Summer + 2012

For the summer of 2012, I was awarded an undergraduate research grant from Wash U to study textiles in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar). Although I have travelled all my life I’ve never had the opportunity to focus a trip solely on textiles and design.

My goal was to understand how Southeast Asian designers are manipulating traditional textiles to appeal to modern consumers, along with learning the process of creating a textile from beginning to end. I also focused on recognizing and understanding important motifs in traditional textiles and what cultural, geological and sociological differences effect and influence their production and design.  My research involved visiting silk farms, weaving factories and artisan markets.

SOOO I decided to make a movie about the things I saw ( I couldn't nearly incorporate everything I wanted to without making a 5 hour movie) but its a short and sweet glimpse into some of the experiences I had.

Check it out and enjoy.

{Editor's note: for the ultimate viewing experience, have it large screen and the music blasting}

The + Eames

"Take your pleasure seriously."

A week ago I went to a showing of "Eames: The Architect and the Painter", a documentary on Charles and Ray Eames narrated by James Franco. I thought it was a wonderful insight into not only the design and creative process of the Eames team, but a thoughtful reflection on the (mostly) loving relationship between Charles and Ray. If you have a lazy Sunday and are craving a bit of culture and art history, I would highly recommend it. 

The Eames quote above was one of the best lines from the documentary.

Now there's some advice I can put into practice. 

Good + Evil

Last night I went to a party that was themed "Good Vs. Evil". 

So, naturally, I chose a costume that would maximize use of my wardrobe. 

James Bond + Goldfinger.

Seeing everyone else's costumes was great. I think white swan/black swan was my favorite. 

 

Rumor has it that actress Shirley Eaton actually died from skin asphyxiation from the gold paint. I'm not sure how true that is, but wouldn't that be tragic? Imagine, dying from a gold over-load. Surely that's impossible...

Yes, so technically I was dressed as one of Goldfinger's victims. Not Goldfinger himself. Details, details.

My gorgeous friend Emma went as the peace side of war and peace. 

If only we could dress like this everyday. Amiright or amiright?

Midnight + Paris

At the recommendation of my friend Louis, I went and saw Midnight in Paris. Now typically I might not have seen it because I find Owen Wilson incredibly disingenuous and completely lacking in sex appeal. However, this latest Woody Allen film (whom I also strongly dislike. I mean, c'mon, he basically married his own daughter) coincidentally coincided nicely with my finishing Ernest Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises.

If you have not seen Midnight in Paris yet, I highly recommend it. While in Paris,Owen Wilson's character Gil finds himself transported to the roaring 20's every night at midnight. The movie is loaded with famous artists, writers, musicians and socialites of the early 20th century. I found myself in such a state of glee every time a new character was casually introduced. So if you can suspend disbelief for 2 hours and have even the tiniest francophilic bone in your body, it's a wonderful film.

However, I would recommend brushing up on your art history beforehand. There are the obviously recognizable characters such as Salvador Dali (fabulously portrayed by Adrian Brody) but they also sneak in some slightly lesser known characters such as the Spanish surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñel and French artists Henri de Toulouse Lautrec.

But back to my original point, the reason my Hemingway reading was so conveniently timed was that I picked up on small Hemingway references I might not have otherwise taken note of. The actor who played Hemingway, Corey Stoll, did an excellent job conveying Hemingway's short, stark sentences and intense passion. (His rugged good looks didn't hurt either.)

The enthusiasically troubled Hemingway with friend and legendary bullfighter Juan Belmonte.

Wilson chillin' with F. Scott Fitzgerald and his famously unstable wife Zelda.

Rachel McAdams in a BEAUTIFUL Marchesa dress with director, Woody Allen at Cannes.

The trailer's rather useless but here it is.