I have to admit that it took me a while to get this post written because I could not help but obsess over Alexandre Herchcovitch’s collection. The collection was filled with inspiration pulled from traditional folk costume of Russia and it’s neighboring Georgia, Armenia and Turkey. The old-world looks had a punk/tribal twist to it, with lavish embellishments of hardware, paillettes, rhinestones and intricate embroidery.

NYFW10 Alexandre Herchcovitch: Short-sleeved coats in grey and punked-out plaid

NYFW10 Alexandre Herchcovitch: Tribal style with Turkish-inspired geometric all-over print vest, pant, and jacket with slashed jumper.

The color scheme played out in the beginning as grey, mauve, and slate. It then jumped to red in the form of plaid and Turkish geometric patterns, followed by a rosette ornament print with shades of teal, burgundy, navy and yellow. The show ended with black ensembles of different fabrics and structures that were often adorned with black trim, beading and paillettes. The 21st and 22nd looks of the collection were pieces to drool over. They feature crochet work, the 21st being a top with a fur-trimmed circle skirt, and the 22nd being an a-line dress in which the crochet stitches thickened as it worked it’s way into a hem.

NYFW10 Alexandre Herchcovitch: Russian-inspired look and crocheted dress

The collection consisted of dresses, outerwear and pant/blouse or skirt/blouse separates. You’d often catch the sleeve of a mesh top peeking from under the vests and short-sleeve coats, or fishnets as a juxtaposition to the sweetness of a dress. All looks however were matched with a head wrap or band draped with chains, braids and baubles around the face. In a word, the collection was fierce (and I actually hate using that word!)

Source
Images: Style.com, Corbis.com, MBFashionweek.com

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Style Icon: Debbie Harry

Debbie Harry, the lead singer of the New Wave pop band, Blondie was a defining pioneer reveling in the 1980’s New York scene when fashion, music, art, and bustling downtown culture was fusing together to create a style that ultimately illustrated the decade.

Her friends included voyeuristic artist Andy Warhol and his protege; fashion whiz kid from Halston, Stephen Sprouse. Debbie and Stephen lived in the same apartment building in the Bowery section of NYC and they became great friends. He would construct all of her outfits from items in Debbie’s closet, thrift store finds, vintage gems, and in the end it was an unfiltered Sprouse creation.

At night they would have dinners and go dancing with Andy and Sprouse’s right hand man, now famed fashion photographer, Steven Meisel. Debbie credits Sprouse for tailoring her look and would wear his designs in music videos. He directed the video for Blondie’s ”Heart Of Glass” and the fabulous “scan line” dress that she is wearing, he made that from a photo he took of a television set. Much like Warhol’s Factory, Sprouse’s studio was full of models,  musicians, and art stars who fed off of each other.

In the eighties music videos were catapulting the careers of otherwise faceless bands. After Debbie Harry made it onto the screen with the disco crossover hit, ”Heart Of Glass”, Blondie arrived onto the mainstream music scene. This upset many of Blondie’s New Wave/Post Punk underground contemporaries, but the band responded with the statement that Debbie had always wanted to try different genres of music. Her popularity tended to overshadow the band, and even though she has done solo work as of late, she still credits her band for her success.

Debbie gets the Stephen Sprouse treatment

Debbie’s most identifiable feature is surely that tousled blond bob. I find her wide set angled (usually rimmed with black liner) eyes to be the most intriguing, or perhaps it’s the high cheekbones. In any case her entire look, tough yet physically stunning, is appealing to this day. Her style is completely rock star status; mixing prints and textures, bright red lipstick, and mini skirts. She’s like the fairy godmother of the punk princesses.

Some current Debbie Harry news:

-Barbie created a line of dolls called “Ladies of the 80’s” it includes Debbie Harry, Joan Jett and Cyndi, Lauper.
-Photographer Brian Aris compiled an exhibition of photos of the iconic singer currently on display in London. (BBC video)
-Currently she is on tour with Blondie with new music to come out this year!

Wildflower Soul: Kim Gordon

Kim Gordon is undeniably the first lady of Alternative music. She plays bass and sings in the landmark band, Sonic Youth.  She encouraged her former record label, Geffen Records to sign Nirvana. She was one of the producers on Hole’s first album Pretty On The Inside. She co-directed The Breeder’s song “Cannonball” with Spike Jonze (one of my favorites), started the first women’s streetwear line X-Girl with her friend Daisy Von Furth. Today, she continues to produce influential music, art, and fashion. Kim Gordon is not only a fashion influence, she basically set the indie rock standard of “whats cool.”

Sonic Youth formed in the eighties in New York City and established themselves in the nineties as an experimental, progressive alternative rock band. Their latest album, The Eternal is a nod towards the artists that have inspired the band. According to The Guardian:

The Eternal is literally a self-portrait of the artists as consumers. With a few exceptions, each song is a byproduct of Sonic Youth’s culture-vulture virtuosity at locating choice morsels of carrion left behind by vintage vanguards and bygone extremists. This has always been an aspect of Sonic Youth, from Death Valley ‘69 (inspired by the Manson Family and the moment the 60s trip turned heavy) through the Ciccone Youth side project with its conceptual-karaoke takes on Madonna and Robert Palmer songs offset by the hipster esotericism of Two Cool Rock Chicks Listening to Neu! (this was back when knowing about Neu! wasn’t virtually middlebrow like it is today, as the records were still out of print). I know people for whom Sonic Youth functioned absolutely as a portal band, an entry point for them into an underground wonderworld of dissident noisemaking and neo-beat bohemia stretching across several decades.

X-Girl was the first streetwear company for girls it was an attempt to bring alternative style to the mainstream

“…when we started out, we really just wanted to make clothes that we wanted to wear and a lot of things were, like, modified ideas about a good fitting T-shirt or pair of pants. Things that you’d find in a thrift store that you’d want to alter slightly.”

"I just happened to start playing music for the conceptual ideas."

The Eternal is Sonic Youth's sixteenth album and they are currently on tour

Sonic Youth is on tour in support of their sixteenth album, The Eternal.

Sugar Kane (Sonic Youth)

noiseImpera | MySpace Video

KIM GORDON + SCHOOL OF ROCK

NYLON | MySpace Music Videos

Shinobi Ninja live in their studio.

M.I.S.S TV previously brought you an in-depth exclusive interview with the lurkers supreme, the Brooklyn band Shinobi Ninja, earlier this week, and now we’re happy to present you with a cover of epic proportions — the band’s unique take on the 90’s R&B jam “This Is How We Do It”, live at the CMJ 2009 Festival. Throw in a little of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario”, and you got yourself Shinobi Ninja rocking. And rocking hard. We thoroughly approve!

For more on the band, follow them on Twitter because they are truly hilarious. Plus, they tweet virtually all day, it’s a blast! In the meantime, enjoy their performance.

Back to Noise Spring/Summer 2009

Back to Noise SS09 by Catherine Dupire-Clement is a melting pot of sophistication meets punk meets new wave. Traditional silhouettes like blazers and trousers get turned out with hits of electric blue, yellow and snake skin trim. Tops are over-sized but sexy. Separates look as though you took your BF’s trousers and made them into a skirt a la D.I.Y., removed the sleeves from his blazer and called it your own. See the entire collection after the jump!

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If you live in or around L.A. try to check out the Claremount Museum of Art newest exhibiton Vexing: Female Voices from East L.A.Punk opening May 18th. Vexing is a historical investigation of the women at the forefront of the punk rock scene in East L.A. in the 1970s and ’80s. The exhibition features photo, video and audio archives of the era as well as studio work encompassing painting, installation, writings and performance.

Accompanying Vexing are two other powerful exhibits by female artists, Zoe Crosher: The Reconsidered Archive of Michelle du Bois and Maya Schindler: Blah, Blah, Blah Revolution.

For more info check out the Claremont Museum of Art website.

John Varvatos opened up his boutique in the place formerly known as CBGB, New York’s iconic punk rock club. It’s definitely the end of an era when a place that was known for hosting some of the most legendary bands in their hey day will now house very expensive clothing. Varvatos definitely appreciates the history of the spot and keeps the music theme going but I can’t help but feel sad as if a landmark is gone and is forever relegated to memories of a distant past. MTV did a short segment on the transformation and you can watch the video here:

What do you think? Stuck in the past or excited for the future??

“As a kid, I thought women artists, who made it, were serious and wore no makeup.”

I have to admit, growing up, I didn’t think “women artists, who made it” wore makeup either, but when I first discovered Niagara Detroit, all my ideas of what a women artist should and shouldn’t be went out the window.

Hailed as “The Queen of Detroit Pop Art,” Niagara Detroit is drop dead gorgeous. Her name alone is cool. She walks with a feminist swagger and also happens to be Punk Rock royalty. This lady can rock eyeliner and vocals like it’s nobody’s business—and her art—breathtaking!

Get familiar with the iconic Niagara Detroit in today’s brief but image heavy Art HERstory post, after the jump!

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The Ladies of VenusZine are giving you the opportunity to ask punk legend Patti Smith anything you want! Just submit the questions to VenusZine at feedback@venuszine.com and the best questions, along with Patti Smith’s answers will be featured in the Summer Issue.