Fancy That: Paranoia Dolls
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Sara fancies dressing up on Halloween. It brings back the days of girlhood–dragging the big cardboard Dress-Up Box out of the closet and diving into feathered, sequined accessories, and colorful Halloween costumes of years past. My mother is an excellent seamstress and my father is clever and inventive. Together they used to whip up amazingly creative and ornate costumes for me overnight. I wish I still had them all. To fill the void, and revive my inner child, I may have to start collecting Paranoia Dolls. Except that these dolls are most certainly for grown-ups.
These emotive porcelain dolls seem at the same time eerily human in their expressions, and like haunted creatures from another world. Incredibly detailed down to the eyelashes, the dolls range in style from mystical doe-eyed princesses to red-eyed tributes to Twilight. Hitting the vampire culture/couture craze at its mass-market peak and just in time for Halloween, paranoiadoll.com is due to launch sometime in October. Perhaps then we can learn more about the creator of these rebellious toys, because it seems the brand is appropriately named—there’s nothing to be found about the artist online.
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Mamet’s Land of Equal Criminality
“There are no solutions, only the rearrangement of problems.” So exclaims President Charles H.P. Smith [Andrew Polk], the apparent Commander-In-Thief in David Mamet’s latest play, November, which follows the president and all his man, aide Archer Brown [Anthony Fusco], as he nears the end of his first and (likely) only term.
Yes, that’s just one man. Soon after the curtain rises it becomes clear that Smith has lost his way and his base; even his Secret Service detail has defected for coffee without so much as offering to bring back a cup for their boss. With no money for TV ads, “numbers lower than Gandhi’s cholesterol,” no legacy, and — horror beyond horrors, no commemorative library! – Mamet’s president manifests a moral bankruptcy that alludes not to any one president in history but rather to the nation’s empty, lint-lined consciousness right now.
While November surely enjoyed maximum traction when it debuted on Broadway in January 2008, amidst election frenzy and Bush fatigue, it is no less timely or fun in its current run at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.).
In fact, Mamet’s greatest strength in crafting November is his care not to reveal a set point in time, let alone clear sides. Indeed, several times the script refers to our nation’s best asset being the existence of more than one side to take, that the very meaning of freedom is the ability to stand for and against something at the same time. “What we are is a democracy,” says Smith’s disheveled yet socially level speechwriter, Clarice Bernstein [René Augesen], whose desire to wed her lesbian lover on live television serves as the catalyst for Smith’s potential downfall or redemption, depending on which camp he wishes to please.
Keep in mind that Mamet’s POTUS aims only to serve his most critical constituent: himself. Throughout the play, Mamet sets up Smith, who’s more puppet than master, for various known U.S. political pratfalls — last-minute pardons, prison camps, refusal to acknowledge gay marriage, and the pillaging of Native Americans for personal gain — ultimately revealing the president and his nation as a bunch of bigoted, racist, homophobic, greedy, corporate shills hellbent on leveraging power for profit. Even still, when the day is done they have the audacity to wonder, blinkingly, what went so wrong.
Sound familiar?
After depicting this overweight, overwrought American everyman as he blusters and bumbles through his last days in office, Mamet punctuates his vision with one final Pee-fuckin’-Ess:
“I had despaired, these past five years, of that entity I described to myself as ‘The American People.’ This people, to my mind, had elected, reelected, and suffered the depredations of an unprincipled, ungovernable band of thugs. These had cheapened the dollar, enrolled us in an absurd war, alienated immemorial allies, abrogated rational treaties, drowned the country in debt, and knew neither remorse nor obligation. The good news is it’s a spectacular country … we’ve been around for 230 years in spite of human nature. It’s a great place to live.”
David Mamet’s November is playing at San Francisco’s A.C.T. through Nov. 15. Ticket prices start at $10 on several nights. Click here to view showing times and ticket price ranges.
— Kay
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Head & Tails: Eve Lounge
Up or over, shaken or stirred, we’re looking for the best bets to quench your thirst. This is where we spill it all about the area’s nearest and dearest brewpubs, bars, wine cellars, tasting rooms, package stores, liquor aisles, and well, we ARE thorough.
It’s no wonder there is a lasting interest in San Francisco’s prohibition era speakeasies—this city had a uniquely rebellious relationship with America’s “Noble Experiment.” It’s estimated there were around 6,000 speakeasies in the city toward the end of the era and we continue to celebrate those gathering places with bars either reminiscent of the Jazz Age, or even built on their very foundations as with Bourbon and Branch.
Coming to you from the team behind John Colins, there’s a new addition to the City’s collection of bars romanticizing the days of prohibition, and it’s a beaut. Eve Lounge, just down the street from her big brother bar in SOMA, is a swanky tribute to the bad girls of the Roaring Twenties.
The sultry pin-up style paintings, the feathers and chains hanging from the chandeliers, and the peep-show-like windows along the entry hallway all seem to celebrate the Flappers and the modernism and new-found sexuality they represented back in the day. The handcrafted wooden bar top by local furniture company Tree to Table, along with a long curvaceous banquette, all contribute to the warmth and sensuality of the decor, further encouraging patrons to relax and let loose.
And if beats from some of San Francisco’s finest DJ’s don’t have you rolling down your stockings to cut a rug, the menu of ‘20’s era-inspired cocktails, created by mixologists Scott Baird and Josh Harris of 15 Romolo fame, is sure to.
Everything is $2 off during happy hour, daily 4-7pm. Every Monday night Eve Lounge presents Original Sin, a recurring industry event, sharing “love for the people that serve the City,” with DJ Kash orchestrating a rock hopera. Check Eve’s facebook page for ongoing weekly and special DJ events. And don’t show up looking like a scrub, Eve has a strictly enforced dress code to maintain its air of sexiness.
Eve Lounge is located at 575 Howard at 2nd in San Francisco. Open Monday-Friday, 4pm-2am and Saturday, 8pm-2am. 415.806.0075
—Sara
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Fancy That: Gaga for Kitty-chan
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Michael fancies character reinvention and none seem to manage it quite as proficiently as the enigmatic shape-shifter Lady Gaga. No stranger to risky wardrobe choices and her affinity for Muppets, Gaga revels in her skillfully-orchestrated ex-club kid persona and proves that pop culture relevance is as closely tied to a playful appearance as it is to catchy tunes.
To mark the 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty or (as she’s known in Japan) Kitty-chan on November 1st, Lady Gaga posed as the Sanrio leading lady for celebri-photogs Markus Klinko & Indrani. She even got into character for a recent appearance on a morning talk show in Japan, where donning a bit of cosplay evidently ensures you unlimited pokes and prods from your band of interviewers.
Still debating how to dress this Halloween? Take a cue from Lady Gaga— go big and go glam.
Lady Gaga kicks off her world tour The Monster Ball in November. She performs at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on December 13th.
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Culturshock: a seismic event celebrating the best of Bay Area art & design
On November 5th, Culturcosm will host its first event benefiting its carefully-curated roster of local talent. Held at the acclaimed Space Gallery, the event will feature a bevy of independent artists and vendors showcased over a 2-level 1600 square foot venue, with full bar service.
Participating Artists include:
ReMade USA Handbags
Litter Jewelry
Kurt Manley Photography
Quando Belts by Genaro Vergoglini
Tomgirl Jewelry by Taryn McCabe
Cuong Ta Ceramics
Artwork by Hilary Williams
Artwork by John Wood
Vanessa Gade Jewelry
Spray Can Artworks by FuryOne
My Dutch Bike
Nate1 of New Skool
Shop our recommended best in Bay Area art and fashion, boogie down with DJ ExtraLars and marvel at surprise live entertainment planned throughout the evening.
Join us from 6 o’clock on and support the movers and shakers of the Bay Area!
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Wonders Where You Least Expect
The ‘Loin, the TL, Trendyloin, Tendernob, Tandooriloin… the neighborhood’s nicknames are nearly as diverse the population of this San Francisco neighborhood, notorious for drugs, crime, homelessness, and prostitution. But as those of us who live here know, when you look closely into grit and grime, the Tenderloin has a certain magic of its own, and since the first days of the City it’s been a home to artists, writers, and musicians.
If you’ve ever felt the inclination to brave these rough streets in search of any creative treasures they may hold, now is the time to act on it, because you will be rewarded. Thanks to the vision of Bay Area native Lance Fung, and the collaborative efforts of almost 80 local, national, and international artists, city nonprofit organizations like the North of Market Community Benefit District, and neighborhood residents, the Tenderloin is a wonderland.
The Wonderland Project is a multi-site, grassroots exhibition intended to engage, stimulate, and nurture the Tenderloin community, celebrating its unique diversity through 16 contemporary art installations throughout the neighborhood. In Fung’s words “this project is so embedded within the fabric of the community and the work is truly coming from the people.”
Home Away From Home is a portable structure installed at McAllister and Larkin streets that explores ideas of home and mobility. Its creators, including Barry Beach, Colby Claycomb, John Melvin, Kit Rosenberg and Izumi Yokoyama, used drawings made by kids at the Tenderloin Boys and Girls Club as inspiration.
Offstage features cocoon-like sculptures perched atop the Warfield Theater and Show Dogs Café created by a group of artists including Melkorka Helgadottir, Christophe Piallat and Brandon Truscott.
Fear Head is a large-scale mural designed by Roman Cesario and Mitsu Overstreet and installed by a large team of local street artists. The work delves into the themes of fear that revolve around the Tenderloin.
Other works include Down The Rabbit Hole, a graphical and metaphorical depiction of the working and living environment of a young girl who is hostage to the underground sex trade, and Reflect/Xions, which aims to awaken passersby to their own existence and participation in the space. And these are just a few. You’ll have to overcome your own fears of the Tenderloin’s reputation to find and experience the rest of these eye-opening artworks on your own.
The exhibition is free and open to the public and will run through November 15th with the hope of Wonderland 2 next year.
–Sara
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Style Genus: Jacques
As fashion has evolved, so has the public’s ability to reinterpret it and make it our own. The classes aren’t as clear-cut as jock vs. nerd anymore. Style genus is where we finally make some sense of our biodiversity in dress. Think of us as cultural anthropologists— for the fashion-conscious. Clothes, after all, do make the man as well as the woman.
— Michael
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Fancy That: Bijules Fools Gold Bangle
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Kay fancies the Fools Gold Bangle from statement jeweler extraordinaire, Jules Kim, designer and founder of Bijules. Kim’s latest collection is featured prominently in the October 2009 issue of Zink magazine (which also features blingy-zingy experimental makeup trends this month). Raw design details aside, what pyrite (fools gold alloy) may lack in preciousness, it more than triples in promise: its very existence often signals that a mother lode lies hidden nearby. It’s a subtle reminder to keep on digging.
Find more from Bijules at SF-based shops Acrimony, 333 Hayes St., or American Rag, 1305 Van Ness Ave.
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Bye, Bye Bay Bridge. Hello Bay Line?
As most Bay Area residents are well aware, one of our most viable means for commuting into and out of the city, the Oakland Bay Bridge, has been undergoing an extensive metamorphosis. In an attempt to bring the bridge up to current seismic safety standards, following the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, the California Department of Transportation has been working around the clock on a new East Span from Oakland’s shores to Yerba Buena Island.
But what will happen to the current, National Register of Historic Places identified, East Span structure? Plans call for its demolishment and relocation of specified sections of the legendary bridge to museums, in order to satisfy historic preservation requirements. A curious approach, as my understanding of historic preservation typically doesn’t involve demolition.
Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello of Oakland-based Rael San Fratello Architects suggest a different solution. Save the old bridge and transform it into an elevated urban park and mixed-use development called the Bay Line, purposefully reminiscent of the newly-opened High Line park in mid-Manhattan. Also considered a pipe dream at the time it was conceived, The High Line converted a long-abandoned elevated railway into a stylish pedestrian park space. It has since been embraced by the public and preservationists alike as a bold, new step in urban planning utilizing pre-existing city infrastructure for a more eco-conscious future.
As reported by SF Streets Blog, Rael proposes an upper deck outfitted with a 1.9 mile bike and pedestrian path, 15 acres of garden space, tennis courts, and even a climbing wall. The lower deck would generate enough capital to offset its maintenance through mixed residential and commercial retail units, in addition to cultural amenities such as museums and amphitheater.
Cross section, showing upper and lower deck usage. Image by Rael Fratello Architects.
Proposed garden/orchard. Image by Rael Fratello Architects.
A bold proposal, yes. But is it likely? The Metropolitan Transportation Commission doesn’t seem to agree and laughs off its feasibility. It seems certainly worth consideration though. And, if the above renderings aren’t appetizing enough, the hundreds of millions of dollars saved should whet the State’s whistle.
Where do you stand on The Bay Line?
—Michael
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Fancy That: Theroux by Moscot
There’s nothing like your first crush. And if you’re anything like us, you crush hard and often. This is where we pay homage to all things worthy of lusting after.
Michael fancies the limited edition Theroux eyeglass frame by Moscot. Named for the “Mulholland Drive” star Justin Theroux, these frames are an exacting replica of the 1960s French originals that his character wore in the film.
A fixture in the optical industry since 1915, Moscot carries a handsome collection of frames for men and women. Can’t get to one of their myriad international retail locations? Their online shop takes the guesswork out of frame selection. With style suggestions for every face shape and a virtual “try on” simulator, Moscot’s number one priority is keeping all eyes on you.
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About
Culturcosm is your online authority on the climate of trend throughout the Bay Area. Your roving reporters are taking to the streets and chasing down the real story. Be it stormy or serene, torrid or just plain tragic, we will break it down before you hit it up. Stay tuned. There's a new trend breaking every minute.
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General Inquiriesinfo@culturcosm.com
Michael, founder / editor-in-chiefmichael@culturcosm.com
Kay, founder / contributing editorkay@culturcosm.com
Sara, trendcaster / managing editorsara@culturcosm.com
Heather, social commentatorheather@culturcosm.com
Taylor, music trendcastertaylor@culturcosm.com
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