Picking tools from Fruit City website

Ok, this may have little to do with fashion, but I love the fruit picking tools you can see below.

They have been designed byVahakn Matossian who has developed a series of objects for the urban forager.
The long range extendable fruit picking device and  the fruit collecting basket are just lovely and useful.
They are both on sale on http://www.fruitcity.co.uk/
Fruit City is a growing map and network of all the fruit trees in public spaces in London. Logged and mapped by the Fruit City team and citizens.
Fruit City is not just a Map of trees, but an initiative to wake people up to the nature on their doorstep. To re-engage folks with the wild and goodness around them and to get local community orchards planted.In theory every Londoner could get all the fruit they need from the city streets right now and through the year....

Alessandra Modarelli and her beautiful turbans

I think I probably love these classy, romantic photos more than the hats and turbans ...but I do acknowledge that Alessandra Modarelli has something special in her style.She graduated in architecture, worked as a cook and she is now a designer...meaning that food, architecture, style and food can be all connected... take a look at her collection...and be enchanted by it...www.alessandramodarelli.com

I am totally intrigued by mistery shopping

I recently read about a practice called mystery shopping.Wikipedia defines it as a " tool used externally by market research companies or watchdog organizations or internally by companies themselves to measure quality of service or compliance to regulation, or to gather specific information about products and services.
The mystery consumer's specific identity is generally not known by the establishment being evaluated. Mystery shoppers perform specific tasks such as purchasing a product, asking questions, registering complaints or behaving in a certain way, and then provide detailed reports or feedback about their experiences.
Tools used for mystery shopping assessments range from simple questionnaires to complete audio and video recordings. Mystery shopping can be used in any industry, with the most common venues being retail stores, hotels, movie theaters, restaurants, fast food chains, banks, gas stations, car dealerships, apartments, health clubs and health care facilities. "

I mean ..can you imagine anything better than going shopping, being paid to do that and evaluate your shopping experience?
In the US mistery shopping has an association, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) and it seems that even in Italy some companies are currently recruiting people to become mystery shoppers..
So..what are you waiting for? apply, apply, apply...:)

Minky Ha - an emerging talent at the London Style Collective

Minky Ha defines himself as a original- hybrid- romantic - wanker- very commercial- self-contradicted artist.
I discovered his creations (mainly strange, geomeric dresses) at the pop-up shop of the London Style Collective. The description below comes from www.thelondonstylecollective.com

"Minky Ha was born in South Korea where he studied ‘Art Studies’ before changing course and studying fashion. However, he felt it was theory without practice and decided to move to London to study fashion at Central Saint Martins. Minky‟s recent collection “What Men Live By?” is a symbolical statement of an imaginary character’s life who lives in capitalism. Each outfit symbolises a certain stage of her life in capitalism."....
Unfortunately his website is still very much a work in progress http://www.minkymouse.com/ but you can anyway get a glimpse of what he does.

Below is one of his dresses...I think there is some magic in it...

London Fashion Week and the London Style Collective

I spent 3 FANTASTIC days in London... and again I was soooo busy to go from one place to another ...that I neglected my blog :((
I was invited to a vernissage in a friend's gallery (http://mews42.com/) in South Kensington, I spent almost a whole day at Somerset House visitng the stands and little pop-up shops at the London Fashion Weekend, I saw friends I had not see in ages....
Here is a pic of the entrance at the London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House

And here are some pictures I took at the London Style Collective ppo-up shop in Duke of York Square, close to Sloane Square. The Collective is a group of young and talented British  and international designers (and I'm soooo glad my friend Sarah Hutton from S(he) rocks it  http://smhutton.tumblr.com/ is part of it!!). They design and create fabulous, funky and trendy clothes made with different materials (rubber above all) and colourful fabrics.

 

and here is Sarah's collection of scarves called PROTECTION. If you are interested in buying them (they are all hand made and super beautiful) pls get either in contact with Sarah or me (prices vary according to the models).

Well I could not resist the temptation to try one of Sarah's creation on...ah ah..I look like a warrior :) with a union jack i-phone cover and a floreal skirt (I know, I can do better than that :)

Pls pls visit http://thelondonstylecollective.com/contact/

SO critical SO fashion in Milan

From the 23rd to the 25th of September Milan will host So critical so fashion a fair that gathers small enterprises, environmentally safe and with high standards of quality, and young and independent brands. A showcase of those socially responsible fashion projects that bring sustainability in the long-lasting tradition of fashion, together with esthetics, quality, innovation and trends.The 20 selected exhibitors will sell their current collection and show a preview of A/W 2012; performances, workshops, laboratories will be also hosted in the multi-functional location of Frigoriferi Milanesi. Visitors will also find relax areas where to enjoy music sessions and catering with organic food.
It is organised by Terre di mezzo Eventi, one of the main independent publishers in Italy.

The location  is  Frigoriferi Milanesi – via G.B.Piranesi 10, Milan, an art space which used to be a storage space in the past.

For more info: www.soscriticalsofashion.it

GYPSET- or gipsy + jet set

Last night I was reading a magazine - Velvet Italy- and my attention was caught by an article about a website called GYPSET.Today I checked it on the internet and found out that GYPSET has been launched by Julia Chaplin, a freelance journalist based in New York City who works for publications like The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Vogue, Elle, and Wallpaper.
She obviously travels a lot and she has come up with the word Gypset: (gypsy + jet-set) to describe a new type of travel (and living) that redefines the optimal adventure as something that is chic and alternative, nomadic and unconventional.
GYPSET is made up of different sections like travelogue, enclaves, fashion, architecture and many others.

I really like when Julia describes the 10 ways to spot a gypsetter....namely a gypsetter is someone who:
1- Hangs out in places that are hard to reach
2- Stays at mansions or villas if they belong to someone else
3- Prefers Ibiza to Capri, Venice Beach to Santa Monica
4- Never wear clothes with visible logos
5- Doesn't mind falling asleep with salty hair (I LOVE THAT!)
6- Drinks Aguardiente and not Cristal
7- Like Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush"
8- Doesn't ask your last name
9- Surfs/snowboards
10- Flies with a Cesna

Julia who looks like that

She has also launched her new Gypset clothing line - chic and unique like a gypsetter should be!!!...see some of her creations below and her beautiful sarongs

Check out GYPSET website at http://www.gypset.com/go/about/...
you ll love it!!!

Collaborative Clothing Platform - OPENWEAR

I am planning to go to Milan on Saturday and visit So critical Fashion, which is a fair/event about critical fashion. While I was reading the programme of the initiative I found out about the Openwear project...which is an mazing project!

Openwear is a concept community by EDUfashion, a project financed with the support of the European Commission and promoting an alternative approach to fashion through a learning environment that reconciles two social trends: the rising demand for no-sweatshop, ecologically sustainable, locally produced, fairly traded apparel, and the growing relevance of a self-managed workforce focused on independent, socially engaged, critical and multitasking creative production.

It was born out of the collaboration of Poper - a social communication studio based in Ljubljana - Ethical Economy, a company based in London providing web tools to build ethically significant relations, and 3 european universities from Italy (University of Milan, Faculty of Political Science), Slovenia (Faculty of Natural Sciences in Ljubljana) and Denmark (Copenhagen Business School), who pooled their efforts to experiment with a new vision based on collaboration, innovation and the sharing of knowledge and skills.

I love the idea behind Openwear because:
- Openwear is an online community where you can share values, access to knowledge and practice of collaborative and distributed work.
- Openwear is where makers, fashion producers, small local enterprises, educational institutions can network to participating in the production of a new vision of fashion based on micro-communities and sustainability.
Openwear wants to promote an alternative approach to fashion through an environment where you can benefit of.
This the diagram representing how it works (for more info visit www.openwear.org)

Origami - or Paper Folding

Those who have been reading my blog know how much I love Japan. Today -while I was trying to put some order in my book shelves (I am having a hard time to do that)- I found some origami papers, a gift two Japanese friends of mine gave me a few years ago. I love origami (折り紙^?, from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper). There are many different types of origami and techniques, but I love the simple ones like the dolls below...  

 

Here are the instructions to make a paper cat...

and on http://www.joja.it/tag/trovato-su-web/ I have found toilet paper rolls with the instructions to make origami on sale...so when you are in the bathroom...why do you read a magazine , when you can learn from your toilet paper?? :)

Bensimon - what is so special about the brand?

One of my best friends has recently bought a very basic pair of shoes that look like that

and a bag like that

She was totally disappointed when I said I can't see what is so special about the shoes (quite shabby) and the bag (quite ordinary)..but then she said: "Oh come on, you don 't know Bensimon, do you?" ..my answer was obviously NO.
Well it seems Bensimon is a VERY FAMOUS French brand that encompasses clothing, home furnishings, accessories and stationary.
The funny thing is that I searched for information about Bensimon and found that:
"This long established French company started out just after WWII importing American second hand clothes in France. La Tennis Bensimon was inspired by the surplus army canvas sneakers and immediately became a must-have in women's wardrobes. Classically French and hip, La Tennis Bensimon shoes are a simple luxury. Colourful, relaxed and feminine, the Bensimon Collection is perfect for a little bit of fun everyday." (http://www.gravitypope.com/shoes/womens/bensimon)

So, all right , I give up...maybe in 2 or 3 months I ll start loving this shoes!

Scotland rocks with the Design Collective Scotland

I was looking for information on the London Fashion Week- which is approaching- and just by chance I found out information about the Design Collective Scotland I had heard about a few weeks ago.

The DCS comprises four of Scotland's leading emerging contemporary designers and aims to showcase the finest cutting edge fashion talent. The collective is made up of 4 designers: Emily Lamb, Di Gilpin, Iona Crawford, Marc Ross.(http://www.designcollectivescotland.com/)
I love Emily's shoes (Emily has a studio in Waterfoot, East Renfrewshire, and has launched her own business at the tender age of 23) ...

and I also love Di Gilpin knitwear..look at this wrist warmer :))

Their Spring/Summer 2012 collections will be presented at London Fashion Week 16-20 September 2011
     

Why I love Etsy

Because you can find everything you wish for in a single website...www.etsy.com
ipad covers, clothes, jewels, furniture, everything, really everything...

Indian trucks - definitely some work of art

Last night I was watching a TV program where 3 North Americans truck drivers had to drive back and forth on a road close to the Himalaya...the program was mainly about the difficulties and perils they had to overcome while driving in harsh meteorological and road conditions...but what caught my attention the most guess what it was? The decorations on the trucks they were driving...Indian trucks are colorful pieces of art...and they are so typical about India! All of the them have the sign "horn please" normally written in the back and I can assure you that the drivers definitely use the horn...
To me Indian Trucks are  very inspirational in terms of colors combination and design...I am pretty sure stylists will copy these patterns on their fabrics soon...

Vintage Treasures in London

I was reading one of my favourite fashion magazine yesterday when I stumbled in an article about vintage fashion in London...the journalist was mentioning in her article Judith Michael as one - or probably the best- vintage shop in London.Since I had not heard of it...(I know it's terrible :)) I checked the website and found some itneresting information.
Judith Michael and her daughter are running a vintage shop in Primrose Hill in London, close to Camden Town. It does seem to be an interesting place and almost everything is on sale (scented candles, accessories, jewels)..I ll probably hit her shop next time I ll be in London....
Have a look at www.judithmichael.com in the meanwhile...

How come Kiehl's creams are so expensive in the UK?

When I was in London last week I ran out of my favourite daily cream - interesting enough it s a men cream (Kiehl's facial fuel) -....so I wanted to buy a new one. I went to Covent Garden where I knew there was a Kiehls shop...I found my cream...but I refused to buy it because definitely it was not worth.How come the same cream can cost $ 30 in the US (kiehl's is an American brand), 30 euro in Italy and 36£ in the UK??
I have no idea...(maybe you know better than I do)

It doens't make much sense to me...and I have also recently found out that Kiehls has  launched an Italian website...you can order everything you want on line and the shipping is free (GREAT!!)...for those in Italy you can have a look at www.kiehls.it....  for all the other the website is www.kiehls.com...
and even if you are a girl/lady try the facial fuel gel for men...you ll love it!

TOMS - do some good, buy a pair of shoes!

I love shoes: when I was in London my attention was caught by a pair of TOMS worn by the girl sitting in front of me on a bus.
I had read some news about TOMS on an Italian magazine  just before leaving...but I had never seen a pair of TOMS in reality (they are nice, very simple, and basically are summer shoes).

TOMS is a shoes brand that was founded in 2006, by American traveler Blake Mycoskie, who while travelling in Argentina found that the young children he met had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need.

TOMS has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, Ethiopia, and South Africa. The interesting thing is that you can really see on www.toms.com how many pair of shoes have been delivered to children in need (see the map below).
Once a shoe is purchased, it takes about four to six months to hand-place them on children’s feet.

The shoes look very simple (they do remind me of espadrillas) and a "basic" pair costs £33.
 he pair I have bought at Office in Covent Garden in London looks exactly like the one below.

So, do some good and buy a pair of TOMS..I just love the idea...It is absolutely inspirational!!