Niche Marketing

Soemthing that we mentioned early in the semester but never really pursued is the notion of niche markets. This article from this week's Style section in the Times is a good one for outlining the market, the producers, and the affiliations of a particular niche for street wear. It's pretty helpful in terms of thinking about the broader market context of your luxury goods that we are asking for for.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/fashion/21STREET.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Louis Vuitton "Icons" Exhibition

Images from the LV "Icons" show in Paris are now available online. There must be something in the air. Check out the prototype offerings:

http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2448

http://www.lvmh.com/magazine/pg_mag_contenu.asp?int_id=414&rubrique=ACTUALITE&archive=0&rub=20&srub=0


A detail of Zaha Hadid’s bag

Luxury Market

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/dining/06esse.html?ref=dining

The Essex Street Market comes into its own

"The Essex Street Market exists as an urban planner’s vision of commercial utopia — the sort of retail space now all but nonexistent in New York."

Automated Parking

The New York Times reporting on the arrival of automated parking systems in New York. There is an interesting finding that parking in no longer just a reflection or effect of luxury development or something that arrives in conjunction with development, but now functions as an agent of development instead. Some of you have probably seen these systems at work in Europe and Japan.

http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tntget=2006/12/06/realestate/commercial/06park.html&tntemail0=y

http://www.aptparking.com/pages/automatedparking.htm

Proud Flesh

New Yorker review of Alex Kuczynski's book, "Beauty Junkies: Inside Our $15 Billion Obsession With Cosmetic Surgery"

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/content/articles/061113crbo_books

Design Life Now

Upcoming exhibition at National Design Museum.

http://www.cooperhewitt.org/EXHIBITIONS/triennial/design_life_now.asp

Fashion and Architecture

We have mentioned the show “Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture” before and here's a review of it in the new yorker. Particularly relevant to Anthony and Bernard, but you should all read it.

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/content/articles/061204craw_artworld