hotpants

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Before living in England, I thought hotpants were just a more risqué version of le short--perhaps this was because I had only ever seen them paired with equally tiny tops. But I recently bought a pair of sequin hotpants that I'm planning to wear with a vintage tee or a comfy sweatshirt. Either way, I'm a hotpants convert.

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alternatives

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If I were not a novelist/editor, I would be an astrophotographer. I am completely fascinated with the cosmos: the paths they follow, how long it takes for their light to reach us, their chemical composition, the myths behind the constellations. I would especially love to camp out in Norway for a few months and photograph the Aurora Borealis.

Although, being a pastry chef would also have its perks.

rwe

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Some Monday morning inspiration courtesy of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

thunder perfect mind

I've just rediscovered Jordan and Ridley Scott's incredible short film for Prada. The music, costumes, and narrative are equally strong elements that, combined, create a compelling aesthetic. I wish I could find the music track used; I only know that John Altman is the composer. The dance scene was stunning. Loose, flexible, natural movement and unusually jazzy costumes in contrast with the rest of the film...fairly reminiscent of clubbing in Cuba. My favorite of the costumes was the corset and coat near the end. Obviously it reiterated the theme of the lack of static in a woman's character, the intimacies behind her expression as she betrays nothing. But on a purely materialistic level, let's just say, Miuccia Prada can dress me any day.

Images by Brigitte Lacombe

et voici le film:

ardent youth

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Slaving for the art, the music, our rhythm, our own beat. Being foolish. Madness at any hour. Making mistakes (at any cost), rebelling without a cause (because it's good to be hungry). Never giving in, listening to no one before it's too late, and following a dream that's not just any old dream, but our own. Are we too weird to live? Too rare to die. Like Bourdin, giving just one picture only, or Warhol's world all of his own making, or anything that's straight-to-video that we just can't give up. We have but one chance and it's ours to blow.

-- RUSSH magazine, July 2012

That's the beauty of being human: life revolves around so much more than survival. Exploration, curiosity, art, success, love. The mundane--the basic--is dangerous. We have the potential for so much more. The best nights are spontaneous. In the best moments, feeling like a star exploding and burning. And even in death, there is the acutest sensation of self-awareness. The nerve endings ripping open and everything becoming so much louder before it is silent. It would be a shame to spend life anything less than utterly alive.