The Rake Magazine

Blog

  • The Postponement Blues

    Early April baseball in the Midwest can be a flat-out teeth-kicker. Baseball, of course, can kick your teeth in on a regular basis no matter the month, but shit like last night is brutal, even if it (literally) comes with the territory. Couldn’t they at least have given us a rain delay, so we could have stretched out the night a little bit?

    Remember when the Twins used to play in the American League West, back before the greedy fucks starting monkeying around with the divisions and came up with the utterly inane unbalanced schedule? Back then the Twins played in a division with teams like California, Oakland, Texas, and Seattle. Now you’ve got five northern teams in the Central, and at least for the next two years the Dome provides the only sure refuge from the dodgy weather in the first weeks of the season.

    Maybe somebody can explain to me how the schedule makers manage to send the Twins on their first road trip of the year –in the second week of April– to Chicago, Kansas City, and Detroit. It makes absolutely no sense.

    The weather we’ve been having –on opening night, for instance, and last night (both in Chicago and here)– has already had people wringing their hands about the wisdom of building the new downtown ballpark without a retractable roof. I understand that, certainly; I also wish like hell the Pohlads had poneyed up for a roof, and have some pretty raw memories of making the trek up to Met Stadium as a kid only to have to sit through rain delays that resulted in eventual postponement. I’ve also been rained out in Kansas City, both parks in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and New York.

    No doubt about it, it sucks. It always sucks. It messes with the day-to-day, day-after-day rhythms of the game, particularly early and late in the season. But while sitting through close to a thousand games in the Dome –the Twins moved into the dump the year I moved to town– I’ve gained a little perspective on rainouts. For the last ten years, for every game I’ve attended, I’ve made a plus or minus notation in my scorebook. Pluses represent all those games where I would have been at least relatively miserable sitting outdoors watching a baseball game. A double plus generally means either the game wouldn’t have been played were it not for the Dome, or I wouldn’t have slogged through the weather to sit through it. A minus has come to represent sort of the Dome version of a rainout: those are the afternoons or evenings where it felt like a crime to be sitting indoors on a beautiful day watching a game that was invented to be played outside on beautiful days.

    I can tell without going back through all of my scorebooks that the minuses probably outnumber the pluses by at least five-to-one, which is something I suggest we all keep in mind during the dark early days of this season, and when the Twins finally do move into that new ballpark in 2010.

    Shit, just on principle I’m going to feel obligated to gut out games in the new yard even on miserable April and September (and –knock wood– October) nights, because I know how damn grateful I’m going to be for all those beautiful days and nights in between.

  • And Don't Forget the Book Awards on Saturday

    BOOKS & AUTHORS
    What’s so Minnesotan about the Minnesota Book Awards?

    This evening, enjoy a special Raking Through Books featuring the nominees of the 2008 Minnesota Book Awards (on Saturday). How often do you get to discuss literature with some of the top writers our Cities have to offer? How often do you even get them in the same room, for that matter? Tonight you can mix and mingle with the likes of Mary Logue, Annette Atkins, Catherine Watson, Joni Tevis, Wang Ping, and Leslie Adrienne Miller. And when you get out of Kieran’s you’re just a hop, trip, and a jump away from the next event.

    Friday from 6 to 8 p.m., Kieran’s Irish Pub, 330 2nd Ave. S., Minneapolis.

    WINE & DINE
    An Affordable Feast with Big Red Wine Flights and Music

    Last week, Ann Bauer wrote about the wine steals at Cue in Beyond the Cask. This week, the rest of us wine, food, and music lovers can enjoy them ourselves. It’s looking like we’re going to need a little something to warm us up, and I can’t think of anything better than some full-bodied big reds. Enjoy a three-course meal for only $30, and choose from three Big Red Wine Flights (tailored to the size of your wallet). Then sit back, relax, and drink in the big rich sounds of vocalist Arne Fogel and his trio. Try your luck in the silent wine auction, featuring Cue Cellar gems. But before you go, be sure to visit the gem upstairs; the view from the endless bridge is bound to be priceless this evening with the snow falling.

    Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., Cue at the Guthrie, 818 S. 2nd St., Minneapolis.

    THEATER & PERFORMANCE
    Romeo and Rusalka

    What separates the typical Disney flick from most operas is not just
    the animation or the language, but the ending, the resolution. True,
    not all operas end in tragedy (though most do), but even the
    happily-ever-afters come laden with sacrifice and cost-of-learning, so
    to speak. And let’s face it, someone usually dies. This Saturday (through next weekend), the Minnesota Opera brings us Anton Dvorak’s Rusalka, a beautiful Little Mermaid-like
    fairytale without the happy ending. Named after the Vysoka country
    estate (just south of Prague) where Dvorak took residence in 1884 —
    with Rusalka Lake at its core — the Czech opera tells the story of a
    water nymph who falls in love with a prince. But in the world of opera,
    as in Shakespeare, two worlds colliding can only lead in tragedy — a
    tragedy, of course, made all too beautiful by Dvorak’s composition. A
    bit on the Wagnerian side perhaps, the music reinforces the "collision"
    by creating two entirely unique sound-worlds. Conductor Robert Wood, stage director Eric Simonson, and choreographer Mathew Janczewski lead an illustrious cast in this Minnesota Opera performance, featuring the return of Minnesota native Kelly Kaduce in the title role, and Brandon Jovanovich as the Prince.

    Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St, St Paul, 651-224-4222; $20-$150.

    FILM
    Cave Women on Mars

    This Saturday is the world premiere of Cave Women on Mars, by local filmmakers Christopher Mihm and Josh Craig. You may know them already from previous releases — which also premiered at the Heights — The Monster of Phantom Lake (2006) and It Came From Another World! (2007). It seems like they’re determined to put out a kick-ass black & white ’50s-like flick every year. And that’s ok by me. Their latest quest follows two astronauts to the red planet, where they discover an earth-like atmosphere and sexy warrior cave women. Could it get much better? This stuff is a must for anyone with a little bit of twist. Stick around for cake after the movie, meet the cast and crew, and enjoy a special on-screen trivia/sing-along screening of The Monster of Phantom Lake.

    Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (film at 7:30 p.m.), The Heights Theatre, 3951 Central Ave. NE, Columbia Heights; $5/$6.

    SPECIAL EVENT

    Journey to the Middle East

    It’s Middle Eastern Night at the Suburban World,
    so prepare to be transported. This is no little ride; it’s the whole
    shebang — a full evening of Middle Eastern wonder, and a great
    date-night to boot. Begin your evening, as all good evenings should
    begin, with some lovely wines (Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Macon-Villages,
    and Cuvee White) provided by Gina Miranda of Bellboy Corp. and Georges Dubeouf French Wines. Then slide down the tongue to the belly, and enjoy a three-course meal prepared by Restaurant Aura:
    Tabouleh salad, pita bread, Kefta meatballs served on a bed of saffron
    rice with a tomato based Chermoula sauce, and baklava for dessert.
    Lovely baklava! As soon as the sweetness hits the tongue you can settle
    back a bit and prepare for the feature film, Promises.
    This heartbreaking documentary shows the making and breaking of a
    relationship between a Palestinian boy and a pair of Israeli twins
    brought together by their shared love of sports. But it doesn’t end
    here. When the movie is done, the belly dancing begins and the Touareg Live Band will make it their mission to get you shaking those hips.

    Saturday at 6 p.m., Suburban World Theatre, 3022 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612-822-9000 or 952-451-1400; $30, $36 w/wine.

    And on Sunday, head over to Nina’s Coffee Cafe to learn about Reason, Faith, and Story-telling from former Utne editor Jon Spayde, author of How to Believe.

     

  • Walk It Off

    first published at www.realbuzz.com

    Tapes ‘n Tapes
    Walk It Off

    As disgruntled as Tapes ‘n Tapes
    may try to sound — stretching their voices, writing somber lyrics,
    going heavy on guitars — the songs on Walk It Off, their second
    full-length album, easily remain within the realm of pop music. This is
    a good thing, I think. And, because of their geography, it was
    unavoidable all along. It seems Tapes ‘n Tapes is the latest in the
    line of music acts from Minnesota (Soul Asylum, then Semisonic, then
    Mason Jennings) to sound happy and gain popularity, despite
    themselves.

    And so, the quartet went on to infiltrate the blogosphere, garnering
    the respect of those whose opinions are Truth to hipsters everywhere.
    They even got a mention on MTV’s Human Giant show, which is something
    of a mainstream cult phenomenon (no longer an oxymoron). The rest is
    what’s happening right now.

    The big difference between Walk It Off and all their previous releases
    (an album and a couple EPs) is the production. Their first CD was
    recorded, reportedly, in a fairly primitive cabin in Wisconsin, and
    indeed many of the tracks sound a bit grainy and raw. For Walk, they
    enlisted producer David Fridmann,
    who’s worked with many of the bands to which Tapes ‘n Tapes are often
    compared, such as Weezer, Phantom Planet, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
    Really the sound is much cleaner, putting the correct emphases now on
    the vocals, now on the instrumentation.

    Their style can be described, I think, as ambient alternative rock.
    All the musical elements seem to hug each other — the guitars and drums
    and lyrics all sort of intertwine and mold to each other — making for
    songs that are atmospheric in their impact.

    Lead singer Josh Grier does that British garage band thing with his
    voice, making it sort of whine and yawn at the same time. This is best
    exemplified on "Conquest," a Latin-tinged track ripe with lyrics about
    solitude. "When you’re next to me, the feeling’s cold," Grier croons,
    but kind of happily. These are songs about heartbreak, sung with
    something like rapture. And when they stick to this aesthetic, as they
    do on "Le Ruse," "Headshock," and many of the songs on Walk
    It Off    , it totally works.

    But on other tracks, they can get a bit too experimental. "Blunt" gets
    blunted when it dissolves into a pile of noisy dissonance. And "The
    Dirty Dirty," an ’80s-infused piece, ultimately tries too hard to sound
    un-like the rest of the album. I’m not saying that a band should find
    one sound they do well and just stick to it for the rest of their
    careers, but change has to come naturally, and here it seems a bit
    forced.

    For the most part, though, their songs maintain an
    upbeat-but-downtrodden character that makes for complex, satisfying
    listening. Walk it Off should help build the group’s reputation, and be
    ample fodder for the next round of blog posts.

    Tapes ‘n Tapes will be playing this evening, April 10th, at First Avenue.

  • Voltage 2008: Fashion Amplified

    Voltage: Fashion Amplified pumps up the volume with the blending of two art forms: music and fashion. First Avenue is showcasing local fashion gurus along the catwalk with the native Minnesota sounds of The Haves Have It, Zibra Zibra, Bella Koshka, MC/VL, White Light Riot and Birthday Suits (who also sport the fashions of the designers). The event is set to take place the day before the opening of Voltage Fashion Weekend 2008, which will include workshops, fashion shows, trunk shows, and social networking happy hours for those interested in design and fashion. For a list of the weekend events go here. And be sure to peruse the list of runway designers.

    Voltage: Fashion Amplified’s main event April 16th, 7pm, First Avenue, 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612-332-1775; $18 in advance/$20 at the door.

  • Abbreviated Three-Pointer: No D in Wolves

    Game #78, Home Game #40: New Orleans 122, Minnesota 90

    Season Record: 19-59

    1. Trying to Trade Baskets

    The Minnesota Timberwolves shot 73.3% in the third quarter last night, 11-15 FG, including 3-4 from beyond the 3pt arc. The worst shooting performances were Ryan Gomes and Chris Smith at 1-2 FG; Al Jeffeson was 2-3 FG, Rashad McCants was 3-4 FG, and Marko Jaric and Kirk Snyder were each a perfect 2-2 FG. Eight of those eleven baskets were assisted, led by Gomes with three dimes.

    The Wolves were outscored 41-27.

    The front line of the New Orleans Hornets annihilated Minnesota’s frontcourt, shooting a collective 14-18 FG, including a trio of treys by Peja Stojakovic, for a collective 31 points. Chris Paul chipped in 8 points on 3-4 FG and 1-1 FT and dropped five dimes with nary a turnover. Morris Peterson went 2-3 from the free throw line to complete the scoring.

    In the fourth quarter, the Hornets cooled down a tad, shooting only 57.1% (12-21) after the blistering 77.3% of the third. Alas, Minnesota could only muster 5-20 FG, making the final a blowout 32-point loss after being a bucket down at the half.

    Asked how tough it was going up against MVP candidate Chris Paul, Randy Foye was begrudging. A lot of it is the people around him–they have great finishers," said Foye, adding, "we were stopping him."

    The operative word in that last sentence is "were." Yes, Paul failed to register a field goal in the field half, arriving with just two points (2-2 FT) and one rebound at the break. Foye, meanwhile, had exploded for 16 points in the first period, including 4-4 from three point range in his 6-7 FG overall. But Paul also had 8 assists in the first half, compared to Foye’s 2. So if we compared the two *point guards,*, Paul generated only four fewer points–his 2 points and the 16 from his eight assists–than Foye’s 22 generated points (18 scored plus 2 assists).

    And that was the first half. In the second half, Paul shot 6-7 FG, added 3-4 FT, grabbed four rebounds and again dropped 8 dimes in the half, to finish with 16 assists versus one turnover. Foye went 0-6 FG and 2-2 FT in the second half, with three assists and zero turnovers. Final line: Foye outscored Paul 20-19 but got out-assisted, 16-5. Asked about what happened in that second half, he was still begrudging, noting that "I got in a little bit of foul trouble, picked up some cheap fouls."

    Paul’s teammates may be great finishers anyway, but it helps that the frontcourt towered over Minnesota’s front line by 3, 4 and 2 inches, respectively at the center, small forward and power forward positions. That explains how five of Paul’s assists were alley oop dunks.

    2. It’s The Meat (Size) and the Motion (Penetration)

    After the game, coach Randy Wittman bemoaned the fact that his team went with the jump shot as the default position. "We need that guy who will put it on the floor," he said. "We have struggled all year getting free throws–we had 9 tonight–and we’re settling for jump shots." When Foye’s first quarter scoring explosion was mentioned, Wittman re-emphasized, "Yeah he made some jump shots but then he kind of fell in love with that…We moved the ball pretty good but we have got to look for people who will put the ball on the floor and get to the rim."

    Asked if that is the team’s biggest need, Wittman gave an answer that should be applauded for folks who are sick and tired of smallball. "No, we need to get bigger. What is prefereable?" he asked rhetorically, the penetrator or the larger bodies? "Whatever presents itself. We also need outside shooters. Al is a willing passer."

    3. McCants and Brewer

    Whatever drama may have existed between Wittman and McCants is again on the back burner, as Shaddy played 30:09 off the bench and was his usual self, leading the team in points and field goals and tying Foye for the high in FGA. Foye and McCants combined for a gaudy 9-17 in three-point shooting and yet the ballclub still got pasted by 32 points. Not coincidentally, defense has been an achilles heel for both Foye and McCants this season.

    On the other side of the ledger, Corey Brewer continues the out-of-body experience of watching his season disappear down the rabbit hole. As happens enough to be something of a pattern this season, Brewer came out and stuck his first two jumpers, including a nifty dribble-drive left, put on the brakes and nail a fade-away sequence early in the second period. But then he came down and chucked up a heat-check J on the very next possession that clanked, leading to five more misses that were lucky if they clanked. Also in the second period, Marko Jaric drove beneath the hoop and fed the rook on the baseline for about a 10-footer that he flat-out airballed, a shot so inept that the 12,000 or so people in the stands were murmuring about it for the next 15 seconds. Then there was the four footer he was gift-wrapped in the second half that barely grazed the front iron. In all seriousness, I’m not certain giving Brewer any more burn in these final four games is a good idea. Better just to let him keep practing and then proscribe an off-season diet of milkshakes, bench presses, squats and cheeseburgers along with a daily diet of about 10,000 jump shots. The boll weavils have infested his confidence and it will take a few months to clean them away.

  • Get Corked for a Cause at FireLake

    Let’s face it. The economy sucks.

    Doesn’t matter who you are these days, you’re feeling the squeeze. Soaring gas prices, plummeting real estate values, low returns on your mutual funds. So what do you do? You cut out the non-essentials: fine wine, fancy dinners, charitable giving. After all, who has the money to go out to eat or worry about starving children when there are April heat and snow removal bills to pay?

    The answer is: You do, at FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar. Tomorrow night.

    Starting on April 6, FireLake began running a pretty unbeatable special every Sunday night. The restaurant is waiving its usual $15 corkage fee, which means you can bring in a bottle (or two) of your favorite reasonably-priced wine. They’ll not only uncork it for you, they’ll chill it if it’s white, furnish appropriate glassware, give you a voucher for 10% off your next purchase at any Haskell’s, AND they’ll save the cork in a bin that represents the amount FireLake will donate to Second Harvest Heartland and the World Childhood Foundation.

    In other words, your meal will run only as high as food and tip. You can enjoy a bottle that might cost $30 on any restaurant’s wine list for as little as ten. And simply by allowing FireLake to uncork it, you’ll be ensuring that money is sent to a worthy cause.

    Add to this that in my opinion, the food at FireLake is too often dismissed. Yes, it’s hearty Midwestern comfort food — buffalo ribeye, smoke pork, trout, and chicken and herb ricotta dumplings — at a price point about 15% below most other "fine dining" establishments downtown. But Chef Paul Lynch is a talented guy who puts out some of the best authentically regional food. And there’s no doubt, he and his team are Minnesota’s masters of the woodfire grill.

    This honestly is the best deal I know of in town right now. And if you’re truly in a mood to splurge, keep in mind that the Four Diamond Radisson Plaza Hotel (adjacent) is running a Sunday night special as well: $99 for a double room.

    Think about it, if you make a hotel reservation, you can bring THREE bottles of wine. Then get up from the table and walk to bed. . . .

  • Legislators Back Growing Anoka-Ramsey Community College with $5.5

    Looks like Anoka-Ramsey Community College just got a whopping $5.5 million to expand their facilities on the Coon Rapids and Cambridge campuses. Here are the details as per the college:

    Anoka-Ramsey Community College received a resounding "YES" from Minnesota state legislators and Governor Pawlenty, April 7, to its request for $5.5 million to fund four large facilities projects at the college campuses in Coon Rapids and Cambridge, Minn. The college’s requests were part of a larger bonding bill request on behalf of all Minnesota State Colleges and Universities – some of which were not approved by legislators or were vetoed by the Governor.

    "We are particularly pleased that all four requests made it in the final bill, which will allow us to continue to grow, and bring four-year degree offerings, as well as our fine arts, allied health and bioscience programs," says Dr. Patrick M. Johns, President of Anoka-Ramsey Community College. "Our community members are coming to us and requesting that we provide access to bachelor-level programs on campus, more flexible scheduling and more offerings that assist with changing careers. These bonding projects are key to fulfilling those requests."

    The funded bonding projects for Anoka-Ramsey Community College
    include:

    • $300,000. Design planning for new facility at the Coon Rapids Campus to house bioscience programs, allied health programs and bachelor-level programs from universities. An additional $15 million for construction of the facility will be requested in the 2010 bonding process.
    • $3,800,000. Construction of an additional fine arts building at the Coon Rapids Campus to address growing art and music programs. An additional $5 million to renovate the current fine arts building will be requested in the 2010 bonding process.
    • $525,000. Renovate a classroom into a science lab at the Cambridge Campus. Additional funds to expand the Cambridge Campus will be requested in the 2010 bonding process.
    • $885,822. Replace air-handling units on Coon Rapids Campus.


    Growth By Demand

    As part of its mission, Anoka-Ramsey is committed to responding to the educational needs of the changing communities it serves. Key college constituents regularly confer with college leaders through a variety of college advisory groups and several President’s strategic planning breakfasts. In addition, the Anoka County Commissioners and the City of Coon Rapids Council Members made a strong case to bring additional bachelor-level programming to Anoka County when both entities passed resolutions in support of Anoka-Ramsey’s expansion plans.

    The need for increased access to higher education is more than just the opinion of those living in Anoka-Ramsey’s services areas of the north suburban metro area and East Central Minnesota. A 2004 study by Noel-Levitz revealed that populations in Anoka and Isanti Counties have lower than the state average number of individuals with two-year and four-year college degrees as well as a lower per capita income level than the state average. Also, these and the surrounding counties are projecting strong population growths in the next 20 years.

    "We are the right place to come for a college education, especially if you want to stay close to home in East Central Minnesota or in the northern Twin Cities suburbs," says Johns. "If you want a bachelor’s degree, we want to know about you and bring the program to one of our campuses. If you want to complete your generals, then transfer, we are the lowest-cost, high-quality choice. If you are making a career change and need a quick certificate program, we have many options for you.

    "Our goal is to assist anyone who wants to advance their education."

    For more information about Anoka-Ramsey Community College projects or programs, call 763-433-1100 or visit www.AnokaRamsey.edu.

  • Paris's Secret Shame

    The world’s attention is currently focused on the 130 day
    around the world relay taken by the Olympic torch. The attention, of course, stems not from the spectacle of a highway built up the side of Mount Everest for the torch-bearer to climb in May, nor from the touching traditional display of Olympic unity that is the message of the worldwide torch relay. Instead, the real story has been the protests and anger surrounding the "Journey of Harmony," most recently in San Francisco.

    But amidst the talk of China’s human rights violations, of brutal crackdowns in Tibet,
    of abysmal
    pollution and air quality     and concerns over whether China will have enough imperial consorts to satisfy the world’s athletes, one bizarre facet of this situation has been overlooked. Cops…on rollerblades.

    Yes, this quintessentially Minnesotan conveyance has made
    its way across the Atlantic to become a vital part of the Parisian police
    force. While this peculiar development makes the footage of protesters clashing with police at home and abroad at least moderately more palatable, it’s hard enough to maintain respect for those poor officers of the peace who pull bike duty, despite their magnificently toned quadriceps. Add in rollerblades and the result is a cop who can’t move as fast as a bike, lacks a stable platform from which to perform beatings and fire a pistol, and isn’t allowed inside most retail outlets.

    Plus, these cops speak French. As all the world knows,
    French is an excellent language for bedding nubile naïve college-age women backpacking across Europe, but isn’t nearly as effective at inspiring compliance or respect. This, of course, raises the picture to a ridiculous new level.

    To be fair though, given the health benefits of rollerblading, it’s a picture of a Frenchman with spectacular calves.

  • A Leg Up

    Image from Barnacle Press

     
    After
    Hank Handy’s audition to become KARM’s next television meteorologist,
    Cotton Leggler held the responsibility of breaking the news to Hank.

    Hank
    the "Handyman" Handy had, without a doubt, the main ingredient of
    meteorology, his name. Leggler was impressed that Hank didn’t create
    such a catchy name on his own, like so many people did in the business.

    Hank’s
    resume highlighted relevant work experience. Hank’s accomplishments
    touted a former magazine modeling career, a Yale doctorate in every
    discipline they offered, a gig doing weather reports for a top-notch
    radio show, and an inventor of several sophisticated computer programs
    specializing in meteorology, but Hank lacked one thing.

    Hank
    Handy had no arms.

    Leggler
    told Hank that without arms and hands, he could not use the clicker
    to change the green screen.

    "I
    can use my teeth," said Hank.

    "But,
    Mr. Handy, if you have the clicker in your mouth, then how can you speak
    clearly? Also, without arms and hands, you cannot point at different
    cities or show a storm’s movement on the map. Most of all, how can
    you hold an umbrella when it’s raining outside during the telecast?"

    Hank
    stormed out of the room.

    Leggler
    wanted to run after him and scold him for not ending the audition with
    a firm hand shake, yet Leggler could not run after Hank. Leggler got
    the double conundrum. After all, Leggler had no legs.

  • The Surreal Bourgeois Life of Eluded Love

    Ra’mon-Lawrence A. Coleman
    Hometown: Chicago, Il. (born and raised on the South Side)

    Alum of the distinguished School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ra’mon-Lawrence A. Coleman received concurrent Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Fashion Design and Performing Arts. Previous to this he attended the University of Iowa, where he studied Biology and Art History. The native Chicagoan has held an array of design positions in Denmark, London, Milan, New York, Chicago, and most recently Minneapolis, where he has begun fervently establishing the ra’mon-lawrence label.

    "Growing up I was always an artistic child. However, looking back, I never had aspirations for a career in fashion. I wanted to be a Neurosurgeon. I loved science; I still do. One day, I found myself saying, ‘I could be a great surgeon, but I don’t think I could be a passionate surgeon.’ When I began studying performing arts, I was introduced to costume design, which ultimately lead me to pursue fashion design. I have merged all these backgrounds to create a constant commentary on the human form. I view myself as a perpetual student. I’m a whirlwind of high energy, and my design esthetic reflects that. There is always an element of the dramatic; it ranges from just under the radar to over the top."

    —What does the label stand for? What is your design philosophy?

    "The ra’mon-lawrence label is about sophisticated innovation and versatility. Each garment is created with meticulous intentions, but with an effortless feeling. Details are an essential element to each design. Whether it’s ornate beading on an evening shift dress or hand finishing on a sheer tee, the importance on handwork can be seen on every garment. I don’t think about just what a woman needs, I also address what she craves. My work philosophy is simple; without continually pursuing knowledge, and immersing oneself in new experiences, I feel that a person becomes stagnant. This is the mantra of the woman I design for. Fashion should never be taken seriously. True fashion blurs all lines. It serves as a commentary to society, whether through absurdity or conformity.

    "This collection for me isn’t just about putting on an event, but establishing the beginning stages of brand exclusivity."

    —What influenced your current collection? Who are your favorite designers?

    "The concept of The Eluded Love collection is inspired by the paintings of Johannes Vermeer from the Dutch Golden Age, the modern photographs of the Dutch photojournalist, Erwin Olaf, and the narrative of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. Both Vermeer and Olaf have a mastery of depicting domestic interior scenes of what would be considered ‘ordinary bourgeois life.’ Their usage of color and light as a direct reflection of emotion serves as the focal point for my color palette as well as fabrication. Both Olaf’s photographs and Kafka’s novella push the boundaries of perception, by blurring reality into fantasy. I translated all of these into what I see as a ‘surreal bourgeois life.’

    "Through the use of multi-textural fabrics and architectural silhouettes I am exploring the idea of volume versus tailoring, art versus fashion, absurd versus ordinary. The notion of extreme proportions as well as unexpected ‘convertible elements’ drives the essence of each silhouette. Eluded Love is an organic reaction to the ideals of romanticism that stimulates one’s imagination. Open your mind and enjoy.

    "’The imagination is the spur of delights… all depends upon it, it is the mainspring of everything; now, is it not by means of the imagination one knows joy? Is it not of the imagination that the sharpest pleasures arise?’ —Marquis de Sade

    "Some of my favorite designers are Alexander McQueen, Raf Simmons (Jil Sander), Muccia Prada (Prada), Olivier Theyskens (Rochas), Heidi Slimane (Dior Homme), Chris Benz, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough (Proenza Schouler), Karl Lagerfeld (everything he touches), Marc Jacobs (everything he breaths on), & Rachel Roy."

    —You’ve done Voltage: Fashion Amplified before, and also have been a part of other fashion weekend exhibitions — how different is producing your own show, compared to working in a group format?

    "It’s very different for me. While the concept is purely based on my own direction, I am still working in a group format. I have a production staff that I have made integral to every aspect of the show. I wanted to give the opportunity to several talented individuals in the local industry that have not stepped into the lime light yet. They have been a great inspiration to me. There is this freshness to the production that I am confident everyone will enjoy. The thing that is so exciting for me in the format is there is more freedom to be spontaneous. I like to work organically, and constantly evolve the way I am approaching a collection (even up until the last moment).

    "Sometimes, that doesn’t work if you showing as a collective group of designers, because it can effect the overall flow. After such an amazing response from my showing at last year’s Voltage, I knew it was time for me to take my aspirations to the next level."


    —What was the process of creating a show of this scale?

    "After establishing my concept, it was my mission to find a core group to become my production staff. I knew I had high ambitions for this event, so I need to make sure I had a strong support system to make it happen. After that it was a whirlwind of things: finding the right venue, establishing sponsorships, venue concept, PR/Marketing, casting, soundtrack, among other things."


    —What is the tie between your show and the American Diabetes Association?

    "Several of my family members are diabetic. It was something that I was always aware of growing up, but really didn’t understand. Both my
    parents had diabetes. A few years ago, my Dad passed away from complications related to diabetes. That was an eye opener for me. Since then I have been actively contributing the American Diabetes Association. While this event has benefits for the brand’s exposure, what is even more important is the contribution we will be able to make to the association as well as the education we can pass on to others.

    • Total: 20.8 million children and adults — 7.0% of the population — have diabetes.
    • Diagnosed: 14.6 million people
    • Undiagnosed: 6.2 million people
    • Pre-diabetes: 54 million people
    • 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older in 2005

    "Just imagine how much of this could either be preventive or treatable with the right amount of education or funding."

    Ra’mon’s collection will be featured in Voltage 2008: Fashion Amplified, on April 16th, and will be available exclusively through www.ramonlawrence.com, June 1st or by special order.

    Be sure to check out the Eluded Love slideshow and the Voltage Preview slideshow.