If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Home Decor For The Body - Mary Katrantzou Spring 2011 Collection

Athens born designer Mary Katrantzou, whose first collection I previously shared with you here has 'decorated' the female form with her stunning Spring 2011 RTW collection [ all the pieces of which are shown later in the post]. Caning as ruffles, lampshade-like skirts, trains reminiscent of curtains, candelabras as jewelry and textiles printed with photos from '60s and '70s issues of Architectural Digest have turned her fashions into wearable home decor.

Incredible detailing using dangling crystals, beading, sequins, pleating, tapestry and embroidery adorn her dresses, skirts and jackets. Materials like raffia, fringe and chair caning become integral design and decorative elements in the line.

The handiwork is breathtaking and the strong graphic prints are surprising flattering to the female form.

The Mary Kantrantzou Spring 2011 Ready To Wear collection:

The Jewelery
The jewelry is amazing. She designs it herself and the necklaces are made to emulate candelabras and chandeliers. The bent and twisted candle holders and chunky crystals on collars are art pieces in themselves but perfectly compliment the unusual dresses.

The Shoes
The shoes are like espadrilles on steroids, Combining braided raffia with colored suede, they are simultaneously summery and sophisticated.

images courtesy of Vogue.com and go runway

Mary Kantrantzou

How The Oscar Statuettes Are Made & Other Fun Facts About The Academy's Golden Man.

Each year around the day of the Oscars, I run this post - albeit slightly updated. Enjoy :)

In honor of tonight's 83rd Annual Academy Awards, here's a look at how the coveted statuette is actually made, from start to finish.

The exterior of R.S. Owens in Chicago:

Casting, Buffing and polishing:

The metal is heated to 960 degrees before pouring into the cast.

The Oscar, removed from the cast, and ready to be polished and buffed:

The rough seams are sanded:

And the statue is polished:

Electroplating:

being dipped into the nickel (the second step, it's first dipped into copper):

Dipped into the 24k plate, the fourth step (the third step is dipped into silver):

Engraving and Mounting:

Affixing the engraved plate to the base:

a close up look at base:

Placing the felt pad on the base:

Oscar Fun Facts:

• The official name of the statuette is the Academy Award® of Merit

• Oscar is 13½ inches tall and weighs 8½ pounds

• The First Recipient was Emil Jannings, named Best Actor for his performances in “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh” in 1929

• Number of Awards Presented to date as of 2010: 2,701 statuettes

• It was designed by Cedric Gibbons, chief art director at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and sculpted by Los Angeles artist George Stanley.

• The Oscar statuette depicts a knight holding a crusader's sword, standing on a reel of film. The film reel features five spokes, signifying the five original branches of the Academy (actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.)

• How Oscar received his nickname is not exactly clear.
The most popular story is that Margaret Herrick, an Academy librarian and eventual executive director, remarked that the statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar, and the Academy staff began to refer to it as Oscar. Although the nickname was used with increasing frequency during the late 1930s, the Academy didn't officially use the name Oscar until 1939.

• The Oscar statuette hasn't been altered since his molten birth, except when the design of the pedestal was made taller in 1945.

Official Oscar site.

images and info courtesy of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Designer Chess Set Stimulates The Body As Well As The Mind With Sex Toys As Pieces.

Design and product consultants Aruliden teamed up with intimate luxury brand Kiki De Montparnasse to create a line of high-end private label sex toys. One of which is this $7,000 chess set whose pieces are fully functioning sex toys, making it the perfect game for the cerebral, sensual and wealthy.

Irreverent fashion designer Jeremy Scott has collaborated with Swatch to design three new watches for Spring 2011. The Winged, Lightening Flash and Opulence watches play with the iconic shape of Swatch watches by adding to or altering elements of the traditional Swatch shape and design.

Winged Swatch: