Anna Carnick

For the Plaza Collection, Lulu Frost has taken original numbers and letters from NY’s Plaza Hotel doors and turned them into beautifully designed, feminine and modern pieces, a la Eloise. Check out my full review at Coolhunting.com!

For his newest series, “Alteration,” artist/sculptor Greg Lauren has hand-sewn treated Japanese paper to simulate various materials (wool, cotton, gabardine), frayed edges, wrinkles and folds. Each of his paper garments represents a different male character or archetype, all personally relevant to Lauren (who happens to be the nephew of fashion legend Ralph Lauren), and painstakingly crafted over the last year and a half. Each piece explores complex ideas regarding inherited ideals, and the stimuli one encounters on the way to owning his individual identity. As Lauren says, “I was taught to dress like Cary Grant and JFK, but actually felt more like Charlie Chaplin or Oliver Twist.” The resulting pieces are absolutely incredible – beautiful, exacting, layered with multiple meanings. The show is on view at 28 Wooster Street through November 1st. For more info, check out my review at clearmag.com.

Clear Magazine‘s latest issue, “Dream Weavers,” debuted at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York this past week. In honor of the event, Clear produced a collector’s edition, tree-free, 100% recyclable fall issue, and it’s being distributed throughout the week at related venues: in Tents at Bryant Park, and at hotels and galleries throughout the city. The limited-edition issue was printed on YUPO® synthetic papers, and was printed by Tepel Brothers Printing.

Also exciting to note: designer Stefan Sagmeister co-designed our cover wrap (above), and there’s a slew of great stories inside, featuring stars like Stefan Sagmeister, Issey Miyake, Hussein Chalayan, Yigal Azrouël, Matthew Williamson, Ross Lovegrove, Barbara Bui, Todd Bracher, Cappellini, Terence Koh and more.

Pick one up, or visit clearmag.com for more info. And check out my latest reviews plus interviews with Sagmeister, Miru Kim, Ross Lovegrove and Todd Bracher in the issue or on the writing samples page here (in the next few days). Thanks!

In honor of Fashion Week in New York, I just reviewed Assouline‘s new cookbook – American Fashion Cookbook: 100 Designers’ Best Recipes - for BehindtheBurner.com. The book features designers favorite recipes, along with original illustrations, by the likes of Diane von Furstenberg, Isaac Mizrahi, Carolina Herrera, Donna Karan, Tory Burch, Derek Lam, Nicole Miller and many more. The site’s also featuring a handful of the designer recipes from the book throughout the week. Check it out at BehindtheBurner.com!

Innovative Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø and creative studio Surface to Air have collaborated on a dramatic and beautiful, new limited-edition fashion collection. The collection will include three printed silk dresses, three printed silk tops and three bags, and will be available in September 2009 exclusively in the world’s top 20 fashion stores and
online at shop.artandcommerce.com.

For more info, visit artandcommerce.com
Images courtesy of Art + Commerce.