MIDNIGHT BLUE. OXBLOOD. HUNTER GREEN.
By now, you guys know that I have a thing for colors–all colors!–and there’s something special about these 3, in particular, that amazes me, especially when they’re side by side! Each hue has a vibrancy and a strength to it that gets me revved up; plus, they have such a masculine tone, which is always a bonus in my book when it comes to dressing.![bleu rouge vert x [the no names]](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/bleu-rouge-vert.jpg "bleu rouge vert x [the no names]")
Interesting Fact #347: While some guys get in touch with their masculine side by playing
sports or driving cars, I get in touch with mine through my wardrobe. I LOVE executing
looks that are packed with [a boyish edge] in just the right way. I guess it makes sense why
my favorite designers all have pretty similar aesthetics…
Remember?! I talked about them in [this post].
This past weekend, I had some fun with my closet and put together a few monochromatic looks using these [POWER COLORS]. Each one has it’s own personality and flavor, don’t you think? And while any [single] piece of clothing from this color TRIO is great, head-to-toe looks are purely amazing. Check it out.
OXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLO
DOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBLOODOXBL
MIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBL
IDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLUEMIDNIGHTBLU
HUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHU
TERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTERGREENHUNTE
As you can see, HUNTER GREEN is my current favorite, so I gave it an encore!
This weekend got off to an early start for me with the help of one of my favorite [lifestyle brands]. Thursday night, Heineken took a lucky group of us on a boat ride across the East River to a not-so far off location, where we celebrated the new Heineken Star Bottle with endless drinks, good people, and great energy.
Needless to say, green was the color of the night. After the boat docked in my favorite borough, we entered what felt like the Emerald City packed into a warehouse (kinda like this <<< [click here]). The live art exhibits taking place and the energetic performance from fun. only added to the good vibe, making it another night to remember in my favorite city. Heineken’s events always offer a great translation for what “cool” means to them and I love that they share that with their audience so often and so openly. Once again, it was a job well-done from the “guys in green.”
[one of the best parts of the night for me]: This “secret” location just so happened to be in my backyard (quite literally). No late night taxicab confessions for me. I walked outside of the venue in the Navy Yard and was home in less than two minutes. Now, that’s icing on the cake.
Earlier tonight, my co-worker and I headed over to the Lincoln Center to check out the new Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s documentary and it was spectacular! It was so inspiring to see the ins and outs of such a monumental piece of the industry (and American culture as a whole). The documentary featured commentary from a multitude of major players and influencers in the world of fashion, from Vera Wang and Michael Kors to Marc Jacobs and Linda Fargo (of course!); and they just kept on coming, one after another. The film was packed with monumental figures and gems of inspiration from start to finish. If you’re any type of fan of the industry, it’s a must-see piece of work.
![[Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's] x the no names](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/551545_171896739633752_481445953_n-600x353.jpg "[Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's] x the no names")
If you haven’t heard of it, visit the official website or check out the trailer below. For those of you in the NYC area, check your local listings for showtimes.
Earlier today, as I was getting ready to leave work, my co-worker shocked me when she mentioned tonight’s Met Gala. It’s crazy how quickly a year can pass. It feels like I JUST finished covering the red carpet looks for last year’s event on Kontrol Mag’s blog! Well, it’s that time again and the theme tonight is PUNK: Chaos to Couture! Sounds fun, right? The red carpet was filled with a variety of looks and, as expected, the best and worst were out in full fashion. No need to discuss the worst, so just check out my A-Team below!
Anne Hathaway has officially been elected my QB for the night, supported by Gwen Stefani as the halfback and Marc Jacobs as the coach. Miley‘s playing as the center and, with how amazing she’s been on every field (red carpet) I’ve seen her on over the past few months, Rooney Mara can be my wide receiver.
![[TNN Soundbox]: Edition I](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tnn-soundbox-dition-I-image-tnn.jpg "[TNN Soundbox]: Edition I")
At the start of 2013, I set a special goal for myself to listen to a new album every week. It didn’t have to be a brand new release, just something fresh and unfamiliar: a new artist, a new genre, anything as long as as it exposed me to something [new]. With 17 weeks of the year out of the way so far, I’ve come across 17 albums from some great artists. I put together a little playlist for you guys to check out with my favorite tracks from my [January-April] discoveries. You can find most of these on Spotify and the rest are available for free listens (and downloads) online. There’s a lot of good stuff included. Enjoy!
#.Track x Artist x Album
1. TipToe x Imagine Dragons x Night Visions
2. Trying to Be Cool x Phoenix x Bankrupt!
3. Elephant x Tame Impala x Lonerism
4. Apparition x Frank + Derol x Frank + Derol EP
5. When the Movie’s Over x Twin Shadow x Confess
6. Don’t Hold the Wall x Justin Timberlake x The 20/20 Experience
7. Take the Canyon x JoJo x Agapé*
8. So Many Details x Toro Y Moi x Anything in Return
9. If You’re Never Gonna Move x Jessie Ware x Devotion
10. Use Me x Miguel x Kaleidoscope Dream
11. Fashion Killa x A$AP Rocky x LONG.LIVE.A$AP
12. Hotel Miami x Phlo Finister x Poster Girl*
13. Crazy Driving (with JJ Johnson) x Kiya Lacey x Switchin’ Lanes EP*
14. Love Into the Light x Ke$ha x Warrior
15. Overgrown x James Blake x Overgrown
16. Closer Than This x St. Lucia x St. Lucia EP
17. Metropolis x Owl City x The Midsummer Station
*track is not available on Spotify
Ask any of my closest friends and they can rattle off my favorite fashion brands: Givenchy, Dior Homme, Balenciaga, Calvin Klein Collection. From the colorways and designs to the architecture in each piece, but mainly their distinct touches of masculine flavor and boyish charm, I connect with each of these fashion houses in my own special way.
Needless to say, each time I come across pieces or collections reminiscent of the [Fantastic 4] above, I get extremely excited. A few days ago, one of the assistant buyers on my team showed me the latest collection from designer Charles Harbison, one of her former co-workers at Michael Kors, and I instantly fell in love with his aesthetic. It’s like the perfect culmination of my favorite designers wrapped into one: color, design, architecture, and everything else I love executed just the way I like it. I’m sure as you look through some of the images below, you’ll see how easy it is to catch the similarities between his work and that of my favs. I can’t wait to see what he has coming for Spring ’14. In the meantime, check out what’s ahead for the Fall season. -JRPx
I just checked out Will.I.Am’s new video for #thatPOWER with The Biebers and I actually approve; mainly for one reason though: [the color palette]. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been completely in love with the idea of a black, white, and grey color palette for my wardrobe in the fall. I think the Rad Hourani discussion I attended last year at FIT is what first sparked the idea, but it’s definitely a project in the works for me. Check it out.
[Sidebar: I love that little walk they do throughout the video.
I'm going to saunter through the city like that. Ha!]
You may or may not have heard about the buzz behind Dove’s latest campaign, Real Beauty Sketches. I saw it for the first time yesterday as I was working on a post and it was totally unlike your typical YouTube advertisement. It was [powerful]. The campaign exposes a sad, but real truth that many of us (not just women, as critics would have you believe) fall victim to, but also shows the bright—wait—the [beautiful] side of things. Check it out.
It’s amazing how small we can view ourselves at times, when in fact, it’s just our lenses that need a bit of cleaning. Coming from an advertising background, I am so impressed with Ogilvy & Mather Brazil, the agency behind this excellent campaign. If you haven’t heard it yet for the day, “You’re beautiful.” Don’t forget it. - JRPx
[click here to watch the extended video on Dove USA's YouTube channel]
I get quite a few tweets and emails recommending that I check out “X”, “Y”, and “Z” artist and their latest song that’s so spectacular; but more often than not, I’m left a little underwhelmed. Not that the artist or their work isn’t good, but it’s usually an unmastered song with an average visual that sounds like both the video and track were created in iMovie… I don’t like that.
Last summer, I got an unexpected tweet with a link to a YouTube video from an artist I’d never come across before. I was in the gym when I got it, but for some reason, I stopped and played it while I was on one of the machines (dangerous, right?); and, for the first time in a while, I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard. The song was called Freeze Tag and it came from a young artist named Kiya Lacey.
Other than following her back on Twitter, I didn’t really know much about her, except for the fact that I liked her work, but I’ve since learned that this young Nashville singer was an alum of the 2012 GRAMMY Camp in Los Angeles and has been getting in the studio to build a repertoire of promising songs. Her SoundCloud has been loaded with 8 new songs over the past few months and I’ve listened to a couple. Good stuff. Her voice has a mature, soulful twang to it that validates her lyrics, despite her young age. And if her status with the GRAMMY Camp wasn’t enough to confirm that she’s a talented individual, just listen to her vocals once. It won’t be hard to tell.
[YouTube]: “You’re Still Here” Music Video from GRAMMY Camp LA 2012
Since I first heard Freeze Tag months ago, it’s stayed in rotation among a couple of my playlists and it’s still not played out to me. Check out the track below and visit her Soundcloud to hear more. As she matures in the industry, I’m sure there are going to be great things coming.
#tnnapproved tracks: 8. Crazy Driving, Freeze Tag,
You’re Still Here, What’s the Deal (You Make Me Say)
I’ve been waiting for the right time to talk about today’s artist, and I think [April Showers] is the perfect occasion. During my L.A. getaway last summer, I had the pleasure of sitting in on a studio session with Phlo Finister and it was definitely a memorable experience. The process of creating a record is so intricate and it takes dozens of pieces and layers packed on top of one another to find yourself with the perfect masterpiece. It’s pretty fascinating. Like the music, Phlo Finister seems to have quite a few layers too; and each one provides substance to her work, while painting an interesting story for her fans to enjoy.
Infused with an essence of the [mod era] and the realness of life in Los Angeles, her brand embodies her taste and experiences and pushes them out in an authentic form. Naturally, the music echoes these elements perfectly. Her take on modern rhythm & blues is colored with a “lady gangster” type of rawness that makes it clear that she’s not your typical R&B “diva” in the making. Her work is influenced by classical and rock elements and she has that artistic trait that suggests that it’s more than just about making money. It’s about life and telling her story.
[Blog to Blog]: Check out The Madbury Club’s 2012 interview with Phlo by clicking below.
Before actually meeting her, I never realized how many different moments she had already crossed my path. First, there was the whole buzz around the Aaliyah inspiration in her Shades video, then I came across her again when Kyrell used the single in our [Heat Advisory] summer mixtape. On top of that, I had no clue that a good friend of mine from college was a part of her creative team. It’s such a small world, right? I never would’ve guessed we’d all wind up in a club together in West Hollywood.
Her Poster Girl EP (the most recent, but definitely not her first) dropped at the end of 2012 and she’s well on the way to building a notable name for herself in the industry. If you don’t mind a throwback post, click on the image above. The Madbury Club did a great interview with the 21-year old singer last year titled Youthquake. Phlo Finister, which you should check out if you’re interested in more about this interesting young lady. She lays a lot of details on the line and you really get a feel for what she’s about as an artist and, more importantly, as a person.
You can check out Poster Girl below and listen to Shades on our [Heat Advisory] mixtape.
We’re well into the month of April, which means it’s time for my [April Showers] music series. For those of you who didn’t catch last year’s edition, it’s all about celebrating the freshness of spring by showering you with great music from rising talents. This year, I have a few more awesome, young artists that I can’t get enough of and I think I’ll start with Frank + Derol.
![[april showers] x frank + derol BANNER](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/april-showers-x-frank-+-derol-BANNER.jpg "[april showers] x frank + derol BANNER")
I actually discovered this duo just last week in Uniqlo as I was browsing the racks (if there’s one thing that I can always rely on Uniqlo and TopShop to deliver, it’s a decent soundtrack while I’m shopping). The song that stopped me in my tracks and made me pull up my Shazam app was [Barely Love You Too] from their 2012 self-titled EP. The 4-track mini-album is packed with “chill-ternative” vocals and good music that I plan on keeping in rotation.
I was totally surprised to find out that the duo included Codi Caraco and Brandi Cyrus, as in the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus/sister of Miley Cyrus. Coincidentally, I recently had a discussion with my friend about Miley’s career and how I can’t wait for her to get her life together and return to the game, so this little discovery just pushes me further toward Team Cyrus.
![[april showers] x the no names x frank + derol](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/frank+derol-1024x707.jpg "[april showers] x the no names x frank + derol")
Getting back to the point, I really like the “musical aesthetic” that these two offer. The indie-pop feel of the music is comfortable and pleasing to the ears without crossing too far in either direction. It doesn’t look like confirmed details have dropped yet, but their debut album is set to release sometime this year and I look forward to seeing what’s next for these two. Check out their Frank + Derol EP below.
![[april showers] x frank + derol 1](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/april-showers-x-frank-+-derol-1.jpg "[april showers] x frank + derol 1")
So… after this past week, I realized that I’ve been working way too much, both in and out of the office. I’m a huge advocate of hard work, but it’s much more important to take care of yourself and actually [enjoy] the life you live; especially when you’re a 23-year old New Yorker with one of the most amazing cities in the world sitting at your fingertips.
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 1](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-1.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 1")
Now that Spring has finally decided to show her face, I’m “taking the rest of the month off” and leaving all work strictly between the hours of 9 and 6. I kicked off this little vacation of mine at Santos Party House down in TriBeCa for Twelv Magazine’s Issue #3 Launch Party. The event was co-hosted by Lookbook.nu & Material Wrld and drinks were flowing courtesy of Caorunn Gin & Chang Beer. The naturally eclectic crowd and I were entertained by a number of performers and the chill atmosphere was perfect for clearing my mind. I can’t wait for Issue #4 to drop. I was assured by a “special source” that the next launch party will be even better.
For now, I’m getting back to my vacation. Consider this a postcard from my imaginary paradise. - JRPx
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 2](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-2.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 2")
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 5](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-5.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 5")
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 6](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-6.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 6")
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 7](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-7.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 7")
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 8](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-8.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 8")
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 9](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-9.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 9")
![[the reintroduction] x the no names 10](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-reintroduction-x-the-no-names-10.jpg "[the reintroduction] x the no names 10")
![[A Night on the Water]: Heineken's The Arrival Party](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/themes/bigfeature/library/timthumb/timthumb.php?src=/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/a-night-on-the-river-x-heineken-thumb.jpg&w=220&h=140&zc=1&zcp=1)
![[POWER COLORS]](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/themes/bigfeature/library/timthumb/timthumb.php?src=/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/power-trio-thumb.jpg&w=220&h=140&zc=1&zcp=1)
![[Flesh Love] x Haruhiko Kawaguchi](http://the-no-names.com/blog/wp-content/themes/bigfeature/library/timthumb/timthumb.php?src=/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/HKtumb.jpeg&w=220&h=140&zc=1&zcp=1)