Ryan McGinley Shoots Edun's First Ad Campaign Using Six Species Of Butterfly.

Founded by Bono and Ali Hewson in Spring 2005, Edun was launched as a for-profit fashion brand to raise awareness of the possibilities in Africa and encourage the industry to do business there.



With the aim of creating a global fashion brand and making beautiful clothing, Edun is committed to developing trade with Africa and encouraging others to do the same. Based on a belief that style should have substance, Edun sources globally so that as its business grows so does its production and work in Africa.


above: One of the new dresses from Edun's Spring Summer 2012 Collection

Now, since the inception of the brand, they will be launching their fist ad campaign shot by photographer Ryan McGinley. The six images, shown below, feature six species of butterfly that are all indigenous to Africa.






“We really wanted to capture the essence of Edun, and of what inspires the brand, which is duality and transformation,” said Edun's Ali Hewson in a phone interview with WWD from Africa. She added that it was time to tell Edun’s story through a campaign, and to build on the momentum of the brand, which is posting double-digit growth each season.

WWD reports that the campaign will break in the March issues of titles including Italian, French and U.S. Vogue; Vanity Fair; Dazed & Confused; AnOther; T The New York Times Magazine, and the Sunday Times of London. Short “blink videos” will appear on Edun.com and via social media outlets. A launch event is set to take place during New York Fashion Week.

Edun’s chief executive officer, Janice Sullivan, said the brand is also expanding internationally: The company, which is 49 percent owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is negotiating a distribution agreement with Itochu in Japan, and planning to open a pop-up shop in Harvey Nichols on Wednesday. It will open a pop-up shop at Le Bon Marché in Paris at the end of March, and for spring it will begin being carried at Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus.

Currently Edun is sold globally in leading department and specialty stores and online.



Ad Photography Credits:
creative director: Sharon Wauchob
creative consultant: Jefferson Hack
photographer: Ryan McGinley

Levi van Veluw Recreates His Childhood Room in 30,000 Wooden Blocks, Balls & Slats.

Levi van Veluw's incredible, 3-room installation uses more than 30,000 wooden blocks, balls, and slats. These installations are inspired by different aspects of van Veluw's boyhood bedroom, where he spent many solitary hours between the ages of 8 and 14: the Origin of the Beginning.



This series of installations, photographs and videos in which van Veluw draws from his own childhood memories to thematically and narratively develop his own brand of self-portraiture.



The artist has created 3 “rooms” covered with more than 30,000 wooden blocks, balls and slats respectively. Each “room” is executed as a life-size installation (4m x 2.5m x 2.5m) together with photographs and videos (without any digital manipulation).



Portrayed in one piece (above) is a desk, a table lamp, a bookcase. The edge of the table is burned by Levi van Veluw as he had an obsession for fire. All of these objects including every inch of the floor, walls and ceiling is covered in the same material: 14,000 16 cm2 dark brown wooden blocks. The blocks are made by the artist and glued on the wall one by one. The works suggest a narrative world behind the abstract portraits.

Origin of The Beginning 1.2:





Origin of The Beginning 2.4:





Origin of The Beginning 3.4:




On the one hand these works present themselves as a continuation of van Veluw’s formal approach to self-portraiture, with their preoccupation for materiality, pattern and texture. Yet they are simultaneously very personal pieces. The repetitive structures seemingly express a ‘horror vacui’ and recall van Veluw the youth and his obsessive attempts to gain control on his life by gaining control of his surroundings. Dimly light and dark in colour the overriding tone of these pieces are claustrophobic and sombre, exuding a sense of loneliness. The meticulous craftsmanship and high quality material with which every last nook and cranny is covered, result in a series of works that are also highly aesthetic.
all images and information courtesy of the artist

Levi van Veluw website
Levi van Veluw on Behance

Valentine's Day Bondage, Betony Vernon Style. Tie Me Up Luxury Tools For Adults.

The Queen of luxury erotic jewellery, Betony Vernon, has some new Jewel Tools to take your loving bond to the next level this Valentine’s Day. Now, bondage- even with a silk cord tipped with sterling silver- isn't everyone's bag, but for those of you who like a little elegant restraint (literally) in your foreplay, these may be just the thing.

Blinged Out Brain Buckets. NFL Helmets With Hand Applied Swarovski Crystals.

In addition to blinging out animal and human skulls, artist Quinn Gregory of Chicago also takes authentic Riddell Proline Football Helmets (as worn by NFL players) and hand-applies over 12,500 Swarovski crystals to them.


above: Chiefs, Cowboys and Bengals Swarovski Crystal embellished football helmets by Quinn Gregory

The process takes 3 weeks to complete and the finished helmet is a truly stunning conversation piece that any football fanatic - or player- would cherish in their home or office.

Kansas City Chiefs Helmet:




Quinn was commissioned to create one of these beautiful brain buckets for Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones. The helmet is to be auctioned off at the Team's annual charity event.

Dallas Cowboys helmet:


Cincinnati Bengals helmet:




Quinn can be commissioned to design a Swarovski encrusted Helmet for all NFL teams or NCAA college helmets at the price of $1,800. You can contact him with any requests or questions here


Quinn Gregory