Words and Shapes

CONTEMPORARY DANCE STUDIO

2016-04-11T01:36:00.001+01:00

One of the fields Montréal stands as a chef de file on the International Scene is that of dance, and particularly contemporary dance.

It's with a hunger to discover more about it that I discovered an independent realization by the dancers of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens: À Suivre, Atelier Chorégraphique (which means in French: To Be Continued, A Choreographic Workshop). A pure delight of evasion and imagination.

The show was divided in mini-performance, each one being the own creation of the group of dancers. The musical and artistic universes were unique and diverse, going from the extraordinary yet disturbing world of Disney's Fantasia to a glowing fingers in the dark on an enchanting classical symphony, through more traditional ballet performances on the beauty of the female body. A dance session to absolutely discover!

For those who are not quite familiar with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, this renowned Canadian Dance institution has been founded in 1957 by Ludmilla Chiriaeff and is devoted to developing ballet in all its forms, while remaining faithful to the spirit of classical ballet. The company's reputation has be reinforced since the appointment of Gradimir Pankov as Artistic Director in 1999 and the renowned choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek and Ohad Naharin.

L'un des domaines pour lesquels Montréal se dresse comme chef de file sur la scène mondiale est incontestablement celui de la danse, et notamment la danse contemporaine.

C'est armée d'une curiosité à toute épreuve que je m'empresse de découvrir tous les trésors que cette ville a découvrir, et c'est comme cela que je suis tombée sur un atelier assez particulier: celui d'une réalisation indépendante des danseurs des Grands Ballets Canadiens: À Suivre, Atelier Chorégraphique. Un moment de pure évasion et de divagation artistique. Chaque groupe de danseurs avait la liberté de proposer sa propre création de danse contemporaine.

Parmi les dizaines de mini-performances, on a eu droit à de la danse de doigts fluorescents dans le noir, à une performance surréaliste mettant en scène l'univers déroutant de Fantasia, en passant par des performances plus classique rendant hommage à la beauté du corps ou tournant la société de consommation en dérision (une danse avec des sacs en plastique absolument fascinante et à la limite du street art!). Bref, une réalisation à découvrir.

Pour ceux qui ne seraient pas familiers avec cette véritable institution canadienne, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens est un organisme fondé en 1957 par Ludmilla Chiriaeff, se consacrant au développement du ballet sous toutes ses formes, avec une notoriété exceptionnelle à l'échelle mondiale grâce à de grands noms tels que celui de l'inspirant directeur artistique Gradimir Pankov, et ceux de chorégraphes de renoms tels que Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek et Ohad Naharin.

CELIA BIRTWELL FOR VALENTINO

2015-05-28T05:02:00.000+01:00

Inspiration of the day: a magical combination between artist Celia Birtwell and Italian fashion house Valentino for the Pre-Fall 2015 collection.

MY FIRST DRAWING STEPS

2014-09-05T21:32:00.000+01:00

Many people have asked me if I have ever been taking drawing lessons. I didn't, but I started painting at an early age with my grandmother, who paints in her spare time.

I was studying art at high school though, and that's where I discovered drawing. At that time, I loved to reproduce pieces of existant drawings and magazine ads, being as precise as possible.

Through a work of patience and visualization, I could achieve, after many, many corrections, a pretty rewarding output of the original image; And I think everyone is able to draw according to his/her own style of drawing.

One of the artworks I did at school (around 2007)

My advice to you would be : don't be afraid not to be able to draw the final result you want, because that's usually how you give up early, saying you won't be able to do it (or: I'm can't, I'm not good at drawing, etc.).

You probably won't get it from the first try if you're a beginner. The game is to begin with a first approximative sketch, while attentively observing your original pattern (the overall structure first, then the details while you go further in your work) and trying to get closer and closer to it.

I usually begin with something that doesn't really look like the image I'll willing to reproduce. But then, I erase and re-do the part I think is wrong, and it takes me hours and hours doing that to achieve what I call a great work of art and patience.

I'm willing to give advice to those who are willing to learn how to draw the unconventional way. Keep it up, and be persistant: everyone can do it!

So, here are some pieces of lost and found or incomplete works I did. I should get back to it very soon (when it comes to get some free time...).

The two first sketches are one of the oldest I drew :

And then, through practice, persistence and patience, I was able to draw that :

ARTISTS X BLOGGERS

2014-09-04T15:59:00.000+01:00

Remember the post I wrote about Igor + André?

Well, while I was reading some new blog posts this morning, I came upon that picture on the Betty Facebook Page :

As I easily recognized the mark of Danny's art (the illustrator of the duo), I thought "wow, I like Betty's blog very much, but it seems I didn't figure out how popular Betty was among the blogosphere and the "fashion" world online in general."

Then I looked at Igor + André illustrations collection, and I found out Danny drew many portraits of bloggers among the web, named : Blogger's portrait.

Here's the one of Betty :

I found these amazing! And it's also incredible to see how fast a blogger's reputation can grow through that kind of "collaboration". Some bloggers are now having a very special statut in the blogosphere, being considered as experts, role models, and also some kind of stars to some. Seeing how technology can empower each each and everyone of us to build a whole "brand" around their blog and persons in fascinating.

I remember I did draw a portrait for a blogger once. It was more than two years ago. Here's the link of the post, and here's the drawing :

It was for Pauline, creator of the Pauline Fashion Blog. It was fun to collaborate with her, and beyond the artistic motivation behind the initiative, I also got many benefits from it.

As she posted my drawing of her very popular blog, her audience could hear of me and go check my blog as well. That boosted my daily visitors number and enabled me to interact with many people who wrote me that I was talented, and who asked me for some advice about how to draw, etc, etc.

I love the way everyone can express himself and get connected so easily through the web. How inspiring our sharing culture online can be!

SWEDISH GEM: ACNE STUDIO

2014-09-03T16:24:00.001+01:00

Oh! And I also discovered a super cool Swedish brand : Acne Studio. Take a look at it here.

I actually discovered the brand back in Denmark when I was visiting the Louisiana International Museum of Modern Art. I spotted some very nice shirts in the museum's shop, right after I saw Hilma Af Klint's exhibit.

I was looking for clothes with paintings graphics on it for a while, looks like I found it :

Nice way to get inspired by renown local artists, luxury and art's mix did it again, and I love the result!

ESCAPADE IN SWEDEN

2014-09-03T16:06:00.001+01:00

After visiting Stockholm, I can say that it’s definitely one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

The city is just has a spectacular natural setting, set on hundreds of islands in a lagoon. Stockholm’s old town, the Gamla Stan, is where you can find the most beautiful architecture, characterized by its yellow buildings and cobblestones.

Though I was visiting the city for 4 days, I spent as much time as I could exploring the beauty of it.

What surprised me most about Stockholm was its cultural diversity. Through my 5-months experience in Copenhagen, I got used to a certain way of living I could call "Scandinavian".

Well, Stockholm was the antithesis of the social coldness I could feel in Denmark. People, from everywhere in the world (you could barely find a foreigner in some neighbourhoods in Copenhagen) were everywhere in the street, playing music, gossiping, dancing. The city is alive, and you feel it's moving everywhere. It made me think a bit of New York City.

Here are some of the shots I took there :

How a selfie could illustrate the multicultural diversity :

"Oh baby! Let's marry in the park!"

We also say Stockholm is the Venice of Scandinavia :

MIU MIU UNCONVENTIONAL APP

2014-08-30T16:30:00.000+01:00

"Prada’s Miu Miu is looking to change how consumers communicate digitally by sponsoring the creation of a mobile application tied to its latest commissioned Women’s Tales film" as written yesterday on Luxury Daily.

Miu Miu has tern up with artist and filmmaker Miranda July to design the "Somebody" app, whose features allow you to send a message to "somebody", a friend of yours, verbally, by a stranger nearby also having the app.

It seem to be perfectly tailored for the current digital consumer, whose habits are mobile-centered. The app evokes sociability, is funny to use and authentic, emotions being one of the fey features.

Miu Miu is one of the first luxury brands to release such a detailed and quality video. It's really fun to watch, ans "does a great job of highlighting the app and some of the absurdities of our digital culture, going as far as to include ‘the internet of things’ when a plant will be able to ask to be watered".

Maybe that will become the next Whatsapp!, enabling people to connect together in a very unconventional way. It'd be the opportunity for people to deliver (or not) (your rating as a linker would depend on that) a great message to somebody and feel great about a good action being done, thus leading to the chance to interact with the people you delivered a message to and socialize.

I personally loved the concept. It's like a game, you never know if you'd be sought to deliver a message, and you could also play some tricks to your friends by involving some well-rated strangers. The world is connected, we know that, but that's about connecting with the people you didn't have the chance to choose to connect with before. Luck and openness to the unknown will be part of the game. It's brilliant!

Well, here's the video, have lots of fun watching it!

WHEN IT COMES TO SINGING

2014-08-30T03:45:00.000+01:00

I love to sing. It's been one of my favourite hobbies since forever. I remember I wanted to become a singer when I was a little dreamy girl (that I still am), until reality hit me : I wasn't gonna be the next Lady Gaga.

However, I never stopped singing. And I even had the chance to sing in a professional studio once. Oh yeah.

The reason is that I'm very lucky to be surrounded by talented friends, and one of them, especially, was the main responsible of a Universal Music studio in Tunisia that just opened last year. When I was on holiday there, we planned to spend some quality time playing guitar and singing.

After a few sessions, this friend told me to wait for the recordings, and that he wanted to mix it in a very special way. I had to wait for four months (busy schedule of his) before I could hear the "piece of art".

I'm never really shared any musical content of mine online, even if some friends often told me to do so. I guess I was too shy and not ready for this.

Well, surprise! Here's what's been recorded this summer. And maybe I'll keep on sharing some others, who knows.

We love Amsterdam

2014-07-05T12:47:00.001+01:00

I had a real crush on this city, and here's why : a friend of mine knew it so well she showed us the tiny little streets that makes Amsterdam so typical. We wandered along the canals and the colourful open houses, watching locals chilling over a beer in a relaxed atmosphere. We also went far from the city center, enjoying a brunch at a local organic market, lying down in a park on a sunny day.

Whatever stereotypes you may have on this city (I did have a lot), give it a chance and experience what makes it enchanting like any other, not what makes it famous.

Prague

2014-05-27T13:32:00.003+01:00

Our next destination was Prague, Czech Republic.

At first sight, I fell in love with the city's architecture. Walking down the streets felt as if we were walking in a dollhouse. The most banal buildings seemed to be historical monuments, and I could feel that the city was really, really old.

The feeling of stepping onto the ageing slabs made me realize how lucky I was to visit such a historical place. Even if the first feeling I had of the city was a gloomy one (I arrived late at night), I quickly changed my mind when I saw the city under the rays of a returning spring sun. So, it is definitely a city to visit to experience its historical richness and architectural beauty.

As we were experiencing the Couchsurfing way of travelling, we got the chance to meet some people who brought us to have some typical czech food and drinks. As I'm neither a meat lover, nor a beer drinker, I wasn't much appealed by the food. But my friends actually loved it!

Heading to Amsterdam now :-)

See? A real open-air dollhouse!

The medieval astronomical clock :

The famous St. Vitus Cathedral, located inside the Prague Castle complex :

Spotted :

The John Lennon's Wall, symbol of a revolted youth willing to spread ideals as love and peace at the time of the communism regime :

Berlin

2014-05-05T19:56:00.000+01:00

Berlin combines the culture of New York, the traffic system of Tokyo, the nature of Seattle, and the historical treasures of, well, Berlin. (Hiroshi Motomura)

First crush, Berlin. What of a city!

If I have one word to say about it after having visited the city for four intensive days, I would say that Berlin is... crazy. And to be honest, I wasn't expecting Berlin to be such an alive, huge and overwhelming city. It feels that place is a magnet for creativity, especially when it comes to the paintings on the Berlin Wall.

That was the first destination of some kind of Euro-trip I did with three girlfriends of mine. I cannot remember everything that we've done, but we saw "a lot" (and walked, oh my, so much). We walked by the Holocaust memorial, checked the Checkpoint Charlie, admired the Brandenburg gate, get ahead of the Reichstag, had a great spanish meal around Potsdamer Platz, visited the Hamburger Bahnhof museum for contemporary art, and so on... Berlin is definitely a gigantic city, and it's impossible to see everything in a week. For sure, I'll be back there.

I also took some time in the train to draw a little something coming from what inspired me the city. A german looking guy walking by the Berlin Wall. Incomplete, but still, I feel good to have drawn something. Is has been a long time!

Exhibit at Kaffe Kunsten

2014-04-05T18:13:00.001+01:00

Yesterday, I went to the opening of Lydia Baker's illustrations exhibit at Kaffe Kunsten (near Vertergade). As you can see, the cafe is quite underground, as if you were in some kind of friend's kitchen. I loved the colours, originality and special signature of the place and its surrounding neighbourhood . There, we could enjoy a nice cosi atmosphere and some interesting conversations around a cup of wine, talking about how mature and deep the drawings were, and how impressed we were to see that Lydia was only 23 years-old.

Lydia comes from Virginia in the US, and came to Copenhagen to experience the inspirational danish way of living and a new kind of artistic experience. Through my journey across her works and her notebook's drawings (I was really inspired by the way she spontaneously drew in her little carnet, I should actually do the same to keep drawing anywhere and at any moment...), I could guess she's taken time to seek inspiration through the streets, and drawn some little details that makes this city so magical. Here, some of the pictures I took!

Here is the artist :-) You can check out her great works on her website : http://www.lydiakbaker.com

Little escapade to Istanbul

2014-04-01T21:01:00.001+01:00

"I talk about the color of cypress, the forest in the valleys, the wooden houses abandoned, the rusty boats in a poor condition, about the poetry of the ships and about the villas on the Straits that only those who have spent their lives on the shores can understand."

... according to the words of Turkish writer and literature Nobel prize Ohran Pamuk in his famous book Istanbul, describing his hometown with great intensity.

I love Istanbul. When I went there 4 years ago, I fell in love with the contrasts between the occidental and oriental worlds. Seeing the blue blue mosque while walking down an european-style street is one of the little things that make this city so unique.

I went there about two weeks ago for a whole week. The purpose of my stay wasn't much to visit the famous spots of the city (I already did that once in 2010), but to live a different experience of the Turkish way of life. I've been brought to some amazing beautiful places as the Prince's islands, where we biked in the mountains and enjoyed the outstanding sea view, and some other unknown treasures as a secret little village where we could enjoy a typical Turkish brunch (cheese, olives, sliced tomatoes and cucumber, jam/honey and chai tea) and contemplate the sea side from some kind of abandoned Ottoman ruins. My week was amazing, and I left the city with a heart full of love and gratefulness to experience such a beautiful country.

I'm now back to Copenhagen, and am really eager to travel to some other places in Europe in a few weeks. Berlin, Prague and Amsterdam, I'm coming!

On my way to the Prince's islands :-)

Here it is, an adorable typical village :

The secret place far from the city center :

Another typical thing to do, eat a fish sandwich (balik ekmek) by the Galata bridge! I'm not a fan though, but everyone loves it ;-)

Louisiana

2014-03-19T16:12:00.002+01:00

I visited the Louisiana international museum of modern art in Copenhagen last saturday, and it was amazing. This place is absolutely transcending. Its location on the costs strikes a balance between landscape, architecture and art in a unique interaction. Beautiful.

I heard of the international renown of that museum, but it is really a "thing" to go there. The whole environment is completely part of the experience. The following pictures talk by themselves.

When I went there, one of the exhibitions taking place was that of an Arab Contemporary exhibition : "What is Arab identity to you?". Well, I was obviously appealed by such a title. As a Tunisian who lived the Tunisian uprising, I was deeply touched to see how Arab culture diversity was highlighted in a harmonious melting. Also, as I already worked for a contemporary arab exhibition about Tunisian identity, I was really inspired by the way artists were addressing the subject. Here are some of the pictures I took at the museum :

Here are some pictures of the Tunisian art projects I saw there. I was deeply touched to see a piece of art of the Laroussa project, which consists on a collective art project to honour and promote the traditional ceramic art of Sejnane, a rural city in Tunisia.

The artwork of Nadia Kaabi-Linke refers to the political transition in Tunisia, here's the outline of the piece of art :

The OUTSTANDING landscape on the island :

To let you better understand what the exhibition is highlighting, here's the introductory text, which I find very instructive regarding the diversity of Arab cultures and the way to approach and understand them :

The Arabian Nights and The Arab Spring – great contrasts appear when one tries to draw broad lines and create unified narrative for such a large region. Here a number of cultural personalities, from the Arab world answer the question “What is Arab identity to you?”

However, one continent feature for the countries we call the Arab world today is the language and the language of art. The artistic imagery in particular, with its geometric patterns, creates a visual ground for the culture that is evident everywhere in the region. The ornamental can be seen in everything from the Arab carpets to the tile patterns in the courtyards; from the curving characters of the calligraphy to the architecture, in which whole walls and facades are made up of complicated patterns that arise both as part of the construction of the building and as interior elements on the form of semi-transparent room partitions. The arabesque, the symmetrically build-up pattern that seems to be able to continue endlessly, is the common factor in an organic imagery that has its roots on classic Islamic art.

Another common factor is the spatial organization of life, which seems to apply irrespective of the many differences from country to country. Unlike the open fluid spaces that are being developed for example in Nordic architecture today, Arab architecture and culture are based on a razor-sharp separation of private and public space, and of social functions within the many walls of the home, which operates with a number of smaller spaces, the men’s space, the host’s space, the guest’s space…

The traditional semi-private reception room, the majlis, where the host meets his guest, can be seen as characteristic of the way private space is managed. Although the majlis is no longer a fixed component in modern Arab architecture, the phenomenon shows how the organization of rituals and habits is tied to the architectural setting.

København

2014-02-22T01:16:00.001+01:00

After a whole year in Canada, here I am, in Copenhagen, ready to enjoy some months of brand new discoveries. I've always been curious about the Scandivanian country, but never had the chance to visit. Now that I have the chance to study here, let me show a bit of what I saw during the first two weeks of my Danish journey.

Copenhagen is such a great city, and I'm gonna keep looking for the most inspiring places. So far, I enjoyed some typical streets from a typical Danish ladies bike, and all the colours of the city. See how the buildings shine even if the weather is terrible? Amazing! I'm not surprised the happiest people live in this country, as architecture is a key part of the danish hipster way of living.

Tonight, a friend of mine invited me to an exhibition of photographs by Aimé Mangouta : Capture, which took place at Underwaerk gallery (Toldbodgade, 11) in the heart of the fancy and famous quayside of the Nyhavn canal. Here are some of the pictures I took! I really loved the gallery's atmosphere. Very cosy. The different quotations were leading you from one picture to another, as you were following the artist in his lonely reveries. Really inspiring.

Keep you posted!

Igor and André

2013-03-18T17:09:00.002+01:00

I've been following Danny Roberts for a while.

Wonderful work.

And because I need one of these illustrations in my room, I wanted to share some of the illustrations I preferred. You can find more on his personal blog : Igor + André.

Je suis Danny Roberts depuis un moment déjà.

Magnifiques illustrations.

Et parce que je tiens à avoir l'une d'entre elles dans ma chambre, je voulais partager quelques travaux de cet artiste de talent. Vous pouvez trouver d'autres oeuvres sur son blog personnel : Igor + André.

Reaching For The Sky

2013-03-17T18:11:00.000+01:00

It's actually not that difficult. Just take your strongest passion with you, say to yourself that sky's the only limit and keep on moving ahead.

That's the mindset a friend of mine has adopted. Moez shares the same passion for fashion as I. He has recently been hired by Style.com Arabia, in which he had the opportunity to cover some fashion events around the world. The Paris Fashion Week, among others.

Guess what? He actually took the pictures below. Some Anna Wintour, Jessica Alba, Anna Dello Russo and a piece of influent bloggers.

Easy.

Keep on dreaming guys, nothing's out of reach.

Ce n'est pas si difficile. Il suffit de se munir de sa plus solide passion, de se dire que la ciel est l'unique limite et d'aller, encore et toujours, de l'avant.

C'est l'état d'esprit qu'un ami à moi a adopté. Moez partage la même passion que j'ai pour la mode. Il a récemment été recruté par l'équipe de Style.com Arabia et a eu l'opportunité de couvrir de quelques évènements mode à travers le monde. La Paris Fashion Week, entre autres.

Devinez quoi? C'est lui qui a pris les photos que vous voyez ci-dessous. Quelques Anna Wintour, Jessica Alba, Anna Dello Russo et autres blogueurs influents.

Facile.

Ne cessez jamais de rêver, rien n'est hors de portée.

Photographies credits : © Moez Achour for Style.com/Arabia

When It's Time To Change

2013-03-14T18:37:00.001+01:00

As it's always a big adventure to move to another country, I didn't have much time to post articles on this blog. Indeed, I recently moved to Canada for my studies (analytical marketing in the luxury field).

When I first came here, all was white and cold, very different from where I used to live in Tunisia. I love my environment to radically change, and I'm not only talking about temperature. The mindset, way of living and even people's problem are so different here. It's...refreshing.

Here, I feel I can focus on what I really care about, interact more with people having the same interests as mine, and be a better person to have a better impact on my environment.

When I share my passion about fashion and luxury here, the first reaction is : "oh wow, but why did you come in Canada?". A professor of mine working on the luxury industry once told me : "well, why did THEY come to Canada?". Good question. Should a particular field better suit a society and not another? After all, we're in North America, right? Everything should be possible here. And it is.

I have to focus on what I really like to do, keep drawing, keep blogging, keep sharing. That's why I plan to re-design this blog, so it would be a space that would better reflect my true passions.

Keep you posted!

Hannah Muller

2012-12-29T18:11:00.000+01:00

Have you ever heard of Hanna Muller? Well, now you do.
Her fashion illustrations are just great. Great details and depth, perfect.

Hanna Muller, ça vous dit quelque chose? Maintenant oui.
Ses illustrations de mode sont juste géniales. Beaucoup de détails et de profondeur, la perfection.

Here are some of the one I liked the most :
Quelques-uns de mes dessins coup de coeur:

Inspirational, right? Hope you like as much as I do.
I'll tell you who my favorite fashion illustrators are in future posts.

In the meantime, I wish you wonderful partying for the end of the year!
A

Inspirant, non? J'espère que vous adorez ces dessins tout autant que moi.
A l'avenir, je consacrerai quelques posts à mes illustrateurs de mode favoris.

En attendant, je vous souhaite de très bonne fêtes de fin d'année!
A

Free Poetry

2012-12-27T12:41:00.000+01:00

Avis à mes amis poètes: le concours Poésie en Liberté, auquel j'avais participé l'an dernier avec mon poème Jeux de Maux sera lancé le 2 janvier et ce, jusqu'au 7 avril. L'occasion de dévoiler au monde sa fibre artistique et de peut-être de gagner un séjour découverte à Paris en plus des prix destinés aux trois premiers jeunes talents!

A vos claviers, c'est par ici que ça se passe : http://www.poesie-en-liberte.com/

Puisque je continue à écrire quelques vers de temps à autres, selon mon inspiration, je partage avec vous un passage que j'ai écrit ces derniers jours. Je ne reste que poète amateur, ainsi une certaine indulgence s'impose :)

Bonne journée! A

To my fellow poets: the "Poésie en Liberté" contest, to which I participated last year with my poem Jeux de Maux will be launched on January 2, until April 7. It's the opportunity to reveal to the world your artistic talent and maybe win a discovery-trip to Paris plus some prizes for the top three talent!
The only thing is, you have to write in French, but the contest is openned to participants from all countries, no restrictions.

Hit your keyboards, it begins here: http://www.poesie-en-liberte.com/

As I never stopped writing poetry, depending on my inspiration, some verses here and there, I share with you a passage I wrote these last days. I'm still an amateur though, some indulgence is required :)

Have a good day! A

"Ne différenciant pas le bon du bien, le mal du mien, cette âme peinait à discerner la vie de ses aléas.

Une peur qui réfrénait des désirs insoumis, créant la discorde dans un corps affaibli.

Ami, entre brouillards et fléaux, la vérité est mince, et le passager qui la saisit ne sait que trop bien l’importance du risque à prendre.

Un chant résonne. C’était celui qu’il fallait écouter. Tout reste n’est que vide, chimie plaisante devinant l’aigreur de l’Homme, lui offrant la vérité qu’il croyait vouloir.

Car si l’on disait que l’on ne lit bien qu’avec le cœur, les yeux nous orientent à travers un amas d’âmes insignifiantes, où la chute n’est lucide que dans l’esprit de celui qui en rit.

La lanterne de l’âme se révèle dans le doute. Sa pureté ne se dévoile que dans la déroute."

Drawn in 2011

The New School Competiton

2012-12-25T14:30:00.000+01:00

Since I'm a business student, I'm fully aware (sure) of all scholarship opportunities on the web, and I found something really interesting : the New School Competition.

Are you interested in art, design, music, jazz or liberal arts? Do you wanna study in a prestigious school in New York? Don't wait to apply before January 27, this is a golden opportunity!

Here's the website : http://www.thenewschoolcompetition.com/:

See you in New York :)

By Stine Reintoft

2012-12-23T11:09:00.000+01:00

Du très beau travail, très original. J'aime les couleurs, les formes, les contrastes (particulièrement dans les dessins 1&2 où la profondeur est très marquée) et la touche d'humour qui marque certains dessins, apportant fraîcheur et légèreté à un type de travail souvent sobre.

Des dessins aux styles très différens, chacun est unique. Mon "coup de coeur" du dimanche, donc l'artiste est Stine Reintoft. Bonne journée !

Great work, isn't it? Very original. I like the colors, the shapes, the contrasts (especially in drawings 1&2, where the depth is strong in the background) and the kindda funny touch in some of them, bringing freshness and lightness to a a type of work that is generally sober.

Very different styles, each one is unique. My "coup de coeur" of sunday, by Stine Reintoft. Have a good day!

Tavi Gevinson at TEDxTeen

2012-11-15T19:21:00.001+01:00

Tavi, c'est cette jeune blogueuse américaine qui connait déjà toute la crème du monde de la mode.

A l'occasion du TEDxTeen, elle parle de la création de son blog de mode, à 13 ans.

Tavi is a young fashion blogger who already knows all the influent people of the fashion world.

At the occasion of the TEDxTeen, she talks about her adventure through the blog she created when she was 13.

Fashion Life At Shanghai

2012-11-10T22:06:00.004+01:00

Cheap Monday - Crédits photos : Kaiqiang Jiang

Beaucoup de péripéties à Shanghai.

Comme je n'avais pas accès à Blogspot pendant mon séjour (enfin si, par VPN, mais ça ne marche pas à tous les coups), je vous fais un petit debriefing mode en différé.

L'évènement mode phare de l'année, c'est la Shanghai Fashion Week dans l'un des quartiers les plus chics, Xintiandi. Une bouffée d'air frais avec des créations 100% chinoises, dont le génie de certains Simon Wang, Rachelle Jim Shanghai, Cheap Monday, Stella Lam ou autres Nathan Jenden se révélaient en beauté.

Voici un aperçu :

Lots of adventures in Shanghai.

Since I didn't have access to Blogspot during my stay (well, by VPN, but it does not work every time), I'll do a little fashion debriefing offline.

The must of the year's fashion events is the Shanghai Fashion Week, held in Xintiandi, one of the fanciest districts of the city. A breath of fresh air with 100% Chinese creations, made by some genius like Simon Wang, Jim Rachelle Shanghai, Cheap Monday, Stella Lam or Nathan Jenden.

Here is an overview:

Crédits Photo : Diane Pernet

Crédits photos : Reuters

L'autre évènement mode qui a fait beaucoup de bruit cet automne ne l'est que partiellement. Il s'agit de la DAFF, Design, Art and Fashion Fair, ayant eu lieu sur le Bund de Shanghai. Beaucoup d'artistes et artisans indépendants, de grandes marques de sportswear, quelques stands de bière et un buffet de snacks. Quoi de mieux pour passer un dimanche agréable en plein air?

The other fashion event that made a lot of noise this fall is the Design Art and Fashion Fair of Shanghai, the DAFF, which took place on the Bund. Many independent artists and handcraft artisans, some sportswear brands, beer stands and a buffet of snacks. What better way to spend a lovely Sunday outdoors?

Shanghai In My Heart

2012-11-08T19:47:00.000+01:00

Après deux mois d'aventures au coeur de Shanghai, je peux assurément dire que je suis tombée amoureuse de cette ville. Le patrimoine culturel n'y est pas aussi riche que dans d'autres villes, mais Shanghai est un peu le New York de la Chine. Le ryhtme de vie y est intense, l'environnement cosmopolites permet des rencontres inattendues et les aventures (principalement nocturnes) y sont infinies.

Ce qui m'aura le plus marqué? Probablement les personnes que j'y ai rencontrées, le fameux quartier de Moganshan Road pour son art, celui de Tianzifang pour ses bars, la vue imprenable du Bar Rouge, le KTV (ces chambres privées de karaoké que l'on peut louer pour toute la nuit), les succulents dumplings de Din Tai Fung, les massages du Dragonfly et les négociations interminables au Fake Market!

Le luxe et la mode sont également très présents à Shanghai (voire même un peu trop dans certains quartiers) et les prix sont justes inabordables. Il s'agirait d'une histoire de taxe, c'est pourquoi la plupart des chinois en ayant les moyens voyagent en Europe pour acheter leurs biens de luxe (ce qui explique la queue d'un kilomètre devant de Louis Vuitton des Champs Elysées, et oui!).

Bref, un voyage riche en culture, en découvertes et en aventures. A reprogrammer au plus vite!

After two months of adventures in the heart of Shanghai, I can certainly say that I fell in love with this city. The cultural heritage is not as rich as other cities', but Shanghai has this particularity to be the New York of China. The rythm of life is intense, the cosmopolitan environment allows unexpected encounters and the adventures (mostly nocturnal) are endless.

What marked me the most? Probably the people I met there, the famous district of Moganshan Road for its art, those of Tianzifang for its bars, the outstanding view from the Bar Rouge, the KTV (those private karaoke rooms you can rent for the whole night), the delicious dumplings of Din Tai Fung, the massages of Dragonfly and the endless negotiations at the Fake Market!

Luxury and fashion are also very present in Shanghai (maybe too much in some districts) and the prices are just unaffordable. Actually, this is because of the high taxes, that's why most of Chinese who can afford it travel to Europe in order to buy their luxury goods (which explains the endless queuing in front of the Louis Vuitton, Champs Elysées).

In short, a journey full of culture, discoveries and adventures. To plan again as soon as possible!

Cheers!