Topshop - The Importance of Being Kate

In 2007, the fast-fashion chain Topshop began its four-year long design collaboration with top model Kate Moss. The collaboration was inspired by Kate Moss’ unique sense of style. The Autumn – Winter 2010 collection was Kate Moss’ 14^th for Topshop and her last. Reportedly Moss decided to end the lucrative partnership because of other commitments.

Notice hottest model of the moment Cara Delevingne in this AW 2010 campaign video!

But it seems that Sir Philip Green (Owner of the fashion retail group Arcadia with brands such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins) has found himself a new fashion muse, a new Kate, Kate Bosworth. 

The affair started in the winter of 2012 when Kate Bosworth was the face of Topshop's first ever Christmas campaign and fashion film directed by her fiance Michael Polish. She performs the song Winter Wonderland standing on a piano in a fabulous concert hall - a scene inspired by Michelle Pfeifer's piano scene in the film The Fabulous Baker Boys.

Now, Kate Bosworth has taken over Topshop's 2013 Spring-Summer Magazine which she guest edited with her fiance. In the editorial 'A Real Heart Breaker', the lovely actress poses in outfits styled by herself and she is photographed by her fiance Michael Polish. 

For now, she is not designing her own line for the brand, but it wouldn't surprise me if we can expect something to be announced in the coming year...

Coke Light - Marc Jacobs

Remember the article I wrote a while ago about the pimping of the Coke Light cans by Marc Jacobs? Well the advertising machine is coming to full swing with big adverts on those famous London double-deckers and a competition to win a Marc Jacobs bag! 

On Wedding Dress Shopping

I have had such an amazing weekend! A weekend full of laughter and one that made me feel so blessed and thankful for the fantastic friends around me!

It all started last Friday when I was sitting at home, having finished my article on Lichtenstein and wishing for the warmth of the sun, trying to heat up on the gazillion-th latte of the day, as the doorbell rang.

And there she was! The sunshine of the day!! My close friend Nadja suddenly at my doorstep hiding behind a bouquet of pink flowers. She had flown over London on her way back from NY to Munich, especially to go wedding dress shopping with me! You cannot believe how loud I screamed with excitement seeing her! 

This needed a good night out on the town for the much needed catching up! We started our evening at Mark's Bar in Soho for our first of many glasses of fine bubbly. Mark's Bar is really one of those sweet spots in London to enjoy a cocktail in its cool interior of leather chesterfields and soft lighting.  

Nadja at Mark's Bar

After our aperitif we headed to Yauatcha to meet Evi for little packets of deliciousness - dim sum! One of my favourite foods that I got hooked on when I was living in Singapore a couple of years ago. Evi, of course, had known all about the surprise and had made sure that I had already made the reservation much earlier :) If you make it to Yauatcha, be sure to try the Prawn and beancurd cheung fun! It is absolutely delicisious - it both melts in your mouth as giving you some sense of crisp with the tempura'd prawn woven through the roll! And if you like spicy, then you should really taste the steamed halibut with home made chilli and salted radish! 

at Yauatcha

We ended our night with a late night cap at the bar of The Connaught in Mayfair - relaxed atmosphere, again dim lighting, soft chairs and beautiful 20s decor. 

The next morning, on Saturday, I had my appointment at Temperley in Notting Hill to try some of their exquisitely flowing wedding dresses! Four of my friends joined me as the bridal fashion police to give me their honest opinion. Priceless :)

Temperley in Notting Hill!

Temperley Wedding Dresses

Evi trying on a veil :)

I'm sure you're wondering which dress Natalia, Camille and Evi are looking at ;)

Trying on all the different styles of wedding dresses is just a blast! How cliche it might sound that you do feel like a princess - well I was feeling more like an Oscar worthy actress ;) but close enough and much more glamorous ;) And they all tell me that I'll know when I will have found 'the one'.

Of course I will not reveal....still a fitting at Browns to come and the groom cannot see the dress before the big day - so you will have to wait too ;)

Lichtenstein - A Retrospective

Yesterday, Tate Modern opened its new exhibition 'Lichtenstein - A Retrospective' to the public. What I like about a retrospective like this one is that it introduces you to those lesser known works from the artist, some of which I find more interesting than the ones so often referred to. But that of course is personal taste, not to be discussed - like the French proverb says: "les goûts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas"

Lichtenstein, probably one of the most recognized artists of the American pop art movement, and a contemporary of Pollock and Rothko, broke with those artists' movement known as abstract expressionism to develop a new concept, one of painting inspired by comic strips, advertising and mass culture imagery.

When asked about Lichtenstein the works that often come to mind are his comic book paintings. But Lichtenstein wasn't a fan of comic books per se, he was rather intrigued by an underlying principle in art, namely what is the underlying force that makes a painting of a certain image more valuable than that same image in the comic book? He was intrigued by the nature of the cartoon, an image as far as possible from an artistic image and how it could be turned into a formal painting, a formal art work with only minor changes. 

Don't you like the painting on the left? :) It's titled: The ring (Engagement) and dates from 1962.

But as you might already have inferred from what I wrote at the beginning, my favourite paintings on show in this retrospective weren't the comic book ones - rather his take on Monet's Rouen Cathedral is what caught my eye. 

Monet wasn't the only artist Lichtenstein gave his own interpretation to. He also engaged with Picasso's, Matisse's and Mondrian's work for example, each time staying true to the stylistic convention of the movement but letting it emerge through his pop art filter.  

Another one of his series that I really liked were his Mirrors. Here the painting is not only a painting, it is also a sculpture as the form of the canvas has taken on the form of the object represented, and it is conveying its intricate characteristic, i.e. reflection, through a composition of well placed dots. But it is a mock object, a mirror showing no reflection at all of the object put before it.  

I would really recommend you this exhibition! It is very accessible art, very pleasing to the eye and actually just very fun!

Tate Modern has a great audio guide system which is really worth taking along! You hear stories about the art works, and commentary from the curators and even from Lichtenstein himself. And you also get access to his biography and additional material like e.g. his scrap books ( he never worked from real life objects, he always started working with 2D representations)

The exhibition runs until the 27th of May 2013! So plenty of time for you to get there and like me make new discoveries about this artist, like his fascination later in life with the simplicity of Chinese art!

For more information go to the Tate modern website

Reading History

Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending and Niall Ferguson's Civilization both shared my bed the last months. (Since I was very young I have developed one of those habits where i really cannot fall asleep without reading, as a result my nightstand is a heap of books and magazines to the agony of my fiance who just finds it a bit of a mess and doesn't understand this need to read) Two very different books, the first a work of fiction and winner of the Man Booker Prize, the other a work of non-fiction. But both with some common red thread - history.

Ferguson's Civilization is a historic account of how the "West" ended up being the dominant civilization and questions are raised on whether this will remain the case. The combinations of competition, property rights, medicine, consumer society and work ethic are cited as the catalysts for growth and growth in power. What I really enjoyed about this book was the light it shone on the non-western civilizations - their power, strength and demise. Not only did I enjoy reading about history in China, Middle East, Japan, South America ... (history that really isn't part of the high school curriculum in Belgium, at least not 10 years ago) , it also points out how once dominant civilizations can crumble when bad decisions are made,  and that the equilibrium of power is in that sense a very fragile and sensitive one. 

Barnes's The Sense of an Ending is really one of those books that just engulfed me. Where Civilization took me 3 months to read its 325 pages, The Sense of an Ending just took me two days to read its 150 pages. Of course, very different types of books - Civilization for me was a book that I could more easily put down in the evening - requiring more concentration when you read it, it made me more tired and was hence ideal as a kind of lullaby putting me to sleep - by which i really don't mean that it was boring :), it's just the type of attention that it required. 

The Sense of an Ending drew me in so much that I really wanted to know what was going to happen in the story, and I loved the tone of the narrator in the story and his description of the characters and philosophical notes. 

Tony Webster - the narrator of the story - is a retired man and is recalling events of his youth - the friendships and love affairs he lived through his school and university days - when he is faced with a peculiar letter... What really runs through this story - and what is also the link with history that I want to make here - is that he starts to realize that his memory is imperfect. Not only did he interpret certain events from his own background he also gave them meaning based on his current state of mind, without considering that he did not even have all the facts to come to a 'correct' conclusion...

So is the same with history - which version are you being told? Who interpreted the events? Which facts were taken into considerations and which were knowingly or unknowingly omitted...? I believe that's worth remembering when reading works about history...

It's all so quiet...shhh...shhh

For me, Selfridges is the adult equivalent to FAO Schwartz in NY - remember the humongous toy store where they shot the piano scene for the movie Big with Tom Hanks, the toy store where they want kids to play with all the toys, to have fun, to experience...- well that is Selfridges to me here in London. Every time I go I have fun because I can discover something new, something to marvel at. 

After the holiday madness of December, Selfridges launched its new store-wide concept No Noise, which will remain until the end of February. It's an initiative that goes beyond retail, the project invites you to celebrate the power of quiet, see the beauty in function and find calm among the crowds. A project that is really in sync with the current trend of electronic detoxing - shutting off your smartphone, computer and really focusing on the here and now, mindfulness. 

As always, the concept is executed to perfection, from the window displays, to the de-branded products in the no noise concept store, the silence rooms, the headspace pods and the website. 

You can only imagine how excited I was when I saw this:

Yessss, it's a cloud in one of Selfridges' window displays! Remember my articles, cloud imagination 1 and cloud imagination 2, well, it seems clouds are really an it-thing now :) 

The window displays are all conveying the idea of silence, quiet, no noise, featuring white objects - the white t-shirts, head phones -, and references to lightness and tranquility - like the cloud or the balloons - as well as patience, simplicity and transparency - the faucet, water and glasses

Some products co-operated by removing their are iconic logo from the packaging. Notice though, that even without the logo, these products still remain hugely recognizable and we can almost instantly fill in the gap - power of branding :)

Creme de la Mer

Clinique Moisturizing Lotion

What is very  cool as well is that Selfridges partnered up with Headspace, the modern meditation experts, to deliver an extra helping of peace and quiet. In the shop several Headspace pods are scattered about - each one offering a different guided meditation, to help calm busy heads.

The soothing voice that speaks to you when you put on the headphones in the Pod, really makes you calm down and relax. I would almost go as far as saying that the rhythm at which the voice speaks is like a bellowing hammock rocking you to sleep. Honestly, at one point I was still hearing the man speak but was not listening at all anymore, I was so relaxed that I was completely lost to the meditation.

The meditation I listened to was one about Fragrance, with Martin Margiela's 'untitled' perfume to guide me through. 

If you can't make it to Selfridges, you can go to the No Noise website and listen to a Headspace meditation there! See link below:

A Headspace Pod

Go to the No Noise website and 

listen to some podcasts by Headspace:

http://nonoise.selfridges.com/

And if the listening is still too much for you, you can go to the Silence Room. A space created by Alex Cochrane Architects especially for Selfridges No Noise concept. A space to recuperate from the bombardment of noise and images outside...

Enjoy the quiet....shhhh...shhhh

K is for Kate

K is for Kate

i-D's Pre-Spring Issue (one of my favourite magazines, and btw love how they make it 'pre'-spring, makes you long for the actual spring even more) - its alphabet issue, is featuring Kate Moss on its cover, in four different looks. It celebrates Moss' 25th anniversary in fashion, and 20 year relationship with i-D.

Photos were shot by Daniele + Iango

K is for Kerastase

K is also for Kérastase as Kate Moss will feature in Kérastase's new campaign for the 'Couture Styling' collection to be launched in May.

You can already watch the teaser here:

Really wish I could get my hear to look like that :)

Maybe I should invite stylist Luigi Murenu to do my hair at my wedding :) What a dream that would be :)

A tip for stylish wining and dining in Antwerp: Le John!
Last Friday I really needed to catch up with some friends and this restaurant was the perfect spot! We had a great time talking away in this beautiful minimal but warm interior in which a relaxed atmosphere was created with the soft lighting and the jazz playing in the background. An excellent house aperitif, wine list and delicious menu made the foodies happy and the friendly service was the cherry on the cake!

Le John

bar restaurant
03 289 92 25
Kasteelpleinstraat 25, Antwerpen

We don't fall in love: it rises through us

We don’t fall in love: it rises through us

the way that certain music does –

whether a symphony or ballad –

and it is sepia-coloured,

like spilt tea that inches up

the tiny tube-like gaps inside

a cube of sugar lying by a cup.

Yes, love’s like that: just when we least 

needed or expected it

a part of us dips into it

by chance or mishap and it seeps

through our capillaries, it clings

inside the chambers of the heart.

We’re victims, we say: mere vessels,

drinking the vanilla scent

of this one’s skin, the lustre

of another’s eyes so skilfully

darkened with bistre. And whatever

damage might result we’re not

to blame for it: love is an autocrat

and won’t be disobeyed. 

Sometimes we manage

to convince ourselves of that.

Julia Copus

This poem by Julia Copus is actually titled ' In Defence of Adultery' - something I don't want to defend really, but the way she describes falling in love, this inexplicable force that draws you to someone can is in my opinion not only reserved to adulterous falling in love, so, I chose this poem for Valentines day. I hope you enjoy it and that you can experience this kind of  overtaking falling in love.

2003, Julia Copus
From: In Defence of Adultery
Publisher: Bloodaxe, Newcastle, 2003
From Poetry International website

Valentine Breakfast

This really would be my ideal Valentine breakfast! What could be better than your man whisking you up some pancakes in the morning for an ultimate breakfast in bed. Sooooooo much better than a dinner in a fancy restaurant on this 'hyped' day. His effort would really show true love (and cookery skills if he manages this :) ) A LOVEly start of the day!

Also I read an article in Psychology Today that food can affect your behavior  even just by looking at it. In an experiment where people were asked to volunteer their time to help a stranger, those who were given a sweet candy were more likely to say yes than those given a salty cracker or sour candy. So the taste you have in your mouth can really affect the way you behave. So I would say bombard everyone with sweets tomorrow! Wouldn't it make for a sweet world :)

Serves 4 (or two very hungry lovebirds)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

What You’ll Need:

• 60g unsalted butter, at room temp
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 4tsp sugar
• 16 Strawberries, sliced
• 200g flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk
• 200g mascarpone

What To Do:

1. Beat together the butter, cinnamon and sugar. Dollop it into a saucepan and melt over a medium heat. When the butter starts to froth add the strawberries, toss well in the butter and turn off the heat.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, egg, and milk until smooth. Heat a heavy based, non-stick frying pan or bake stone and grease with a little oil. Pour small amounts of batter into the frying pan (about 2 tbsp per pancake), once the top has bubbled and dried flip the pancake and cook the other side till golden. Keep warm whilst you make the rest of the batter
3. Reheat the strawberries gently while you arrange the pancakes. Place a pancake on each serving plate and spread with mascarpone then arrange some sliced strawberries on top. Repeat this layering until all the pancakes are used up. Top the stack with any remaining strawberry slices and drizzle over the melted cinnamon butter.

from Vivastrawberries.com.

On Rihanna's Choice and Why Victims Don't Leave

It's been all over the news that Rihanna has decided to give her violent ex Chris Brown another chance. Brown beat her up in 2009 the night before she was supposed to perform on the Grammy's. Leaked police reports revealed that Brown threatened to kill his girlfriend after savagely attacking her and abandoning her in a semi-conscious state. Most of us will remember the horrid picture of Rihanna's face with a split lip, black eyes and bruised neck.

The world was quick to condemn the man she calls "the love of her life," but Rihanna said she remained worried about Brown. "I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help," she explained. "Everybody’s gonna say he's a monster without looking at the source. Who's gonna help him?" - From Rolling Stone Magazine

Many have backlashed and called Rihanna irresponsible and a bad example for the young girls that are her fans. But I am really not writing this article to judge. I am writing it because Rihanna's choice has sparked controversy, and it has brought the issue of domestic violence to the top, an issue that is so often tabooed. Whether it is physical or emotional, many people are the victim of it, or carry around the scars.* (some statistics below)

Please watch the video of a TED talk, a talk by a former victim of domestic violence, a talk of a strong women who vowed it would never happen to her, but it did. A talk that will inspire you not to judge, but to keep an open mind and be there for those that would need you, and not see victims as weak. 

Video: TED talk Jan 2013

Leslie Morgan Steiner

Why domestic violence victims don't leave

Note that I am not making a comparison between Leslie Morgan Steiner's story in this TED talk and Rihanna's because they are very different, and it really isn't my place to judge, I only hope it makes you aware of the complexities involved. 


Domestic Violence: the facts, the issues, the future
Speech by the UK Director for Public Prosecutions, April 2011
UK Statistics

·  Nearly 1 million women experience at least one incident of domestic abuse each year (2009/10 British Crime Survey data: as reported in latest cross-government VAWG strategy)

·  At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence (DoH, (2002)  Women's Mental Health : Into the Mainstream, p.16)

·  Two women are killed each week by their partner or ex-partner (Womens Aid (March 2011))

·  76 per cent of all DV incidents are repeat (Flatley, Kershaw, Smith,  Chaplin and Moon (July 2010) BCS - Crime in England and Wales 2009/10 , Home Office)

·  Women experience an average of 35 incidents of domestic violence before reporting an incident to the police (Yearnshaw 1997)