Good morning, Monday- waking up in Los Angeles is always nice- after so many days of heat in New York, it's great to wake up to temps in the 60s- I don't have to be anywhere till much later so very much enjoying the morning, my favorite time of day (yea, I know that's annoying).
I've been thinking a lot about how sites like Pinterest are turning us all into editors, curators, and style setters. I know this has been going on for a while with blogs and the like, but seeing a funny spoof called something like "You Know you're addicted to Pinterest if...." made me realize something- we have become a bespoke little world of mason jar candles, firefly motifs, chevron prints, and adorable shots of shoes. I always loved the title of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel "Everything is Illuminated" (which, incidentally, has nothing to do with Pinterest) and thought of it for the title of this post- because nowadays, and simply put, everything is art directed.
Go through your Facebook feeds and notice how many people got married with quirky handmade place cards, vintage automobiles to drive away form the wedding in, "non set up" set up photos of the cool bride and groom, winking towards a vintage moment and definitely setting tables with mason jars full of flowers. Look- let's pose with funny moustaches, and ooh- over there- a prohibition era speakeasy complete with sawdust and men in vests. Go into any shop in Brooklyn and observe the cabinets of curiosities- a large dose of general store chic is pervasive in my neighborhood, and most likely coming to yours soon. There's salted ice cream, dog teepees (you know I wanted one), and places to get a seafood dinner in Red Hook that feels very much, and carefully orchestrated, like a restaurant from your youth at the Jersey Shore or wherever you may have felt the salty air growing up along the East Coast. I'm beginning to feel like I live in some sort of old timey, overly quaint theme park, and I'm ready to get off the ride- it's making me a bit queasy. And lest you think I'm forging my own way, I too fall victim to the sweetness of a quirky artisanal moment, after all I'm only human and a bit of a retro type myself...but the cute overload is begining to get under my skin and very much on my nerves. Show me something completely new, please. I'm tired of this overly curated "life" and wish you would put away your hot pink wedding shoes (you know who you are).
It's not that I'm super anti all of this adorability- I'm just wondering- are we substituting things that feel real and genuine because real and genuine no longer exists? I'm not sure this is as much about nostalgia as it is setting a mood gone steroidal- can't we simply sit at a table and eat a meal and not fall victim to some sort of "vision" that somebody has of what's cool? I'm sure if you travel to other parts of the country, you'll find real stuff- diners and bars and small shops that still look the way they did many years ago, and are not set up by some would be hipster looking for his piece of some weathered American pie. And if you go to a place like Paris and find the likes of say, a Bar Lipp charming, it's because it just is charming, and was charming when Hemingway went there too. It's not fake, it's completely real and genuine and the vibe is still preserved, and probably will be forever. Listen, I myself have gotten sucked in many times by some cool Americana that no longer exists- I like weathered leather, bourbon cocktails, and vintage pieces. But I don't want to feel like my whole life is one big photo op- and that's what it's all come to, hasn't it? At least in certain circles of design minded types? And though I'm a huge fan of non editorial types having an opportunity to have a public point of view and show the world their take on things and the fact that all of these social sites allow us to have a bit of democratic, creative confidence, the vast sea of possiblity of what could be in terms of new ideas and new things to share feels way too shallow.
I'm not sure all of this living in the past and yearning for some notion of America that no longer exists is the way to go. I'm growing weary of the art directed version of what we think it means to channel places like Nantucket or Nashville. And though nobody loves a 70s moment more than me, Rachel Zoe and her boho thing have all but fizzled out, just like Studio 54, Halston, and the marriage of Mick and Bianca. I just saw a photo of Jay Z in what was called a Pee Wee Herman suit, and yea, it was a bit Playhouse mixed with Malcolm X, but this cat has such great style and somehow manages to take a vintage look and make it fresh to death.
That's what I'm wanting- let's respect what's real because you can't recreate and art direct everything in hopes of getting repinned on Pinterest or selling more waxed denim. I'm just over this super studied, hyper art directed approach to living, and wondering who will pave the way for something new and modern and altogether in step with the times in which we live. I'm all for a nod to the past, but I've got one foot in the future and am simply looking for something real. If everything is art directed, how are we to know what's true? I think it's time to get real, don't you?
And that's what's up this looking for the next big thing/trying to keep it real kind of Monday in sunny Los Angeles. XO