Do you find the topic of fast fashion versus affordability to be daunting?
The Art of Sneakers, Vol. 1 offered an alternative and a tantalizing glimpse into that topic, into the ever-growing field of sustainable fashion, this past weekend in Oakland. Jeff Perlstein, co-founder of Oakland Style Lab and an artist, activist and shoe enthusiast co-curated the show. The first of its kind, the show immediately drew me in to the world of sneakers. Featuring 15 top creators in the industry, the shoes on display ranged in style and form; while some emphasized their sustainable roots, others brought a more sculptural approach to the shelves.
A habitué of thrift shops, flea markets, and similar bazaars near and far, artist Melanie Walas is attracted to stuffed animals and toys she finds at the discount emporia she visits. “I feel bad because they’re abandoned,” she said of the items she collects. “They were once loved by someone.”
A few years ago Walas imagined incorporating the stuffed playthings into clothing. She began integrating the discarded playthings — often deconstructing their parts — by sewing them onto garments that seemed to match the clothes’ character. The result are wonderfully whimsical wearables that are eye-catchingly quirky and hilariously fun. The jacket she wore at Mercury 20 Gallery as part of Oakland Style, “A Celebration of Art, Fashion, Music, Cuisine & Culture,” pictured above, featured plush toy Teletubbies in red, green, and yellow. Her kind of thinking turns the corner from merely humorous and enters the realm of outright awesome.
The vacant storefronts of West Oakland’s 7th Street have been a blight for years, and few more so, or more conspicuously so, than the 10,000-square-foot corner location directly across the street from the BART station. And while it may not be feeding the neighborhood literally, as the previous tenant did, the new occupant is more than ready to fill the space with light and laughter as they teach an ever-changing student body the technical know-how of barbering, cosmetology, and esthetics.
Produced in “The New West” (West Oakland), Saint Maurice Clothing was a natural fit for this past Saturday’s “West Oakland Matters,” a community art event showcasing local visual arts, film, photojournalism, and fashion. Organizers included photographer Malcolm Ryder, curator and artist TC Moore, and Jeanette De Mello of adorable 7th St vintage shop Serial Material, and the event was held both indoors and out at 7th West.
Downtown Parking Garage Concert Series: “Super Imposed” 100 W. 1st St. Tulsa July 11, 2024
What’s the point of a downtown parking garage after all the workers go home for the day? What about a plastic bag after it’s done carrying your Granny Smith apples and energy drinks? Or a pile of tree limbs left behind after a storm or a visit from the PSO power line crew? What do we do, honestly, when systems that we were told would sustain us turn out to be crumbling, abandoned, unsustainable?
