just moved

Dear readers, I just moved to another blogging space. So, you can continue reading my posts on: lewallflower.wordpress.com
Meet you there!

the traditional contemporary art library

Loring Art is a contemporary art library with a very traditional look. When I got inside, I felt like in my grandma living room. Combining home sick+cosiness +cool books=success. I never saw this! If you would ask me how a contemporary art library looks like, I would imagine some kind of Zaha Hadid's building. But this, is one of a kind. I was happy to see how many good books they have on cinema&photography and totally surprised when seeing the Victoria&Albert publishing house books (double the price in pounds but still, you can buy them in Barcelona!). The ladies of the house are making you feel like family. It is definitely a cool place where you have to go for new discoveries in terms of books, magazines, decoration&soul. Breath in!

Loring Art

Gravina 8
Barcelona

Nespresso ART

I am a coffee lover. Usually I am more the caffè latte type but since I tasted the Nespresso capsules I can enjoy the pure coffee taste more than ever. Wow, sounds like an advertising testimonial, right? But they don't pay me for writing so, you can believe me.

In fact, Nespresso is a system, mainly meaning the possibility of using the capsules, that works on various espresso machines. And here comes the second reason why I like it: The Design. Hmmm...is this the second or the first one? Well, they both blend just perfect.

I think, making your own espresso at home has never been this fun and trendy. From the machine, either Krups or Delonghi - both have this retro modern look, inspired by the city life and skyscrapers (the 'collection's' name is Citiz) - to the colorful, elegant capsules, everything is so cool and well designed. And then there's the store experience. Today I went to the one on Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona and I tell you it is amazing. They sure treat coffee like art. A big round of applause for the visual merchandiser director.

The grandiose entrance

The huge wall, all covered with capsule boxes. Looks like a bookstore.

'

The capsules display in the window, like precious jewels.

...or chromosomes

...or candy box?

MUDE preview

MUDE is the new Design and Fashion Museum which will open to the public at the end of 2010 in Lisbon: 3,000 square meters, 2,000 items of design and 1,200 of fashion purchased from collector Francisco Capelo. But before the grand opening, they installed a preview exhibit “Ante-estreia”, between the 'ruins' - as the building is underconstruction, with just a few pieces from the collection. Mixing the unfinished look of the building with art and design works just perfect in the heart of Baixa area.

The temporary exhibition, hosted in the same building that is going to be remodeled very soon - the former headquarters of the Banco Nacional Ultramarino - seemed to me a little bit chaotic in terms of inside arrangement&placing but interesting in terms of content. Like a journey through time, one could identify the trends and directions in the 21st century, the search for innovation and close ties to the consumer and advertising worlds , follow transformations in cutting technique, research in new fabrics and materials, stylistic trends and the revolution of the silhouette or discover how ideologies and music were influencing the style of living and fashion.

My top 5 - it is impossible to find the first 3 on Internet, so this is a more powerful reason to really visit the exhibition. The pictures belong to MUDE catalog.

Semour Troy, Troylings Oxford Shoes, 1940

Tejo Remy, You can't lay down your memory drawer

Hubert de Givenchy, 50s evening dress

Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot, gramophone radio Braun SK4, 1956

Fernando and Huberto Campana plush chair, 2003

The upper floor hosted a political portraits exhibition which was very good. It was interesting to see different political leaders (sometimes rivals) categorized by the communication&advertising strategy they applied in their campaign.

The museum aims to trace the history of design and fashion from the 1930s to the present: apparel, footwear and accessories, furniture and small everyday objects, both unique and mass-produced, reflect the 20th century’s major design trends and movements.

In the future it is planned to extend the museum to the upper floors, including the terrace, where one can enjoy a magnificent view of the downtown and the river Tejo. A project to adapt to the work of museum architects Ricardo Carvalho and Joana Vilhena. Can't wait to see the results!

MONOCLE

One of the best things that happened to me since I moved to a more European city, Barcelona, is the access to good magazines. My favorite (and the best magazine ever, in my opinion) is Monocle, 'a briefing on global affairs, business, culture&design'. Even if it is more expensive than in the UK for example, it is the best investment one can make for himself. I read it thoroughly every month, from the first page to the last, not missing any of the little text columns, like a really good book that makes you addictive. And after I read it, I become proud of my knowledge and I walk more confident on the street. Haha, yeah, try it!

a cool business social network

Now, with people getting fired because of their crazy photos from last night's party tagged on Facebook or their Twitter status that says too much, it is time for a serious approach on social networks. So, some smart guys created Qapacity, a business social network where one can offer his services in a marketplace built on personal reviews. Clients looking for services can access professionals which have been reviewed, recommended and rated by people who have used their services.

The platform is very user friendly. Sign up, add your services and in 3 minutes you get your own website for free. You can customize this site and add a blog, link it to your Flickr account or to other social networks you use. It is the online place to be, especially for small businesses and freelancers.

The guys behind Qapacity are Lasse, Sergio, Ina, Daniel, Julian & Tomy and they are calling themselves "a small group of internet entrepreneurs, coders and geeks living in Barcelona". Well done guys, well done!

shiny and new Beyonce

I never thought I will write a post on Beyonce. Not because I have something against her, just that, let's say, she is not my style. But lately, more precisely since she started her collaboration with famous designer Thierry Mugler, she reached my graces.

Although Mugler had stepped away from the fashion world, concentrating instead on his couture and fragrance collections, Beyonce tempted him back, making him create a 58-piece wardrobe for her upcoming world tour. And this is not all! He is also the creative director of her whole show giving his inputs on lighting, choreography and stage outfits.

So, thanks to Mugler, Beyonce is now riding the retro futuristic trend. Retro futuristic design is a return to, and an enthusiasm for, the depictions of the future produced in the past. Do you remember Metropolis? or Cartoon Network's The Jetsons? The Rocketeer? 2001:A space Odyssey? They all have elements of the future, as seen many years ago, which should have happened now. We already reached the time they were talking about and it's interesting to see where we are in fact and where people imagined we would be.

Beyonce is now part of this movement and she is doing it very good. As she is a trendsetter, I wonder what will happen with pop and R&B industry now. Her latest 3 video clips (Ego, Diva, Single Ladies) have the same structure: black&white colors+Beyonce+her 2 dancers+retro futuristic elements in their outfits (metal gloves, shiny leggings, big shoulders, metal layers)+burlesque elements (gloves, corsets, net tights). If you come to think of it, retro futurism and pop is a strange combination, but she sure makes it in a cool way.

high voltage art

David Lachapelle is high voltage art. His work is amazing, whether it is photography, advertising or film directing, he never fails. This is one of the reasons why he is very trendy among superstars, many of the them choosing him for directing their video (Christina Aguilera, Robbie Williams, Amy Winehouse and many others). But my favorite is the trailer that he did for Lost, showing the cast dancing in 1920s costumes, dancing near a burning wreckage on the beach, on Portishead's Numb. He also directed the promotion of Desperate Housewives season one and the sexy Christmas ad for Boots, where glamorous-looking women are doing relatively mundane Christmas tasks. Brilliant work!




LaChapelle has four published books of his photographs, all containing vivid and surreal portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Manson, Naomi Campbell, David Beckham, Björk, Courtney Love, Angelina Jolie, Pamela Anderson, Madonna, Rihanna and recently Lady GaGa. He is exploiting each and every detail, carefully arranging every corner of the picture. Nothing is random. Every time he super-dimensions elements in the picture and places superstars in a context where you least expect to see them. His use of celebrities exaggerates aspects of their personalities and their personal lives. This is why LaChapelle’s work has been described as surrealist, grotesque, shocking and ironic.

Carioca Studio is a photo production house based in Bucharest, specialized in advertising photography, which I admire very much. They are doing a brilliant job and I love their creative personal projects. When they have the time, they play with their crazy artistic ideas and fantasies. Some of them I find inspired by Lachapelle's work, as they tend to touch the limits of our minds and shock. Stunning cool!

beer and dressing rooms

The latest Heineken ad is the funniest I've seen in a while. Isn't this every man's dream? It even makes me buy Heineken from now on. I don't know if their target was only men but for sure they make both genders "happy".

dekap

Girls, have you ever imagined a market where instead of fruits&vegetables you have shoes and clothes? Some of us did so Dekap in Barcelona took the matter into hands and came up with an innovative display for their items. Cool hats, bags, shoes and helmets are presented in a special way, being hanged out like washed clothes or put in boxes like they were fruits in the market. Dekap is a very cosy place and I like the retro touch that you can feel in there. The black and white photos, an old style mirror, the walls that were not touched by any restoration method are few of the elements that make it a special place. I guess the images talk for themselves. Enjoy!

I must add/the espadrilles are very fashionable now in Barcelona. Men and women, they all wear them for the summer. So go get a pair! Dekap has one of the most special models.

The roses were hanged from the ceiling for Sant Jordi and outside tens of stickers with messages from the people that pass by make the shop window. Isn't that nice?

crochet crochet crochet

My grandma used to tell me: My dear, you have to know how to sew but this is not enough. Crocheting is what every lady of the house should know. I didn't learn it in the end because I was the opposite of a patient child but I always admire her when she is crocheting and I love the blouses that she could make. This is why this activity brings back family memories and the good old times.

But last week, in one of the nicest boutiques in Raval, La Col.lectiva, Josep Mestres presented for the first time his crochet collection. What he creates looks very different from what usually crocheting means for most of us. He is creating volumes, working even for 6 months only for the birth of one dress. "I am 95% autodidact and this allows me to be my own chief. When I have in my mind the next thing I want to do, I don't think if it is possible or not, I just throw myself in the process and have fun without compromises. I think this why my creations look like that", says Josep Mestres. (Soy autodidacta el 95% y eso me permite seguir mi proprio patrón, también tediré que cuando pienso en lo que quiero hacer no pienso si es posible o no, simplemente me lanzo y disfruto sin ningún tipo de compromiso, creo que es por eso que me salen así).

The artist, because I think this is more than designing fashion, is - maybe without being aware - part of the slow movement, preserving and supporting traditional ways of life. I love his work! You can buy his dresses in La Col.lectiva, c/LLuna 6, Barcelona, Raval district, Barcelona.

Primavera in the metro

The countdown for Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona started already and now there are only 2 days left. It is one of the best music events in South Europe and for sure a "must-go-to". But Primavera Sound took a ride with the Barcelona metro this weekend. Universitat, Passeig de Gràcia and Sagrada Família metro stations became spaces for live performances with the help of TMB and Ajuntament de Barcelona, an institution that doesn't stop to culturally amaze me. I really think they are the perfect example for a public institution that cares, works for and educates the citizens of a region, namely Catalunya. The city is giving back to the people what belongs to them. Isn't that cool?

Live music in the metro is a long term project for TMB as they started in 2001 with creating special corners for musicians to perform in the metro stations. Of course, you think musicians in the metro is not something new at all, but what is new is that here they have special spots created by the city hall!!!



Linking public transport with urban culture and the young is a great initiative and I wonder what happens in other big cities of this world. Usually citizens reclaim the public spaces and organize some forbidden instant events, like Reclaim the Sparkasse in Berlin that happens in a ATM space of a bank or in other places that need to be reclaimed. They have fun until the police comes. Sure, doing something forbidden always makes things more interesting but what happens in Barcelona is still very very cool.

Hussein Chalayan's tulle

My first meeting with Hussein Chalayan was in London at the Design Museum. And then, I was born :). This exhibition was the first comprehensive presentation of Hussein Chalayan's work in the UK. He is one of the most visionary designers working in fashion today. His use of material is amazing and it all comes by taking his inspiration from disciplines not readily associated with fashion, crossing between anthropology, history, science, philosophy and technology.

Mango's current shop window in Barcelona reminded me of one of his past collections Before Minus Now S/S 2000 where one of the center pieces was a shapeless bale of tulle that was cut gradually in order to arrive at a more regular dress. This technique was inspired by the way in which mountains are created by centuries of tectonic thrust and erosion. Two of the dresses were representing the collection at the Design Museum this year.

And this is Mango's shop window in Barcelona. The same tulle and the same colors, just that it serves different purposes and embraces different concepts. The tulle balls seem to be bath sponges if I look at the bath curtain in the back of the mannequins but the ladders confuse me a bit. Hmmm...

let's share the Lego feelin'

Lego reminds most of us of our childhood times, sitting on the carpet in our room, very concentrated in creating something of our own world. As brands already know that selling pleasant emotions is the key to success, Lego is extending his products to a whole new audience. Now they came up with this Lego camera aimed at teeny human friends. In fact, I think we will all buy it, with or without having children. Is it just my love for these bricks or lately they are everywhere?

The brick candles

After seeing the Nintendo approach on mixing sounds, one of my readers told me about Legoloop, a very cool projects that units Lego and music. The idea evolved out of the preoccupation with the term "live" in electronic club culture and the related melting of the two formerly separated roles of the DJ and the producer. The turntable and the computer are linked up to each other and form a new interface which allows a visual approach towards sample based digital sound generation. Lego bricks take over the functions of knobs, sliders, mouse and keyboard. A video camera replaces the needle as pick-up. Structures of sounds can be built, changed and destroyed intuitively. The cameras register the position and colour of the Lego blocks or rather, the sequence or pattern that these make when revolving with the turntable. I say, WOW! Must admit the sound is veeeeeeeery strange.



Please feel free to share your Lego experiences and discoveries with me. Let's get into the Lego mood!

food design

When it comes to food, and not only, we all have little rituals that we are not even aware of. We have a special cup for drinking coffee, special way of eating an orange, special napkins for dinner with the guests, etc. Admit it, it's true! Food is an important compound of our lives and we all have big expectations when it comes to smelling it, tasting it or just looking at it.

But who would of thought there can be a fairy doing the PR for our food? Such a person is called a food designer. Although you may think this is kind of a Chef, the job requires different skills. Beatriz Lloret, my teacher from the Coolhunting course that I take at IED, is a technical engineer in industrial design, studied a postgraduate in product design, has some notions of chemistry and alimentary industry and works as a food designer with elBulli and Escriba.

Food designing is part of a creative process. It all starts with the constant motivation of making the client happy. When creating an event for a specific brand, food can communicate much more than we think and it has to match a lot of variables. Are the people at the event standing or sitting? Which working domain do they belong to? Are they vegetarian? How can we make food matching the brand's personality? How can we make it innovative, tasty but also easy to eat? This is when the food designer comes in and starts talking about deconstruction, reconstruction, trompe l'oeil, crio-kitchen, trash cooking, cromatherapy and aesthetics. In food, of course!

So, after the shop experience we are now talking about food experience. We are not satisfied anymore with food that only stops our hunger but it has to be good looking and offer us a certain amount of fun. Oh, human kind will never ever get bored, that's for sure! The cakes in the pie chart shape from the picture are designed by Marti Guixe, one of the most playful food designers in the world.

I wannabe...

Wannabe Society is not about fashion, it is about who you want to be. It is just you and the chosen word. No design. Pure you. Black on white or white on black. Sounds nice, ha?

In fact it goes like this: you go on wannabesociety.com, you select the type of t-shirt, its non-color (black or white) and who you wannabe. Tuff question, isn't it? Well, you have to think hard. If you have no clue, you can choose from the 672 words available in Word Bank. If you still can't find your inner self there, you can suggest your own. Each member can suggest a word, which is added to the bank after approval.
But choosing the word is not that random, guys. When we know what we want, we are already half the way towards reaching it. "Wishing to be something is more than just being it", says Wannabe Society.

The project was established in 2005, 100% Slovenian-Ljubljana, as a result of an experiment in invisible design. Igor Arih, the man with the idea: "I have never believed that people were sheep with no imagination that needed everything to be drawn nicely so that they could imagine the contents." So, this is why at the very beginning you may think the t-shirts are boring, weired and somehow unfinished. That's what makes it a wannabe t-shirt!

But you know, be careful what you wish for, it might come true! "Be aware of the power of the message" is my favorite from all the funny 10 commandments. You thought buying a t-shirt with a message on is that easy?!??!

I like the project very much as it creates consumerism with spiritual meaning. It is aspirational and inspirational. I also believe in the power of the subconscious but it takes a lot of discipline and work to concentrate your wishes in just one word. Interesting enough if you take it seriously as they suggest. What do you wannabe today?

celebrating the full moon

where: c/Lluna (Moon St.) in the Raval district/Barcelona

when: every full moon
featuring: all the shops in the area, hair saloons, Catalans with their children, people from the neighborhood, art fans.

what's going on? each edition has its own specific activities. This Sunday was about live music, workshops for children, body painting, documentaries and projections, erotic reading, swing concert and God knows what more was this street hiding. The best thing is that people get involved in this celebration and start creating their own gimmick, installation, art or games for the ones that passed by. I love it because it is all about giving and sharing. No one is there for earning money (correct me if I'm wrong) but for the supreme purpose of having fun with the others. So, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. the Moon street was filled with happy people, all having fun underneath the shiny looks of the full moon.

My favorites:
Truly reviving the Nintendo but giving it a different purpose...the DJs were scrathin' on Nintendos!!! Where's Mario?!??!?!


Pepi's hair saloon. Specialized in natural rasta and extensions. (You will see why when you visit Barcelona). They were body painting this night.


Paper people. The project is very interesting as they inspired from Joan Colom' pictures portraying el Raval in the '60s and remade them but this time they switched the real people in the pictures with the paper ones they created.



El color da vida. So sweet!



Brazos y Abrazos/Arms and hugs. Accidentally or not, on the street with the blinking heart (it's there since forever and it never stops 'beating') there was an installation with lots of sweaters, tied by their hands, as if they were hugging. People had to add a sweater and create a big chain of...hugs.