Françoise Hardy: Comment Te Dire Adieu

Sometimes we simply don't need a reason. A little smoke with the sultry. A little seduction laced with hearbreak. Françoise Hardy making all our Sundays a little better.

Rising Stunned

Some days I just want to stick the finger to all things Americana and "heritage." You know, those afternoons when all you want is to drop the axe, flannel and beard for something a little more...shall we say, stoic and shredded. Yes, today is one of them. And yes, I'm forever grateful to the Japanese for creating a particular kind of shred envy that I will A) never own and B) never fit into. But I digress. In the meantime, little secrets like Mindtrive will have me triggering for the scissors, translators and a guidance councelor. 

Rapha + Paul Smith SS/2011

Rapha and Paul Smith are like a match made in sartorial cycling heaven. Take their latest video (directed by Ben Ingham), which finds members of the team racing through the L.A. jungle while sporting the latest collaboration pieces for Spring/Summer 2011. Set your derailleurs to stun.




[via Rapha]

Racing on the Moon

Every Spring, a handful of half-crazed grease jockeys gather at the moon we call Bonneville, to push the limits of man and machine at face-melting speeds. I recently ran into a friend who races here, and now I'm finding myself lost amidst the speed and style that is both serene and psychotic. I mean, who really needs zero gravity when you can push 150mph in your swim trunks and loafers? I call dibs on the goggles and Le Blanc's jumpsuits.

Hill-Side SS 2011

The Hill-Side has been a favorite of mine for some time now (especially my waxed cotton ties), and their Spring/Summer 2011 "dinner party" is just another fan for the flame. The dinner party as a presentation piece appears to be the way to go this year, with the likes of Thom Browne already playing host to extravagantly stylish gatherings with impossibly attractive people draped in the finest pieces of the season. And while I'm oddly curious to the Hill-Side menu of choice, I'll just settle for an invite to next season's Autumn/Winter potluck.



The Hill-Side S/S '11 Preview from The Hill-Side on Vimeo.


[via Milkmade]

Winter Loafing: Tartine

I am now more than ever convinced that bread is the secret to world peace, the gateway to enlightenment, and the cornerstone of a life well-lived. While many will scoff at such sentiments, my gut tells me that Chad Robertson over at Tartine would provide similar wisdom. Give me a little over six minutes with the video below and I think you'll be on the wagon soon enough. Surfing and music provide the narrative. Flour, water and little love bring it full circle. Call it what you want, but bread is the shit. Now get the Tartine book, and get baking.



[thanks, Scout]

The Sketch: Louis Kahn's Italy

On view at LA's Italian Cultural Institute through March 19

OG: August Sander

Haunting. Hypnotic. Surreal. Intoxicating. Call his work what you like, but few (if any) portrait artists can touch the work of August Sander. The man single-handedly mastered the medium full-circle, creating images that not only capture the characters amidst their natural habitats, but also speak volumes to their present societies, stories and personal style. Gentleman or gypsy, nobody was safe from his lens. And with New York Fashion Week in full roar, you can expect many photogs trying their hand at the craft. Shutters will fly, auteurs will flex their apertured muscle and the Sartorialist will probably hit a few inspirational marks...and yet most won't even know the importance of a man named Sander.

[images via MoMA and Getty]

Wheels of Death

The Canguu priesthood of cool over at Deus recently visited the darker side of the big top, submersing themselves into the carnival-esque world of Garung's Travelling Wall of Death. Never heard of it? Well, if you're anything like me, you'll immediately add it to your Bali bucket list. For some 25 years, Garung has toted his 6 ton arena of wood and steel around Indonesia, putting on death-defying showcases with vintage two-strokes, the occasional no-hander, and a limitless enthusiasm for speed and entertainment. While I can only imagine the amount of screws these madmen have loosened over the years, the beautiful images of Garung and his sons are a friendly reminder of what can happen if we loosen the bolts of our own sanity every once in a while.