Author: Erika Bell

A Little Spring Through Resort Fashion

Erika Bell Leave a comment

So the Resort 2014 collections have been out for awhile, but it just now seems appropriate that we begin our longing for the sunny weather and the warmer days. The new year has just begun, and it seems like we have a three or four month stretch of cold, winter weather ahead of us, which can get our moods and our fashion choices in the dumps. I’m a big advocate on utilizing fashion as a means of inspiration, from the way you style yourself, to the way you look at the world around you, there is always something about fashion that can inspire someone.

The Resort collections in high fashion are meant to be kick-starters to the beachy, warm, foreign vacation season for those who are lucky enough to enjoy one. Designers set their sights on locations, breaking preconceived notions, and popular trends when thinking of ways to design these specific collections in intriguing ways. One of the hardest aspects about these high fashion designers and the items that they present each season, are the challenges of making a collection that no one has ever seen before. It is hard to be original when there is so much history in fashion, with thousands of designers, and trends that have floated in and out of style, it is often a question of who can make the oldest style new again?

I think of that question when looking through the Resort 2014 collections this year. Of course there will be some trends that have been done before, but what makes them new? What makes them inspiring? What makes them make me want to vacation as soon as possible? The collections this year seem to lean towards themes of vacations infused with glamour and style, but also with a knowledge of going back to real life found in the attitudes of the women. Not every collection is the same of course. Designers are all individually influenced, but it appears to be a common understanding within several collections of what the customers are to expect this resort season.

Marc Jacobs Resort 2014

Diane Von Furstenburg Resort 2014

Alexander Wang Resort 2014

Designers like Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenburg, and Alexander Wang are known to be heavily influenced by the women that they design for. Whether it be strong, independent women for DVF, or the hip, androgynous women of Wang’s, there is always a solid influential factor present. Their resort collections were all about playing with proportion and exploring comfort in a time of relaxation. In looking at some of the Resort collections, I encourage you to relish in the comfort that spring will bring, and also the possibilities that are always available in developing your personal style at the start of 2014.

Beyoncé…Enough Said

Erika Bell Leave a comment

Beyoncé 'XO' video still

On December 13, 2013, Beyonce did something no artist has ever done before. Hard to believe right? She released her self-titled 5th album strictly to Itunes without any prior promotion whatsoever. No interviews. No single releases. No album leak 3 weeks before its release date. Nothing. Simply posting a 15-second video on her Instagram, Beyonce revealed shorts clips of her 14 new songs AND 17 music videos that can be found on her new album. Not only has an artist never had the guts to release their album without any prior promotion, but no one has ever released a music video for every single song on their album…and then some.

I must admit I adore Beyonce and after the frenzy of this album release I think we should all give some credit and hail Queen Bey; some of the songs on her newest album, however, are hit or miss for me. The songs Mine, Drunk in Love, and XO are some of my favorites featuring a more hip Bey as she incorporated rhythms and beats from the hip-hop and R&B genres today. There also is Beyonce uniqueness that these songs carry, with her careful lyrics and sultry voice, it’s hard not to fall in love with Jay-Z in Drunk in love, or sing with your eyes closed and hands in the air with Drake. I mean, either choice is fine. Yet, some records didn’t do it for me as much. Haunted and Jealous are two very different musical sides of Beyonce that we haven’t seen before, and the flow and message of the songs didn’t hit me as powerfully as I wanted them to.

But of course, the most innovative aspect of this story is the visual album that Beyonce compacted for her listeners. Every song has a video to complement it, along with 3 bonus videos also accompanied by new tracks. First impression? I was completely overwhelmed by the artistic and symbolic elements that Beyonce brought to each video, some filled with dancers twirling in long, chiffon dresses against a black background, and others with Victoria Secret models flaunting gold grills. Her visual album was a product of her ability to “see the music,” for Beyonce “it’s more than just what [she] hears,” according to the New York Daily News. Her inclusion of these visualizations of music for every song,  isn’t so groundbreaking in my eyes, but more simply about an artist (with a lot of money) going against what has been the norm for decades, and creating music how she sees fit.

Although I think Beyonce, has had better songs on past albums, I think that her delivery and her work ethic are far beyond any musical artist out there. A part of what makes an artist stand out is their fearlessness when it comes to their work, and I think we all could learn a thing or two about being fearless from the Queen Bey.

30 Second Clips of 3 Music Videos:

Beyonce – Haunted

Beyonce – XO

Beyonce ft. Drake – Mine

 

Artistic Tributes to Nelson Mandela

Erika Bell Leave a comment

Nelson Mandela was one of the most influential figures of our time. His peaceful and nonviolent defiance against the South African government during times of racist policies exhibited behavior that was inspiring to the world. Becoming South Africa’s first black president in 1994 and destroying the apartheid system within the country were great feats within World History. In light of Mandela’s passing, many artistic tributes (some made before and after) have been revealed to commemorate the life of a man who taught the world the true meaning of global peace.

nelson mandela artwork

This piece was made by sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik at the Golden Sea Beach in Puri. This tribute stood out to me because of its utilization of sand, and the way the artist shaped Mandela’s face into the flag of South Africa. The attention to detail is remarkable, and the feeling of joy one gets from Mandela’s smiling face amidst the bright colors of his country’s flag, is immediately felt.

artist creates nelson mandela portrait from 27,000 punches

Phil Akashi paid tribute to Mandela in his own unique way, taking 27,000 punches with the chinese letters for freedom, Akashi painted a monument to pay tribute to the great leader. Akashi told Designboom.com that “[Mandela] sacrificed his own freedom to fight for the freedom of others and therefore represents a fantastic source of inspiration for the entire world.”

Twitter Art Tribute Shows the Reach of Nelson Mandela's Influence| Nelson Mandela

Social media was a frenzy sharing thoughts after Mandela’s death and photographer Miguel Rios made a visualization of some of the tweets sent out in regards to Mandela. The media is such an influential aspect of the youth today, and I thought it was very interesting to merge the voices, opinions, and thoughts from today’s society into a piece of an influential leader within history.

nelson mandela artwork

This is a mural painting of Nelson Mandela that can be found in Cape Town. The overlapping blues of the sky, the building, and the head of Mandela flow into each other, depicting Mandela in a way that almost makes him a part of the sky and a part of the atmosphere that will forever surround South Africa.

Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.        

                  -Nelson Mandela

Mental Moments

Erika Bell Leave a comment
Photo Credit: usmansheikh.com

So I just got a new phone, which only adds to the grandiosity that is my problem. I’m obsessed with this generational glitch of forgetting to live in the moment. As I walked down the street last night, I was struck by surprise at the soft yellow lights that swirled around the dried-up trees along the streets of Ann Arbor. Instead of stopping, staring, and appreciating the beauty of these decorations, my first reaction was to dig my phone out of my coat pocket, turn on my camera so I can get a good angle, snap a shot (adding a stark, yet airy filter), just so I could put it on Instagram with a simple smiley faced caption. Don’t you see something wrong with this picture…of a picture?

For me it is primarily my camera phone that is the problem, but there are so many ways to neglect the special moments that really deserve a mental snapshot. We can be glued to our laptops or phones, instead of listening to the words of a powerful speaker in class, or it could be choosing to blast our music as we walk down the street, opposed to embracing the beauty of the city we live in. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I was just mesmerized by the MUSKET’s performance of RENT, but there is something about living for today that sounds really nice.

I know that we are in a generation where technology and communication is everything, and trust me my phone will remain glued to my side for as long as possible, but I encourage you to take in the potentially inspiring moments of every day. Whether it be going to a musical theater performance or visiting a new restaurant, sniff in the air of the room first, take off your coat, laugh a little, enjoy yourself, then before you leave, take a quick photo or two!

Are We Really Hungry for The Hunger Games?

Erika Bell Leave a comment

What would any of us do if we didn’t have a teen-book-turned-movie-franchise to drool over to kick off the start of the holiday season? Cry? Whine? It’s a good thing we’ll probably never know. The second installment of The Hunger Games franchise, Catching Fire, hits theaters this Friday, and even though there’s plenty of hype surrounding the sequel, I can’t help but wonder, are we really hungry for the newest addition to The Hunger Games films, or is it the idea of being a fan of the popular thing in media that we’re really excited about?

Now I’ve read the books, that’s when my true lust affair began with Suzanne Collins’ series, and when I heard that a movie for the first novel was coming out…I simply went crazy. Granted, it was around high school when this occurred, yet I still noticed that there is just something more special about seeing the action and romance play out on the big screen with familiar faces, opposed to in my mind through a book. Now it’s the second time around, and I hate to say it, but I’m having mixed feelings. Yes, I know what is going to happen in upcoming films, and yes I still will pay, and gasp, and cry to see it all play out on the big screen, but why must this be a recurring theme with popular book-movie franchises with me? What makes this prolonged viewing so popular for people when everyone has had the opportunity to take in what will happen?

I’m no expert when it comes to analyzing the statistical feedback of certain popular films and books in pop culture, but I would bet money that this unquestionable hype has something to do with the feeling of excitement that everyone gets for a single outlet. We go online or watch television and see these crowds of people producing tears toward these actors and actresses, and then we find out that these fans have read all of the books and have seen the first film over 100 times. Is this passion really true, and what does it say about the appreciation of the true story created, opposed to the hype that comes along with being a fan of a popular film and book?

I know I’m asking a lot questions, but I would really love to know what the readers think of this wishy-washy interaction that comes from these franchises. Are we truly hungry, or are we over-stuffing our already full stomachs?

 

Opposites Attract

Erika Bell Leave a comment

Everywhere I turn I see myself. Well, not exactly. The popularity of reflection/illusion/kaleidoscope photography has been more prevalent than ever. The symmetry, the identical composition, the  trippy shapes are all interesting factors that play into the attraction that is literally of opposites. Professionally this artistic style of enhancing images has added interest in the photograph. From the aspect of fashion photography and selling garments, this double-view is a cheap way to market clothes more than once.  The image below caught my attention because of the way the center of the image branched off to the left and the right, creating this butterfly-woman rocking a white, lace jumpsuit. I’m a closet fashion photography lover (well not really you can catch me in Barnes and Nobles devouring a Vogue any day), and what I’ve noticed throughout time is the standardized composition and atmosphere coming from fashion photography (not including certain amazing photographers). I believe this resurgence of photo-editing and the illusion photography is a great way for these images to add interest and more sales.

trendland.com

I’ve also come across the everyday use of reflection in photography. The photo-editing applications for smartphones has made it so easy and fun to make reflective images of your personal photographs. In the everyday market, this style of doubling your own images puts you at a different level than other images. From Instagram, to Tumblr, to Pinterest, the sharing of images is all about their popularity. Who has the cooler shot?  Who can get the most likes? This mindset brings people to want to download apps like that of reflection photography, so we have something new and unique to present to the people we know.

Thisiscolossal.com