I just love Kei Meguro’s use of negative space. The art is sexy but subtle.
Category: Art & Design
The “Secret” Magazine That I Really Love
Let it be known that I subscribe to A LOT of magazines. I remember my older sister, Grace, had a countless number of magazine subscriptions when she was a high schooler. Since we’re four years apart, that would mean I was 10 when I first got exposed to these “glossies.” I experienced the rise of grunge, hello Kate Moss, goodbye Cindy Crawford. One of my fondest memories would be running towards the mailbox to try and get my hands on one of her magazines before she could. I loved the feeling of holding a crisp version of Vogue, Elle, and Allure. Oh and those Fall tomes! The September issue would be the best – picture after picture of gorgeous models wearing outrageously expensive outfits. I wasn’t materialistic, it was about the art of the clothes, the fashion photography, and even, sometimes the articles.
Fast forward a few decades, (ok, three), and now I get these delivered to my door: Vogue, Elle, Allure (ah, still love these three), InStyle, Oprah, StyleWatch, Bazaar, W, Time, Bloomberg Business, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Wired and Inc. It’s a weird mix between fashion and business. My recent purchase is also my favorite….get ready for it: Teen Vogue.
{Awkward Pause} “You know you’re like 40, right?! (That’s my head talking..or maybe you. Stay with me.)
Not sure if you’re aware of this but Teen Vogue has gotten really political and its articles are captivating.
Per The Atlantic:
“In May, 29-year-old Elaine Welteroth took over as editor from Amy Astley, who helped found the magazine in 2003. Welteroth, the digital editorial director Phillip Picardi, and the creative director Marie Suter have moved the magazine more aggressively into covering politics, feminism, identity, and activism. Together, the three have shepherded a range of timely, newsy stories, including an interview exploring what it’s like to be a Muslim woman facing a Trump presidency, a list of reasons why Mike Pence’s record on women’s rights and LGBTQ rights should trouble readers, and a video in which two Native American teenagers from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe discuss the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.”
It feels like Teen Vogue is on the pulse of what’s cool but not in a “trying-too-hard” kind of way. Outside of politics, it also shares some interesting articles like Solange’s letter to her teenage self. I was taken aback by her beauty, her boldness, and her creativity!
Read the whole thing here.
My favorite phrases:
“there will be fear. a lot of it. there will be triumph. a lot of it. there will be constellations you want to reach for but can’t put your finger on. you will trace them like the scars on your body you got from trouble and the times of your life. you will take the long way to get to these Orions. the long way will become a theme in your life, but a journey you learn to love.”
“because you have your mama’s blood, you are fiercely independent and outgoing. you’ve been starting petitions, building tree houses, and starting clubs since as long as you can remember. sometimes in the midst of juggling all this, you put a lot of pressure on yourself and often crash and burn. you shut down. you go into your room, lock the door, put on music, and you do not move for 8 hours straight. it will feel like the heaviest and bleakest darkness you can possibly feel, and when you ask everyone to leave you alone and let you be, what you really want to say is ‘i want you here’ and ‘i need help.’ sometimes it is ok to say just that. it won’t make you less strong or less powerful. no one you love will criticize you or blame you; in fact, they will lift you up.”
Now I want to cry.
Photo: Julia Noni for Bazaar
We’ve Signed on Luke Lucas!
I’ve admired the work of Luke Lucas for almost eight years now. The Sydney-based artist is skilled at typography, graphic design, and illustration. Call him a jack of all trades. He’s a self-made artist whose work now spans two decades. He’s worked with the best including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Magazine, Oprah Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Diet Coke, Variety, Esquire, and Nike. We recently agreed to a two year licensing deal. I couldn’t be more stoked! Here’s a sample of his work. Ridiculous, right?
You can see what we’re brewing up together, here.
A Great Print on Strong Women
Love this print by friend and artist Emily McDowell. The quote is by Mohadesa Najumi. Buy it here.
Explaining the Beauty of Hand Drawn Letters
In order to show you just how incredible and involved the art of hand lettering is, I want you to see it at different stages and I want to explain it to you in words. One of the top hand lettering artists I’m working with, Tobias Saul, created this masterpiece.
Here he is explaining his creative process:
“Everything starts with rough sketches. It doesn’t have to be perfect at this stage. It is more about finding a good composition and a general look and feel. Once I decided on one sketch, I create a bigger, more detailed pencil drawing. It is very helpful to create grid lines to make sure your letters have the same high and angle. In the next step I use a light table to make a cleaner black and white drawing of it. That will be the base for everything further. After scanning the drawing I start to go into details – cleaning up the lines and correcting mistakes. So now as the drawing looks good to me, I start playing around with color, shadows and effects to bring the whole thing to life.”
Now if that’s not amazing, I don’t know what is.
Body Painter Creates Unique Art Inspired by Depeche Mode Albums
If you’re a Depeche mode fan, you will really appreciate this. A body painter that goes by the name of Pashur House recently recreated the looks of Depeche Mode covers using a model painted in black. Click each album cover title to see how he referenced each album. I love the Violator one! These are fantastic. You can see more of them on the Depeche Mode Facebook fan page.
This is part of an ingenious marketing campaign. In order to get the word out of their latest album, Spirit, Depeche Mode let their fans take over their Facebook page for a whole year (that’s a full 365 days). They vetted everyone who applied. The band recruited hundreds of curators from their diverse fan base, which means they chose one curator per day for 365 days. Read more about the people behind this marketing campaign, here.
Can you believe that the band has been around for more than 30 years? Wow, I feel old.
Above: “As a body painter, I have always wanted to create a series of artistic Depeche Mode inspired body paint images – that are both iconic and beautiful. I wanted to combine the sleek, iconic look of the “Violator” album cover and the sexiness of Anton Corbijn’s photo of the nude model that posed on the “Personal Jesus” single. To achieve this I took iconic elements from each of the Depeche Mode album covers, painted them in vibrant colors, and in contrast had a model painted completely black pose with each one. So this is my artistic representation of my favorite band through my favorite art form.”
“SPEAK & SPELL
How appropriate that their first album features a nest, the first creation of an incredible band! I really love every single song on this album, and really enjoyed creating this image because of it. Building a nest is a bit trickier than I expected, I have new found respect for birds now, lol. I loved the wildness of this look, and really enjoyed trying to capture the feel of the cover.”
“PLAYING THE ANGEL
My favorite of their more recent albums. I love every song on this album. My favorite song on this album is “Lillian”. What’s your favorite song on Playing the Angel?”
SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE
My favorite songs on this album are “Jezebel” and “In Sympathy”, two totally different themes and I love them both! The abstract look of the album cover was voted one of the top 10 in 2009, and one of my favorites to put my own spin on.
Fun Links of the Week
How was your week? Did I tell you we’re in the process of buying a house? It’s stressful but exciting! Think we found the right one. More to come.
12 Lessons From the 100 Most Creative People in 2017
I love these modern loafers in black and brown. (Apparently, Angelina Jolie is a fan, too.)
Who wants to visit this rainbow village? (Me!)
Pink is everywhere, even in art.
I can’t get over how pretty this new hotel bar’s rainbow art.
How cool would it be to plunk one of these houses down in the middle of nature?
He’s one of my favorite illustrators. This is a new interview with him. Just bought his book.
Who doesn’t remember library cards? I want these pillows.
Katy Perry pulled off an art prank? She’s cool.
Photo: This Jean-Michel Basquiat painting of a giant skull from 1982 just sold for a jaw-dropping $110.5 million, the most ever paid at auction for a work by an American artist. Crazy, huh?
Refinery29’s Cofounder Talks About Courageous Creativity
Years ago, in Los Angeles, I attended a Creative Mornings session. For those of you who are not familiar with Creative Mornings, they can best be described as breakfast lecture series for the creative community. The idea was founded by one of my biggest sources of inspiration, Swiss Miss, aka Tina Roth Eisenberg. Recently, a cofounder of one my go-to websites, Refinery29, was on. I love watching creative, high spirited, ambitious women tell their stories. Piera Gelardi is both entertaining to watch and inspirational. They fact that her company pulled off the art and fashion funhouse, 29Rooms, boggles my mind. Watch the video till the end to see how that creative idea came together.
The Most Beautiful Braid
Today, I was taken aback by this beautiful braid! My friend Jenny pointed me to this Los Angeles-based company called The Braids Factory that helps you achieve the braid of your dreams. The woman behind it is freelance hair stylist Anastasiia Terebova.
This one is called the Dutch pancake crown braid. With all that lovely, pastel colored hair, isn’t the braid just beautiful? It’s like a work of art! Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Fun Links of the Week
Sorry I haven’t been too consistent with posting lately. Been working on a super secret business project that combines my love for typography with my newfound passion for fashion. (Have I said too much?)
Here are your Fun Links of the Week:
Can we all just take a moment and stare at this stunning skirt? (While we’re at it, let’s take a look at Prada’s fanciful clothes.)
I’d proudly wear this pin.
You probably could DIY this show-stopping brooch.
Would you let the Amazon Echo help you with your style?
Love the plunging neckline.
Can’t wait for Season 2! We have to wait till Oct. 31?!
This modular planting system is stackable, streamlined, and beautifully functional.
No one could have captured President Obama better.
What do you think about digital minimalism?
Aldo’s new website is clean and easy to use. With a prominent display of social media, could be the cutting-edge way to sell products.
Simple print, sweet message.
Yes, I’d still like to check this fun museum.
Photos by Jennifer Chong via Design Milk.
Hello, I’m Alice Yoo! I’m founder and CEO of Skylar Yoo, a company dedicated to inspiring and empowering women to be bold. We sell apparel, art prints and accessories to the modern feminist.
In my former life, I was editor-in-chief of the art and culture blog My Modern Met, which I founded back in 2007. I curated and wrote about art, design and photography for more than seven years. (In fact, I published over 7,000 articles which were seen by millions of people worldwide.) I’m also co-author of a book called For Love: 25 Heartwarming Celebrations of Humanity, which is on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
I live in southern California along with my husband and my two toddler boys.
This blog is about what I love, the tough experiences that I’ve learned from, and my journey as a second time entrepreneur. Right now, I’m in the midst of a 365 day challenge, to read one book a day. If you share my passions or want to learn some cool new facts, come along for the ride. I hope to inspire, educate and entertain you!
