Belles Will Ring

WE'RE SUPPORTING

My ex-roommate, better known as the young genius art star James Jean, has his first big solo show opening at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in Manhattan this weekend. The opening may get crazy packed with all the fans, but I’m sure it will worth a visit. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Tucked along one of Amsterdam’s many narrow, gorgeously paved streets, I.d.e.a. Living stocks a range of jewellery and homewares perfect for kitting out an outfit or apartment. Modern whites, splashes of strong colours, clean lines and a distinctively European style make

WE'RE WEARING

The mining and refining that provides the world with precious metals is also extremely damaging to the environment – each ounce of gold mined generates 30 tons of waste, much of which is toxic. Philadelphia-based Rust Belt make unique, finely crafted earrings, necklaces, and bracelets entirely from re-purposed and recycled materials. The processes they use to make their pieces are also environmentally sound, and they are shipped in beautiful, re-purposed glass bottles.

WE'RE THINKING

Zaha Hadid has been announced as the winning architect for the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum, Vilnius, Lithuania. As with the rest of the Guggenheim Museums, the architectural boundaries are pushed. Zaha lets loose with her fluid, energetic architecture and has subsequently deemed the building to be the manifestation of the city’s new cultural significance. One wonders which is the next city that requires a Guggenheim shot in the arm?

WE'RE READING

Anyone interested in the importance of limitations on creativity should check out the new publication Vormator: The Elements of Design. Begun two years ago, it challenges artists to create a visual by using a very limited palette of shapes and possibilities. Read more

Sparks’ album Kimono My House is a demented mix of hard rock, pop, glam, new wave, and baroque pop. Why this record never caught on in the States I’ll never know. The songs will get stuck in your head and prevent you from sleeping. Oh yeah, and the keyboard player has a nice mustache too, as evidenced by this track above — This Town Ain’t Big Enough.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

There are two kinds of metalheads: those that are drawn by the hyper masculine, angry, aggressive aspect of metal, and those that are drawn by its Wagnerian drama, themes of pagan nature worship, and disdain towards modern civilization. The line between the latter and hippies is quite thin. I am one of these sorts of metal fans, which is why I also really love bands like The Lickets, an empyrean, luminously beautiful, experimental folk collective. They make music that makes you feel like a tiny speck floating in the vast oceans of existence, perfect for a night of star gazing, just like Burzum’s fourth album, Filosifem.