London Art Fair 2012

The London Art Fair opens its doors today at the Business Design Centre in Islington, with the participation of 100 galleries and 1000 artists. The premier art fair is for once more showcasing the best from modern art in the 20,000 sq ft location fo BDC in two sections:

Twelve Calendar

Berlin Fashion Week is starting today, so i suppose we are all anticipating for the great avant-garde capital city to reveal its new gems for next winter. One of the week's hottest projects is the Twelve Calendar, a collaboration between Derzeit Magazine and photographer Lena Emery, showcasing 12 of the best new models and labels from Berlin.

Born Sleepy by J.W. Anderson

J.W. Anderson's menswear collection for next fall is called Born Sleepy, and has big retro vibe with amazing knits, graphic prints, flared pants made out of tech materials and a bright colour palette. I just love the brand's spooky, ironic campaign, shot by Alex Sainsbury, featuring model Oliver Greenall from Elite London.

Taste.IT

Milan's Men Fashion Week is ending today. Have a look at its coolest boys posing for Luca Finotti's camera during the castings.

The Empire of Death

For three years Dr Paul Koudounaris, a specialist in Baroque culture and lector at major universities in Los Angeles, travelled the world to document various religious shrines decorated with human bones, crypts and remains from the sixteenth and seventienth centuries.

China, Portrait of a Country


As China has become the talk of the world, a new book release by Taschen about this fascinating country guides us to get to know it better. Titled China, Portrait of a Country, the book features a great selection of pictures from 88 photographers since 1949 charting the visual history of sixty years of the People's Republic and focusing on its evolution and blossoming.

Edited by esteemed photojournalist Liu Heung Shing, longtime Associated Press correspondent and Time magazine contributor.










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Muta by Lucrecia Martel


A brand new short film for the Miu Miu F/W 2011-12 collection, directed by Lucrecia Martel. The film features all the fabulous 40's inspired outfits we love with awsome models in mute roles and hidden faces. My favourite fashion film of the season.

Enjoy:

Miu Miu FW2011 Film "MUTA" by Lucrecia Martel from gabriel on Vimeo.

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Walter Van Beirendonck Exhibition


One of the highlights of next Autumn is the great upcoming retrospective exhibition for the work of  fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck, titled Dream the World Awake and hosted at the Antwerp Fashion Museum.

Inspired by technology, pop culture, art, spiritualism and ethnology, the famous designer has been causing a frenzy with his provocative creations, the critical messages he proclaims through his designs and his spectacular shows since the 1990's.

Featuring many aspects of his personality and inspirations, the exhibition will reveal many of his past projects on and off catwalk with a large reference to the costumes he designed for U2 PopMart Tour in 1997.

The exhibition runs from September the 14th 2011, until February the 19th 2012.

(Picture above: A/W 2011-12 collection, Hand on Heart - Photo: Roland Stoops)


S/S 1989 collection, King Kong Kooks - Photo: Roland Stoops, Illustration: Jan Bosschaert

S/S 1993 collection, Wild & Lethal Trash! - Photo: Roland Stoops

Walter Van Beirendonck campaign image - Photo Jean Baptist Mondino

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Ricardo Ramos de Leon


Berlin-based designer Ricardo Ramos de Leon is a good friend and big supporter of Fashion Installation. I recently posted the promo video of his new collection titled Bahebbak Morocco and now it's time for a look at some images of the beautiful presentation on the 6th of July at the berliner art and antiques auction house Auktionshaus Kaiserhofe, as part of the Berlin Fashion Week.

Fusing Moroccan tradition with contemporary design, Ricardo created a line of modern and edgy pieces based on special handcraft techniques of macrame and ethnic embroidery and focused on a fine material selection like linen, cotton, silk, latex, waxed denim and mixed silk-cotton.

After an exhausting Fashion Week and during our recent contact, Ricardo managed to give me a quick but very interesting interview about his inspirations, his future plans and his thoughts about the future of fashion:


Why did you choose Morocco as a theme?
 
 Morocco is a unique expression of an odyssey made by diverse traditions related to textiles, costumes and decorative arts from Asia to Northen Africa melting in an explosion of color and mystery!


Tell me three key pieces from the collection that may fit in any wardrobe, no matter style.
 
The Vestal dress is a must to have because you can wear it in more than 10 different styles! A deconstructed évasé Djellabba Dress for any occasion could be addictive and off course some latex leggings will give the fun touch to any wardrobe.

Describe the Ricardo Ramos de Leon woman
 
Is feminine, universal, versatile, could be very sensual and loves to feel comfortable!


 What do you think may be the next big trend?
 
  I think to re-humanize fashion will be the next big trend, it is time to work on it, especially after almost two obssesive decades where experimental fashion has been exploring to the limit the dark side, with repetitive representations of death, trauma, violence, allienation and decay; it is time to consider our universal human status with hope and dignity as one of the current deepest concerns in Western culture!

 What is your next step as a designer? 
I´m now getting very focused on growing and opening new market channels, also working on a bussiness plan because i´m considering to open my boutique here in Berlin.


For more info or orders:
ricardoramosbcn@yahoo.es



 



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Causa by Katrina Paz Jimenez


A brand new abstract fashion film by young designer Katrina Paz Jimenez, in the course of the 11th Festival of Fashion & Photography in Vienna, presenting her new collection. Her work is dealing with various artistic techniques, evoking particular emotions to the audience and finally leading it to an abstract, seductive dimension, based on dancing, conceptual elements, genious direction and a spectacular collection.

Enjoy:



CAUSA Fashionfilm from Paz Katrina Jimenez on Vimeo.

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Prada Candy


The much anticipated Prada Candy video is out, featuring a much different than ordinary tango.

Starring Lea Seydoux

Enjoy:

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Stephane Rolland F/W 2011-12 Haute Couture Collection


Sculpted fabrics, boxy silhouettes with wasp waists, ethereal gowns, assymetrical cuts, amazing metal detailing and lots of drama. That's Stephane Rolland's visual in Haute Couture.

Enjoy the full show below:

STEPHANE ROLLAND HAUTE COUTURE FW 2011-2012 from Mario Velazquez on Vimeo.

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