Archive | September, 2009

Gabriella
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M.I.S.S. TV Chats With Nina Sky

Nina Sky on M.I.S.S. TV

Nina Sky on M.I.S.S. TV

We told you on the last episode that it was coming…!

M.I.S.S. caught up with the ladies of Nina Sky at their recent NYC concert and we learned a lot… specifically relating to Subway Sandwiches. Who knew these beauties enjoyed the half-footers on the daily?! Oh, the things you learn when you have a camera in hand!

On the non-sandwich tip, peep the dope MadeMe leather jacket- apparently, the studs were put on by-hand in the park. DIY, MadeMe and Nina Sky style. We certainly aren’t mad at it!

Peep the latest episode of M.I.S.S TV to find out more of Nina Sky’s Ten Obsessions!

Posted in beauty & health, CULTURE, FASHION, film, interview, music, news Comments (1)

artiffact
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Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Women Making History

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

You probably know Melody Ehsani without even knowing her.  Her ubiquitous line of accessories caters to the bold, sexy, fierce and fearless women, so it’s no wonder that you can find her pieces all over the scene, from Rhianna, to Erykah Badu, to Keri Hilson.  Yes, those rings that turned you on in Miss Keri’s “Turnin’ Me On” video were done by Melody, who is one of the artist’s favorite designers.  She’s quickly becoming the favorite of many, in and out of the limelight.  Actually, Melody’s creative uses of bright plastics, shiny mirrors, chunky chains, and wild designs deserve their own time to shine!  If that’s not enough, this powerhouse designer started off by creating a bad-ass line of ladies shoes, and she still keeps it coming.  Melody Ehsani’s got it locked.

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Miss Melody Ehsani, above, caters to the bold, sexy, fierce and fearless women.

Luckily, M.I.S.S. got it locked for you, too, because Melody was kind enough to give us a peep of her newest accessories line, Final Frontier, in her futuristically fresh lookbook.  This line just dropped yesterday, and it will blow you away with guns, chains, and Swarovski crystals, oh my!

Although her looks go for the bold, her approach to life and her line is quite humbling, creating a divine balance between art and artist.  Melody taps into her strength as a woman to push boundaries and go for the unconventional, ultimately unleashing the same powers in those that don her products.

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Most would blush at the sight of Melody's shoes! 1st B-day (top) and Khatira (below)

What other powers does Melody Ehsani wish to possess?  Find out in her official M.I.S.S. survey:

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Now that you know a ‘lil bit more about this inspiring entrepreneur, check what she has to say about her field of work in the M.I.S.S. Q&A:

M.I.S.S.: What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational?

Any woman who has had to go up against inertia to follow her calling and create her position in this world.

M.I.S.S:  How did you get your start?

I dropped out of law school and had never designed a single thing…on purpose at least. Bought a laptop, started taking classes at an art school for product design and got an internship….that’s the cliff notes version.

M.I.S.S.:  What’s your favorite accessory that you’ve created?

That’s tough….my original favorites were the Swarovski bamboo earrings. I was first to flip them with the crystals on them…

M.I.S.S.:  Who do you want to work with and/or accessorize?

I really want to work more with other designers to create accessory lines for their collections. I don’t have any particular favorites per say, but I love the work of Fendi, Marni, Phillippe Starck (for products), etc.

M.I.S.S.:  What part of designing accessories is the most challenging and do you dislike the most?

The actual development of the products. Technical people love to tell me they cant make my designs, so it’s always a fight to convince and show them that it can be done.

M.I.S.S.:  Any advice for ladies who are just starting out in a career path similar to yours?

See yourself and show up everyday as you, unapologetically. As women we have to step into who we are and not let anyone or anything shake that. Pray hard, love hard, and work hard….you have to know you’re getting there.

As promised, below we present, Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009:

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody EhsaniFinal Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Women Making History: Melody Ehsani

Final Frontier by Melody Ehsani: Accessories Lookbook, Fall 2009

Ready to get some Melody Ehsani in your life? Check her website,  www.melodyehsani.com, to see all of her collections, or purchase through www.karmaloop.com.   If you want to dig into her inspirations, peep her blog www.melodyseesyou.com, and for updates, follow her at www.twitter.com/melodyehsani.

Posted in accessories, FASHION, interview, jewelry Comments (6)

Gabriella
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M.I.S.S. TV: Nina Sky’s Top 10 Obsessions

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Foxglove
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Blooming Visionaries: Cherri Wood

M.I.S.S. presents Blooming Visionaries: Victor SolomonToday we present you with a special Blooming Visionary, for she is the freshest of all sprouts at the age of 19. While attending the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design she is already turning heads in the world of graphic communication, illustration, and fine art. While most art students struggle to find their individual style, Cherri is already neck deep in a visual exploration of supernatural spirits, the memories that haunt us, and gentle beauty. We are always inspired by a young woman whose ambition and talent flower into success at such a young age. Look on to sample the whimsical images of Cherri Wood and to hear a few words on her plans for the future.

Cherri Wood

Why do ghosts intrigue you so?

Ghosts are very strange to me. Ever since I was seven I had this fascination with them. I was also terrified of them and they bothered me a lot when I would try to sleep. I examine them a lot in my art as a way to understand them or at lease cope with the fear I have of them.

Cherri Wood

Which historical artist do you relate to most?

Francesca Woodman.

If you could pause life and pick up your bags to travel, where would you go?

Stockholm, Sweden.

What are the people like in Milwaukee?

They have some friendly individuals, some not so nice ones, and a dash of the bizarre.

Cherri Wood

How much time does it take to finish each piece?

Some pieces take several hours or months, some take less than thirty minutes. Usually it depends on the piece and what I am thinking of. I am quick drawer but I try to slow down and simplify things to the bare essentials. Sometimes I am successful and sometimes not. In my earlier work I was able to complete my pieces very quickly and I would end up with five or even seven pieces done in a day. Nowadays I slowed down so as to not overdo drawing.

What do you think about while you paint?

Lines, cats, butter, jellybeans, films, rain, my mother’s secret recipes, replacing my quill, getting new brushes, cleaning, getting some new ink, wondering what the next drawing will be, wondering if I should erase something in the current drawing, thinking about starting over on a drawing, considering taking bass clarinet lessons….

Cherri Wood

What is the first mark you make on a blank surface?

Sometimes I make a very light gesture drawing of a figure. Sometimes I make a stain on the paper or canvas.

How do you choose few words to add large meaning to you works?

It depends on what I am thinking about. I normally match it to that. I don’t think about it too much and rather just let it happen.

Cherri Wood

Do you type or hand-print the text?

In the past I would cut it out of a book, poem, or article and paste it on the piece. Nowadays I prefer just hand-printing or transferring the text onto the drawings instead of cutting and pasting.

What did your drawings look like when you first started making art?

There were a lot of birds and swirls.

If a viewer could take away on thing from looking at your works, what would you want that to be?

To spark a memory in the viewer after looking at the drawing.

Cherri Wood

What was the hardest part about getting you work seen?

The internet was the best way for me to share my work and put it out there. Also being fortunate enough to build connections with galleries and being invited to show my work in the space. It was harder to show my work in my hometown mostly because I would get judged based off my age and I wouldn’t be taken seriously.

What was your back up plan if art didn’t work out?

If art didn’t work out then I would probably be in medical school right now.

Cherri Wood

What is your favorite art gallery?

Soma Gallery.

What do you cook at home?

I mostly make flat breads, sometimes I cook white rice with different sauces alongside meat. Simple things.

Who is the first person you call when you get off work/school?

A friend.

Cherri Wood

What’s the first thing you are going to do when you graduate?

Continue the work I am doing now. Hopefully work in a design firm. I’m not exactly sure at the moment.

How does it make you feel to create something beautiful?

Calm.

Cherri Wood

To see more from Cherri Wood, click here.


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Gee
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Reminisce With M.I.S.S.: Nirvana

Kurt Cobain and bandmembers brought a destructive, chatoic ethos to performance

Kurt Cobain and band members brought a destructive, chaotic ethos to performance

In 8th grade I met this girl, a recent immigrant from Cali, Columbia, who swore up and down on the powers of musical genre-ism. A South American grunge girl with scraggly punk-red dyed tips and an eyebrow piercing, she clued me in on the concept that a no matter a person’s love of all genres of music, there is always a specific sound that hits you just right, since your first listen. Although I wasn’t too sold on the concept (and still haven’t decided if it’s true or not), I could sort of see its truths. After all, I was (and still am) mostly a hip-hop and soul kinda girl. No matter how much weird indie rock, spacey electro or post-modern punk I get into, there’s just something that signifies home (cheesy, but true) when I hear that intro beat to Electric Relaxation, or LL profess “I Need Love”. As much stock as I put in my friend’s theory, there was always one exception to the rule, one song that defied all genre logic. I’d first heard it two years before in the 6th grade, an opening chord progression that stirred my soul, as if it was calling it back to its origins, something I could identify so deeply with. No matter how many times I’ve heard it in the past, no matter how many times I’ll hear it tomorrow, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” always gives me that same musical high.

The Nirvana Logo

The Nirvana Logo

The song, released in 1991, launched Nirvana into a mainstream so intense that it launched the band into Beatles-like stardom. With a bare-bones video, directed by Samuel Bayer in a local high school gym, that launched on MTV, the song took off immediately and made the band the spokespersons for “Generation X”, whether they liked it or not. It was far removed from their grassroots fanbase in their hometown scene of Seattle, Washington. Formed in 1987 when lead singer Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic met after frequenting the same punk rock scene, the band-which eventually grew to include drummer Dave Grohl-was signed early on to local label Sub Pop and released their debut album Bleach in ’88. Pulling from 80s punk and bands like The Pixies, they released the single “Love Buzz/Big Cheese”. Foreshadowing their youth appeal to come, the single did extremely well on college radio across the country.

Nirvana's first album, Bleach, made them Seattle superstars and college radio legends.

Nirvana's first album, Bleach, made them Seattle superstars and college radio legends.

Even though Nirvana (who chose the name to counteract the standard angry-punk mold they felt they were expected to fit in to) was doing well on college radio, Cobain watched their music evolving with each recording session, and knew they could achieve major success. He observantly noted in ’89 that “The early songs were really angry … But as time [went] on the songs [got] poppier and poppier as I [got] happier and happier.” This early insight would sadly become the crux of Cobain’s debilitating unhappiness as the band gained celebrity supporters. One of those fans was Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, who pushed for them to get a major label deal with DGC Records in 1990s. Able to record in a full studio with all the amenities for the first time, the band pow-wowed. The result was the voice of a generation rising up in angry rebellion, the 1990 grunge triumph Nevermind.

A naked baby never caused so much contoversy as on the cover of Nirvana's breakout album Nevermind.

A naked baby never caused so much contoversy as on the cover of Nirvana's breakout album Nevermind.

The album took off almost instantly, with teenagers from the West Coast to Europe dressing like the band, chanting their songs, and buying tickets to every show. By Xmas of 1992, the album was one of the most popular holiday gifts, selling over 400,000 copies a week. Nothing stood in Nirvana’s way, not even MJ- Nevermind knocked Dangerous off the #1 spot on the Billboard charts. It had happened. The band was officially a household name. Critics praised their every move, dubbing “Teen Spirit” the anthem of a new generation. Cobain and the rest of the group were making music their way, with their own sound, and known across the world for it. And Kurt, who by this time had made his Sid-and-Nancy style relationship with Hole lead singer Courtney Love official with their marriage in 1992, could not have been unhappier. Even though he welcomed the birth of his daughter Francis Bean, and performed to a mass of adoring fans at the Reading Festival in England, his demons were taking over. His handlers and band mates watched him struggle with his stardom, unable to deal with his reversal from a social misfit to a role model for a nation of angry youths. Kurt was mortified, and even more so deeply terrified,  that he was becoming just another cog in the corporate machine. But the cog kept turning, and in 1993 the band released In Utero.

In Utero was originally deemed "unfit" for release by record execs.

In Utero was originally deemed "unfit" for release by record execs.

Kurt suffered with addiction problems throughout his life, eventually relapsing with a deadly heroin problem.

Kurt suffered with addiction problems throughout his life, eventually relapsing with a deadly heroin problem.

After numerous revisions and remixes from the likes of R.E.M producer Scott Litt, the album was finally up to DGC’s releasable standards. It debuted at number one on the Billboard charts in 1993, spawning memorable hits like “Heart-Shaped Box”. Softening up their sound to fit more of an early pop-punk ethos that mimicked their heroes The Pixies, Nirvana’s release still saw critical acclaim, although sales eventually tapered off. Whatever the numbers ended up being, it was clear that Nirvana had landed and was here to stay. Their grunge look, consisting of unwashed long hair, Seattle-friendly flannels and used (and abused) Chuck Taylors, became the number one fashion statement in high schools, and made it to the runway with Marc Jacobs’ memorable groundbreaking collection.

The band didn't even feature their signature song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on their MTV Unplugged recording.

The band didn't even feature their signature song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on their MTV Unplugged recording.

In late 93, Nirvana performed for MTV Unplugged. Choosing to stay away from their major hits, including “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, Kurt and the gang covered obscure punk hits. Obscurity did them well, because their recording of Unplugged went on to sell tremendously well. Kurt seemed to be coping with stardom, but that illusion was shattered when his heroine addiction, fueled by a similarly drug-addicted Courtney Love, resurfaced. Grohl and managers staged an intervention, only after Kurt collapsed in his hotel room, and they were able to convince the fame-affected superstar to check into rehab. His public persona as a rebel followed him into rehabilitation, though, and after less than a week in  center, he hopped the facility’s fence and took off for Seattle.

Even though he shunned the spotlight, Kurt was a hero to countless teens around the world.

Even though he shunned the spotlight, Kurt was a hero to countless teens around the world.

A week later, on Friday April 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead in his Seattle home, as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The singer was 27.

Nirvana dissolved after Cobain's death, with Grohl later admitting that he was deeply affected by the loss of his bandmate, who had become a brother to him.

Nirvana dissolved after Cobain's death, with Grohl later admitting that he was deeply affected by the loss of his band mate, who had become a brother to him.

Cobain’s suicide note summed up his dissatisfaction with what the music business had turned him into, saying “”I haven’t felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing . . . for too many years now”. His music and message made Kurt a martyr for millions of teens who felt like their representative voice had been ripped from them, suddenly and shockingly. Even though “generation x” has grown up and we’re now all adults watching pre-teens experience grunge for the first time. Not enough can be said to convey what Nirvana meant to pop culture, and what it continues to mean. More than a band, more than songs, Nirvana was our voice, the one that still gives me that same chill up my spine that I felt in 6th grade.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

“In Bloom”

“Heart-Shaped Box” (Live)

“Come As You Are” (Unplugged)

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