Lecture at the Society of Illustrators of New York

WE'RE SUPPORTING

Seems like you can’t throw a rock in Brooklyn these days without hitting an awesome illustrator. Thomas Herpich’s work is intricate and really drawerly (you know, like the drawing equivalent of painterly), but also draws heavily from comic books. His style is expressive and moody without being gimmicky — the idea he is trying to convey takes precedent over any kind of visual one-liners. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

The bright, racing, digital, 12 million person metropolis of Tokyo has gone all quiet and traditional. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

Love it or loathe it, you’ve got to admit that the ruffled blouses and strict pencil skirts on television series Gossip Girl give you a guilt-free reason to watch. 25-year-old former model Abigail Lorick was approached to ghost design the Eleanor Waldorf Collection by using her budding real life label Loricklady. The press surrounding the show has boosted her profile and her new collection featuring all the Upper East Side trimmings is greatly anticipated.

WE'RE THINKING

In late 80s and early 90s, the Illustrated Laser Ray and futuristic grids aesthetic was a sensation, years before it began to diminish abruptly. But just like every fashion, it became mainstream and mutated into portrait backgrounds. A large amount of these pictures are documented on the Laser Portraits websites. Read more

WE'RE READING

I’m one of those people who lament the death of analog film as a medium, not because I romanticize the process, but because I love the unpredictable imperfections inherent in non-digital formats. Read more

Micah P. Hinson is like every rustic, broken down, and pieced back together country great that’s ever been. Only hipper and slightly less sombre. This track, Diggin’ A Grave, is a button-up hoe down with a classic pop chorus and a jangly banjo accompaniment. Yup, some folk have all the fun.

WE'RE LISTENING TO

The song Blasphemous Rumours by Depeche Mode is just about the most dark, beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. There’s something very compelling about it all: it’s gloomy and depressing during the verses, but then this sexy, almost hypnotically melodic chorus bursts in out of nowhere. The song came out in 1984 and is reputedly based on a true story, with singer Dave Gahan concluding at the end of it all: ‘I don’t want to start any blasphemous rumours but I think that God’s got a sick sense of humour, and when I die, I expect to find Him laughing’. Brilliant.