Art Basel Miami Beach

After arriving in Miami from LA 3 days ago in to a dodgy Hostel off Miami beach , 55employees Sims and Thompson were somewhat dazed and concerned regarding the difficulty of getting their heads around a new city and a different country. Thank god English was widely spoken!!

Spending the past 2 days beach combing, and generally looking for stuff to film or entertain us we were desperate for out art editor Tony to arrive.

As expected like a couple of horny pups, when Tony arrived he had it all planned out. Within 1hour we were in a taxi heading toward the sketchy area of Miami to hit the underground urban street art event of the year.



With a mass of warehouse buildings quickly being engulfed in graffiti art and street art and a huge hive of activity, the whole area has been taken over by these artists.







Unlike Europe the street art scene has a massive canvas to exploit in the US and in many ways is turning an exceptional run down area of Miami into living breathing and developing gheto of the arts.


With vast warehouses being turned into galleries similar to London's Viner St just for this weeks art run, and sure to be followed by more permanent locations in the area.

Within the past 3 years, it has gone from a small almost localised event of urban artists, to a serious collaboration of financial backers, social developers and global followers of this emerging scene.

In true gorilla style, 55tv and 55employees are there 3 days before it opens pulling together shows and underground filming and interviews with those that make the underground and street art scene what it should be, grass roots....

 Follow us for the next 5 days on 55tv to catch what the origins of street art has become. 

the popular way to wear pop art

Dans La Vie’s collection for SS12 is a dramatic mash up of four strong independent women- Madonna, Lady Gaga, Rhianna and Amy Winehouse.

Building on her reputation of bold, waterproof materials, Japanese designer Rira Sugawara paid tribute to the devastating earthquake which hit Tokyo earlier this year. Although this was certainly not a morbid collection. The second collection by the designer demonstrated ladylike chic, coupled with a few cheeky see through numbers, which are presumably the ones inspired by Rhianna!

Shorts, playsuits and Peter Pan collars make the collection accessible for day wear, along side belted macs, cropped mac tops and t shirts with Madonna motifs, which will suit a braver, younger and toned tummy customer.

With a nod to pop art, this collection is highly wearable, and will certainly go down a storm on a rainy spring day! Wellies optional.

By Sara Darling

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, with Holly Fulton's SS12 collection...

If there’s one thing that will get you in the mood for summer, it’s the thought of a dirty weekend by the seaside!
And Holly Fulton’s fun collection for SS12, certainly hints at a cheeky weekend away. It is not intentionally smutty, but the suggestion is there, and by Fulton’s own admission, she revels in bad taste.

With playful colours which are fit for a donkey ride in Margate or a go on the waltzers on the Brighton pier, the Holly Fulton women will be filled with the spirit of adventure…And shells, and crystals and chequerboard motifs!

Inspired US poolside images from the 1960s, the collection focuses on soft candy floss pastels, with a nod to the eurotrash with seaside souvenir prints. The accessories only add to the tasteful tackiness, as the perspex and plastics blend perfectly with the bucket and spade imagery.

If you can’t go to Miami, you can certainly bring the beach to you- go on treat yourself to a trip to Butlins!

Go see 20 years of Dazed- you know it makes sense!

Today has been a day of culture, as I popped along to the "Making it up as we go along" exhibition. Trying to squeeze twenty years of one of the edgiest British fashion magazines into the rooms at Somerset House is no mean feat, but the exhibition, curated by Jefferson Hack and Emma Reeves, cherry picked the most memorable and visually inspiring stories, shoots and artwork, in a very Dazed way.

The show was not all about art on walls, but was displayed on cubes and mirrored boxes, which helped with the bottleneck of visitors who were vying to get in to the cosy rooms at Somerset House. Five rooms and the corridor were taken over by the magazine, and I have a feeling it could have easily taken over another five

Choosing the highlights must have been a logisitical nightmare and name checking all the photographers an impossible task; So many creatives have been involved with the style magazine, but it is the iconic covers and controversial stories which have made the cut.

Throughout the exhibition, I kept my eyes peeled for magazines I purchased in my youth. Some were there- shame I haven't still got them! But I think the same about The Face magazine and I worked there..

As a go to bible for reference, students and fashionistas, Dazed & Confused has been one step ahead of pop culture since its explosive launch in London in 1991; With Rankin on board, it soon developed into a platform for emerging artists, designers and musicians who all wanted a piece of the pie. As an independent title, controversy remains part of its appeal, and the exhibition references some of it's most memorable stars including Björk to Blondie, Pharell Williams to Kate Moss.

It's almost too much to take in, in one visit, but as its free I might even go again!

Showing until 29th January 2012.

By Sara Darling

Holy Moley! It's Jezebel&Toff

Jezebel&Toff is the brainchild of British born designer Vincent Miller. Born in England, raised in Oz and now calling home NYC, the label was inspired when Miller stumbled across a disused warehouse containing vintage army surplus in East Village.

With a background in performance art, rather than design, Miller performed onstage for artists including The Spice Girls, Robbie Williams and Run DMC before finding his niche as a designer; But this only adds to the drama of his collections, and their appeal to the music industry and performers.

The signature of the brand is the hand appliqué imagery and embroidery, which takes pride of place on everything from oversize army jackets, to harem jeans in Japanese denim. These large-scale mix media images such as the gold leather King Tut, Wonder Woman and the Virgin Mary mean that the wearer definitely stands out from the crowd.

The fact that Miller has chosen to work with a cross section of used army wear, recognizes the importance of uniform; But the fact that it is deliberately mixed up, using camo prints from a variety of nations, makes each piece unique. And with the designs limited to 100 per edition, you can join the gang, but there will never be a leader

Not for the fainthearted, J&T will appeal to the confident, forward thinking boys and girls who have something to say and want to be heard.

Check them on www.jezebelandtoff.com or at their store at 110 Thompson Street, SoHo, New York, NY 10012

By Sara Darling

Fashoin for men with manners.....

Eastie Empire, is a menswear brand with a growing fanbase of men who appreciate quality classics. The company was founded in 2009 by Sara Weston, who claims the label is designed for ‘journeymen and gentlemen’, and offers the modern man dapper clothes to dandy about in.
Inspired by Indian workwear and the British Raj, Eastern references are evident in the tailored fit and fabric choices. Each piece is a key separate, and can easily be adapted to a current wardrobe.
The collection ranges from tailored day wear which won’t look out of place walking the dog, heading a business meeting or in the terraces on a Saturday afternoon. Smart yet casual, the individual looks are reminiscent of the original dandy wear of the 1920s when men began to take an interest in clothes, and fashions were made to last.

The AW collection is aimed at men who have a personality and are a fan of quality tailoring. It re-works classics such as the Sports and Dancehall jackets, but also provides the basics- cotton shirts, blazers and trousers; The Journeymans Smock is the perfect laid-back denim accompaniment to smarter trousers, and if you are a fan of the traditional, the Eastie buttonhole braces and Francois neckerchief are a must to complete your look.. The collection has a unique sense of confidence and the attention to detail of piping and contrasting buttons, only adds to the charm and confidence.

Aiming to create stylish, understated practical pieces, the collection is now available across the globe and can be found in boutiques from New York to Melbourne to Colibri in London and Norwich.
Also available on line at eastiestore.com

By Sara Darling

55employees hit the Haygate....

From the excitement of my "DAY OUT" on the Haygate estate, 55employes were so excited from the story of another land they wanted to take the trip. Chris and Nick in all 55style headed South with the cameras to document the area like a day bunked off school...
Not before walked half a mile from Elephant and Casely carrying a double mattress. Dont ask, it just had to be done...





A rather bemused intern followed them around, felling quite out his comfort zone while 55employees shot away (the intern soon discovered this wasn't Chelsea, and in a sick way think he relay enjoyed it)





Andrew Rutland
Nick Thompson
55intern








Rutland on hearing the news we were south on the Haygate Zooomed down on his old woman bike to be blown away by the whole site and area.
For Rutland to be excited is some thing.....

55employees are planning a night trip, not on Acid tho!! if any one is interested to join for the evening.
We wil be participating in night shots and not getting stabbed and mugged.

Really we had an awesome afternoon quite fascinating!!! If this is not enough to get you heading south on the underground to Elephant and Caste then i give up!!!