Something to Latch Onto
Posted on June 27, 2008 by Stuart Kerty Filed Under Fashion, Hardware | Leave a Comment
Looking like a cross between the lock on an outhouse door and the rigging you use to secure a vintage Harley in the bed of your Stepside F-150, designer Rivy Ng has created a distinctly hardwarean latch for those who require absolute assurance that their belt will never become unintentionally unshackled.
Native of Singapore, Rivy founded the MadCornerShop brand and markets an eponymous line of stylish clothing and accessories worldwide. The Hook Belt is a simple yet purposeful design that gives your pants an added measure of security in an unsure world.
(photo courtesy of notcouture.com)
Don’t Ask People If They Want to See Your Little Bighorn…
Posted on June 25, 2008 by Stuart Kerty Filed Under History, History of the Western Belt Buckle | Leave a Comment
Today is the anniversary of General George Armstrong Custer’s Last Stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Custer led the 7th Cavalry of the United States Army in an ill-fated battle against Chief Sitting Bull and Lakota and Cheyenne warriors near the Little Bighorn River in what is today southern Montana.
The buckle from ExploreMontana.com displays Custer, shooting Rambo-style with two double-action revolvers called Webley Bulldogs. He is flanked by the Cavalry guidon variation of the American flag and the guidon of the 7th Cavalry. To learn more, visit Friends of the Little Big Horn.
History continues to re-evaluate this battle. But no matter which side of the historical debate you choose, pay tribute to the man famous for failing. Next time you screw up bad at work, think that maybe one day, you too could become a household name!
Hopi Traditions in Silver
Posted on June 22, 2008 by Stuart Kerty Filed Under Artistic, Handmade, Native American, Silver | Leave a Comment
Hopi and Navajo silversmith Ramon Dalangyawma produces sterling overlay jewelry and belt buckles that reflect his Hopi culture and feature traditional symbols of their clan, including wolves, bears, and antelope. In an arid high mountain community that grows their own food, their iconography also pays respect to clouds, lightning, and rain as an vital part of their lives.
These gleaming mirror-finished buckles are crafted from silver, considered by the Hopi to be a sacred element of Mother Earth. The traditional tribal technique called sterling overlay is made from two layers of silver where the intricate designs are cut through the top layer which is soldered onto the lower layer which has been tooled for texture and darkened through oxidation to add depth and contrast to the relief. Each piece is stamped with the artisan’s hallmark DALANGYAWMA representing the Hopi Greasewood clan.
These are beautiful original designs that you can wear proudly in homage to the deeply spiritual Hopi who still follow ancient ways of living, farming their native land, and producing works of art that reflect their traditions. Or simply because these belt buckles look great!
Nature Girl’s Kaleidoscope Eyes
Posted on June 19, 2008 by Stuart Kerty Filed Under Abstract, Artistic, Fashion, Floral, Photographic, Women's | Leave a Comment
Nature Girl Designs was created as its founder strove to combine her love of photography and nature. Their astoundingly beautiful buckles are hand-crafted in their red barn in Connecticut. Sure, they could do it in the garage, the living room, or the factory down the street, but doesn’t “barn” sound so much more quaint and rustic?
Their vibrantly colorful, no-two-alike designs are created using a spin casting process that captures the crystalline geometry of a kaleidoscope and the free form splashes of tie-dye. Brightly-hued thermoset resins and plastics are spun at high speed to allow centrifugal force to create the unique symmetrical designs. Choose from large or small ovals or scroll buckle designs in antiqued pewter or brass.
Nature Girl can help you add a flourish of luminous color to your spring wardrobe. The only problem will be choosing from so many wonderful designs.
Forget the Prius. Mermaids Are the Original Hybrids!
Posted on June 18, 2008 by Stuart Kerty Filed Under Fun, History | Leave a Comment
This weekend welcomes the return one of the craziest events you will encounter anywhere in the country. The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is the nation’s largest art parade and an opportunity to see some of the most beautiful, most glamorous, and most wackiest people that New York City has to offer.
Founded in 1983, the Mermaid Parade pays homage to the long-forgotten Mardi Gras which ran here every year from 1903 to 1954. The parade kicks off the summer in celebration of the history and mythology of Coney Island, the birthplace of roller coasters and hot dogs, and once a world-renown vacation hotspot that has fallen into some disrepair, but is in the midst of a revitalization.
The parade is a fantastical aquatic-themed free-for-all, with participants donning zany and often sexy homemade costumes to transform into mermaids (merpersons?), Poseidons, sea monsters, or any other ocean mythology that creative and slightly bent minds can conjure up. Imagine if you will Disney World if they fired all the censors and lawyers!
Whether you march in the parade or not, you can share your love for these enchanting Sirens with the wrap-around mermaid belt buckle from RedElephants. These graceful hand-poured metal beauties slither around your belt, meticulously finished in bronze or silver with crystals. Legend says that mermaids would drag sailors down into the deep, but on Saturday, they might simply drag you onto the boardwalk to dance. To learn more about the parade and the history and future of the area, visit Coney Island USA.
Since the future of Coney Island is unsure as new development is changing the face of the area, harken (seriously, when was the last time you harkened?!) back to the iconic Steeplechase Park with the buckle from Lola Staar, featuring the mildly demented smiling face “Tillie”, named after park owner George Tilyou. Ahh, you can almost feel the thrill and the queasiness of the Parachute Drop!
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