After a Fashion
By Stephen MacMillan Moser, Fri., Oct. 18, 2002
THE GEN ART GENERATION Here in Austin, we certainly seem to be getting our fair share of national recognition for creativity. Our latest brush with fame involves the events brought to us by Gen Art. Founded in 1993, Gen Art is a nonprofit arts and entertainment organization dedicated to showcasing emerging fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians, and visual artists, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago. Austin is fortunate to be included among those cities for Gen Art's current season, and the Chronicle is proud to be the media sponsor. Last week's kickoff at La Zona Rosa was in association with Chrysler and launched their stylish new PT Cruiser Turbo, as well as a hand-picked assortment of local talent. Event manager Shelley Costello pulled off a lovely but brief presentation and a very fun party. Among the designers were Gail Chovan for Blackmail and Sunny Haralson for Rubypearl, as well as a San Antonio designer working under the name of Libertine. Works by artists Mark Schatz, Jonathan Faber, and Mary Sledd were shown, along with film from Jason LaMotte, Melinda McKinnon, and Divya Srinivasan. Music was from the band Parade, and DJ Bå-sho. Upcoming party/shows include: Thursday, Oct. 24, at Lucky Lounge; Thursday, Nov. 7, at Club DeVille; and Thursday, Nov. 21, at Stubb's. Sign on to www.ptcruiser.chrysler.com to register for these events.
BRITNEY REDUX God save us from Jamie Lynn Spears and the media that promote her. One can hardly glance at any entertainment news site without finding an article suggesting that Britney's little sister has a dazzling future following in her sister's footsteps. In la Brit's movie Crossroads, Jamie Lynn played younger, preteen Britney. She seems to be doing that in real life as well. Now she has landed a gig as a cast member of Nickelodeon's All That (sort of a Saturday Night Live for the pre-pubescent set). Says Jamie Lynn in a CNN.com report, "I'll probably do a lot of acting first, then go to singing ... I am going to definitely sing someday, so when I do start singing, buy my album!" Says a fellow cast member, the Kentwood, La., native "... has the maturity level of, like, a 15-year-old, which is awesome." Totally. With a role model like Britney, who is what JonBenét Ramsey might have grown up to be, Jamie Lynn seems to have it all in front of her. When asked if her sister had given her any advice, tragically, she answered, "She did, yeah, I'm sure she did ... but I don't know what she said now." One wishes that Britney told her, "Don't do it! It's bizarre enough that I became a star -- it's so, you know, unlikely that it'll happen to you." Please, folks -- let's make sure this doesn't happen. If we all put our collective foot down and Just Say No to Jamie Lynn, we can make our voices heard. We can make a difference. Do you want of future filled with Jamie Lynn Spears movies, CDs, action figures, clothing, and posters? I can't think of anything more tragic.
GIFTING AND RE-GIFTING I often find surprises in my Chronicle mailbox -- some more pleasant than others, if you know what I mean. Among the more pleasant surprises recently was a lavish box containing every BioSilk hair product on earth. Well, I looove BioSilk products, but I have no idea who the package is from -- there was no note -- therefore, I'm afraid to use the products. Imagine, they could be from a deranged reader still angry about the Coach situation, who has refilled the bottles with toxic substances that would, at the very least, ruin my new hair color. Which, by the way, is divine these days -- a gingery mix with brilliant blond highlights, in a carefree wear-it-this-way-or-that kind of cut. Perfect for transitional styling as we careen from the still-hot days into cooler evenings. But I digress ... we were talking about my mailbox. At any rate, if you or someone you know sent me the BioSilk products, step forward so that I may either use them, or, if they are indeed tainted, I'll re-gift them and pass them on to that wretched tramp who owns ... oh, never mind. I also found another pleasant surprise in my mailbox. On top of it, actually. It was several packages. And they contained dog and cat bowls. With coordinating mats to go under them. But I had to look twice at what I was seeing. I'd gotten this e-mail from the company saying they hoped I'd enjoy seeing their dog and cat bowls. Of course I had visions of hideous ceramic kitties and sad-eyed puppies. But if the packaging had not told me that these were dog and cat bowls, I never would have known. They're fabulous ... so stylish that even though I don't own a dog or cat, I'll probably keep these beauties for myself, rather than re-gifting them. They're from a company called wetnOz ("wet nose"), the product of local industrial designer Mark Kimbrough. They are art, pure and simple -- sleek, contemporary shapes reminiscent of the Nambé metalware from New Mexico, but with the unexpected twist of red rubber feet and handles. These are wonderful accessories for the discriminating pet, or, at least, the discriminating pet owner. Available in high-end pet specialty shops in major markets, local Austinites can find wetnOz on the web at www.wetnoz.com and IRL at Cornerstone Market in West Lake Hills.
