May I repeat this, please: He's the Fellini of Fashion.

Besides design and arhcitecture, I'm passionated about fashion too and try to keep up with the dynamic world of designers, photographers and models.. It's not hard, in the era where fashion bloggers are almost ruling this world- the information is spreading faster than light. The most exiting part (for me) is the part where the clothes are being showed off - the FASHION SHOWS, the way the runaway's been designed and themed. And here I get to the point of the story...

.. So.. Fashion Weeks and Fashion Shows.. so exiting events, who doesn't love them?! If once the Opera was the elité place for a show-off, now we are living in an era where the Fashion Show is The Place To Go, To Be and To Be Seened At. The models, the photographers, the afterparties, the vi-ai-piis, the FASHION!! But we all know it's not exclusively about the clothes anymore.. 'cause it's also about the show. The Show. The bigger the show is the more it'll be talked about. So IF you're a fashion designer and IF you want a show everybody's going to talk about (AND YOU DO), at least until the next two weeks, you are gonna need this man's help. I'm talking about Alexndre de Betak, they call him the Fellini of fashion industry (no wonder).

He's the man behind the scenographies for the "most exclusive lingerie event" that e v e r y-body's crazy about: Victoria's Secret's Fashion Shows. And not only: Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, Viktor and Rolf, Rodarte and Michael Kors are just few designers from his clientlist.

But he's a man of many talents. And as a founder of the Bureau Betak company, he's got a job that allows him to assume many guises, besides producing fashion shows: creative director, location scout, sound stylist, lighting designer.

Plus he has designed one of the most exclusive restaurant/lounge you may find in Paris: The Black Calvados, I'll definitely post about it in the future. This man's job is the perfect union of projecting design and fashion, a dream job.

Q: What’s the hardest thing about designing fashion shows?
Alexandre: You need make the show memorable, but you can’t take away from the clothes. And you want to do something different and newsworthy, but you’ve got to stay within the image of the designer so people know where they are. I’m here to enhance the identity of a designer.

Oscar De La Renta

Q:What’s the biggest technical nightmare of your career?
Alexandre: I did a show for Victoria’s Secret in 2002, and some PETA protesters jumped on the runway to protest Gisele. There was no fur in this show at all, so go figure. Gisele was amazing and continued walking as if nothing happened, but a moment after that there was this big flying fluorescent angels number. The models were meant to fly around really fast, and it was dangerous, so we had it all synched with a computer. But because of the protesters interrupting the show, we had to reboot the sequence and the whole thing got stuck. We had a flamenco guitarist waiting to descend from the roof of the Armory, and he had to wait up there in the hot roof, too. I don’t know how no one got seriously injured. It only took 30 seconds to fix, but it was the longest 30 seconds of my life.

Marc Jacobs

On Michael Kors: “I’ve been working with Michael for 15 years now, since January of 1995. For his shows, the production is not necessarily in terms of set design. It’s more about precision and the right timing, music, and mood. We focus on casting, energy, and sexiness rather than a huge production. And it all goes very fast — we do 63 looks in ten minutes!”

Lacoste

On Rodarte: “The Rodarte girls have a very specific world, so for them the show is about re-creating these personalelements. The girls talk a lot and express a lot; they are lovely and incredibly trusting. We work on the collections in tandem as much as eight months ahead of time. While they’re designing the clothes, I’m developing the show. This season they sent me pictures of condors and vultures, and the challenge was using elements not typically perceived as beautiful. We used smoke machines and acid-green light, scattered the ground in black silica, and scented the room with a wood-burning fragrance — objectively nasty elements that became beautiful together.”

Just watch this clip and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

An early morning wake-up with Rachel Zoe

Wow.. this I think has never happened to me in my whole lifetime.

Okay, yesterday I was quite worried about waking up on time on my first day back and guess what went wrong this morning? I knew it couldn't go that easily! I didn't change the time on my phone. I was all dressed up and ready to go out and when I checked the clock for the last time I couldn't belive my eyes. First I thought I was late and I'd messed it up again with something, but then I checked other clocks and it was really 6.10. I was an hour ahead or behind don't ask me. Incredible. This has never happened before, I have never been earlier than I should have, always on the other way around.

So I thought I should use my time wisely and I was dieing already yesterday to post the pictures of stylist Rachel Zoe's house. Here is only a peek, but as soon as I'll return from school I'll post the rest of the pictures, they're really many!

Have a nice day;)

UPDATE:
Here are all the pictures!
I find it especially interesting to see different people houses when I'm familiar also with their personality and work. An artist's, a designer's, a musician's or a writer's home is like a little sanctuary where their whole world is carefully organized and intimately protected. Said that I obviously leave aside the immensious celebrity villas with 340 bedrooms and 162 bathrooms where the so-said owner lives less then 30 days in a year.
First looking at Rachel Zoe's villa I kinda did have that feeling a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I obviously could see it wasn't one of those Beverly Hills style empty mansions, but it just didn't give me the having-my-cup-of-cappucciono-every-morning-on-my-cozy-sofa sensation, if you get what I mean? And then.. somehow I changed my idea. One thing that mostly convinced me was the house from the outside and the yard. It's really nice and I can prefectly imagine the pool&barbeque parties being throwed or just a romantic night swim in the delightful star and moon light.

What do you think of her house?
Has it enough personality to belong to a famous celebrity fashion stylist?

Back in business!

Hey guys! I'm back ! Finally! Ohhh my trip was so great and it gave me such good energy, I can't even belive it. The wheather was great since the first day I got there, for the first two weeks it didn't stop snowing and when it wasn't it was sunny all day long. I managed to see all my relatives (I have so many of them) and spent some really great time with my closest friends. We hanged out at different events and parties, we even went officially clubbing (since it's strictly forbidden in Estonia to enter the club if you're underaged and this was my first time in Tallinn as a "grown-up"). This time it was all about relaxing too (usually I stress myself to do everyhting to be everywhere to see everyone), my mornings were really lazy and my days weren't planned at all, it was all about going with tha flow... Since it got really crazy in Rome before going there, it was exactly what I needed.. :) I took so many pictures, mainly of the nature, so be patient cause I promise you some really great shoots. I just need to sort them out (out of 2000).

In the meanwhile I thought my first post back in Rome should involve this nice house in Brazil as this year I'm trying to concentrate more and more on architecture, design and interior design. When I first saw this villa I remembered right away about my uncle who's visiting his friends in Brazil... he's probably sitting at the Ipanema beach right now and enjoying the nice view on the ocean (oh yes, and the girls).. What lucky guy. Strange thing, lately I've been quite a lot on the brazil-wave, from the food to the music (even live! on my trip I managed to go on a great jazz concert where they played mixed bossanova rythms, I'll tell you about in my next posts) and I really can't wait to go there on my own one fine day. Has anyone been there? If you care leave a comment about it:)

So before enjoying the pictures of this villa, push play on this lovely song by Astrud Gilberto, one of my faves!

PS! Don't you just looooveeee the stairs? Without them the house loses half of the magic, don't you think so? :)

Groovy New!

Ciao Everyone! I've been absent for a while now and I thought I should do a quick post before you guys forget about me... I've been spending some wonderful time here in Tallinn and seeing all my friends and my whole family.. I haven't even been able to take some serious pictures I promised you before I came here but I'll definitely try to take them on these up coming days. (I'm stayin here until the 15th of January so I guess I'll have the time). The wheather here is perfect: it's sunny almost everyday and it's snowing almost every night. Somethimes while going around in the city I get a feeling as if everything is just covered with whipped cream! I think this is the best Christmas and New Year's gift I could get this year. In the meanwhile I won't promise big posts coming up but I found this wonderful consept store I wanted to share with you guys - Octium Jewelry . The shop opened its doors in October 2009, and is located in 360º mall in Kuwait. The interiors are by spanish designer Jaime Hayon. First when I saw it I couldn't figure out did I or did I not like the interiors.. but the more I checked it the more I started loving it. I like the colours, I like the materials, I like the shapes and the volumes.. maybe only thing I could argue about is the central lilac jewelry table or how should I call it and the lights above them. Maybe it's because of the shapes which do not convince me much.. but I'll close my eyes on it. I guess the reason why I like the most this store's design is because of the retro style reinvented in a totally modern way... and it sort of has a touch of that something special and classy of old 007 movies.. don't you think so?

PS! I almost forgot- GROOVY NEW TO YOU ALL!:)

Tea and a little bit (read: a little too much) of chit chat...

...Too much because I don't have much voice today and my throat is hurting! Anyway, yesterday we had a little Christmas Eve at our friend Airi's place, she had prepared everything- from gingerbread cookies to meat and potatoes ! Delicious. I had such a great time, we exchanged gifts, we laughed and then we laughed again... a perfect evening. Here are some pictures. Hope you're having a pleasant night with your family and get nice surprises!

And so I arrived

Here I am, safe home. Finally! I actually was afraid of the flight, I don't know, lately I've had that strange feeling, but in the end all went well and I'm finally HERE!!! it's so beautiful, it's snowing and it's cold but it's exactly the way it has to be. I met my girls at the airport, straight away and we all came to my place (my grandma's) to have some tea and chit chat. Oh it was so great, I've really missed you so much!!!:) Anyway tomorrow is going to be a busy busy day, (read: some presents still need to be done!) Here are 3 pics I took on the plain of the Alpes.

Stay tooned!

xoxo

Ready to go... Tallinn, here I come!!

It's my last night at home!!!
I just finished watching Yes Men with Jim Carey (it wasn't bad at all).
The packing is done.
These last days before my trip have been really crazy and I'm sorry I couldn't post anything, though I have something great waiting to be finished and as soon as I'll have time I'll post it!
In the meanwhile.. I won't grant big posts coming up here until the 17th of January, but I guess you'll have some great photo-posts about my stay in Tallinn, so stay tooned!
I wish you everybody lovely holidays!
Here are some themed shoots of my place.

My sister's carion, she's crazy about it and spends hours and hours just sitting and watching it. We got it for her last Christmas.




LUNCHtime.




Mmm... salmon with fresh cheese and slices of florence fennel bulb inside, with lemon. Reaallly delicious. Florence fennel (check! it here) is really good, with little bit of lemon juice squeezed on it, to eat fresh. Something they use quite a lot here in Italy. Florence fennel btw was used as one of three herbs in the preparation of absinthe (wiki).

Okay guys, need to go to sleep,
xoxo.

A casual night out in Rome (and few tips for choosing a good restaurant)

Yesterday me and my family went to eat in a restaurant which my mom just discovered, thanks to her job. She organizes personalized vacations in Rome and always wants to test the restaurants she's suggested, before sending her clients there.

This restaurant is called Trattoria Pizzeria Fiammetta and it's just a few steps from Piazza Navona, one of the most famous squares in the Rome city-center. I think at the moment it enters in my personal top 3 list (the other two I definitely recommend are Il Chianti, near Fontana di Trevi (the most famous fountain in Rome) and Taverna Trilussa, in Trastevere.) Italian cuisine is already good and it's kinda hard to find a place where you eat badly, anyway it's always better to know where are you going to eat (either you've been suggested by a friend or have done a research on Trip Advisor, one of the best sites for this kind of information). In Rome it's very easy to fall in a typical tourist-trap. Because usually after a long day of walking you're willing to sit down at the first table which gets on your way, and belive me, if you were having some doubts about the place in the beginning, after 2 minutes you'll be already ordering, all thanks to the smooth-talking waiter who well knows his job, read: has the perfect eye for catching the tired and hungry tourists like you! That said, keep in mind the better the service seems and the better looking is the place, the more probably the food isn't so good at all. The restaurant thing is totally upside-down here: the best places in town can very often have a really bad service and they seem not to care about the interiors or atmosphere at all (which in my opinion is so important!). Why? The reason is quite simple: they just can aloud it. People keep on coming back for the food and there is no need for change. Oh, and another tip for choosing a restaurant: try to see if there're any italians in the place, in the absence don't even bother. Usually the best ones are always full of locals, through the week.

So, Fiammetta was good. It served the typical italian food, done very easily and deliciously! Everything just seemed to melt in mouth! Only thing I could complain about a little was the interiors, but let's just leave it aside. I always have something to say about the interiors!:) Compared to other restaurants, it was quite sophisticated and clean. The prices weren't so high too and the desserts were breathtakingly goood! Enough of talking, here are the pictures, also from the Piazza Navona.

On our way back home... oh Rome I'm gonna miss you a lot, even though I'll be away only for a month! It's crazy how you've become part of me! (what happens if I need to go to uni in another city? let's not hink about it!)

New York, New York.. I've got you under my skin

.. and thanks to her even more.

This isn't going to be long.
I was thinkig for long how to write this post, how to describe well enough this young photographer with who's work I'm in love with, but there's nothing much to say actually. Except that she's got a huge talent. I mean really huge !
She mainly takes pictures of every day things and doings. It's the way she catches them. The ordinary moments in her photographs become so special. Makes you want to slow down with the rush and enjoy simple things like walking (and not running!) in the city or having a lunch at the park, too. Just like the people in her pictures..
She's got two blogs: one in black & white and another in colour.
You must check them out to understand what I'm talking about, definitely!

Photodiarist black & white (check!)
Photodiarist in colour (check!)

Here are some shoots she made of Bergdorf Goodman's (department store in New York) holiday window displays. I find them sensational. She could calmly shoot the next Vogue issue editorial, in my opinion.

Which was your favourite photograph taken by her (seen on her blog)?

You should see her older post too, there are some fantastic pictures taken on her trip to Morocco, definitely check them out and Stockholm pics are also great!! (love the yellow)
;)

Driving home for Christmas, with a thousand memories...

Good morning everyone! Mm.. it's 14.01 here but I'm still in my pj's and I had a pretty long breakfast infront of my pc, surfing around blogs and different sites. Ahhh I just love Sundays, I usually try to spend it at home and relax.. as the rest of the week I tend to run around like a chicken without a head! Anyway.. It has been a busy week and emotionally stressful because of some bureaucratic things I needed to do at the bank (I hate hate and HATE AGAIN the Italian paper-work!)

and... tadadatatataaaa...

I finally bought my tickets to go to Estonia.

In the beginning I planned to spend the Christmas Eve here, with my family, and the New Year's Eve there, with my friends, but I ended up buying a cheaper ticket already from the 22th of December. I'm exited, oh sooo exited about going back! Because of my busy life, the last time I went there was summer 2008. So I can imagine how much the town (Tallinn) has changed! With my friends fortunatelly I have been in touch almost all this time, especially with my best friend Kadri, with who we took a dream trip to Sardegna and Nice this summer. There are so many persons who I've missed, so many things I have wanted to do.. Here's my list of things I plan to do:

-having a coffee-chit-chat with my girlfriends in the Old Town. We used to do it all the time in the winter time when it was cold and dark outside.

- visit to KUMU the art museum of Tallinn I've missed (check!)


- a real shopping tour in the vintage shops and second-hand markets. (In Italy everything that's vintage, has a triple price of what's it's actually worth. Crazy)

- visit my grandfathers studio or however could I call it, where he constructs his yachts. I've been there a couple of times when I was little, too little to remember anything. He's a genius. I intend to learn something from him this time.

- playing tourists-taking pictures tour around Tallinn, it's such a beautiful city and I want to post about it here, definitely.

- a girls night out with my girls! Ohh I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! starting from the preparations at someone's place with few drinks and great gossip...

- a YOU AND ME DAY with my dear friend Kàrt. Taking pictures and cooking and talking and just relaxing...

- taking my grandma to the theathre & café for a cup of coffee and a cake!

All I really want is to enjoy the city, this time like a real tourist. I think it's not going to be hard. And all this thanks to Kadri, who really insisted on me going there!
Tallinn is really a pearl! I hope there's going to be a lot of snow, I miss it so much! Even though I'm afraid I don't have any boots neither clothes for the freezing Estonian wheather, lol. Need to do some urgent shopping!
If you're interested you can read all about Tallinn and tourism on this site (check!) and general information on wiki (check!)

I'm curious- has anyone ever heard about Estonia or been there? :)

And oh yes, I lived in Estonia for 15 years, then I moved to Italy, it was almost four years ago.
PS! I KNOW IT'S NOT 14.01 anymore... It took me a while to find the right pictures here;)

Rocking around the Christmas tree

Christmas
=
lots of cocktail parties and dinners
=
fun dressing up!

Either you are going on a Christmas party at your work, throwing a classy dinner with your friends at your own place or having a girls night out, you sure wanna stand out from all the shining lights and glittery decorations! So adding a little more sparkle and kitschy-kitsch forms or colours in your look is definitely a MUST in this period, even in little things like hair-do, accessories, make-up.. Get inspired from these ideas:

An out-fit and make-up colour combination..


Oh shiny shiny golden girl..!


DIAMONDS! DIAMONDS!


A dose of colour shock, so delightful.


Just the right way to hit the dancefloor...


Bow yourself up! Bows and ties everywhere..


Paillettes paillettes.. paillettes everywhere!

Santa Baby yes indeed!

Ice ice baby

Jewels fake or not, put them on all!

Add an original belt on your waist if your look is too simple and clear- changes the look imediatly

Play with your legs- those tighs are really adorable!

Naked skin + un abondance de jewels..

Play with the shades and colours and everything.
Abondance ! In this case more is more.


Use fantasy on your make-up: from paillettes or little diamonds to fake-lashes

Sephora has a really large choice of different fake-lashes


I really loved the idea of using hair clips with a touch of 20's.. (Christian Dior's A/W 2009 fashion show)

Have fun dressing up!;)
Is it going to be "more is more" or "less is more" Christmas for you this year?

Take me to Ipanema

Take me to Ipanema so I can breath the exotic air of the beaches, feel the breeze of the wind while it's whispering sweet things through my hair and watch the waves kissing the shore in the golden sunset...

Ahh.. You get the mood I'm in right now? It's winter and it's cold I'm hell missing summer!
I was putting together this year's holiday compilation and came across bossa nova on iTunes. More precisely Astrud Gilberto, a brazilian singer, who's songs are so elegant and extremely relaxing (and differently from her co-artists of bossa movement, never make me sad). If you haven't heard of her before then you surely know the The Girl From Ipanema, which she, by the way, sang famous (in english) in 1964. Here is the story of the song..

..It was 1962 when Jobim saw the girl.

Tom Jobim was a Grammy-award winning Brazilian song writer/performer who is considered to be the primary force behind the creation of bossa nova style. (wiki).
Jobim used to hang out always at Bar Veloso, an open air veranda-style bar where to drink beer, smoke cigarettes, chat with friends, read newspaper and watch pretty girls walk by. A definitely place-to-be in the trendy and artistical Ipanema, a beach neighborhood in South of Rio de Janeiro.

Almost every day a certain girl passed by the Veloso. She was tall and tan and young and lovely with long borwn hair and green eyes. The way she sensually swayed her hips and rather coldly ignored the whistling and cat-calls of the men at the bar certainly made her more special and beautiful of all the other girls. And Jobim fell in love.
"Isn't she the prettiest thing?" he said one fine day to his friend, Moraes, who wrote the line on a napkin and later elaborated the lyrics of the song.

In 1963 Jobim flew with his friends Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto and his wife Astrud Gilberto to New York to record an album for Verve Records.

It was then that the idea of recording an English version of the song popped-out of their minds and Astrud was suggested to sing the part. Though she wasn't a professional singer, she was the only one who spoke English and could pronunce the words correctly plus she had a very sensual voice that well suited the theme of the song. In 1964 it became a world-wide hit and won a Grammy a year later.

And so was it back in home, Brazil, where mystery around the identity and the existence of "The It Girl" grew. It took a while until Jobim got the courage to introduce himself to the girl and reveal the truth. With the ice finally broken, he set out to win her heart. On their second date, he stated his love for her and asked her to marry him. Unfortunatelly that never happened, as she was already promised to her fiancè at the age of 15.

"She is a golden girl, a mixture of flowers and mermaids, full of light and full of grace, but whose character is also sad with the feeling that youth passes and that beauty isn’t ours to keep. She is the gift of life with its beautiful and melancholic constant ebb and flow."
- Revealed: The Real Girl from Ipanema.

The girl is Helô Pinheiro. (check!), (she is also the one in all of the pictures, exept for the first coloured one).

Only 17 when Jobim saw her the first time.
Shy and insicure of herself.
And she became the It Girl.
She was tall and tan and young and lovely, in his eyes.
And when she passes, each one she passes goes "Aaahh.."
And when she walks, she's like a samba that swings so cool and sways so gentle,
all in his eyes..

She was a real boom in the 60's, 70's and even 80's. Every single girl (and woman) wanted to be her. To evoke sensuality that entices men everywhere to dream. To be a fantasy of an exotic dream woman who embodies the elusive essence of everything that is desirable. But the thing is.. every woman can be and IS the Ipanema Girl, just in her most simple ways.. don't you think?

Listen on youtube the song by Astrud (click!)

Illuminate me

When it comes to interior design (or better) interior architecture, I think no-one can disagree when I say that lighting is the most important thing. Let's leave a side the styling, the volumes, the colours, the arredo and furniture.. because every single thing loses it's importance when the light is absent. The right illumination, it's everything.
It's amazing how much you can play with your room with good (read: right) lighting: from underlining the key-elements of the decor or just hiding the defects to creating different atmospheres and shaping the space as you want.

The illumination sources not always are visibilly seen and not necessarily are main decor-elements of a room, as it used to be before the use of electricity. From the 15th century till 19th the chandelier, besides being the main source of light, was also the decorative focal element of the room and because of the high cost of night time illumination it has always been a sort of a symbol of status and luxury.
A side this, I find it's rather cozy in a room where you can see the lighting source. Don't you think?

But let me get to the main point of this post- Swarovski has totally understood the conception of "light" and chandelier, especially the part of "..the bigger is your chandelier, the more noble is your status..", and for many years for now the Austrian Crystal company has worked with many famous designers to produce elegant and rather breath-taking illumination installations under the label of Swarovski Crystal Palace. (check!)

"Miss Haze" and "Lolita" both by Ron Arad for Swarovski Crystal Palace.

"Swarovski Crystal Palace is a revolutionary project that has aimed to create a signature interpretations of light and design using the emotive medium of crystal. Whilst celebrating and reinterpreting the rich traditions of the chandelier, Swarovski Crystal Palacahas broken barriers, played with the rules and opened a new chapter in the history of lightening, art and design. Now in it's eight year, Swarovski Crystal Palace has worked with some of the world's foremost and collectable designers including Zaha Hadid, Yves Behar, Studio Job, Ross Lovegrove, Tom Dixon, Ron Arad, Tokujin Yoshioka and Fernando and Humberto Campana."
- Nadja Swarovski, Vice President International Comunications, Swarovski.

There are different collection-lines: Commercial, Limited Edition, One of a Kind and Custom made. Now enough of talking, just take a look of these wonderful- wonderful pieces of art, all unique and heavenly beautiful!

"Light Sculpture" by Zaha Hadid, Custom Made.


"Light Sculpture"


"Light Sculpture"

"Light Sculpture"

"Glitterbox", Georg Baldele, Commercial Collection.

"Glitterbox"

"Cascade" by Vincent van Duysen, Commercial Collection.

"Cascade"

Yves Behar, I didn't find the title. It should be part of the Commercial Collection.


"Hover" by Michael Gabellini with B&B Italia. (this is not Swarovski)


"Liquid Space" by Ross Lovegrove, Custom Made.


"Liquid Space"


"Liquid Space"


"Liquid Space"


no fantasy needed here- the title is "Ball", by Tom Dixon, Commercial Collection, mini version.


"Ball"


"Ball"


"Ice Furniture Stool" by Tord Boontje, Commercial Collection.


"Lolita" by Ron Arad, The Limited Edition.


"Lolita"


"Pandora" by Fredrikson Stallard.


"Pandora"


"Globe" by Studio Job, The Limited Edition.


"Globe", at the Viktor&Rolf S/S '10 fashion show, the one I posted about here (check!).


"Mini Voyage" by Yves Behar, Commercial Collection.


"Mini Voyage"


"Voyage" by Yves Behar.


"Voyage"


"Dream Saver", by Arno Quinze, One of a Kind.
This is my personal favourite.
Really beautiful.


"Mediterraneo" by Gaetano Pesce, One of a Kind.
This should move as it's programmed to change shape thanks to the music beat.. for more information you should check from the web, it's something I read a long time a go;)


"Mediterraneo".

Which was your favourite one?
Mine was Voyage by Yves Behar;)

home chillin' and home cookin' and home grillin'...

After a week of illness I'm pretty much excited about returning to school. Can you imagine how desperate I must be cause.. me? excited about going to school? (not because I don't like to study, I do like. It's all the other factors I don't like: the distance, the ambient, the teachers, exept few) Never. Exept for now.. Haha. It's just that I don't like loosing lessons and then later on find myself buried underneath homework and projects and stuff... It has been nice to be at home, to spend some relaxing time with my mom and my sister and mainly I got the chance to make a research about universities in London for architecture and interior design. (I read about Bartlett and AA and Cardiff and something else). There is a lot of paperwork to do and although I've got a year, it's only a year. December 2010 I should have my portfolio ready-steady for being sent in London. It's not that much at all.. considering the fact I do not have ANY works I could include in "my portfolio". So it's about time to get buzy buzy buzy. I'm afraid my blogging shall suffer a little because of it but hey, dreams need some sacrifices. And dreams come always FIRST. Don't you think? It's not easy to have ambitions. Not at all. You have to remember about them all the time and you can't really make any exeption. It's like a heavy heavy handbag you need to carry with yourself on your trip. You can't really leave it behind, just because it's breaking your shoulder or your back... You need to find a way to resist. And make sacrifices. Like throwing away those pretty Lou's (Louboutins) (I know they're pretty dear, but they won't help you on climbing the rocky mountain now won't they?). (I mean it symbolically- a nice pair of stilettos on a job-interview is always a plus. Oh we women are just blessed by God, don't you think like that, girls?) Or resisting on a tricky-mirage and trying to convince yourself it's only a catch that will lead you in a trap 'cause easy shortcuts are NEVER right. Things that come easily, go away just as easily. But things that come hardly, stay. Definitelly.
What do you think about my theories? What is your point of view on things?:)
Here are some shoots taken while my peaceful illness.. Enjoy:)

Raviolis with spinach and mozzarella inside covered with carrot and cream sauce. Mmmm..


A VITAMINE BOMB!..


Some Christmas spirit...


My sis before going to sleep. She loves the TV, always a good excuse for not going to bed on time...


Me.. SO BORED, taking pictures of my ponytail.. (which I thought came out perfectly!;) )

My room. It was raining outside and I looove being home when it's raining.


I took a new blank book for exclusively my sketches. It's nice to start from a blank fresh page..

Sketching issues

Kate for David Yurman Jewellery, this is by me, here are other two drawings of mine (check!)

Sketching is hard. I mean skecthing WELL is hard. And sketching is more important than you may aspect. At least when it comes to designing. You have to make it quick, easy and understandable, without detailing it, details are not welcomed. At least not always. It has to present a clear idea in it. Idea that speaks for itself. And before sketching, you already need an idea. For getting one of those? Well it's not like you're in a grossery shop and ask: " One for me, please." It's the hardest part- the part of being inspired. (But about being inspiered I'll write in another post).
I'm not bad at drawing, it quite never has been a problem for me, but sketching is a thing I don't know how to do, I mess up with too many lines. And less lines you have the greater sketcher you are.
I have to sketch every day in architecture lesson (and you must be really precise, millimeter by millimeter, but my hands tremble a little) and now I should do another work: a bracelet or a watch. The last one is way too complicated...
I'm willing to share with you guys my horrible sketches of the lake house I had to project for school, I tried to sketch without any stress, just with a free hand (AND YOU CAN SEE IT):




I hope I have improved since September..
Here are some sketches from some very famouse creative people which really inspired me to improve my sketching skills!

Epic chairs, the right one is my favourite: Barcellona Chair by Mies van der Rohe


Gianfranco Ferrè


Bilbao Guggenheim Museum by Frank O. Gehry


Yves Saint Lauren


A random illustration

The Wizard Oz Shoe Edition: A.Testoni, Botkier and the last one I couldn't figure out.


A tower, great sketch, really great.


Frank Lloyd Wright (the King of sketching)


KENZO parfum, so essential!


Donna Karan
LOVE THIS SKETCH, I can imagine so well this outfit shining on the runway


Frank Lloyd Wright (the King of sketching)


Gianfranco Ferrè


Jason Brooks, a fashion illustrator.


The Wizard Oz Shoe Edition: Sergio Rossi, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Moschino


A random jewel sketch I liked


I don't know the author but I really liked this sketch, you can help me out on it, if you know who made it;) (it was an important Haute Couture designer)


Giorgio Armani


Frank Lloyd Wright (the King of sketching), the Waterfall House



There's also a book released in the honour of 100 years of fashion illustration, curated by Cally Blackman, take a look on Amazon (check!)
I love the cover, don't you find it just gorgeous?

La Ex Dolce Vita

Things are changed since the late fifties when life was all about fame and spotlight on Via Veneto, the street where the "Dolce Vita Romana" was born. Here you could see the "intellectual" aristocrats, nobles, hollywood jet-setters and divas living or rather showing off their sweet, and yet bitter, I tell you!, life of the "only few and selected ones", chased by paparazzies day&night trying to catch every moment, scandal, fight, secret, failment, kiss there was...

And it was a great blast, every international star dropped by to have a taste of the Sweet Life: Liz Taylor, Gary Grant, Ava Gardner, Richard Burton, Audrey Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Anita Ekberg, Andy Warhol, Sophia Loren.. just naming few.

Federico Fellini pictured by Andy Warhol, on Via Veneto.

There is one particular episode which is remembered as the most scandalous happening of the time, which, in fact, may have signed the begginning of the uncontrollable exploration of sin and joy (always in big contrast with the Church, and it still is):

It's 1953, a birthday party is held in one of the most chicest restaurants in Trastevere- Il Rugantino. Obviously after too many drinks a young turkish woman Aiché Nanà decides to do a little belly-dance and ends up entirelly naked, this all witnessed by photographers.

Shocking front-page news of improvvisated striptease inspiers The Master of Cinema Fellini to add a scene in his movie colossal La Dolce Vita and seven years later, when the film is released, it gets banned by censores. Still it broke all box office records and still it got the Palme d'Or at Cannes (in 1960).

The most famous scene from the La Dolce Vita: Anita Ekberg with Marcello Mastroianni in the Fontana di Trevi.

Now..
well nothing is left of those glamourouse days that Rome City senter used to witness. Via Veneto is sadly empty and when I went there a couple of days ago, in the aspiration of taking some pictures to write this post... there was nothing to photograph. Nothing. Even on flickr you don't find anything good or special. Via Veneto is now full of expensive traditionally boring hotels for busy business men and empty restaurants with few lost tourist inside eating something not worth even a third of it's price. In the evening some escorts try to make money by stepping from one bar inside another. There are one or two restaurants and lounge/bars which try to keep up with the modern city nightlife with a cool interior design or a deejay set, but there's nothing much left to do. La Dolce Vita is gone. And I seriously doubt it's going to resee it's glory days.

Marcello Mastroianni in the final scene of the film.

PS! There is still one pearl lieing in it's dusty shell- a fish restaurant with a quite interesting interior design. I'm going to post about it;)