NOSTALGIA: Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs at the 2009 Costume Institute Gala
28. Style Icon Sienna Miller
27. Keep Calm and Carry On
Lately, I cannot escape this slogan! It’s on posters, stickers, phone covers, notebooks, folders…the list goes on and on. Even my mom has become enchanted by this message. Recently, she gave me a notebook with this catchy phrase on the cover.
Today, I pulled out my new notebook to jot down a few ideas. My friend then showed me the Youtube video posted above. Little did I know that the “Keep Calm and Carry On” slogan dates back quite a few years. The posters were initially manufactured as a propaganda poster during wartime.
26. Things I’ve pinned today on Pinterest! Loving the fresh spring colors, so sweet!
24. Branding Rachel Zoe
Rachel Zoe is a celebrity stylist, who is most likely known for her TV series, “The Rachel Zoe Project” on Bravo. The cameras document her personal and professional life as a celebrity stylist. Since the shows premiere, the Rachel Zoe name has become a recognized brand. She even has her own clothing line. The show highlights all the latest trends in fashion and Zoe’s over the top lifestyle and attitude. It’s a mixture of glamour, humor and sometimes even a bit of drama. I was an instant fan of the show! While the show introduced me to this glamorous stylist, I mostly stay up to date through her social media.
She is active on twitter and her profile page stays true to her attitude and style. She will even upload tweet pics of herself. She even has created a Pinterest account.
Along with her twitter account, fans can sign up to be on her daily email list called the Zoe Report. Sometimes I receive up to three emails a day. These emails keep fans updated on trends and upcoming fashion events. It directs a lot of traffic to her website.
Her website, The Zoe Report, is very professional but, still has a fashionable flare to its décor. It remains true to her style, which fans of the show can recognize. She not only highlights her own apparel line but also keeps fans up to date with other designers.
Zoe’s team does a great job marketing her products and her, because Rachel Zoe the stylist is a brand.
23.Sparkle and Spin: A Book about Words
Looking on Brainpickings, I came across an interesting article about a 1957 children’s book by designer Paul Rand. His wife, Ann, wrote the book while he did the illustrations. Brain Pickings reports that ”[…] the book encourages an understanding of the relationship between language and image, shape and sound, thought and expression[…].” Though this book is intended for children, as an advertising student it might be a good tool for inspiration.
Looking at the designs, I love that they are plain and simple. There is bold color but, the drawings are cartoon-like and grab readers attention. Even the cover has a kid-like tone. The hand is small and there are only four fingers. My favorite illustration is one with a Pinocchio figure.
This book is not one I grew up with, the books I grew up with were mostly Disney. My books were generally illustrated in a different fashion. I am used to more of a clean cut illustration. Rand’s illustrations are more rough, (if that is an accurate description). It almost looks like the illustrations are a kid’s drawings.
It is a children’s book but, I think that it has an important message for advertisers as well. Using words with images comes up quite a bit in this industry.
There is no “I” in team but there is in “PRICK”
-Tracy Wong
22. The Mystery of Banksy
One street artist known as “Banksy,” caught my attention in particular. No one can figure out who the artist is, the artwork will just pop up. Over the years, he has remained anonymous though often reports have popped up that the artist has been unmasked. It seems as though none of these articles can confirm his exact name.
I love this idea that suddenly this artwork will just appear overnight. A Times article says, “His art is often pegged as anti-capitalistic or anti-establishment. But he seems gleefully eager to subvert even the most pervasive presumptions about him.”
I have a love hate relationship with graffiti. Usually, I think that graffiti defaces public property. When people spray paint graffiti words or symbols it not only depletes the location but exposes bystanders to grude things. But, with that said sometimes graffiti can turn into street artwork that does not pollute rather visually enhance an area.
21. Hunter S. Thompson
A few years back my cousin, Kelly, lent me a book by Hunter S. Thompson called The Rum Diary. Initially, the title threw me off but Kelly and I have similar taste, so I trusted her opinion. She often raved about Thompson’s writing but I had never read any of his work. After two short chapters, I soon realized that Kelly had introduced me to my new favorite author.
The Rum Diary is easily one of my favorite books. It is set in the 1950s’ when protagonist Paul Kemp moves to Puerto Rico to write for a local newspaper. Throughout the story Kemp finds himself in challenging situations especially in his relationships with other characters. It was adapted into a movie starring Johnny Depp (who was a good friend of Thompson’s in real life).
Thompson writes with so much description, I felt like I was on the beach with the main character. What I enjoyed is that the protagonist, Paul, is not a hero, he is actually kind of a jerk. Thompson’s characters are real.
After reading my first Thompson piece, I bought his biography entitled Gonzo. His biography is showed who he was as a person through the eyes of his family, friends and co-workers. Gonzo journalism or objective journalism is a style of writing he used. He was such an electric character and lived his live to the fullest.
