Back in the day the KISS army was the shit.   It is  the only army parents really want their kids to join.    This little star was part of a series I did on rock fans in 1997.   I pulled it out of the archive for this post.
KISS put on a damm good show and always have.    They have also got to be the most resourceful band in the world.    Well, I should reword that to ego-maniac Gene Simmons just seems to be a money making machine.     Gene's book, or writer assisted memoir (doesn't every rock star have one) is actually hilarious.    He's obnoxious, arrogant, cheap and funny. 
  If you love KISS read it..Ace was always my favorite and Detroit Rock City my song.  Kiss has been a part of pop culture for 20 years and many artists have been inspired by their antics.      One of DREW STRUZAN'S sketches of Gene.

If you are a really big fan, you can buy the shoe from VANs, always a classic.

Nike just launched NSW, a clothing line of sportswear and technical apparel.  

Based on the concept of the "playmaker".    The playmaker is basically the player that controls the game.   Art critic Neville Wakefield wrote one of the essays along with other conceptual writers and contributors.    This campaign was executed perfectly based on contemporary art inspirations.   The visual imagery was to capture speed, action, sports and futuristic technology components.    I did the photography and the Design was by DUALFORCES. who designed Lipsticktracez as well.
  check it.

If you haven't heard of FLOR check it out.    This is an amazing and economical way to carpet your house, office, patio whatever.    The modular carpet squares are easy to install and can even be washed.   Works with small or large spaces and you can customize your patterns and designs.   A beautiful contemporary carpet 8x10 is very expensive.   Flor allows you to customize your shape and size and the prices are recession friendly.
I love the shapes, textures and colors and the photography in the catalog is gorgeous.
FLOR SITE

It is a custom in Japan to bring beautiful fruits as a hostess gift.   I really could not believe it until I saw luxury fruit shops in all the train stations in Tokyo.    Fruits that were so perfect you didn't want to touch them, let alone eat them.       They were a still life painters wet dream.    Prices range from twenty bucks for a perfect set of grapes to $1000 for a stunning watermelon.   A really gorgeous orange will set you back 5 bucks.    (It tastes really good)    By the way, these melons are about $150 bucks.    Luckily, chocolates are acceptible.  If you love food you have to check out the food court at high end department store ISETAN.   It blows away Harrods in London and is the closest you will ever get to food Heaven.

The Boneyards launch party was Friday night in LA.   The clothing and stores collaboration launched June 21.   Punk rock music, smoke machines, hot dog stands and carnival prizes accompanied the launch to showcase the sneakers.     The exhibition-installation upped the ante for product launch parties.    Much of the inspiration for the installation came from 80's NYC art legend and underground conceptual sculpturer Cady Noland.   (more about Cady later)    In New York, Kids were waiting in line overnight to see the new line.   A mixture of biker, flannel, motorcycle high and low art, tattoos and San Pedro chic .    I am proud to say I worked on some of the images in the Boneyards newspaper launch.    Location images were shot by art director Rob Abeyta, then converted to analog slides that I projected over the models like tattoo artist, John Hall.    Pretty cool.   Here are some pics.    Official Boneyards site

Danielle Decker and Undefeated's Jupiter, FUCT's Erik Brunetti and myself, Rob and Christina Abeyta with daughter Engracia, a carnival worker from the launch and Skate photographer and Tokyo pal Rip Zinger.

If you are visiting NYC  the Meatpacking district rocks.  It's not much of a secret anymore, but I thought I would mention it.    The meatpacking has become somewhat of a design district.  

Yes, it was a decrepid armpit about 10 years ago and even better when I would lurk home from Mars about 15 years ago after a night of boogie fever.   Hookers, hells angels, pimps and the west side transients would congregate after dark.     Trudging past drag queens on my way into a cab.   Ahh, the early nineties.

What has now emerged is a slick fabulous fashionista and art neighborhood that many top fashion photographers call home.    Steven Klein, Dah Len and Christian Witken all have their studios near Gaansevoort.   One of my favorite studios to shoot in, MILK studios is on 15th st where Peter Lindberg and Michel Compte create magic when they are in town. 
 

The Hotel Gaansevoort and Soho house are here.    The Maritime hotel is a 2 block walk.
meatpacking design site

The clothes are overpriced and so are the antiques, but the neighborhood still has a lot of charm, cool bars and fun hotels.  I can't wait until the high line is finished in like 20 years.  Check it out.   

Perry shows he's still got it.   I can't believe he's 52 he looks amazing.  It's that rock stars don't seem to age like real people.   Either drugs preserved him or he just has really good hair.   Perry performed at the Paul Frank store this Saturday.    His back up band, school of rock's performing tweens.   It was short and sweet but worth every second, performing Stop and Mountain Song Perry rocked it out.    It was a treat seeing the Jane's Addiction frontman still has his touch performing for 50 people, many of whom were 2 feet tall.




kidzapalooza.com    August 1-3 Grant Park          kids 10 and under are free

GAP

This year we have seen Target and the Gap grasp at straws to maintain a bit of a cool factor.  I'm usually pretty skeptical about this stuff but, this limited Artist Edition T shirt roll out is pretty amazing.   Will it save their sagging sales?   Who knows.

Whats cool is it gives exposure to some of the coolest artists out there.

T-Shirts featuring contemporary artists Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, Marilyn Minter, Kiki Smith, Cai Guo-Qiang, Barbara Kruger, Ashley Bickerton, Kenny Scharf, Glenn Ligon, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Kerry James Marshall, Hanna Liden and Sarah Sze.

The t-shirts are in collaboration with Whitney Museum of American Art and the nonprofit Art Production Fund and is available in two styles, a women's open-neck tee and a men's crewneck, retailing from $28 to $38. via WWD

image courtesy of Vanity Fair Magazine

The "r" word, much like the "f" or the "c" word is a word no one wants to hear.    Looming on the economic horizon the ugly bear called the recession is constantly being thrown in our face.    Consumer confidence is up and down much like the tumultuous stock market has been for the last 9 months.  
In my spare time (I have so much of it) I like to hang out at the Apple store.    haha.    Seriously, there I was waiting to buy a hardrive and 4 people came in within 2 minutes searching desparately for an iphone.    They were sold out.    This is a few days ago.    The store was packed to the nines in the middle of the day.  

The credit crisis, foreclosures, the weak dollar,  just go to the Apple store and it will make you forget.  Its so pretty and clean in there.  so open and contemporary.  Call it retail ecstasy.
















 It just goes to prove that a good company and their products will always do well.      Apple products have transformed my business and my life.    I no longer keep portfolios, all my "books" are on my iphone.     I know many photographers and artists do this now.    In addition to running a completely digital studio, I do everything in post on MACS using Adobe creative suite.


Did I mention that you have to be a punk rocker and wear skinny jeans and vans slip ons to work at the apple store.  oh, and some tattoos are good too.   Seriously, is that a mandatory dress code?   I like it-punky computer nerds are really cute and fashionable.

Well he doesn't rock skinny jeans, but Steve Jobs is one of my heroes.


By the way, this is what a visionary looks like.

Today is Earth Day.   Go green.




This was one of my favorite photos taken in Mexico.   I have to thank Lipsticktracez contributor, Brighdie for finding this beautiful setting and the gorgeous models.    

Go Green expo is happening right now in NYC

http://gogreenexpo.com/events/index.php

google lets grass grow over their logo in appreciation of Earth day.


Eco fashionista recommends that you rock an eco bag.     Put that Balenciaga aside for a while and go green.    Think beach bag, travel bag, kid lunch bag, grocery bag, and possibly even, evening bag.  (although I have yet to try that one)


http://mybagcares.com/









vegan/nylon bag:   http://mattandnat.com      (this is probably the chicest eco bag I have seen)






rice bag:    http://www.ecoist.com/

You can also unleash your inner artist and decorate a plain canvas bag with fabric paint.    Its great fun to do this with your kids and teach them the importance of sustainability at the same time.   It's fun to make the environment part of your every day life.