WE'RE SUPPORTING

James Blagden is one of the most unique and original young illustrators out there. He is going to be big, big, BIG. And I’m so proud as I used to be his teacher! His website just got a makeover for 2009, so we checked in with him and asked him what else he’d been working on lately: ‘I’ve done some commercial work for Nike and Uniqlo and a recent editorial drawing for a Swiss magazine called Annabelle. I’ve got a couple of personal projects going as well. Hopefully I’ll stay focused long enough to finish them’. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

I interviewed the mysterious Suitman some time ago for the Australian magazine, Riot. Even then it was clear that, with his immaculately pressed suit and crisp white shirts, he was an icon – both stylistically and conceptually. So it’s no surprise to hear about his latest adventure, The New Grand Tour, ‘an episodic art project featuring revolving guest artists with hyphenated cultural and geographical backgrounds. 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

Kathleen Lolley takes a narrative approach to her folky paintings, using fairy-tale, fantastical, and mythological imagery to weave cryptic stories both imaginary and referential to her personal life. Read more

WE'RE READING

The sky is falling. The world is ending. How do we deal with it? Since we can’t nail the CEOs and bankers that got us into this mess (instead, we’re bailing them out), let’s make light of the misery of people who make a living abetting the broken system.

Says Van She bassist and vocalist Matt Van Schie about the Bush Tetras track — Too Many Creeps — from 1982: ‘I LOOOVE this tune. It opens with a perfect snare roll, and then the counter bass and guitar rhythms make it so cool. The lyrics are even more valid today. They’re one of my favourite bands of all time, and so many people try to do what they did for real. What a time! I wish I was born back then in New York, hanging out with these kids. Ahhhh!!’

WE'RE LISTENING TO

DFA Records need little introduction to dancefloor devotees, but Hold On, a recent release by lesser known artist Holy Ghost!, may not be on the radar just yet. It will be though: we nominate it for track most likely to receive stereo overplay.