Bjorn Nasett

Are you a Facebook junkie? Then you know that anything and everything that’s trending across the world can be found in some way, shape, or form on the social networking site. But did you know that TheFind, a shopping search site, that helps consumers locate what they’re jonesing for, has launched Glimpse, a free Facebook App? This genius App takes TheFind’s carefully collected eCommerce Data and allows its users to put together personalized collections of the hottest products in the fashion and design realm.  But what items are consumers actually coveting this season you may ask, and how does Glimpse…

While I was walking down Brady Street the other day I stopped in my tracks, literally in front of the Nomad World Pub on the corner of Brady and Warren. On the cement stairs leading into the turn of the century building that houses this popular Eastside watering hole, were the most genius male-centric re-purposed planters I’ve ever seen. No muss, no fuss, just some sedum planted in some brutally worn soccer balls. Growing up on a farm where utilizing what you had just made sense, these artistically simple outdoor decorations scored a goal for the win in my book.…

Bursting at the seams with undeniable joy is how I would describe the current exhibit at the Tory Folliard Gallery, “Life Lived Large,” the painting and sculpture of Lon Michels. Colorful, creative and intensely intricate don’t do justice to the creative work on display at this iconic Milwaukee gallery until June 30th. From pastoral scenes, to his masterpiece “The Last Supper,” these oversized and exuberant paintings defy accurate description. A lifelong artist who completed his first serious painting at age 8, Mr. Michels has pursued a life that only a few could imagine. His own story is on display as well…

The Hyatt Hotel in Downtown Milwaukee played host to the annual Mount Mary College Fashion Show, which also included this year, a separate presentation from their interior design students, and fine arts students. It seemed fitting to hold this event at the sleek downtown venue, because making the move last year from their west side campus proves once again that this venerable institution can change with the times and prepare its students for their role of choice in the evolving world of design and fashion.   Entitled “Evoke” the event showed a wide range and depth of their students work.…

Lon Michels is a Wisconsin artist who has gained national recognition for his unique style of painting. Through repetition of intricate patterns in bright colors, Michels’ complex work explores history, culture and religion. Michels has been painting since the age of nine. In the 1980s he moved to New York City and became the studio assistant to the international sculptor, Louise Nevelson. He later moved to Key West where he developed his own paintings and became a local TV host. After suffering an infection in his optical nerves, Michels was blinded for nearly two years, but continued to paint floral…

In a world where there are fewer and fewer “new ideas” in fashion, the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) pointed out that true design genius comes from re-interpretation now and then.  The labyrinthine showcase of his lifelong love affair with clothing design demonstrates his most oft-quoted phrase: “Fashion fades, but style is eternal.”  French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent (pronounced phonetically as eve-san-low-ron), born in Paris in 1936 and died in 2008, holds the distinction of being consistently touted as one of the greatest names in the history of fashion.  As a youngster designing dresses…

George Hoyningen-Huené (Russian, 1900–1968)  Portrait of Elsa Schiaparelli, 1932  Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hoyningen-Huené/Vogue; © Condé Nast    Guido Harari (Italian, born Cairo, 1952)  Portrait of Miuccia Prada, 1999  Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guido Harari/Contrasto/Redux  Every blue moon or so, the extraordinary chance to compare and contrast the work of important artists and designers, up-close and in person by the average Joe, come along. One of those rare opportunities is being presented by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City this season. The Met’s Spring Costume Institute exhibition, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible…

Even if you’re not planning a trip to the New York City area anytime soon, I thought you’d be interested in this press release I received from the Museum of the Moving Image.  If you haven’t seen all of these movies, I suggest tracking them down through Netflix or elsewhere.   What are my picks?   “Marnie” is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s unsung films.  It stars a gorgeous Tippi Hedren as a frigid compulsive thief and liar who just happens to be decked out in the latest fashions of the 60’s along with co-star Sean Connery who was an absolute hunk at…

There’s a lot more to Milwaukee based photographer Michael Sutton than just his body conscious photographs of unbelievably good-looking people.  As a sought after fashion photographer, he more than captures the fine line between classic and sexy.  His portfolio of pictures speaks for themselves, but my interview gives us details on how he merges the art and commerce of a fashionable career.   Where are you from?   I was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1965 and lived there for 9 years. With coming from a divorced family, I lived with my mother and my three older brothers.    How…

Nicholas Grider is a Milwaukee-based artist and writer who has had recent gallery shows of his photo work in Los Angeles and published work in numerous print and online fine arts periodicals.  I first saw his “Men in Suits” photographs at the Portrait Society Gallery here in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, and I was intrigued enough by the premise and thoughtful concept behind them to make some inquiries with the artist himself about them. Please tell me a little about the ongoing project “Men in Suits” and what it is about.  I started the project in 2004, and the goal then…