You may have thought that you were prepared for this moment, but I want you to sit down, nonetheless. Brace yourself. Buck up. Be strong.

Here we go.

Crocs, squishy footwear manufacturer to the stars (also, Larry, who stops by to top off that pig tank of propane I’ve got sitting outside of my RV when we winter in Texas,) is closing its last manufacturing plants.

According to a statement plopped out by the company last week, Crocs decreed that they will no longer be making the iconic closed cell resin kicks that made them famous, any longer, saying “In connection with ongoing efforts to simplify the business and improve profitability, during the second quarter, the company closed its manufacturing facility in Mexico and moved ahead with plans to close its last manufacturing facility, which is located in Italy,"

That said, it’s sounding like the company will likely be licensing out the right to make Crocs sandals, clogs and other squishy footwear options to outside manufacturers.

From Jezebel:

...there have been multiple media reports that Crocs is winding down production in our owned manufacturing facilities. While accurate, some people have interpreted that to mean that Crocs will no longer be making and selling shoes. Quite the contrary, Crocs will continue to innovate, design and produce the most comfortable shoes on the planet. As we streamline our business to meet growing demand for Crocs, we’re simply shifting production to third parties to increase our manufacturing capacity.

We’re extremely grateful, but not surprised that our passionate fans are rallying around the brand today.

Shudu is a harbinger of the future of modeling, a digitally created and enhanced supermodel created by Cameron-James Wilson. "Digital influencers" like Shudu are already clogging up Instagram and Snapchat, where kids these days can't get enough of the more-human-than-human beauties. Read the rest

Trump's former campaign boss Paul Manafort is on trial this week, on charges related to his political work in Eastern Europe. The most spectacular single item mentioned was a $15,000 "ostrich" jacket, bought using a foreign wire transfer and posed by prosecutors to insinuate the spendthrift ways of the grifter. But no-one had seen it. Was it feathery? There was a hint of fabulous possibility.

Sadly, the official government exhibit reveals something best described as douchebag casual, plainly inappropriate for a man of Manafort's age and bearing, too bland to even be tacky, something that could stay on the Goodwill rack for months before anyone looked close enough at the tailoring to see it wasn't bought from Asos for $39.99. It is, in other words, very Manafortian. [via] Read the rest

I'd seen videos where workers cut and bleached new jeans (and the laser-toting robots that will replace them) but this one shows a much more convincing method: lumpy artificial "legs" inflated under the jeans, which are then sanded for a more realistic impression of age and use. Read the rest

Maison Margiela, the fashion house who made those let's-make-this-awkward camel-toe pumps, debuted ankle iPhone holsters recently on the Couture Fashion Week runway. Maybe they were going for the modern version of these?

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Illustrating the perpetually-connected follower of the technological age, tech body clips in plastic are designed to hold electronic devices. They live-streamed close-ups of the look at which they were directed in real time during the Autumn-Winter 2018 ‘Artisanal’ show designed by @jgalliano. #maisonmargiela #artisanal #artisanalartistry

A post shared by Maison Margiela (@maisonmargiela) on Jul 8, 2018 at 8:49am PDT

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A glimpse at the creative thinking behind our Autumn-Winter 2018 Artisanal Show designed by @jgalliano. He muses on the word 'cool' and shares his observations of Neo-Digital Natives and the influence of the digital landscape on him and his work. And how his memory of Faye Dunaway’s coral pink lipstick is propelled into the collection as a Techno Sorbet. ‘The Memory of... With John Galliano’ available on ITunes via the link in bio. #maisonmargiela #artisanal #artisanalartistry - Music arrangement by Jeremy Healy. Black Saturn, Nicholas Hill, Luciano Ugo Rossi, Glenn Herweijer; Ben Sumner. KPM Music When The Clock Stops, Nikky French. KPM Music Breakacuda, Benjamin Medcalf. Anger Music Circus Caravan MYMA. Justement Music Flight Remembered, Nicholas Hill, Glen Herweijer, Ben Sumner. KPM Music The Arrival, David James Caton, Harry Valentine. Anger Music Etude in e major, Frederic Chopin, Tolga Kashif, KPM Music Warhammer, Darren Mudge. Anger Music

A post shared by Maison Margiela (@maisonmargiela) on Jul 4, 2018 at 7:47am PDT

(Geekologie) Read the rest

Zeynep Marr creates wonderful work in needle and thread. Here's an embroidered and framed Baphomet, yours for $400; see also geisha, dragon girl, and Care Bears.

Read the rest

The golden age of 20th-century fashion, filmed in old-school HD. A new transfer would doubtless be even better. Read the rest

A staggering eight million tons of plastic trash is dumped in our oceans each year, according to a 2015 Science report.

As a way of putting a spotlight on the issue, Spanish designer Adolfo Correa created the art for The Paradise? Shirt, a Hawaiian-style shirt that, at first glance, looks standard-issue. Look closer and you'll see he's put plastic waste -- like toothbrushes and six-pack rings -- into the design.

The shirt was a collaboration between Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, Corona and Parley for the Oceans, created for World Oceans Day (June 8). The limited-edition shirts were being sold at the World Surf League Store for $69/each but have already sold out.

images via Adolfo Correa

(Dezeen) Read the rest

Regularly priced at $590, Bless Mesh Jeans are on sale for the bargain price of $236.

"Making use of vintage 501 Levi's, these jeans feature an asymmetrical fold along the fly and a tan mesh panel down the full length of one side."

[via Weird Universe] Read the rest

In 1911, inventor Frank P. Snow invented this "hat guard" to inflict a painful punishment on any creep with the gall to steal a chapeau belonging to another gentleman. From Weird Universe:

A thief could take the hat, but if he tried to put it on, a "guarding prong" would jab into his skull. The prong locked in place and could only be moved if you knew the code to the combination lock.

Evil Mad Scientist Labs sell a bunch of cool open source hardware kits for making plotters -- basically, a very precise robot arm that draws with whatever pen or marker you screw into its grip. There's the Eggbot (for drawing on curved surfaces like eggs, balloons and balls), but there's also the Axidraw, which works on flat surfaces. Read the rest

On Sunday at London Men's Fashion Week, Chinese designer Xander Zhou sent male models down the runway wearing prosthetic pregnancy bellies for a 2019 collection called, "New World Baby."

HYPEBEAST reports:

The Beijing-based designer has always been known for indulging in strong, dystopian-tinged narratives, and this season’s sartorial plot was no shortage of drama. SS19 ran amok into a supernatural future of male pregnancy, Blade Runner-esque hospital scrubs and cyberpunk chastity belts, where Zhou’s recurring design elements took on another chapter of evolution.

The show was set in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and soundtracked by of a robotic female voice chanting eerie phrases such as “I am digitized.” Male models marched down the runway bearing prosthetic pregnant bellies and eerie blue contacts lenses, symbolizing the blurred lines between human and extraterrestrial being...

Xander Zhou SS19: Supernatural, Extraterrestrial & Co #londonfw 🤰https://t.co/DgNNAQ8YVO pic.twitter.com/6vwWINypKi

— nss magazine (@nssmag) June 11, 2018

Read the rest

Gumshoe sneakers are made with rubber derived in part from gum chewed by residents of Amsterdam, made jointly with Gumdrop, whose gum recycling bins are used to collect feedstock for processes that create plastics and rubbers. Read the rest

Anthony Rubio dressed up his chihuahuas Bogie and Kimba in costumes inspired by this year's Met Gala theme: Heavenly Bodies. The result is, well, heavenly. Now he's compiling a book and needs your help. Read the rest

Andy W writes, "An artist/illustrator friend of mine just put an illustration of hers up on RedBubble — two iconic science-fiction television characters sharing a tender moment on the couch." Read the rest

Grey Gardens is one of the greatest documentaries of all time, and one of its subjects is style icon Little Edie Beale. YouTube channel The Ultimate Fashion History created a great bio and analysis of the eccentric recluse's impact on fashion. Read the rest

The designers at luxury fashion house Balenciaga are taking "dress in layers" a smidge too literally with their Double Shirt.

The striped garment is part of their Men's Fall 2018 collection and features a long-sleeved shirt attached to a boxy, short-sleeved shirt.

But wait, there's more. They've designed it so if you decide to wear the long-sleeved shirt, the short-sleeved one hangs off the back. And if you wear the short-sleeved one, the long-sleeved one hangs off the front. So basically you're getting two shirts in one, which is good because the Double Shirt costs $1490.

If you're looking for a more economical shirt-on-shirt option, try their T-Shirt Shirt for $1,290.

This gentleman decided on the shirt-shirt's DIY version:

Hey @BALENCIAGA,

I just made my own Double Shirt and it didn't cost thousands of dollars! pic.twitter.com/8daWqAGy7C

— Mike (@AH_Mike) May 28, 2018

I suggest pairing shirt-shirts with couture Crocs. Read the rest