Chanel Paris-Moscou

Was walking on La Croisette when I saw this display for Chanel's Paris-Moscou line. I love how tight-jawed the models look -- so grist-of-life Russian -- and if you look closely at the items, you can see Soviet Bloc-inspired flourishes. Par exemple: the gloves on the white-clad model below have shiny rows of buttons with geometrical red, black and gold designs.

If you're just that bored and have no idea why I find Paris-Moscou so compelling, read my gush-fest about the Constructivist style, which tends to rear its head when economic times get tough and people grow grim and financially/aesthetically discreet.

Unlike Saks Fifth Avenue, which is sort of campy with it, Lagerfeld reinvigorates Constructivist motifs with elegance and force.

Too Many Tasty Things ... and a (Minor) Manifesto.

NASA. Ras Congo. Seu Jorge (the only man alive who can make Bowie sound better). David Byrne. Chuck D. Z-Trip. SHEPARD FAIREY.

More on NASA's music/art renaissance project here. It's exhaustive awesome. See how I have to gush? This is me, gushing.

Slightly off-topic, note how Fairey's become the aesthetic poster-boy du moment -- in part because of two converging trends that stem from the same root (economic decline, American fatigue over Biz-nass As Usual):

• The cult of Obama (and his glowing contribution).


• Rekindled interest in the Constructivist style, which Karl Lagerfeld is also nudging along with his Paris-Moscou line (see associated tribute to Chanel).

Reticent spending and a comically villainous government climate precipitated a return to working-man chic and ironic, tight-jawed Russian kitsch -- something Fairey's been preparing for for years.

The proletariat finally gets its revolution; it just didn't imagine that it would be packaged, licensed, sponsored and used to sell handbags, pop music and the new media-driven democracy. Among other things.