ART ON THE UNDERGROUND

Another reason I London - supporting art and emerging artists on the London Underground. The work of current exhibiting artist Dryden Goodwin has stopped me in my commuter tracks with its detailed raw beauty. Goodwin created sixty pencil portraits of staff who work on the Jubilee line along with time lapse films for each being drawn. Click here to read more on the project: DRYDEN GOODWIN

CHATEAU DE ROQUEFORT - GUEULE DE LOUP WINE

Sitting in St. John restaurant yesterday and the couple next to us ordered a bottle of red wine. Upon delivery by the waiter I did a double take at the label. Check it out, one of the oldest drinks of man kind and traditionally labeled just that, dated. Not this bad boy! Great contemporary design, brilliant type face stencil effect and complimented with a subtle detail of a gold crest stamped upside down. Who ever designed this hit the ball out of the park! And it's not cheap plonk either - St John prides themselves for their wine and food selections.
Visit them here. ST JOHN RESTAURANT

SABRINA DEHOFF - ROPE JEWLERY

And so my continuing fascination with rope continues. Here are the bright and beautiful designs by dutch accessory designer Sabrina Dehoff. I want one of these rainbow bracelets so bad it makes me ache slightly. You can purchase Sabrina's designs from our friends at Goodhood in Hoxton, London or by direct though her website. Click there to visit Goodhood or the offical SABRINA DEHOFF website.

JAY Z - ONTO THE NEXT ONE

Yesssssss finally a hip hop video with some creative fair and style! I bring you the new video from Jay Z entitled 'Onto the Next One' from his latest album The Blueprint 3. Although you sense the creative inspiration has drawn from the well of a noted Hollywood film, various celebrities and famous still photographers; it's still a refreshing music hip hop video by the marketing genius himself Jay Z. Mill colorist, and friend of mine, Aubrey Woodiwiss did a mighty fine job giving the promo its black and white luster. Directed by Sam Brown through Flynn.
Watch the promo here: JAY Z ONTO THE NEXT ONE

BEETLE JUICE, BEETLE JUICE, BEETLE JUICE!

Hungover and tired I crawled into bed last night to vegetate in front of the tube. I decided to watch Tim Burton's Beetle Juice for the first time. How Edward Scissor Hands is one of my all time favorite T.B. films and I missed this 1988 classic is embarrassing to say the least. I was sucked in from the start. The production and costume design was out of this world. A brutally honest example that wardrobe and art department budgets within smaller artistic films today are not what they used to be. I loved the rawness of the sets, the dated post production and most of all the costumes. I have news for you London College of Fashion students and Shoreditch ubers - you are unorigional and about 10 years behind! May I present the work of fellow YANK and costume designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers. Leather head scarf made of gloves?! Bloody amazing!

Visit Aggie Guerard Rogers website here: Aggie Rogers Costume Design

HOLLY BERRY - QUEEN OF THE RECLAIMED

My dear friend Holly Berry is on the way up and I am going to hang on to her by the ankles! Any second now she about to burst into the fashion and TV world with her Technicolor textile design and reclaimed fashion delights. Holly will be featured on the new BBC2 'Mastercrafts' program where she will be weaving wonders in a competition to be top of her craft. (Due to air in February 2010) Click here for more information on the show: MASTERCRAFTS
Holly's latest reclaimed fashion collection and textile designs will be featured regularly on YANK as I rant, rave and swoon over her talents. Stay tuned!
Click here to visit Holly's Blog (website coming soon): Holly Berry Design

ETIENNE DE CRECY AND HIS DJ CUBE

Etienne de Crécy played at Koko in Camden last night- and I was there to see it in all it's splendor. The music, stage and lighting design made for an unforgettable experience. The Cube is a collaboration between de Crécy and the French design collective EXYZT. Architects by day and techno musicians by night, EXYZT have been experimenting with scaffolding and lighting design in France for several years. For de Crécy they created not only a stage set that could be easily built in a short period of time, but one that highlighted the music and the musician himself, turning the experience into an unforgettable spectacle. Click here to see de Crécy work his magic: ETIENNE DE CRECY

OH DEATH - TOO HIP TO BE SQUARE

My lovely friend Jordan aka 'Oh Death' is a jack of all creative trades. He is a fashion graphic designer by day and a music blogger, freelance designer and DJ by night. His blog is quite possibly the best visual splendor I have seen on the inter-web in a while and was shortlisted for a few blog awards. Oh Death brings you graphic t-shirts, screen prints, and mental mix tapes. Check his blog out here: OH DEATH
Oh Death Website: http://www.oh-death.com/
To purchase a print by Oh Death visit: http://www.littleartbook.com/
Contact Oh Death here: oh.death.studio@gmail.com

MASSIVE ATTACK - PARADISE CIRCUS

One of the most influential loves in my life is the band Massive Attack. I met them when they headlined Electric Picnic in Ireland a few years back and also recently spotted them in Soho leaving the Dean Street Hotel. Both times I froze with excitement and glee. The new Massive Attack album is due for release 8th of Feb 2010. Check out the new single 'Paradise Circus' and the accompanying music video here: PARADISE CIRCUS VIDEO Two words: DIRTY BRILLIANCE. *Be warned this is not for the faint hearted. Whilst it pushes artistic boundaries through the theme of sex, it also tests those sexually repressed viewers. You know who you are!
http://massiveattack.com/

I LOVE ROPE

Anna Maria is the lovely girlfriend of a friend of mine. I still haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, but we have exchanged email banter with me begging her to give me one of her necklaces at 'cost' price since I am broke. Her recent collection of leather rope jewelry is stunning and I have been given a heads up there is more to come! You can buy direct or pop into places such as Beyond the Valley see her leather wonders in all their glory. Her designs leave me thinking, 'Now why the hell didn't I think of that!' Check her out here: ANNA MARIA DESIGNS
Contact Anna Maria Here: info@annamariadesign.co.uk

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

I am going to kick off the new theme of YANK by raving about graphic designer Elliott Grubb - the talent behind ANOTHER EXAMPLE - lucky for me, he is my cousin. Not a Yank, El is a British born lad who has worked for the likes of Diesel, 55 DSL, Nike, Levis, Mc Faul and more. He can currently be found working 9-5 in Shoreditch and designing freelance every weekend from his Brighton abode. He has no life... but that is the sacrifice one must make to be the ultimate uber in their field. Elliott has recently been doing some fantastic work for Nike and turning some of his amazing illustrations into silk screen prints.
New website coming soon!Contact Elliott here: hello@anotherexample.net