Icon Industries

An Iconic Death

icon-industries.com — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Sadly, the court of common opinion believes that iconic status can only be achieved after death. But in the case of fashion designer Alexander McQueen he was an icon long before he took his own untimely death in 2010.McQueen is best known for having a hand in the revival of the 1960′s and 1970′s hip- huggers when he brought out his own version of low-rise jeans in the late 1990′s in England and they were quickly referred to as “bumsters.” These low-rise fashion statements caught on in America after Britney Spears started wearing them in 2000.McQueen also became known for using skull motifs in his designs as well as bringing creativity and extravagance to the catwalk at fashion shows which often resulted in shock, surprise, awe, and respect from observers. The Telegraph reported that McQueen was “celebrated as the bad boy of British fashion — an aggressively-talented tailor who refused to compromise and was all-the-more lauded as a result.”And so it was shocking to the fashion world when news broke that McQueen killed himself by hanging a few days before London Fashion Week in 2010, leaving a simple note “look after my dogs, sorry, I love you.” McQueen often referred to himself as the “pink sheep” of the family a nod to his being openly gay and speculation ran amok upon his death that this relationship preference may have contributed to his taking his own life.It was reported that McQueen’s final collection (only partial in completion due to his untimely death) which was revealed during Paris Fashion Week was “hard to watch” because it had an eerie undertone of death and the afterlife (which harkens back to his skull motifs). His fashion line continues under his name to this day.

Some Icons Tarnish

mgeedey — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A lot of people think that “once an icon, always an icon.” Sadly, that is not always the case as evidenced by the once-iconic Whitney Houston. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Houston is the “most awarded” female artist of all time with two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 22 American Music Awards among others that propelled her to 411 career awards (as of 2006). The star rose to prominence in 1985 and 1986 with reviews attributing her as “one of the most exciting new voices in years.” Her career continued to climb to the stratosphere until the years 2000 2005 when drug allegations and personal struggles (as a result of her marriage to singer Bobby Brown) skyrocketed. These struggles were clearly evidenced during live interviews where Houston uttered such lines as “crack is whack,” even though she later admitted to using other substances. From that point on it seems that Houston became a bit of a joke and sadly,even her voice began to suffer during her downfall. Unfortunately, Houston’s performance in Brisbane, Australia to a sold-out crowd was called a “train wreck.” Maybe Houston should have been paying closer attention to the anti-narcotics ad campaign of the 80′s with the tagline “this is your brain on drugs” since she seems to have suffered during the same time span from “this is your voice on drugs.”

Style Icons

icon-industries.com — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Iconic style is something that captures our attention as it presents itself. If you want to get behind ther scenes with some of the world’s most coveted fashion style icons you might want to consider getting between the covers of the following books. Fifty Dresses that Changed the World (Design Museum) is filled with pages of beautiful clothes, and the famous faces (and bodies) that put them on the world stage including Wallis Simpson, Jackie Kennedy, Twiggy, Cher and, of course, Princess Di. This delightful book shares fascinating appraisals of what gave the 50 most important garments their iconic status and you don’t have to be a fashionista or a design aficionado to adore its look at the power of one dress to change society.Fashionista: A Century of Style Icons (Simone Werle) features a wide array of fashion icons with each one (like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn) given her own generous two-page spread where photographs illustrate how the subject personifies a certain quality of style, and accompanying text discuss her influence and unique contributions to the world of fashion.Fashion: The 50 Most Influential Fashion Designers of All Time (Bonnie English) may be small in size at 128 pages, but it’s filled with information and insights about the pioneers and innovators in the world of haute couture including Jean Patou, Coco Chanel, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Guccio Gucci, Philip Treacy, and even Levi Strauss to name a few. High Style: Masterworks from Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Jan Reeder) is the first comprehensive publication on the Brooklyn Museum’s internationally renowned historic costume collection and its nearly 25,000-object collection comprising of fashionable women’s and men’s garments and accessories from the 18th through the 20th century.Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon (Susan Seid) tells the inspiring story of Vera Neuman through the art and designs she created. In this volume, richly illustrated with Vera’s original sketches, paintings, and photographs of her worldwide travels, readers are introduced to the amazing woman behind the dynamic designs that continue to inspire and influence art, design, and fashion.

Movie industry icons

icon-industries.com — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:57:14 +0000

In the 50s we had James Dean and Marilyn Monroe, while in the 80s-90s we had Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. True, those last two film stars are still producing great movies, but there is definitely a new generation of icons on the scene.Robert PattinsonAppearing in two Harry Potter films, and now the star of the Twilight films, women young and old are fawning over this latest Hollywood star.Kristen StewartWhile Stewart has been making films since 1999, there’s no question that Twilight launched her into the superstar stratosphere. Since then, she’s stared in Adventureland as well as The Runaways.Daniel RadcliffeFrom the start of his career, he was working with big name actors like Jamie Lee Curtis and Pierce Brosnan. However, as the face of Harry Potter, this actor has made his mark in movie history.Miley CyrusWhile Cyrus is primarily a musician, she’s gradually been moving herself into the film industry. The singer has starred in Hannah Montana: The Movie, which made 32,324,487 during its first weekend, as well as The Last Song; Cyrus is bound to conquer the movie world next. Megan FoxThis actress had been making movies before Transformers: However, the moment the film released, guys everywhere were falling over this movie babe. Needless to say, they still are.

Technology icons of the past decade

icon-industries.com — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:53:27 +0000

Over the past ten years, consumers have seen a dramatic change in technology. From social networking sites, to the release of the first iPod, technology has made our world dramatically smaller. But when we think of this decade in technology, which industries do we think of?- The even bigger apple -While New York has always been nicknamed “The Big Apple,” the arrival of the Apple Company has given new meaning to that well known nickname. An even bigger apple of our generation is the icon of the iPod and iPad producers; particularly with the release of the first iPod in 2001.- The F word Established in 2004, Facebook has taken off, leaving its predecessor (MySpace) in the dust. When we see that blue square and the white letter F, we think of a network that spans oceans. Now we can chat with our friends in England and Australia without ever leaving our rooms.- Bird is the word The little blue bird has become the word on everybody’s lips. With the ability to produce multiple updates and share links and pictures, Twitter is the perfect site for businesses and the everyday individual.- We love Nintendo Nintendo has been producing products since 1985, but their 2006 console (the Wii) took gaming to a new level. Now, to hit a tennis racket, you have to swing the controller like a racket. That infamous oval containing the Nintendo name has never been so popular.

The Golden Arches and Ronald McDonald

icon-industries.com — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:51:55 +0000

When you’re driving down the highway and see Golden Arches ahead, you know you’re approaching a McDonald’s. The same can be said of a commercial with Ronald McDonald. The moment that red headed, big shoed clown appears on the screen, you know it’s a McDonald’s commercial. However, when the company was established in 1940 there was no Ronald McDonald and no Golden Arches.The first establishment was actually a bar-b-que joint in California. It would take another eight years for the concept of McDonald’s as a burger place to emerge. But the time passed quickly, and in 1948 foodies could buy cheeseburgers and hamburgers, milk, potato chips, soft drinks, pie, and coffee. A year later, the company would begin selling French Fries and Milkshakes; the development of McDonald’s had begun.The golden arches would appear in 1955. The company had successfully launched a McDonald’s in Des Plaines and the building’s creator, Stanley Meston, incorporated the Golden Arches into the design. After fourteen years, these arches would become the major logo for McDonald’s burgers. In 1969 the company would make the Golden Arches the focal point of all their restaurants.The infamous clown would follow eleven years after the arches were first introduced. In 1966, Ronald McDonald first emerged on television. The company’s commercials featured the clown on a flying hamburger, and he appeared on NBC as well as CBS. 1971 was another pivotal year for the McDonald’s icon; the company released Grimace, Mayor McCheese, Hamburglar, Captain Crook, and the Big Mac. While Ronald McDonald remains the focal character of the industry, his friends became additional icons.It’s hard to imagine a McDonald’s without a Ronald or the Golden Arches. However, the years it took producing the company’s icons paid off. McDonald’s is known worldwide, and part of that recognition is due to Ronald McDonald and the infamous arches.

The Starbucks Siren

icon-industries.com — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:51:48 +0000

Since 1971, when the first Starbucks was established in Pike Place Market, the siren has been an icon for delicious coffee. Over the course of their 39 year history, Starbucks has undergone several changes. The company has gone from serving regular coffee and tea products, to introducing the Caffe Latte in 1984 and the Frappuccino in 1995. Furthermore, Starbucks has expanded far beyond their initial Seattle limits. The coffee business successfully moved outside of America when, in 1996, they established a Starbucks in Japan. The company has had undergone major developments, but one that often goes unnoticed is the change to their icon.Originally, the company’s symbol was brown and represented their products on the logo. Underneath the siren image was the words coffee, tea, and spices. The icon itself has changed, too. The first siren was a detailed image, and had two tails and a bare chest.The logo would change again in 1987, when the siren was rendered with long flowing locks and a bare stomach. As for the fish tails, they were still present, but somewhat less visible. Starbucks would use this logo until 1992; it was during this year that the symbol we know would be released.Now the icon has a reduced product list, presenting only the words Starbucks Coffee. As for the siren, she is shown from the waist up and reveals less of her body. The two tails are visible, but only slightly. In-fact, if you didn’t know she was a siren, you might not be sure what the stripy objects on her sides are. The image is less detailed than its original rendering, but the simplicity makes her face easier to see.Maybe you couldn’t tell whether the lady was a siren or a mermaid, but the icon has been infamous for Starbucks coffee for years. You know when you see that lighted green sign, you’re on your way to great coffee.