I can’t say if we are growing up, but I can say we are going up.  Dubai’s new tallest building is called Nakheel Tower.  It will be more than a kilometer high, house 55,000, and be a work place for 45,000.  In an area of the world, almost a world of its own, where beaches are actually air conditioned(what’s the point in going?), multibillion dollar projects seem to pop up like acne on a 14 year old boy’s face.  I think it’s great to be innovative with designs, however I don’t think it’s cute to exhaust  resources and try to be clever with sustainability practices.  Making claims that the building will be ‘creating more space for people to breathe’ by building up rather than out, does not classify this as a sustainable building.  I do appreciate the idea of urbanizing up rather than consuming masses of land, call me Berkeley-Damaged, but if investors such as Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem are spewing billions into a project, why not just be a real leader and make it a true ‘Green Building’?  Check out Nakheels sustainability PR message here.  And read about the company involved in the design, Woods Bagot.  It’s a cool building, but please correct me if I am wrong.

LA Gear sneakers were in fashion the last time I was into high-tops and I was in high school the last I recall someone sporting a pair of British Walkers; perhaps that’s why I feel so nostalgic looking at the latest collection from PF Flyers. There’s something about the designs in their fall line that reminds of those brands and earlier times in my life. My fashion sense has evolved considerably since the 90s, but I wouldn’t be opposed to throwing on a pair of these and going a little retro for a theme party.

This is truly the most weird thing I’ve ever seen. This video is from Adidas, a promotion that lets a customer to totally customize their sneakers, from white color to any other. A typical blond with everything pink in her room, transforms into Swarovski-crystal-like doll, meanwhile her pink teddy-bear falls in love with her.

What I best remember about the movie, The Interpreter, are the scenes of Nicole Kidman zipping around Manhattan on a Vespa and the argument I had with my friend Will afterwards. I said I wanted one (a Vespa), he said it was a girl’s bike.

Vespas are not “girls’ bikes”. They are efficient, gender-neutral modes of motorized transport for the urban environment. But perhaps you doubt me or simply need to know you could hit 80 mph while sitting atop a scooter. Well, now there’s the Vespa GTS 300 Super, an update and more powerful version of the highly popular GTS 250. Enjoy, just be sure to wear a helmet.

Check out this selection of work from Swiss artist Felice Varini. Varini paints on different kinds of urban spaces such as windows, streets, and buildings. In the case of Felice, what you see is not always what you get. A master of playing with perspective, his work appears as scattered geometric shapes from different angles but from one vantage point the viewer can see the work as a whole, usually a simple uniform shape. His faux simplicity coupled with his use of basic, bright colors creates the ultimate life-sized optical illusion.

One of my biggest beefs with many men’s clothiers is when they design an entire line of  jackets, belts, shirts, and pants, etc, and they omit shoes. Shoes make an outfit. It’s the icing and the foundation.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done a runway show and the designer says, “Oh, and could you bring your own shoes?” I hate that. Complete your outfits bitches.  That said, Les Hommes has completed their outfits! This line is fan-tabulous! I’m screaming for the skinny pants, the light weight fabrics, and colors, and cinched waist line in the coats.  But most of all, the “anti-gravity” boots. Remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon?  They had “anti-gravity” boots and they were awesome. Les Hommes has designed a much more sleek and sexy version, and I want a pair!

PETA is always controversial with their advertisements, they throw paint at people who wear fur, they protest, and they always incorporate sex and naked women as part of their campaigns. I personally do not agree with any of that, it is like abortion issue to me, its your life-your style-you chose. Here is another ad that PETA wanted to air during the Superbowl game, again it uses women as sex objects and tells you to be a vegetarian. PETA has tons more banned/sexual ad’s on their site.

If you are from New York or any other big city with a big Chinese population then you are aware how festive a Chinese New Year can be. This year the Chinese are welcoming the Year of the Ox, the sign representing solemn hard work and prosperity – an animal that appears aptly symbolic for these difficult times. The Big Picture has featured some amazing pictures from around the globe of the festive celebration, see more of them at The Big Picture - Boston.com

If Giuliano Fujiwara’s  2009 collection is any indication of where fashion is going this year, it appears as though color has given way to shape and texture. This week creative director Masataka Matsumura revealed the latest styles in Milan. The collection is dominated by grays, blacks and nudes and includes interesting fabric choices such as camel, velvet, bold leathers and highly textured flecked wool. Great attention is being paid to sharp cuts and square shapes, especially for the shirts and jackets. The accessory line, however, offsets the neutrality of the collection with its use of bright colors and plastic texture.