Another place on the Main river, but Marktbreit wins the Picturesque Award. The romantic small town of around 3,700 sits in the middle of wine country with its old city wall and canal. I have never heard of the ancient Roman settlement until a recent quick visit on a warm German day. It was time well spent.
Marketbreit is located 136 km from Frankfurt and 30km from Wurzburg.
Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton menswear collection debuted on a spectacular scale. The Pont Neuf bridge was the setting for the musician, now a full-time fashion designer, to show off his version of luxury looks. Virigil Abhloh’s death left a big hole to fill. When the Virginia native was made head of the famed house in February, eyebrows hit the ceiling. Williams’ limited experience and lack of training felt a bit out of sync with the demands needed to be a creative head. The multi-nominated artist has street cred with his label, Billionaire Boys Club. The streetwear brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Going to a fashion show in some cases is not about the fashion but about who is attending. Jay Z and Beyonce sat next to LVMH head Bernard Arnault. LV brand ambassador Rhianna hit the front row with baby bump and husband A$AP Rocky. Throw in supermodel Naomi Campbell, singer Lenny Kravitz, actress Zendaya. It pays to have famous friends, add in all the resources a $20 billion corporation with the Paris landscape as a backdrop, a choir, band and symphony, this event was spectacle worthy of Imperial Rome.
Looking over the numerous looks strutting over the Seine River, suddenly I had flashbacks to downtown Los Angeles. There was a guy who sold who sold fake designer clothing from the back of a truck. If a buyer wanted to try on the pieces, the alley way was the changing room. All transactions were cash only, no questions asked.
Granted, Pharrell had only had three months to put together a collection. Looking over the pictures from June 20th, I saw recycled archives with new colors along with a homage to 90’s Ghetto Fabulousness. The absence of subtlety and lack of elegance struck because buyers want quiet luxury, toned down pieces of high quality. Secondly, there was no demonstrative style longevity with this collection. A fashion creative head needs authenticity, not the feeling of a capsule collection collaboration produced for a quick trip to the bank.
A person could be forgiven for thinking they were watching a garish indoctrination ritual. Logomania took over the catwalk in every color, shape and size, from bags and trunks to leather track suits with prints, suits with square patterns, pixel prints and knee length shorts with jackets.
I am willing to give Pharrell a second chance to reevaluate. Perhaps he will grow into the job. If not, the hit song maker still has his first career as a fallback.
Henrik Möller talks about his restaurant Möller Köttbullar in Berlin and the path to a tasty and transparent food chain.
What is the expression? “Be careful what you wish for.” It might come true. CYPHER could be a cautionary work about modern fame and its downside. Tierra Whack from Philadelphia, found online fame rapping on the streets. Her journey to the top had a fairy-tale angle, a young lady from the wrong side of the tracks goes on to become famous. Director Chris Moukarbel observes the double edge of fame, from the adulation to the cra-cra. As the Cypher unfolds, rooting for the rapper suddenly goes to “Girl, you are in danger!”
Gentrification has hit every urban area in the world. Finding affordable housing in any city is the same as trying to guess seven winning lottery numbers. MOUNTAINS by Monica Sorelle tells the story of a Miami affordable neighborhood being gentrified. Atibon Nazaire stars as Haitian Xavier Sr., a man contemplating a foggy future for him and his family. Atibon strong presence balances subtle performance as a man looking at an oncoming storm.
Not that we needed a film about how strange the world was during Covid and the lockdowns. Brazil’s A STRANGE PATH captures the moment by showing the peculiar monotony of life of doing nothing and waiting with a feeling of fear and seeking out comfort. Lucas Limeira stars as a filmmaker returning home only to be confined to a dingy hotel room during the closures while a dysfunctional relationship with his father goes beyond repair.
Why was I drawn to IT’S BASIC? The political headlines of Dr. Cornel West announcement of his candidacy for president of the United States in 2024. As poverty and inequality grow in America, a desperate populace is looking for new answers. Marc Levin points his camera at subjects weighed down by an unsympathetic system. The “working poor” in the country have been ignored. Cities finding themselves unable to ignore the harsh realities of neo-liberal government policies have come up with new solutions to address the problem of an ever larger underclass: a basic income.
An honorable mention goes to DEEP SEA. China’s ambitious underwater animated adventure from Xiaopeng Tian. I had problems with the fast pacing and lack of sympathetic characters, but the visuals were top-notch.
Canada’s HEY VIKTOR got so silly I started to laugh out loud. Cody Lightning’s comedy about self-serving comeback while making a low or no budget film had moments.
Tribeca Film Festival runs until June 18th.
The 21st Tribeca Film Festival kicked off on June 7th. The New York City cinema gathering spools a mixture of indie and mainstream titles. What I like about this festival is the slick production values of entries or debut directors can have well-known performers.
I do not review Marvel films because Superhero works are review proof and I have nothing to add to the conversation. With that in mind, I was hesitant about viewing David Gelb’s STAN LEE is an extremely pleasant documentary on the visionary comic book creator of Spiderman, Hulk, Thor, Ironman, to name a few. Just to go to a local movie theater, certainly one of his creatures is playing on the big screen.
Putting the hero worshiping aside, the dark side of the film shows a man naive when it came to the business of intellectual property. Secondly, sharing creative credit with colleagues Jack Kirby and Steve Kirby placed a cloud on his some creations. What is the expression, “Success has many Fathers”. Lee’s other talent was his uncanny way of self branding to all the super human characters. Even up to his death in 2018 at 95, Stan made numerous cameos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Shifting to a more series tone, RATHER, or the film on the life of journalist Dan Rather. To a generation, Rather was the epitome of journalism and news. From his stories covering Civil Rights, embedded in Vietnam, White House chief correspondent during the Nixon Years, 60 Minutes and the CBS evening news anchor, the Texas native had embraceable credentials becoming a voice of reference for two generations.
Frank Marshall getting to the root of what makes a great journalist, shaped by many of 20th centuries biggest events. What resonates today is the level of past professional competence along with assurance missing in today’s 24-hour branded news cycle or YouTube commentators.
I have watched other films dealing with climate change and its affects on the impoverished. Utamar from Bolivia and Pepples from India told stories of environmental desperation. This year, BETWEEN THE RAINS from Kenya caught me off guard. I wasn’t looking for but thankfully found this documentary.
Directors Andrew H. Brown and Moses Thuranira document the life of a young sheep shepherd facing deadly conflicts in a world of either prey and predator. Kolei dreams of another life, but is trapped by one of encroaching violence because of a lasting drought. The striking landscape shot by Brown doesn’t disguise a sense of growing unease for the principal characters or the viewers.
Stay tuned for more coverage
Tribeca Film Festival runs until June 18th.
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Cannes Film Festival 2023, a bold red carpet look based on the principles of a circular sustainability. Actress Eugenia Kuzmina graced the Croisette in a dress designed by Mira von der Osten for CRUBA.
Click on the video to find out what made the creation special.
Is this gadget a new way to communicate with life or a gimmick? Spatial computing or Virtual Reality has been the element of sci-fi films. Can Apple make us want to wear headgear indoors? Vision Pro will have built in a tech cult following. The 2D and 3D makes compelling interaction. Conference calls and connected team work may never be the same. The Cupertino California company has thrown in a lot new technology in this experience based gadget, filing over 5000 patents. Retail price $3500.
The down sides of this technology are: 1. Weight 2.Display 3.Fatigue
Edward Enninful, Vogue’s first person of color Editor-in-Chief has moved to another position at the publishing house. It was a sort of a shocking announcement, with the usual “thank you for your support” and other clichéd niceties. The Ghanaian born’s new title is “global creative and cultural advisor” for the publishing house. That is a big title to swallow, imagine on a business card. Starting in 2024 Vogue UK will no longer have an EIC, but an Editor of Content. That means less money, less power, with all final decisions made in the United States.
For some time there has been an open secret of a rift between the Queen of High Fashion Anna Wintour and the British title head. Rumours of cold shoulders were rife, Edward not appearing at Vogue World in New York. Mr. Enninful has been the face of the fashion world’s move to inclusivity. Placing many no so typical faces on the cover. My questions, beyond the bubble hype, did these issues sell? Do readers buy fashion magazines for “activism”? The paradox of wearing a $10,000 dress while screaming a social cause is not exactly the same as Gandhi crisscrossing India demanding liberation from the British Empire.
Parent company Conde Nast has struggled over the digital years. Once fashion’s standard-bearer, today, the glossy pages come across as the faded opulence of your once glorious yet struggling aunt who has not come to terms with modern times. Instagram sets the fashion clock today.
The other hint of tension happened on June 1st when Wintour announced her plan for a London Vogue World event charity benefitting the arts scene. Enninful’s name was conspicuously missing from the announcement, a big slight for the ultimate UK based fashion insider. Even predators on the Serengeti respect each others’ territory, not New York’s Queen of the Magazines.
Edward learned what others knew. Those Prada’s will walk over anyone to stay on top of the rag trade press.
Before Amazon and shopping online, mail order catalogs dominated the long distanced retail landscape. Buyers browsed pages for merchandise before purchasing. Specialty catalogs rose from the advent of targeting certain customers. International Male was one such catalog. The menswear label from INTERNATIONAL MALE launched in 1976 from a beach shack in San Diego. Founder Gene Buckard’s homoerotic masculinity vision of fashion became an instant success. An aspirational fantasy of gorgeous men with a six packs covered the pages.
Writer Peter Jones and directors Byran Darling and Jesse Reed document the story of the rise and fall of a once trend setting catalog. ALL MAN-THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY is fun to watch for the nostalgic feeling of getting a fun piece of mail.
ALL MAN-THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY was screened at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. From Giant Pictures. Running time is 83 mins. Available on digital platforms June 6th.