Hip to be…

Let’s look back at Marc Jacobs’s New York Fashion Week Spring Summer 2008. show in New York had a twist. After the designer took his bows, the show ran backward, beginning with evening dress and then daytime wear. The theme of the night for his clothes was shattered glass perspective. I know Marc Jacobs like having fun and being a “bad boy” in the fashion industry, (being the complete opposite to his partner at Hermès), but unfinished skirts and dresses missing sleeves? Come on!

In emotionally-charged monolithic portraits and dark panoramic landscapes, Picture’s Not Perfect by  Melvin Culaba  delves into the psyche of the artist and his society. Each canvas plays out almost as a psycho-social mystery, where the viewer seeks to uncover the impetus behind the situational drama and underlying melancholy that permeates each composition.

Time: April 30 till May 10 2008

Tues-Sun 11.30am-7pm. Mon and public holidays by appt only. Closed on Thurs, May 1.

Venue: Forth Gallery (above Bee Cheng Hiang)

Address: 69A Pagoda Street (Level 2), Chinatown MRT Exit A, Singapore

Contact: sales@forth.sg

Free Entrance

Several weeks ago, the Polaroid Corporation announced it will quit the instant-film business in 2009 (not surprising given the rising of digital photography.)  However, photographers and artists are not happy about this at all.

New York Magazine reports; “Now what the hell am I supposed to do?” asks John Waters, who’s shot a Polaroid of each person who’s come into his apartment since 1992—friends, interviewers, delivery men, everyone. “Digital isn’t instant gratification, and those cameras don’t make that sexy sound.”

I sense a Save Polaroid campaign coming. Save polaroids, save the world?

What you are seeing is a video created by Vancouver Film School student Ben Meinhardt through the VFS Classical Animation program. It features rabbit-like creatures dancing and having sex while one of them shoots out a rainbow from his behind. Wait for the “reality check” ending. For some reason I believe this video would be much more enjoyable when I’m high (not that I’m not enjoying the video without it).

Recently MTV commissioned Meinhardt to expand on this idea into “Perfectland” (Happy Tree Friends anyone?)

Morgan Benoit, an American actor from Vermont is getting lots of attention after playing Lupo in a Jet Li and Jackie Chan martial arts film, “The Forbidden Kingdom”.

Benoit has moved to China to study Long Fist Kung Fu which he loved when he was 18. After a couple of years, he was admitted to Shi Cha Hai Sports Academy (former training grounds of Jet Li and many China’s top Olympic Athletes.)

Before his film career, Benoit also worked for Cirque du Soleil. After nearly 10 years away from his friends and family for studying and working in China, he’s recently returned to the US to continue his acting and film career in LA.

It may have been a calm and subtle season for the past few months, but people around the fashion world can smell something brewing in the air. Disco Valante, a new men’s underwear and T-Shirts collection is to be launched in September 08. Washington City Paper and Talk Of The Town are keeping an eye on it (or the butt, which is equally hot). Sit back, hold tight and get ready to be rocked by the new explosive collection by Disco Valante!

So hold on to your old t-shirts and underwear for a little longer. Don’t worry, we’ll all be able to take off our pants and feel like a rock star in September. In the mean time, you can check out their blog for some men’s style and grooming tips.