David Lynch does a Gucci ad, and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” has never sounded creepier.
Plus, check out the spectacular nipple-y light fixtures!

The Japanese streetwear company Uniqlo is throwing a party tonight at the Ace Hotel. Wanna go? Follow instructions!:

RSVP at pdxjapan@acehotel.com Title the email ‘Art of Travel Guestlist’ and add your names to get entrance! There’s free booze and snacks, it will be so great. Lots of super cute Japanistas are flying in for this event, so come represent.

More about the exhibit/party:
In celebration of the recent collaboration between the ACE Hotel and
UNIQLO in Japan, the ACE is hosting a VIP Party for the kick off of
the “Art of Travel” gallery show in the hotel’s event space on the
corner of 10th and Stark in downtown Portland.

It’s this Friday September 28th, 9:30pm-late! Come check out original
pieces for sale by Amy Ruppel, Justin “Scrappers” Morrison, Evan B
Harris, Shawn Wolfe, David Kaul, Brent Wick, Jeremy Pelley, Philip
Iosca, Sarah Gottesdiener, Liza Rietz and Storm Tharp.

Music by Kanda, the CHROMATICS, and lovely miss Beyonda.
Photos by Rhys (Cute Alert!)!

Just make sure you email pdxjapan@acehotel.com to RSVP so you can come
in and party.

If you need a place to get your afterparty on, call up the Ace Hotel
Portland, mention UNIQLO And get a 10% discount on your room.

P.S. If you can’t make the party the exhibition runs from Sept. 29-Oct
2, 11am-7pm

Save the date for First Friday Art Quest in the Sellwood/West Moreland hood on October 5th, where Greenloop is hosting a trunk show for Lucina. As ever, Greenloop selected the line for its mix of style and social consciousness, its claim to which is presented thusly:

Lucina brings together the craftsmanship of artisans in developing countries and the talents of American designers to create magnificent jewelry. Lucina’s designers use the handcrafted materials, sourced through fair trade importers, to create beautiful accessories that carry poignant stories of resiliency, hope and opportunity from around the world.

Peep some of the results, and if you like what you see, pay a visit to the Greenloop store at 8005 SE 13th Ave between 6 and 9 pm next Friday.

Ok, so it’s not raining right now, but it’s coming and we can’t deny it. Here’s a fun, easy, and cheap project to try while you are sitting at home this weekend adjusting to what the next 9 months have in store for us.

Guitar Strap Revamp:

Materials needed:
A solid color nylon guitar strap (under $5 at Guitar Center)
2” wide lace in any color (check out the outdoor sale at Fabric Depot)

Instructions:
1. Lengthen the strap as far out as it will go
2. Measure the lace to that length and add 1”, CUT
3. Fold in the ends of the lace (1/2” at each end) and pin the lace to the strap
4. Using your *best* straight stitch, stitch around all edges of the lace attaching it to the strap.
5. Adjust strap to your length and attach to your guitar or bass
6. Perform Dolly Parton songs for your friends and family

That’s it!!

It’s a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll.
Check out detail shots after the jump.

Front:

Back:

Frocky Jack Morgan, the work of Julia Barbee, is about to move into new digs. Flutter (3948 N Mississippi), the delightfully cluttered shop of whats-its, is subletting a corner of the shop to Barbee beginning on Halloween. Expect a grand opening party on November 8th. I think the store and the line will complement each other wonderfully, with Barbee’s eye for reams of embellishment meshing with the store’s piled bounty.

From the Huffington Post…

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Nike on Tuesday unveiled what it said is the first shoe designed specifically for American Indians, an effort aiming at promoting physical fitness in a population with high obesity rates.

Wait… WHAT?!?

The Beaverton-based company says the Air Native N7 is designed with a larger fit for the distinct foot shape of American Indians, and has a culturally specific look. It will be distributed solely to American Indians…

Wait… WHAT??

Nike said it is the first time it has designed a shoe for a specific race or ethnicity… Nike designers and researchers looked at the feet of more than 200 people from more than 70 tribes nationwide and found that in general, American Indians have a much wider and taller foot than the average shoe accommodates.

Sure that sounds reasona… wait. WHAT???

The design features several “heritage callouts” as one product manager described it, including sunrise to sunset to sunrise patterns on the tongue and heel of the shoe. Feather designs adorn the inside and stars are on the sole to represent the night sky.

Okay, so when is Nike coming out with the “Air Westward Expansion,” decorated with rifles and small pox blankets?

Someone recently said there should be a The Price is Right just for clothing and shoes (and accessories), and I’d love to be a part of that. If anyone knows anything about starting up a TV show, let me know. In the meantime, the actual The Price is Right is apparently now hosted by Drew Carey. I don’t actually watch TV (unless you count YouTube—do you need to watch TV to start a TV show?), so that’s kind of a big WTF to me. But! Those of you who do watch and love TV should check out this new (and improved?) version of the show, debuting Monday, October 15 at 10 am on CBS, and keep your eyes peeled for Crazy Coconut wallpapers, designed by M.O.D.’s own Amy Rosko, along with her partner Mike Estes. According to Amy, they ordered three styles:

It’s unclear what they’ll use them for, but it’s safe to assume they’ll be on a wall. Behind a lovely set of china perhaps?

Tonight’s Etsy marketing event at Trillium Artisans is now sold out.

The event will include a seminar by Ryan McAbery of Littleput Books, (“How to Promote Yourself on Etsy - Tips, Tricks, and Secrets from a Successful Etsy Seller”), as well as a chance to mingle with other local sellers, artisans, and members of the PDXEtsy Street Team.

Trillium Artisans may host this seminar again due to the popular demand. If you are interested, please contact Christine at christine@trilliumartisans.org.

There are many things I like about Portland designer Adam Arnold, not the least of which is his continual citations of the most unexpected influences in his designs. This has ranged from Esperanto to movies featuring characters with shaved heads in the past. His Fall line debuts this Friday—an intimate, invite-only affair—and check his primary inspiration for the season:

Expect to see garments painstakingly pieced together out of tiny geometric shapes, and the usual high standard of quality.

Why do black Americans continue to boycott L.L. Bean? Perhaps the answer lies in this hilarious report from THE ONION.

African-American Boycott of L.L. Bean Enters 80th Year

Been keeping up with the shows? You can bet I have—or have been trying to, given the sheer number of designers putting on runway shows for s/s ‘08. It’s enough to make one—gasp—sick of clothes! Ha ha, just kidding. But seriously, this season especially makes me look forward to what’s yet to come—the shows in Paris and Milan. While there have been standouts in New York and London, the overall vibe is conservative and whacky, respectively. Luckily, photos from Milan are imminent.

(Jonathan Saunders, London)