The must reads

How To Avoid Huge Ships: And Other Implausibly Titled Books marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Diagram Prize, the Bookseller’s momentous annual contest to determine the oddest book title of the year. Baffling titles such as Bombproof Your Horse, Fancy Coffins To Make Yourself and People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It have all been recipients of this glittering prize, along with Reusing Old Graves: A Report on Popular British Attitudes and If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start with Your Legs. Out on September 8th. A must have for anyone with a quirky sense of humor!

Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire

We've been to many markets throughout the world, but one of our favorites by far is the Alameda Pointe Antiques and Collectibles Faire. It's the largest of its kind in Northern California. There are over 800 dealers selling their merchandise on the first Sunday of every month; Everything sold at the show must be at least twenty years old. The faire, not to mention the parking lot, spans several miles. Get there early - it opens from 6am - if you want to get through the whole market and snatch up one of the coveted parking spaces. They do have shuttles that will take visitors from their car to the main entrance. The next faire happens on Sunday, September 7th, which coincides with their 10th anniversary. Free admission before noon, September faire only.

Banksy in New Orleans

New York's Wooster Collective who's website is dedicated to showcasing and celebrating ephemeral art placed on streets in cities worldwide is now tracking Banksy's progress in New Orleans. CLICK HERE to go to their site to view.

Read the fine print

These photos are from a Nike ad campaign we saw the last time we were in the Harajuku area of Tokyo.

Computer love

Numéro Tokyo (a Japanese fashion magazine) is giving these Louis Vutton monogramouflauge mouse pads away starting in October. Hopefully this will up the ante for the rest of the world's fashion magazines.

One of a kind: Champs-Elysées, Paris

These ankle boots are made out of fish skin! Amazing.

Make your own pair of shoes

Our friend Melissa at Prescott and Mackay School of Fashion and Accessory Design offers 5 day courses in shoemaking in both London and San Francisco. CLICK HERE to check her course dates and prices. And if you don't feel like making shoes you can always buy a pair at one of her 2 boutiques in London or on-line at Black Truffle where she features seasonal collections of shoes and accessories by small contemporary design labels.

Ladies Lotto hearts Camella

Our friends at Ladies Lotto put together an exceptional event with Triple 5 Soul founder Camella Ehlke at New York's I Heart boutique last week and they have some great video of it posted on their blog. Camella shares her experiences on being a creative entrepreneur in the street wear industry in New York in the early 1990's. Very humble and inspirational! CLICK HERE to go to Ladies Lotto to view.

Neon signs

Get ready to brighten up your wardrobe. Designers are making way for eye popping neon shades in everything from make up to shoes. Here's a few items which are completely wearable: ankle boots from Christian Louboutin, gloves by Carolina Amato, and bag by Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Gant x The Sartorialist

Read about one of our favorite bloggers (Scott Shulman AKA The Sartorialist) on one of our favorite blogs (A Continuous Lean). CLICK HERE to go to ACL to read more about the Gant and Sartorialist collaboration.

A walk through Shoreditch, London

Eeeeexcellent!

Kid Robot has teamed up with Matt Groening to bring your favorite Springfield citizens. CLICK HERE to check out the Simpsons Kid Robot mini site.

For men only

Straight from the runways of Paris and Milan, and the ateliers of Tokyo, The Archive in San Francisco offers exclusive, cutting edge designer clothing and accessories for the modern, style conscious man. The owners have combined over 40 years in the industry to assemble a variety of innovative designer collections that can be found only in a handful of stores worldwide. The Archive also carries men's accessories including shoes, bags, jewelry, and belts. Designers include Rick Owens, Number (N)ine, Guidi, and CP Company.

Brand new Chucks

We like the simplistic design of this new Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low. All black leather with no graphics, logos, or laces.

Marc goes green

Adorable Marc Jacobs grocery tote made out of 100% sustainable hemp materials and eco-friendly printing techniques.

Guidi

Since 1896 Guido Guidi, Giovanni Rosellini, and Gino Ulivo established the Conceria (tannery) Guidi E Rosellini at Pescia in Tuscany. Here the art of leather tanning can be traced back to the middle ages. Ruggero Guidi, who now runs the tannery spends his time looking for the perfect balance between advanced technologies and heritage, dealing with demanding requests from designers all over the world but always finding a way to get them what they want. His passion for leather and respect for it's tradition gives Guidi's current footwear and bag collection true meaning, only something a true craftsman with his knowledge and experience would be able to make. Guidi refuses to mass produce, offering something unique with a twist of tradition. You can find Guidi footwear at Journal Standard in Tokyo, Andreas Murkudis in Berlin, Butter in New York, The Library in London, and The Archive in San Francisco.

Washed cordovan
Lined full grain kango
Lined goat leather
Lined cordovan reversed

Wear for love, love for wear

Emily Current and Meritt Elliot, 2 cool LA stylists are reviving and modernizing old denim styles from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. If your into timeless fashion pieces, don't have time to scour flea markets and vintage stores, and need an alternative to the sea of dressy denim that's currently in the market Current/Elliot is for you. Armed with jeans, vests, jackets, and dresses Current/Elliot have recreated each piece with comfortable stretch Japanese denim produced in their hometown of Los Angeles. Every style has a historical reference, an original vintage sample, and a year or origin.

The Skinny-1988
The Horseshoe-1973
The Jumper Dress-1976
The Harley Vest-1980

Wall Art: Berlin

Music for the masses

Tim Sweeny/Beats in Space
Tim Sweeny made his his DJ debut in Baltimore and the DC rave circuit at the age of 15. He then interned for DFA's Tim Goldsworthy and James Murphy and the rest is history. Today, he’s a full-time DJ, and has played across Europe, North and South America, and Australia. He's never lost sight of his initial passion though, he's still back in New York every Tuesday to record his world famous Beats In Space radio show, our favorite ongoing show on the net. Beats In Space is mixed live by Tim Sweeney and guests every Tuesday night from 10:30pm to 1am on WNYU 89.1FM in New York City. You can listen to the archives on Tim Sweeny's Beats In Space website or download a podcast from WNYU. Rob Da Bank/Sunday Best
In 1995, Rob da Bank founded Sunday Best (a weekly party) in South London's Tearooms Des Artistes based on a love of chill out, electronica and an anything goes policy. Sunday Best Recordings was born in 1997 unveiling then unknown acts Groove Armada, Bent and Lemon Jelly to the world. You can catch him djing at huge festivals like Glastonbury or his residencies about London, nevertheless he still manages to present his Sunday late-night show, Sunday Best, on BBC Radio 1 from midnight-2am, which is focused on promoting new leftfield music.Michna/Magic Monday
Growing up in both New York and Miami young Michna has been DJing parties since he can remember. He found his way as a DJ under his Egg Foo Young alias, earning him a place in URB's “Next 100”. Production gigs for Bonde do Role and Diplo followed, allowing Michna to put his skills at both the drum machine and the trombone to good use, creating hard hitting electro party tracks that incorporated a more classical style of music. His debut album, Magic Monday, is being released by Ghostly International, home to artists like Dabrye and Matthew Dear. CLICK HERE to read his album review in The FADER magazine. To download tracks from Magic Monday CLICK HERE.

Commes des Garcons x H & M

We're not the biggest fans of the high street but this collaboration was worth a post. Collection launches in Tokyo in early November with the rest of the world shortly after. CLICK HERE to go to Fashionista.com for more info and images.

Big cats

If you adore cats like we do, you will love this lion commercial for the Sky/Discovery Channel network. Even lion couples have domestic disputes...

Jonathan Kelsey for Mulberry

Mulberry's first footwear collection created by British shoe designer Jonathan Kelsey is now available for purchase . To shop the collection now CLICK HERE.

Henry Gregory

Henry Gregory Antiques & Vintage is one of our favorite places in London. Located at the top of Portobello Road, it's like a big treasure chest in the form of a shop. They carry beautiful Victorian to Vintage antiques ranging in price from £30-£5000 including silver, vintage sporting items (cricket, polo, golf, rugby, football, tennis), luggage (trunks, briefcases, hold alls, suitcases), and random Victorian and Edwardian vintage objects like brass telescopes, flight googles, and opera glasses.They ship all over the world to dealers, decorators, and private buyers and their selection is second to none. Owner Henry Gregory, who has been buying all over the British Isles for the last 20 years, sources most of the shop's stock himself. Henry Gregory is a gem and should be on the top of the list for any designer looking for inspiration.

Clone Wars

Speaking of galaxies, the premiere for the animated feature film to support Star Wars : The Clone Wars animated TV series happened in Los Angeles a few days ago. Star Wars creator George Lucas has confirmed that there will be at least 100 episodes produced and each one will fill a 30 minute time slot. To watch the feature film trailer CLICK HERE. It opens in US & UK theaters this Friday, August 15th.

Into the Galaxy

Here are some amazing shots from the Midnight Juggernauts - Into the Galaxy video shoot in a marble extraction site in the French Pyrenees. Art directed by Surface To Air it's absolutely beautiful, one of the more visually pleasing videos we've seen complete with motorcycles, wild horses, and majestic mountains. The Midnight Juggernauts - Into the Galaxy EP comes out this week. CLICK HERE to watch the full video on the Midnight Juggernauts You Tube Channel.