Grifted Boutique

by Ashley Eldridge Stuffed Mao Zedong dolls and candy wrapper curtains beckon from the windows of the Grifted shop on Beijing's famed Nanluoguxiang. Inside, irreverence reigns. Barack Obama, decked out in a Superman suit (all the more fitting post-Nobel), nestles up against Fidel Castro and miniscule Napoleon dolls. (The little dictator doesn't come full-size.) Bedazzled Buddhas and reindeer pandas dot pre-cut squares of wrapping paper. …

Shwood Sunglasses: The Govy

by Adrienne So Shwood, the new Portland label making classic frames out of wood, recently launched their latest model, the Govy (pictured above). Refining the retro looks of the Canby (below), their first pair, this new edition has a lighter, slimmer silhouette and comes in zebrawood. The Canby, which debuted in July 2009, is available in zebrawood, maple or wenge (a dark tropical hardwood). Each …

Paolo Ventura: Winter Stories

by Anna Carnick Photographer Paolo Ventura’s new book "Winter Stories" follows an old circus performer’s visions as he looks back on his life during his final moments. Wonderfully, Ventura built the protagonist’s haunting and melancholy world with his own bare hands, constructing incredibly detailed miniature sets from props he collected at flea markets, and then photographed them to appear life-size. The result is a dark …