Brandon Lee is certainly multi-talented. He’s an avid photographer, the bassist for indie pop collective Miniature Tigers, and now, the New York-based Renaissance Man can add accessories designer to his ever-waxing list of accomplishments.

On the heels of wrapping up a very well-received tour opening for the band Fun, this modern-day “Jack of All Trades” had a chance to chat with Corduroy about his ever-evolving style, his love for music, and whether or not his future will include the pursuit of one or the other – or both.

It was while sitting in New York’s Washington Square Park one evening, that Lee came up with the name for his 1920s vintage-inspired line, “The Park after Dark,” which was originally intended to be a potential band name. Currently available for sale on etsy, the line started as a quiet hobby for Lee, but has quickly expanded to feature a small but eclectic mix of laptop bags and unisex totes, all inspired by Lee’s adventures in New York.

“It kind of happened accidentally,” he says. “I wanted a bag just to carry my stuff around in the winter time and I found myself using empty shopping bags to carry my umbrella, and my ipod, and my book and whatnot. I wanted to find an actual bag to carry my stuff in, and I couldn’t really find one I liked enough to spend money on. I went to the fabric stores and saw a bunch of different fabrics that I liked and decided to make one for myself.

Under the tutelage of Project Runway alum Kenley Collins (yes, she’s the one who was arrested for allegedly throwing a live cat at her sleeping ex-fiancée) Lee expanded on the fundamentals of sewing he had learned as a teenager “messing around for fun.” After months of trial-and-error, constructing and deconstructing store-bought bags, Lee finally arrived at a prototype he was comfortable carrying around the city.

Stylish to a fault, Lee’s personal designs began to attract some very public attention. “People just started commenting on it, on the subway, or just walking on the street,” he recalls enthusiastically, “so I decided to start making them to sell them.” It’s continued to take off from there.

Lee’s penchant for fashion really represents one half of a dichotomy of loves, music being the other. “If I hadn’t have pursued music from the time I was a teenager,” says Lee, “I probably would have tried to go into fashion.”

Having played in a number of bands over the years, the artist’s latest musical endeavor sees him as bassist for Miniature Tigers, a group that describes themselves as “The Beach Boys meets The Dream.” (Their latest album “Mia Pharoah,” for example (artwork at right) mixes pop rock with contemporary R&B and dance music influences).

Though Lee played with the group in their early formation days in Phoenix, he’s only been playing with the band permanently for the last 6-8 months. Still, his presence since the very beginning has made the adjustment from friend to official band-mate relatively easy. “It feels pretty natural,” he says. “I’ve played music for them in the past so it kind of just feels like picking up where we left off.”

As for the future, anything seems possible for Lee. “Music is something that I’ve always done and I think I always will do, even if it’s just me recording stuff in my apartment,” resolves the artist. “[But] I also feel like fashion is also a part of who I am. Especially now that I’ve started making things, I think it’ll only expand from here.”

The “expansion” could include a full mens and womenswear line, in addition to accessories, Lee says. But at this moment, speaking over the phone, the only thing he wants to do is take a nap. “We actually just got home [from tour] yesterday,” says an understandably exhausted Lee. “Montreal was a bit crazy,” he continues, before trailing off: “Drunken nights…”

Our interview wraps up so that Lee – presumably – can get some rest. But he won’t be resting for long. With the buzz of a new record, thousands of fans around the country and a burgeoning design career to boot, it’s safe to say Brandon Lee is a guy that will be on the move again very, very soon.

- James Lavapie

Those who have followed Esteban Cortazar’s still-burgeoning career knows that the fashion wunderkind and designer has never been afraid to follow his own instincts. After debuting his first ready-to-wear line in 2002 at the age of 18 to great acclaim, he was appointed chief creative director of French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro in 2007, before departing from the label in 2009, reportedly fired after refusing to work with the house’s “celebrity designer” Lindsay Lohan. Those his departure was swift, reaction was squarely in his favor and fashion watchers have been waiting patiently to see what Cortazar would unveil next. Now, we have an answer.

NET-A-PORTER.COM has announced that it will be the exclusive retailer for Cortazar’s first collection, that heralds the highly anticipated revival of the designer’s label and his return to the scene. Launching in July, the collection symbolizes Cortazar’s journey of evolution and growth – his birth in Colombia, growing up in South Beach in the nineties, launching his career in New York and moving to Paris. Consisting of 17 looks, this capsule collection transcends seasons, with an elegantly contemporary aesthetic buoyed by a touch of feminine attitude. In a press release, the website says to “expect a fresh approach to tailoring and eveningwear with a focus on layering and asymmetric shapes,” promising a neutral palette of rose gold, nude and off-white shades.

Cortazar says he’s excited to partner with the online retailer, saying it has “truly been a labor of love between us from the very beginning of the entire process and I’m delighted to be able to launch my collection in such a thoroughly modern way. I am very excited to embark on this journey and new stage of my career.”

Cortazar’s instincts have served him well in the past, and, mixed with his undeniable talent and deft touch with womenswear, this new collection is certain to add to his acclaim. And with the magnitude of NET-A-PORTER’s online reach and following, it will also help the designer break into the big leagues, moving past the petty Lohan drama at Ungaro to achieve what Lindsay is still struggling to do: becoming a critical darling and yes, a certified star.

- TC

We’ve seen a number of amazing designer collaborations with Target in recent years, but far too often, the shopping experience has been reserved solely for the ladies (think Rodarte and Jason Wu). But Target’s latest collaboration is aimed squarely and expertly at the guys.

New York menswear boutique Odin will debut an exclusive, limited-time only collection at Target this September. Featuring sweaters, henleys, button-downs, pants, shoes and accessories, the collection caters to both the sartorially savvy and the guy who’s worn the same pair of jeans his whole life. Expect to see a mix of refined and rugged, with a focus on menswear staples and good quality basics, plus a few more aggressively styled pieces scattered in as well.

And while the clothes will be sold in a nationwide department store (as opposed to the posh interiors of Odin’s three Manhattan outposts), store owners Eddy Chai and Paul Birardi promise the same masculine yet cosmopolitan style that they’ve been known for over the years, now with Target’s commitment to affordable pricing and quality. The Odin for Target collection is in stores and online at Target.com on September 9th.

The world continues to mourn the death of Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch after a four- year battle with cancer of the parotid salivary gland. For the unfamiliar, Yauch co-founded the hip-hop group along with Mike “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz in 1979. Beginning as a hardcore punk group, the band soon began to experiment with hip-hop. The result was the biggest-selling rap album of the decade with 1986′s “Licensed to Ill” which was the first rap album to reach number one on the Billboard chart.

In the wake of the MCA’s untimely passing, his famous friends continue to the remember Yauch with a series of tributes. Photographer Terry Richardson revisited his archive, posting candids of Yauch and his band mates laughing on the streets of New York on his blog. The images really highlight the brotherly dynamic among the members, who have played together for over three decades.

Among the poignant musical tributes was Coldplay’s rendition of “Fight for Your Right” during last weekend’s Hollywood Bowl concert in LA. Reinterpreted as a piano ballad, lead singer Chris Martin concluded the cover by repeatedly singing, “We’re sending all our love to the Beastie Boys,” a sentiment certainly mirrored by the innumerable tweets from famous fans such as Madonna, Reverend Run and Justin Timberlake.

The public reaction is truly a testament to the group’s influence on the 1980s hip-hop zeitgeist. Yauch will certainly be missed, but his rock-and-roll lyrical style will prevent the MC from ever being forgotten. What are your thoughts on Yauch’s passing? Any favourite memories or tracks? Leave your thoughts below…

While it may not necessarily be possible to transcend realism, Chinese sculptor Shi Jindian certainly comes close with his wire vehicle sculptures. Jindian has professed his dislike for hard and heavy materials, opting instead for “fine delicate things.” This penchant for delicacy is reflected in the sculptor’s chosen medium of fine wire mesh.

After years of searching for a brand new and completely untraditional medium, Jindian learned how to crochet strands of steel wire into a 3-dimensional form. Working primarily though trial-and-error, the sculptor has devised an entire arsenal of unique tools which allow Jindian to expertly manipulate the wire into everything from a military motorcycle to the frame of an army jeep.

Beginning by wrapping the mesh around a solid object, the wrapped form is subsequently removed, leaving an almost ethereal exoskeleton. While the process may perhaps seem simple, in fact, Jindian spends years rendering even the smallest details of the original model in wire. The sculptor seems to find peace in his painstaking labour, entering a state of “tranquility and calm,” which only emerges from Jindian’s exacting and almost ritualistic depiction.

- James Lavapie