In honor of Sunday night's Extras finale on HBO, we present our favorite moment from the series, which also happens to be the only decent tune Bowie's had in the past 15 years:
(For more Extras-related footage, check out Ricky Gervais' Obsessives video here.)
That's the verdict from the lads over at Top Gear about the Land Rover LRX, but that doesn't mean they don't have some complaints. The light and sporty concept version of the classic 4x4, set to debut at next month's Detroit auto show, could move into production in three years—which means there's still time for them to take our British friends' advice.
The tailor (and Bentley enthusiast) opened a new shop at 30 Savile Row today. Designed by budding starchitect David Adjaye, the 6,800-square-foot store will offer bespoke suits (of course) and have an art gallery and an accessories room painted (you guessed it) purple (above). It's expected to be the first of an international rollout, with locations rumored for the Middle East, Japan, and—fingers crossed—the U.S.
Friends in high places have always been key to an artist's marketplace success, but friends in low places deserve some credit, too. For proof, see the group show Hommies, opening tomorrow at NYC's Fuse Gallery. The exhibit features images by 15 photographers (including Angela Boatwright, Carissa Pelleteri, Ari Marcopoulos, and Tobin Yelland, who curated it), all of whom have made friends, family, and pets a central (er) focus of their work. "I do think there's a special intimacy that comes through when photographers shoot the people they know best," says Yelland, who started snapping shots of his San Francisco skater buds two decades ago, when he was 15. "Plus, you know, I'm friends with everyone in the show."
Also feeling the friendship vibe: Larry Gagosian, who has invited 400 of his closest to celebrate tomorrow's opening of his new 8,000-square-foot gallery in Rome.
Hommies, tomorrow through Jan. 12, 2008, at Fuse Gallery, 93 Second Ave., NYC, (212) 777-7988, fusegallerynyc.com
Besides the statues, of course: the Explora en Rapa Nui, a 30-room lodge opening on the remote Pacific island next week. Set close to Hanga Roa, the oceanfront resort has the requisite alfresco Jacuzzis, swimming pools, and locally grown cuisine (along with some prime Chilean wines), but if you actually want to leave, you can sample the hotel's guided "cultural excursions": offerings include hikes through semitropical forests, bike rides along rugged trails, visits to a nearby volcano, and, of course, a trip to Easter Island's iconic Moai statues. The place is also Chile's first totally LEED-certified property, which means the hotel is, yes, "green." The five-hour flight from Santiago? Not so much.
Those seeking a colder destination should try the Tivoli Lodge, debuting in the European Alps in time for ski season. The 7,000-square-foot mountaintop abode holds 16 guests and is located in Davos. The city's annual World Economic Forum is next month, so don't be surprised to see Angela Merkel sidle up next to you in the on-site indoor pool and Jacuzzi.
Explora en Rapa Nui, from $2,634 for three nights/all-inclusive, near Hanga Roa on Easter Island, (866) 750-6699, explora.com; Tivoli Davos, from about $30,000 per week, +44 (0)20-7384-3854, descent.co.uk
Coming soon: the first-ever U.S. limited-edition timepiece from Vacheron Constantin. An offshoot of its Overseas collection, the 42-millimeter, stainless-steel automatic will have a limited run of 100, each numbered and engraved. No word yet on availability and pricing, but we're predicting "soon" and "a lot."
MORE: Check out our Hotlist of the world's top chronographs.
[TimeZone]
Vino entrepreneur Francis Ford Coppola ends his long cinematic hiatus this weekend with Youth Without Youth, and it seems fair to use the phrase "return to form"—by which we mean it's both unsettling (like The Conversation), crazy (Apocalypse Now), and a bit incoherent (say, Dracula). But hey, Tim Roth's scenes at the sanitarium might just inspire you to buy a pair of silk pajamas. Also out this week: The Kite Runner—spoiler alert: The Taliban sucked—and some sort of Will Smith vampire flick.
Jake Vintage, which opens tonight in Los Feliz, is a rare thing: a Los Angeles secondhand shop that's stocked with stuff you might actually want to wear to work. Its wares are organized by era and include mint-condition button-down shirts and meticulously detailed suits dating back to the late forties. Should you need a tailor, owner Jonathan Kanarek will happily recommend his, or you can let him take your measurements right there on the spot. (He'll also arrange head-to-toe looks.) "I want men to relearn the rules of dressing," he says. "It's a good time to be a real man again." To enhance the real-man appeal, the store keeps top-shelf Scotch at the ready. And if you ask nicely, Kanarek will even let you strum one of the guitars on display—they are, of course, vintage.
Jake Vintage, 4644 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz, (323) 662-JAKE
But it's to show off art, not fashion. His first stateside show opens tomorrow at Brooklyn's The Journal gallery, and the collaboration began after Lang saw several issues of the art outpost's magazine, which has included artwork by Vito Acconci and a certain hamster-nest enthusiast. "We started talking about a year ago," says magazine founder Michael Nevin. "He saw an issue we put out last winter for Miami Basel about Dash Snow, liked it, and wanted to do something." The result: Next Ever After, which will feature a mirrored sculpture that plays with the concepts of Janus mythology (?!), and for which his studies included photos of ornaments shot against found black-and-white pornographic images. Snow-inspired? Sounds like it to us.
Helmut Lang: Next Ever After, tomorrow through January 28 at The Journal gallery, 168 North 1st St., Brooklyn, thejournalinc.com
Classic styling, spotted in an unlikely place: Venice Beach. Not that we're complaining.
And now we know, thanks to MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles, an upcoming exhibit at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, which apparently exists. Sure, its definition of celebrity is a little loose—in addition to the aforementioned Rush drummer (above), Carlos Mencia and Will.I.Am will be showing off their custom-designed hogs. But don't (er) rush to Ohio just yet: The show opens in March.
MotoStars: Celebrities + Motorcycles, opening late March, 2008, at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, Ohio, (614) 856-2222, motorcyclemuseum.org
But that's not the only reason to tune in Feb. 17, when NBC will bring back Knight Rider for a two-hour TV movie. Instead, check out the new version of KITT, as captured by the obsessives over at TV Squad. Rather than a Trans-Am, it's a Ford GT500KR—and while the 540 horsepower is nice, we're just as impressed with another feature: The vehicle is voiced by G.O.B. Bluth himself, Will Arnett.
Another day, another online first: Jackass 2.5 will be the first studio-backed film to make its debut on the Internet (admittedly, that probably says more about the movie than the Internet). Look for the quasi-sequel—essentially a bunch of leftovers from Jackass 2, plus some new footage shot in September—on December 19 at jackassworld.com.
PLUS: The Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning. Check out the full list over at Variety. (Spoiler alert: Johnny Knoxville was overlooked, again.)
[Variety]
Toms Shoes is expanding beyond footwear. Well, sort of. The company has started selling Lauren Bush's Feed Bags on its Web site. "People can only buy so many Toms," says founder Blake Mycoskie, "and it's better than some random tote that doesn't help anyone." Take that,Geldof.
Feed Bag, $60, available through December at tomsshoes.com
Most men see a sixties-era Aston Martin roadster and visualize Sean Connery in Goldfinger. But to ur-grooming guru John Allan, the car was inspiration for a new razor—the hefty 63R (for roadster, get it?), which will be introduced tonight at Barneys. "It seemed to me like razors were getting lighter and lighter, but when you have a really light razor, you have to push harder on the skin," Allan says. "You can't work out with it or build muscle mass, but everyone who's put one in their hands says it just feels right." While only 1,000 of the anodized zinc blades—which come with a matching gunmetal-black stand—are being produced this holiday season, Allan is already in talks with car distributors about (perhaps inevitable) collaborations. There are even plans to roll out future versions in British racing green, Lotus yellow, and (of course) Ferrari red. Continuing the theme, Allan's "On the Road" travel kit collection also drops tomorrow. Are stylists now cashing in on the 50th anniversary of Kerouac's classic tome? "I don't know, to be honest with you," laughs Allan. "The name came from my marketing department."
63R Series razor, $195, and "On the Road" travel kit collection, $38-$245, on sale tomorrow at Barneys New York stores nationwide, barneys.com
Sure, he won the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund Award earlier this year, but now Rogan Gregory has really arrived: He has his own lunchbox, part of the 2007 Lunchbox Auction. (Proceeds benefit food banks in New York and South Africa.) More than 100 people, including Kanye West and Maggie Gyllenhaal, contributed designs to the sale, which ends Dec. 21. But Loomstate fans take note: So far, no one has placed a bid on the one above.
2007 Lunchbox Auction, charityfolks.com
Okay, he probably wasn't the best human being around, but he and Tina produced some of the best rock and roll ever made, as you can see in the video below, from a sixties performance on The Big T.N.T. Show. Turner was 76.
Cell phones with video are nothing new, but the just released MotoRIZR Z6tv is the first to offer live television via Verizon's V Cast Mobile TV. We were able to give it a test viewing, and are happy to report that it offers crisp, lag-free images—even while watching live programming (which is automatically delayed by about five seconds). The slider streams content from the big four networks (and a few cable channels) in either portrait/nav-bar or landscape/full-screen modes. Speaker sound is loud and clear, and the battery lasts for 4.5 hours of talk time—in other words, long enough to let you catch up on highlights or even watch the whole game. The RIZR also offers access to Verizon's music store, video on demand, and Internet, as well as a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and MP3/WMA support. It's also tiny—just 3.7 ounces—which leads to our biggest complaint: Why does it have just a two-inch screen?
$229.99; $179.99 after rebate with two-year contract; $13 to $25 for V Cast Mobile TV, verizon.com
Tomorrow night at (where else?) a deconsecrated church in London's Marylebone district, Dita Von Teese is unveiling both a new routine and a new costume—the latter outfitted with hundreds of thousands of hand-sewn Swarovski crystals. We wondered (naturally) how to get her out of it, but it turns out the curvaceous brunette is shy. "On stage it's on, and in the bedroom it's on," she says. "But it's the in-between part I have a problem with." Like when some jackass breaks out his camera phone during her show. "It's not like it's a rock band up there and people are taking pictures," she told us. "I'm nude." Which reminds us: Show starts at 8.
China has apparently put an unofficial ban on Hollywood films. The Times reports that the action is part of a trade dispute, but we suspect it's because they just didn't like Fred Claus.
Also, Greenpeace is taking on the video-game industry. The BBC reports that the organization is concerned about the high levels of toxins in consoles by Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Just when the Wii made video games seem almost healthy....
Jeans inspired by Andy Warhol? Sounds familiar. The latest example: an artist-licensed line of denim from Pepe Jeans, due in January. The 250-piece collection includes men's and women's options, and two separate lines dubbed (cringe alert) Factory and Pop. The former is in homage to what Andy actually wore, while the latter will feature designs based on his art. (Something tells us we'll prefer the former.) Just be prepared to drop a few euros—the line won't be coming stateside anytime soon.
[WWD]
Southern gents who take a guilty pleasure in Yankee style—or Northerners in Georgian exile—can find refuge in the new Atlanta men's store Sid Mashburn. Run by, yes, Sid Mashburn (a former design director at Tommy Hilfiger and Land's End), the 2,700-square-foot shop offers a well-edited mix of hipster favorites (A.P.C. jeans, Clark's desert boots, and bags by Jack Spade and Filson) and high-design classics (made-to-measure suits by Raffaele Caruso and Kiton, Alden shoes, and Mackintosh raincoats). Aficionados of both will appreciate the on-site tailor, who specializes in made-to-measure house-label shirts, pants, and ties. "I've been searching since I was 15 years old for things that belong together," Mashburn says. Looks like he's found what he's looking for.
Sid Mashburn, 1198 Howell Mill Rd., (404) 350-7135, sidmashburn.com
The Wu-Tang Clan's new 8 Diagrams is solid (and we believe the title is a chess reference), but today's real action is on iTunes. That's where you'll find Conquest, the White Stripes' first new batch of songs since Meg White's anxiety-induced vacation. The five-tune EP, coproduced by Beck, includes titles like "It's My Fault for Being Famous"—which makes it hard not to read between the, er, lines. Also of note: the online debut of Keith Richards' 1978 version of "Run Rudolph Run," perfect for completing your holiday playlist.
Vivid Entertainment (a company we've never, ever heard of) announced last night that it will sue the online video site PornoTube (NSFW, obviously) for posting clips from its film library. (Apparently, the site did so—wait for it—without permission.) Vivid's asking for $4.5 million, or enough to finance approximately 1,000 new movies.
Bang & Olufsen and Aston Martin announced a "creative and strategic partnership" this morning, and it involves…well, we can't say exactly—no further details have been released. Rest assured it'll involve cars and audio, possibly even car audio—probably of the expensive, covetable variety. When we hear more, we'll keep you posted.
PLUS: For concrete specs from actual cars, check out our sports coupe Hotlist.
[Audiojunkies via Engadget]
Given that Led Zeppelin hadn't played a full concert in 27 years, you had to forgive the prevalence of tattered concert tees at last night's show in London. But the most stylish man in the house (well, aside from Mick Jagger) was actually Jimmy Page. The chrome-haired ax-man rocked a pair of shades and a dark three-piece suit that was more English-gardener-in-his-Sunday-best than occult-loving rock god. Not that that's a bad thing.
It's one of our favorite sporting traditions: Soccer-team road uniforms designed by high-end fashion labels. The latest is Cerruti for AS Monaco. The Milanese clothier will outfit the team in gray made-to-measure suits with matching gray ties, as well as black silk polo shirts and trench coats for less formal occasions. Now if we could only get Ralph Lauren to outfit the Packers.
[[DNR]]
Probably best known for producing the likes of Comme des Garçons and A Bathing Ape—not to mention inspiring a few Gwen Stefani solo albums—Tokyo's fashionable Harajuku district makes perfect coffee-table-book fodder, as the new Style Deficit Disorder shows. And with roughly 200 photos from the past 40 years, as well as essays by the likes of John Galliano and Shu Uemura, the book also makes a much better gift than Love.Angel.Music.Baby.
Style Deficit Disorder, $30, chroniclebooks.com
Spring is here, or so you might think if you do any shopping of the non-Christmas variety this week. Just in time for mid-December, Martin Margiela's Spring '08 collection is shipping to stores today. In related news, NYC's Jeffrey has just started carrying San Francisco's Sundek swimwear line. Around since the late-fifties, the company's iconic rainbow-patterned swimsuits ($120, above) have recently come back into vogue, even among those who (like Charlie) don't surf.
Tonight's holiday-themed episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations ratchets up the family dysfunction to Griswold-ian proportions. Airing at 10 on the Travel Channel, the special documents the chef's attempt to prepare a holiday meal for his brother's family in Connecticut while Queens of the Stone Age (above) rock out in the basement wearing their best Christmas knits. If that's not enough, Bourdain has also promised a "brother-on-brother knife fight." Seriously, you can't write this stuff.
According to the Times of London, the fishnet wife-beater known as the "string vest" has finally bitten the dust, having been dropped by mass British retailers like Asda and Tesco. Evidently, as a spokesman for one British retailer put it, "the unobscured view of bulging waistlines, hairy chests, and—worst of all—sweaty armpits, placed prominently on display by the baggy, open-structured string vest, was too much for many wives and girlfriends to bear."
The parties have ended, but our roving reporter, Gene Pressman, took a few final snaps before they did.
See his pics in our slideshow >
DNR reports today that up-and-coming designer Adam Lippes has opened his first store in NYC's Meatpacking District. The 2,500-square-foot shop will carry the Adam sportswear line, as well as his better-known womenswear. Meanwhile, over in London, Mulberry has launched its first ever freestanding menswear shop. The tiny Covent Garden space—all 300 square feet of it—will carry both accessories and clothes. The real draw? The Bob Bag (above), a $1,900 leather travel case designed by Live 8 impresario-slash-manbag-lover Bob Geldof.
Prefer buying DVDs in bulk? Check out the new 90-film set from Tom Cruise's United Artists. The box includes the two aforementioned movies alongside eight best-picture winners and, weirdly, Heaven's Gate, the 1983 movie that more or less bankrupted the studio. On sale for $609, that's less than seven bucks per disc—dare we call it a bargain?
Also out this week: The Jason Bourne Collection, which includes a whole movie's worth of deleted scenes from the Matt Damon trilogy, and Two-Lane Blacktop, the long-overdue 1971 road movie starring James Taylor and—gasp—a full head of hair. (We hear the last one makes a great gift, too.)
