Big Hug Studio

28.8.11

Weekend Links

Tim Cook, Apple CEO, Auburn University Commencement Speech 2010 (Fast Company)

Morocco taps benefits of Barbary fig oil (Independent)

Hold the steak: vegetarian recipes (Guardian)

Fashion's Better Halves (Wall Street Journal)

Art and Fashion in Dasha Zhukova's Garage (NYT)

Burning Bright: 9 Mexican salsas (Saveur)

Arming Assad (Foreign Affairs)

What China Wants (Foreign Affairs)

Deciding on a book, and How to Read It (NYT)

Anatomy of a Meltdown (New Yorker)

The symbolism of sweat pants (Financial Times)

Making their own way in the world (Financial Times)

Books about Joseph Heller (NYT)

Paris smartphone apps (David Lebovitz)

24.8.11

The Art of Buying Art Online: ArtStar

There is something to admire and appreciate about websites that do all the work for you and Artstar is just one of those sites. Even if you already have a good eye for art, you most likely do not have the time to go searching through the countless number of names and galleries that exist to find the ones you want. Luckily, Artstar's curators do all the work for you. Their team of specialists are highly skilled and erudite in different fields of art, and bring together a wealth of experience. Most importantly, these behind-the-scenes art makers know how pick artists with something clever and beautiful to offer. And much like 20x200, Artstar offers prints and originals at affordable prices (with prices for prints starting from $25 to $450). Here are just a few of my favourites.

1. Michael Schall

2. Firelei Baez

3. Liu Jin

4. Han Bing

5. Meena Hasan

6. Christina Dixcy

7. Zaria Forman

8. Tian Taiquan

23.8.11

The Smart Girl's Guide to Prada...

I spotted this great look in the street style section of NY Magazine this week and I was convinced it was Prada. It had to be; I had seen the trend everywhere. And who else could be credited with starting this colourful stripe trend, so simple in execution that it's hard to believe it could fetch such exhorbitant prices? Well, it turns out, many others. But I suppose Miuccia Prada can only be flattered, for her ability to create something innovative each season, is always deliberately imitated. And you can't blame anyone for trying to emulate her. After seeing this look below from fashion blogger Delmy of Fashion Bananas I wanted that same skirt for myself. Now, if only Asos still had some left.

7.8.11

Weekend Links

My Bunny Junior

Art: James Turrell (Interview Magazine)

The Danish Sandwich: Reloaded (Wall Street Journal)

A Wish of E-Shoppers is Now in China (Wall Street Journal)

Grilled Chicken with Za'atar (Bon Appetit)

How Can Jeans Cost $300? (Wall Street Journal)

Russian Artist Mock Putin (Daily Beast)

Vietnam: Acquiring a Taste for the Spice of Life (Wall Street Journal)

A Graffiti Artist Shows a New Side (Wall Street Journal)

A Brazilian's Comic Mania: Social Media (NYT)

Can this woman change the world? (The Telegraph)

The Rules of the Tunnel (NYT)

Baked Tomatoes with Baguette (The Guardian)

The Kid by Sapphire (NYT)

For New Yorker on iPad: Words Are the Thing (NYT)

Storm Clouds Gather over Piers Morgan (The Guardian)

Bringing Comfort Food to Print Fans (NYT)

The Man Who Made a Nation Cry (The Guardian)

The Physioloty of (Over)-Sharing (The Atlantic)

One Ingredient, Many Ways: Honey (Saveur)

Ten Essential Books on Typography (The Atlantic)

21.7.11

The Light Touch of Yves Saint Laurent

I don't really have a favourite designer; seasons come and go and so do trends, some of which I am not always fond of. But I have always had a soft spot for Yves Saint Laurent, even typing out the name and seeing it on screen somehow looks beautiful to me. That's why I really miss the time when Tom Ford was designing for the house; he did such an incredible job. To this day, those had to be my all-time favourite collections. But the aesthetic is still there; YSL accessories are classic and chic but with enough of that French detailing and sophistication that you have come to expect from this brand. I only wish they could make a purse somewhere along the lines of this YSL cuff available from Netaporter below. I think the gold would work so well with the textured black python.

9.7.11

Today I Will Zap the Bad Things Print

I dropped my laptop yesterday and it now seems to be approaching a slow and painful death. The screen is blank and there is a strange sound coming out of it as though something were spinning inside. It's too early to tell whether I can fix it and recover all that was lost but all I can say is that I need a little positivity in my life today. So, please enjoy this beautiful and encouraging print from Corduroy.

3.7.11

Weekend Links

Centre Pompidou

The Facts about Fracking (WSJ)

We Made it Ourselves...and the art of making condiments (NYT)

A Blog is Born: The Food Life (NYT)

Creative Writing Rules for Some Judges (WSJ)

Design Magazines Going Under (Monocle)

A Note on Chloë Sevigny (NYT)

Where to Eat in Berlin (WSJ)

Xu Bing at the Morgan Library (WSJ)

New Factory for Louis Vuitton (WSJ)

Brands Create Media Outlets Online, Bypassing Magazines (NYT)

Buying Art You Can't Take Home (Newsweek)

How Commercial Content is Changing Editorial (Business of Fashion)

AHALife Brings Sense of Discovery to Online Shopping (NYT)

The Best of Art Basel (Daily Beast)

27.6.11

The Art of Buying Art Online: Etsy

The best thing about Etsy is that anyone can place a listing; it's also the worst thing about it. The website, which is devoted to all things handmade and vintage, is so saturated that you could literally spend a lifetime going through all of its listings. The search can be exasperating as a result, but in the end it is well worth the effort. You'll find things on Etsy that you won't find anywhere else on the web and often at great prices. It's a good idea to check the main page frequently as handpicked items are regularly showcased in the form of treasury lists. When it comes to art and photography there is an endless stream of possibilities just a click away. And you can always advance your search by selecting the medium, subject matter or technique you are interested in. When you become a member of Etsy you can also start to create your own favourite lists which will be automatically saved in your account for future reference. To date, I have a countless number of items stored in my favourites’ folder and it was difficult selecting just a few for this post today but here are some that I wanted to share with you.

1. Jen Ray for Corduroy

2. Carl Christensen for Bucks County Frames

3. Claure Jauregui

4. JKL Design

5. Elgar Boat

6. Labokoff

7. Linda Monfort

8. Christiana Romeo

9. Roz Art

10. Ryan Coleman

11. Rebecca Plotnick

12. Ballet Art

13. Melanie Furtado

14. Lucile Prache

15. Olivia Jeffries for Restless Things

16. Hadley Hutton

17. Nina Moscrip for Art Quirk

18. Studio Marlene

19. Yann Pendaries

20. Tine Eelman

14.6.11

The Art of Buying Art Online: 20x200

Using the motto, Art for Everyone, 20x200 aims to make digital art prints the first step in acquiring an art collection. Jen Bekman the owner and creator behind this online art gallery hopes that buyers will become interested in original artwork as a result of 20x200. "Art doesn't have to be expensive to be good" are some of the words you'll notice while visiting the site and when you browse through the long list of artists (200+) you'll know you're in the right place for buying high quality art at an affordable price. While some may take issue with digital prints of original art the reality remains that many art lovers simply cannot afford expensive originals. 20x200 corrects that problem by making limited edition prints available in various sizes all of them starting at $20 each. All prints are exclusive to the gallery and are signed and dated by the artist. Profits are split 50/50 between the artist and 20x200 and upon request, some originals may be available for sale. After sifting through the entire inventory I found these to be my favourites:

1. Bob O'Connor