Blog vacation

I know I haven't written in aaaages, but was very busy doing France and now I have a dry spell, and rather say nothing at all than a bunch of pointless crap, right?
Did find this for all of you who are also in lack of things to do at work!;
Design your shoe!

Well, why not?

Updo me!

Summer sales already?

Is it just me who had too much to do and didn't even see summer starting or are summer sales just starting earlier and earlier?
I'm not that excited... As much as it's too soon, it fells like it's mostly crap... Or as a good friend of mine said, "If you don't want it at full price, why would you want it at 50% off?"
Yet, I am a little bit curious about the Paris sales...!

Go, see, swop

For those of you who don't have yet another wedding to go to next weekend and are in Stockholm, check out the Summer Swop!

Women and men's wear, shoes and accessories, music, snacks and pleasentries promised! (Let me know if they lived up to it!)
Why not get rid of some of your stuff you never wear and get something new instead, for free?

Trends on their own

A movie doesn't have to be good to be trendsetting, just look at Risky Business with Tom Cruise (no, really , did you see it lately? It's bad...) But would Ray Ban's be where they are without it?
So it seems with Sex and the City 2, no one seems to like it but you can hardly buy a magazine that hasn't had (or are having) a trend report featuring the film. Not strange maybe since it has Carrie changing outfits enough to see a new one every three minutes, according to The Daily Mail. But at least it's good for something!

Weddings

Have been more han busy lately with a wedding, and it's not even my own! Or the upcoming royal wedding (please, let me not hear any more about it...) Although I heard rumours about a interactive dress, where you could take away parts as long as you add your own. Probably part of Lover Stockholm 2010 if you want to find out more.

Found an vintage wedding/party flower maker today, how lovely isn't that? Or is it too much?
See for yourself;

Out of nowhere

I was walking in to a mall, when suddenly I found this dress made of coffee-filters, string and what I think was toalle fabric. I don't know who made it or where it belongs, but it was standing outside Miss Sixty's. Odd, but nice!

Not so exited

Lindex is coming out with its second (I totally missed there was a first one, anyone else see it?) collection called "affordable luxury" in collaboration with Ewa Larsson (again, what?). I'll give them that it's a lot better than the "vintage" collections, but... than what? It's supposed to be luxurious and exclusive. Summery. Have strong silhouettes. Maybe I'm just tired and have seen one to many collaboration. Maybe you should just see for yourself!

Rainy Day

After all that sunshine lately I guess it was time for some rain, but it only makes me realize that my favourite big black umbrella that said "singing in the rain" is missing...

So, a replacement is needed! Maybe this one ?



Or maybe I'll keep looking...

Like flowers in the spring

They pop up every place! The student fashion/design/art exhibitions in Stockholm that is. For some free creativeness, check out the school websites.
I liked Maryam Avalinejads collection, but I'm sure there's lots of not-yet-ruined-by-demands-to-sell-talent out there!



Not so sure what I think about GANTs upcoming rowing competition this weekend though... Funny (in it incredibly off setting) or stupid?

Taking some of it back...

I recently said that H&M never really push their "do-good"-collections, but I realize there was actually quite some commotion about the Garden collection (that is made entirely of recycled material after all!) Still, it's a waste not to do better...
I also remembered there were rumors about a Jimmy Choo-collaboration, what happened to that? Because that I would wanna see!

Fashionable doubts

There are so man ways of looking at, and being in, fashion. I love it, and I hate it. There are the wear and tear collections, cheap as dirt and made to be obsolete in less than a season, and the classic pieces that are still probaly produced in no better way and far to expensive. So, what if you want to be in between? Buy from a small collection who makes everything at home, exclusive in a home-made kind of way and often very eco-friendly. Only problem is, more often than not I just don't like it! Wearing something should make you happy, or at least feel good, and not just about yourself for supporting the small entrepreneurs. Second hand is too hard to find, vintage is too expensive. Making it yourself? Well, that usually ends up being yet another half-finished garment in my closet...

But, when you find it, wherever you find it, that perfect dress/jacket/jeans/top (you get it...) you been searching for for ever, the one that makes your day, then it's all worth it!

What are your favourites, the ones you will never ever get rid of?

H&M are constantly doing one thing or the other to improve their image, often by charity. There latest two, H&M against AIDS (part 3, I think?) and Save the Oceans with WWF will probably be just as overlooked and forgotten as the last ones. Did I mention this is H&Ms third or so against AIDS campaign?
Here is what they say;

On 20th May 2010, H&M launches its third Fashion Against AIDS campaign, which includes the first festival collection, with 25% of the sales donated to youth HIV/AIDS awareness projects. ... the collection for both guys and girls will encompass the whole festival experience, from clothes and accessories through to tents and sleeping bags, all the while raising funds to promote the message of safe sex.

I don't know what's funnier, the fact that they made a white long dress for festival gear (haven't they ever thought about how muddy sleeping in a tent is?) or the fact that they want to promote safe sex during the same kind of events. Not that I don't support the cause, but maybe they should've thought it through... and maybe really try to crate awareness this time?

Save the Oceans-collection made of eco-cotton is in stores (or will be in in the next two days) and helps support Marine life, giving some of the revenue to WWF. Again, why haven't I heard more about this?
Well, for a chance to do a little good and get a new piece for the wardrobe at the same time, visit your local H&M!

Competition!

Not mine, but worth taking a look at. I think it's only open for Swedish participants, but it's worth seeing, since you can win a colourful one-of-a-kind (or close) dress.
Look more closely at Rino!

Princess

Walked past the designer alternative princess-dresses today at department store PUB, and I think the modern princess should have this fab piece by Astrid Olsson (Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair)!




See the rest of them/vote for your favourite here.

Market it

Attended a seminar today about the dos and don'ts of internet marketing and was surprised at the how many more women than men there was in the audience (our "professor" was a man though...) Is that occupation overrepresented by women, or are they just more willing to learn? All these questions while I was supposed to learn!
speaking of marketing strategies, Jade Jagger has made a collection of clothes and interior decoration for Indiska. Not so sure what I think about that either, have we seen to many collaborations already?
Well, you can judge for yourselves!

Faster, better?

Stumbled upon a Pop-up outlet today!



Pop-up stores are an old concept by now, but this was the first outlet of its kind I've seen. The next big thing in guerilla marketing or a sign that pop-ups are becoming mainstream?

Street art part 2

Happily I'm proven wrong about the street knit art all the time. Or maybe it's just that it's spring time and I'm noticing my surroundings once again?
In any case I found this one recently:




And I had forgotten about this trash can, which really made my day!

Dressed to Rule

Tomorrow there is an open lecture at Stockholm University, which I can't attend, but maybe you can?
It's called "Dressed To Rule - Qing Imperial Portraits In The Context Of Chinese Painting Tradition " and is given by professor Uta Lauer.

This is how it's described; "This lecture will introduce a number of portraits of the Qing emperor Yongzheng (r.1723-35) and his son Qianlong (r.1736-95) painted by the Italian court artist Guiseppe Castiglione (1688-1766).

The Qing were not Han-Chinese but Manchu. Portraits of these emperors in various masquerades from Chinese scholar gentleman to Buddhist monk emphasized their claim to rule over China. These pictures will be discussed against the background of traditional Chinese ancestral portraits and conventions of figure painting.

15.00-16.30, Lecture Hall E 10 at Stockholm University
Free of Charge"

Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but just maybe it'll make someones day!

This will not make your day

But the video to artist/designer (and so forth) M.I.A.'s Born Free is still worth seeing!

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

So amazing

Sometimes I wish I had the energy to write inspiring, witty and intelligent texts all the time (or maybe just more often than not). But. Sometimes I also think that maybe it's ok to just see something you really like and share it with others who might also like it, and let them make up their own opinion!
So, today I'll just share a classic from the great Elsa Schiaparelli, a real fashion icon, in collaboration with the always puzzling Salvador Dalí;

Sing me

If you're in New York, Paris or Brussels go watch an exhibition of Japanese artist Kimiko Yoshida!
For those of you who, like me, are not, you can watch her self portraits online.

Website Theatre

By chance I stumbled upon this this website: lindalarssen.com. It's one to get lost in! Sometimes Facebook is better than other times... And this is such a time!

Illustrate it

Fashion illustrator Stina Wirséns new exhibit opens in Gallery Demo in Stockholm today, she shows a collection of vintage garments along side the drawings that was inspired by them. All the while I think it's great that fashion is finally getting a new kind of exhibition space, I wonder when will the first online exhibition be for those who find themselves lacking time? Or, maybe it's one of those things you have to make time for...? In the mean time, or if you're not in Stockholm, you can always check out her art on her web page (or below)!

Pop shoes

Pop art most be the perfect art form to put on a commercial product. These converse shoes are brilliant in just their existence!

Visual pleasure

Sometimes just looking at things can be good enough, and I got reminded the other day that I still haven't seen designer Tom Ford's film A Single Man. Laziness, or afraid it's not going to be more than '60s pretty? Saw the old '60s classic Blow Up some days ago,and although I value it as a really good portrait of its time, David Hemmings and has nothing on Colin Firth!

Shop 'til you drop

In fact, at the rate we're consuming today, it's more shop until we all drop.
I already know this, and probably you do too, but sometimes a reminder is good, like watching The Story of Stuff on youtube (sorry, the links didn't cooperate today.)
But does that mean never get anything new? Fortunately no, because we can always buy vintage/second hand, clothes made by reused material or ecological fabrics!

Like this one (Sprudla by Kamilla, mainly reused fabrics);

Today I'm just gonna share a link, wish I could show you the picture, but then on the other hand his blog full of artworks is worth checking out!
So, go visit creative matador and have a nice weekend!

Au revoir tristesse

It's spring and despite my recent crappy mood, I have one thing that make me cheery again. Paris!
This summer I will spend ages at Colette, check out the YSL retrospective at Petit Palais, and maybe see another exhibition called "C'est la vie" because it's about death, and you have to appreciate the morbid humour, no?
But what else? I have a few months of waiting, and planning, to do, but any tips are welcome!

Academic fashion

Fashion can be pretentious in so many ways, so why not also academically? Sometimes taking yourself very seriously is a good thing! Just got the latest issue of collage magazine Lambda Nordica, theme: queer science of fashion. It has English and Swedish articles like "The vampire Dandy" and "The Vaseline Mafia". I do appreciate this!

Do it yourself

-The lazy way! Recently stumbled upon a site, Orkanlia, where you can order dresses, and decide what they'll look like! All the fun of picking fabrics and deciding on a model (you can try on different top and bottom parts for ever), without having to do any of the time-consuming dress-making! Now, if only I was a little richer....
Maybe an owl-dress? If nothing else, it's good for inspiration.

Not yet mine

But they will be!
How could anyone resist origami-strawberry earrings? I, myself, get tired just by thinking about folding. So lucky for me, someone else did it for me.
Wearable art at it's cutest!

Sur la plage

Is what the new exhibition by Bea Szenfeld opening today is called. You can see her haute papier collection, supposedly inspired by the Jules Vernes underwater-demons and other such myths about the sea, at Designgalleriet in Stockholm until April 30th. Since I have yet to see it I can't really tell you more than that, but if you have -tell me what you thought?

Mix it up

Today I literally stopped, as silly as it sounds, in my tracks when I saw G-STAR RAWs new campaign. The combination Liv Tyler- G-STAR-Anton Corbijn made me have to look twice.
Now, G-STAR has never, despite actual efforts, made me very excited about their products and although their campaigns are not bad they're also a bit bland. Corbijn, on the other hand, is one of my absolute favourite photographers whose photographs I never tire of looking at! Liv Tyler is cute, I guess, and Corbijn is known for photographing celebrities, especially in this black and white solemn style so that makes sense. But how did this collaboration come into being? Is G-STAR really credible as arty just because they're accustomed to using black and white in their campaigns and now do it with borrowed credibility?
Anyway, it's not bad, so enjoy!

Fairy tales

No-one can possibly have missed the Alice in Wonderland craziness, and it's adjoining hype all over the fashion industry. Everything from high fashion jewellery by Stella McCartney, in collaboration with Disney couture -who are lucky to have her, to Nicholas Kirkwoods Alice heels for Printemps.
There are rumours that Tim Burton's next project will be Sleeping Beauty, continuing his take on classics made famous by Disney.
But would this new movie also inspire fashion makers world wide? There's a strange and crazy allure to the Wonderland that fits Burton and fashion very well, but fairies and prince charmings? I would imagine since it's Burton that he would focus more on the evil fairy Maleficient. So, capes, dragons and dark make-up?All I can say is, one can only hope for a bit more of fashion escapism!

Tea-time

Norwegian designer Astrid Hanssens hand crafted silver and glass jewellery line is as irresistible as chocolate cupcakes are that time of the month. The thought of wearing something that's as perishable as a cake and as fragile (how fast would it not break if trying to do manual labour whilst wearing it?), is decadent in the best kind of way. The line that mainly consists of candy and fruit bracelets, necklaces and earrings also, for some reason, contains neon orange moose cuff links...
Is it meant to be a clever comment on the extremes of fashion, or just cute?
In any case after this Easter's candy binge I wish I had been able to indulge in this instead...

The brand name, Astrids Glass, tells me this is a glass-designer, but I have not been able to find out anything more about this, as I'm sure, lovely person. For now, all I can tell you is that these pieces are for sale in Tjallamalla, Stockholm.

Guerilla knitting

I thought this cosy type of street art had died down, but happily I noted yesterday that I was wrong when I found a new one!

Happy Easter!

Oh, and follow my blog with bloglovin why don't you?

Getting yourself out there

There are fantazy numbers of blogs out there so how do you get noticed?
This is a experiment post, but all and any tips are welcome!

Say it in pictures

Poplin turned out to be a store with just about everything, but in a good way. There's no down side to adding a (good) art break in your clothes browsing after all. Here's how the opening went down:

Low budget retro

I just recently found something suprisingly interesting at IKEA! Illustrator Lotta Kühlhorn designed textile series ANNAMOA, fabric prints that are modern retro. The thing is though, that this is actually old news, since it's been for sale for a couple of months. Makes me wonder why they didn't do an"H&M" and try to change some of their (build,) wear and tear image. And what else they have hidden there?
Although the Chanel illustration is not available as a fabric I couldn't help posting it too. Hope you enjoy!

Vardagsflärd, or how to brighten up a Wednesday evening

This invitation landed in my inbox a couple of days ago, and what better way to brighten up a normal Wednesday than a store opening? The store is a combined studio and shop and I'm curious to see what the collaboration between these brands (Orkan Lia and Cissi och Selma) will result in.



I also got another invitation, but of a far more private kind, in the mail. The work behind it, and of course what it's celebrating, made my day!

Wear it, be it

Kim Hagelinds environmental friendly costumes arrived at Tjallamalla in Stockholm a couple of days ago to be displayed (and sold to those who can afford it). Fashion insiders will already have seen it on Rookie 2010 at fashion week, but do stop by to watch the little pieces of art in their natural habitat!
As soon as my computer stops giving me trouble I'll post the pics that was originally meant to accompany this post...

Update: back in business! Admire the craft below;

Fashion Nonsense OD

As I recently feel bombarded with about a million different "what to wear this spring" features that gives me nothing but another summary of all the diffrent S/S 10 trends, I'll look backwards for something new. Luckily this weekend Stockholm has both Vintage Mässan, at Strand and Vintage Market in Skrapans basement!

It's the very last vintage market at Skrapan so best take advantage of it when there's still time... The flyer also promises art, which is right up this blog's alley, and love. The love for a really fantastic pair of shoes?

And should it not be spectacular, then at least it's good for the environment!