Fashion Innovator Michael Schmidt. The Man (and his work) Behind Fergie's LEGO Dress.

If you've been on the internet or have seen the news this week, chances are you caught a glimpse of The Black Eyed Peas' Fergie and her fun LEGO dress worn during the 24th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Nickelodeon held last Saturday.




The heavily blogged about LEGO dress is a hoot, but hardly impressive when compared to other work by the same designer. The dress was created by Michael Schmidt Studios of Los Angeles and New York. You may not now his name, but you certainly know his work. He's been designing for musical legends like Tina Turner, Cher, Deborah Harry, Joan Jett, Iggy Pop, Steven Tyler and Grace Jones since the late 1980's. He was even nominated for an Emmy Award for Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program, "Cher... At The Mirage" in 1991.


above: Michael's chain maille and crystal designs for Cher and Tina Turner in 1986 and 1989.

More in demand than ever, Michael continues to design for today's popular entertainers like Madonna, Lady Gaga, Dita Von Teese, Rihanna, Brittany Spears and the Chrome Hearts brand. Often working with lots of Swarovski crystals, snake-like imagery and scales, corsets and chain maille, Michael produces sexy, body conscious clothes for concert tours, award shows and other appearances.



above: Michael Schmidt's designs for Lady Gaga, photos by David LaChapelle

Michael has also made several forays into the world of interior design. Projects include the installation of a massive bamboo 'Wave' construction at the restaurant Simon At The Palms, Palms Casino, Las Vegas. Another creation is a knotted rope curtain for the lobby of the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, CA, woven from more than a mile of white cotton rope. Past projects include designing the VIP rooms of the Palladium nightclub in NYC, featuring the installation of black leather floors upon which silver studs spelled out the lyrics to the classic Iggy Pop song 'Nightclubbing' in Braille.

His costume and accessory designs are nothing short of body sculpture and last year the PMCA (Pasadena Museum of California Arts) featured much of his work in their California Design Biennial: Action/Reaction exhibit.



above: Rihanna wears his denim-printed metal mesh shorts on the cover of last month's Rolling Stone


FERGIE
Working with stylists B. Ackerlund, Schmidt as also created other memorable outfits for Fergie. Hand-sewn snake scale and Swarovski studded body suits and boots for her 2010 appearance on American Idol Gives Back, chromed body armored catsuits, even a vacuum-formed and chromed corset:







MADONNA
Some of his pieces designed for Madonna's 2008-2009 world tour:





DITA VON TEESE
Designs for Dita Von Teese include Swarovski Crystals soldered onto aviator glasses and the Swarovski crystal-embellished outfit and accessories worn in her Opium Den show:






CHROME HEARTS
Michael has created sterling silver and diamond jewelry, accessories and mesh clothes for rock n' roll luxe brand Chrome Hearts:




Designer Michael Schmidt amongst a retrospective of his work at PMCA:

photos: Scott Nathan, Christopher Polk, Steve LaNasa, Steven Meisel, Laurie Stark, Mark Seliger and Shawn Smith
stylists: Arianne Phillips, B. Ackerlund


Michael Schmidt Studios

The New LEGO Farnsworth House & A Look At The Original by Mies van der Rohe.

Note: this post has been upated to include more images of the original Farnsworth House in honor of what would be Mies van der Rohe's 126th birthday.

The latest addition to LEGO® Architecture series is the stunning Farnsworth House built in 1951 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Dr. Edith Farnsworth. The house, which has endured floods and other ravages of time, is now a historically protected landmark by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. (Images and info about the original Farnsworth house are later in this post).



LEGO Architecture is a collaboration between the LEGO Group and Chicago architect Adam Reed Tucker.

LEGO Architecture products come in two types: Landmark and Architect. The Landmark series features well-known buildings, while the Architect series focuses on the work of important architects. Mies van der Rohe is the second architect to be featured after Frank Lloyd Wright.



“We are proud to introduce Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, a new chapter in architectural history for LEGO Architecture. Our main job has been to capture the essence of this iconic design with our own celebrated icon, the LEGO Brick. We hope the model and the story behind the building will be an inspiration to kids and adults around the world” said Paal Smith-Meyer, Head of New Business at the LEGO Group.

A Word from the Artist, Adam Reed Tucker:

Farnsworth HouseTM celebrates our 10th model in the LEGO Architecture series. As a minimalist “Steel & Glass” modernist symbol of the 1950s, it delicately balances clean lines, volume of space, minimal structure, and expansive glazing, creating an inviting relationship between the natural and built environments.

In order to effectively replicate the balance between the refined white structural elements and expansive clear glazing, I started with the smallest cross section I could make for the vertical exterior columns. After several attempts, the most promising turned out to be using basic 1x1 bricks. Everything else essentially fell into place: the inviting steps, the floating floor and roof decks, the understated furnishings and cleverly designed built-ins. It’s fitting that recreating a minimalist symbol of modern architecture was done so with the simplest of LEGO bricks, the humble 1x1.

The assembled Farnsworth House model is over 10” (25cm) wide on a base with printed name label and includes a booklet with facts about the building, its construction and history.


above: assembled LEGO Farnsworth house courtesy of nightfury 21

* Architectural replica of the real-world Farnsworth House™
* Booklet included with details on design and history. (English language only)
* Measures over 10” (25cm) wide and 3” (7cm) tall
Buy It Here

About Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House:


Meis van der Rohe's Farnsworth House was designed and constructed between 1945 and 1951 as a one-room weekend retreat, located in a once-rural setting, 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Chicago on a 60-acre (240,000 m²) estate adjoining the Fox River, in the city of Plano, Illinois.





The steel and glass house was commissioned by a prominent Chicago medical specialist, Dr. Edith Farnsworth. She was highly intelligent, articulate, and intent on building a very special work of modern architecture. Her instructions to the architect, Mies van der Rohe, were to design the house as if it were for himself.




Mies created a 1,585-square-foot (140 m²) house that is now widely recognized as an architectural masterpiece. The home was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 after being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It is currently owned and run as a house museum by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.




The essential characteristics of the house are immediately apparent. The extensive use of clear floor-to-ceiling glass opens the interior to its natural surroundings to an extreme degree. Two distinctly expressed horizontal slabs, which form the roof and the floor, sandwich an open space for living. The slab edges are defined by exposed steel structural members painted pure white. The house is elevated five feet three inches (1.60 m) above the flood plain by eight steel columns, which are attached to the sides of the floor and ceiling slabs. The end of the slabs extend beyond the column supports, creating cantilevers. The house seems to float weightlessly above the ground it occupies.





The interior appears to be one large room filled with freestanding elements. The space is sub-divided but not partitioned, and flows around two wood blocks that Mies called “cores,” one a wardrobe cabinet and the other a kitchen, toilet, and fireplace block. The larger fireplace-kitchen core appears almost as a separate house nestling within the larger glass house. The materials used are quietly luxurious – travertine floors, primavera paneling and silk curtains – and the detailing minimal and meticulous.










On its completion, Farnsworth House™ received accolades in the architectural press. The timeless quality of this house is still regarded with reverent fascination by new generations of architects and designers around the world.



Facts about Farnsworth House
Location: Plano, Kendall County, Illinois, USA
Architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Building type: House. One-room weekend retreat
Materials: Steel and glass
Style: Modern
Date: From 1945 to 1951
Floor area: 1,585-square feet (140 m²)

Donate to help preserve the original Farnsworth House here


Books, movies and more about Mies van der Rohe

Wild Limited Edition Designer Furniture From Outdoorz Gallery

Outdoorz Gallery is run by Deborah Sommers & Beth Boutry in Paris. With a love and respect for artisans and their work, the two women began an online site that showcases - and sells - the furniture of award-winning designers from all over the world. They expose people to pieces that are unique, often limited in number and not ordinarily found on furniture websites. You may recognize some of the following designs from having been featured on popular blogs, but most of the pieces were never available to purchase. Until now.

Here are a few of their incredible pieces available for purchase:

Bench No. 3 by Floris Wubben, Netherlands


The graceful lines of Bench No. 3 bring to mind a wave cascading over driftwood or as Rob Cassey from England's prestigious Garden Design Journal puts it " This is an incredibly beautiful and potentially iconic object that reminds me both of Issey Miyake's work and Rie Kawakubo's, with the odd bit of Zaha Hadid thrown in without being the least bit derivative. "





The undulating pattern is achieved by accordion folding a sheet of white polypropylene and attaching it to the wood with white lacquered metal bars. As a result the top of the bench is given its shape directly from its support, the wooden branch. It is just this combination of natural and hi tech materials that make this piece so striking. Each bench is produced by hand in Floris Wubben's studio, and is as unique as the branch which serves as the base. A comfortable bench to sit on the top portion easily supports one's weight. A perfect place to enjoy a view, though perhaps the most striking view is of this unique bench itself.
Materials: wood, metal, polypropylene
Dimensions: L200cm x W50cm x H43cm
Delay: 8 weeks
Price: 3,469 €


Chaise Lawn by Derger Cengiz

An alive chaise lounge, a mobile garden, human transporter, outdoor art by Deger Cengiz. A chance to lie down on the grass, watch the clouds overhead and forget the surrounding urban chaos. Recently on show at the "Best Seats on Broadway" exhibition at Times Square, N.Y., Chaise Lawn blurs the line between sculpture and furniture. Grass seeds included, but the Chaise Lawn also looks great planted with wild flowers or aromatic herbs. Chaise Lawn is currently on exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City.
Price: $1500.00


Cactus Chair, Limited edition/13 pieces

A provocative new design from Deger Cengiz, Cactus Chair examines how visual data affects the users experience. The existence of the large cactus elicits an emotional response, it is temporarily discomforting, a challenge. Though the user knows that the cactus is behind the glass and is not an actual threat he experiences a slight hesitation. Both tempted to sit and tempted to avoid the experience, Cactus Chair is an exciting new piece from Deger Cengiz that challenges our perceptions of furniture and design.
Materials: green tinted high quality plexi-glass, Barrel Cactus (included), river stones
Price: $3,000


Bench & Stone (Carbon Fiber)

Bench by Peter Donders, Belgium (limited edition of 10 pieces)


The Belgian designer created this contemporary, organic piece by twisting a single string of carbon fibre around a form that was then removed. The resulting structure is airy yet incredibly strong and has been aptly described as ”calligraphy in 3D” by Rob Cassy of the Garden Design Journal. Currently the ultimate material available in terms of weight to strength ratio, carbon fiber is used to produce Formula One race cars, the highest quality sporting equipment, as well as the chassis of space crafts. This exceptional limited edition series will be limited to 10 pieces and is suitable for both public and private spaces.
Material: carbon fiber
Dimensions: 300cm x 40cm x 55cm
Weight: 6 kilos
Delay: 4-6 weeks
Price available by request


Stone by Peter Donders, Belgium (limited edition of 10 pieces)


Inspired by its namesake, Stone is created with the same eye for detail, depth and movement as Bench. A unique sculptural / seat, Stone is produced in a limited edition of 10 pieces.
Material: carbon fiber
Dimensions: 164cm x 115m x 39cm
Weight: 6 kilos
Delay: 4-6 weeks
Price available by request


You'll notice that Outdoorz Gallery does not have shopping carts because each piece is actually made to order and handled on a one-to-one basis by email or telephone. The piece(s) will be shipped to you directly from the designer. Once your shipping price has been confirmed and you wish to continue, Outdoorz Gallery will send a purchase order which will summarize your demand. When confirmed you will have the opportunity to pay by bank transfer or paypal, ensuring your secure payment. You will receive updates on the status of your order and the date it is shipped. All of their products are guaranteed.

Their impressive roster of designers:
Peter Harvey / Laurie Beckerman / Pitaya / Con Tatto / Daniel Michalik / Tom Price / Marco Stefanini / Peter Donders / Jessica Carnevale / Deger Cengiz / Alexandre Moronnoz / deborah Sommers / Erik Griffioen / Floris Wubben / Cecile / Planchais / Caroline Corbeau / Nobody and Co / Benoit Lienart / Boris Bally / Michaël Bihain / Lucile Soufflet / Mike Perry

Outdoorz Gallery is associated with Seine 51 Galerie, 51 rue de Seine, Paris and Buckingham Interiors+Design Showroom, 1820 W. Grand Ave., Chicago.


See more at Outdoorz Gallery