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This is a track we found out about because of a nice follower on our twitter feed. Panama is a quintet from Sydney, and their track, “Magic,” is great. But then, Midnight Magic steps in with a remix for double magic powers. Our minds are blown.
Fall/Winter is pretty dark. I’m not only referring to the weather and lack of daylight, but also to the Fall/Winter wardrobe. You have to admit that black, grey, dark blue and brown are the dominant colors – at least if you are not Bryanboy or do not work in the fashion industry. Don’t get me wrong – there’s no harm in owning lots of basics in the colors stated above, but with spring around the corner you should seriously think about pop colors as an option to light up the darkness in your closet. So here are two popping items from the HUGO Spring 2012 menswear collection.
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All we could think of when we heard the name of this track – “Chip Munk Bronx” – was Alvin and the Chipmunks doing covers of old-school hip-hop. But that is definitely NOT what we’re serving up in this free download. Rubinskee‘s nod to the Bronx is through old-school electro sounds coaxed out of 808s and synthesizers. We’re still not sure why he chose to use the word “Chip Munk” in the title, but who cares? We’re into it.
It’s been a couple of weeks since the whirlwind tour of Milan and Paris for the bi-annual menswear shows, and even though all of the spring collections have yet to arrive in shops I’m already thinking about shopping the autumn/winter 2012 runways… (Maybe it’s not such a bad idea actually, what with the sub-zero temperatures currently gripping Europe.) Some of the key trends I jotted down in my notebook during the shows were extreme layering, statement jumpers with quirky animal motifs (foxes, dinosaurs or fish – take your pick!) and lots of Victorian dandy formalwear – think Gary Oldman in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. The hot topics of conversation? British newcomer model Jake Shortall, whose short red hair and striking features lit up runways all over town, and the new trend for soundtracks that featured people speaking rather than singing. Coming soon to an iPod near you!
Image courtesy of Damien Neva.
There is nothing quite so epic as a campaign shoot, and the HUGO Spring 2012 campaign has definitely gone down in my books as one of the best ever, thanks to our amazing campaign girl, the effortlessly cool Miss Freja Beha Erichsen. (I’m extra biased on how gorgeous Freja is since she’s Danish like me!) Freja was on top form on the day of our shoot, cracking jokes and entertaining everyone with her very Danish sense of humour, and I think that really comes across in the cool yet playful images. One of my favourite looks from the campaign is Freja in the black and white dress with the plunging v-shaped neckline and razor-sharp shoulders. Graphic and almost futuristic in its slickness, it’s such a key piece from the collection – inspired by the Empire State Building in New York, where HUGO’s creative director Eyan Allen has recently moved.
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Pat Grossi is the man behind Active Child, a now more-than-two-year-old musical project that pits his choir boy vocals against electronic sounds. Of course entering into the world of electronic music has brought remixes, something we can all be happy about, as it’s given rise to this White Arrows rework of “Johnny Belinda.” The original is atmospheric and broad, and though White Arrows has left many of these elements intact, he’s added a half-time beat that makes the track surge.
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We’ve got a free download for you today from a new EP on NM2, a new sister-label to Noir Music. The track is a remix of the relatively new Italian producer, Toky, by Hot Since 82. Hot Since 82′s version starts with ambient sounds of the ocean but quickly chugs into deep house territory, bolstering the vocals of the original with heavy synth bass and insistent kick drums.
HUGO’s show in Berlin on January 19th was a bit like going to heaven, in every sense – not just because of the clothes. The show location resembled what I’d imagine checking in to heaven would look like: the models appeared from a brightly lit ‘door’ onto a glossy catwalk, set beneath sky-high ceilings supported by white columns. Very chic and futuristic. The day started off pretty heavenly too, as we popped by Julianne Moore’s hotel room in the morning for a quick fitting. (Yes, my job rocks.) Moore of course looked stunning in everything, and we decided on a sleek black suit and a crisp white shirt.
When we arrived backstage, things were not quite as calm and serene as Moore’s hotel suite – around lunchtime, the seamstresses were still putting the final touches to all the looks, which meant the clothes didn’t actually arrive until twenty minutes before the show. Panic! But hey, what’s a show without a bit of an adrenaline rush? Thankfully, everything went perfect, although we did have to make one adjustment: originally, über-model Karlie Kloss was meant to close the show, but we swapped her with Danish newcomer Josefine Nielsen. The reason? The stripy floor-length dress looked like a below-the-knee frock on the super tall Karlie.
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We’re getting deep today with HUGO Tracks. This Jack to Front dub of Freak Seven’s “We Bring The Music” brings a little black magic to the original. It’s like a soul-tinged Matthew Dear track.
Spotted at the HUGO BOSS Berlinale Party: German actress Nora Tschirner and MTV’s presenter Palina Rojinski working this spring’s number one trend: Big bold stripes! I’m totally digging this chipmunk look from the HUGO Spring 2012 collection. So what are you waiting for, ladies?! To earn your fashion stripes this spring shelve those understated Breton stripes and go as bold as you can bear!
