The Holden Archive

Prada WTF seriously.

• Originally appeared in Urban Air Market: urbanairmarket.com/blog
• Written by Holden Pumphrey 
• Monday, 16 January 2012 12:22

hanks to my bridgeroom and of all places, Gizmodo (!) I’ve found what are quite possibly the silliest women’s shoes ever designed. Oh Prada. Oh Miuccia Prada.

Here is one, below.

Yes, friends. The Prada 2012 Spring Shoe Collection is modeled after “classic cars”.

Seriously.

And this is hardly the worst offender. This particular red shoe, is rather meek, if atrociously designed, compared to its sisters. 

Perhaps Prada is returning to its 1980s proclaimed roots of reverse-snobbery, but one could hardly call these the anti-status shoes that the once exceedingly popular, verging on democratic nylon backpack once was. (No, really, people ate that up then.)

In the late 90s, Prada’s continued success was attributed to its “working-class” theme which, Ginia Bellafante at the New York Times Magazine proclaimed, “was becoming chic in the high-tech, IPO-driven early 1990s.” I see that is a theme they’ve dumped in the trash, here. Or, maybe the shoes are for mechanic’s wives.

Much like, okay exactly like Louis Vuitton, Prada began way back in Italy by Mario and brother Martino Prada. LV and Prada made luggage for the wealthy. LV and Prada (and near every other luxury brand you can think of) is now owned by enormous big-business conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennesey, after being sold from the equally large Gucci Group.

Today, Prada is attempting to learn from Dr. Evil Bernard Arnault, and has begun its own conglomerate, The Prada Group. As of press time, Prada owns Miu Miu (Prada’s second-line), Church’s shoes, and — HOW RICH IS THIS? — The Original Car Shoe.*

All groups (LVMH, Gucci Group and Prada Group) make everything on an assembly line (aside from a miniscule amount of special ordered luggage).

I’m sorry to tell college girls that might be reading this, but your “very special” Prada/Gucci/LV bag has many, if not most parts, made and assembled in China, not Italy.

Yet there’s hope. Spring 2012 is really “over” as a season. Do a little dumpster diving around, say, Pacific Heights in San Francisco and you’re bound to come up with one of these hot rods.

You could also wait for the soon-to-be-here knockoffs. Or you could buy yourself an old classic car for a similar price to these shoes and most likely have cash left over to fix’er up. Vroom Vroom.

—

* One of my sources, a luxury-brand “insider” to a company I cannot divulge, says The Prada Group may have gone PLOP! on its own and defected to one of the two biggies, Gucci Group or LVMH but we can’t confirm that at this time. They tend to act a bit like Ouroboros, no? Even if Prada is not, in fact, in the lair of Dr. Evil Bernart Arnault, we can confirm that Prada is quite far form anything we’d consider “independent” design and at some point it becomes like sniffing apples and apples made out of 24K.

Coming up in arts this week: Dieter Rams & Bladerunner

THURSDAY

e are very excited to be attending SFMoma’s director’s cut screening of Bladerunner (which, I will admit, I’ve never seen before). Come on! I wasn’t even a year old when it came out!. I do know it is an Important and Influential Film, and will probably come off as more prescient than it did even thirty years ago. 

It’s part of an exhibition of Dieter Rams design legacy. You should also check out the main exhibition of Rams’ work in the museum. I want every last gadget. Even the beard trimmers.

INFO:

Phyllis Wattis Theater
7:00 p.m. 

Ridley Scott, 1982, 117 min., 35 mm

A landmark of the science fiction and the neo-noir genres, Blade Runner is also awash with design objects by Rams. Lochman points out the objects used to create the film’s futuristic background. Set in a dystopic Los Angeles, Blade Runner stars Harrison Ford as a retired cop fighting human-like androids. Lauded for its design and effects, Blade Runner was nominated for Academy Awards in set design and art direction.

Part of Inspired by Dieter Rams.

$5 general; free for SFMOMA members or with museum admission (requires a free ticket, which can be picked up in the Haas Atrium).

Source: http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/events/1980#ixzz1gXWIlpvG 
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Sunday Etsy: QA Create

remember cooing over QA Create’s artisan jewelry at this year’s Renegade Craft Fair at Fort Mason. They recycle lost and forgotten items into lovely pendants, rings and, best of all, cufflinks.

Muni love!

They also will make a custom set of links from vintage typewriter buttons. Your initials, perhaps, or something more creative…a secret two-letter message, maybe.

Go ogle over here.

Sunday Etsy is a weekly feature of San Francisco designers on Etsy.com. Know an SF Bay Area based Etsy designer you’d like to see featured? Let us know.

Sunday Etsy: Soiree

ith the economy in the gutter, not all of our beloved San Francisco designers have brick-and-mortar shops. Sunday Etsy on The Holden Archive brings you a weekly dose of hand-made apparel available to all, but made right around here.

First! Oakland designer and seamstress, Deborah Starks and her Etsy shop, soiree.

I’m all for just about anything referencing my beloved Zelda Fitzgerald. This cami is one of a kind ombre hand dyed with metallic silver lace on one shoulder and a beaded trim accent. Edwardian applique on the front bodice.

To make it modern, I’d wear it under a structured black blazer.

See this and more of Starks’ designs here.

Know an SF Bay Area based Etsy designer you’d like to see featured? Let us know.

Look Away, PETA Kids (Look Here, Taxidermy Fans!)

‘ve never had a problem with pigeons that I can remember. We all need the City.

And thus, I find this Pigeon Wing Hair Comb from accessories designer Reid Peppard beautiful and amazing. Especially on a boy. Especially on this boy. Perhaps Sexpigeon could wear it.

I think so.

Anyway, if pigeons aren’t your thing, perhaps you like small white rats?

These remind me of the film “The Witches” based on Roald Dahl’s book and starring Angelica Huston. I loved that movie.

See more of these lovely creations from the RP/ENCORE line here.

Also, I’m kidding about the PETA thing. Left Coast knee-jerk reaction-thought. In reality, RP/ENCORE uses creatures that were “victims of road kill, pest control or natural death”. That’s life in the Big City and good enough for me.

(xx and wink to the Litter girls for the vermin tip)