FRIENDS.

Wanted to share some prism prose from my DEAR friends over in London town Zakee Shariff and Al Fingers, who have just completed a RAD book entitled "Fashion A-Z, An Illustrated Dictionary." Soul sister Zakee illustrated the action, soul brother Al wrote and designed it, and you can now own the little gem by hopping to Amazon here.


I have been a major fan of Zakee's art for years. She is a genuine and original force that bridges amazing prints, textiles, drawings, fashion, and painting to make for lasting work that makes you smile. Check out these pieces:


Reggae wizard Al makes some super killer mixes as well. Time for some clickin' fun.

xx

FRIENDS.

Sorry it's been a while since the last dose of wisdom. R + F have left Manhattan and moved to Brooklyn and we are pre-tty stoked. No more clothes in our stove! No more murphy beds hitting our heads!

Anyway wanted to share this fun interview I did with new awesome site to bookmark, StyleCaster. Special thanks to Cindy Augustine and Elizabeth Monson-you guys rule!



It's also almost the end of the week, which harps a special link I like to visit often (sigh, it's not keyboard cat folks)-thanks Zach for this moogy horizon:



xx

Happy Monday FRIENDS.

Nothing like starting the day off with spilling an entire soy latte on your lap. Oh god on a wheel!

To fix the "I don't do Monday" Garfield vibes, we here at R + F like to throw on the amazing dizzying licks of 70's Dutch band EPITAPH. My friend Keith turned me onto "Outside The Law" album last year and I'm still blown away! Check out this magical performance below:



xx

FRIENDS.

Had to share this video of our buds from LA, The Crystal Antlers, doing an owl-eyed performance of "A Thousand Eyes" live on KEXP in Seattle. Looks like the boys seem to have great eyes for fashion as R + F's "Ram On" tee makes a nice lil' cameo in this video...

PS. The Antler's new album Tentacles is a whopper. Check it out here.



xx

..we got dorky at The Gap this weekend.

xx

cunningham, coppola, you win again...





xx

Happy Monday FRIENDS.

I have always been intrigued by the life and legacy of my aunt Clara. A mother hen to the arts department of the New York Times since 1945, Clara was the right hand woman and best friend of renowned drama critic Brooks Atkinson. Clara passed away when I was too young (of course) but even then I knew she was a special lady and a superb New Yorker to boot. Perhaps work and family overcame most of the breath during her life, but her wit and drive seemed to prove inspiring for all the starry stage legends around her. I'll never forget traveling to her tiny "mouse house" apt in a run down building in Queens-the smells of the hallway, the vintage glass jars filled with homeade orange juice, TONS of newspaper clippings, and about 150 plastic D'Agostino's bags hangin' out everywhere. However, nothing harps back to my brain more than the sight above the rickity velvet green and gold couch where a special piece was hung and tilted slightly off kilter-the HIRSCHFELD painting.

Legendary Broadway caricaturist Al Hirschfeld had done a portrait of lady Clara as a retirement gift, which was signed by the entire luminary journalist pipe-in-mouth arts staff at The Times along with some other stars of the arts and the stage. My aunt is depicted with octopus hands feverishly delivering calls and tasks against a typewriter. You can't get more old school New York City than this drawing-I love it so and had to share.

Clara and the boys: Brooks Atkinson + Italian crooner Etzio Pinza

Clara and Times staff at SARDIES for her retirement (Muppets Take Manhattan anyone?)


Thanks to cousin Marty for this who is the lucky owner of the work, where it proudly hangs on his walls and ensures the spirit of a media legend. Time to have a coffee, bagel, and read old Woody Allen interviews from the 70's....

Big smiles.

xx

Had to share this lovely piece on the Gap Product RED collaboration from TeenVogue.com-thanks all!

xx

oh, FRIENDS.

As I'm sure you noticed, the new collection is finally up. Boogiarize your eyes and enjoy the new designs.

Big Smiles.



xx

'Tis a time of insane crumbling and feeling defeated by the ways of the dollar lately. Last week we lost a slew of print music magazines and creative companies who we salute and wish well. As much as I love the internets, the warm tactile experience is a very important one. The changing sides of a record on a turntable, the page turn of a magazine or book, an actual conversation on a telephone, and of course- drawing and writing on paper. Hopefully this time and space takes us to inspirational levels in our work and art that we never knew was possible.

I felt a huge wave of calm when soul sister from Los Angeles Maximilla Lukacs, shared with me her latest series of paintings and drawings called "Dancing Spheres". I had to share them and of course score one asap! I love these so much because not only are they timeless looking, I really see the ACT of making them. A good folk jam, a glass of wine, a couple of tools, and the relaxing problem solving of plotting placement and color. Really nice job....

xx Jess