observations of a wallflower

just moved

2009-06-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-06T14:21:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-22T06:47:00.001-07:00

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'

2009-05-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

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.

a collector's heart

2009-05-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

When Barca is playing, the world stops in Barcelona. If the team wins, the city becomes wild. Everybody is out in the street, singing, dancing, hugging, jumping. Football really brings people together...it is incredible how human kind is suddenly just full of joy.

Collecting football cards is a passion for many football fans. I found myself walking near Sant Antoni market on a Saturday afternoon and a crowded street corner caught my attention. When I got closer I realized there was a football cards trade fair. I almost forgot that this still exists. There were so many people, children with parents, old collectors, and they were so into it that they didn't pay any attention to me when I almost stuck my camera into their eyes. So, yes, the world stopped again for them.

Do you remember the mechanism? You buy packages with different cards or stickers and the album. You have to complete the album with all the cards and if you do it you are the king. Or you just buy a notebook with blank pages and you stick them in. The main idea is to collect them all. But completing this task takes very long time and on the way there are other fun activities like exchanging the double cards. This is like a social event. People meet, they bargain (of course there are special rules like for example you can get 2 cards for some special/rare one that you have), they exchange them and they go home, anxiously waiting for the next trade fair.

8 seems to be THE age for this activity but there are a lot of nostalgic persons. Some of them are doing this since they were young or others stopped at a certain age and are just remembering the times.You just need to have an emotional connection to do it. In Berlin, 2006 World Championship was the moment for everybody to get back to the old times and start collecting the cards that portrayed this event.

starting point: film noir

2009-05-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

Latvian duo, Mareunrol's, hits the fashion industry with film noir inspired collection. Marite Mastina and Roland Peterkops are part of those very few designers that make more than fashion. They are involved in the music, arts and fashion movements in Riga, making a hell of a good job.

I saw their latest collection, entitled Private Detective at 080 Barcelona Fashion and they really stood out from the other brands. Heavily influenced by the film noir genre, gangster and detective stories, the collection was about concealing hidden messages, and also led to the creation of their first ever short fashion film with the same title, directed by Kristine Kursiaa.

I like the extra volumed hair that doesn't give you the chance to see the person's eyes and face. It wraps the whole collection in mystery, making it very unique. The fashion show is not only presenting clothes but is story telling and meaningful, playing with your expectations and feelings. They are trendsetting and cool. Great, just great!

artvertising

2009-05-07T05:09:00.001-07:00

A few centuries ago, art was considered/used as advertising (some of my favs: Alfonso Mucha, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec). Now there are a lot of debates on whether advertising can be considered art. All the creatives from the advertising agencies long for the 'artist' status. Is placing fine art in the ads a way of getting it? Of course not, but the number of famous paintings used in prints is increasing lately and I find some of them interesting and funny.

El Corte Ingles launched this year a campaign inspired by Velázquez's 'Las Meninas'. Practically, the painting is being brought into modern times, each and every element from the original painting being edited according to today's life. Velázquez is becoming a photographer, the canvas is an umbrella, even the wardrobe keeps the times' feeling, besides the painter's leather jacket obviously. Nothing is random, not even selecting Velázquez for promoting a very traditional supermarket for Spanish people. El Corte Ingles is their every Sunday store, a family tradition as they go together, almost a ritual. I could go on and on talking about Las Meninas and its mirror and reflection game, about the semiotics of this painting, as it was also a subject for my thesis at University, but I will let you discover its meaning.

Another long term debate in advertising is on the efficiency of the campaigns. I won't go to El Corte Ingles just because I like Velázquez but for sure this print will stick to my mind. What exactly are they counting on when creating such an ad? They say it's useful because art catches your eyes and the ad grabs its quality, increasing memory on the product. It is true that art connects emotionally with people and in a way it is less artificial and has a stronger impact.

Art appropriation is the use of a work of art in an advertisement. It seems that in the process of appropriation, art lends some of its cultural aura to the advertisement, which becomes aesthetically charged. A bit too spiritual, isn't it? A few qualitative studies suggest that not only does appropriation result in the advertisement gaining some aesthetic value, but it also results in the artwork losing some of its original aesthetic value.

Anyway, there is a constant fear among contemporary artists that, if their work will be stripped of the artistic context, very little would remain. Do Dali, Velázquez , Magritte and many others turn in their graves right now?

Advertising, as McLuhan said, may have indeed been the greatest art form of the 20th century. Perhaps art will be known as the greatest form of advertising in the next.

make them kiss the canvas

2009-05-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry! Nope, it is not a boxing game. It's fashion again!? Yep! Mango Fashion Awards, a contest between young designers from the most prestigious design schools in the world, competing for 300,000 euros and the chance to break the ice in the real fashion world.

I was taking a walk through the city and suddenly my eyes fell on some fashion booths. Very unexpected! The 10 finalists of Mango Fashion Awards displayed their collections on the most luxurious avenue of Barcelona, Paseo de Gracia. People's reaction to the display had a convergent point, namely taking pictures of themselves with the fashion aquariums. Young, old, tourists or Catalans, they all stopped to see what's going on with these clothes out in the street.

Korean-born Jin Youn Lee won the contest and got the largest sum offered to date in a competition of this kind. I admired his collection: all black, with android look&art deco influences (big shoulders, sharp cuts).

I say congrats to the winner, to the creator of the project and to the brilliant mind that had the idea of an exhibition staged on one of the most famous fashion streets in Europe. High design, high innovation!

rolling

2009-05-05T01:34:00.000-07:00

London is roller skating! You would think, yeah, OK...but people are roller skating since the 18th century. What is new? As every trend, social actions come and go out of fashion. They always come back when you least expect and with additional details, adornings that make things so wanted again.

Now, roller skating is turning London crazy. It is a frenzy! And they do it the cool way, buying the classical roller skates. Remember them? I am a fan of the vintage influence in our lives now, just that sometimes I feel like I am repeating myself...but, honestly...that's what's going on! Vintage is taking over our lives and now it's into the roller skating. It came as a surprise for me the fact that not only women but also man buy this kind of skates again. I always thought it's more like a girly thing, as I remember mine, white with pink wheels. These days roller skates is among the most popular search words on e-bay and they have more models for men!

The question is how far will this go? Will Manolo start designing roller blades too? Will Louis Vuitton put the monograms on some skates? Till then, see ya rolling in Hyde Park.

the flash mob phenomena

2009-05-04T01:30:00.000-07:00

I am crazy about flash mobs. Ever since I heard about the phenomena I wanted to be part of it and then I was constantly trying to convince my clients (when i was doing my PR job for Lowe Public Relations in Bucharest) of the awareness of such an event. I guess Eastern Europe is not yet ready for this kind of crazy happenings but there are some big cities all over Europe that do it and do it good.

For those of you who are not familiar with the concept, a flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse. Usually the people are notified by e-mail or social networks where to be, at what time and what they have to do.

In fact, this kind of event is not new at all. It is in a way a form of performance art and it works like a political demonstration but with totally different goals. The first flash mob dates from 2003 when Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine, convinced more than 100 people to go to the 9th floor rug department of Macy's, gathering around an expensive rug. Anyone approached by a sales assistant was advised to say that the gatherers lived together in a warehouse in New York, that they were shopping for a "love rug", and that they made all their purchase decisions as a group. Then followed: 200 people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about 15 seconds, and a shoe boutique in SoHo that was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on a bus trip.

Starting as an action made just for fun, it became a PR&advertising tool, a bit overused but still very entertaining. It is pretty clear that T-mobile has an on going flash mob based advertising strategy.

A lot of people today wish to be part of a flash mob. My friend who lives in London is almost crying now for not being in the right time at the right moment, 3 days ago, when T-Mobile hosted a huge karaoke session in Trafalgar Square. The footage from the event will be used in the new T-Mobile TV ad.

Most notable was worldwide pillow fight day in March 2008. Over 25 cities around the globe participated in the first "international flash mob", which was the world's largest flash mob to date but I can't decide whether my favorite is Frozen in Grand Central or the T-Mobile dance.

Casa da Música

2009-05-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

What is that?! Is it a bird? Noooooo! Is it a plane? Noooooo! Is it an UFO? Nooooo! Is it Casa da Música? Yeeeeaah!

The year in which Porto was Cultural Capital of Europe, 2001, gave birth to the first new building in Portugal to be entirely dedicated to music - to the presentation and public enjoyment of music, to music education and to the creation of music. It is so cool that Roisin Murphy - who is for me the Queen of Coolness - held her concert there last year.

Interaction and engagement are very important these days when it comes to successful happenings, as everyone wants to feel part of the process. Everybody wants to be an artist now and wants to make things with his own hands. At Casa da Música you can even create your own music or play various types of games which imply sounds.

I've been there to an impressive show which featured people with disabilities and was bringing together live music, videos and contemporary dance. The purpose of this show was to raise awareness on the social problem that these people have. It was shocking but extremely good.

Looking like a building from the future, Casa da Música is the place to go when visiting Porto, not only for the show experience but also for the architectural one. The pictures speak for themselves. I just want to add that there are no 90 degrees angles here.

Keel's diary by Taschen

2009-04-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever kept a diary?

a) yes, and now I am laughing my heart out when I read it;
b) no, but I have always wanted to keep one - didn't have the time and courage to do it;
c) nooooooo, it is too cheesy and gay.

No matter which one is your answer, tadaaaaaam: Keel's Simple Diary by Taschen. A sweet little book with funny questions that one should fill in. A page for every day, taking not more than 2 minutes of your time and giving you some moments of fun, wisdom and comfort.

Well, to be honest, people need this kind of things. In a world where products are out as soon as they are in, where even our accessories need accessories...we need simple tools. Slowly, we start admitting our need to conquer busy life and actually live. Keel's diary published by Taschen is a book that helps us look inside because we are overloaded outside.

The author, Philipp Keel, so adept at asking questions in his search for understanding who we are and why we do what we do, also provides some compelling, philosophical and witty answers in his new work.

The diary will be released on 2nd of May, so stay tuned! It will be available in various colours, so one could choose the one that best fits his personality. You can buy it for yourself or give it as a present. I had a sneak preview ;) It is lovely!

Imelda May

2009-04-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

Johnny got a boom boom oh yeah/Johnny got a bamm...He's got ya in his hands/Gonna make ya wanna /Make ya wanna ohh...

I am still under the influence of Imelda May's concert last night in Apolo/Barcelona. She is addictive, she makes you wanna dance and sing along, reminding me of my rock'n roll sessions as a child - meaning listening to music on the record player and dancing in the living room.
Her music goes deep under your skin and runs through your veins. It has some kind of magic that only live beautiful voices like hers can do it.

Coming from Dublin, she shared stages with everyone from Van Morrison to the Scissor Sisters and now she is reviving retro music, mixing in a fresh and cool sound jazz, blues and rockabilly.

Everything fits just perfect. Her voice with her clothes, the haircut, her body language on stage, her laugh and giggling. She gives you the shivers! Imelda May is the new sound that is taking the London music scene by storm. She definitely is the one to watch for 2009.

eat fashion

2009-04-28T10:37:00.001-07:00

I know that fashionistas without shopping are like humans without air. Moreover, for them, shopping or any item of a wardrobe can substitute food or can drive away hunger (either because one is too tired to eat or because one doesn't have any money left to buy it) but I never saw this idea so good depicted like in a boutique from Lisbon/Bairro Alto.

Here, bags and caps are "fresh meat". Can it be more clear than that? The visual merchandising manager gets a 10 for this! The display is very funny. You never expect to see accessories for clothes in meat refrigerators. Anybody wants to go for a "dinner"?

FABRICA

2009-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Benetton is taking the future to the next level. FABRICA is the name of their creativity laboratory, a talent incubator, where artists from all over the world develop innovative projects in fields from design, music and film to photography, publishing, visual communication and the Internet. It is the most creative initiative I've seen conducted by a fashion house that dares to conquer other fields while still making a fashion out of it.

Apart from the brilliant idea of the project I very much enjoyed my time in the store from Lisbon. Some of the cool products are available to people in the FABRICA Features spaces. So, the 4th floor of Benetton's building is not only a shop but an art gallery, a music center, a stationary exhibition, a cool place where one should make wishes. Yes, that's right, you have a special place with a sweet view over the city (even if it was raining at that time) where you should make a wish. Mine came true so the place has the good vibes. Definitely a must see!

P.S. I like Colors Notebook/blog.FABRICA/the sketchbooks and the special collections.
Special thanks to Ruxi with whom I share the same bag design now :)

the shop experience

2009-04-25T04:14:00.000-07:00

We are overcoming the materialist state in a way because we started to appreciate the uniqueness of things, the one time events, the feeling that a shop gives you, the buying experience in marketing terms, the spiritual experience. This trend started around 4 years ago with the happening shops like Swatch Instant Store and it is now developing fast in most of Europe's capital cities.

I was last week in Bucharest, my hometown, and I was amazed by the quantity of newly opened concept stores, boutiques and experience shops. Kombinat is mainly a clothes shop but as the name says, they combine this with photography, good music played on the record player/tea - you can sit back and relax on a vintage sofa and drink your cup of tea while looking at the old stove with the Romanian classical kitchy porcelain toys decorating it/books - most of them on feminist themes, don't know why?!/paintings, pins/Berlin they say - maybe because it is now the coolest city in Europe; urban stuff and lots and lots of vintage influences.

Moreover, the owners are very friendly and nice people so, it is worth to go there enjoy the atmosphere, buy some cool clothes and have a talk with them. Hurray for Bucharest and quality shopping!

back to the roots

2009-04-24T05:07:00.000-07:00

Catalan designers (and not only) presented their collections at 080 Fashion Barcelona, making a very good impression on their perception and inspiration in the textiles that should cover our body.

Many talented young designers inserted in their clothes next season's trend: less function more fiction/closer to nature/design inspired by vegetal world/loose fitting.

It is nice to see that in a world where we are consuming all the time without thinking of the consequences, they found a way to return to the roots and get closer to nature by using recyclable materials and nature motifs.

The conclusion: blend with the environment.

fashion for fashion

2009-03-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

For young people, going to a fashion event is like being reborn. This is why they cannot wear their usual clothes. Fashion events are like the few moments in life when you can dress up. Everything is allowed. You will never be considered as crazy or ugly but interesting and full of insights. So, they should organize instant fashion shows with the people invited to the event. It would be really worth it.

I've seen some mind blowing outfits at Bread&Butter Barcelona, London Fashion Weekend and 080 Fashion Barcelona. Comparing them, I can say it was about cool '80s for B&B, '80s and Victorian Era influences for London and '70s vintage style for the Catalan fashion event, 080.

As for the latter, everybody, I mean everybody was vintage. I was wondering what year are we and if I was unconsciously forced to get in the time machine. Unfortunately, some sides of the vintage trend had down shifted beauty. I mean, not everybody looks good wearing high waist pants, vintage glasses, leggings or shortened pants with a view to the socks. Now, ugly is cool.

To understand more of what I am talking about check out flickr/fashion4fashion.

flavors of Barcelona

2009-03-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

When you are new in a city like Barcelona, you suddenly loose the reference points in life. "To whom or what do I belong to" question conquers your state of mind. Slowly but inevitably you fall in love with the city.

Now I have "my favorites" (barrio, placa, Sunday coffee bar etc), I taste, I feel and I smell the soul of this amazing city every day. It is a place where you can never get bored and I am living the most spontaneous moments ever. So, today I will serve you 3 barrios, situated near the center, each having a typical flavor.

El Raval is my favorite because of its diversity. Ex-Chinese neighborhood, el Raval is now a mixture of old, new, stinky stuff, cool museums, pakis, international phone booths, scary people & very good bars.

Smell\Kebab
Taste\Lime
Color\Fuchsia - because of its craziness
Highlights\best second hand and vintage shops with workshops included, Casa Camper, MACBA, skaters, CCCB, Madame Jasmine - my very favorite

Barrio Gotico is the aristocratic version of El Raval. Charming and elegant.

Smell\pastry
Taste\red wine
Color\cherry red
Highlights\Harlem Jazz Club, small boutiques, funky clothes shops, small art galleries and antique shops.

El Borne is the sweetest barrio in Barcelona. It is packed with cool restaurants, small bars where you can have the time of your life and shops with expensive but extremely beautiful hand made stuff.
Smell\cotton
Taste\crepes with cinnamon
Color\coral
Highlights\El Xampanyet, Creps al Born, wine bars, hand made stuff shops.

As one of my friends says, you cannot know the real face of a city if you haven't lived there for more than 4 months. I will soon celebrate 6 but I am sure that the good stuff is yet to come.

LEGO world

2009-03-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love LEGO? It is the game of my childhood, together with Barbie dolls of course. I am talking about the Lego I was playing with 15 years ago and not the one they are selling now. Let's call it the classic Lego, in which you only have bricks, a board, windows and doors and the rest is up to you. God, I would still spend hours playing with this!

Seems that all this retro&vintage trend has got really deep under our skin. I would firmly like to add that this is not a boy game as I heard people talking. Why do you think they have pink bricks and boards? Or more precisely, why would Lanvin launch a campaign with LEGO? I tell you, for the fun and happiness of nostalgic girls like me. Lanvin print campaign is inspired by Lego and by Pacman. I think there are lots who will get excited about Pacman too. I am just a Lego fan. Photographs by Hartland Villa.

Not only big fashion houses got the LEGO feeling but also hand made designers introduced this little pieces in their collections. Look what I found in Portobello Road, London.

And I couldn't help myself from buying these broaches. I wear them with pride.

dandy girls

2009-03-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was one of the lucky ones who got in at Bread&Butter Barcelona trade fair thanks to Trendwolves. If you are hungry for fashion trends, this is one of the best places to hunt them.

Looking at the next year's collections, I realized that the huge gap between yin and yang is no longer there, as the feminine and the masculine present in all of us seem to get along just fine for once. Designers have already presented a more masculine type of woman, bold enough to go for three-piece suits, or trenches with a masculine cut but this year, I saw for the first time the true revival of the dandy look for women. As I like it very much, I had the curiosity to dig for this trend's birth.

Once, the word dandy was a nickname for Parisian&British overly-groomed men living in the 18th-19th centuries. The charm of the dandies lied in their obsessive care on aesthetics, elegance and their noble aspiration to be sublime. Baudelaire was deeply interested in dandyism, and memorably wrote that a dandy aspirant must have "no profession other than elegance ... no other status, but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons ... The dandy must aspire to be sublime without interruption; he must live and sleep before a mirror." So that the others dress to live, he lives to dress. Nice, isn't it?

Beau Brummel is the most famous dandy of all times. He won fame in the early 19th century for his fastidious hygiene and inconspicuous dress: fitted navy jacket, crisp white shirt, and plain trousers, at a time when men of his station were partial to lace, brocade, and powdered hair. He was what we would call today an innovator, more than a trendsetter.

George Sand's reputation came into question when she began sporting men's clothing in public (19th century) — which she justified by the clothes being far sturdier and less expensive than the typical dress of a noblewoman at the time. In addition to being comfortable, Sand's male dress enabled her to circulate more freely in Paris than most of her female contemporaries could, and gave her increased access to venues from which women were often barred. Also scandalous was Sand's smoking tobacco in public.

Romaine Brooks did her most amazing work from 1920 through 1924, painting portraits of women in blacks and grays. Brooks’s story reminds me that you may not know it at the time, but amazing things are just around the corner, you just need to get there. She is best known for her images of women in androgynous or masculine dress, including her self portrait, which is her most widely reproduced work.

Marlene Dietrich is famous for her dandysim: "I dress for myself. Not for the image, not for the public, not for the fashion, not for men."

Then was Sade.

As you can see, with time, dandyism became more than just a relic nickname for classy gentlemen. The lavish elegance so emblematic to Oscar Wilde’s writings has been reinvented to be one of next season's trendiest fashions for high class girls. One of my favorite is Janelle Monae. She is a perfect dandy of our times. Masculine shoes, bow tie, shoulder straps, she's got it all!

Take a look at Junya's Watanbe S/S 07 collection. It is incredibly dandy and beautiful.

As for products, fashion house Givenchy has launched along with makeup artist Nicolas Degennes a dandyism homage makeup collection including a lip & chic gloss shaped as a manly chained pocket watch. I love it.

We shouldn't forget that dandies, fops, and swells were also blurring the gender lines, both in dress and behavior. So, a female dandy could also be a dandy with no worries. Like the T. Rex lyrics say Girls will be boys / and boys will be girls / it's a mixed up world.

out in the street

2009-03-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

Barcelona is one very alive city. Doesn't matter if it's 9 in the morning or 3 in the night, you are never alone on the streets. Moreover, you can have the best of fun without spending a lot of money, spontaneously joining "botellon" parties (a custom that takes place mainly in the Spanish nightlife, which involves the gathering of a large number of young people to drink beverages previously acquired in shops (usually supermarkets), to listen to music and talk) in the small placas singing along with the talented guitar, harp, flute, sax singers. They make you feel you are their special public, engaging you more and more with every song.

So, if you find yourself late at night, walking on the streets without anything interesting to do, you can always go to Placa del Sol and witness special gimmicks, like the girl in this picture is doing, or just sit and relax, listening to people putting all their sorrows and happiness in touching instruments.

more pics: Gracia by night

RA DIOHEA_D

2009-03-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last year, rock innovators Radiohead shot a video for House of Cards. No cameras or lights were used. Instead two technologies captured 3D images: Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR. Geometric Informatics scanning systems produce structured light to capture 3D images at close proximity, while a Velodyne Lidar system that uses multiple lasers is used to capture large environments such as landscapes. In this video, 64 lasers rotating and shooting in a 360 degree radius 900 times per minute produced all the exterior scenes.

Are you among those who understand each and every word of what I just said? I must admit I am not that good when it comes to technical details though I like to think of myself as a technology oriented person. When I first saw this video I felt really outdated and I was wondering what did I do all this time. Where was I?

Imagine that in 2050 all the information generated until know (since the existence of Earth) will be doubled. I wonder if in a few years time I will still be able to understand something about this world or I will have some kind of 'grandma' syndrome. So this, cloud computing, nanotechnology and what's next?

Shot by James Frost of Zoo Films, the video can be viewed here: HouseOfCards

feeling books

2009-03-13T12:49:00.001-07:00

What's your favorite bookstore? Think of its colours, smell, sound and of how do you feel there. Hmmmm... Ok, stop! Now imagine that Ciclic is 10 times better than that.

I don't know if you are the same but I could spend days inside bookstores, scanning every book, wanting to buy each and every one. This could really be a problem because I wouldn't have enough space to store them in my house and not even money to buy food.

Ciclic is a design/architecture/art/photography books heaven. It was lovely listening to Dave (the owner) how he talks about books like they were his babies. You can always find him there, chatting with the customers and recommending the best titles. He changed my perspective on books. The most interesting insight was about books as means of expression for the repressed artist, the one that has no other way to show his art, as it is considered to be tabu/too weird/aggressive/sexual to come out otherwise. And as if this wasn't enough, they also have a really well supplied video shop.

Wrapping up, even if you are a book fan or not, Ciclic should be among your landmarks in Barcelona.

le cool

2009-03-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

I started to read Lecool magazine as soon as i got to Barcelona. Being new in such a city is not an easy thing to do so, Lecool was there for me when i didn't know where to start from. This is how i got to the most amazing&crazy parties, concerts, shops in here.

Last week I had the chance to visit their headquarters and found out the story behind this cool magazine. Sincerely, i found what i was expecting. Behind such a cool thing there can't be anything else but cool&special people.

They work in an old precious building from Barrio Gotico and hold their meetings in a lovely patio, remembering me of Eixample's hidden gardens.

As every success story, it started with someone's desire to show stuff. Desire to share good places with friends and continuously pursuing for "the best" one. Slowly, Lecool became a good friend in the know, edgy but not elite, speaking to trendsetting readers, having the "knowledge for a better living" kind of vision.

Passion is the name of the game...cause that is how they choose which event should be published. So let yourself caught!

mi barrio

2009-03-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

I find it incredible how things show up when you pay special attention to them. On your daily way home try not to look down but up, try not to think of what to do when getting home but look at the places and people that pass by and try to find out their hidden meaning. You will discover a whole new world.

Check out what I found/ mi barrio pics