by Rebekah Kim
Introducing the New iBag
laptops as clutches for 2009
PrintFall collections were not all that was on display at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week this February: a new techno-chic trend was flaunted throughout the tents, even making a runway appearance. Billed both as a “digital clutch” and the notebook computer with “impeccable style,” mini-laptops may be set to replace the recession casualty “it”-bag. HP and Sony are marketing their fashionable wares to the stylish consumer, perhaps also attempting to attract the closeted geek inside of every fashionista. Are these computers a more practical way to mix utility with style, or is just plain ridiculous to pay twice as much for a notebook with a designer laptop sleeve?
Mini-laptops: They have the same functions and capabilities of a regular computer, but they’re the size of the Epicurus text we read in CC. Lightweight computers certainly appeal to students carrying their laptops to lectures. The HP Mini weighs in at 2.45 lbs., while Sony’s PC is only 1.4 lbs. The convenience of being able to type notes on a machine that is smaller than a loose-leaf notebook is undeniable—one reason why mini-laptops may be making the transition from Bryant Park’s catwalk to College Walk. In the face of the current economic climate, buyers are looking for practical purchases. The “digital clutch” seems to fulfill the “sensible” requirement, especially to a student consumer base.
Models walking the Vivienne Tam Fall ’09 show carried the HP Mini Vivienne Tam edition. Its bright red, purple and pink peony design is eye-catching and elegant. The notebook also comes with a red, envelope-shaped purse, so you can carry the HP Mini as a clutch. It starts at $699.99, and has many of the functions and updated technology of new, full-size laptops. If you want to upgrade, for an additional $200, a Vivienne Tam tote and scarf are thrown into the deal. However, that same HP Mini without the Vivienne Tam cover—a plain black computer that lacks those stylish peonies—costs only $279.99.
The new Sony VAIO Lifestyle PC’s smart jewel colors are an alternative for those who don’t care for the feminine Vivenne Tam cover on the HP Mini. Fashion-forward guys as well as “tech-chic” girls can feel comfortable carrying these convenient mini-laptops. Sony set up shop in the Bryant Park tents for Fashion Week last month, featuring live “mannequins” who held the Lifestyle notebook entertaining guests as they waited in line for shows. These stationary models were also sent out across Manhattan, showing off their mini-laptops in a variety of locations. By traveling to Chelsea and the Lower East Side for dinner and drinks, SoHo for brunch and window-shopping, and Grand Central for the daily commute, the mannequins showcased the notebook’s transportability, versatility, and wearability. To stress that the mini-laptop is key for a stylish look, designers like Elise Overland, Threeasfour and Libertine are featured in the ad campaign. Sony is clearly marketing the VAIO Lifestyle PC as a “fashion” notebook, a creative tool that can be used every day, for everything.
While the notebook certainly is usable and easy to carry, do you need the designer cover to achieve “tech-chic” status? The mini-laptops are being marketed to consumers as a worthy investment, but the additional prices of the “fashionable” versions skews this seemingly reasonable proposition. The trend is reminiscent of the Prada cell phones that were popular few seasons ago—they combined fashion and technology, but were they truly necessary? Notebook as clutch definitely makes it easier to tote your computer around campus, although it’s unlikely that you’d really use your laptop during lunch in the Meatpacking District. The marketing ploys of Sony and HP may have their faults, but you’ll definitely get more use out of a designer mini-notebook than spring’s harem pants.
26 March 2009
vol. 6, issue 7
More ARTS
Questioning Narrative Conventions
Jesse Ball's The Way Through Doors defies the strict classifications of genre—although it appears to be a novel, its dizzyingly complex narrative structure resembles poetry more than prose.
By Joseph Cross
I didn’t consider running away from home until halfway through the third grade, when my mother bought me E.L. Konigsberg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
Everything about Amelie Nothomb's Tokyo Fiancee defies convention - its portrayal of romance, its genre, and, most of all, its language.
The Wonderful Story of Sophie Dahl
Will Sophie Dahl's first novel, Playing With the Grown-Ups, be her last?
By Gizem Orbey
A psychoerotic remake of noir crime fiction from the critically acclaimed author of the sci-fi satire Zanesville.
Columbia's famed revolutionary icon Mark Rudd reveals the motives behind his actions as a member of SDS and Weather Underground in his newest book.
What Do You Do With an MFA in Writing?
Columbia's graduate writing program and the future of publishing.
By Yin Yin Lu
Who knew that a graphic novel hoard of 1,200 titles and counting is ensconced within the Butler stacks?
By Tommy Hill
The NYPL Cullman Center is where academics meets art—and this complementary contrast is exemplified by Michael Golston and Rivka Galchen's work.
Despite corporate competition, local bookstores still have a place in New York City.
Mark Taylor's new memoir, Field Notes from Elsewhere, details his journey from death to life.
While students lament the high prices of books at our college bookstore, other options are cropping up all over the web.
It is Saturday afternoon and students hunch over their books deep in thought, or have eyes glued to their laptops. Another typical day in the library, fueled by Red Bull and espresso, filled with essays and assignments...
Taking inspiration from old punk bands and his own awkward encounters, singer-songwriter/ comic book artist Jeffrey Lewis is Brooklyn's coolest music nerd.
Snicket’s Surprisingly Fortunate Duet
When darkly comic kid's lit favorite Lemony Snicket pairs up with composer Nathaniel Stookey, the result is a vastly improved, murder-mystery take on the old Peter and the Wolf shtick.
Catherine Rice talks to the subway musicians trying to make it big in NYC's tunnels.
Though many students download music illegally without a second thought, the RIAA's lawsuits and Columbia's strict policies may cause them to change their tune.
Coming to college make us ashamed of the music we liked in high school. But when everyone is embarrassed, maybe no one really has to be.
Though records were replaced long ago by CDs and later MP3s, vinyl seems to be making a surprising comeback among music lovers too young to remember it in its heyday.
Hip-hop artists have been creating and distributing mixtapes since the genre's start, but mixtapes, though still part of hip-hop culture, are illegal to distribute.
Electronic music is cheap, easy to produce, and can be made in isolation. But will digital sounds replace guitars and drum sets?
By Devin Briski
The Eye spends a night with WKCR's most dedicated late-night djs.
By Devin Briski
Cream, Sugar, and Mood Lighting
Café culture is sometimes more about the image than anything on the menu.
By Devin Briski
Columbia’s campus is “definitely not a Nashville party.” Still, a few maintain an allegiance to the traditions of country and roots music amid a campus of Passion Pit and Ratatat devotees.
Why Don't We Dual It in the Road
On 122 and Broadway is a school that, though available to some undergraduates, is not available to the undergraduate population at large.
By Raeye Daniel
Fashion Week brought a splash of color, glitter, and glamour to the cold New York winter—and our writers and photographers were there to capture it all.
By James DeWille and Alexandra Owens
Yves Saint Laurent did not become a household name overnight. Nor did Marc Jacobs shoot to the top of the fashion world without time and effort.
Isla Fisher, once know as that girl from Wedding Crashers and Borat’s fiancée, will soon become a household name in her own right. She can currently be seen playing the lovable Rebecca Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic, a romantic comedy based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Sophie Kinsella...
By Clara Yoo
There wasn’t much of a New Year’s celebration for consumer-driven companies this year. Reports of disappointing sales and drastic budget cuts tempered the usual holiday cheer.
By Linda Huang
In 2009, New York’s world-renowned International Center for Photography will devote its coveted gallery space to the influential world of fashion photography. Front Page Wide Crop Image:
By Amy Davis
On The Lookout: Manhattan Vintage Fair
Vintage fairs offer a rare opportunity to find unique pieces at student-friendly prices. Manhattan’s Vintage Fair, coming this weekend, gives attendees a chance to browse a varied selection of clothes, shoes, bags, leather items, and more from a multitude of vintage vendors...
By Laura Torre
Whether it originated in the Early Iron Age, when similar textiles were produced, or in the 15th century, when King James III of Scotland first wore such patterns, tartan (a.k.a. plaid) has managed to survive style’s ups and downs for centuries...
By Helen Werbe
We’re not yet sure what changes Obama’s presidency will bring, but the outlook is pretty rosy for at least one American: Taiwaneseborn, New York-based designer Jason Wu. The 26-year-old was as shocked as anyone when Michelle Obama graced the inaugural balls in a one-shouldered, Swarovski-encrusted white gown of his design...
By Stella Tan
Mini-laptops are the must-have accessory this season. Who knew geek could be so chic?
On the Lookout: Charlotte Ronson
Meet the designer who is dressing everyone from stylish celebrities to fashionistas on a budget.
By Helen Werbe
Super trendy British emporium Topshop opens its first American store in SoHo. Don't miss the chance to snag some cool pieces from across the pond.
Artistic visionary Gareth Pugh is proof that fashion's future is bursting with creative energy.
By Stella Tan
India-Inspired Threads Brighten NYC
Tia Cibani brings bright colors and exotic fabrics to Manhattan with her line Ports 1961.
The rapper turned celebrity designer's new name isn't as random as it sounds. It's just the right title for his emerging role in the fashion industry.
By Stella Tan
Anna Cooperberg captures Columbia's "street style" at its best.
Making the fashion transition from cold to warm weather without buying a new wardrobe may seem challenging but with our style writers' tips, the process will be effortless.
By Helen Werbe
Plan your summer internship wardrobe ahead of time to impress your co-workers later.
By Amy Davis
On the Lookout: Fischerspooner
This electropop duo knows how to create an intense show-going experience. Their one-of-a-kind fashion and music style make for a unique spectacle.
By Clara Yoo
It's the final Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Bryant Park; starting next September, after the fall/winter 2010 collections are presented in February, the semiannual event will move uptown to Lincoln Center...
By Helen Werbe
On the rooftop of a Chelsea gallery, circling two looming water towers, models strutted down the runway robed in the breezy patterned silks of Rachel Comey’s spring 2010 womenswear collection.
By Rachel Allen
A Japanese nature influenced collection has great potential to turn kitsch— exactly what the last Ports 1961 India-themed collection was criticized for— but this time around, Tia Cibani turned caricatures into a less conventional image...
In the world of swimwear, Brazilians have always reigned supreme, and Rosa Chá’s Spring 2010 collection was no exception. Still, with his first show as the label’s newly appointed creative director, fashion bigwig Alexandre Herchcovitch offered an aesthetic that was decidedly American...
An opera house is not a typical place to begin a career in fashion, but that is exactly where Cesar Galindo got his start. Before launching his self-titled label Galindo designed costumes for the Houston Opera, and his Spring 2010 collection evidences this...
Twinkle By Wenlan / womenswear
The Spring 2010 Collection of Twinkle by Wenlan designed by Wenlan Chia was a prime example of a successful show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Yin Chang, aka Gossip Girl’s Nelly Yuki was in attendance, as was Alex McCord of Real Housewives of NYC and “Dandy” Patrick McDonald...
Boudoir D’huîtres / womenswear
Jellyfish, as well as Bjork’s song “Oceania,” served as inspiration for “Medusa is Blooming,” the latest collection by Mimi Plange. Translated perhaps too literally, the movement of waves was represented in the gathered overlays of folds...
At Venexiana’s Spring 2010 show, prom-ready looks were in supply. The collection featured a bevy of black and white ball gowns encrusted with sequins and lace floral appliqués in the contrasting color...
Marc Bouwer / virtual show shooting
Accessibility has always been one of Fashion Week’s problems, with only a limited few able to experience the runway. Marc Bouwer, a designer well known by the stars for his beautiful eveningwear, has decided to change that...
By Rachel Allen
Academy of Art University / the school of fashion's top students
At Academy of Art University’s Spring 2010 show, seven recent graduates of the School of Fashion had the one-in-a-lifetime chance to show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Attending this show featuring new talent was Miss J...
Thunder and lightning served as Miguel Antoinne’s muse for his Spring menswear collection, and the looks were serious, sharp, and downright tight in most places. Shirts and blazers squeezed around their models...
Yigal Azrouël / menswear + womenswear
Decadently disheveled, Yigal Azrouël’s Spring 2010 collection shined through a moody color scheme of grays, whites and blues. While the dashing Israeli designer seems to have a reoccurring role in gossip blogs across the city, his clothing reveals he is more than just a tabloid It boy...
Generra / menswear + womenswear
This Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Generra has reason to celebrate. New creative director Swaim Hudson gave the breath of life— and fresh direction— to the iconic 80’s brand. Launching off of Generra’s heritage of closet staples, Hudson’s own unique aesthetic didn’t disappear...
British designer Simon Spurr continues to fill sharp, clean cut tailoring with equally sharp, clean cut models in his Spring 2010 collection. The palette of crisp white, deep navy, salmon, and yellows from butter to mustard recall a charming world of Nantucket summers or a lazy, drink-filled daze in the English countryside from which Spurr hails...
In a penthouse amidst the famed New York City skyline, Iodice outfitted mannequins in effortless pieces, ideal for any glam-girl on the go. “The sea” Iodice explained to me with his heavy Italian accent, “was my inspiration: the pearls, the flowers under the sea, the monochromatic colors...
Alexander Berardi / womenswear
If there’s anything that every stylish or non-stylish person can appreciate about designer collections, it’s wearability. And at Alexander Berardi’s Spring 2010 show, he presented just that. His collection included little dresses in white and cream made of light, floaty chiffon...
Vassilios Kostetsos / menswear + womenswear
Only a Greek could create dresses beautiful enough to adorn the gods of Olympus. Vassilios Kostetsos, Greek-born designer, showed his heavenly 2010 spring/summer Phidias collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this Sunday...
By Rachel Allen
Turning swimwear into statement pieces is no easy feat. Yet that is exactly what Molly Grad did for her freshman collection at Gottex. In a nod to, “the fusion of technology and luxury,” Grad put her previous stints at Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent to the test...
Monarchy / menswear + womenswear
Monarchy's Spring/Summer Collection radiated elegance and edginess. Presented against a backdrop of quaint houses and a cobblestone road, the models came out from backstage, to thumping techno beats, transforming the scene into an a stylish metropolis...
Commonwealth Utilities / menswear
A barbershop, a quintessentially masculine institution from the days of yore, was an apt place to stage the Commonwealth Utilities S/S 2010 show.
The Eye goes backstage with model Cameron Russell, GS '11, at New York Fashion Week.
By Nora Rojas
Some designers are more creative when it comes to showing their new collections during Fashion Week.
By Rachel Allen and Elliot Smalling
While most of fashion is on a punk rock kick, it seems that Tibi designer Amy Smilovic has been out of town. Unfazed by the studs and black leather pervading New York (and, by extension, the Bryant Park tents), Smilovic instead delivered a spring collection fit for a jet-setting Palm Beach vacation...
By Stella Tan
Skrapper / menswear + womenswear
Fashion and art may be intimidating to most people, but Skrapper aims to change that by combining the two. The label was born in 2008 when artist William Quigley printed his iconic paintings of boxers and pop culture figures onto t-shirts, an item that even the philistines and sartorially clueless live their lives in...
Who would ever want to wear a Tiffany’s box? If I were to ask any woman if she’d like to receive one of those coveted little turquoise boxes tied with a white satin bow, she’d become a bobblehead...
Nanette Lepore has been making a name for herself with her signature designs. Her playful and yet feminine work speaks for itself season after season. And this season is no exception. As if to echo her inclination to this dual femininity and playfulness, the runway itself was lit with rosy and blue hues with synthpop playing in the background...
By Clara Yoo
Whoever said spirituality can't be fashionable hasn't been practicing yoga, or at least wearing the right fold-over pants.
By Devin Briski
Tis the season to give your friends and family something more creative than Columbia mugs and sweatshirts.
By Noel Duan, Julián Mancías, Helen Chen, Claire Fu, Anna Cooperberg Gonzalez, and Allison Malecha
Checking off everyone on your holiday shopping list might be a little easier at any of the city’s holiday markets.
Though the statistics cite a decline in smoking on CU's campus and a pervasive knowledge of the health risks of tobacco use, many students still smoke tobacco in one form or another.
By Noel Duan
How is international style interpreted inside our 116th Street gates?
Spring break is just around the corner, and whether you have plans or not, a fun, affordable week is completely reasonable.
By Helen Chen
Why would anybody want to drink something made out of bacteria, yeast, and black tea?
By Storm Garner
Barack Obama may have raised a hand and lifted a nation, but is his food policy something you can believe in?
By Jenn Mayer
All I can really remember about being 15 years old is drinking cappuccinos at Caffé Trieste and reading Communist lit at City Lights Books in San Francisco with my disillusioned comrade. We traversed the streets of North Beach, condemning materialism and questioning the meaning of the tangible world...
By Devin Briski
Janine Carpenter investigates how this native American crop went from barbeque side dish to foundational food block.
Students activists have worked to get vegetarian and vegan-friendly food in John Jay, but how successful have they been?
By Jenn Mayer
Jenn Mayer investigates humane treatment of animals, and how it plays into your next John Jay meal swipe.
By Jenn Mayer
Exploring the rough world of food vendors in New York City.
By Devin Briski
The New York City bar scene can be intimidating for people under 21—both those with ID and without it. Is there actually a logic behind the seemingly arbitrary whim of a bouncer?
By Ethan Wong
Community Supported Agriculture is the new "it" thing in the local food movement—but is it a realistic substitute for the current food distribution system?
By Jason Bell
Non-drinking students question the substance behind substantial friendships in the drinking scene.
By Devin Briski
Eric Ripert and Columbians agree: Fusion Food is hot.
By Jason Bell and Devin Briski
With so many campus-area eateries being temporarily closed due to Health Code Violations, it's only appropriate to turn a scrutinizing eye closer to home.
By Jason Bell
For the real topper to an amorous night, try experimenting with some aphrodisiacs to get you both in the mood.
Lock up your daughters, light some torches, and break out the crucifixes: Vampires have invaded our culture.
Remember that episode of Full House when the Tanners couldn’t get enough tickets to a Beach Boys concert, but happened to run into the band anyway and get invited to sing with them onstage?
This season's most popular shows have been flooded with outrageous characters, some of whom have viewers clamoring for a reality check.
By Ruthy Sher
Caitlyn McGinn wonders which came first: our demand to illegal streaming or its endless supply?
TV crews on campus are more of a logistical nightmare than a teenybopper fantasy realized.
TV lovers can get their start in showbiz in NBC's page program.
Though myriad shows on TV try their best to replicate college life, they all fall short in the long run.
While CU has to drop a pretty penny every time the JumboTron is rolled out onto Low Plaza, it may be one of our last vestiges of tangible school spirit.
In his essay on art, ‘The Renaissance,” critic Walter Pater writes, “Not the fruit of experience, but experience itself is the end.” Pater asks that we delve into our psyches and truly “experience” moments that might otherwise pass us by...
By Liza Eliano
The National Academy Museum in New York recently sold off two prominent paintings by the Hudson River School for $15 million—funds which will be used to cover general operating expenses.
From a simple drawing on a canvas to a polaroid covered in semen, contemporary art bends the boundaries of the art world and still manages to challenge its viewers.
Diana Greenwald looks to the more DIY style of today's contemporary art scene.
Liza Eliano explores the powerful place public art holds in the urban city.
By Liza Eliano
Even within our technology obsessed world, nude modeling proves to be a viable way to learn the ins and outs of visual representation.
By Liza Eliano
It’s slightly chilly. You’re standing absolutely still as a group of students carefully studies every inch of you. Oh, and you’re naked.
By Liza Eliano
Columbia students leave the city to explore the other side of art.
By Liza Eliano
The Internet has changed visual culture within the museum and on the web.
While certainly non-traditional, artists take to the streets with surprising heart and spirit in Union Square.
From found materials, student transform dim dorm décor to unique and fun layouts.
By Helen Bao
What makes musical revivals successful? Choreography in three musicals is examined, comparing the originals with the current productions and determining whether some of the integrity of the show is lost in translation.
Believe it or not, one of your fellow students might be in the corps of the New York City Ballet.
Professors Aloff, Cochran, Gennaro and Garafola open up about dance and its academic application.
By Mollie Lobl
It’s no surprise that ballet isn’t as popular as, say, “Gossip Girl.”
By Hannah Klain
What makes this ballet so eternal and beloved? How does it manage to bring in audiences who have seen it three dozen times already?
Sparkling snowflakes, delicate dewdrops, hot chocolate from Spain—all of these soul-warming things share a part in the New York City Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” a ballet that elicits nostalgia for those who have grown up watching it or a feeling of holiday cheer for those who are seeing it for the first time.
Frederick Wiseman’s new film looks into the inner workings of the Paris Opera Ballet
There is a line at which two mirrors come together. If you stand in front of it, your reflection almost disappears into the crack.
Though a dance popularized in the 30's, Swing still excites a core of students at Columbia.
It’s Saturday night. You scamper into the theater and toss your tickets at the usher, overwhelmed with anticipation about seeing that big-name performer everyone is raving about. You ease into your seat, open your program, and there it is: the dreaded slip of white paper...
More and more audiences hear Spanish in mainstream American theater. Is this an appeal to authenticity or a point of confusion?
The phrases “pop, lock, and drop” and “Broadway musical” may seem completely unrelated, but surprisingly, they can be definitively linked.
By Maddy Kloss
Full-time students-slash-actors juggle studying and the spotlight.
By Rosie DuPont
Stage to Screen and Back Again
Musicals and movies go together like ramma-lamma-lamma ka dinga da dinga dong.
Tony Award-winner Greg Jbara of Broadway's "Billy Elliot" reflects on his path from school to stage.
A new company promises to distribute 3D films of Broadway shows across the U.S. But will their invention change theater in a good way?
By Ishani Mitra
Nearing it's first 200,000 ticket sales, the Ticket Information Center in Lerner has solved many of the problems it was created to deal with, but still struggles at times.
The Theater on Film and Tape Archive of the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center holds mystery, as well as its extensive filmed collection.
Fact: It is impossible not to look foolish while wearing 3-D glasses. Red and blue plastic lenses with cardboard rims seldom flatter the average Joe’s bone structure—but still, crowds rush to theaters whenever a 3-D movie hits the big screen...
"Why should I watch the Oscars this year?” a friend asked me. “I haven’t seen any of the films.”
By Will Ewing, Peter Labuza, Jenn Mayer, Eve Rotman, Daniel Valella, and Andrea Lopez
An elderly woman returns home to her childhood sweetheart after 50 years, vowing her undying love with a fiery zeal—then promptly, and somewhat hilariously, dies. A student rebel holds a white dove in his hands, walking ceremoniously through the streets of Havana as a crowd of thousands gathers behind him...
In court cases disputing the rights to film property, who are the real losers?
Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?
What has happened to America after the death of the western movie?
By Peter Labuza
Is Jim Jarmusch's new film the next step for the filmmaker or a Hollywood sell-out?
In the world of rapidly expanding and diverse film festivals, is the New York Film Festival losing its appeal to Columbia students?
By Rachel Allen
As cinema continues to evolve as an art form in the 21st century, is it time to add it to the Core Curriculum?
What happens when a piano player finds movies in need of music?
By Rachel Allen
Silent Movie Magic in Theaters
Options for students needing a silent fix on the big screen.
By Peter Labuza
As the Internet continues to reshape the film industry, how can film studies catch on too?
By Peter Labuza
With Oscars, festival prizes, and box office hits, what's the secret behind Columbia's recent movie success stories?
By Paul Hsiao
Though the data seems to suggest that sex scenes do not attract filmgoers, the industry still seems to churn out cheesy and often unimportant soft-lit sex scenes.
With films like Tyler Perry's Medea series, and Precious, what is "ok" and not in african-american cinema is not always so black and white.
In an attempt to bring in more money, the Oscars change their format, disregarding tradition.
Comments
We're looking for comments that are interesting and substantial. If your comments are excessively self-promotional, or obnoxious you will be banned from commenting. Consult the comment FAQ and legal terms.