Photographer Todd Selby, who has made an art of capturing the work and living spaces of some of the world’s most intriguing and creative people, has most recently set his sights on the studio of French fashion house Lanvin. With Lavin Homme head designer Lucas Ossendrijver as his primary subject, Todd’s latest collection of photos provides an interesting behind-the-scenes glimpse into the iconic fashion brand and its talented animateur.

With each opening of a new door, fresh and exciting opportunities appear. For Honia Lipinski, she may have just crashed through the door that contains her dreams. Recently winning the talent discovery, The Bubble presented by General Pants Co., Honia will now be commissioned to have her work published in well known magazines, displayed in the highly recognised clothing store, General Pants and have her very own exhibition supported by mentors of The Bubble. Having competed against hundreds of photographers, writers, artists in all mediums, filmmakers, musicians, designers and graphic designers, it is clear that Honia has the support of the artistic community to take her photography to the next level. (more…)

In this season of end-of-year sales and buying things you don’t really need, it seems timely that Theme magazine has a profile on the artist Tobias Wong. His provoking and ironic art works, explore the funny nature of consumerism and questions the value of art, design and everyday objects. He is known for using very high-end designer products and has played around with Burberry tartans, Issey Miyake clothes, Philippe Starck furniture, and used the extravagance of real diamonds, cash, crystal, and pearls. In the Christmas of 2002, one of his works even tried to sell original Andy Warhols as holiday gift wrap for up to $25,000. His work both annoys and influences the design world and this has made him one of Forbes Magazine’s Tastemakers of 2007.

I’ve seen a lot of shoes lately. Colourful, crazy, cute. Sexy, strange, simple. Irresistible, irresponsible and insidious. But none which were recycled, reused or returned to life, not to mention visually appealing, like those found on Terra Plana, and its family of shoe brands including Worn Again, Vivobarefoot and Dopie. Winners of The Observers Ethical Fashion Product of the Year Award in 2007, Terra Plana bids to develop ‘the best feeling designer shoe brand in the world’. With processes including souring locally available resources such as bicycle tyres, car seat belts and reclaimed jeans, utilizing a unique stitching design which cuts down on the need for solvent glues and aiming to make the shoe as light as possible, Terra Plana’s range of shoes have a blueprint to create a very light footprint indeed.

There’s a set of stairs in Brisbane which lead to an underground palace where the fashionable become unfashionable. On your descent, black wallpaper with a pattern of a repeated logo appears regal to your eyes. This is the relocated Apartment. Your apartment: Complete with a walk in shoe wardrobe, change rooms, toys, records, lounge, mags and a TV. A shining rock wall glistens on one entire side. A quick question resolves where it came from: it was here. Above, reflective black roof panels mirror movements below. Looking around it’s quick to consider that this is no ordinary space. Its unique appeal announces volumes about the belief of brothers Ben and Nick, both under 25, behind the store concept. (more…)

If you are a female who easily falls for devilishly looking shoes, look away now. 25-year-old, Toronto-based graffitist Matthieu Missiaen has the one-of-a-kind provisions which may just break your heart.

The Parisian artist handcrafts his shoes under the label Ndeur. The line ranges from urban heels to old-school high-tops and are fashioned using a canvas of vintage leather footwear, on which he doodles street-art-inspired scenes with oil-based paints.

The effect is fresh – a stylistic palate cleanser after the bland taste of the usual models.

In the short time since his introduction into streetwear boutique The Rage (13 Kensignton Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada) Missaien has been raved about in several publications and included in Vans Shoe show in Toronto.

To add to the mystique of owning your own wearable piece of shoe-art, all of Missiaen’s works are one-of-a-kind. On The Rage’s Etsy site, you enter your feet measurements and style requests for hand-tailored effect. They’re also reasonably priced – from US$120 – $180 – so the savvy shoe-ophiles among us will have no trouble chalking this one up to a necessary cultural investment.

(sourced with help from L.Harper)