Christmas Card Manufactory

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Every year, just around this time, I scramble to find christmas cards to send to family and friends. For the first time this year, I thought of how embarassing it is as a design student not to be able to produce something just as beautiful as the cards that I buy in the stores. But beyond that, there’s something very special about recieving a hand-made card – it attaches itself to you right away, regardless of its content. So beware family and friends: I’ve already purchased the envelopes, there is no going back :) . I will post the photos once everyone has recieved their cards.

Wish List: Simple Diary

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Here’s another book recommendation: A few years ago, I walked into the Taschen store on Greene Street and discovered Philipp Keel’s Simple Diary. I feel in love with it right away. I had found a diary for my casual & sporadic entries, which also interacted with me.

Simple Diary encourages you to look at your day from a variety of angles – in essence coercing you to take on a different approach at evaluating life. Keel is a Swiss writer and artist whose background is really what brings this book to life.

As I filled up my diary, I waited month after month for volume two. It didn’t appear… until two years later! Can’t wait to get my new copy… now the only question that remains is which color?

Images via Taschen web site.

Eric Cahan // Sky Series

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A while ago, I posted about my fascination with sunsets and sunrises above the clouds. As chance would have it, I recently discovered the work of Eric Cahan, whose Sky Series (2011) captures and documents the vivid colors that can be seen during these particular times of the day. The photographs were primarily taken in the Caribbean, the U.S. & South America and the colors are absolutely stunning. Where else can you find such harmonious color combinations other than in nature?

Images via Eric Cahan’s web site.

Maisonette 1977 SS 12

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Jane Ibrahim does not disappoint with the latest Spring/ Summer collection for Maisonette 1977, a small fashion house she founded, currently based in New York. She continues a tradition of mixing textures and cuts to evoke both masculine and feminine notes – the resulting pieces are versatile wardrobe staples that impress with minimal effort.

For this collection, Ibrahim was inspired by Parisian women zipping through traffic on their bikes – their choice in clothing mimicking their equally fearless maneuvering skills. Trench jackets and blazers add structure to the collection and are delicately balanced with (among others) silk tafetta & charmeuse shorts, skirts dresses and pants.

Graphical prints depicting the Eiffel tower in bloom hint at her source of inspiration. With this collection, the fashion house shifts gears to emphasize an understated, but ever-present & sophisticated edginess.

My favorite has to be first look: the silk charmeuse fold over short paired with the Paris print silk taffeta shirt. Simply Gorgeous.

Images courtesy of VPR.

The Food Gatherer

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Living in a town that has very few good restaurants can prove to be benficial. You become more self-reliant when it comes to finding food. In my case, I am cooking almost every day and the more time I spend in the kitchen, the more inspired I feel by the art of cooking.

I started The Food Gatherer in order to share photos as well as conceptual and intuitive recipes with other food enthusiasts. I am looking forward to learning new recipes and hope to inspire others with mine.

IRM Design + Francoise Nielly

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The two minds behind IRM Design, Marion Lalanne and Pierre Alexis Hermet have joined forces with artist Francoise Nielly to produce a stunning collection for Spring 2012. IRM Design is known for trying to blur the lines between art and fashion and they have established an unmistakable brand, particularly when it comes to accessories. The bold usage of color plays an important role in their designs, and their move to work with Nielly for their Spring 2012 RTW collection is a rather a beautiful surprise. Form and shape play a muted, but well integrated role this time around.

 

Nielly is a French artist, whose most popular works display a masterful, equally bold, yet controlled use of color. Although her paintings are very loud, the urge to mute the colors never arises. She delicately allows the loudest hues to shout, while consciously avoiding vulgarity. Her latest collaboration with IRM Design is a definite win in my book.

 

 

 

Images of collection via IRM Design web site. Images of Nielly’s work via Behance.

Wish List: Letter Fountain

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I remember sitting in my typography lectures last semester while the professor gave brief, colorful summaries on the history of typography. The few hours during which we were immersed into the topic were meant to awaken our interest and make us aware of what roles this comprehensive genre within design takes on during the creative process.

A few days ago I received an e-mail from Taschen introducing a web site to accompany one of their books, Letter Fountain which specifically looks at typefaces and the “anatomy of letters”. From what I gather, it’s even interactive, allowing you to “practice” drawing the letters like in elementary school days. Overall, I can imagine the book as a good compliment to Type. A Visual History of Typefaces & Graphic Styles, 1901-1938, which looks at typefaces on a more macro level. I sincerely recommend the latter to anyone interested in the subject.

Image via Taschen web site.

 

Small Town Halle

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People have often asked what it is like to live and study in Halle – what it looks like and what the town and people are like. This has sparked my interest to start documenting moments and places that I think embody Altstadt, which is the older part of town. To start, here is a series of photographs taken yesterday on a German holiday at the local Peißnitz park. It seems like everyone and their dog was out to catch some rays on this unusually warm Monday afternoon.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

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School starts in a few days and life is slowly returning to Halle. Today, I ran into friends at the market and we were lamenting but also anticipating the beginning of the new semester. Although the Fall is slowly making itself visible, these past days have been incredibly warm  - most afternoons allowing us to walk around in t-shirts or very light jackets. Here are some impressions I took around campus and dare I add: a photo of a terracotta “movement” I made for class. Enjoy the last, warm sunny days y’all.

 

Here’s an old school jam by British group Soul II Soul to ring in the new year.