Journal

A chronicle of people, places, happenings, and creations we admire.

STYLE & DOMINANCE: Australian Open Then and Now

Images ©Getty / ATP / WTA / ITF / All other respective owners / All Rights Reserved

Images ©Getty / ATP / WTA / ITF / All other respective owners / All Rights Reserved

Roger, Vika and Rafa may have gone down Down Under, but their style and that of players that came before them have always started off the year with a statement.  Before the dawn of the Open Era (1968) where players like Margaret Court (11 titles), Roy Emerson (7) and Jack Crawford (4) collected titles like baseball cards, the uniform of the day was all white, dignified, conformist, and well, boring.  Then came the splashy art canvases of the 80's and early 90's with spread eagle motifs, paint spatter and day-glo made most famous by Andre Agassi (4).  The late 90's and the dominance of Pete Sampras (2 Australian Titles) on the Men's tour returned the aesthetic to a quieter more subdued style.  In the early 2000's, new materials like Nike's dri-fit™ ushered in a new generation of design freedom, lighter weight and moisture management for everyone from top tour players to public park players looking to emulate their heroes.


Pharrell to appear on "The Simpsons" in February

©Matt Groening / FOX

©Matt Groening / FOX

Ubiquitous Super-Producer, Rapper, Artist and Entrepreneur Pharrell adds an upcoming appearance on "The Simpsons" to his resume.  The episode airing February 8th on FOX deals with Pharrell and his creation of a new official song for the city of Springfield after it is discovered that their current anthem is not unique.  Hopefully in the end everyone will be 'Happy' with the results.

"The Simpsons" Sundays, 8/7C (Check local listings)

 

CIVIL RIGHTS STYLE.

MLK and Marlon Brando

MLK and Marlon Brando

Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin

Lena Horne ©Courtesy National Archives

Lena Horne ©Courtesy National Archives

Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte

Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte

Paul Newman

Paul Newman

MLK.

MLK.

Sammy Davis, Jr and Roy Wilkins, NAACP ©Courtesy National Archives

Sammy Davis, Jr and Roy Wilkins, NAACP ©Courtesy National Archives

Jackie Robinson ©Courtesy National Archives

Jackie Robinson ©Courtesy National Archives

Robert Kennedy visiting Harlem

Robert Kennedy visiting Harlem

Austin Clinton Brown, Age 9 ©Courtesy National Archives

Austin Clinton Brown, Age 9 ©Courtesy National Archives

Malcolm X

Malcolm X

L to R- Mathew Ahmann, Cleveland Robinson, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, A. Philip Randolph, Joseph Rauh, Jr, John Lewis, Floyd McKissick, Photo Credit: National Archives

L to R- Mathew Ahmann, Cleveland Robinson, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, A. Philip Randolph, Joseph Rauh, Jr, John Lewis, Floyd McKissick, Photo Credit: National Archives

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

James Baldwin and Marlon Brando ©Courtesy National Archives

James Baldwin and Marlon Brando ©Courtesy National Archives

Paul Robeson and Julian Bond

Paul Robeson and Julian Bond

Angela Davis

Angela Davis

Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks