The Retrospective

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A Night of Danger with the Virgins

May 19th, 2009 by
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The Virgins recently released the video for their single, “One Week of Danger.” The vibe of the video recalls frontman Donald Cumming’s teenage years growing up on the Lower East Side, complete with tooling around in pimp rides and the *cough* ubiquitous hot dog fight.

“The idea for the video, we came up with in, I think, a minute,” he tells Spinner. “We were just sitting in the van on tour just completely crammed and squished together, and we were like, ‘Remember when we used to like going around in big vehicles, like when we were younger?'”

Cumming also told Spinner that back in high school, a “big night out” would be chipping in $30 and spending the night driving around in an Escalade, listening to music.

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Tags: MusicNo Comments.

Of Sneakerheads, Subcultures and Neon Orange Unicorns – The Retrospective’s Night With Nike iD

May 5th, 2009 by
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Until recently I had never heard the term sneakerhead, nor to my knowledge had I met one. Over three hours with Harley Carrara, owner of Mass Appeal Skateboard Shop in Plainville, Connecticut, and three Nike Design Customization Experts at Westfarms Mall’s Nike iD Studio, I learned that though I hadn’t realized it, the mythic sneakerhead is most decidedly among us, walking just a little taller than the tatty-Keds-clad masses. The sneakerhead looks just like you and me with one crucial difference: their footwear is far, far finer.

Nike’s latest retail innovation, the Nike iD Studio, holds the golden ticket required for entry into elite sneaker subculture–a ticket that just so happens to come in the form of swank custom kicks. How do you get your own pair of one-off Nikes? It’s as simple as finding an iD Studio near you, stepping up to a virtual customization station and designing the footwear that inspires you.

A few Fridays ago Nike invited The Retrospective to Westfarms Mall for a night of private customization. Carrara and a team of Nike iD  experts guided us through the customization process, plied us with prime swag, and laid down the sneaker gospel. Read on to see what we learned.

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Tags: Art · Design · Fashion · San Francisco · street wear · Technology · The Retrospective6 Comments

Holding Court with UK Artist V V Brown

May 4th, 2009 by
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British singer-songwriter, V.V. Brown is on the verge of becoming one of the big acts of 2009. With her mix of 1960’s pop and contemporary soul, Brown has the music scene abuzz about her upcoming debut album. Not only does the girl have a great voice, but her lyrical content takes the listener on a musico-emotional adventure. V.V. can currently be seen in the pages of Vogue magazine and her fans in the United Kingdom can grab her album Traveling Like The Light when it hit stores in June. I was lucky enough to snag an interview with V.V. in which she talks about her music, new fame, and being compared to other artists.

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Tags: Music3 Comments

Wexley School For Girls: World Widening The World Wide Web

April 22nd, 2009 by
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Wexley School For Girls commands a cheeky, quirky, downright gutsy online vibe that falls somewhere between a Monty Python skit and a Yo’ momma joke competition. The Seattle-based marketing, branding, design, and interactive agency holds clients that range from car dealerships to Italian soccer boot purveyor, Diadora. The best part? Despite its varied clientele, everything that leaves Wexley for a client–be it retailer or service–retains a delicious, exotic Wexley flavor. I’m thinking mangosteen. Wait: mangosteen with bacon!

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Tags: Advertising · Art · Design2 Comments

dear bianca, your duds are amazing. love, the retrospective.

April 21st, 2009 by
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For her Fall 2008 line, Bianca Benitez sought inspiration from Scandinavian folk art, mid century textile designer Alexander Girard, and the artwork of Mary Blair (best known for designing “It’s a Small World” for Walt Disney). In Spring 2009, she found inspiration in the iconic stylings of Sharon Tate and Priscilla Presley. With each line, Bianca finds a way to blend unique sources of inspiration with signature style, giving her LA-based label, Dear Creatures, a look that is getting noticed. Fall 2009 (hitting stores August 2009) promises to be no exception for Dear Creatures – Bianca tells me it is a collection inspired by photographs of 1960s girl scout troops.

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Tags: Fashion · Los Angeles2 Comments

The Retrospective: Weekly Round Up

April 17th, 2009 by
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It’s been a red letter week for The Retrospective. Pieces on Fred Flare and fashion firm Dolan Group broke through to the cool-o-sphere known as Notcot while Picocool picked up our first ever bilingual feature on Barcelona, Spain designers Alan The Gallant. We’re excited to be spreading the gospel of new, hip and happening to an even greater number of eyes. For returning readers, thank you for being a friend, and to our new readers, welcome home. We like you already.

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Tags: site news · The RetrospectiveNo Comments.