Lancôme + Yayoi Kusama Juicy Tubes

I'm in love with these new limited edition Juicy Tubes by Yayoi Kusama. She is an amazing artist that I've followed for years and this is the perfect example of a successful artist/brand collaboration. Not only are they beautifully designed with cute, quirky illustrations but they are also earth friendly!

"They teamed up with super-big-in-Japan artist Yayoi Kusama for a limited-edition line of display-worthy, mini Juicy Tubes. But besides being adorned with Kusama's adorably dotted and nature-inspired artwork, the honey and shea butter-infused glosses are also 100% natural origin and preservative-free. That means the formula, flavors (hazelnut cacao, apricot, honey, raspberry, vanilla, and grapefruit), and pigments are all naturally based. Plus, the Juicy Tube's cardboard packaging are certified eco-friendly by the Forest Stewardship Council" (via Refinery 29)

Mary Katrantzou: Fall 2001 RTW

Mary Katrantzou is my kind of girl. She's young, talented and truly a bold, new voice in fashion. So I found it very fitting to feature her on International Women's Day! I love her latest collection of elaborately patterned and structured silhouettes. Check out the full slideshow of the collection here.

Also, here is an excerpt from her designer profile on the London Fashion Week site.

Origin: Athens, Greece

Design background: Mary attended Rhode Island School of Design and then completed both her BA and MA at Central Saint Martins. She has previously worked for Sophia Kokosalaki and freelanced for Bill Blass, amongst other designers.

What are your design signatures? “A hyperrealist aesthetic, bold graphics and industrial jewellery.”

How would you describe the Mary Katrantzou woman? “She has a liberated spirit and a strong sense of style.”

What is your trademark piece? “For spring/summer 2011 it was the lampshade skirt.”

Name three things that are inspiring you for autumn/winter 2011:“Diana Vreeland, coromandel screens and the interwar period.”

What’s next for your brand? “Autumn/winter 2011 and a collaboration with Atelier Swarovski.”

What music is playing in your studio this season? “Erasure.”

Zac Posen: Fall 2011 RTW

A gorgeous collection from Zac Posen that is perfect for any femme fatale. I love the sultry, flowing, body conscious silhouettes that mix romantic flutter with edgy materials or cuts. Check out photographs of the complete collection on the runway here.

Guangzhou Opera House: Zaha Hadid Architects

I've loved Zaha Hadid since my early years of studying architecture at the University of Toronto. I was so excited to see these photographs of her latest breath taking project. The Guangzhou Opera House, located in Guangdon province, China, was designed to resemble the forms of two pebbles on the bank of the Pearl River.

You can check out more photographs of this stunning new structure and read more information here.

Chen Man

After another very long hiatus, I'm back! And what better way to start up again then with Chen Man, a super star fashion photographer in China. Check out her amazingly beautiful images that push the wonderful creative limits of the fashion dreamland.

Check out her blog and you can also become a fan of her work on Facebook and stay up to date on her work.

Elie Top for Baccarat: Bouchons de Carafe

I love this incredible collection by Elie Top for Baccarat. Here are some excerpts about Top's inspiration from Baccarat's site as well as a gorgeous video directed by Benjamin Audour.

"For the first time, Baccarat, renowned for its unique expertise and bold creativity in the making of fine crystal, has turned to Elie Top, jewelry and accessories designer for prominent fashion houses. In their continued interest and support of talented young designers, Baccarat asked Elie Top to create a jewelry line interpreting the Baccarat spirit in his own way... 

The collection draws masterfully on Baccarat’s design heritage with the "bouchon de carafe" motif. Its French name refers to the stoppers made for the fine crystal bottles that graced luxurious dining tables and elegant dressing tables in bygone days. Remarkable for their purity of line, these “stoppers” gleam with pristine reflections of light. After visiting a Baccarat exhibit of crystal brandy decanters and perfume bottles, all created between 1910 and 1920, Elie Top was inspired by those he admired most. 

"I decided to go back to Baccarat’s roots”, said the designer,”for me, the name Baccarat suggests chandeliers, gleaming facets and French-style luxury. I aimed to revive these design codes, but with a touch of tongue-in-cheek humor. In French, one says that a diamond is "as big as a decanter stopper!”... “The collection is a light-hearted take on this expression, as well as a respectful tribute to Baccarat." 

Jan Maarten Voskuil

Thank you to Mike for introducing me to this beautiful work by Jan Maarten Voskuil. These are selections from two shows: Grip-No Grip and There Is No Point. I had a hard time selecting what to include in this post, check out his site to see more of his work. 

Here is an excerpt from an interview with HUH. magazine based out of the UK:

"Do you call the pieces you hang on walls paintings or sculptures? 

They are paintings. As sculptures they suck.

Why do they suck as sculptures? 
They are paintings because that is what they are about. They are linen on stretchers with a little paint on, and they are about surface. In mathematics there is even a name for the kind of curved surface I make. They are called 'minimal surface'. I didn't know this at the beginning but I ran into the term a couple of years ago. Of course you can call them sculptures (about painting). I don't mind people to call it or interpret it differently than me, actually most people do. As a naturalistic painter many years ago I used to state that I wanted to prove the world was flat instead of round. Maybe now I state that painting is round instead of flat and of course nobody agrees.

You've had a lot of shows in recent years, does this affect your work? 
It has two sides. Pressure makes cooking quicker and it's also exhausting. When I started curving the canvas 12 years ago I thought it was a statement one can do only once. For a couple of years I occasionally returned to this curving because I found some new way of doing it. Strangely, every work generates more than one idea or direction for new works, so, in the meantime I can see that I will be occupied with this practice for a pretty long time. I have better equipment and skills in the process now, so I can keep up a little with the demand, but it becomes critical and assistance is not really an option, because it does take skill to make these things. You are right that I also have to (re)consider the pace I am working at the moment. Take some time to reflect on things. Although I do reflect all the time actually."

Sophie Hulme: A/W 2010

I love the presentation of Sophie Hulme's latest collection. They've numbered the elegant wooden hangers and placed the list on the wall which not only gets rid of extra paper used for printing but also makes it efficient for audience members to identify the specific pieces they love while creating a central, graphic wall.

My favorites so far are from her accessories: the armoured bow necklace, whistle necklace and the brass armoured tote bag. Check out her site to see more and download the look book.