Alexander McQueen

Arguably one of the most influential haute couture designers to ever transform a runway, Alexander McQueen is an inspiration to all lovers of the surreal. He has cited such geniuses as Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick as his most prominent muses, and his love for the macabre and dramatic are impossible to miss. This video by Net-A-Porter serves as a wonderful introduction to his work:

Artwear

Photographer Frederik Lieberath put together this collection of "artwear" by various fashion designers. These pieces look more like carefully molded sculptures than something one would adorn oneself with. It's collections like these that make me wish that I'd seriously considered becoming a Fashon Merchandising major! Sandra Backlund's sweater is my personal favorite.

View the collection here! ---> Artwear by Frederik Lieberath

Trendland.net is one site you'd want to frequent if you're interested in staying informed about modern music, fashion, photography, graphic design, and architecture.

The Films of Jean-Pierre Jeunet

This man is a genius. I have never before viewed films that could so easily transport me into an alternate reality. Every detail is so perfectly engineered, from the actors he employs (he always selects individuals with the most expressive faces you could ever imagine; Dominique Pinon, for example... incredible!) to the limited color palettes he chooses when designing sets and costumes, as well as in editing. The work that would be most recognizable to American audiences is Amélie (2001), but he has also directed such breathtaking films as La cité des enfants perdus (The City of Lost Children) which was released in 1995, and Delicatessen which was released in 1991. I have recently watched the latter two and encourage any one who claims to be a lover of film to do the same!

Noel Fielding

Noel Fielding is one of the founding members of the surreal British comedy troupe The Mighty Boosh. He and his partner Julian Barratt met through the London stand-up comedy circuit in the late nineties and eventually formed the troupe with three other members, including Fielding's brother Michael. They performed on stage and radio until they were snatched up by the BBC Three network, where they filmed twenty television shows under the name The Mighty Boosh. Fielding has become most well known for his Boosh skit, "Old Greg," but one can best appreciate his strange imaginative prowess if one watches his recent stand-up performances. Most of it is improvised, and the result is rather entertaining!

Here is a clip from a bit he did for the BBC in 2008, at the height of his popularity.

HDR Imaging

(Before and after. Photo by Barney Streit.)

High-dynamic-range images have been turning up left and right in Flickr communities, and it seems this technique won't just be a passing craze. HDR imaging describes a set of techniques used by photographers and graphic designers to make the dark areas in their images darker and bolder, and the light areas lighter and brighter. The result is an image so vivid and surreal that it takes on the look of a painter's masterpiece.

Click the link below to see more.
Flickr's HDR Pool

One could spend hours browsing here!

"Death Oompah" in the Modern Age

I was reminded the other day of a delightfully unusual musical group that I was fortunate enough to see in concert some years ago. They were opening for a duo called The Dresden Dolls, who were an influential force in the aptly titled "dark cabaret" movement that started gaining momentum sometime in the mid-90s. But before the Dolls could even take the stage, their crowd-warmers, The Tiger Lillies, stole the show... and my heart! Their unique performances have been getting them a lot of attention lately, and they have collected a cult following everywhere from Russia to Prague to Great Britain. Their lyrics often make light of disturbing concepts, such as suicide, but their comically reckless stage antics and elaborate costumes make their performances nothing short of theatrical.

Here is one of these such performances, which was filmed for the BBC a few years ago.

WARNING: Adult themes.