Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Monday, August 3, 2009
Re: Sneakers
Many of you may remember my talk on sneaker trends and the democratization of footwear this past spring. In it I suggested that the lines between dress shoe and sneaker will continue to blur. I also wondered if sneaker companies would capitalize on this trend as much as actual stylish clothing brands. Other than the Nike Cole Haan partnership (which doesn't really count) or brands like Puma (which still remain largely casual), we aren't really seeing brands like Adidas spiffing up their shoes to create comfortable hybrid dress shoes and I wonder why that is.
It seems like the H&M or Zara type places that sell casual footwear are the ones that are winning out. Specialty brands like Marc Jacobs, Swear, and Schmoove have also capitalized on this concept of creating sneaker like dress shoes. Does this mean that streetwear is going to swing back away from the cool of casual sneakers and back toward something "nicer?" Is this what the new oxford trend is telling us? Your guess is as good as mine.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Hot Sneaker Brand
I never was one for combing my hair or dolling up my physical appearance but when I saw my first boutique sneaker shop I fell in love with fashion and style. For the first time I had entered a store that customized its products exactly to my lifestyle and shopping was revolutionized. Buying a product felt like buying an extension of my identity and that felt nice.
In a world where nearly anything can be customized I think the demand for buying products that feel like an extension of who we are will become increasingly important. People want to customize exactly what feeds they receive through RSS and customized clothing made by tailors is a growing business. As a result, I think boutiques will grow in popularity. Of course these places won't replace Wal Mart or Macy's, but the marketplace for boutiques like the ones pictured below will grow.
That being said, I recently found a one of a kind sneaker brand called Creative Recreation. I fell in love with a shoe and can't seem to find it anywhere. So if you can find a place where I can buy a pair of size 7.5 Creative Recreation Cesario Lo Platinums in black and gold like the item pictured below I will pay you ten of my own hard earned dollars. The shoes can't be inordinately priced ($120 is the most expensive I've ever seen them even though they're out of stock) and I have to be able to ship them to my home in the United States for a reasonable cost. I'll pay you via PayPal, cash, or whatever. Just call me or send me an email at Lproctor@student.umass.edu
Saturday, January 19, 2008
This Is Your Brain On Music
Theoretically the pitch of sound doesn't exist unless it's heard. So that tree that fell over in a distant forest; it didn't make a sound. And the chocolate cheesecake chilling in your refrigerator; that doesn't taste like anything. The dessert sitting in the fridge only holds the potential for taste. At least that's what Daniel J. Levitin says in the first chapter of This is Your Brain on Music. My parents gave me the book this past holiday and although I'm only reading it for the first time, when I'm done with this I'm sure I'll have digested every sentence in the book at least three times.
Thought provoking and unlike any book I've ever read, I'm finding myself obsessed with his scientific breakdown of our human obsession with music. I'm sure I'll continue to discuss some of the topics Levitin covers as I progress, but for now I'd like to list some of my favorite topics so far.
1. Music was initially all inclusive, meaning the creator and observer of music were one in the same. Everyone danced and beat drums in tribal rituals. Now we're different. Our pop rock society dominates and the line between music makers and spectators is more polarized than ever before. Will the gap continue to widen or will it close in the future? I think it will close, at least to a certain extent. Our society won't let go of concerts and that type of thing, but with the leveling advent of the internet anyone can create and digitally release an EP. Also, think Guitar Hero. Maybe people will always download music for free, but they're willing to spend $90 on Guitar Hero III. And for a youth consumed with virtual interaction, I see games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band playing a large role in social interactions. Play the drums with the Red Hot Chili Peppers or rap alongside Lil' Wayne's newest release. Maybe this is the new way of consuming music, and if so what better way for the industry to make profits than to allow Wii users to connect to the internet and download the play-along version of Mary J. Blige's new single? This particular (highly rudimentary and thinking aloud) type of musing may be flawed, but this is the type of jointed music experience I'm predicting might fix the music industry.
2. Pitch can be mapped on the brain. Different areas of the brain respond to different pitches, and the neurons in our auditory cortex fire at the precise frequency of the pitch of a pure tone being played. We don't do this visually, but musically, we do.
3. People (well most people) can naturally extract the beat from a song and tap their feet or snap their fingers to a beat. This type of meter extraction is impossible for most computers, but it's inherent in humans. Does this suggest that we're naturally tied to music? This is the type of wonder This Is Your Brain On Music induces.
Relative to this post, today's musical gem is the UK's BrakesBrakesBrakes. Their beat heavy rock blurs the line between catchy pop songs and dance music. Check out the bouncy "All Night Disco Party" and the surprising "Beatific Visions" video below.
"Beatific Visions" reminds me of some early OK Go and the cutesy side of Fountains of Wayne. Watch, and you'll see that "existence exists."
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