Fashion TV (a Fashion File substitute)

More than two years have passed, I’m still not ready to forgive or forget CBC for killing my beloved Fashion File with the silly “Host Hunt” reality TV show and then cancelling the show in March 2009. Anyway, thanks to my new G+ French friend Laurent, he linked me to Fashion TV the other day. It is fun to watch while I will just have to accept Fashion TV as a substitute of Fashion File minus the journalism that I love and treat it as a camera at the shows.

By the way, after checking out the site a few days ago, I posted this question on G+: 2012 Brazilian designed swimwear? OR 2012 New York designed swimwear? I think the Brazilian ones are more imaginative and interesting. What do you think?

Mara Hoffman (NYC) Swimwear Show – Miami Swim Fashion Week 2012 – Bikini Models | FashionTV

Aline Weber – Top Brazilian Bikini Models 4 – Swim Fashion Week

***

Aug 11, 2011 Update: Here is an excerpt from the 1998 Spring RRJ article (internet archive link) (emphasis added),

“[…] 10-year-old Fashion File is self-funded, surviving on commercial and international sales revenues. Réjean Beaudin, executive in charge of production at Fashion File, says his show is more news-oriented than FT, largely because the CBC expects the show to contain at least some journalistic elements to justify carrying it on Newsworld. “We always push the envelope to try to get that extra bit of news information, that extra little piece of something that makes our show a little smarter. I don’t believe in hiding the issues.”

While Fashion File, like FT, isn’t above showing flashes of bare breasts and buttocks and can scarcely be described as investigative, there is a greater journalistic component.Fashion File’s host, Tim Blanks, contributing editor to Toronto Life Fashion magazine, is disinclined to let an issue pass without at least remarking upon it. Blanks, who resides in London and whose journalism background includes current affairs and political reporting, believes fashion journalism isn’t an oxymoron. “What I’m always trying to do is have a conversation with the viewer that’s a little more interesting than just what colours, fabrics and hemlines are all about.” For instance,

Stupid or smart kitchen design?

From UK Telegraph, Pots and pans a thing of the past for kitchens of the future – A kitchen that has no need of pots and pans is the future of urban cooking, according to design experts.

The following video is fun to watch. Fun is one thing, practical is a different matter. I have no idea idiots can call themselves “design experts” these days! If I knew any idiots can call themselves “design experts”, I would have called myself design experts long time ago. At least I have read Bill Buxton’s insightful “Sketching User Experiences” from cover to cover and hopefully will NOT design something as stupid as these “design experts”.

As an exercise to the readers, can you name 10 things why the depicted “design” is silly and likely stupid? Have fun.

P.S. If all they want is to get them brand out there, then they have succeeded. Even if I am laughing at them.

[HT Zinvia]

Alexander McQueen (1969 – 2010)

BBC is reporting the creative and inspiring fashion design icon Alexander McQueen was found dead at his London home on Thursday. (more news: CBC, BBC Obituary, NYDaily, Mirror, WSJ, TorStar)

I love fashion and I am saddened of  the passing of Alexander. My heart goes to Alexander’s family and loved ones.

RIP Alexander.

Bill Buxton at BIF-5

Bill Buxton at BIF-5 (30 mins talk, video) – “Leading designer and Microsoft principal researcher questions why the design of most technology doesn’t incorporate important social, cultural and historical perspectives.”

Check out other videos at the BIF (Business Innovation Factory).

Bruce Mau’s Latest Design Is BS (yes, cow manure)

Here is an excerpt from Business Week,

I’m sitting on a stool watching an info-video at the Dairy Management booth at the Worldwide Food Expo in Chicago. The stool, designed by Bruce Mau Design, is a bright red box. It is lightweight, yet sturdy. It also is made from cow manure. So, too, is the exhibit’s video-display case, kiosks of stacked milk cartons, and work tables.

And no, the material doesn’t look or smell like cow poop. And no again, you can’t buy it in stores—at least not yet.

The booth is a public showcase of a dairy industry initiative to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020. For a new product, it came together fast.

[…] While researching dairy farming, Tom Keogh, Bruce Mau Design’s project director, says the Toronto-based team came across experiments by a scientist in Madison, Wis. The scientist, John Hunt, a general engineer with the USDA’s Forest Service, had been testing alternatives to wood pulp in making paper and particle board. Among them: fiber-rich cow manure.

“There’s a moment during the creative process,” adds Paddy Harrington, a Bruce Mau Design creative director, “when someone says, the whole thing could be made of cow manure.” And so it would be.

[via BMD]

Top 20 Design Thinkers

Interesting read and a way to get to know a few more names to read & learn some more, “Top Twenty Design Thinkers“.

[via BMD]

Santiago Calatrava: Calgary “Peace Bridge” designer

Aug 22, 2010 Update: My new thoughts about the bridge, “War of words over Calgary Peace bridge”

***

I admire the artistic vision of the architect Santiago Calatrava, and found his Turning Torso stunningly beautiful as I had the pleasure of watching the 2006 documentary “Socialist, The Architect, and the Twisted Tower“. (Now, the Twisted Tower’s cost is another matter.)

So I consider myself a fan of Santiago Calatrava and it pains me even more to say that it is fiscally irresponsible for the Calgary city hall, the let-them-eat-cake politicians, to agree to a $24.5 million bridge! Are they crazy?

This is a foot bridge. Not an office building nor an art gallery. I have yet to hear someone wanting desperately visit a city because of a footbridge!

While Santiago may be eloquent in this Calgary Herald interview, I am not persuaded of the high price tag when city services are cut and city employees are fired. And reading Vancouver Sun taking time and space to reprint “Calgary’s $24.5M footbridge unveiled to cheers, jeers” just shows how out of touch Calgary City Hall politicians are.

Let me requote Mike at AM770 CHRQ Calgary Today,

“As with most bold architecture, there will be some people who love it and some people who don’t love it. I think it’s beautiful, elegant.” –Alderman Druh Farrell

“Sometimes there are people who vote against sunshine.” – Mayor Dave Bronconnier

Mr. Farrell, at what price?

Mr. Bronconnier, if you have to defend a misuse of millions of city funding with this kind of meaningless point, then you are more out of touch than I think you are.

Mike may have a point in saying, “Despite waves and waves of public backlash and opposition to the bridge, the mayor and other members of council are stubbornly defending this foolishness. Come election time, this may be their bridge to die on.”

P.S. As some CBC commenters pointed out, the bridge does look like a Chinese Finger Trap. And Chinatown is very close to the bridge.

P.P.S. Again, I like Santiago the person and his work but not the price tag and not now! Here is a video of him on Charlie Rose,