Gunpowder & Gold

for his latest project, flesh love, japanese photographer haruhiko kawaguchi has photographed over 80 different couples…in shrink wrap. he sets up the shot by arranging them like pieces of meet and then sucking all the air out of the bag with a household vacuum. once the bag is sealed, he shoots the couple for 10-20 seconds before releasing them from their body-concious prison. kawaguchi states that the men freak out way more often then the women do. a couple of them have struggled for air and one unfortunate soul even soiled himself. the women, on the other had, just sit pretty.

i’m not going play, this doesn’t even surprise me. just the idea of this is making me break out into a sweat.  to see more of this craziness, check out this video.

@anyweapon

sophie de oliveira barata’s ‘alternative limb project’ offers clients both realistic prosthetics that blend in seamlessly with the body, as well ‘as unique piece[s] of art, reflecting the wearer’s imagination, personality and interests.’ i absolutely love this ‘standing out’ alternative as an incredibly positive way of reclaiming one’s own body. as barata’s website states, ‘an alternative-style limb can help to break down social barriers, delight the eye and provide an unusual talking point.’ gurl wurq.

@xandermayfair x

‘some lines are clearly influenced by concept-heavy lectures taught in the academy, yet others are refreshingly unique. we can classify paulo succar as the latter’ - hypebeast

i could not agree more. i have often bemoaned how slow to change men’s fashion can be. if women’s fashion is a speed boat, men’s is undoubtedly the titanic. this is why when you do see something truly different, it is that much more inspiring. succar is a young up-and-coming designer from mexico who’s 2013 spring/summer is nothing short of stunning. exploring the theme of ‘obscure biology’, he takes on dinosaurs, skulls, geometric floral patterns, and the solar systems in bold tribal-influenced prints. he contrasts these loud prints by pairing them with sleek tailoring and a neutral color palette which ultimately concludes in the most luxurious of products. now the only question left is, when can i get my hands on these?

@xandermayfair x

What makes these dioramas unusual is that they are created in a 200 gallon tank filled with water. Though i sometimes build a scene in front of and behind the tank, most of the ‘action’ takes place in the tank with paint injected into the water for cloud formations. I use whatever materials I can find on the street, in stores and on the internet that might add to a perception of reality that is not quite what it seem.

- Kim Keever

This man takes the stuff of dreams and turns them into reality. well played sir, well played.

@anyweapon

on tuesday, stella mccartney was awarded an order of the british empire by queen elizabeth II at buckingham palace in london. mccartney wore one of her own designs - a classic cut navy blue suit. she accented the outfit with a philip treacy headpiece made from two cartier jewels, one of which was a family heirloom. ever the quirky designer, she paired the jewels with an antique veil she bought when she was 15 years old. about the honor mccartney was quoted saying:

‘to receive an order of the british empire from the queen is overwhelming. i feel proud, and blessed to be here. this is the kind of moment in one’s life that feels surreal. i am so grateful for this honor.’

this comes only four months after the designer won both ‘designer brand’ and ‘designer of the year’ at the british fashion awards in november. to all these accomplishments only one gayism comes to mind as the correct response, GURL WERQ!

@xandermayfair x

frenchie mike wrobel, the tokyo based graphic designer behind moshi-kun has been one of my new obsessions this year. i’ve become a huge fan of the brand’s pop culture graphic tees featuring everyone from dexter to bruce lee to the goonies. not too long ago moshi-kun unveiled these beauts. when asked about them, wrobel commented:

‘i’ve always been interested in breaking the rules, avoiding the norm. so far i’ve always tried to do things differently as i believe it’s part of the process to create something.

it’s a concept i designed for an armchair. I wanted to create a symbiosis between two radically opposite styles…

louis xvi court would have been really cool with these colorful armchairs!’

couldn’t agree more. rock on monsieur.

@xandermayfair x

I am a huge fan of street art.  Broken Fingaz Crew is one of the dopest.  Here are a few of their latest pieces from the streets of London.

@anyweapon

i came across this little bit of whimsy thanks to our friends over at heads will roll. french designer jean jullien custom created this larger than life avian chef d’oeuvres for a rooftop bar in nantes, france aptly named ‘le nid’ (i.e. ‘the nest’). the stork-shaped body is complimented by egg-shaped chairs and eyes that open and close. so fun :)

@xandermayfair x