Minggu, 31 Mei 2009

LONDON - brick lane market, 05/31/09






JUNE JUBILATION

In June, if you're looking for me...

COPENHAGEN, Distortion Festival, June 3-10
ANTWERP Royal Academy Graduation Show, June 11-14
LONDON, June 15-17
MUNICH, "Icons- In an Absolut world" exhibition, June 18
MOSCOW, June 19-24
PARIS, Men's Fashion Week, June 25-28
STOCKHOLM, Fashion Week by Berns, June 29-July 1
BERLIN, Fashion Week & Bread&Butter, July 2-5

PS: Paris Part 2 will be up here in a week!

Sabtu, 30 Mei 2009

June fashion screensaver

It's free, it fun, enjoy!
June is always so very lovely. Sunshine, gentle breezes, raspberries and flowers fill the air with the kind of special delight that's as quiet and astonishing -- as the activities and songs of the wide variety of birds one is finding everywhere. The fashion sketch in this month's screen saver is a mix of that light hearted and dreamy mood that seems to prevail all month long. After struggling through some rather serious sketches, I finally landed on this one, which has the big over sized denim weekend bag (long weekend journeys must start now!) from a few posts ago, and a spontaneous layering of old and new clothes, based on a peplum effect. Don't we all feel like shedding our serious clothes and having some fun, defining our individuality and self expression? The background this month is a collage taken from my desk -- with a favorite birthday card from a friend and wonderful artist, flea market finds, postcard stands made from re-cycled plastic (which I'm really having fun with and will post more about it soon) and much more. Isn't one's desk always an expression of thoughts, wishes and things to do and not to forget... .

LONDON - soho, 05/29/09



Jumat, 29 Mei 2009

Man Fashion: What is Cost Per Wear?

As I shared with you before, in this economy turmoil, We’ve all been faced with the dilemma of finding the right clothing to add to our wardrobe as well as justification to spend the amount of cash, more so for these days, fashionable items can cost a pretty penny. So, the great way is to adopt the mathematic calculation that I shared with you previously, cost per wear (CPW). To figure out how to save money with the CPW formula, simply divide the original cost of the item by the estimated number of times you will wear that item. When you look at it this way, you’re looking at a way to save money with the CPW formula.


Let’s take a pair of pricey men’s jeans for example: High-end jeans have become pretty commonplace and are now a necessary item to have in your closet. For the average man, a $150 pair of jeans will probably yield 40 wears over the course of a year. We’d apply the CPW formula by taking the price divided by the number of wears — in this case it’s $150/50. Suddenly, the $200 pair of jeans that you’ve been eyeing becomes a sensible purchase once you apply the CPW formula and realize you’re essentially paying $3 per wear.


Keep in mind, an acceptable cost per wear will vary from person to person. A few factors should go into determining a CPW that is right for you. Start by calculating your annual clothing budget and the number of garments you are likely to buy over the course of a year. Try to cover the following categories:


So keep in mind that this article is not trying to ask you to spend more. Rather, more about spending wisely. Make your dollars make sense and use the CPW formula to save money and set your mind at ease the next time you’re face-to-face with a hefty price point.

LONDON - soho + shoreditch house + fitzrovia, 05/27-28/09




Kamis, 28 Mei 2009

LONDON - soho & portobello, 05/26/09



Liberty of London style

The windows at Liberty, always have a story or a tale to tell,
...with their mix of vintage, retro and new, all combined with a fairytale magic that is so wonderfully imaginative. And along the way a tea-stop is a must,...
where they've covered lampshades, teapots, table legs, all kinds of housewares with their wonderful fabrics. Finally a pause to see what new scents are in their perfumery, that has been appropriatelly, lushly filled with an inviting, den-like coziness and their original furniture.
One simply can't resists their journals, their fantasy jewels, scarves, fabrics, kits of diy projects, bags and household accessories. It is all very daring and fun in that British voice that I so love from Liberty.

Senin, 25 Mei 2009

Man Fashion: Trousers of Best Fit?

So why is the generally recommended length for men’s trousers? Because it creates a clean line at the back of the trouser, adding to the lengthening silhouette that is the suit’s main aesthetic advantage. Because when a man is walking it looks more elegant if his suit trousers flap less and expose less of his ankle.


If the trouser were longer, it would create a puddle of folds that could ruin the silhouette of a suit, dragging the eye down and making a man look shorter. If the trouser were shorter, it would flap around the ankle and remove any elegance – probably reminding the viewer of a schoolboy in short pants.


To quote one famous Italian “I don’t necessarily want people to see my socks, but I want to make sure they can see my shoes.”

Now, if men on the continent simply wore their trousers shorter, they would encounter the aforementioned problem with flapping. But they aware of the rules and why they exist. So they wear their trousers narrower as well, fitting them closer to the ankle and minimizing any flapping.


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ÅRHUS - bright colours, spot festival, day 2 & 3, 05/22-23/09




Minggu, 24 Mei 2009

Men Fashion: Top 5 Colognes for Men in this Summer

Whether the Night out is formal black tie or casual cocktail, your cologne should be just as elegant and match your style. Find out the five of the season's top special-occasion fragrances.


TOM FORD EXTREME
$125, Saks Fifth Avenue
This cologne, with Thai basil and Italian black fig, will last until you loosen your bow tie.

DSQUARED HE WOOD
$59, Sephora
Vetiver and musk make this powerful fragrance best for parties that don't start until well after cocktail hour.

BECKHAM SIGNATURE FOR HIM
$50, Macy's
The spicy juniper-berry-and-patchouli blend is meant to stand out—a good thing when everyone's wearing the same suit.

GUCCI BY GUCCI POUR HOMME
$70, Bloomingdale's
A mix of violet and cedarwood, this scent is as classic as barrel cuff links.

ARMANI/PRIVÉ
Oranger Alhambra ($115), Giorgio Armani Beauty
If you're a skip-the-vest guy, try this lighter scent with bitter orange and rosemary.

THE CLASSIC: CREED, GREEN IRISH TWEED
$250, Neiman Marcus
The iris-and-sandalwood scent doesn't guarantee you pretty young things, but it might give you some of Grant's legendary ease in eveningwear. Just ask Russell Crowe and Tom Hanks, who've tried it out.


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Browns and their mad hatted and masked mannequins

Browns on South Molton Street in London, has a unique love and understanding of the clothes that they sell. They don't just gather the chicest and prettiest clothes available with absurdly expensive price tags -- but they are convincingly honest about their enduring enthusiasm for them. They deeply appreciate the handwork, the textures, the creativity and force that went into their creation and delight in embellishing them with exquisite accessories. Even though there is a nonchalant attitude at the shop, they are serious merchants, and convinced about their understanding, their personal viewpoint and adoration for everything they cultivate in their shop ... and this has been going on for decades! Their window displays are artistic expressions of their creativity. The past week they were with masks and props, that stir your imagination, make you wonder, where and what, that take you on journeys to far off lands or big city events.

with a revolutionary and adventuress London style.

Kamis, 21 Mei 2009

A New Magritte Museum

this sketch has been etched out of the white washed window front
of a shop under renovation, a few blocks from the museum
Yesterday, with great fanfare, a spectacular new art museum, devoted to René Magritte, the Musée Magritte Museum, officially opened in Brussels. Situated on Place Royale in the heart of the art and antique district, and an extension to the Brussels Royal art museum (filled with work from his illustrious Belgium colleagues), the Magritte Museum has gripped the city. Everywhere you look you find Magritte symbolism, which is not only amusing, but also creates the feeling that Magritte is amongst us, chuckling to himself ... Ceci n'est pas une musée… as you bite into an apple green macaron.

My personal introduction to Magritte was The Empire of Light II, hanging in the MOMA . Hanging next to a Salvidor Dali, I returned over and over again, week after week, in disbelief, trying to absorb the contrast of the magnificently painted blue sky and the lamppost lighting the dark street. The perfection was surreal and impossible to fit into my natural world. Permanently etched into my memory, the effect of this one painting, had such a demanding presence, even though it was a comparatively small work, in the far side of a large room filled with a stunning assortment of art, that I wonder if a whole museum devoted only to this artist, will make the same powerful impression? It will be a different kind of experience (the museum opens to the public in June) and why not, isn't that art?