Inspirations

- LGBT Pride Parade -

2013-06-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

LGBT Pride Parade, San Francisco 1977-78

Source : calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu

London Calling

2013-05-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to do this post some days after my arrival from the British capital, which means...about a month ago! However I found it hard to choose which pictures to upload from a folder of two thousand files. Finally I made it and here it is.

So. London. A city where you have the sense you could do anything you want. And when you are with your favorite people actually you can.

From this trip I would never forget the most-delicious-ever carrot cake we had in Brick Lane and the fact that we literally realised the meaning of the phrase "it's a small world".

Below are some of the pictures I took. Enjoy!

Paris, May 1968

2013-05-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

May Protest by Göksin Sipahioglu

"The May 1968 events in France were a volatile period of civil unrest punctuated by massive general strikes and the occupation of factories and universities across France. It was the largest general strike ever attempted in France, and the first ever nation-wide wildcat general strike. At the height of its fervor, the unrest virtually brought the entire advanced capitalist economy of France to a dramatic halt. The events would have a resounding impact on French society that would be felt for decades to come." - Wikipedia

Göksin Sipahioglu, acclaimed photojournalist and founder of the Sipa photo agency, was one of those photographers in between riot police and student and other protesters in the streets of Paris.

[via] "Göksin was fascinated by the May 68 events and covered them all, day by day, hour by hour. He was present at the very first demonstrations in early May. He was also present when Odéon and the Sorbonne were evacuated by the police force. He was even the only one to photograph the infamous thugs (katangais) who occupied the place. For a long time all these photos remained unknown and were very little published. It was only in 1998 during the Mois de la Photo in Paris that Göksin exhibited them for the first time. It should be noted that Göksin was hit by a teargas grenade right in the face which most luckily did not explode."

Source : LeJournaldelaPhotographie.com

'The Great Gatsby's' Costume Designs

2013-05-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

One of the many reasons I want to see Baz Luhrmann's film 'Great Gatsby' is the dress collection that will appear on the big screen.

As soon as I heard that the gorgeous dresses in the style of the 20s who will be wearing Carey Mulligan will be designed by Miuccia Prada, I was more impatient than ever to see these dresses in movement.

Meanwhile, we sated our curiosity with pictures of the shootings and with the four sketches that Prada published of the costumes that the tragic Daisy Buchanan will wear.

Prada worked with costume designer (and Luhrmann's wife) Catherine Martin to create 40 looks, inspired by dresses already appeared on Prada and Miu Miu catwalks.

According to Vogue Prada admits that what intrigued her the most when working on the project was the way in which many of her designs could be so easily translated into Twenties pieces - despite not necessarily being originally created with that era in mind. The dress worn by Mulligan as Buchanan in the big party scenes took its roots from Prada's spring/summer 2010 "chandelier dress".

"That's what interesting. The point of view can transform things so much," she toldWWD. "Yes, probably a few [dresses] had that kind of edge, but almost none were meant to be Twenties when I did them. I was really fascinated by that."

It is not the first time that Prada works with the director Baz Luhrmann. They have previously worked together to creat Leonardo DiCaprio's suit in the 1996 version of Romeo + Juliet.

Luhrmann says in an exclusive article on Stylist (you can find it here) : "Miuccia is a very old friend of mine, and she did the first suits for Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet. What we share with Miuccia is that she takes old classical things, that were once modern but are now seen as clichéd, turns them on their heads and reinvents them in a way that they’re refreshed and renewed."

Martin chose Tiffany & Co. to design the magnificent jewelry for the actors Carey Mulligan, Leonardo Di Caprio and Elizabeth Debicki and collaborated with the brand Brooks Brothers for the menswear costumes worn in the film.

She was also in charge of creating other 1,700 beautiful vintage designs for the cast.

The 40 costumes designed for the film, showcased in an exhibition celebrating the costume collaboration between Prada and Catherine Martin. (More for the exhibition here)

Is it just me who believe that we are going to see more roaring 20s-style clothes on the catwalks?

Catherine Martin for the collaboration with Miuccia Prada

Sources : Vogue

Mother's Day

2013-05-12T02:27:00.000-07:00

Life with Famous Moms

On Mother's Day I decided to share the selection of portraits of famous (or not) moms with their kids that LIFE.com offered. Not only because I love the vintage touch of these pictures, but also because despite the fame and the riches these persons may had, the pictures of this gallery could be seen as true daily moments of moms with their kids.

Don't forget to give a huge hug to your mom today!

"Whether rich or famous (or neither); whether strange or perfectly, unpretentiously, refreshingly normal, moms deserve recognition simply because, after all — as all of us will readily admit in our more brutally honest moments — moms rule the world. And while devoting one measly day a year to celebrating and honoring mothers everywhere might be a rather feeble way to express our gratitude and love, not to worry. They’re moms. They understand." Read more: http://life.time.com/culture/mothers-day-special-life-with-famous-moms/#ixzz2T0nENE3o

Jackie Kennedy reads to her daughter, Caroline, in Hyannis Port, Mass., in 1960

Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Cleopatra with her daughter, Elizabeth Frances, in Rome in 1962

Elizabeth Taylor and her mother, Sara, in 1948

Shirley MacLaine and her daughter, Sachi Parker, in 1959

Judy Garland holds her daughter, Liza Minnelli, at home in Hollywood in 1946

Burlesque star Gypsy Rose Lee holds her 4-year-old son, Erik Lee Kirkland, 1949

Ingrid Bergman and her daughter, Pia Lindstrom, in 1959

Sophia Loren with her son, Carlo Ponti, Jr., in 1969

Sophia Loren (right) poses with her mother (center) and her sister, Maria, in 1957

Shirley Temple with her daughter, Lori, in Atherton, California,1957

Joan Crawford and two of her children, Christina and Christopher,
on the beach, Monterey, California, 1945

Zsa Zsa Gabor and her daughter, Francesca, at home in Bel Air, 1951

Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy with her children, 1961

Nancy Reagan and her son, Ron Jr., in Pacific Palisades, California, in 1965

Natalie Wood and her mother at home, 1945

Peggy Lee gets a goodnight kiss from her 4-year-old daughter Nicki, 1948

Jane Fonda and her daughter, Vanessa, in California, 1971

Mia Farrow reads to her children on Martha's Vineyard in 1974

Source : LIFE.com

David Bowie's 'The Next Day' Clip

2013-05-10T03:24:00.002-07:00

Despite his 66 years, David Bowie, is still inquiring mind, as his new video managed to provoke reactions and divide opinions.

David Bowie plays a Christ-like figure in his latest music video.
The video also stars Marion Cotillard as a woman with blood spurting from stigma-like wounds and Gary Oldman as a priest condemning Bowie.
Written, conceived by and starring Bowie, the video for 'The Next Day' was directed by the Italian filmmaker Floria Sigismondi.

Urban Outfitters Festival Lookbook

2013-05-08T07:41:00.003-07:00

On the Road

For more visit UrbanOutfitters.com

The girl and the wild nature

2013-05-07T12:48:00.001-07:00

Tippi of Africa

Tippi Degré was born in 1990 in Africa, where her French parents, Alain Degré and Sylvie Robert, worked as freelance wildlife photographers. Tippi spent her childhood in Namibia among wild animals and tribespeople.

A true adventurous childhood, we only hear about in legends.

"It was magical to be ale to be free in this nature with this child," explains Sylvie, Tippi's mother. "She was a very lucky little girl - she was born and raised until the age of ten totally in the wild. It was just the three of us living in the wild with the animals and not too many humans."

During her stay in Namibia, she befriended wild animals, including a 28-year old elephant Abu, a leopard nicknamed J&B, crocodiles, lion cubs,giraffes, a Northern Greater Galago, a Banded Mongoose, an Ostrich, meerkats, a baby zebra, a cheetah, a Caracal, a snake, an African Grey Parrot, giant bullfrogs and chameleons. She also befriended the Bushmen and the Himba tribespeople of the Kalahari, who taught her how to survive on roots andberries, and to speak their language.

"Tippi always said that everybody was gifted and this was her gift," explains Sylvie. "She was in the mindset of these animals. She believed the animals were her size and her friends. She was using her imagination to live in these different conditions."

It is absolutely stunning to look at these pictures, to see the real connection between the wild animals and the little girl.

Sylvie said: "The photo with Tippi next to the young lion cub Mufasa sucking her thumb is wonderful. The year after this photo we came back and we went to see him and he was huge. Mufasa came to Tippi and he friendly brushed her with his long tail, like a cat would do, and she almost fell down. I had to take her away - I was not at ease."

Her mother added: "Linda, an ostrich from one of the African farms we visited, was so nice that we couldn't even take a photo of Tippi riding her. Linda was so afraid of riding Tippi she didn't want to move."

After living in Africa for ten years, Tippi moved with her parents to France, where she became a celebrity. A book of her adventures, Tippi of Africa , was published and translated in several languages.
She returned later to Africa to make six nature documentaries for the Discovery Channel.

“I don’t have friends here. Because I never see children.

So the animals are my friends”.

- Tippi Degré

Sources : The Telegraph
mymodernmet.com

David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Lou Reed Partying

2013-05-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

London, 1972

Casual Photos of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Lou Reed partying taken by Mick Rock.

True rock n roll.

Source : flavorwire.com

May Day

2013-05-01T11:49:00.004-07:00

May Day is a celebration of the international labour movement. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated unofficially in many other countries.

On May 1, 1886, Chicago unionists, reformers, socialists, anarchists, and ordinary workers combined to make the city the center of the national movement for an eight-hour day. Between April 25 and May 4, workers attended scores of meetings and paraded through the streets at least 19 times. On Saturday, May 1, 35,000 workers walked off their jobs. Tens of thousands more, both skilled and unskilled, joined them on May 3 and 4. Crowds traveled from workplace to workplace urging fellow workers to strike. Many now adopted the radical demand of eight hours' work for ten hours' pay. Police clashed with strikers at least a dozen times, three with shootings. (Read more: Encyclopedia of Chicago )

Still in our days the importance and the unity of this day remains the same. The posters below show these elements that make up the meaning of the day.

1920

1947

1968

2011

~>> Summer, I am waiting for U

2013-04-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Free People ''Festival Flower'' look book

2013-04-14T04:24:00.000-07:00

Music Festival Season is Here!

For more info visit FreePeople.com

☮ Rainbow Gatherings

2013-04-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Gatherings in pictures by Benoit Paille

Photograph by Ross McDermott, American Festivals Project

[via] Rainbow Gatherings are temporary intentional communities, typically held in outdoor settings, and espousing and practicing ideals of peace, love, harmony, freedom and community, as a consciously expressed alternative to mainstream popular culture, consumerism, capitalism and mass media.

Rainbow Gatherings and the Rainbow Family of Living Light (usually abbreviated to "Rainbow Family") are an expression of a Utopian impulse, combined with bohemianism, hipster and hippie culture, with roots clearly traceable to the counterculture of the 1960s.

The original Rainbow Gathering was in 1972, and has been held annually in the United States from July 1 through 7 every year on National Forest land. Throughout the year, regional and international gatherings are held in the United States and throughout the rest of the world respectively.

Canadian photographer Benoit Paille who was a member of these communities has taken some very artistic pictures which he generosity shares to show the beauty of the nature, the simpleness of living.

The portraits that the talented phorographer had taken are more than stunning, with amazing lights and colors. But any of these portraits will not be posted here as a move of respect for the artist's work. As he mentions at his site for this project:

I decided to photograph my family, my brothers and sisters. I have been going to rainbow gatherings for 7 years now, and I have taken pictures of it for the past 3 years. The pictures you see are very precious since photography is not usually allowed during the event, so please be respectful to my brothers and sisters

People are love,
are magic,
are beauty
these sister and brother are the people of the future.

Take a small taste of the Benoit Paille's Rainbow Gatherings below.

These pictures are more like paintings. Looking at them your mind would be cleared and your heart calmed down. Respect the force of nature and then you could feel the lightness of your being.

Rainbow Gathering, Grand Canary Island, Spain, 2011

Rainbow Gathering Québec,Canada 2010

Rainbow Gathering Québec 2012

Visit his flickr to see the whole project.
Or his Behance profile (Rainbow Gathering 2011-2012 and Rainbow Gathering 2010-2011)

Mad Men is Back

2013-03-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

A little more than a week away for the premiere of MADMEN season 6 and we have nothing more from the creators than a dozen of promotional pics and promo teaser trailers. The next chapter is a very well kept secret.

The themes for the Season 6 are hinted at in the promotional poster, a picture taken straight from the '60s, designed by hand by the great English illustrator Brian Sanders.

Mad Men's Emmy winner creator Matthew Weiner says about: "What you really see on the poster ... is that you do repeat things in life. [It's about] coming back to a place where things are not so great, and starting to realize that maybe you are the problem. [There is] anxiety that is created by all of these characters wondering why they are the way they are. Maybe you're a fraud. Maybe you're facing all the bad things you've ever done in your life. But you are back in a place where you are the issue. In the first episode when someone says, 'People will do anything to alleviate their anxiety,' that's what this season is about."

The only element for the new season we got is a few photos from a filming that was in Hawai : Don Draper and his young wife, Megan, on the beach with cocktails and a book: the "Inferno" of Dante, translated by John Ciardi, which released the first time in paperback in 1964.

But for now we'll limit ourselves in the pictures and will wait a few more days till we'll see again the intro that signifies that MADMEN is back in our lives.

And according to E-news it will be worth the wait: "Here are five things you can expect to see: a wedding, two deaths, Megan rocking several colorful bikinis, a dramatic physical transformation from Betty and one character dropping an F-bomb (is that even allowed on AMC?!). As for the finale's big question—did Don cheat on Megan?—let's just say that will no longer be a question by the end of the two-hour premiere."

|>> Woodstock , 1969 <<|

2013-03-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

“The original plan was for an outdoor rock festival, ‘three days of peace and music’ in the Catskill village of Woodstock." So began LIFE magazine’s description, in its August 29, 1969 issue.

Most of the photographs never published in the magazine.

The photographer of the magazine, John Dominis, decades after the legendary festival, argues that Woodstock was one of the best events was invited to cover the 25-year career, with LIFE.

Source : LIFE.com

Welcome Back

2013-02-26T13:01:00.000-08:00

David Bowie - The Stars (Are Out Tonight)

Directed by Floria Sigismondi in his new video clip David Bowie co-starred with Tilda Swinton.

Source: Pitchfork

1950's Kitchens

2013-02-17T09:15:00.002-08:00

The Post War America was ready for change and the 1950's were about change. It was a new era in decorating. New color schemes, new materials and gadgets were all incorporated into the design world of the 50's.

This is a collection featuring kitchens from the '50s.

What I like most of the kitchens from that era is the pastel colors, the round shaped objects and the printed windows curtains. Almost all women were stay-at-home mothers or homemakers, so they proclaimed the kitchen as their domain and it showed in the decor of the times.

Let's take a look...

[via] "Everything in the kitchen was in a convenient and organized location. There was even a washer and dryer in most kitchens because at the time, there was the assumption that a mother would need to do laundry while she was cooking or cleaning. There was also usually an eat-in bar area or small kitchen table in most kitchens so that women could easily feed their families without having to move out of the kitchen."

"Although only 4% of the population had them by the end of the 1950s, dishwashers were developed so that women could spend less time washing dishes, and more time with family. The dishwashers were not normally placed on the floor either, like they are today. Most dishwashers were installed high enough off the floor so that one would not have to bend down far to take dishes in and out of it. “Roto-tray automatic” dishwashers were also created for cleaner and more convenient washing."

via

"Television sets also became more popular in kitchens as the percentage of Americans with televisions rose from 20% in 1950 to 88% in 1960. Refrigerators changed in the 1950s as well. Although some families stuck with the smaller refrigerators, advertisements for larger refrigerators like the foodarama became more prevalent. Another appliance that improved was the range. Electric ranges developed into gas ranges for faster cooking."

"Another interesting feature of the 1950s kitchen was its overall look and appeal. In the beginning of the 1950s, kitchens were brightly colored. Some were green and yellow, some blue and green, and some were even pink! Not only were the walls or cabinets, and sometimes the floors brightly painted, some of the kitchen appliances also varied in colors. Even the 1950s dining chairs were splashed with color. The chairs tended to be tulip chairs, although some people had booths at their dining tables. Lots of cabinet space was another feature in the 1950s kitchen. Some families began to add drawers into their cabinets to add more space. Colorful single-basin sinks were a popular item in the 1950s kitchen, as well. Not until the late ‘50s did kitchens begin to have double-basin sinks. "

If you want to re-design your kitchen and add the retro feel, pick a pastel color (such as pink, yellow, blue, turquoise) and add retro style housewares and countertop accessories.

To get inspired here are some 50's style kitchens.

Rachel Ray’s TV show kitchen

Big Chill's Kitchen

via

I love checkerboard floors!

Check also :
Fun, Retro Ideas for a 50s Style Kitchen
Amazon : Retro Appliances
and Jesie Steele - Bring Happy Home to find a super cute apron set!

Source : HouseBeautiful
SportSuburban flickr

<<< Almost Famous >>>

2013-01-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

Marlon Brando - Unpublished Portraits, 1952

2013-01-21T02:22:00.000-08:00

"By 1952, Marlon Brando was well on his way in Hollywood, with three incredible roles under his belt: his big-screen debut as a paraplegic war vet in The Men; a searing on-screen reprisal of his Broadway turn as the iconic brute Stanley Kowalski in director Elia Kazan’s A Streetcar Named Desire; and the title role in the biopic, Viva Zapata!, about the Mexican revolutionary hero."

"Here, meet the young Brando at his most charismatic and mysterious, seen through the lens of one of LIFE’s greatest photographers, Margaret Bourke-White."
Read more: http://life.time.com/culture/marlon-brando-portraits1952/#ixzz2IbW4mUUr

Source : LIFE.com

Realistic Portraits by Kris Lewis

2013-01-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

Kris Lewis creates mainly oil paintings. Lives and works in Los Angeles and studied at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. His inspiration comes from the tradition of Latvia and his portrait work conduces love, conflict, beauty, and tradition.

Sources:

Kris Lewis paintings

David B.Smith Gallery

Paintings owned to the artist and are signed by him.

★❋ Happy New 2013 ❋★

2013-01-05T09:18:00.001-08:00

Two Thousand Thirteen is finally here!
The past few months have been really busy, so the last days of 2012 I grab the opportunity to rest and spend more time with people I love.

This is what we need most, a circle of people we love, between whom we feel safe and strong.

And then there would be nothing that we cannot do or try.

And I am going to keep pushing and moving forward this year.

I wish the best for each of you in this lovely planet, and let all remember to care more for our people: call them more often, hug them tight in every chance, dance with them at the sunset, give them flowers, travel together, send them a stupid postcard, make them laugh, show them love. Love is free. Love is all we need.

Happy New Year!

Sexist Print Ads from the 50s

2012-10-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Few years before the sexual revolution of the 60s, sexism was not only tolerated, it was expected and actively encouraged, partly through chauvinistic print ads like the ones below.

If you have been watching MadMen, then you know what we are talking about.

Ride - Lana Del Rey

2012-10-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Once again, a stunning music video from Lana Del Rey.

If you haven't watched it yet, this is the epic 10 minutes-short film, where Del Rey appears as a troubled, wandering biker girl at war with herself.

The words of the monologue are incredibly moving.

If you believe in the freedom of the open road, here you are.

...Live Fast...

...Die Young...

...Be Wild...

...Have Fun...

"Ride" will appear on Lana Del Rey's upcoming Born To Die: Paradise Edition re-issue.

James Dean

2012-10-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

James Dean on the set of Giant (1956)

Rebel Without A Cause, Nicholas Ray (1955)

James Dean in his aunt and uncle’s basement in Indiana, 1955, photographed by Dennis Stock.

James Dean and Marilyn

James Dean in his East Village, 1955

Marilyn Monroe and James Dean in a candid shot off set.

James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor

"Dream as if you'll live forever.

Live as if you'll die today."

DOEDEMEE

2012-10-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

100 book covers to fight illiteracy

The Belgian artist Tom Haentjens has united 100 artists from 28 countries in a co-creation project, Doedemee to help raise awareness of illiteracy in Africa.
Each has redesigned a poster-sized cover for a book, from the 100 best novels of all time, as defined in the list of the 2003 Observer by Robert McCrum.
Here are just 10 inspired covers.
To see all of them, and to read more about each artist, visit the project's website here.