Gaultier’s Journey through the world of fashion inspirations

Absolutely Brilliant and Exciting. Jean Paul Gaultier’s Journey through the world of design and inspiration: from Russia, Scandinavia, Turkey via China, Algeria, Morocco to Mexico and Peru. His Fall 2010/11 melting pot collection presented on Paris Fashion Week was simply astonishing. The mix of folkloristic inspirations form the 4 corners of the globe, the fusion of fabrics and colours was breathtaking. It went far beyond the fashion. It was well-directed runway art show: the design of invitations for the show was map of France in which all the provinces were named after countries with their immigrant populations; there was cross-cultural live orchestra playing the background music on violins, African drums, Turkish trumpet among other uncommon instruments. The cloths: beautiful trenches, jackets, casual furs and military coats combined with Greek and Gipsy skirts, Peruvian tunics, silk Chinese dresses and shirts, and baggy harem trousers made of jogging sweat fabric and other of jeans; accessorised with Scandinavian socks, African-print turbans, neon tights, Massai necklaces, cowboy shoes and who knows what else. What's most fascinating that in it's core, it’s an upscale streetwear collection. Many items alone are gorgeous: harem deep blue sweat suit, trenches, jackets and coats, jumpers, neon bright tights, stockings.

“Invitation au voyage” is the message behind the collection, but no doubt it’s another way to market it and sell too. The way I see it though: We travel across the world, we live in a global village, we observe, we learn, exceptionally we became passionate about novelties we come across with and we apply into our lives what we believe suits us. In this context, it’s an ultra modern, colourful and reach fashion collection.

Home full of books

As long as a house has books on the shelves and art on the walls, it’s a home.

I love books. Reading, looking at them, smelling, keeping them. I blieve books can give an insight into an owner's character. They reflect an aspect of personality that people don’t easily see. I like to snoop around at what other people have in their shelves. I’m suspicious of people who don’t have books. When I visit someone’s home for the first time, I always scan their bookshelves for anything that might be of my interest. I like to look over my books too and think of on which occasion I bought them, where I read them, who gave them to me, what mood I was in when I read certain books. Many books become part of my life. They bring peace of mind, calm my soul. Surrounded by books I don’t feel alone. When you travel a lot, you’re becoming selective. You buy and store only those books that you really like, and they travel with you wherever you go. I like the smell of a new book but I like the smell of an old book even more. I love bookshelves too. Books are part of my daily life, a decor element that I enjoy looking at.

I fell in love in a READ bookshelves hat I found in NK Shopping Gallery in Stockholm. The bookshelf is designned by two Swedes, Jenny Askenfors and Sofia Ehrengren. It comes in four different letters R, E, A, D.

Reinier de Jong designed an extending bookcase. The zigzag shaped parts slide in and out of each other, providing as much space as needed.

Milan, Italy - Nobody & Co.'s Bibliochaise, a literal armchair library "for those who like to be immersed in deep reading". The chair can house up to five linear meters of books.

Maria Jasko's nature inspired bookshelves:

Few more inspiring projects:

Finally, solution for small interiors: bookshelves in stairs and a bookshelf wall paper.

The Art of Losing...

Loosing, missing, looking for, looking forward to... home, a family, a country, a friend, a boyfriend... In this sort of moments I read a poem by Elizabeth Bishop. It gives me strenght, and hope, makes me think rationalaly and brings sort of optimism...

One Art

by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.


--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

From The Complete Poems 1927-1979 by Elizabeth Bishop

At the begining of Fashion Advertising - Fashon Illustration

Rose, my best British friend, sent me a postcard from the London Fashion Week with the fabulous reproduction of Rene Gruau’s fashion illustration. I keep it on a kitchen table so much I enjoy looking at it. Rene Gruau’s name has been synonymous with exquisite refinement and seductive flair. In 1940s and 50s he became a favorite illustrator of the world’s haute couture – Chrisitan Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Balmain, Balenciaga and Cardin. His works for Moulin Rouge and Lido de Paris remind Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters, other remind of pop-art.
Today, fashon advertising is entirely dominated by photography, but fashion illustration were extremaly important in the haute couture world in that time. Gruau with his new style reshaped marketing for the fashion industry forever and has set the scene for marketing for this industry for many years to come. From his works emanate everlasting elegance, simplicity and sophistication.