Meh, I wasn’t going to post pictures of what I got at H&M’s flagship Vancouver store because it’s been covered to death, but I went back today to get some undies and accessories (too busy at the media/vip opener last Wednesday eve – check demiCouture for photos!) and decided I would share despite all the hubbub.
H&M dress (sooo obsessed with airy shirt-dresses right now, and had to get another because I’m over-wearing my dace Crisann dress…):
H&M one-piece swimsuit:
And today, picked up accessories – ring, earrings, hair clips, sunglasses (hint: look in the men’s section). I’m going golden this summer, in case you couldn’t tell. Also nabbed some good ol’ basic underwear:
Now, I just need to find someone who works there so I can be informed of their shipment dates and be the first to scour the store when new stock arrives! Sabrina at Professionally Trendy is absolutely right in that it’s difficult to find sizes at the moment, so if you haven’t yet been I’d recommend waiting a bit longer. If you can.
I’ll see if Carleen will take photos of her purchases – she also got a wicked one-piece swimsuit, a summer jumper, and some other share-worthy goodies.
Is there any better kind?
Well, maybe…
The Hot One Inch Action opening reception happened tonight at the Gallery Gachet. 50 artists, 50 designs, and $5 for 5 buttons selected randomly. If you didn’t like what you pulled out of the box, it was tradesies time. A pretty stellar jean jacket adorned with all of the buttons from the last 5 years (that’s 250) was raffled off as well. Lots of excitement, especially since this was the last Hot One Inch Action ever!
Buttons are on display until June 1 at 88 E Cordova.
Soooo stopping by here tomorrow….
Retro Design and Antiques fair features 175 vendors hawking everything from decor and accessories to clothing and art, plus so much more.
Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive (at 16th)
$4, 10am-3pm, or you can shell out early bird admission of $20 between 7 and 10am.
Photo courtesy of Civixen
For the keynote address this morning at VIDFEST, Wired Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson elaborated on his “Free! Why $0.00 is the Future of Business” article which was recently published in Wired (interesting side note, Chris is also publishing a book on the same topic that will be – you guessed it – FREE!). The point he brought up which I’d like to discuss is the statement that “waste is good.”
You could almost feel the audience tense up with apprehension, given our newfound propensity for conservation and saving this little planet. He explained by drawing an example from nature: biology “wastes” all of the time in a continual effort to improve the efficacy of species. Evolution is accomplished through gene mutations – most of which are horribly unsuccessful – until the right chord is struck and the species adapts and becomes more fit for survival. This process of natural selection was likened to both YouTube and the future of the virtual marketplace as a whole: in this new “free” economy, where we can download and upload as much as we please, parade ourselves on stage with unlimited bandwidth and forge entire online worlds without cost, most of the content is complete and utter trash. But like the process of mutations in nature, this trash is a necessary step in order to find the most efficient model for the future of digital and the economy of free.
I immediately thought of how this model could serve to dumb down culture permanently, as in “The Rise of the Idiots,” which is aptly profiled in the British television comedy Nathan Barley (and feature film Idiocracy.) I wonder if we aren’t inviting the evolution of idiocracy by encouraging internet users to produce junk, to exploit every available pocket while leaving a trail of shit in their wake in the process? If people weren’t watching and eating up every second of it, then I wouldn’t be so alarmist. But the public is watching, and they are responding. And that’s alarming.
How do we preserve intelligent, rational thought within this popular media format, which emphasizes fast, quick and mindless content? Won’t this “waste is good” and the subsequent user-generated trash (over 99% of the content is bum, by Anderson’s own mark) condition a vulnerable public into further lowering their standards, eventually resulting in a culture that is nearly devoid of creativity and objective thinking?
I’ve had my Foley + Corinna city tote for some time now, and when I spotted the same bag in hot pink on Gossip Girl’s Jenny Humphrey character I took notice, not sure whether I should be proud I had it first or nervous that my favourite tote could be the newest trend explosion – in which case, I would have to retire it until the panic had settled.
![](http://theconveyorbelt.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/bronsino.jpg "\")
As if seeing my bag on Gossip girl wasn’t as exciting/sickening enough, I just received a press release about Vancouver’s newest “IT” bag, the Haarlem by Bronsino – a familiar looking tote than can be held by the short dual straps or folded over into a purse by holding from a singular long strap. (Update Nov 19, 2009: Bronsino’s designer has since advised me that her Haarlem bag was inspired by a purse from the ’70s and was in no way derived from the Foley + Corrina or any other similar bag, FYI).
For me, it’s time to put the bag away when it’s all over TV and duplicated even by the uber-cheap purse hawkers that sell them for $10 a pop at rickshaw markets.
It was time to change up my everyday tote anyway, I suppose…
I’ve always thought the Vancouver International Digital Festival wouldn’t suit me. Superficial glances at the roster or a misguided interpretation of what VIDFEST is actually about continually prevented me from ever really looking into it or attending – I assumed it was too techy, that I wouldn’t understand the speakers or discussions, and that I would leave feeling scared and confused. The latter two points are yet to be determined, but after looking through the schedule of events I was happily surprised to find quite a few noteworthy sessions (and, ahem, parties) that I will most definitely be attending:
- Opening Gala takes place tonight at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and syncs up nicely with the KRAZY! Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art exhibit which is showing there now. The Mondo Spider will also be in attendance.
- Creative Exchange Conference Sessions: highlights for me will be Wired Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson discussing the new economy of “free”; striking the ideal relationship between content and audience within a blog format; utilizing digital mediums for altruistic purposes; and most excitedly, a panel discussion which includes Project Runway Canada winner Evan Biddell on creativity, design process, and making a living with your art.
- PopVox New Media Awards, celebrating accomplishments within the creative media industry. These awards are fantastic because it was free for anyone to submit work for consideration, and the public voted for the winners. Truly the vote of the people.
For a complete schedule of events and to buy your tickets online, head to the VIDFEST site for more information. The festival begins today, May 21 and runs through May 24. Check back here for coverage over the coming days as I experience VIDFEST for the first time!
