UO Blog

From Elsewhere


(via Buzzfeed)

05/21/13 01:22PM

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Arrested Development Sets

Several pictures of the sets from Arrested Development Season 4 have been released, and they provide a little bit of information about what we're going to see in season 4, but mostly they just add to the mystery. The above apartment is apparently in Spain? And there are multiple sets for a character named Rebel!? The suspense is killing me! To see the rest of the sets and the explanations behind them, head over to Buzzfeed. At least we don't have much longer to wait at this point. 5 days! —Katie

From Elsewhere

05/21/13 10:30AM

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Maya Fuhr: Garbage Girls

Garbage Girls, a photo series shot for Vice by photographer Maya Fuhr, is a project that focuses on girls in their really, really, really messy rooms. Each girl featured has an accompanying interview that discusses how their rooms got to their current states, but it might be nicer to imagine that some of these messes are planted. In any case, the resulting photographs are pretty awesome. —Katie










From Philadelphia

05/20/13 03:16PM

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DIY: NPW Nailwraps

These NPW nail wraps are super easy to use, and that's coming from someone who is mostly a disaster whirlwind when it comes to anything that is vaguely related to "doing" beauty. If you don't have the time to paint beautiful (but hard) flowers all over your nails, look no further than these flowery nail wraps. I'll even break down the (super easy) steps for you. —Katie


NPW Nail Wraps

Nail DIY:


(Even my sweaty hands couldn't mess this up.)

Step one: Peel off nail decal
These decals are not super flimsy and are easy to pull off the paper, so you'll have to try pretty hard to fuck them up. (Just make sure you don't go getting your grubby hands all over the sticker part, because then they won't stick as well, obviously.)

Step two: Put it on your nail
These Nailwraps have good adhesive on them, which is a must for nail decals. (After messing around with several brands of decals, we realized how important getting the right amount of "sticky" is.) The good thing with these is that you can readjust if you mess up the placement the first time, and they still go on smoothly.


(See? So easy!)

Step three: File off excess
Unless you have beautiful talons (I have stumpy baby nails :c), you will have some excess nail decal hanging off your nail. Sand it off. You don't have to go nuts with it; the file will take the decal off smoothly, and it's better to just gently rub, so as not to get a jagged line.

Step four: Topcoat, y'all
You don't need a topcoat with these since they're a durable vinyl, but it certainly won't hurt. In case your topcoat is buried in a gigantic tub of cosmetics and you can't be bothered, your nails will still hold up on their own, but a topcoat will make them last a good deal longer.


(My nailbeds suck.)

Step five: Admire
Honestly, this entire process took me about 10 minutes, and my friends were complimenting my nails all weekend long. It made me feel like a nail wizard. You'll definitely want to do some gratuitous Instagramming. Trust.

From Elsewhere


(via Vulture)

05/20/13 01:16PM

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What If Spock Were A Stand-Up Comedian?

Boy, I'm super sad I didn't think of this, but Vulture put up this awesome post with the kind of jokes Spock would tell if he were a stand-up comedian. They are so not funny that they're actually hilarious. Read some below, and then click here to read the rest. Vulture is the best. —Katie


Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
I am Spock, first commander of the USS Enterprise.
Spock, who?
I have just informed you of that information and it appears you have heard me, as you have repeated my name. I would like to enter this door now.

A rabbi, priest, and a minister walk into a bar …
They each have three to four drinks, as that is the average for human males.

It was hot today.
How hot was it!?
So hot that the onboard temperature gauge read 35 degrees Celsius.

From Elsewhere

05/20/13 09:33AM

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Gabi Fresh x S4A

Gabi Gregg, AKA fashion blogger Gabi Fresh, helped develop a 5-piece capsule collection for swimsuitsforall.com and it's now available to order online! The suits range from sizes 10-24, and are all made in amazing neons and prints (like SPACE PRINT). Plus, how can you not love her Spring Breakers references in the pics? —Katie





From Elsewhere

05/17/13 12:00PM

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Arrested Development Superfan Quiz

Oh shit, Vulture made an Arrested Development superfan quiz! You should absolutely spend the next 10 minutes of your life taking this thing. I am, and apparently I'm a terrible AD fan because this shit is super hard and I'm failing it as hard as I fail chemistry tests. See how well you can do! —Katie

From Elsewhere

05/17/13 11:51AM

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Diplo Reviews Daft Punk

Diplo reviewed Random Access Memories and... well, I don't know. Did he like it? Did he not like it? I DON'T KNOW HOW HE FEELS! That talking steel guitar video is a very accurate representation of the album, though. —Katie




From Elsewhere

05/17/13 11:50AM

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Look Of The Week: Marcello Ochoa

Hi Marcello! Can you tell us what you do at UO?
I'm the Men's shoe specialist and self-proclaimed MAAC-ster (Master of Men's Accessories). I work at the Gaslamp location in San Diego, CA. We've got our own hashtag, #27killz.

Can you tell us what you're wearing?
I'm wearing the Hawaiian Print Shirt by CPO with my Hawkings McGill Cutoff Chino shorts and my TOMS.

You're rockin' the Zach Braff in Garden State look today (but like a cool Zach Braff). What's your daily style like?
I draw style from a lot of different places. I love Kramer's style (from Seinfeld) because his patterns are always on point, but I also love denim jackets and vests and band shirts. If I gave it a name, it'd be "punk-rock Kramer", haha.

By the way, how do you feel about Garden State? People still tend to have a lot of feelings about that movie.
I love it! The story is great, plus I've been a fan of Zach Braff since he was on Scrubs, and I've always had a thing for Natalie Portman. I heard Zach Braff was making a follow-up to that movie and I couldn't be more stoked to see it.

What's the general style like out in San Diego?
Ironically enough I feel like my outfit in the photo describes San Diego style perfectly, haha. Shorts/swim trunks and patterned button-up combinations are literally everywhere I go.

Are there any new styles/trends coming into the store that you're pumped to wear? I am not mad at all about the resurgence of Zubaz.
My favorite part of summer time at Urban is the swim trunk collection we get so I'm super psyched about those. I've also recently become a big Nike fan so I love the Rosheruns we've been getting.

Where can we find you online?
You can see what I'm thinking on Twitter, what I'm eating on Instagram, what I'm listening to on tumblr, and watch me on Vine, @marcelloisgreat.

From New York

05/17/13 11:14AM

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Avant/Garde Premiers The Cycle Revealed

The Avant/Garde Diaries’ spring season is starting off with a new series entitled “The Avant/Garde Diaries Premieres.” Samantha Casolari’s film, The Cycle Revealed, a "ruminative exploration of Robert Lepage’s production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at The Metropolitan Opera," will be the first event in the series. The event will take place Thursday, May 16 from 8-11 PM at 372 Broome St., NYC. There will also be performances by Valentin Stip, and a DJ set by Dave Harrington, one half of Darkside. —Katie

From Philadelphia


05/16/13 01:23PM

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What Would Ann Want?

Her? —Katie



What would Ann want?


Eggspress Heart-Shaped Egg Mold
For when she's got a hankering for a romantic mayonegg.


Diament Jewelry For Urban Renewal Vintage Name Bracelet
It doesn't matter that it doesn't say Ann. No one remembers her name anyway.


Anna Sui Rose Body Cream
I'm sure that Egg is a very nice person, but I don't want you spending all your money on diamond cream for her.


Staple Satchel Jersey Baseball Tee
Ann's low center of gravity makes her a great asset to the softball team.


A Hipster Joke Book
...She's really funny.


TLC - CrazySexyCool
She needs something to bring to the record burning party.

From Elsewhere

05/16/13 01:20PM

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The Office: Series Finale

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I am really going to miss The Office. Sure, the middle parts after Michael left were not the show's strongest (Robert California? barf), but after all of the shake-ups and weirdness, it evened itself out again, and I am going to have A Moment when I watch the finale tonight. Although I don't think my dream of Pam and Jim divorcing is going to happen (listen, an amicable divorce for each character to CHASE THEIR DREAMS would have been amazing), I'm sure the finale will still have some surprise moments. In the meantime, let's take a look back at some of the best Office moments. —Katie


Michael Scott on hunting
Pretty much everything out of Michael Scott's mouth on The Office was gold, especially the quicker, throwaway moments. The above clip is right after Michael spent like, a solid 8 hours going back and forth on who to fire. It is hilarious. Plus, he gives us really good life lessons, like, "I am Beyonce, always."


Michael Scott on dating
See? Hilarious! "Hi, I'm Date Mike. Nice to meet me." All he wanted was someone to love. :(


Dwight on the perfect crime
Dwight, you beautiful weirdo. Sadly, Dwight's spin-off about his beet farm didn't get picked up, but we'll still have plenty of OG Dwight moments to remember him by, like his idea of the perfect crime and his weirdest friendship with Pam.


Kelly Kapoor
Thank god Mindy Kaling got her own show because Kelly Kapoor was one of the best side characters on The Office. This day is bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s! Without her none of us would know how to use the cayenne pepper diet to look amazing in our bikinis.


Michael and Holly
DID YOU EVER LOVE SOMEBODY SO MUCH IT MADE YOU CRY? Listen, whatever fictional universe Michael and Holly are existing in, I hope they're happy. If Michael Scott makes a cameo on tonight's episode and things are anything less than perfect between this flawless couple, then you can rest assured that I will burn down my television. Pam and Jim divorce? Fine. Michael and Holly divorce? Universe is broken.


Tonight this will be me, constantly refreshing the iTunes sample of James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover." GOODBYE, MY OFFICE.



From Philadelphia


05/15/13 12:27PM

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Trend: Maxi Skirts

Maxi skirts are all over the place right now, and we should all rejoice. Don't feel like shaving your legs? Throw on a maxi! Don't feel like having your organs crunched by high-waisted denim? Throw on a maxi! Don't feel like taking off your PJ pants? Take 'em off, and throw on a maxi! With maxis you get to feel easy breezy and look good with almost no effort. It's a win/win! Here are some of our favorites. —Katie


The Reformation X Urban Renewal Bowery Maxi Skirt


Urban Renewal Button Front Maxi Skirt


Sparkle & Fade Silky Ombre Maxi Skirt


Ecote Double Slit Maxi Skirt


Pins And Needles Silky Double-Slit Maxi Skirt


Ecote Lace-Block Knit Maxi Skirt


Silence & Noise Geo Print High-Slit Maxi Skirt

Shop Maxis

From Elsewhere


05/15/13 10:29AM

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Album Review: Foxygen

Foxygen is your typical talented "damn-it-they're-so-cool" band from California, and their newest (awesome) LP, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, was released earlier this year. As it turns out, the January release is perfect summer music. —Katie



Packaging:
There's no double-gatefold action going on with this album, but the cover art is pretty awesome. Plus, the lyrics for all the songs are included on the inner sleeve, just in case you hear something that really speaks to you and you're too lazy to hop on the ol' Google.

Best song:
Really into "No Destruction" (track 2) because it's kind of got some Dylan-esque vocal shenanigans going on, and I'm always down for anything that's Dylan-esque. The band has an overall "classic rock" vibe, especially on their first single from the album, "Shuggie." (Like, '60s-psych-band classic rock, not Rush-in-1984 classic rock [even though Rush is delightful in their own special way].)

What it's good for:
You know when there's a movie montage about everyone having a good time in the sunshine, and maybe there are some slow-mo shots of people laughing in the grass and like, a dripping ice cream cone? That's what this album reminds me of. It's great summertime hangouts music. And it also makes cleaning your room feel a lot less terrible. (Because as I found out when trying to take these pictures inside, my room is a dark hell-hole covered in dust, but now it's clean. Thanks, Foxygen!)

Shop Foxygen's We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic


From Elsewhere


05/15/13 10:26AM

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Recurring Developments

There were a ton of recurring jokes in Arrested Development, and now the site Recurring Developments can help you keep track of all of them. SCORE. Before you know it you're like, "I didn't realize the 'banner' joke was used so many times!" and then you have an excuse to go back and watch the series for the 100th time. If your roommates find you buried in cookie crumbs and huddled next to Netflix in your bed, you can just tell them you're doing research. Katie love Netflix. —Katie

From Los Angeles

05/14/13 10:28AM

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Hilarious People: John Mulaney

Since it's LOLZ month here at the blog, of course we need to talk about stand-up. Whenever I hear someone say that they hate stand-up, I know that they must be a robot. Stand-up is the best! Sure, sucky stand-up is sucky, but good stand-up just leads to laughing, and what's not to like about that? John Mulaney is one of those non-sucky comedians. After watching this clip of his stand-up special New In Town, don't be surprised at how much you find yourself singing, "Because we're Delta airlines, and life is a fucking nightmare!" If you're into what you see, then beg NBC to pick up Mulaney's self-titled show for this fall—the man writes Stefon, so you know it's gonna be good. (Update: His show totally didn't get picked up, damn it!) —Katie

From Elsewhere

05/13/13 02:50PM

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Animated Murals By Insa

Whoa, talk about patience. INSA, an artist based out of the UK, re-paints these pieces several times in order to snap enough pics for the .gif effect. The end result is awesome (not to mention that INSA should win a Nobel Peace Prize for patience). —Katie
(via Boooooooom)






From Austin


05/13/13 12:25PM

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ACL Lineup

Austin City Limits Music Festival has announced their lineup and it is pretty incredible. It's actually much longer than that little graphic up there would lead you to believe, so make sure you check out the lineup in its entirety here. This year, the festival is taking a page from Coachella's book and running two weekends, Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13 (tickets are available here). While it sucks that you have to wait 5+ months to go, at least you can look forward to how pleasantly unsweaty you'll be at an October music fest! —Katie

From Elsewhere


05/13/13 09:58AM

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Della x UO Interview: Ruby Gbassakpo

Ruby Gbassakpo, a head seamstress at Della, spoke to us about what it's like living in Ghana, her plans to open her own sewing shop, and her favorite American music (Celine Dion!).



Where did you work before Della and how did you become part of the team?
I was a cleaning lady at the hospital. I didn’t like it because I wasn’t using any of the skills I learned from my sewing apprentice. Esenam’s [another seamstress] mom worked at the hospital, and we became fast friends. When Esenam found out I had my sewing certificate, she told me about Della. I quit my job at the hospital and started working at Della soon after. My first day, I worked on small tasks, like making piping and fixing labels. I have worked here for two and a half years now, and I am considered a leader among the ladies. I am very happy here.

What do you and the ladies talk about during the work day?
Sometimes we discuss about our boyfriends and we laugh at them. We like to make fun of each other. When someone sews a Della label on backwards, we tease them. We also like to sing gospel songs together while we sew.

What do you like to do for fun?
I listen to American music like R. Kelly, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. I like watching Ghanaian and Nigerian TV and films. My favorite American movie is Romeo and Juliet. I read everything. My boyfriend and I like to go out to eat together at restaurants. I go to church every Sunday, and I am always singing and dancing there.

Do you have any beauty secrets?
It takes me two minutes to get ready in the morning because of my hair is in braids. Every month I get paid, I change my hairstyle. I always wear skirts and tops. I get my toenails painted every week at my friend’s salon.

Do you have any children?
Carine, my daughter, is 9 and a half years old. I have tried to teach her to sew before, but she doesn’t like it. She wants to be a doctor.

Where did you learn your craft? How long have you been sewing?
I started my sewing apprenticeship with a madam seven years ago, and it took me three years to complete.



Do you ever wear your own creations?
I sew my own dresses. I don’t have a sewing machine at my own house, so I haven’t made as much for myself as I’d like.

What is your favorite Della product?
I like making the laptop cases. We were making them the first day I came here, and it still remains my favorite thing to make.

Do you have a secret talent?
I am a singer. I sing gospel songs at work while I am sewing. I also sing at church in a choir.

Do you cook? What’s your specialty?
I cook for me and my daughter when I have the time. My favorite food to make is banku with okra and green leaf soup. I enjoy going to the market and buying the ingredients, sometimes off of people’s heads. My daughter and I try to eat together every evening.

What do you want people to know about Ghana?
We have a lot of things here. We have freedom and self-expression. Everyone is unique. The waterfalls are a miracle and they are worth it to come and see.

What are your goals for the future?
I’d like to open my own sewing shop in Hohoe. I also want my daughter to go to college and get a good education.

Shop Della x UO



From Elsewhere

05/13/13 09:30AM

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RiFF RAFF as "Jamie Franko"

Life imitates art imitates life imitating art. It's all just so meta, ya know? —Katie

From New York


(Photo credit: David Perez)

05/10/13 03:32PM

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NYC Bazaaaaar Pop-Up Opening

Last night was the opening night of our NYC Bazaaaaar Pop-Up store, and to celebrate, we had an opening party, complete with an appearance by Tina Tangalakis from Della, with Wynn from Twin Shadow DJing. Plenty of people turned out to check out the collection, which features pieces from Osei Duro, Fashion Rising, African Lookbook, Obj and Totem, and more. If you missed the party, don't worry! The pop-up shop will be running at our 5th Ave. store until June 2nd, which leaves you plenty of time for browsing. —Katie