‘Tis the season to get Sampled….

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Yes boys and girls, it’s that time of year again when you can head down to East London on Saturday 1st December and grab some new garbs for Crimbo. The first Sampled event was this time last year, and what a year it has been since then! Sampled 2012 promises to be bigger and better than before, with more labels, more records, and more fit boys than you care to dream of! 

The details:

The Orders & Main Squeeze presents

SAMPLED
SICKER THAN YOU AVERAGE SAMPLE SALE

Midday – 6pm
Sat 1st & Sun 2nd December 2012
Vibe Bar, 91-95 Brick Lane, London E1 6QLFREE ENTRY ALL DAYSampled combines a streetwear sample sale with a record fair art sale & club night. Featuring fashion brands at a fraction of their usual price, many of the UK’s best record dealers selling crates of vinyl, DJ’s sets of original Soul, Jazz, Funk & Disco breaks from a great selection of DJs… and a nail bar for the ladies.A great chance for you to do all your Xmas shopping under one roof!

THE BRANDS
Sampled hand picks your favourite streetwear brands at a fraction of their usual price.

Brands trading include:
LRG,
Mitchell & Ness,
Starter,
Gourmet Footwear,
Rogue Status,
Volcom,
DTA,
RVCA,
Famous Stars & Straps,
Chrome Bags,
Dephect ,
Expensive Taste,
Independent,
Santa Cruz,
Habitat,
Real Skateboards,
The Wild Ones,
Four Star,
Hype,
Chocolate,
Girl,
Any Forty,
Anti Hero,
Krooked,
PXL,
Spitfire,
Stones Throw,
Official &
Classic Material.

THE RECORDS
Mr Thing, Rapandsoulmailorder.com, Jake BBE, Spin Doctor, JP, Girth Devon, Diablo & DJ Snips trading in new & classic Vinyl & CDs from Hip-Hop box sets to rare Soul & Jazz LP’s.

THE MUSIC
Throughout the day an army of the finest DJs spin sets of original breaks as sampled by your favourite producers be they Hip-Hop, House or beyond.

THE ARTWORK
London based Illustrator and Artist Sri McKinnon will have a pop up shop selling prints and special one off pieces.

THE NAILS
One of the hottest talents on the London nail art scene is setting up shop so come and get pampered by Nails By Hells.

 
And if all of that isn’t enough, join us all for the club night on Saturday, then come back for round two (the same as round one but with hangovers) on Sunday 2nd!
 

THE CLUB
On Saturday night we take over Concrete on Shoreditch High Street for the Micall Parknsun ‘Grade & Liquor’ single launch party. Featuring an incredible line icluding of Micall Parknsun, Jehst, Mr Thing, Distinction, Mo Kolours & more…
 
Facebook Event: Here

The King of Country Cool

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Have you ever wondered who was behind Elvis’ signature style? Who made Johnny Cash into The Man In Black? And who helped all three generations of Hank Williams’ to become the stylish country boys they were/are? Well, the king of all things country attire is the one and only Manuel, also known as the “Rhinestone Rembrandt”.

Manuel measuring up Johnny Cash

Manuel learnt to sew from his brother at the age of 7, in his hometown Coalcomán, Mexico. Manuel moved to Los Angeles and worked for several tailors, but soon became bored with everyday clothing. With his flair for colour and glitz, he moved in to the world of costumes at Nudie’s famed western store, designing for the likes of Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger. After 14 years in western wear, Manuel branched out and opened his own shop in North Hollywood, eventually relocating to Nashville in 1989 to continue his association with the music industry.

From then on, Manuel’s original designs have become the trademark of American country music. 

Natalie Perkins

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Natalie Perkins is a talented young lady. We came across an illustration of hers a few years ago, and was happy to see that the rest of her work is just as wonderful. As is her motivation for producing the work that she does;

“My drawings are an avenue for meditation and self care. They are largely influenced by my embodiment as a fat woman with mental illness. My early work focused on highly detailed and repetitive line work, and commented on femininity in pop culture as much as my own feelings about my own very unpopular femininity. After suffering a significant period of mental illness in 2011 I spent a lot of time focusing on simply getting through my days and not creating much resolved work at all. As I come back into better health I’m approaching my creative practice quite differently, with more respect for my disabilities as well as the role of drawing in my personal life.

Now, I draw to recover and illustrate a femininity that moves away from aesthetic beauty, and I find my politics and art seem to mesh more naturally.”

Check out some of our favourite pieces of her work and then go over to her website to see more.

Getting off the drink when you’re not an alcoholic.

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Despite what my mother thinks, I am not an alcoholic.

Yes, I like to drink a lot, every night. And sometimes it’s true that I wake up and the first thing I crave for is a cool beer, or a shot of whiskey in my coffee. But that’s not because I’m dependent on it, it’s simply because a lot of the time life is too boring to face without a little pick-me-up.

I’ve often thought that perhaps I do drink too much, and perhaps I need to cut down, or in fact get off the stuff all together. I deal well with drink, never get too rat-arsed, can mostly handle a hangover, and it’s never effected my ability to get up and go to work the next day. However, there are two things that I have lost from my boozy ways: My figure and my money.

It’s no doubt that I have put on weight due to the amount I drink, and after documenting my struggle with weight loss on here, (yeah, I know I haven’t updated it… so, sue me!), it’s become glaringly obvious that the only REALLY unhealthy thing I put in my body is alcohol.

And my loss of money? Well, heck, booze is expensive y’all, especially in London!

Seen as it’s Stoptober (smokers are being encouraged to give up ciggies for the month of October) but I don’t smoke, I decided that I’ll give up booze… well, I mean, I might have one little glass of Prosecco, or French Martini, but DEFIANTLY no beer!

Wish me luck….

Secret Underground New York

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In 1904 a stunning underground station was opened in the heart of New York City featuring tall tiled arches, brass fixtures and skylights that run across the entire curve of the station. 

It was to be the original southern terminus of the first ‘Manhattan Main Line’; however the station was closed and boarded up in 1945 due to the introduction of longer subway trains.Since then the station has been left untouched and in it’s original condition. That is, until recently. Lucky passengers of the 6 train who know of it’s existence will be allowed to stay on the train during its turnaround and see the Station from the train. Of course, like all underground stations, there are off-limit parts that only Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers and the more adventurous graff writer will ever see. And this station is no different. The Underbelly Project has turned these parts of this station into an off-limit art gallery, which is illegal to enter. Over a hundred murals have been accumulated over time by graffiti artists who discovered the walls and invited others to add their art. 

A Chinese Sex Toy Factory

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Check out these photos by Jason Lee of the Ningbo Yamei toy factory, on the outskirts of Fenghua, Zhejiang province, February 13, 2012.

MAC meets Archie’s girls

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We have some good news for all you comic book ladies… MAC Cosmetics released the news that they’ll be teaming up with The Archie Comics for their latest beauty collection. The full color line, inspired by the Betty and Veronica characters, will launch in spring 2013. Can. Not. Wait.

WORK OUT

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Who can say they honestly do more than 30 minutes good, hard exercise a week? According to the government, only 37 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women take enough exercise to get any benefit from it! The Chief Medical Officer recommends that we should do a minimum of 30 minutes moderate-intensity physical activity, five days a week.

I have been going to a local Zumba class for a good few months now, it’s once a week for about 45 minutes – but feels like such a proper work out! But it’s got me interested in doing more exercise, so last night I did something I’ve been wanting to do for ages – I have ordered myself a pedometer off the internet. Little steps (No pun intended!)

I’m so curious to see how many steps I actually take a day – I’d like to think I’m pretty active due to the nature of my job, but how many steps is enough? You’ve probably heard of the 10,000 step challenge, if not- the premise is that walking 10,000 steps will significantly improve your health, the average person walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day!

Another challenge I’ve read about today was designed by the NHS and is called Couch to 5k. They’ve made a running plan which promises to take absolute beginners to being able to complete a 5k course! It’s a 9 week programme, starting off with 1 run a week for the first 4 weeks which increases to 2 or 3 a week as you progress. You can download podcasts from iTunes which talk you through each run – such a great idea! The music seems a bit dodgy as it’s meant to be ‘motivational’, but it’s a good tool to use for timing your training sessions.

My target (because everyone needs a goal!) is to run in my local ParkRun. ParkRun events are free and take place all over the country. They are at 9am on Saturdays and cover a 5km course, you just have to register once on their website (link above) to get your personal barcode, then you can just turn up to any run you fancy.

Now to make myself feel like a pro I’m working on my work-out outfit, has anyone noticed that there’s a hell of a lot of pink women’s sportswear? Fortunately that’s one of my favourite colours so I’m going to town on it!! Pink laces, waistbands and hairbands!

Don’t worry I’m not going to neglect my usual subject of lingerie – my next post will cover sports bras…a girls best friend! Because ladies, doing sport without one means you’re going to have the saggiest tits in the world.

xxx

PUSSY Picks: MFP

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Maria Francessca Pepe makes jewellery for the grown-up goth, in a good way. I came across her stuff while browsing blogs for some Tuesday afternoon inspiration.

MFP prides itself on the quality of it’s peices, with every one being hand-picked and finished to the highest standard. It’s no wonder then, that MFP is so popular with fashionistas and celebrities including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Cheryl Cole, Sienna Miller and many more. If it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for us!

Check out our PUSSY PICKS of our favourite items:

The pieces aren’t badly priced either, with most things costing below £100, there is no reason not to treat yourself to a ring or two.

Along with the jewellery, MFP’s look books are something to admire. Below is taken from the MFP website, and perfectly describes the feel of the brand:

Bold and classic at the same time MFP creations mix the past and the future with impeccable taste, representing the tradition of art craftwith a post-modern approach which is far from the obvious. Overseen by Maria personally, the collection is entirely realised by Italian artisans and small factories, but the inspiration is pure London avant-garde.

Check out our favourite lookbooks from MFP:

Roberto Cavalli Spring 2012

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Spring is defiantly in the air! How do we know we hear you asking… well, we can have started riding our bikes to work again (fuck doing that in the cold winter days…) and designers are hitting us hard with florals, brights and skimpy dresses! 

Roberto Cavalli’s spring 2012 collection is everything you would expect from the King of Bling; there’s gold, lace, leather and animal prints. The campaign features Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, Kristen McMenamy and Daphne Groeneveld and was photgraphed by Steven Meisel.

The nice thing about this campaign is the understated make up (by Guido Palau and Pat McGrath), and the “wind-swept” hair that becomes a feature throughout.

I’m defiantly loving the multi-coloured print trousers and jacket (as seen on Naomi)… Although the market is saturated with colourful animal and tropical prints at the moment, there is no denying that RC is the OG of this style…

“Haute Mess” By Steven Meisel

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There has been uproar over the new spread for Vouge Italia shot by Steven Meisel. While some would regard it as fabulous, over-the-top, in-your-face-fun, others see it differently.

The spread has been accused of racial stereotyping, with the set-up and styling causing many to wonder if the shoot was intentionally poking fun at African American and Latino culture.

As Vibe magazine puts it:

Many are raising an eyebrow at the photos because the women seem to be projecting some stereotypes. For example the hair styles of the models can be seen at almost every black hair show.  It is very clear that the theme of the shoot was “ghetto”, “ghetto fabulous” to be exact. However, in trying to achieve fabulous, it wandered in to ignorance.

I will give Vogue Italia the benefit of the doubt that it was not their intention to be racist or offend anyone, but let’s keep it real for a minute: How many white girls [or any other ethnic backgrounds for that matter] do you know that dress  or look like this?  Exactly.  Racist may be a little harsh of a word to describe this editorial , but it was definitely done in poor taste and judgement.

However, when looking at what Vogue Italia had to say about the shoot on it’s website, it seems that the story was based more on the Drag Queen culture:

Haute Mess might take its inspiration from messy drags: untidy, dishevelled, counter-intuitive cross-dressers.

When the queens define themselves – as well as their clothes – as “messy”, it is a queer assertion. According to the theories of Judith Halberstam, a cross-dresser initially had to pass as either a man or a woman; people often forget that the word “drag” comes from “dressed as a girl”. The great post-structuralist philosopher Judith Butler, however, has explained that gender is not so simple: it is not just a question of biology but a genuine cultural performance.

Take a look at the video above and the images below, and let us know what you think…

Alexander McQueen Spring 2012

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Sarah Burton is doing a swell job of continuing Alexander McQueen’s legacy after the tragic death of the designer. These sunning dresses for Spring 2012 marry feminine materials and shapes with the mores masculine feel of masks, leather and fingerless gloves. Gorgeous!

Super Sexy CPR

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If you find saving lives boring, then think again! I just came across this beautifully simple, and extremely sexy video of one hot girl performing CPR on another hot girl….

Sounds like a great idea for getting people to pay attention to the the life-saving process of CPR (sex sells people!). However, after some research I have come to learn that this idea is not the brain child of some eager-to-save-lives-medical-group, but in fact a cleaver ad campaign by Canadian lingerie company Fortnight Lingerie Inc.

Does this mean that this film is just a shallow advert to sell lingerie to people? Or is the fact that the video actually teaches you how to perform proper CPR, which could save a life, something that should be congratulated? I have to go with the latter, and say well done Fortnight Lingerie for not simply using sex to sell sexy underwear, but also teaching the world a little bit of first aid. And the fact that there is little mention of the brand on the Super Sexy CPR website, makes the whole thing a lot more admirable.

As it said on the website:

“Now that we’ve got you interested in learning CPR and the abdominal thrust, go get properly certified by taking a class through one of the many certifying authorities in your local area”

So, while Fortnight Lingerie makes it clear that these videos do not qualify as real training, something’s gotta be said for the geniuses who put this campaign together.

And if you already know CPR, or you want to help a friend who is choking (or you wanna see some Man – on – Girl action), then check out their Super Sexy Abdominal Thrusts video that teaches us about the Heimlich Manoeuvre:

And go to the Super Sexy CPR website to download super sexy wallpaper for your computer, that reminds you the steps of CPR.

 

Annick Bouvattier

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Annick Bouvattier clearly has talent in painting the female form. However, it’s not just the fact that she’s good at depicting women in her paintings, but it’s the subtly of her details which perfectly represent the modern woman. Beautiful!