cute, colorful and piccolo

are the three adjectives the designer ionna vautrin chose to describe her new table lamp Binic.  inspired by windsocks on boats, these lamps are indeed cute, quirky and unassuming like their creator.  there's a child-like quality in vautrin that's appealing.  i particularly like her simple but evocative sketches.  here's a video of her explaining how she came up with the design.

oskar metsavaht

"My creative process begins with a scene, a history, a style, a concept that I create from something that I wished or lived.  From this point, I create the environment, the atmosphere, the looks and the attitudes.  In most cases, I have the concept of the campaign before the collection.  Maybe that's the reason I love doing the art shooting.  I create the atmosphere of the story and I make my own films, with which I can share the scene I imagined from the beginning of the process.  The pieces are drawn to be the figurine of my film.  And it is possible to "watch" in each detail of my collection.  I am only satisfied when proposed elements for each piece, the colors, the textures and the silhouettes start being used by the characters of the film I made."

i'm speechless.  images from his current collection (below) might as well be clipped from fellini's 8-1/2.

my name is mona

treasure hunt

mk + i spent the morning at the flea market.  here are a few memorable pieces.

a stool crafted out of solid teak wood.  asking $150.

a skinny bench with nice joinery but not very stable.  asking $25.

cute stroller in the  back.

this stall of handmade jewelry is incredible.  the owner is the artist and he reminds me of beth orduna except that his work is more raw and bold.  if you can zoom into the photo, the piece with the chunky crystal dangling from the thick industrial chain on the left center of picture is my favorite.  he asked for $80 and i would have gotten it if not for the rust on the chain.  his work has soul and his aloofness is touching.

you can sense his artistry not only from the pieces he created, but the care he put into the display of his work.  

these boots rock!  thomas wylde, would you please plagiarize them for your next collection??

a johnsian conversation

we are so fond of jasper johns that we named our son after him.  perhaps more captivating than his work, i find, is his personality.  a conversation with johns can be so distinctive that people in the art world refer to it as "a johnsian conversation."  here's an illustration excerpted from the book by michael crichton.

The art critic Leo Steinberg has recorded the following conversation:  "i asked [Johns] about the type of numbers and letters he uses - coarse, standardized, unartistic - the type you associate with packing cases and grocery signs.

Q:  You nearly always use this same type.  Any particular reason?

A:  That's how the stencils come.

Q:  But if you preferred another typeface, would you think it improper to cut your own stencils?

A:  Of course not.

Q:  Then you really do like these best?

A:  Yes.

This answer is so self-evident that I wonder why I asked the question at all; ah, yes - because Johns would not see the obvious distinction between free choice and external necessity.  Let me try again:

Q:  Do you use these letter types because you like them or because that's how the stencils come?

A:  But that's what I like about them, that they come that way.

while i'm totally fascinated and amused by reading these conversations, i can imagine living with someone like this will make me jump out the window, very quickly.

invisible cities

in the novel, italo calvino depicted marco polo inspecting and reporting to kublai khan on his ever-expanding territories. the way the venetian traveler described each city was mesmerizing. the great khan found comfort and consolation in polo's accounts of his unique and bizarre journeys. at the same time, he was offered no practical information. the stories told were at once magical and irrelevant.

i remember being fascinated when i read the book 20 years ago. upon revisiting it during thanksgiving break, it is now that i can fully embrace and connect with the way calvino described his intellectual depression: "... i ceased to be young. perhaps it's a metabolic process, something that comes with age, i'd been young for a long time, perhaps too long, suddenly i felt that i had to begin my old age, yes, old age, perhaps with the hope of prolonging it by beginning it early." he wrote this at age 43.

when you've come this far in the journey, you seek no longer the black or white. it's the shades of grey in between that is enchanting and offers meaning. it's the substance lying beneath the surface that breathes life and truth into everything.

sass & bide

i love the way their website casually opens unto a full page fashion show of the current season. the collection is young and fun with pixelated prints mixed with strawy stuff plus a few metallic things for accent. the music is cool, even the simple white tent looks fine. all that's left is to offer a little help on the audience's styling..

with this inspiration, go get crazy at target and mix it all up.

the store that never opened

when i think of tobias wong, a few good things come to mind. his Killer Diamond Engagement Ring, his Smoking Mitten, his Coke Spoon. best of all, his Wrong Store that never opened.

MATTER MADE

a few interesting pieces from this design showroom in new york.

a stunning coffee table in huge chunks of wood coated with a brilliant layer of silver. Periodic Table by One And Co, only $42,000.

Lantern Table is made by "blowing hot molten glass directly into an oversized brass mesh structure, containing it like a net. as the glass pushes and strains against the containment, the form is violated, becoming a more organic shape". result? a work of beauty that's both structured and fluid . designed by Stephen Burks, $10,000.

i would (almost) kill to have this chopping board!

one of a kind Butcher Block, $2,500.

first pick

the title of this post might be a little misleading.  by "first pick", i refer to the pieces jotted down as i browsed through the web pages in two minutes, essentially picked at first impression.  why do i feel comfortable sharing this on the blog, you ask.  because as much as i believe life should be lived seriously, i often remind myself to be light.  so here's my "light" list of suggestions out of the net-a-porter sale (on accessories).  let me know if you like!

this piece caught my eye immediately.  love the polka dot tie.

margiela is margiela, even without margiela..

a more modern and edgy erickson beamon piece i've seen.

this piece is big and clunky, nice.

a substantial belt.

check out other images on the website.  this is a handsome belt on the right dress.

the vintage clasp makes the belt.

i'm not always crazy about judith lieber's designs.  but this piece can almost pass for a georg jensen, whose work i love.

house of conran

Barton Court is sir terence conran and his fourth wife vicki davis' home in england. the house is spacious (at 25,000 sf, 27 rooms), well-lit, mostly retains its history and character (dating back to 1772), yet modernized and comfortable.

this article i clipped from Metropolitan Home back in 2005 (the magazine went out of business in 2009). today i spent time digging it up to illustrate an idea to our son. when i read it again, it clearly proves that a good design can withstand the test of time.

topiary plays a big part in the gardens.

when you are contented with life, you look extra lively.

a simple but practical kitchen.

i love the patchy yellow walls in the master bedroom. it was painted by conran's nephew morrison when she was an art student. now she is co-partner of sigerson morrison shoes.

the 30'x30'(!) master bathroom is serene and relaxing. the milk chocolate colored travertine, the gigantic double basins, the display of brushes, the round fireplace, and most importantly, the abundant natural light make it a sanctuary.

models of his furniture design line the shelves in his office.

the stack of little cabinets house his butterfly collection.

the guest room is my favorite with the original ceiling design. it is questionable why conran lowered the ceilings of most rooms from 12' to 8'.

the "garage hallway" aptly houses his collection of bugatti pedal cars on the wall. the color of the wall imitates his signature blue shirt.

the living room is my least favorite space of the house. its style departs from the intrinsic character of the house and takes on an almost shabby chic look.

this photo of vicki conran in the garden picking fresh crops with her hair blowing wildly in the wind makes their life in the house believable. it is more than a set prepared for a magazine shoot. i love it.

SHOWstudio

besides being one of the best fashion photographers of our time, nick knight is a brilliant art promoter and businessman.  his founding of SHOWstudio to offer rare and bespoke artefacts created for iconic fashion shoots and catwalk shows allows the general public to participate and perhaps even own a piece of fashion history (if you can afford).  he also invites artists to hand-craft their creations in front of webcams in his Live Studio. it is his belief that "showing the entire creative process - from conception to completion - is beneficial for the artist, the audience and the art itself".  of course, the art itself will be for sale through his shop afterwards.

Kate, print by nick knight, 2006. 

15,000 british pounds.

Pleated Puke, mixed media by various artists, 2009.

15,000 british pounds

part of lady gaga's 2009/2010 tour, the fashion film, Puke on Gaga, features puking millie performing on lady gaga in a pleated white markdo mitanovski dress (above).

Black Tie, artefact by alister mackie, 2010, sold.

i am definitely making this for our son's collection of bow ties.

lou doillon

this video of doillon for vanessa bruno's S/S 2010 collection is probably the most romantic fashion video i have seen.  her atypical beauty, irresistable spirit, fragility shone through and gave the imagery so much more.  to me, she's a real style icon.  you can't take your eyes off her for who she is and not for what she wears.  with enviably good genes in her, being the third daughter of the stunningingly cool and avant-garde jane birkin, it seems promising that she will lead a colorful life.

lou

jane