This Friday, June 4th, we’re co-hosting a preview party for the Exit Art Ecstasy Benefit Auction. Proceeds from the auction—which includes artists like the recently deceased, forever impressive Louise Bourgeois, Alfredo Jaar, Yoko Ono and Swoon—go to support new, adventurous voices who explore and articulate contemporary history: social, political and everything in between. So come get cultured, hang with us and have a drink or two. Space is limited though, so RSVP early.

Above image: A Logo For America, 1987 by Alfredo Jaar. Click “Read More” for additional images.

Untitled, 2010 by Diana Al-Hadid

From left: Colours of the Globe, 2009 by Yoko Ono; EAR, 2003 by Louise Bourgeois

Tomorrow Never Knows, 2010 by Jayson Keeling

At Gallery 9E in Chelsea, artists Nan Swid and Donald Kaufman mix mediums and creative forces in a four day symposium of color and spatial relations.

As the co-namesake of former design agency Swid-Powell Design, Swid’s pieces reflect a practiced multi-dimensional and tactile aesthetic. Employing the objet trouvé techniques of Braque and Rauschenberg, she layers divergent materials to form enigmatic collages that invite interpretation. Her longtime friend Kaufman, meanwhile, parlays his talent of pairing and inventing hues into paintings that are conversely two-dimensional and dynamic.

The exhibition ends Sunday and the last time Kaufman showed was in the ’70s, so get there while you can.

May 6th-9th at Gallery 9E: 508 West 26th Street, 9th floor

2nd St. East & South Main St., Kalispell, Montana, August 22, 1974 by Stephen Shore.

My affinity for photographer Stephen Shore’s Americana began with the above image of Kalispell, Montana. Though I’d never been to Kalispell, my grandmother grew up there and Shore’s photograph perfectly embodied the place my young mind had shaped from her stories. Years later, it was featured in Dossier Issue 2. This same enchanting maturation of vivid reality to iconic imagery runs through photographer Joel Meyerowitz’s work in the book Cape Light, published in 1979 and excerpted in our current issue.

Today, both Shore and Meyerowitz are heralded as early masters of color photography, which is the theme of the Edwynn Houk Gallery’s exhibition Pioneers of Color. Additionally, the show features fellow ’70s photographer William Eggleston, whose highly saturated raw images communicate the era’s charged contradiction of pop culture devotion and social disenchantment. With an eye on the work of predecessors Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank and Walker Evans, these three photographers immortalized the ordinary, capturing the way in which the mundane moved America and advancing color photography from a strictly commercial entity to a legitimate art form. While a selection of the images can be viewed in the newly released book Starburst: Color Photography in America, 1970-1980, if you can make it to the exhibition, do. Nothing is comparable to seeing the full selection of prints in person.

Pioneers of Color runs through April 24th at the Edwynn Houk Gallery: 745 5th Avenue, New York.

Click “Read More” for additional images.

Red Interior, Provincetown, 1977 by Joel Meyerowitz.

Untitled by William Eggleston.

Dossier Creative Director Skye Parrott is currently in Paris for Fashion Week, shooting a photo diary for The New York Times. If, per chance, you’re wishing you were in The City of Light drinking champagne, eating macaroons and basking in the genius of Ghesquière, I’d suggest checking it out—along with our comprehensive coverage on Style.

Above image: Angela Lindvall at the Vogue party. Courtesy of The New York Times.

In her ongoing search for fragility and truth, Dossier contributing editor Spela Kasal photographs everything from emerging models to still-life scenes. The resulting images land somewhere between fashion and fine art, and as of this Tuesday, February 23, they will be on display at Ofr in Paris. The solo exhibition, titled I Miss You When You’re Not Here, features a recent series of intimate portraits and landscapes, sometimes fusing the two subjects into a singular shot. For those of us not lucky enough to make it to the City of Light, her postcard book is on offer on Ofr’s website and at Dashwood in New York City.

I Miss You When You’re Not Here runs February 23-28th at Ofr: 20 rue Dupetit-Thouars, Paris 75003.

Click “Read More” for additional images.

Photo courtesy of Drury.edu.

While it was his sweet smile that first captured my attention, it was his brilliant mind that kept me coming back for more. Rest in Peace, Howard Zinn.

Each Friday, Dossier will bring you knowledgeable style commentary, context and inspiration — a roundup of the week’s best style coverage — in no particular order.

1. Twelve seems to be the ripe creative age these days, which — frankly — is freaking me out. Following on the heels of The New York Times pre-pubescent restaurant critic is the discovery of this absurd pint-size fashion blogger, and I mean absurd in the truly illogical sense of the word: I have no idea how she exists. Aside from her rap homage to Comme des Garçons’ collaboration with H&M, her ability to collate pop cultural references into a single outfit is ingenious. Most “grown-ups” I know struggle to pronounce Balenciaga, let alone Rei Kawakubo. But then again, apparently nine-year-olds are publishing self-help books, so….

2. Somewhere between Moschino and YSL is my beloved queen of poke-a-dots Sonia Rykiel, who this year celebrates the 40th anniversary of her label. While the fashion world is awash with homages, the International Herald Tribune’s multimedia review of Rykiel’s retrospective at Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs is perhaps the most complete, including both a video interview with the designer and Suzy Menkes’s engaging written commentary on Rykiel’s influential role in fashion history.

3. This enchanting, disturbing and evocative video is said to draw inspiration from London designer Gareth Pugh’s A/W 2008 womenswear collection based on the creepily imaginative films “Predator” and the “Wizard of Oz.” To me it gives off an “Alice in Wonderland” air of marvel and mystery. Additionally, the stark contrast of black-on-white and overarching macabre hit a particularly resounding doom and gloom note this holiday season. Tra la la la la!

4. Thank you, Urban Outfitters, for saturating Western society with the chafiyeh (the checkered black-and-white scarf that once symbolized the sacred defense of Iran) to such a point that Midwestern teenagers are calling it “so 2007.” But fashion comes full circle, and recently, Iranian rappers, artists and youth have played up the ubiquity by appropriating the scarf as symbolic of their growing interest in Western culture and (what the country’s fundamentalists deem) radical thought.

5. Following Jacobs’s collaboration with Prince, art and fashion settle into a more traditional role as bedfellows in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s current exhibition “Costume: The Art of Dress.” No superhero gear this year. In lieu of their annual special exhibition, the institute has employed Sarah Jessica Parker to guide guests around the museum’s permanent collection, pointing out the notable fashion in historic works. Here, the WSJ discusses the triumphs and follies of the effort — either way, I’ll be there this weekend.

Image via thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com.

Starting Monday, December 1st
Cullen And Whim (Men and Womenswear)
Now-December 5th, 9am-7pm
231 West 39th Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues), Suite 1016

First Among Equals (Womenswear)
Filippa K, Corpus, Cassaves, Hyden Yoo and more
Now-December 4th, Monday-Friday1pm-9pm and Saturday-Sunday 12noon-8pm
177 Orchard Street (near Stanton Street)

Rogan and Loomstate (Men and Womenswear)
Now-December 7th, 11am-7pm
91 Franklin Street (between Broadway & Church Street)

Vix Swimwear and Lisa Curran (Womenswear)
Now- December 12th, 9am-8pm
250 West 39th Street (Seventh & Eighth Avenues), Suite 510

Starting Tuesday, December 2nd
Autumn Cashmere (Men and Womenswear)
December 2nd -5th, 9am-7pm and Dec. 8th -12th, 9:30am-6pm
231 West 39th Street (between Seventh & Eighth Avenues), Suite 924

Eberjey (Women’s Underwear and Lingerie)
December 2nd-3rd, Tuesday 9am-7pm and Wednesday 9am-5pm
180 Madison Avenue (between 33rd & 34th Streets), Suite 1101

Hanky Panky (Women’s Underwear)
December 2nd -5th, Tuesday & Wednesday 8:30am-8pm, Thursday, 8:30am-7pm and Friday, 9am-1pm
260 Fifth Avenue (between 28th & 29th Streets)

Hanro (Men and Women’s Loungewear)
December 2nd & 3rd, Tuesday 8am-6pm and Wednesday 8:30am-4pm
40 East 34th Street (at Madison Avenue), Suite 207

Helmut Lang and Rag & Bone (Men and Womenswear)
December 2nd- 5th, Tuesday-Thursday 10am-7pm and Wednesday-Friday 10am-6pm
261 West 36th Street (near Eighth Avenue)

James Jeans (Womenswear)
December 2nd-5th, Tuesday-Thursday 9am-7pm and Friday 9am-2pm
500 Greenwich Street (near Spring Street), Suite 202

Mint Jodi Arnold (Womenswear)
December 2nd-5th, 9am-6pm
230 West 39th Street (between Seventh & Eighth Avenues), 2nd Floor

Starting Wednesday, December 3rd
eM Productions Showroom (Womenswear)
Grey Ant, Spring & Clifton, Iro, Richard Ruiz and vintage
December 3rd-5th 10am-7pm
1 Bond Street (between Broadway & Lafayette Streets), Number 5C

Iceberg and Frankie Morello (Men and Womenswear)
December 3rd and 4th, 10am-7pm
2109 Broadway (at 73rd Street), Suite 9157

Jill Platner (Men and Women’s Jewelry)
December 3rd, 11am-7pm
113 Crosby Street (near Prince Street)

Ted Rossi (Women’s Accessories)
December 3rd-5th, 10am-6pm
15 East 30th Street (between Fifth & Madison Avenues), Suite 300

Starting Thursday, December 4th
Archetype Showroom (Mens and Womenswear)
Shipley and Halmos, Fremont, Hengst, Digby & Iona and more
December 4th-6th, 10am-7pm
676 Broadway (near Great Jones Street), 2nd Floor

Botkier (Women’s Shoes and Accessories)
December 4th 7th, Thursday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 11am-6pm,
and Sunday 12noon-6pm
117 Mercer Street (between Spring & Prince Streets)

Mulberry (Accessories)
December 4th & 5th 10am-7pm
Metropolitan Pavilion: 123 West 18th Street (between Sixth & Seventh Avenues),
5th Floor

Ramp Logistics (Los Angeles area)
(Mens and Womenswear)
December 4th-5th, 11am-7pm
3641 Sausalito St, Los Alamitos, CA

Savvy Showroom (Womenswear)
Elizabeth & James and LaROK
December 4th-6th, Thursday 8am-8pm and Friday-Saturday 10am-8pm
145 West 18th Street (near Seventh Avenue)

Starting Friday, December 5th
Alexis Bittar (Accessories)
December 5th & 6th, 9:30am-7pm
153 East 60th Street (between Lexington & Third Avenues)

Starting Saturday, December 6th
House of Butter (Womenswear)
December 6th-7th, Saturday 11am-6pm and Sunday 12noon-5pm
405 Van Brunt Street (at Van Dyke Street), 2nd Floor, Brooklyn

La Perla (womenswear)
November 24th – 28th, 9am-6pm; Thanksgiving Thursday 9am-3pm; Friday 9am-7pm
260 Fifth Avenue (between 28th & 29th Streets)

Rogan and Loomstate (mens and womenswear)
November 29th – December 7th, 11am-7pm
91 Franklin Street, (between Broadway & Church Street)

Designer Black Friday Weekend Sale (mens and womenswear)
Dior, Gucci, YSL, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Balenciaga, Armani and more.
November 28th – 30th, 9am-8pm
201 Mulberry Street (between Spring & Kenmare)

Designer Overstock Sale (mens and womenswear)
Comme des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, Moschino, Galliano, Helmut Lang
November 28th – December 1st, 11am-7pm
207 West 38th Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues)

And, on the other side of the pond (that would be London):
Grab 20% off all full priced merchandise at the Beyond the Valley store next Thursday 27th November 2008, 5pm – 9pm.

Each Friday, Dossier brings you knowledgeable style commentary, context and inspiration — a roundup of the week’s best style coverage — in no particular order.

1. In fashion, like any creative market that relies on consumption, commercial reality often diverges greatly from innovation — just ask John Galliano or Nicholas Ghesquiere. For all their acclaim and legions of fans, the designs found in stores are usually an unrecognizable dilution of the original runway concept. However, as detailed by the New York Times, relief, small as it may be, has arrived.

2. In another nod towards envelope-pushing commerce, Suzy Menkes’s report on the style evolution of Paris’ Right Bank details concept store Colette’s 10th Anniversary redesign, the opening of Yoji Yamamoto’s flagship and the rise of a sleepy neighborhood. Read the article, watch the video — or hop on a plane.

3. I was (okay, am) fascinated by extreme Japanese fashion, ranging from the Harajuku to the new Princess Girl look inspired by Marie Antoinette and Paris Hilton, and detailed in this WSJ video. Put into context by T Style’s homage to Osaka, I’ve decided that I really like the term Gothic & Lolita.

4. Last week I brought you an example of what audiovisual fashion journalism should be (ShowStudio’s “Let There be Light” photo shoot). This week, Cathy Horyn’s post in her New York Times “On the Runway” blog exemplifies what fashion blogging should be. It is thoughtful, informed, referential and, at the same time, personal. Oh, and did I mention well written?

5. I’m employing my right to style link ambiguity: Norman Mailer had particular flair when wearing a suit. Hence this profound if not prophetic letter from the New Yorker, that is worth a moment of your day.