Viktor & Rolf's Barbican Exhibit With Side By Side Comparisons of the Dolls & Fashions With The Runway Models

Welcome to the dollhouse. Viktor & Rolf's Dollhouse, that is. Dutch fashion design duo Viktor & Rolf, whose runway shows have become increasingly imaginative over the years, employing everything from models wearing their own lighting and scaffolding to soot darkened faces and bodies, are showcasing some of their best and most interesting designs in a uniquely Viktor & Rolf sort of way.




Having constructed a large dollhouse in whose rooms stand porcelain dolls (each doll approximately 2 feet tall) clad in their most memorable creations from the past fifteen years, Viktor & Rolf once again immortalize themselves in fashion history.




This summer an exhibition at the Barbican Art gallery in the UK put the duo's fashions on porcelain dolls in a giant dollhouse as well as on runways with films of past runway shows playing in the background. The fashions and dolls are arranged by collection within the rooms. About fifty 19th century dolls showcase some of their most memorable creations since all the way back to 1993, taking over the entire gallery.

The House of Viktor & Rolf: Dutch fashion design arrives at the Barbican
18 June 2008 - 21 September 2008, Barbican Art Gallery




I have laboriously and painstakingly found the actual full size fashions from their past runway shows since 1993 -- as well as almost all of the dolls from the Barbican exhibit -- and am putting them side by side for you to see for yourselves.


As shown above, even the hair and make-up on the bisque dolls replicate the look of the models and outfits.














































The head of each doll is made by a Belgian expert who fires bisque faces traditionally and they are stunningly rendered with hand painted make up and hairstyles to match the models:




And if you thought having the outfit smaller makes it easier to make, you are mistaken; each dress reportedly took double the time a full-size one takes to make.


Above: Drawing on the Dutch tradition of silver plating a baby’s first shoe as a keepsake, the climax of Viktor & Rolf’s Autumn/Winter collection of 2006–07, was a strapless wedding dress with a wide petticoated knee length skirt, silver plated, including even the bride’s bouquet.


The Book / Publication:

Above: A 256 page hardback book, the most comprehensive on the work of Viktor & Rolf to date, including 400 fashion photographers, catwalk images and exclusive illustrations and polaroids, is available. Text by Caroline Evans and Susannah Frankel. Designed by FUEL. Published by Merrell in association with Barbican Art Gallery.

Barbican Art Gallery, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS, United Kingdom

More great stuff from Viktor & Rolf:
Their upside down store in Milan:
Their wild 'word' fashions

image sources: Viktor & Rolf, Wallpaper.com, Elle UK, Style.com, Barbican Gallery and photographers Marcio Madeira and Douglas Lydon

Gold Medal Coverage of The Olympics Closing Ceremonies

No need for me to do a post on the Olympics Closing ceremonies when several online publications did such a nice job. Here's a few for you:

The NY Times has a nice comprehensive post with John Branch's live streaming coverage. Check out their post here.
Washington Post's coverage here.
The UK's Telegraph coverage.
Nice Coverage with CCTV's streaming broadcast.

Designer Strollers For The über Hip Baby: Starck, Kate Spade, Lulu Guiness, Shanghai Tang, Lacoste & Burberry for Maclaren

What do hip designers Philippe Starck, Kate Spade, Lulu Guiness, Burberry, Shanghai Tang and Lacoste all have in common? They all design strollers, buggies, and more products for baby in collaboration with Maclaren.

Maclaren has consistently created revolutionary technology for baby strollers, buggies and prams and despite the loss of their founder, Owen Maclaren, continue to do so. In addition to their own nicely designed products, they have several collaborations with the aforementioned designers.

Philippe Starck for Maclaren:




Kate Spade for Maclaren:



Lulu Guiness for Maclaren:



Burberry for Maclaren:



Lacoste for Maclaren:


Shanghai Tang for Maclaren:


Maclaren's own Leather Collection:



Maclaren's special edition real gold plated black leather stroller :

Above: The Special Edition Maclaren GB type Au gold buggy is sold in fine retailers around the world.Only 20 supple black leather buggies with contrasting gold-coloured stitching are available with luxurious features.

They also carry a line of "junior" sized baby equipment for children to play with:


About Maclaren:
It all began in 1965 when Owen Maclaren designed and patented his prototype Baby Buggy -- the B-01. The iconic blue and white stripes and aluminium frame imparts a vintage style that is popular and modern today. The revolutionary lightweight, 3D fold design continues to be an important and timeless prototype for the industry.


above: Founder Owen Maclaren

A former test pilot and aeronautical designer Owen Maclaren, created the iconic B01 buggy in the converted stables of his restored medieval farmhouse, Arnold House, in the village of Barby, Northamptonshire in England in 1967.

Based on Maclaren's knowledge as a retired aeronautical engineer and grandfather, the buggy had to be durable, safe, and lightweight. With a combination of modern materials like tubular aluminum, a durable structure that comfortably carries even a fairly large child, and 3D folding mechanism, the buggy weighed just 3kg/6lbs and fit into the same amount of space as an umbrella. The revolutionary design liberated parents from the bulky pram and quickly became an object of design and desire.


Above and below: So revolutionary was the design, that the buggy is included in Phaidon's Volume one of Design Classics:




Today’s Maclaren Buggys are descendants of the B-01 – from the lightweight frame, durable fabric, and one-hand fold -- to the above-industry standard safety features and innovative style.

Maclaren Baby
US locations:
Maclaren Showroom SoHo
150 Wooster
New York, NY10012-3112
P: 212-677-2700

Maclaren Showroom SoNo
10 Marshall Street
South Norwalk
Connecticut 06854

UPDATED: Keep Warm While Looking Cool: The Lippi Selk'Bag.

2013 Update: Since this original post, Selk Bag Sleep Wear has since been updated and is now available in different colors (all solids) and three variations; kids, lite, and adult.

Kids:

Lite:

Classic:





Original post:
The Lippi Selk'Bag is a full body sleeping bag that allows mobility while keeping you warm. Lippi Selk’Bag is available in 3 different seasonal specifications depending on your requirements.



Benefits (other than the fact that you look like a cross between the Michelin tire man and an astronaut) are:

1. Move your legs and arms apart freely
2. Roll with your Selk'Bag, not in it
3. Stand without any trouble, walk, cross your legs and your arms, thanks to its reversible zippers.

With a retail price of $149, “the redesigned Selk ‘bag 1 represents tremendous value for our customers who use these bags for everything from camping to hunting to lounging at home” according to Philip Benson, President of Lippi USA.




The second generation of the Selk ‘bag lineup boasts additional features and better overall performance characteristics than its predecessor but sells at the same price point as the older model.



The redesigned Selk ‘bag lineup also includes changes to Selk ‘bag 2 and Selk ‘bag 3 models, which are being enhanced to better serve outdoor enthusiasts who demand superior technical performance.


Above: Selk 'bag 2 shown in green/grey and the Selk 'bag 3, shown in brown/beige

Where can you buy it?
Shop for it here in the UK.
Shop for it here in The US.

ABOUT LIPPI

Lippi USA is the exclusive source for Lippi-brand gear and apparel in the U.S. market. A Santiago, Chile-based maker of technical outdoor gear and apparel, Lippi has been featuring a complete line of outdoor apparel, gear and equipment for nearly 25 years. Combining proprietary technologies, industry-best third-party technologies, and award-winning design, Lippi strives to bring fresh and technically advanced outdoor gear and apparel to the U.S. outdoor consumer.

New York, New York. New Book, New Book.

Wow, now THIS is a book.



If you love New York, photography and architecture, this amazing volume of 756 pages, hand-bound in silk and encased in a Lucite "skyscraper"has 33 chapters that show off the city's culture (both historical and contemporary) in many categories, with photos shot by tons of respected photographers and writing from some of the key journalists in New York City culture, including Ric Burns, Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, John Updike and many more.





The book, published by Gloria Luxury Books, features archival and modern photography from Annie Leibovitz, Alfred Stieglitz, Diane Arbus, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Patrick Demarchelier, Weegee, Jerry Schatzberg and David Bailey, as well as images presented in collaboration with the major New York photographic archives.





The name, the Lenape Edition, is named after the first Indian tribe to inhabit New York State. The book is limited to 1,000 units and has a basic edition at $2,500 (£1,200), a "Liberty" edition, with two archival prints, at $4,500 (£2,300) and a premium "Columbus" edition - limited to 100 units - for $15,000 (£7,600).




The almost 25 pound book comes packaged in a lucite 'skyscraper'- like container with a base on which it stands:



Visit the website here
Or purchase the book for the full price of $2,500.00 USD here at Barney's
Or for $1,911.00 (a savings of $589.00) here at Bigger Books


Learn about Gloria's Luxury Big Books here.