Rabbit Hole || Vogue Spain Archives
May 17th, 2012 § 3 Comments
Field Notes || Brimfield Antique Show
May 13th, 2012 § 1 Comment
Had a lovely time visiting the Brimfield Antique Show on Friday with Lani! Luckily, we had lovely weather to match. Unluckily, the week’s rain had kept away a lot of the other antique hunters for the better part of the week, resulting in a very crowded and lengthy drive in, but we didn’t let that get us down!
As to be expected of the Northeast’s (and perhaps the country’s?) largest antique show, Brimfield doesn’t really offer many deals. The Brimfield dealer is savvy, picky even. They know that somewhere, someone is wandering around in the fields that would be willing to pay their inflated prices, either because they don’t know any better or because they just don’t care about the cost. And for good reason, as the creative services and design teams of some of the biggest mainstream Americana brands (Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie and Fitch) regularly sweep through Brimfield looking for inspiration (and pay top dollar for it).
That said, going to Brimfield is still a lot of fun — there’s great food and even better people watching. There’s also some truly weird stuff out there. It’s definitely my favorite Brimfield pastime to play “Didn’t you tell me you needed _______?” In which the blank is filled in with the weirdest thing within sight, e.g, a Liberace pillow, a 5 foot-tall tea kettle, and the like.
Canadian yacht club plaques from the 1930s.
My Brimfield kit included:
wellies, a waxed cotton parka, and a Boat and Tote bag
The fonts! So good!
Butter dishes and Somersize. Best product placement ever.
Lani is excited for…
…some amazing lobster rolls.
Love my new leopard and zebra!
They join a thrifted elephant in my burgeoning apartment menagerie.
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Travel Kit || The Louis Vuitton “100 Legendary Trunks” App
May 10th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
I’ve long admired Louis Vuitton’s “100 Legendary Trunks” project (you can see my previous posts on the splendid book and the exhibit at Musée Carnavalet in Paris). The book was curated by authors Pierre Léonforte and Éric Pujalet-Plaà, and is a collection of over 600 images — some from the LV archives, some taken especially for this project — of the 100 most spectacular trunks and cases created on commission by Louis Vuitton, with owners including Douglas Fairbanks, Karl Lagerfeld, Ernest Hemingway, and Damien Hirst.
If the pricetag of the tome (normally $125, but currently $86 on Amazon) has put you off from purchasing it, I have good news, if you own an iPad. Packaged in what appears to be an exceptionally manipulable — and so very pretty! — format, you can now experience the 100 Legendary Trunks as an app! And the best part, it’s only $19. Head here to purchase it from iTunes.
So while the app may not offer the comforting and luxurious heft of a coffee table book, and an iPad doesn’t exactly look quite as outwardly interesting while sitting on your bookcase, granted, it is worth noting that the app means this exceptional media on the subject of travel, is now perfectly positioned to tag along on your globe trotting. In fact, I think it’d be the perfect companion…
~*~For further Travel Kit posts, head here.~*~
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Milwaukee’s Finest?
April 19th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
PF Flyers: Honoring American Style Since 1937
April 11th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
If you follow me on Twitter (@MariahKunkel) you might have noticed that I recently had a guest editorship on Flavorpill Los Angeles, where I put together a shortlist of interesting events in the LA area, which also happens to be my hometown. I was especially pleased to find out that the guest editor series was sponsored by PF Flyers, the iconic American sneaker brand that was founded in 1937 and immortalized in one of my favorite movies, The Sandlot (see Benny put on his magic pair here, at 9.00 minute mark).
Was also featured on Flavorwire!
First produced by BF Goodrich in 1937, PF Flyers featured a patented insole — the PF stands for “Posture Foundation” — that was marketed as a magic wedge designed to help wearers “run faster and jump higher,” endearing them to generations of children (see: The Sandlot) who believed in their special powers.
PF Flyers was also the first sneaker company to collaborate with a pro athlete, developing classic basketball shoes with Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy in the 1950s, that are still available today;
and in the 60s, the adventurer Jonny Quest also relied upon the “action shoes”:
“He ran like the wind! Lucky he was wearing his PF Flyers!”
In a genius bit of cross-marketing, kids could get a free PF Magic Ring just like Jonny’s with the purchase of a pair of PF Flyers.
Starting in the 1970s, PF Flyers lost much of the popularity they enjoyed in the 50s and 60s, but after the recent purchase and revival of the brand by New Balance, PF Flyers is staging a comeback with its “Authentic American Style Campaign” that simultaneously honors the brand’s past, looks toward the future and searches out contemporary icons for truly American style inspiration:
“Everyone has a story. Ours began 75 years ago and is based on the tradition of crafting authentic American style. While we are passionate about what we do, we aren’t the only ones. The contemporary cultural landscape is flooded with purveyors of authentic American style.
To help us tell this ever-evolving story, we’ve enlisted a select group of today’s style-makers who we feel embody the same sensibilities as we do. Over the coming months we will be unveiling their perspectives in a series of video-based interviews where they share their thoughts on inspiration, authenticity, and individual style. Stay tuned.“
The campaign recently kicked off with one of my favorite people, New Yorker Ouigi Theodore, Creative Director and Founder of the Brooklyn Circus. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing who else is included. You can find all the interviews here.
For wearable sneaker nostalgia check out the Archival Reissue Collection.
I’ve been loving the Bob Cousy Los, with their “Gullwing Closure” at the ankle.
Girls! Run faster, jump higher…and wait for the subway!
Lastly, many thanks to PF Flyers and Gabby and Christopher at Flavorpill
for including me in such a fun project.
Archive photos via PF Flyers. Life photos by Yale Joel, via the Life Archive.
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Charm School Extra Credit || I Love Lucy: The Charm School
April 11th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Editor’s note: Even though February’s Charm School has come and gone, I still find myself coming across lovely gems like this one. If you might indulge me, I will share a few throughout the year as a bit of Charm School Extra Credit.
I Love Lucy: The Charm School
Season 3, Episode 14, Aired 1/25/54
After allegedly being ignored by their husbands in favor of “pretty girls” at a party, Lucy and Ethel enroll in a charm school taught by actress Natalie Schafer (you may recognize her as Lovey Howell from Gilligan’s Island) in an effort to become “well-groomed and charming and attractive.” Of course, classic Lucy hijinks ensue.
When they present their glammed-up new and improved selves to Ricky and Fred, the men have a bit of a laugh before reminding the ladies that they love them just the way they are — a bit like our very last Charm School lesson, Day 29: The Icing, no?
The Quite Continental Charm School
A modern guide to creating a charmed life
Elephant Derby!
February 15th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
An adorable elephant race in 1935.
You can view the original newsreel here — but I like it better with the music!
Via British Pathe.
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Sitting In A Tree
February 14th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
A Girl’s New Best Friend
February 9th, 2012 § 4 Comments
I wonder if anyone uses their Apple TV to watch as many classic films as I do.
Doubtful.
After much deliberation, I finally purchased the Apple TV receiver from the sparkling new Apple Store in Grand Central two weeks ago. Initially a bit daunted by the tiny black box, its attendant cords and its installation, I was quite pleased to find the process a breeze. After five minutes of plugging things in and hiding the cords away and two minutes of linking my router and entering my Netflix information, I was streaming media like none other. A minute after that I blew my own mind when I figured out how to find my iTunes account on my laptop. It was like a real-life Minority Report! Ok, not really — but I was rather pleased with myself.
I have been running through the classic films on the instant streaming service of Netflix ever since, which is only $8/month. My one complaint, if I must have one, is that specific artists can be difficult to find if you can’t guess (or don’t know) the name of one of their films that Netflix has available to stream. You can’t simply search by actor or director name. Now departing from my soapbox. Overall, I highly recommend Apple TV. It’s kind of amazing.
I recently spent an evening revisiting one of my very favorite films — which also happens the inspiration source for the name of this blog, in fact. If you have never seen the Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), I will pause for a moment for you to drop absolutely everything you are doing and go watch it. No, really. I’ll wait. Most famous of course for the iconic musical number “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” the film is a madcap romp detailing the adventures of two best friends as they search for suitable mates with suitably fat wallets. Both actresses are at their archetypal best: Monroe as the ditzy blonde, Russell as the wisecracking brunette.
It’s kind of amazing how every time I watch Marilyn, I discover again how damned talented the woman was. When made the transition from actor to icon, it became so easy to reduce her to representative symbols: her blonde hair, the billowing white dress, her beauty mark, her voice. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes you get to enjoy all that Marilyn has to offer: her spot-on comic timing, her lovely dancing and her singing (mostly, she got a little help on some songs). It really is no wonder Marilyn’s performance has inspired so many homages, and that none really come close to touching the original. Even if I do enjoy watching Nate, Dan and Chuck attempt choreography.
The original, 1953.
Madonna, Material Girl, 1985.
Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, 2001.
Blake Lively for Gossip Girl, 2012.
Also charming is “Two Little Girls from Little Rock.”
Images via Life Archives.
As I visit with old favorites and make new discoveries (Gregory Peck in Twelve O’Clock High was a revelation!) I can’t help but find it a bit humorous that I’ve taken what is the probably one of the most modern ways to consume media and have turned it into a time machine into the past. Humorous, but not surprising. In any event, if you like classic films as much as I do, the winning combination of Apple TV and Netflix instant will be your new Best Friend.
But of course I still like diamonds.
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Ghosts of Train Stations Past: New York Pennsylvania Station
February 7th, 2012 § 5 Comments
I promise a train and train station moratorium after this post.
Maaaaaaaaaybe.
Images of the old New York Penn Station (1910 – 1963), designed by the architectural powerhouse McKim, Mead & White. Every time I have to pass through the wretch that is the new Penn Station — dark, subterranean and horribly bland — I catch myself wishing earnestly that it had survived the 1960s. Wishing that what is now the busiest train station in North America was something beautiful to look at. Wishing that it rivaled the glory that is my beloved Grand Central. But alas, it is not…
Henry Crane had the right idea.
(Sidenote: Mad Men! March 24! Finally!)
For more pictures of Penn, be sure to check out my earlier post Farewell at Penn Station, poignant moments captured by LIFE photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt of WWII soldiers shipping out.
