In For the Kill

Last night I got to see La Roux (and Yes Giantess...but that's another post) live at Webster Hall. While they're pretty well known over in their native UK, La Roux is still working the smaller venue circuit here in the states and promoting the hell out of their first album.

They performed most of the album, along with (for the first time) a fantastic version of the Stones' "Under My Thumb" which I hope makes it onto the next album. The band and their 22 year old singer Elly Jackson have a really distinct visual style which carries its way through their performances and videos, with a little bit of Flock of Seagulls reference thrown in (both musically and hair-stylistically)

I can't really say whether or not they're going to make it but I could do with another album or two. Great dance party music.

From Interview Magazine:

INTERVIEW: Is it true you signed your record deal wearing a T-shirt that said I am a cunt?

LA ROUX: It just said cunt. That’s my favorite word. My best friend had been to Glastonbury, and she saw this T-shirt and bought it for me. I’d never normally wear it out of the house, but I hadn’t done any washing and I was like, fuck it. The people at the label thought it was funny.

Below, my favorite music videos that they've done thus far and a live performance of Bulletproof.

RIP McQ

Designer Alexander McQueen is no longer with us and its a real loss for the world of fashion and design. He really designed on the edge and while most of us wouldn't have the balls, the money or the occasion to wear his clothing his influence will continue to be undeniable beyond his lifetime.

Profile @ T Magazine (NY Times)

Profile @ GQ

The Warehouse Sale

Today is the first day of the Barneys Warehouse Sale. The warehouse sale is like the Fashion Deathmatch. Fights break out, people get naked, debt racks up, all to get Prada at Payless prices. Sadly I had a 9 am meeting which precluded me from waiting on line to be one of the first ones through the doors, so I thought I'd share some of my strategies for winning at the Warehouse.

• Go to Barney's on Madison on the last few days of their end-of-season sale. The prices are the same as the first day of the warehouse sale and its significantly less crowded.

• Pricing goes something like this - prices will stay consistent at the beginning for the first week at around 50-60% retail. The first markdowns start happening after a week, then there is usually another markdown towards the middle of the second week, and then the best markdowns happen towards the end. These markdowns usually go up to about an additional 50-75% off sportswear and jeans, and 60% off shoes.

• The best designer pieces, shoes and accessories usually go towards the beginning. If this is what you're looking for, go early in the sale.

• There are no changing rooms and no returns. So either stick to brands whose sizing you know, or just decide not to care. We should all be willing to drop trou for $30 japanese denim. Gentlemen, avert your eyes if you have to wander around the women's floor to find your girlfriend/wife/sister.

• Go towards the end for affordable workwear and accessories. $19 ties, cheap dress shirts and wool pants, always plenty of overcoats and smart outerwear that may not be designer but is definitely office-appropriate.

• Go in the middle of the work day when its less hectic. You have a doctor's appointment. Come back with shopping bags. We've all done it. We all have doctors in the same building as the Warehouse Sale...

• With no mirrors and the frantic environment, it can be easy to make huge purchasing mistakes. Just because its designer and its a bargain doesn't mean you can rationalize it out in the real world. Even I really thought the Alexander McQueen blazer with the gold threading was a great purchase at the time...

• Cell phones never work in the basement.

It may seem overwhelming but the Warehouse Sale has always rewarded me with great finds. Every pair of boots I own come from the warehouse sale - from the Prada Chelsea boots I bought in 2002 for $125 that I still wear, to the Timberland Boot Company boots that are still selling for $500 at Jean Shop. Ties, jeans, tuxedo shirts, socks, cashmere sweatpants for $30 (buy them if they have your size).

Good luck and godspeed. And if you see Margiela or Lanvin white high tops in my size, hide them somewhere that no one will find them until markdowns...

(Also, always check Racked for updates like today's lineblog)

United Colors of 1986

Sometimes I read about innovative marketing campaigns and see who's sponsoring them and wonder: they're still in business?


Behold, Benetton.

Maybe Benetton's been hanging out with Esprit over at the Orange Julius?

Super(bowl)latives

Another Super Bowl come and gone. Forgettable half-time entertainment, decent suspense and inspiring victory aside, everyone knows the Super Bowl for the most expensive and occasionally the most inspired television commercials of the year. 


With a down economy and natural migration of spend away from mass media, Super Bowl advertising isn't what it used to be. But here are my picks for the most notable ads of the night.


Best use of media spend - Dove Men+Care. New product, perfectly targeted to the audience, an ad that caught your attention but had you wondering what it was actually for, and Dove tied it into a sponsorship that had the brand name repeated a few more times. There will probably be a lot more of this ad during the NCAA tournament next month. 


Most offensive - Tebow may have been divisive, but the Metro PCS advertising for getting out of cell phone contracts featuring South Asian-accented customer service operators, Bollywood dancers and a random German in leiderhoesen definitely went for the Racially Insensitive Award. Really, Metro PCS? 


Most welcome use of Celebrity - Megan Fox in the bathtub. I didn't care what it was for. Either a cell phone carrier or a cell phone brand. Motorola maybe. Really terrible choice on Motorola's part, but the Men of America certainly appreciate their $3 Million donation.


Runner Up - Betty White for Snickers. I guess it pays to be the last Golden Girl standing.


The WTF? in a good way - Awesomer. Popsecret and Emerald Nuts. I loved the Emerald Nuts Goulet ads from a few years ago so its great to see them get entertaining once again. Weird, wonderful, very amusing.


The WTF? in a bad way - Toyota's mea culpa. I suppose they had to, but still, who watches these and says "okay, this makes it better, Toyota." Especially when they are followed directly by Ford ads that basically say "our cars brake!" Not worth the link.'


Other trends: The back to back ads with un-fit people in their underwear, then pantsless, were unnecessary. I think SunLife is going to need to do more work than an ad at the tail end of the game to raise awareness of their brand, like possibly waiting until next season to buy the naming rights to Dolphin, I mean Landshark, Stadium. VW can bring back punchbuggy ads anytime, especially with Tracey Morgan.


And in case you were looking to get a free Grand Slam on Tuesday, the nearest Denny's to metropolitan NYC is in central Jersey.

I do not support this.

A real update coming later. And more over the weekend.


For now, one more sign that we're headed towards armageddon. I give you: Spanx for Men.


I liked it better as the manzier:

Pepsi - Backing Forwards?

I'm going to preface this by saying I'm not a Pepsi drinker. Usually Diet Coke, Coca-Cola when I'm feeling like a treat, Coke Zero when I'm three sodas and two coffees into the day and still have thinking to do. I find Pepsi sickeningly sweet and definitely do not like Diet Pepsi. This favoritism usually extends to their branding as well. That being said:

Pepsi is starting to impress me.

I thought their throwback ads (especially the few seconds of iconic Namath/Jets footage) were fun, and was really impressed with the fact that they would bring to market the more-expensive sugar-sweetened product.

[Thoughtful aside: I first noticed the difference between sugar-sweetened soda and the corn syrup-sweetened abomination that replaced it when I studied in Australia in 2001. Since then I've drank sodas on 5 continents and always relish the opportunity to drink "real" soda when I get the chance. See the recent Mexicoke movement for more.]

But more than that: Coke vs. Pepsi has always been about the core Classic vs. the taste of the New Generation. For the most part, Coca-Cola has always stayed true to its brand roots, its logo, its iconic visuals. Pepsi changes packaging, changes logos, goes from Madonna to Britney to Shakira to Kylie to Beyonce to...

Well I guess we won't know, will we? This year Pepsi is foregoing its Superbowl spots in favor of a social media campaign which will result in the company donating millions in grants for charitable ideas or socially responsible projects.

Considering I remember the dancing bears better than who was playing in the big game that year, this comes as a bit of a shock. What to make of the dichotomy? The company is bringing back its old logo and taste for six weeks, then doing away with decades of ad strategy the next. Maybe it is Pepsi truly living up to its brand promise of being the 'taste of a new generation' - engaging consumers to direct spending towards charitable causes will probably build more esteem for the brand than spending $3 mil per 30 seconds (not including celebrity endorsements and agency fees) to have Lady GaGa dance around in a dress made of crushed Pepsi cans.

It still doesn't make me want to drink Pepsi though. Only real sugar does that.