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Jean Charles de Castelbajac Gets Surreal With Man Ray Fashions.

I've blogged quite a bit about the fashions by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac because he so often references pop culture and fine art in his unique designs. Woman/Ray, an obvious name play, is his latest collection. The Autumn Winter 2011 line is one of my favorites, with several of the pieces incorporating the photographic imagery and surrealism of legendary Dadaist Man Ray.

In addition to using some of Man Ray's most famous photographs as prints and hats, JCDC also includes animated imagery from Disney's 101 Dalmations, plaids, skulls and skeletons in his latest ready-to-wear collection.

In the past, I've found his whimsical fashions - like his Muppets collection and the South Park collection - fun to look at but not very wearable. This collection, however, includes some of the most beautiful and flattering coats, dresses and creations I've seen from the designer.

ManRay:
Man Ray's most well-known photographs, Le Violon d'Ingres (The Violin of Ingres), 1924 and Glass Tears, 1932, serve as a prints for a dresses and skirts:

Hands, lips, ears and eyes - other common Man Ray subjects- appear in the collection in unique applications:

101 Dalmations

Skulls and Skeletons:

Other pieces in the collection include various plaids, equestrian-inspired, handwritten and hand drawn prints and wonderful coats.

Plaids:

Equestrian inspired:

Handwriting:

And other noteworthy pieces:

That is most of the collection, to see every piece, go here.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, also known as JC/DC, was born 28 November 1949 in Casablanca, Morocco. As the Marquis de Castelbajac, he is a French nobleman. He has enjoyed international success with some of his creations, including a coat of teddy bears worn by pop star Madonna and by supermodel Helena Christensen in the film Prêt-à-Porter. As well as his imaginative clothing collections, the designer creates home furnishings.

ABC Bookcase - Letters and Numbers Modular Cube Storage from Saporiti

The ABC bookcase (libreria ABC) is a fun and functional series of modular storage cubes shaped as letters and numbers designed by Eva Alessandrini and Roberto Saporiti for the Italian furniture design firm Saporiti.

above: I so gotta get me these, don't you think?

You can assemble any number of the sophisticated looking cubes to form words or sentences as in the examples of the "Read your book case","News" and "XOXO" compilations shown below:

The cubes are available in three sizes and a number of interior wood stains and exterior colors.

Nicely designed, the modular storage works in any style room for children or adults. For pricing or more information about the ABC Libreria, contact Saporiti here

Limited Edition Hemp and Rag Doll Rug By Estudio Campana

Made in a limited edition of 10 pieces, the Circus rug for Nodus Rugs is a wild blend of rag dolls and hemp.

Simultaneously creepy and cool, the modern rug was designed by the Campana Brothers who often use dolls in their work such as this similar chandelier for Venini as part of their Esperança Collection:

and the Multidao Chair they created in 2002:

The hand-knotted rug is crafted in Nepal and is a 200cm irregular circle. The 3cm deep pile is a moss green and the rag dolls are embedded in the area rug as if reclining on a patch of grass.

more pics:

The Circus rug must be special ordered and takes three months to deliver.

Fernando and Humberto Campana

Portraits Embossed on Aluminum Foil Pans By Idan Friedman

Designer and artist Idan Friedman of Israel's Reddish Studio has created a series of portraits embossed on aluminum foil pans. All the people featured in "Ordinary People and Disposable Objects" are part of his everyday life, ranging from close friends to passers-by.