Out of generation I: I-Pod, I-Phone, I-raq rises The Army of M.E.

Style Republik is a virtual state of style born from love for all that is aesthetically right in the world and frustration with all that is systematically wrong. We are an army of peace composed of style ninjas with discerning opinions and taste.

The Army of M.E. is a creative collective with over a decade of experience in the professional roles of: editor, stylist, boutique owner, marketing/PR director, event curator, merchandiser, writer, designer, entrepreneur, conceptual artist, brand ambassador, creative director and the list is constantly expanding…

It has been said to believe little of what you read in print and see on TV, and none of what is on the internet. The WWW stands more for Wild Wild West in consideration of the somewhat lawlessness of this virtual every mans’ land of opinion. It’s an important and exciting time in media history, seeing the rise of the citizen journalist and the devoted readers seeking unbiased truth. Somewhere amongst the colorful glossies backed by media conglomerates and content fueled by advertising money, and the independent zines of yesteryear backed by no one, we build this Republik of Style.

::How This Site Works::

vertical top menu: static pages centered around getting to know the Army of M.E.

horizontal top menu: organizes stories by category, you may visit our Hall of Records (archives) for sourcing alternatives OR click on a category from our Tag Cloud

what the tabs signify-

domestik policy- this tab is centered around all happenings in our homeland (NYC & sometimes LA). When we find super dope domestic goods for the home we will categorize them here as well

foreign affairs- events & news beyond US borders

propaganda- news, rumors and opinions*

interrogation- soon to come…we will be interviewing industry revolutionaries asking questions relating to how they would manage a ‘republik’ of their own

-the remaining categories are self-explanatory-

*Opinions: The following should go without saying, but The Army of M.E. has had to get ninja on those who don’t seem to fully understand what an opinion is. An opinion is one person’s “belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof” (click for the source of this definition). This being stated, we do not tolerate tyrannical or dictator-esque practices in our republik. If you read our opinion pieces and strongly disagree, we would love to hear from you! Please, get worked up, get passionate and comment back telling us how you feel! We are here as a source of awakening and revolution!

Should you have any further questions regarding this site, you may visit our Contact page. The Army of M.E. and StyleRepublik are represented by Propaganda//PR who can also be contacted via the ‘department’ drop-down menu on the contact page.

::Philosophy::

Like most of our projects, this site will be a constantly-evolving process. We won’t dictate the direction this medium will take because our professional concentrations span industries beyond fashion. We collectively find national and world policies and politics so important right now, easily trumping our thoughts on what to wear this season. We struggle to fight our tendencies toward politics and have pulled several stories trying to keep this site fun for you and us since we get really frustrated when it comes to such serious topics. What we do know is what we’re not about: you won’t find out what happened last night on The Hills, we don’t give a shit about every time a model farts (we heart COACD -hit them up for reliable model coverage sans the speculative BS), you won’t find endless bitching and negativity but you also won’t find endless endorsement. We simply don’t cover that which we hate, we don’t shut up about that which we love and we offer educated criticism to that which makes us say “WTF?!” Our objective is to offer you a thinking man/woman’s site covering creative industries with the occasional comedic flare (and profanity) that makes us ‘us’.

::Photography::

All photos on this site are believed to be public property. You will occasionally find photos that we’ve taken, but it is rare because they usually suck. To be honest, we don’t enjoy flashing our obnoxious digi cam or Iphone in peoples’ faces. Although we have in the past, we no longer bother with fashion show photos either. Being in the front row doesn’t make our (less than $1500 digital camera) photos any better. We know Style.com is the go-to for show photos so we’ll leave it up to them and not watch anymore shows through the small screen of our viewfinder.

We see dope shit all over the streets of downtown NYC, our stomping ground, so if you see something you want to share with our audience, feel free to send us your photos. We will give you full credit or keep your ID confidential -whatever your preference.

::Disclaimer::

The Army of M.E. prints stories that we personally learn of through our own sources and contacts that we’ve cultivated through our years in the above-mentioned industries.

Even though our leads are credible and accurate, if you find any information on here that you know to be incorrect, please advise us. The Army of M.E. has implemented a strong code of accountability and we will make all necessary corrections, if need be. We will mention when certain items are rumors, which means they are unconfirmed.

We know there are many others covering similar subjects and we are happy to link with those who reach out to us. However, do not steal our stories or assume that we’ve sourced you for ours. We are not backed by any media conglomerate nor do we make anything doing this (objectives one & two on our annual business plan). We spend our time writing original stories and not copying and pasting from other sites and pawning it off as our own as we’ve found all too often. We’ve dealt with the catty, assuming attitudes of the industry and if you’re going to submit accusations, we kindly suggest you think twice before clicking that send button. We won’t go further but just keep in mind that you don’t (yet) know who we are. So sorry to have to go there, we really love you but this declaration has already proven itself necessary during our pre-launch. The Army of M.E. has a serious Defense Department and we will whip out our (adorable) bombs at the next event we see you at

::Generation M.E.::

The M.E. in our army signifies our founder’s initials -she brought together our creative collective whose revolution and influence reaches much further than the pages of this site.

We find ourselves at respective ages in our lives that we covet -that’s right kids, it’s called our 30’s and you have no idea how good this club is until you’re in it! No we’re not all-knowing and wise but we are super comfortable in our own skin, confident and experienced. We’re never too lost in our generation to not keep the closest of tabs on what all the tweens are up to and their every move -where they came from, what got them their and most likely (importantly) who their bosses are that we’ve likely worked with in the past as for us…

The Commander of the Army of M.E. has witnessed:

-a new ‘lifestyle’ store, Alife, erecting in a very obscure neighborhood known as the Lower East Side

-a sweet man named Steven Alan showcasing some of the best new designers that would otherwise have no place in SoHo

-Humberto Leon rushing up on a typical evening of downtown party hopping saying he’d be opening his little store soon (he remains equally modest to this day)

-the only reasons to go to the Meatpacking District being Pastis, Lotus and Jeffrey

-Vegas promoting an epic Monday night party at Sway

-an international media frenzy when a neighbor’s plane went missing…and when JFK Jr’s plane was found, the neighborhood uniting in mourning

-endless hours spent at the Chelsea flea market sifting through vinyl during the turntable(s) revolution, pre-Ipod era

-a plane engine whizzing by 29th floor windows, a jolt of awakening and pulling up blinds to reveal the plane getting swallowed by the World Trade Center

-the aftermath, the smells, the disillusion

-a post 9/11 angst leading to a musical movement termed Electroclash, a Fisherspooner showcase at Deitch Projects and, ultimately, the movement that never was

-a black out that united people in simplistic harmony and divided others in neighborhood vandal

-one of the most awful, ignorant men alive is elected a second term to further destroy an empire and give a region an undeniable reason to further hate us. ((the army of M.E. has always and will always HATE and be at war with BUSH, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney et. al.))

-unimaginable personal turmoil & forced isolation leading to the enlightenment and inspiration to follow the heart and never give up. And now…

…the present tense: a new year, a new beginning, soon a new president, an exercise of no hate in ‘08, it seems we are witnessing an empire as it fades into history…until… (please see the final minutes of this year’s Super Bowl -courtesy of the NY Giants) We’ll keep proclaiming it: Hope is the new BLACK!