Friday, September 28, 2007

C'mon a my house.


Shot Heloise et al yesterday. Twas a long and funny day as can always be expected with that bunch. Particularly since Joe was painted to look like a roast turkey from 10 am onward -as you can see above in the crew shot.

For some reason my carbon monoxide alarm goes of whenever certain light switches are pressed or the washing machine is on or, now we know, when we're using our light kit. So most every shot on the dining table was completed with an ear piercing BEEP BEEP. Ugh.

Going to see Russia V. USA tonight!

Bon Weekend

-Milla

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Designification

One of my Aesthetic Idols is Terence Conran. He introduced me to the world of Industrial Design years ago when he revamped the Michelin Building in a then sleepy part of London, bringing a gorgeous oyster bar and amazing furniture, kitchen and lifestyle design. I would go to the shop every weekend and marvel at the sofas and blankets and ladles and all the parts of utilitarian life that he had designed and made that much more beautiful and no less useful.

Later I became obsessed with Muji, a shop, like Conran's, that was interested in giving everyday functionality a good dose of sublime, simple beauty. I fantasise of a place where every object is considered with such sensitivity AND is made affordable AND sustainable.

Hairdryers, humidifiers, airconditioners, these are the objects I want to see "reinvented" and put through the good design mill.
I never would of thought of redesigning a gym environment. But this is just wonderful and playful:



-Mils

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Be careful what you wish for and other cautionary clichés

So here’s a picture of my fav dog of all time. A Frenchie. Why does a little stinky puppy face put things into perspective for me? This little nugget of gummy love was on set with us Saturday so we had to take his pic. Handsome, isn't he?




So it’s been intense, at least one big shoot a week for the past few weeks. One more left before I go to London.

I was feeling pumped and excited about work then I had a bit of a crash.

People have been playing tiny violins for me.

I am grateful for my work, it’s lucky to do what you love, and have it be something that’s so mutable and playful and active. BUT. How do you craft a career path? How do you sustain a business and keep it sacred? How do you maintain and propagate the parts of it you love? You can’t lose those parts, because if you do it’s empty and meaningless and you won’t love it anymore.

Maybe it’s meeting with all these agents -about 2 a week for the past 3 weeks and hearing different things from all of them. I get so confused. Some want to see a bigger book, some want to see a smaller book, some want it separated out, others want it integrated. Some like our Men, some only like our Women. Some say we’re too artsy others say we’re too commercial. We often get told we’re un-categorize-able. That feels simultaneously awesome and defeating. Some TOTALLY get us, but aren’t signing anyone, some don’t get us at all, which feels consternating. It is a maddening process. Exciting, enlightening, exhausting…

Maybe it’s shooting lovely pictures only to have the ones I don’t love as much get printed. Maybe it’s feeling like we’ve got a style and then being approached by clients to shoot in a way that looks nothing like us. Maybe it’s being in the U.S. where it feels as if innovation is not as valued as emulation.

There is something going on in the creative fields in general in the US. I see the tele and I don’t know if I’m watching a music video or a TV commercial or a new teen drama. Everything looks the same, high contrast, choppy edits, super gloss. I know there are pockets of originality, but they’re few and far between, risk taking isn’t compatible with commerce, I guess. That’s so against my philosophy of anything. I feel like the only way to really live, to really change or create is with risk, not recklessly, but conscientious, decisive risk.

I think I feel small right now, as well.

…All the better to hear the tiny violin...

It’s political too. I used to hear that in relation to academia, but it’s everywhere, everything’s political. And it’s endurance. Can you stick around long enough to prove to the ones in control that you REALLY mean it, that you’re really dedicated? Pay your dues, they say.

Look at my bank statements and tell me if I’m paying my dues.

This is not defeatism. There simply is a natural up and down with anything. But there is something about commercialising your passion -trying to preserve its truth while also making it lucrative, that’s a very tight rope to walk.

-Mils

This is just RAWNG



Thanks Con.
Mils

Wait a second, fashion just gave me goosebumps..?

Caroline the fashion guru, led me to this incredible video of the Chalayan show.

It's pretty fantastic.

Wuv.

Mils

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Some Brief Impressions

...of the last few days.







I love this time of year. "Sex and pencil sharpeners" a friend used to say. Everything crackles with possibility. New wardrobe, new classes, new friends...

Enjoy!
Kate

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Sick day at home today.

OOof. Blah. Burnt out, tiRED, yucky.

So, I'm living on a countdown to 30.

The plan is like this:

Work our butts off. Do muay Thai.

Go celebrate my Bro and Baba's birthday in London.

Work our butts off. Do muay Thai

Engage in some camping and intensive climbing in Joshua Tree for a week.

Work our butts off. Do muay Thai.

Haloween Pretty Ugly Girls reunion. I think this year we're Spinal Tap.

Work our butts off. Do muay Thai.

Do something intimate and lovely with my nearest and dearest for the big ole BIRTHday.

Ugh, I'm trying to be positive, but I think I feel worse now then I did this morning. Ears plugged up, dry cough, and now some nausea.

Tonight is season premiere of ANTM. Needless to say I am looking forward to the lovely Tyra and the new slew of girls who take modelling very.seriously. Or else.



Bis,

illMill

Thursday, September 13, 2007

I dream of weenie.



Oh my.

I love Summer, I do, but I’m a tiddley bit over it. Ready for Autumnal loveliness. Right now, I love how the back-to-school outfits abound. We had to go to Pearl Paint last week, to get some colourful paper for a shoot, and you can see all the new NYU and Parsons and SVA girls in their Fantasy Fall Fashions, they look GOOD, but it’s still too warm to be comfortably wearing the layered, intricate outfits they’ve come up with. I appreciate their enthusiasm though.

What else?

Kate and I had a walk and talk this morning, about Esquire Magazine. Recently there has been talk of Radical Honesty, a concept that's been repopularised by Brad Blanton. Kate read about it a little while ago, and then in that collective unconscious way, I started to hear about it from other sources as well. I’m into practicing it.

Then she was telling me about another Esquire regular: What it feels like to...
As in. What does it feel like to: BE MAULED BY A BEAR. or GET BEAT UP BY AN ANGRY MOB, or LAND FROM A SKYDIVE WHEN YOUR PARACHUTE FAILS.

This sort of article would never be in a woman’s mag. I love it though. That’s one of those things that makes me get all freaky and excited about life, the stuff YOU JUST DON’T KNOW. There are good and bad versions. Like you’ll NEVER know if something is the “right” choice, at least not until you DO it. It can be maddening, but you just have to give in to the not knowingness of it. Then there are the ‘nobody knows’, questions, like WHO KILLED JFK, or MARILYN? Those drive me bonkers. We will just NEVER KNOW.

I’m not properly religious, but I imagine heaven would be sitting in front of the Wizard of Oz god figure person, and she/he/it would finally answer all those damn questions.

So.




Fashion week is wrapping up and all the babes are going back under their babe rocks. That’s one thing that’s so fun about Fashion Week, there is a definitive spike in street hotness -It’s a meow fest, every which way you look.



Kate and I went to see Levi’s show on Monday. It was F.U.N. Front row seating enabled unfettered people watching. It was a good crowd too, Hassids, Porn Girls, Fat men with dot matrix LCDs on their fedoras, Fashionisti -Purrfect mix, good and bitchy, love it.






Thassall.



Mils

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Peace and Quiet



Milla's taking a much needed day off. I miss that stinker! So, shooting shooting shooting. It's what we do! We are dying to show you a little number we worked on last week but, it'll be at least a few weeks until we get a go ahead from the client. Blast! Until then, enjoy this image I recently took for a motivational poster. Kidding!

Bisous,
Kate

Thursday, September 6, 2007

ID MAGAZINE and other stories



Cripes.

Working a TON.

Still at the bleedin' office. It's good to be busy, certainly, but I get mad when I can't go hit the bag around everyday. Breath, Milla, breath.

This is funny.

I NEED to put up the Todd Thomas video, but I just don't have time. I'm sorry, I'm sure you all really care anyway.

So, we shot the cover of this month's ID. But here's the downer, only subscribers get our cover. Newsstands have some other picture. This was disappointing, even though the editor said it was way more important to be on the subscriber issue. Felt like being let down gently.

Whatever, we shot the cover of ID, and that is COOL, to me! AND it was of a really lovely DUO. Husband and wife team, Doshi Levien. The pic is awesome, a bird's eye view of them reclining on the beautiful hand embroidered ottomans they make. We shot them at the Cooper Hewitt, where they were featured artists. That place is BEOOTIFUL.

So, we had done light tests, equipment check, had our trusty intern with us to help schlep and light, and what happens? The freaking light kits blows out. We go from a very complicated light scheme with 4 heads, to only having ONE functioning light. We made it work though, cuz there's no option not to. Thasssrright!

Can I just tell you, I didn't stop believing, and it was the right thing to do!

LOVE

Camilla




Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Hollow leg.

Oh my garsh. An egg salad sandwich has never tasted so good. I am so hung over. Worst in ages. Blimey.

Last night was just so good. The video was a huge hit, but I’m too busy to upload it for you today.

Here are pictures in amongst quotables:







Extremely hot girl:
I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Camilla, I keep dating assholes.

Camilla:
I’m an asshole…




You suck –in the bad way.







I think we should start a kosher meat farm




C: Are we out of control?
K: No. Yes, but it’s cute.
C: It’s not going to be cute when we’re old and ugly.





Rub your dirty on me.








I dreamed I put my hand up your nose, to take out a ball that was stuck up there, and then stuck the ball in my nose.




Just because you have a shaved head doesn’t mean you HAVE to act like a Nazi.



Mike Jones!

Wuv,

K+C

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

So amazing...

so...so...amazing...
Love,
Kate

Check your head





Oh my, we've been very bad bloggers.

But you know this alternate reality that is blogland, it just doesn't do life justice. I mean, it looks like all Kate and I do is peruse Youtube and party, and though those things do indeed bring us a good deal of stimulation and pleasure we are, in fact, working women as well.

So, aside from our indulgent antics we've been busy ratcheting our working skills to higher heights whilst also attempting a few last days of Summertide relaxation.

Tonight is the highly anticipated release of Mr Todd Thomas' new Spring 2008 collection Full Gestalt.

It's a highly conceptual but no less approachable (and wearable) collection of sumptuous silk regalia based on psychological and aptitude test patterns. The fabrics include but are not limited to silk jerseys with sat tests, gestalt tests and Rorschach patterns. They end up looking like Nigerian textiles. It's gorgeous.

We shot the collection and a video for the party -we'll put that up tomorrow.

Tonight we'll be getting dolled up to partake in the reverie of a job well done.

XO

Milla