Friday, 25 May 2012

TRENDS - CONTAMINATION & FUSION – TRADING DOWN, TRADING UP

TRADING DOWN: luxury becomes affordable - i.e. the collaboration between H&M and famous designer.
The perfect outfit: H&M by a luxury brand + a vintage item + an ecologic Falabella handbag and a Vegan Stella Mc Cartney pair of shoes (produced with bio-plastic materials and biodegradable heels)- http://www.stellamccartney.com


TRADING UP- A product that should be accessible to everybody turns into luxury.
Water Bar Colette – downstairs of the concept store- 60 kinds of bottled water listed on the restaurant’s menu.
213, rue Saint-Honore, Paris - www.colette.fr

TRENDS - CONTAMINATION & FUSION - MIX

FOOD 
if you don’t like the fusion food but you want to choose between different types of cuisine – De Bijenkorf Kitchen, Dam 1, Amsterdam - http://www.debijenkorf.nl/amsterdam
photographer: Ewout Huibers
CONCEPT STORE 
concept store = Idea of tailoring a shop towards a lifestyle theme, specialized in cross-selling (clothing, books, perfumery, accessories, gadgets, music, furniture, restaurant or bar...) without using separate departments
RA - Kloosterstraat 13, Antwerpen - http://www.ra13.be/

theaestheticomnivore.blogspot.com
Concept café

A few tables, a marble counter, old construction timbers used as shelves, the staircase leading to the loft, which has been reimagined into an office, is a masons’ ladder. The furniture is second-hand, recycled or reinvented.
Coffee, wine, Spritz, Campari, cupcakes served by the very nice owners: Katia and Paola.
A corner for clothes recuperated around the world on sale reminds you of Katia’s “previous life” as Marni’s Retail Vice President in New York.
A background of Jazz music.
A lovely little place with a relaxed atmosphere more similar to a living room than a bar
.
PAUSE CAFÉ Via Federico Ozanam 7, Milano - http://www.pausemilano.com/
snotes4milan.blogspot.com
tea room/ bric-à-bracA SCOLA -Calvi’s Citadel offers a number of good places to eat but this Salons de Thé/Brocante is the nicest place to take time-out during a day of sightseeing with a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake. The pretty interior is full of interesting bric-a-brac and a few antiques. Either sit inside by a picture window overlooking the sea or on a table on the cobbled street overlooking the Place d’Armes.

Unfortunately will closed by the end of 2012

27 Haute Ville, 20260 Calvi (Corsica Island)
 
FOOD&FLOWER
Formerly a flower shop, today FIORAIO BIANCHI is a small restaurant and cafes where the strong scents of the flowers blends with the flavors of Italian cuisine.


ALL DAY LONG
The Serbian creative studio reMiks has designed Supermarket Concept Store which is located in a former discount supermarket (1.400 m2) in Belgrade.
The interior is intentionally raw and seemingly unfinished, and plays an important part in introducing contemporary art and design into commercial, retail spaces so various delicate or luxurious objects or hedonistic activities the take place in an extremely ascetic environment
Since the general idea behind it was to blend design, fashion, art, publishing, music and gastronomy, the interior is divided into functional areas:
* Bar area is 25 meters long, along the length of the retail area
* Fashion Lounge covers more than 150 m2`
* Spa and hair salon covers 350m2
* Restaurant 200m2
* art gallery
Visnjiceva 10, 38111 Belgrade- http://www.supermarket.rs/


 word: Serendipity


means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it.
ORIGIN 1754, COINED BY THE WRITER HORACE WALPOLE, SUGGESTED BY “The Three Princes of Serendip” THE TITLE OF A FAIRY TALE IN WHICH THE HEROES. three Persian princes. sailed off to make their fortunes in the "land of silk", an island called SERENDIP. (Today, known as Sri Lanka.) Along the way, they made all types of wondrous and delightful discoveries, learning new things they never expected - such the discovery that a mule blind in its right eye had recently traveled the same road when they noticed that the grass had been eaten only on the left side of the road.

SEX
The project GENDER STUDIES by Bettina Rheims starts primarily with a facebook channel, where she wanted to come in contact to people who feel very special in the context of their gender. After some interviews, Bettina Rheims decided to choose 30 of them to create her new series gender studies 

WORD ENANTIODROMIA
THE SUPERABUNDANCE OF ANY FORCE INEVITABLY PRODUCES ITS OPPOSITE

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

THE FUNNIEST COMICS

SIMON’S CAT - http://www.simonscat.com/ (watch the amazing Simon's cat adventures on Youtube!) 
WORD: APOLAUSTIC 
WHOLLY DEVOTED TO THE SEEKING OF ENJOYEMENT
IMAGES/PICTURES UPLOADED TO THE INTERNET

Monday, 21 May 2012

TRENDS - SHARING - CO-HOUSING, CO-WORKING, HOUSE SWAPPING

Not only car/bike etc.etc.but also SPACES 

CO-HOUSING as the “artists residences” like:
the TRIANGLE ARTS ASSOCIACION a New York based non-profit arts organization whose mission is to support emerging and mid-career international and national visual artists, encouraging dialogue and experimentation through workshops, residencies and exhibition opportunities 
http://triangleworkshop.org

 
in Italy an artist can live and work in a castle thanks to CASTELLO IN MOVIMENTO organisation 
http://www.castelloinmovimento.com/index_en.htm

or on a tram (BIVACCOURBANO residency by Porgetto Diogene) http://www.progettodiogene.eu/


                
In the heart of Paris, the 59 RIVOLI is one of the most famous (ex) squat in the the world. Not only residence for artists but also gallery on the ground floor that has a new exposition every 2 weeks
59 rue de Rivoli Paris - http://59rivoli.org
dailyphotostream.blogspot.com
CO-WORKING
THE HUB- WHERE CHANGE GOES TO WORK –The Hub is a network of spaces that combine a trusted community, innovation lab, business incubator and the comforts of home. At the HUB, people from every profession, background and culture are being united by one thing: the imagination and drive to pursue enterprising ideas for the world. These are the people who see and do things differently and have entrepreneurial passion to create sustainable impact  
http://www.the-hub.net/

 
HOUSE SWAPPING is the practice that refers to the swapping of homes (vacation accommodation) a temporary or more permanent basis http://www.lovehomeswap.com and many others
  • COMMUNITY COOKER (Jiko ya jamii in Swahili)
     In the mid-1990s, Nairobi-based architect Jim Archer was increasingly concerned about the amount of discarded refuse piling up in Kenya and many other developing countries. He designed the Community Cooker as a simple, inexpensive machine, easily built and repaired by local communities, with minimal operating expenses. The trash is sorted onto racks, dried, and shoveled down a slide into the burn box- non-combustibles like rubber and glass are set aside, of course-
    Each oven is large enough to bake ten loaves of bread, roast a goat, or fire clay pot http://communitycooker.org/

TRENDS– SHARING -NETWORKS

IDEAS&EXPERIENCE: NETWORKS
The newest network: Invite For A Bite solves the problem of what to do when you don't want to eat alone while you are travelling for fun or on business trip. Wherever you are in the world.

Saturday, 19 May 2012

THINK ABOUT IT - NOW AND EVER

THINK  ABOUT  IT, NOW!



WORD: PAROXYSM
A SUDDEN ATTACK OR OUTBURST OF A PARTICULAR EMOTION OR ACTIVITY THAT CANNOT BE CONTROLLED

BART VARGAS  http://bartvargas.com

Friday, 18 May 2012

TRENDS – SOFT INVIVIDUALISM AND CUSTOMIZATION - VINTAGE

HOME

1380-SPAZIO TREDICI OTTANTA and OYA two very big spaces (more than 1.400 square meters, each) dedicated to objects and furniture from the ‘30s up to ‘70’s that you can rent or buy.
1380 Via Enrico Annibale Butti, 7 and OYA Via Stelvio 74 - 20158 Milano- http://www.1380.it/
 
CLOTHING
DIDIER LUDOT- Considered by many an icon in the fashion world, he not only sells beautifully crafted clothing from the 1920-1980 era (in perfect condition), but has held various exhibitions, lent gowns to other galleries, promoted upcoming designers and started his own collection of elegant 'little black dresses' which he sells in a separate store appropriately named "La Petite Robe Noire".
Chanel, Hermes, Courrèges, YSL, Lanvin and much more at Didier Ludot 24 Galerie Montpensier - Jardin du Palais Royal – 75001 Paris -http://www.didierludot.fr/
PICTURES UPLOADED TO THE INTERNET

TRENDS – SOFT INVIVIDUALISM AND CUSTOMIZATION - YOURSELF

Every day we change the outfit but not the perfume. First, let’s choose an antique scent bottle at GALERIE BELLE DU JOUR, magic place where you can find a wide select of precious scent bottles (and power boxes, atomizers, et.etc.) Art Nouveau, Art Decò, Baccarat crystal, Lalique and much more.

7, rue Tardieu, 75018 - http://www.belle-de-jour.fr/

after that let’s go to the 7° arrondissment at CINQUIEME SENSE to create your own perfume.
First step: you are accustomed to the scents and secondly an exhaustive interview allows concentrating the selection on 2 fragrances that suit you the best. After the third (or the fourth, is necessary) appointment you will bring home your perfume.
18, rue de Monttessuy, 75018 Paris - http://fr.cinquiemesens.com/

PICTURES UPLOADED TO THE INTERNET

TRENDS – SOFT INVIVIDUALISM AND CUSTOMIZATION - YOUR HOME

OUTDOOR  
If you want to make your home an original place to leave, with a horse shape, for example, the Italian designer and artist Duilio Forte can help you - do not forget to visit his atelier / workshop in the Ortica district in Milan, Via Corelli 34
after then, add an handmade (by yourself, of course) sofa in the garden- but pay attention the horse won’t eat it!- how to do it? Following the instruction on: http://www.readymade.com/projects/sprout_a_couch/next_step#steps

INDOOR 
add funny items, not for everybody, created by the Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto CAMPANA
and the RAG CHAIR, layered from the contents of 15 bags of rags. It arrives ready made but the user has the option to recycle its own discarded clothes to be included in the design. Each piece is unique; a treasure-chest of memories


WORD: PALINGENESIS 
THE CONCEPT OF RE-BIRTH OR RE-CREATION (USED IN VARIOUS CONTEXTS: PHILOSOPHY, THEOLOGY, POLITICS, BIOLOGY....)
 

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

MOVIE- INVISIBLE CHILDREN


NO COMMENT

   

WORD: BATRACOMIOMACHIA
LITERALLY MEANS A BATTLE BETWEEN FROGS AND MICE
IN A FIGURATIVE SENSE, IT REFERS TO A FIGHT OVER NOTHING


Monday, 14 May 2012

TRENDS - ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY – GO OUT

BOTTEGAS – filiera minima
ABOUT It is a cooperative that attend to:
- Retail trade in cooperation with suppliers with organic certification
- logistics service in favor of buying groups
- cafeteria "new" products, not sold by the mass retailers, high-quality, affordable price and not contaminated by the policies of "brand" and marketing, are distributed.
- organization of Workshop whose aim is to raise awareness of environmental processes and fair trade
- being a link between virtuous producers and conscious consumers


KEY WORDS equity, ecology, ethics
WHAT Features of the product local, healthy, natural (environmentally friendly), not bulky, produced in respect of employees, fair price, supplied by conscious companies, GMO free, produced respecting the animals.
Via Colletta, 31 Milan - http://www.bottegas.it/

PICTURE UPLOADED TO THE INTERNET

TRENDS – ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY – CAR

TWIZY, BE FUN! The urban crosser, 100% electric, 2 seats, 100 km of autonomy (standard recharge: 3h30 from a 220 V / 10 A standard light socket), speed from 45 km/h to 80 km/h (it depends on the model). Twizy 45 can be driven without the driver’s license

PICTURE UPLOADED TO THE INTERNET
“100% emission free, 100% electric, 100% real," With these words Peugeot proudly announced their first electric car- PEUGEOT ION
has a range of 150 km (in the trafic of the city) - A full charge takes approximately 9 hours from a standard 220 V and it takes 30 minutes for a 80% charge from the connect Peugeot electric service – this service will also include PC or smartphone access to information about battery charging locations.
Note: Car hire service Europcar added the Peugeot iOn to its fleet
corso porta ticinese milano

TRENDS – ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY – ACCOMODATION

Sleeping on a tree or sleeping in the rubbish ;-)  or under the ice is so sustainable!
Welcome to the world of FREE SPIRIT SPHERES, set among the tall trees of the west coast rainforest of Vancouver Island. Built on vision and engineering these handcrafted spheres are suspended like pendants from a web of rope. They occupy a truly unique place in the world while providing a habitat for the un-tamed spirit that exists in us all.
Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada - http://www.freespiritspheres.com/


Created by the German artist Ha Schult the BEACH GARBAGE HOTELs (one in Rome and one in Madrid) were made from 12 tons of beach debris, the walls were covered with detritus deposited by the tide in Europe, waste found at dumps and items bought at flea markets.


Sweden’s ICE HOTEL is rebuilt every year, the ice and snow melts back into the river. Of course there is an environmental impact of building and running the hotel, so efforts to produce more renewable energy than is consumed are being made. The architects of the Ice Hotel have made a pledge to be CO2 negative by 2015.
Marknadsvägen 63, Jukkasjärvi, SWEDEN - http://www.icehotel.com/
PICTURES UPLOADED TO THE INTERNET