Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion

My visit with the boys from ASH and Marcia Dossin

http://www.animalstreetart.com
The website is still a work in progress, check back in a few weeks.

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Yesterday I showed you the two shirts that Dino bought , both were designed by Ash, one Dino bought as a gift but then decided the shirts were too cool to part with, so the friend is out of luck.A new friend Dennis set up some appointments for me today to meet a few young designers. The first stop was the studio of Ash.

The two halves of Ash
http://www.animalstreetart.com

http://www.animalstreetart.com
Ash cuts are very sensual and all of the illustrations are thematic generally focused on the world condition as they see it. Some are more feminine and others can be worn by either sex. They also make jeans, toys and do paintings on paper.

http://www.animalstreetart.com

Ash toys, pins and above paintings

Marcia Dossin myspace.com/pullpy

Their friend Marcia Dossin , magpie collections, likes to make belts with elastic. She identifies with the elastic part of life. She also created a series of animal collars like the one she is wearing and a lovely sky and a milky way necklace out of resin.

Later,

Diane

astrologyandbeyond.com

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I don't know if it was the inspired visit with Christine Yufon yesterday or just that the words ring so true, but I wanted to pass these words of wisdom off to you.

This was for libras this week but I think it is good for everyone, if you have not visited the site astrologyandbeyond.com you will probably want to stop by.

In September, as you contemplate where you have been and where you are going, remind yourself of this sage adage: "No one can go back and make a brand-new start, my friend, but anyone can start from here and make a brand-new end."

AstrologyAndBeyond@Gmail.com

Meeting with Christine Yufon, NEEON and the film fashion awards at Iguatemi

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I've been looking forward to meeting the scuptor and accessory designer, Christine Yufon ever since I landed in Sao Paulo. THe first night that I was here a friend told me about the woman and her work. Of course he exaggerated on her age and made her 10 years older. When I met her I said you look 30 years younger than your age and then she told me that she was in fact 10 years younger and that people for some reason keep adding years onto her age and soon they would have her as 100. The woman defines the word grace.

Christine Yufon as a model and one of her sculptures

DuDu models Christine Yufon

A visit to NEEON all my images of his clothes are on my dv.

Haffa

The Filme Fashion Awards Beto, Alexandra and Pedro the producers and founders of the filmefashion festival..

Eduardo and lovely Laura

When I came back from the Iguatemi filmefashion I turned on the TV and there was my friend Waris of the beautiful jewelry, playing a bank teller that gets beaten up and forced to remove his turban.

Later,

Diane

Iguatemi filmefashion wrap party tonight at 20h

If you are in Sao Paulo, we look forward to seeing you tonight.

Later,

Diane

Slurp 3

DINO DINCO : BEAR HUNTING IN BRAZIL

Call me hasty. Call me premature. But I'm already sniffing around to what apartments cost to rent in this glorious city. At first, I didn't believe that the people here were being genuine when so instantly warm and gracious. I'm not suspicious by nature (I'm lying) but I was like, "Ok, this is not for real."

But I quickly learned.

Paulistas are that way because they really ARE that way. They come and meet you somewhere. They walk or drive you all around town. They invite you into their homes and make you coffee and snacks and say things like "Oh, I'm leaving on a hot date that I planned days ago but just stay in my house and leave when you want. Watch TV. Use the phone. Do you want my car? Brazil really loves you. See you later!"

No joke.

So, yeah. I'm the city's newest, biggest fan. Here's a little backstory....

I had asked my friend Rigo (aka Rigoberto) to come with me on this trip, as I knew it would be fun to run around with him, especially after hours. Rigo and I were both super excited, buying armloads of travel guides, maps and Portugese dictionaries that have largely gone un-used. In nearly every guidebook, we read of muggings, robberies and knife slashings on the streets of many SP barrios. As I live in downtown Los Angeles, I thought, "Oh, it's like my neighborhood without the ocean. Cool." But you know...Keep aware, leave your jewelry at home, blend in, and don't allow yourself to be vulnerable on the street. Easy.

Rigo, Diane and I arrived within about 30 hours of each other, all on separate planes. Rigo arrived first; me, nearly 400 hours later than expected and with luggage missing somewhere between LA and SP, as the airline I was booked on should be dusting crops with pesticides, not flying people around. I arrived, bleary-eyed but standing, and called Diane to come up to our room. Rigo and Diane bonded instantly. As we had an hour or so to kill before meeting our hosts, the super lovely producers of the Iguatemi Filmefashion Festival, we decided to go for a walk to the nearest pharmacy so I could buy stuff to replace what the dumb airline had lost.

We ask for directions and hit the street. A block from the hotel, Diane pops open her now-signature silver foil umbrella to block the sun. Rigo lets out a small gasp. If every pedestrian and passenger in a car hadn't been clocking our every move before, they were now. Rigo leans in to me to say in a muffled scream that sent shockwaves through my eardrum: "Oh my god! We're going to be killed!!!!!"

I kept walking and whispered back: "Oh, relax. As far as anyone knows, that thing is loaded... No one's gonna fuck with us." I think Rigo gave genuine thought to this and was especially at ease whenever she was around.

Sort of like Wonder Woman and her metallic bullet-reflecting wrist cuffs...

In the car, Rigo and I had been talking about exploring the bear scene of the city. For the uninitiated, "bears" tend to be large (Large, XL, XXL, XXXL, etc..) and hairy gay men who often like other large, hairy gay men. As much as I like to eat, I'm often not fat enough to be a bear or even be liked by bears. Even when I say stuff like, "But I ate 3 desserts today!" I often get the brush off. So, minus the gay part, bears look like my own father. And when I point this out to him, it just about drives him crazy.

This all stirrred Diane's curiousity. "You mean, like Walter von Beirendonck?" she asked, quite keenly.

"Exactly like Walter" I explained, thinking hard of another important, iconic fashion bear. Are there any?

So while I explained to Rigo who Walter was, Rigo outlined the variations of bear-ness and lingo to Diane, namely: "otter," "cub," "panda," "bear chaser," "chub chaser," ad nauseum. She seemed a bit overwhelmed yet still intrigued by all this bear talk.

Ursound is a bear party that happens regularly in Sao Paolo, this time at The Picasso Cafe. When we arrived, the music was excellent which was a surprise, as bear bars typically play crap music. But bears, as far as my experience goes, appear happy to dance to anything, even crap gay bar music, as long as they can rub and jiggle their bellies against the bellies of their fellow bears.

The bar quickly filled up with a friendly crowd of big, hairy bears and their admirers....

Oh, here's a really fun drag queen...standing next to a guy in thick white make-up and a green lettuce-shaped head-dress.
(Just kidding, Rigo...)

Julieta, a bartender...and KL's favorite drinkage.

The projections were great. Someone had animated a human bear in Y-fronts and a T-shirt, coyly pulling up the front of his t-shirt to reveal the largess of his mid-section. In no time, the music went straight to hell in classic bear bar fashion. Cher, 70s disco, Janet Jackson, and the occasional early-'90s house track. Whaaaa. Rigo looked at me, knowing exactly what I was thinking. I escaped to a dark corner.

Word to the wise; when the going gets rough, don't re-emerge as a phoenix. Re-emerge as a panda!

Sleepy bears in short shorts at the end of the night.

We spent all of our money on beer and taxis, so Rigo made me work the streets. Needless to say, it was a long walk back to the hotel.

DD

Today in Sao Paulo

Dear Shaded Viewers,

The day started with the screening of SHOWstudio to a packed room at Iguatemi FilmeFashion Festival. Images below are from my 2 favourite films . The festival ends tomorrow night.
.

Then it was off to Fuxique with accessory designer Guto Neves. I had him showing me his work in the car and then when we got to Fuxique we had the lovely Laura modeling for us.

The owner

Dino bought this t-shirt and my eye went to this toilet seat cover.

Guto Neves

Alexandra was recording our visit for her blog. A bedspread that celebrated Frieda Khalo.

Alexandra and Laura in Guto Neves

Laura in Guto Neves

Loved this shop, the dolls were made by people living without electricty until recently so no electricity, no TV. All of their dolls faces looked like their friends, now they have TV.

A visit to Karina Mota de Oliveira at Surface to Air. A few years ago Surface to Air did a Passerby project where Santiago, the art director/photographer at S2A, photographed people passing by the shop. One rainy day he photographed me and Jeremy turned it into an illustration, Karina showed me that I was pasted to their wall.

Dino goes shopping in Alexandre Herchcovitch and then gets his hair cut at Orlando's

We spent the afternoon with Laura and ended up back at her apartment and then te apartment of her neighbor, the accessory designer, Francesca Botera, we liked the house accross the street

Then it was off to an art opening at Triptyque where we ran into Jeff from Vogue Brazil.

One of the artists wearing his designs.

Later,

Diane

The Look showcases leading British talent

THE LOOK showcases leading British fashion talent

A sterling line-up of British design talent will be showcased just ahead of London Fashion Week at the capital's most stylish night out, THE LOOK At Lost Society, on September 6.

Inspired by style bible The Look: Adventures In Rock & Pop Fashion, the monthly event has already played host to storming sets by the likes of Dexys leader Kevin Rowland, Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, David Bowie's designer Keanan Duffty and uber-rock chick Pam Hogg, and the very special guest on September 6 is Mark Eley of leading fashion house Eley Kishimoto , who promises a torrent of eclectica, from Can to Car Wash and back again.

The evening will also feature an exciting and specially choreographed dance performance-cum-fashion show presentation of the new collection from Sandra Bamminger's extraordinary label House Of Boing to music by magical trio Detektiv Byran.

Pippa Brooks, chanteuse and owner of leading Soho women's-wear store Shop At Maison Bertaux, will also command the decks with a set of show tunes, post-punk and electro backed by THE LOOK DJs Paul Gorman and Max Karie.

For more info visit:

www.eleykishimoto.com

Pippa Brooks

House of Boing

Mark Eley

Later,

Diane

More from Sao Paulo tomorrow.

Our day with Denis Rodriguez

Dear Shaded Viewers,

D & D by Denis Rodriguez

Dino and I went back to Z Deli for lunch and then met with Sao Paulo's only street photographer, Denis Rodriguez at the Cafe Suplicy. I ran across the street to Santa Luzia looking for black rose soap and then Denis showed us a part of his city. Dino took most of the images but here are the very few from me.

Dino Dinco and Denis Rodriguez

Before going to Iguatemi filmefashion to see Lagerfeld Confidential, Denis took us to a voodoo shop. There were candles for everything but I could not bring myself to buy the all red or all black 7 cross candles, much as I loved them, the last thing I need to do is to invite the devil into my life or that of my friends...

Visit the Iguatemi filme fashion sitefor more details.

Later,

Diane

SHOWstudio presentation at Iguatemi FilmeFashion

Visit the Iguatemi filme fashion sitefor more details.

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Penny Martin, SHOWstudio

Penny Martin, SHOWstudio gave a mesmerizing lecture on SHOWstudio walking everyone through the history of SHOWstudio, its team, its collaborators and it's projects.

One of the interactive projects is the downloadable patterns, members of SHOWstudio can download patterns by the likes of Maison Martin Margiela or John Galliano, sew them up and then do a photo shoot and send back the result to SHOWstudio. On a live webcast with Bjork, Michael Jackson asked her a question on line, she was totally excited about this.

the SHOWstudio team and a preview of a future SHOWstudio project.

For those of you that live in Sao Paulo, SHOWstudio will show their films at IGUATEMI filmefashion on the 29th August at 13h30. Following the films at 15h, I invite you to join me there.

FilmFashion festival is organized by the journalist Alexandra Farah and by the producers Pedro Igor Alcântara and Beto Amaral in the Shopping Iguatemi, in São Paulo.

After Penny's presentation we went off to dinner with friends.

Alessandra Azambuja and Leah at La Tartine.

DINO DINCO : JOAO-LENE, JOAO-LENE, PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY MAN

So, the extraordinary and truly non-stop Sao Paolo nightlife has officially kicked my ass. I will need to cease my noctural cultural research for at least a day or two.

Too many nights out seeing this (\/) upon arrival at the hotel:

"Mommie, what's an immune system?"

It's 4:30 in the morning and I'm sitting here in my hotel room, already missing Rigo, sniffling, sneezing and gobbling the Airborne fizzy-eco-bio-homeopathic-candyisgoodforyou tablets he left for me. Maybe he felt guilty about burning my hand with his cigarette a few days ago and ruining my hand model career:

Bastard. Rigo, I will get my revenge at the next barbeque, for sure....

I missed the Bruce Weber presentation at the Iguatemi Filmefashion Festival, however was really glad I caught Penny Martin's sparkling presentation on what goes down at SHOWstudio.com, for those who didn't know. Without question, SHOWstudio.com is a must visit site for anyone who's into music, art, fashion, technology and the collaborative process.

Note to myself: Wear super-sexy YSL shoes like Penny and you might become a more convincing speaker....Go shopping immediately.

I turned on my computer, cranked up iTunes and noticed that I was sharing someone's media library by the name of "sonac1" -- and as I'm a naturally curious person, I clicked on the library to see if that person had any good music. But I'm not sure that I'm familiar with songs like "My Friend's Hot Mom" and "Embarrassed Blonde Teen Lolita." As I'm always looking for new and surprising music when I DJ, I thought I'd give a listen.

Um...

Well, the "Embarrassed Blonde" song clocked in at over 20 minutes long.... probably too long for the dance floor. My guess is that the owner of the computer is in the room directly above me on the 14th floor, as it sounds like furniture is being re-arranged.

Speaking of Sao Paolo...

A couple of meaty shots from the incredible Mercado Municipal:

A manicurist's dream.

(Notice how they keep the balls next to both the ears and the snouts. God, I love this city....)

Alexandre Herchcovitch and Johnny were ON FIRE, deejaying at the ALELUX party at OCEANS. Getting to hear them play for the packed-to-the-gills crowd was truly a joy. Thanks to SP boutique Melissa's Eduardo for the invitation and for introducing Rigo and I to just about everyone in the room. (Is it a local niteclub custom that someone slips his or her tongue into your mouth just after you've been introduced? If it is...I like it.)

Before the camera battery died, I was lucky to capture Sao Paolo club icons Hillary...

and Allison (with the long snout).

Shit. Sun's coming up.

Dino Dinco

Our day at the cemetary in Sao Paulo

Dear Shaded Viewers,

It was Rigoberto's last day in Sao Paulo and we both wanted to make a visit to the cemetary. It was interesting to see that people not only leave flowers on the graves but that they also feed the dead.

Now off to see SHOWstudio's presentation at the Iguatemi filmefashion festival.

Later,

Diane

Shoes is the winner at You Wear it Well (both screenings) - Iguatemi FilmeFashion and the rest of the day in Sao Paulo

Dear Shaded Viewers,

We had our second screening this afternoon in Sao Paulo and again SHOES came in first. Proving once again, that fashion people want to laugh. The still is from Ruben Toledo's Fashionation.

Later Dino, Rigoberto and I decided to visit little Tokyo, that is where we found the Black Virgin wearing a mirrored cape. We will all be carrying her back with us in our hand luggage.

the church

At the end of a big place we found a wonderful church and entered just when the choir was singing. When we left there was a large woman with a terrible voice and a prayer book gathering a rather large crowd around her in the town's square proving that anyone can be a star. We all thought immediately of a scene out of Santa Sangre by Jodorowsky.

I did not take many images today knowing that Dino was documenting our journey and hopefully will post some himself.

Eva Lindemann and Beto before the Bruce Weber films screening and discussion to a standing room only crowd.

I went back to Iguatemi FilmeFashion in time to watch the Bruce Weber presentation by Eva Lindemann.Maybe you already know this, but Bruce Weber is working on a new film about Robert Mitchem and in addition to that and 5 other short films he is also creating his own fashion brand. One of the films we saw was his new ad.

I was supposed to look at an accessories collection and have dinner but was too exhausted to do either.

Later,

Diane

TOKYO ROCKS

Dear Shaded Viewers,

I have been honored to be a guest blogger on this dope blog after Diane and I met in Stockholm in August.
So this is a fresh report from Tokyo's music scene: Friday night was the lauch party of producer/DJ Shinichi Osawa's new album "The One" presented by Zadig et Voltaire. Since I've done a track for him called "Push" I was there to preform.
The party was held in the garage of record company Avex. It started off with a fashion show followed by the premiere screening of my music video since I am the new face for Zadig et Voltaire in Japan. The performance kicked ass!
Afterwards we all went to Le Baron to watch some hot DJs a.k.a. my manager Vassili and Timothee Verrecchia of tvsion.
This is my second time in Tokyo and I am totally in love! The people here rock!
Below are some photos of my team: Vass, Tim, Nobu (our best friend here) and Yone (our Japaneese king/photographer).
If you are in Tokyo please join us!
To listen to some of my music please check www.myspace.com/aniaismissmonroe
The single "Push" will be added there when it goes public.
Oh and Diane, a DVD of the music video will be sent to you. It's DOPE!!!

Love

ANIA

The invitation

In action

Make-up and interviews backstage

The top I wore, home made...

Photo shoot before the perfomance

Nobu, Vass, Tim and me

yup

yup

yup

My outfit for Le Baron

Outside Z&V headquarters in Aoyama

Bed-diving at Cerulean Tower Hotel

Tim, Kato, Vass and me: Photo of the year!

tvsion at Freshness Burger

So hot

Me and my horny Yone

Vitrine 2007 Flanders Fashion Institute - Surfaces

Dear Shaded Viewers,

VITRINE - CONCEPT

Since 1998 the Flanders Fashion Institute organises VITRINE, a ten-days fashion event for the public.
Fashion on display, fashion in a shop window: that’s the simple yet unique concept of VITRINE in a nutshell. Already on to its eight edition, the whole event will take over the city of Antwerp from September 6th until September 16th 2007.
For ten days solid, Belgian and international fashion designers, fashion students at the Flemish Fashion Departments present their work in shop windows all over the city. Taking the general idea of a shop window to the creative limit, all sorts of shop windows get radically redressed, stocked with surprising goods or transformed into imaginative playgrounds.

VITRINE 2007 - SURFACES

This year’s theme for VITRINE will be SURFACES, in which the participants are challenged to make their own surface in the city centre, think about other and new surfaces, projections, the backstage, the catwalk, or more intimate with a pattern or embroidery...
No holds barred: all participants, both established and young, are completely free to present their work as they see fit, be it with garments, pictures, videos, custom-made decoration, objects or three-dimensional installations. The goal of VITRINE is to put fashion and its many aspects into a different context, thus encouraging a rewarding interaction between fashion and the city surroundings. Using all-familiar shop windows, the event of VITRINE invites any (unsuspecting) passer-by to discover fashion in a gentle, democratic and anti-elitist way.

Approximately 70 fashion names (and as many shops that put their shop windows at their disposal) have already agreed to participate in this year’s VITRINE. A free brochure with a map, clearly listing all addresses and participants, will be available and distributed throughout the city. Furthermore, this brochure will also mention all other fashion-related events that take place in Antwerp during the 10 days of VITRINE. See VITRINE AGENDA. Every year, the main hall of Antwerp’s ModeNatie (Nationalestraat 28/2) functions as the central point/guidance centre of VITRINE (information, distribution of brochures, instructions for fashion walks, etc…).

On September 6th all the participating shops will be open until 9PM for the VITRINE-NOCTURNE.

VITRINE was originally conceived and is still presented by Flanders Fashion Institute (FFI). Flanders Fashion Institute is a non profit organisation. It was established in 1998 with the support of the Flemish Government. FFI is the knowledge centre for fashion in Flanders and aims at enhancing employment in the fashion industry. FFI also stimulates and promotes fashion designers from Flanders.

More info:
David Flamée - Flanders Fashion Institute
T: +32 3 226 14 47 - E: df.ffi@modenatie.com

Later,

Diane

You Wear it Well second screening on the 26th at 13h30 at the Iguatemi Filme Fashion Cinema Brasileiro 24-30 August

Dear Shaded Viewrers,

Dino Dinco and I are happy to announce that You Wear it Well screens again on the 26th at 13h30 and on the 29th there will be a discussion with me about two of my films, Portrait of a Consumer and the Bernhard WIllhelm film, Chapels. The festival is from the 24 - 30th August.

Visit the Iguatemi filme fashion sitefor more details.

FilmFashion festival is organized by the journalist Alexandra Farah and by the producers Pedro Igor Alcântara and Beto Amaral in the Shopping Iguatemi, in São Paulo.

If you are in Brazil, we look forward to seeing you there.

Later,

Diane

Pat Kurs

Dear Shaded Viewers,

New work from Pat Kurs.

Later,

Diane

Visit to the flea market and the many faces of Rigoberto

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Today Rigoberto and I decided to do the flea market. Dino slept in. The party that I did not go to last night was great fun, I knew that it would be. It's 34 degrees now and winter, I don't think that I could survive a visit in the summer here. Imagine...98 degrees in the middle of winter.....

the mask makers and lunch with a cock

The many faces of Rigoberto:

Penny Martin, SHOWstudio, and Barry Martin before the round table discussion with Alexandra Faarah, Penny Martin, Dino Dinco and I and the bloggers Iguatemi FilmeFashion

Afterwards Dino, Rigoberto and I went to SPOT for a lovely dinner.

Later,

Diane

You Wear it Well screening on the 24th at 19h30 at the Iguatemi Filme Fashion Cinema Brasileiro 24-30 August

Dear Shaded Viewers,

We screened You Wear it Well tonight at Iguatemi FilmeFashion but before that I watched the Bruce Weber films and Lagerfeld Confidential.

Alexandra Farah, curator of Iguatemi FilmeFashion with Oscar Metsavaht, the founder of the label Osklen.

Outside of the Lagerfeld Confidential screening I had a little chat with Brazil's youngest designer, Pedro Lourenço, son of two of the biggest designer names in SP, Gloria Coelho and Reinaldo Lourenço. He told me that the first time he saw me was at a Junya Watanabe show when he was 5 years old.

My friend Robb Young did the post on Wales and I've been missing him so for lunch I went to his favorite spot, the Z Deli. Before that I visited Daslu, it is what I imagine Villa Moda to be like complete with the helicopter landing on the roof. I forgot to take pictures when I was there.

Alexandra Farah, curator presented our films

After the films we held a little discussion. We did an informal voting and SHOES came in first, once again. Conclusion, people like to laugh.

After the screening it was off to the Unique Hotel with Penny and Barry Martin and then on our way back to the hotel I spotted Easy Rider.

I had every intention to go to the parties tonight with Alexandra Farah but in the end...opted for my bed. It's 1h30 and Rigoberto and Dino are on route to the party so maybe Dino will post some pics when he gets in. I was told this was the place to go to see the real club kids of Sao Paulo, I want to go, but ...I just cannot.

Later,

Diane

Ynys Mon - Anglesey, North Wales by Robb Young

Yes, believe it or not this is North Wales or 'Ynys Mon, Cymru' as it's known locally.   It's on the edge of Europe, the last Celtic speaking country where my family happens to originate.   Christos and I took it upon ourselves to blog the fringe where style was never meant to penetrate (but somehow it might've) for Shaded View.

Portmeirion was our most exciting port of call, where a 90 year old gentleman named Clough Williams-Ellis made it his life ambition to show how 'the development of a naturally beautiful site need not lead to its defilement'. We were thinking the contrary though - that this place was the ultimate party venue waiting for a 72-hour booking for private hire.  If only we could guarantee the weather would cooperate around a DJ booth surrounding the pool.  What kitsch, idealistic vision to create an entire village for himself to model the rest of Wales upon.  If only we could stay here with Diane and our friends exclusively...

 

 

We decided that Hind could organise a mega-bash here all in pastels with this boat that is built into Llyn peninsula - literally.  From Portmeirion, we carried on toward Ynys Tysilio, the tiny island off the main island under the Menai Bridge where the dead lie peacefully (including my own gran's great grandparents) surrounded by whirlpools.  We craved Diane's company here most as we scoped out potential seaside cottages and Druid's lairs.

The Welsh language - Cymraeg - probably sounds like something from Lord of the Rings to most people but for the first time in my life it was so reassuring to hear people pronounce my name with confidence and grace - Arianwyn.  Watch out though because everything from supermarkets to fast food joints are bilingual so if you're not in for tongue-twisters stay close to home.  Dydw i ddim yn siarad Cymraeg :-(  Well not yet anyway...

 

We stayed in Caernarfon in the Royal Celtic and accidentally fell upon a  portly Welsh lady covering the Pet Shop Boys like a proper diva from a dodgy pub after dinner one night.  These ladies were just on the way.

Caernarfon Castle

Perhaps it sounds a bit too much but , before they found the fair shores of Quebec, the reality is that my Mamgu (grandmother)'s family once lived here in the village with the longest place-name in the British Isles -  Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.  There's not much more than the train station but I had to immortalize the moment.

DINO DINCO : SP RULES!

Upon introduction to Sao Paolo, the first word that comes to mind: overwhelming. This place is gigantic. Sprawling and gorgeous in a fucked up, haphazard way. Just how I like it. Diane and I look at each other here and have already said, many times, in hushed tones: "We're in Brazil...." We're ecstatic and we're looking forwared to the Iguatemi Filmefashion Festival to get started. Oh...should I just say "gallons of champagne" at a beautifully designed opening party. I don't have the clarity at the moment to post pictures of the space, but Diane will probably beat me to that. (Big props to the production designer of the party....it looked hot.)

Back to SP, our first date....The architecture: a schizophrenic, multicultural / multi-era patchwork. Our hosts: lovely, fun and beyond accomodating. The traffic: bonkers. The skyline: endless, dense and often like a romantic, feature film backdrop.

I feel very well taken care of here -- like when one is being minded by an ample-breasted waitress named "Flo" or "Barb" at a roadside diner in the middle of nowhere. Flo / Barb would wear lightly-tinted sunglasses while taking your order, keeping your coffee cup filled while always addressing you as "Hon'" or "Sweetheart." She's recommend the pork chops and the fried chicken and would offer the tip: "You're gonna want ice cream with your pie, Sweetheart."

So far, the people here, regardless of langauge barriers that we might have with them, are uniformly cool and warm and always down for a laugh. (That said, I haven't been mugged or stabbed or had my awkwardly-designed facial features re-arranged, which sounds to be a rather common occurence according to guidebooks and the WWW. Today, I think I inspired a potentially incendiary moment by egging on a local downtown homie to show off his big Wu-Tang belly tattoo to Rigo....but whatever. I let him have his moment of "I'll cut you" (after showing off his belly) as I turned my attention to the sizzling hot Brazilan wieners....being fried with peppers and onions on a tray at a nearby cart. I'd rather die than not interact with people.) El Mercado Municipal, in El Centro, is stunning. It pushes my infinite love for Tijuana into overdrive.

These photographs are not of the Wu-fanatic, or of Rigo, Diane, or any of our hosts. Just some guy taking a snooze in a concrete channel.

Rigo and I tried to get Diane to come with us on a nocturnal spree of the man-on-man / SP dinge-scene, but she was having no part of it. (Maybe tomorrow....)

X yr fingers for us.

DD

P.S. Big thanks to our hosts: Producers Beto & Pedro, Curator Alexandra and dammit, Helena, without you, we'd be starving and I wouldn't have any clothes to wear. Obrigado! And Beto, we loved meeting your super cool Mom.

DAY 2 Sao Paulo - Iguatemi FilmeFashion

Dear Shaded Viewers,

Yesterday we experienced the luxury part of Sao Paulo today we wanted to explore downtown so our first stop was the central market. Just before we were about to exit the taxi, Rigoberto removes his paper straw hat because he thought that way he would be more likely to just blend in. I could not stop laughing, he put his hat back on. Dino said no one would notice him even if he was wearing a bunny suit when he was walking with me.

Dino was putting together his summer look and Rigoberto went crazy for the bowties and what do your think about the mouse pads?

You could say that I caused a bit of a stir today in down town Sao Paulo.

The opening cocktail for Iguatemi FilmeFashion