Goodbye 2010, hello 2011 !

Days are too busy…
Hours are too few…
Seconds are too fast…
But there is always a time for me to say…
Happy New Year… 

To all of you

After the storm, Marina del Rey, CA , Dec. 30, 2010


Compilation of several posts from 2010

Fashion - Fashion Photography Through Time

Fashion - Fashion Photography Through Time at Fotografiska is the most comprehensive exhibition of fashion photography ever to be shown in Europe. The exhibit features more than 200 works by 51 internationally famous photographers.
Fashion reflects the development of fashion photography over the decades, from Man Ray's experimental compositions in the 1920s, via iconic figures such as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, to the supermodel cult fostered by Steven Meisel and Peter Lindbergh in the 1990s. A few acclaimed 21st-century photographers are also featured, including Michelangelo Di Battista, Mikael Jansson and Esther Haase.

"Today, fashion photography is an art in its own right. A visual language that is both powerful and has extended the boundaries for what photography can be. For more than 90 years, we have been influenced and astonished by this dream world that is conjured up before us," says Jan Broman, founder and director of Fotografiska.

Russel James, "Scarlett", Los Angeles 2005

Paolo Roversi, "Guinevere in Red Dress by Yves Saint Laurent", Paris 1996

Ralph Mecke, "Still Not Sure", New York City

Esther Haase, "The Fearless Lola Walking The Lion King", Miami 1999

Michelangelo Di Battista and Tina Berning, "Face Project 1", Paris 2007

David Drebin, "Over the Top", New York City 2009

Robert Nettarp, "Missy Raider smoking", Paris 2001, Spoon

Robert Nettarp, "Hanging with meat", Stockholm 2002, Fjords

Robert Nettarp, "Ase beautiful pain", Stockholm 2000/2001, Bibel unpublished

Photo by Pauline Benthede

Images courtesy Fotografiska, Stockholm

Zarb, the artsy bubbly bottle

Following the successful launch of their own-brand champagne Zarb in the Netherlands in 2009, THEY, the Amsterdam-based communication agency introduces the latest collection of designed bottles. The brand takes its name from the French slang word for bizarre. The agency's concept, why drink champagne only at times that tradition prescribes? Why not everywhere, always, here, now..... an unconventional champagne with an unconventional look, based on an unconventional idea. A champagne for any day does not have to come in everyday bottle. So Zarb has broken with the outward cliches for bubbly bottles, and comes in sensational bottle designs. Some of the photography for the first series of designs is by famous artist Cornelie Tollens. The new Deep Black underwater collection is a series of bottles designed in collaboration with underwater photographers David Shale, Zena Holloway and costume designer Vin Burnham.

Deep Black Angels

Deep Black Surface

Deep Black Octopus

Package Design, Lips

Package Design, Hope

Package Design, Navel

Package Design, Black

Special Edition, Life by Cedric Laquieze

Dress

Feathers

Source They and Dezeen

From L.A with love

What's up is off for a few days, and will be back next week.....

Happy Holidays 2010

Wishing you all the best

A Holiday Season filled with beauty, love and laughter

with a selection of festive items
Seductive 
 Alexander McQueen

Alberto Guardiani

Mini bag, Lanvin

Snake ring, Ela Stone

or mysterious
Alexander McQueen

Balmain

Lanvin

Diamonds and gold earrings, Solange Azagury Partridge

And to end this post, a touch of magical scent....
Annick Goutal

Or Imperial Guerlain

Valentino Retrospective: Past, Present, Future goes to Singapore

The exhibition - Valentino Retrospective: Past/Present/Future - pays tribute to a man who has been placed in the history of haute couture as an 'undenieable' ambassador of elegance. Developed by the prestigious Paris' institution Les Arts Decoratifs and, originally held in the French capital in 2008,  the exhibition travelled to Brisbane, Australia, last year before making its final stop in Singapore. One hundred pieces of exquisite haute couture designs by Italian maestro, Valentino Garavani, will be on display at Resorts World Sentosa from December 22, 2010 to February 13, 2011. The show will also feature collections from the 1950s and gowns worn by celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy and more.

"His designs accentuate accentuate the silhouette, giving it fluidity, femininity and sensuality. Forms are clear, fabrics are sumptuous and all collections always possess a large scale of colors enhanced by rich embroideries." ~ Pamela Golbin, curator for the Fashion and Textiles collection of Les Arts Decoratifs.

Haute Couture A/W 2007-08

Haute Couture S/S 1969

Haute Couture S/S 2003

Haute Couture S/S 2008

Haute Couture A/W 2004-05

Haute Couture F/W 1990-91

Summer 1959-1960

Summer 1967

Haute Couture Summer 1971

Haute Couture Summer 1998

Images are from Valentino Archives / Photograph: Jean Thorance

Click to see post on Valentino Garavani. Una grande storia Italiana

Holiday Gifts: Murakami Versailles

A last minute gift, "Murakami Versailles." If you missed the exhibition of the Japanese pop art artist Takashi Murakami at the Palace of Versailles earlier this year, the once in a lifetime event was captured in the following book published by Editions Xavier Barral. The 280-page book is available at Colette -Paris, and also on line at Amazon.

 

Images courtesy Editions Xavier Barral

Magical Yule logs

Couture, extravagant, bucolic ......  les buches de Noel are all dressed up for the holidays. They were made by French chefs, master bakers, confectioners of large, fine chocolate and gourmet French stores such as Fauchon, Dalloyau, Lenotre, Patrick Roger and many more.
To celebrate Christmas and New Year, an exhibit of 20 Yule logs are currently on display at the castle of Breteuil in France. Here is a selection of these unique and tasteful creations.

Designed by Christian Lacroix for Lenotre

Jean-Paul Hevin, the Palm Tree log

Jean-Paul Hevin, the Flying log

Pierre Herme and Louis-Marie de Castelbajac

 Garden Party log for Pain de Sucre

Cousue main-handmade log for the Crillon Hotel, Paris

Patrick Roger, Elf and Christmas Tree 

Christophe Michalak for the Plaza-Athenee Hotel, Paris

For the Ritz Hotel, Paris

Buche Angelina by Maud Charmay

Pierre Marcolini, Christmas sphere

Carette, Snowball 

Arnaud Delmontel, the Macaroon Christmas Tree

Laduree, the Sun King

Images via Voguefr.