Tag Archives: brazil

Galeria Melissa Hits NYC!

23 Feb

Galeria Melissa SOHO ad campaign

Maybe I was sleeping under a rock, but I somehow missed the Melissa, the Brazilian plastic shoe line with which I can safely say I am fully obsessed, has opened an NYC store! I thought I was seeing things when I noticed the ads for a Galeria Melissa Soho store on the subway platform last night, but indeed, it’s true. The store opened February 8th!

While I’m an avid fan of its Sao Paulo store, I’m excited to see there is one just a stone’s throw away from Brooklyn in downtown Manhattan. Soho has always been the center for flagship stores for innovative clothing and accessory lines, but some of them haven’t fared well. Hopefully Melissa can “bring it,” and weather the storm with the brightness of its quirky rubber/plastic/pvc magic. My suggestion for its survival: frequent sales. As most of you may know, the US prices for Melissa shoes are a bit exorbitant, hence my hoarding pieces I buy at the Sao Paulo store (when I am in Brazil, of course) or via Brazilian friends. I pay up to 70% less when I buy them in the B, so it’s worth it. It’s also nice to get pieces “off-season” because they are usually heavily discounted. Doing that here might be a bit challenging, but I’ll see if I can work my magic.

As promised via the Retail DJ facebook page, here is my write-up on the newest collection: Plastic Paradise

This fall/winter collection (remember, southern hemisphere = opposite seasons) features a contrast of dark colors with lots of shimmer. Unlike previous collections, which relied primarily on texture differences to set itself apart from the summer lines, this fall/winter collection brings on the bling. Lots of pieces include a “basic” shoe and its naughty “glitter” doppelganger. This collection also features plenty of daytime pieces, included the adorable boat shoe “Moon” and the sleek cutout “Jean,” on which the company collaborated with designer Jason Wu to create. The line is fun, yet sophisticated, and overall left me with a ton of favorites. Here are my top picks:

01:45 "Star" (in pink)

I love the clean lines and soft colors this season for “Star,” a modified gladiator sandal perfect for spring and summer.

02:40 "Jean + Jason Wu" (in yellow)

I’m equally enamored with this cut-out skimmer by Jason Wu, which I could imagine contrasting very well on medium to dark skin or even with dark hosiery to help transition the shoe for a fall wardrobe.

03:16 "Mulher Maravilha" ("Wonderwoman") (in blue)

I always coveted the red, pointed-toe version of the Wonderwoman Melissa shoe released a few years back! Now they’ve create a version with a more subtle silhouette at the toe box, this time a slightly rounded point, and produced the piece in darker colors appropriate for fall/winter.

03:57 "Virtue" (in leopard)

A loafer in leopard print? LUV. It’s funky yet work-appropriate. It also comes in brightly colored leopard prints as well (i.e. this shimmery turquoise style). And let’s be honest, an eco-friendly style sure beats the traditional horsehair versions!

04:30 "Moon + Jason Wu" (in green)

Another loafer in bright colors, care of Jason Wu, whose collaborations with the line have breathed new life into more traditional pieces. These work for all ages and are super comfy!

06:20 "Virtue Special" (in gold)

When I saw these, I immediately thought, “If Elton John were a shoe designer…” This super star of a slip-on is truly fun and comes in gold, silver, and many other glitter-laden styles.

05:32 “Ultragirl Glitter” (in pink)

Another glitter fave, this version of Ultragirl pushes the limits and is eerily reminiscent of Dorothy’s ruby slippers. There’s no place like Galeria Melissa!

06:25 "Electric" (in gray)

This flocked heel reminds me of a shoe I wore to a high school dance, only now with a little more edge. This punky yet formal heel encourages even the more subdued of us to find our inner vixen. It’s sexy, no-nonsense.

07:15 :"Celestial" (in yellow)

At first glance, I thought of Rumplestiltskin, who would have rocked these bright mustard heeled oxfords without hesitation. They are quirky, but also work appropriate and come in a variety of colors and textures.

7:51 "Incense Glitter" (in gray)

And last, but not lease, the sweet “Incense” heel in glitter mode. This comfortable heel comes with a rounded toe in the front and a surprise in the back with its double bow accents at the heel. This line comes in plain colors as well, but I have to say the glitter version is my favorite.

If you’re in NYC, check out the Galeria Melissa SOHO: 102 Greene Street, NY, NY

- Retail DJ

I <3 Mondays: Escape from New York

20 Feb

my brazilian alter-ego has way more fun...

Things in New York right now are…odd, to say the least. The weather is a bit bonkers, fluctuating from 20 to 50 degrees in a matter of days. My school work has buried under paperwork so much that I’m starting to get lightheated from inhaling so many layers of printer ink fumes. Fashion is just a hot mess, despite our hosting Fashion Week in the past days. All in all, things seem a bit off, and included in this prognosis are my feelings about the bar/club scene s of late. Something seems missing.

Part of it’s the music. Part of it’s the crowd. The venues are getting smaller and smaller. People text more than they dance.

Something’s a bit wrong. In these moments, I wish I could just escape from New York and go back to Brazil. I might have had a chance had I booked a quick flight for this President’s Day long weekend, but with Carnaval raging down in the B, flights prices are atrocious and I am not teleporting Carmen San Diego.

That said, what better way to escape than through music? Considering my pals on the other side of the equator are getting their serious freak on at loads of parties from the street to the club, I figured I’d live vicariously through their musical trips.

These old and new mixes come to us by way of the fabulous Brazilian music site deepbeep, which recognizes truly gifted DJs and producers from around the world, with a focus on the home grown of course!

The first mix, which takes us from funk carioca to soul to blues to house to samba and back again is by Lucas Santtana. For those of you who read Portuguese (or know how to use google translate), check out his bio here.

Follow the link to stream:Lucas Santtana

The second is by NYC favorite Kassiano, purveyor of all things (Brazilian) funk. For those of you want to grind and shake out your Monday, this is a winner. It’s a medley of a lot of the funk hits that came out in 2011, so it’s great for those of you with short attention spans:

Follow the link to stream: MDWWR Podcast #72: Kassiano

Right Click + Save Target As to download: MP3

Last but not least is a man who managed to actually escape NYC, Brian Thomas, aka Butter. He’s been based out of the B since January, and has laid down some serious sonic reflections since he landed. His latest mix displays the musical dynamism we love him for:

Follow the link to stream: Butter

- Retail DJ

Under_Construction

1 Sep

Under_Construction

I always say that things happen for a reason. Sure, it’s a cliche oversimplification of the way everything works, but it’s a fairly fitting statement in most cases. My experiences in Brazil are no different, each of them bearing some bit of fate that throws things temporarily off-balance, only for it all to work itself out again.

Take, for example, the location I chose to stay. When I was debating between two locations, it came down to convenience and proximity to the subway. I knew that Sao Paulo had just opened its yellow line, so I thought that the hostel I chose was perfect considering its 1-block walk to the yellow line “Oscar Freire” stop. Yet google fooled me good, and as it turns out, the section closest to my hostel (pictured above) is still under construction.

Alas, it’s a 15 minute walk up a steep hill to get to the subway that DOES work, and by that time, my body is so conditioned to the walking that I just end up walking everywhere I need to go. Sure, 15 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot, but just imagine taking that walk every time you want to go somewhere and with a really heavy bag and crazy feet. And there you have it. My present.

But considering my love for Sao Paulo, I always manage to find a silver lining. For one thing, I am a mere 3 blocks from the Galeria Melissa (the Melissa megastore that I always rave about), Nespresso (I am a total coffee addict), and adjacent (by half a block) to what I like to refer to as “The 5th Avenue of Sao Paulo,” known by others as Oscar Freire. Sao Paulo’s always full of little surprises, and this trip is no different from the others.

While the phantom subway line (I swear it shows up on google maps) was a shock, there were other aspects to life here in SP that came as no surprise. One of them being the sheer excellence of nightlife here for any and every one looking to have a good time. I always rave about the clubs here in Sampa, but until you go to a few, you just.can’t.understand.

Most of the parties are genuine, lacking an uber-pretentious crowd and, without a doubt, given a deliciously intense soundtrack. Sao Paulo has some of the best DJs in the world, and last night did not fail to impress. The party was care of producer L_cio, who many of you may know from my interview with him after our meeting last year around this same time. His vision is called under_line. It’s a music collective and party series that covers underground (or well-known, but with an underground sound) DJs and producers who are adding something new to the club scene here in the city. The party serves as a showcase for multiple forms of electronic music artists and a venue to hold those of us who love them.

The vibe at Tapas Club (Rua Augusta, of course) proved that an underground does, in fact, still exist, and that there’s an audience out there willing to dance until the wee hours of Thursday morning to support it. While there, I had the opportunity to hear all the DJs beginning with Dee Bufato (who is a DJ, Producer, Designer…the list goes on and on), then Hero Zero, followed by DJ duo Guilherme Picorelli and Henrique D´Marte (known together as “Fractal Mood”), and last but not least, the creator himself, L_cio. The styles varied throughout the night from minimal to deep house, tech house, and back again, keeping everyone on their toes both mentally and physically. Though this was #39 of this party series, it’s definitely not the last as L_cio is as prolific an artist as he is a party extraordinaire.

For those of you who may not have a chance to check out the under_line party live, I’ll let the music speak for itself:

a silky deep house set by Dee Bufato:

—

a minimal mix by L_cio (recorded live at under_line #37):

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a solid house set by Hero Zero:

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a deep house/tech house live set by the boys of Fractal Mood:

- Retail DJ

 

Gratuitous Dance Mix: Gustavo Peluzo

9 Aug

Gustavo Peluzo

With just two days left between Brazil and me, the anticipation is killing me. Though not my city of birth, Sao Paulo has always felt like home to me. And as I listen to today’s gratuitous dance mix by Belo Horizonte (MG)-based Brazilian DJ Gustavo Peluzo, I get chills thinking of my return.

I first learned of Peluzo during a visit to Vegas Club in Sao Paulo of August 2010. He was the opener for a weekend dance rager that went well into the next morning and his style, which fused deep house, tech house, and minimal burned a hole in my memory. Though his style is normally super energetic, the mix I have chosen for today, while still very danceable, is of a much mellower, sexy sort. May it help your continued ease into the week, though this time maybe with a couple items of clothing removed…Enjoy!

Gustavo Peluzo @ Warmup

(click to stream; click the small arrow on the right to download)

no tracklist available

*note: Gustavo often takes down his mixes in a short time, so be sure to get this before it’s gone!

 

- Retail DJ

 

Funk On A Friday: Ben Men

25 Feb

Ben Men (photo courtesy of deepbeep)

Anyone who reads this blog knows I have a profound respect and love for the Brazilian music site deepbeep. The diversity of their music selection and the commitment to providing their readers with quality interviews and content never cease to impress me. In a world where people don’t even have time to read more than a tweet, the fact that their site posts actual articles says a lot.

Another thing I love about deepbeep, though I risk sounding sycophantic at this point, is their diligence in musical filtering. There’s never a bad mix on their site and every bit of music posted has been clearly made with a lot of appreciation for the art of DJing and production. One of their recently featured artists, France’s Ben Men:

[translated from Portuguese] “If there are things that Brazil and France have in common, without a doubt one of them is Ben Men. Engaged in his country’s [music] scene, his efforts do not lie only in playing and producing music; he also organizes parties, such as a regular party at Rex Club in Paris, heads the label BTRAX, shares his know-how with Brazilians, and since 2010 has been the resident DJ of the party “Paradise.” He is the creator of “Electro Brazil”, a French radio station program, for which he frequently invites Brazilian DJs to play. In the spirit of sharing experiences, Ben Men recorded a live set that you can listen to here! Check out what he has to say in our exclusive interview (continue to interview (in Portuguese)).”

His set is full of classic, Detroit/Chicago-style, funky house tracks, many of which you may recognize from previously featured mixes and podcasts. Hopefully it will help you get a little motivated for a night out on this rainy NY Friday. Enjoy:

Ben Men – Electro Brazil, Sensations FM Show (Live, recorded for deepbeep)

(click to play; right click + save as to download)

- Retail DJ

Now Playing: Sapabonde

29 Jan

Sapabonde

I heard about Sapabonde, the lesbian baile funk group from Brasilia, a few months ago by way of the Brazilian blog Funk Na Caixa, but just wrote them off as some hipster trend that would fall off the charts after their 15 minutes of fame. But this 8-girl group (yes, EIGHT! – they’re like the Wu Tang clan of baile funk) stuck around and has had several of their playful tracks remixed.

While most of their lyrics are about sexual conquests and the joys of girl-on-girl gettin’ it on, they admit that it’s all an act. While they are lesbians in real life, “pimps” they are not, they mention in their interview on Cultura Visual Queer, a Brazilian blog about queer culture. With government officials and religious groups trying to clean up funk’s image, Sapabonde’s act rebels against it, even down to their name, which is a combination of “Sapatao” (meaning “big shoe” in Portuguese, but connotatively refering to butch lesbians, and sometimes lesbians as a whole) and “Bonde” (which means “tram car” literally, but in slang means group of funkeiros (funk performers) and sometimes a crew of drug traffickers).

Anyway, enough of that blah blah blah. Get to the music, right?

Here’s my favorite rework of their track “Vai, Nao Se Esconde” (Vem Pro Sapabonde) (“come on, don’t hide…come with Sapabonde”), which is all about seduction. The lyrics include questions like “how many fingers do you want?” and multiple descriptions of oral sex, but again, they encourage their listeners to take their bravado as a tongue-in-cheek display of stereotypes within the lesbian community and Brazilian society as a whole. I just take it as a really fun dance track. Enjoy:

(click to play; click the small arrow on the right to download)

 

- Retail DJ

 

Kim Ann Foxman – Creature (+ Live Set from Sao Paulo!)

4 Nov

Kim Ann Foxman (photo credit: deepbeep

I just got home from seeing Leo Justi, EZRAKH, Krunk Pony, and Cool Hand Luke DJ at Zamaan Bar in Brooklyn thinking that my night could not get any better (seriously, they tore it up), when I saw this on Facebook (via Alexander Technique):

so . . .

a) I love most videos in b&w

b) I love any showcasing of vogue and derivative forms of dance

and c) beyond being really interesting visually, this track is hot. I can already imagine Azari & III making a sick remix of it (if you’re reading this, remix noooow).

But being totally serious, Kim Ann Foxman has been DJing for some time (and is really good live, I should add) but may be most well-known from her work with Hercules and Love Affair (you can catch her here playing the glasses in the video, though she technically did some vocal work on the track as well (along with track lead Nomi Ruiz, who went on to form Jessica 6)).

For Kim Ann Foxman’s DJing, check out this set she did in 2009 at Vegas Club in Sao Paulo for the Ludo party:

Kim Ann Foxman – Ludo @ Vegas Club, SP (5.10.09)

(click to play; right click + save as to download)

- Retail DJ

On the Edge with L_cio

9 Sep

L_cio hard at work (photo credit: Mauricio Landini)

When I was in Brazil recently, I had the opportunity to hear L_cio drop one of his amazing Live PAs at Vegas Club in Sao Paulo, and I invited him to be a featured artist here at Retail DJ. Though the exclusive Retail DJ interview will not be up until Monday (mix on Tuesday), you have all weekend to get very familiar with his sound.

On August 28th, he played at the Mothership party at D-Edge, which was recently voted #1 club in a Best of Sao Paulo poll. Here is his live PA for your listening pleasure. Come back in Monday to discover more about the man behind the music. Enjoy!

L_cio – Live PA @ Mothership, D-Edge, 8/28/10

click here to play: http://www.deepbeep.com.br/radio/index.php?id=177

click here to download

 

 - Retail DJ

Smooth as Butter

7 Sep

bad for the heart, good for the soul?

I’m still catching up with emails, posts, and life after a week of having been back in NYC. Part of that involves a continuation of the club chronicles and the amazing music I heard while I was away. My last weekend in Sao Paulo (which I am recounting before I get around to finishing the tales from my first weekend) had a few twists and turns that led me to a happy ending.

That said, let’s start with the beginning of the end . . .

My last Friday in SP I actually spent in bed. After having been sick for the previous 3 weeks (NYC, prior to going to Brazil, then all through the Brazil trip), I needed to fully recover, and prayed that sleep would be the solution. While I remained a little sick on Saturday, I knew that hell or high water, dead or alive, I couldn’t spend my last night in SP doped up on Benegripe and filled to the brim with green tea. I was going out no matter what.

I ended up at (you guessed it) Vegas, where all I knew about the DJs was that one of them playing for the night was from NYC. Wearing an outfit that channeled mime meets Raggedy Ann, I was ready to get my final dance on in the B . . . and BOY, did I. Thanks to the amazing sounds from the tagteam set from NYC-based DJ Brian Thomas and Cali-based DJ Daniel Casanova, I had a stellar final night in the B and felt very very proud to be an American :- )

They easily switched from their Macbooks to vinyl, commanding the crowds attention and easily keeping it with a super-long set full of nuevo disco, house, funk, and even a few moments of more minimal tracks. I often find myself lamenting the lack musical depth of a lot of American DJs (the exception, of course, being those I profile and/or rave over here), but I was in for a pleasant surprise that night. Before actually meeting the DJs, I had no idea THEY were the Americans who were headlining. I introduced myself in Portuguese, received a reply in Portuguese from Brian, and for a moment assumed that the American DJ(s) had already gone on. But a few minutes in, I asked if he was the one from NYC, and sure enough, a few English words later, I knew right away that my assumption had been squashed.

Though you can’t listen to Brian’s set from that night, you can quite easily get a taste of his talent by way of the mix from his site notmargarine.com (that he did for Brazilian DJ site deepbeep). Brian, better known in the States as Butter, put together a sick mix back in the spring that you cannot miss. From the second you hit play, this lounge-y, house-infused set is sure to put you at ease, but never fails to excite in those moments when you need it the most. It’s perfect for almost any occasion – be it going out for a drink, getting dressed for a night of dancing, or even your daily commute. It’s a musical jack-of-all-trades with a sound as smooth as butter. Enjoy:

Butter – SubMerced

(click the link to play; click here to download)

tracklist after the jump

(more…)

Her Name Was Rio . . .

31 Aug

There's more to Rio than this

Oh Rio. Most people who visit Brazil flock to this city for its beaches, its iconic architecture (Big Jesus, anyone?), and its mix of nature and modern technology (they’ve got a forest and a subway a few kilometers away from each other).

To me, it’s a bit like one big Brazilian Disneyworld (or Universal Studios around the more rough, favela-accented parts), but it definitely has its less kitschy, more hidden treasures as well. One of them happens to be what Wallpaper Magazine considers one of the MUST SEE spots in Brazil: Muggia.

I wrote about Muggia about little over a year ago after having bought one of their bags in Sao Paulo (they sell their wares in boutiques and stores throughout Brazil and Europe) at the Galeria Melissa (the Clockwork Orange meets Star Trek-esque hub for all things related to Melissa shoes) on Oscar Freire in Sao Paulo. It was love at first sight, and I knew I’d have to hunt them down if I ever happened to be in Rio.

Luckily, I had the opportunity to pay the atelier a visit last week . . .

(more…)

Melissa Amazonista!

25 Aug

Ultragirl (w/ Amazon print)

Melissa, my favorite brand of plastic fantastic, has a new line of shoes out for the spring/summer season in Brazil. While it’s not my favorite collection to date (Afromania wins hands down, thus far), there are a few standouts. I got my hands (eyes?) on the new video lookbook a few days ago and after having paid Sao Paulo Melissa store a visit last week, I felt Retail DJ was long overdue for a post on the magic that is Melissa. I also noted recently on the Retail DJ facebook page that Melissa has come out with a line for men that is anticipated to launch in the fall, so be on the lookout for my review of the new M-Zero line as well. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the view!

Melissa Shoes - Lookbook, Spring/Summer (Brazil) 2011

my favorite thus far:

Campana Costela de Adao

- Retail DJ

Get Dressed to This: Sao Paulo Edition

21 Aug

Last Friday, when I got off the plane and headed for the airport bus to the metro, the temperature was a tad bit chilly, but nothing unusual for Sao Paulo. About 24 hours later, however, SP pulled le grand Bait and Switch and turned into a live action Frigidaire, complete with foggy windows and freezing winds. Oddly, that’s not what weather.com had predicted, having lied to me entirely about a little number in the 70s and not one in the 50s. Despite my having left my warm jacket at home and being equipped solely with a grandpa sweater I dreamed that a drugged up club-goer couldn’t stop touching and black skinny jeans as my warmest attire, I made do. Though I can’t say I wasn’t helped by a little guardian angel who always keeps me warm called Music.

For most of the plane ride, walking around the city, and frequent subway rides, my soundtrack of choice was a newish mix by France’s Bobmo, the electronic music prodigy who graced the world with his ghettotech-happy presence and gave me a whole lot to be thankful for in my headphones. This is technically his SUMMER 2010 mix, but it worked out well for a Brazilian winter.

In addition, I wanted to show SP some attention in terms of fashion trends as well. As it’s winter, there’s little to note beyond basics, jeans, sweaters, and coats, but the high heeled boots became the highlight of SP’s super-chilly nights. Many say that Brazil is “behind” the US in terms of fashion, looking to us much as we look to Europe for fashion inspiration, yet I’ve found that in Brazil’s slightly less trend-obsessed (enslaved?) culture, there is more room to play, particularly with hair styles and accessories. It’s also a big nod to sustainability insofar as consumerism is concerned. By that, I’m hinting at the fact that the look I am displaying here is one that’s been in style in Brazil for quite some time.

Anyway, enjoy the music and the view, and don’t forget to check back in a day or two to hear about my other adventures in Sao Paulo and hopefully a few from Salvador (where I am at present)! Get dressed to this…

The Music:

Bobmo – Summer 2010 Mix

(click to play; right click + save as to download)

tracklist (below) after the jump

The Outfit:

1. Veronique Wrapped Strap Boots (in Black), Rosegold, $260 USD

2. Silence & Noise “Twig” Jean in Gray, Urban Outfitters, $39 USD


3. Long-sleeve Scoop Neck Tee (in White), Topshop, $20

4. Long-Sleeve Cape Tee (in black), LnA, $98 USD

(more…)

Get Dressed to This: Vaiiiii Brasil!!!!

30 Jun

Ok, ok, the US may have gotten knocked out, but that by no means signifies the end of the hung soccer fervor that is (slowly, but surely) sweeping the nation. While I fully backed Portugal, they too, are out, so for me, there is only the ultimate, all-time favorite left: Brazil.

They could have uniforms made of heavy chain mail and probably still lay the smack down on the field. They are the Lakers of futebol, the Rolling Stones of Copa. You can’t help but love them, and I love them by default just from being such a Brazil enthusiast.

I have covered some fancier World Cup (non-jersey) wares before, but now I have put together a simple, yet fun outfit for cheering by day, then going to the afterparty and getting down até o chão by night. Considering that my initial approach to thinking about World Cup fan gear was different, so is the way I think of the music to get me pumped for it. I love funk carioca/baile funk and cover it non-stop here on Retail DJ, but what I really appreciate is an artist who has the ability to take funk carioca, which is simple in form, and turn it into something beautiful and interesting.

Beyond those whom I have highlighted before, one such artist is Kassiano, who is well-known in NYC for his “I <3 Baile Funk” party revolution (which he took on with DJ Sujinho) that was popular a few years back, and in more recent years, his work with local NYC via Brazil acts like Zuzuka Poderosa and even more mainstream acts like Li’l Jon and Pitbull. His newest mix includes funk carioca favorites, but also plenty of other styles to keep even those who are not majorly into funk carioca with their ears open (seriously – he manages to work Li’l Jon, Manu Chao, Rye Rye, Oliver $, and Riva Starr into the same mix with all the funk carioca….nuts).

Without further ado, Get Dressed to This (caution: may cause involuntary booty popping):

The Music:

Kassiano - Kopa Mix

KASSIANO – KOPAMIX by NOSSA

(click to play; click the small arrow on the right to download)

The Outift:

1. Cutout Knit Dress, Forever 21, $18 USD

2. Stockholm Yellow and White French Messenger, Ikabags via Etsy, $39 USD

3. Matiko Nicki Peep-Toe Wedge (in nude), Urban Outfitters, $148 USD

 

4. Green Hoop Earrings, Lands’ End, $22 USD

For your reference:

Kassiano on MySpace

Nossa Website

Nossa Soundcloud

- Retal DJ 

Dressed to Win

17 Jun

It’s pretty obvious which team I hope wins this year’s World Cup, but just in case you’re not a big follower of the blog, I’ll give you a hint: their flag’s colors are yellow, blue, and green and they just want a little “order and progress.”

Unfortunately, I find team jerseys to be a bit cheesy and not very flattering (at least, on women) and wanted to provide an alternative way to cheer on your team with meaning you have to wear numbered mesh. Here are some dresses that allow you to jump up and down sans flash and dance to your heart’s content:

Aerial View Dress, Modcloth, %57 USD

 

Sci-Fi Heroine Dress, Modcloth, $48 USD

 

Exaggerated One Shoulder Pencil Dress, Asos, $82 USD

 

Kimono Sleeve Dress in Yellow, SteveJ & YoniP, $288 USD

Stretch Jersey Dress, Rugby by Ralph Lauren, $108

and let’s not forget these adorable shoes by Melissa, aptly named “Cute”

Cute by Melissa, $60 reais

- Retail DJ

Mix On Tap: Lovers

12 Jun

Today is O Dia dos Namorados in Brazil. Known as the “Brazilian Valentine’s Day,” it’s a special day for folks in love, heavy like, or who just feel like buying red and pink things filled with chocolate for well, anyone. It certainly has a far more romantic premise than the American version (on which you are more than welcome to give you teacher, mom, little sister, and best friend a Valentine’s Day goodie), though much like the American version, it’s a huge commercial success and yet another manufactured holiday to boost the economy and line the pockets of many a company.

Even Melissa came out with a promotion related to Dia dos Namorados involving an all-red version of “Royale,” one of the shoes from their newest line “Melissa et Circenses“:

Anyway, in order to honor this Brazilian tradition and give my American readers something to keep them cool this summer, I give you a great Frozen Strawberry Marguerita recipe as well as a mix that is romantic enough at time to enjoy with your boo, but that has the necessary dance-cred to entertain even the least romantic. . .

The Drink

Frozen Strawberry Marguerita (c/o Guy Fieri)

ingredients: 2 cups crushed ice, 1/2 cup strawberry puree (frozen can or fresh strawberries, pureed), 1 cup tequila, 2 limes, juiced, splash of Triple Sec, splash of simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar dissolves, then cooled)

Combine in a blender, ice, strawberry water, tequila, lime juice, Triple Sec and simple syrup. Puree until smooth. Pour into rocks glasses and serve.

The Music

Evil Nine – For Lovers Mixtape

:: FOR LOVERS :: MIXTAPE NO.1 by Evil Nine

(click to play / click the small arrow on the right to download)

tracklist after the jump

(more…)

What’s Good? Leo Justi (Part One)

7 Jun

Leo Justi

A few months back, Rio-based DJ Leonardo Justi got in contact with me via gmail. He had noticed that I supported the work of Brazilian DJs, particularly in relation to my post on DJ Wooles, whose Aporavamento Sound System Mix I put up in April.

The rest was history.

Leo and I kept in touch as he grew more and more in Brazil, his talents having been highlighted by O Globo, his being invited to play at Bootie Rio at Fosfobox alongside DJ Gorky (of Bonde do Role) and DJ Faroff, and even Vegas Club, one of my favorite dance spots in Sao Paulo, and one of the most well-known clubs in Brazil. I featured several of his remixes and full mixes here to rave reviews, and word spread quickly in NYC that there was a new funk carioca DJ to look out for on the map.

What’s interesting about Leo is that his initial path was not at all one would relate to a funk carioca DJ and producer. His roots are in more traditional music and he later even dabbled in rock, yet somehow fate ended up leading him to the genre where he fit best. Though humble beyond words, his skills speak highly enough for him on his own. With a unique music taste and a good ear for what songs work well with each other (even though they often lie on antipodal ends of the genre spectrum), Leo continues to create music that’s perfect for parties. Fortunately for us, he puts his open self-exploration, musical progression, and professional growth into words, articulating both the triumphs and insecurities that come with the territory of being part of the music industry, and provides a few laughs as well.

So without further ado, take a moment to find out What’s Good? with one of the hottest DJs in Brazil, Leo Justi:

Considering your exposure to classical music and later the guitar, what compelled you to become a DJ?

I had a pretty bad adolescence, which got better when I lived for one year in Germany and started to drink. Through alcohol, I found out parties could be really fun and that I could dance, and stop giving a fuck about anything . . . All those wonders of alcohol.

What I mean when I say “bad adolescence” is in the sense of having peace of mind, which I still don’t have that much. It was a time I was doing music 100% to express myself, which nowadays is a bit muddled, since I’m 23 and have to make money. So, I started DJing because I started to love parties (after a while, only drinking wasn’t enough to have fun; I wanted nice music playing) and because I really quickly saw that in years of having bands, I had only spent money, but in months DJing, I started to make money.

My background with classical music was really a blessing, since I really believe that hearing Mozart might have given me my really good ear for music. Actually it’s funny because my best ability in music is harmony, and now I’m doing club music most of the time with no harmonies, just percussive sounds, and like one single kick giving a note.

What were some of your musical influences as a child?

As a kid, I really only listened to classical music and some bossa nova. When I was 7 or 8, I started to like some baile funk songs everyone was singing, but that was repressed by some folks, so I ended up “denying” this taste.

At 10, I started liking some Brazilian pop like Skank, a reggae-pop band (that is kinda shitty nowadays). I hated rock back then. Later on, I started listening to punk rock and when I was 16, the Deftones really opened my mind. From then on, I’ve been listening to everything.

Little Leo

What inspires you now as an adult?

Mainly when I see people really enjoying music and “losing their pose” doing it. Usually it’s alcohol and girls that actually make this happen, not music, but still there are different grades of happiness on the dance floor and there is definitely music that makes that difference. By the way, in my experience girls are usually more into music really, even when their taste is MTV-oriented and they don’t like what I play as much. João Marcelo Boscoli I think said  “make music for girls and gays, because (straight) men only go after girls, not music.” And in considering the mainstream, that’s true . . .

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Retail DJ Shoutout in O Globo!

16 May

photo courtesy of O Globo

Special thanks to Rio-based DJ Leo Justi, whose great remix of Kid Conga we featured a while back, for having done a little name-dropping in his profile piece on O Globo. O Globo, which is a huge Brazilian media conglomerate recently featured Leo on their site and Retail DJ was mentioned as one of the “gringo” sites that has shown him some love. We appreciate the mention, and hope that we get even more support from Brazil. As long as Brazil continues to produce some of the best music on the planet, we’ll keep covering it.

Congrats to Leo for the feature, and muito obrigada for the mention!

In hopes of giving the English-speaking readers a better idea of what the article says, here is the translation (by yours truly) of the original article (emphasis mine):

Meet Leo Justi, one of the few (and best) producers of electronic music in the city

RIO - Rio has lots of good DJs, but few young producers making electronic music. The son of an oboe player and a pianist in the field of classical music, Leo Justi, 23, began to study the violin at 8, when he ddn’t yet understand that it was ok to like jazz and funk [carioca] at the same time.

Listen to and download Leo Justi’s remix of “Kid Conga by MC Miltinho

“Nowadays, my parents don’t say much about it, but if I were to start with the story of my [listening to] funk at 13, things would most certainly become tense,” he joked.

A student of Sound Production at Estacio (a Brazilian University), Leo has independently produced remixes for rapper De Leve and others, which has been featured on foreign blogs like Generation Bass, Killah Beez, First Up, Palms Out, Sheena Beaston, Masalicism, Cultural Cannibals, and Retail DJ.

“It’s as if my musical productions vary in accordance with my hormonal flux, with Radiohead vs. Guinga and Missy Elliot vs. Bonde do Tigrao running through my veins,” he explains on his Myspace page.

Leo is a resident DJ for the parties To-toma and Banana Banana. His work mixes funk carioca beats with influences of electronic music.

Leo, a guitarrist, has traded his instruments for programs like Ableton Live and Reason for composing, and Ableton Live, Virtual DJ, or CDJ for playing live.

- Retail DJ

Simpson Goes South: The Price of Beauty Goes to Brazil

26 Apr

As most of you know, I lived in Brazil for a while and have been several times. On top of that, I’m well-read in racial, cultural, and class issues within the country. Because of this, I became a little anxious when I saw that The Price of Beauty, the show hosted by Jessica Simpson that covers the diverse variety of beauty-related norms within different cultures, would be going to Brazil. In a strange way, I am very “protective” of the Brazilian image. I find that as a result of rampant stereotypes in the media, I become annoyed when I feel that one media source or another is going down the same path. I think even others are so ignorant of certain issues there that even one tries to present fair cause for the stereotypes that have been set (as I once did in a series I did for Racialicious on Beauty in Brazil), it goes awry because people are so blinded by the stereotypes themselves that it’s hard to get to the root of them and where they came from.

For example, in the opening of the introduction for the series, I noted that many people, upon discovering that I was going to Brazil and/or had just gotten back from living there, always asked about how “hot” the women were, a question that I found offensive and steeped in stereotypes (via the media) that have become hardened like resin in many the American mind. In refuting these claims and then thus trying to clarify the pressures for many Brazilian women to maintain a certain image, some (in not having fully read the piece) assumed that I was working to reiterate said stereotype (which couldn’t be further from the truth).

There’s certainly a possibility that I am approaching this coverage of Brazil via Simpson’s show with the same equally unjust pre-emptive caution and bias. There’s certainly a possibility that the show will fairly cover beauty norms in Brazil while not simultaneously reinforcing a stereotype. But as most pop culture takes on diversity and other nations’ traditions go, I have a feeling I might be proven right. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they truly cover the stories with some validity and not solely focus on waxing and tanning. I also hope that they go beyond Rio for their coverage (at least in narrative). But I suppose there is only one way to find out.

check out the sneak preview of tonight’s epipsode

The Price of Beauty airs Mondays at 10 pm EST/9 pm CST.

- Retail DJ

Melissa Brasil: Fall/Winter Collection Out!

17 Mar

It’s Schoolgirl Cool over at Melissa, the amazing Brazilian company that is the source of my shoe affections. With their recyclable plastics, good company ethics, and innovative designs, Melissa wins my heart every time. The fall/winter collection  (as Brazil’s getting a bit colder right now as we warm up) “Melissa Et Circenses” revives some of the left-overs from the most recent “Love Pirates” and “Afromania” collections with extra cute details like stitching, buttons, and even cherries! I hope you enjoy the new collection as much as I do, and be sure to take a look at the older ones. It also helps that the music for each video lookbook is great!

Want to buy Melissa shoes? Read more after the jump.

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Saturday Site Love: Melissa!

16 Jan

Yes, those are shoes!

Sao Paulo Fashion Week begins tomorrow (!!!!) and seeing information about the upcoming shows reminded me of the love affair that I led while living in Brazil…

not with a person, mind you, but with a shoe company by the name of Melissa! Their shoes are beautiful, creative and, get this, recyclable. The shoes are often made almost entirely of plastic!Nuts, right? They are easy to dance in and can be worn with a variety of clothing styles. 

Right now, their I <3 Pirates Collection is out:

Previous lined include Secret Gardens (spring/summer 2009):

and

Afromania (fall/winter 2009):

These shoes are pretty coveted in Brazil. While living there, my roommate actually STOLE a pair of mine (not even kidding). They are up there price wise for plastic shoes, but I’d say the fashion plus their ecologically friendly philosophy and respect for their workers make it all worth it. In the States, they can be found on eBay, Karamaloop, and even Saks Fifth Avenue, and with unfortunate price tags. Here, the prices are practically doubled due to shipping, taxation, etc, so if you ever happen to be in Brazil (you never know!), pick them up…or make friends with people who live there and frequent the States. In what almost feels like a drug run, I have a Brazilian friend whose family lives in Sao Paulo bringing back a pair for me that look like woodgrain:

Totally addicted!

Check out the Melissa website (blog too!) here: http://www.melissa.com.br

If you don’t understand Portuguese, you should still be fine. Just follow the pictures. Even if you STILL are lost, click everything. It’s worth checking out!

- Retail DJ

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