This week, the Fix is fixated on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fashion, Donatella Versace messing with H&M’s head, Bert & Ernie going digital, skyscrapers going green, Almost Acoustic Christmas calamity and the return of the Maccabees.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is shaping up to be one of the most hotly anticipated movies of 2011. Ensuring that the year ends with a bang not a whimper, the movie stars Daniel Craig playing Mikael Blomkvist opposite Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth Salander. Now it’s not just cinephiles and bookworms that are looking forward to a dragon-filled December. High street brand H&M will launch their own range, designed by costumier Trish Summerville, to celebrate the movie’s release. Expect to see leather clad, inked-up fashionistas stalking a street near you soon.
Sticking with fashion collaborations, Versace’s collection for H&M launched yesterday to the sound of a stiletto stampede. You might not have been lucky enough to get your hands on one of these exclusive designs, but thanks to the immersive advertising campaign everyone can take a small step into Donatella’s crazy world.
Our passion for the great outdoors may have been reignited by our love of district related games, but it seems we are not the only ones. Architect Stefano Boeri is bringing the people of Milan closer to the forest than they’ve ever been before. The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) project aims to make reforestation possible within a developed city. This is idea is already taking shape, as you can see below. You’ll never think of tree houses the same again.
In this day and age, driving around town has been made infinitely easier thanks to the know-it-all of Sat Nav. Now, thanks to Tomtom GPS, driving isn’t just enjoyable, it’s laugh out loud funny. This month the navigation giant adds Bert and Ernie to the list of famous names that will take you where you want to go. And yes, they can tell you how to get to Sesame Street.
The Maccabees are back. This week they released the audio of their long awaited new single, ‘Pelican’ (out Jan 1st 2012), representing a great return to form for the British band. We can’t wait to ring in the new year with their new album.
We may only be halfway through November, but in the retail world it’s full-blown holiday fever. UK department store John Lewis has released their Christmas advertising campaign featuring a beautiful cover of the classic track from The Smiths. ‘Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want’ is performed by singer-songwriter Slow Moving Millie. If this doesn’t warm your heart, you need a visit from 3 ghosts.
This week’s Fix is truly one-of-a-kind, featuring customizable Converse kicks, the King of all Rubik’s cube mosaics and unseen art from the Underbelly. Plus Snow White like you’ve never seen her before, Friendly Fires heat up the dance floor, and Duran Duran party with supermodels. You can’t make this stuff up.
We love a bit of customization in our couture, and are true believers that you can never have too many sneakers in your wardrobe. So when we found out that it’s now possible to design your own Converse , we thought Christmas had come early.
While Converse lets everyone get creative, this next piece isn’t for the faint of art. Rubik’s cube aficionado Peter Fecteau dedicated a year to forming this stunning Martin Luther King, Jr. mosaic, made entirely out of precisely-worked Rubik’s cubes. The aptly named ‘Dream Big’ is a colorful combination of art and smarts.
If you like your art even more off-the-radar, it doesn’t get more ‘underground’ than The Underbelly Project. This not-exactly-legal operation began in 2009 and took place in an abandoned subway tunnel located 4 stories below the streets of New York City (directly under a police precinct, as it were). Finally, the mysterious sub-street artists are coming up for air and showcasing their work in a more accessible manner. Starting Dec. 2nd, the Underbelly Project will be open to the public at Art Basel in Miami Beach, Florida and include never-before-seen photos, videos and timelapse shots that show how this unique subterranean community flourished.
The reinvention of fairy tale is everywhere right now. From Once Upon a Time to Grimm to Jack The Giant Killer, the entertainment industry is fixated on giving these timeless tales a contemporary spin. Leading the way is Snow White and The Huntsman, in which Kristen Stewart plays the fairest Snow White of them all. The man who put the ‘Phwoaar’ in Thor, Chris Hemsworth, plays the Huntsman and best of all, Charlize Theron is delivering simply the most glamorous evil queen we’ve ever seen. Combine this savagely sexy cast with jaw-dropping special effects, and it’s a feast for the senses. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, you’re in for a treat.
Friendly Fires lead singer, Ed, is hailed far and wide for his slightly unconventional dance moves – and ‘slightly’ may be an understatement. He certainly puts them to good use in his latest video:
Duran Duran are back with a brand new single and video. Returning to their roots with a tune that’s reminiscent of their original material: “Girl Panic!” (from the Mark Ronson produced album “All You Need Is Now”) The video also features the return of a few other super stars: Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova, Helena Christensen and Yasmin Le Bon star as an alternative line up to the band. See if you can spot the subtle differences…
Gamers are buzzing (and rightly so) about this week’s release of Skyrim, Bethesda‘s next game in the Elder Scrolls series. This fantasy epic takes epic to new levels of truly epic epicness, with potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay and a virtual world that redefines what storytellers call ‘distant mountains’. Check out the live action trailer to see why this is the game helping us fulfil our Game of Thrones fantasies this weekend…
And at the mere mention of the weekend, here we are at the end of another Fix. To quote Porky Pig after speech therapy, “That’s all, folks.”
We’re kicking November off proper with Drive fan posters, the long-awaited GTA V trailer, new Mumford & Sons premiere and Project X throwing the party of a lifetime. Plus Prada, Foster the People, Tomaas, PencilHead and more.
Drive is fast becoming the cult movie of the moment. Gritty visuals, a killer soundtrack and the stunningly stoic Ryan Gosling delivering an intense performance (on par with the prime of Clint Eastwood or James Dean) have put this twisted LA tale on the map. The thriller recently made the cover of Little White Lies and it seems that Drive has nicked a nerve with the creative crowd, based on the number of alternative movie posters fans are cranking out. Now, if only we could get our hands on that scorpion jacket…
Speaking of driving, the next installment of the always-controversial Grand Theft Auto franchise has landed – perhaps a bit too close to home! The highly-anticipated, much-speculated GTA V takes place in the ‘fictional’ city of Vinewood. Palm trees, muscle beaches, downtown skyscrapers and a more vices than Vice City – sounds more like LA than we care to admit. Check out the trailer and see what you think:
Regular Friday Fix readers will know we’re suckers for projects that smash-blend our favorite things together – especially when the results are as spectacular as the work of illustrator Marcela Gutiérrez. Working with Prada, Gutierrez has reinterpreted the FW11 campaign images into giant portraits which take over the walls of the label’s US flagship stores in LA and NYC. Walls haven’t looked this irresistible since Willy Wonka’s Lickable Snozberry wallpaper.
‘Ghosts That We Know’ is the first taste of what’s to come in the New Year from Mumford & Sons. The band has had a phenomenal couple of years touring their debut album ‘Sigh No More’ (in fact, our office Mum-fanatic just flew up to San Francisco to catch them at the Bridge School Music Festival). If this live performance for Philadelphia’s radio station 104.5fm is anything to go by, 2012 promises to be just as good. Awake your soul:
Glossy fashion shoots are 1% inspiration and 99% aspiration. Impossibly beautiful models wearing incredible couture creations – who doesn’t want in on that action? This shoot from New York photographer Tomaas proves that everyday objects can be just as eye-catching as designer pieces– though we’re not sure just anyone could pull off the plastic bag look!
We’re always on the lookout for interesting animation, so it’s no surprise that this piece by PencilHead caught our eye. Sit back and enjoy this amazing pencil-drawn extravaganza. There’s nothing #2 about it.
Pump up your Kicks and get ready for the brand new video from one of our favorites, Foster The People- ’Call It What You Want.’ We’re calling it awesome!
Finally, we leave you on a high note worthy of the weekend: Project X. Produced by comedy’s life of the party, Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Old School) come what promises to be the wildest party ever thrown. Even the Wolfpack and Frank the Tank might not be able to keep up with this one. Here’s your invitation:
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We’re always on the lookout for interesting animation, so it’s no surprise that this piece by PencilHead caught our eye. Sit back and enjoy this amazing pencil-drawn extravaganza. There’s nothing #2 about it.