When M.I.A. and Romain Gavras get together it’s a beautiful creative marriage of audio and visual just as Lana Del Rey is with Woodkid and Frank Ocean is with Nabil. My eyes and ears are spoiled.

This week: empty mug syndrome. But don’t worry; we compensated well. Also, envy for the earthbound.

»» How Jeanne Dupont escaped the crayon box syndrome

She never fully understood the connection between fashion and clothing that is so prevalent in the magazines. Almost a bit annoying to her is when they substitute clothing with the word fashion, instead of using fashion solely to say that something is «trendy» or «in». She just does not get it… 
Dupont is happiest when she achieves an attractive textile understatement. Jeanne loves that game. [read more here]

There’s also a list of facts to go with the collection, and an FAQ section that is pretty hilarious. And then there are the photos.

Girls and tables, girls under tables, girls fitting into bookcases (well designed bookcases and tables at that!) Thus appears the con.temporary funiture that compliments the extra.ordinary clothing collection.

All in all, some very interesting branding for a slew of products that could have certainly stood out on their own. But we’re not complaining. We totally appreciate the well executed efforts here.

In a nutshell, they produce good work that is definitely worth a look. What’s more, the studio doesn’t rest on it’s laurels nor does it have one distinct style. This allows them to work with a divers array of clients and best of all, it allows them to us a lot of different styles and approaches in their work, which is any good designer’s dream.

Alexander Wang‘s newest campaign video for his T by Alexander Wang collection features Die Antwoord’s new single Fatty Boom Boom. We like it, but we have liked to see a bit more of the collection too.

I Heart Norwegian Wood is one of those fashion brands that never ceases to reinvent itself. While close followers of the brand know to expect an amazing selection of pieces with each new season, they also know that they can never expect… the expected.

Just this past week a slew of new photos came out (see gallery below). It seemed fitting then, that we ask Angie Johnson (the creative mind at the helm the wonderfully feminin but never to frilly collections,) our set of 10 questions.

Editors note: In an effort to be totally transparent, I’ll admit that I consider Angie a friend. She was nice enough to invite me to her studio a few years ago, and we haven’t lost touch since. But she remains a creative force to be reckoned with, as she piles on project after project, season after season, never faltering in her drive, or desire to make beautiful clothes and accessories that stand out from the rest.

Read on, and see for yourself.

Name: Angie Johnson
Location:
Montreal, Canada
Website: norwegianwoodonline.com

There have been some big changes for you recently : you’ve closed the store you shared with your husband, tackeled a lingerie line, and you’re now selling out of Top Shop in London. New beginings and endings. How does it all feel?
Overwhelming! There’s so much going on right now that sometimes my head is spinning. But the upside is that now my husband Tyson is able to help me at the studio, since he doesn’t have to worry about the store anymore. I absolutely could not have taken on the Topshop concession without his help, so the timing worked out well.

You’ve worked with Topshop before. What’s different this time around?
The first time I worked with them it was for a popup boutique area they had created called EDIT. This popup lasted only 3 months, and showcased around 10 designers. This time I have joined the Topshop Concessions area. This area is a space where brands get a specified space (the size varies by brand) which we are completely in charge of. From staffing, to shipping goods, stocking the rack… it’s all managed from our end, and there is no set time limit on how long the concession will last…it all depends on the success of each individual brand!

You just shot a new lookbook. Can you talk a bit about the inspiration behind the collection and the shoot itself?
The SS12 collection was initially inspired by the 1960s tile work in the Montreal metro system, but it evolved to encompass the overall idea of handmade tiles, the contrast between rustic and modern, etc. I shot with Manon Parent, a Montreal photographer who I had never worked with before, but whose work I had seen through editorials that some of the stylists I work with had put together with her.

What was your inspiration for it and what was your favorite piece to design?
The inspiration for the shoot just went back to the idea of texture and clay, so Manon did some plaster work on a wooden frame that we built. My favorite piece to design in the collection would have to be the dress that incorporates one of the digital prints I created for the collection. It combines a vectral graphic that I created based on the tile work in Peel metro station, combined with photographs of some of the handmade tiles I used in the jewelry for the collection.

You’ve moved house over the last year. Has the new space changed anything about how your creative process? Are you still sharing it with Marc and Yana?
Well, I have a lot more room now, which is amazing! I really needed it, things were getting incredibly crowded in the old space. I now have 4 more industrial sewing machines, as well as a lot more table space and storage space. Plus Tyson is now cutting for me full time, and I have a wonderful intern named Lissa who is helping with pattern grading and patternmaking. I still share with Marc Simard and Yana Gorbulsky  but now ALSO share with two amazing vintage sellers, Emily Birnbaum and Sarah Whidden.

A few months ago when we ran into each other at Puce Pop, you weren’t there representing Norwegian Wood, but for a new accessories line under a different name. Can you tell us a little about why you created a second line? Is it only available at craft shows?
Yes the line is called Sea & Land and is a line I created specifically for the craft shows and music festivals I do throughout the year. I was ending up creating a lot of designs and one of a kind pieces just for these shows anyways, and I felt that it just made sense to separate these designs from Norwegian Wood. The price points were different and the aesthetics were a bit different too, so I just decided to go for it. In the end I’m doing the same amount of work and creating the same number of items, just now under 2 different names!

A lot of the opportunities you’ve created for yourself have come from your talent as a designer and a strong ability to connect with people, especially online, through twitter and the blogging community. The last few years have seen the blogging community change quite a bit. Has this affected what you do at all? As a designer who’s become close with a number of bloggers, have you felt any change in the fashion blogging community?
Yes, as someone who’s been reading blogs since the early days (I think I started reading fashion blogs around 2004/2005?) a LOT has changed. I appreciate the increased quality of the photos…the bar has definitely been raised! However I am sometimes bored by the same-ness that occurs due to many bloggers being given goods by the same companies. I don’t blame the bloggers though, if I was put in the same position I think I would LOVE to get free goodies….The issue for me occurs because often the companies that are large enough to give many bloggers gifts all at once are not the companies that I find interesting or all that intriguing, so then the blogs are flooded with 100% nice but slightly bland bags or wallets or sunglasses or whatever. The blogs that have interested me most from the beginning have for the most part kept me hooked. Once in awhile I’ll find a new blog that I’m really into, but there is a lot of same-ness going on right now….but the gems are still tucked away if you search hard enough!

A few quickie questions :

Do you have a favorite Norwegian designer?
Eep, no! Embarassing!

What is your favorite type of wood ? Well, I use Walnut a lot in my work, but I also really like teak….we own a lot of teak furniture!

What are your top five songs to listen to when you’re into mega production mode?
Hmmm, this is hard, they change a lot, and the Topshop production actually never stops! We are constantly making new stuff every week…Here’s a list of the bands that we’ve been listening to at the studio a lot:

Lissie, The Coral, Fleetwood Mac, The Black Keys, Ferraby Lionheart

I have to give 70s funk/soul and 80s/90s Fat Wreck Chords style punk albums equal billing….we rotate between both quite often.

The tearing down of our earths flora and fauna always warrants stern disaproval in our books, but in lieu of impossible obstacles (aka Big Brother companies and the like,) it’s nice to see something positive come out of it. Hence the name of the project: “a little bit of good.”

M.A.C. Cosmetics’ Spring 2012 collections are debuting in early-to-mid February, so here is a sneak peek at what’s cookin’.

The Shop M.A.C. line is boiling over with bright and fun colors this season. It includes amplified pinks, fuchsias and violets; and burnt corals and rich reds which are clearly taking the spotlight this season. The eyeshadows come in palettes of four with shades that compliment and create the perfect smokey eye. The Cremeblend blushes are vibrant in color and leave the cheeks looking healthy and glowing. The six new lipstick shades range in finish and standout beautifully when paired with one of the five Kissable Lipcolours (glosses).

The Cook M.A.C. line includes more of the essential tools and ingredients to create your own personal masterpiece this spring. Including the Bad, Bad, Black Opulash Mascara; black-brown and black-mauve Fluidline gel eye-liners; sheer SPF lip balm; Studio Careblend/Pressed powder; and lastly, three nail lacquers that would match the colors in any kitchen.

Shop and Cook M.A.C. will leave you all set and ready for some glamorous spring cleaning this season!

I spent a whirlwind 48 hours in London recently, rubbing shoulders with economic big wigs (Bridget Rosewell is one very smart woman,) and many an Olympic site planner/chair/manager. London’s 2012 Olympic Games are just around the corner, and this past week’s jaunt across the pond can be credited to a very interesting conference about the legacy that these games will leave on the city.

Hosted by the Vinci’s City Factory, speakers reiterated one after another that the games would not leave behind desolated sports arenas once the crowds dissipate and all the fanfair is over. China boasted on of the best Games ever, but now the various sites that were built (to the detriment of a number of historic Beijing communities lest we forget,) just sit there gathering dust…

London plans to avoid this by turning to what many would call the more sketchy part of the city, East London, into the official Olympic grounds. But what’s interesting here isn’t that they’re setting up major sports infrastructure in an area that looked like a wasteland until quite recently. It’s that an olympic comitee has finally considered that once the Games are over, crowds the size of the ones drawn to the Games do not manifest themselves again, ever.

Designs for the arenas and sports locales include modifiable buildings. Parts of the infrastructure – entire seating sections, walls and portions of buildings – will be taken down post-Games and shipped off (the comitee hopes,) to Barcelona for the next Summer Games. Landscapes will change too, with bridges becoming narrower once the masses leave, for example.

In some cases, entire arenas will dissapear. In others, sports complexes will be modified so that everyone can enjoy the facility, and not just the pros (the BMX center for instance… Jumps and circuits will be modified and made more accessible).

A few interesting ideas about the social impact to be felt post-Games were also thrown around. I for one have my fingers crossed that the analysts are right, and that the reinvigoration of East London will raise the “life chance” (aka social status) of those living around the grounds (Hackney area for example…) giving the kids growing up around there the infrastructure they need to be on par with the rest of the London crowd.

I don’t know if East London will become “London’s new center”, but it was certainly interesting to hear some intelligent reflexion about money, infrastructure, power and development an how each pertains to an area completely modified for the games. Let’s hope that London’s Olympic legacy is a good one, because their logo certainly isn’t (zing!)

The idea of cardboard furniture continues to intrigue design lovers the world over. Stackable cardboard book cases, light weight tables and even – with the right structure – the cardboard bed. But while these ideas are interesting, one of the main aspects few have tackled in the cardboard arena is, well, that it looks like cardboard. As classy as brown wrapping paper might look when giving gifts, do you really want to outfit your house in the stuff (albeit in a thicker slightly darker hue.)

Heikki Ruoho recently created a cardboard series for Showroom Finaland. Sturdy, light, eco friendly, easy to set up, and simple and clean in its aesthetic, the range of chairs, tables and book cases are welcome variations on the usual propositions, going as far as strengthening the material through the use of a special kind of ultra compacted carboard that uses water based adhesives to create the material’s sandwich-like construction (which also means it’s toxin-free.)

The items arrive in flat pieces, to be assembled. No glue or screws (or Allen Keys!) required.

D’Angelo is currently running his “D-Tour” through Europe. Here he is performing his hit single “Untitled” (fully clothed) in Paris. It’s amazing to see the man back like he never left. Let’s hope this means that new album is on the horizon. Another longer video from his Paris show after the jump.

Shoutout to Niña and Flipout for the heads up!