So Fall 2010 fashion week (ahem, month) has come to a close. A few days ago I realize, but with so many Paris shows there were quite a few images to rifle through. And as always, Paris delivered. Wearable knits, oversized menswear, dramatic draping, and my personal favorite – the blending of numerous cultural and temporal references within individual looks – overtook the Paris runways. Although referencing the past is always a part of fashion, we saw collections from Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Tsumori Chisato and Wunderkind with such an array of literal homage they almost seemed to take you to a future land in which all cultures and times have merged into one. Galliano described his girls as “a tribe of adventuring nomads” trekking “through a mountainous terrain, crossing imaginary borders in search of a new land.” But if this mismatched aesthetic is not your cup of tea, don’t worry. As we have seen through the last month in fashion, our revisiting of the 80’s is on its way out and a renewed sense of minimalism has taken its place.

Below are my three favorite collections to come out of Paris Fall 2010 fashion week, followed by images of my top looks from other designers.

Sonia Rykiel

A.F. Vandevorst

Jean Paul Gaultier

Continue reading for more images of my favorite Paris looks.

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Knowing the origins of Shearwater’s latest album The Golden Archipelago only helps to increase its dramatic effect, as lead singer/island explorer Jonathan Meiburg shares the mighty stories of his experience. The album completes the third in a trilogy by Shearwater that includes 2006’s Palo Santo and 2008’s Rook, centering on the imminent threat the human population poses to the safety and health of the natural world. In certain spots Shearwater appear to have been listening to some Sunset Rubdown records as Meiburg’s soaring vocals seem to channel the dragon slayer spirit of Spencer Krug, but the grounded reality of Meiburg’s travels and his grievances with the human population keep the lyrics from remaining a solely esoteric instrument.

“Meridian” opens with the chanting anthem of Bikini Atoll, sung by Bikinians in exile on the islet of Kili, where they have been forced to live since atomic tests left their native island uninhabitable. Pianos, strings, a muted acoustic and various vocal harmonies weave in and out with gentle timbre. “Black Eyes” presents a story as grand as its accompanying music. The attention to pianos, organs, coronets and high hat project Meiburg’s poetic request of mankind to rise up: “Come down from lion’s back / call down to the endless sleepers/ give life to the dimming days/ that run in an endless stream now.”

The Golden Archipelgo is expansive, deeply moving and poetic. Much like traveling amongst a foreign landscape, listeners should revisit the album and discover the beauty they may have previously overlooked. The album is an epic, most effectively listened to as a whole package – a feat not attempted by many today. And the result is quite good for those who prefer their music with a salient message. Otherwise, to the apathetic, it could risk coming off as a downer. But carrying this label is a burden one must always face in exposing the truths of the world.

More info via Matador Records and/or the band’s MySpace

Watch the video for “Hidden Lakes” here

by: Bene Garcia

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From: Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star – 1998 – Rawkus Records

posted by: Harold Johns III

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Currently adding the final flourishes to their forthcoming 4AD studio album, Los Angeles outfit Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti will release “Round and Round” on April 26 as a limited 7″ and digital single.

Evolved from a solo venture into a fully-fledged band (currently comprised of frontman Ariel Pink, Kenny Gilmore, Aaron Sperske and Tim Koh), “Round and Round” and its flipside “Mistaken Wedding” are collaborative efforts that showcase the band’s unmistakable motif which combines the hazy nostalgia for folk rock from the 70’s with the experimental lo-fi pop music of today.

Fans can hear “Round and Round” on 4AD.com as of today. New subscribers to the band’s mailing list can also download an MP3 of the track with the media player below.

Ariel Pink’s MySpace

posted by: Brent Carter

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Meet Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba County Agricultural High School and the scourge of ultra-conservative proms everywhere.

Considering Mississippi is the only state that still incorporates the Battle Flag of the Confederacy to their state flag and has a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage that passed 86% to 14%, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Nonetheless, the severe over-reaction by the town and school district is so thoroughly disappointing we still found ourselves saying wtf.

According to Shelia Byrd of the Associated Press:

“Constance McMillen didn’t believe that her Mississippi school district would really call off her senior prom rather than allow her to show up with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.

“On Thursday, a day after the Itawamba County school board did just that, the 18-year-old lesbian high school senior reluctantly returned to campus greeted by some unfriendly looks, she said. ‘Somebody said, “Thanks for ruining my senior year.’” Ms. McMillen said.

“The district announced Wednesday that it wouldn’t host the April 2 prom. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union demanded that officials change a policy banning same-sex prom dates because it violated students’ rights. And the ACLU said the district’s not letting Ms. McMillen wear a tuxedo violated her free-expression rights.

“The ACLU filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oxford to force the school district to sponsor the prom and allow Ms. McMillen to bring whom she chooses and wear what she wants. District officials didn’t return numerous calls by The Associated Press seeking comment Thursday…

“Ms. McMillen said she didn’t want to go back to Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton the morning after the decision, but her father told her that she needed to face her classmates, teachers and school officials. ‘My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I’m still proud of who I am,’ she said in a phone interview. ‘The fact that this will help people later on, that’s what’s helping me to go on.’

“A school board statement said it wouldn’t host the event in Fulton ‘due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events,’ but never mentioned Ms. McMillen or her girlfriend, who also is a student at the school….

“The school district had said it hoped that a privately sponsored prom could be held. Ms. McMillen said that if that were to happen, she’s sure she would be excluded. ‘It’s a small town in Mississippi, and it’s run by an older generation with money. Most of them are more conservative, and they don’t agree with it,’ she said.

“Fulton Mayor Paul Walker said he supports the school district’s decision and knew of no private efforts to host the prom. ‘I think the community as a whole is probably in support of the school district,’ he said of the town of about 4,000.”

Read the full article here

posted by: Harold Johns III

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