Daphne Guinness: Undressed [movie]

Documentary filmmaker Brennan Stasiewicz infiltrates the cosseted world of Daphne Guinness in Daphne’s Window. Featuring intimate footage of the icon at her Fifth Avenue apartment, the short follows the eccentric fashion patron and socialite as she prepares for her recent installation in the windows of Barneys New York. The storefront showcased her collection of pieces by designer Lee Alexander McQueen and a selection from the archive of fashion editor Isabella Blow, which Guinness purchased in its entirety last year. 

The display culminated in a performance art piece in which Guinness dressed for the Met ball in one of the flagship’s windows, modeling a lilac feathered gown designed by McQueen’s Sarah Burton. “She appears to me as someone always in a window,” says Stasiewicz. “Someone you can approach and see, but you remain on the other side.” 

This year brings a multitude of projects for the heiress: her sculptural armored glove collaboration with jeweler Shaun Leane (pictured in today’s film) will be exhibited by Jay Jopling in a private viewing in London later this month; and in September a retrospective at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology will pay homage to her style. 

“Daphne is someone to take pleasure in, and in many ways, someone who incites moments of wonder,” says Stasiewicz. 

Reposted completely from www.nowness.com

Spike me please!

BAM! Lets get spiked!

From Topshop to Louboutin, H&M to Burberry and McQueen, season in and season out – they are rockin’ the runway and seems like they’re here to stay! Spikes – darlings!

All Burberry

To be worn by bad girls go out, or good girls gone bad –everybody seem to want to get spiked. I have selected some of the amazingly spiked pieces of clothing and accessories available now on your favorite online & bricks and mortar shops for you to get inspired. I myself love to wear gentle summer florals, nudes and powder pinks however each of us has that f… off world moment when we just get in the moods that call for dark and spiky pieces. 

Even men wear spikes for some extra manliness and some bad boy appeal ;)

All photos source:Google

I am a definitely a mood rather than occasion inspired dresser so my spiky looks tend to come out either when I am feeling extra fierce or super fragile so I need some spiky heels for protection.

It’s a dangerous world out there ladies! You got your spikes on?

D Day - design fair in Croatia.

The event occurred at abandoned industrial complex – an old slaughterhouse in Zagreb – envisioned as a design showroom, trade sales event as well as networking, educational and entertainment venue which gathered more than 60 young creative designers from Croatia, but also some guests from the rest of the region. Designers were representing various disciplines from fashion to industrial design, furnishing, new media, jewelry, volunteering and architecture.

The event program was rather rich and comprehensive. My friend Iva and I have visited the last day of the event – featuring D-Market where we had the opportunity to buy some of the unique designer pieces.

Bellow we have captured those pieces which occupied our attention the most.  In case any of the bellow interests you, I have collected their contacts and commented on their work bellow each photo based on the short interviews I conducted with the designers.

The whole event was very well organized and agenda with all the designers information, quotes and other detailed info was issued in form of a bilingual newspapers.

The old historic venue gave a special touch to the whole positive vibe of the event, I even found an old direction sign from long time ago directing to Zenica – Bosnia.

Designer duo Branka Šeparović and Maja Šimunović behind their clothing brand Roba had the most holistic and creative communication in terms of presentation, promo stand’s decoration and mechandising.

Roba Store, Preradovića 30, Zagreb

They create timeless and classic, but unique pieces which do not depend on seasonal trends and can fit numerous personality types. My favorite were soft black lether colar which almost looks like a jewery piece and can be easily worn with T-shirt on as a jewery on strapless dress for red carpet gala and a sholder piece which can be also worn on numerous way and which will most certanly demand attention. Roba stand offered bloody red cherries as a snack and packed their clothes into meat foil  to stay in the spirit of the events historic venue. They even did an editorial shoot inspired by butchers in slaughterhouse! Bravo for the effort ladies! 

Vedrana Mastela was working with suade and cotton fabrics  - although very simple in cut her work is very much wearable, economical as well as eco friendly. She is certainly keeping up with green trends of the design for the new millenium.

Krpa.hr is a rather new, alternative social network which in only 3 months managed to gather more then 200 fashion fanatics – models, make-up artists, designers etc. who create and update their profiles and network. Some of the the designers – protégés of Krpa.hr featured on D-Market were: Pinkeye’s Twisted Jewelry, Little Wonder, Irena Vučinić, Tea Rihtar, Kris Tija, Dott, naLa purses, REC and Bitemystyle. Krpa also hosts local fashion and beauty bloggers as part of their network content. 

These amazing bracelets among other divine things you can find at: Prostor store & gallery, Mesnička 5, Zagreb or purchase them online on www.prostor.com. 

"Lolina kućna manufaktura" by Gorana Lolić & Goran Villi - is a small brand of pop-art inspired jewelry made with technique of decoupage. Iva and I spent a lot of time on this stand playing with rings featuring local political figures, folk singers etc. at the end I purchased a vintage looking ring with black and white photo of Audrey Hepburn.

Iva was a one day ahead of me as she visited the event day before me as well so she noticed a pair of amazing sunglasses she came back with me to buy. The brand is called Sheriff & Cherry and it has been founded by young fashion and graphic designer Mauro Massarotti (who has amazingly blue eyes). Massaroti has helped to revive a local sport shoe brand Startas from Borovo in Vukovar, Croatia but he has also cooperated with Ellesse Heritage, Lacoste, Ghetaldus, Zooo, Parosh and many others.

Other then fashion and social media – if you read some of my  previous posts you know I am also passionate about environmental sustainability in fashion but also in daily life. This is why this stand was so motivating and inspiring for me – there was not much info about it nor business cards but it sure looked amazing!

All photos by Iva Mažar 

At the end of our walk around I came across this lovely jewelry box – coffee table, I almost wanted to buy it as it really looks amazing and would fit perfectly in my apartment but Iva reminded me that we are going to Hrelić (local vintage market) this weekend so I restrained myself from purchasing it.

How do you like what we found lovelies? Have you had the chance to visit this event? Who's work did you like the best?

Xoxo,

The story of jewelry.

I had a chance to interview a very special person – a traveler, a gypsy, jewery designer, film maker, journalist, an artist – Radovan Sredić who I first met couple of years ago at a chairty event helping provide clean drining water to third world countries. This is Radovan’s jewery story..in his own words...

Jewelry has been present as a symbol of individuality since ancient cultures and still is today. It has been worn by men and women for different reasons, men use to wear it for protection while hunting, women and men also used to wear it to showcase their role or social status but one characteristic still remains today – it continues to showcase wearer’s personality traits.

During the last 30ish years I have worn out literary hundreds of pairs of shoes, car tires, wondered around and explored on foot, on a bike, on airplanes and various other means of transportation through the dusty and thread bared roads, vast wild forests…all with one goal – to film a documentary in its full reality…from Asia to Africa to far coasts of South America.

Encounters with different civilizations and cultures have left a permanent trace in my emotions which I now express via making of unique jewelry pieces out of exotic materials which I have collected during my travels.

As an honest thief I was taking mental photos of rustic forms which I was grasping during my travels, and I have decided to use this authentic raw materials collected to make my jewelry, while the form and design are products of my dreams, my feelings and my imagination.

EXOTIC MATERIALS

It takes courage to design and make jewelry…I remember finding seashells on the beaches of pacific islands which were shaped so beautifully with perfectly color tones like God himself hand crafted them. Devilfish skin from South Chinese Sea is rather unusually structured and in combination with silver it can be shaped into various jewelry forms. I use it to make rings, bracelets, pendants, earrings and necklaces.

My rings most popular with men, I make out of shark skin which I collected in Jar. I have redesigned and decorated glass beads from Namibia with gold and silver to express a feeling of African wilderness and arrogance.

Black corals from Tahiti and Borneo are my absolutely favorite material to work with! They are extravagant, expensive, rudely gorgeous and extremely rare to find. Black coral for me represents a white swan of the jewelry world.

Horn of water buffalo from Cambodia is another rare piece of wild material together with mammoth tooth which I use to make my jewelry. While ebony wood from Mauritius provides a glimpse of mystery to my jewelry pieces, weaver of Mexican hedgehog I use for summer jewelry although they do not look to coastal.

GEMSTONE STORY 

Lapis lazuli is a metamorphic rock from Afghanistan, it contains gold in its natural form and it is deep dark blue in color – reminding me of an eye color of mysterious women who were curiously peeking at me in the mountains of Kaybera – at the very crossroad of Chinese, Afghanistan and Russian border.

Rare banana green turquoise brought from Mongolia looks amazing when combined with silver and gold.

Roza Jaspis from India is very rare, used to make a grave stone of Jaji Singa II 1823. In the Pink City – Jajpur.  It reminiscent of softness of scented powder from the theater.

Just like the grapes frozen in the fall – unusually looking are the million years old amorist - fossils of corals from Madagascar.

Roman glass – the leftovers of powerful civilization, small archeological pieces put together harmoniously into a piece of jewelry or prehistoric ceramics shaped manually - again put together into a piece of decor called jewelry.

When I think back of all the places I have explored during my travels, maybe my favorite were the women in India – always symbolically, colorfully and meaningfully decorated. Women in Bali I actually liked even better because their jewelry is more connected to nature and Gods in its color and shape.

No, no, actually – the most dazzling looking is the jewelry on Namibian women and dark skin beauties of Ghana. Ah, I cannot forget the Caribbean ladies decorated richly with various seashells. In the heart of the jungle where trees die of natural causes and where tribe of head – hunters (literary) lives – these are the best memories.

I will never be able to decide at which part of the world the jewelry is most prominent! Just the other day in Israel I have met a girl wearing a piece of thin rope with regular beach stone hanging of it – I took a picture of it and thought to myself – this is the most beautiful piece of jewelry I have ever seen!

As I traveled so much, I have seen wars, excruciating pain and death… so making beautiful jewelry since the end of the last decade helped me purify my soul from all the bad things I have seen and witnessed while keeping the memory of all the splendors which will stay in my remembrance forever.

So for the last 26 summers at my art gallery "Mr.Fantasy" and studio at Rovinj, Croatia I take time to dream, reminisce and create my travel diary – one jewelry piece at a time. Please don't take me and my job to seriously – it is all a game which has no end.

A proud owner of my bronze and silver collection is princess Nimani of Oman, rings made of Lapis owns Leny Kravitz, bracelet made of python skin wears Bono Vox  and many many other artists around the world have requested to buy a page of my travel diary, a piece of my memory.

Designer contacts: facebook & email.

Gallery address:Grisia 48, Rovinj

Website: www.radovanart.com 

"The jeweler allows me to wear the sapphire blue lake on my finger, the emerald green leaves around my neck, and take the citrine sunset with me wherever I go.  

Jewelry has become my daytime link to nature in an office with no windows.  

And if I have to work late, there's nothing like diamond stars and a pearl full moon against an onyx night sky."  

~Astrid Alauda, "Office With No Windows"~

WORLD'S BEST VINTAGE OASIS

NEW YORK CITY

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, 13^th Avenue B (Lower East Side)

-         According to experiences vintage hunters this is one of the best vintage shops in the City

-         Unusual and exclusive carrying designer names like: Gucci, Hermes, Chanel, and Galliano etc.

MARMALADE, 172 Ludlow Street, Lower East Side

-         Variety of price points, one of the oldest in the City

-         Favorite place to borrow clothes for shoots from by many magazine’s stylist and editors

LOVEDAY 31, Astoria Queens

-         My very favorite vintage store, partially because of the many good memories, gorgeous vintage finds – boots, purses, dresses…but also because it is in the neighborhood where I used to live

AMARCORD

-         Named best vintage store in NYC in 2010. By New York Times

-         Opened online in 2009. – surprisingly good prices

-         Seasonally featuring outfits in step with current fashion trends

LOS ANGELES

DECADES, 8214 Melrose Avenue, LA

-         Offers full on vintage glamour

-         Favorite shop of LA’s fashionistas & stylists

-         Great selection of Pucci blouses, Missioni’s soft knits and sexy Dior cocktail dresses (psss....soon coming to Chicago as well)

ADORE VINTAGE

-         Los Angeles based online store featuring Mad Men dresses from 50’s, mod styles from 60’s, costume jewelry, handbags etc.

-         Check out their blog: www.adore-vintage.blogspot.com

LONDON

BEYOND RETRO, 110 – 112 Chesire Street

-         Vintage store chain with locations in: London, Brighton, Stockholm and Göteborg

-         Unique vintage clothes from all around the world rather reasonably priced

-         Drive by moto: more style and less obsession with labels

ANNIE’S VINTAGE COSTUME & TEXTILES, 12 Camden Passage, Islington   

-         Hosting clients like: Kate Moss, Galliano, Pearl Lowe etc.

-         Home of vintage treasures from 30’s

-         Great place to find eccentric accessories like feather capes & sequined hats

-         Expensive but there is always a discount bin

ABSOLUTE VINTAGE, 15 Hanbury Street

-         Great online and bricks and mortar vintage shop

-         Best online and offline selection of vintage accessories

-         Good chances of scoring treasures under affordable prices

-         Site specializes in accessories and has the biggest selection of vintage shoes and bags under affordable prices

ROKIT

-         Great spot for vintage collectors and great deal finds

-         Has bricks and mortar location in London

-         Clothes is organized by decade from 20’s on

PARIS

FREE’P’STAR, 8 rue Sainte-croix de la Bretonnerie & 61 rue de la Verrerie

-         Friperie – means second-hand shop on French

-         Positioned in the heart of trendy Marais

-         Features huge selection with many bargains (up to 20£)

NEILA VINTAGE AND DESIGN, 28 rue de Mont-Thabor

-         Favorite spot of many Paris stylists with great selection of Cardin, Givenchy and YSL

-         Expensive but inspiring

VINTAGE PARIS

-         Expensive but label-conscious and oh so French

-         Great place to find amazing vintage accessories, bags and jewelry

VINTAGE PARIS, 97 Rue Viellie du Temple, Marais

-         Great place to find (expensive) vintage accessories from different time periods

-         Classic French style designers from different areas

SYDNEY

GRANDMA TAKES A TRIP, 263 Crown Street, Surry Hills

-         More of a fashion museum then a vintage shop with more than 8,000 pieces in stock

-         First impression at the entrance is mesmerizing

STOCKHOLM

JUDITS SECOND HAND,  Horngatan 75

-         Great mix of old vintage clothes and new collection pieces by yet unknown young designers

-         Features typical garments of every decade: 50’s Dior & 90’s H&M

TOKYO

EVA,  Avenue side Daikanyama 1B, 2-1, Sarugakucho, Tokyo

-         Offers classic elegant selection featuring Dior, Hermes and Chanel but also carrier less expensive vintage pieces

-         Great selection of vintage accessories: shoes, jewelry, bags, boots and valets

RAGTAG

-         Leading consignment shop in Tokyo

-         Featuring full spectrum of designers: Comme de Garsons, Yohyi Yamamoto

-         Usually quit expensive but it is not impossible to find a bargain

ONLINE VINTAGE HEAVENS

EPISODE

-         Also has a physical (brick and mortar) shops in Amsterdam, Antwerpen, Brussels, London, Rotterdam and Paris

-         Easy to use site where you can search by garment and type

-         Offers great selection of vintage items under reasonable prices

EBAY.jp, EBAY.uk, EBAY.com

-         The leader and the most obvious place for great vintage finds

-         Key is to select the closest country to minimize shipping costs

-         Offers unlimited selection of amazing vintage treasure and reviews are always helpful for reference

POSH GIRL VINTAGE

-         Expensive but amazing old-school romantic

-         Offer gorgeous ball gowns, bridal gowns, cocktail dresses, corsets and bags

LILY OF THE VALLEY

-         Low priced new home made clothes out of vintage fabrics 


I have added all of these locations and more on google map for easy find if yu ever decide to travel the world to find most exclusive vintage treasures ;) 









Worlds best fashion vintage shops


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