Like most artists, at one time or another, I have a legal issue I need to attend to, but don't have a big bank account to pay a lawyer to address it. Luckily, a friend told me about a gem of an organization called Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) with whom I met yesterday. If you're an artist, please read on and spread the word.

VLA's Legal Services program is the central focus of our activities and resources. The program includes a wide range of services including: the Art Law Line, a legal hotline; the VLA Legal Clinic for VLA members; in-house appointments with VLA staff attorneys; and pro bono placements for low-income artists and nonprofit arts organizations with one of over 1,200 volunteer attorneys. I spoke with a lawyer friend last night, who said the pro bono attorneys that work with VLA are some of the best in the city. God, I love New York. Click here for more and here for contact info.

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Need to add a little life to your spring wardrobe? I've got just the thing for you: something from the latest collection by Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck, who you may remember as the genius mind behind the late great line from the 90's W&LT.

From the looks of the list of stockists on his site, Van Beirendonck's current line is doing quite well, selling at American Rag Cie, Dover Street Market, 10 Corso Como, Kokon To Zai, and at his own shop Walter, which you can see pics of here, in Antwerp.

Born in Brecht, Belgium, Walter Van Beirendonck studied at the esteemed Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he developed his own aesthetic that fuses art and ethnic influences. Launching his first collection under his self-titled label in 1983, his big break came in 1987 where at the British Designer Show he presented as one part of the influential Antwerp Six.

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Mark your calendars: ASS (Asia Song Society) is having an opening you won't want to miss.

Says ASS owner Terence Koh: i am very proud that this tuesdae, march 3, 2009, 7pm we will debut solo exhibition O ZHANG call A STREAM BENDS FOR A THOUSAND LI

title comes from an ancient chinese poem liu zongyuan that evokes a stream winding its way to a distant and unknown place in the forest. (please remember li is a chinese unit of measurement.)

for this installation zhang has collaborated with new york artists peter garfield to create an idyllic tropical garden inside our gallery. nestled into the leaves and branches are several dozen photographs from absolutely amazing zhang’s photographic series daddy and i. each image depicts a young chinese girl with her adoptive american father.

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I'm very excited this week to offer up two pairs of sneakers (retail value $65) from Simple, the company that came back strong this year with some of the hottest (not to mention eco-friendly) designs on the market.

In case you missed my piece on Simple a few weeks back, check it out here.

In 2004, the designers have an epiphany: let's make an eco-friendly shoe. With this, the Green Toe collection is born and, as they say, the rest is history. Check out their site for more info on the history of the line. For those who are more comfortable watching videos, click here for a video of the history of Simple.

Currently, they've just launched what I think is a super hot line called ecoSNEAKS. Click here to see styles from this collection. I love the CARload in hemp and in suede and the CARbine in hemp and in leather.

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Ya'll know how much I love Rick Owens. A lot.

Most of his stuff is just plain hot, although I can rarely even think about buying anything because it's so expensive. Doesn't mean I can't admire from afar.

Check out this piece I wrote on Owens for CITY a few issues ago. It'll give you some insight into my obsession with the LA-born Paris-based American designer who is currently the darling of the fashion world.

I was window shopping online -- as I do lots these days -- and came across a super hot leather jacket by Owens currently for sale at oki-ni. It's called the Funnell Leather Jacket and it's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. Yes, it's a leather jacket, but there's a twist. A sick twist that is so genius I can't even speak.

Made from tyvek pasted over leather it graduates in colour from light grey to black. Leather is intentionally distressed with cracks and tears naturally occurring at the waist. Check out the pics below for a closeup of how the tyvek, which is slightly tattered, looks up close.

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Someone pinch me. Did I dream the last 20 years? Is Margaret Thatcher still the Prime Minister of the UK?

I just got an email from a representative at the Lame Network (I mean Glam Network) asking me to please take down Clayton Cubitt's pic of a vagina (part of upcoming art exhibit Talk Dirty To Me) in order for their ad agency to allow me to keep this lame advertorial post about some Stella McCartney tees up.

Squeeze me.

Could you please pull down the Stella McCartney campaign as soon as possible? The agency is unhappy that it’s seen next to a vagina and wants it pulled.

For starters, it's not next to the pussy. The pussy was posted yesterday. The Stella piece was posted two weeks ago.

I also got an email from them about the Ju$t Another Rich Kid He loves me. He loves me not. opening. It's advocating drug use. Does that mean it can't be on the same site as a Lucian Pellat-Finet? That guy puts pot leaves on his $3,000 cashmere sweaters after all. That's insane!!!

I’m sorry about the below confusion & I appreciate that Talk Dirty is a very cool exhibition well worthy of coverage.

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I just got an email about a new menswear line that I think you will love: Mjölk.

Intelligently juxtaposing a nostalgic rustic feel with urban freshness, Danish born/Brooklyn based designer, Lars Stoten, introduces for his first presentation in Paris, a beautifully constructed, well-proportioned melange of classic elegance and eclectic experimentation with his CAMERAS FOR EYES AND HORSES FOR HEARTS A/W 09 collection.

Rugged and masculine elements, inspiration taken from military uniforms from the American Civil war, converge with adventurous, whimsical modern twists of tailoring, creating a poetic, melancholic beauty proposed in a muted color range varying from earthy tones to blasts of electric blue, yellow and red.

Rare and innovative patterns, techniques and finishings are featured in a luscious line of knitwear; hand-made oversized pullovers, cardigans and leggings with cozy organic linings.

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In honor of one of my favorite bands -- The Thermals -- playing two shows at Bowery Ballroom (05.08 and 05.09.09) I'm reposting this entry from last June. Make sure to get tickets quick, as I'm sure these shows will sell out. Tickets go on sale this Friday, 02.27.09 at noon.

Sell outs? Not The Thermals.

"The band turned down a $50,000 offer for the right to use their song It's Trivia (from More Parts Per Million) in a Hummer commercial. Harris commented on the decision in a February 2006 asap article: 'We thought about it for about 15 seconds, maybe...it was a really easy decision. How could we go on after soundtracking Hummer? It's just so evil.'" Hot!

"The Thermals are a three piece post-pop-punk band from Portland, Oregon, currently the main exporter of indie rock in the United States. Formed in early 2002, The Thermals signed to Sub Pop Records that fall, on the recommendation of Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie).

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My friend Siege sent me an email letting me know that he has a piece in an upcoming group show -- Talk Dirty To Me -- that he thinks is going to be amazing. After checking out the piece he's putting in the show and looking at the roster of artists, I have to concur: I too think it's going to be amazing!

Larissa Goldston Gallery is pleased to present Talk Dirty to Me. The exhibition will be on view from February 26th through March 28th. There will be an opening reception for the artists on Thursday, February 26th from 6 to 8pm.

Focusing on pieces that feature sexual language and/or imagery, Talk Dirty to Me explores not only the semiotics of desire, but also the exceedingly diverse and highly personal interpretations of such works. Within the exhibition, sexual intimations range from the suggestive to the explicit.

Each work was chosen for its ability to challenge the viewer's notion of a particular word or image, forcing them to confront and address impulses of attraction or repulsion.

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If you've been in New York over the last several weeks, you've most definitely seen the ads for the new Diesel mega store at 54th and 5th: 685 Fifth Avenue to be exact. I stopped by the store last Thursday to have a glass of champagne and watch the guys from Spankrock dine in the window while tween fans took pics from outside.

My conclusion: hot hot hot. All 3 floors and 20,000 square feet of it are a welcome departure from the cookie cutter 5th Avenue shops we're all used to. Read the full press release here.

What'd I have my eyes on? Third floor = Diesel Black Gold, Diesel's latest line of high-end mens and womenswear. I had the chance to stop by the runway show in the tents last week and let's just say the collection is hot. I was particularly fond of the jackets, the fabrics and the fits. The line is really cool and hip, but unlike other lines done in a similar vein, it's almost 100% wearable by all types of guys. See for yourself in the pics below.

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It's that time again: Odin's ever changing concept store Den has closed and re-opened, this time featuring the designs of New York designer Richard Chai.

Having recently been selected as a guest womenswear designer for the successful Target GO International campaign, Richard Chai has a repertoire in men's having served as the Design Director for the Marc Jacobs' men's and women's collections and the launch of the Marc by Marc Jacobs men's line.

The Den space reflects a minimal and architectural approach, one that parallels the Richard's design sensibility. The installation will carry a large part of his Men's Spring 09 collection that was presented in Paris along with some new and exclusive pieces cut specially for the store. In addition to the men's collection will be a small capsule of Richard Chai womenswear, which features such signature design elements as French seaming, arc details, and refined tailoring. Also showcased in Richard's installation will be the artwork of his friend, artist Daniel Peddle.

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I got an email just now announcing that the first song -- 1901 -- from Phoenix's upcoming record Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is now available for download...free!

I have to admit, I'm really nervous to listen to it. I loved their earlier stuff so much that there's a huge chance I'll be somewhat disappointed. In case you were sleeping, Phoenix were a huge hit a few years ago with their infectiously poppy indie tracks.

Phoenix is a French alternative rock band started during their childhood by Thomas Mars, Deck D'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz in the affluent suburb of Versailles, in the same culture that produced late-90s bands such as Air and Daft Punk.

The name Phoenix was officially chosen in 1996 when Laurent Brancowitz permanently joined the band after the end of the short-lived band Darlin' he formed with Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who eventually became Daft Punk.

I now realize I knew very little about the band until today.

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You either love her (practically everyone) or hate her (mostly designers whose lines she's spoken a little too frankly about at one point or another). One thing's for sure: it's hard not to have an opinion one way or the other on New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn.

If, for some reason, you don't know who Cathy Horyn is listen up: Cathy Horyn is a fashion journalist, working as a critic for The New York Times where she also keeps a highly noted and provocative blog called (On The Runway). She is only the second NYT fashion critic, succeeding the late Amy Spindler when Spindler retired in November 2003. She started her career in fashion journalism in Detroit, in 1986, writing for The Detroit News, then moved to Washington, DC after four years, reviewing fashion design for The Washington Post. She joined the NYT in 1998.

If you've never read a piece by her in the Times or read her blog, do yourself a favor and check it out.

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I know it's all going to change on a dime, but for the time being, I still can't get enough of white sneakers. It's kind of like a sickness.

The latest pair that I've seen that I want more than anything are the Raf by Raf Simons white on white sneakers just released online at The Corner. Check them out here.

If you're unfamiliar with The Corner, it's a high-end online "department store" featuring the latest collections from cutting-edge international designers and a selection of hard to find Italian brands – many of them making their online debut.

thecorner.com presents the Fall/Winter '08-'09 men's collection with more than forty of the most exclusive brands: a virtual mini shop where brand identity and integrity remain intact. Shoppers can get a closer look at clothes, accessories and their details with digital look books, runway photos, videos and images from advertising campaigns.

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I've never been a fan of Roman Polanski, but know the name of the mythical film director through stories told in the media over the years. Besides Rosemary's Baby -- which I didn't realize was Polanski's film -- I don't think I ever seen any of his movies.

A 2008 documentary on the controversial director -- who fled the US years back to keep from being thrown in jail for having sex with a 13 year old girl -- popped up in the "you might like these" movies on Netflix a few weeks back and I thought it was time to see what this guy was all about. I glad I did. The movie is excellent.

On March 11, 1977, Roman Polanski was arrested in Los Angeles and charged with the following counts: furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, committing a lewd or lascivious act on a child, unlawful sexual intercourse, rape by use of drugs, perversion and sodomy. Less than a year later, on February 1, 1978, Polanski drove to LAX, bought a one-way ticket to Europe, and never came back. Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired explores the implausible events that took place between these dates, along with details, before and after, that forever altered the life and career of Polanski, one of the world's most acclaimed directors.

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I don't get to the movies nearly as often as I should. This winter has been better than most, but I still haven't made it to the theater to see Milk, which I think is still playing. I decided instead to put it in my Netflix queue just in case.

A friend who saw it said it's not nearly as good as the 1984 documentary we watched in college entitled The Times of Harvey Milk, which prompted me to put that on Netflix and watch it prior to seeing the Hollywood version.

For anyone not familiar, this documentary is the real deal with footage of the real Harvey Milk, his friends, and others from the San Francisco area, including a very young Dianne Feinstein, who's always been one of my favorite US politicians.

The Times of Harvey Milk, conceived and directed by Rob Epstein and produced by Richard Schmiechen, documents the political career of Harvey Milk, who was San Francisco's first openly gay supervisor. The film, at times humorous, at times tragic, documents the rise of Milk from a neighborhood activist to becoming a symbol of gay political achievement, through to his assassination at San Francisco's city hall, and the Dan White trial and aftermath.

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I didn't do Fashion Week full throttle, as there are other projects I'm working on at the moment -- but I did take time out to see a handful of shows, including Victorinox, the maker of the Original Swiss Army Knife. Although this is the first I'm hearing about the line, they must have some pull as they got the venerable Marc Jacobs to take a seat in the front row. See pic below.

In honor of their 125th Anniversary this year, the line had an inaugural showing of its new higher-end 1909 Victorinox menswear collection. 1909 takes its name from the year the Victorinox cross and shield logo was registered. 'The collection is where fashion meets function,' explains creative director Pierre Henri Mattout.

Mattout took inspiration for the collection from a most unusual source: the Amish.

'As I began my research this season, I came across a vintage shop that specializes in Amish clothing,' Mattout explains. 'I became fascinated with their unique, timeless sense of style.

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I'm not sure I can really call these backstage shots since it was a presentation not a runway show, but I will anyway.

Libertine's back and New York photographer Kevin Tachman stopped in to check out the latest from the design duo and take pics of young gorgeous things lounging about a hay-strewn SoHo loft.

In the off chance that you're unfamiliar with Libertine, they're the designers that brought repurposed vintage to the masses, extending their brand as far as Target, for whom they designed a line of non-vintage items in 2007. For Fall/Winter 2009, the designers showed a mix of one-offs and production pieces.

Says Style.com: Johnson Hartig and Cindy Greene returned to New York fashion week with as serious a case of Anglomania as they've ever had. Guests at their scenic presentation in Soho were greeted by a (shivering) Royal Guard and clothes screen-printed with the visage of Queen Elizabeth II. (Liz was drawn by California artist Eric Ernest Johnson, whose work Hartig collects. Johnson also contributed images of Rasputin and the party scene from The Shining.)

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Sometimes I listen to a song that I've listened to many times before, but for some reason this time it just sticks. This happens alot when I listen to songs on my iPod instead of iTunes on my computer. It can be such a different experience.

My current obsession is the song Blueprint by Fugazi from Repeater. Initially not one of my favorites, for some reason when I listened to it last week, it clicked. The line that I can't get out of my head: Never mind what's been selling, It's what you're buying.

Ian MacKaye = genius. It's the perfect song for any time, but so perfect for our current economic climate. It's so not about actual product we were buying in such huge quantities. It's what we thought we were buying and getting from consuming these objects. Deeeeeeeeep and so ahead of his time.

Click here to listen to the MP3 and here to watch a video of the band performing it live in 2002. Don't forget to sing along with the lyrics below.

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This one goes out to all my tween readers!! LOL.

Guess who's the biggest most popular blond at New York Fashion Week this year? Barbie, of course.

I don't really have much to say about this, but Kevin Tachman stopped by the show to snap some backstage shots and they turned out so well so I thought I'd share them with you for curiosity's sake.

Says Glam Media: "On Saturday afternoon guests stepped away from reality and into the dream house. Barbie invited fashion's finest and the little ladies in their lives to a chic fashion show in celebration of her 50th Birthday.

Though it seems she hasn't aged at all, 50 designers created unique looks for the timeless icon. Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole, Marchesa, Diane von Furstenberg, Alexander Wang, Derek Lam, Badgley Mischka, and Catherine Malandrino, many of whom have collaborated with Mattel on outfits in the past, were among those whose looks hit the runway on live bombshells. "I had a Barbie before I had a G.I. Joe," noted Wang.

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I had something hot lined up for this week, but it got put on hold for reasons beyond my control. As in previous weeks, when the going get's tough, I start to give stuff away.

Up this week: Ju$t Another Rich Kid's Love Buzz gold-dipped pendant + necklace (retail $202) from the 7 Deadly Sins Indulgences series. A large order of these just shipped to Scoop stores around the country, so if for some reason you don't win, stop by your local Scoop and scoop one up.

Ever fascinated with pop culture iconography and following the success of the 2004 Indulgences series, Ju$t Another Rich Kid launches the much-anticipated series of Indulgences based on the 7 Deadly Sins. The collection is comprised of 7 unisex, gold-dipped pendants on 24 inch chains.

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I stopped by the Nice Collective Fall/Winter 2009 runway show last night at the Angel Orensanz space on the LES and had an amazing time. Their production crew (Juan Garcia and Steven Gerstein) transformed the space to perfectly complement the Time Machine theme for the collection and the sculpture the designers built for the show.

The Time Machine installation by Nice Collective represents the designers' belief that art and fashion inspire one another. With a presentation that combines the traditional runway alongside a portal to another dimension, Time Machine invites us to pause for a moment and think about process.

The collection was the first runway show for the design duo after 13 years in business and their debut was perfectly timed, with a packed house, a crowd teaming with devout fans, and one of their best collections yet, as you'll see in the backstage, pre-show pics below by New York photographer Jason Rodgers.

In addition to the core menswear line, the designers now also have womenswear. Check out the story on the collection that I ran during market week.

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In case you missed it last time around, Ju$t Another Rich Kid just launched a hot new project called He loves me. He loves me not. Check out the story below from a few weeks back and don't miss the launch event and after party pics below. Thanks again to Kevin Tachman and his photographic prowess.

New York artist/designer Ju$t Another Rich Kid has teamed up with a small group of the best artists/designers around for a project called He loves me. He loves me not. -- a set of 5 custom coke spoons designed by Terence Koh, Nice Collective, Daniel Jackson of Surface To Air, Various Projects, and a piece from Ju$t Another Rich Kid housed in a custom made steel box by Playground.

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Super hot German eye and sunglass line MYKITA has been busy this fashion week. That's Berlin Fashion Week for all of us in the throws of New York Fashion Week, just to clarify. They've teamed up with two super hot German designers -- Bernard Wilhelm and c.neeon -- to show new styles from their collection.

First up, Bernard Wilhelm's Fall/Winter 2009 collection: Skiing is an ancient sport and method of transportation, and it was specifically the slalom wizardry, downhill heroics and fearless jumpers seen at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck that provided the inspiration for the collection. To accompany his skimpy ski outfits, Willhelm joined forces with MYKITA to present three mirrored aviator-style metal frames: FRANZ, SEPP and LUKE. Check out the video on their site.

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Did someone say chocolate? Until recently, I wasn't the biggest fan of chocolate -- mind you I liked it but I just wasn't one of those chocolate crazed people -- but that's all changed in the past few months.

First up: Bond Street Chocolate (63 E. Fourth Street between Bowery and 2nd Avenue). Recently opened on East 4th Street, Bond Street Chocolate is unlike any other chocolate shop I've been to. They lured me in to get the custom made dark skull chocolate box set that I gave away as a Valentines' Day present to Terence Koh's production guy as a thank you for all his hard work on our recent project.

Once inside, it became clear that the gimmick of skull chocolates isn't the forte of owner Linda Stern. Amazingly inventive homemade chocolate is.

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I was listening to the Foals yesterday while cleaning my apartment after a much-needed hiatus from the band.

When I first got their record, I listened to it non-stop for weeks. In looking back at the site, though, I realized that I've included them in playlists, but have never formally covered them and feel that it's important that I do so because their music is simply awesome.

As a side note, I just interviewed the Maccabees for CITY. In looking back on the band's history, I became aware that the band has been around since 2005 and have just recently started to get the widespread attention that their music deserves. If you've listened to their first record, I'm sure you too will find it hard to believe that they weren't an instant hit. Given the sheer amount of music on the market these days, even amazing bands can fall by the wayside if we all don't do our best to promote those we love, which bring me back to the Foals.

After reading the intro to the band's Wiki, I think Foals are off to a good start.

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Guess what time it is? It's fashion week folks!

New York photographer Kevin Tachman is stopping by select shows for me this Fashion Week, where he's working his magic behind the camera to get some of the hottest behind the scenes/backstage/pre-game pics around.

First up: Robert Geller's Fall/Winter 2009 collection. The show was Friday night and I had to miss it to host the launch for He loves me. He loves me not. @ BBlessing.

Geller's collection began with an interest in the imperial city of Vienna at the turn of the century. The city was a cultural melting pot which produced many of the intellectual and artistic impulses that shaped the 20th century. Mostly it is the themes of strength, romance, elegance and curiosity which are all very telling of the atmosphere in Vienna at this time. This relates to Geller's quest to describe who his ideal man is, how he dresses and what is modern.

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New York photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya interviews the staff of BUTT Magazine's New York office: Michael Bullock, Felix Burrichter, and Adam Baran.

[We are sitting in the BUTT office in Chinatown, New York City on the evening of Monday January 26th, 2009]

PS: Hey Felix, Michael, Adam! How are you guys doing?
FB:: Very good, we are just getting started to work on the next issue.

PS: It's funny I met each of you before I knew you were involved with BUTT magazine. Adam and Michael through mutual friends, and you Felix from your work on PIN–UP. Starting with you Adam, tell me, how long have you been working on BUTT?
AB: : I've been writing for the magazine for about 5 years or so, my first piece was a fan letter I wrote to the editors telling them how Butt had got me laid.

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Fashion insiders and New Yorkers have known the name Isabel Toledo for nearly a decade now. After the Cuban-born, New York-based Toledo designed a "lemongrass yellow wool lace shift dress with matching overcoat" that Michelle Obama wore at the inauguration of her husband, her name has become somewhat of a household name. Amazing it could take that event and this amount of time for such a talent to get her just desserts.

Coincidentally, the Museum at FIT -- Toledo's alma mater -- has a show of her designs coming up this June entitled Isabel Toledo: Fashion From the Inside Out.

Toledo is often described as "a designer's designer." Although she is little known to the general public, her work is greatly admired by members of the fashion community. As the late fashion journalist Amy Spindler once wrote, "Only great designers can dispense with themes and theatrics and let the work speak instead. Ms. Toledo does just that, letting fashion itself be the theme."

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I hope you're sitting down for this one: my friends at online retailer -- Tobi -- have hooked me up with a $100 gift certificate to give away to you this week.

That's $100 for you (man, woman, or child) to spend as you please on their site. If for some reason you're not familiar with Tobi, listen up: Tobi's an online retailer that sells all of the hip clothing lines so you don't have to leave your house (or your hometown) to get stuff by the likes of Commes des Garcons, Surface To Air, APC, Ksubi, Earnest Sewn, SEE by Chloe, Tretorn, Cheap Monday, Grey Ant, Prps, Rag & Bone, and many many more.

Besides the killer line up of collections, what makes Tobi special? Their customer service. It's unrivaled. Anywhere.

They realize that the biggest hurdle with online shopping is not being able to see and feel the product before purchasing it. That is where Tobi's fashion savvy and knowledgeable stylists come into play.

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Those who covet everything designer Stella McCartney creates will be eager to learn that they can invest in one of her t-shirts while also doing their bit for charity.

Stella McCartney has created the most fashionable charity t-shirt around for this year's Red Nose Day. Modeled by the likes of Keira Knightley and David Walliams and photographed Stella's sister, the famed photographer Mary McCartney, the fabulous t-shirts are available exclusively at TK Maxx.

As well as all the proceeds going to Comic Relief, the t-shirts have been wholly manufactured in Africa, with 100% fairtrade certified, organic cotton from co-operatives in Senegal and Burkina Faso.

Whether it's supporting orphans in Africa who've lost their parents to AIDS or helping older people in the UK who are abused by someone they should trust – Comic Relief will use the money you raise to help people in desperate need.

Supporting Comic Relief and modelling the t-Shirts, Keira said: "Red Nose Day helps countless lives for the better, both here in the UK and in Africa. I am really happy to be part of this year's activity to raise money and so excited to wear Stella's designs."

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As always, Nice Collective serves up more than just fashion during their Fashion Week presentations. Never happy with giving us a standard show, in conjunction with the presentation for their Fall/Winter 2009 collection, the designers will present an installation entitled the Time Machine.

In a culture where one is trained to constantly chase time, reverse its effects, fight the tide, deny the inevitable, Time is the ultimate luxury. One re-considers Time.

The Time Machine installation by Nice Collective represents the designers' belief that art and fashion inspire one another. With a presentation that combines the traditional runway alongside a portal to another dimension, Time Machine invites us to pause for a moment and think about process.

The actual piece has been carefully constructed taking inspiration from H.G. Wells, Orwellian contraptions and theories of new idealism.

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Maccabees fans listen up: the British band that I just can't get enough of has just released a free download of the first single -- No Kind Words -- from their forthcoming record.

If you've listened to their first record -- Colour It In -- you'll love this new track. Like so many successful indie bands before them, they've stayed true to their core sound -- comprised of Orlando Weeks distinctive voice and a unique style of music unlike anyone else's -- but have matured with their sound.

As you'll hear from this track, their sound has taken a new direction: one that's a little darker and deeper, which works perfectly. Download No Kind Words from their site to hear what I mean.

If you're yet familiar with the Maccabees, check out their MySpace, where you can test drive a few songs from their first record and listen to No Kind Words, which is posted there as well. Don't forget to read their Wiki and check them out on Facebook..

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In case you missed all the hype in blogland at the end of last year, Nike and APC had a baby: twins actually. The two mega brands have teamed up to create a pair of simple and chic sneakers that are must-haves.

Just what you'd expect from APC (Atelier de Production et de Creation), the sneakers are exactly what you'd expect from the venerable French brand whose reputation has been built on designing simple, well-designed basics for the fashion savvy consumer. A simple remake of a classic canvas Nike with a white body and a choice of three colors for the swoosh: white, royal, and red. That's it: nothing more, nothing less, but it all comes out just right.

You, of course, know that I'll be going down in the next few days -- the shoes have just arrived at the SoHo store -- to stimulate the economy and get my pair of white on whites.

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Rev your engines New Yorkers: fashion week is just around the corner. On your marks, get set, go!

The original New York downtown/uptown, high-end retailer Scoop has 3 events planned at its various locations around New York that you won't want to miss. And like the masters they are for mixing and matching, two of the events are fashion events and one features the work of emerging artists, for those of us who can never get enough art, be it fashion week or not.

First up, Scoop NYC SoHo (475 Broadway) will host LA-based artist Christopher Bettig and his latest collection of work. This one-week show opens with a party on Thursday, 02.12.09 at 7pm. Guests can mingle with the artist, check out his work, sip wine, shop, all while listening to music provided by DJ Lord G. Scoop will also have work by other indie artists on view, including Ingulgences No. 5 (Nike Dunk Highs) by New York artist Ju$t Another Rich Kid.

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Italian new media artist Carlo Zanni just launched a new online project -- The Fifth Day. It's the latest in his on-going series of online art projects that incorporate real time web feeds into the work.

For those not familiar with the artist: Carlo Zanni is among one of the pioneering New Media artists of his generation, living between Milan and New York. Since 2000 Carlo Zanni's practice involves the use of live Internet data feedback to create time based social consciousness experiences under the form of games, photos, films and installations.

His latest piece -- The Fifth Day -- is a sequence of ten pictures showing a taxi ride, edited as a slide show on music by Kazimir Boyle. These photos, taken in Alexandria, are ever changing networked stills because linked to critical data describing the political and cultural status of Egypt.

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Don't call it a comeback!

Well, it kinda of is one, but I wanted to use that LL Cool J line so...Remember Simple sneakers from the early 90's? I don't either. I'm too young, but I heard about them.

Born in 1991, the original Simples were hot for a year or so then it seems like someone fell asleep at the wheel: nothing new for years.

Says Simple: With all the over-built, over-hyped products out there, it's pretty hard to find sustainable shoes that you can live with. So we started Simple, your stereotypical, anti-stereotype brand offering good shoes and a big dose of reality.

About a gazillion pairs later... give or take a few... we've managed to learn a few things. Well, actually a lot of things. And none more important than this: HOW we make our shoes is just as important as WHY we make them. That means finding more sustainable ways of doing business so we can make a gazillion more.

In 2004, the designers have an epiphany: let's make an eco-friendly shoe. With this, the Green Toe collection is born and, as they say, the rest is history. Check out their site for more info on the history of the line here.

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Just in time for fashion week, Women & Supreme Management host Transformations, the first solo exhibit of photos by V Mag photographer and contributer Paul Rowland.

Transformations is a photographic portrait exploration by photographer Paul Rowland. The images reflect the artist's interest in not who is in front of the camera, but rather what one could imagine there. Taken from the past five years of image making, this show attempts to distill an underlying current of the artist's process.

Transformations, employing fashion models as subjects, looks into a world that does not exist. An environment, a subject, an emotional state brought forward through the making of the photograph, where meaning is created rather than found. The subject, along with the artist, helps to bridge the expanse between fiction and reality.

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You might not believe me, but in the past several years, I've become the biggest non shopper. Owning a small business (unless you're a real rich kid) means scrimping and saving on everything. I had to stop going to stores because it would leave me longing for stuff I knew I couldn't have and I think that's just unhealthy. Lately, though, I've become a window shopping non shopper doing it online, where all of the feelings are tempered by the distance between me and the actual products.

One online store that I've been window shopping at since it opened in 2001 -- oki ni. The online retailer of hard to find items just stepped up their game and every time I visit the site, my heart beats a little faster and I long for things I can't afford that are luckily in a warehouse somewhere in the UK, which precludes any sort of impulse buy.

Based in London, oki-ni is an international company that aims to satisfy the consumers demand for rare product. In 2001 the concept of a collaboration was a completely fresh approach to fashion product, in addition all products were exclusive to oki-ni.com, combining these two unique selling points oki-ni has organically grown on a global basis. As the rest of the fashion world seems to have caught up, it is now time for oki-ni to move on.

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Speaking of Valentine's Day: industry darling Philip Crangi's just launched websites to showcase and sell pieces from Giles & Brother -- the line of jewelry he makes with his sister Courtney.

For those of you out of the loop, Crangi makes jewelry. It's really popular with the hip crowd. Like REALLY popular. He designs an eponymous line that sells at places like Barney's, Holt Renfrew, Odin, Hejfina, and shops of that ilke.

In case you've not been paying close attention, a little history lesson: After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design, Philip Crangi began creating unique objects and jewelry from his New York City studio. In 2001, he launched his fine jewelry collection, Philip Crangi Jewelry and his fashion forward costume jewelry line, Giles & Brother.

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Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Not that I celebrate it, per se, but I love a good Valentine's Day project, especially one with a launch date of Friday the 13th.

New York artist/designer Ju$t Another Rich Kid has teamed up with a small group of provocateurs for a project called He loves me. He loves me not. -- a set of 5 custom coke spoons designed by Terence Koh, Nice Collective, Daniel Jackson + Surface To Air, Various Projects, and a piece from Ju$t Another Rich Kid housed in a custom made steel box by Playground.

He loves me. He loves me not. features a silver version of the contraband cokespoon by Ju$t Another Rich Kid that features the golden arches of one well-known American fast food restaurant, a baroque style skull piece with multiple spoons for all you gluttons out there by Surface To Air, the simple, minimal chic piece shown to the right by Various Projects, an old school key with a secret compartment and injesting mechanism by Nice Collective, and a metal credit card sprayed slick with automotive paint to cut up the goods with by Terence Koh.

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My friends who run super cool online store THE COLD HANDS OF SHOREDITCH have hooked me up with 3 tees (retail value $55) to give away to you my faithful readers this week.

THE COLD HANDS OF SHOREDITCH is a joint venture between the designers of t-shirt lines Without Backbones and Lightnin' Jim.

The Lightnin' Jim tees feature imagery of an old rockabilly punk from the late 70s early 80's called Smutty Smith, somewhat of a legendary figure who used to hang out with the Sex Pistols and David Bowie.

Without Backbones follows a strict dress code of black on black on white. True to form these boys reflect fresh humorous design with a slightly cynical view born out of spent youth in a provincial seaside town.

You can see more styles at THE COLD HANDS OF SHOREDITCH online shop.

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Move over Coachella. Time to make room for the next big thing: Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival.

Despite the first Bonnaroo being held in 2002, it wasn't until a friend posted his attendance to the Tennessee festival last summer on Facebook that I'd heard of it.

The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four-day, multi-stage camping festival held on a beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee every June. Bonnaroo brings together some of the best performers in rock and roll, along with dozens of artists in complementary styles such as jazz, Americana, hip-hop, electronica, and just about any contemporary music you can think of. In addition to dozens of epic performances, the festival's 100-acre entertainment village buzzes around the clock with attractions and activities including a classic arcade, on-site cinema, silent disco, comedy club, theater performers, a beer festival, and a music technology village.

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Do you know the art collective Paper Rad? If not, you should. They're uhm...pretty rad! Make sure to check out their website. It'll make you a little sick with cool, crazy graphics. I love it.

One of the members of the collective -- Ben Jones -- has a show called New Dark Age that opens at Deitch on 02.5.09.

Jones' solo show will consist of between-media video sculpture, light painting, and "drawing in the digital age", exploring new methods of pictoral storytelling through the drawn, projected, and sculpted line.

The exhibition consists of five components of equal importance to the artist: Ladders, Minimalism, Cartoon Drawings, Dogs, and Bricks. Buy a pizza and throw it into a dog park. Build a doghouse out of bricks. Draw cartoons to sell to street wear corporations and gorge yourself on soft pretzels. Then come to the exhibition.

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My obsession with Patti Smith continues.

Just when I thought that Dream Of Life was the only Patti Smith movie made (I really should look even that up on IMDB because I'm probably dead wrong) MoMA launches the 2009 edition of Documentary Fortnight, including Long For The City, filmmaker Gem Cohen's film featuring a glimpse of New York City through the eyes of music legend Patti Smith, one of several films showing as part of New Documentaries Shot on Super 8mm on 02.13.09.

This may be the Digital Age, but after more than forty years small-format film continues to offer unique artistic possibilities. The program includes Anna Azevedo's Dreznica, a lyric description of the dreams of several people living with blindness; Kevin T. Allen's Still Life with Ho Chi Minh, a surprise visit with Ho Chi Minh's personal photographer. Shot on Super 8mm is also playing on 02.19.09. Click here for more info on ticketing policies.

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I'm not a huge fan of most of the new construction in building boom in New York in the past seveal years. Yes, there are somme amazing buildings. Most of them, though, either look budget trying to be high-end or some sort of colored glass monstrosity that will look even worse in 3-4 years when it's dated then it does now.

One building -- hotel in fact -- that is perfect in all respects is The Standard New York by famed hotelier André Balazs, who is clearly a man of impeccable taste.

One of my favorite art mags ever -- Arikitip -- is starting 2009 with a bang with an issue profiling the inscrutable yet fascinating personality, André Balazs.

For anyone now familiar, André Balazs Properties owns and operates eight hotels in the US, including properties in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. His residential projects include 40 Mercer Residences in Soho, designed by architect Jean Nouvel; One Kenmare Square with Richard Gluckman and William Beaver House designed by Calvin Tsao.

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Downtown artist/designer Derrick Cruz of Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons is obsessed with bees, and designing super cool jewelry, of course. The latest piece from the line -- Abandoned Comb Amulet -- is another piece in a series that highlights the mysterious disappearance of honey bees around the world.

Highlighting the alarming en masse disappearance of honey bees worldwise (Colony Collapse Disorder) is the Abandoned Comb Amulet -- a bittersweet collaboration with nature.

The Abandoned Comb Amulet is comprised of a hexagonal sugar-glass pyramid filled with Brooklyn rooftop honey. Free-floating in the candied bubble is a solid 18 karat gold honeycomb necklace sculpted by bees. The whole piece is protected by a glass dome with a rubber stopper.

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