"German Fashion illustrator Sabine Pieper lives and works in Berlin. I have not read much about her but her work alone speaks profoundly of her soft vision and passion. She reveals beauty by using sultry colors in her illustration. Sabine’s eye is pure seduction. I am clearly in love with her work!"
Why have I not heard of this blog before? I mean ... I guess it's kind of difficult when there ARE seriously thousands if not millions of blogs about fashion, art, music on the internet ... right? Each one has their own specific aesthetic and appeal to certain individuals. To find the right one that appeals to you personally and aesthetically can be exhausting. That's why I was very pleased to have stumbled upon Cyana Trendland this morning. It covers the topics I want to read and it's selection of photographs is absolutely gorgeous (for me at least).
Cyana Trendland "dedicates strong emphasis designer collection profiles, runway previews, hot items from the past, present and anticipated future, the newest gadgeteers and innovators of fashion, graphic designers and architectural worlds."
Painted Bird will be carrying De*Nada's new autumn/winter '09 line. Located in San Francisco in the Mission district, Painted Bird is known for their carefully curated selection of new and vintage pieces for women and men.
De*Nada is an emerging contemporary women’s and men’s accessories line created by DC-based designer, Virginia Arrisueño. Combining traditional elements with modern trends, De*Nada offers a rising collection of handmade knit accessories for individuals, who desire both quality and style.
Inspired by the culture and the traditions of her Peruvian heritage, Arrisueño works closely with skilled artisans in Perú to create De*Nada’s growing collection. De*Nada is currently sold at select retailers worldwide.
Painted Bird is located at 1201A Guerrero St San Francisco, CA 94110. Visit Painted Bird's website at www.paintedbird.org
For additional information, please contact info@denadadesign.com / Visit De*Nada’s website at www.denadadesign.com
"he loves you, he loves you not" is the name of this piece. Hundreds of resin cast rings (rings signifying wedding rings or perhaps promise rings) with the statement "he loves you" or "he loves you not" set in each one. I guess I was trying to express my feelings towards relationships and how sometimes you can feel so vulnerable, not knowing 100% if your partner that you're with is fully committed with you or maybe you're feeling a little doubt about your partner and if he/she is the "one."
I made this piece back in 2002. I had just came back from living in London for 6 months for an internship. When I moved there temporarily, it was when my fiance (boyfriend at the time) and I had just started dating. We had known each other 3 years prior as friends and said the "I love you" a short while after our first date ... and so when faced with the idea of long distant relationships, we knew we could handle it. However, it was hard on both of us. I know that for me personally, I couldn't shake off those feelings of insecurities and doubt. At times, I wondered if he was being faithful and at other times, I wondered if I could fully trust him. In the end though, I had to trust him, and he had to do the same with me. 5 out of the 6 months were brutal ... 1 not because that was the month he decided to hop on a plane and visit me. 9 years later, we are still together.
*The model in the photos is a friend of mine. She had just gotten married, and thought it appropriate to ask her to be my model. I took the photos.
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It's Monday ... need I say more? Anytime I need a pick me up, I listen to any type of music that makes me want to dance. Today, I'm listening to Moby's "feeling so real." It's an oldie, but such a goody. I remember the first time I heard this song, I was 14 sharing a room with my sister in boarding school. She just purchased Moby's Everything is Wrong and was having a listen. I never heard "techno" before, and remembering instantly loving this track when she played it. Almost everyday, we would play this album ... and when she wasn't there, I would listen to this song and dance like crazy. Anyways several years later, I remember going to an Ultraworld party at the DC Armory just see Moby perform. I have to say that dancing to him while he was performing live was amazing. Man, I miss those days!
Father's Day is this weekend, and I plan to travel home to spend it with my family for this special day. My father is one of the most important people in my life (tied in first with my mom, of course). I thank him for all the opportunities he has given me throughout my life, the list is endless. Most importantly, I thank him for loving me unconditionally. I've made mistakes in my life and at many times acted like a "brat," yet my father is always there no matter what. This is truly priceless, and I hope that one day I will be able to be a great parent as he is with me.
Twice a year, I travel to Lima, Peru to design and create my new collections. I work alongside such amazing artists to hand make all my designs in Lima. Since both my parents are from Peru and some of my family resides there, it seemed natural as my business grew to have my line produced there. A lot of my inspirations stems from my experiences in Peru ... the art, its culture, the people, and its way of life.
This September, I'll be traveling there to create samples for my new collection for 2010. Just purchased my tickets! I am especially excited to go this time, because my parents will be joining me for a portion of the trip. My father is a doctor, and he is a part of "doctors without borders," where he volunteers his services in Peru. In September, the organization is hosting a conference in Ica.
"Ica is an important agricultural region, where grapes, cotton, asparagus, olives and other produce is cultivated. It is known by Peruvians as the land of the sun, and although there are the 4 seasons, the warm dry climate makes it feels like summer year-round."
I've never been there, and when I heard that my parents were traveling there I couldn't resist to ask them if I could go with them as well. From the photos I saw online, the city and its surrounding areas look beautiful. I was even more excited to see that they offer sand boarding and dune buggying, which will definitely be at the top of my to do list when I am there. I am also looking forward to documenting my trip with photos and video.
Several weeks ago, my father introduced me to Pandora, a site where you can listen to music online for free. You basically type in a song or the name of an artist you like to listen to, and they (Pandora) create a "radio station" that plays songs similar to the song/artist that you just listed. It's perfect for me, especially when I am working in my office and want to listen to something new.
Lately, I've been obsessing over solo piano ... I adore classical music as well as contemporary. I think my love for this genre stems from all those years I studied piano when I was a kid. That, and my father used to play all types of music when I was younger, especially classical music.
Through Pandora, I heard Dustin O'Halloran's opus 37 and I was instantly hooked. He is an American pianist and composer, and his music is absolutely beautiful. Some may recognize his work, which was featured on the soundtrack of the film Marie Antoinette. Naturally, I couldn't help but download his latest album. Here is Opus 37 track from his ablum, Piano Solos Volume 2.
Last week, I had the pleasure of viewing the film, Beautiful Losers part of Pyramid Atlantic Fundraiser event: Screening, Silent Art Auction and Reception. My fiance and I were invited to the event since he donated work for the art auction. The entire event was wonderful, especially the film screening portion.
"BEAUTIFUL LOSERS celebrates the spirit behind one of the most influential cultural moments of a generation
In the early 1990's a loose-knit group of likeminded outsiders found common ground at a little NYC storefront gallery. Rooted in the DIY (do-it-yourself) subcultures of skateboarding, surf, punk, hip hop & graffiti, they made art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Developing their craft with almost no influence from the "establishment" art world, this group, and the subcultures they sprang from, have now become a movement that has been transforming pop culture.
Starring a selection of artists who are considered leaders within this culture, Beautiful Losers focuses on the telling of personal stories. It speaks to themes of what happens when the outside becomes "in" as it explores the creative ethos connecting these artists and today's youth."
Personally, the film was inspiring to both myself and my fiance. It reminded us of when we were in college (where we first met). We shared similar views and opinions as some of the artists interviewed in the film. In college and til this day, we constantly remind each other that to get your art (or in my case now, "my designs") out there, you have to "do it yourself." No one is going to hand you anything ("success") for free. I believe that to achieve anything in life, it's about believing in yourself, determination, perseverance, and most importantly having passion for what you do.
Past two weeks, my top priority on my list of to do's was quality-checking orders and tagging products before ship out day. The whole process is tedious and involves a lot of focus and patience. However with the help from my intern and some good music to keep us pumped up, we were able to finish everything in great time.
One of my true loves is art. I grew up with it, studied it in high school and in college, and pursued it as a career after graduation. It's my own self-therapy. There are people who can express their emotions and thoughts through words and writing. For me, it's a lot easier to and much more interesting to use art to communicate my feelings and ideas.
The piece above "was" a work in a progress. I say "was," because I haven't worked on it since 2005. Starting a business is tough work, and tends to consume 95% of my time. It's hard to set a side time to work on art when you have tons of things that need to be finished asap.
Since the piece is still a "work in progress" it has no name. It is comprised of over a hundred thimbles (originally). Each thimble, measuring less than 3/4" in diameter, is mounted on a clear plexi-glass. At the top of each one, a photo (transferred onto fabric) is carefully inserted. The photos are taken from my family's photo album, which I scanned, edited, and carefully mounted within each thimble.
My goal with this piece was to eventually have thousands of thimbles made and mounted in an open space room. However, I never had the opportunity nor time. I hope though to return to it soon, and eventually finish it.
eternal web in white; ladies fingerless gloves in beige.
cowl knit in beige.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to work with a talented team of stylists, models, and photographer to document our new autumn/winter ’09 lookbook. Here’s a sneak peek from our first official portfolio, which will debut in its entirety on our new online site in mid June 2009.
Special thanks to Lise Metzger (photographer), Morgan Hungerford (wardrobe stylist), Akemi Kanazaki (make-up and hair stylist), Zahra Bennett (assistant), Kelly Towles (my emotional and physical support), and our lovely models, Kristen and Sasha.
For additional information, please email us at info@denadadesign.com
Pulled from Wooster Collective: Upper Playground's always terrific Walrus TV has a wonderful interview with the Australian artist, Buff Diss. Working in Melbourne Buff Diss uses masking tape rather than spray paint and markers. In the interview he explains what motivates him and how he sees the city as a canvas for his work.
8am this morning, 29 years ago, I was born ... at least that's what my mama tells me. I'm not big on birthdays, however I do enjoy getting presents .. who doesn't? Just yesterday, I got an early birthday present from my big brother, who lives in Guam. When the UPS guy handed me the package, I was really excited (sort of like a little kid on Christmas day). I couldn't wait until my birthday to open it up, so I quickly tore through the box to see what he got me.
My brother got me an assortment of gag gifts such as, a remote control "gas" sound machine, the movie Role Models on dvd, and a prank electric pen shocker and a spray that smells like a** (which arrived later). I know these gifts may sound juvenile to some, but honestly I love them! I already tested out the electric pen shocker on my fiance, and I have to say that his reaction was priceless. The remote control "gas" sound machine is awesome as well. My fiance and I are already scheming up plans to use it in a bar around DC ... so thank you big bro for such a hilarious gift! and thank you everyone who wished me a happy birthday!
LOOKBOOK.nu is an international social experiment in style. It was inspired by street fashion blogs like the Sartorialist as well as "What are you wearing today?" forum threads across the internet.
I just recently found this site from a blog I frequent daily. Since then, I've been "sort of" obsessed with the site, checking it daily and all. Here are a few photos that I like ... can you tell that I like black ... a lot?
I never knew that the actor, Robert Pattinson (aka star of twilight) is such a talented musician. I recently learned this after renting the movie, twilight and watching the special features afterward. Apparently, he wrote two songs for the movie; "never think" and "let me sign." Both are beautiful songs, however after "googling" his music, I found that my favorite is "i was broken." It's unfortunate he hasn't released out additional songs (and in better quality), however if you care to listen to more of his songs, vist: http://www.robert-pattinson.co.uk/music/ Oh, and I apologize for the quality of this sample ... it was the only "decent" sample I could find on the web.
"My photographs serve as modern dioramas of our new natural history. Within these scenes I explore our paradoxical relationship with the "wild" and how our conflicting impulses continue to evolve and alter the behavior of both humans and animals. We at once seek connection with the mystery and freedom of the natural world, yet we continually strive to tame the wild around us and compulsively control the wild within our own nature. Within my work I examine the primal issues of comfort and fear, dependence and determination, submission and dominance that play out in the physical and psychological encounters between man and the natural world. Increasingly, these encounters take place within the artificial ecotones we have constructed that act as both passage and barrier between domestic space and the wild."
Statement from Amy Stein's project: domesticated. www.amystein.com
This past weekend, my fiance and I headed to Artomatic's official opening. Artomatic is a month-long art festival in DC that is free to the general public. The event features nine floors of visual and installation art (over 1000 artists). Even though we arrived "relatively" on time, we were only able to complete three floors. The venue is massive and it takes awhile to walk and view all the art. Overall, the opening was a lot of fun, and we definitely saw plenty of great artwork. So if you plan to go see all nine floors, be sure to get there early in the afternoon.
Artomatic Info: 55 M Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 Opens May 29, 2009 Fri-Sat: Noon-1 am Sun, Wed, Thu: Noon-10 pm
