Madonna and Dolce & Gabbana announced they’ll launch co-branded sunglasses this May at The Sunglass Hut.  The trio’s previous co-branding project was Dolce’s spring summer 2010 campaign featuring Madonna as the model.

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It looks like those lobster claw shoes from Alexander McQueen’s spring collection didn’t make the production line.  Instead, the house offers a few looks that only take color and material cues from the runway stuff.  Neiman’s sells the back-zip oil sandal and fatigue peep-toe bootie, which def won’t pass for anything in the “Bad Romance” video.

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James Mercer Murphy composed a new piece for Yves Saint Laurent and performed it at the house’s fall winter 2010 fashion presentation last night in Paris.  It’s a moody instrumental piece with some distorted keyboard stabs that lend it a futuristic slant.
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I love this new single from Familjen.  It’s driven by a Motown-esque kit, has a bass line that would work in a New Order track, and alternates between a surfy Brit pop guitar and nearly organic keys.  The melody is second to all that instrumentation, and it, too, is catchy.  “När planeterna stannat” means “when the planets stop.”  No idea where they’re going with that because my Swedish listening skills suck.  I need this album because I don’t know yet what goes with this single.  Also, I bet the album will be at least good.  It’s coming out in April or May.

Stockholm-based Familjen is Johan Karlsson’s project – he’s the sole writer and performer of the studio material.  For live shows, he performs with Andreas Tilliander. Familjen is released cooperatively by the labels Hybris and Adrian Recordings.

Familjen – “När planeterna stannat”

Get “När planeterna stannat” at Clicktrack

Visit Familjen at its new site or on MySpace

Yesterday I went to the Debbie Durkin’s Eco-Oscars at the Main Event Red Carpet Lounge, an Oscars gifting tradition.  It was a fun, surreal afternoon.  The event had more of a green/philanthropic angle than the pure promotional consumerist gifting suites we read about in gossip mags, not that it lacked cupcakes or bedazzled Ed Hardy-esque clothes.  I’ll hopefully have better images soon – I’m not trying to be incognito, I swear.

I was photographed for a book whose proceeds will benefit Red Cross efforts in Haiti.  Photographer Scott Nathan shot some celebrities in attendance, and we (omg, what?) also wrote messages for the book.  I was proud to participate but was not prepared with anything that meaningful to write.  I did, however, have orange lipstick on, which is at least as inspiring as a written expression of hope.

Here I am getting touched up by a stylist from Juan Florentino:

Lights, gray seamless, action:

I learned about the P.S. I Love You Foundation, which organizes educational outreach programs for at-risk kids.  Looks like a really great organization that makes it easy to get involved.  They work with schools, sure, but they also put on pizza & ice cream socials and surf lessons at the beach.

The company that makes soap for Fresh presented its private label soaps, under the La Belle Vie brand.  They’re made in France and smell amazing:

They’re also a lot cheaper than Fresh.  I still love Fresh, though, no use talking me out of that habit, at least till I find out who makes their brown sugar scrubs.

Pure Heat brought its hair styling tools made from 50% recycled materials.  That line seems great for white people with hair that just needs drying, the hair that responds well to Kiehl’s grooming creme and tips you see in fashion magazines.  My Mediterranean hair demands full force, full heat pro blow drying that only the Elchim 2001 can deliver.  I’m excited to try their brushes, though; I was told they can hold up to my blow dryer without melting.

On the way out, I was asked to pose with a car.  I hope the pics ended up tasteful.  The car was pretty big.  I was standing by the tire, not the hood, so I think it’s all right.  I don’t know that it’s appropriate to do product shots for objects I am/am not endorsing.  One might be better than the other, not sure which.  I was not promoting the car but was okay with the event the car company supported.  Should probably draw this line ‘with a bolder stroke’ or else I risk diluting my JPGs’ resonance.

A couple of days ago, I went to The Makeup Show, a trade show for makeup artists.  Lots of lines sell their cosmetics at a discount, and there are talks + demos.  The photo above is of a cat modeling custom fur from National Fiber Technology, an exhibitor at the show.

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A friend of mine sent me the link to this Sartorialist post featuring my doppelgänger.  It even had me confused; I have a very similar jacket, and I recently ran around the Upper East Side.  Thing is, I don’t wear jeans tucked in boots, and I don’t have tough-chic buckled boots.

It’s about time I see some evidence of lookalikes roaming around, because one in 10 people I meet claims to know someone who “looks exactly” like me, and she “sounds like you, too.”  That sentiment was really hard to take when I was growing up since I’ve considered myself very opinionated and specific – how can anyone duplicate that?  And what for?  But I’ve come to realize that I’m also a thin, pale blond, and we do all look alike.

Belorussian designer Dzmitry Samal created this concept bag for Louis Vuitton.  The Structural Bag is a cage version of the iconic Vuitton Keepall style, made out of the same better-with-age leather that the French house uses for straps and accents on its monogram line.

When they came out, the Vuitton canvas pieces were innovative for their light weight and use of a plain material in a luxurious finish.  Now it’s a little sad to see the monogram as a symbol of complacent status rather than mischievous iconoclasm.  The Samal piece points out how the monogram line evolved in relation to the consumer market.  The luxury is still in the leather and hardware, and the innovation is restored once the tired monogram is somehow eliminated.  I also like the play on the idea of packing itself; the extra diagonal leather straps look like packing tape.

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