X Petty Thieves X

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: Behind the Scenes on Romance Was Born

By Mia Lazzarini

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is coming to an end with only one day left to go. The heavy weights in the fashion industry are growing tired, angry and hungry as the week draws on. Unfortunately the general public does not get to attend MBFW, merely watching from the sidelines and waiting for the latest trends, hits and misses to hit the net. As an aspiring fashion tycoon myself, I had the privilege [daunting task] of volunteering at the opening show of MBFW, with Romance Was Born.

It was a 9am show, which meant all were expected to be there at 5am. So in the wee hours of the morning, I was awake [in a state of delirium] and attempting [struggling] to get myself dressed and out the door in time. Despite all doubts, I managed to accomplish this. Upon arriving and finding the [freezing] warehouse in Pier 2/3, most were already positively wired and caffeinated, and ready to delegate demands to us lowly volunteers. Things started off with running around, adjusting floor mats and taping, moving around style kits, using blow-dryers to dry wet floors – the usual. And then the 7am run through came and a lockdown ensued; everyone must stay backstage and never step a foot outside those curtains. And if your foot did happen to go beyond those curtains? Well the creative director would come at you with a chainsaw, so you’d better start running. Fortunately, all avoided this scenario.

Once the run-through was completed and all were accounted for [fortunately no one was chainsaw-ed], then came model preparation time and the final touches. My specified job was as an usher, which meant wearing a white painters bodysuit and showing people to their seats. It also meant being stampeded by photographers desperate to get that shot of Lara Bingle or Sophie Lowe, being completely invisible to the fashion elite, and being tugged, shoved and repositioned by the creatives.

But once all this was over we got to see the show; the opening show to MBFW by Romance Was Born. We may have been at the very back of the crowd, restricted from moving any further forward by security, but we still saw most of the comic book-inspired garments and the set. We also walked away with the satisfaction of knowing that we had helped in the production of that show, we had helped things to run smoothly and on-time [it was only 15 minutes off schedule] and we also had the privilege of meeting Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales, the designers of Romance Was Born.

Although I am relieved that I was not volunteering for all of MBFW, as I don’t think I would be here today to tell the tale, I was delighted to work on Romance Was Born and it was an amazing show overall. A magnificent comic-book inspired collection with down-to-earth, lovely designers; a rare find in the fashion world indeed.

America’s Best Looking Back Bencher?

By Mia Lazzarini

Recently on an episode of Khloe and Lamar, Kim Kardashian expressed interest in running for mayor of Glendale, California. Dominating the media and tabloid magazines was not enough for Ms. Kardashian. First television, then media, now politics. What next? Total global domination? Ms. Kardashian already holds too much power for my liking.

What could possibly be more unsettling than badges declaring ‘KIM FOR MAYOR’? The fact that the Glendale Councilmen have weighed in on the debate, welcoming Kim with open arms. City Clerk Ardashes Kassakhian reportedly said that Kim has done “what we try to do election after election after election.” And what would that be? Attract media attention to local government apparently. Well we can’t argue with that…

But what else would Kim have to offer local government as Mayor? Open Salon has said that Ms. Kardashian insists she is a believer in open government and quoted* Ms. Kardashian as saying, “I believe in transparency and I never cover up anything. The public should be able to see everything. Unlike Victoria, I have no secrets.” It has been recognized that Ms. Kardashian’s late father (and one time lawyer to OJ Simpson) would also have taught her how to deal with potential scandals appropriately.

Despite what we may think of Ms. Kardashian’s political ambitions, the odds of her actually running for office seem low. Mayor of Glendale, as it turns out, is not actually an elected position. Kim would first need to win a seat on the city council and hold it for four years. All this and making a salary of approximately $30,000 per year. We are doubtful. Then again, we were also doubtful that her marriage to Kris Humphries would last so long…

 

*click here for the full [fictional] story

Bring Your Beat to London 2012

By Mia Lazzarini

The London Olympics 2012: we have known about it for years and honestly, we have seen it all before. Except this year has something new to offer, something that hasn’t been done at past Olympic games, something that has never been done before. Mark Ronson has teamed up with long-time Olympic sponsor Coca-Cola to produce the global marketing campaign ‘Move to the Beat of London 2012’. Aimed primarily at teenagers across the globe, the campaign uses the various sounds of sport and music, fusing the two to create a unique soundtrack. 

Selected to participate in the campaign are five young up and coming Olympic athletes: Russian superhero sprinter Kseniya Vdovina; Singaporean Robin Hood-like archer Dayyan Jaffar; English table tennis hero Darius Knight; American mammoth hurdler David Oliver; and Mexican taekwondo legend Maria Espinoza. Their sports will be creating the sounds for the Move to the Beat of London soundtrack, with Katy B. providing the lyrics.

The campaign is set to be global in scale, designed to reach teens from every corner of the world. Already there are commercials advertising the campaign and the Beat 2012 Documentary is to be released later this year. The campaign has gone beyond just film, with Monorex and High Rise Murals creating the Coke Move to the Beat Mural, also known as The Beat Wall, situated in Hackney, East London. And because that simply was not enough, a large part of the campaign is ‘Bring Your Beat to London 2012’, whereby people are able to remix the sport sounds recorded to make their own music. They even have a free phone app called ‘My Beat Maker’, so you’re free to make your beat wherever you may be. Coca-Cola and Ronson have declared that they hope to make this ‘the largest musical collaboration in history’. 

So get on board, get listening and get remixing. It’s not everyday that you are encouraged to fuse sport and music into a musical genre where you create the beat.

You can watch one of the videos here 

Is chivalry dead? …Should it be?

By Mia Lazzarini

Many a woman has complained that chivalry is indeed dead, especially in Gen Y. But do we have the right to complain if it is dead? We want liberation, we want equality, whilst simultaneously wanting male gallantry and valor. In a modern world of women’s liberation, is there any room for chivalry? I would argue no, no there is not… but I could very well be wrong.

Being the only girl in an office full of boys led to a heated, kidding-but-not-really discussion on chivalry that led me to this conclusion. It seems that boys are under the impression that girls still want and expect chivalry, believing that all girls simply want to be ‘looked after’.’ I was somewhat foolishly shocked, disagreeing wholeheartedly. I rather enjoy my independence and liberation thank you. But am I part of the minority? Do girls secretly crave looking after? And if so, at what cost?

The Mad Men sensation has certainly had an impact on the chivalry debate. Characters such as Jon Hamm’s Don Draper have undoubtedly renewed woman’s desire for gallantry and old-school manners. But do we really want a man like Don Draper? Obviously smart and gorgeous are hard features to overlook (even I can’t help being charmed by him), but he is also an absolute bastard. Chivalry comes at a cost. Men opened doors and pulled out chairs for women as an act of dominance; asserting their power. The modern ‘well-mannered’ guy probably isn’t considering this aspect though, simply doing what they were taught by their mother’s. At least I hope so. 

Overall, Gen Y has been put in a difficult position. On the one hand we are taught that we should all be treated as equals. On the other, we are taught to be well mannered; men should be gentlemen and women should be ladies. But if being a gentlemen means opening doors, what does being a lady mean? Putting on your circa 1950s apron and cooking your man a hearty meal for when he arrives home from work? Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I personally will not be engaging in anything of the sort simply because a door is opened for me. You can take your chivalry back as far as I’m concerned if it means returning the favour in a ‘lady-like’ way.

This has likely raised more questions than it has actually answered. I do not believe that there is room for chivalry and old-world ‘manners’ in a modern society, but it is very plausible that I am wrong. Is there a solution that finds a happy medium? Can women be both liberated and the proper lady? Is it possible to have both equality and chivalry? I’ll leave you to ponder that one yourself. 

Splendour in the Grass line-up 2012

WARNING: this article may contain semi-serious content

By Mia Lazzarini

Copyright laws – we have all heard about them and we all have our opinion. This is a highly contentious and touchy subject for many and there have been strong arguments presented from both sides.

My opinion? Copyright Laws are out of control. Now before I get a group of [old] people yelling at me about how copyright laws are ‘necessary’, allow me to clarify. I believe copyright and patenting laws are spiraling out of control in ways that are actually hindering many industries, particularly those associated with the creative arts and medical innovation. However, some form of copyright protection is necessary in order to encourage people to continue innovating and creating; this is especially true of the medical industry. In regards to the creative industries (namely music, film and books) copyright laws shouldn’t be necessary. Artists should create because they love it, not because of the large profits to be made. But sadly, corporations that sign artists exploit their talent by extracting as much profit as possible. This has led to industries that are largely ‘selling out’.

Thankfully, there have been artists to recognize and reject this. GirlTalk and Radiohead come to mind. GirlTalk is famous for remixing the songs of other artists to create his own [unique] form of music. Many have argued that what he is doing is stealing. I wholeheartedly disagree. What GirlTalk is doing is something that has been done for decades, perhaps centuries; taking the old and making it new. Has anyone accused Walt Disney of stealing the stories of Snow White and Cinderella? Remember, they were written by someone else long before Walt came along and made them his own, and he didn’t pay any copyright loyalties either. Yet the Walt Disney Corporation is one of the largest copyright enforcers in the world.

As for Radiohead, they have rejected the corporatization of music, which was demonstrated when they left EMI Records and became independent. They later released their next album online, allowing fans to choose how much they paid for it. There was an incident soon after whereby a young man in the US remixed a number of these songs, posting it on YouTube as a tribute to the band. He soon received a ‘cease and desist’ letter from EMI Records, accusing him of breaching copyright laws. Reportedly, Radiohead thereafter told EMI to ‘back off’, allowing the man to continue his remixes. Radiohead has since released several remix albums, and has been described as the most remix-friendly band in the world.

Today’s copyright laws are actually doing the opposite of what they initially were intended to do; encourage creative expression while protecting the intellectual rights of the creator. And in its essence, that is fair enough. But copyright laws have continued developing to the point that creation is limited by restricting what can be called ‘new’ forms of art. Nothing is ever entirely new; it is always created out of inspiration from the past. In this digital age artists have found new ways of creating and sharing, and are thus being discriminated against and even criminalized. Who is protecting their rights to freedom of speech? And who is protecting us, the consumers, from also being targeted? Nothing but a ‘fair trade’ clause which has done very little for those consumers and artists that have already been sued by profiteering corporations.

If my rant has inspired you check out RIP: A Remixer’s Manifesto you can download the movie for free and learn some more about copyright issues.

Technically Fashion Forward?

By Mia Lazzarini

The world of fashion is expected to be forward, innovative, creative, groundbreaking. It is a business, a creative-oriented industry. Yet they have been left behind in the digital revolution, dawdling behind other industries that have jumped on the cyber bandwagon. It’s time for them to catch up. 

The undeniable sluggishness of the fashion industry has set them back; their influence waning with every day that they snub joining the digital era. And so the rise of the blogger began. Generation Y, also termed the ‘Facebook Generation’ and ‘Net Generation’, turned to a type of fashion elite that were different; learned in the art of modern technology. The modern fashion blogger is personal, lacking brand sponsors (at least initially), enabling them to proclaim their personal preferences. Fashion bloggers have arguably risen to the guise of trendsetters and opinion leaders. This is what the traditional fashion industry is now set to compete with. And to successfully compete with such a group, the fashion industry needs to develop and change.

The fashion industry has attempted to reproduce itself digitally, but this is not enough. It needs to evolve into digital form. Magazines must start distributing digitally; fashion journalists’ must accept bloggers as a new type of writer; and brands need to use the technologies at their fingertips. So far, leading fashion brands have limited themselves to online stores and video footage of their seasonal shows. Basic, outdated, boring stuff really. This is expected of them, and we need more.

We need them to get creative, to get imaginative. We need them to get technical.

French Connection Australia is embracing the technological era, demonstrated by the video on the online store, showcasing the various items you are currently viewing. Simple, but brilliant. French Connection UK have also started the embrace, beginning their own blog which is linked to the main FCUK website. London Fashion Week 2012 saw an unprecedented digital presence, with the catwalk shows being streamed live, in conjunction with live interviews and shoots. Designer brands have also started introducing live online sales direct from the runways, creating high consumer interaction with the brand.

It is inevitable that the fashion industry will be forced to go digital. Yet, they still have a choice, a choice in how they do this. The digital fashion industry could remain limited as it largely is now, being a mere digital replica of its normative form… or it could choose to evolve and become something magnificent. It could choose to take advantage of the technology available, to take advantage of those that are tech-savvy and create something amazing. It could choose to avoid being left behind. 

Macabre Film Clips: The Top 5.

By Mia Lazzarini

Music videos can incorporate any number of strange and fantastical themes, but I – disturbingly – find chilling and unsettling clips to be the most memorable and striking. Maybe that says something about me. Or maybe it’s a testament to the fact that clips which are truly haunting are bound to make an unforgettable impression.

So, being the disturbed character that I am, I have searched the web over and found 5 tracks that come with bone-chilling video clips. Did I enjoy watching the creepiest (fictional) videos that the internet had to offer? Yes. Did I simultaneously cringe and smile? Yes. Does that imply that I am somewhat of a sociopath? Probably. 

The point is I have collected the top 5 macabre-style video clips for your viewing pleasure. If you’re anything like me, then you’re going to enjoy this. A lot.

5.     Miike Snow’s ‘Paddling Out’

One of Miike Snow’s latest singles ‘Paddling Out’, is a crazed and brilliant clip depicting the kidnapping of humans by aliens. Sounding a little too sci-fi? It is, which is why it is number 5. But there is a chain saw wielding young alien-girl who is cutting off people’s faces and replacing them. The replacement faces are all identical too, so all of the kidnapped humans look exactly alike… And they’re all wearing matching spandex pants and gloves. It’s awesome.

The clip to ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails, released in 1994, stirred up quite the controversy. It is primarily a series of images, dealing with sexuality, religion, politics, terror and animal cruelty. The animal cruelty images I found to be particularly disturbing – there is a monkey being crucified on a cross. Like many works in this dark genre, the ‘Closer’ film clip is considered by many to be a work of art, and is even a permanent piece in the Museum of Modern Art’s collection! It’s definitely a clip to be watched. Over and over and over again.

3.     Pearl Jam’s ‘Jeremy’

Pearl Jam took a real life tragedy and transformed it into a video clip for their song ‘Jeremy’. A young boy in Texas, USA, shot himself in front of his English class in 1991 after being relentlessly bullied by his classmates. The guys from Pearl Jam used their video clip to create a reenactment of young Jeremy’s tragic tale. And although you don’t actually see the boy shoot himself, you do see him walk into class, raise his hand, and a panoramic view of the class, which is now frozen and spattered in blood. Incredibly eerie. 

2.     Miike Snow’s ‘The Wave’ 

‘The Wave’ is the follow up track to Miike Snow’s ‘Paddling Out’, and it continues the story but is decidedly more morbid and dark. After the aliens’ spaceship crashes into Earth, the viewer sees a myriad of bodies strewn across a children’s playground. What’s worse is that all the bodies are those of young girls. And because that alone isn’t creepy enough, the police and media then show up, start piling the bodies onto a wheelbarrow and digging mass graves. To lighten the mood, matching-faces-spandex-guys show up running towards the massacre site. Upon arrival they all break out into a synchronized dance routine. And then the police join in. Like many others who have watched this clip countless times, I have spent many an hour attempting to decode the subliminal message of this clip, but to no avail. Nevertheless, the Swedes have brought so much crazy to this clip and I love it.

1.     M.I.A’s ‘Born Free’

And the most deeply, deeply disturbing clip of all has to be M.I.A’s ‘Born Free’. Incredibly controversial and notoriously divisive, this clip draws attention to society’s many flaws. Nicknamed ‘kill all the redheads’, this clip sees modern day police/militia forces rounding up all those with fiery locks, to have them run through a minefield and be blown to pieces. To top it off, before this morbid conclusion, one of the militia shoots a tiny redheaded boy in the head. And nothing is hidden from the camera. This clip got a little too real for me, leaving me rather speechless. So you should watch it… Unless you have a natural aversion to either violence or redheads. Then you should avoid it at all costs.

Watching these rather morose film clips concurrently is somewhat depressing, I know. But they are also entertaining. And, most importantly, they leave a resounding impact on the viewer.

Brian Jonestown Massacre vs. The Raveonettes

“God knows I do the best I can, so fuck everything.” - Anton Newcombe. 

I couldn’t agree with him more. 

Australian audiences would need no introduction to The Brian Jonestown Massacre or indeed to their enigmatic musical director Anton Newcombe. The psychedelic collective have been embraced by Australian fans who have rewarded the band with numerous sold out shows in the past with punters eager to see what the next genre defying salvo delivered by Newcombe and his cohorts will be. 

The Brian Jonestown Massacre will be joined in Australia by the fabulous Raveonettes. When you’ve had a cult fan base for as long as The Raveonettes have, it’s only a matter of time before some of your most loyal of acolytes begin branching out and make their own kinds of beautiful noise. 

These bands will be touring the country during May this year, coming to a venue near you. 

What a babe.  The blondie.  Obviously. 

If You’re a Hip Hop fan, You’ll Only Understand 7-12 Words of this Article.

By Mia Lazzarini

Apparently the types of music we listen to can directly affect our intellect, behaviour and mood, and there have been a multitude of studies conducted in attempts to prove or disprove this theory. I think it’s a load of bull-hockey personally, but there are too many educated individuals who seem to think that there are valid grounds for an argument. So I have investigated and have [poorly] attempted to have an open mind about it all.

Let’s start with the idea that music can affect our intelligence. There was a study conducted by Virgil Griffith (creator of WikiScanner) along with a student from CalTech, which found that there was a link between music listened to and SAT scores (some test that’s a big deal in the States). According to this study, students that listened to hip-hop were in the bottom of the SAT scores, while students that listened to Beethoven specifically, had the highest scores. Now, I don’t doubt for a second that those listening to hip-hop are of lesser intellect, but listening to hip hop probably didn’t make them stupid, it is more likely that they listen to hip-hop because they are stupid. And vice versa, people listening to Beethoven were probably smart already, they didn’t gain their intellect after a symphony bender of Beethoven’s 5^th. Case closed if you ask me.

But then you have those that claim music can alter behaviour. Again, something I don’t believe, but I also don’t believe that watching violent films will make you violent, or that playing GTA will increase your desire to intentionally run over a hooker on the street. I think it’s more feasible that the music you listen to can affect your mood, i.e. listening to Adele for three hours straight mightn’t leave you feeling overly blissful, but you’re probably not going to throw yourself off a bridge either. 

Call me old fashioned, but I tend to think that people will listen to what they are drawn to, which is directly affected by their personality; not that people will listen to music and then take on attributes that are supposedly characterized by that music. So don’t turn down your Kanye just yet, you’re probably already stupid.

Sam Sparrow & Titomatic private MTV show.

Ksubi: Fashion Victim or Attention Seeker?

By Mia Lazzarini

We have all heard the tragic story of Ksubi’s $1million worth of loss in jeans over the weekend. Thieves broke into their warehouse in Rosebury, stealing the goods but mysteriously ignoring $300,000 worth of guitars. Was this simply a case of fashionable, ill-advised thieves, or was it something much more sinister?Let us look at the facts. To steal $1million worth of jeans, one must cart approximately 3000 of said jeans to a getaway car (which was also stolen at the scene of the crime). To steal $300,000 worth of guitars would likely take up less time and effort - even with guitars being larger - simply because there would be less of them in number. Why didn’t they, thinking strategically here, steal x number of jeans AND x number of guitars to make up the million dollars worth? Would probably have saved them time and effort. Not that my intention is to make thief life easier… Let us say that the thieves were specifically instructed to steal a million dollars worth of jeans, while you’re at it wouldn’t you just steal the guitars anyway? Maybe impress your mob boss a little? Perhaps the answer is simple, they were simple minded, fairly unambitious thieves, which is a likely prospect given that they have turned to a life of thievery.

We, however, think the answer is more complicated than that. In 2010 Ksubi owners George Gorrow and Dan Single filed for the Australian equivalent of bankruptcy and Ksubi was subsequently taken over by the manufacturers and distributors of Bleach, leaving Gorrow and Single as mere creative directors. Is it possible that this robbery was carried out by the ex-owners themselves, trying to reclaim their fallen company? Was it an attempt to claim on insurance in a sad effort to return the brand to it’s former over-priced glory? 

We will probably never know. We will probably stop caring by tomorrow anyway. 

Marilyn’s Still a Winner

by Mia Lazzarini

Fifty years after her death and she’s still got it. Sex icon and idol to women everywhere, Marilyn Monroe is the face of the Cannes Film Festival’s 65th anniversary poster. The enchanting poster obviously celebrates the 65th year of the Cannes Film Festival, however it also remembers the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death. And boy, do we think it’s good. The classic picture of our sexy Marilyn blowing out a birthday cake candle encapsulates everything that Marilyn is and was. I’m sure you will all agree with me when I say that the Cannes Film Festival is all sophistication and glamour, and who does sophistication and glamour better than Miss Monroe? Think up someone better, I dare you. And Marilyn was so much more than that too. She defined sex appeal and beauty, and 21st century girls have lost that. Completely and utterly lost it. Now I’m not saying we should start dressing like it’s 1955, but maybe just take it all down a notch or two. The guys over at Cannes Film Festival obviously think it’s an idea. 

The bottom line: Marilyn Monroe is a timeless classic. She has, and will continue to define glamour and sex appeal, as well as inspire women for generations, and the Cannes Film Festival 65th Anniversary poster has reminded us of that. I don’t think the world will ever see another Marilyn Monroe, so best we appreciate the one we had and lost. Kudos to you Marilyn, kudos. You too Cannes Film Festival. 

HOLLAND IN AUSTRALIA

The Brisbane music scene really seems to be buzzing right now with a slew of bands breaking out, a new band that we’ve stumbled upon are Holland - A four piece rock band in a similar vein to Elbow, Band Of Horses and City & Colour. They’ve been gigging for a little while and have shared the stage with an impressive list of Artists including Matt Corby, Gosling and Set Sail to name a few.

Geordie Shore Down Under