Made My Day!

© Blondesalad

Enough said!...

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Remik Kozdra & Kasia Baczulis's stunning photoshoot for the May 2011 issue of Papercut Magazine has certainly caught my eye today. Doused in glitter and painted metallic, Patrycja and Justyna show their statuesque and natural beauty, creating a captivating collection of photography fine art prints and make-up artistry... Something worth appreciating. 

MIRTAjewelry: Understated Statements

all images © etsy.com

Just stumbled across these beautiful collection by MIRTA designed by the talented Croatian designer, Andrea Simic. These dainty and delicate pieces, all hand-made, show how powerful simple and minimalist design can be. Inspired by architecture and nature, these pieces are made from oxidized sterling silver, moulded into angular treasures reminiscent of the odd twig or thorn. Understated statements and undeniable lustful, MIRTA is a one to watch and support. Click here to shop this collection.

Bjørg Lookbook S/S11

The Collection

The golden age is before us, not behind us.

There exists a myth in every civilization that tells about a distant past, when humankind lived in a primitive and simple state. In those days, the myths tell us, there was an instinctive harmony between man and nature. Men’s needs were few and their desires limited, and they felt close to the Gods. These stories are inscribed in all cultures and resurge with special vitality in critical times. However, the projection of the myth does not take place towards the remote past, but towards the future or a distant and fictional place, like an earthly paradise or glorious afterlife.

Christopher Columbus followed directly in this tradition as he believed that he had found the Garden of Eden when he first encountered the New World, later to be known as the continent of America. Maybe it is so that in every journey we embark on there is an echo of this remembrance. 

The 2011 collection from Bjørg is in it self a journey. It’s a playful quest of a paradise lost to be recollected. Multicoloured feathers, bright blue horsehair and fluorescent opals, the beauty and fragility of a butterfly wing forever captured and kept in a small handmade glass dome. All reminiscences of that imaginary Garden of Eden.

Yet, temptation and the inevitability of decay is always luring as a reccurring theme. A shiny gold snake to be swirled around your fingers. Bones, knuckles and spine structures are crafted into powerful rings, cuffs and body chains.

The over all expression is raw, bold and playful, yet elegant and mesmerizing. Most of the items works as unisex pieces, and holds a universal power and aesthetic, rather than confinement to gender or sex. By mixing traditional craftsmanship and mythology with more modern and urban concepts the collection speaks both of stories in the past and of the time to come.

Secret words and messages can be found as cut out letters, embossed types and engraved poetry. What appears to be a classic pearl at first glance turns out to be a petit human skull at closer inspection. Crystals caged in triangle shapes and meteorite-like stone structures in gold constitutes a magic symbolism captured in secret codes and a forgotten language.

- www.bjorgshop.com

Just stumbled across Bjørgs lookbook for S/S11 and adore the Eastern Nomadic, if not exotic, creative direction. The collection itself has a natural element with spine structures, feathers from paradise and entwined snakes being seen throughout. Paired with the chalked figures in poses relative to religious or astrological belief, shrouded in cotton and with the odd parrot flitting about, you can't help but be in awe of the mystic surrounding this shoot. 

all images www.bjorg.com

What Makes Love True

New York City; a metropolis of sky-scraping blocks with the avenue of adventure and where the possibility of success reigns supreme - The City That Never Sleeps. As a woman in her element when surrounded by all the hussle and bustle a city can offer, the thought of being in The Big Apple takes me into a daydream of hailing down yellow cabs, having coffee over the New York Times and trotting around in Manolo Blahniks with a packed diary fit for a high-class city socialite! So I may well be slipping into Carries shoes from Sex in the City, but I reserve the right to remain blindly hopeful that one day my big American Dream can become an oh-so perfect reality. 

As independent as us City creatures are, what women also dream of is romance, and nothing helps more that the ideal setting. Tiffany and Co is already acclaimed as a first stop for any declaration of love - diamonds really are a girls best friend - but now they have announced themselves as romance experts too. Their site, www.whatmakeslovetrue.com, offers a guide to NYs most romantic hideaways off the beaten track, as well as a music & film recommendations, true love stories and 'Tiffany Tips' to love by. 

I hope to see Tiffany start to include other Cities in this soon, namely London! Until then, I'm just going to have to make note of all the beautiful NY escapes and wait 'till the day I can cross the stream...I have a dream.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof Garden

1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028

Italian Wine Merchants

108 E. 16th Street, New York, NY 10003

The Conservatory Garden in Central Park

104th Street at Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029

Luxe Leather Shopper x Sophie Hulme

Discreetly designer, simply industrial and everyday chic. What more could a City girl ask for? 

Savage Beauty

"You've got to know the rules to break them. That's what I'm here for, to demolish rules but to keep the tradition."

- Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Located in the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, New York, 'Savage Beauty' is a celebration of the late Alexander McQueen. Organised by the Costume Institute, this fantastic contribution showcases his work from his 1992 postgraduate Central Saint Martins collection to this final runway pieces. 

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Here are a few of my favourites...

'Oyster Dress', Irere, S/S 03

Made from hundreds of layers of silk organza, this creation was from McQueens S/S '03 collection which  told a story of a ship wreak at sea. For me, the dress is a perfect visual metaphor for such a situation. The lightness of the fabric, paired with its delicate pleating and frayed quality, builds the impression of a weightless underwater scene created by the natural growth on the sea bed. An imperfect perfection with effortless movement and freedom.

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Highland Rape, A/W 95/96 

 “[This collection] was a shout against English designers . . . doing flamboyant Scottish clothes. My father’s family originates from the Isle of Skye, and I’d studied the history of the Scottish upheavals and the Clearances. People were so unintelligent they thought this was about women being raped—yet Highland Rape was about England’s rape of Scotland.”

- Time Out (London), September 24–October 1, 1997

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The Horn of Plenty, A/W 09/10

“It is important to look at death because it is a part of life. It is a sad thing, melancholy but romantic at the same time. It is the end of a cycle—everything has to end. The cycle of life is positive because it gives room for new things.”

- Drapers, February 20, 2010

The raven is the romantic symbol of death and I admire McQueens representation of 1950s houte couture in this creation. The exaggerated play on proportions leads me to think of the femme fatale, who is often considered to be the dangerous and luring woman. Such costume and extremities speak for themselves: a powerful and impactful structure in the name of fashion design.

Harvey Nichols, London, recently showcased a few of McQueens designs in windows dedicated to the Opening of 'Savage Beauty'. Standing on white podiums with sporadic white pleated draped fabric as the only different points of interest, the McQueen creations were certainly centre of attention. It was as close as I was going to get to the exhibition, so I took the opportunity to appreciate what was on show. I know some would say that this is not fashion, not something you could wear, but this is what I call art...in the fashion sense. Each piece has a story that is told through its structure, with the ordinary and the expected turned into something grand and ultimately unique, challenging conceptual expression of culture, politics and identity. 

Anyone from America who manages to get to see this, I'd love to hear about it or see any photos, so please get in touch!

+ all images below © Natalie Green

 

Mulberry: The Book

I may be going through a Mulberry obsession right now, and my eagle-eye has sought out this gem - Mulberry: The Book. Launched on 4th May 2011 in the New Bond Street store, in celebration of the brands 40th year, Mulberry has teamed with photographer Venetia Dearden to create a truly gorgeous  480-paged storybook of the brands history. From campaigns to models, shows to the products, this marvellous creation is such a feast for the general fashion lover, but also for those who appreciate true beauty in aesthetic, craftsmanship and a reflection of particular iconic British juxtaposition.