Calvin Klein's raciest ad yet ires Aussies.

The other night at Marianne Williamson's weekly lecture (yes, this cynical atheist went to hear a woman who talks about miracles and God speak--what of it??), Williamson took time to bring attention to the above billboard--the raciest ad yet from a brand that has built its name on racy ads. Calvin Klein has long sold everything from jeans to perfume to tighty whities with the attitude that sex sells. And sell, despite many controversies over the year, it has. The controversy has even become a marketing tool in itself--recently played up by the brand with a billboard on Sunset Blvd. that showed nothing but a scannable code, through which the user could see the ad's naughty bits from home--implying that the image was too risque even for the Sunset Strip.

Which brings us to the recent hype about this now-censored billboard in Australia--the nation (slash continent)'s Advertising Standards Bureau has decided that model Lara Stone looks like she may be getting raped by three handsome, if expressionless young men and has demanded the billboard come down.

Do I buy it? No, not so much. To me, it looks like her blank stare matches the gentelmen's perfectly and they're all tangled up in a consensual orgy of equal disinterest.

Perhaps, however, I'm being callous and insensitive and should be more of a stodgy feminist about all this.

What are your thoughts?

[via AOL News via Marianne Williamson]

There's a special on mindfulness at Fred Segal in Aisle 4.

I generally don't step into Fred Segal unless I am experiencing urges to torture my inner shopper and punish my wallet.

But as it turns out, Fred Segal's just reopened one space in its Santa Monica location which I can enter with peace of mind and only the lightest of grips on my billfold--the Fred Segal Yoga studio.

And while classes won't be free, the studio is hosting a complimentary workshop this weekend--An Insight with Matthew of One World Academy.

Enjoy your breakthrough experience sans the breaking of the bank, courtesy of Fred Segal Yoga tomorrow. Nama-freaking-ste.

[via Vital Juice]

Cassette Playa presented the 1st ever augemented runway.

As if the size zero, 6' tall men and women who walk down the globe's runways aren't a departure from reality already, UK streetwear designers, Cassette Playa, presented the first ever augmented reality runway show earlier this year with their S/S 2011 collection.

Crazy town.

Emily Factor designs eco-fashion that's actually fashionable.

Eco-fashion has gotten a bad wrap. When most of us think of green clothing lines, we think of neutral color palettes--hues that evoke muddy swamp water and hippies with hairy underarms--shapes that are less shape and more sack.

Emily Factor, the youngest of a long lineage of Factors (yes, that Max Factor-Factor), has changed all that as illustrated in her S/S 12 collection, shown this past Saturday in Hollywood.

The colors are bold. The necklines are low. The silhouettes are interesting. The pants and maxi dresses are to die for. This is eco-fashion I'd proudly traipse across town to the recycling center in. Um, on my fuel-free bike of course.

Two Months Off, A Photo Exhibition by Shane Redsar.

If you're not coming to my good friend, Shane Redsar's, show on Friday night, you're missing out. His work is incredible. And there's an open Asahi bar.

Thank you and goodnight and see you there.

Jeremy Piven & Audrina Patridge & Me at the PUMA Social Club.

The other night, my pals at PUMA invited me to join them in celebration at their awesome new PUMA Social Club Los Angeles--a pop-up occupying the old One space in Weho. Let me explain why the space is awesome in ways that are easy to understand.

* Open bar provided by Patron. And you know what they say. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila...let's start the freaking party.

* Hot dogs courtesy of Pinks. Though I don't eat meat, I don't mind the smell. No, I don't mind it at all.

* Foosball. Ping pong. Chalk boards. In other words, the space contains all the elements of my childhood dreams come true.

* A photobooth that makes everyone--and I mean everyone--look 10x better than real life would have it. Case in point below. My skin is not really this good. (Though, please NB--Ed and Paul really are this handsome.)

* Neon signs with sassy sayings that get us thinking...

swapping partners is encouraged
sometimes victory is a phone number

...about how we really wish someone (anyone) had asked for our number.

* Go go dancers. Dressed in PUMA gear. Obvs.

* Jeremy Piven and Audrina Patridge. Enjoying said Patron.

Peep the schedule of events that will be happening during the rest of the pop-up's lifespan. Starting with tonight's Vice Mag party, a Dance Right night coming up, and more. Click here for the calendar.

Geoffrey Mac kicked off LA Fashion Week...

And did so without the wild and often latex outfits he's known for dressing celebrities, most notably Lady Gaga, in. The NY designer presented his slightly more muted, but still fun and avant garde collection to an LA crowd on Tuesday night at Skybar at the Mondrian. And with the flowing fabric, gowns made to be worn down red carpets, and fun cocktail frocks, there wasn't a more fitting city to show in.

I especially loved these seemingly conservative pieces that featured surprise hints of the unusual.

[Photos by Josh Reiss]

A new LA Fashion Week I almost wanna go to.

[Supposedly] LA Fashion week begins...I don't know...it's vague. Maybe today? Maybe this Thursday? Ever since the end of Smashbox's domination over the runways of Los Angeles, it's been a little hard to keep track of if/when/where LA Fashion Week is taking place.

But here's a new collective that looks to be showing indie designs I almost want to go see! Fun While It Lasted will be hosting events from the 14th - 16th. And I think I'll actually go.

Viva la independent designers! Viva LA Fashion Week/Weekend/Day!

Courtney Love, a Birkin bag & her magical journey through stop-motion.

Because Courtney Love doesn't share quite enough with us and the media. And she loves a good, controlled message to her adoring public. We now have 6 plus minutes of an animated film portraying Love's transition from 'kook' to Birkin carrying, upstanding member of style, song-singing society.

Except Michael Mouris' short is more disjointed Scanner Darkly meets Heatherette ad than enjoyable film. It weaves in and out of sense (more out than in) and, though colorful and fun to watch, doesn't tell much of a story.

Which is to say the film sort of mirrors its star herself...

[via WWD]

Kids. In Nazi uniforms. With guns.

If the young psychotic tyke from The Bad Seed and the leaders of the Children of the Corn gang had love children, they might be the subjects of Gottfried Helnwein's current show, I Was a Child, up now at the Friedman Benda gallery in New York.

The below images are not fun. They are not pretty. But they are magnificent and chilling.

Also, they may make you rethink procreation

Gottfried Helnwein: I was a Child

@ Friedman Benda

515 West 26th St

New York, NY

Through October 23

[via Flavorwire]

My mother vs. my astrologist.

Last night I sent my mother my astrology report with some urgency. I either must purchase the furniture I've been needing for my home office set up this weekend or wait until November 18th. Any time in between just wouldn't be right according to astrologer Susan Miller. If this specificity on the part of my trusted foreseer does not indicate wisdom and insight I don't know what does. And at such a timely interval when I had just been discussing a furniture purchase.

My mother's reply to my email went something--no exactly--like this:

"What the heck is Venus retrograde, & where did you get all this bull-shit from?!? I hope you didn't pay "your astrologist" for all this info. re: office furniture!"

Which leaves me in a pickle I'm sure you'll agree. Trust the stars? Or trust my mother?

What would Jesus do!? He'd run to IKEA asap. That's what I think he'd do.

Models in masks at Missoni in Milan.

While I'm usually not a fan of masks, nor costumes, nor really anything that might potentially cause a nightmare later on that evening, Missoni recently spiced up its S/S 11 show with masked ushers. And the creations by artist Aldo Lanzini are freakishly beautiful. Just call me a mask convert.

PS. Check out some of Lanzini's other work at his website. Both the site and the portfolio are sort of amazing.

[via Cool Hunting]

Mylar balloons & ornate hats.

Classical references, mylar balloons, ornate headgear & translucent skin pepper the fantastical, odd work of RISD grad and Brooklyn-based painter, Robin F. Williams.

I am just a little obsessed. And looking forward to seeing more from this young, fresh artiste.

Vampire Weekend. Tonight at the Bowl.

Are you ready for a dose of preppy pop, Hollywood?

I am.

Gucci brings it in Milan.

Frida Giannini brought it this week to the Gucci runway in Milan. She brought it hard. She brought it in bold color. She even brought neutrals and blacks that somehow spoke more to an S&M aesthetic than to safe khaki.

Heart. Covet. Need in my life.

View the entire collection on Style.com.

Serj Tankian's new album & the origins of hummus.

Last night Serj Tankian (System of a Down) celebrated his new solo album, Imperfect Harmonies, with a preview hosted by Logitech at Downtown's Watermarke Tower. Up in the penthouse suite, Serj, his band, and about 50 guests enjoyed an intimate listen to the new tunes.

Sure, we think Tankian's music is amazing, but the real reasons we love the artist...

* He's political. In addition to the many organizations Serj stands behind, he and fellow musician Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) founded their own, Axis of Justice, to fight for social justice.

* Tankian's concern for others knows no species-defined boundaries. He's a vegetarian.

* He's well groomed. In pictures, videos, and certainly last night, Tankian's facial hair is always styled just so. And we can't help but to respect a man who respects himself and his goatee.

Things that defined the party...

* A view that inspired even the fearful to step onto the small ledge for a look at the city below.

* Military cut jackets. Serj was sporting a beautifully cut one himself and some guests followed suit. No pun intended. Okay, maybe a little bit intended.

* Multinationalism. Serj is Lebonese, born to Armenian parents who fled the genocide, and moved the family to Los Angeles in the '70s. His band hails from Armenia, Italy, and Indiana. His security is from Brazil via the UK. I am from Long Island. The list goes on.

* A recurring conversation about the cuisine of Armenia. Okay, to be fair, this wasn't necessarily organic conversation. I kept bringing this one back up. To everyone I talked to. Why, I asked, is hummus served by Armenians, Russians Greeks, Lebanese, and Israelis?! I would not give up on the quest for truth at the party as I figured--if not here amongst so many Lebanese and Armenian, where would I ever learn the answer to the most pressing culinary question I've ever almost cared a lot about!? As it turns out, at least according to one guest who spoke with the semblance of great authority, hummus originated in Lebanon. The proof? The word 'hummus' is actually Arabic. And according to Serj's brother, the best Lebanese food in LA is to be found at Carousel in Hollywood and Skaf's in Glendale. You're welcome.

* A look at the new Ultimate Ears by Logitech custom in-ear monitors. These rad earbuds are saving musicians' hearing by creating molds customized for each user. An audiologist was even on hand last night to take custom measures of guests' ears. And for those of us who don't need the $1000+ models, UE has now launched a series of earbuds for consumer use, starting at just $19. Count me in please.

To order Serj Tankian's album, Imperfect Harmonies, click here.

[This post orginally appeared on Stuff I Like]

Thank you Marchesa. Silhouettes will never be the same.

From the runways of New York Fashion Week, may I present to you my absolute favorite collection. Of all time. Brit designers, Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig of Marchesa, have changed the way I will look at shape and silhouette forever and ever, amen.

I would wear these elegant gowns and cocktail dresses to your wedding, I would wear them to my wedding, I would wear them to the bloody supermarket if I didn't think you'd spill your Trader Joe's sample meatball on me.

A few of my favorite looks below...

View the entire collection on Style.com.

Blood by The Middle East. A music video worth watching.

If all lyrics were written like this, I'd listen.

grandfather, gentle soul, you'll fly
over your life once more before you die

And if all music videos looked like this, I'd watch them.

Calling all pretty young things. Today at LAXART.

Are you one of LA's few residents who is not here to act, model or get discovered walking your dog at Runyon Canyon? Perhaps you've been curious about the casting process--the styling, the anxiety, the deep breathing, the stage mothers. Oh, the stage mothers!

This is amazing. Today, artist Charlie White is executing a one-day performance in the form of an open casting call at LAXART to find one very special 'California Girl.' Girls between 13 and 16 are being sought for an LA billboard as part of LAXART's Billboard Project. Guests can attend the call and peep the whole day of shenanigans through a windowed wall.

I have no idea how White put the word out about the call. And I wouldn't want to taint the integrity of the artistic experiment by guessing what you might see there. But...did I say stage mothers?!

TODAY, September 11
9 a - 5 p

LAXART
2640 S. La Cienega
Los Angeles, CA 90034

In Italiano.

voglio imparare l'italiano. proprio come il pulcino da mangiare amore pregare. solo il fatto che non riesco a leggere questo blurb sto scrivendo è estremamente interessante per me. Potrei dire qualcosa - qualcosa di geniale, qualcosa di folle, qualcosa che si vuole citare me in un secondo momento. in italiano.