Even if they never heard of Edna Mode.

In the spirit of superhero fashion shoots, here’s one by Thierry Le Gouès, which includes model Ali Stephens and a guy in a Batman costume, which ran in the magazine, French Revue de Modes.

Thanks to Jim D. for the link.

Meanwhile, the NY Times reports on a superhero-themes line of clothing going on sale at Bloomingdale’s stores around the country.

The fun begins on Wednesday with a “New York Nights” cocktail bash at Bloomingdale’s around the country, including the Men’s Store at the flagship on 59th street and Third Avenue in Manhattan. Be there from 6 to 8 p.m. to whet your whistle and see the merch, which includes everything from t-shirts, socks and scarves to tote bags, wallets, ties and cuff links (thankfully, no leotards). The gear will be available through the holiday season.

Let’s just jumpstart the day with some lively fashion photography by Craig Dean, spotlighted at Kanye West’s blog. (Team Kanye is definitely a better blogger than award interceptor.) Lots more in the link.

(Thanks to Jim D. for the link.)

Via Hypebeast, a new line of on beyond tasty Jaime Hernandez T-shirts. Want, want, want.

Thanks to Agent Provocateur and their new line of superhero-inspired undies, you can now make a detailed comparison, as Laura Hudson did.

But Topless Robot thinks you may be saddened:

I hadn’t really thought about it before, but if someone had asked me yesterday if someone could actually screw up a comics-inspired lingerie line, I would have said no. But looking at these “things,” complete with titles like Hornette and Magnette, I’m just sad and ashamed and a little angry.

Update: Well apparently there’s a comic book to go along with this, and Rich Johnston has scans and all so the answer is YES!

I want one!

For the crafty, details on how to make your own here:

If anyone makes one, let me know. I would like to know what it is like to “wield” something.

Chris Butcher runs down a truly awesome team-up between the great Moyoco Anno and Japanese cosmetics firm She Uemura.

If anyone has one of the press kits that they would like to send to someone who actually wears make-up, please let me know!

Last week, NPR, of all places, made a big whoop-t over Supergirl finally deciding to stop flashing everyone — apparently the decision came by editorial fiat:

The man in question: DC Comics editor Matt Idelson. The pronouncement he issued was just eight words long, but such is its paradigm-shattering power that it will surely stand one day in the annals of comic book history, alongside “With great power comes great responsibility,” “Truth, Justice and the American Way,” and “Shazam!”

Thus spake Idelson:

“I never want to see Supergirl’s panties again.”

A profile in courage, indeed. The story was drawn from a Newsarama story covering the be-pantsing, which quoted artist Jamal Igle:

Idleson’s suggestions about making Supergirl’s costume a little more presentable was reinforced by a critic that Igle could not ignore. “I showed one of those older issues to my mom, and she said, ‘She looks like a hooker.’ That’s the exact opposite of what you should be doing. In my head, because Kara is Clark’s cousin, she’s a member of the Superman Family. She wears the ‘S’. That’s supposed to stand for something.”

Frankly, we’re all for a bit more modesty on Supergirl’s part, and glad that the biking shorts option was chosen rather than choosing, say, a Skort.

There is a third option, which we’re surprised wasn’t chosen, though. Artists could just stop drawing Supergirl’s panties. Or stop drawing her looking like a hooker. Because, it CAN be done.

If you’re extremely top-heavy, white can be a hard color to pull off; not only does it show every bulge, but it makes things look a lot bigger. If you’re stuck wearing white — because you have to wear a uniform, say — and are busty, there are still ways you can minimize your chest line.

While form-fitting spandex is not going to hide anything, a v-neckline and high collar give a more vertical line which helps slim the bustline. As Dreamstar from Gilbert Hernandez’s new female superhero epic shows, a little detail can help divert attention from your enormous hooters if your work requires you to show them off.

On the other hand, too much detail can do the opposite. A round neckline tends to emphasize a bigger bust; a rope over the top of them makes them look even huger and shows you are some kind of bondage freak. A high neckline can be good camouflage but, coupled with a cutout, provides little distraction.

A clingy fabric with an interesting cut or drape will help give a more structured look.

If you’re going to wear a necklace, be mindful of where it ends, as the effect may be to draw more attention to your problem area.

On the other hand, sometimes if you’ve got it, you’ve just got to flaunt it.

Technorati Tags: Gilbert Hernandez

Since leaving his job as Publisher of Marvel Comics, Bill Jemas has been taking on many unusual projects besides 360ie, his IP branding company. For instance, he’s been translating the Bible. And he’s also been trying to bring peace to the world and promote green causes via Peacepaint, a clothing company featuring eco-friendly designs.

“Peace first. Ask questions later,” declared Bill Jemas, 360ie CEO. “Our fall 2008 line revolves around the world peace movement.” Mr. Jemas, former Marvel Comics Publisher, co-created the ID line with accomplished graphic designer Farrah Gross, 360ie’s Art Director. “We work with dozens of freelance artists and have created a beautiful collection with many diverse messages. But to start, we decided to focus on peace art with peaceful messages.”

To support the broader Peace Movement and publicize its own peace-apparel line, 360ie is launching peacepaint.com – a website that aggregates information about the cause and links to major peace-oriented organizations. Peacepaint.com also comes with an eye-catching twist – exhibiting the best ID designs in body paint on some very sexy canvases!

What does that last part mean? Well, basically that painting these designs onto sexy girls is a good way to get attention! Can’t say we disagree.

Can you find the panda bear?

§ Meanwhile, what about toy magnate/comics iconoclast Todd McFarlane. What’s he been up to? He hasn’t been sued lately, so he’s kind of dropped out of the news, aside from ongoing cutbacks at his McFarlane Toys. It seems he is thinking about making a new SPAWN movie, and has some ideas for casting and so on, such as a role for Leonardo DiCaprio as a Sam or Twitch-like role:

“It’s a big wish, but his dad was a big fan of underground comic books and he came from that. It’s not a big special effects movie, it’s a character movie, so I could shoot it in 40 to 50 days and you don’t have to budget that much time.”

[snip]Although Todd wants Leonardo to play a detective, it is unlikely to be either Sam or Twitch, the two famed officers from the original comic series, as he is hoping to work on another project focused on the two characters.

He added to MTV News: “We had Sam and Twitch in the book, but because of some of the stuff I’m trying to sell in Hollywood, we might have to change the characters a bit.

And needs a place to put it. A shelf designed by Oscar Nunez. Via Apartment Therapy.

Technorati Tags: design

Comics and fashion are crossing over more and more. The NY Times today reports on another Marvel book that will star its rich stable of female characters:

On Aug. 26, Marvel will release the first issue of “Models Inc.,” a sartorially minded mini-series that unites some of its fashion-friendly supporting characters and pushes them into new starring roles.

The runway divas include Millicent Collins (a k a Millie the Model), Patsy Walker, also known as the superheroine Hellcat, and Mary Jane, the model-turned actress who is the sometimes wife of Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man.

The women team up to clear Millicent, who is the prime suspect in the murder of the set designer. Think of it as “Charlie’s Angels” set in the fashion world.

The book will co-star Project Runway’s Tim Gunn. And note, MODELS INC. isn’t the same thing as MARVEL DIVAS, and would seem to target a different audience.

PS: We know what writer Gustines meant, but “sometimes wife” sounds kinda kinky.

(Also the piece mentions The Beat , which would have us busting with pride, except that it gives us credit for sales figures, which are actually from ICv2…. but it’s nice to be noticed anyway.)

On a semi related note, DC and designer Mark Ecko are teaming up to produce a collection of apparel emblazoned with Batman and his gang:

Using fashion-forward graphics inspired by the dark edginess of the Caped Crusader, the new line will include a range of limited-edition items such as hoodies, tees, woven shirts, headwear and watches all designed by Marc and his creative team. The product lines will appeal to a diverse youth culture that is influenced by indie music, art, martial arts and skating.

“I have always loved the world of BATMAN and the indelible influence that his rich history has had on popular culture,” said Marc Ecko. “Like fans around the world, I’m drawn to the artistry of DC Comics’ Super Heroes and villains, and thrilled to be able to dive into these characters and complement them with my own creative spin.”

Via our in-box, it has come to our attention that the cosmetics company Too Faced is selling a line of Smurfette makeup. And yes, it includes blue eyeliner and blue eye shadow and So Smurfy Illuminating Face Powder, which sounds like it might be appropriate for a particularly lurid night out, or Halloween or both. Apparently the line is about to go off sale, so hurry up to get the adorable So Smurfy Eye Shadow Collection, so that while out and about at the Waverly Inn or Teddy’s, you can reach into your giant purse and pull out a Smurfette compact to show that you support European cartoonists. Imagine how fashionable you will seem!

This is a public service announcement. It seems that Susan Boyle’s makeover has begun. The most famous woman in the world has trimmed her brows from a stormy hedge that would frighten small children into screaming, dropping their ice cream cones, and running away to a more delicate line that brings out her bone structure.

This is either a) the latest step in a wonderful Cinderella story

or

b) the beginning of a horrible sellout that will end in tears at Dana Plato’s graveside.

BE THAT AS IT MAY, we post this, not because it has anything to do with comics but because it illustrates something that we often tell our distaff pals: nothing can change your facial appearance as quickly or effectively as well shaped eyebrows! Seriously, it’s only $6 or $7 down at the threading or waxing salon, and it can turn you from a trout to a trophy in SECONDS! So be mindful.

A few people have emailed us with the link to the WWD article on Marvel’s licensing deals for female apparel and cosmetics. Current items include contemporary fashion tops from Mighty Fine, junior fashion tops from Junk Food, mass fashion tops with Fortune Fashions, and jewelry with H.E.R. Accessories. Later in the year, new products include handbags from Bioworld, stationery with iScream, color cosmetics with Lotta Luv, and watches and fashion jewelry with MZ Berger. The piece contains much of demographic interest:

“Since our core customer has always been guys, we need to be very careful when we introduce female product so that we don’t alienate our core,” said Paul Gitter, president of consumer products, North America, for Marvel Entertainment Inc. “What we have found through testing is that we haven’t alienated them, which gives us the OK to move forward with female product.”

Since 2007, the $5.7 billion consumer products division at Marvel has been testing select items for females, such as graphic character T-shirts at Hot Topic and Gap, and jewelry at Claire’s, among other items at select mass and mid-tier retailers. What executives at the firm found while testing was that when it comes to females, relevance to trends is key. Simply relying on the character alone to sell themselves doesn’t fly.

[Thanks to Jeff and Steve for sending the article.]

While getting more women to read superhero comics still seems like an uphill battle at times, this winter, comics are IN. We were wandering around a local H&M the other day and while the Commes des Garcon line was gone, baby, gone, we spotted a bunch of snappy-looking Catwoman T-shirts, of all things. Here’s a picture from Flickr of one.

Meanwhile, Batmania has struck Target with this
Batman Studded Tee. At $29.99, we will probably wait for the inevitable sale. (There’s a Wonder Woman T as well, but it’s just a logo and not, frankly, as cool.)

What with the Diane von Furstenberg DC fashion line that also hit this fall, it’s clear that the DC/Warners licensing dept. has been very busy.

Abby Denson reports from a fashion show that kicked off the Chocolate Show, a convention for the chocolate trade. Mmmmmmmm. The theme was superheroes, and the fashions were made from confections. For instance, Wonder Woman’s hair was made from black cotton candy!

This chocolate Astro Boy wouldn’t last long around us, that’s for sure. Many more mouthwatering photos in the link.

Just a reminder that the manga/anime look is now a complete fashion era. From the Observer’s fashion page:

At socialite Allison Sarofim’s annual Halloween party last Saturday, Oct. 25, the theme was Japanese anime. Female dancers in purple wigs and revealing electro-violet garments swayed to the music on pedestals. A young woman wearing skimpy lingerie and a giant head of a Japanese comic-book character with fake hair reaching down to her rear was placed atop the mantelpiece and instructed to stay put. Another woman in a metallic unitard and extraterrestrial headgear walked around with a mini-buffet of Japanese candy. And the male waiters, passing out just-made sushi and cocktails, were topless.

Unrelated: Socialite Kim Kardashian went as Wonder Woman. Looks good from the front.

From the back, that is some Amazon junk in a trunk. I cannot lie.

Look, we’re as baffled by the whole “Gothic Lolita” movement as anyone, and a New York Times profile is usually a sign something has jumped the shark:

The Lolitas are here and in full bloom. Theirs is a world in which the childhood fantasy of Alice in Wonderland seems to collide full force with the Addams Family. Its myriad influences include Victorian children’s wear, the French Rococo period, goth-inspired darkness and Japanese anime. Many Lolitas make their own clothes or have them specially commissioned.

However, a letter to Jezebel by an actual Goth Lolita may shed some light:

We certainly do not do this for the attention of men. In fact, the fashion frequently alienates them. Frequently, female sexuality is portrayed in a way that is palatable and accessible to men, and anything outside of that is intimidating. Something so unabashedly female is ultimately kind of scary—in fact, I consider it to be pretty confrontational. Dressing this way takes a certain kind of ownership of one’s own sexuality that wearing expected or regular things just does not. It doesn’t take a lot of moxie to put on a pencil skirt and flats. It’s not, as some commentors have suggested, some sort of appeal to men’s expectation that women should be childlike, or an attempt to pander to pedophiles. Pedophiles like little girls. They don’t like grown women who happen to like dresses with cakes on them. I’ve never been hit on by a pedophile while in Lolita. We don’t get into it because it is some sort of misplaced pedo complex or anything, and the objective isn’t simply to emulate little girls, despite the name Lolita.

Last Thursday Paul Pope celebrated both his birthday and the launch of his “2089″ clothing line for DKNY Jeans at THE HAPPY CORP headquarters in SoHo for a comics/fashiony bash. Guests included Dean Haspiel, Molly Crabapple, Seth Kushner, Arlen Schumer, Josh Bernstein (Royal Flush), Lindsey Reiman & Anna Van Slee (Devil’s Due), Michel Fiffe, Laura Hudson, Pornsak Pichetshote (Vertigo), and Gina Gagliano (First Second).

The party also celebrated HappyCorp / LVHRD founder Doug Jaeger’s birthday as well as his becoming president of The Art Directors Club. A comics-friendly bunch, The Happy Corp previously hosted the double launch party for Doug Rushkoff’s Testament & Anthony Lappe/Dan Goldman’s SHOOTING WAR and as LVHRD, the NYC-based ongoing creative social events organization, they produced a  speaking “Bi-Fold” event mashing Paul against 8-bit music artist Mark Denardo.

Sadly we could not attend, due to a prior commitment, but it sounds like it was a groovetastic night.

DKNY Jeans just launched a mini-site for the Pope clothing line which includes a hand-drawn camouflage windbreaker hoodie inspired both by the natural patterns of butterfly wings and Kirby-krakkle. The site boasts a good bit of exclusive content, including a sketchbook and Inspirations section. The clothing is also hitting stores, so if you want the latest in comics-inspired clothing, now’s the time to go shopping.

Jeff Newelt was kind enough to pass along some photos from the evening, all taken by and © Andrew T. Foster.

Legendary Graffiti artist / sculptor Mare139 sporting the Camo Windbreaker
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The reason we’re posting so late today is we had to get up early to go to the Target pop-up “bodega” this morning. Only in New York would people line up to shop at Target. True. True.

We’re not entirely sure what that means, either, but the New York Anime Festival is coming up FAST — at the end of the month Sept. 26-28 at the Javits Center. Lots of news is rolling out, and we’ll try to keep up. One of the guests of honor is the Goth Lolita fashion house known as Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, and apparently, you can have tea with them if you have the scratch:

The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced designers from Baby, The Stars Shine Bright — Japan’s premier Lolita fashion brand — will conclude their time at the New York Anime Festival with dinner and a cup of tea with 20 fans at a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. A ticket to the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright Tea Party is priced at $125 and includes a salad, entrée, dessert, and tea with Baby, The Stars Shine Bright designers Miho Satoh and Masumi Kanoh.

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Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca have contributed a “A Graphic Novel of the Season’s New Looks” for New York magazine. Personally, we’re a little dubious about this fall’s square necklines, but excited about the idea of voluminous sweaters….BUT NOT for men!

As we’ve noted here many times, the anime/manga movement is best seen as having its greatest cultural impact as a fashion/lifestyle trend (a la punk and goth), not as a literary movement, per se. And certainly the fashion gets wilder and wilder all the time. For instance, these over-sized contacts which give your eyes a manga-sized look have been getting a lot of attention.

Disturbing as they are, they aren’t the worst of it, as InventorSpot notes:

The site featuring the lenses sells a few other beauty aids, including a painful-sounding “nose clipper” and a Crystal Colagen Breast Mask which demands a posting of its own - keep a big, watery, shiny eye on this blog!

After a summer of trade shows, we are stuffed to the gills with tote bags! Plastic tote bags, cotton tote bags, totes with zippers, totes with cross body straps…totes with water pockets. We have more than enough to last the next decade. It’s one of the reasons we weren’t so motivated to get to the WB booth at the break of dawn each morning for a giant swag bag — we have plenty at home, thanks.

And yet we totally want this sweet Adrian Tomine tote from The Strand.

For those of you not over-toted, you can order it online and be the most stylish person on your block. Perfect for runs to Trader Joe’s!