keep you | music video

{ directed by Melina Matsoukas }

I am excited to share Wild Belle's official music video for Keep You, which debuted earlier this week on the Rolling Stone website. Director Melina Matsoukas spoke to the magazine about her interpretation of the song and the narrative she chose to tell through the video. "It's a story about unrequited love and how with age, we don't necessarily mature," she said. "All of us are forever young. Old habits never die."

Full of stunning visuals and clever details, the Kingston, Jamaica-filmed video chronicles Natalie's tumultuous relationship with a young man. On twitter, Melina cited films such as Rockers and Moonrise Kingdom as inspiration for Keep You. These references are apparent in the stylistic nod to 1970s Jamaica and the subtle, Wes Anderson-like humor that pops up throughout the narrative. Melina is an artist known for pushing the envelope with her complex and thought-provoking story lines. Like some of her other work, this ambiguous tale of love and heartache makes you think twice. What I take away is a charming and nuanced portrayal of a character who is having a hard time letting go of a first love—a love who was hard to hold onto in the first place. A love who is pathologically young at heart. I hope you enjoy it!

{ snapshots of Jamaica through Wild Belle's lens }

backslider

{ directed by Bennet Bergman }

Captivating visuals in this new video from Wild Belle. Backslider was shot and edited by Bennet over the course of two days late this summer (with some additional footage by Tyler Kaschke). The slides are photographs taken by my mom during her travels around Hong Kong and Australia in the early '80s. Also out today: a great write-up in the The New York Times T Magazine.

it's too late | music video

{ directed by Jess Holzworth }

More on the new Wild Belle song I posted the other day—a video for It's Too Late. Click to watch on YouTube or Vimeo.

the weight

Excited for the Hideout Block Party tomorrow—Wild Belle at 4pm, Wilco at 7:30pm, and lots of great acts before and between.

crafting a classic

{ via Mulberry }

Love this behind-the-scenes look at the details, care, and craftsmanship that go into Mulberry's Del Rey bag. Envious of all those leather working tools and machines—they are way more serious than my handheld mallets, punches, and rotary cutters!

jump into spring with glossed & found

Graham Kostic and Caleb Condit, two of my favorite Chicago creatives (and regulars on this blog), just collaborated with an
über talented team on a really fun and vibrant spring beauty and fashion editorial for Glossed & Found. This behind the scenes video gets me excited for spring's bright pops and prints. It also inspires me to gather some friends to work on a group project, whatever it might be. Don't they all look like they're having such a blast?

here we go magic

Sweet and weird robot dance moves in this new video from Here We Go Magic. Their newest album, A Different Ship, comes out next week and everything I've heard so far indicates that it is chock-full of great tunes. The Nigel Godrich (think Radiohead and Beck) produced tracks are an enjoyable and precisely balanced mix of folk, indie, and dream-/synth-/psych-pop. Excited to see them later this month at the Empty Bottle. You can pre-order the album here and stream it here.

Elise Bergman + Suitor

Suitor has long been our go-to brand for note cards, packaging design, custom invitations, creative inspiration, and more. Jessica Murnane, the brains behind the Chicago-based design company, has just amazed us again with the launch of her newest concept, Dillingham Fair. For the project, Murnane collaborates with other artists and designers to create a limited-edition object available exclusively through her website. We are excited to announce that the Elise Bergman + Suitor Envelope Clutch is now for sale! It is made from reclaimed leather and lined in a cotton twill print, custom designed by Suitor. Take a look at the video for a little information about the inspiration behind our collaboration.

wild heart

Timo Weiland | The Watch

 Impressive fashion, dance, and stop motion video of Timo Weiland's Spring 2011 collection. First spotted here. 

Vanessa Bruno

Fashion/music video/ghost story hybrids from Vanessa Bruno featuring Lou Doillon and Jessica Joffe.

velvette at subterranean

My sister Natalie is playing a show at Subterranean this Friday night with her band Velvette. If you are in Chicago and looking for something fun to do, stop by and check it out.

the head and the heart

Iron and Wine played at Millennium Park's New Music Mondays the other night and I rode down there to meet a group of friends and family and watch the show. The Head and the Heart, a band from Seattle on Sub Pop Records, kicked off the totally packed free concert with their enchanting set. They ended with this song. It gave me goosebumps.

Nat Baldwin

{ video by Terroreyes }

Nat Baldwin is the bass player for the Dirty Projectors, a young band that has collaborated with the likes of musicians as impressive and established as David Byrne and Björk. Baldwin's solo album, People Changes, is coming out later this spring and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The way he bows his double bass is extremely melodic (and a huge departure from the low, thumping notes I have been learning how to play on the upright over the past few months). Paired with his lyrical songwriting and vocals, he creates an experimental sound that is sweet, beautiful, and eerie. Check out an interview and a cover of Arthur Russell's A Little Lost on ARTINFO.

Heidi Merrick Fall 2011

I love this video from Heidi Merrick. What a cool way to show that everything in her collection can be worn together.

Thom Yorke + Beyonce

Very funny and cool video manipulation of Thom Yorke dancing to Single Ladies. Radiohead and Beyonce happen to be two of my all time favorites, so this video really makes me smile. I  love how weird, funky, and authentic his dance moves are. Thanks to Jessica at Suitor for the heads up. Check out the real video for Lotus Flower here.

Iron and Wine

{ one: Kiss Each Other Clean album cover | two: Iron and Wine at Radio City Music Hall photos by Paul Wagtouicz via Time Out New York | three: The Great Stage | four: The Rockettes via Getty Images Hulton Archive | five: The Rockettes via Life + Style | six: vintage Radio City Music Hall }

Iron and Wine just released a new album and my brother Elliot has been on the road with them playing baritone saxophone. Last week, they ended the US portion of their current tour at the legendary Radio City Music Hall. I have been a long time fan of Sam Beam's music and am excited about the fuller and more percussive direction of his band's most recent projects. Check out a video teaser of Kiss Each Other Clean below or click here to watch Sam and Rosie Thomas get back to Iron and Wine's acoustic roots at their Daytrotter Session.

Fall 2010 Collection Video

A behind the scenes look at our Fall 2010 collection. Shot and edited by Caleb Condit, filmmaker and photographer extraordinaire.