowing to go
Be cautious, Be not foolish
Be a brilliant soul, Be eternal, why you ask well just be-cause.

Inspired by  Common-It's Your World pt.1&2

1.07.2010

Écoutez Quasimoto-The Unseen


Happy New Year, I hope your Holidays went off without a hitch. During my time away from my laptop, I was in the record store and found a jewel that I want you to check out.

Quasimoto also known as Lord Quas is the alter ego or the side project of hip-hop producer Madlib, from Oxnard, California. Quas is known for the raised pitch of his voice, which sounds if he was inhaling helium. Another notable characteristic is Quas inter-changing with Madlib's voice, which give the feeling of the late 90’s video game “Parapper the Rapper”. One day in the studio, Madlib decided to rap over his own beats. He didn't like the sound of his voice, his friends in Oxnard called him 'Barry White' in reference to his deep voice. So Quas decided to slow his recorder down, rap slow, then speed the recording back up to produce Quasimoto's distinctive high-pitched voice. This at first easily goes unnoticed because the resulting effect is seamlessly integrated throughout the entire album. Lyrically most hip-hop heads can easily digest the album but the real catch is the genius integration of some well known an a few obscure samples. Madlib’s beats are spot on, with a very heavy drum mix and distorted samples and auxiliary percussion. From the first real track Quasimodo shows himself as a “Bad Character” obsessed with sex, a drug dealer, criminal and a murderer. This of course seems weird coming from a man with a voice almost identical to Mickey Mouse. The Quasimoto character drawn by Jeff Jank is depicted in the album artwork acting out the lyrics from “Bad Character”.
Through out the album Quas talks a lot about something he calls “Astro Travelin" or driving a car while high on a very potent psilocybin, or Shrooms, if you will. Throughout the album the music, more specifically the changing of tracks, gives a feeling of riding in a car from place to place and talking to some interesting characters. Throughout the trip Quas describes his life, how his father was a cop-killer, his ability to destroy others with his 1-2s and why people should use their powers for good. Good Morning Sunshine gives off the feeling of a very lazy morning wake-up call complete with the sounds of children playing and crackling beats with jug blowing under tones. A strange man repeats the phrase “good morning sunshine” while Quasimodo lays down a few sublime lines about the night before.
He recalls many a great producer, while making his own brand of beautifully under produced madness original. Perhaps this is attributed to the fact that the conceptual based LP was produced and written during a weeklong binge on shrooms and the ever-present spliff. Even the most Mafioso characters should have a strange magnetism; Madlib realizes this accusation with his whiny voiced friend. The Lord Quas has a strange magnetism to him; the album makes him seem like a good friend by the time its over. This is what makes the lyrics genius and utterly laughable at times. The importance of Quasimoto’s vocal innocence is what gives Quas his likeability, even in a torture jam like “Put a Curse on You” or a money worshipping tracks like “Green Power”. Its remarkable how the topics discussed in “Green Power” are still relevant in world ten years removed from the albums release. Madlib put out Quasimoto's debut album “The Unseen” in 2000. This album received much praise from underground hip-hop heads and from mainstream media, making it onto Spin Magazine's top albums of the year list.
A disk of instrumentals accompanies the deluxe versions of this album, which is just as valuable as the actual CD. It features samples from a remarkable forty-one different artists. The final word is to go have a listen  and get high off this out there album without the ingestion of illegal substances.

12.25.2009

Regardez/buvez ceci


Evian celebrates the festive season with a youthful spirit embodied in a limited edition bottle designed by Paul Smith. Evian continues to inject life into its youthful image in time for the Christmas holidays by lining up with one of the most creative designers, known for his sense of fun and optimistic attitude. "Youth is not just a question of age, it's also a question of attitude", says Paul Smith and Evian via this limited edition project. With this in mind, the British designer has designed a festive theme for Evian in vibrant colours - with a nod to the famous stripes - which elegantly underlines the purity of the natural mineral water from the Alps. Miles away from the traditional Christmas themes. Evian offers us a concentration of youth in a multi-coloured bottle with five different caps to collect.

http://www.evian.com/us/index.php

12.20.2009

Rodarte for Target



Today is the first day that the Rodarte for Target collection, YES RODARTE, will be available for purchase both online at target.com and select stores nationwide. The collection will be sold through Febuary the colours and texture combinations are amazing.

12.09.2009

Regardez: The Gates





Christo and Jean Claude work(s) are visually impressive and often controversial as a result of its scale, the artists have denied that their projects contain any deeper meaning than their immediate asthetics. The Gates a sculptural installation of 7,503 vinyl "gates" along 23 miles of pathways in New York City's iconic 100% man-made Central Park. From each gate hung a panel of deep saffron coloured nylon fabric. The exhibition ran from February 12-27, 2005. The Gates alludes to the tradition of Japanese torii gates, traditionally constructed at the entrance to Shinto shrines. Thousands of vermillion-coloured torii line the paths of the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto Japan. Successful Japanese businessmen traditionally purchase a gate in graditude to Inari, the god of wordly prosperity.