VIVA VENA CAVA

NEW BLOG!!

2011-03-24T10:40:00.001-04:00

Gentle readers,

Allow me to introduce you to our blog's new home:

VENACAVA.COM

We'll be blogging our little hearts out from there from now on.

Bon voyage Blogger!

yours,

Vena Cava

BACK TO THE FUTURE

2011-02-23T13:37:00.012-05:00

Images from Irina Werning's photo project Back to the Future.

Childhood photos are meticulously recreated with the all of the same details and reenacted by the original subjects. More images at irinawerning.com

Simple, effective, beautiful!

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS PALMAS

2011-02-18T17:37:00.003-05:00

MRS. WOODY ALLEN

2011-02-10T16:50:00.002-05:00

Looking lovely in Vena Cava...

She digs are threads. We dig her dude.

Could she be our next look book model?

WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD

2011-02-06T16:13:00.007-05:00

Stock photography speaks volumes. Images courtesy of thehairpin.com

FALL 11 INSPIRATION

2011-01-25T15:33:00.002-05:00

Kidding....

or are we??

Our good friend Lucio (and honorary VP of Blogging at the Vena Cava HQ)

passed this one along to us. I had nightmares.

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!!

2011-01-19T00:05:00.002-05:00

I just found out everyone's least favorite Beverly Hills 90210 alum Gabrielle Carteris turned 50!
Excited to have cake and ice cream later.
Does that mean our generation is old? Or rather that we're young comparatively?
Its very, very confusing.

MOM STYLE

2010-12-25T17:41:00.007-05:00

While back at home going through old photo albums, I found these gems of my mom Suzanne. Her 80's and 90's style continues to inspire. Check out the evolution of her blonde hairstyles and the incredible poses. At my childhood house there is an armoire in the basement where she houses the "archive". The archive consisits old clothing she never threw away.. Betsy Johnson bra tops, Chanel gows from Loehmans, Ozbek from Loehmans, Norma Kamali jumpers, and Op tennis skirts, among other things. Thanks for all the cool outfits mom... keep em' coming.

Nice Perm.

This is pretty straight up 90's. Check out our matching BCBG dresses, I think we were listening to Suzanne Vega while this was taken. Great choker mom.

She got married in Paris in a Mondrian Suit. And my dad wore sunglasses.

This is her outfit when she gave birth to me. I would kill for those red Espadrilles.

Great maternity look; fedora, fur, flannel.

80's hair and Mexican jewelry.

Pizza eating crop top.

Betsy Johnson 80's look. This looks like the new Fall stuff we're making... nice leotard top!

This is my personal fav... Betty Davis glasses, french twist, and a black sports bra. Now let's bring that back.

HAIR BOW!!!

2010-12-20T11:57:00.002-05:00

The NEW pony tail... watch the instructional video.

MERRY XMAS!!

2010-12-15T12:37:00.003-05:00

Slayer just knows how to make it feel like Christmas!

Tom Araya, Jeff Hanneman, Kerry King, and Dave Lombardo- I thank you for helping us get into the season. Im still waiting for the Pantera Hanukkah bush....

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

2010-12-12T12:23:00.003-05:00

Oh best 90's actresses... where did you go?

We would love to cast any of you as the Vena Cava poster girl..

SYNDROMES

2010-11-18T17:51:00.003-05:00

Stendhal Syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art is in a single place. The term can also be used to describe a similar reaction to a surfeit of choice in other circumstances, e.g. when confronted with immense beauty in the natural world. The illness is named after the famous 19^th century French author Stendhal (pseudonym of Henri-Marie Beyle), who described his experience with the phenomenon during his 1817 visit to Florence, Italy in his book Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio.
Although there are many descriptions of people becoming dizzy and fainting while taking in Florentine art, especially when it was described by Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini, who observed and described more than 100 similar cases among tourists and visitors in Florence.

Paris Syndrome is a transient psychological disorder encountered by some people visiting or vacationing in Paris. It is similar in Nature to Jerusalem syndrome and Stendhal syndrome, which are all classified as forms of Voyager syndrome (Syndrome du voyageur).
Japanese visitors are observed to be especially susceptible. It was first noted in Nervure, the French journal of psychiatry in 2004. From the estimated six million yearly visitors the number of reported cases is significant: according to an administrator at the Japanese embassy in France, around twenty Japanese tourists a year are affected by the syndrome.

Paris syndrome is characterized by a number of psychiatric symptoms such as acute delusional states, hallucinations, feelings of persecution (delusions of being a victim of prejudice, aggression, or hostility from others), derealization, depersonalization, anxiety, and also psychosomatic manifestations such as dizziness, tachycardia, sweating, etc
Principal to the diagnosis is that the experience symptoms did not exist before the trip and disappear following a return to the sufferer’s familiar surroundings. This differs from a ‘pathological voyage’, in which psychiatric disorders are preexisting.

Language barrier- few Japanese speak French and vice versa. This is believed to be the principal cause and is thought to engender the remainder. Apart from the obvious differences between French and Japanese many everyday phrases and idioms are shorn of meaning and substance when translated, adding to the confusion of some who have not previously encountered such.

Cultural difference- the large difference between not only the languages but the manner the French communicate on an interpersonal level in comparison to the rigidity formal Japanese culture proves too great a difficulty for some Japanese visitors. It is thought that it is the rapid and frequent fluctuations in mood, tense and attitude, especially in the delivery of humor, which cause the most difficulty.

Idealized image of Paris – it is also speculated as manifesting from an individual’s inability to reconcile a disparity between the Japanese popular image and the reality of Paris.

Thanks Wikipedia!

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE

2010-11-16T12:20:00.004-05:00

DVD DOUBLE FEATURE

2010-10-27T17:40:00.005-04:00

For Halloween check out this great double feature...

Betty Blue 1986

Starring Beatrice Dalle

The Pumpkin Eater 1964

Starring Anne Bancfroft

THE CHAUFFEUR

2010-10-18T15:35:00.004-04:00

This song is in my top five all time favorites for sure. And whenever Ive loved something that much and then seen the music video, Im bummed for a week. This is a really good exception. Note the amazing dance by Perri Lister, the platinum blonde that begins at 3:30.

My obsession with Lister's dance led me to some videos of her dance troupe, the Hot Gossip. This one is called "Small Pants and Large Maracas". Its kind of like the dance that the Dude's landlord does in the Big Lebwski, but really sexy and 80s.

JOE VS. EILEEN

2010-10-18T13:17:00.015-04:00

Im completely mesmerized by the shapes and finishes on these furniture pieces

and rooms by Eileen Gray and Joe Colombo. Especially the first image of Gray's - holy shit!

She was working in the 20s and early 30s- Joe in the 60s, but their work is weirdly really similar, except her work is clearly designed by a woman, and his feels blatantly male.

VIVA VENA! THE MOVIE

2010-09-15T18:55:00.004-04:00

Guess what? Your favorite sweatshirt is now a movie-

made by the beautiful and talented Lydia Turner of LT and Co. and Greg Hahn of Gretel.

Original score by Copilot.

Here's our film celebrating the new t-shirt line, Viva Vena!

starring:

Harely Viera-Newton

Eleanor Freidberger

Annie Clark

Eleanor Heandricks

Hailey Gates

Hulda Halldor Tryggvadottir

BEDBUGS

2010-09-05T22:33:00.002-04:00

Watch out NYC.......

SHOES SHOES SHOES

2010-09-05T20:19:00.002-04:00

Exciting news.

We collaborated with our talented friends at Tenoversix to make SHOES!!!

The new line will debut at our runway show on Thursday.

Here is a video to get you in the mood...

Kenneth Anger/Missoni

2010-08-27T12:47:00.002-04:00

Anger made a fashion movie for Missoni.

It's like Lucifer Rising... except with actors that have escaped their tuscan villa for a Lord of the Rings acid trip.

This is the best fashion movie I've seen...

SEASHELL

2010-08-18T20:50:00.005-04:00

the art direction in this video is beautiful, especially that one shot of the power cord and the New Balance "tennis sneaker"....

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

RIP PATRICIA NEAL

2010-08-09T16:46:00.003-04:00

MOBILES

2010-08-06T21:42:00.003-04:00

Hanna Sandin Mobiles.

So beautiful.

On my wish list.

GOTHS AND OBAMA

2010-08-05T11:41:00.004-04:00

Check out this picture of Obama and the Spanish first family. Could those Spanish daughters be the first Goth princesses? I love their look.

KNITTA, PLEASE!

2010-08-04T10:57:00.006-04:00

I passed this yarn-bombed bike on the way to work this morning. Ive only seen one other guerilla knitted piece here in NY, and it was nowhere near as detail oriented as this one. This is vandalism, 2.0.

RIDLEY SCOTT

2010-08-02T11:15:00.005-04:00

His 1984 Super Bowl commercial announcing the release of the Mac, which features no shots of the actual computer. However it does prominently feature a woman in a Hooter's uniform who finds a way to foil Big Brother and free thousands of drones.

GADAWAN KURA

2010-07-29T23:45:00.009-04:00

The Gadawan Kura are a Nigerian band of wandering medicine men / performers that include a group of men, a little girl, three hyenas, four monkeys, a baboon, and several pythons. The comfort level between the humans and the animals is pretty amazing. Also- the monkeys have tons of outfits. Like way more than the people do. More photos from Pieter Hugo's excellent photo essay are on his website.

NINA 2.0

2010-07-26T10:33:00.003-04:00

More Nina. Just couldnt help it- she's so underrated. Also, she looks totally convincing as a dude in this video, which is kind of Gem and the holograms+ Dee Snyder + bad school play.

But its the "special effects" in this video that are to die for. This kind of low-tech stuff really gets me now- first because it reminds me of what movies used to look like when I was growing up, and second because the slickness of modern special effects has made them so sterile feeling. Look at what you can achieve with makeup and a colored backdrop!

NAILS

2010-07-22T23:25:00.003-04:00

I like these nails. I want..

Nail Art by Abby Walton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbywalton/sets/72157606982701443/

PURE BEAUTY

2010-07-22T23:16:00.004-04:00

If you're in LA see the Baldessari show at LACMA.

He's hilarious. One of the best shows I've seen all year.

He makes great montages of film stills with unknown actors. Lot's of other good stuff too..

Also, the new and improved google images RULES! The format made this post snappy!

FAYE DUNAWAY PEELS AND EATS A HARDBOILED EGG

2010-07-14T16:55:00.003-04:00

This commercial is for the Japanese dept store Parco, which opened in the 70s in Shibuya.

This makes me very, very curious about what the original interior of the store looked like. Nothing says shopping quite like celebrities eating eggs in an all-black room.

ROAD TRIP

2010-06-28T16:31:00.021-04:00

Pictures from a road trip through Barcelona, the south of France and the west coast of Italy. Driving through the countryside there felt like what LA would look like 800 years after Armageddon. So my beautifully crumbly ancient structures slowly being taken over by plants.

A giant pile of old telephones in a junk store in barcelona.

The roof of La Pedrera and inside La Sagrada familia

Battering ram, catapult and any 8-year olds dream, a gumball machine full of shiny rocks in the medieval town of Les Baux.

Really big books and childrens art in St. Tropez and Eze.

Monaco- who knew?? In Moncao is the largest cactus and succulent garden in the world- its a tangly paradise of beautiful plant forms that look like they belong at the bottom of the ocean. And underneath the cactus garden- a stalactite and stalagmite filled cave in Monaco with bone remains of early Man.

View of the bottom of the swimming pool in Santa margherita

THE LALANNE'S WORLD

2010-06-28T15:46:00.005-04:00

Juust stumbled upon the beautiful work of Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne again. So, so good. Elegant baboons, Hippopotamus, duck bunk beds, and coiled snake bean bag chairs. Surrealism in the 60's. I wish Target's home collection would do some knock offs.

NINA

2010-06-23T14:21:00.012-04:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD.

2010-06-20T22:07:00.004-04:00

If you haven't seen 'The Whoopee Boys', it's time to track down a VHS copy. It went unnoticed, but is truly hilarious.

HAPPY SUMMER!

2010-06-18T16:20:00.003-04:00

ok, ok its two days early- but it sure feels like summer here. Finally!

DVD OF THE WEEK

2010-06-16T12:19:00.002-04:00

HERB AND DOROTHY

My friend Nick just recommended this to me. How did I ever miss this in the theatre? An amazing story. You can watch it on Netflix now!

BUY CLOTHES, DISCOUNT.

2010-06-08T11:43:00.004-04:00

LA DESIGN TRIP

2010-06-03T11:58:00.008-04:00

We went to LA to design our Spring collection.

We discovered we like anything the resembles graphic design from the 1984 LA Olympics.

Also, John Baldessari, the 1970's diaries of Zandra Rhodes, hikes down the Sunset strip, power juice shots, the Deco architecture of Scientology real estate, and pastrami sandwiches from Langers.

WEEKEND

2010-06-03T11:31:00.008-04:00

In Marfa...

Where they filmed Giant in 1956 (Dennis Hopper).

A dreamy place for a wedding.

(photos 2-5 courtesy of Yvonne).

ONLINE GARAGE SALE HAS STARTED!!!

2010-06-01T10:14:00.000-04:00

Only up for 30 days...

SHOP NOW!!!

http://venacavanyc.com/portalmrkt/

WE LOVE YOU.

2010-06-01T01:13:00.003-04:00

RIP Louise Bourgeois

12.13.1911- 5.31.2010

GARAGE SALE COMING SOON!!!

2010-05-27T11:59:00.005-04:00

We decided to clean out our closets and have a garage sale. Only thing is- we're doing it online.
It's a cyber stoop sale, a Vena Cava curated ebay, and a way for us to make some bucks on the side.

The sale starts June 1st at 12am and ends June 30th at 12am. Get ready.

venacavanyc.com/portalmrkt

COLOR THINGS

2010-05-24T16:49:00.005-04:00

More David Gilbert. So good!

PALE THINGS

2010-05-24T16:21:00.011-04:00

I love it when you've known someone for a really long time but somehow have never seen their work- and when you finally do, its like a punch in the face. In the best way!! Beautiful images by David Gilbert.

MASKS

2010-05-19T18:09:00.007-04:00

I want hair like this. Beautiful Richard Burbridge photos from the swedish magazine Livraison.

FLEA MARKET FIND

2010-05-17T20:11:00.004-04:00

Found some of these at the flea market is Mass.

Have not been this excited about a flea market find in a while...

Now I want some of these..

HIKING

2010-05-04T12:28:00.010-04:00

We're feeling the 70s hiking and camping vibe for spring 11- especially those striped hiking boot cords and the plastic backpack closures. Some excellent vintage hiking photos via jakedavis.typepad.com

INTEGRATRON

2010-03-29T13:28:00.010-04:00

George Van Tassel's cell rejuvenating acoustic sound dome is right outside Joshua Tree. Besides being a center for sound therapy, just being inside the dome raises tissue cells' metabolic rate to what it was at an earlier age- hence rejuvenation! Apparently the sound effects are pretty wild too- you can take a public "sound bath" for ten bucks most days of the week. You can also rent out the whole dome for a weekend.

Built on a geomagnetic vortex, the Integratron was inspired by ideas that were channelled to Van Tassel via UFOs and personal hero Nikola Tesla. Its related to the site of the great Pyramid in Egypt, and Great Rock, the worlds largest freestanding boulder, which you can also visit- its right down the street.

JEAN PAINLEVE, LIQUID CRYSTALS 1978

2010-03-16T13:30:00.002-04:00

from 'Science is Fiction', a collection of the films by Jean Painleve

Images from the work of
YVES BOULIGAND

to iIIustrate Antarctica,

the Iast musicaI opus of
FRANÇOIS DE ROUBAIX

Certain Iiquids obey the Iaws
of crystaIIization.

X-GIRL IS RETRO... NOW.

2010-03-10T10:54:00.002-05:00

Check out this MTV short from 1994 of an X-girl fashion show.

Remember the the ringer.

MALI

2010-03-04T12:43:00.011-05:00

Check out these holy shrines in Mali. They predate Gaudi, and are made out of sun dried mud and branches. Amazing shapes. This is what a shrine should look like!
I'd like to go there...

BIG BIBA

BIG BIBA

2010-03-03T17:11:00.015-05:00

Alright, so this is what the VC store should look like.

We have some product expansion to work on if we want to catch up to Biba, including but not limited to: dog food, lingerie, coffee, records and tapes, chocolates, balloons and makeup. Biba opened this 7 story superstore in September of 73 and closed it in 75.

PENTAGRAM

2010-02-24T14:40:00.012-05:00

Seminal London design firm est. 1972 for architecture, industrial design, interiors, graphic design (John McConnell, who masterminded the branding for Vena Cava's favorite brand Biba- was a partner) and advertising. Masculine, essential, brilliant. If Pentagram was a man Id marry him.

DVD BOX SET OF THE WEEK

2010-02-22T15:15:00.004-05:00

It's February in New York. So this is what I did all weekend...

BIRD SONGS

2010-02-18T16:58:00.002-05:00

40 wild zebra finches. 1 Les Paul Guitar.

AROUND THE STUDIO

2010-02-15T15:22:00.002-05:00

bits and pieces of the studio before the show...

WE HAD A SHOW.

2010-02-15T15:20:00.003-05:00

photos via cobrasnake.

PLAY-DOH

2010-02-05T19:19:00.003-05:00

The art I like the most always seems like its meant for children. Im not quite sure what that means but this video makes me want to start making my own play-doh again.

CRAIGSLIST

2010-02-04T12:26:00.007-05:00

Dragon Needed

I am looking for a mid-sized dragon to include in a photo shoot. I prefer either the Naga, Hydra, or Firedrake variety, not weighing more than a thousand pounds.

Live or stuffed, though preferably stuffed for purposes of safety and cost (NOTE: a trainer cannot be included in the budget of the shoot). I am also looking for dragon eggs, and will guarantee these returned in perfect condition, as I respect that they are fragile and easily broken.

Please also email pictures of the dragons. I am happy to accommodate the financial requests of the dragon owner, though my budget is modest.

Thanks.

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1584620317

DAD STYLE

2010-02-01T16:42:00.005-05:00

Something's in the air....

Could this be the next major trend to hit global fashion?

LONG HAIR

2010-01-29T10:22:00.019-05:00

Looking for good images of butt-length frizz for VC Fall 10 show hair inspiration.

Theres a lot of shiny, and and a lot of crimped out there.

Perfect frizz however, remains elusive.

POLTERGEIST

2010-01-27T17:39:00.003-05:00

RIP Zelda Rubenstein.

1933-2010

HEALTH INSURANCE

2010-01-27T16:23:00.011-05:00

At the dentist earlier today. The one upside to our HMO plan- dental instruments from the 70s in technicolor hues. Vivid pain, even more vivid color.

GHANA MOVIE POSTERS

2010-01-14T18:45:00.006-05:00

My friend Ale just forwarded me these images of movie posters from Ghana. Many poster artists dont have access to the actual films, so they make these painting as rad looking as possible and hope for the best. Many more at www.bongoût.com

LOS POZAS

2010-01-12T10:43:00.006-05:00

I stumbled upon a book on Los Pozas at the L.A. Public Library. Things like this make me love the library, and the eccentric art patrons of the world. Edward James was a british aristocrat turned surrealist eccentric. His portrait was painted by Magrite, and he collected and befriended artists like Man Ray, Ernst, and Dali. His greatest accomplishment was Los Pozas, an outdoor surrealist sculpture park in the tropical rainforest of Mexico. The park consists of 80 acres of concrete psychedelic structures that weave in and out of waterfalls, orchids, and overgrown jungle landscapes. James had 40 dogs, and over 1000 exotic birds that roamed freely in what he likes to call his garden of Eden. Currently the park is being restored. So beautiful and magical- this would be the ultimate Vena Cava nature site.

VHS OF THE WEEK

2009-12-19T23:54:00.005-05:00

CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING

Jaques Rivette

1974

This surrealist comedy based on Lewis Carroll's "Alice In Wonderland" has always been one of my very favorites. Just watched it again along with Rivette's 1991 classic "La Belle Noiseuse". I'd like to wear everything in both of these movies. Couldn't find any images of Emanuelle Beart's 90's mom jeans. But, please check out the stills from Celine and Julie. I'll take one of those Magician leotard outfits, please.

FAKE ROCKS

2009-12-10T15:19:00.008-05:00

Recently, we've begun exploring more domestic factory options, and with the help of our new LA based agents, got to explore the magical world of dye processes and screenprinting- we never get to see this kind of thing firsthand here! Acid washing things is particularly otherworldy- it includes fake rocks that are sprayed with neon liquid before the clothes get tumbled along with them in a giant vat. The whole process was much more scientific- and much more beautiful than I realized.

Screen printing ink pots

Fake rocks being sprayed with neon goo

BO effect tshirt wash, so you can always look like you just worked out

washing vats

mixing and measuring implements

MISS YOU

2009-12-02T13:08:00.001-05:00

AMERICANA OVERLOAD

2009-11-30T17:38:00.004-05:00

Given the adorably contradictory title of "World's Largest Miniature Village" by the Guinness Book of World Records, Miniature Village is a manditory stop for anyone with the good fortune of finding themselves in Shartlesville, PA off the I-78.

Laurence Gierenger started building the village in the early 30s after realizing he had a fascination with small things because- this is amazing- as a boy he thought that distant buildings were actually tiny and didnt realize that they were simply really, really far away. It also inlcudes a "night pageant" every half hour with projected images of Jesus with the American flag and a very tinny sounding God Bless America. There are over 1000 handcarved trees, and hundreds of moving parts- this photo doesnt do Miniature Village justice in the least.

its seriously far out!!

SPA CASTLE

2009-11-29T19:46:00.005-05:00

I'm surprised nobody thought of this before; a 24 hour relaxation Amusement Park. That's basically what Spa Castle is. After driving through the middle of nowhere queens, you stumble upon five floors of LED sauna utopia. There are traditional Korean baths, along with four other coed floors that consist of salt saunas, gold saunas, infrared lounges, foot reflexolgy parlors, and lazy boy chill zones. Just in case you get too hot, you can take a break in the North Pole room. Families sit in robes eating everything from bimbambop to corndogs. Not only can you get carnival food at Spa Castle, but there's even a swanky bar called "Tonic" located on the top floor. This place is a truly bazar and genius invention. Great for a birthday party or a first date. Please go if you live anywhere near Queens.

VHS OF THE WEEK: SHERMAN'S MARCH

2009-11-26T12:14:00.004-05:00

Oddly compelling 1986 documentary about trying to find love.

This film prominently features awkward conversations with family, long car trips through the South, holiday meals, Civil War sites, boredom, rollerskates and Burt Reynolds.

Seemed appropriate. Happy Thanksgiving from Asheville, North Carolina.

VENA CAVA CONVERSE

2009-11-24T17:20:00.004-05:00

Hand drawn with a sharpie, brought to you by Converse RED. On sale Dec 5th. See the converse website to buy. http://www.converse.com

Hidden in the drwaing are shout outs to Pappy Van Winkle, chocolate covered orange peels, Greta Garbo, Peter Lugers, Dr. Strangelove, and walrus.

GRAPHIC MAGICK

2009-11-20T15:15:00.005-05:00

My buddy Jonathan (DJ Intellectual Property), passed this along last night:

ajourneyroundmyskull.blogspot.com

My new favorite blog. Just makes ya wanna draw.

The dutch pulp covers from the 30's and 40's are pretty incredible.

Also the top four are by German fantasy architect Herman Finsterlin. His stuff is bazar, mammalian like, and way ahead of it's time. Please notice the second sketch- a design for a Vegetarian restaurant in 1919.

DINNER CAVE

2009-11-10T16:48:00.004-05:00

Next time we're in China to visit our factories I hope we can eat dinner in this cave near Guilin.

It comfortably seats 1000 so we could bring all our friends. And check out those red tapers!

Thats one classy cave.

HOLY MOLY!!!

2009-11-06T15:24:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we had a trunk show at the Barneys flagship on Madison and were treated to a big surprise downstairs.... an awesome post-it display with an entire window of Vena Cava!

Yippeee!!!

VHS OF THE WEEK- 70'S CHICK FLICK TRILOGY!

2009-11-05T11:54:00.011-05:00

All three of these movies have been reacurring inspirations for past Vena Cava collections. They are great to watch in a row...just get a bottle of rose, some virginia slims, and a nice rare steak. With the recent vampire movie bonanza that seems to never end, it's nice to take a step back into the 1970's female phychological horror film.

MARTHA

Fassbinder 1974

I watched this movie on the way to China last year.

The whole thing is utterly miserable and continues to get worse as it unfolds. Margit Carstensten's psychosis and neurosis cause her to have a mental break down. She walks edlessesy through her mansion in 1970's YSL looking mens suits. The set design and costumes are spot on- make sure to check out the plants that inhabit her overgrown German solarium.

SISTERS
Brian DePalma 1973

This movie has amazing 70's interiors that contain lots of tonal carpeting. Margot Kidder stars in this movie about two siamese twins that are separated in late adolescence. Great music, with a score by Bernard Herman who did Phycho and Vertigo.

THREE WOMEN
Robert Altman 1977

Starring Sissy Spacek, Shelly Duval, and Janice Rule. Apparently Altman imagined this movie in a dream. The palate is dusty and sunbleached with images of the southwestern landscape. A desolate resort town with desert bars and strip malls is the setting. Nothing about this movie is logical or lucid, which is the best thing about it. It reminds me alot of another great surrealist chic flick- Celine and Julie Go Boating (also from the 70's with amazing costumes and hypnotic images).

PORTRAITS

2009-11-02T15:37:00.005-05:00

Amazing artist and illustrator Hanna Terese Nilsson recently sent us this portrait in pencil of the two of us. I think we need to start using illustrations of ourselves anytime we get a request for a photo. Hanna's drawings of objects are particularly great; sensitive without being too fragile, and technical at the same time. Here are two of my favorites: 'love' and 'peronalida2'.

HALLOWEEN HA HA HA

2009-10-31T16:05:00.000-04:00

MOLE RATS!

2009-10-27T18:20:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful, fascinating rodent. Thank you New York Times.

Read about them HERE.

VIDEO SYNTHESIZER

2009-10-25T19:31:00.005-04:00

Steve Beck belongs to a cool club called EAT (experiments in art and technology). EAT was a super psychedelic, electronic, computer- engineer, art movement from the late 1960's. In 1969, Beck (who is referred to as an "electronic polymediast" on his website) invented the awesome Video Synthesizer. In 1979 he invented the Phosphotron (not sure what this actauly does but the image of it is enough to get excited about). I wish we could get hold of a video weaver to make some prints with. If anyone knows of one please advise...

For more on Steve Beck check out Stevebeck.tv

A FUN PLACE TO SPEND 20 BUCKS.

2009-10-23T18:25:00.005-04:00

If you are in Los Angeles, visit Ashanti fabrics located downtown on 9th St. and Los Angeles. I stumbled upon this reliquary of graphic prints when I was in LA visiting our showroom. Never before have I found a store that carries such a rare and authentic selection of wax print and Kente cloth. Prices are reasonable from 3$-8$ dollars a yard. You can even order a custom African style dress from the owner. These fabrics would make amazing curtains, pillow cases, or table cloths...

DETOROITO METARU SHITI

2009-10-23T13:26:00.005-04:00

According to IMDB- this is the actual title of the japanese film Detroit Metal City. Soph and I saw this the last time we were in Hong Kong to work at our factories. Its all in Japanese except for Gene Simmons, who speaks in English and is inexplicably understood by the rest of the characters. Would have thought that Gene would have more of a linguistic gift given that monster of a tongue he's blessed with. Either way, its a good clip to get those Halloween costume juices flowing...

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ONE WAY TO SPEND THE EVENING

2009-10-22T23:42:00.003-04:00

Check it out: http://www.hybridmoment.com/

GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR

2009-10-21T17:20:00.006-04:00

Photos from the Oyster Bar last night in Grand Central Terminal- serious decorating inspiration. Rainbow + 70s + deco + cafeteria + pop art furniture? Really weird.

The leather lips couch is front and center when you walk in the ladies room-

Im very curious what the furniture is like in the men's room....

CHUCK E. CHEESE

2009-10-08T10:46:00.002-04:00

There is an entire genre of music videos sung by the

animatronic animals from Chuck E. Cheese??

Viva Rock-afire Explosion!!!

WONDERFUL WONDERFUL

2009-10-07T16:05:00.001-04:00

VHS OF THE WEEK: RICHARD SIMMONS AND THE SILVER FOXES

2009-10-07T14:42:00.002-04:00

A birthday gift from my buddy Max, who understands just how important it is to get in shape while spending time with the parents of your favorite celebs. Via the VHS, that is. The video includes a warm up, low impact cardio workout, and 3 minute relax session- its exactly what I want in a workout! Thanks for looking out, Max.

Next time youre in LA, be sure to swing by Richard Simmons' Beverly Hills gym on Civic Center Drive called, yes, SLIMMONS.

Cut and paste the below link for Richard's teaching schedule.

http://www.richardsimmons.com/j15/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=125

FROM UPSTATE

2009-10-04T23:53:00.007-04:00

Thinkin' bout Fiber Art.

Sheila Hicks, Claire Zeisler, Diane Itter, Peruvian Weaving, Mexican Weaving, digital printing, Kale Salad.

FACE PAINT

2009-09-30T19:39:00.003-04:00

We are headed up to Woodstock this weekend to isolate ourselves and design the next collection. We have 3 days. I picked up the William Klein box set so we can have something to watch while we make collages. There will be a Woodstock post in a few days... for now here is some cool imagery of Dada facepaint!

HARMONIOUS BEAUTY

2009-09-29T17:48:00.004-04:00

Finally got a chance to go by Deitch and check this out after work. Best thing I've seen in a long time. The pixalated images would make rad prints on silk. Very cool! If you are around Soho and have not seen it yet, go at at 5pm to see the organ being played. It's free and will make your day.

September 03 — October 17, 2009
18 Wooster Street, New York

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA!!!!

2009-09-24T21:29:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Lisa! We love you.

SAFETY PIN DIY

2009-09-16T12:14:00.004-04:00

Katy at Dirty Hems just made this VC inspired safety pin top.

Katy, we think you are totally awesome, we love how the small safety pins look,

and it is so amazing styled with the floral print dress!

VC loves DIY.

KILLER COLOR COMBO

2009-09-16T10:29:00.005-04:00

In my next life, I would like to be reincarnated as this man's socks and shoes.

What a glorious combination. My favorite part is the oil stain.

BACKSTAGE MORE MORE

2009-09-14T20:59:00.002-04:00

We have lots of photos. These ones Georgia took backstage.

Eleanor and Matt from The Fiery Furnaces played.

We had fashion television interviews. We talked about Maude Lebowski to the press.

LOOKBOOK SHOOT!

2009-09-14T17:57:00.007-04:00

We did the lookbook shoot a few days before the show with Georgia Nerheim

CASTINGS

2009-09-14T17:18:00.005-04:00

Here are a few shots from the castings at Milk Studios.

Deep in conversation with our casting director Noah Shelley.

The space at Milk is amazing, so much light and views over the Hudson. We got to watch people kayak while we watched the models walk.

SPRING 2010

2009-09-13T20:41:00.005-04:00

We had our show on Thursday. Spring 2010 was inspired by the Ndeble tribe, 90's Versace, and Maude Lebowski.

Visors: Yestadt Millenary
Shoes: Robert Clergerie
Shades: Persol
Jewelry: Tiffany & Co.

A FEW QUESTIONS FOR JASON ALPER

2009-09-08T15:30:00.012-04:00

Dissecting artistic talent can be a slippery, elusive thing. Its often difficult to articulate what draws you in to the the work of a specific person, what it says to you, why you like it, what it means- all those Big Questions. Jason Alper's genius is that he is completely fluent in the language of clothing- and he's goddamn hilarious. He met Sasha Baron Cohen in a friend's apartment in London 12 years ago and they have been collaborating ever since.

How rare is the artist who is interesting and compelling to both the casual observer and the savant. Whether youre a fashion designer or someone with no interest in clothes at all, you completely understand what he's saying.

some examples:

And a few questions:

LM: How does the collaboration with Sasha work?

JA: We come up with the characters together- he comes up with certain elements- the way the charcter acts and talks, and I come up with the costumes and the visual element.

LM: So what was the first character you came up with?

JA: The first character we created was Bruno actually. And the joke was that he would never be able to get into any actual fashion shows. But we realized that theres actually just as much material to work with without the whole show element.

LM: Do you have any formal design or fashion training?

JA: Ive been doing this for 20 years now. and working with Sasha for 12. I worked in theaterical costumes for 3 years. All kinds of clothing from the 1700s to modern day, that was my training. And then at 21 I went freelance and have been freelance ever since. It feels crazy, but I guess you could say Ive made it. 12 years ago I met Sasha, and we started doing characters. And it worked with Sasha from day one.

LM: Yeah! Id say its working quite well. So you travel with Sash on set?

JA: Well there are no sets. Everything is a real life situaion and everyone is oblivious to whats going on. All the situations are real. We have the luxury of not having loads of people around all the time. You don’t even know that were making a movie. Sasha literally has a camera on his lap at certain points. We don’t even have lights! It not a big budget Hollywood film kind of experince. Id liken it more to film school, which I ve never been to. Im so lucky to have a project like this that’s a blank canvas. Im much happier doing something like that than a period drama- theres nothing new there.

LM: Did you always want to go into fashion?

JA: No, I left school at 16, I wasn’t very academic and I didn’t really fit in. Both my parents are hairdressers and I discovered that I can cut hair. So I did hairdressing for a couple years and then I became a window dresser at this high-end clothing store where I met the costume designer for Batman. So I talked to him and told him you know I love clothes but I don’t like working in retail, how can I get to do what you’re doing? And they told me to go see a guy called Tim Angel at a costume house called Angels. So I went on my lunch break and he basically offered me a job. So I worked there for a couple of years and then I moved to another costume shop. From there I kind of moved into a production company and I’ve always kind of worked and did a bunch of British TV shows and other things. And then I met Sasha, he was an out of work actor and we talked and we created these characters Ali G, Borat, and Bruno. And we’ve worked together now for about 12 years and it’s just been brilliant and I’ve been very lucky. Just very lucky that we got to come to America and everyone liked it.

LM: Are there more characters that you guys made together?

JA: No, those were the 3 characters and now we’ve made 3 movies together and I think it’s time and we all need a little bit of time away from each other. I wouldn’t be surprised if we did more together in the future, but at the moment everyone is doing their own thing.

LM: What’s your starting point with a character? Do you have an idea based on a person or do you sketch or drape?

JA: Yeah, well let’s say its Ali G. There was a DJ called Armin Van Buren, and his style was kind of what Ali G was modeled after, his clothes kind of idolized Ali G. There always needs to be some kind of repeated element. Something to make the character iconic. For Bruno, it was the Zac Efron style hair, and the fact that none of his shirts would have sleeves. For Ali G, I put him in yellow glasses and always covered his hair. This was also so that no one would be able to tell what race he was- that his race was ambiguous was important. Most things I’m working on I have a very specific idea about, but sometimes there is a lot of searching to find the right look.

LM: So did Bruno have a specific person that was like a starting point?

JA: No, he actually didn’t. When we started Bruno actually had crimped blonde hair and a tiny mustache. And then he had a faux-hawk.

LM: And did you sketch or sew any of the garments?

JA: I can if I have to. It’s like life or death if I have to. But I’ve gotten to the point now where it’s a luxury really and I’ve got people that help me make things. When I made the green bathing suit for Borat I didn’t want it to look like a costume. I’ve just gotten very lucky and gotten great seamstresses. One really great one who made the Velcro costume for Bruno. Bruno probably had around 100 different costumes so there was a lot to do.

LM: How many of those costumes did you design and create? And how many did you find?

JA: I would say about half and half. I found a few things and I would fit them and cut out the crotch and I designed the rest. Most of the things Bruno would wear I would find on the sale rack in designer stores. So I got lucky in that aspect. But some of it is very instinctual. When I go shopping I am very picky because I know exactly what I am looking for.

BEHOLD! THE VENA CAVA SHARPIE

2009-09-04T17:11:00.004-04:00

I never thought Id see the day, but yesterday Sharpie sent a giant box of these custom Vena Cava sharpies to our studio. Its oddly appropriate to have our own Sharpie, since this pen has been our weapon of choice for years now. Last season we showed a number of "gunmetal" lace pieces- which was actually gold lace completely sharpied to look silver. Our intern deserved a trophy for that one. We also enjoy using Sharpies to deface silks, t-shirts, khaki from the Gap, AND- coming this November to a retailer near you- high top Converse.