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

Above: Nagi Noda (1973-2008)

The creative world lost a great talent last week. Sadly, Nagi Noda, the Japanese artist/designer/art director, (and most recently fashion designer) as well as the creator of hanpanda, passed away on Sunday, September 7. She was only 35. Noda had experienced ongoing complications related to a bad car accident last year that resulted in chronic pain. The exact cause of death was not specified.

Above: Hanpanda

Sheila Stepanek, CEO/EP Partizan US, who represented Noda, says that Noda passed "in her Mark Ryden dress, Chanel boots, perfect make-up with Viktor & Rolf lace black eye lashes."

Noda was best known in the ad industry for her fantastic "Sentimental Journey" clip for Japanese pop star Yuki, which featured multiple "analog" clones of the singer and was featured in Saatchi's 2006 New Directors Showcase.

However, her recent fashion collaboration with artist Mark Ryden and her 'hair hats' are what I will always remember and if you never saw either of them, I'd like to share them with you here.

Shot by photographer Kenneth Cappello this past April (shown seated below on the far right), her hair hats are hair shaped into various animals.

Her foray into fashion with Mark Ryden gave us some fabulous clothes and some unforgettable branding:

Most recently she collaborated with ultra popular artist Mark Ryden to come out with a clothing label named Broken Label, sold at Colette in Paris. Below are some of the pieces from their line:

And some ads for the brand (note the meat on the floor on the ads - very Mark Ryden):

And here are some pics from her own online diary that break my heart:

Bio:

See more of her work here. And her music videos here.

May she forever rest in peace.

The hottest fashion introduction on the runway Tuesday night at Bryant Park's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week wasn't necessarily the wardrobe, but what the supermodels were clutching as they strode down the runway of the Vivienne Tam show: a Hewlett-Packard laptop clad in the signature Vivienne Tam peony design.

The press release:

Vivienne Tam and HP unveiled the design of the new must-have digital clutch on the catwalk today at Tam’s fashion show during New York’s Fashion Week at Bryant Park.

The HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition notebook represents the first time a computer company has partnered with a globally renowned designer to create a notebook PC that offers all the style and power needed for a delightful technology experience. Tam also worked with HP to design the notebook’s accessories and packaging.

“When I was approached by HP to create a special edition notebook, I could see the design in my head instantly,” said Tam. “The notebook is a true reflection of the needs of a modern woman who cares about fashion but is also passionate about her technology. I wanted to create a notebook that would appeal to women of all ages, ethnicities and income levels across the globe.”

The top of the notebook is gleaming red and bursting with peony flowers. The peony design is meticulously carried inside the notebook, under the keypad. The notebook also features a complementary embroidered storage sleeve that helps keep the exterior protected while being carried as a clutch.

The peony design features a unique blend of Asian and Western cultures, antiquity and modern style, technology and fashion. It was inspired by Tam’s “China Chic” style, which is recognized from the runways in Milan to the Olympics in Beijing and represents her personal mantra to live well and be beautiful.

“The peony is the national flower of China. They are beautiful and symbolize prosperity, good fortune and happiness,” said Tam. “Their many layers are similar to a modern woman who is as savvy in expressing herself with her personal style as she is with weaving technology into the fabric of her rich and multi-faceted life.”

“With ‘China Chic,’ Vivienne Tam reinterpreted traditional Chinese art into a global fashion trend,” said Satjiv Chahil, senior vice president, Worldwide Marketing, Personal Systems Group, HP. “With her spring collection, Tam has helped HP take the personal computer from a necessity to a lifestyle and fashion ‘must have.’”

Above: Designer Vivienne Tam poses backstage at the Vivienne Tam Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Promenade, Bryant Park on September 9, 2008 in New York City.(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America)

The HP Vivienne Tam Special Edition notebook is expected to be available early next year. Let's hope this special edition Vivienne Tam HP Laptop is the first of such many stylish tech items to come.