1. One that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma: How he got in is a mystery.
2. One whose identity is unknown and who arouses curiosity: The woman in the photograph is a mystery.
3. A mysterious character or quality: a landscape with mystery and charm.
4. A work of fiction, a drama, or a film dealing with a puzzling crime.
5. The skills, lore, or practices that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates. Often used in the plural: the mysteries of Freemasonry; the mysteries of cooking game.
6. A religious truth that is incomprehensible to reason and knowable only through divine revelation.
7. a. A religious cult practicing secret rites to which only initiates are admitted.
b. A secret rite of such a cult.
+ E.O.F. MYSTERY SCHOOL +
+
What are the secrets locked deep in history that are haunting us each and everyday? Who are the makers of today, and who shall we become tomorrow?
The aspirations that seem to be engrained into our soul are to finally climb out of the epic pits of insanity that we collectively call humanity. Nothing ever seems to make sense. In fact, it is impossible not to feel in RAGE!!!
We’ve always been left simply searching…
Perhaps you search the aisles of the school library for some sign of truth, or perhaps you are wise enough to search the labyrinth of light in the sky for a pattern or sign to guide your every wake. The riddle of the sphinx, has it ever been solved? Or is it simply that it’s question has never even been asked . . . ?
What is it about the night? What do we achieve when we dream? This is a journey by man, a mystery that never ceases to delight. Deep in our dreams, we have found our very own {MASTER MASON} waiting patiently for our arrival. Waiting for us to say we’ll stay.
But that would be like laying awake in the shadows you can actually see at night. We can go about our day to day and never once seek the layers beneath the fragile surface of time and our past . . .
In fact, it continues to live on and on forever, like something eternally true.
Go about your day to day. Seek the seekers in the shadows.
Lets find the {MASTER MASON} that’s within us all…
+Cum Lupis Ulula +
“Howl with the Wolves…“
The wind really picked up today, and the sky was just full of grey.
There is much planned. Our invocations are only just beginning! We will be conjuring many {traditions} from the past, and hope to inspire the {ritual} of dress.
So definitely be sure to check up with the {SHOP} for wicked deals and for all of our new arrivals!
And use secret code XIXIXI for 25 % OFF!
The past is living. It reverberates with every single day.
‘Concision in Style, Precision in Thought, Decision in Life”
You may have noticed those immortal words when browsing through our ABOUT US page, although the phrase is more like this:
+ CONCISIONEM STYLO, ACCURATIUS CORDE, IUDICARI VITA +
Since our inception, these words have helped build the foundations for creating The Eye of Faith, and we never forgot them along the way.
Wise words from an icon in his own right, Victor Hugo (and I’m not too sure if he would be one for musicals ) . . . but none the less, his “concision in style, precision in thought, and decision in life”, have made him and his work relevant to this very day!
It’s quite wild how the past comes and goes, and is brought back to life again. Inspiration finds it’s way through the cracks of your mind to infiltrate your thoughts and create something special. This comes into play every time you make your way into your own wardrobe, for example. You stare at your clothes and an idea might come to your mind, and thus a new look, and a new you is born!
While our motto CONCISIONEM STYLO, ACCURATIUS CORDE, IUDICARI VITA (it just sounds so F***ing good in Latin) has carried us far the past year, most mysterious 2014, we have a few new thoughts for the year ahead, and some new virtues we want to inherit and inspire for 2015.
+KNOWLEDGE+
+KNOWLEDGE+ has always been an important piece of the puzzle here at The Eye, and for our frequent followers and visitors, you have come to expect in our approach an appreciation for history and all it’s secrets and quirks. We love to expose the {PAST} and examine where it fits into the {PRESENT} and hopefully, using our age defying wisdom, we can summarize a likely {FUTURE}.
Much like the alchemists and sorcerers of the past, the gaining and collecting of knowledge, every little bit no matter how esoteric, is a vital aspect of one’s true power, for when the time comes and all you are left to is you and you alone, you can count on yourself to follow through! Whether we’re talking life or fashion, no one is ever going to blame you for knowing too much.
We hope to continue in this vein, and bring you more and more vintage memories and musings that can both inspire and inform.
+INTEGRITY+
Since we began creating The Eye of Faith, we have been told a million and one things we should be doing instead. Everyone and their mother has had an opinion on our vision, without even asking what that vision may be!
We came into this game knowing full well who we were, and what we intended to accomplish. You don’t see another site quite like The Eye of Faith online, and that is a good thing. We are not trying to fall into place behind other fashion blogs (most of which look the same) who recycle content from site to site, but we wanted to be true innovators on the scene. This dedication to our vision, and always standing by it without changing it to appease naysayers is why we have ruled +INTEGRITY+ as a continuing priority here at The Eye of Faith.
The Eye of Faith was conceived as a portal to the past with many seemingly disparate items, articles, and stories coming together to create a well-rounded vision of how little things have changed, and how cool the past really was! This will continue NOT to change.
We will also not be picking any random articles of vintage clothing to add to the collection. Nothing is arbitrary, and each piece speaks to a certain story or style we are aiming to incorporate into the vision of the collection as a whole. Believe us, it’s not as easy as it sounds! It’s called +INTEGRITY+
+COURAGE+
The Spirit of Contemplation (1901) by Albert Toft {1862 – 1949}
+COURAGE+ has always been our silent leader when it came to creating The Eye of Faith. In fact, the whole idea of the The Eye of Faith encapsulates this virtue entirely.
The Eye of Faith is an age old symbol of +COURAGE+, and by the pure belief in matters at hand, and some proper insight, one may be given sight to see the way to get to one’s destiny. It’s a silent pathway, but a strong one, and without proper reinforcement your trail could just wither into the wind before your eyes and you would be left to find your way without the guidance of the fates. . .
The latter is a path many of choose in life, but since we are beings with a choice, we definitely chose to trust that The Eye of Faith will get us where we belong.
It took a lot of +COURAGE+ to stand up and tell those we know and love our belief in it, but it definitely seems to be paying off, with everyday us getting stronger and stronger.
+STRENGTH+
+STRENGTH+ comes in many forms. We need it constantly; in the physical sense, to keep up the hustle of getting our pieces from one place to another, and even more so in the emotional and spiritual sense, when it seems like you’ll never figure it all out.
Truth is, you’re never going to figure it all out, so best stop wasting your energy on that one . . .
Having +STRENGTH+ of mind is more powerful than any fist when it comes to life. Creeping deep down into oneself and building +STRENGTH+ from within is your best start. From there, everything else will seem like a cinch!
+IMAGINATION+
I once read somewhere that +IMAGINATION+ is more important than +KNOWLEDGE+
But I don’t think that is quite true, as much as learning to utilize both to one’s advantage can be the most powerful tool of all.
+IMAGINATION+ is quite literally the God-Sense in all of us. If you seek the divine in the everyday all you need do is open a pad of paper and sketch, or write for an hour about any old thing, even messing about your wardrobe will suffice. It is simply that beautiful magical moment where your brain has decided to create something new, and completely you.
You are a well of ideas and inspirations, and once you are able to tap into that spring, you might find your true self overflowing!
+ + +
So there you have it!
Our five newly anointed principles that can be used not just for your style sensibilities, but use them in life, as well. If you use them right, the transformations will happen almost immediately.
Feel free to adapt our Rules to fit your own life, or simply come up with a few of your own.
What means most to you? In the end, that’s all that matters. We know what we need to do to survive, and we’re going to definitely be making it happen! So hopefully some of our words of wisdom have rubbed off a bit, and we can all make things happen together!
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
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!
These guys are legends, and their music echoes like the voice of a lost memory. Dreams, and fantasy, illusion, and grandeur – these are all summoned by their music. Formed in 1971, Roxy Music lives on today as one of the most popular bands there have ever been, and were even honoured by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the “Immortal” in a list of their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
We’d have to go ahead, and add them to our Best-Dressed Artists of All Time list with their wild nod to the past injected with the blinding buzz of Glam Rock England. We included a few pictures of these Idols, and were hoping the song be a great way to settle down into the night.
Francis Bacon, Study for Portrait on Folding Bed (1963)
The latest exhibit from the AGO gives us Moore with a side of Bacon, and we want seconds!
“Francis Bacon & Henry Moore: Terror and Beauty” which runs at the AGO from April 5 to July 20 is a compelling retrospective overview of the two artists’ parallel lives and works, and how they were affected by the evolving world around them. Impacted by war, society, and religion, their works went on the become some of the cornerstones of modern art, and the images we see in our mind when we think of it.
+FRANCIS BACON+
Francis Bacon, Second Version of Triptych 1944 (1988)
Francis Bacon, Study for Portrait VI (1953)
We have always been huge fans of Francis Bacon’s work so it was such a treat to get to see some of his most iconic and monumental pieces in plain sight. His use of colour and his treatment of form are to this day as raw and exciting as they were over fifty years ago when they first made their premiere to the world at large. His vivid triptych, with its monolithic expanse, as well as his haunting portrait and studies of the Pope are alive with wonder, and indeed, beauty and terror.
Bill Brandt, Henry Moore in His Studio (1940)
Henry Moore, Spanish Prisoner (1939)
Henry Moore, Falling Warrior (1956 – 57)
No stranger to the work of Henry Moore, the AGO has always housed an impressive collection of his work since first stepping foot in the museum as a child, and has since remained a pleasure to gaze at. His contorted figures which resonate with an almost ancient wisdom and mystic mystery were given new life juxtaposed amongst Bacon’s equally amorphous figures and mysterious backdrops.
Curator Dan Adler has done an excellent job of showcasing equally the similarities and discrepancies between the two artists, and is sure to bring fresh views on both artists’ life and works.
Not only does the show offer a comprehensive and distinct juxtaposition of the artists, it also lends the viewer a greater vision of the world as a whole, and how history and the events therein contribute to the creation of our culture.
Some of the most stunning, but quiet works include Moore’s beautiful depictions of sleeping figures inspired by the surrealistic memories of the thousands of people who made their ways to the underground during the London Blitz.
These sketches, and photographs of London during the blitz provide further insight into our own world today, and the devastating affects they have had on our society, and the musings these travesties have inspired.
The most interesting thing about the show was that although the artists’ aesthetic similarities are plain to see, it is impossible to ignore the individual voice of the artists and seeing the differences between the two. The mind easily deciphers them, and while so much in their lives run parallel, I never felt like there was a true intersection. Henry Moore was very much in his realm, and Bacon very much in his, and it’s these differences that really sing throughout your time walking amongst the spaces filled with their individual iconographies.
We hold them both very close to our hearts now, and no doubt, our soul will be pumping with the inspiration the AGO has brought forward with this exquisite showing of two of the world’s finest architects of the mind.
We also can’t wait for what they have in store for us next!
Rumor has it: MICHELANGELO!!
In the meantime, lets invoke the spirit and seek our style inspiration from the master of modernity himself-
+FRANCIS BACON+
Here he is rocking out a black PVC trench coat in front of one of his wicked fine masterworks. The classic mens trench coat is given an ample boost of modernity and edge crafted from oil slick black vinyl, giving the look a dark cool that is the epitome of Bacon’s style. He wears it with slim cut trouser and a black turtleneck for a sophisticated and timeless togetherness.
Maleficent has always been a character that has captured our imagination. Since childhood, the prima donna of Disney villains seemed to strike a creepy chord in a way that no other cartoon evil could.
It could have been her sultry voice provided by the insatiably listenable Eleanor Audley (check her out in all her non-animated glory below), or perhaps it’s the sheer imagery of that everlastingly long black cloak with those crazy twisted ram horns that make her the epitome of devilish delight to our child-like eyes.
Whatever it may be, there’s no denying the staying power of she. It’s been 55 years since Disney first released its vivid version of Sleeping Beauty based off of Charles Perrault’s La Belle Au Bois Dormant, and the Grimms Brothers’ Little Briar Rose, and in the spirit of regeneration the {past} has made its way to the {present} yet again in a epic retelling of the story as seen through the eyes of the maniacal maven herself. . .
It’s a name that will be on everybody’s lips in a few short months with an early release in France & Italy on the 28th of May, and the rest of the world, including the US on the 30th. It’s months away, but we can’t stop drooling over the new trailers which are feast for the senses in themselves, showcasing Elle Fanning’s angelic beauty as the Princess Aurora, and the Queen herself, Angelina Jolie taking the screen as the iconic villainess.
It’s bound to be a huge hit, and much praise shall be given to the cast and crew for creating this movie magic marvel. . . there’s no doubting it. Plus, how can you go wrong with Angelina Jolie leading the whole thing?
What strikes me most is that the film being told through the point of view of Maleficent will no doubt shed some light on why she decided to become so damn mean. I think I kind of get it – I mean, she was totally shafted from attending Aurora’s birthday party. That IS pretty rude, don’t you think? I guess we will just have to wait for all the insight . . .
In the meantime, you will find us getting drunk on another amalgamation of the {past}, {present}, and {future} with Lana Del Rey’s sweeping take on 1959’s Sleeping Beauty’s original love theme “Once Upon a Dream” based off a theme from Tchaikovsky’s 1890 ballet. With the cooing of her Monroe-esque voice, there was no one more perfect to elevate this classic to a place that resonates today, and beyond . . .
Listen to it below!
Don’t you love that feeling? Of having dreamt the moment before it happens . . .
I get that feeling a lot these days.
I guess that’s what you get for having that Eye of Faith.
Love predicting the {future}. Love keeping you posted.
A journey that started at night, this is a tale of wandering; wandering thoughts, wandering hearts, and wandering souls.
The city can bring together strangers, while it can also tear those closest apart. Amongst the storefronts, sidewalks, lane ways, and hidden passages – you are bound to find that sacred recluse you have been seeking to find.
Inspiration was taken from wild nights had late at night on the street, rebel gang boys and bad girls of the 1950s, “Rebel Without a Cause“, and the work of film master Wong Kar Wai. We threw it all together for one hell of a wild ride on the neon streets and shadows of the Junction.
As promised, we decided to preview some of our women’s collection in this shoot so all our faithful lady friends definitely have something to look forward to! We will be photographing and adding our women’s wear over the next few weeks, so keep your {EYE}s open on our {SHOP}.
We were also lucky enough to have our good friend Lydia join us for a shoot, which was more than a pleasure! She is a fantastic model with amazing abilities, so it was pure magic to have her with us on set. Lots of love, Lydia! Lots of love!
So enough messing around, please take part and check it all out! After all, we made this for you!
Let E.O.F. take you to the “DAZE OF BEING WILD“.
Hope you all enjoy!
Would love to hear your feedback on the photos and looks, so please leave your comments below. Make sure to let your friends know what they are missing!
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