Two of my favorite shops, now as one. Rad.

UNIQLO x colette Shop-In-Shop
213 Rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris, France

Being an outsider sucks. We sometimes feature products on our site, like kicks, that are available only in Brazil, and we’re definitely guilty for making you salivate and yearn for them. Today we’re psyched to tell you about the launch in mid-May of MOMA’s Brazil Product Collection, a group of 75 Brazilian design goodies not found anywhere else in the U.S. One of the works featured is Estudio Manus, who we introduced here a while ago and has gone on to dizzying success since then. Also in the collection is a sushi bowl by design kings the Campana Brothers, a movable Centipede fruit bowl by Gustavo Engelhardt, Daniel Castelo and Diego Costi and a Dry Erase Wall Clock by Ricardo Saint-Clair (pictured)—MOMA exclusives, so ha, take that, Brazil, you can’t get these products over there. The products will be available super-close: at MOMA Design stores and on MOMA’s site. Which means for now, you don’t need to take an emergency Portuguese class to learn how to say “Can you buy these for me?”

Alex & Chloe: Fork You Necklace: Read JS Review | Buy It ($50)
Because sometime you just can’t say it out loud — especially in the same breath as “Happy Holidays.”

Bumboo Tees: Read JS Review | Buy It ($58 – $68)
Bamboo tees are worth their weight in … oh, that’s right, they don’t weigh anything. Awesome.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac x JC in the Sky with Diamonds Collection: Read JS Review | Buy It
Wearable … nah. But I have no doubt of this collection’s historical and artistic significance, so buy something before it winds up at Christie’s, even if it’s just a minifig.

Reebok Bowery Pop-Up Shop: Read JS Review
You only have until Dec 14th to make it to Reebok’s NYC Pop-Up, but shopping after then sucks a big, fat Santa anyway — and also makes you a slacker. Get thee to the Eighties (eh, 169 Bowery).

Richard Haines Sketches: Read JS Review | Buy It
We didn’t think to ask Richard if this gift was even a possibility (oops), but a stylee friend would love a Haines sketch … or better yet, a sketch of him/herself by Haines.

Saint Augustine Academy Reverence Tee: Read JS Review | Buy It ($75)
Look close enough at this tee and you’ll find God. And you thought it was just fashion.

Atmos x K-Swiss: Read JS Review | Buy It
You have to hand it to K-Swiss, the often forgotten brand is being “reborn” and what better way to make a mark than to collaborate with Japanese powerhouse Atmos? Great attention to detail and subtle but distinctive colorways make these kicks a sure bet.

Ospop Shoes: Read JS Review | Buy It ($76)
I know they didn’t originate it but for me the whole clothing with a story concept started with Trovata. Since then, brands like Ospop have put their own spin on things. These shoes are modeled after the same ones used by Chinese blue-collar workers. Needless to say they are updated for durability and comfort. Check them out!

Gram Designs Shoes: Read JS Review | Buy It ($122)
Hailing from Sweden, Gram shoes has been a perennial SuFu (Superfuture) favorite. The interesting materials, most notably waxed cotton, give the shoes a uniqueness and sense of character, not unlike raw denim.

JackThreads: Read JS Review | Buy It
If you’re still wandering up and down the aisles at Macy’s like someone in home furnishings lobotomized you, try JackThreads. If you still can’t find a decent fashion statement, we throw our hands up. Or just throw up. Or both.

Richard Haines is designerman, a fashion designer and blogger whose sketches of NYC style cause as many double takes as the people who inspire them. A brightly talented illustrator with a taste for the streets, Richard strolls New York City with pencils in hand, discovering the trends of today and tomorrow in a way all his own.

After a few embarrassingly emotional fashion experiences on What I Saw Today, Richard's aforementioned, personality-packed blog, we decided that a first hand chat was in order. Read on as we talk style, substance, and the visual ways of keeping those words together.

READ MORE…

It’s easier to dress all of your male friends in Saint Augustine Academy when you have the entire collection in front of you– which is exactly what I would be doing if I were in Sydney, where the accelerating line of edgy men’s apparel has opened it’s first store.

Located in Surry Hill’s, SAA’s new space takes a minimalistic approach to displaying their line of bravely designed and beautifully tailored pieces, staying true to designers Adrian and Alvin’s musically-inclined vision. The mellow palate of this season’s collection, Happy Endings, looks quite at home against the black, white and metal of the flagship – as would I, I imagine, as I slather my man friends in the kind of gear normally reserved for more professional panty-droppers (oopsie, did I say that out loud?).

On my end, it has been exciting to watch this ballsy AU label grow as it has been spotting their work on an increasing number of serious-as-shit rockers, but a flagship store– well, that’s a whole new level of awesomeness. Congrats, boys!

I was browsing around the site reflecting on how far we’ve come and couldn’t help but notice the wealth of inspiration and content we’ve got in the SpearTalks archives. So, I figured I’d round them all up for easy consumption. Whether you like fashion, technology, art, or just about anything else– with nearly 40 incredible interviews, there’s something for everyone thanks to our very own Carmel Hagen. Go, dive in, it’s just a click away.

Very few people across the globe would confuse George W. Bush and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair with saints. Most can’t wait to see George W’s reign expire come January and are glad that Tony has been out of office for quite some time now. Filmmaker Mato Atom happens to be one of those folks who won’t fondly remember the Bush-Blair era as “the good ol’ days.” His online animated film Champions (Remembering the New World Order) is a look back at the dark climate these two world leaders created, using soccer as a metaphor to exhibit lack of respect for international convention and their propensity for not playing fair. While the film may be a little heavy handed in its political message, there’s disturbing beauty (and more than a little irony) in the instrumental version of “We Are The Champions” by Henning Lohner. No matter your politics, this film is definitely worth a look.

Wallpaper…it’s pretty much always on display. However, not all wallpaper on display is as eye catching as that which currently gracing the walls of the ground floor at colette. The Paris retail store has the honor of hosting an exhibition of Pottok wallpaper by famed designer Geoff McFetridge. The exhibition is made up of several of the artist’s prints and patterns created with water-based inks and recyclable paper on some serious hand made silk-screens. If you just so happen to find yourself strolling down the rue Saint-Honoré we recommend checking it out.

Via SlamXHype

The Saint Petersburg, Russia design team Indeepop demonstrates their expertise in character design with their Japanese Moleskine Project. The team presents a unique set of characters, meticulously and continuously illustrated from cover to cover in a traditional Moleskine notebook. Indeepop is a truly diverse team that has ventured as far as custom Converse shoes and toy design, and their Moleskine project emphasizes just how imaginative they are.

Each week, JoshSpear.com explores the latest projects by top creative professionals in the Behance Network and highlights a few that are pushing the edge of the creative industry. Josh also serves as an Advisor and Guest Curator for Behance.

Argentine designer Tomas Garcia must be a jokester. His packed online portfolio says the work displayed within is by him and his dog, a white, furry little thing that looks like it yaps a lot. We don’t know who does the leading, but it’s a great collaboration anyway. The funny creatures they’ve invented to be the stuff of concepts should be used somewhere because they’re too good to waste, but a few smart clients like MTV and Dodge have at the very least tapped them to help strengthen their identities with his color-friendly designs, and there was a month specially given to the duo for Shift’s 2007 calendar. On a grander scale, Garcia is one of the directors of Buenos Aires motion graphics studio Pepper Melon, which as far I can tell, his four-legged best friend is not a part of — he’s probably out fetching his own clients.

We figured the boys at Saint Augustine Academy would want some rockstar stuff to match their party pants, and Alvin and Adrian didn’t disappoint. Cars, world travel, and a little bit of supercalifragilisticexpialidociousness compose the wishlist of two of our favorite fashionistos.

Alvin: A vintage, wood-set record player
A ‘67 T-bird convertible/’67 Mustang Fastback (in mustard yellow)
A ticket to V Festival to see Jesus and Mary Chain.

Adrian: A new Blackberry, because mine got stolen! (Carmel says: Karma’s gonna get you, you dirty pirate.)
A trip to New York (Heather says: Oooh, do it! I need more fellow Aussies to get into trouble with.)
Mary Poppins on DVD, so I can listen to my favourite song over and over.

When we did an interview with Sydney’s Saint Augustine Academy, we could only show you a tiny little bit of Norman and the Starmaker (i.e; Alvin and Adrian’s Fall collection). Well, it’s about that time (freaking finally) where you can check out the entire line-up at on St. Augustine’s newly stargaze-y site, but beware; the rocker-inspired clothing line has never been for the faint of heart — so if something like coattails makes you squeamish, you’d do better to stick to your local Nordstrom men’s department. On the other hand, if you’re the type who has to fight your girlfriend over who gets to wear the black skinny pants, then Saint Augustine’s Academy is for you, and you should head on over. Tobi already has a few of the newbies up for grabs — even though, sweet Jesus, they did lay an awful lot of black eyeliner on their male model — so if you’re hunting without wanting to throw down on shipping, go there first.

Gelato’s natural enticements aren’t enough for gelateria Bravo Gelato. Instead of acknowledging the creamy favorite’s already irresistible nature, the Italian-owned company has gone and made the dessert even more impossible to resist. Their Bambinos are bite-sized versions of the delicious cones you can find at your neighborhood gelateria, however, a few things do separate the miniatures from the variants you’ve grown accustomed to: 1. The contents of the Bambino’s may be of a caliber you’d only dreamed of existing (as Bravo Gelato is known for their perfecting standards and heavenly deliciousness); 2. The cones are also made in house, a factor that contributes to the final product’s overall freshness; and 3. Each baby gelato is dipped in chocolate to finish (there; if you didn’t already want one, that should do it).

Here’s the kicker: Bravo Gelato is based in Australia, and like so much else from that lovely country, Bambino’s can be hard to get a hold of in the US. However, once a week, the company does offer Aussies a chance to swoop up some fresh gelato straight from the factory, which leads me to believe that there may be an opportunity for some email groveling/dry-ice shipping. I could be dead wrong about that (and if I am, sorry), but if you’re willing to take a shot, you can email Bravo Gelato here. Happy hunting!

An intro to an interview shouldn’t take too long to write, particularly when the subject of the interview is something as exciting as Saint Augustine Academy, a buzzy men’s fashion label out of Australia that’s as hard-rocking as it is hard to find. The problem I’m having is this: I thought it wise to ask Alvin and Adrian, the two nicely-coiffed heads behind Saint Augustine Academy, to make JS Readers a mixtape to party down to after reading about their latest collection. Then, I decided it would be brilliant to listen to it as I wrote, to “get in the mood.” Yeah, I’m in the mood….for a whiskey-soaked rock-fest.

Anyway, since we started watching Saint Augustine Academy about a year ago, their edgy get-ups have slowly been creeping through the pages of Aussie publications like Black and Camarilla- and even the U.S.’s very own metro.pop. Last season, a few forward-thinking distributors (like tobi and Patricia Field) brought more of the label to American soil, and soon it may take even less effort to get some Saint Augustine Academy in your closet, as Adrian and Alvin are working hard on delivering more of their awesomeness stateside.

JS got the chance to ask the boys a few questions about their upcoming summer collection, “Norman and the Starmaker,” and wound up with one of the most entertaining interviews we’d had thus far. Read on for an exclusive look at Saint Augustine’s latest and to unleash your inner Ray Davies. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a concert to attend.

JoshSpear.com: In your recent interview with Fashion Scoop, You described Saint Augustine Academy as “alter-ego clothing…for the average guy.” What else can you tell us about the kind of guy you see as a Saint Augustine Academy poster child?

The Saint Augustine Academy guy has a multiple personality disorder. He’s like Thin White Duke by day and Ziggy Stardust by night. READ MORE…

The centerpiece of this summer’s “Art of Play” in Chicago, “Niki in the Garden” exhibits over 30 fanciful sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle at The Garfield Park Conservatory. Internationally renowned for her interpretation of the female form in her Nanas sculptures, her works at the Conservatory include mythical creatures, figures from pop culture, and even a certain former player for the Chicago Bulls. Rather than view her works at arms-length, visitors will be encouraged to sit and climb on the sculptures. The Conservatory is well worth a visit on a nice weekend during the summer, and a public exhibition nicely reinforces the community emphasis at Garfield Park. A few years ago, the Dale Chihuly exhibition at The Conservatory was well executed, and it is great to see Chicago continue to develop accessible cultural resources.