The Magritte Surrealist Collection For Men and Women at Opening Ceremony.

For the past two months, there's been some media buzz about the Surrealist capsule collection of 'wearable art' inspired by Rene Magritte for men and women from hip retailer Opening Ceremony set to launch in May. Now the apparel pieces are in and available for pre-order and I've got a look at all of them here for you.


clockwise from upper left: Many of Magritte's well-known works are incorporated into the collection such as Sheherazade, Blow To The Heart, Lola de Valence (Hegel's Holiday), The Beautiful Relations, La Cascade, The King's Museum, Discovery of Fire and The Lovers - to name but a few.

The Capsule Collection:




The above images, courtesy of Opening Ceremony, have been cropped for better visibility

details, prices and pre-order the above items here

High heels, Vans and even Birkenstocks with Magritte's imagery are also part of the collection, but those are not yet available for pre-order.

The Vans:


The Birkenstocks:

Birkenstock images courtesy of stylebubble

Perceptions of Reality: A Collection Inspired by the Work of René Magritte by OC Family



Belgian surrealist painter, René Magritte, sought to make "everyday objects shriek aloud." Almost fifty years after his death, his work still creates this effect on everyday items—this time in the form of clothing and shoes. The weird and wonderful world of Magritte is coming to Opening Ceremony stores in May 2014 with a limited edition ready-to-wear collection alongside three footwear collaborations with brands Birkenstock, Vans, and Manolo Blahnik. The range takes twelve of Magritte's iconic paintings and translates them directly into fashion; it continues the poetic and humorous nature of the artist's original work, and continues a theme that Magritte was most interested in: extreme juxtapositions between combinations of objects, and the ordinary versus the abstract.

Magritte's iconic painting Scheherazade is featured in the form of a dress, top and pearl-embroidered bomber jacket. Other of his famous paintings in the collection include The Lovers, featured on an open-toe Birkenstock and The King's Museum on a classic Vans lace-up sneaker. Manolo Blahnik has designed an exclusive stiletto that will feature the painting The Blow to the Heart.

Shop the Surrealist Collection

You May Know Her as Jessa on GIRLS, But Jemima Kirke Is Also A Talented Artist.

above: Jemima stands in front of two of her works (image cropped, courtesy of Warholian)

London-born actress Jemima Kirke, who you may know as the selfish, self-destructive but likeable Jessa on the HBO series GIRLS, also happens to be a fine artist. The 27 year old, who was born hip with a drummer as a father and a mother who owns a vintage boutique, received a BFA in painting from the reputable RISD in 2008 and considers being a fine artist as her real work.

Drug Lined Coasters by Artist Nir Hod Will Get Any Party Started.

Inspired by artist Nir Hod's series of oil on mirror paintings entitled The Night You Left, Hod bottles the recurring themes of introspection and longing contemplated in this body of work into a functional object: a set of four mirrored coasters, lined with digitally printed white powder.




The paintings that inspired the coasters:


above: Nir Hod, 2007 and 2001, The Night You Left, oil on black mirror

Decadent and eye-catching, the coasters are backed with black velvet and are housed in a sleek black box.




Available in two different sets of four (black or gold) for $95 or in two special limited edition sets (red and pink for valentine's Day) for $180, the 4" x 4" mirrored coasters give the 3D illusion of having freshly cut lines of cocaine.




The title of the editioned set, The Night You Left, suggests a lonely narrative, a moment of solitude when one might turn to drugs not for glamour or excitement, but for revelry and longing. “There is a certain magic in loneliness,” Hod explains, “you have to be alone to create.” He adds, “It’s not about drugs or glamour—it’s about the inside world, where you can dream and love and seek a greater truth—it’s about a feeling of being connected to something so human.”

buy the Black or Gold editions here

Limited collectors editions in red and pink are available at the PK store from Paul Kasmin Gallery

Beautiful Interactive Books Introduce Kids To Artists Picasso and Calder.

The other day I received two new wonderfully designed educational and interactive books for kids. Pablo Picasso: Meet The Artist and Alexander Calder: Meet the Artist are the first ever children's books published by Princeton Architectural Press and they are wonderful hands-on introductions to the works of these two legends.

Filled with imaginative pop-ups, cut-outs, pull tabs, flaps, masks, stickers, 3D imagery and boatloads of easy to understand info, the 8.25 x 11.75 inch (21.0 x 29.8 cm) hardcover books are a must for any curious child's library. Both books were written by author, graphic designer and illustrator Patricia Geis.

Alexander Calder: Meet the Artist


No artist can put a smile on your face quicker than Alexander Calder. A sense of playfulness animates all of his work, from his signature hanging mobiles to his endlessly creative toys, drawings, and jewelry. Alexander Calder: Meet the Artist! is an exciting hands-on introduction to this beloved American sculptor. Calder's whimsical world is brought to life by imaginative interactivity. A universe of artistic possibilities opens up as young readers explore Calder's creative evolution, play with his toy designs, and even create their own sculptural circus.








buy it here


Pablo Picasso: Meet the Artist


This book takes young readers on an interactive journey through the remarkable life of the legendary Spanish painter. This engaging book uses a multitude of interactive devices to explain how his art evolved over his lifetime, from his earliest painting at age seven to the great masterworks of Les Demoiselles d Avignon and Guernica. Readers are encouraged to make their own cubist collage using an enclosed sheet containing an eclectic collection of images.








buy it here