Artist Adrian Wong’s Orange Peel, Harbor Seal

This spring, the Chinese Culture Center (CCC) of San Francisco continues its annual Xian Rui (‘fresh’ and ‘sharp’) exhibition series with Orange Peel, Harbor Seal, Hyperreal, the first solo exhibition in the Bay Area of the work of critically-acclaimed American artist Adrian Wong. The six new sculptural works, created specifically for the exhibition, excavate the similarities and parallels between the present architecture and design of San Francisco’s Chinatown and that of Hong Kong circa 1970.

Wong, also selected as one of 31 international artists to participate in the Asian Art Museum’s concurrent Phantoms of Asia contemporary art exhibition , relies heavily on a research-based method to explore the intricacies of his relationship to his environment — experientially, historically, culturally, and through the filter of fantastical or fictionalized narratives.

Wong made three separate trips to San Francisco in preparation for the exhibition at the CCC, spending countless hours wandering the streets of Chinatown. Based part time in Hong Kong, he was struck by the closely related, but distinct sense of nostalgia that asserts itself visually in both places.

While the Cultural Revolution raged in China in the 1960s and 1970s, British-ruled Hong Kong experienced a vibrant and often idiosyncratic commingling of western psychedelic and traditional Chinese design cultures. References to Taoist cosmology in decorative motifs and staid patterns were suddenly re-presented in colorful abstractions of their original ceremonial counterparts. This now iconic heyday of design, made mythic during the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema, was burned into the collective consciousness of not only the Chinese Diaspora but also of the world at large as representative of the “exotic East.”

Across Hong Kong, the products of this period became ubiquitous and remain distinctive to this day—though most have fallen into disrepair. Carrying the markers of decades of use, they nevertheless continue to catch the eye, making appearances in unexpected places: in alleyways, beneath layers of dust in Chinese medical dispensaries, well-worn countertops in local eateries, and in piles of detritus generated by the unending urban renewal projects initiated by the tourism board.

In San Francisco’s Chinatown, on the other hand, Wong found this aesthetic alive and well – a shiny and new version of elegance borrowed from another era. From the color palette of the mosaic tiled exteriors to the low-cost chandeliers, Chinatown looked to him like a living, but distorted simulacrum of Hong Kong in the 1970s – one that, according to him, “produced an analogous but fundamentally different kind of nostalgia for the period—sanitized, artificial, but still potent as if the simple act of simulation had become authentic despite its inaccuracies.”

Behind the seams of fashion collaborations

Designing clothes can be considered an art form. Shopping can be considered therapeutic. Whether they serve  a purpose of modesty or one of self-expression, clothes are an important part of every person's life.

According to Get Rich Slowly, an online financial blog, the average American spends about $1881 on clothes each year. A Gucci silk dress is $1990 at Saks Fifth Avenue. That is $109 over the yearly budget of the average American. Consequently, purchasing certain name-brand clothing can break one's budget. Thanks to recent collaborations with common stores, one can dress like a celebrity while sticking to the budget of an everyday bargain hunter.

The collaboration of women's clothing brands, Versace and H&M, has created a unique fall collection found in H&M stores. The collection features many leather pieces with hardware detailing, brightly colored dresses, island prints and animal patterns. The collection is daring and edgy. Although some may be willing to pay $149 to $299 for a single dress, the collection overall is still too expensive for many.

Payless Shoe Source features designers such as Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi. Shoes and accessories in these collections are more affordable for the typical shopper, ranging from $11 to $69. Green, faux alligator skin flats, chunky wedge sandals and laser cut pumps are all stand out shoes from the four featured designers. The collections have both heeled and flat shoes to fashionably fit the needs of a multitude of lifestyles.

Target Corp. has offered various designer brand clothing under their GO: International Collection. The collections pieces do not go over $100, making the clothing affordable for the average shopper. The styles diverge, however attractiveness is a staple to the collection. Missoni, another brand of clothing, housewares, luggage and more found in Target stores, caused a shopping frenzy that crashed the Target website earlier this year.

Kohl's and Sears have also participated in the trend by offering collections designed by celebrities. LC Lauren Conrad collection can be found at Kohl's, featuring girly clothing with floral prints, delicate fabrics and floral prints. The Kardashian Kollection, sold at Sears, consists of dark colors, animal print and glam touches. Both lines are reasonably priced and can be found on sale often.

Typically when designer and retail stores join forces, the result is something appealing and unique. If certain distributers made price more cohesive with the average shopper's budget, designer collaborations would be a fantastic addition to any closet.

Barneys Warehouse Sale: Starting Tomorrow Morning

Everyone knows what a big deal the Barneys Warehouse Sale is. I saw it advertised in my elevator, on the little screen. On my WORK ELEVATOR, people! Obviously, the building does not want us to work. They want us to go to Barneys and shop. I’ll probably be missing it this year, but you shouldn’t. One of the biggest reasons you shouldn’t miss it is because of the legendary shoes that will be there.
Witness, above, the Kirkwood Rodarte wedge that will set you apart from most everyone in the world, except those who can afford it at full price for $2790 or who are fast enough to get it on sale at the warehouse sale for $1119.