Tag Archives: bling

Eye On Design: Chanel Robot Handbag

chanel robot handbag photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Some handbags are designed to blend in seamlessly with an outfit, but others are determined to steal the entire room. This futuristic robot-inspired Chanel minaudière, spotted on display at Sotheby’s, firmly belongs in the second category.

At first glance, the piece closely resembles a tiny retro robot or miniature arcade game rather than a handbag. Constructed in glossy black acrylic, the sculptural bag features sparkling rhinestone eyes, a glowing green circuit-board motif, and the unmistakable interlocking double “C” logo integrated into the center like the core processor of a fashionable little android.
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Eye On Design: The Crystal Egg Chest That Sparkled at BDNY

egg shaped chest with one drawer open photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Trade shows devoted to hospitality design tend to be full of practical pieces — durable chairs, sensible tables, and casegoods built to withstand the constant turnover of hotel guests. Every now and then, however, a manufacturer brings something that exists purely to make people stop in their tracks. At the 2019 edition of Boutique Design New York (BDNY), Kosta Furniture did exactly that.
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Modern Art Monday Presents: Mickalene Thomas, Portrait of Qusuquzah #6

portrait of qusuquzah #6 photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Mickalene Thomas‘s glittering, maximalist paintings of Black women, such as this work from 2012, investigate how Black femininity, sexuality, and empowerment are represented in visual culture. She draws inspiration from popular culture, music, and Western art history, while embodying the aesthetic of the 1970s with embroidered rhinestones and bold patterns.

Portrait of Qusuquzah #6 depicts one of the artist’s frequent models embodying the glamour of Black women in the 1940s. The subject assumes a central, dynamic position, commanding undivided attention.

Photographed in The Brooklyn Museum as Part of the 2024 Exhibit Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys

Eye On Design: Bling Industrial Garbage Bin By Arlo Walker

i could have been a dolphin by arlo walker photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

I Could Have Been a Dolphin is a modern sculpture designed and realized by Arlo Walker in 2022. Consisting of a 65 -gallon, industrial-size trash bin completely covered with tiny reflecting crystals, this work was part of a larger exhibit of design student projects entitled Utopia, which was on display at the 2022 edition of Wanted Design at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). What follows is the manifesto presented with the exhibit to which this eye-catching sculpture belongs.

The title of this exhibition, Utopia, is an irony; each piece confronts, the realization that our civilization is anything but utopian. Indeed, the sociopolitical infrastructure of our world spells dystopia –- a place where the values of fulfillment, health, and wealth appear all but unattainable. The pieces in this exhibition reflect a disillusionment  with the very concept of utopia; the past, present, and future equal equally convey an image of injustice and hardship.
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Eye On Design: James Galanos Bejeweled Cocktail Dress

james galanos bejeweled cocktail dress photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

New York Times writer Marilyn Bender observed in 1965 that James Galanos‘ meticulously crafted clothes were “among the most expensve America has to offer.” A simple wool chemise retailed for $500 — equal to nearly$5,000 today!
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