Cool Girl's Guide to Paris Couture Week

Cool Girl's Guide to Paris Couture Week

photo courtesy of Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

It is, without a doubt, a rebellious time in the fashion industry. Haute couture, French for "high fashion," is making a powerful transition from princess-like couture to rebellious, statement-making apparel. Sure, classics like Dior (though abandoned by head designer Raf Simons and temporarily being manned by his understudies) and Chanel persist with the typical, grand, haute couture designs, other fashion houses are taking Fall Couture Week to a whole new level.

photo courtesy of Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

Perhaps most talked about during couture week was the Vetements Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear show, which was held at a department store and curated looks featuring 18 other brands. The large scale collaboration most notably included Levi's, Dr. Martens, Reebok, Comme des Garçons, Champion, and Juicy Couture. Heavy denim, sportswear, and a unique take on workwear were apparent in the ever-so-chic collection.

photos courtesy of Marcus Tondo / Indigital.tv

Maison Margiela showed us that the era of John Galliano isn't close to being over. Galliano, known to reference French history (specifically revolutionary times) in his art, married urban streetwear with a nod to French military past. Galliano's Maison Margiela makes a powerful statement through its art-- a clash between today's youth and history's past.

photo courtesy of Guo Pei

An astounding moment during Paris Couture week came from none other than Guo Pei. Pei, a famous Chinese designer, is rising in fame after designing Rihanna’s trailing yellow gown at the 2015 Met Ball. With fiber-optic, glossy, and high-shine fabrics and textures, a superior level of craftsmanship was evident throughout the entire collection. Instead of portraying women as graceful, delicate creatures (as reflected in the shows of Valentino, Elie Saab, and Giambattista Valli), Pei depicts women as strong, powerful, influential, while upholding the most beautiful elements of femininity. 

photos courtesy of Marcus Tondo / Indigital.tv

Russian culture has always been an influential and prevalent factor in Ulyana Sergeenko's collections, and this fall's couture show was no exception. However, Sergeenko and business partner Frol Burimskiy decided to tone down the usual over-the-top-ness and were inspired by the 60s childhood their parents grew up with. The optimistic, utopian society both Sergeenko and Burimskiy described is apparent in their sleek collection.

 photos courtesy of Yannis Vlamos / Indigital.tv

A shocker to some, Atelier Versace dialed down its usual over-the-top sensual sleekness. Donatella's Versace brought beautiful, unique color combinations and classy sequined pieces, which can be difficult to pull off (usually). Donatella has definitely left us drooling over that deep lavender jacket one could easily imagine gracing the shoulders of a chic fashion blogger.

All of this is not to say classic Haute Couture has fallen out of style or not well designed (we highly encourage you to explore Giambattista Valli's couture collection), rather, a new form of haute couture is being explored. More chic, sleek, and powerful couture fashion weeks are ahead of us, and we could not be more thrilled to see what comes next.

Beauty Obsessions: Colourpop Cosmetics!

Beauty Obsessions: Colourpop Cosmetics!

Today I am blogging about my latest beauty obsession! If you are a lipstick lover, then this post is for you!

Now before you all rush over to order Kylie Jenner’s pricy liquid lips, you might want to check out the amazing Ultra Matte Lips from Colourpop! With a collection of over 40 shades available and a retail of $6.00, I decided to talk about my top three shades that I fell in love with!  If you are interested in a matte, super-long wearing lip product then you will love these too!

These matte lipsticks glide on very smooth, dries evenly, and feels weightless!  

I absolutely adore Colourpop Cosmetics! With such an affordable cost, you get a high quality product that dries to a flat matte finish and are super long wearing.  They last exceptionally well with eating and drinking. They do not leave my lips feeling stiff or parched and they do not flake or crack! When applying these colors, I do apply chap stick beforehand just so that the product sits smoothly. I also apply one coat, let it dry, apply a second coat, and then I’m good to go! I usually only find myself reapplying once throughout the day when wearing these lip products!

The shades I will be discussing are: Beeper, Trap, and Kapow.

Colourpop’s ultra matte lip in Beeper is a perfect mid-toned brown liquid lip with a tint of pink. Colourpop descirbes Beeper as a “warm mid-tone taupe”. With a muted, medium-dark rosy brown, this color is very easy to wear on a daily basis giving a more neutral subtle look!

 Colourpop’s ultra matte lip in Trap is described as”dusty greyed out beige”, which is spot on! Trap is a very smoky gray shade with a tint of light purple. Very subtle and easy to wear! If you have been searching for a color that is in between the vibrant purple and dark purple spectrum, then Trap is definitely for you!

Colourpop’s ultra matte lip in Kapow is the exact opposite of Trap. Kapow is a very dark, bold, muted brown/gray shade with a very small dose of a purple hue. This color is one that you would definitely rock at night. This bold color is great to wear with light eye make-up. If you’ve been wanting a bold neutral lip to rock, then Kapow is your answer! 

                                  

So before you go spending tons on Kylie’s lip products, you should definitely give Colourpop’s Cosmetics a try!

What 89,000 Minutes of Music in a Year Taught Me

What 89,000 Minutes of Music in a Year Taught Me

Prior to the close of 2015, Spotify sent out an email letting users know they had launched a service allowing customers to track their listening patterns over the course of the previous year. Considering I was in class “preparing for finals” when I received the email, I decided it would be a good time to check out my Year in Review. After seeing that Never Shout Never had somehow made it into my list of top five most played artists and accepting that I will probably never get over my Jr. High obsession, I clicked on a tab showing that I spent 89,000 minutes listening to music during the year. The subheading kindly made me feel worse about myself by letting me know that translates to the equivalent of 62 days.

The fact that I spent 16.98% of my time listening to the art of complete strangers led me to contemplate what effect the musicians of this generation could be having on both myself and my peers. Surely if I spend so much time engrossed in the thoughts and words of others I must be learning a thing or two about myself in the process. Over six months later, I think I finally figured out why I spend so much time listening to music and what it has been helping me realize about myself.

I’ve recently come to accept and admit that there have been periods in my life when I have dealt with varying degrees of depression. For the longest time I refused to acknowledge that fact because I am arrogant, hard-headed, and refuse to think anything about myself that is less than ideal. As someone who is determined to do well with the life given to me, I stuffed my issues to the back of my mind because I was under the impression that those who are successful in their careers are continually happy, satisfied, and have never dealt with the same sort of creeping darkness. I refused to admit to myself that I feel any way other than invincible, because I believed that no one successful ever deals with the same issues. Therefore, I simply needed to ignore mine until they disappeared. What finally made me realize that my perceptions were in no way accurate was listening to the themes of some of my favorite artists and seeing that even these highly talented individuals deal with some of the same issues but have persevered and found a way to create and use their platform for positivity in the process.

An artist that I spent a decent amount of those 89,000 minutes listening to was Halsey. In an interview with elle.com, she mentioned that, as a child dealing with bipolar disorder and depression, her mother would ask her: “'Would you rather be blissfully ignorant or would you rather be pained and aware?” Listening to her music, it is clear that she has chosen “pained and aware”. For some of us, we don’t really have a choice. “Pained and aware” is simply what we are stuck with. What is inspiring is that Halsey is showing that awareness of pain does not have to be a curse. Rather, it can be manipulated into something beautiful.

It is the lack of a false pretense that make artists like Halsey so important to this generation and is something that other artists have incorporated as a requirement in their music. Jesse Rutherford from the Neighbourhood had some interesting words to say regarding his art in an interview with Life+Times that I think explains this desire for transparency. Regarding the band’s music, he’s quoted as saying, “It’s raw. I think this world, right now, just needs something that’s straightforward, raw, and honest. We all want to be lied to deep down… But it’s just not fucking reality”.

If there’s one artist who deals with the anxiety and depression of this reality that Jesse was speaking of and manages to break down creative walls in the process, I believe it’s Kendrick Lamar. His persistence and resilience is admirable and something that serves as an inspiration to me individually. In the midst of an environment that celebrates money and achievement, he seems to be one of the first to admit that “money can’t stop a suicidal weakness”. In the face of that, he’s quoted as saying “How can I use it [my leadership]? For better or for worse?” “Money or celebrity, how can I use it? How can I pimp it? Can I pimp it negatively, or can I pimp it in a positive way? Positive for me is showing what I go through, what I’ve been through … but that I still love myself at the end of the day.”

It is that level of transparency from the artists I admire and their continued determination to tell of their struggles in a creative way, that I believe is helping myself and my generation find some peace as we figure out our place in the 21st century. I am learning to realize that there is a freedom in recognizing that not every aspect of life is ideal. Rather, life is a process that is neither black or white. It is a growth and a struggle. It is helping me realize that there is a freedom in recognizing that even the most successful and the most respectable deal with the same mental issues that I struggle with and those I care about struggle with. There is a freedom in realizing that not every negative emotion needs to be silenced. Rather, it is possible and healthy to voice those negative emotions beautifully in a resilient way that eliminates the isolation of depression and forms a community around art. What that does is create a generation of creative minds who have had no choice but to fight, survive, and create throughout the midst of chaos. Rather than wallowing in their struggles, these artists have chosen to deal with their demons and spite them by creating works that are altering a generation. A transparency to admit and a resilience to create is why I spent 89,000 minutes listening to music last year.

Giving It Another Go: Drowners Release On Desire

Giving It Another Go: Drowners Release On Desire

It’s hard to find a single inspiration for Drowners. The four piece band combines the sounds of The Smiths, The Cure, Ramones, and The Strokes. They manage to piece together the most appealing parts of all these bands into a blend that is entirely their own. The New York-based band recently released their sophomore album On Desire.A follow up to a convincing debut album, On Desire at first struggles to build on its predecessor. That being said, the album holds the promise of a new, richer sound for the band, one that makes On Desire worth listening to.

The band’s self-titled first record succeeded in making catchy pop/rock songs that excelled in engaging guitar rifts and ironic lyrics. Songs were short and sweet, using their powers to compel you but not leave you bored with endless repetition. I think that’s what deflates some songs on On Desire—it seems as though the band attempted to make longer, more complex songs than they did on their first album, but, in some cases, instead served up a number of repetitive, predictable tracks that make the listener think haven’t I heard this chorus about fifteen times now? The songs that flop don’t let the powerful and biting guitar riffs that define Drowners' sound take part. “Human Remains,” for example, floats about in soft chords and a painfully uninspiring chorus. The whole song leaves you feeling like you’ve heard the song a hundred times before. The guitar barely takes part, no riffs or edgy solos. This is not to say that the band cannot produce a song without their signature guitar parts-- evolution of sound is important and essential for musicians-- but on “Human Remains” the band does not find a way to replace the missing sound. “Trust the Tension” is engaging with its dark melody and captivating baseline, but wears out the sound with too much repetition. If the band took a cue from their first album and cut the song after the successful guitar solo, the song would succeed as a mysterious, slick ode to a tumultuous relationship. Instead the song goes on too long and drills in its riffs and chorus far too many times instead of leaving the listener wanting more.

Other songs are merely good. Nothing soars in “Conversations with Myself,” but the appealing drawl of the chorus and the rhythmic verses are worth a listen. Same goes for “Dreams Don’t Count,” whose building drum beat, well placed horns, and bittersweet lyrics make for an achingly beautiful lullaby, but do not inspire. “Troublemaker” is fun and danceable, bringing the classic, guitar heavy, short jam that Drowners do so well. It’s a catchy ode to their first album, but lacking in new material. “Another Go” has well written guitar lines, but the airy chorus is too deficient in spirit or density to make the song a standout.

And then there’s the winners, the bright lights that make the album so appealing and leave you excited to see what the band can do next. They outnumber the bad, and make On Desire a successful album. “Cruel Ways,” the first single from the album, is classic Drowners complicated. The dark sound of the verses draws you into the building chorus before hooking you with the sublime riff. It’s everything Drowners does right and then some, the next level up from the sound they perfected on their first album. The guitar solo strays from the usual jangly sounds and gives us something edgier and more old school. It’s so satisfying to get a taste of the new techniques the band is capable of combined with the charm of the original sound that made them so likeable.

 “Pick Up the Pace” manages to take the album a further step up, probably the highlight of the album. The synth riff (note synth, not guitar per usual) is something new for the band, yet they keep their Johnny Marr guitar sound in the background throughout the chorus. Intricate bass lines and percussion keep the melody engaging and filling. All in all, the song is catchy, complex, and surprising, a true testament to the evolution of the band’s sound, and their capability to invent new and multifaceted songs.

“Someone Else Is Getting In” is the rocker of the album, with a killer riff and verses to match. The drums are a highlight on this track, as well as the shredding guitar and sheer rock and roll spirit. The bridge seals the deal with its soft vulnerability before returning to the high energy ending. This one will be stuck in your head.

“Don’t Be Like That,” my favorite song from On Desire, is an aching closer to the album, embedded with longing, pain, and heartbreaking nostalgia. The opening bass line and the following guitar entrance are punctuated with the poignant first lyrics: “How can you say that with a straight face when it’s eight months down the line / Please don’t treat me like a stranger ‘cause I’ve put in so much time.” The synth strings complete the overwhelming sense of loss the song conveys. It’s songs like these, where the lyrics and each instrument work together to impart a specific, intense feeling, that make listening to music a religious experience. It’s songs like these that make music music. “Don’t Be Like That” is a song that emotes and enthralls, and this song alone redeems Drowners of all the faults of On Desire’s lesser songs.

In the end, while there are disappointing songs on the album, Drowners manage to transform the sound they crafted on their first album into a force more complex and moving than the catchy, simple songs they started out with. On Desire leaves you satisfied while hungry for what the band can do next. If Drowners can keep up the evolving sound they explore on this album while building on and learning from their past repertoire, they will music that will blow their first two albums out of the water.

DIY Labels and the Future of the Music Industry

DIY Labels and the Future of the Music Industry

Photography by Willow Greene feat. Isabel Mohr
Mad Sounds Issue 15 - The Future is Female

   

           The phrase “Rock and roll is dead” has been said by many a parent to many a child throughout the years. And yet, the loud rebellious music we all love doesn’t disappear; it merely changes and adapts to the times. The music industry as a whole is one that will stand the test of time, yet even now it is almost unrecognizable from when our parents were young.

            In an interview with the New York Times in 2002, David Bowie predicted the shift from album sales to streaming by saying, “Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity.” Bowie goes on to predict that record labels would become increasingly irrelevant, and that copyright would disappear altogether (not quite, but it is changing quite a bit).

            To make things more complicated, 2016 was also the worst year for record sales yet. With the shift away from actually buying albums and towards streaming, artists are forced to be creative in how they make money. Many are becoming increasingly reliant on touring and merchandise (more so than they already were). Artists are always free to refrain from putting their music up on streaming sites a la Taylor Swift, but very few possess the enormous fan base and raw influence over society to maintain a functioning career while restricting access to music the way she does (a local indie band may not be able to convince millions of teenage girls to buy their albums in lieu of streaming it- no matter how cute they are).

            Bowie was right in his assumptions about record labels as more and more artists are opting to do it themselves- creating their own labels and taking to Twitter and Soundcloud to spread their music. The DIY movement allows artists to have complete control in their sound, image and tours. It also frees musicians to “cut out the middleman” so-to-speak, and negotiate their own contracts with streaming services (Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, etc.), and not have to deal with the hefty royalties that lead to artists not being appropriately compensated for their music.

            The DIY music scene has only really become a viable option for musicians within the past decade or so- before then signing with a traditional label was the only way to go. The issue with a traditional record label is that-despite the fact that the artist writes and performs the songs by themselves- everyone else gets paid before they do. This includes the label itself; merchandise people, managers, venues, etc. Michael Jackson famously only made 11 cents for every time his song Thriller was bought. Not played- bought. The situation is only made worse when you consider that the music industry has always been referred to and seen as a “machine” that often strips musicians of their identities and molds them into something easily marketable- often at the cost of what made the label sign the artist in the first place.

            The only real downside to DIYing a music career is that, while the barrier to entry has lowered substantially (every teenage boy can call themselves a rapper or a rock star), it is that much harder for artists to get noticed by fans and press and other people who could help their career skyrocket. It’s not enough to have a YouTube page, a couple of decent demos and an okay haircut anymore, musicians have to do all of the dirty work themselves without a paid team of suits to book and organize things for you. Even so, the payoff is well worth it.

            Ignoring the fact that every teenage boy with an Internet connection can now call himself a rock star or a rapper, some of the most promising acts in music have (very successfully) been running their careers almost entirely via social media. Rather than risk being locked into a contract with a company who doesn’t support them (think Kesha), and being forced to make music they aren’t passionate about (Zayn Malik), artists are rebelling and taking their lives and music into their own hands. This writer believes with everything she has that this movement in music is the future of the entire industry.

Your Guide to the Perfect Road Trip

Your Guide to the Perfect Road Trip

I recently went on a two week road trip-I started at my home state California and drove through Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. We visited the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Antelope Canyon, the Rocky Mountains, Arches, Canyonlands, and more. Traveling through these states on my own agenda was wonderful. I didn't have a tour bus to obey. I lived by my schedule (or lack thereof), my rules, and my playlist, which I could play as loudly as I wanted.



Our trip was over 3,800 miles (to give perspective, the distance between the East Coast and the West Coast of the United States is between 2600-3200 miles depending on route), and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Now that I am officially back, here are some tips for your next road trip.

Don't over-plan. I fall victim to this so often. I live an hour away from L.A.-when I spend a day there, sometimes I will plan my time to the minute. With this trip though, I just had a rough outline of what we expected to do each day. We booked hotel reservations prior (which I would highly recommend if you are doing a road trip over the summer as they fill up quickly) to get us started, but we left the end of our trip up to ourselves. A week in the road, we decided to extend our trip to visit Colorado. Some scheduling can provide security, but don't forget that this is your adventure.

Packing. Besides the obvious clothing, toothbrush, etc., here are some items you should consider packing in addition: hydrocortisone (I got bitten by bugs 7 times-this stuff basically saved me), an endless supply of granola bars, cooler to store food, dry shampoo, fruit in a pouch (trust me on this one-nothing spoils), plastic bags to store dirty clothes, trash, etc., a physical map in case you lose connection on your phone, and extra SD cards.

Buy an annual national park pass. If you're aiming to sightsee in the U.S., this is perfect for saving money. It's $80, but if you're planning on going to more than 3 national parks, it's worth it.

Ask. With each park I went to, the first thing I did was ask a ranger which trail was his or her favorite. If I heard someone talking about a park I was planning on visiting, I asked them for recommendations. Instead of squinting at the trail descriptions and Googling "Best trails in ___" right as you lose mobile data, you will save yourself unneeded effort.

Rapid fire. Gas stations are perfect for bathroom breaks. If you're using a GPS, check the route on Google Maps as well (occasionally, Google Maps has faster routes). Save your mobile data leading up the trip unless you have an unlimited data plan. If you have nowhere to stay, Walmart will let you park your car overnight for free. Eat your meals on the road if you don't have time. Stay safe, but don't forget to let loose.

Road trips are exhausting. You're constantly on the move, driving for hours on end. You're eating mostly bad food and your biggest fear becomes your car breaking down in the middle of nowhere. But if you have an open mind, you've got yourself an adventure to remember.

Issue No. 15 - The Future is Female

Issue No. 15 - The Future is Female