Although summer is just around the corner, the fashion world is already into fall. Always one step ahead. The world fashion weeks have passed and videos, photos and media have communicated what we have to look forward to for the upcoming fall season. I know we should always live in the present, but when a collection comes out that is as good as Elise Øverland’s, it is hard to keep from longing for the future. The New York-based Øverland uses raw materials such as leather and silk in rich colours to produce structured, sophisticated and feminine designs. Inspired by rock and roll and performance art, the pieces are edgy and passionate and in a word, stunning.

The clothes inspire some imagination and creativity too. I would love to hang out with a wolf under the moonlight wearing pieces from Øverland’s new collection. Dramatic? Perhaps. But the pieces just seems to call for that sort of dramatic storyline. Check out a clip of Elise Øverland’s fall/winter 2010 runway show below:

- Kara Hornland

Design darlings Rodarte and visual artist/photographer Todd Cole have teamed up for “Aanteni” — a high-fashion technofilm highlighting Rodarte’s spring/summer 2010 collection. “Aanteni,” which means “nowness,” stars model Guinevere van Seenus as she runs around the deserted grounds of a space lab in Hawthorne, California. The Rodarte sisters say the film was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the space race, which also inspired their latest collection of futuristic crochet knits, leather bandage dresses and distressed plaid.

The film is scored with an eerie soundtrack courtesy of LA-based experimental noisemakers, No Age. And even though the “plot” had has scratching our heads at times, the sheer scale and finale of this beautifully-shot clip will have you not only believing in Rodarte’s vision, but also in the wondrous possibilities of fashion, film and the future.

It feels like decades ago since the likes of Tony Soprano, Carrie Bradshaw, and James McNulty roamed the cable television landscape, hiding bodies, sipping martinis, and taking down drug lords in an attempt to win over our collective hearts and minds. Let’s face it; today Don Draper is king. But with a slate of new shows both large in scope and budget, HBO is on the verge of a renaissance. But before Scorsese moves from the big screen to the small with Boardwalk Empire, and the team behind The Wire takes us behind New Orleans’ post-Katrina shutters in Treme, HBO is ushering in the new guard with notably lighter fare.

How To Make it In America is the cherry on top of HBO’s brand new sundae, a rolicking romp through the streets of New York’s voguish downtown scene . Created by Mark Wahlberg and the rest of the team that brought us Entourage, and chock-full of that same youthful energy, this show is still markedly different. Whereas Vince an the gang are reaping the spoils of success, HTMIIA’s heroes spend their days looking for it in the deathly gallows of the city’s seemingly inpenetrable fashion world. Ben (Bryan Greenberg) and Cam (Victor Rusak) are the quintessential New York underachievers; young, handsome, charming, talented and living in a city where less is never more. They have direction, they have ambition, all they need is a plan. We watch as they beg and borrow their way towards the top of the denim food chain (there must be a better name for their line than Crisp), and if they ever get there, we may just have to tune out. You see HTMIIA is all about the struggle, about negotiating one’s way through the new American economic minefield. In a day and age where television grasps at the tailcoat of high art, HTMIIA does just the opposite. It takes a bunch of handsome people, places them in the epicentre of cool, and just lets the wheels turn. It may not reveal any sacred truths on the human condition, but it’s a helluva lot of fun to watch. How To Make It In America airs Sundays at 10 on HBO.

-Daniel Barna

Like most of the Western world, we woke up this morning eager to see the much balleyhooed Oscar nominations, announced earlier today. As everyone predicted, Avatar and The Hurt Locker lead the field with nine nods a piece while sleeper hits The Blind Side and District 9 crept in to earn surprising Best Picture nods. Everything else seems to be just where the three million prediction lists we saw this week said they’d be, though we can’t say we weren’t a little disappointed that our friend Ben Foster didn’t get nominated for his gripping performance in The Messenger. Though his co-star Woody Harrelson earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination, Foster’s performance as a casualty notification officer was the film’s emotional core, and should have been recognized by the Academy. We spoke with Foster last fall and he was obviously excited about his work in the film, but after reading the piece in our upcoming issue, you’ll see that the last thing Ben Foster does this for is awards. Here’s a little sneak peek from our photoshoot with the actor. And make sure to pick up our spring issue of Corduroy to see all the photos and to read our brand new interview with Ben Foster.

- Daniel Barna

As the year comes to a close, every magazine, blog, and critics circle around, has compartmentalized the year’s best films into list form. It’s a tradition as ubiquitous as spiking the egg nog, and each year it feels as though the same ten films–with a few exceptions of course–appear on every list. This year, Up in The Air, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and Precious are the usual suspects, having already appeared on over two dozen “best of” lists. So rather than sheepishly follow the herd, we’ve decided to look into our very own Swarovksi crystal ball and name the ten best films of 2010. Our list is a grab bag of can’t-miss directors, future studio tentpoles, and the requisite indie darlings. So when the critics roll out their lists a year from now, just remember: You heard it here first.

Alice in Wonderland: It was only a matter of time before Tim Burton unleashed his take on Lewis Carrol’s macabre children’s tale, and he brought partner-in-crime Jonny Depp along for the ride. Sweeney Todd was Burton’s first true awards darling; look for this to be his second. (Mar. 5)

Inception: Nevermind that this top secret sci-fi movie is Chris Nolan’s first since the decade-busting The Dark Knight. Nevermind that its teaser trailer and poster have the Internet buzzing months before the film’s release. Inception will be one of next years best films thanks to what has to be one of the best casts ever assembled: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas, and Tom Berenger. That must have been some wrap party. (Jul 16)

Shutter Island: Martin Scorsese’s follow up to his best picture-winning The Departed was slated for a 2009 release and on many expert’s shortlists for another Oscar nod, but thanks to star Leonardo DiCaprio’s lack of availability for international promotion, Shutter Island was pushed to next year. Delayed release dates are usually a kiss of death for most films, but with a script based on Oscar-magnet Dennis Lehane’s eponymous book, and Scorsese behind the camera, this psychological thriller isn’t most films. (Feb. 19)

The Green Hornet: It will be interesting to see how former Corduroy cover boy Michel Gondry’s (photo on left) whimsical, DIY aesthetic translates to the shiny world of big budget action movies. With a leaner Seth Rogen writing and starring, and newly minted bad boy Christopher Walz as the villain, we’re predicting they turn the superhero genre flat on its head. In a good way, of course. (Dec. 22)

It’s Kind of a Funny Story: Acclaimed directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s debut film Half Nelson scored with critics and made Ryan Gosling a star, while their follow up Sugar was one of the most underrated films this year. Look for their latest, which features a troubled teen, a mental health clinic and Zach Galifianakis, to be the breakout hit of the year. (Nov.)

The Fighter: Idiosyncratic director David O. Russell hasn’t quite reached the potential promised by his film Three Kings, but he’s come close. His latest is a surprisingly conventional story of redemption in the world of boxing with a marquee cast that includes Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams. Only a true halfwit can miss this one up. (TBA)

Tree of Life: Enigmatic director Terrence Malick has only made four films in over three decades, so needless to say his fifth will be a very big deal. Add two of Hollywood’s best–Brad Pitt and Sean Penn–to the coming of age tale, and we have ourselves an surefire early contender for best picture. (TBA)

Somewhere: For a film about the disillusionment of celebrity, Sofia Coppola’s next is decidedly lacking in star power. Stephen Dorff stars as a hard-living actor whose life is turned upside down when he’s paid a visit by his daughter, played by Elle Fanning. After Marie Antoinette failed to catch, Coppola returns to what she does best: a movie about lost souls rattling around a big city. (TBA)

Black Swan: A film about rival ballet dancers played by Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman is enough to excite even the most hardened cynics. Add The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky to the mix and we have ourselves a game changer. (TBA)

All Good Things: Andrew Jarecki’s first film since his blistering 2003 documentary Capturing The Friedmans, this love story-cum-murder mystery stars Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Gosling Jr. and is based on “the most notorious unsolved murder case in New York history.” This one simply can’t miss. (March)

-Daniel Barna