For those of you who know me since my early beginnings in Switzerland, you are aware of my fixation with window display and could probably tell everybody about some of my own display concepts I was doing back then for some of my Swiss clients... anyway I am not going way back there, but it is still natural for me to want to check out the famous displays that large department stores such as Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, etc. are setting up for the holidays. They are usually loaded with creative ideas - just great to walk upon - and are sure to put you in great holiday spirit!
These are the Barneys Holiday 2008 windows, which you should not miss, as the details of each are particular and whimsically inventive.
Each window depicts this year's theme of Love & Peace - fitting - whether it's featuring a Volkswagen Beetle or "Kaefer" in German, counter-culture women or celebrating the 50th anniversary of the peace sign or the 40th years since the hippie hey days of 1968's Summer Of Love.
This year you can actually win a New Beetle Volkswagen, if you enter the competition, painted by artist John-Paul Phillipe, inspired by the decor of the sixties. I hope I win it, as I would love to drive around town with it wearing my Jimi Hendrix Hoodie or some of my original Hippie Grateful Dead Wear from my Fashion Rocks Collection, it would just put the dot on the i and you know I adore sets as well as concepts thought trough all the way...
... if I don't win it, I can paint my own. Love this old original VW bus too! It's just the spirit!
This is one of my dolls wearing a Beetle/Love & Peace Sweater, the only thing missing in the Barneys windows, if you ask me. 
PEACE & LOVE - that's right!
Everyone remembers Stanley Kubrick's classic film Lolita!
Chantal Thomass homage to it:
Steven Meisel has done it again! Check out the photos of Madonna posing for the new Louis Vuitton ad... these pics are not officially out yet, so pssst! Love the smokiness of the French Bistro.
Marc Jacobs recently went to a Madonna concert in Paris and thought she was amazing, sent her a text and asked if she would be up for a Vuitton ad. 2 minutes later she replied: "I would love to!" 50 is the new 30. If you are rich, fit and have a good retoucher... this is possible.
Isn't she fab though??!!
It's the time again where I am trying to get into the mood for Spring Summer 2010. I first let myself inspire by forecasts, especially in terms of colors, it gives me a lot of ideas... check it out!
Amped Up
Neon intensified and amplified. Amped Up.
Lime green and bright yellow shades of strobe light and wacky fanatic exude funkiness on a palette of vinyl and metallic spandex. Unconventional and bizarre metal eyelets and dog leash fasteners evoke a notion of fearlessness. Luminous orange and hot pink tones of precocious and gaudy ignite bubbly, plastic backdrops of slinky knit and cotton jersey. Extreme in degree. Amped Up.
Free Style
Liberated and unrestrained style. Free Style.
Orchid and deep pink shades of emancipation and uninhibited harmonize fluid movements of silk habotai and organza. Pinkish violet and light sea green hues of sovereignty and triumphant exuberance give an alluring depth to wisps of taffeta and charmante. Poignant, raw edges exude liberty and inner serenity. Style transcending boundaries of the mind. Free Style.
Touch Of Blush
A perfect touch for the femme fatale. Touch Of Blush.
Yellow gold and light pink shades of glow and flushed cheeks evoke a notion of virtue and temptation on a backdrop of Duchesse Satin. Deep rose mingles with gold-flecked ribbon, accentuating delicate, fluttering nuances. Mauve and fuchsia tones of deep love and modesty inspire extreme femininity on gabardine and tulle. A feminine touch. Touch Of Blush
Tropical Twist
Sultry vibrations with a twist. Tropical Twist. Vibrant turquoise and green shades of cool breezes and lush terrain create a parallel balance in a backdrop of ethereal views. Coral and pink tones of irradiant flamingo and plumeria reveal subtle stitching and precise edges on plain weave poplin. Purple hues of opium coil indicate an unrestrained peculiarity on flat-felled seams. A twist below the equator. Tropical Twist.
Sounds really good to me!
Finally got over Pipilotti!!! No, seriously: listen, you guys. I cannot possibly post the same day I experience all these things. I am not - despite visiting mobile art exhibits - mobile blogging. I have mentioned several times - and as a reader, possibly through a feeder, of this blog you should be aware by now - that blogging is NOT my business, but a passion (I always was good at writing and story telling in my own way and after I won an impossible case against my landlord, I also knew a talented lawyer was lost on me).
I feel blogging somehow will be important for me later down the line and will become a part of my business, etc. So, I really try to take this seriously - I want you to know - despite the fact that time is scarce and time is money. Therefore here - late, but don't hate - finally the pictures and impressions of the Chanel Mobile Art exhibit in beautiful Central Park on an incredible Fall day early afternoon on Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 . The day after the election. So the mood was really amazing, it was the first day with a new president elect and it seemingly still has not sunk in with many... so in this trance, we got here....
Mobil indeed. That was the impression throughout the more or less hour and a half spent on the reserved patch of the park. The capsule looked like it just landed and the wind blew the thousands of leaves from the countless trees in a whirlwind, it almost blew me away how beautiful it looked and felt.
First thing that most probably became visible to anyone upon entering the gated area around the space ship was the very cool Chanel wind breakers everyone was wearing. Black, shiny nylon with embossed CC logo buttons in crisp white. "We can't keep them" said one of the guards or "helpers" after we came closer to check them out and we let them know that we thought that that was indeed sad. I am sure there were a few inquiries about if they could be purchased - somewhere - I mean, anything that bears the famous logo is instantly a desirable item, right?
And of course they got us right where they wanted us from the get-go! No uncertainty about where you were and why you came. Because of Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel. There were a few very famous artists too.
"Can't take the cameras in. No pictures inside." O.K. I started to take some out front, opposite the mirrored building which was some administrative office which kind of disappeared by reflecting the spaceship everywhere you looked... cool!!
I will for sure always remember this day and I am glad I took all the pictures! The exhibit was organized very well and I loved the voice of Jeanne Moreau narrating me via MP3 through the space... Some installations were better than others. I guess I loved the compact powder mirror/TV screen in the giant Chanel bag the best (Sylvie Fleury), along with the wishing tree of Yoko Ono. Then that photographer Nobuyoshi Araki was excellent! That is about it.
It was clearly an attempt to advertise the brand (Chanel) in an alternative way and that succeeded, but there where several instants when I asked myself: What am I admiring here? Advertising? A brand? So far so good. Not the absolute worst try I'd say.
After the show we went bike riding through the park and that again, was probably my favorite part, after all. The scenery, the fresh air, the clouds, the time of a new beginning...
...a young couple taking wedding pictures in central park...
Good night!
Well, let me tell you: it must have been one of my favorite nights in a loooong time! You can start kissing my butt, 'cause yeap, I'm hangin' with Pipi!
11/19/2008. MOMA. NYC. Pipilotti Rist. The most well known contemporary artist from my own home country Switzerland, opens the exhibit of her new video installation at this NY institution with about 2000 invited guests. I am one of them :]
So, the art piece is amazing, not to be missed! You will feel relaxed and guided with very tasteful imagery. Huge screens around 3 corners bedazzle you with colorful video footage by the famous artist. Very pleasing indeed. You can take your shoes off and get comfortable....
But you know me, I am always inspired by all the behind the scenes happenings and besides Pipilotti's art, which is mostly flawless to me, it is her own personality and her figure in the art world that interests me.
So, you can imagine, I jump on this opportunity to chat with this lady, which does not appear in my new hometown that often. As I mentioned to Pipi (that is how we call her), I always will remember when she called me years ago, must have been in the late 1980's or early 1990's, begging me to hand over my bras for her art installation... imagine! Well, I thought this was for a good cause and handed her about 3 or 4 of my favorite vintage bras... how could I? Never got those **u**ers back! She was not much of a celebrity, much less an artist you heard of and "only" known for her role in the punk band Les Reines Prochaines and I can hardly explain how proud I am of her since...
We come from the absolute same corner of this world and boy, do I love it when they say, we are a bit alike...??!! It's frankly a bit true. She wears the exact same outlandish clothes as I and we both love uniforms... we also both have clear blue eyes, mouse gray hair (my hairdresser calls it middle European brown). We used to wear the same glasses, until of course I changed to my new frames a few months ago. It all boils down to the fact that it is time to make an Idil Vice outfit for Pipi. She had the nerve to claim that once she had enough money she would buy an outfit from me!! Pipilotti of course is a millionaire.
Betcha, the first thing I am talking to her about is the clothing she is wearing... girl, what in the world?? I said: "O.K. Pipi, explain this outfit, yeah I know it is vintage but..." Pipi: "Oh no, idil, this is not vintage. I had it made in India, I asked this tailor to make me a police uniform with this table cloth" (she appoints me to touch it, and indeed it's probably the roughest thickest cotton cloth you can imagine and so) he supposedly said: "but this will be a crazy outfit!" And she responed: "I like it crazy looking."
I think Pipi would be an excellent fashion designer, one got lost on her, but don't tell her, I will loose business! Arghh! So we chatted about, yes, how this tailor tried to make this outfit less crazy by bringing some sort of order in it by sorting and applying the white blocks on the fabric to specific places, to create some sort of balance, an everyday challenge for a fashion designer, very underestimated...
Man, I love it, you follow, to be able to have this kind of discussion with one of the biggest artists of our generation is priceless.
O.K. just to show you guys what I mean with our similarities especially in garment choices (she may not agree), but look at this outfit... similar, if more refined.... at the very least, the color and graphic theme would be quiet similar... and so on...
Guys, let me just stop talking and show you some images of this truly inspiring night for all of us!
...and off to the after party at Pravda, another - if not as sophisticated - NY institution itself..
Can you believe that I am holding Malcolm McLaren's arm??? It's out of this world!!! Now this must be my absolute favorite and most treasured picture in the whole wide world (already saved it on my external and a bunch of cd rom's).
Did I mention huge?
Yeah, right! How did that happen?? Why is the most important contemporary Swiss artist kissing idil vice? You will find out once I finish writing this exiting post about Pipilotti's MOMA opening in NYC, on November 19th, 2008.
19 November 2008 – 2 February 2009
‘Pipilotti Rist: Pour Your Body Out (7354 Cubic Meters)’, a huge panoramic projection twenty foot high and two hundred feet long, has been created especially for the Museum’s Marron Atrium. Using video, sound and sculpture, the artist immerses the viewer in a vibrant multi-sensory experience.
Yes, sure I also make bags... Believe it or not, I get a lot of ideas from my customers. Many of them start by asking me if I could make this or that for them... the buyer of this specific bag had already bought a few of my items from my online shop and is a huge Grateful Dead fan - she desperately was looking to get a bag made from the same material.
I love making custom things for my clients and will make time, if it seems worth while. Depending on the project they can cost a ton of money though, because they require me to run around town for one piece of ware, but it's always worth it and it inspires me to do more and more... Dear valued customers: Keep it coming, please!
The bag has a life inside as well. Gold leather zipper pulls, a bear charm and matching striped lining...
Looking a bit mean for no reason, posing with my (sadly not mine anymore, it's shipping out tomorrow morning) bag, I guess I was contemplating the cold and the fence and the chain..??
Anyway, I am looking forward to more bags that rock!
O.K. I am sure you stumbled over some crazy shit while browsing the net and me too, I've seen my share, but the shop I discovered on Etsy by chance takes a cake! Have you ever seen something like this?? Hand made somewhere in Portland Oregon, USA:
Well sure, you may say: "hey, not too bad when it's freezing outside and the winds are blowing...", but wait 'till your neighbor sees you wearing it, he/she will declare you nuts. Gone gaga! I guess it would look better with a matching hat or just "a" hat for X-sakes!
dark brown lumberjack beard
abominable snowman beard
...and while you are at it: hangin' 'round the woods and stuff: buy a wood grain ring in silver!
'course: no offense to these very creative Etsy sellers...
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