It seems both critical acclaim and box office record breaking isn’t enough to get a Best Picture Oscar nomination these days, as Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film released in the series’ 50th anniversary year failed to be considered alongside the year’s best films.
This morning’s announcement of the 85th Academy Awards nominations instead saw Armour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty all going head to head for the most coveted prize in Hollywood.
Skyfall did manage to secure a few nominations in some of the smaller categories however, with Adele’s “Skyfall” track getting an obvious nod for Best Original Song, as well as nominations in the Original Score, Cinematography, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing areas.
It’s a shame – Bond was back in a superb thriller that, while not particularly high-brow, delighted audiences and delivered one of the most exciting, stylish and tasteful action films in recent years.
Softening the blow slightly, the Oscar ceremony will include a segment celebrating 007′s half-century anniversary.
“We are very happy to include a special sequence on our show saluting the Bond films on their 50th birthday,” said the producers of the Oscars show, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.
Varon Bonicos’s documentary “A Man’s Story”, following the trials and tribulations of tailor-to-the-stars and leading light in men’s fashion Ozwald Boateng, hits UK cinemas this Friday March 9th.
14 years in the making, the film follows Boateng’s day-to-day life from around the time of his 1998 divorce from first wife Pascale, up to his triumphant London Fashion Week 2010 closing show.
Littered with star studded talking heads like Jamie Foxx, Spike Lee, Richard Branson, and old big ears himself, Prince Charles, it offers a rare insight into one of fashion’s most dynamic and exciting personalities.
One of our favourite independent magazines, Disorder, just sent us an exclusive sneak peak at the October/November Dapper Issue…. and damn it is good. Some how they have managed to get urban musician, Example, out of his trademark bomber jackets, t-shirts, into tailored suiting!!! If you have ever need proof that a little tailoring can do wonders, here it is.
To find your local stockist of Disorder check out their website here.
Parrot have just announced AR.Race a cool new game for the AR.Drone.
The AR Drone, in case you haven’t had a chance to check it out is a remote controlled quadrotor helicopter with built in wifi and 2 cameras – controlled via the iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad. Parrot, have now launched a free racing game on the app store that will allow 1-4 pilots to challenge each other on the same circuit bring users a whole new experience.
Five game levels are available, with or without the use of the inflatable items which include a 2 pylons with a finishing line and a donut. Check out some of the pictures of the game in action in the gallery.
The game will be available for free on the App Store from 7 June
With the Christmas season in full swing, the parties begin. So before you show up with the standard wine or vodka, check out the following, slightly more inspiring options.
From one-of-a-kind bottles to whiskey produced in small batches, liquor makers are increasingly looking for exciting new things to bring to the table. So make an impression at this years Christmas party by bringing one of these noteworthy liquors.
Crystal Head Vodka
Created by Dan Aykroyd this vodka Crystal Head vodka consists of the proprietary mash and the deep glacial aquifer Newfoundland water, that’s it. Available here for $47.99
Ron Zacapa Centenario
Ron Zacapa Centenario from Guatemala is a rum is considered one of the worlds finest. Zapaca rums are the perfect way to end dinner, served as a digestif sipped neat or chilled over one cube of ice.
Available here for £49.95
Ketel One
Ketel One is a premium vodka made using traditional pot still distillation in Holland and has been perfected by 10 generations of the Nolet family’s expertise.
Available here for £18.95
Monkey Shoulder
Monkey Shoulder whiskey is the world’s only triple malt, blended especially to work in cocktails as well, it’s a thoroughly modern whiskey.
Available here for £22.95
Bonkers French designer Philippe Starck is known for his innovative and interesting designs and these stereo speakers from Parrot are no exception.
Available in various colours including Arctic White, Pearl Grey and Sorbet Lime, they are a wireless speaker design intended for hook-up to today’s digital devices, such as iPods, PCs and Macs as well as TV/Home Cinema equipment (via a phono input). They will be available in the second half of 2010 for £1000. www.parrot.com
TO VIEW GALLERY OF THESE FANTASTIC LOOKING SPEAKERS CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW
This is officially: A Very Big Deal. Not only is uber-stylist Simon Foxton one of the most influential people in menswear but this exhibition is also one of the first to focus on the role of the stylist as opposed to the photographer. And it’s about mens fashion: double whammy! As if our readers needed any reminding, menswear is like the new womenswear. And its only taken several millenia of social evolution to focus ourselves on the fact that men are peacocks obsessed with our appearance. Anway, enough with the sociology lecture.
Simon Foxton has been active in the fashion world since the early 80′s, being of the same generation as, say, Judy Blame, and um, Caryn Franklin. Notable for his work at iD and, latterly but consistently, Arena Homme Plus magazine. Simon’s work has always been thought provoking and groundbreaking, in terms of his treatment of gender/sexuality, ethnicity and perceived divides between ‘leisure’ wear and formal wear. All of which may seem familiar to us now, but back in the day..
On first impressions, current gangster blockbuster Public Enemies starring messrs Depp and Bale may seem to offer little in the way of fashion inspiration. Being so familiar, the gangster genre is not one that can shed a light on looks we may have forgotten about or didn’t know before. But, as ever with menswear, its all about the detail.
And with this film its the hats – fedoras to be precise. Wonderful New York blog all plaid out gives a fascinating view of Optimo, the classic brand who created the said fedoras for the movie. One of those brand insights that leaves you yearning for bygone eras of quality and craftsmanship. I particularly love the detail about the oxblood hat that Depp wears being a colour that “In certain lights looks black in others dark brown”. With fashion for autumn being largely about a certain restrained luxury, details like these should be treasured as inspiration for the coming months.
Image source of Johnny Depp in THE oxblood fedora: WENN
Story source: all plaid out
Nickque Patterson is setting the London fashion world alight- slowly but surely. As a stylist, DJ, designer and all-round fashionisto persona, Nickque is one of those people for whom every street is a real-life catwalk. Whether in front of the camera as a model or working behind the scenes orchestrating an edgy editorial, Patterson knows the trends and makes fashion happen.
Ever so fortunately, he was excited to be interviewed for Brandish and after the jump we have his full interview. Prepare for shoes described as ‘elite,’ Nickque’s self-decided role as the “Jesus of Fashion” and grooming-secrets (just check out the hair!)
We love him!
Well, not really but almost! WWWWD, aka the Worldwide Womenswear Digest, is a parody of popular fashion magazines and blogs. With an unknown founder and a readership that is growing massively with each day, the site gives tips and features on everyone and everything.
The latest ‘Body Issue’ tells readers how Gisele came about as the result of Sarah Jessica Parker and a sheep and how Gareth Pugh makes Kombucha with ingredients including his won urine and rose petals. Also lookout for Hugh Jackman’s rumoured gymwear line and Courtney Love’s new ‘POOP’ bulletin. It might be fake but it’s absolutely hilarious and has fashion tongues wagging worldwide!
As if the actual content wasn’t enough, the quest for knowledge of who is behind the e-zine has sparked many conspiracy theories and Fashionista went as far as to track down FedEx addresses and identities. Who knows what the next issue will entail- but trust that we’ll have coverage ASAP!
The image on the left is an example of Guy Ritchie’s ‘daily diet.’ Read on and enjoy by clicking here!
These are difficult days for glossy fash magazines. So with that in mind, here’s a mag you may not be aware of yet and a favourite that’s recently evolved into an online zine.
The Rake is a new men’s glossy, launched recently straight out of Singapore. As if the Dutch publishing hotbed established by Fantastic Man and Butt magazines hadn’t thrown us enough of a geographic curveball, here comes a classy mag out of one of Asia’s most famous shopping meccas (but one not previously noted for a cerebral take on fashion).
Not dissimilar to Fantastic Man, in its pursuit of sartorial elegance and a certain timeless, gentlemanly aesthetic, The Rake enters the market at a difficult time but with quite a special voice. Read A Continuous Lean‘s interview with Rake editor Christian Barker here.
Renowned Techno DJ Richie Hawtin has launched a fashion label in partnership with designer Isolde Richly. Wittily named Richly.Hawtin the pair’s debut collection can be glimpsed at their site (modelled by Mr Hawtin himself) but will be launched properly with an exclusive party at the Apartment store in Berlin‘s Mitte district this week.
Originally from Canada, sometime Barcelona resident Mr Hawtin is a stalwart of the global minimal techno scene, which these days is centred on Berlin with its diehard party culture.
The fashion range was established in Tokyo back in 2008 after the pair initially met at Berlin’s Club d’Visionaire over six years ago and is inspired by their “shared love of Japanese culture and design”. The look, which seems to consist of fitted tops in clingy techno fabrics, is described by leading dance music site, Resident Advisor as “Star Trek attire for the Bar 25 crowd” and we couldn’t put it better ourselves.
Over the last few years, with the trends having covered skinny jeans, unisex mods, sexually-liberated hippies, shoulder pads, guy/girl jumpsuits and the his/her Eighties where basically anything went, I have tried my hand at many trends that tread the fine line between menswear and womenswear.
This photo recently appeared on Facehunter and, while originally in awe of this fashionisto’s rose accessory, I began to wonder if it would be one step too far and throw me into the realm of uncomfortable dressing (a fatal flaw when it comes to styling!) I happily carry a man-bag and have even experimented with Guyliner in recent months but I couldn’t be sure that I would feel okay with an accessory like the one above. Would you be willing too wear something so overtly feminine or do you like to stick within the traditional fashion sex boundaries?
Little Ashes tells the story of the relationship between Spanish cultural icons Salvador Dalí and Federico Garcia Lorca. Watching it at the weekend I was struck by some fantastic styling and attention to fashion details. What makes the look any different from, say, Brideshead? Well, not a lot, but perhaps its a certain arty, Continental take on Jazz-era, dressing. Dapper suiting, great vintage watches, roomy, pleated pants and Argyll knitwear are standouts but it’s the correspondent shoe that is the killer wardrobe item. Robert Pattinson as the ever-annoying Dalí and doe-eyed Javier Beltran as Federico Garcia Lorca look suitably snazzy but it’s Matthew McNulty as a dashing, macho Luis Buñuel who sets the screen alight, as this moody shot shows.
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