Ibiza

I am in Ibiza ...the weather is great, the Island stylish and full of shops to go crazy for...the only "bad" thing is that there are few internet points and i can t upload all the pictures i have taken! I ll do that on Monday, in 3 days, when i ll be back to Bologna and back to my normal life.
In the meanwhile,love to everyone
Mirelle

Aurélie Bidermann - chic and sweet jewels

I saw Aurelie Biedermann's creations on the last edition of Elle Italy...and obviously loved them!!!
She is a French designer who early in 2003 decided to think big and launch her own line that. Without a doubt Aurelie is not far from completing her objectives and is eager to re-invent herself with brand new designs over and over again.
It seems that Kate Moss and Jessica Parker love her jewels...how to deny that they are just super chic and super sweet???

Check her website at http://aureliebidermann.com/

She is also running an e-boutique..I m tryng to resist not to do some online shopping, but it's sooooooo hard!

P.s By the way, I am taking some days off and flying to Ibiza tomorrow. I ll try to post something from there too....

Erittäin Hieno Suomalainen Shampoo - a very stylish shampoo

I have been to Finland more than 15 times in 2 years and a half. I have travelled around- although whenever I am in Finland I am mostly based in Joensuu- and the more I discover Finland the more I love it.
Finnish Design, Finnish Fashion, Finnish Architecture, Finnish Food (yes, food!) are really fascinating to me. Finns have a unique, simple and beautiful taste ....even shampoos in Finland can be stylish.
Some months ago I came across the Erittäin Hieno Suomalainen Shampoo (Extremely Fine Finnish Shampoo). And I simply had to buy it because of the old-fashion design...(it turned out that even the quality of the shampoo is good!)

It first came on the market in 1974  and is an affordable shampoo for all hair types. It is manufactured in Finland by Cederroth.The packaging, ideated by Kirsi Paakkanen, who would later become famous as the woman who saved design company Marimekko from bankruptcy, is adorable.

The shape of the bottle was meant to bring the pharmacist's bottles of the period to mind. The pharmacy was regarded as the most trustworthy of shops. The blue represents the blue of the summer sky, the blue found in the Finnish flag, and the blue eyes of the majority of the Finnish people. The little red cabin on the shore of a lake is the Finnish ideal, what nearly everyone here dreams of - a quiet little place where they will be left undisturbed. The whooper swan is the national bird of Finland.

If you happen to be in Finland, go to just a normal supermarket and buy this fabolous shampoo...you won't repent it....you can also find it online at the Finnish online shop http://www.suomikauppa.fi/index.php?language=en

Vision & Fashion in Berlin

The Lipperheide Costume Library at the Kulturforum at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin opened its new exhibition, entitled “Visions & Fashion: Images of Fashion 1980-2010" on display from June 30 until October 9, 2011.
This year’s exhibition focuses on the exciting relationship between fashion and the image over the last 30 years, with some 200 original works on show by international photographers, illustrators and freelance artists.The second part of the exhibition features a representative selection of diverse forms of visual communication from the fashion industry, presented from various thematic perspectives. These include: billboard campaigns (such as for Benetton, Missoni and Comme des Garçons), a broad spectrum of print media (Six, Visionaire, Achtung), lookbooks and corporate advertising, video clips, websites and fashion blogs.
The featured artists are:
Ruben Alterio, François Berthoud, Cem Bora, Michel Comte, Mats Gustafson, Gregor Hohenberg, Françoise Huguier, Katerina Jebb, Antonio Lopez, Christin Losta, Martin Mago, Sarah Moon, Helmut Newton, Rico Puhlmann, Carola Seppeler, Eric Traoré, Tony Viramontes and Nancy Wilson-Pajic.

30th June – 9 October 2011 Visions & Fashion

Kulturforum Potsdamer Platz Kunstbibliothek

Sonderausstellungshallen Kulturforum

Matthäikirchplatz
10785 Berlin

Elizabeth Lau - Romantic Creations

I was searching for information about the London Fashion Week that will take place in September in London and came across a British designer, Elizabeth Lau.. I got trapped and enchanted by the beauty of her romantic clothes!!! (well, yes, my style is a bit more aggressive but I like to mix different pieces).

On the London Fashion Week website her creations are described as “happy”, “mignon” and “kawaii”. Elizabeth’s aim is to dress women in her fun and feminine vision, but in a way that is relevant to a 21st century lifestyle. She designs with this in mind and has consistently designed easy to wear dresses, coats and knits which dress you up in an instant.

Her signature attributes include surprise details known only to the wearer, hand finished embellishments, Liberty of London prints and love heart motifs. Elizabeth’s approach is fresh but unmistakably British in flavour.

If you time go and visit her website at www.elizabethlau.com, you will not repent it!!

Elizabeth Lau used to have a pop-up shop in London at at 2 Ganton Street W1F 7QL, Carnaby Street...I have to check if this is still there!!!

Chizu Kobayashi - artwork with metal (and love)

I recently came across a beautiful metal artwork.It was a Hinomaru carp, a traditional Japanase fish but made of metal and hanging from the roof of La Ca Shin (www.ca-shin.com) , a nice bio-restaurant on the top of a hill surrounding Bologna.

I wanted to find out who was the artist who made such a beautiful work of art and came across to the name of Chizu Kobayashi, an artist and designer, originally from Japan but now living in Bologna.

She designs nearly everything from shoes, to shop interiors, jewels, using metal wire as primary material. She collaborates with boutiques, architects and other creators.

I am totally in love with whatever she does!!

And here are the pics - dowloaded from her website http://chizkobject.com/ - of some of the amazing things she does!

Cattleya Jaruthavee - much more than "simple" photojournalism

I recently had the honour and the pleasure to meet Cattleya in Paris, during the PX3 award.
Cattleya is an amazing woman and excellent photographer. Based in Bangkok (but very often travelling around) she portrays socio-economic and political disparities in Thailand and other Asian countries.
Cattleya holds a Master of Arts in Photojournalism from the University of Westminster (United Kingdom) and is a social activist.
<a href="http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com">Guide to Online Schools</a></p> has a list of the best photojournalism blogs. Cattleya's work definitely belongs on a best-of list as well.

She has been working on a series of interesting projects about women, myanmar, uniforms and the secret meaning behind the appearance of what we see...
Below you can see some of her beautiful pictures, just a random selection...(and actually it was difficult to decide what to upload..because all her images are amazing!)

For more information you can check her website at http://www.cattleyajaruthavee.com/

MessyMsxi

Today I d like to dedicate a post to MessyMsxi, a talented girl from Singapore.
I met her in London last year during the Creative Award..and she was actually the winner!
Quoting her website http://www.messymsxi.com/ she defines herself as:

someone who has learnt to find beauty in the vernacular, in the “everyday”. Likely due to the mundane environment the little island, she often dreams of a bigger better world; a brighter every day. Having won a Government scholarship, she finally left Singapore to major in Illustrations at Central Saint Martins, London. Continuing to broaden her horizons, she has applied her abilities in illustrations to various mediums whilst exploring unique concepts and themes that reflects her personal experiences and subjects which she is most interested in and concerned about. Msxi is always determined to improve her skills and apply them in trying to make the world a better place."

She has been working on a number of projects and if you take 5 minutes to have a look at her website you ll be enchanted by the beauty and grace of her illustrations...

Below you can find some of her beautiful illustrations:

from a guide about London

Textiles

from an ad against junk food

 Murals of disappearing nature...

Recession Design

A way of “designing” that goes beyond current trends and returns the object’s essential form and function to the forefront. Recession Design is a collection of objects created using everyday products that are processed and assembled using common utensils and accessories.
Featuring a design that is clean but not banal, essential but not meager, the objects show how a good project can result in high-level design, even with the use of readily available materials and utensils.
<a href='http://www.interior-design-degree-online.org'> Many people seek an interior design degree online</a> when they are looking for design inspiration. The meanings and styles of interior design are always changing.

The idea behind Recession Design is very simple but opens an interesting debate on the meaning of “DESIGNING” today: The economic crisis is fact a pretext and opportunity for critical reflection on the contemporary design world.

you can have more information at http://www.recessiondesign.org/2009.php

Boredpanda - 30 creative bags

http://www.boredpanda.com/30-creative-bag-advertisements/

Bored Panda is a great website that has been suggested to me by Maria Teresa, an amzaing woman full of nice ideas and incredible vitality. I  love the idea to invent new, uncommon bags that could be used as advertisements as well...

Simson motorbike, Fabric Cafe and Katalin Verebics....how can Budapest offer so much???

I feel guilty because I have been neglecting my blog for a while recently..but I had a hectic week and had almost no time (or no internet connection) to upload new posts.Last week I travelled to Rome, Budapest, Brussels.

The highlight of my trips has been obviously Budapest. My husband has bought a simson motorbike- a kind of vespa which was used in the ex communist countries in the 60s and 70s - so we have been going around the town  with it.

We have discovered nice new places in Budapest (like the Fabric Cafe , which you can see below)

and met many interesting people like Katalin Verebcis, a young painter from Budapest who is very talented

I love what Kati paints and her style. She definitely deserves fame and success (and yes, a better post on my blog as well :))

Vegan Clothing

Vegan clothes are any garments that do not involve the use of animal products or by-products. They are created from yarns and fabrics that did not require any animal suffering or deaths for their production. Supporting clothing that is not animal based is a natural extension of the vegan commitment to an ethical lifestyle.But it's important to underline that not all vegan clothes are chemical free since animal-free fabrics may be synthetic; such as eco-plastic, pleather and faux fur, which are acceptable in veganism.
Vegan consumers source natural plant fibers for a large part of their wardrobe. Fabric preference given to organic cotton, hemp and bamboo for those who proactively support being eco chic.
Below is an example of vegan shoes...

and vegan clothing

Bamboo Clothing

I recentlly saw in a shop a nice t-shirt made of bamboo.I had no idea bamboo could be a fabric....furthermore I have been told that bamboo can be soft, breathable, antibacterial and antifungal, thanks to "bamboo kun" a substance in the plant that helps it fight off disease and insects. It is thought that some of these qualities are not lost during processing or through repeated washings.
The idea for bamboo fabric is a new process developed at the Beijing University in 2001. The process which has been improved upon in the last few years has created an interest in bamboo clothing in particular by those interested in finding more sustainable fabrics.

Bamboo clothing has a soft, natural sheen and relaxed look. It feels like a cross between silk and cashmere.
If you are interested in bamboo clothing you can have a look at http://www.bambooclothing.co.uk/ (and actually there are thousands of websites that sell bamboo clothing!)

I OWE YOU - Iou Project - handmade clothes with love

Yesterday just by chance I found out some interesting information on the IOU Project, a somewhat radical concept that marries fashion design and supply chain transparency in an innovative way. Through a deep understanding of digital media and a true appreciation and love for the craft behind fashion, the people who make up the IOU Project are working hard to flip the entire process of manufacturing garments on its head.

Understanding that 20 million families in India depend on the textile industry (and by that I mean traditional hand weaving) as a means for their livelihood, IOU founders Kavita Parmar and Ricky Posner made it their mission to bring the weaver to the consumer at the end of the supply chain.

They want to bring the consumer closer to the entire manufacturing process of the clothes. The idea is, of course, to have a better chance of getting their clothes out to customers (not an easy thing for an unknown brand working primarily on the web). But just as important, it’s about building a community of people who want transparency, accountability and authenticity. 
They produce a small collection of clothing made from the traditional Indian lungi, which consists of a 2 meter piece of woven fabric, most often cotton, that is usually solid or madras plaid. No two are ever exactly the same, as each one is hand woven by an artisan who will thread the loom based on their mood and inspiration on that day.  They take these lengths of fabric and create one skirt, one shirt, and one pant (or maybe a dress) with this particular fabric. Every single piece of clothing is different due to the unique nature of the fabric.

Have a look at www.iouproject.com and see the pics below downloaded from the website