Previous Posts

Blog

Archive for Sharlene Chiu

Shopping

Sharlene Chiu’s guide to shopping and eating in NYC

By Sharlene Chiu | July 28th, 2011 | 11:00 am

Comments

Dan and I in Central Park

Whenever I’m in Manhattan for a few days of shenanigans, it usually goes down like this: brunch, shop, eat, drink…and repeat. Whether it’s a couple of days or a couple of weeks, it’s just never enough to conquer all the shops and restaurants New York has to offer. You can drive yourself nuts trying to hit every new “hot spot”—for me, I prefer to sprinkle in a few places that I’ve never tried before (whether or not it’s in the latest New York Times) along with my tried-and-true standbys.

As any serious shopper/eater knows, the key to a successful day relies heavily on efficiency and stamina. So, by neighbourhood, here are some of my favourite shops and the delicious pit stops I make to refuel.

Read Sharlene Chiu’s NYC guide now »

Jump to: East Village | Lower East Side | SoHo | West Village
Read more »

Scene » Music

Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “What About Us” by Handsome Furs

By Sharlene Chiu | July 15th, 2011 | 3:00 pm

Comments

Sharlene Chiu

Start your weekend off steamy by checking out the new video by sexy Canadian electro-pop couple Handsome Furs (Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry). “What About Us” is the first single off their new album Sound Kapital, released by Sub Pop. I actually just flew back home from Lisbon, where I was shooting the next Sharlene Vs. episode. There, I got to guest on Radar FM (Portugal’s alternative radio station) with DJ Pedro Ramos, and picked “What About Us” as my Canadian request. It was a super-rad experience, and as I’m catching up on my music news in a jet-lagged haze, I’m stoked that there’s a video for the track now. Yes, the video is absolutely NSFW, as it drips with intense passion and sex, and I can’t help but feel compelled to throw on a pair of heels and hit a sweaty dance floor. Sound Kapital is the first Handsome Furs album written exclusively for keyboards, and the strong catchy beats burn brightly throughout the album. Get ready to be turned on.

Scene » Music

Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “Dirt” by WU LYF

By Sharlene Chiu | June 24th, 2011 | 3:30 pm

Comments

The members of Manchester’s WU LYF (which stands for “World Unite! Lucifer Youth Foundation”) are barely in their 20s and until a recent Guardian interview, they’ve pretty much remained a faceless mystery. On their striking website, they describe themselves as, “Four dumb kids calling out heavy longings for a place to call home,” and in an age when we’re able to access unlimited amounts of information about any band at any given time, the fact that WU LYF avoided press for such a long time gave them an unplanned anonymity within the music world, which, of course, only made people more curious. WU LYF cites bands like Black Flag, Fugazi, and Minor Threat as inspirations to their “F**k you, mainstream” mentality—they opt for a more DIY, fan-favoured approach to the way CDs are released and shows are put on. Their debut album Go Tell Fire to the Mountain was self-released on June 13 in the UK/Europe and will be available on August 22 in North America. In the meantime, check out their captivatingly raw video for “Dirt.”

Scene » Music

Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “Calgary” by Bon Iver

By Sharlene Chiu | June 17th, 2011 | 3:00 pm

Comments

Bon Iver’s gorgeous follow-up to 2007’s For Emma, Forever Ago, simply titled Bon Iver, will be released on June 21, but I got my lucky hands on a copy a couple of weeks ago and it’s been my nightly soundtrack ever since. I’m a huge sucker for a good falsetto, and singer/songwriter Justin Vernon’s angelic one always sends me straight to sweet slumber. “Calgary,” the lead single from the new album, just got the music video treatment and although there’s a lot going on visually, it’s hard not to be swept away by the simple, powerful emotion that pulls throughout the song. Bon Iver just does it right—every time.

Scene » Music

Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “The Morning” by The Weeknd

By Sharlene Chiu | June 10th, 2011 | 3:00 pm

Comments

“The Morning” is the latest song from The Weeknd’s House of Balloons haunting mixtape to receive an “unofficial” music video. “The Morning” is one of my favourite tracks from the mysterious Toronto outfit, headed by singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye. The video for “The Morning” perfectly matches The Weeknd’s emotional space and achingly smooth croon with visualizations of themes that run throughout the album—sex, lust and drugs are taken to whole new level.

Scene » Music

Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “Gucci Gucci” by Kreayshawn

By Sharlene Chiu | June 3rd, 2011 | 2:00 pm

Comments

Whether you like it or not, there’s no doubt that you’ll be hearing California native, 21-year-old Kreayshawn’s “Gucci Gucci” all summer long. Her video for this addictive track has already garnered more than 1.5 million YouTube hits, tagging her as the next internet music sensation and sparking rumours of a million-dollar record deal with Sony. For those of you wondering if this is just a big joke, the pixie-sized rapper has cred to her name—she shot music videos for the BasedGod Lil B (among others) and is friends with members of Odd Future (Left Brain and Jasper appear in the “Gucci Gucci” video). Take a look and get acquainted with what will inevitably be a part of your summer soundtrack this year. Everybody now, “Gucci, Gucci, Louis, Louis, Fendi, Fendi, Prada…”

Scene » Music

Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “You” by CREEP

By Sharlene Chiu | May 27th, 2011 | 3:00 pm

Comments

CREEP is Brooklyn’s DJ/producer duo Lauren Flax and Lauren Dillard. These two make sleekly haunting music with clean electro beats with enough space for you to fall right into the song’s heart. If you find yourself going through the xx withdrawal like I am, you should check out CREEP’s “Days” which features the xx’s Romy Madley Croft’s hypnotic vocals. Apparently, “Days” was the first track written by Flax and Dillard while in bed and you can definitely hear the intimacy. CREEP’s recent single, “You”, features vocals from Nicole and Natalie Albino of Nina Sky and has a trip-hop, R&B feel, but the sheer darkness that links all of CREEP still permeates. Check out the minimalistic black and white video (dripping blood included, of course) for “You” that’ll leave you in a wicked double-take.

Scene » Music

Sharlene Chiu’s FASHION + music pick: “Real Love” by Delorean

By Sharlene Chiu | May 20th, 2011 | 12:05 pm

Comments

Everything about Delorean screams summer to me. As I’m writing this on yet another rainy day in Toronto, I’m finding a sunny escape with a recent 3D video produced by Pitchfork for the Spanish four-piece’s track, “Real Love”, off their incredibly fun album Subiza. Subiza was one of my favourite albums of last year and its poppy combination of 90s techno and Italian house with Singer/bassist Ekhi Lopetegi’s alluring accented vocals still makes this a standby album to play before a big night out. I’ve only watched the 3D cut of “Real Love” sans glasses but it’s still a wonderful ride to watch as the song plays along a dancing astronaut bouncing through the streets of New York. If this doesn’t get you dancing, I don’t know what will!

Previous Posts

Blog

Join Fashion
Advertisement
Current Issue
Current cover of FASHION Magazine
Advertisement
Advertisement
Contests