Just in time for the holidays, along comes a little shop that could have been plucked out of a Dickens novel. Doyle Mueser in the West Village caters to the guys who love bespoke tailored suits, and also to those who love one of a kind shirts, accessories, and jackets that can mix and match with Hudson Jeans. THINK Pete Doherty and his natty tailored jackets and rock n’roll dark jeans. I’d bet Pete could rock a pair of skeleton cuff links that are individually crafted for the store. How about the leather carry all bags?  All can be mixed and matched with Hudson for one cool vibe. Note: some chic jackets for females are also on display.

Designers Jake Meuser and Amber Doyle have joined forces on a little side street and will personally consult any bloke interested in stream lining his style. Yes, there are off the rack shirts and jackets that these two wunderkind talents will alter on the spot.  Like a good pair of jeans, these pieces are made to last a life time.

Doyle Meuser Bespoke, 19 Christopher Street, NYC.

In the USA, the day after Thanksgiving, this weekend marks the beginning of the holiday rush through to the new year. Hudson shot this exclusive video of Patti Smith singing during the Fortnight music party at Southpaw in Brooklyn.  It seems fitting, since Thanksgiving marks a time of gratitude for plenty that Patti is singing this folk song. Check out some of the intial lyrics, below. Also, check out how at almost age 64 (December 30, 1946), the godmother of punk rock still spits a yellow streak on stage!

Congrats, Patti on just winning the National Book Award for her memoir of her early years with artist Robert Mapplethorpe in Chelsea, NYC!

Lyrics:

“What is it children, that falls from the sky? Manna from heaven, from the most high. Food from the father. We shall live again, we shall live again!”

Just a few days ago, I was invited to a private sale at New York’s Pierre Hotel, of Lanvin dresses, shoes, bags, bangles, and coats done for H&M! As genius as Alber Elbaz may be, he smartly did not offer any denim. And, if you ask me, skinny Hudson jeans, including the new collection by Georgia-May Jagger would give Lanvin’s Parisian flare a cool rock n’roll edge.

Check out the nifty leopard and ribboned clutch and the hot red pumps with rhinestone heels in the slideshow above.  (The actual sketches were personally drawn by Elbaz himself.) Also on offer, colorful bow ties — great for guys and girls— belts with chain links; leather gloves; red hanging floral earrings; and chain link necklaces. The jackets proved especially unique. The zebra striped trench would work with any style of Hudson jeans, while the fake (but soft) hip waist mottled white fur jacket would make any skinnies sizzle!

Sounds like a Thanksgiving holiday weekend accessorizing with your Hudson jeans is in order!

Outside Rubirosa, hottest little spot in town, at 235 Mulberry Street

Don’t let the basic sign, “pizza bar”, fool you into thinking that new pizzeria-restaurant Rubrosa does not register as a “hot joint.”  On any given night this new tasty eatery will boast a fair share of fashion designers, artists, music pr reps, and cool hipsters, all who were initially curious to see what co-owner Angelo Bianchi — former doorman at the Beatrice and Sway — had gotten himself into.

Only three weeks old, Bianchi and some of his native Staten Island pals — specifically chefs Al DiMeglio and A.J. Papalardo– are serving up delicious old school pastas (lasagna for two!); meatballs; seafood salad; braised octopus salad; artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs and pecorino cheese; and thin crust pizzas with creamy sexy mozzarella and a crunchy bite. (Price range: $16-$25) The food hits the spot on cold nights and feels like the whole place consists of one big intimate party of people within the six degrees of separation range. One friend remarked, “This is just like Max’s Kansas City,” referring to the famed restaurant where Andy Warhol and all the “it people” of the moment ate several times a week. I replied, “It’s better and younger!”

The joint, named after famed 1950′s Latin playboy Porfirio Rubirosa, might showcase a lot of good looking people, but they seem to leave their attitudes at the door. Most are wearing fabulous jeans (Hudson friendly zone) with great accessories. After all, how pretentious can you look when sinking your teeth into some fat gravy laden meatballs?

Rubirosa, 235 Mulberry Street, between Prince and Spring.

The couple was spotted in Beverly Hills, both in HUDSON.  Derek wearing the Five Pocket Bootcut and Minka in the Collin Signature Skinny in Holywell.

Jennifer Aniston seen wearing the Carly Flap Pocket Straight Leg on the set of her new film, Wanderlust.

Just when you think all the bands sound like poor imitations of Eighties New Wave, along come a few guys from Brooklyn who sound like the Clash.  As part of the Fortnight Journal music show case, local band Outernational took the stage. They rocked hard like punks on some tunes, gave us something like Irish fighting songs on others, and even a little Los Lobos with trumpet included to mix it up.

In this exclusive video, shot for Hudson Jeans, lead singer Miles Solay — a self proclaimed Communist– gets his boys roused with “Fight Song.” There’s also an anti-war song in their repetoire called “Sir, No Sir.” They’ve just come off tour with UK punk band GBH and last year they opened for Chris Cornell.

As part of the Fortnight Journal music showcase last week at Southpaw in Brooklyn, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers wowed us all. She plays the haromonium  – similar to an accordion with a reed sound, used in Indian music– with her full body. Time Out New York has called her “the best lead singer who doubles as an air raid siren.” She was born in New Jersey to old world traditional parents and while she’s billed with “happy hookers,” in Brooklyn, I only spied this one “teddy bear” looking guitarist.  You’ll find her playing round town at haunts like Mercury Lounge. And while this video shot for Hudson above says it all, I could not help but include these recent comments she made to New York Press, below. Rock on!

When did you realize that this instrument could be utilized for a more unique approach towards rock music?

When I was in high school, we moved to a more affluent town when I was 12 and I couldn’t compete with the other students. My grades started to drop and of course Nirvana happened. Nirvana was a big fucking deal and still is because that band twisted the nuts of American society. It sounds lame to talk about something that has already been talked about a great deal, but the early ’90s made a huge mark on me. By the time I hit the 8th grade, I was loud, obnoxious, cynical and tough. I made the rich chicks cry in the bathroom for messing with me, and made friends with the delinquents. I’m a scrawny, bizarre looking Indian chick, a total weirdo, but when I heard that music I felt powerful. I wanted to make music or be creative in some way because it was free of rules and societal limitations. The only problem was that I wasn’t allowed to play the guitar, so I had to find things in my house that I could play around with when my parents weren’t home.

As a child, were you strictly raised on traditional Indian music, or was there other types of sounds influencing your young mind?

The Western music ban started when I was 8 and lasted till I left for college. My sister and I were sneaky kids and would make the excuse of going to the library. Most public libraries have decent music collections and we would hide tapes and CDs in books when we’d borrow them. There was also the Princeton Record Exchange. I’d cut class a lot. I used to have friends transfer CDs to tape so I could listen to them since I didn’t have a CD player of my own till my senior year in high school. My sister brought in a lot of NWA, Public Enemy, Junior Mafia, Biggie, Mary J Blige, Eurythmics and Depeche Mode. I brought in the Doors, Velvet Underground, Smashing Pumpkins, The Cramps, New York Dolls, Joy Division, The Stooges, Patti Smith, Bauhaus, Sid Barrett and Pink Floyd, man this list can go on…

Oddly, when I read about your parents making you play harmonium as a kid instead of the desired guitar, I couldn’t help but think of the story of Weird Al and his accordion. Being the only one playing this instrument may initially make you feel less cool and on the outside, but in the end seems to give you an edge. Would you agree?

I will always have an edge regardless of what I play or do with my life. I’m that kind of asshole.

Israeli artist Avner Ben Gal likes to investigate human nature. He’s depicted many themes in the past: poverty, natural disasters, relationships among people, religion, and the state. Now, in his latest solo show at the Bortolami Gallery, Ben Gal checks out opiates through larger than life marker drawings and his more traditional pathway, painting.  You’ll see a bird woman in a shower and in another, a female with back turned surrounded by menacing bird headed men in a tub. Could this be a hallucination? Likely, and then there are more direct symbols, like the white fleshy arm, wrapped tightly with black gear. Obviously, he just shot up.

The marker prints depict hysteria, as well as highs and with drawl. The paintings take the viewer into a dreamier less threatening landscape. All in all, true to form, Ben Gal brings you directly to the characters in his canvas. Even if they snub you while you’re there, there’s a definite point of entry and intrusion into their experience.

Check it out, until December 24th, at Bortolami Gallery, 520 West 20th Street, NYC.

(**For those in the UK, Ben Gal is also repped on that side of the pond by the Sadie Coles Gallery.)

My favorite thing about the holiday season is the time it allows us for catching up with family and friends. That joy is followed all too closely by the gorgeous gluttony of guilt-free shopping that starts around mid-November and lasts nearly to New Year’s!  I love buying gifts for others, but far too often end up indulging in a ‘one for you, two for me’ pattern. Ah well, the more the merrier this time of year!

Since I know I’ll inevitably be ‘gifting’ myself more than I should (what would Santa say?!) I try to at least cross all my loved ones off the list first. This requires starting early! Thus, last weekend I began my annual gift quest on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A haven for independent boutiques, art markets, vintage stores and street vendors, it’s the perfect place to pick up unexpected presents. I think there are two routes you can go with gift-giving: either choose something you’d love to receive yourself (like an elegant coffee table book), or something you know the recipient would never splurge on for themselves (like a glittering piece of jewelry).

In Williamsburg, I love popping into Catbird for scented candles (the perfect hostess gift for every holiday party), sweetly tough accessories, and heavenly scents by DS&Durga (they make wonderful stocking stuffers!).  Next I head over to Ugly Luggage, a quirky antiques shop stocked with great vintage glassware and sixties martini sets (fun gifts for mom or my bachelor brother alike!). In between I like to thumb through the offerings from local street vendors ~ this time around I picked up an assortment of vintage toy dinosaurs to spray paint silver and use for dinner party décor (I think I’ll put place cards in their mouths, then send them home as party favors!), and an old photography book for my boyfriend. Then I make a sweep through the Artists & Fleas market, to pick out handmade baubles for my little sister. I finish things up at The Future Perfect, where I find a set of silver-plated playing cards for my dad ~ and a copy of ‘Apartment Therapy’s Book of Small, Cool Spaces’ for me!

After all, tis the season to indulge generously!!

XO
Kelly