the function key

Dearest J. Brand,

I think I’m in love. I bought a pair of your Skinny Low-Rise Jean in Ink on Sunday. It is now Wednesday, and I have yet to remove them from my body.  Oh, and just in case you have an extra pair laying around, collecting dust, I’d be more than happy to take them off your hands!

XO,  the function key

For those readers who don’t own a pair, go out and buy some today, you won’t regret it.

It’s no secret that painting a subway line is the ultimate goal for most graffiti writers, and this is true worldwide. In fact, the “clean train” movement (named for the act of painting trains that are typically kept pristine) has exploded across Europe over the past several years, in countries like Poland, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, etc., and the access to European systems attracts travelling graffiti writers from all over.

Some transit systems do very little to stop graffiti writers, while others go to extremes, even shooting at vandals with pellet guns. In Sweden, they have come up with a new tactic, borrowing from the writers themselves: the conductors are allowed to carry their own paint (typically yellow) with them, and paint (read: scribble) over any graffiti they find on their cars!

Below, a conductor gets loose with it, followed by two examples of the “improved” cars:

Seems reasonable.

If you didn’t get a chance to read the Metro yesterday, then you missed the mention of the function key! Very exciting!

Finnish textile design company Marimekko, known for its bold prints and geometrically informed patterns, has been around since 1951. In its heyday of the 60s and 70s, clients could purchase material at local stores and create one-of-a-kind, statement-making pieces — I imagine sewing a long sun dress and pairing it with some sunjuns and a floppy straw hat, creating the perfect summer attire. That was the past.

Over the next 20 or so years, somewhere between Reagonomics and the Gulf War, Marimekko faded from the limelight and into niche-culture obscurity — its founder died in 1985 and shortly thereafter the company was considering bankruptcy. But it didn’t mean that Marimekko had shutdown shop; it was still producing unique textiles that were being used around the world.

With the dawn of the Internet age and a new owner at the helm, Marimekko stuck it out and has had quite a rebirth since the tumultuous 1980s. The launch of its Web site allowed customers to preview fabrics and other products online and then search locally for retailers, once again connecting the classic Finnish company with the community and bringing us to the present, where Marimekko has come full circle.

In a much deserved and long-awaited fashion industry nod, you can now add Marimekko to the exhaustive trend of “this designer for [insert retailer here].” It has joined forces with both H&M and Manolo Blahnik (in the same season no less!) to create limited edition designs. And I find it quite amusing that the same fabric that five year’s ago adorned my dorm-mate’s duvet is now covering the limited edition Manolo Blahnik heels. It’s a genious move on Marimekko’s part: “If you thought you got compliments on your bed set, imagine the nods you’ll get now that you’re wearing it on your feet!” It’s a subtle jab (although I’m sure unintentional) at the shoppers who are suckers enough to buy the limited edition shoe, selling for upwards of $580 — the duvet cover was significantly cheaper. But I’m ecstatic for Marimekko, really. Credit is surely due.

Unfortunately, the uninformed shopper ruined my peaked interest in the Marimekko for H&M line. Two weeks ago as I stood waiting for my friend at the cash-wrap, I watched the fashion lemmings paw through the Marimekko merchandise. I listened to their “Oh this is sooo cute” coos and held back my urge to school them on what they were about to buy. Witnessing this fashion frenzy, complete with horrible mispronunciations of “Marimekko,” confirmed that the “X for Y” limited edition equation will always draw a crowd, even if it is (and yes, it usually is) an uninformed crowd of fashion lemmings.

Consider this a wry homage to still-life drawing and/or painting. Instead of fumbling around the house for an object, this fruit bowl stands at the ready, just waiting for your inner artist to take advantage of its convenience. Check it out at Matter.

A little plug I found for my favorite “tremendously obnoxious” crew of NYC troublemakers.

A colored pencil fence, who would have thought?

Found at Monster-Munch.

In addition to his photography of handmade collages of 2D imagery and 3D objects on a large-format camera, Stuart Haygarth constructs lighting fixtures from found objects. Taking an object and reconstructing it into a new object gives the viewer a new perspective on the multiple lives of a single product.

The Millennium Chandelier is constructed from 1,000 used party poppers, discarded after the Millennium celebrations in London. Each row is suspended on a line from the previous row, and the light source is a 60W incandescent bulb. The chandelier was produced in a limited edition of 20 and is also available in all-black party poppers.

This chandelier, constructed from 1,020 pairs of prescription eye glasses strung together in tiers, produces the same effect as a mirrored-ball when the light refracts through several layers of lenses. Spectacle, produced in a limited edition of 20 pieces, is available for purchase from the artist.

I caught a glimpse of this guy on the news last night and again today on my way to work — he’s an alligator snapping turtle and the newest member of The New England Aquarium’s aquatic family. Seems normal enough, but it’s how he spent his first life that amazed me — Fluffy’s previous owner, who happened to be a drug dealer, used him to guard his stash. When did guns, dogs, and safes go out of style?

Thanks to AG over at Fashionista for suggesting this ingenious and yes, extravagant apple-toting Hermès purse as a solution to preserving my fruit. Shaped like the fruit of its loins, this lambskin purse lined in stainless steel will protect your apple (I’m sure I could finagle a pear in there somehow) until you’re ready to snack. It also comes equipped with a knife — watch out would-be thieves!