Raphael Saadiq

So last night I went to the Highline Ballroom to see Raphael Saadiq perform. He did lots of oldies that we all know, and a few songs off his new album, "The Way I See It" which drops Sept 16th. The crowd was going really crazy for him. Before I went to the show, I didn't really remember who he was! Crazy, I know. He is such an amazing performer. And while trying to leave the stage the crowd, kept clapping and yelling for him to come back. Man, he is a soo beautiful. I rarely say that about men, actually almost never. But he is. Me and my girls ended up talking to him after the show and he's a real chill dude. 

Go listen to the album!! 

Worthy Opponent

My girl Susana Cardona just finished the write up, on a feature that we did, on her new blog. Worthy Opponent. Susana is such a cool lady! Sweet and down to earth, we vibed the first time we met. 

We talked for hours about Ripe, being a woman in this crazy scene and just life in general! 

SO SO RIPE 
I remember the evening I met Mizz Folsade Ologundudu--that's "Sade" for us non-Yoruba speakers. I was walking down Chrystie street, in the Lower East Side, and heading to a cooler-than-thou party of some sort, when one of my girls stopped to chat. I was introduced to Sade and was instantly captivated by what seemed to be two female figures dangling seductively from her ears! "ARE THOSE EARRINGS!?" I shrieked. "Yeah. I'm a jewelry designer. These are part of my collection." From that point on, we were destined to connect. 

After lunching with Sade, I realized that she is like the little sister I'd love to have. Although only 21 years young, Sade is one of those people who knows she has lots to learn but can still teach an old dog a thing or two. This Brooklyn native of Nigerian/Portuguese/Black American descent has carved out a space for her art and has begun to explore her limitless options. 

Check out the rest here! 

The Samples

 

Tré Cinco Ring & Wax Model. 

Tré Cinco Breastplate Wax Model. 

Destroy & Rebuild Ring. 

The samples are pieces that I'm making just for fun, they may or may not become an official collection. 

Martin Margiela

Sterling Silver ball chain and lobster claw clasp fish hook bracelet. This is a really great and simple piece for men. 

Key Ring. Brilliant! Brass covered in white rubber.  

The Ripe & Rotten Summer Sale

Ripe Jewelry presents: The Ripe & Rotten Summer Sale! In conjunction with Harriet's Alter Ego & Backyard Couture. 

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The Ripe & Rotten Summer Sale!

The 'Le Femme Fatale' Collection @ 30% OFF! In 14k plated, Rhodium plated, & CZ adorned!  

(Rotten)

The 'Samples' Collection at retail, in Sterling, & Vermeil Privee! Unveiled for the first time! Featuring the 'Destroy & Rebuild' ring & the 'Tré Cinco' ring. 

(Ripe)

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Harriet's Alter Ego presents...

Backyard Couture: Fresh Air & Even Fresher Fashion 

Saturday August 16th 5-11 P.M.

293 Flatbush Avenue btwn St. Marks & Prospect Place 

Performances By: Mickey Factz & Raye 6 

Live Art: Concrete & Sheetrock Canvases 

Public Art & Live Installation Pieces 

Shopping, Open Nuvo Bar, DJ Performances  

Brought to you by: Good Peoples & Around the way Girls 

Thin Living.

No one, I mean no one is playing around with limited space and great architecture, the way the Japanese are. Architecture is a very beautiful style of design, it can change the entire look and feel of a single room or an entire city. And what's most interesting about what Japanese architects are doing, is using slivers of space to create homes that somehow manage to give the illusion of space, I'm sure this is very challenging, b/c you have to think about what make a space appear bigger than it is. This is most obviously answered with light. It is the one aspect that will always make a space feel bigger. 

Here are a few...

The Billboard Building by Kleim Dytham Architecture 

Lucky Drops by Atelier Tekuto

Designed by Satoshi Kurosaki 

^The really amazing thing about this building is that it was made to allow each 'box' apartment to be moved and put into a different place. Think Jenga meets architecture. Genius! 

Famous Architect Kisho Kurokawa 1934-2007 

Nicolas Ghesquiere, Balenciaga

I decided to challenge myself with this next post, and show 1 to 2 favorite looks that Nicolas has created for Balenciaga from 2001 until now, per season. Although he came on as creative director in 1997, when Gucci Group acquired Balenciaga. 

Here are the picks. 

Fall 2001 

Spring 2002 

This was a hard one there were many good looks in this show. 

Fall 2002

Spring 2003 

Fall 2003

Another tough one, there were many pieces that I loved, especially the jackets. A great essential piece like outer-wear, is essential after all. Also I think this a turning point for Ghesquiere, more structure, and tailoring, in his innovative style. 

Spring 2004

Fall 2004 

The boots in this collection were fucking sick. By now Pierre Hardy is already been on board, with the shoe game. 

Spring 2005

Really nice color palette in this collection, mainly this navy blue, with lots of white and dashes of cream here and there. I think the muted tones helps you focus on the details more. 

Fall 2005

The almost pastel green is a really beautiful color for the fall. 

Spring 2006 

This was a sexy one. There's way to make lace look sick, Nicolas does it effortlessly. 

Fall 2006 

Not my favorite, for reasons of knowing that I wouldn't really wear a lot of the pieces, but I really like this nautical theme. 

Spring 2007 

The famous collection of the C3PO leggings. Suffice it to say, I couldn't just pick two looks for this one.  

The man. 

Fall 2007

Another amazing one, and as you can see this is a bit of a challenge! How can you just pick one?

Spring 2008 

Again I asked myself, wear am I going? Really? But all-in-all you cannot take anything away from the way Ghesquiere designs. 

Fall 2008 (To Date)

Thats all folks. What more can I say, except that Cristobal would be proud.