P.R.A.D.E.

Home Paul Roberts Amateur
Design Enthusiast
The weekly blog for the untrained but discriminating design eye.

PRADE covers anything from architecture and interior design to sneakers, gadgets, furniture, clothing, culture, media, movies, magazines, and museums.

Who am I? I'm a 24 year-old newly relocated San Francisco resident working in graphic production management. I am a Culture and Politics graduate from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, and I became interested in architecture and design several years ago. In addition to being an amateur design enthusiast, I also aspire to become an amateur primatologist - I'll let you know when I launch that blog. Email me

Saturday, November 26, 2005

It's a Wrap

DC it's been real.

More updates to come from the road on the fantastic voyage out to San Fran.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Bits and Pieces

Wrapping up a lot of loose ends before saying farewell to DC tomorrow night, but wanted to post a few things that have come across my Desktop in the past few days.

DC Sole - A new sneaker spot in Gtown tailorign to the true kick collector. These Hoya Terminators are fly, and should be on the feet of a Gtown alum like myself. DC is definitely lacking if you are a sneaker hunter, so this is a welcome addition to the city for the serious shoe addict

Breakestra's new album got a solid 4/5 rating at Hip Hop Site. The funk-hop collective have moved from covers of hip hop sample staples like Passing Me By to all original material on this disc. I'm adding it to the road trip playlist as we speak.

Tuesday nights in DC, the spot to be at is Dragonfly to hear DC's own Fresh Dipt spinning everything from classic rock to indie punk sprinkled with hip hop heat. Peep the flyer courtesy of PRADE creative services.

Friday, November 18, 2005

The Urban Network

PRADE is proud to announce that we have been invited to join The Urban Network.

Urban.net is a network featuring entries from select city-dwelling bloggers. You can now find all your PRADE goodness featured there, as well as the work of several of DC's finest bloggers. Add it to your Sharpreader today.

Doing the Robot

Do the Sony QRIO robots kick ass? HELL YES.

Beck's new video from the creative team Hammer & Tongs (who brought you The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie) features some slick dance moves from the only models of these little guys in existence.

Their articulation is amazing, and their kung fu dance moves are truly an amazing feat of modern engineering. Keep your eyes peeled for the robot high five . . . nice to know the robots are on board with my movement to bring it back.

Watch the video here. It's also worht checking out some of H&T's other videos, as they are similarly unusual and creative.

Via WMMNA.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Lingerie Shopping Made Easy

As much as I wish it was illegal to play Christmas carols or put up X-mas decorations until after Thanksgiving, it is undeniable that Christmas is approaching.

I'm sure plenty of men will hope to spice up their love life this holiday season by buying their wives/mistresses/girlfriends some lingerie. The problem is . . . men are clueless and would probably not have the slightest idea what size bra their ladyfriend wears.

Enter the wall of fake breasts designed by the Piet Zwart Institute. The silicon breasts are displayed in rows of different sizes, so men can cop a feel or eyeball a similar pair to what they are used to and hopefully find the right size. No more asking random strangers in the store what size they wear or asking the salesperson at Victoria Secret "If you had bigger breasts, what size would you be?"

Via No Garlic.

Dubai Done Growed Up

I've never been to Dubai, but I've heard of its exceedingly rapid growth and development.

But even that didn't prepare me for these photos, showing Sheikh Zayed Road, prior to the building boom, in 1991 and then again in 2005.

Photos from Sic Semper Tyrannis

Via BLDGBLOG

Monday, November 14, 2005

Threadless T-shirt Sale

Threadless wants to help you stack up on dope t-shirts for the holidays.

Later today, they will again be offering their entire lineup of fantastic and original shirts for only $10 a piece.

These shirts are a bargain at 10 bones, so spoil yourself with some new tees to refresh your wardrobe.

Update: I took down the links to the Threadless shirts - seems like their site is inundated with traffic and has slowed to a crawl.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Stuffed Animals

Ok, I'll be honest. Taxidermy freaks me out a little, but not as much as taxidermists. I just wonder what gets someone into that kind of hobby. I imagine it is probably included in the typical psychological profile of most serial killers. Of course if you are reading this and you are a taxidermist, please don't kill me, stuff me and mount me on your wall.

Regardless, I still dig Jeanie M.'s quirky and unusual breed of art. She puts stuffed mice and other rodents into human scenes and situations - the result is oddly amusing and interesting to look at, even if it is still significantly creepy.

I saw some of Jeanie M.'s work recently while in San Fran perusing perhaps the most curious store I've ever been in, Paxton Gate. The store offers everything from rare gems, artwork, tea and candles to animal skulls and mounted beetles and butterflies. So it comes as no surprise to me that they are offering a Taxidermy Class with the description, "The class includes lecture, hands-on training and all the instruments needed to taxidermy one mouse. The fee is $80 and the mouse and kit are yours when you’re done." Interested sociopaths please inquire.

Learn more about Jeanie M. right here and browse Paxton Gate's still developing site here.

Via Cool Hunting.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Suspended Garden

BLDGBLOG definitely uncovers some striking images.

These are pictures of a 2000 installation by artist Marc Quinn who created real botanical gardens that are essentially frozen in refrigerated liquid silicon. The flowers are dead for all esential purposes, yet the garden will never whither or decay. It is a perfect botanical snapshop of these rare and beautiful species. As BLDBLOG intimates, the possibile applications for this technique are fairly mindblowing.

For now, just take a look at these stunning images or head over to Pruned for more.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

DisGraceful

Not sure if any of you have read Grosse Pointe Girl by author Sarah Grace McCandless - but if you haven't, you should. Especially if you are a woman/girl. Sarah Grace captures the unique awkwardness and sad humor of growing up female in a way few authors can.

After you read the book and discover how brilliant Sarah Grace is, you'll probably ask yourself "Where can I read more by this amazingly gifted author?"

Well until her next book hits shelves, the answer is . . . at her new blog, Sarah DisGrace!!

Sarah Grace is a pop culture junkie who will innundate you with Britney gossip. But she will also make you smile with her sharp wit and uniquely cynical yet warmhearted outlook. She wears black too much, but on the inside she's wearing a pink BeDazzled tank top.

Upper Playground

While in San Fran I stopped by the SF t-shirt mecca Upper Playground and was drooling over their thorough selection of dope t-shirts.

I ended up gobbling up an Upper Playground graphic T with a layered collage of scenes and characters from Scorcese flicks.

I also scooped a striking piece from Upper Playground's collaboration with the art gallery Fifty24SF. The shirt features a design by Brazilian graff artist Herbert Baglione, who David Choe once called "one of the best artists in the universe."

There were at least three or four other shirts that I wanted to snatch up right there and then, so I'm sure I'll be returning at some point. Especially considering their retail spot is just 4 blocks from the new San Fran digs. Catch them at:

Upper Playground
220 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94117

Monday, November 07, 2005

With flowers in my hair . . .

You may (or may not) have noticed that PRADE was on hiatus all last week.

That is because we are relocating to beautiful San Francisco. PRADE was out in San Fran all last week locating a new home office (and copping some dope T-shirts, more on that later).

December will mark the inaugural month of posts from the other coast. But PRADE isn't about to merely hop on a plane to move out west . . . we're heading out to the Bay Area in style.

Meet the Dutchess - the 1984 Cadillac Eldorado convertible that will be PRADE's wagon train out west, with stops planned in Cashville, Tennessee, Sin City, and everywhere in between.

The next few weeks will be a little hectic, but PRADE will remain online and updating sporadically. However, look forward to a full travelogue from my trip some time in December and plenty of posts as I explore my new surroundings out on the left coast.