The thunder and lightning was so intense here today that I was afraid to be on the computer. Perfect opportunity for the vision board! (for maybe the third time in my life). I couldn't not rip out this picture: first because the model looks so serious and intelligent while wearing this completely crazy makeup and hair and second because the clothes, which obviously are not cheap, are so unflattering... let's call a spade a spade. They're ugly!

Even superficial people can look interesting, like they have depth.

A number of years ago, The New Yorker did a fascinating profile on Miuccia Prada in which it mentioned that she takes an active interest in women artists and in collecting their work. I was surprised to learn that and of Ms. Prada's background in political science. She sounded deep and very smart.

So I've been struck by what looks to me like Prada's intentional effort for a while now to make the ugliest clothes possible and to photograph them on models having bad hair and makeup days. It's dramatic. It's not 'nice'. It's actually art.

As an MFA student in sculpture, I was clear that if you want to make a name for yourself as an artist you must distinguish yourself. You can't do work that looks like anyone's else no matter what. Oddly, this first principle seems to have fallen away from my consciousness. Maybe in film and video it's always been easier to disregard it. But is this what's driving the design team at Prada?