Menacing or Marketing? D&G's Controversial Ad

The ad that caused the controversy: Fantasy Gang Rape?


The ad they seem to be running instead


Below article reprinted from MSN NBC By Susanna Schrobsdorff, Newsweek

March 6, 2007 - The fashion design duo behind Dolce & Gabbana announced today that they are pulling a controversial print advertisement from publications worldwide following protests in Spain, and, egads, their home turf of Italy. The photo features a blank looking young woman in a bathing suit and high heels being pinned down by a glossy shirtless man while four other men look on.

Is the image glorifying gang rape or tapping into a sexual fantasy?
That may still be up for debate in some quarters. But Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women says the ad indisputably promotes violence against women and has put it at the top of their Web site's page of offensive advertisements. Meanwhile, Stefano Gabbana says that he regrets the way the ad was perceived and insists that he and his partner Domenico Dolce were not intending to demean women. He adds that the image is artistic and was meant to "recall an erotic dream, a sexual game."

Provocative images have been a staple for D&G, whose other ads have featured sexy scenes including one of a nude man lying down while several other clothed men look on seductively. Another ad, which was pulled last year from British publications, featured women brandishing knives. The most recent controversy broke out last month when the Spanish government demanded that D&G's "fantasy rape" ads be withdrawn. The country was coping with a wave of crimes against women at the time and public outrage was high. The designers complied, but said that Spain was "behind the times." That claim got harder to maintain on Friday when 13 Italian senators also demanded that the photo be taken out of circulation. On Tuesday, Stefano Gabbana said that they did not mean to "cause controversy," and were pulling the ads. But when is an onslaught of attention ever bad for a company looking to stay on fashion's leading edge?

We asked Kim Gandy at NOW in Washington and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy, about the ad and about that elusive line between sexy and exploitative. (Gabbana responded via e-mail.)


Above: Dolce & Gabbana

Excerpts:

STEFANO GABBANA

NEWSWEEK: Were you surprised at the criticism of your ads in Italy and Spain?
Stefano Gabbana: It was never our purpose to cause any controversy and instigate violence against women. From both human and emotional points of view, we certainly do not want to attack women, a sex for whom we have always declared our love, as the feminine market represents 60 percent of our worldwide sales. We are businessmen and the results that our company achieves demonstrate it.

How did you hope women would respond when they saw the ads?
In Italy, the image first came out Feb. 5, in the most famous and bestselling [Italian] newspaper ... at that time, there was no reaction. The effects did not arrive in Italy until after the poor Spanish reaction [to] the ad. We understand that in Spain there is a truly important social emergency as far as violence against women [is concerned], which is why we did not want to offend anyone, so we immediately withdrew the image from all Spanish press. We want to reaffirm that the image does not represent rape or violence, but if one had to give an interpretation of the picture, it could recall an erotic dream, a sexual game.
Women's groups say the ads promote violence against women. Is that an overreaction?
We respect other people's opinions, but we do not look at it in this way.

Can you talk about how you navigate the border between what's considered sexy and what's considered offensive?
Sexy and offensive are two concepts very far from each other. Sexy can become vulgar according to how the item is worn and interpreted. From our point of view, we like to enhance everything that is beautiful and sexy in a woman; but, never offending, demeaning or being vulgar. We have always been in love with women and our collections are dedicated to their beauty.
Has your agency ever shown you a campaign that you thought went too far?
We do not work with agencies; we personally develop the campaigns' concept with photographers and art directors. From our point of view, we do not feel that we've ever gone too far.

You've been in the business for 20 years and your advertisements have successfully pushed the envelope before. But a number of your campaigns this year have gotten some bad press. Is this the strongest, or most negative reaction you've ever gotten to your ads?
We are sorry that unfortunately other campaigns also weren't understood, but we want to reaffirm that we never had the intention of causing noise or controversy in any way.

One might expect these kinds of images to attract protests in America, which is considered a little more prudish about sex than Europe. Are you surprised at the complaints about the ads in your home country—a place which is not known to be repressed?
As we already said, the reaction blew up in Italy only after it did in Spain. When it came out in February nobody was appalled, the reaction arose after a while, following what had happened in Spain. We are shocked because we do not agree, but we respect other people's opinions and do pay attention to the frustrations the advertising has caused worldwide.

Will you pull the ads from Italian publications?
The image will not be used going forward worldwide. It will come out only in publications that we could not block, because of printing deadlines.

KIM GANDY

NEWSWEEK: Where is the line between an ad that is about a sexy fantasy and something that is offensive?

Kim Gandy: The line there is whether one considers rape to be a sexy fantasy. The Dolce & Gabbana ad was a stylized gang rape.

Were you surprised that the ad caused such a stir in Italy and Spain, but not when it ran in Esquire magazine here in the United States?
It surprises me a little bit because I thought almost anything could be in Italian and French ads to some extent. I guess this goes too far even for a society that has traditionally objectified women. It was interesting to me that the Italian senators who made this objection were both women and men and were from the ruling party and the minority party. It crossed gender and party lines.


Above: NOW's Kim Gandy says that modern girls are'bombarded with the message that women are there for sex and are available for sex at anytime'

Do ads like this successfully sell clothing to women?
I think they were trying to sell clothes to men with this one. The woman was wearing a kind of bathing suit, but presumably the men were wearing Dolce & Gabbana clothes. It was in Esquire [magazine] here in the States and the idea that even a stylized image of rape appeals to a broad readership of men is disturbing. Interestingly, in Italy it ran in some women's magazines, which may have been what generated the response there.

You've got a number of ads on your "Love Your Body" Web site that you've deemed offensive to women. Should they all be removed from circulation?
Some of those ads are just insulting and of course there's a difference between being insulting and portraying women as less than human—as people to be raped or assaulted. The bourbon ad that said "Your bourbon has a great body and fine character. I wish the same could be said for my girlfriend," is more insulting. I think that insulting various groups of people has become a lazy way of getting laughs or attention

Men are insulted a lot in ads too. Fathers and husbands are often portrayed as clueless. If everyone is being insulted can we pick out one ad or another for criticism?
The sexualization of girls is different. It has gotten extreme and that can't be good for our kids or our society. I don't want my two middle school daughters internalizing images which objectify women and I especially don't want their male friends internalizing them. They are bombarded with the message that women are there for sex and are available for sex at anytime. And as strong as parents try to be in educating our own kids and giving them good values, they get bombarded by messages from the outside for more hours per day than their parents have them.

Is advertising more demeaning to women today than it was 10 or 20 years ago?
Advertising is far more demeaning to women today than it was 20 years ago. In the 1970's and 1980's, we had a national project where you could send post cards to companies who used offensive advertising. It said that they were the recipient of a bad ad award. I'm sure if we looked back at some of the ads we were talking about then, they probably wouldn't even register as offensive now.

Dove has recently launched ads with nude older women as part of their "Real Beauty" campaign. Several big cosmetic companies are using older women like Christie Brinkley and Diane Keaton in their ads. Is there also concurrent trend toward ads that promote more realistic images of women?
In some ways yes. Thank goodness for the Dove campaign. Nike did something similar with the ads that show girls running and jumping and being athletic. And maybe cosmetic companies have finally figured out that women over 50 are using these products.

So the kind of nudity Dove is using is OK?
I'm not a great proponent of using naked women to sell products, but it's refreshing for a change at least to see a normal-looking woman who's not emaciated being used to sell products. The whole idea of airbrushing and elongating the necks and legs and enlarging eyes in advertisements is very dangerous. They are creating a standard of beauty that's impossible to reach. Even the models don't attain it. Yet this is what our daughters aspire to and what our sons are expecting. By these standards women and girls are always inadequate and they're always buying the next beauty treatment trying to catch up, trying to be something they can't ever be.
© 2007 Newsweek, Inc.

Double Standard?

Now what amazes me is the double standard here. Take a look at the two following Dolce & Gabbana ads that ran without any controversy. You're gonna tell me these don't imply gang rape as well?




So, what gives? You tell me....

And You Thought a Rabbit's Foot Was Odd...

Who needs a Rabbit's foot when you can have a Golden Lucky Poo?

"For those of you who don't know, the kanji for "lucky" in Japan is very similar to the shortened form of the Japanese word for "poo." Hence the brilliant Japanese played with the pun and the Lucky Golden Poo was um..born. But, contrary to popular belief, golden poo is lucky in more places than just Japan. It is also lucky in Ireland. Extensive research on the internet has shown without a doubt that the famed Pot o' Gold that Leprechauns protect is actually a Chamber Pot o' Gold (i.e. lucky golden leprechaun poo). And don't even get us started on the "Goose Who Laid Golden Eggs" story. Eww.

Anywho, we're now offering Lucky Golden Poos because we know how much everyone can use a little more luck in their lives. We recommend attaching them to your cell phone (as the Japanese do) for only lucky calls. You could attach it to your Wiimote for extra luck in gaming (Wii and Poo, together again!) You could buy the 2-pack and do both! Or you could keep one Lucky Poo for you and give one to a deserving friend. Because nothing says friendship than sharing Poo.

Each Lucky Golden Poo is about .5" in diameter and is covered with a golden metallic substance (except for some of the bottom, where the Poo meets the conveyor belt). "

So, need a little luck?
Buy yourself a Golden Lucky Poo here.

Apple TV is here. What's next? The ichannel?

State of the Art: New York Times
Apple TV Has Landed
By DAVID POGUE
March 22, 2007

In the technology world, conventional wisdom says that we’ll soon be saying R.I.P. for the DVD. Internet downloads are the future, baby. No driving, no postpaid envelopes. Any movie, any TV show, any time.

Only one problem: once you’ve downloaded the shows to your computer, how do you play them on the TV?

Now, there are people — at least 12, for sure — who actually watch movies right on their computers, or who wire their PCs directly to their TV sets.

The rest of us, however, are overwhelmed by cultural inertia. Computers are for work, TVs are for vegging out, and that’s final.

No wonder, then, that when Apple announced Apple TV, a box that can connect computers and TVs without wires, the hype meter redlined with millions of search-engine citations, a run-up in the Apple stock price and drooling analysts.

After many delays, Apple TV finally went on sale yesterday for $300, but there are plenty of companies trying to solve what you might call the “last 50 feet” problem. A couple of prominent examples: In addition to its game-playing features, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 ($400) performs a similar PC-to-TV bridging function; in fact, it even has its own online movie store. Netgear’s week-old EVA8000 ($350) also joins PC and TV, but adds an Internet connection for viewing YouTube videos and listening to Internet radio.

And so Apple TV has landed. How does it stack up?


Above: Apple's TV comes with an ipod-like remote

In looks, it sits at the top of the heap. Apple TV is a gorgeous, one-inch-tall, round-cornered square slab, 7.7 inches on a side. It slips silently and almost invisibly into your entertainment setup. (You can’t say that for the Xbox, which in comparison is huge and too noisy for a bedroom.)

The heartbreaker for millions, however, is that Apple TV requires a widescreen TV — preferably an HDTV. It doesn’t work with the squarish, traditional TVs that many people still have.

Apple defends its audience-limiting decision by saying that the future is HDTV; Apple is just “skating to where the puck is going to be,” as a product manager put it.

Apple TV doesn’t come with any cables. You’re supposed to supply the one your TV requires (HDMI, component video or HDMI-to-DVI adapter). They cost $20 at Apple’s online store.

So what is Apple TV? Basically, it’s an iPod for your TV. That is, it copies the iTunes library (music, podcasts, TV shows, movies) from one Mac or Windows PC on your wired or wireless home network to its 40-gigabyte hard drive and keeps the copy updated.



The drive holds about 50 hours’ worth of video or 9,000 songs; if your iTunes library is bigger than that, you can specify what subset you want copied — only unwatched TV episodes, for example.

At this point, you can play back videos, music and photos even if the original computer is turned off or (if it’s a laptop) carried away. (Photo playback requires iPhoto on the Mac, or Photoshop Album or Photoshop Elements on Windows.)

A tiny white remote control operates Apple TV’s stunning high-definition white-on-black menus, which are enlivened by high-resolution album covers and photos. You can see the effect at apple.com/appletv.

The integration of iPod, iTunes and Apple TV offers frequent payoffs. For example, if you paused your iPod partway through a movie, TV show or song, Apple TV remembers your place when you resume playing it on your TV. Cool.

Although only one computer’s files are actually copied to Apple TV, you can still play back the iTunes libraries of five other computers by streaming — playing them through Apple TV without copying them. Starting playback, rewinding and fast-forwarding isn’t as smooth this way, and photo playback isn’t available. But it’s a handy option when, say, you want to watch a movie on your TV from a visitor’s laptop.

All of this works elegantly and effortlessly. But there are lots of unanswered questions that make onlookers wonder if Apple has bigger plans for the humble Apple TV.

For example, it has an Internet connection and a hard drive; why can’t it record TV shows like a TiVo?

Furthermore, it’s a little weird that menus and photos appear in spectacular high-definition, but not TV shows and movies. All iTunes videos are in standard definition, and don’t look so hot on an HDTV.

And then there’s the mysterious unused U.S.B. port.

Still, if you stay within the Apple ecosystem — use its online store, its jukebox software and so on — you get a seamless, trouble-free experience, with a greater selection of TV shows and movies than you can find from any other online store.

But in Netgear’s opinion, that approach is dictatorial and limiting. Its new EVA8000 box plays back many more video formats, including high-def video; can play the contents of any folders on your Mac or PC, not just what’s in iTunes; offers Internet radio and YouTube videos; and works with any kind of TV. It can even play copy-protected music — remarkably, even songs from the iTunes store (Windows only).


Netgear's TV

Unfortunately, this machine (2 by 17 by 10 inches) is as ugly as Apple’s is pretty. Its menus look as if they were typed in 12-point Helvetica. The software is geeky and unpolished; for example, during the setup process, it says “Failed to detect network” if no Ethernet cable is plugged in, rather than automatically looking for a wireless network.

The Netgear model is also filled with Version 1.0 bugs, including overprinted, blotchy menu screens and incompatibility with Windows Vista. Netgear promises to fix the glitches, but concedes that it timed the EVA8000’s release to ride the wave of Apple TV hype.

The two-year-old Xbox 360 is far more polished. Like Apple TV, it can either stream photos, music and videos (Windows PCs or, with a $20 shareware program, even Macs) or play them off its hard drive.


Above: Microsoft's Xbox


What’s different, though, is that you can’t copy files to this hard drive over the network; you can download shows and movies only straight to the Xbox from Microsoft’s own fledgling online store. You can buy TV shows for $2 each ($3 in high definition), or rent movies for $4 ($6 for high def). Microsoft movies self-destruct 24 hours after you start watching them. (Apple movies cost full DVD price, but at least you can keep them forever.)

Note, too, that the Xbox’s primary mission — playing games — doesn’t always suit music and movie playback. It can’t get onto a wireless network without an add-on transmitter ($100 — yikes). You can’t control the speed of a slide show or fast-forward through a song.

And in general, the included game controller makes a lousy remote control. There are no dedicated buttons for controlling playback; instead, you have to walk through the buttons on an on-screen control bar to reach, say, the pause function.

And alas, these products can require a journey through the hell of home networking. The Xbox couldn’t get online at first, thanks to an “MTU failure.” A Microsoft techie in India named “Mike” claimed that my cable-modem company would have to make a change in my service. (He was wrong; a router setting had to be changed instead.)

When the Netgear EVA8000 couldn’t get on the network, I waited 30 minutes to speak to a technician, who announced that I’d shortly get a call back from a senior tech. Five days later, I’m still waiting. (The solution was to uninstall — not just turn off — Microsoft’s OneCare security suite.)

In the end, these early attempts to bridge the gulf between computer and TV perfectly reinforce the conventional wisdom about Apple: Apple TV offers a gracious, delightful experience — but requires fidelity to Apple’s walled garden.

Its rivals, meanwhile, offer many more features, but they’re piled into bulkier boxes with much less concern for refinement, logic or simplicity.

Put another way, these machines aren’t direct competitors at all; they’re aimed at different kinds of people. Microsoft’s young male gamers probably couldn’t care less that they can’t change the slide-show speed, and Netgear’s box “is for people who are more experienced,” according to a representative. “This is not for the random person.”

Apple, on the other hand, is going for everybody else, random people included (at least those with HDTV sets). And that, perhaps, is Apple TV’s real significance. To paraphrase the old Macintosh advertisement, it’s a computer-to-TV bridge for the rest of us.

Desktopography's Nature Desktop Exhibition

Desktopography has posted their third annual natural wallpaper exibition. This 2007 collection of 40 beautifully designed nature-themed desktop wallpapers by selected designers are all available as free downloads for your Mac or PC in the appropriate resolutions.

Desktopography has been doing this since 2005 and the selections continue to grow. The 2005 and 2006 selections are also still available for download. They are a non-profit, fun project site to share with friends and family.

Here are a few examples of their lovely new desktop wallpapers:







So? what are you waiting for, go get 'em! Right here.

Mattel + MAC = Moola. Barbie and MAC Cosmetics Collaborate.

Cosmetics Business, MARKETING
Colour cosmetics - "Sorry Ken, Barbie loves MAC" by Sally Morgan

Barbie, Mattel's best-loved, famously controversial doll and Estée Lauder's MAC cosmetics have collaborated to create a new make-up line targeting adults. So how does this fit with the luxury goods market?



North Americans will be the first to buy MAC's new Barbie collection of bright sugary pinks, buttercup yellows and warm green cosmetics from 13 February this year. Europe and the rest of the world will see them in stores in March. With prices ranging from $10 for a nail polish to $20 for beauty powder, the prices would be affordable for teenage girls reliant on pocket money. Along with the packaging - the pink Barbie emblem added to MAC's trademark black - it would be easy to assume that this was precisely the market for which the line is designed. But these products are, insists MAC, most definitely aimed at 20-30 year old women.



For three years, Estée Lauder and Mattel have been negotiating the association of MAC and Barbie. As any half of a brand extension deal will attest, it's vital to get all details right. In order to entice and combine two disparate markets, the balance, focus and compatibility of the brands involved are crucial. Do it right and you effectively double your ideal customer base, in turn raising the profile and marketability of the brand. Get it wrong and you risk a humiliation such as that experienced by Burberry when it's famous plaid was adopted by chav culture, resulting in a temporary wilting of their luxury market influence. However, three years is a long time for such negotiations and these, industry sources have revealed, have been particularly tricky to finalise, with MAC being reluctant to sign off.

Image Conscious

Despite the market strength and longevity of Barbie, the brand has been the center of repeated controversy regarding negative female image. The doll has been pilloried by feminists as having a grossly disproportioned body. This in turn led to watchdog bodies vilifying her as a damaging role model for impressionable young girls. MAC's reluctance to court such negative sexist attention is understandable; to risk offending its customer base of, “professional make-up artists and fashion forward consumers… All races, All sexes, All ages”.

It's also impossible not to at least nod towards a slight unease at a seductive adult cosmetic product being based on a child's doll and the dubious messages this association could convey. As the cosmetics side of the association, MAC could be interpreted as exploiting the already fragile innocence of today's female youth.


Above: Original 1959 Barbie® Doll

There is obvious financial potential to the partnership of course and the combining of these two brands should wield serious clout in the marketplace. MAC was credited in Estée Lauder's last annual report for being significant in the $6.3bn parent company's 13% net make-up sales increase ($274.8m). MAC's Small Eye Shadow, Studio Fix, Lustreglass and Pro Longwear Lipcolour products alone generated $70m in revenue. The vast Barbie empire, meanwhile, generates more than $3.5bn in sales globally. And Mattel has already seen great success with its first lines aimed at adults with as much as $100m coming from sales of adult targeted clothing, mainly in the Far East.

Adult Audience

Both companies insist that their new line is aimed purely at adults, and are going all out to project this view. The line, named Barbie loves MAC, will also form MAC's spring range and is to be accompanied by a limited edition MAC themed Barbie doll. But this too, manufacturers insist, is aimed at their grown-up customers.

“This is intended to be a very sophisticated make-up collection, designed for adults - not children,” said Peter Lichtenhal, general manager of MAC Cosmetics“. He stressed that their target audience is definitely not teenage, but also that it was light-hearted. “It's a collection that's fun,” he continued. “One of the things that we do is bring fashion and glamour to the make-up market.”



Former marketing manager of girls' brands at Mattel, Annabelle Kuhn, thinks the new collaboration is perfectly natural. “Barbie has always been more of a lifestyle brand for girls, way beyond being just a toy,” she said. “Barbie's core positioning and equity revolves heavily around fun, fashion, glamour and aspiration. I would say that is also the core to the cosmetics industry and the luxury goods market as a whole.”

Various Barbie products for young girls are now well established including apparel, publishing, room décor and a fragrance. And there is a whole range of collectible dolls aimed at adult consumers. Kuhn was part of the 2003 campaign that first linked top-flight fashion designers with the brand when she launched the limited edition Armani Barbie. Since then, Diane von Furstenberg, Anna Sui and Zac Posen have all dressed Barbie. These designer dolls retail for around $100 so are clearly aimed toward a grown-up market, but at the rather niche area of adult Barbie fans who want to own a special grown-up version of their childhood favourite.


Above: Designer Zac Posen's Ken and Barbie® Dolls


Above: Designer Diane Von Furstenberg's Barbie® Doll

The Barbie loves MAC collection is the first time Barbie has been aimed directly towards the open adult marketplace. It's also the first time Barbie has been linked to make-up in a 'Barbie comes of age' way, and by partnering MAC Barbie then appeals to perhaps the broadest cosmetic market there is.

“The Barbie loves MAC collection is the first time Barbie has been aimed directly towards the open adult marketplace”


Above: The Limited Edition Gold Label MAC Barbie® sold out upon release here in the US and abroad in a matter of days. Now, they're selling for upwards of $200 on ebay. If you can find one.

MAC as Maverick

Above: Viva Glam Spokeswomen for 2007

MAC has a reputation as something of a maverick, revolutionary brand. It heralded RuPaul as an icon, redefining traditional notions of feminine beauty. And with the Viva Glam range, it has created an effective means of raising funds with which to award grants to HIV organisations. Possibly MAC is the only adult cosmetic brand capable of successfully approaching a collaboration with Barbie. While all other leading make-up houses associate their products with real Hollywood or fashion faces - Elizabeth Arden with Catherine Zeta Jones, Rimmel with Kate Moss - MAC dares to be different. Caroline Geerlings, senior vice president of global marketing for MAC said: “we pride ourselves on doing the unexpected.”



Above: MAC ads featuring Rupaul

On a corporate level, the links between MAC and Barbie are strong. Richard Dickson, senior vp of marketing, media and entertainment at Mattel, has a background in cosmetics himself. He was involved, as vp of brand management and merchandising, for Estée Lauder when they acquired Gloss.com. This is an e-commerce site Dickson helped create and launch and he's helped smooth the concept of the collaboration with MAC.

Dickson, like Kuhn, is convinced that adult make-up and perhaps other adult products too are a natural direction for Barbie to take. “The core Barbie brand is distributed in many different ways,” he said. “It's the largest lifestyle brand for women. If you grew up with Barbie, the girl in 1959 is now 60-odd years old. This is a brand that's crossed generations, that has a legacy.” Executives of both companies have also expressed their surprise at the similarities in the artistic process used in the design of both Barbie and MAC products. Barbie loves MAC is all about evoking nostalgia in women; it wants to tap into memories of their innocence when dreaming of adult glamour as a child. According to Lichtenhal, “this collection is about the fun of applying make-up, and about fashion and style”.

Both sides are going all out to promote the positive elements of the Barbie brand and the fun aspect she will bring to complement the professional quality of MAC cosmetics. James Gager, senior vp and creative director of MAC worldwide steered his definition of Barbie kitsch by saying: “There's a classicism to Barbie that will never go away.” And when compared to such girly yet sophisticated brands as Pout, Stila and Benefit, the Barbie loves MAC collection appears well on trend.

Barbie's popularity is without question and, Kuhn believes, will eclipse any perceived controversy. She hails the partnership with MAC as “original and innovative”, one she compares to the collaboration of sport and music through Apple Ipod and Nike or Lambourghini cars with Versace-designed seat covers. Indeed, in the modern marketplace, brand association is steadily gaining on new product development as the ultimate goldmine of opportunity. Kuhn, who is currently brand controller of carbonates at Britvic and helped link, among others, the Pepsi brand with David Beckham, predicts that increasing numbers of big name brands will enter into associations.


Above: Barbie Loves MAC t-shirts sold out at most all MAC stores

She speculates that Estée Lauder's ultimate aim with Barbie might be more long-term and far reaching than just MAC. “It's brands with strong, succinct points of actual or perceived differentiation that will continue to enjoy growth,” she says. “I think the marriage of MAC and Barbie is a good example of this. MAC has a strong potential long-term concept layer while Barbie has many facets and associations. I can see a multitude of potential themes and product forms coming from this line.”

Barbie loves MAC is planned at this stage as a limited edition offer only. Head executives will not be drawn on whether they would consider an extension to the range, saying only that they expect the limited stocks to last eight to 12 weeks. But industry sources are estimating sales of between $8m and $9m in North America alone, with the majority coming from the cosmetics line.


Above: The Barbie Loves MAC Cosmetics collection now available at all MAC stores.

With grown-up make-up being the one area as yet unexplored in terms of Barbie's appeal, and 'mini Barbie's boudoir' areas being installed in selected outlets, the campaign is certainly not a small one. Gager commented that this cosmetics range will be a chance for women to “revisit fantasies [from when they were young girls] when they wanted to wear make-up and never could”.

After such a long planning stage, the limited availability time of just two to three months seems very short. Of course, this could be to inspire initial interest before a longer run is given the go-ahead. And if it's cult status that is sought, then this range, even prior to launch, is already well on the way to becoming iconic. One of the limited edition MAC Barbie dolls recently sold on Ebay for $105. The retail price is just $35.

Despite announcements that a Barbie loves MAC microsite would be available now through the US MAC site, at the time of writing this was still not accessible. However, cosmetic blog sites are already debating the new collection - a month before it's even available in the states. Despite MAC's cautious approach, the new collection is now the primary focus of anticipation for everyone involved or interested in the cosmetics industry. If the market takes to the new range as enthusiastically as the online community seems to have, the end result could be more a case of MAC loves Barbie than Barbie loves MAC.

Funky Find Of The Week: The Percushion Bluetooth Phone Pillow

A Pillow With A Built-in Bluetooth phone

By Urban Tool, the perCushion

For those of you who like talking on the phone while falling asleep, here's the perfect product for you...the Per Cushion!

description from their site:
Touching future communication!

Remember the times before our mobile digital lifestyle, when communication with a close friend stood for something emotional and touching. It can again with the soft and relaxing perCushion. Your cell phone notifies the digital cushion wirelessly, via Bluetooth and enables you to pick up the call while relaxing on your sofa.

dimensions
length 66 cm
height 30 cm
depth 13 cm
Details

material: cotton velvet with foam core.
The cushion is connected with your mobile wirelessly via Bluetooth.
integrated fabric interface: an activating/standby button, a Bluetooth pairing button, a button for answering calls and indicating LEDs furthermore a microphone and loudspeakers.
The lithium ionic battery can be charged with the enclosed charger.

Wanna buy one? You can right here.

A Pen That Inspires More Than Words: Montblanc Art

Montblanc Young Artists World Patronage
This unique project gave young and upcoming artists the platform to present their name and talent to a broader public and the international art scene in particular.

The concept was to have more than 300 Montblanc boutiques worldwide act as a gallery and exhibit simultaneously for a single artist with one particular artwork for a period of almost 6 weeks. The common theme for the artworks is the creative interpretation of the world famous Montblanc star (see image below).



The individual "star"-works were reproduced and exhibited in the Montblanc boutique windows.The original artwork became part of the Montblanc "Cutting Edge Art Collection" - one of the various Montblanc initiatives to support contemporary art and demonstrate the brand's commitment and contribution to art and culture.

Montblanc presented 5 young artists from all over the world in 2005. The selection of the artists and artworks took place together with reputed experts from the international art and culture scene.

1. Nicole Wermers
Hintergrund Schneegestöber 2003

Born in 1971 in Emsdetten, Germany, Nicole Wermers studied art at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg and in 1999, she received her Masters of Arts in Fine Art at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London. From 2003-2004 she had an artist residency at the Delfina Studio Trust, London. Nicole Wermers lives and works in Hamburg and London.



In her collages and installations, Nicole Wermers explores the temptations of beauty and artificiality. She frequently assembles cut-outs from car, luxury goods and perfume and wine advertisements and creates three-dimensional works that combine elegant forms from the collected experiences of modern life. Her works are both aesthetic and useful and evoke contemporary reality.
Produzenten Galerie

2. Sophy Rickett
Bodensee 2003

Sophy Rickett was born in 1970. She studied at the London College of Printing from 1990-1993 and at the Royal College of Art from 1997-1999. She has had recent solo exhibitions at the Centre pour l´image contemporain Saint-Gervais, Switzerland, the Emily Tsingou Gallery, London and The British Council in Rome. She is currently based in London.



Sophy Rickett’s large-scale photographs are best known for their precise abstraction and purity of form. Her work is primarily non-narrative, and she photographs locations on the edge of mainstream society – peripheries of cities, road edges and parks. Her photographs are frequently taken at night and capture a tension between reality and fantasy.
Emily Tsingou Gallery

3. Harrie Gerritz
Composition (in the beginning of the night) 2003

Born in 1940 in Wychen, The Netherlands, Harrie Gerritz studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunst in Arnhem, The Netherlands. He spent several years working in New Guinea before returning to Europe to continue his studies at the Academie voor Beeldende Kunst in Arnhem. In 1996, 1999 and 2004, he was a Visiting Professor at the Fachhochschule in Hamburg. He has had recent solo exhibitions at the Galerie Clement in Amsterdam, Seasons Galleries in The Hague and A&A Galerie in Hasselt, Belgium. Harrie Gerritz lives and works in The Netherlands.



Harrie Gerritz regards himself as a landscape painter though his paintings explore more the essence of the landscape. His “imaginary” landscapes straddle the balance between figurative and abstract art, and focus on the emotional power of colors and the graphic rhythm of lines.
Harrie Gerritz website

4. Deborah Ligorio
Math_0032 2003

Born in 1972 in Brindisi, Italy, Deborah Ligorio studied art in Bologna, Milan and Paris, and participated in several study programs in Italy and the US. In 2003, she received a video and film fellowship in Berlin and a residency at the MAK Schindler Artists and Architects in Residence Program in Los Angeles. Deborah Ligorio lives and works in Milan and Berlin.



Deborah Ligorio investigates themes and issues related to physical, virtual and emotional space in her video, photography, and internet projects. In addition, through the realization of custom living units, she explores the relationship between living space and individual peculiarities, mood and character.
Deborah Ligorio's website

5. Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen
Untitled 2002

Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen was born in 1963 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1986-1992. He had a recent solo exhibition at the Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen and his work was featured in the 2002 exhibition, Private/Corporate, at the Daimler Chrysler Contemporary art gallery in Berlin. Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen lives and works in Copenhagen.



Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen's new paintings are inspired by signs and advertisements from popular culture. Their vivid colour surfaces have a brash directness that stems from his unique and expressive arrangement of colour and form.
Galerie Nicolai Wallner


Official Montblanc site

Art that will Floor You: Imaginative Rug Designs from Amazed Ltd.

Looking at a rug or carpet as a valuable and pretty piece of art is nothing new. From Navajo Indian rugs to Persian rugs to 18th century french rugs, the value as well as the craftsmanship has long been heralded. But Madeleine and Dudley Edwards of the UK have taken the art of the rug one step further. It's now 'conceptual'.

In addition to their talent for combining shapes and color, they have created carpets that conjure up nature, technology, spirituality and even trompe de'leoil. By carving textures such as tire tracks, garden mazes, footprints of humans and animals, the raked sand of a zen garden, crop circles and even the illusion of a broken window, their products become more than functional and beautiful, they become conceptual art.

Just take a look at a few of their creations below.






As applied artists Madeleine & Dudley Edwards of Amazed LTD. enjoy the opportunity of working with Architects and Interior Designers. The following quote is taken directly from their website:

“Bouncing ideas back and forth can be fertile ground bearing rich fruit. We often feel like session musicians being invited to jam. And like any good session musicians the first attribute is a willingness to ‘listen’ to what others are trying to achieve and to respond accordingly, whilst bringing something ‘uniquely ours’ to the mix. Reacting positively to other peoples creations can serve as a metaphorical springboard helping us to achieve greater heights. This symbiosis can bring about something entirely new that wouldn’t have been possible from working in isolation. For our modus operandi – we always aim to harmonize or contrast with the surrounding architecture thereby ensuring that our artwork would be an integral/indivisible part of the whole”. In turn, Interior Designers and Architects view their rugs and wall hangings (with the tactile soft warmth and sound insulating properties) as ideal compliments to today’s hard cold surfaces like laminates, glass, steel, marble and stone.



Together or independently Madeleine & Dudley have exhibited at the following gallery/venues:
Robert Frazer Gallery, London; Arts Council Touring Exhibition to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff; Madam Tussauds, London; The British Gallery, Atlanta, USA; Galerie 5, Geneva, Switzerland; The Association of Illustrators Gallery, London; Allgood Plc, London; The British Interior Design Association, London; Sothebys, London; Bonhams, London; The Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax; The Musee d’ Histoire Contemporaine, Paris; The V&A, London; The Tate Gallery, Liverpool; The Schirne Kunsthalle, Frankfurt; and The Kunsthalle Vienna.



Forthcoming shows:
Dudley’s work will be exhibited at The Whitney Museum of Art in New York May 07.
Their rugs don't just adorn the walls and floors of just anyone's home or office. Take a look at a few of their clients:

CORPORATE CLIENTS:
The British Pavilion, Montreal; Admiralty House, London; The Central Office of Information, London; Wolf Olins & Partners, London; The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence, Riyadh; Jones Lang La Salle, London; Eversheds, Manchester; Qatar Bank, London; HQ Global, London; St James Homes, London; ISIS Asset Management Group, London; Urban Splash Properties, Liverpool & Manchester; Hirsch Bedner, Hong Kong & USA; the Sheraton Ocean Grande Resort, Japan and Laing O’Rourke, London.

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:
Lord Snowdon, Sir Paul McCartney, Lord David Queensbury, Ringo Starr, David Bailey, Mary Quant, Lord Lew Grade, Tori Amos, Prince Abdul Aziz-Zaidan, Hugh Grant, Jonathan Cainer, Andrew Rosenfeld, Christen Ager Hanssen and Daniel Bedingfield. The late - Henry Moore, Sir Hugh Casson, Reynor Banham, Lord Paul Reilly and Dudley Moore.