We're a lazy generation...

Oh but we do love to shop! Luckily the Internet is forever providing new and increasingly lazy ways for me to get my clothing fix! This is a site i look upon regularly - it's called pullyoursocksup and it's a cheap and cheerful vintage site run by Angela Crane. The wife of Murray Crane, you know 'little brother' ...'Murray Crane Clothing'..

Yes well, basically the idea behind the site is that Ange goes shopping and sells her prized items onto lazy sit-at-home punters like you and me.

I guess it's more of a glorified trade me profile than a fully comprehensive vintage site, but here in lies its appeal. First in first serve. And lots of waiting in between.

NEONSLEEP

A wee interview with the brains behind NEONSLEEP! Welfe Bowyer has in many ways been responsible for creating a new kind culture. It's one that dares to stay up all night, isn't scared to let loose, lives for adventure and is increasingly global in scope! As Welfe explains NS is much more than a home for 'party photo', it's an original and innovative NEW kind of space. A hub for high fashion, street culture, jewellery and much much more...

You've changed the format of NeonSleep drastically, what's the concept behind the new site?
The new site is designed to act like a cultural hub, allowing fans to easily navigate all the aspects of NS. All sections are equal, whether your into the photos or street fashion or art.

How do you see the site evolving?
Treating each section as equal, allows each to also grow and shrink as needed. The new fashion sections, Sidewalk and Look are starting to gain momentum, with various NZ labels seeing the potential and getting on board. It would be great to have Auckland street fashion on there too. So any budding fashion photographers out there!?

What is about NZ culture that inspires you? What would you like to see more of?
NZ'ers are so do 'DIY'. Its an old cliche, but the reality of it is that NZ gives you a very good chance to do what you want. And you might just find your one of the only people doing it! There's less competition, which gives you more attention. This is good and bad, as designers are often pushed further amongst competition. So I would like to see more competition for sure.

Less?
Less P would be nice. People should just chill out with a nice cup of Peppermint tea.
And where would you like to see NeonSleep five years on from now?
In 5 years, I would like to expand the brand to include photographers from other cities around the globe. That's been the idea from the start. We've been mixing in photos from Berlin for 2 years now, and would be great to see some other cities (on one site) too! But yeah, just generally focus more globally, which hopefully just strengthens NZs position next to work from around the world.

You can check out NEONSLEEP HERE ( and don't forget to navigate all the features!)
Cheers Welfe! x

MY PARENTS ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE MUTHA FUCKER

I got shown this last night, and I can't get it out of my head. In a bad way.

Wear what I want, do want I want, eat what I want?

I always thought that when I was rich and famous life would be sooo much easier. I could do what I want, wear what I want..and of course I could eat what I want. But it seems life ain't so easy for those 'on top.' Not even a song and dance will get poor Pharrell served....

Monster talk

2.5 hrs until the 48hour film festival begins!I'm soo excited/nervous/tired/afraid my brain will turn to mush....and so I'm doing a little research. I just came across these cute monsters...they know exactly what's going on!

To dress up, or not dress up...that is the question!

According to the bible ( or as some of you may know it, wikipedia) 'Dress Up is a game engaged in mainly by children...it helps strengthen their imagination and often resembles who they'd like to be.'
The act of dressing up surely is a puzzling one and the fact that it's such an ingrained cultural past time has me scratching my head even more...
Are we trying to re-live our childhood through doing this? Does it 'spice' up the mundane regularity of partying with old friends? Or does it...like wikipedia suggests, ignite our creativity and feed our tired imagination? I really can't decide.
Putting on a fancy dress sure gets me in the mood to dance, and putting on an outrageous hat does provoke a certain flair and cheek, but having to turn up with everyone else dressed as an 'animal', a 'zombie' or a 'superhero' really does little to excite me.
However I'm wary of parading around this view. ‘Loosen up a little', 'get amongst it' and 'put on this batman cape' you'll tell me, but truth is, these days at least, I'm just not that into it.
Maybe I've been to too many parties where everyone stands around looking at their 'effort,' perhaps I've always made to much of one ... or maybe I'm just a bit of a prude who doesn't like getting out of their ' zone.' Who knows?
To dress up, or not dress up.... I'm totally and utterly confused.

Hipster Hubba Hubba !?

'better than the official video'....'unexpected but so nice'....'hipster hubba hubba' (These are comments left on the youtube video for this clip)
I love this song just a little bit more perhaps...and so i decided to share it...

A 'culturally relevant' blog????

THIS IS SOME OF THE MOST INTENSE COMMENTARY I HAVE READ ON THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF BLOGGING.
THE INTERNET IS CHANGING US...HOW ARE WE USING IT? DO WE CARE? DO YOU?
IS HIPSTER RUNOFF IRONIC? INTELLIGENT COMMENTARY? OR SELF PERPETUATING BULL SHIT??

READ MORE HERE....

( ASIDE: Wikipedia says 'Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in participatory journalism, differentiate themselves from the mainstream media, while others are members of that media working through a different channel. Some critics worry that bloggers respect neither copyright nor the role of the mass media in presenting society with credible news........One consequence of blogging is the possibility of attacks or threats against the blogger, sometimes without apparent reason......)

WHAT ARE BLOGGERS GETTING THEMSELVES INTO?

Now that's just crazy

The response to issue 8 'Creative Destruction' has been rad......(Thanks again to BFM for the seven minute review....what was it? 4.9999/5!!! ) We're happy with that!
The pick up rate has been INSANE.... and I know that this issue has been gobbled up fast. If you're keen to get your mittens on one still check out http://www.fluromag.com/for our list of stockists (hopefully they have some left!)...or remember you can download FLURO too!!!
Big thanks to everyone who offers us their support (love, hugs and sometimes their coffee) As we're FREE we quiet literally couldn't exist without you!!!!
Issue Nine is out JUNE....and it's shaping up to be a DREAM!(quiet literally te he)
Keep posted for more news
Love from us here in the office

xxxxxx

'So what's it all about then? IT'S A RAVE DAVE'

When we drink at our house my flatmate Abby likes to show us YouTube video's that remind her of London. We don't mind. It makes us feel rather exotic...

Last night she was on a role and I realised she must have been there during the height of 'neon rave'...and lovin it!



Although the phase has surely passed ( yes we are all into monotones and shades of grey...) this clip reminded me why bright leggings and fluro dresses were such a craze and swept the world. Oh come on.....I know you like it too.

'Spicing up your movie diet'

This is the ambition of the world cinema showcase which is now on in Auckland ( The Academy ), Wellington ( Paramount), Dunedin ( Regent ) and Christchurch ( Rial).
Last night I was taken to see The Class.... This film was AMAZING.
It tells the story of a French teacher, François Bégaudeau, who, in 2006, published a book describing a year in a Paris Public School. He plays himself ....and the featured students are 'real' also.In terms of acting and performance, The Class is truthful, compelling and utterly intense. Despite sitting 2 hours, the movie flew by.
The Class explores the day to day difficulties of urban multi-ethnic eduction in France.
We follow Francois, a well meaning and passionate teacher, who attempts to re-ignite, or simply ignite, a desire to learn amongst the students. Like any class there are those who succeed, but as is often ignored, these students are held back by the hustle and bustle of everyday class room politics.
Kids talk back, gossip, refuse to learn and for Francois, teaching becomes more of a disciplinary play pen than it does an exercise in learning and creativity. In a sad series of events the film exposes the failure of the education system to encourage those who are finding life tough as it is.

The Class questions the education system, the role of parents vs. teachers and the place for commentary on the way we teach as a whole. When surviving the year is hard enough, how open are educators to reforms and 'positive encouragement' when it seems the only way to send a message is by sending kids home?
It's a relief ( and source of inspiration) to know that people are not only producing films like this, but that their being well received too.Film is such a powerful medium and all too often ( in my opinion) this quality is lost in the repetitive and tired formats re-produced in Hollywood.
Go and support the World Cinema Showcase....
I implore you!!!!!

i like

I think there's something rather rad about Smash Proof's new video 'It's Friday.' I can't put my finger on it. The lyrics aren't original and I'm not obsessed with South Auckland Hip Hop.... but it's kind of catchy... the video's well done..and my friend Lucy did the styling which is rather pretty too....



.....or maybe I just like a bit of bump and grind. Whatever the reason, I'm backing it.

COCO IS RAD CORE!!

Aleks Sakowski Presents The Parallel Dance Ensemble - Coco Soild and Bobbi Soxx In Turtle Pizza Cadillacs...

Cockroaches and Zoo York attack!!

Check out this little collaborative project between Zoo York and a whole big bunch of cockroaches. Man it woulda taken ages to source and paint all those little fuckers. Glad it wasn't my idea.



x

SUBCULTURE ALERT: BALLOON TWISTING

I found this last night trawling the internet and I thought it needed exposing to a wider audience. It seems a new popular subculture is forming based around the art of balloon twisting (a la balloon animals) but this is just out of control.

As an introduction to this strange phenomenon check out this hit song "Sneaky 'n' Sleazy" by Unpopable. The bass line is played entirely on a "Balloon Bass" which is pretty entertaining. Don't miss all the crazy creations in the background either.

Balloon Bass Band - "Sneaky 'n' Sleazy" by Unpopable



Now I'm sure your all wondering how exactly you can play along with him the next time you watch the video so here's a 5 minute tutorial on how you can join the party.

How to make a balloon bass:



It turns out the guy in the "Sneaky and Sleazy" videos name is Addi and he takes this VERY seriously. He has a youtube channel HERE devoted to it called Addis Inflatable Minute which carries the tagline: Explorations into the beauty of all things Inflatable, and sometimes even Twistable. He also a website of his creations HERE

But I believe this next clip demonstrates just how serious this pastime is for Addi. The Balloon twister as Philosopher/Role Model:



By now I was pretty confused but it looked like good clean fun so what ever you are into I guess. But then things started getting creepy. It seems this guy had found a way to turn his balloon skills into picking up girls, which I had never imagined possible.



Huh??? If that wasn't strange enough, he seems to have turned it into an illustrious career too. With perks.

>

And as this cross over starts happening more and more the creepiness continues.
A word of warning this next one is just plain bizarre and possibly offensive if your not very open minded. Actually its probably offensive anyway.

You have been warned.