Urban Outfitters - Blog

From Los Angeles

05/22/13 10:42AM

Comedy Couture: UHF

In 1989 somebody thought it would be a good idea to fund a Weird Al movie, and I am eternally thankful for that misguided person. UHF is very Weird Al, centering around a loose and absurd plot that serves mainly as a vehicle for skits, spoofs of popular '80s movies like Rambo and Indiana Jones, and of course a signature Yankovic music video. The film also features a young Kramer, Fran Drescher and David Bowe, who is not David Bowie, as the ragtag staff of a fledgling TV station who help Weird Al battle the evil local NBC affiliate.

Sadly the movie didn't break any records at the box office, but it has endured for almost 25 years as a cult classic to a certain kind of nerd like myself, but more importantly, the pattern-heavy '80s gear in UHF is still relevant. Drescher's checkerboard dress could be from Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2013 and Yankovic's Hawaiian shirt fetish is surprisingly current. Dig this one out of the crates if you've never seen it for laugh and summertime style inspiration. If you have seen it, check the commentary track for some gems on insight from Yankovic himself. —Angelo

Did this dress inspire the LV two-piece worn here?

"Red Snapper! Verrrry tasty."

Get the look:

Iron And Resin Paradise Road Shirt

Tripp NYC Leopard Blazer

Stussy Sherlock Starter Hat

Koto Cote Button-Down Shirt

Classic Suspender

Hawkings McGill Colorblock Pinpoint Oxford Shirt

From Los Angeles

Photo by Bobby Whigham

05/14/13 11:03AM

Trend: Get Buckets

I was super bummed when I was ten and my camo bucket hat flew off my head while boating, but I'm even sadder now because that hat was way ahead of the game. Fashion dudez know bucket hats have been coming on strong for the past few seasons on the runway, in lookbooks from steezy Japanese brands, and soon, rested comfortably atop your domepiece. It's finally hot most places (sorry if it's snowy where you are) and we've got your easily-sunburnt ears covered with a selection of bucket hats from legendary brands like Stussy, Penfield and L.A. streetwear mainstay Undefeated. Just be careful on boats. —Angelo

Undefeated Bucket Hat
Perfect for expert level jungle creepin'.

Stussy Camouflage Bucket Hat
Very chill safari life.

Penfield Baker Bucket Hat
#floralife, like grandma's couch but cool and not smelling like Lucky Strikes.

Undefeated U-Man Bucket Hat
It's like the cool bucket hat version of those preppy shorts with embroidered penguins and boats.

05/08/13 10:53AM

Patterns by Bobby Doherty

Bobby Doherty has a talent for pattern. In his editorial work for the New York Times Magazine, the Brooklyn-based photographer finds the geometric connections between organic and man-made objects most of us miss. Saturated colors and tightly cropped points of view aid the sense of infinite repetition that make Doherty's photos, and the phenomena of pattern in general so intriguing. —Angelo

05/01/13 10:35AM

Simpsons Drawing Club

Simpsons Drawing Club is a collaborative blog by a handful of UK artists with a shared obsession for drawing the iconic animated family. If you consumed popular culture in the '90s, you understand the impact of Matt Groening's yellow characters, particularly on illustrators.

The genius of Simpsons Drawing Club comes from the range of personalities and artistic quirks among the contributing illustrators, providing new spins and stories on old, beloved characters. My favorites are Sam Taylor's drippy metal-inspired characters. Check it out for pages and pages of goodness, and if you have a Simpsons drawing, tag it with #simpsonsdrawingclub on Tumblr and see if it makes the blog. -Angelo

04/25/13 10:57AM

Joffrey Bieber

Yesssss. Even if you don't watch Game of Throne —which you should, because it has a ton of great things like boobs, dragons, wolves, witches and boobs—you can appreciate Joffrey Bieber. The Tumblr photoshops cruel monkey-abandoner Justin Bieber onto the head of cruel King of Westeros, Joffrey Baratheon. Aside from being almost universally loathed, the two share bright blond locks and boyish good looks. BRB I'll be photoshopping Bieber heads for the rest of the day.

From Los Angeles

04/18/13 12:24PM

Stoner Style: Trent Lane

So the Daria writers never implicity said that Jane Lane's sexy, older alterna-brother was a pothead, but it was pretty much implied by the sleepy drawl he used to ponder the universe, fight the man and talk about his band (which was called Mystik Spiral; I mean do you need more evidence that that?) Trent was the epitome of '90s alternative, accessorizing his go-to uniform of t-shirt and jeans with a singular necklace, myriad rings, signature wristband and an unwavering dedication to naps.

As a kid Trent was my favorite character, which was maybe indicative of future life choices, but looking back I see that Trent offered some pretty real-shit life advice to Daria and Jane. Damn, now I'm getting all nostalgic and thinking that a 4/20 marathon Daria sesh sounds like it might be the move. —Angelo

Get the look:

BDG PE V-Neck Tee

Cheap Monday Narrow Hold Grey Jean

UO Rubberized Risky Sunglasses

OBEY Ship Off Necklace

OBEY Craftsmen Ring

OBEY Mesa Ring

From Los Angeles

04/17/13 10:11AM

Jurassic Style: Laura Dern

Jurassic Park is nearly 20 years old, and back in theaters in 3D (not that I'd ever want to see a movie bad enough to drop $15). It's a classic, and so is Laura Dern's underrated paleobotanist style. These behind-the-scenes shots piqued my interest (Spielberg's '90s style is on-point too), so I dug through the archive, aka watched the movie again, and unearthed some dope fashion fossils (bam!). Dern is straight on-trend for summer 2013 in double denim, bucket hat, camp socks and boots, and classic glasses of both the shaded and prescriptive varieties. Girl got game even when shit hits the fan and two genius velociraptors are hunting her down. If Jurassic Park taught us anything — well, beside "Don't clone dinos!" — it's that a quality outfit will get you through most life-threatening situations. —Angelo

Oh snap! Not to be outdone, young Lex comes through with the faded paisley tank, side-braid and purple 5-panel cap.

Even in distress our muse makes a bold but smart choice with the classic yellow rain slicker.

Oh no, raptors! Don't worry though because here comes...

Sexy Jeff Goldblum! All's well that ends well.

Get the Look:

Raen Kiernan Round Sunglasses

BDG Classic Oxford Button-Down Shirt

BDG Cargo Shorts

Timberland Premium Work Boot

04/16/13 09:25AM

Daft Punk Helmet Evolution

Daft Punk's new album Random Access Memories will hit U.S. shelves (or iTunes accounts) on May 21, after its live debut at a random agricultural expo in Australia. In anticipation of the drop, my homies at Third Looks have put together a visual history of the duo's aesthetic, including this awesome poster chronicling the evolution of the band's signature space helmets. Check it out for the hi-res version and a more thorough breakdown of Daft Punk's ever changing visual identity. —Angelo

04/05/13 01:17PM

BreakupText

Breaking up is the worst, right? Back in my day you had to actually dump a girl to her face, then pretend to care while she sat there crying, and you stealthily checked your watch, wondering how long you were obligated to wait before you could go call her better-looking friend.

Kids these days can just break up via text and it's not even considered bad manners. Or, an even easier route, use the Internet to do your dirty work for you. Don't have the balls to let him or her down yourself? Let BreakupText do it for you. A combination of an ad-libs style fill-in-the-blank form and drop down lists of premade statements, BreakupText takes guiltless, nonchalant heartbreak to the next logical level, sending your dismissal from a different number so you don't even have to deal with your deserted lover's anguished replies. —Angelo

From San Francisco

04/02/13 11:03AM

Nike x Levi's 511 Skateboarding Collection with Omar Salazar

Levi's and Nike have released this quick preview of their upcoming 511 Skateboarding Collection. Rooted in the same marriage of style and sport as the popular Levi's Commuter Series, the line will add skate-centric details to the 511. The video features Nike SB pro Omar Salazar, whose ability to mix old school tricks into an aggressive style fits well with the theme of classic brands continuing to innovate. The 511 khaki is my go-to skate pant, so I'm stoked to see what details this collab brings to the table. -Angelo

03/21/13 01:49PM

Bad Day Magazine Online Archive

Bad Day, the Toronto-based interview and editorial magazine, has made its archive of back issues available online. The issues, which feature style icons like Glenn O'Brien and Charlotte Gainsbourg, actors such as Jason Schwartzman and James Franco, and low-key fashion shoots with skinny naked chicks, are mostly out of print and being made available digitally for the first time. Check out the archive for some of the best, minimalist print design I've seen in awhile. —Angelo

03/19/13 11:59AM

Interview: Jesse Pearson of Apology Magazine

Jesse Pearson is making a magazine on his own terms. The Manhattan-based writer and former VICE editor is currently working on the second issue of Apology, the literary and arts quarterly he founded, edits, art directs and markets almost entirely by himself. And though he resists prods to take shots at his former employer, Pearson acknowledges the motivations for creating Apology are partly in response to the media's growing investment in irony and indifference. A labor of love with simple aims to give people something beautiful, valuable and worth their time, Apology is a reminder of the subtle pleasures print can deliver.

Pearson took time from his hectic schedule to talk to me about the new magazine, the state of print, daring to be pretentious and how his cat helped him find the light of veggies. — Angelo

(via NYT)

Starting simply, aside from Apology, are there any magazines you're particularly digging lately?
My most satisfying magazine reading is archival. As I mention in my Editor's Notes in the first issue of Apology, I've been really into the classic New American Review (later known as American Review) these days. It was a paperback-sized magazine of fiction, poems, and essays. Really smart, great stuff. It was published from 1967 until 1977.

Similarly, what's your most played album of late?
Lately I've been in one of my big Grateful Dead periods. These have come over me a couple of times a year since I first got hooked on the Dead, via my mom and stepdad, when I was seven years old or so. This week, I've been listening a lot to a Dead show from May 8th, 1977. It happened in Ithaca, New York and it is, as they say, a heavy one. Other than that, I have been just pretty much leveled—every day since it came out—by the new My Bloody Valentine. It's perfect.

Every artist interview asks the inspiration question, so let's flip it, what are some things that don't inspire your work?
The dominant culture to be found on the Internet is the opposite of inspiring to me.

In a New York Times interview you mentioned Apology addresses some of the things you see as problematic with the magazine industry. Could you elaborate on some of those problematic things?
I'm trying to talk less shit lately. Sorry. As the maker of a small magazine, I need all the friends I can get.

Every once in awhile the mainstream media does a piece on the print resurgence, but high-end, niche print has been strong for a decade in a variety of genres. Why do you think that is? I'm broke and buy $20 magazines. Am I an idiot or a valuable patron of the arts?
What you are is a saint. But the story (which, I agree, keeps getting told) that print is dead is not true. Print is evolving, that's all.

Though, while niche fashion, music, etc. mags have done well, literary journals are still kind of out there in their own world. Did you intentionally want to bring a stronger literary element to a more mainstream audience? (not that Apology is mainstream, per se, but here it will be available at Urban Outfitters, so will be seen by more than just magazine nerds.)
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm aiming for a mainstream audience, but maybe more for a… slipstream audience? I don't know. But I absolutely want to make short fiction and also poetry accessible to a different readership than the ones to which those things are usually targeted. For me, that doesn't involve dumbing anything down. It's more about saying, "Look how rewarding this stuff is to read. It can provide you with elation, thrills, laughs, and sobs. Don't let weird ideas of audience demographics keep you away from it."

Making magazines is an all encompassing art form, second only maybe to filmmaking, in that you're writing, editing, art directing, designing, marketing. Do you do everything? Are there elements of the process you enjoy more than others?
I do all of the above except for designing. A patient genius named Stacy Wakefield does that for Apology. And I enjoy the whole process, but maybe the best parts are the very beginning (meeting a writer and deciding on a story with them, for example) and the end (doing the final touch-ups on an issue before it goes to press).

You describe Apology as "a general interest magazine for people whose general interests aren't general. It's a sophisticated alternative to sophomoric magazines; it's a sophomoric alternative to sophisticated magazines." — It seems like you're wrestling with a challenge faced by a lot of high-end publications: making something artful, valuable and (relatively) expensive but trying to be self aware, not pretentious. Is finding that balance something you've thought about?
Actually, I am fully embracing pretentiousness now. I think it's almost like a radical act at this point because culturally we're mired in a lot of irony, cynicism, and fear of vulnerability. All that stuff is dark and sad. So I'm actively trying to fight it. Go ahead and be pretentious, take that kind of risk, maybe even get embarrassed. You'll be stronger for it—and you'll learn things. Part of why Apology is called Apology is because it's me saying that I am sorry for having been one of the many architects of the reign of nihilism that sprung up in the early-mid 2000's.

While creating Grantland (different arena definitely, but cultural force nonetheless) Bill Simmons talked wanting to be the place young writers aspired to write, like The National was to him. I think VICE is that publication for a lot of writers my age, but there are only so many versions "We Took Acid and Went to ______" to be written. Do you feel an obligation, or a desire, to be an aspirational publication?
I love to see people wanting to be published in Apology. I'm already getting a lot of blind submissions and requests-for-guidelines, so I guess it's happening. That's great. It's heartening.

Advertising is the necessary evil of making magazines (or maybe you feel differently, they're a valuable partner?) Apology has some high end advertisers. What does that say about the magazine's audience, or what those advertisers perceive to be the audience?
Advertisers are not a necessary evil. They're just a fact of magazine life. I can't afford to do this thing myself, and I'm not interested in grants. As for high-end ad clients, yeah, there are a couple in the first issue. There are also ads from small record labels. No matter who they are, if a company wants to advertise in Apology, I take it as them saying that they see value in the magazine's mission. So I'm just grateful for that.

You wrote on the Apology website about being conflicted over social media. It's a boringly hot topic, but one that everyone in media has to deal with. It's an incredibly easy way to get in front of people, but an inherently vapid and egotistic method. Have you given any more thought to the subject, or leaned nearer toward the pro or con, since writing about that conflict?
I feel like starting an Apology Instagram or Twitter account would be like trying to force my infant child (if I had one) or my cat to tweet. Something that is dependent on me, that I pour a lot of love into, and that is incapable of living without me doesn't need to be explicitly involved in social media. I, on the other hand, have a personal Twitter and an Instagram, and I post Apology stuff on both of those when the time is right—in addition to the usual idiotic jokes and observations.

Tell me about your cats?
Thank you for asking. I have two cats—Pickles and Schweppes. I love them both, but my bond with Pickles is just ridiculously deep. I'm pretty sure he's the reincarnation of somebody I knew in a past life. Sorry, I know that's crazy. But I totally, 100 percent mean it. Also worth noting: Pickles turned me into a vegetarian eight months or so ago. I was reading in bed and he jumped up on my chest and just stared at me like he was saying, "Dude. We have to talk." And I had a fully revelatory, Road-to-Damascus moment where I thought, "Wait, Picks, you're an animal and I love you like crazy. Why am I eating other animals?" And then he moved over and lay down. It was like he was saying, "Finally. Thank you." So I haven't had any meat except for a little seafood since that moment, and I'm trying hard to cut that out too. You probably think I'm a huge freak now. Oh, and I quit Facebook right around the same time I quit meat. That was an equally great decision.

There are two pieces, I think, in the first issue that are in some way about the 1980s. In my lifetime the 80s have mostly been portrayed as a kind of novelty of neon and spandex. Are we far enough away now that the decade can be explored more seriously?
In 1980 I was five and in 1989 I was 14, so those were pretty formative years for me. It was a complicated, super weird decade. At 10 years old, I was more scared of nuclear war and AIDS than I was of, I don't know, monsters or bullies. But it was also a decade of crazily amazing art and music—probably much of it in response to fear and anger. There are a thousand examples, but just off the top of my head, let's say, hmm... Black Flag and David Wojnarowicz. Anyway, yeah, summing up a decade like that with just "neon and spandex" would be goofy. And, besides all that, I like neon and spandex.

With the cycles of nostalgia getting shorter and shorter along with our attention spans, how can we write about eras in a timeless manner? In a way that's not just "hey, remember this?" but that is important even to those who didn't experience it?
Yeah, I've noticed this compression of the cycle too. It's weird to me to see some of the younger artists that I like being so obsessed with the '90s. As for writing in a timeless manner? If the story has good characters, emotional resonance, and a point, then it'll turn out fine.

Anything else you'd like people to know about Apology?
Issue two is coming in June. I'm working on it now. It will have some really strange surprises in it. The website goes into 2.0 mode in mid-March. It will feature original pieces that will be published according to a relaxed schedule. Think weekly and monthly, not daily.

03/11/13 09:00AM

Movie Style: Pecker

Pecker combines many of my favorite things: photography, thrift shops, nudity and Christina Ricci. John Waters' 1998 cult classic is the darkly comic story of a Baltimore teen (played by '90s champ Edward Furlong) who gets exploited by the seductive New York art scene. But that stock description makes it sound boring, which it's not. Pecker is one of the most stylish and irreverently quotable movies I've seen, and is one of the main reasons I first picked up a camera.

The film doesn't take itself too seriously, which should be evident in the images below, but don't miss the accurate jabs at the flimsiness of art stardom and the emphasis on staying true to your priorities even when eyeing ridiculous profits. And pubic hair. There's a lot of that, too. Anyway, the caps can give you a better argument for seeing this movie than words ever could. Now go out and find this in a bargain bin for like, $5. And if you want to emulate Pecker like I did back in the day, you can find his signature camera, a Canonet rangefinder, on eBay for less than $100.—Angelo

From Los Angeles

03/08/13 09:40AM

Pretty Little Liars Annotations

Ladies and gentleman, my favorite novelty Tumblr of the week: Pretty Little Liars Annotations. It's simple. It's stupid. I spent an hour going through page after page, and you should too. But more importantly, I'll basically take any opportunity to write about Pretty Little Liars. Yeah, I watch PLL, and totally not because all the storylines revolve around high school girls hooking up with 20-something dudes (it's okay anyway, all these actresses are like, 25).

As a super sophisticated and educated critic I can comment on how the writers basically reuse the same mangled plot points over and over. It's not like I really like the show (yes I do). And what's more fun than coming up with arbitrary power rankings for the main foursome each week based on a combination of their wardrobe choices and how boring their individual storylines are? This past week ranked as follows: Hannah, Spencer, Aria, Emily (though it took a heavy dose of Alex Mack to bring Aria back from the brink of irrelevance). I digress. For now let's just enjoy these irreverent annotations in all their elementary glory.—Angelo

This one is for my girlfriend who for some reason thinks Caleb is cute even though he totally isn't and is definitely the worst actor on the show. Sorry!

Hey, hey, girls. That's not nice. "You all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores." But seeing what mostly-terrible clothes the ABC Family producers and their advertisers want to sell to pre-teens is one of the best parts of watching the show.

Shout out to my girl Torrey DeVitto aka crazy Nanny Carrie on One Tree Hill aka the sketchy doctor on Vampire Diaries, aka the queen of teen dramas, apparently.

03/07/13 11:07AM

Photographer Geordie Wood

Brooklyn-based photographer and The Fader photo editor, Geordie Wood, has been a favorite and an inspiration of mine for a while. This week, Wood was deservedly named one of the Photo District News 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch.

Wood's most recent personal project, Nice Twice (India), may be his best work yet, capturing the sunwashed reality of India without the self-righteous commentary — "Hey, look at this plight! or "Wow, these people are just like us!"— that accompanies the work of too many American photographers abroad. Refreshing and honest but not without skill and calculation, I look forward to big, relevant and worthwhile things from Wood in the very near future.—Angelo

02/27/13 01:28PM

3D Wiener Doodles

Whoa! It's about to get really hard to mindlessly doodle during a boring class or meeting, because with the 3Doodler, your wiener drawings are going to literally burst off the page. But everybody will be so fascinated by your cool gizmo that even your teachers won't care that you haven't been paying attention.

Seriously though, this could be a game changer for artists. People have been calling 3D printing the most significant technological advancement of our time, but it's still something that regular people are confused by, and the pen could be an affordable and fun introduction to the possibilities of the field. The Kickstarter campaign has already surpassed its funding goal by more than a million dollars, so it shouldn't be too long before you'll be able to get your hands on one and finally give your cat comics the life they deserve. -Angelo

02/19/13 04:57PM

Baseball Card Vandals

Did you know Major League Baseball spring training just started? Of course not. Why would you? Baseball is mind-numbingly boring, and between spring training and the playoffs, the season takes up like 11 months out of the year. But witty Tumblr Baseball Card Vandals has me at least mildly interested in the sport again. Damn nostalgia. I mean, every boy had baseball cards growing up, and who doesn't love a tasty pun or a solid dick joke? Send the link to your dad. He probably still likes baseball and here's an opportunity to e-bond over America's dreadfully slow, outdated pastime.—Angelo

02/14/13 10:19AM

Get Your Shit Together: 'Better Off Dead' Breakup Ski Style

Valentine’s Day has arrived and your girl just dumped you? Weaksauce. But don’t kill yourself bro! Hey, hey, suicide is no joke, and offing yourself over a girl? That’s doubly ignorant. Unless those things are the subject of an '80s John Cusack comedy, then they’re fine.

Don’t emulate Better Off Dead protagonist Lane Meyer and try (unsuccessfully) to take your own life after getting dropped by your girlfriend. But do take a tip from Lane when he gets his shit together in the second act and decides to get with the hot French exchange student next door and beat the local douchebag in a ski competition. No French cutie in your neighborhood? Well at least you can get over your breakup by crushing a box of Russell Stovers chocolates and watching one of my favorite, most inadvertently stylish and lovably morbid '80s movies.

Sure, everybody loves Say Anything, but before Cusack developed his leading man swagger he was navigating dancing hamburgers, genius siblings and murderous paperboys in this cult classic. At the very least you can distract yourself from the breakup by getting stoked on the dope vintage ski style, which is relevant anyway because there’s probably still three feet of snow in your backyard. -Angelo

From Los Angeles

02/13/13 11:56AM

Got it Together: Nicholas Hoult

Prediction for 2013: Nicholas Hoult — more commonly known as Tony from Skins series one, the only Skins that matters and the greatest teen drama of all time — finally blows up in the states.

Sure, I thought the same thing in 2009 when Tom Ford gave Tony a role in A Single Man and subsequently tapped him for his eyewear campaign, but it didn’t happen. America wasn’t ready. Then I was sure it was finally Tony’s year when he played Beast in X-Men: First Class, but alas, he disappeared for another few years.

But in 2013 Tony is starring in both Warm Bodies and Jack the Giant Slayer, two mediocre looking big budget Hollywood films, and that’s just what we Americans love! After this summer I predict a role in one of those holiday themed ensemble romcoms, then an Oscar nod for a starring role in a breakout indy. Hopefully after that he starts dating Emma Watson and together the two bring a bit of British class to the young Hollywood scene. Fingers crossed.–Angelo

02/12/13 03:47PM

Selena Gomez and Sweetheart Sunglasses

Holla, Selena Gomez must’ve got the 300 Valentine’s Day cards I sent her. Why else would she be rocking these heart-shaped sunglasses? Aight, maybe this month’s Nylon covergirl isn’t smitten with me, just ahead of the game. But I’m still celebrating the fact that my celeb crush isn’t even creepy anymore because she’s totally like 20 now, basically runs around naked for two hours in Spring Breakers, and finally broke up with Bieber. Or did she? Whatever, starlet or not, we’ve got sweetheart sunglasses to keep you shaded from V-day through the summer. -Angelo

Dollhouse Sunglasses

Sweetheart Sunglasses

Melting Hearts Sunglasses