Respect the Creator

Oh-my-gee. If in any way I have mis-credited your work, photographs, or logos, please feel free to email me for proper credit. I err on the protection of creative spirit, with rational of course. There would no consumers if it were not for the creators. So as dutiful web denizens, we respect, cherish, and credit the meritorious bunch – fashion designers, photographers, indie artists, lyricists and more.

Although this post is unrelated to fashion design, this controversial subject is too important to ignore because I, too, often pull photos from other websites. I provide as much information to trace back to the original site including subject, creator, site link information on the photo as well as in the text. I make it clear that I am sharing a photo that by no means is from me but credits someone greater than thyself, unlike others who exploit the creator. Sometimes I wish there a MLA-like handbook that showed us how to properly honor photo licenses and how to adequately reference photos/posts/comments. Hey there’s an idea. This handbook will become a hit as we shift our information gathering from formal news and journals to blogs.

In the meantime, read more in Lane Hartwell’s post on her love for photography and her anguish for opportunistic feeders.

Photography, Fashion, and Film

What: Photography, Fashion, + Film as part of the Matcha Series
When: 7PM, Thursday, November 1, 2007
Where: Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA
Admission: $5
Public Transit: BART or MUNI stop at Civic Center
Features: Hiroshi Sugimoto’s hand selected Japanese designer sculptures from Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kwakubo, Junya Watanabe, and Tao Kurihara. Cocktails. Indie and new waves tunes from DJ Nako. History of History by Hiroshi Sugimoto. The rest of the Asian Art Museum’s illustrious offerings.

Photo credit: Matcha Collage by the Asian Art Museum

Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Stylized Sculpture at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco

“Photography is a relatively novel medium of artistic expression, far newer than painting and sculpture, which date back to the early days of humanity…I consider fossils a ‘pre-photography time-recording device,’ and they are no doubt the oldest form of art, although I am well aware that they date to a time long before the rise of humanity, which created the concept of ‘art.’…organisms reemerge from the depths as fossils when stratigraphic layers are removed. If the strata are ‘negatives’ of past life, fossils are there ‘positive’ images.”

by Hiroshi Sugimoto on the parallel of negatives and geological strata

For this precise concept, Hiroshi Sugimoto was commissioned to isolate fashion designs in black and white images that capture the historical period and existence of sculptural fashion. When we think about clothing, we think about how the person wears the clothing. Hiroshi Sugimoto selected specific Japanese designer clothing that wears the person. Each of the following pieces could be worn by a slender female, sculpted male, burlesque dancer, or even a humble monk, and each of the piece would stand alone as a sole sculpture regardless the shape or size of the human-being propping the piece. Sugimoto carefully selected these delicately shaped sculptures, thinner than the most delicate slice of glass or smoothed porcelain, that maintain an art form. When you peruse through the Asian Art Museum exhibit, please take note of how Sugimoto meticulously aims the brights to cast various shades and light onto each piece and onto the floor.

On its lag leg of its journey before returning to the Kyoto Fashion Museum, these fashionable sculptures are on exhibit at the Asian Art Museum through Sunday, January 6, 2008.

Photo Credits: Hiroshi Sugimoto Stylized Sculpture series at the Asian Art Museum

Clockwise: Dress and bodysuit by Junya Watanabe, Spring/Summer 1999; Dress by Issey Miyake, Spring/Summer 1994; Dress by Yohji Yamamoto, Spring/Summer 1998; Dress by Tao Kurihara, Spring/Summer 2007

ARTumnal Gathering

What: ARTumnal Gathering fund raiser hosted by the Black Rock Arts Foundation
Where: The Lodge at the Regency Center
When: 7PM/8PM-1AM on Saturday, November 3, 2007
Tickets: $150-$250

“Sumptuous autumnal evening immersed in a savory harvest of delights, beguiling libations, and a caravan of elegant and outlandish live performers. For this BRAF benefit, dress to mingle with the glitter-art-i while perusing unique creations of ‘Wearable Art’ for your bidding pleasure. Dinner and open bar all evening.”

Photo and logo credit: ARTumnal Gathering flyer from Block Rock Arts Foundation

More about BRAF after the jump.

Capsule SF Recap

Capsule SF has grown considerably from a few years ago when DIY vendor booths only populated the east side of Octavia Greens. Now vendors line both on the east and west sides of Octavia and shut down automobile traffic on Ivy Street to allow pedestrians to shop. The quality of the vendors remains consistent with a strong Bay Area contingent. With a planned visit from a friend, we patiently browsed booth by booth to scope out the eye-appealing and creative merchandise.

Later in the day, another friend visited with a box of fresh varietal mochi from Benkyodo. We decided to walk through Capsule SF and finally settle into Cafe la Vie to enjoy tea and mochi sweets. Since the cold wind picked up, I provided highlights to my friend and mentioned a few of my favorite vendors from my earlier visit. I could not wait for that hot tea and apple cider!

Daka Accessories

My favorite exhibitionist texture and color is patent red. This Taipan clutch exhibited pure bad ass attitude with a gold link chain strap and slithering snake to boot! In addition to being a visual spectacle, my olfactory receptors were addicted to the pure leather suede that lined the interior. By the time I came back for my second dose of Capsule, this purse was long gone.

We all know that females dress up for other females. Well which ever lucky dame struts around with this purse will leave many ladies sizing her up but failing miserably. I will keep my eye out for that fashionista!

Photo Credit: Taipan Clutch in Red Patent from Daka Accessories

Daka Accessories by Kerstin Fleischer
415.244.9359
info@dakabag.com

More featured designers after the jump.