In my Pjs but soul @ Coachella

To all those lovely, cheerful folks dancing their hearts out at the coachella lawns this year... my soul is there with you. Not that you may care, but sadly I don't have a personal relationship with Coachella. We just can't mange to coordinate for a meet. Call it failed kismet if you will...

Technically, through the marvels of YouTube, I can artificially mimic the experience. Fantastic. I appreciate State Farm for sponsoring the brilliant views of the stage performances. My eyes fancy explosions in the sky with a hint of Breakbot.
Hope to get my thirst quenched somehow...

The bad news: many will get terrible sunburns, sweat profusely, obtain grass stains on clothes, and get over charged on food + water.

The good news: somehow it's still epic...

2013, we need to discuss this matter in detail.

For now, I leave you as ¨The Rapture¨ plays drums to the beat...

---- Aber seht selbst ----

RoadKILL Couture

All life begins. Miraculously, living things have a moment in which they become ¨alive¨. That beginning of life marks the first indication on the circle of life.  After that point, there is a journey that eventually transcends to ¨death¨. This concept was made tangible at a particular point in my life. And then of course I also recall being a toddler watching the Lion King, sobbing to my mother as I cried for Mufasa's (Simba's father) death.

The truth is that death is part of life, but the topic of ¨death¨can a sensitive one for individuals. So for me it was intriguing to discover Jess Eaton's project entitled Road Kill Couture. The juxtaposition of roadkill and fashion can be strange and even a bit gruesome at first thought, but let's explore the idea!

Jess Eaton has created a couture collection of garments made out of pelts and feathers of animals that have died of natural causes (victims of roadkill). No animal was harmed or killed for the collection and all materials used would normally be burned, rot away, or discarded as waste.  Eaton says, ¨The collection will hopefully give people food for thought on lots of different levels and give a further life to beautiful things we usually discard.¨

In an industry stereotyped for its insensitivity and environmental impact, this approach to fashion is re-defining what sustainability can actually mean...

Images via Jess Eaton

Abracadabra ABMB

Peter Liversidge

Bienvenidos a Miamiiiiii

I shared some insight into Art Basel week in Miami Beach, also known as ABMB, < see here for details ;) > and raved about how exciting this week is for all the art and music lovers.
Enjoy photographs from the art exhibits displayed!
Mad props to the artists!

Need a Letter?

Willem Oorebeek

Nick Cave

Michael St. John

Jonathan Meese

Fred Tomaselli

Note: Since Tuesday I've been thinking tomorrow is Friday...

Fortunately, tomorrow is FRIDAY! Hooooray! 

Chocolate a la Mode

 Technically speaking, there are only 4 major food groups. Let´s review:

1) Milk Chocolate

2) Dark Chocolate

3) White Chocolate

4) Chocolate truffles 

If only, right? Maybe we should reconsider the current food pyramid and swap for the above!?! Okay, I'm dreaming in chocolate, but that's nothing new. Haha! 

So instead, I propose implementing chocolate fashion. It's been done before, but see what was crafted in Shanghai, China (yes, it covered all my major food groups). 

              

 

              

 

              

 

              

 

Images via

 

Innovation and design at its best form of nutrition. Could you ask for anything else? Didn't think so :)

Just imagine, get a little hungry, tug at your dress and violaaaa... a delicious snack! Not sure how the refill part of this scheme would work... but minor details to address with the designers.

5 Designers worked on these art pieces. Taiwan-native Kang Yen-Ling, Hsu Feng-Yu, Lin Guodong, Shanghai-based Helen Lee, and Beijing-born Tan Siyuan. 

The base of the designs are fabric, but the accessories are all chocolate. YUMMY! 

Wishing you an amazing week ahead  ♥ 

Various Versions of the TRUTH

A canvas can be human... 

The Rick Genest appears in the above featured video, a campaign for Dermablend professional make up products. The Canadian model/artist has tattooed almost his entire body. He believes the art work on his body is ¨about the human body as a decomposing corpse-- the art of a rotting cadaver¨. 

¨There are various versions of the truth...¨

The skin is only the cover, it's superficial in nature.

images via Vogue Hommes Japan 

Chanel Sea Creatures

What would you do with a conch shell and some pearls?

What sort of ideas come to mind to your mind? Well, a certain fashion icon put the two together, beautifully... and it's been on my mind ever since. Why? Because I can't stop from recalling a presentation I attended by Frans Johansson this year. Three words: DIVERSITY DRIVES INNOVATION. The best ideas emerge when very different perspectives meet. It is then that an idea can change the world. Mr. Johansson, writer of The Medici Effect, made it very clear to me that day. When you connect different ideas, cultures, and disciplines, you create new possibilities. This is where the magic happens.  

And so for Mr. Karl Lagerfeld, perhaps he exercised the above principle during one of his exceptionally luxurious vacations. Could have been at any of the following locations where conch is commonly found, for example Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, or Puerto Rico.

Imagine: toes in white sand, blue waters, orange pinkish sunset, and a nice rum & diet coke in hand... ambience conducive to fabulous ideas. All of a sudden, a wave hits the sand and vioooola a conch shell appears from the waters. Conch shells + pearls*:  let me introduce you to Chanel Spring/Summer 2012 Collection::::

               

images via VOGUE

Next time you see an object, ask yourself this question: ¨what if?¨ only through experimentation of ideas (and likely failures and rejections) will you see new connections (conch shell pearl bags)... OOooo the endless possibilities! 

Missoni for Target?

The brand is the most powerful strategic tool. What happens when two brands form a partnership? 

It can work marvelously well or fail terribly and even hurt the brand. In the case of Target and Missioni, it proved quite effective. What made it work? The strategy was implemented correctly. 

Partnership:

Missoni: Is an Italian fashion house known for it's patterns of stripes, geometrics, and abstract florals in a kaleidoscope of colors. 

Target: An American retailing company, the 2nd largest discounted retailer

Strategy: 

Target partnered with Missoni to offer exclusivity on a mass scale. Items included apparel, home accessories, and sporting goods (yes, a bike)-- all Missoni.

On the day of the launch for the collection, items were sold out before noon, and Target's website crashed due to the high volume of traffic generated by the e-commerce. 

With limited access and supply to the collection, people were taking about it non stop. Actually, they still are! That's the success of the limited edition. Missoni most likely wanted to expand it's presence and exposure to the American market. It created a frenzy, supplied a limited amount to the huge demand and thus obtained new consumers of the brand. 

Although, realistically in this economy, the bracket of the market that can purchase haute couture fashion is small. We will probably begin to see more and more initiatives such as the one Missoni rolled out with Target. For example, Karl Lagerfeld launched a product for Macy's Impluse department in August. The next designer to partner up with Macy's will be Giambattista Valli , launch expected in October. 

What are you thoughts on branding and fashion for the future?

via Target

via Target

via Target

Sweet Socks

When I first visited Seoul, I was not only impressed with it´s delicious food (see Patbingsu) but also with it´s design scene. Most westerners are unfamiliar with Korean design, but it is also true that the export of Korean design has not been well established nor developed... at least that has been my personal experience. I hope young Korean designers obtain the opportunity to showcase their talent in a larger scale.

In the meantime, Korean Design can be many things: fun, colorful, simple, elegant, innovative, and even quirky.

One example that testifies to Korean design are my awesome SOCKS.

Not your typical socks. Cute socks for grown ups, because we all need some sweetness on our feet.