Trailer Trash: Step Up Revolution

April 27, 2012, 1:00 pm

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Are Step Up fans ready for political action? In Revolution, this fourth installment of the surpisingly-enjoyable dance films, the MOB dance crew is out to stop a big Miami developer from building another ugly hotel. Watch the trailer and you'll get the idea, or wait until July and Occupy Ocean Drive in 3D!

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Hot Ticket: Elvis Costello at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen

April 27, 2012, 1:35 pm

≫ Next: Havaianas Celebrates Their Brazilian Graffiti Artists Collection at Atrium With PAPER

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We've suspected Elvis Costello was a closet foodie ever since his 2008 album, Momofuku.  This perfect pairing confirms it: While Mario Batali, José Andrés and Michel Nischan prepare dinner on the lawn on June 16th at the 30th Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, CO, Elvis Costello & The Blue Beguilers will provide the live soundtrack. The $350 tickets, which include dinner and the show, went on sale this morning, Friday April 27th at here or at 877-900-WINE.

Havaianas Celebrates Their Brazilian Graffiti Artists Collection at Atrium With PAPER

April 27, 2012, 2:15 pm

≫ Next: We Play Matchmaker for This Year's Met Ball

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Last night a fabulously fresh crowd gathered at Atrium in Soho for a Brazilian bash in honor of Havaianas' limited-edition Brazilian Graffiti Artists collection (featuring designs by street artists Finók, Chivitz and Minhau), sold exclusively at the boutique. Guests sipped Stoli cocktails and bopped to music provided by DJ Josh Madden but really, it was all about the flip-flops. Click through for photos from the party above.

We Play Matchmaker for This Year's Met Ball

April 27, 2012, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Chatting with Helen Harris Of Queer Southern Hip-Hop Party, H.A.M.

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The Met Ball/Costume Institute Gala -- or the Oscars of the East Coast -- is a little over a week away (this year's event takes place on May 7th) and, in anticipation of the big day, PAPERMAG has decided to do a little matchmaking and suggest which celebrities or models  fashion designers should escort to the fashion prom.  After all, there's no better way to show off a fabulous new design than on an equally fabulous date.  Word is out that the gents of Proenza Schouler are taking Aussie model/actress Isabel Lucas and Joseph Altuzarra will walk down the red carpet with Lana Del Rey.  As for the rest, it's anyone's guess.  Check out our preferred pairings below and, as always, feel free to chime in with your two cents in the comment section.

Prabal Gurung & Jennifer Lawrence -- Lawrence's biggest fashion splash so far was at The Hunger Games premiere, where she wore a gold gown by Gurung. Say that three times fast.


Karl Lagerfeld & Azealia Banks -- Lagerfeld is a big fan of the young rapper and she played at a Chanel party during Paris Fashion Week at Kaiser Karl's haus.

Zac Posen & babysitting charge, Lena Dunham -- Posen has a history of using his former St. Ann's peers as muses (Paz de la Huerta, assorted Schnabels). So Lena, whom he used to babysit when she was a middle-schooler, seems like a shoo-in.


Stella McCartney & Rihanna -- Rihanna is the latest member of Stella's girl gang, which includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson.

Marc Jacobs & Courtney Love -- Jacobs and Love are old friends and she'd give entertaining red carpet quotes.

Tory Burch & Chris Evans -- Though she doesn't have a men's line (yet), Burch dressed Kanye West for last year's Met Ball and Evans cuts the perfect New England-prepster figure to complement Burch's womenswear. And he'd look good with a gold safety pin.


Jason Wu & Blake Lively & Chloe Moretz -- Wu loves a bland, blonde actress.
 
Carine Roitfeld & Kanye West (with Kim K. waiting in the wings) -- Roitfeld is one of the remaining supporters of West's fashion line. Now that she has her new magazine, this would be a good publicity push.

Burberry's Christopher Bailey & all of One Direction -- Bailey is known for cornering the fresh-faced-British-boy market. This quintet would definitely look cute in Burberry suits.

Sarah Burton & Pippa Middleton -- Duh.

Alexander Wang & Yolandi from Die Antwoord & Santigold -- Both singers were in his T campaign and share his arty-party-hardy appetite.

Anna Wintour & Tim Tebow & Daughter Bee -- She loves a hunky sports star and always brings her daughter so...

Raf Simons & Marion Cotillard -- How could the new Dior creative director pass up the chance to dress one of the brand's favorite models?

Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa & Rooney Mara & Emma Stone -- The hottest young actresses in Hollywood love Calvin Klein. And he loves them back.

Michael Kors & Anjelica Huston -- Kors and Huston are pals and since the Smash star is New York-based now, why not?

Chatting with Helen Harris Of Queer Southern Hip-Hop Party, H.A.M.

April 27, 2012, 3:30 pm

≫ Next: Five Reasons to Drink at Landbrot Bakery + Bar

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DJ and promoter Helen Harris thinks Brooklyn could benefit from a little more bass. Harris, who has DJ'd at a number of venues throughout the city including the Ace Hotel, Public Assembly and the Bell House, says that although she's all for playing crowd-favorites like Prince and Madonna, after a while all the parties she was going to started to sound the same. Particularly absent from playlists, she noticed, was Southern hip-hop, including artists like Waka Flocka Flame and Juvenile.

So Harris and Adam Rabakovich, of the rap group House of LaDosha, started the queer Southern hip-hop party H.A.M., an acronym for the cities Houston, Atlanta, and Memphis, at Tandem bar in Bushwick. The monthly party started small, with a turnout that was mostly Harris and Rabakovich's friends, but now, Harris says, the invite list has nearly 3,000 people on it. Here, we ask her about her affinity for Southern music, the queer dance party scene in Brooklyn and her secret to staying up late.

How did you come up with the idea for H.A.M.?

I wanted to play what I wanted to hear for people who wanted to hear it. And what I love most is Southern hip-hop. Adam also loves it. From there, we wanted to start concerts. Artists from down South don't usually tour here because they just don't have enough of an audience to draw a crowd. We wanted to support, list, promote, and show enthusiasm for the type of people who make the kind of music that we love. We brought La Chat down from Memphis, and it went really well. We're going to bring her back this weekend.

What do you think H.A.M. adds to the queer party circuit?

This is a party where people go to actually have fun. You see people smiling and dancing really hard at our party. H.A.M. is a gay party because me and Adam do it [and we're both gay], but we always invite guest DJs who draw their own crowd. People come for the music. It's bigger than being gay. It's not about gayness, it's about wilding the fuck out. At other parties people are uptight and really self-conscious -- you see more people outside smoking and talking than on the dance floor. But not at this party.

Did you grow up in the South?

No. I grew up in Milwaukee, but my family is from down south. Culturally, they're not identical, but the pace is really similar. A lot of people I knew spent summers in the South and would bring music back.

When you're not DJing, where do you hang out?

I make a point to go out. I really like to go to other people's parties. I go to Amber Valentine's dance party at the Woods in Williamsburg called Misster. I go to Trap Rap Fridays. They play trap music and down-South music, which I love. My friend Elliott (also known as DJ ++4eva) does raves.

Do you have a favorite dance craze?

I like watching dance spread online. I love swag-dancing and watching YouTube videos of people Twerking.

What's your secret to staying up all night?

Uppers and alcohol. But it's mostly about going places that you don't want to leave.

What song always gets people dancing?

Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up," "Yanking" by Lady and Waka Flocka's "Round of Applause."

What's the hardest thing about organizing this party?

It's hard to find venues that are good to work with. It's hard to find venues that don't exploit DJs and promoters.

What direction do you see queer nightlife in Brooklyn going?

I have no idea. Pretty much every good party has someone queer involved in it. We're a part of making culture.


The next H.A.M. concert is tomorrow, April 28th at Public Assembly in Willamsburg. Special guests include La Chat, House of LaDosha and Girl Unit. The free dance party is the first Friday of every month at Tandem Bar, 236 Troutman Street in Bushwick. 

Five Reasons to Drink at Landbrot Bakery + Bar

April 27, 2012, 3:50 pm

≫ Next: Jimmy Fallon's SNL Audition + Gay "Call Me Maybe" Parody = Eight Items Or Less

≪ Previous: Chatting with Helen Harris Of Queer Southern Hip-Hop Party, H.A.M.

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There is little better than baked goods and beer, especially when they occur within the same vicinity, like on your lunch table. Germans pair pilsner and pretzels for a reason. Enter Landbrot, the equivalent of a classed-up German beer hall, except without the hall and the frat boys. Lucky for you the second location just opened in the West Village. We bet it's not long before they announce migration to Brooklyn what with the slew of beer halls fully integrated into a Williamsburg weekend routine. But until then, carbo-load to your heart's desire at Landbrot LES or West Village. 

1. Höss Beer: One of the great German beers, Höss isn't easy to come by, which is why you should try all four whilst wiling away an afternoon at Landbrot. From the copper penny-colored of Holzar pale hay-hued Weisse, there is a little something to pair with everything from black forest cake to unctuous pretzel and cheese pockets.

2. Open-Faced Sandwiches: Herring, rye bread, Bavarian Limburger -- just like a character out of a Stieg Larsson book would eat. Just add a nose ring and detective Blomkvist. Or more reasonably, a Hopf Dunkel Weisse beer. 

3. Brats and Dogs: It's nearly warm weather. So close. Almost. But until the fickle cold fronts depart completely, get your grilled meat fix here. Everything from the Farmers Brat to Andouille Sausage are served with fresh bread rolls, sauerkraut, horseradish, german mustard and tangy-sweet plum ketchup. And you know what that goes well with? A big stein of beer.

4. French lemon tart. Creamy, custardy lemon filling. Fluffy, snowy meringue topping. That is all. Oh, and maybe a glass of Blanc de Blanc to wash it down. Damn it, if it is before noon. 

5. It is before noon. And there is no shame in making a stop for linzer cake and Loire-sourced rose or bear claws and beer. You'll probably find us at the next table housing apple strudel already halfway through a pint.

Photo by Katie Sokoler/ via Gothamist.

Jimmy Fallon's SNL Audition + Gay "Call Me Maybe" Parody = Eight Items Or Less

April 27, 2012, 4:30 pm

≫ Next: This Guy's Our Hero

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1. Here is the first trailer for Judd Apatow's Knocked Up follow-up, This Is 40 -- get ready for Fun.'s "We Are Young" to be stuck in your head all day. [via Gawker]

2.  Starting on May 1st, more than a dozen digital signs in Times Square will display art rather than ads for three minutes, from 11:57 to midnight.  [via Crains New York/Photo by Lovis Dengler]

3. Oh, you know, just a photo of Louis C.K., Todd Barry and American Idol sensation William Hung at the Nashville airport. [via Warming Glow]

4.  It's time to add another name to the Celebrity Heroes List: Patrick Dempsey rescued a teenager who crashed his car near the actor's Malibu house. [via Oh No They Didn't]

5.  If you've seen the official video for Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" (not the Bieber version), consider this parody performed by a bunch of hot gay guys (and drag queens) a valid response. [via YouTube]

6. Nick Cave holding a Nick Cave doll c. 1998! [via Dangerous Minds]

7. Here's Jimmy Fallon's SNL audition tape. [via The World's Best Ever]

8. What do you think of the Biebs' new pompadour? [via Gothamist]

This Guy's Our Hero

May 2, 2012, 9:24 am

≫ Next: Downtown for Democracy + OHWOW Celebrate "The Pocket Guide to Politics" at The Boom Boom Room

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This photo is aptly titled "Grandpa's Mp3 player" and should be viewed in tandem with a video of a 70-year old woman playing the keyboard with Thin Lizzy.  You'll never be that cool.

[via Dangerous Minds/KMFW]

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Downtown for Democracy + OHWOW Celebrate "The Pocket Guide to Politics" at The Boom Boom Room

May 2, 2012, 10:30 am

≫ Next: Hold On, Wilson Phillips Performed at the Shops at Target Party Last Night!

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Last night, Downtown New York's finest headed Boom Boom Room-ward to celebrate Downtown for Democracy and OHWOW's new joint tome, The Pocket Guide to Politics. The guide, helmed by Audrey Gelman, a D4D board member and Scott Stringer's press secretary, and published by OHWOW's Aaron Bondaroff, was created as a primer for their creative friends, many of whom were at the Kanon Vodka-sponsored party -- from Theophilus London to Lena Dunham to Mia Wasikowska to Andre Saraiva. According to Gelman and Bonderoff, most of their artist/filmmaker/actor/musician buddies are interested in politics, but aren't sure where to begin. The book is a mix of basic facts and helpful charts, mixed with artwork by Andrew Kuo, Nate Lowman, Terry Richardson, Casey Neistat, Tim Barber, Aurel Schmidt, Dan Colen and Alex Kalman, among others. We emailed a few questions to Bondaroff and Gelman about the book, and they were kind enough to respond.

How did the Pocket Guide to Politics come about?

Aaron Bondaroff: Years ago, I did an event with Downtown for Democracy to get young people to register to vote. They've now re-grouped in advance of the upcoming presidential election and approached me to get involved. Truthfully, I didn't understand politics 100% and really wanted a breakdown of it.  That's where the concept of the book came from -- a general need for an educational tool... Cliff Notes on the subject.  I felt it would help a lot of people to understand politics, to have a guide like this, with contributions from so many downtown artists to make it more visual.

What exactly is the history of Downtown for Democracy, and what happened to it up until this point?

Audrey Gelman: Downtown for Democracy was founded in 2003 by a group of artists who wanted to involve the creative community in the 2004 presidential election. Through art auctions, benefits, readings, and concerts, D4D raised over $1.5 million in less than 12 months and used that money to register hundreds of thousands of new voters, air television ads, train field staff, and mobilize volunteers in grassroots get-out-the-vote efforts in Pennsylvania and Ohio, reaching young people and creative professionals across the country. A broad coalition of artists, writers and designers contributed work to support D4D, many of whom are back in 2012 to help relaunch the organization. D4D disbanded in 2006, mostly because many of the founders kept the organization going through volunteer efforts during late nights and on weekends.

Who is your target audience? The book details some very basic facts about politics. Were you guys surprised about how little your friends actually knew about the workings of the American political system?

AG: Many of our friends tell us they don't get involved because they don't know where to start -- that's why we wanted to create a resource that laid out the basics of American government and politics, not unlike a mini civics textbook. Our target audience are the people in our community -- many of whom we grew up with, work with, who want to engage in a dialogue about current events and political issues, but feel they've been out of the loop for too long.

What do you hope a reader of this book will do right after he/she finishes reading it?

AG: Register to vote.

What are some things members of New York's creative community can do in the upcoming election season to make a difference?

AG: Give a what. For decades, political scientists have established that when our peers encourage us to get involved, we listen -- simply put, social pressure is directly correlated to voter turnout. If the creative community puts itself out there and demonstrates a genuine interest in political action, the millions of young people it influences will follow suit.

If last year's unofficial motto/image of the Obama campaign was Shepard Fariey's "Hope," what do you think this year's should be?

AG: One of best things about D4D was that it inspired artists to incorporate current events into their work. Shephard Fairey actually credits D4D with inspiring him to create the now-iconic Barack Obama "HOPE" poster. We're encouraged by how many people have taken to the streets to make their voices heard, but we believe that the the motto for progressives this year should be "WHERE'S THE PLAN?" The Tea Party had a plan to dominate the 2010 elections and capture numerous House seats. That's why Downtown for Democracy will be partnering with CREDO, a progressive PAC to spend the money it raises on unseating "The Tea Party 10" -- the ten most radical members of this movement who were elected two years ago.

There's not much mention of the Occupy movement in the book. How come?

AG: We believe the Occupy Wall Street movement has had a tremendously positive impact on the dialogue in this country -- it influenced lawmakers to begin talking about income inequality, the consolidation of corporate wealth while middle class families lost their homes, jobs and hope. Andrew Kuo's pie chart captures the dilemma that many have when questioned about the movement; while many of its features may be offputting, their message cuts to the very essence of what's wrong in American society today and what needs to change. That change can be effectuated in many different ways, but we're all working together to achieve it.

You guys had a big fun party at The Standard last night. Do you think adding some glitz and glam and hipness to politics is important?

AB: It's more about gathering people to pass information to one another -- in this case, the book.  We are here to spark a conversation about politics and let the community know that we have a responsibility as creative minds to make decisions and inspire each other to maintain our creative freedom.  

Photos by Benjamin Lozovsky/BFAnyc.com

Hold On, Wilson Phillips Performed at the Shops at Target Party Last Night!

May 2, 2012, 11:30 am

≫ Next: New York Spring Art Week: Your Guide to Frieze, Fairs + Arty Parties Galore

≪ Previous: Downtown for Democracy + OHWOW Celebrate "The Pocket Guide to Politics" at The Boom Boom Room

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Target threw a little bash last night a the IAC building to celebrate their new Shops at Target project and, WHOA, HOLY CRAP!, Wilson Phillips gave a surprise performance at the end of the night. Everyone pretty much went nuts when the trio took the stage following DJ sets by Chelsea Leyland and Theophilus London and a performance by indie-pop duo Chairlift. (And, yes, WP sang "Hold On." And, yes, it was amazing.) Other guests we spotted at the launch included Martha Stewart, Emma Roberts, January Jones (who, unfortunately, was not toting around a box of Bugles), Todd Oldham, Leelee Sobieski and Gossip Girl's Amanda Setton. The Shops at Target, by the by, will feature in-store pop-up shops in select Targets from independent boutiques around the country. These shops include Miami clothing store the Webster, Colorado cosmetics shop Cos Bar and Connecticut home goods store Privet House among others. They'll be in select stores and online this Sunday. More info here. Check out photos by Billy Farrell Agency of the evening in the gallery above.

New York Spring Art Week: Your Guide to Frieze, Fairs + Arty Parties Galore

May 2, 2012, 11:45 am

≫ Next: Updated: Ashton Kutcher Plays Karl Lagerfeld-esque Character + Wine Perfume in Today's Style Scraps

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Yo, Art Basel Miami! Are you ready for some serious competition? New York City is out to prove that they're still the art capital of the world and the next two weeks could be the icing on the cake with art fairs Frieze, NADA New York and Pulse New York coming to town. Throughout the week, we'll be listing all the events, parties and goings on that we think are worth your while to help plan your daily schedule, so check back for updates.


Wednesday, May 2th

The first New York edition of London's FRIEZE Art Fair doesn't open to the public until May 4, but MoMA PS1 welcomes them to the city with a big party tonight. Martha Wainwright will perform a full set in the museum's courtyard dome to kick-off the event. She's planning to include a couple of her famous Edith Piaf covers along with her own music, plus some Kraftwerk-inspired tributes.  Later that night there's a DJ set by Mark Ronson. Tickets $25 in advance, $50 at the door, and available here.

Anonymous Gallery hosts a screening of Banksy's UK television program "The Antics Roadshow" at W.I.P. (37 Vandam Street), PLUS there's an afterparty hosted by Anthony Haden-Guest with a performance by The Love Show and a DJ set by Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio).


Thursday, May 3th


Courtney Love's "And She's Not Even Pretty," a collection of 45 drawings, opens at Fred Torres gallery tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It's up through June 15th.

Ed. Varie Gallery (208 East 7th Street) opens Lee Maida's "Profusive Technologies," 6 - 9 p.m.

Friday, May 4th

Shepard Fairey has a big opening tonight, 6 to 8 p.m., at Pace Prints Chelsea (521 West 26th Street, 3rd floor) featuring new works in a show called "Harmony & Discord." ()  It will be up until June 16.
Helmut Lang made the leap from fashion designer to visual artist and his first New York show of new sculptures opens today from 6 to 8 p.m. at 24 Washington Square North.  It will stay up until June 15.

The Suzanne Geiss Company (76 Grand Street) opens Kristin Baker's "ILLUME-MINE" tonight from 6 to 8 p.m.

Creative Time's  annual benefit and auction starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Roseland Ballroom (240 West 53rd Street). Sheik 'n' Beik's Julio Santo Domingo DJs the afterparty.

Whitewall Magazine celebrates their China issue and the PULSE fair with a big party from 8 to 11 p.m. tonight in the Yard at the SoHo Grand Hotel (310 West Broadway).

Gavin Brown's enterprise (620 Greenwich Street) opens "Rock & Rap /c Simulacra" by Sturtevant  tonight from 6 to 8 p.m.

Artist/DJ Peter Makebish hosts the opening of his "Golf Sale" at Bowery & Third Street, 7 - 10 p.m.

Mike Weiss Gallery (520 West 24th Street) launches the inaugural exhibition of paintings by Belgian artist Jan De Vliegher, PLUS there's an afterparty starting around 9 p.m. at the Tribeca Grand (2 Sixth Avenue).

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (125 Maiden Lane, 14th floor) opens their workshop studios tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. The space will also be open on May 5 & 6.  All the details are here. Admission is free but you should RSVP.

The Israeli non-profit organization, ARTIS, is opening a rooftop pop-up shop today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the same building housing NADA (548 West 22nd Street).  Look for limited-edition works by 20 leading Israeli artists, all at affordable prices. HERE are the details.


Saturday, May 5th



Tauba Auerbach has a new show, "Float," opening tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at Paula Cooper Gallery (521 West 21st Street). It's up until June 9. (Above: Untitled (Fold) 2011 by Tauba Auerbach)

All of the galleries on West 26th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues) in Chelsea get together to host a big block party and open house from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. this evening.  It's open to the public and there will be food trucks, DJs including Hannah Bronfman at 6 p.m. and Dreamshow at 8 p.m. PLUS lots of art. HERE are the details.

Loris Greaud opens his first show, "The Unplayed Notes," at Pace Gallery (534 West 25th Street) from 6 to 8 p.m. with two large-scale installations and a film.


AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE ART FAIRS!


WHAT: Frieze New York
WHERE: Randall's Island
WHEN: May 4 & 5, noon to 7 p.m.; May 6 & 7, noon to 6 p.m.
HOW MUCH? Tickets are $40 (various discounts may apply) and they must be purchased here in advance. (The price includes ferry or bus transportation. Ferries depart every 15 minutes from 35th Street East River ferry dock. Buses depart every 10 minutes from the 125th Street 4,5 & 6 subway station.)
DETAILS: This is the main event (assuming you don't count Sotheby's auction of Munch's "Scream" tomorrow). Over 180 worldwide galleries are expected to participate in the first New York edition of the popular London fair, founded by Amanda Sharp and Mathew Slotover in 2003.  The tent housing the fair was designed by Brooklyn architects SO-IL and look for pop-up restaurants from Fat Radish, Sant Ambroeus and Roberta's. Also, be sure to check out the series of special projects curated by Cecilia Alemani including works by John Ahearn and Tim Rollins and  KOS.



WHAT: NADA New York
WHERE: 548 West 22nd Street
WHEN: May 4, 2 - 8 p.m.; May 5, 11a.m. - 8 p.m.; May 6, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; May 7, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
HOW MUCH? Admission is FREE.
DETAILS: Though the New Art Dealers Alliance has been around for ten years and holding fairs in Miami since 2003, this is their first fair in NYC. More than 60 local and international galleries will be exhibiting on three floors in Chelsea and more the half of the galleries have never taken part in a previous NADA fair.


WHAT: PULSE New York 2012
WHERE: The Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street
WHEN: May 3, noon - 8 p.m.; May 4, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; May 5, noon - 8 p.m.; May 6, noon - 5 p.m.
HOW MUCH? Tickets are $20.
DETAILS: Back for its seventh edition, PULSE will host over 60 galleries this year with works by undiscovered and emerging artists, as well as established.  This year's video lounge was curated by New York's Babycastles and David Ellis designed their tote bag.

Updated: Ashton Kutcher Plays Karl Lagerfeld-esque Character + Wine Perfume in Today's Style Scraps

May 2, 2012, 12:00 pm

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Watch Ashton Kutcher play a Karl Lagerfeld-type character named "Darl" in this new ad for Popchips. UPDATE: The video is now off YouTube, likely due to complaints over Kutcher's awful brownface impersonation of a Bollywood producer named Raj that was included in a separate clip for the same campaign. (And which we were unaware of when we posted this.) You can watch the original on Jezebel. [via Fashionista]

Speaking of Kaiser Karl, Alexa Chung had a sexy dream about the fashion designer last night.  Maybe she should call Ashton instead? [via Elle]

Parisian brand Maje, who recently opened its third U.S. boutique on Prince St. in NYC, has released a new capsule collection inspired by legendary screen vixen Brigitte Bardot. [via Maje]

Watch out, Tyra!  Naomi Campbell will star in her own ANTM-style reality show on Oxygen, The Face, that, well, basically sounds a lot like America's Next Top Model. [via Huffington Post]


Looking for a new scent?  Check out Kelly & Jones' new fragrances inspired by wine. [via Refinery 29]

Christian Louboutin's design retrospective, featuring over 200 of his creations, launched yesterday at London's Design Museum.  The exhibit will run through July 9th. [via WWD]

One of our favorite fashion bloggers, Miss Moss, did a fashion-food mash-up spread for Bon Appétit Magazine. [via Miss Moss/Bon Appétit]

Vashtie's Birthday Bash at Beauty & Essex

May 2, 2012, 12:07 pm

≫ Next: Das Racist, Tom Morello, Dan Deacon, JD Samson and the "Guitarmy" Perform at Occupy Wall Street on May Day

≪ Previous: Updated: Ashton Kutcher Plays Karl Lagerfeld-esque Character + Wine Perfume in Today's Style Scraps

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Our favorite Downtown Sweetheart, music video director/designer/general cool kid Vashtie Kola celebrated her birthday ("a true lady never reveals her age") on Monday night with an intimate affair at Beauty & Essex. Folks like Pusha-T, ?uestlove, Josh Madden, Wynter Gordon and celebrity chef Roblé stopped by to pay their respects to the vintage-orange-dress-clad Kola. Check out the pics above.

Das Racist, Tom Morello, Dan Deacon, JD Samson and the "Guitarmy" Perform at Occupy Wall Street on May Day

May 2, 2012, 12:30 pm

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At Occupy Wall Street's May Day protests yesterday, the 99% were treated to performances by Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Das Racist, Dan Deacon, JD Samson and MEN, Immortal Technique and a ragtag group of musicians and activists known simply as the "Guitarmy."  Morello led the group along Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Union Square where he was joined by the rap trio and Dan Deacon.  Once the marchers made their way to Wall Street, JD Samson & MEN were ready for a performance in the Financial District to finish the day.  Other similar rallies and marches were held throughout the world to mark a day traditionally associated with worker's rights.  Check out photos and videos from the proceedings in NYC below.

Tom Morello and his "Guitarmy"

Members of Tom Morello's "Guitarmy"

Das Racist

Das Racist

Das Racist Performing "Rainbow in the Dark"

Das Racist

Kyp Malone from TV On the Radio joins the march

JD Samson & MEN Performing in the Financial District

Dan Deacon setting up

Dan Deacon

Dan Deacon Dance Circle

Immortal Technique

[Photos via jamie nyc/flickr]

Finding Love On the Internet

May 2, 2012, 12:30 pm

≫ Next: HOTSHOTS Photography Show Brings "Blood, Guts and Glitter of Live Rock 'n' Roll" to The Gallery at Dixon Place

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Courtney Love's been online for years, writing on AOL message boards in the '90s, keeping a blog on MySpace, and, more recently -- and infamously -- using Twitter. (Last month, Love took to Twitter to accuse Dave Grohl of hitting on her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain. She later tweeted an apology to Frances.) After seeing a video of Love speaking at the Guggenheim earlier this year, in which she mentioned Googling herself, we wanted to know more about how she deals with her Internet presence. Here, we ask her about it in a whirlwind interview.

You have two Twitter accounts, one public and one private. The bio on your private account says, "As long as I don't use this when I get pissed off, we'll all be fine." [Ed note: Love's private account was deleted after press time.]

CL: Yeah, well, I'm not a social network genius, as evidenced by being the first and only person ever to have a Twitter lawsuit. At the time that lawsuit happened, I didn't even really fully get what Twitter was for or how it worked.

I know this investor guy who's very serious about Twitter and he lectures me like, "Oh no, you should only tweet on certain days at certain times, and you should only have a certain amount of people who can follow you and a certain number of people you follow." What? There are so many rules.

But you're pretty interactive with people on your public Twitter account.

CL: I have a girl who helps me with it. I can't do that by myself. Sometimes she does dumb things, though. Like, if I want to work with Cobra Starship, I'll ask them. I sent her an email about what I wanted her to write back to them, but she still put something dumb like, "Hopefully we can work together some day!" If I want to kiss some ass, I'll kiss some ass. Don't go kissing ass for me. I'm snarky -- that's part of who I am. I was like, "Look, dude. Just pay attention. It's nuanced."

Do you ever think about blogging?

CL: Well, I'm friends with Arianna Huffington now.

How did that come about?

CL: I met these girls from the arts and style section at the Huffington Post and they asked f I was interested in blogging. I was like, "Yeah, if you have Arianna call me." And you know what? She's pretty smart because she did call me. So I might blog for them under the benevolent Hellenic gaze of Ms. Arianna. I can't write and I'm bad with grammar, but they said that they'd get me an editor. And I do need an editor. I need to write beautifully, and I just can't on a Mac. I can sit down with a pen and write a beautiful letter. But if I get on a Mac, it's just all one long sentence. It reads like Spy magazine from 1987 with commas. I've read like three pages from The Elements of Style and it said, "Omit unnecessary words." I ignored that. So then I got a book called The Elements of Fucking Style, a parody. That book, I finished.

You spoke at the Guggenheim recently and mentioned Googling yourself. Not a lot of people are honest about doing that.

CL: Well, no, I don't really do it that much. I haven't Googled myself in almost two months. No way. I make other people do it. That stuff is just so dark. My online persona is a disaster -- that's not me. You can ask for help from these companies that supposedly remove stuff from the Internet for you, but they're hilarious. [One company] was like, waiting for me when I called. They said they were going to charge me $250,000 per one page of results. A quarter-million dollars per page? Are they joking? I met this hedge fund banker guy who actually paid their fee, because he can't have anything bad about him out there. I'm in entertainment, I can take all the shit you throw at me to some extent. But $250,000 to alter the crap out there about you on the Internet is just absurd.
 
What's online that bothers you? 

CL: It disturbs me the way image search results for me come up. One of the top photos when you do a search has always been one-half of my face and one-half of Britney Spears' face. Another top photo, I swear to God, is doctored. I'm not even on drugs in that picture.

Which photo?

CL: I was in London. All I'm doing is walking from the Covent Garden Hotel in London to the Groucho Club and working some denim flares. I thought it would be cool to buy these stupid contact lenses that looked like Marilyn Manson's. So I have these really scary contacts in, and it looks like I have herpes on my mouth or something. My lips might be chapped, the photo might be doctored, I don't know. And usually I take an OK photo!

And it's disturbing because it's what you get first in a search result?

CL: Listen, nobody wants to see ugly pictures of themselves. But why are these photos of me that are so bad and so high up in the results fed from these dinky little websites? These sites are all so random and don't really seem to be about anything when you click on them. They're all like, based in Estonia. And, in that sense, I don't even really think that Google is all that reliable. It has its own culture, style, and intelligence level based off its own algorithms, but the rhythm and the coding changes all the time for better or worse. So when you Google someone, what you find is not the gospel truth.

You think people should be savvier about what affects search results...

CL: The context of Google, to me, is useless. Let's get smart. Because, in the end, there's also this: Is it possible to fall in love with someone you cannot Google? I believe it is. And better for it. I only care about what's in the eyes and in the heart. Google does not run the world -- or my world. And if I ever get [Google co-founder and CEO] Larry Page in a room, and he will no longer be able to resist my charm, we will change a few things.

But you know what? If you don't control your own destiny, no one will, and that's why I spent like 18 hours one day trying to figure out what was going on with my Wikipedia page.

What's going on with it?
 
CL: My Wikipedia is frozen. Apparently everyone else who has a frozen Wiki is dead. That includes fascist dictators. I was like, "I'll just write my own biography. This is stupid."

Is there anyone in the media world whose opinion you care about?

CL: Hey, listen, we all care what the New York Times does. That's the truth. I even got the most bipolar artist who just doesn't care about that stuff to admit he cares what the New York Times says. Everyone cares what the New York Times says. The TMZ stuff, though. That isn't the media. You don't count that. Everyone has to be somewhat savvy and my friends in New York are far, far too sophisticated to care about that stuff.

Is that a big difference you've noticed since you moved from Los Angeles to New York? The media here?

CL: New York is media. It's a media culture with media clout. You're forced to be around it more here. And you're also forced to be around people. You can't just stay in every night here. You have to go out. I moved to New York at the end of '09 and the first thing I did when I was here was have lunch with Richard Johnson before he left "Page Six." He gave me a great piece of advice. He said, "Never start a fatwa with anyone in Manhattan, because it's only 24 square miles and you only want to live in four of them. And you're always going to run into that person again." In L.A., it's different. You can just hide behind your big gate and yell, "Fuck you, Billy Corgan!" Or whatever. In New York, you just can't do that, and that's kind of great.

A collection of Courtney Love's drawings, And She's Not Even Pretty, opens at New York's Fred Torres Collaborations May 3rd and will be up through June 15th.

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HOTSHOTS Photography Show Brings "Blood, Guts and Glitter of Live Rock 'n' Roll" to The Gallery at Dixon Place

May 2, 2012, 1:45 pm

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Jacquelyn Gallo, a performer/dancer in the rock band Juggernut (a costumed crew that includes female blood-wrestling and a "dancing nutsuck" -- in fact, that's their logo) has curated HOTSHOTS, a photography show "focusing on the theatrics and spectacle of live performance: six photographers journey where no lens is safe to bring you all the blood, guts and glitter of live rock 'n' roll."  PAPERMAG's resident action shooter Rebecca Smeyne will have about 10 prints on display, as will Tod Seelie, contributor to Spin and VICE's Noisey, Harriet Roberts of Brooklyn Vegan, Walter Wlodarczyk, Colin Michael Simmons, and Rosalie Knox.

The exhibit, at Dixon Place, is in conjunction with The Talking Band's rock musical, The Peripherals, premiering the following day. The opening reception will feature performances by the Jennifer Blowdryer Band and DJs Moonshine Shorey (Juggernut) and Sean Hanratty (NY Times music blogger and Santos Party House dude).  

HOTSHOTS Opening Reception, Wednesday, May 2nd, 9- 11 pm. The Gallery at Dixon Pl, 161A Chrystie St.  Show runs until June 2nd.

Top of the Pops: Jack White's Baaaaack

May 2, 2012, 2:30 pm

≫ Next: Little Boots' "Every Night I Say a Prayer" Video Strikes a Pose

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Congratulations, Jack White!  His debut solo album Blunderbuss went straight to the top of the album chart this week -- a feat he never achieved with the White Stripes or the Raconteurs.  Adele, Lionel Richie and One Direction round-out the top four.  One Direction's album has now sold over 500,000 copies in the U.S., but another UK boy band, The Wanted, is coming on strong.  They see their American debut album go in at #7 on the strength of the top-ten single "Glad You Came."  [Billboard]

Little Boots' "Every Night I Say a Prayer" Video Strikes a Pose

May 2, 2012, 2:50 pm

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Little Boots released "Every Night I Say a Prayer" on Record Store Day 2012 late last month and now we've got the video directed by Zaiba Jabbar. There's lots of voguing (and white billowing fabric) and we're expecting some dissing from Madonna fans, but who cares. It's still a great song. She wrote the track with Andy Butler from Hercules and Love Affair and will be opening some UK shows for the Scissor Sisters. Check out the video above.

Kanye, Diddy and Jay-Z as 17th Century Noblemen in Kai's "Now Royalty"

May 2, 2012, 3:30 pm

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Street artist Kai has a new show opening in L.A. featuring various rappers as noblemen and knights. "Now Royalty" includes oil portraits of Jay-Z, Diddy and Kanye in 17th century get-ups as well as Eminem as a medieval monk. The portraits reminds us of both Diego Velázquez and Kehinde Wiley and will be on display at Guetta Gallery (645 Martel Avenue) on May 4th, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m..

Jay-Z

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Eminem

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Obama's Ex Predicted His Marriage to Michelle

May 2, 2012, 3:55 pm

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In a recent Vanity Fair excerpt from author David Maraniss' new biography of President Obama, one section has caught everyone's attention: the chapters about Obama's time in New York City and the former girlfriend he had there when he was in his early twenties.  Obama had alluded to his relationship in Dreams From My Father but admitted the descriptions of the unnamed paramour were really a compression of many women.  Now, the new book gives a name and face to the president's New York love: Genevieve Cook.  Maraniss' book also includes heretofore unseen passages from Cook's diary describing their relationship and adding new insight into the post-college psyche of the POTUS -- though aside from a few chaste descriptions of spending nights together followed by languid Sunday mornings working on the Times crossword, don't expect any dirt (at least not from this excerpt). 

Perhaps more interesting, however, was that Cook foresaw in the 22-year-old some of the traits that would follow Obama to his presidency.

Of Obama's signature aloofness or "coolness" (not to be confused with this type of "coolness"), Cook wrote on March 9th, 1984:

It's not a question of my wanting to probe ancient pools of emotional trauma ... but more a sense of you [Barack] biding your time and drawing others' cards out of their hands for careful inspection--without giving too much of your own away--played with a good poker face. And as you say, it's not a question of intent on your part--or deliberate withholding--you feel accessible, and you are, in disarming ways. But I feel that you carefully filter everything in your mind and heart--legitimate, admirable, really--a strength, a necessity in terms of some kind of integrity. But there's something also there of smoothed veneer, of guardedness ... but I'm still left with this feeling of ... a bit of a wall--the veil.

She also, in a way, predicted Obama's marriage to Michelle.

After a conversation she and Obama had in which the president revealed "his adolescent image of the perfect ideal woman," Cook (who happens to be white) wrote:

I can't help thinking that what he would really want, be powerfully drawn to, was a woman, very strong, very upright, a fighter, a laugher, well-­experienced -- a black woman I keep seeing her as.

After their eventual break-up, Cook muses that there must be a "lithe, bubbly, strong black lady" waiting for him somewhere.  And while it's always juicy fun to read about a public figure's exes, there's something nice about the idea of Obama proverbially waiting for Michelle -- whose humor, strength and experience fit Cook's description to the T.  The first couple have always seemed to have a loving, healthy relationship and maybe, in some small way, Cook's thirty year old insight explains why.     

Maraniss' book, Barack Obama: The Story, comes out this month.

[via Vanity Fair]