say it ain't so

Every so often in life, there is a moment when you realize that something you have believed your entire life is only a reality in your mind. That moment sucks…
Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by dolphins. I don’t know if it is because of my early childhood years in Florida or the TV show flipper but I have always been obsessed with them.
I still love them but the mystique has rubbed off a bit.
Over the weekend, I journeyed to the Sea World Family of amusement parks in Orlando, Fla. I hung out with dolphins for a few days and I can tell you, the permanent smile on their faces can be deceiving. They are not always happy and can be quite vicious. I experienced them up close and they are not all that nice if you don't have a fish in your hand. However they are extremely intelligent and graceful. We tend to forget that they are wild animals and underestimate their size and power! If you see them in the wild keep in mind they are known to kill sharks!!
Anyway, this blog has no point, I am just depressed because I just found out that my favorite cuddly animal ain’t so cuddly.

If you’re in Orlando, you must visit Sea World, their new water park Aquatica or take a day to swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove. You won’t be disappointed.
http://seaworld.com/

http://www.discoverycove.com/default2.aspx

DNC:its all love

All women should be proud of Senator Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama this week. Regardless of the politics, It was nice to see them triumphantly shine through their different sets of adverse circumstances. Monday night Mrs. Obama made the case to America that her family is just like every American family. She should not have to but she brilliantly illustrated her family’s story to offset the notion that they are not like all american families.
Senator Clinton, on the other hand, was faced with disproving rumors that she has been less than enthusiastic about unifying her party. Her speech Tuesday night was probably the best speech of her career. Much will be made of Clinton’s authenticity and her true feelings towards the Obamas by those clowns on the cable news networks.
But…
The two ladies met briefly in the back corridors of the Pepsi Center Tuesday and the admiration was authentic enough.

If Georgia and Russia lived in South Central

In case you’re not aware, over the past week, Russia has been in a small war with the republic of Georgia. Georgia was formerly part of the old Soviet Union. And as of late, they have been vying to become a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) the whole affair is a little confusing so I’ll break it down with a simple street analogy.

Ok, say Russia is this big bully in the neighborhood. He’s just chillin, walking up and down the block listening to his Boom-Box. And there’s this club of little guys who used to hang out with the Bully but now have their own thing. One of the little guys (South Ossetia) decides he wants to go back and hang out with the Bully because he had it better in the old days and most of his family still hangs out with the Bully. He wants to leave Georgia, the other little guy, alone. Now Georgia, always weary of the Bully Russia, started hanging out with another Bully (USA) from another neighborhood. This other bully, without saying, implied that if Georgia did whatever he said he would always have Georgia's back…Now this gave little Georgia some misguided courage. Georgia, all big and bad, decides to walk down the block until he sees his old friend South Ossetia and then hauls off and pimp slaps him! This sends little South Ossetia running back to Big Bully Russia, who happens to be hanging out on the corner playing dominoes! Georgia full of confidence runs up; knocks over the domino table and sucker punches Russia to the surprise of every body on the block! At that moment the DJ’s record skips and Silence settles on the neighborhood except for the sound of people locking their doors!
Russia, now shocked by the audacity of his tiny attacker, decides he will use this opportunity to teach everyone on the block a lesson. Russia beats the crap out of little Georgia until he starts to cry and then sends him running home with soiled pants and dares him to go get his new bully friends….AND THEN, Russia goes to Georgia’s house and sits on his couch, turns on the TV and puts his feet up on the coffee table.
Meanwhile, Georgia calls the hideout of his new friends (USA and E.U.) to seek back-up but to his surprise they all decline to attack Russia. They remind Georgia that he isn’t in the exclusive NATO club yet, he’s still being initiated. The biggest member of the club (USA) does the only thing he can do, he gives band-aids, Tiger Balm and an ice pack to Georgia and then puts word out on the street that if Russia doesn’t leave Georgia’s house, The Bigger Bully club (G8 nations) will be forced to revoke his player card…

And that’s where we stand at the present...

Fashion: G-Star Raw

I was hanging out with friends a few Fridays back in Park Slope, Brooklyn when my pal Mona asked, “Lovett, do you like G-Star jeans? I love a guy in G-star jeans” I smiled and said, “That’s all I wear”. Well, that is not entirely true. I dig Levis too because every so often Levis makes a product that reminds us that they created this whole jeans thing! My point is women appreciate a guy in a nice fitting pair of good jeans.
I love G-star apparel because of the denim quality, fit and forward styling. Some friends and I have been into G-Star for a few years now. My buddy Cesar went nuts a couple of years ago when during vacation, we found a GS Raw store in the Born section of Barcelona. He proceeded to spend a small fortune and I spent more than I should have. We ate at Bocata (think, the Spanish equivalent of Subway Sandwiches) for the rest of the trip.

G-Star is a Denim brand out of the Netherlands that has developed a kind of cult following among the fashion conscious from Europe to Africa and America to Asia . The brand is known for its experimentation and cutting edge style as well as it dark, industrial palette. Check their website for a closer look.

http://www.g-star.com/flash/content.html

Obama in Germany:

I said I was tired of this presidential race. And actually it has not even formally began (the conventions are weeks away). This trip by Barack Obama to the Middle East and Europe has garnered not only my interest but that of the entire world. All the TV pundits want to see if he’ll stumble or make some mistake due to his inexperience. Probably not. Obama is a crafty politician from Chicago; he also has a superior intellect which will allow him to make up for his lack of Washington experience on certain matters. He’s not as green as they paint him, nor is he the outsider that he tries to portray himself as.
Make no mistake about it, I am inspired by Obama and I support his candidacy but I’m not an Obamaniac. Sorry guys he’s not the messiah you may think he is, you crazy ultra liberals! He’s just a very smart and talented politician who happens to have a very unique heritage. And because of that heritage, he has a chance to bring along a lot of people who may feel that the American Dream really isn’t meant for them.
I also like John McCain. He has been an admirable public servant. He comes from a well to do “All American” family, and probably feels entitled to the job! However, he may be finding out that his campaign is in the wrong place at the wrong time. McCain would probably make an adequate commander-in-chief but his potential to elevate our nation pales in comparison to that of Obama right now. He’s just like another old white dude on our coins. He seems to be aware of this. His reaction to Obama’s trip speaks to his desperation. The McCain campaign has whined about press coverage, shamelessly attacked Obama for statements he made at a holocaust museum and untruthfully blamed $4 a gallon gasoline on him. McCain may have witnessed the superb speech that Obama gave today in Berlin in which 200,000 people attended. Obama called for a new partnership between America, Europe and the world, stating that the problems of the 21st century are too large for one country to tackle alone. McCain spoke to about 35 people on his last trip! He must feel overmatched right now by “New America” or maybe he doesn’t. “Old America” may not be willing to give up just yet and still may have a few tricks left up its sleeve like a swift boat ad, God knows the republicans have more than enough “Old money” to do it.

tips

I was talking to an old friend the other day and he wanted to sit me down to school me on the intricacies of maintaining a healthy relationship. It was quite interesting. Here are 2 of the things the wise old man said men should know.

It’s not enough to just listen: When she has a problem (usually it’s with you) it is not sufficient to sit there silently taking it all in even if you intend to correct every aspect of the problem down to every minute detail. It would be helpful to your sanity if you repeated back to her what she has said, showing a full comprehension, and then simply saying you will (not try to) solve the problem. God help you if she has to tell you the same thing again though.

The little things are just as important as the big things: trust me when I tell you that little things, like doing chores and giving her flowers, make the same amount of difference as the big things like taking her to a fancy restaurant or buying her a diamond ring. Don’t believe me, try neglecting either and see if you don’t get the same backlash.

Fashion Forward: Orlando Carreras

About 3 years ago I was freelance designing at Fila’s now defunct New York office. My buddy Craig called me and asked me to come and freelance for him at Sears/Kmart. The Pay was better and the opportunity to work with old friends and colleagues was just too appealing. Upon my arrival, I met Orlando Carreras the no nonsense but never micromanaging director of menswear. Orlando was a joy to work for because of his impeccable style and also because of his thorough understanding of the market. Never have I worked for someone that had better comprehension of current trends. Also, he decided to hire me fulltime, helping me transition from CAD design to knitwear design. For that, I will always be grateful.
In retrospect it seems almost too obvious that eventually he would have to move on to establish his own brand. And so he did… Orlando launched the Orlando Carreras brand last year and has since been creating a buzz (DNR June 16th issue). The brand offers a fresh take on classics such as classic woven silhouettes with prints that are youthful in spirit without being juvenile. He's finds inspiration in everything from contemporary art to a song by Stevie Wonder. True to his explorative and conscious character, he is experimenting with organic fabrics and only uses natural trims. If you're looking for the future of Men’s fashion, Orlando Carreras is the prototype.

for more info:
http://www.orlandocarreras.com/

Cesar, Craig and myself would like to thank everyone who came to either of the two "She" openings or if you just offered us your support. The overwhelming show of support really inspired us to continue creating, even when we think we suck! :)

State of Street Art!

Walking through the streets of Barcelona and Amsterdam not too long ago, I began to realize that I had been seeing the same street art or at least work by the same artists, back in NYC. In case you had not noticed or do not live in an urban center, the face of traditional graffiti has changed over the past 15-20 years. We've gone from the spray-painted burners and tags, which originated in NYC and Philly in the 60's and 70's to a more socially and politically aware type of art form. I think three factors could be part of the reason for this evolution. Those earlier artists have grown up and their artistic philosophy has evolved with them, the globalization of the art-form has infused influences from all over the world into the genre and to put it bluntly...you don’t go to jail for stickers and posters.
Some of the artists who are prominent now are Shepard Fairey, who is famous for the Andre the Giant- Obey pieces that are everywhere. Fairey now has his own marketing firm, which is producing those popular Barack Obama “Progress” posters and stickers. Other modern street artist who have made names for themselves are Swoon, who is known for her painstakingly detailed drawings that she pastes up on walls from NYC to Europe, and the London Police who are known for their funny happy-face character that seems to pop up worldwide. My favorite is Invader. I have seen his space invader tile mosaics all over Europe and all over NYC this year, seemingly at almost every turn! The new graffiti uses everything from stop signs to manhole covers as canvases. The mediums are just as wide ranging. They range from pasted up paper to paint on photographs to wood cutouts, always adding something interesting to the urban landscape.

Above are some photos I took this weekend of work by Swoon and Invader.

You gotta be kidding me!

Here is a little bit of news that might have slid right under your radar...This past Tuesday, President Bush signed a bill that would effectively remove Nelson Mandela and the ANC from the U.S.'s terrorism watch list. Hmm, I wonder why was he on the list to begin with? Aren't those included on that list supposed to be threats to American citizens and our interests. Nelson Mandela never posed any threat to me, or any American i know for that matter. Just whose interest did he ever pose a threat to? Let that run around in your head for a bit.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/07/01/mandela.watch/index.html