01. What’s at stake in claims of “post-racial” media?

Tracy Morgan, comedic actor best known for his role as comedic performer Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock (2006+), trumpeted America’s supposed post-racial identity at the Golden Globe Awards in January 2009. When 30 Rock was awarded Best Musical or Comedy Television Series, he gleefully snatched the statuette from Tina Fey, creator and star of the series, quipping, “Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for the show from now on.” He continued, “Welcome to post-racial America! I am the face of post-racial America. Deal with it, Cate Blanchett! We’d like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press … especially me, ’cause a black man can’t get no love at the Emmys. I love you, Europe! That’s what’s up!” (Flow TV).

02. Chevrolizing Chevy

“For a while last week, General Motors was telling employees at its Chevrolet headquarters to stop using the word Chevy, explaining it was important for brand “consistency.” After a report in The Times provoked a widespread “Huh?,” Chevrolet said it was talking about expanding foreign markets and was not “discouraging customers or fans from using” Chevy. But the original effort, and the response, left us thinking about the emotional tie of automobile names and their evanescence.” (NYT).

03. Tom Wool: In the Shadow of Everest

“When photographer Tom Wool went to Tibet’s Rongbuk Valley in 2001, he followed the route taken during the first British expeditions through this area, including that taken by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine as they attempted their ill-fated Everest climb in 1924. Accompanied by two yakmen and a tiny horse over the course of a month’s time, Wool came to realize how little this area had changed since those early expeditions. His black-and-white photographs now on view at the Rubin Museum of Art capture a harsh terrain that has been populated by Buddhist monks and yogis, and inhabited by yaks, sheep, and goats for centuries.” (Dart).

04. AD Classics: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort / Michael Graves

“In a world where anything in your imagination can become a reality, Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida stayed true to their word and hired architect Michael Graves to design a resort consisting of two hotels that would become part of Disney’s famous collection of “entertainment architecture.” Graves’ postmodern, colorful style was the perfect choice for the playful themepark resort, and his whimsical design decisions and statues of grandeur contribute to the famous Disney kingdom. The theme for the design of the hotels sprung right from its early conceptual stages, where Graves developed an entire story to create characters for both the Swan and the Dolphin in a magical tale that he thought could potentially become Disney characters.” (ArchDaily).

05. R. Kelly’s “Sign of Victory” World Cup Anthem (Above).

Goyard is one of those luxury brands that starts land wars amongst even the “common people.” Personally, I think there is no doubting the importance of this brand. Now, the white gloves have been pulled out for all out stop book on the history of the brand and the family behind it. The book itself, looks as lush as their bags and wallets. As the New York Times reports, “The book includes the history of the Goyard family — the achievements during the Paris Expo Universelle in 1900 and the creation of the noble facade of the Paris store. But it is more generally about the art of travel and its blossoming in the 20th century from early trains to grand hotels.”

Read the full story on the Goyard book and history, “A Tender Tome of Art and Heart” at NYT.

A nice little tote from the Rubgy family. A subtle skull play against the navy blue. Looks great. “Sprinkled with embroidered skull-and-bones and trimmed in luxe leather, our roomy canvas tote is the perfect go-to accessory for the prepster on the move.” You heard that right “prepster.” Grow that pirate stash and live off the urban booty. Under 90$US from Rugby, captain.

More look at the

WSJ Magazine has a great writer on J Crew’s CEO, Mickey Drexler and his Mourihno like moves through the world of America’s fashion retail. It is a solid read. “The Wasp privilege–meets-street-smart-kid vibe has become Drexler’s calling card. At Gap he turned the wearing of khakis into an art form (who can forget the Ernest Hemingway wears khakis campaign?), and now at J. Crew he is spinning sequins, combat pants and cashmere into a raging success story. In 2005, the company turned its first profit in five years, and between 2003 and 2008 revenues rose 107 percent.”

Read the full article “Mickey Drexler: Retail Therapist” at WSJ.

Some looks at the Antony Morato Autumn/Winter 2010 collection with some interesting descriptors from the brand. “Antony Morato represents that public in love with ‘transversatility,’ surfing styles and going beyond stereotypes, faraway from trend victimism. The Italian brand takes with it historical griffes know how, bringing it into the future, into the so called “new low-luxury era”. It is the age where value for money is attracting customers focusing on design and hard to satisfy; these are the customers ‘led’ by Morato and these are the customers who have made Morato a must have.”

More looks at the Antony Morato Autumn/Winter 2010 collection aftet the click.

IWC drops an excellent Aquatimer edition for the world famous Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The best part of the watch may actually lie on the back case where the famous champion of the ocean world’s face is etched. An incredibly classy pieces of metal. “The case, in stainless steel, measures 44mm x 15mm. It has an AR-coated sapphire crystal and is water resistant to 120 meters.” (timezone)

More looks at the IWC Aquatimer Edition Jacques-Yves Cousteau after the click.

How does the Whitney follow the 2010 Biennial? With a comprehensive exhibition of painter Charles Burchfield, that’s how.

Heat Waves in a Swamp: The Paintings of Charles Burchefield was organized by the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, in collaboratation with Buffalo’s Burchfield Penney Art Center. The exhibition opens on June 26, 2010, and will run until October 17, 2010.

From the Whitney -

Although he lived next door to Niagara Falls, artist Charles Burchfield (1893–1967) chose to focus his nature-based art on the ground beneath his feet. Curated by artist Robert Gober, this exhibition features over one hundred major watercolors, drawings, oils on canvas, sketches, notebooks, journals, and doodles by this visionary American artist. Acclaimed by critics and known to a broad public audience during his lifetime, Burchfield is curiously under-appreciated today. Working almost exclusively in watercolor, Burchfield’s primary subject was landscape, often focusing on his immediate surroundings: his garden, the views from his windows, snow turning to slush, the sounds of insects and bells and vibrating telephone lines, deep ravines, sudden atmospheric changes, the experience of entering a forest at dusk, to name but a few. He often imbued these subjects with highly expressionistic light, creating at times a clear-eyed depiction of the world and, at other times, a unique mystical and visionary experience of nature.

In detail above – Charles Burchfield, An April Mood, 1946–55. Watercolor and charcoal on joined paper, 40 × 54 in. (101.6 × 137.2 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase with partial funds from Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Fleischman  55.39.

“William Richard Green AW10 Fashion Film, Winner of the Vogue Italia & ASVOFF 1MINUTE “LIGHT” Series competition!..The designer and I wanted to create a film using light in constant motion. The Rubber Jacket especially absorbed and displayed the moving pin prick lights beautifully. These grungy outlined glimpses of the model with the moving light and void-like negative space infected the key pieces of the AW10 Collection to create a tectonic and mysterious mood for the film which echoed the heroic and anti-heroic ideas of the collection. for William Richard Green. Model: Thomas Ashley” (cqc)

Preserving Taiwanese craft might be the underlying theme of new design brand Yii, but the Brick Plan Collection also fits beautifully in the current trend for industrial aesthetic.

Designed by Rock Wang and produced by Pei-Ze Chen, the collection includes bowl, vase and tray. Each piece is hand formed from an existing block of brick. The brick said to be a “symbol of Taiwanese culture” influenced by 17th-century Dutch colonization. The stern nature of the material balances wonderfully with the curves of Chen’s crafted forms. The collection as a whole manages to successfully blend contemporary form, historic reference, and Yii’s desire to keep traditional craft alive. (via Contemporist).

View all the Brick Plan forms after the jump.

Denmark’s Day line showcases their Spring/Summer 2010 collection. “The brand’s bohemian yet modern style featuring fine tailoring and fabrics and detailed embellishment soon caught on with a clientele eager for designs with a story to tell…” These seasonally proper looks should suit those looking for something more in line with the Scandinavian movement. Expect seersucker and more…

More looks from the Day Birger et Mikkelsen Spring/Summer 2010 collection after the click.