For those unfamiliar with you, please introduce yourself:
Hello my name is Nando Esparza and I’m a Portrait photographer based in Tucson, AZ.
Where are you originally from?
I’m originally from Deming, New Mexico. A very small town that had 2 stops lights. Filled with chile and tumble weeds. To help paint a little picture.
Has the change in the economy affected your profession?
It definitely has affected me in the sense that most people are now working 2 jobs. Some are even going to school on top of that. It has forced me from renting space to converting personal space into a studio. All for the ability to maximize my time better, not only for me but the models as well. Companies are now cutting budgets on projects. I think its also forced people into being multi-dimensional. Not only being a MUA but a hairstylist as well. Some cases I’ve known the photographer to be all three. Altogether I feel it’s really made people step their game up with marketing, branding, and the hustle. Continue reading “Q&A: Nando Esparza” »
For the best-dressed wrist. The cufflink that’s a metaphor for itself: & = and = something that joins things = a cufflink. Useful and stylish as button covers on regular shirts and as cufflinks on French cuff shirts. The ampersand is in venerable Clarendon typeface. Originated in the Fann St. Foundry of Oxford, England in 1845, it’s employed frequently in dictionaries. And now on cuffs. Laser-cut from a single piece of reclaimed stainless steel and powder coated to provide a durable, hard-wearing finish. High style, low environmental impact.
Valet Mag answers a great and interesting question in their “Ask Valet” section.
Question
I really like the look of safety pin collar holders, but don’t really understand them. Are they too superfluous?
- Luke, Providence, RI
Answer
A lot could be considered superfluous when it comes to clothing. But details make the man. And collar pins, much like their tie bar brethren, actually serve a function while adding a dash of old-school style. The pin keeps your collar neat and pulled down while giving a boost to your tie’s knot. We definitely liked the sophistication the pins brought to this jaunty fellow captured at Milan’s fashion week back in September. Of course, if you’re a tad weary of punching holes in your shirt, look for pin-like clips that provide the same effect.
The label Hidden Goods, launched in 2008, is a creation of the designer Hrafnhildur Guðrúnardóttir, a graduate from the fashion department of the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2004. Hrafnhildur is inspired by historical and cultural references and this first handbag collection of Hidden Goods is inspired by circus life of the nineteenth century and its mysticism.
Hrafnhildur Guðrúnardóttir captures the old in the new. She brings the distant closer to the senses with a romantic emotion and gusto. Warm light and life. The unfolding satisfaction of remembering the past through certain materials and specific details. Hrafnhildur is inspired by historical and cultural references. Dressing is diving into the experience. It is being a part of a whole.
As we’ve all become accustomed to the wire or metal frame aviators for decades and has been made the popular choice of many. For this Spring/Summer season, why not mix it up with Carrera Champion sunglasses which are plastic aviators and come in a variety of color and will look great with a nice pair of boat shoes.
Formed in London in 1995 by Fraser Moss and Jimmy Collins in response to increasing demand for stylish, funtional modern clothing, YMC has quietly grown to become a highly significant design label. When asked how he saw the future of design, graphic artist Raymond Lowey, pioneer of American Industrial Design reasoned that ‘you must create your own design style’ – it is this philosophy that inspires YMC.
YMC are not led or influenced by seasonal trends but try to provide the solution from intelligent clothing that is both wearable and distinctive. Collections gradually develop from season to season whilst a modernist approach ensures good ideas maintain longevity.
In honor of Sean Penn’s Oscar win Sunday night in Milk for portraying Gay Rights Activist and Politician, Harvey Milk, We wanted to post this great video of one of his speeches. This video was used to promote the non-for-profit organization, www.causecast.org
Causecast, dubbed “a one stop philanthropy shop” by TechCrunch, is a platform where media, philanthropy, social networking, entertainment and education converge to serve a greater purpose.
People want to do good, want to be inspired, and want to inspire others to join them in giving back. Causecast makes this easy by providing users with means to CONNECT with people, leaders, charities, nonprofit organizations, and brands that inspire them.
We’re fascinated with behind-the-scene footage, watching someone’s plan unfold to the way the want it gives us much more respect and admiration for their dedication. Here’s Oasis with the launch of their magazine and how they used the magazine in their Flagship store on Argyll Street in a creative window installation for London’s Fashion Week 2009.
Danfoss Universe is a science park in Denmark, embedded in the agricultural landscape of Nordborg next to the founder’s home and the Danfoss HQ. It opened in May 2005 and is already enlarging due to its considerable success. The masterplan for Danfoss Universe Phase 2 includes an exhibition building (Curiosity.Center) and a restaurant (Food.Factory) which extends the summer based outdoor park into the winter months by enclosing spaces for exhibitions and scientific experiments.
The new buildings rise up from the ground and provide spaces which articulate the fusion of outdoor landscape and indoor exhibition. This active ground modulates according to program and location in the park. The endpoints of the buildings blur the line between building and park by offering inside-out spaces as display areas and projection surfaces related to the temporary exhibitions inside. Silhouettes, as groups of land formations, define the unique newly programmed horizon line of Danfoss Universe.
EMI Music today announced the debut of the first iTunes Pass with groundbreaking electro legends Depeche Mode. With iTunes Pass, music fans can get new and exclusive singles, remixes, video and other content from their favorite artists over a set period of time, delivered to their libraries as soon as they’re available.
The first iTunes Pass debuts today in conjunction with Depeche Mode’s forthcoming 12th studio album, “Sounds of the Universe,” to be released on April 21 in the US. Fans who sign up starting today get the alternative/dance pioneers’ new single, “Wrong,” as well as the Black Odyssey Dub Remix of the new track “Oh Well.” They will also receive the new album on its street date plus great music and video exclusives before and after the album’s release over the next fifteen weeks. The Depeche Mode iTunes Pass can be purchased starting today for $18.99.
“iTunes Pass is a great way for artists to give exclusive music and video, on their own schedule, directly to their fans.” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “iTunes customers are going to love getting additional content directly from their favorite artists right when they make it available.”
“The relationship between Depeche Mode and their fans has always been our top priority,” said the band’s manager, Jonathan Kessler. “We are thrilled to be the first to participate with Apple in giving fans the kind of deep musical experience they expect from Depeche Mode.”
