The film covers the production of the exhibition and showcases Marina’s exceptional road of accomplishments. The movie brought so many thoughts of how powerful a human, and something as simple as eye-contact is. I left the movie theatre agitated with social media and our present way of interacting with each other. As clichéd as it sounds, art is very powerful.

A few facts about Marina:

▪ born in Serbia (representing my home country)
▪ she recently purchased an upscale apartment in Manhattan, in which she shares with her good friend Riccardo Tisci (creative director at Givenchy)
▪ James Franco is one of her admirers, quoting: “She is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met,” he says. “Also, very attractive.”
▪ one of her acts involved walking 2500 km through the great wall of China to meet her love Ulay half way to say “good-bye” after years of tension. (how’s that for a dramatic break-up?!)

My favourite event of the year! This year, two of the art and fashion industry’s most influential people struck the theme at the annual Costume Institute Gala inside New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Gala celebrated the opening exhibition of Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli.

Aside from A-listers attending the event, Mrs. Prada and Schiaparelli stole the spotlight. Not only was Miucca present (FYI Schiaparelli is old school – she’s dead.), but a very high percentage of Gala-goers were sporting her designs all night long.

I can only Imagine how captivating such an event would be to attend…

• you get to starve yourself a week before to fit into a beautiful gown
• accompany a designer as their “muse”
• struggle with your walk because the glamourous gown is so avante-garde (of course, someone is following to assist you – so fab)
• pose for thousands of photos, and hope for a good review from the fashion police
• mingle with the world’s finest celebrities and fashion industry people
• absorb the glamourous ambience of being inside one of the world’s most famous Museums (sigghh)

Rih Rih in Tom Ford - minimal, and so sexy. She's rockin' her freshly toned & bangin bod

Kate Bosworth rockin' Prada ostrich feathered dress. She is so tiny, I hate her. But she looks adorable and sexy at the sametime. Kinda like tinkerbell.

Jessica Alba in Michael Kors lamé gown. Two words: Hollywood Glam

Renee Zellweger in an Emilio Pucci custom-made black dress... fit's her beautifully. I love the cut outs and shape of the gown.

Mary-Kate Olsen in a The Row gothic black gown. Only she can do this. Mysterious, dark and minimal.

Mizzz Anna Wintour in a custom-made Prada dress with gold lobster motif. LOOK AT THAT DETAIL!

Ford's model arm candy, Chanel Iman in Tom Ford. Can you tell I'm a fan of black and white right now?

Some more black love. I love her, and I love this dress on her. 60's shit. Chloe Sevigny in a Miu Miu mirrored mini.

I guess Vampires are still in? Lana Del Rey in a custom-made Joseph Altuzarra silver dress and cape.

Lily Collins in this romantic Valentino couture gown. Breathtaking!

One of my fave gals, Giovanna Battaglia channeling Frida Kahlo in this Dolce & Gabbana gown, along side another one of my fave Roitfelds, her man Vladimir.

YES! Marc Jacobs in a Comme des Garçons lace dress worn with white boxer shorts. ONLY HIM.

Last year, I was dreaming of expensive music festivals. This year, I’ve dipped into some dibbity-debt after finally attending COACHELLA!

Well, well worth a 7-day escape to hot and sunny California. With Social Media controlling our world these days, I entered the 2^nd weekend of the festival prepared on what to expect (thank you Instagram, Twitter and Coachella app on my iPhone). Especially because of two weekends featuring the same lineup this year, I already knew what Rihanna wore, that she showed up on stage unexpectedly with Calvin Harris, that Tupac was alive through a hologram and which shows not to waste time on. According to my calculations of social media awareness (nerd snort), I can now compare that Weekend #2 missed out on favoured celebrity sightings and intense leading energy pump from the performers.

Wamp, wamp, wammp! Enough whining about the 1st weekend’s pros, because unlike their rain and cold-ish weather, we had the best forecast ever: 35-40+ degrees Celsius all weekend long! Delicious! After a night of lounging, flirting and drinking cheap American drugstore wine in West Hollywood, a ghetto Greyhound bus took us to Palm Springs the next morning. We arrived in the dry and hot desert where Hotel California, a cute family-owned hotel awaited us with cold beers, a swimming pool with fresh, cold steam coming from all corners and complimentary stylish low-rider bikes & limousine ride to hop around town in. It was sheer bliss.

DAY 1, 2 & 3 of Coachella dwelled in 45 minute shuttle rides from Palm Springs to the festival (while drinking vodka-coconut water to amp up the “hydration”), tent hopping, showering in sweat while jumping to Dubstep and Electro, cooling down on the grass to mellow Indie & Rock, smoking weed, drinking $9 beers, $14 Vodka-sodas and $2 water. On top of that, embracing individual festival style and fashion, attempting to catch all our favourite performers (sadly, impossible), and meeting people from all over the world (some who didn’t smell so great after camping a few days straight with out showering). Everyone shared good stories and a different spark for their music choices.

I stopped and absorbed the thought that we were surrounded with an ample amount of people all in the name of love for music. Music-gasms all over the place, no dry panties, just soaking with intense passion and pleasure. Truly, an energizing place to be… 











VISUAL MOVEMENT FOR YOUR EYES…

Cariiiiine! (screaming in a French accent) My fave Virgo in the world. This September we will have the chance to explore a magazine created by a true artist. I have been a big admirer of Roitfeld for some time, and I believe her grandeur in the fashion industry is d’une grande.

Recently I purchased her elegant (and huge) book “IRREVERENCE”, and after reading it once, I frequently indulge through the pages before bed for inspiration. Her hard work and many years of experience in the world of art and fashion is an ongoing reminder to keep pushing towards your true passion with no expectations because whatever is to come, is full of surprises.

With her experience and connections in the industry, CR will definitely be fresh, unique and full of true artistic approaches especially coming from someone of various backgrounds (stylist, editor in chief of Vogue, mother, daughter of a film maker, model…). Carine described to WWD that the magazine will be “a celebration of fashion and creativity”. Might not sound like a shock or rocket science in regards to a what a fashion magazine is about, but I trust this magazine will be filled with far-fetched, beautiful editorials and spreads unlike we’ve ever seen. Also according to WWD, each issue will be constructed around a theme, and although CR is an English publication, Roitfeld said she intends to publish certain articles in the native language of their author, with translations to be found at the back. For example, if filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar were to pen something for her, it would be in Spanish.

Can’t wait!

HIM


VERSES HIM…lets see where this goes.

Totally in love with this chick. My type of music, funky, beat-friendly, sassy and lyrically stimulating. This song is especially on repeat.
Dope dope dope!

   I can never get a hold of you when I need you. Only when I’m down and alone, then you seem to comfort me. But I just want to let you know, that I need you to support me at all times, and believe in me and show people that me and you were always meant to be.

   Together, we can conquer the world and become a power couple. You complete me, and I love you. But, sometimes when I think we’re on good terms, you seem to turn your back and I become the fool. You make me go crazy, sometimes I actually feel insane thinking about you. 

   You see, I tell people about you, and they hear me talk about our relationship often. Then you don’t show up and I’m embarrassed. Can you sit by my side at all times? I need you to be real with me and tell me what you want from me, take a look at what you see, and let me know if this right here is something you can have for years and years?

   Maybe it’s not just you. Maybe it’s partly my fault, because I shouldn’t always share my personal life stories with everyone. But, I just love you so much and I can’t keep it all inside. Maybe I should’ve put in more effort so we would shine brighter right now. I seem to keep a lot of things inside… I’m working on it though, for you.

   What I’m trying to say is that, we really need to work on this, both of us. To make this last, it takes two and we should really put in 100% so we can be happy and share a long life filled with passion, joy, peace and love.

It’s up to you and I, lets do this.

(THAT WAS MY LETTER TO CREATIVITY, YOU CAN SEND THE SAME ONE TO YOURS IF YOU WANT.)

- Carrying heavy carts of music to all your gigs

- Flipping through vinyl and discs, knowing the music in each and every one

- Ability to beat match without having visual reassurance that the beat is matched (a.k.a listening, having an ear for it)

- Ability to scratch it up, mix it up and throw it down (without a fader, phaser and visual/audio effects to mask your screw ups)

- Almost everything we have in technology now, was done manually back then

This is why I really appreciate when I see performers like this. Performers, they really are. It’s a life, a career, a passion and it’s all up to you to take it to the next level. With new gadgets coming out daily, it’s so easy to get caught into the “easy” trap. Being sneaky, and lying to yourself about actually being talented, when it’s the object you’re using that’s creating your masterpiece. To be successful as a DJ it’s all about knowing your music, understanding and appreciating the roots, familiarizing with new technology, practice, update, upgrade and turning it up a notch. In the end, it’s about entertainment and as a DJ you are the entertainer. A little intimidating but mostly inspiring, knowing that there is a lot of room to shine in the industry, and there is no time or age limit. Straight passion, straight dedication.

OK, ’nuff positive ranting… just enjoy!

Check them out on their website: thefreshestdjs.blogspot.ca

The Mike Rod - vimeo.com/themikerod/videos