Originally from Australia, Long Walk Home are now residing and making awesome music in Berlin. Their music is modern and alternative with a great guitarist and drummer and a touch of funky electro that makes the melodies soft and catchy.

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Since 2000, Brooklyn-based indie band Longwave have been recording killer albums. Their most recent album — The Strangest Things — was released 2007 and won fans including The Strokes and The Vines. Hot, hot, hot.

It’s summer in New York, it’s sunny, and I’m bored of my everyday pair of sunnies. But who has the glasses for me? Designer Linda Farrow does! Her range has so many innovative designs, without the stripes on the lenses like the Kayne West glasses sold at every street vendor in the village. Linda Farrow has the most fabulous vintage shades, and the collaboration between her and House of Holland is a gem in a sea of sunnies.

Who would have thought that an abbreviation could make such a difference? This track is from the older, and in my opinion, better The Management, before they went by the name, MGMT.

The new range of Alexander Wang for Uniqlo just hit stores this week in New York. This is the perfect collaboration for budget-minded fashionistas, allowing us to wear Alexander Wang at an affordable cost (in the $50-60 range). The line includes classic and simple dresses with Wang’s signature colors, slate grays and black. I’m a big fan of his fabric selection, these light dresses are a girl’s treasure for a New York summer.

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LA-based designer label Grey Ant has been under my radar for quite some time now, but the Spring 08 collection is what really made me a ‘Grey Ant junkie’.The over-sized glasses, which is an under-exaggeration because these glasses are actually over, over-sized, are a lot of fun. Also, the jumpers and button ups work nicely as layering pieces. Usually known for their baggy look, this season the designers have perfected their silhouettes. The dresses are flattering, classic, and edgy. Every hipster from LA knows where to find Grey Ant, but for all others, check out the collection online.

Gareth Pugh is from England, is 25, and has been shaking up the fashion scene from London to New York since Fall 2006 when he sent his models down the runway in ruffles, Doc Martens and face paint. Continuing to be creative with his shows, this year his designs are radical and have a dark humor that makes them surprisingly wearable. Pugh has been featured in American Vogue and W, and even worked with fashion genius Rick Owens. His spring collection uses leather and black hosiery. The hosiery is my favorite. You can use it to layer under dresses, jackets, shorts and skirts.

This shirt is sheer brilliance. Let’s face it, who doesn’t love silly tees? Clearly, Paul Frank does! For a reasonable $32 at Urban Outfitters, this tee is a perfect way to have yourself smiling all day and others giggling. With you, not at you. Promise!

Swedish designer Paula Hagerskans has a cool masculine-edge to her female fashion lines. But it’s her attention to detail that really blows my mind. Her perfectly tailored jackets, along with her flat dress shoes, make dressing up fun, comfortable and classy. When asked what she keeps in mind while designing, Hagerskans responds, ‘Bohemic music lovers, humor, graphic design and the female body’.

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Eik Ottosen, the hot Danish model has created Rubber Duck shoes. His Los Drillos come in just about every color and are super comfy and affordable. Eik is a Buddhist who believes in corporate karma, which is probably why his shoes are made in Bangladesh, where he started a work-at-home program for women with children. Girls are going crazy over Eik and his slip on shoes. And for good reason too.

Diva Pittala is the designer of edgy and glamorous fashion label, Pleasure Principle. Silk tied in knots on the back of baggy dresses might be their trademark, but this spring’s collection goes much further. Pittala collaborated with artist Bozidar Brazda to create a one day installation called C.R.E.E.P. This 3-D exhibition showed work that might not necessarily fall into the fashion category, including a sculpture of the Cult leader, which was represented by a hooded garment with a mohawk attached.

Clara Kraetsch and Doreen Schulz are the designers behind the hot Berlin design label C-Neeon, which hit hard onto the fashion radar after winning the Young Designers competition at the Hyeres Festival. The label is known for their graphic prints using geometric patterns and rich colors. Stocked in a few hip boutiques in Paris and Japan, the Berlin-based designers made it big worldwide after their Fall 08 show at Paris Fashion Week. Even the carpets designed by Kraetsch and Schulz projected a Mondrian style. For anyone into Neo-Bauhaus, this is for you!

Rick Owen’s spring collection uses monochrome patterns to create a classic and chic silhouette. The layering, and oversized look, is perfectly tailored: big around the neck and tighter in the leg. His freshly newly launched line of denim — DRKSHDW — has been described as dark grunge and edgy Goth. It comes in a selection of unique washes, making them look more ‘used’.

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Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery in Soho is exhibiting Zhang Hui’s first showing in New York. The Beijing painter, Zhang Hui, is known for her portraitures of young girls with scars on their faces and guns in their hands. She pairs innocence with violence in a cartoon-esque style, making her work dark and disturbing, yet still capturing the brighter side of the darkness. Hui explains: ‘I live in Beijing. I’m a little kid. I want to become more beautiful and more fashionable. I want to have beautiful dresses. I want to have cotton candy. I want to be happy. Do you want to go back to being a child? My goal is to simply accept anger and sadness, while enjoying the happiness in my life’.

Born and raised in New York, the boys of Pegleg have been designing their collection out of their downtown apartment since their freshman year of college. Their designs are innovative and casual, with hats, tees, pants, and sweatshirts.

Jules Kim is the designer behind the jewelery label Bijules, which is based out of New York. This entire accessory line including hairrings, using real and synthetic human hair. This collection called Haire allows you to clip on colored pieces and daring do’s without having to commit.

The indie, electronic pop duo Plastic Operator paired up whilst studying audio production at London’s Westminster University. In 2004, they released their first three track EP. Their music reminds me of bands like The Fashion, Crystal Castles and Cut Copy.

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It looks like the New Rave movement is making a big comeback thanks to Carrie Mundane, designer of the UK-based fashion label, Cassette Playa. Mundane calls her style ‘aceed sartorialism’, and with a collection using bright neon graphics, it’s hard to disagree with her. Using day-glo colors and pixilated graphics, her designs make you feel like you are living in a computer game. Her latest collection includes heat sensitive sweatshirts and shorts that change color when the temperature rises. I’m also a fan of the oversized silk digital printed tops. They’re light and bright, and perfect for spring. The unappropriately named Mundane has worked as a stylist for bands such as the Klaxons and M.I.A.

Australian designer Mic Eaton has created an innovative line called Material Boy which specializes in over-sized shirts and funky trackpants. His clothes are comfortable and clearly made for those sick of American Apparel. This season in particular has some really fun colors and adventurous designs, including ‘overhaul sweatpants’.

Run Wrake is an illustrator and animator based in London whose recent short animation Rabbit has turned him into an underground hero. It was shown at the International Animation Festival in Hiroshima, and also won the Special International Jury Prize. He uses a 1950s-style illustration with quirky type and manga-esque storyboards to create the humorous story of some children exploring nature. Though, don’t be fooled by the benign story plot. This is is far from an innocent and sweet story.