Drawing The Line

If you are into fashion, you will be familiar with the name Karl Langerfeld, Alexander McQueen, Miranda Kerr, or Marc Jacobs. However, if I say the name “David Downtown”, does it ring any bell? Only to some of you, I guess.

It is not because he is not a significant character in the fashion world, but because the media rarely talks about his profession (fashion illustrator), compared to designers, models, or photographers.
David Downtown is often called as “The World’s Greatest Fashion Illustrator” or “The Karl Langerfeld of Fashion Illustrator”. This article titled Drawing The Line by Lonna Edwards for The Age is a profile of Downtown.

The article talks about Downtown’s previous career path “from writing cookbooks to a sex manual”, about how he prefer not to be called “The World’s Greatest Fashion Illustrator” (‘‘who said that, anyway? My parents?''), about his career now as a fashion illustrator that has worked with fashion’s first class, and about the fashion illustrator role now, as photography take the central role in visualizing the fashion world.

In this era when illustration is not used as much as before (for advertising, magazine cover, etc.), Downtown sees the profession becoming more artisans. He said that, “The more photography dominates, the more special drawing becomes.''

The problem of this David Downtown’s profile is in the lead of the article. It starts with the plus-sized models as a short trend and how Downtown does not really keen on the issue (''Models have always been taller, thinner, younger and more beautiful than us. They are genetic accidents.'').
This lead then being related to Downtown’s works that also experiences the same ruthless fashion cycle. Still, it feels like a distant comparison that does not cohere with the story.

However, the article as a whole communicates a general idea about how fashion illustration is, through one of the great mind in it.

iPod to iWatch

Apple has made another geek dream come true.  On September 1, the new iPod nano that now has a multitouch screen was presented for the first time. Steve Jobs started the buzz about how this iPod nano can be used as a watch, and of course, as soon as the product available in the market, Apple enthusiasts responded to this idea.

Kei Ogikubo's Version of iWatch

Kei Ogikubo posted in his flickr page the first photo of how the iPod nano can be use as a watch. This picture had a big impact, as it marked the beginning of the iWatch trend. Ever since, companies have been selling their own pitch, different kinds of wristband that can transform the iPod nano into an iWatch.

The Sydney Morning Herald noticed the issue and published this short article. It shows a company called iLoveHandles that instantly react to this iWatch craze. They produce the rock band straps, which is a simple wristband on affordable price. The iPod nano can be clipped in to the wristband and be used as a wristwatch. The article gave a succinct review about the product that useful to readers.

Another article covers Incipio Technologies, Inc. that has officially become the first case maker for iPod nano. It basically also explained about the product, what is it made of and the variety they have.

This two article is purely informational, so they are written in a hard news style. The news hook (as iWatch is the talk of the moment) is already a main attraction to the intended reader so they just have to focus in product information for consumer instead of crafting the paragraphs and sentences.

Related to the content, it will be interesting to see if apple jump in this iWatch wagon and work with some company to produce the “official” iWatch.

Image Source:
http://a.fsdn.com/gc/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iWatch-Kei-Ogikubo-001-580x386.jpg