Actually an interesting read:
http://koshertorah.com/PDF/madonna%20kabbalah.pdf

Aside from the traditional Madonna blend of music and sensuality, in
this video we see Madonna has a Holy Name of G-d tattooed onto her
right shoulder. Tattooing, mind you, is a practice forbidden under
Torah Law, all the more so abhorred by the Kabbalah. Granted the
tattoo may not be real or only temporary but nonetheless, any
expression of performing a forbidden act is itself forbidden and
inexcusable.

Unfortunately, Madonna's abuse of Kabbalah and traditional Torah
Judaism does not stop here. Later in the video we see Madonna winding
leather straps around her left arm in the exact same format and style
as holy tefillin are worn by religious Jewish men. Tefillin consist of
a small leather box containing scared parchments. These are then
strapped to one's left biceps, and the strap is wound down the left
arm and around the hand. Granted Madonna did not go so far as to
defame the tefillin boxes themselves. Yet, it is quite clear that the
wrapping of the straps around her arm is done in orthodox Torah style.
This act of hers is pure sacrilege.

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OCT. 24, 2005

TEENS
OMG: It's a multimedia generation

Teenagers and college-age young adults know all kinds of things others don't: Cool, unheralded musical artists. Fascinating web sites. Scintillating new books. How? They are so wired into one another - through cell phones, email and instant messaging - that they seem to absorb information through their pores. And it's clear many are looking for spiritual meaning outside their parents' tradition.

The new buzzword for reaching out religiously to this group is multimedia - using music, videos, the web, print and more, often all at the same time. The feel is energetic and edgy. The theology ranges from conservative to liberal. Will these efforts help ground this generation in age-old faiths? Will it help them form their own traditions? Time will tell.

Why it matters

Young people may not want information so much as meaning. In most cities, congregations are using multimedia, lights and sound to appeal to "Generation Net." And ministries and outreach programs using cutting-edge technology are proliferating.

Questions for reporters

• What are congregations in your area doing to attract teenagers and college students? What is edgy and new? What's working?
• Is religion flavored with hip-hop a trend in your region? What about geek-tinged hipsterism? Or alternative rock, or straight-out pop?
• What religious web sites, webzines, blogs and other multimedia are teens favoring?
• How does the presentation change the message?

Click the map for interview sources in your state and region

National sources

CHRISTIAN
• Cameron Strang is president and founder of Relevant Media Group of Orlando, Fla., which targets 18- to 34-year-old Christians across denominations. He publishes RELEVANT magazine, a daily web site and Relevant Books. Read a June 23, 2004, USA Today story. Contact 407-660-1411, Cameron@relevantmediagroup.com.
• Pastor Rob Bell is featured in the NOOMA series of 10- to 14-minute films on DVD with spiritual teachings aimed at teenagers and college-age adults. Bell's Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., meets in a former shopping mall that can seat 3,500. Bell wrote Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith (Zondervan, 2005); Zondervan also is distributing the films. Contact Karen Campbell, 616-698-3246, Karen.campbell@zondervan.com.
• Tommy Kyllonen, who also goes by Urban D., is a hip-hop artist and lead pastor at the Tampa, Fla., Crossover Community Church. The church's ministry is the hip-hop culture, and worship combines music, dance, visual arts and other media. He has recorded five albums, performs concerts and is writing his first book, about hip-hop and the church. Contact 813-935-8887, urband@flavoralliance.com.
• The Rev. Paul B. Raushenbush, an American Baptist minister, is associate dean for religious life at Princeton University. He is the author of Teen Spirit: One World, Many Paths (HCI Teens, 2004) and writes a teen spirituality advice column on Beliefnet.com - "Ask Pastor Paul" - in which he answers teens' questions on subjects from the spiritual implications of tattooing to abstinence to interfaith dating. Contact 609-258-6245, praushen@princeton.edu.
• The Rev. Kenda Creasy Dean is assistant professor of youth, church and culture at Princeton Theological Seminary. A United Methodist minister and parent of two teenagers, she served on the research team for the National Study of Youth and Religion. She is the author of several books on youth and the church, including Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church (Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2004) and co-author, with Ron Foster, of The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul-Tending for Youth Ministry (Upper Room Books, 1998). Contact kenda.dean@ptsem.edu.
• Chap Clark is an associate professor of youth, family and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and directs the seminary's youth ministry programs. Clark immersed himself in the life of a public high school in Los Angeles County, working as a substitute teacher and conducting ethnographic research there, and convened discussion groups with teenagers around the country for his book Hurt: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers (Baker Academic, 2004). Contact 626-584-5608, cclark@fuller.edu.
• T. Suzanne Eller of Muskogee, Okla., an author and speaker with a ministry to teens and college students, has a blog and a web site. Contact tseller@daretobelieve.org.
• Laurie Whaley Roe is vice president of Thomas Nelson's Nelson Bibles, which publishes youth-oriented BibleZines, including REVOLVE, the complete New Testament for teenage girls in a magazine format, and REAL, a similar product for the hip-hop crowd. Contact Cameron Conant, 615-902-1284, cconant@thomasnelson.com.
• Jennifer Swanson is spokeswoman for LIFE TEEN INC., an international Catholic youth ministry that produces videos and a web site. Contact 480-820-7001, jswanson@lifeteen.com.

JEWISH
• Jewish rocker Rick Recht of St. Louis considers himself an educator as well as a musician. He plays more than 125 concerts a year, has recorded four Jewish albums and one secular one, and is at work on a movie and web sites. Contact 314-991-0909, rick@rickrecht.com.
• Yosef I. Abramowitz is publisher of JVibe, a new magazine for Jewish youth that is produced by Jewish Family & Life Media. Abramowitz is founder and CEO of JFL. Contact 617-581-6804, yabramowitz@jflmedia.com, or Michelle Cove, editor, mcove@jflmedia.com.
• Amy L. Sales is associate director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. She has studied Jewish life on college campuses and the experience of teenagers at Jewish summer camps. She is co-author of How Goodly Are Thy Tents: Summer Camps as Jewish Socializing Experiences (University Press of New England, 2003), for which she visited 20 summer camps in 2000. Contact 781-736-2066, sales@brandeis.edu.
• Rabbi Hayim Herring is director of STAR (Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal), an organization based in Minneapolis that works to renew the American Jewish community through congregational innovation and leadership development. He helped conduct a study called "Shema: Listening to Jewish Youth," examining the attitudes of Jewish teens in the Minneapolis area toward Judaism. Contact 612-381-8840, hherring@starsynagogue.org.

MUSLIM
• Abdul Malik Mujahid is founder and president of Soundvision.com, a web-based resource for Muslims with a teen section and multimedia products. Read a 2000 Dallas Morning News article posted by Soundvision. Contact 708-430-1255 ext. 405.
• Amir Hussain is a professor in the religious studies department at California State University, Northridge, but during the 2005-06 academic year will be teaching in the theological studies department at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Hussain has taught courses about contemporary Islam and about religion and film, and can speak about the role that faith plays in the lives of Muslim young people. Contact 818-677-2741, amir.hussain@csun.edu.
• Ted Swedenburg is a professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Arkansas. He has done research on popular music, including Islamic and Middle Eastern influences on rap and hip-hop music, and he hosts a world music show on the radio. He can speak about the impact that Muslim young people are having in the world of music. Contact 479-575-6624, tsweden@uark.edu.
• Visit the web site for the Muslim Students Association, which lists chapters on college campuses across the country.

BUDDHIST
• Diana Winston of Berkeley, Calif., teaches meditation at Buddhist retreat centers and to classes of teenagers. She also leads retreats for Buddhist teenagers and young adults and is the author of Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens (Perigree Books, 2003). Contact 510-527-4729, info@wide-awake.org, or through Adrienne Biggs, 415-453-4474, Adrienne@biggspublicity.com.
• Buddhist Gateway has a teen area. Contact Press-Ads@Faith.com.

HINDU
• Hindu Gateway has a teen area. Contact Press-Ads@Faith.com.
• Visit the web site for the Hindu Students Council, which links to chapters at colleges across the country.

NEW AGE/NEOPAGAN
• Sarah M. Pike is an associate professor of religious studies at California State University in Chico. She has written about New Age and neopagan religions and is working on a project about teens on the margins of American culture. Contact 530-898-6341, spike@csuchico.edu.

ACADEMICS
• Lynn Schofield Clark is an assistant research professor in the school of journalism and mass communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder and directs the Teens and the New Media@Home Project, which studies how young people use new media technologies. She also is the author of From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media and the Supernatural (Oxford University Press, 2003), which is based on extensive interviews with U.S. teens and considers how presentations of the supernatural in the media help shape the religious views of teenagers. Contact 303-735-5632, Lynn.Clark@Colorado.edu.
• Christian Smith is a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-principal investigator for the Youth and Religion Project. He is the author, with Melinda Lundquist Denton, of a new book summarizing major findings from that study called Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Oxford University Press, 2005). Contact 919-962-4524, cssmith@email.unc.edu.

Background

WEBZINES, ETC.
• Focus on the Family publishes Brio for teenage girls and Breakaway for teenage guys, and broadcasts a live call-in radio show, Life on the Edge.
• Christianity Today publishes Campus Life, which is available by email subscription.
• Beliefnet hosts teen discussion boards about a range of faiths.

POLLS AND SURVEYS
• See summaries of research findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion, funded by the Lilly Endowment and based at the University of North Carolina. From July 2002 to March 2003, the researchers conducted a random nationwide telephone survey of 3,370 teenagers ages 13 to 17 and their parents, and followed that up with 267 in-depth interviews with teenagers in 45 states. Among the findings: Teenagers seemed remarkably conventional in their religious views, and there wasn't much evidence of "spiritual seeking" or exploration. But even teenagers who considered religion important were not very articulate in talking about their faith - they have a hard time explaining what they believe.
• Read the preliminary results of a national study of spirituality in higher education. A pilot survey released in 2004 found strong interest in spiritual matters among third-year college students. It is part of a broader, longer-term study funded by the John Templeton Foundation. The survey, conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California in Los Angeles, included the responses of 3,680 undergraduates at 46 diverse colleges and universities from around the country.
• "OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era" -- a survey of almost 1,400 youth ages 18 to 25 that included Christian, Muslim and Jewish youth and a mix of races and ethnicities - explored attitudes about faith, politics and volunteer service. It found a "strong and intimate" connection between religious faith and volunteerism. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed volunteered in their community in the last year, but only 14 percent did so regularly. The 2004 survey was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.

WEB SITES
• A 2003 ReligionLink tip on teens and the Internet includes national and regional interview sources.
• Learn about a road trip that a group of reporters ages 11 to 16 took in 2002 to talk to teenagers across the country about spirituality - interviewing, among others, Maggie, a Buddhist teen in Texas, about reincarnation; Vidisha, an 11-year-old in Nashville, about Hindu prayer; and Alexis, a 15-year-old Baptist-turned-Catholic from New Orleans who was the only person in her family who went to church. The trip was organized by Children's PressLine, a media organization in New York City that trains young reporters.
• The Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project, based at San Francisco Theological Seminary and funded by the Lilly Endowment, worked with more than a dozen Christian congregations - Baptist, Catholic, Mennonite, Lutheran and others - as well as youth ministry leaders to explore contemplative practices such as centering prayer and walking labyrinths in working with teenagers.
• The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding is a nonprofit group that tries to help parents and other adults better understand youth culture.

ARTICLES
• Read a 2004 Religion News Service story explaining some of the research findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion. It's posted by Beliefnet.
• Read a Sept. 3, 2004, Associated Press story about Seventeen magazine starting a new section on faith. It's posted by TheFashionSpot.com.
• Read a Sept. 26, 2004, Indianapolis Star story (posted by ReligionNewsBlog.com) about techniques congregations are using - from basketball to fire pits - to try to draw more teenagers to worship.
• Read an Associated Press story about the religious views of the "millennial generation" (born starting in 1982). It's posted by Beliefnet.com.
• Read a June 2002 story from AsianWeek.com about Generation M, an annual interfaith conference organized by Muslim youth that uses hip-hop music and poetry to teach people about Islam and tolerance.
• Read an account of a Hindu Global Youth Conference held in Washington, D.C., in 2000 and interviews with teenagers who attended a Hindu summer camp outside Chicago.

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Design and Religion

*The cover of I.D.'s March/April 2006 "Design and Religion" issue, featuring a crucifix-shaped iPod, received second prize in a competition for Best Cover Concept of the Year sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors and Magazine Publishers of America. Determined by a jury of renowned editors and designers, the award was announced on October 24. www.asme.magazine.org.

 

 

http://www.howdesign.com/store/idmagdisplay.asp?id=1760
$9.00 order

March/April 2006: A Question of Faith
God=Details. This issue, I.D. explores the intersection of design and religion: Q+A with Michel Peissel on Tibet's sacred spaces....A sports stadium turned megachurch....Singapore's friendly new mosque....Surrender to the Xbox 360....The dirty truth behind the priest's collar.

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Levi Strauss debuts iPod-compatible jeans

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 05:22 PM EST

The Levi's brand is launching a wearable technology revolution with the introduction of new Levi's RedWire DLX Jeans, available worldwide in fall 2006. Designed for both men and women, the jeans seamlessly integrate iPod plug and play technology giving music enthusiasts the most innovative and fashionable way to enjoy music on the go. The jean is designed to be compatible with most iPod systems and features include a special joystick incorporated into the jeans' watch pocket to enable easy operation of the iPod. "The Levi's RedWire DLX Jean is the latest extension of the Levi's brand leadership position by merging fashion and technology that provides consumers with the most innovative way to enhance their portable, digital music lifestyle," said Robert Hanson, Levi's U.S. brand president in the press release. "In designing the jeans we considered both function and fashion -- the result is a uniquely functional, yet stylish, great fitting jean." Design features include: • Easy Pocket Storage -- An iPod docking cradle is built into the jeans and is "invisibly" housed within a side pocket. The Levi's design team took special care to ensure the iPod unit remains neatly and securely stored in the jean, while the iPod "bump" in the pocket is virtually eliminated. The cradle is equipped with sophisticated technology housed in a red conductive ribbon that allows users to quickly and easily remove their iPod from the pocket to view its screen while staying connected. The jean is machine washable once the iPod is removed. • "Hip" Controls -- A special joystick remote control is externally designed into the jeans' watch pocket to enable operation of the iPod. Four-way controls allow the wearer to easily play/pause, track forward, track back and adjust the volume control without ever removing the iPod from the pocket. • Handy Wire Retractor -- A handy retractable headphone unit has been built directly into the jean to help prevent tangles and efficiently manage the iPod earphone wires. The new Levi's RedWire DLX jeans have been developed to be practical and leading-edge in their aesthetic. A crisp white leather patch and joystick, bluffed back pockets with hidden stitching, and clean minimalist buttons and rivets allude to the iPod's famously pure design. Special care has been taken to marry the physical design with a great-fitting jean. Invented in 1873 by Levi Strauss, Levi's Jeans are the original jeans. For more information about the Levi's brand, products and Levi's stores, visit http://www.levi.com

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By Cathy Lynn Grossman,
USA TODAY Wed Oct 19 2005

Coffee drinkers could get a spiritual jolt with their java in the spring when Starbucks begins putting a God-filled quote from the Rev. Rick Warren, author of the mega-selling The Purpose-Driven Life, on its cups.

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My nickname when I was a kid was MASHER... now it's all starting to make sense.

David Gensler is considered to be one of the leading marketers for the youth and young adult market. He coined the now widely used term MASH CULTURE and has applied his thinking to brands across fashion, music, cars and beyond. Good

article/blog: IF

One of your vocal viewpoints has been about Mash Culture and how brands get adopted by Mash Culture? What's behind this theory?

Oh it is more than a theory, and I had little do with its "invention." I was just looking at the horizon while everyone was gazing at their shoes singing the praises of the power of "urban."

Brands that thrive in this market segment tend to be radically different on a number of levels. They tend to place "design" high on their list of priorities. Whether it is in their packaging or campaigns or products - design is king.

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I have no clue how we could have missed Apostle Clothing Company. Even their relationship with Jason Dowdell went unnoticed by us... Not only do we enjoy finds like this, it makes it all worth it in the end.


From humble beginnings, Apostle Clothing Company has its roots on both the East and West coast of the States. The idea was birthed on the Space Coast in early 1999 with one thought in mind, to create a clothing company that had style and appeal without sacrificing values and character. We saw the majority of the industry using sex, drugs, violence, and just an "anti" attitude to push their products and decided it was time to provide consumers with not only a product they would be proud to wear, but also a company they would be proud to support. We are here to influence our communities, wherever they exist, in a way that draws people toward faith and unity instead of encouraging a lifestyle of uncertainty and separation.

Simplicity. Simplicity of purpose and simplicity of design. That's how we, as a company, represent ourselves and our brand. We're here with a clean, unembellished image, removing confusion in design.

Our name says it all. Its meaning is quite simply 'one who is sent forth', and that is the role we intend to take as a clothing company. We are sent into our industry as an example, and aspire to help send you into your 'industry' as well. It's not about forcing change on anyone; it's just leading by example and maintaining character despite the pressures.

Our goal is to run our business with integrity, honesty, and trust, portraying the values that God desires. As a Christian owned company, every aspect of our business is intended to exemplify these values and glorify our Lord.

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Fashionable BLOGS as listed on PUBSUB

A list of the most "Fashionable Blogs" is the start of an effort by PubSub.com to chart influence and popularity of Web logs catering to special interests and businesses. The first list targets fashion, and has been compiled by a newspaper reporter who ranked what she thought were the top fashion blogs, said Bob Wyman, chief technical officer of PubSub Concepts Inc. If you were an advertiser, and saw which blog was most popular in your product category, you might be interested in using it for your own marketing, he explained. "We hope to do this in the future with PR blogs, law blogs, marketing blogs, as soon as we can find the domain experts who can maintain those lists," Wyman told ClickZ News. Source: MarketWatch

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Hollywood Marketing Films Through Churches

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FASHION BUGS Fashionistas indulge their dark side with bug bracelets and skull rings

	KEY INSIGHT Shiny, colorful, and, oh yeah, bugged out. Still, Weevil Bangles boast a certain creature charm. The Lucite bracelets feature real bugs as design elements.
	CONSUMER CONNECTION Bug bracelets? Skull rings? Think of it as punky Victorian Goth or just a thrilling splash of “dark.??? For some consumers, going with the unexpected is a fun walk on the Dark Side.

Shiny, colorful, and, oh yeah, bugged out. Still, Weevil Bangles boast a certain creature charm. The Lucite bracelets feature real bugs as design elements. Maxilla and Mandible specializes in gruesome “museum specimen??? delights, like skull beads, candy crickets, and curious rocks and fossils (Frommer’s New York Guide 2005). But its Weevil Bangles are attracting fashion lab rats (Lucky 9.05). Black, pink, yellow, green, or clear-backed Lucite surrounds four iridescent weevils or metallic Thai shield bugs. If bugs creep you out, here’s a fashion heads-up: 25-year-old Pratt grad Hiroshi Kure’s Neolithic-terrific resin skulls are already the ring thing in Japan and are starting to break big stateside (Jane 9.05).

Bug bracelets? Skull rings? Think of it as the avenging return of punky Victorian Goth or just a thrilling splash of “dark.??? For fashionable consumers, wearing the unexpected is more than a cause for conversation. It’s a fun walk on the Dark Side.

RESOURCESMaxilla and Mandible: 451 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10024; 212-724-6173. Bracelets run $33 to $48.
Hiroshi Kure: 917-803-6773. White, black, brown, and multicolored driftwood skull rings cost $100 at Opening Ceremony: 35 Howard St., New York, NY 10013; 212-219-2688.

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As Under Armour gains market share, would-be investors root for IPO

Robert J. Terry

To borrow locker room vernacular, Under Armour is clicking on all cylinders: Its sales are expected to exceed $200 million, it continues to beat back Nike for dominance selling high-performance moisture-wicking clothing and its "Protect this House!" advertising campaign is part of the cultural lexicon.

What's next, then, for Baltimore's Under Armour, the darling of the sports apparel industry? How does it, one might say, take things to the next level?

Industry and local business analysts have picked up the buzz surrounding Under Armour and its future and can't help but wonder if the catalyst behind another lucrative business transaction might be residing along the industrial waterfront in South Baltimore.

Will the company stay privately held, be acquired by a Nike or a Reebok -- the former a $12 billion company with a stated mission to dominate the performance apparel industry -- or go public and go toe to toe with them?

Just as speculation mounted a year ago at this time about the future aspirations of Advertising.com, trying to foretell Under Armour's plans is becoming a favorite parlor game. Ad.com, the Internet marketing firm and Under Armour neighbor at the Tide Point office complex, did file to go public before being acquired by America Online for $435 million in cash this summer.

Sales of $250 million or more would be necessary to achieve the market capitalization necessary as a public company to attract big institutional investors, said Susquehanna Financial Group analyst John J. Shanley.

By that measure Under Armour "could be on the threshold" of making a move, Shanley said. Or hooking a suitor.

Last year Converse was planning an initial public offering -- and was swept off its feet by a $305 million offer from Nike, about $100 million more than an investment group had paid for the struggling sneaker company.

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Amazon selling tie-in clothing
  By ROBERT RIDDELL

You've seen the show, watched the DVDs, listened to the soundtrack, read the book, gazed at the posters, stuck up the wallpaper and obviously worn the T-shirt.

But for some marketing execs, it seems that's not enough.

So female fans of Fox's "The OC""The OC" will now be able to drape themselves head to toe in "OC" wear, vetted by the show's wardrobe supervisor.

In anticipation of the show's season-three preempreem on Sept. 8, Amazon.com has unveiled an "OC"-branded women's fashion collection.

Followers of Fox's fashionistas can achieve the effortless glamour of Southern California while becoming walking promotions for the show.

The clothing line is created by Ady Gluck-Frankel of Necessary Objects, a designer with ties to Amazon's Apparel and Accessories Store.

But to ensure maximum authenticity, Gluck-Frankel has enlisted the assistance of Karla Stevens, a wardrobe supervisor from the show itself.

Presumably we can now look forward to "OC"-themed makeovers.

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Steelhead's marketing tactic isn't unique: Religious icons are popping up in surprisingly secular places. Abercrombie & Fitch drew ire in 2002 when it sold ``Buddha Bash'' T-shirts encouraging teens to ``Get Your Buddha on the Floor.'' A Seattle toy company's Jesus Action Figure is so popular -- outselling its Freud and Moses dolls -- that the company, Archie McPhee, plans to offer a new version this fall that features Christ with loaves and fishes and glow-in-the-dark hands.

``Religion is finding its way into the public square in a more dominant way,'' said James Donahue, president of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. ``Cultural issues, global issues, so it's no surprise that religious ideas and symbols would find their way into the commercial process.''

And as society grows more spiritual, said Barry Taylor, who teaches religion and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, ``the line between sacred and profane, if they haven't collapsed, they've blended.''

Today there are a variety of ``Zen'' teas, and Apple has used Dalai Lama's image to hawk its computers -- a far cry from 1989, when Madonna's ``Like A Prayer'' video cost her a Pepsi sponsorship. Younger generations are relying on pop culture and the Internet to supplement their religious beliefs, often creating a mishmash of the spiritual and the secular, Taylor said.

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UNEXPECTED STORIES OF FAITH: The Art of the Gospel

For many Americans, the phrase “Christian art??? connotes specific Renaissance imagery.

Most people, however, could not name any contemporary artists—New Zealand’s Cornelis Monsma, China’s He Qi or Washington, D.C.’s Joey Tomassoni, for example—in the genre.

Moreover, many might not even know that there is such a thing as contemporary Christian art.

But in the central Pennsylvanian county of Lancaster, Pa., in the middle of Amish country, Susan Hooks and the White Stone Gallery are out to change that perception. Just two years ago, Hooks, an artist, and her husband, an actor working in Christian theater, opened a fine art gallery exclusively dedicated to showing new, high-quality works by Christian artists. While the 13 artists from around the world may paint, sculpt or photograph in a modern, expressionistic style (taking cues from artists like Picasso and Matisse), the messages behind their art convey timeless and biblical truths.

WALKING ON WATER

“We started with nothing,??? Hooks recalls. “We had no money. No artists. And God used us anyway. It was like Peter walking on the water. We didn’t look at the waves and the wind. We just did it. And I can’t see myself doing anything else now.???

“I have filled him with the spirit of God, with the skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to make artistic designs.??? Exodus 31:3-4

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Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,68432,00.html

Aug. 05, 2005 PT By Xeni Jardin

LOS ANGELES -- In the future, we'll text-message hugs to each other's shirts, our coat buttons will house cameras, and our underwear biosensors will phone home when we're in trouble.

Some of us will go topless, adorned only with computer-extruded brooches adhered directly to skin.

That's what's in store if the runway fashions during the fourth annual Siggraph Cyber Fashion Show ever see the light of day.

This week's runway show brought together 35 exhibitors from 10 countries to display wearable computers, computer-generated jewelry and clothing designs festooned with electronics.

The event had one thing in common with typical haute couture shows -- most of the outlandish prototypes on the backs of underfed models here won't end up in your closet anytime soon.

But much was unique about this event: the exhibitor list combined familiar fashion brands like Oakley and Fossil with tech names like Sony, Charmed Technology and the MIT Media Laboratory.

The event's latex-clad emcee and founder, Isa Gordon, referred to herself as the "cyborg host" and read her lines from a head-mounted teleprompt running a Microsoft operating system. The device, which rested over one eye like a pirate patch, crashed several times during the show, then died mid-show when batteries ran out, requiring a return to paper scripts.

Models had names like Sara Tonin, Venus Prototype and Stardust Angel.

A wide array of looks were on display, from a Burning Manesque electro-luminescent wire hodgepodge, to remixed Victorian, to what can only be described as "extreme android makeover," complete with platform Goth boots and long, metallic hair tendrils.

Some prototypes were pure fancy. A men's jacket and women's dress designed by Akira Wakita of Japan's Keio University displayed luminous codes that relay body temperature, just in case you want your loved one to know how hot you really are.

Virtual reality goggles from Electroboutique turn your environment into a fashion show by painting everything you see with Photoshop-like filters. Instead of viewing the world through rose-colored glasses, why not gaze at it "Matrixified" with cascading lime-green gobbledygook text?

Other designs were created for more practical purposes. MIT's Gauri Nanda created purses with sensors that communicate with scarves and skirts to remind wearers where they misplaced their car keys or warn them to bring an umbrella because it might rain.

A head-mounted thermal camera system from Emagin and Total Fire Group was designed to help firefighters see through dark or smoky conditions where it would be hard to identify flame sources with the naked eye.

Wearable Environmental Information Networks of Japan, or WIN, showed several notable designs, including Report-the-World, a get-up designed for future stealth journalists. A retro trench coat hides 10 hidden cameras for capturing 360-degree panoramic images. The front pocket holds a small computer, a ring-embedded speaker transmits location-based audio instructions, and a head-mounted display is stylishly encrusted with Swarovski crystals, like an electric tiara.

WIN also demonstrated Dog @ Watch for children. The plushy-form device for the wrist hides a GPS sensor, a cell phone for voice-dialing parents and an alarm sensor to monitor the wearer's safety.

Kirsten McCall, a 9-year-old model, acknowledged the value of safety features to "protect against bad guy kidnappers," but was more excited about other potential features.

"I'd like a jacket that has a TV on the sleeve, so I can watch shows all day -- but mostly, I want clothes that do my homework for me."

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The Serious Cachet of "Secret Brands"
Marketing
By Pallavi Gogoi
AUGUST 11, 2005

Label-free retailers Muji and American Apparel are proof that success doesn't necessarily depend on spending big to build a name

In a world where brands rule, nobody drinks sweetened caramel water. They drink Coke or Pepsi. And while some still drink no-name water, many prefer Evian or Poland Springs. Brands are so embedded in our daily habits that it's hard to imagine a world without them. But a couple of store chains -- Muji of Japan and American Apparel in the U.S. -- are striving to establish just such a world by offering the "unbrand" with their logo-free products, and they're achieving tremendous success. How to account for it?

Logo-free obviously appeals to set of consumers who are sick of being bombarded with brand names and seek to be unshackled from them. "There's a core group of people that can't stand the idea of having to walk around as a corporate billboard with a logo stuck on the chest," says Steve Manning, managing director of Igor, brand naming agency in San Francisco.

But in the case of Muji and American Apparel, more than that is going on. Both retailers have carved out a niche by offering a certain style, whether minimalist in the Muji's case or classic fashion revival in American Apparel's, that has captured the imagination of millions.

IN THE GUCCI CLUB? Muji has been so effective at producing a line of sleek products that it has achieved cult status in the designer world. Its products are a conversation piece. When you have a radio without any brand name emblazoned on it, those in the know might ask: "Is that Muji?" Muji has become the secret brand.

This is counterintuitive, because logo-free has long meant lower-end, products embraced by those who couldn't afford a brand name. Brands identify you as belonging to a certain club -- whether it's shirts embroidered with the Polo horseback rider, a Gucci bag, or even a Gap T-shirt. And companies spend a lot of money and time establishing a brand that appeals to people's vanity and gives them a sense of exclusivity.

Muji certainly has made a business case for saving marketing dollars on brand building and plowing that money into better design at affordable prices. Its executives believe a brand name or a logo is extraneous and doesn't bring a specific benefit to consumers except to satisfy their ego. "Muji can focus on the basic essence of products instead of dedicating energies to the frills," says Hiroyoshi Azami, General Manager at Japan's Ryohin Keikaku, which owns the Muji stores.

"A ZEN LEVEL." Muji is short for mujirushi ryohin, which translates roughly to "no label, quality goods," and its mission is to provide well designed, useful products at affordable prices. There's a simple purity in Muji's offerings, which range from stationery and housewares to toiletries. They're functional and so deliberately unfussy and anonymous that even though they're intended go unnoticed, they end up drawing attention.

"You just say the name, and it instills certain thoughts of quality and loyalty, and there's a Zen level of branding about that," says Paul Rand, managing director at Ketchum, a communications firm that assists companies on marketing strategies.

Muji is considering opening stores in the U.S. in 2006, having grown from a single outlet in the mid 1980s to 285 stores in Japan and 41 overseas, including in England, Ireland, France, and China.

NO POLITICAL AXES. In the U.S., American Apparel has had similar success. In just seven years, it has grown to 14 stores domestically and a dozen or so in Mexico, Canada, and Europe. It made $250 million last year.

Its logo-free clothing is made of 100% cotton in bright solid colors with no imprints. American Apparel promotes itself as "sweat-shop free" and "Made in Downtown L.A.," because its two factories, where the cutting and sewing are done, are located in Los Angeles (see BW, 6/27/05, "Living On The Edge At American Apparel"). It has become one of the largest manufacturers of T-shirts in America. "We like the simplicity of unmarked clothing, and many people find it appealing and even more versatile," says Alexandra Spunt, content adviser at American Apparel.

It's important to note that neither Muji nor American Apparel necessarily has aligned itself to a political message by keeping its products logo-free. Nor are they a direct response to the anticorporate movement launched by activist Naomi Klein, who took up her war against brands and logos and globalization during the 1990s. Many of her followers still sport clothing without logos in reaction to the outrage that Klein generated by exposing the sweatshops in Asia and how people labored over the ubiquitous Swoosh logo of Nike (NKE ). In the wake of Klein's book, No Logo, the big shoemaker even reduced the size of its logo in response.

NOT SO ANONYMOUS. But at Muji and American Apparel, it's about adopting a certain style, which certainly isn't random. "It's important to have a certain personality and iconic design that runs through," says Igor's Manning. American Apparel believes in classic styles and doesn't change its apparel according to seasons. Its most popular offering, a form-fitting T-shirt in solid colors, will always be available in exactly the same sizes and colors at all times -- giving it a timeless and recognizable feel. "If a T-shirt fits, and you like it, you can always come back to our stores and find it," says American Apparel's Spunt.

For Muji, design is key. It has 15 in-house designers and also commissions top designers around the world to create its products. Muji's Azami takes great pains to stress that these designers are anonymous, and he refuses to identify which products they've made.

However, it's well known that Muji has employed Enzo Mari, the Italian designer known for his experimental designs in plastics and children's toys and whose works have been showcased in the Museum of Modern Art. Also believed to be on the roster are Sam Hecht, formerly head of design at IDEO Europe, and Fukazawa Naoto, a Japanese designer well-known for his minimalist designs of home electronics.

Clearly, Muji and American Apparel don't want logos or brands to mark their products. But they haven't been able to escape becoming identifiable brands themselves.

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The Design Weblog
New York artist, Futura, and Nike designer, Mark Smith, created the series of icons that were applied to Lance’s bike over the last week. Originally, the icons were all put on a special disc wheel for last Saturday’s time trial (see the picture above), but Lance ended up not using it (you bike geeks know why). I don’t think he used it in the earlier time trials, but I don’t know for sure.

 All of this made me think of a post I put up a while back on logo t-shirts and our culture’s allegiance to corporate icons. Here is an individual, albeit a very popular celebrity, creating personal icons and asking our allegiance to them. I guess many of us have adopted his motto (???Live Strong???) on bracelets we wear, why not his whole biography?! From what I understand Nike will be putting out a series of (7!) t-shirts with the Lance Armstrong series, and perhaps even allow you to create our own icons to tell your biography on a t-shirt. Not really sure how this is different from opening your own CafePress shop,

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Ok, so the x-COO of Take Two a gaming company publishers of Grand Theft Auto, (HUGE sales) has swapped companies for 'spread shirt'. Hummm, makes one wonder just how much money is involved with t's these days...?
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FTC Probes Take-Two
LA Times
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. on Tuesday said the Federal Trade Commission had launched a probe of the company after recent revelations that its bestselling game, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," contained hidden sex scenes. The announcement came a day after House lawmakers passed a resolution asking the commission to investigate whether Take-Two misled consumers by failing to disclose the scenes to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board
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Greensburg, Pennsylvania - July 07, 2005.

Providing businesses, non-profit organizations, artists and web site owners of any size with an advantageous new way of generating online sales, Spreadshirt, Inc, (www.spreadshirt.com), Europe’s leading micro-manufacturer, today announced its has established its long-awaited presence in the United States. The Company also announced the recent appointment of Mark Seremet, former president and COO of Take Two Interactive Software, as Chief Executive Officer for the U.S.

An online marketing specialist, Spreadshirt has more than 60,000 online shop partners throughout Europe, and offers two types of design solutions:

• Spreadshop, a complete suite of free online tools that allows site owners to quickly and easily open an online store with unlimited commissions;

• Spreadshirt Designer for consumers who want to create their own merchandise, regardless of the size of the order.

“Spreadshirt simply offers a superior product than its competitors,??? says Mark Seremet, Chief Executive Officer of Spreadshirt. “With higher quality printing, global reach and easy-to-use online design tools, its no surprise that companies and organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Texas Instruments and The One organization whose recent Live 8 concert series has dramatically raised awareness for AIDS and extreme poverty, are all using Spreadshirt.???

Originally established in Germany, Spreadshirt boasts several advantages over its competitors, including:

• Printing Technology – Spreadshirt uses a fade-resistant, flexible process that enables users to print on any color item. Its competitors can only print on white or light-colored materials, and designs typically fade. Spreadshirt also allows for printing on the front and the back of items;

• Shipping Advantage – Spreadshirt guarantees shipping within 48 hours and, thanks to its international locations, can save its customers money on overseas items;

• Design Capabilities – using a drag-and-drop technique, the Spreadshirt Designer enables anyone to easily create a design or slogan right on the site and then see how it will look on the item they have selected. Most other competitors require the design to be completed in another program and then uploaded. Text too can be added by selecting fonts and colors, and simply typing them out on the product. The final image instantly appears on-screen;

• Spreadshop – using Spreadshop software, web site owners of all kinds -- from businesses to rock bands -- can quickly set up their own branded online store for free. Spreadshirt takes care of all technological management as well as all aspects of merchandising from production to shipping and payments. There are no contractual agreements, inventory worries or prepayment issues.

About Spreadshirt

Founded in 2002 in Leipzig Germany, Spreadshirt is a privately held company with offices in the United States, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. An online marketing specialist, Spreadshirt is the leading provider of custom, online apparel in Europe and are growing rapidly in the United States. The Company received the Futuresax 2002 Award, as well as the Hewlett Packard Business Innovation Award 2004.

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By RICHARD SINE

The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal

FRED COMEGYS / THE NEWS JOURNAL Jeanelle Dech of Adaptive Textiles shows fabric samples that were printed from a DuPont Artistri printer. Her company promises to print any pattern, in any color, in any quantity, on almost any fabric

Digital printers have changed the way people create and share documents. Now DuPont has created a digital printer for fabric, promising to transform the way people make swimsuits, purses, slipcovers and curtains.

Interior designer Jeanelle Dech and her husband, Larry, became one of DuPont's first customers, paying $175,000 for the printer last summer. They set up a new business, Adaptive Textiles, promising to print any pattern, in any color, in any quantity, on almost any fabric.

Finding the right fabric for her clients used to be the hardest part of Dech's job. Fabrics are often out of stock or unavailable in the right patterns or colors. Then, at a trade show, the West Chester, Pa., designer saw the truck-size digital printer called the DuPont Artistri.

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The Importance of Apparel Logos, Labels, Trademarks
When asked how important apparel brand logos and labels are to consumers now versus "a few years ago," the majority of respondents (66 percent) reported that they are now less important. (Especially the disappearance of sports brands.)

"Increasingly apparel brands do not generally resonate with the values of consumers and as marketers do not support their brands in appropriate ways, you can't really expect to find that the brands are more important to consumers." said Robert Passikoff, president, Brand Keys, Inc. "If you disappoint your consumers, you're bound to see disappointing returns.

BRANDKEYS PDF

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Great USA Today article on the obsession for bracelets: If you think these silicon bands are cool, you should seriously consider purchasing an ALL metal, hinged bracelet from Seek First: Bracelet LINK.

What began as an East Coast urban fad in the 1970s with "baller bands" — thick rubber bands that basketball players wore in Philadelphia street games to snap against their skin to narrow their focus — exploded into the mainstream last year. On May 17, 2004, Nike and the Lance Armstrong Foundation launched bright yellow $1 bracelets stamped with the foundation's motto Livestrong to honor Armstrong, a cyclist and cancer survivor, in his quest for his sixth consecutive Tour de France victory.

The obsession for bracelets, the connection to a cause and the power of words are being shared across the USA, in all walks of life and at all levels of sports. Everyone from elementary school kids to retired folks, Little Leaguers to All-Stars, armchair quarterbacks to Pro Bowlers are wearing their hearts on their sleeves and their allegiances on their wrists. They're on the cutting edge of fashion, philanthropy and collectibles all at once. (

Related item: Who's who and what's what in bracelet gear).

Carol Poll, chairwoman of the social sciences department at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, says: "Bracelets are today's version of bumper stickers, buttons, ribbons or flags. They're a symbol that allows a person to recognize, 'Hey, you're one of us.' "

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You Work For Them

Stickers surround us. Whether stuck to walls, signs, mailboxes and other elements of urban furniture, or to car bumpers, helmets and messenger bags, they represent a growing culture fascinated by the various forms and expressions, the myriad of messages, or the lack thereof. This book explores the fetish. From the designers and artists that crate the stickers to represent their work and ideas, to the collectors and members of the new generation which utilize them to assert there own individual style. Stickers have become a new form of communication.

Details: This book features an indepth look at the sticker in the form of an art medium.

Stickers by (among many, many others) Michael Lau, Tycoon Graphics, Devilrobots, FAFI, Alife, London Police, Sticker Nation, Delaware, Beatservice, Peepshow, Cyclone-Graphix, Deanne Cheuk, James Jarvis, etc & etc.

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