A die-hard Urbanist's book recommendation: Triumph of the City, by Edward Glaeser

By urban economist extraordinaire and Harvard professor Edward Glaeser, Triumph of the City is a triumph of urban discourse, tackling the ingredients of success that make cities endure and thrive in this age of seemingly unfettered sprawl in America and elsewhere.  From fast-paced New York, to intellectual Boston, to inexpensive Atlanta, to booming Mumbai, to teeming Kinshasa, Glaeser explores how cities are "our species' greatest invention" and our best hope for the future.  If you liked Freakonomics, you'll love Triumph of the City.

"Contrary to popular belief, cities are actually the healthiest, greenest, and richest (in cultural and economic terms) places to live. New Yorkers, for instance, live longer than other Americans; heart disease and cancer rates are lower in Gotham than in the nation as a whole. More than half of America's income is earned in twenty-two metropolitan areas. And city dwellers use, on average, 40 percent less energy than suburbanites."

Reviews:
"If you live in a city, if you're planning on living in a city, if you ever lived in a city-this is a great book to read to give yourself a nice feeling of what you're accomplishing. It's a tremendous book."
-Jon Stewart, Host of The Daily Show

"If you would like to improve slums, turn poverty into prosperity, or get a grip on urban sprawl, read this thoughtful and thought-provoking book."
-Simon Johnson, author of 13 Bankers; professor of entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management

"At once polymathic and vibrant... Glaeser loves an argument, and he's a wonderful guide into one. Triumph of the City is bursting with insights and policy proposals to debate. You'll... walk away dazzled by the greatness of cities and fascinated by this writer's nimble mind."
-The New York Times Book Review

"Although liberally sprinkled with statistics, Triumph of the City is no dry work. Mr Glaeser writes lucidly and spares his readers the equations of his trade. This is popular economics of the best sort. Mr Glaeser clearly believes that hell isn't other people; heaven's more like it, for all our faults. He's right, and he says it well."
-The Economist

Help Japan, Buy Art (for $20. Really.)

Imperial Palace Gardens with Wall, Tokyo by Emily Shur 

All of the proceeds from the sale of this print and Shinjuku, 6:43, by Joseph O. Holmes, benefit Japan Society's Earthquake Relief Fund.

(limited editions × low prices) + the internet = art for everyone:
These prints are an offering of 20x200, a project of Jen Bekman Gallery in New York.  20x200 introduces at least two new offerings each week: one photo and one work on paper. Each work is released in 3 or 4 sizes, where the smallest size is released in editions of 200 (in the lowest price: $20).  They also offer 11"x14" editions of 500 for $50, 16"x20" editions of 20 for $200, 20"x24" editions of 50 for $500, 24"x30" editions of 10 for $1,000 and 30"x40" editions of 2 for $2,000.

WWRD: What would Rajo do...if he were asked to design Catherine Middleton's wedding gown?

Stylebible.ph asked top Manila designer Rajo Laurel for his 2 cents' worth in the whole Kate Middleton wedding frenzy.  This A-line gown with a batteau neckline and rose embroidery in silver thread is (a lot) more traditional than mine but, as usual, Rajo has put out a dreamy vision.

Flights of fancy

The last look from Lee Alexander McQueen's final collection (via style.com), and the image that set the direction for my entire wedding

I would much prefer people to think of my style as 'crazy' and 'over the top' rather than 'cookie-cutter'...or, that most mundane of all things, 'pretty' (YAWN).  This is why I loved Scott Schumann's take on the "inaccessibility" of fashion.  It's not about buying the particular pieces that walk down a runway...It's about elevating our personal style with the fantasies into which some of the most creative minds of our time are letting us peek.

"Some people have commented that they don't relate to the runways shots that I have posted on the blog during fashion week. They say they can't afford the clothes or the looks don't relate to their everyday lives.

I understand these comments but I challenge you to try and look at these runway shots in a new way.

Fendi, for example, was really about fantastic color combinations. Even if you didn't like the clothes you can focus on the color schemes. These suggestions of color can be used whether shopping Fendi, or Zara, or vintage."

Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal wedding invitation

Photo via brides.com

As we predicted in 'If it's good enough for the Queen of England', the invitation for Prince William's wedding to Catherine Middleton was printed using the most formal of printing methods: Engraving, traditionally a mainstay of royal and diplomatic correspondence. The royal stationery could be no less than the most classic, and appropriately so.  Finely engraved in black, Queen Elizabeth's seal in gold leaf is the prominent design element.

Homage to Yves Klein Blue: from art to fashion

Originally uploaded by scalleja

Blue Monochrome

Yves Klein (French, 1928-1962) 1961.  "Monochrome abstraction—the use of one color over an entire canvas—has been a strategy adopted by many painters wishing to challenge expectations of what an image can and should represent. Klein worked with a chemist to develop his own particular brand of blue, called International Klein Blue, and adopted this hue as a means of evoking the immateriality and boundlessness of his own particular utopian vision of the world."

 

Blue.  Period., The Queen of Gems (2011) 

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In my favorite combination, with coral and a geometric print at 

Rag & Bone Fall 2011 (via style.com) 

 

Glamour in blue, Diane Von Furstenburg Fall 2011 (via style.com) 

 

A look from Thakoon Fall 2011 (via style.com)

5 Questions with...Ellen Black Invites & Stationery: Brides.com

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As a follow-up to my post about engraved stationery,  a short excerpt from 5 Questions with... Ellen Black Invites & Stationery: Brides.com.  The Lehr & Black co-owner and stationer to the stars shares her best advice:

What is your favorite new invitation trend?

I love the idea of going back to engraving. Even though I love letterpress, engraving has a more modern feel while being clean and crisp. It is all about being simple while incorporating unique details.

Most couples choose fine engraving for classic invitations. That said, many brides drawn to the high quality papers and the engraving process also want something non-traditional. Use an unusual type-style, create a custom design (this invitation's main card is watermarked with an artist's sketch of the Cathedral where the ceremony will be), or select a custom ink color. This suite features a modern type in Yves Klein blue with a monogram in gold leaf. 

 

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It is easy to tell whether a piece of stationery has been engraved (rather than thermographed -- the somewhat less crisp imitation). On the reverse of the lower card in the image above (and the card at far left in the image below), the tell-tale "bruise", caused by the pressure from the press, can be seen.  Also, thermographed text is shiny, while engraved text is more subtle and matte, even in gold leaf.

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