We recently received an advance copy of Rufus Wainright’s new album, “All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu,” and we’ve been eagerly anticipating its release, so we can start talking about it with our peers. The album title — and concept — is inspired by a line from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 43,” which reads “All days are nights to see till I see thee…” As for “Lulu,” the artist has described her as a “dark brooding feminine power,” full of romanticism and mystery. The new music is similarly poetic, with a stately, pure and uninterrupted flow. Included among the new tracks are three interpretations of Shakespearian sonnets: “Sonnet 10,” “Sonnet 20,” and the aforementioned “Sonnet 43.” Wainwright composed music for each of the sonnets and is reportedly working with a stage director and costumer to bring the “lyrics” to life through performance art and dance on his upcoming tour.

We’re still awaiting an official music video from the new project, but in the meantime, check out one of our favorite Rufus Wainright songs and videos, “Going to a Town.” The Sophie Muller-directed clip was the first single taken from Wainright’s 2007 album, “Release the Stars.” It still stands up today as one of his classics, and one of those moments where everything just looks, sounds and feels right…

Wainright’s new album comes out this Tuesday in Canada and next month in the U.S. Read up on the new songs and find out about the singer’s upcoming tour by visiting his official website.

- TC

In just over a decade, the artists collective known as The Barnstormers has transformed dozens of buildings, walls and canvases across the country. In doing so, they have also transformed the way people view large-scale public art. The group formed in 1999 after a pilgrimage of 25 artists to the rural town of Cameron, North Carolina, where they painted barns, tractor-trailers, shacks, and farm equipment. It was a way to inject some color and new life to a previously abandoned building or piece of equipment. As their numbers grew, so did the Barnstormers’ projects. A 2005 project included the disassembly/re-location/re-assembly of a barn captured on video in a time-lapse flurry of activity. With their backgrounds ranging from graffiti art to classical painting, the members were able to create memorable murals, installations and videos in both secluded communities as well as major city centers. Improvisation, in spirit and practice, is the Barnstormer ethos.

This week, the Barnstormers touch down in New York, not for a collaborative project, but rather for a collaborative group show, exhibiting works by 35 of the group’s individual artists. The show will include both live installations and interactive exhibits, as well as sketches, paintings and videos highlighting a mix of street art and modern art. The goal is to showcase the diverse talents that make up the Barnstormers, and reveal a little bit of their unique, individual strengths and personalities.

The show runs until April 17th at the Joshua Liner Gallery at 548 West 28th Street in New York. The opening reception is this Thursday from 6-9 pm. Check out all the details on the flyer below:

- TC

Ana Lerario is the designer and owner of Lerario Beatriz – a beautifully feminine and delicate collection of printed tops, layered outerwear, and loose and flowing dresses and bottoms. Known for her intricate handmade details and embellishments, Lerario’s line is punctuated by fresh shapes and ethnic touches; it’s a staple wardrobe full of modern, sophisticated glamour for the city girl on the go.

Born and raised in Sao Paulo, Lerario attended fashion school in Brazil before moving to New York in 1998 to continue her fashion education at Parsons School of Design. That soon led to a job working with Marc Jacobs, where she was eventually appointed designer — a position she held for four years, working directly with Jacobs on his main line. Launched a few years ago, her namesake line (combining her last name and middle name) is quickly becoming a favorite among both elite fashion-watchers and the young, style-savvy masses.

We love both the vibrant spirit and the timeless look of Lerario’s designs and her clothes have been much buzzed-about among the Corduroy staff. (We have a feeling you’ll fall in love with them too).

We recently caught up with Lerario and asked her to take part in our exclusive online series about “Things That Never Go Out of Style.” Here is her top-ten list:

1. Dries van Noten
2. Sarah Moon
3. Velvet Underground
4. Tim Burton
5. House plants
6. Fresh cut flowers, espcially roses and peonies
7. Gabriel Garcia Marquez
8. Jock Sturges
9. Per Lutken glass work
10. Home cooked food from my childhood

Lerario Beatriz is available in select boutiques across the U.S. and in Japan. Visit www.lerariobeatriz.com for details. And check out some of the exquisite photos shot by Carolina Palmgren for the spring 2010 Lerario Beatriz lookbook below:

- TC

Designer Simon Spurr is understandably exhausted. He’s just finished his first runway show for New York Fashion Week — where he debuted his new high-end collection of impeccably stylish and well-tailored menswear to a raving audience that included Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour — and he’s still catching up on interview requests, sample requests and — oh yeah — some much-needed sleep. But first, he took time out to chat with Corduroy about his new collection, which showcases a more luxurious, trim, modern (and British?) man.

What was the inspiration behind this season’s collection?
My intention was to establish SIMON SPURR as a modern luxury menswear brand. I definitely drew upon my British roots and focused on precision tailoring loosely inspired by the 60/70s Savile Row tailor, Tommy Nutter. I wanted to bring a British sensibility to American fashion week. I’m British, many of my reference points are British and that’s my look.

What types of guys do you picture wearing the looks?
The SIMON SPURR man is modern and has an inherent confidence. He is very much about style and appreciates quality. Actually the majority of the models in the show were British.

Why did you decide to put on a runway show this season instead of presentations like in years past?
Showing the SIMON SPURR collection on the runway set the tone for the brand. It seems more appropriate to show “Designer” menswear in the form of a runway show. It was also the first time I felt really confident that the clothes would work in this format. It was important to show the clothes moving, to allow the natural swagger of the models’ walk to express itself. Putting the clothes to music also allowed me to help tell a story. It was important when choosing the music that if the viewer were to close their eyes that they would still feel this young, British sensibility.

You seemed to show a more diverse array of looks this season, which covered most menswear bases, from slacks to jackets to suits to accessories. Was this an intentional move?
I wouldn’t say this was a conscious premeditated decision. SIMON SPURR is a full lifestyle brand and I wanted to illustrate this. There is definitely more depth to this season’s collection not only in the product assortment, with new development in hats and bags, but also with more attention paid to scale, pattern and finishing.

How hard is it to transition from fine denim to fine suiting?
I come from a strong tailoring background at Ralph Lauren Purple Label and Black Label. The tailoring, which I have made my own, has become an important part of the brand’s identity. I have often been quoted on my thoughts of menswear returning to a more elegant look. In the show I even mixed the two elements and showed a wool/silk tuxedo jacket over a fine denim shirt, jeans and boots. It’s how you wear the pieces that makes the difference. I have had no problem making the transition from denim to suiting.

Does the fact that you were known for denim help or hinder you?
I think that the transition has greatly helped the brand. When I started SPURR I had no intention of it being a “denim” brand. I always wanted it to be a full lifestyle brand that had great and authentic denim. With the separation of the brand into SIMON SPURR (Collection) and SPURR (contemporary), I have been able to maintain a sophisticated look on the runway, but also create a real denim business with SPURR.

Some reviewers described your collection as a return to “dandy” dressing for men. What does that word mean to you?
The word “Dandy” conjures a different image for me. When I think of a Dandy I have an image of an eccentric man that over dresses. SIMON SPURR is not a Dandy in this way. I offer a much cleaner, more modern approach to the Dandy.

So is the era of jeans and T-shirts over?
Whilst I personally still wear jeans and a t-shirt (under a tailored jacket), I do think that there is a move to a more groomed look for the modern man. I think men and women alike appreciated a well-dressed man; someone that has taken time, given thought and has pride in his appearance. Isn’t that what we all want?

I heard you had Guy Ritchie’s name plastered on your inspiration board backstage. Is that true? If so, what does Guy Ritchie have to do with Simon Spurr?
Yes, we had a page of key inspirational words backstage to help get the best walk out of the guys. The Guy Richie nod was to express the feeling of a man that has worked hard for his position in life; someone from one of Guy’s movies that comes from the middle class (or below) and has finally arrived at a point where he can enjoy the finer entrapments of menswear from a three-piece suit to hand-finished shirts and leather.

How nervous were you that Anna Wintour was in the audience?
Honestly I was not nervous at all. Since I met Anna during the Vogue Fashion fund experience, she has always made me feel welcome in the industry. Of course, I have the utmost respect for her and I know what her presence means if she attends your show. Ultimately, I was ecstatic and honored that she took the time to come… I hope that she liked the clothes.

Be honest… how happy are you now that the show is over?
It’s a happy/sad moment. There is definitely a relief that it’s over, I have my first runway show under my belt and the reviews have been complimentary. However, it all happened very quickly and it’s hard to savor six months work in 10.5 minutes! I love the runway format and admit that I’m already getting excited for the next one.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do now that fashion week is done?
Sleep. It’s my favorite thing to do. I’ll take a day off, just to re-charge after the adrenaline rush and get back into my routine. And then it will be business as usual and I will have to knuckle down and crack on with Spring/Summer 2011.

- TC

Confession time:  I recently caught an airing of My Girl on TBS and bawled my eyes out — again — some 19 years after first doing the same thing in a rundown suburban shopping mall theater in the outskirts of Toronto. It’s safe to say the characters — and the cast — still hold up to this day. But while Macaulay Culkin has bounced back from his post-Home Alone exile to appear in a number of well-received films and become somewhat of an indie acting icon, Anna Chlumsky’s whereabouts have been more of a mystery. Well I’m proud to announce that the mystery has been solved.

We caught up with Chlumsky in New York a few months ago, where she’s been busy auditioning for television roles, while also performing in a number of local Off-Broadway stage productions. At 30, she’s married, living in Brooklyn and enjoying her relative anonymity, but also ready, it seems, for a return to acting. She’s older, wiser and more motivated than ever to pursue the craft she’s always loved with a new vigor — and outlook. Make sure to pick up our next issue of Corduroy to read all about Chlumsky’s “comeback plans,” and to see the beautiful images from our rooftop photoshoot in the Lower East Side. In the meantime, here are a couple behind-the-scenes pics. Enjoy!

- TC