http://www.stjepanhauser.com/

When passion rimes with cello... and Smooth Criminal

Yesterday I received this amazing video from a friend and my first thought was I wished I could be a cello... if possible Stjepan's Hausers one. I was literally swept away by this surprising version of MJ's Smooth Criminal.
Today on the french news, the same video was declared the video of the week - it went viral and everybody is talking about this 2 excellent cello players, their arrangement and the selfmade video posted on youtube who got them worldwide known in 24 hours, they say.
But... Stjepan as well as Luka are far from being simple Conservatoire students having fun - even thought they are in their 20's, their experience and prizes are impressive. With such start, I'm really curious and looking forward for the next episode...

Si Mon - on iTunes! Great song, don't miss it!

British born artist, in love with Paris and New York, fluent in French, Si Mon loves The Beatles, classical music, cooking and to elucidate History's enigmas.
I simply love his sexy voice, lyrics and perfect arrangements.
Available on iTunes, his first single is a little piece of jewelery and definitely on its way up, given the high speed its sells and five stars appreciations!

Swan lake or Swan like?

 

It appears that The Black Swan movie influence is spreading more and more its wings.

After being literally invaded by fashion magazine's trend pages worldwide since the end of november, the Swan's theme is here to stay, last year was just the beginning.

I've never heard so much the ballet music latelly – in stores, on the street, radio, in cofee shops... even if I keep playing Thom Yorke's Black Swan while writting these lines.

And let's focus less on the celebrity stories that surround the movie, Nathalie's Oscar chances or Mila Kunis's private life.

I felt I should look towards something more inspiring: a behind the scenes snapshot of how the Swan costumes were created. I always found these stories far more interesting. The dresses were remarkable and really caught my eye. 

Nathalie Portman and one of the Rodarte girls

 

Swan Lake is one of the most produced ballets in the world but I haven't seen since a very long time such creations : modern, romantic and perfectly aestethic within the confines of the script.

Knowing that Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte designed the sequin - feathered costumes and together with Amy Westcott the credited costume designer for the movie, the stylish unity of the film is notable as far as the costumes are concerned. 

Darren Aronofsky is well known for his precision of detail and the visual result of his works.

For the two Mulleavy sisters who drew inspiration for clothing watching Cary Grant movies, working for his movie was a perfect project. Nathalie Portman introduced the sisters, friends of hers, to the director who, like the sisters, had always shared a common creative universe: ballet & a fascination for horror movies. Apparently the sense of perfectionism & aesthetic beauty they all strived for made a very productive meeting. Along with costume designer Westcott, Aronofsky wanted a contemporary style that allows designs and visuals to re-create the ballet. «We wanted to reinvent the whole sense of 'Swan Lake'» he said.

The real work for Laura & Kate started in October, the same time as their Fall/ Winter 2010-11 collection and the exhibition «Quicktake: Rodarte» at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. The pressure was really intense and time was short. It would seem that they would never have enough time to draft out all their ideas let alone producing results. First elaborate sketches for every idea needed refining, then producing and bringing into reality more than 40 pieces from November to January. For all costumes to be ready meant an incredible amount of hard work, tenacity and a strong will.

Nina's cocktail dress and Black Swan (Odille) costume

Von Rothbart costume - originally the costume had a very light metal helmet

White Swan (Odette) costume

Von Rothbart costume

Laura admits that her favorite final creation was Nina's practice tutu, inspired by the Degas ballerinas and created by using several layers of tulle in different colours from pale pink to dark shades of grey, it was the perfect example of “graceful beauty”. 

Laura and her favorite piece, the practice tutu

... and lots of tul layers under!

Darren Aronofsky and Nathalie Portman featuring the practice tutu

The most important costume was obviously the Black Swan costume, realized with metal and Swarovski cristals and combined with a net created for the head. As Aronofsky said he wanted to show the costumes to connect from the audiences point of view, the sisters created the costumes as functional objects with all elements you can usually see on classical tutu’s (straps, complex hooks and eyes) being hidden.

But beauty and style were sometimes more important than functionality.

The Swan busts, very ornate, embroidered and heavy, had no straps and kept slipping all the time.

Undoubtedly Rodarte produced ambitious yet striking and highly original works, very appreciated by the public and by the specialists.

I adored it and was surprised to see how far they could take things as fashion designers. But as the costumes for The Swan Lake are credited to Amy Westcott, many people outside the world of fashion don't know that Laura & Kate did a lot of work.

Do they have chances for an Oscar even if they are in competition with two «heavyweight» costume designers : Sandy Powell with 3 Oscars already and 24 nominations ( The Young Victoria, The Aviator, Shakespeare in love and nominated for Mrs Hendersons Presents, Guns of New York, Velvet Goldmine, Orlando) and Coleen Atwood with 2 Oscars and 29 nominations (Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago and nominated for Nine, Sweeney Todd, Sleepy Hollow, Beloved )?

Time will tell..... until then, I think throughout this coming summer and into next winter we will probably see and still have a lot of Swan like style to enjoy. And I'll continue listening to Thom Yorke's song for a new kind of Black Swan chassing memories of dance classes. 

Having fun with "Next Diva"

Or how I prepared a surprise for the 6 girls candidate of the TV show "Next Diva". A surprise style & fashion lesson in one of my favorite places in Bucarest, The Entrance concept store - carrefully organised with the production team. 

You will see tonite how the girls, without knowing what to expect or knowing me, came to a unknown place with conceptual cloths , very far from their way to dress. 

How they had a style challenge, how the girls respond to it and how they received some "sur mesure" "home work"... :-)

Don't miss tonite's show "Next Diva" at 22h00, on Euforia TV.

Thank you girls, special thanks to Coca, Angi & The Entrance team as well as all the crew at "Next Diva".

Takeshi Murakami - emotii la Versailles

Cine nu il cunoaste pe Takeshi Murakami - mai ales dupa colaborarea cu Marc Jacobs pentru Louis Vuitton - nu se poate pretinde chiar "hype"... si se poate arunca de pe acum pe blogurile Murakami addict care vorbesc nu numai despre pictura, sculptura si instalatiile lui, dar si despre experimentele si colaborarile lui cu diversi alti artisti cum ar fi Kanye West.

Dupa Jeff Koons in 2008 si Xavier Veilhans in 2009, e randul artistului japonez sa provoace un val de reactii aprinse pe tema "ce cauta arta contemporana comerciala la Versailles - simbolul artei traditionale franceze?". O reactie previzibila si gratuita. De ce trebuie intotdeauna sa criticam ceea ce nu intelegem?
Petitia "Non à Murakami et Co" a adunat 4300 de semnaturi iar manifestarea contra acestei "arte financiare" si "artistic lipsita de interes" organizata la portile castelului a starnit valuri de comentarii in presa. Din fericire, acestea nu au impiedicat desfasurarea expozitiei si planificarea ei initiala. Expozitia, lansata in septembrie, dureaza 3 luni.

Tongari - Kun

Tongari - Kun - detaliu

Departe de dorinta de a soca, lucrarile lui Murakami isi propun sa prezinte universul sau vizual intr-un cadru neobisnuit. Din cele 20 de sculpturi expuse, 7 sunt noi.
Daca toata lumea se astepta sa gaseasca expus Lonesome Cowboy (care, estimat initial la 3 - 4 milioane de dolari, a fost vandut cu 13,5 milioane), Murakami a aratat ca a trecut mai departe si nu doarme pe gloria lucrarii care a socat. Detaliu important, pe care personal l-am apreciat, avand in vedere ca presa franceza condamna politica Versailles-ului de a alege artisti contemporani celebri in loc sa ii privilegieze pe cei tineri.

Oval Buddha Silver

Oval Buddha Silver

Takeshi Murakami, la numai 47 ani, este unul dintre cei mai cotati artisti contemporani, cu un imperiu intre Tokio si New York pe care il dirijeaza cu perfectiune, concentrare si exigenta. Multi spun ca este un om grabit. Takeshi a visat sa devina regizor de filme de desene animate. Asa ca a urmat cursuri de pictura traditionala nihon-ga si este absolventul Universitatii de Beaux Arts si Muzica din Tokio, sectia pictura.

Kinoko Isu Medium - Kinoko Isu Large

Flower Matango

Ramane loial picturii si sculpturii, incepand sa fie remarcat din 2001 de lumea artei contemporane, cand o sculptura a lui atinge recordul vanzarilor la licitatie in New York la peste 420 000 euro.
Recunoasterea in afara lumii artei vine in 2004, cand Marc Jacobs, mare fan al artistului, propune o colaborare pentru linia de marochinarie Louis Vuitton. Un nou logo este creat si adaptat atat modelelor clasice de marochinarie cat si unor modele special create cu aceasta ocazie. Colaborarea il inspira pe Kanye West, care ii comanda in 2007 art work-ul si coperta albumului Graduation.

Takeshi Murakami si Pharell Williams - The Simple Things

J

The Emperor's New Cloths

Open your hands wide - wall paper

Considerat promotorul curentului neo-pop japonez Superflat, Murakami cauta o autonomie fata de modelul occidental "neo-pop".  Se joaca cu antagonismele si conceptele lor - Est / Vest, trecut / prezent, arta "cu staif" si cea "de rigola". Desi nu sunt mare amatoare de arta contemporana, mi-a placut maniera lui constanta de a vedea lucrurile intr-un fel amuzant si accesibil din momentul in care ajunge la acel echilibru in care un artist considera ca a terminat o lucrare. Felul nepretentios de a cauta un echilibru de repere culturale aduce o simplitate si o sensibilitate pe care le comunica in mod franc publicului sau.
E adevarat ca Murakami este un artist extrem de mediatizat insa, din punctul meu de vedere, putea fi la fel de bine un tanar talent. Emotia pusa intr-o lucrare este ceva ce nu poate fi falsificat si, in dupa amiaza de duminica in care i-am vazut expozitia, era prezenta. Pura si cat se poate de palpabila.

Kawaii - Vacation in the Kingdom of the Gold

Oval Buddha

Oval Buddha - detail

Oval Buddha - detail

Mariajul din interes, luxul si mass brandurile ne fac sa visam

"Casatorie din interes" este titlul primei mele colaborari cu The One, cu o echipa pe care in parte o cunosteam dinainte si cu care sa lucrez devine o placere. Un subiect complex la care am lucrat cu bucurie, care sper sa va placa la fel de tare cat mi-a placut si mie. Ar fi multe de spus si un articol nu e suficient sa acopere totul, insa astept cu nerabdare venirea lui H&M la Bucuresti sa ne putem bucura de alte subiecte interesante si pline de miez in continuare. Lectura placuta!

To buy or not to buy, this is the question

Pierre Hardy is the french accessory designer who created shoes for Christian Dior, Hermés and imagined with Nicolas Ghesquière the shoe collections for Balenciaga before making a big hit with his own label. He is also the designer behind the GAP Europe accessory departement. 

Pierre Hardy & gladiator sandals from Gap Design Edition summer 08.

Gap Design Edition summer 2010 par Pierre Hardy

Gap Design Edition winter 07 - 08 par Pierre Hardy.

Gap Design Edition summer 08 par Pierre Hardy.

Gap Design Edition par Pierre Hardy for Men

Gap Design Edition winter 09 par Pierre Hardy.

Gap Design Edition summer 2010 par Pierre Hardy.

To have a hype designer re-thinking the shoes was a great idea. After the Winter 2007 collection and  the Summer 2008 succes, when Pierre Hardy imagined a pure gladiator sandal in different colours starting at a price of 54 euro,  not just european fashionista came again to see the shoes at GAP. 

6 seasons later (Pierre creates 3 styles in 2 or 3 colours each / season), it's so fancy to wear GAP Europe shoes that customers worldwide are eager to get a glimpse of Pierre Hardy's new collection. 
Ready for Pierre Hardy's seventh collaboration with GAP? 

Gap Design Edition winter 2010 - 2011 par Pierre Hardy, 125 euro

This time the designer proposed only one model: an open toe short boot in leather or suede. Black, camel or olive it is available in all GAP stores from the 15 october at a price of 125 euro.    
Inspired by dance, architecture, conceptual art and design, Pierre Hardy is a complex artist. He studied dance as well as fine arts. Rewarded with "The Designer of the Year 2006" price, the designer received as well " Best Shoes Design 2006" from the magazine «Wallpaper».

When passion rimes with fashion, size doesn't matter.