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Electronic-music aficionado or not, you’ve probably caught wind of this mysterious, helmet-clad, hype-generating duo known as Daft Punk as of late. Hedi Slimane of Saint Laurent Paris shot them for the new issue of Dazed & Confused (above)…Our friends at GQ managed to score an in-depth Q&A with the elusive hitmakers…And Spin has posted a virtual smorgasbord of articles, from an oral history of the Frenchmen’s first show on US soil to a retrospective of their 19 savviest samples (highlights range from Barry White to Barry Manilow).

The recent flood of Daft Punk buzz (leading up to the pair’s first new album in eight years, Random Access Memories) started about two months ago with brief snippets debuted during Saturday Night Live and at Coachella—like the one below, featuring Pharrell Williams and ’70s studio legend Nile Rodgers:

Next came a series of interviews that revealed not only the dream team of collaborators Daft Punk hand-picked for their new project, but also the return to analog equipment and old-school studio techniques they embraced—a bold departure from the electronic movement they helped birth almost two decades ago. (Our favorites are below; watch all eight episodes here.)


Then, yesterday, an official video from Daft Punk depicting “The Robots” in the flesh, unwrapping the first copy of their new record and cueing it up on the turntable in their trusty spaceship:

…That last development happened to coincide with a surprising opportunity to LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE NEW ALBUM FOR FREE.

(Click the link above to visit Daft Punk’s site—then click the album cover to open iTunes, where you can stream the full album and pre-order prior to its May 21 release.)

 
— — —
 

The Hedi Slimane-designed, sequined dinner jackets Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo wear in the pics abouve (yes, there are humans under there after all) are cool and all—but we tend to favor Daft Punk’s biker phase. Emulate their robo-moto look with one of our favorite leather jackets below—but as far as fully automated cyborg helmets go, you’ll have to look elsewhere.



PS Paul Smith | Field Scout | Dsquared2
Armani Collezioni | Topman | Kenzo

 
 

[Photos by Hedi Slimane for Dazed & Confused. Music videos © Daft Punk, Daft Life Limited under exclusive license to Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment. 'The Collaborators' interview series by The Creators Project, a partnership between Intel and Vice. Individuals featured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

The Met Gala is a high-profile party in NYC that marks the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual fashion-related exhibit at the Costume Institute.

It also produces a red-carpet spectacle that, whereas other red carpets engender class and decorum, encourages celebrities to dress and act as zany as possible.

The theme of this year’s Met exhibit is Punk: Chaos to Couture (check out coverage on our women’s blog). The first favorable outcome of this auspicious motif was a series of fashion films from event sponsor Vogue. Dubbed Punk Stories, they included British model-of-the-moment Cara Delevingne displaying her patented mix of good humor and bad attitude (above) and Ukrainian-Canadian bombshell Daria Werbowy, barely recognizable (but still stunning) in a bleached buzz-cut and various other punk-inspired transformations (below).

Then, there’s the wild red carpet and ensuing after-parties. We’re no fashion police when it comes to womenswear—but we know what we like. Here are the ladies (and a couple men) we thought went the most “punk rock” at Monday night’s Met Gala:


Nicole Richie spray-painted her coif grey for the night (and rocked some high-end Topshop).


Alexa Chung wasn’t afraid to push Gerard Butler around.


Kelly Osbourne, Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora—you guys look great, but Miley Cyrus, of all people, was the one who hit the punk-rock nail on the head.


Taylor Tomasi Hill of Marie Claire donned some serious spikes—and while Thom Browne didn’t exactly wear his punk-rock spirit on his sleeve, we know he has it in him.


We’re not sure about the blue faux-hawk, but Zachary Quinto’s eyebrow game, as usual, was on-point.


Rooney Mara’s attire for the evening wasn’t overtly punk—but if her anti-establishment Girl with the Dragon Tattoo character is permanently burned into your brain, like it is ours, you’ll agree that she’d look pretty tough even in a bathrobe and bunny slippers.


Kanye West performed, in his now-signature punk-inspired Givenchy gear.


Anne Hathaway went bleach-blonde, reportedly just for the night. For a girl-next-door type like her, that’s punk-rock enough to fit the theme in our book.


And then, there was the part where Jennifer Lawrence photo-bombed Sarah Jessica Parker. But Lawrence acts crazy even at the Oscars and on live TV, so “punking” SJP is par for the course. (Note Marion Cotillard and Lena Dunham cracking up in the background.)

 

For more punk-inspired fashion, go inside the Met’s exhibit
on our sister blog, The Thread.

 
 

[Photos and videos via Vogue.com, except for Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence via NYmag.com. Still photos by Pablo Frisk, except Cyrus and co. by Taylor Jewell, Kanye West by Kevin Tachman, Hathaway by Larry Busacca. Individuals pictured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

Thomas Campbell is a soft-spoken guy with larger-than-life ideas. He grew up skating and surfing in California in the ’70s and ’80s, a scene in which, he says, exploring different forms of do-it-yourself creativity was second-nature—be it making music, taking photos, drawing graffiti, or writing a ‘zine.

Campbell parlayed the creative ethos of his youth into a full-time career—or, more accurately, a self-sustaining lifestyle. He lives in Santa Cruz, travels the world, meets interesting people, and “makes stuff.” His artistic output ranges from sculptures to films to paintings—to the the swim trunks and T-shirt below, made in collaboration with California surf and skate brand Element.

Campbell—who was profiled alongside other likeminded, DIY, oddball geniuses like Shepard Fairey and Harmony Korine in the 2008 documentary Beautiful Losers—has also put out three surf films, which are widely revered for their break from the aggro, adrenaline-rush intensity of “extreme sports” in favor of a more meditative, nostalgic homage to surf culture. Beautifully photographed at locations spanning the globe, these excerpts from Thomas Campbell’s Sprout (2004) and The Present (2009) should offer a welcome respite from your Monday-afternoon malaise:




 

SHOP: ELEMENT | ALL SURF & SKATE
 
 

[First video via Element; surf-film excerpts © Thomas Campbell and Woodshed Films, via YouTube. Individuals featured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

Given the coffee/commute/office/home/sleep routine we’re susceptible to as men living in the modern age, it’s sometimes easy to forget that there’s a wild, delicate and extremely precious world out there. This Earth Day, we encourage you to take a step back (or more specifically, 600 miles, however many steps that is) and ponder these surreal images created by NASA’s Landsat program, which has been gathering satellite imagery of Earth since 1972.


[Ghostly Grease Ice. "Ethereal swirls of grease ice appear turquoise against the midnight blue of the northern Baltic Sea near the Aland Islands (red) between Finland and Sweden. An early stage of sea ice formation, grease ice consists of a viscous mix of tiny ice crystals and resembles an oil slick on the ocean's surface. Wind and currents constantly shape and reshape grease ice into surreal, ghostly patterns."]


[Jordan. "Meandering wadis combine to form dense, branching networks across the stark, arid landscape of southeastern Jordan. The Arabic word 'wadi' means a gully or streambed that typically remains dry except after drenching, seasonal rains."]


[Delta Region, Netherlands. "Along the southern coast of the Netherlands, sediment-laden rivers have created a massive delta of islands and waterways in the gaps between coastal dunes. After unusually severe spring tides devastated this region in 1953, the Dutch built an elaborate system of dikes, canals, dams, bridges, and locks to hold back the North Sea."]


[The Syrian Desert. "Between the fertile Euphrates River valley and the cultivated lands of the eastern Mediterranean coast, the Syrian Desert covers parts of modern Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq."]


[Mayn River. "The Mayn River, seen here with what is thought to be a portion of the Anadyr River, flows through the far northeastern corner of Siberia."


[Kamchatka Peninsula. "The eastern side of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula juts into the Pacific Ocean west of Alaska. In this winter image, a volcanic terrain is hidden under snow-covered peaks, and valley glaciers feed blue ice into coastal waters."]


[Meandering Mississippi. "Small, blocky shapes of towns, fields, and pastures surround the graceful swirls and whorls of the Mississippi River. Countless oxbow lakes and cutoffs accompany the meandering river south of Memphis, Tennessee, on the border between Arkansas and Mississippi, USA. The 'mighty Mississippi' is the largest river system in North America."]

 
—  —  —
 

These swirling snapshots of Earth’s diverse and complex surfaces (compiled by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey in a series called Earth as Art) are intended to prompt viewers to ask, “How did the earth do that?” And, though enhanced and colorized by infrared and other light spectrums not visible to the naked eye, the insane patterns of land, ocean and ice are true to life.

Ready to do your part to preserve the planet’s rare beauty? We are. Here are a few eco-friendly Editor’s Picks to help keep us all on the path to leaving a smaller footprint:


From left:
Patagonia jacket, made with recycled materials
Aveda shampoo & conditioner with Gold-level Cradle to Cradle certification
Obey recycled-cotton T-shirt
Michael Rodger sketchbook made of up-cycled vintage records (each is one of a kind)


From left:
The North Face backpack, made with recycled, water-resistant fabric
Hurley ‘Phantom 60′ recycled swim trunks
Sprout compostable watch made with corn resin and tree bark
R44 Rogan Standard Issue sweatshirt made with recycled and organic fibers


From left:
- The North Face jacket, made with recycled materials
- Kikkerland Design bike bell, hand-painted using eco-friendly paints
- Threads for Thought hoodie, made with organic and recycled content
- Areaware MP3-compatible radio, handcrafted with sustainably harvested pine and mahogany


From left:
- WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie dopp kit, made with recycled cotton
- Alternative tank top, made with organic and recycled materials
- Timberland Earthkeepers boot, with recycled materials in the lining, footbed and sole
- Quiksilver Waterman Collection board shorts, made with recycled materials

 
 

Nordstrom has always followed a simple philosophy: “Leave it better than you found it.”
See how we apply this to environmental efforts at our social-responsibility site:
Nordstrom Cares

 
 
 

[Images and descriptions courtesy of NASA and the USGS. Purchase Earth as Art prints here, and download a free e-book and iPad app of the series here.]

So far in our GQ Spring Trend Report series, we’ve studied up on loafers and jean jackets. This week’s installment introduces a new way to add color to your wardrobe during the warm months ahead. If garish ’90s neons don’t suit you, consider their more civilized cousins—Sun-Washed Colors—and start with tips from GQ Creative Director Jim Moore and Deputy Editor Michael Hainey in the video below:

Now that you know the ropes, check out a few of our favorite examples of sun-washed color below—from blazers to boat shoes and everything in between. Click the images to shop each one, and browse additional options here: MORE SUN-WASHED COLORS


Scotch & Soda: Leather Jacket | Shirt | Jeans


Original Paperbacks Shorts


Junya Watanabe Polo Shirt | Warriors of Radness Shorts | Volcom Woven Shirt


Ted Baker Chinos | Hugo Boss Sportcoat | Sperry Top-Sider Boat Shoes


Further Inspiration: We stumbled across the work of Australian photographer Ward Roberts whilst perusing Tumblr today. Besides provoking an intense urge to get outside, his series of sun-bleached, tropical-sherbet basketball courts creates an instant mood board for combining chalky colors this summer. Click the images to enlarge, and check out more of his work here.

—  —  —

Look for new GQ Spring Trend Report videos in the weeks to come—
and shop all eight of our GQ-approved trends, from cotton suits to camo, here:
GQ SPRING TREND REPORT

In an homage to the anonymous geniuses who engineered the everyday works of art (like street signs, film stills, and home interiors) that found their way onto Sam Shipley’s and Jeff Halmos’s Spring 2013 inspiration board, the NYC design duo loosely titled their new collection The Unknown Artist.

Despite that (or perhaps because of it), the S&H guys—masters of wry humor as well as rounding out your wardrobe—decided to cast 6 not-so-unknown artists in the stylish faux-portrait above. Below, Sam and Jeff of Shipley & Halmos discuss an artwork by each modern master that has, in some way, influenced their own aesthetic. Click each artist’s name to learn more.


1. Joseph Beuys, I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974. “Beuys as an artist might be as iconic as the works he created. You’ve seen his trademark hat, and always wondered what it would be like to wear one of his felt suit sculptures.”


2. Keith Haring, ‘Crack is Wack’ Mural, 1986. “When driving through Harlem on the way back down to Manhattan, you can see this original Keith Haring mural from 1986, one of the finest examples of graffiti art in the world. So happy the city of NY has kept its condition in such great shape. It’s inspiring each and every time we see it.”


3. Pablo Picasso, Chien, Coq Et Pierrot, 1970. “What can we say about Picasso that hasn’t already been said? The guy was a master, and is almost always a reference point for us. His detailed sketches, such as this one, inspired some of our recent print work.”


4. Roy Lichtenstein, Still Life with Portrait, 1974. “This particular Lichtenstein painting inspired a T-shirt graphic a few seasons back. Our rendition included a frosty beer, hamburger, fries, and framed picture of MJ circa 1988.”


5. Richard Prince, Untitled (From ‘Cowboy’ Series), 1980-1992. “Prince’s Cowboy series is an interesting example of blending classic Americana with a modern pop-art feel. The works are currently being shown [through April 6] at the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles. As a present-day artist, Prince is so versatile in almost every medium.”


6. David Hockney, A Bigger Splash, 1967. “During the winter doldrums, flip open a book of Hockney’s work (one of Jeff’s personal favorites)—especially his Pool series. The color palette and subject matter instantly reminds you that summer is almost here!”

 
 
 

[Portrait collage and artwork images courtesy of Shipley & Halmos. All artwork is © the artists noted. Individuals featured do not endorse Nordstrom.]

When Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner—a bona fide visionary with an armload of Emmys under his belt—has an odd-sounding request, his team at cable-saviors AMC have learned to listen. Such was the case with the extremely specific idea he had for hyping the show’s upcoming sixth season. To quote The New York Times:

“…Inspired by a childhood memory of lush, painterly illustrations on TWA flight menus, [Weiner] decided to turn back the promotional clock. He pored over commercial illustration books from the 1960s and ’70s and sent images to the show’s marketing team, which couldn’t quite recreate the look he was after. ‘Finally,’ [Weiner] said, ‘they just looked up the person who had done all these drawings that I really loved, and they said: Hey, we’ve got the guy who did them. And he’s still working. His name is Brian Sanders.’”

We decided to look up Sanders for ourselves. Amidst a long and illustrious career in England, the work that most caught our eye on the illustrator’s curriculum vitae comes from the 1960s, when Sanders convinced Stanley Kubrick to allow him to document the making of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sanders observed and sketched on-set twice a week for over a year, later working on larger paintings in his studio. An excerpt of this amazing record appears below. See more of Sanders’s artwork here.

 

Here’s a look at how that little project turned out:

…And in case you need a reminder of why to watch Mad Men (besides the impeccable style inspiration), here’s one of our favorite quotes—Don Draper explaining why he seldom says ‘Thank you’ to his valued employees:

 
 

[Artwork © Brian Sanders. Mad Men poster and clip courtesy of AMC.]

Dutch artists Lernert Engelberts and Sander Plug (known collectively by Lernert & Sander) have a habit of making statements that are somehow subtle and over-the-top at the same time—like composing a delicate lullaby by honking car horns, or finding creative ways to crack eggs in epic slo-mo. Usually, these take the form of short films, but in the case of ‘Everything,’ above, their meticulous art also has a very tangible outcome: A 1.5-liter jug of cologne, consisting of almost 1400 samples of 2012′s fragrances mixed together.

We’re not sure if there’s a higher meaning here…so we’ll just run with our own interpretation of this liquid work of art: Don’t be too-much-cologne guy. Choose a signature scent that works for you (like one of the picks below from the new issue of GQ), and please, apply it in small amounts. A dab will do. Anything more is akin to cracking an egg with a hammer.


The Gentleman Biker. Tom Ford’s patchouli-based (but not at all hippie) Noir makes sense for a man who’s on a first-name basis with both his tailor and his motorcycle mechanic.” —GQ
[Shop Tom Ford Noir]


The All-American Everydude. Enjoy football, everything Jay-Z does, and Gosling films that aren’t The Notebook? Bright, earthy, orange-laced Terre d’Hermès is your finishing touch.” —GQ
[Shop Terre d'Hermès]


The Clean-Cut Peacock. Prada’s new Luna Rossa packs an extra-fresh hit of lavender for the kind of detail-obsessed guy who knows the difference between pomade, paste, and styling clay.” —GQ
[Shop Prada Luna Rossa]


The Style Blogger. Own a double-breasted jacket—with a camo print? Floral scents like Dolce & Gabbana’s Pour Homme are the next big fashion-forward thing.” —GQ
[Shop Dolce&Gabbana Pour Homme]

 
SHOP ALL: MEN’S FRAGRANCES | GROOMING
 
 

[Video courtesy of Lernert & Sander on Vimeo, via Selectism. Fragrance illustrations by Esra Røise, courtesy of GQ.com. GQ text altered slightly.]

The 85th annual Academy Awards ceremony airs this Sunday evening at 4pm Pacific on ABC. Have you seen all the films yet? With nine nominees crowding the Best Picture category alone, we won’t blame you if you haven’t. However, these things are always more interesting when you have a dog in the fight (and something to talk about at Oscar parties come Sunday)—so if your Friday and Saturday plans permit, consider taking in a last-minute film or two.

We’re honored to have five original, exclusive poster designs below, created just for us by LA-based graphic artist (and film buff) Midnight Marauder, representing five of his favorite Best Picture nominees. Read his crib notes, watch the trailers, and then hit up Fandango to find a screening near you, pre-Oscar night.


ARGO - Directed by Ben Affleck. “I went a little Syriana on this design. I guess the film struck me as CIA on a mission. George Clooney produced the film, so it has that vibe to it.”


 
 


LINCOLN – Directed by Steven Spielberg. “I’m a big Civil War buff. I ritually watch Civil War by [documentary filmmaker] Ken Burns a few times a year. So the entire Lincoln story is something I’m deeply passionate about. Only a true maverick like Daniel Day-Lewis could bring Lincoln’s last few months to the screen with such vigor. For the design, I wanted something simple and nostalgic.”


 
 


DJANGO UNCHAINED – Directed by Quentin Tarantino. “QT is a marvelous writer. I can imagine him giddy with excitement when he called Christoph Waltz over to read his part. I loved the energy of each character—but when Waltz and DiCaprio left the film, it lost me a little.”


 
 


AMOUR – Directed by Michael Haneke. “Haneke has crafted quite a love story, with devastating effects. This one will really get to you if you let it. I couldn’t help bringing a Polish touch to such a depressing and beautiful film.” [Ed. note: Artists in Poland have been particularly renowned in the realm of poster art for decades.]


 
 


ZERO DARK THIRTY – Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. “Female directors are a bit rare in the industry, but I love Bigelow’s films. She’s right up there with action guys like Paul Greengrass and Guy Ritchie. Again, I was feeling inspired by Polish poster design.”


 

—  —  —
 


The Real Winner: As many critics might attest, the year’s truly best movies don’t always win awards—or even get nominated. In Mr. Marauder’s opinion: “Honestly, the best picture this year is The MasterIt’s a shame that Paul Thomas Anderson [director of There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights, among others] hasn’t yet gotten the recognition he rightly deserves.”
 



More Midnight Marauder: The grid above contains just a few of our latest favorites from Marauder’s vast archive of hundreds of eye-widening poster designs, spanning from celluloid classics to upcoming releases. We chose these based solely on aesthetics—but given the designer’s taste level, you can bet money each is worth adding to your Netflix queue as well. [Click images to enlarge. Ryan Gosling's The Place Beyond the Pines, bottom left, is due in theaters late March.]


Marauder’s latest limited-edition print—created for a recent ‘Oscar Legends’ exhibit at Hero Complex Gallery in San Francisco—is still available for sale (framed if you so desire). It depicts 1978 Best-Picture winner The Deer Hunter, about which Marauder had the following to say: “One of my favorite films of all time…it encapsulates everything that I adore in cinema. Director Michael Cimino’s intimate epic about family, brotherhood and war is the ultimate ’70s film. The Russian roulette scene is one of the greatest gifts to cinema ever realized.”

If you find yourself in the Portland, Oregon, area this Sunday—see the Deer Hunter print in person, along with Oscar Legends as depicted by many other artists, at Hero Complex’s pop-up gallery at the Hollywood Theatre.
 

READ PREVIOUS POSTS FEATURING MIDNIGHT MARAUDER
 
 
 

[Artwork © Midnight Marauder. View more of his work on Tumblr and Behance.]

There are style blogs—and then there’s Street Etiquette. By weaving a deep-rooted fascination with culture, community, history and humanity through everything they do—from the clothes they wear to the global adventures they undertake—Street Etiquette founders Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs transcend run-of-the-mill “What I Wore Today” sites, striving instead to answer a more pressing question: What I Did Today.

That’s why we’re honored and excited to collaborate with these gentlemen and scholars to bring you that rare style spectacle—New York Fashion Week—through Street Etiquette’s eyes. Joshua and Travis will be on the ground in their hometown of NYC, sending us daily dispatches of the people and places that catch their attention; and doing it all with their signature sense of personal style, which ranges from thoughtful tailoring to punk-rock pattern mixing.

Our coverage commences later this week, right here on the Men’s Shop Daily, as well as on our Men’s Shop Instagram feed (@NordstromMen). For now though, scroll down to learn about some of Street Etiquette’s recent projects—and see exactly why we’re looking forward to working with them.

[Above: Travis, left, and Joshua outside The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Photo by Andre Wagner.]






The men of Street Etiquette doing what they do best: Soaking up the scenery of their native NYC.
[First and 3rd photos from the top by Rog Walker, from their recent shoot with
model/shoe designer Armando Cabral; 2nd, 4th and 5th from top were taken at New York Fashion Week a year ago.]



Inspired by the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Peter Tosh, organized by Street Etiquette, and shot by Andre Wagner, CROWNED was a portrait series celebrating personal expression through hair.




Snaps from Street Etiquette’s recent journeys to
Sao Paulo and Itajai, Brazil (top 4-grid), and Luanda, Angola.



Travis sporting one of Street Etiquette’s ‘Black Ivy’ T-shirts (almost sold out)—inspired by their 2010 project with photographer F.E. Castleberry of Unabashedly Prep.



Even before Joshua and Travis shifted their focus from personal style to thought-provoking photo essays, they often based their outfit posts on historical research—mining sources like the Time/Life Archive and The Selvedge Yard for vintage inspiration.


Street Etiquette’s Tumblr feed isn’t just pretty pictures; it’s a digital pipeline of tangible influences, from classic jazz to abstract art.
(Speaking of Tumblr—check out our own Nordstrom inspiration board if you haven’t already.)




Excerpts from Street Etiquette’s Instagram journal.
For more like this, live from New York Fashion Week, stay tuned to
Men’s Shop Daily–and follow @NordstromMen on Instagram.

 
 

[Photos courtesy of StreetEtiquette.com, Street Etiquette's Tumblr and Street Etiquette's Instagram.]