So, lately we’ve been obsessed with the decadence and glamour of the 1970s disco scene, especially in Europe! And when we found this video by avant-garde superstar Amanda Lear, we found it to be the perfect combination of vintage awesomeness and spooky elegance!!!
We didn’t know very much about this divinity (don’t worry…we will be working on giving her an honored place on our altar of Style Idols & Divinities), but we have been delving into this marvelous woman’s life like no one’s business!
Here is a woman who hobnobbed with The Beatles, David Bowie, Brian Jones, Bryan Ferry, Andy Warhol…had the model looks of Verushka and the voice of Marlene Dietrich. Not only that, she was a close confidante to THE Salvador Dali, and remained one of his closest friends and muses until his death. She even closed Jean Paul Gaultier’s 1980s pop music muses collection back in 2013!
What is so wonderful about Amanda is her mystery . . . sometimes things are best left to the imagination, and Lear keeps this enigmatic quality to this day (her birth date and nationality is still unclear, as well as other rumors circulating)!
This is what we respect most of this bad ass woman! Just be yourself, and everything else will fall into place.
The strange, wonderful, and perplex. The Voynich Manuscripts . . . the World’s most wildly weird book. Full of strange diagrams and cryptic text, many generations have passed and still no one has been able to make anything of it.
The book is hidden deep away in Yale’s Rare Book Collection making it kind of hard for eager schoolboys to study all of its mysteries . . .The word ‘mystery’, strangely enough comes from the Greek mustrion meaning ‘secret rite’ [from musts, an initiate, from mein, to close the eyes, initiate.]
The mystery would gather together at sacred times in sacred places performing rituals, celebrations, and rites of passage. These sacred ceremonies were held to ensure certain higher knowledge is passed on to the initiate who is chosen under certain circumstances (possessing special intellectual or spiritual prowess, or defining periods in one’s life eg. marriage)
Not to presuppose of course, we all remember Yale is home to one of the World’s most infamous ‘mysteries’ of them all; the notorious ‘Skull and Bones’ society. The notorious fraternity traces its roots to 1832 as ‘The Order of the Skull and Bones”, and includes such influential names as Rockefeller, Tate, Pillsbury, and Bush.
The group operates in secrecy, much as their ancient mystery counterparts, holding their rituals in a building known as ‘The Tomb’. The lost boys were said to possess the last remains of Geronimo. Sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus from an Indiana Jones movie, reads like one too.
Over the years the boys have gotten tied up in strings of allegations and scandals that range from sexual abuse, torture, and Satan worshipping! Not to mention the associations with the Illuminati . . . Seems to me like someone needs to do their homework.
“I don’t mind if my skull ends up on a shelf as long as it’s got my name on it.”
                                             -Debbie Harry
What do you say? Is it all too convenient the World’s weirdest manuscript has landed in the same turf? Maybe they know something we don’t about this strange codex, its weirdly wonderful drawings, and the wisdom that it may entail. Perhaps it provides them with the ingredients to perform the rituals of their predecessors, or maybe they simply see it the same way we do, and this obscure Renaissance relic will continue to be at loss to modern man, and appear as a precarious dot in the framework of history.
I’ll give it to the boys, they have always been doing it in style. Exploring the delicate and strange beauty of the Voynich Manuscripts is a true wonder, and I’d study up now before they do.
There is no doubt that the world would not be the same place if it hadn’t been for Alan Turing [b. 23 June 1912 – d. 7 June 1954]. In fact, you wouldn’t be reading this delectable morsel if it weren’t for the incredible genius of this British mathematician in developing the modern day computer.
A prophet of mathematics, with a natural inclination to numbers and science, Turing entered King’s College in 1931 and graduated Honors in Mathematics pioneering the working model for the Turing Machine, which operated on “Algorithims” that would make computing any mathematical problem conceivable. Obtaining a PhD from Princeton in June 1938, Turing furthered his concepts introducing oracles that could plan and solve complex problems that the Turing Machine was unable to compute.
It wasn’t until war time that Turing’s incredible genius would truly be implored, joining the German code-breaking team at Bletchley Park in September 1938. Using his profound wizardry in the realm of numbers, Turing was able to develop a statistical approach using computing machines to decode the impossible German Enigma-codes. This would ultimately provide the Allies with a major advantage in winning the war.
Turing was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his services during wartime.
Turing also applied his mathematical brilliance in the fields of biology, imploring mathematical thought to the idea of pattern formation in nature. He also used mathematics to develop the foundations for the science behind morphogenesis – how biological forms come to be.
So in short, a {Hero}.
However, although interesting, it’s not his mathematic, scientific, or civil achievements that really caught our attention. It is, in fact, his mysterious and bizarre death.
It all began quite innocently – the way these things always begin. After being victim to a petty burglary of his home in January of 1952, police investigations opened the flood gates, revealing Turing’s homosexuality, which in fact was illegal in the UK at this point. Wanting to evade going to prison, Turing was able to go on probation after agreeing to a chemical castration that would require him to take injects of stilboestrol, a synthetic estrogen hormone.
Perhaps the injects caused moments of weakness or uncertainty, as various mood disorders and physical ailments have now been attributed to stilboestrol. And while he is recorded as throwing “such a jolly [tea] party” for a neighbour and her son four days before he died, he was found in the most macabre of circumstances: laying in bed with a half-eaten apple at his side.
If this sounds like fairy tale, don’t be mistaken, the past is a twisted and dark place, but there’s no denying the comparison to Turing’s death and the story of Snow White and The Seven Dwarves – Turing’s recorded favourite fairy tale. Novelist David Leavitt quotes that the mathematical genius took “an especially keen pleasure in the scene where the Wicked Queen immerses her apple in the poisonous brew.”
Many have speculated that Turing may have soaked the apple in poison as an homage to his favorite tale of dark pleasure and deceit, others (his mother particularly) have asserted that Turing was in fact just careless when it came to storing his lab chemicals. Whatever the truth may be, the circumstances surrounding Turing’s untimely demise are as fascinating as his science. His death was ruled a suicide, but recent discoveries seem to point in other directions.
Perhaps it was just a way to say good-bye to a cruel world, unwilling to accept the man, no matter how great his genius. He was but the innocent, and it was a truly unjust society that would poison the likes of such an incredible mind.
Luckily, Turing’s legacy lives on every we look. From this computer screen, to our televisions, and phones, the airplanes in the sky, the subway beneath my feet – all these things and more would not be possible without Turing’s ingenuity and courage to innovate.
You can see sometimes in the eyes of this strange boy; a burning fire that piercing your soul. Even past the screen, beneath the surface of every photograph of him, there is a brilliant mystery still waiting to be discovered and the very depth of the man named River Phoenix.
He was the most beautiful child you’ve ever seen, like a little Elvis.
-Iris Burton, River’s manager
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It’s more the history of these awards that is so special to me . . .
His acting was top notch, and before the age of …. he found himself nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor with dozens of offers at his feet thereafter.
Fame was of little consequence to him, though, and instead he sought a life of refuge from the hustle and bustle of the business. The industry was not the priority, and from his very core, River was an undeniable artist who not only excelled in the art of acting, but was also an accomplished musician, humanitarian, environmentalist and animal rights activist.
You’ll never find him fur or leather as he was the original vegan style star- before it was in vogue or a trend. He had a soft and sensitive heart for world issues, the future of our planet, and most especially the well-being of animals.
While we think of the 80s for all its excesses, River appears the total antithesis to this vision of America. Even with his popularity and success, River defied typical Hollywood standards through what he wore; appearing at major red carpet events sometimes in only a graphic T-shirt, or a cool graphic sweater.
Plaid shirts, graphic sweaters, denim jackets, patterned shirts, and over-sized blazers were a staple for the young star, whose quirky style seems right in tuned with the vibe of the street today. And yet we probably never even realized that River Phoenix made his mark over twenty years ago in the same garbs we rock today.
Perhaps this was indicative of his adventurous heart, the way he dressed. A co-star in probably his most accomplished and enigmatic acting effort, My Own Private Idaho, Jimmy Reardon described a moment the two shared together shortly after filming the 90s art-house flick about a narcoleptic male hustler decked out in pure grunge glory:
One time we were up in the mountains, and the clouds came right up to the top of the mountain. River grabbed (my) arm and said, “We’re going to run and jump into these clouds and our whole past lives will dissolve, and everything will be new from then on. Hold on.” And we did that…it was incredible, and we landed on this soft iceberg kind of ground covering. But we jumped through clouds, literally.
It’s hard to imagine a star today who could even imagine being as fearless, but that’s just how River really was. Fearless.
Born River Jude Bottom, River grew up in a religious cult in South America known as the Children of God. He was named River after the river of life in Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, and Jude from the Beatle’s song. When their parents found that they were being embezzled by the cult and its leaders, they uprooted their children and moved to California where River was soon getting noticed for his movie star good looks, even as a boy.
He quickly began to take interest in acting and modelling, and it wasn’t long before his career took off. No one could deny the boy. He had a special edge that he never let go of until the very end.
Edward Lachman, superior director of photography for ‘Dogfight’ said:
 When I first met River, he had very long hair and he struck me- as he came out of an elevator-as an angel, some kind of supernatural being. An angel could be Gabriel, but an angel could be Lucifer too. He could as readily delve in to the deep dark recesses as he would fly up to the lofty, illuminated (places).
There is no doubting his talents, but there’s also no doubting the foolishness of getting involved with people who do not have your best intentions in mind. River was the unfortunate victim to a brainless party mentality that is ever prevalent in our society. Was it really worth it in the end?
I don’t want to die in a car accident. When I die it’ll be a glorious day. It’ll probably be a waterfall.
-River Phoenix
This year the world was shocked by the death of another young star who kicked the bucket at the expense of his family, friends, fame, and fortune – Cory Monteith, who died of an overdose much the same way River did. Heroine and alcohol. The same toxic cocktail that took the life of many more before them including Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin.
It’s sad, so very sad, because these stars possessed such a zest for life and original spirit that didn’t need to compensate with heavy drugs and alcohol to make life interesting. They could have been resigned to just be themselves, and love every second of that.
This is why our advice at The Eye of Faith has always and will forever be to be yourself. Your truest self, beyond the effects of drugs and alcohol, you can have the most exciting and amazing life. You try to tread the line between reality and dream, and you can do this easily with the power of style and conjuring your idols to give you an extra boost away from the common day to day.
 “You would have thought we was ninety and had died in his sleep. The people who were saying this felt tremendous guilt that they had contributed to his death.
He’s already being made into a martyr. He’s become a metaphor for a fallen angel, a Messiah. But he wasn’t. He was just a boy, a very good hearted boy who was very $%##$% up and had no idea how to implement his good intentions. I don’t want to be comforted by his death. I think it’s right that I’m angry about it, angry at the people who helped him stay sick, and angry at River.”
-Martha Plimpton on River’s death.
We recommend this state of mind for all days and occasions, to keep you safe and elevated beyond the strife of the street.
Most people don’t know, but River was also a talented musician in a band called “Aleka’s Attic”. Here’s one of his songs to send you off with. Hope I gave us all something to think about, and some wicked new vintage inspiration for the road!
In 1995, 400 suitcases were recovered from the attic of the Willard State Asylum in Upstate New York. Many patients died at the asylum and were buried in graves marked only by numbers. For many, these suitcases are the only traces left of these sad, lost, and lonely lives.
Dating between 1910 and 1960, photographer Jon Crispin has begun the chilling endeavour of cataloguing each suitcase and the contents therein. These people were deemed unfit for society, but Crispin’s photographs reveal a tragic humanity to the individuals whose memory remain in the mysterious objects and photos in these many bags and luggages.
Being the lovers of mystery we are, we couldn’t help but share some of these photos with you here, and the strange enigma they leave for us to ponder.
And while many of us are not able to make the trip to the elusive Film Festival in the south of France, a tantalizing teaser trailer has dropped full of clues and mystery. Are these men stuck on an island? What is Joaquin Phoenix drinking? Is he crazy? Well, of course he is!
It will be good to get the full scoop come the end of the year when the film is set for release. One thing is for sure, the good ole’ Phoenix we know and love seems to be back! Just watch how his eyes jitter, and he bites at that dialogue – this might be his most shining moment he’s had in a while.
This will be Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film since his triumphant 2007 film ‘There Will Be Blood’, exposing the crooked evils of the American Dream bathed in dust, sunlight, and crude oil (“I Drink Your Milkshake!”). The film has already left a legacy for Daniel Day Lewis, who won an Academy Award for playing the film’s anti-hero, as well as the dark and dusty American fashions that you can spot today on many runways. Anderson has never been one to follow the status-quoe , so expect the unexpected with his latest!
Check out the undoubted Paradise Found inspiration in the middle of the teaser! Foresight! We are not Style ORACLISTS, for nothing! Seriously, though – don’t think you won’t be seeing that again this summer!
Fight! Fight! Fight! FIGHT!
Soldiers Having Some Extreme On-Deck Pre-‘Planking’ Planking {Circa. 1940s – Courtesy of The Eye of Faith}.
