this week in (mixing and matching).

I really like routine in my life.  If you were to look at my calendar right now, you would find that I have pretty much every minute of my time blocked out for the next month.  Just because I tend to over-plan and over-prepare, doesn’t mean that I don’t yearn to shake things up every once in awhile.  This week, in particular, this was the case, as both my music and fashion choices were those products which combined different ideas in a jarring yet attractive way.

I haven’t found a whole lot of new musicians or albums to latch onto this year, so I have been trying to back through my iTunes and re-listen to some of my older stuff.  In particular this week I have caught myself constantly listening to Serge Gainsbourg’s classic album Historie de Melody Nelson.

Image via Amazon.

The album is a mishmash of many things – in true Lolita style it combines love and sex with childhood and innocence.  On a musical level, it mixes minimalist pop, spoken word vocals, and classic orchestral elements.  The whole album is a masterpiece, but the opening piece, “Melody,” demonstrates the strongest blend of these elements.  Building up from minimal guitar and drum sounds, Serge slowly incorporates his smooth, seductive vocals, followed by swift moments of classical orchestral sounds.

Widely considered to be one of the best combinations of rock and classical music, Historie de Melody Nelson is an album everybody must experience.  I should note, though, that the album is designed to be and should be consumed as a single unit.

Later on, during my right-before-bed-web-surfing, I came across a fun collaboration between Opening Ceremony and Fjallraven. 

Image via Opening Ceremony.

While Opening Ceremony is well-known for its numerous designer collaborations, only about half the time do I find that they are executed well.  (There are more than a few odd ball collaborations out there).  The Fjallraven Kanken backpack is a classic piece that hasn’t seen any changes to it during its 35 year lifespan.  Opening Ceremony’s mixing and matching of the brand’s muted color palette is a refreshing take that doesn’t detract from the backpack’s overall design.  While I they aren’t really grown-up looking in the slightest, I think that these could be a fun, affordable addition to any college student’s closet.

Is anybody else a big Serge Gainsbourg fan?

Is Historie de Melody Nelson’s style well-executed or not so much?

Would you carry these Fjallraven backpacks?

How are you mixing and matching your style/music/life this week?