Monday, August 30, 2010

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

Who says models are dumb?
They've obviously heard of the 'Confucius's Code of Conduct'.

Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell & Christy Turlington

Iwazaru, Kikazaru & Mizaru, in that order. Yes, those were the names of the three wise monkeys.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Homage: Alexander McQueen

The bleeding edge of fashion - Nothing fashionable stays fashionable forever.

But when clothes go beyond pret & couture, they become art. And art lasts forever, infact art gets better and more valuable with age. Alexander McQueens clothes are nothing short of art.

March 1969-Feb 2010

McQueen (original name Lee McQueen), was discovered by Isabella Blow when she purchased his entire graduation collection. There was no looking back. Year after year, he produced collections than left the fashion industry awestruck. Even his ad campaigns were a work of art. 
McQueen committed suicide in Feb 2010.


Buy a McQueen piece. It's isn't clothing, it's an investment.
R.I.P

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Jobs: An Evil Genius?


Charles Manson would shift in his grave if he knew his cult was like a molehill, when compared to that of Apples'. Don't get me wrong, I like Apple products as much as the next person. What's not to love? The design, the innovation (this is debatable), ease of operation..  But the fanatical devotion displayed by Apple users borders on paranoia. It's as if they feel that if they don't put every other product down (case in point - Blackberry,Google and god forbid Microsoft), how will they succeed? 

I saw this speech by an ex-apple evangelist, Guy Kawasaki, which was I'll admit, very entertaining. So, I went and got his book 'Selling the Dream', which was funny to begin with but by the end of the book, I was convinced, something is wrong with Apple employees. So the writer had only good things to say about Apple, but somehow the only company I liked less at the end of the book ,was Apple (irony!). Why you ask? Thanks to him bashing IBM, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard & every other Silicon Valley company. Quite putting off. This holds true for Apple employees and the users, well the crazy ones. 

If Microsoft was a crime against humanity, then Apple is no saint either.


No prizes for guessing who's responsible for all the paranoia and the obsession that surrounds Apple. Steve Jobs the self proclaimed Che Guevera of the PC revolution.

  
Bur Apple did not start with just Steve Jobs -
*There's Steve Wozniak who is the brains behind the Macintosh computer 
*Mike Markkula the venture capitalist (cash provider)
*And Jobs

 It did end with just Steve Jobs. Jobs has the ability create, what is called, a Reality Distortion Field, making small innovations sound like ground-breaking products. When he talks of his products, you listen. In his latest speech promoting the i-pad, he himself said that Apple has stood on the shoulders of Kindle and made a product that is better. Ground breaking innovation? I think not.
                    
  Not to undermine Jobs, he might not be the man behind Apple, technology-wise; but he is the man behind Apple- the GIANT of a company; Apple the cult & all the 'i-ho's'. If you weren't already aware, he got fired  from Apple but rejoined the company and brought it back from near death. He is no electrical engineer like Woz, he certainly was not an experienced businessman like Gates, but what he is, is an insane marketer and a demon of a sales person.

Apple IS Jobs. The end justifies the means.

Apple?

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Classic! (pun intended)

"There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about"
 -Oscar Wilde

Need something to read?
'The Picture of Dorian Gray'- Oscar Wilde's finest work revolving around the supernatural, aimed at the vain. 

A cinematic adaptation of the book - 1945

 A brief skeleton of the plot - Beautiful and young Dorian Gray, overcome with the adulation of his sycophantic friends, begins to believe that the only thing worthwhile in life is beauty, youth and the un-relentless pursuit of happiness. His wish comes true when his ageing and his sin is cast not on his actual self but inflicted upon his portrait, which grows increasingly grotesque as his age and his sins grow.  




The book was written in 1890, an era before supernatural was fashionable (picture Twilight, Harry Potter, even H.G Wells). One can only imagine the controversy that surrounded the book, what with the hedonistic theme and homosexual overtones. Wilde was severely criticized by the conservatives and was even dubbed to be a delusional writer. But Wilde would rather be talked about than not! The book is now considered a work of classic.


Classic is what controversy makes.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Got to love Kate

Kate Moss & Pete Doherty

My second entry and I'v already crossed PG-13 bounds. 
Love the shot but don't try this at home.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Favourite Picture #1: Bill Gates & Warren Buffett

Bill Gates (L) & Warren Buffett (R)

Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft), and Warren Buffett (world's greatest investor & owner of Berkshire Hathaway) were first introduced in 1991 when Gate's mother persuaded him to attend a meeting where Buffett would be present. Both Gates and Buffett were relucatnt to meet each other. In the words of Bill Gates, "What are we supposed to talk about? P/E Ratios?"

They hit it off immediately. 

For those of you who aren't aware of this, Gates and Buffett have battlled neck-to-neck (colloquially speaking) for several years, for the top spot in the list of the world's richest men. Obviously, nobody expected them to get along. Buffett is now donating a huge chunk of his wealth to 'The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation', a charity run by Gates and his wife.

Now I am a big fan of both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and have read several books/literature written on both these men. I came across this picture on the website of NetJets and loved it! (Almost as much as I love the Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs dancing picture). Their unlikely friendship is captured so well. Don't you think? It's not one of those pics where two tycoons are pictured shaking hands (picture Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki). Gates looks so happy and at ease and Buffett looks adorable as always, with his favourite drink - Cherry Coke, in front of him. (yes, Cherry Coke is Buffett's favourite drink. He is one of the largest shareholder of  Coca Cola).

All in all, Love it!