Lovers and Lollipops

Lovers and Lollipops is a 1956 film directed and written by Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin. The film was photographed on location in and around New York City and tells the story of the romance of a widowed fashion model and an engineer, and how their relationship is affected by her daughter.

The film was the second of three feature films directed and written by Engel and Orkin, who were best known for the 1953 film Little Fugitive. Like that film and Weddings and Babies (1960), Lovers and Lollipops was a low-budget film shot in a naturalistic style uncommon during this era.

The character of Peggy was notable for its realism, showing her as bratty and self-centered, in contrast to the idealized portraits of children typical of 1950s films and TV. The film gained authenticity from its use of authentic New York City locations and a realistically meandering plotline, which made the film resemble real life more than polished movie acting.

Both Little Fugitive and Lovers and Lollipops were influential independent movies in that era, and influenced the French New Wave film movement and John Cassavetes.

Benjamin Bayart

Benjamin Bayard (1973) is an activist for fundamental freedoms in the information society and a French engineer. For fifteen years he was president of French Data Network, the oldest Internet service provider (ISP) still operating in France .

A campaigner for fundamental freedoms in the information society through net neutrality and free software, his positions have made him a noted personality on the French Internet.

Why are so many People Wearing Red Berets on the Hikoi?

Following yesterday's post on Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke: why are so many wearing (red) berets on the Hikoi? 

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke

A hīkoi is a walk or march, and especially a protest march, in New Zealand. The word comes from the Te Reo Māori language, and often implies a long journey taking many days or weeks.

This month, a hīkoi opposing the Treaty Principles Bill occurred. An estimated 42,000 people took part in the hīkoi, taking nine days to reach the parliament grounds of Wellington, with some groups beginning in the Far North and Bluff (in the far South). The Māori Queen Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō joined the protests in Wellington. Coinciding with the march was an online petition opposing the bill that received over 200,000 signatures.

Northland teenager Chelsea Reti marched with the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti from the beginning and before reaching Wellington, her mum decided it was the right time to send down a red beret.

"When we choose to put something on our head where we know it is going to be seen there is a significance behind it and there was significance behind why I wore a red beret," she said.

Chelsea Reti 

Countless other mostly young wāhine (women) donned a red beret for the march. It's a pōtae (hat) steeped in history and symbolism for the Māori rights movement and other freedom movements overseas stretching back decades.

Chelsea says her mum remembered berets worn by Māori activists in the past. She also took inspiration from 22-year-old Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, who often wears berets on significant occasions. Maipi-Clarke's great-aunt Hana Te Hemara wore a beret when she brought a te reo Māori language petition to Parliament in 1972.

Dr Bobby Luke Campbell, a senior fashion lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, said the Polynesian Panthers popularised the beret as a freedom symbol in New Zealand in the mid-1970s, spurred by protests against the Dawn Raids. While hats are a Western symbol, they have been widely adopted and reimagined as a symbol for Māori.

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke

This post is about a personal heroin of mine: Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke (2002) is a New Zealand politician, representing Te Pāti Māori as a Member of Parliament since the 2023 New Zealand general election. She is the youngest MP since James Stuart-Wortley, who was elected in the 1853 election aged 20 years and 7 months.

Maipi-Clarke has ancestry in Waikato, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Awa, and Ngāi Tahu. The broadcaster Potaka Maipi is her father. She is the grand-niece of Māori language activist Hana Te Hemara. Taitimu Maipi, whose activism contributed to the removal of the Captain Hamilton statue in 2020, is her grandfather. Wi Katene, the first Māori MP to be appointed to the Executive Council, was her great-great-great-great-grandfather.

During her maiden speech in December 2023, Maipi-Clarke criticised the National-led coalition government, claiming that it had "attacked my whole world from every corner". She identified health, the environment, water, land, natural resources and children as key areas of disagreement with the government:

Two weeks ago, New Zealand's parliament was halted after the controversial bill that proposes to radically alter the way the country’s treaty between Māori and the Crown is interpreted was tabled. Hana-Rawhiti was suspended from the Chamber for 24 hours:

Titouan

 "I started wearing a beret three years ago for fun, and then it became a habit. In winter, I put it on every time I step outside. This one’s from Anatomica (Boinas Elósegui). If I lose it at a party, I rush off to get another one. This is the fourth one I’ve bought from them. The undershirt belonged to my father, a Navy man. He wore them with his uniform for many years and had a whole pile of them in his closet, so I swiped one. An old Rubinacci suit in fresco, a lightweight wool, which means I can wear it in winter and summer. When it’s buttoned up, it has quite a strict, military look, which I like a lot. And when I wear it undone, it’s more voluminous and almost looks trendy. I never wear a shirt with it; I prefer a T-shirt or tank top underneath. The revisited Weston 180s with a triple sole. I reckon it gives them a bit of a punk feel. I put a coin into the slit on the left shoe, as the Americans do. I’ve always done that with my loafers. A hoop earring, like the one worn by graphic novel character Corto Maltese. I got my ear pierced when I was 20. My best friend Gevork was given this pendant by his parents. They’re Armenians who brought it back for him from the Caucasus. It represents the Orthodox Saint George. Gevork felt it wasn’t really for him, so he gave it to me. Also by Old England, made in England. I buy loads of their stuff secondhand. I never actually buy anything new nowadays. I spend a lot of time on the Vinted site. I got this vintage Old England cashmere overcoat for €25. It’s a bit too big for me, but I like that, the fullness of it. It means I can wear layers, which is great for winter. Basic Uniqlo socks. I think their thick, homespun style goes well with these loafers. I wear only white socks with loafers; anything else is out of the question."

“I grew up in Lorient, in Brittany, where dressing is very simple: all the young people wear jeans and trainers. I wore a trench coat when I was 14 and was probably the only one dressed like that. As I got older, I started to really get into suits and tailored pieces. I like to dress smart, but never in a really formal style. Basically, I wear my suits the way David Bowie did, or at least I try to. Nobody can really dress like Bowie…”

Neil Graham

Born in Pangnirtung, Nunavut in 1959, the son of an Anglican missionary and an outpost nurse, Neil spent his childhood in Arctic Canada amongst the Inuit (Pangnirtung, Nunavut and Inukjuak, Nunavik). 

He attended the University of Guelph then worked as a carpenter, truck driver, shipper-receiver and tractor mechanic.

Self-taught artist, his artwork narrative, Neil Graham addresses the contemporary world with bold visual energy. He manipulates landscapes, figures, colours and space to create layers of perception and comprehension. Diagnosed with Schizo – affective disorder, Neil imbues his art with a unique perspective. In a period that glorifies the product, he celebrates the journey. 

Nazi Victim Commemoration

Nazi victims and resistance fighters from France and Germany against the Nazi regime commemorated together the murdered of the Nazi regime on Good Friday 1945, Germany.

28 March, 1975 in Dortmund, Germany. Photos by Klaus Rose.

Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanović (1922 –2010) was a Serbian and Yugoslav architect, urbanist and essayist. He taught architecture at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture, where he also served as dean. Bogdanović wrote numerous articles about urbanism, especially about its mythic and symbolic aspects.

He was also involved in politics, as a Yugoslav Partisan in World War II, later as mayor of Belgrade. When Slobodan Milošević rose to power and nationalism gained ground in Yugoslavia, Bogdanović became a dissident.

Bogdanović is best known for designing monuments and memorials commemorating victims and resistance fighters of World War II built all over Yugoslavia from the early 1950s to the 1980s. In particular, the monumental concrete sculpture titled Stone Flower near the site of Jasenovac concentration camp gained international attention.

Therese Malvar

Therese Martin Alcala Malvar (2000) is a Filipino actress.

Malvar is the third great-granddaughter of two Philippine heroes, General Miguel Malvar and Dr. José Rizal. She is the daughter of stage and independent film actress Cherry Malvar.

In June, 2024, Malvar graduated Bachelor of Arts in Film and Video, magna cum laude and as Salutatorian from MINT College.

She won awards for her performances in the films Ang Huling Cha-cha ni Anita and Hamog.

Croatian Fascist Berets

Googling 'beret' in Croatia comes with many results of HOS berets, for sale at web shops. 

The Hrvatske obrambene snage or HOS (Croatian Defence Forces) were the paramilitary arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars.

The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) is an extra-parliamentary nationalist and neo-fascist political party in Croatia. The word "right(s)" in the party's name refers to the legal and moral reasons that justify the independence and autonomy of Croatia. While the HSP has retained its old name, today it is a far-right party with an ethnocentric platform.

Despite everything that happened during the 1990’s, it appears many (young) Croatians are happy to don these symbols…

X-Mas Discounts Now

We're moving closer to the end of the year, which means some good deals on berets that make great X-mas gifts!

 

Making Christmas shopping easier, many berets have been temporarily reduced in price! The whole range of Czech Classics and Classic Super Luxury, for example.  In the series of Limited Editions,: there are a small number of Spanish Paso Dobles left on Sale.

Looking for a perfect and exclusive gift? What better than  a Billy Childish models - both the Fear Naught and Goat in a Tree model are temporarily reduced in price!

This Christmas, a massive reduction on Baskenmütze, a Franco-German cooperation that resulted in some very fine and affordable berets! All @ $34.50!

Australian Otto&Spike Basque berets and Tam o Shanters - excellent winter gear and for a few weeks, well reduced in price for Christmas 2024!

Wallabies

The Australia men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.

Australia have competed in all nine Men's Rugby World Cups, winning the final on two occasions and also finishing as runner-up twice. Australia beat England at Twickenham in the final of the 1991 Rugby World Cup and won again in 1999 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff when their opponents in the final were France.

The Wallabies also compete annually in The Rugby Championship (formerly the Tri-Nations), along with southern hemisphere counterparts Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa. They have won this championship on four occasions. Australia also plays Test matches against the various rugby-playing nations.

More than a dozen former Wallabies players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

Sensi Studio

Sensi Studio is a fashion label founded by Stephany H. de Sensi-Contugi.

 She studied Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan, and later earned her master’s degree in Brand Management in the same institution (2006). She then worked alongside Tomas Maier for his eponymous brand, based in Miami (2006-2010).

Her studio was launched in 2010 as a design and product lab. The collections include panama hats, berets, hand woven handbags, and other accessories manufactured in Ecuador, which are all completely handmade.

Eckhaus Latta

Eckhaus Latta is an American fashion brand with locations in Los Angeles and New York City.

The brand is known for their use of unexpected materials, exploring texture and tactility in their designs, and for incorporating writing, performance, and video into their practice.

In 2018, Eckhaus Latta opened a show, Possessed, at the Whitney Museum, the first fashion-related exhibition at the museum in 21 years. The label previously exhibited their work, a sculptural collage of fashion, fine art, and video, in group shows at the Hammer Museum, (2016) and MoMA PS1, (2015). Additionally, Eckhaus Latta was nominated for the 2018 Edition of the LVMH Prize.

The label was founded in 2011 by Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta. The two designers met as students at the Rhode Island School of Design, where Mike studied sculpture and Zoe textiles. In 2010, Eckhaus moved to NYC and began working as an accessories designer at Marc by Marc Jacobs while Latta ran a textiles business, Ruth Prince, selling prints to designers such as Calvin Klein and Proenza Schouler while designing knits for Opening Ceremony. Looking to move beyond the somewhat restricted commercial environments in which they worked, Eckhaus and Latta decided to design a collection together.

Ruslan Baginskiy

Ruslan Volodymyrovych Baginskiy is a Ukrainian headwear and accessory designer, a founder of the eponymous Ruslan Baginskiy brand. Ruslan is currently based in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Baginskiy studied at the Faculty of Geography of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. At the age of 20 Baginskiy started to work as a stylist for shoots and shows of Ukrainian designers. In 2011, Ruslan made his first head piece for the fashion shoot. He soon became fascinated with the world of headwear, learning from the experience of local milliners and interning at a Lviv atelier.

In 2015, Ruslan Baginskiy started his own headwear and accessory brand.