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

Despite Duo Dior Dress Debacles, Jennifer Lawrence Is Picture Perfect In New Miss Dior Campaign.

Despite her difficulties donning Dior Couture - she experienced one wardrobe malfunction at The 2013 SAG awards (photo below) and her pink Dior Couture gown caused her to trip ascending the stairs to collect her Best Actress Oscar at last week's Academy Awards - Jennifer Lawrence is the new face of Miss Dior's Spring handbag line and was photographed by Belgian photographer Willy Vanderperre for the new ad campaign (images shown further down in the post).

above: Not one, but two, Dior dress debacles for Jennifer Lawrence as she goes to the stage to receive her honors at the SAG Awards and The Oscars, respectively.

In the new stunning color and black and white photos the 22 year old actress wears pieces from Dior's Spring 2013 ready-to-wear collection including a white tuxedo dress, a black trouser suit, a netted veil and the key styles from the Miss Dior handbag line.

Jennifer told WWD: 'It's such a dream to represent an iconic brand that is synonymous with high fashion. It's impossible to be in the industry without getting even the slightest introduction to fashion.'

Ever since the actress was named as the new face of the handbag line, replacing actress Mila Kunis, she has hit the red carpet during the 2013 awards season in a string of stunning Dior gowns and dresses:

above: Jennifer Lawrence wearing seven different Dior gowns or dresses to award shows and premieres

Dresses include the troublesome midnight blue dress that she wore to the SAG Awards in January, the embellished blush pink gown that she chose for the BAFTAs last month and, most recently, the pale pink and white Fairytale-like strapless gown she donned to collect her Best Actress Oscar.

And if you are not aware of the hilarious viral Dior Ad spoof by i-nsan, take a look:

A look at the making of the Miss Dior handbag campaign:

additional info courtesy of Marie Claire

Dior Couture
Willy Vanderperre

Scooping Pop Culture. Ice Cream Flavors That Should Be.

What started out as a joke became one of the most popular projects illustrator for Jon DeFreest, aka Jonny Etc. Creating faux Ben and Jerry flavored Ice Creams for Vulture.com and then subsequently commissioned by other sites such as Buzzfeed.com, NYmag.com, and Tauntr.com, the Pop-Culture Pints continue to get giggles.

The faux ice creams are based on Pop Culture TV and movie characters as well as timely subjects and movements.

Walter White's Heisen-Brrr-g Crunch (Breaking Bad):

Tobias Funke's I Just Blue Myself (Arrested Development):

Roger Sterling's Sterling Scooper (Mad Men):

Dwight Schrute's Beet It (The Office):

Dexter Morgan's Miami Slice (Dexter):

Carl Spackler's Caddysnack (Caddyshack):

The Dude's Dude Food (The Big Lebowski):

Bobba Fett's Carbonite Crunch (Star Wars):

Ron Swanson's All Of The Bacon & Eggs You Have (Parks and Recreation):

OccuPie Wall Street:

Herman Cain's Harassmint Chocolate Chip:

The Ron Swanson ice cream received so much attention that Ben & Jerry's was forced to release an official statement informing the public that this was NOT a legitimate flavor.

all images courtesy of Jon DeFreest (Jonny Etc.)

Plywood Bikes, Handlebars and Rack by Dots Design Studio of Thailand.

The Dots Design Studio of Thailand continues to perfect their PLYbike design, now executing their third version of the plywood street bike with a Brooks seat, as well as offering two styles of wood bicycle handlebars and a wooden wall-mounted bike rack.

Duffy London design studio introduces the UP Coffee Table, a whimsical table with glass table top held up by gold glass and metal resin composite 'balloons' with steel rods as the 'balloon strings' and doubling as support.

Working with the illusion of levitation and buoyancy, the UP coffee table is a playful trompe l’oeil, giving the impression that a piece of glass is being suspended by small balloons.

This hand made table is a limited edition of twenty. Because it is designed without compromise, the tables are extremely time consuming to create.

"Growing old is compulsory, growing UP is optional" - Bob Monkhouse

As seen at the London Design Fair:

Materials: Toughened Glass, metal resin composite, toughened steel rods.
Dimensions: (L) 120cm (W) 80cm (H) 45cm
Delivery times approx 8-12 weeks.

Price: £5,800.00, Buy it here

The Paintings and Works On Paper of Mark Bradley-Shoup.

above: Mark Bradley-Shoup, Summer Gray Gas Station in Patine Blue

There's something about Mark Bradley-Shoup's work that I find really appealing and it's no wonder. His representational works on paper, abstract paintings and mixed media works each have elements that remind me of four of my favorites artists; Richard Diebenkorn's landscapes and abstracts, Ed Ruscha's Standard Oil gas station studies and prints, Wayne Thiebaud's composition and painterly style and Robert Rauschenberg's collages. Bradley-Shoup's simple and subdued color palettes, clean lines and structured compositions - all executed with a certain restraint - result in compelling and aesthetically attractive works.

Below are several of my favorite pieces of his.

Representational:

Mixed Media:

Abstract works:

Mark Bradley-Shoup earned his BFA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Painting and Drawing and his MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Studio Art. Bradley-Shoup produces meticulously crafted paintings and works on paper based in part on his own manipulated photographs of both urban and rural environments.

He employs extensive use of masking tape, rulers and x-acto blades to generate precise areas of paint that emphasize the surface texture of his compositions in a way that undermines any elements of photorealist illusion. Prevalent themes in his work include “consumption and growth,” “expansion and recession,” and “the elegance of brutality.”

He has worked with various non-profit agencies and educational institutions including the Hunter Museum of American Art, the Association for Visual Arts, Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, the Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga Parks, Recreation, Arts and Culture, and the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. Currently, Bradley-Shoup is based in Chattanooga and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.