8 ways to kill an idea

Puma's clever little bag

I love when I stumble upon ideas I wish I have had. It usually happens with the most simple ones - these small shifts that don't seem that significant at the time but can cause change in a huge scale when you think of them in long term basis.

This is one of those ideas.

Haute Couture + Kandinsky in Den Haag (2)

I promised to write more about the Gemeentemuseum in Den Haag and to post some pictures, so here I am.

So the museum has 3 floors: 

The basement had an exhibition called "Wonder Kamers", which means "Rooms of Wonders". There are several rooms and closed doors between them, and before opening the door you can only see the colour of the room on the other side - not its content. So you'll be surprised each time you go from one room to the other, not knowing whats awaiting you. It's a very cool exhibition, everything really interactive and experimental and covers all the themes showing on the other floors of the museum (fashion, design, art, music, etc). As the rooms were really dark I wasn't able to take pictures - because using flash was not permitted. It is a trendy and young environment, worth one visit if you like this kind of things. You'll find more information (with pictures) here. 

On the ground floor I found some interesting things:

Georges Vantongerloo: a Belgian Painter / Esculptor / Designer / Architect / Theorist that makes such simple yet perfect things. His history is fascinating and his work reflects that. I had never heard of him before seeing this exhibition, but then I started to look for more information and found out he was really relevant though art historists say he didn't get all the attention he deserved for his work. 

Besides Vantongerloo, there are others artists that work with colours and geometric shapes on the ground floor. Really interesting.

I happened to find an exhibition about Tupperware as well, which I loved! Totally related to what I'm  professionally interested in. It was about how Tupperware emerged, the context by then, the appeal fof this product to the 40's/50's/60's housewives, how they were sold and advertised, etc, etc. There was even a 50's kitchen there to give the idea of how things really worked for women at that time.

First floor - this is the must-see floor, in my opinion:

Kandinsky and Der Blaue Reiter: this exhibition is sooo beautiful! So colourful, full of life... from the time Kandinsky and other great artists formed a group (Der Blaue Reiter) to start doing something different with their painting. Their purpose was opposing to what was being done by others and start painting from sensations and feelings, and not from reality. Just BEAUTIFUL. Pictures here:

And last, the Voici Paris! exhibition, showing the history of haute couture and its role through the decades, starting in the mid-1860's. Their collection include great creations from all major Maisons (Dior, Givenchy, Chanel,...) and a great sample of the couture work that's being done here in The Netherlands. This exhibition is mesmerizing, you can spend one whole day just there, admiring all those amazing gowns - some of them having an average of 800 hours of handcraftmanship on. It's pure art.

Here are some pictures, not of my favourite gowns though. I had to choose the clearer ones, because most of the pictures are just too bad, as the place was too dark - shame.

Armani Privé

Dior by John Galliano

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld

And voilà! Today I was reading the Couture Suplement of the Italian Vogue (March edition) and found an article about this exhibition! So I guess it's really unmissable :)

Gastronomie Parisienne

The best thing about Paris is how everything is amazingly integrated with the most classic style and how the most traditional places are still in the youth's agenda. I'm not the most classic person as I'm more inspired by new and trendy things, but classic always has its great value, and that's what Paris is all about. Talking about that, these were the most memorable experiences I had in Paris this weekend regarding gastronomy and its esthétique. Both classic, traditional, though not old. There are fantastic places anyone who goes to Paris should visit, regardless of their age.

Le Procope:

The first café in Paris, which welcomed habitués like Voltaire, Robespierre and other French intellectual characters and is amazingly in continuous operation since it opened in 1686. Le Procope was refurbished in 1988 in eighteenth-century style, receiving red walls, crystal chandeliers, oval portraits of famous people that have been patrons, and a tinkly piano. It's all decorated with ancient books that you can take and read as well. Fascinating.

The menu has a full set of typical French Culinaire. It was the first time I had the guts to try Oysters (when I was a child I believed one could drop dead while eating Oysters) and Escargot (that I used to find repelling). Surprisingly, I didn't drop dead eating Oysters and the Escargot was definitely not disgusting. 

Here are some pictures of the whole experience:

Ladurée:

They claim to be the maison who invented the double-decker macaron, by joining two macaron shells and giving them a creamy filling. The place is amazing, a classic tea room, very classy  decorated in pale tones. It looks like a doll house, you won't believe the tables they set. Everything was absolutely delicious, but when you get there how things taste is actually the least important thing. It's visual food by all means - wherever you look, you want to take things home.

As it was Easter holiday, the place was crowded and I couldn't take pictures inside, but I took some of the table I was at. Luckily there was a small Ladurée Boutique in my boarding wing at Charles de Gaulle Airport, so I was able to take a lot of pictures and buy a gift for myself - a tea called Marie Antoinette, that came in the most beautiful pale pink cilindric carton packaging. I love tea, but what I really wanted was to take home a piece of Ladurée. And when I finish the tea, of course I will keep the box - I wouldn't dare throwing it away.

Shuella: umbrella for your shoes

This is Shuella, this impressive functional-trendy-stylish-convenient protection for your shoes on rainy days. The ideator is an American woman called Rebecca Miller, who spotted this market opportunity based on her own experience of not being able to find any suitable product to meet this need. 

If you are wearing your best shoes, you definitely don't want the weather to ruin them, but you  don't want some crappy plastic bags protecting them, but ruining your whole look either, right?  So Shuella meets these two female needs: protecting your shoes while making you look sooo nice. This is a real spot on, check out the design - they look amazing!

They come in sizes just like female shoes and can be worn over any size heel. Shuellas are easy to put on and strong enough to walk in with a slip free sole, according to their website. They also include a cloth to wipe off any excess water before you fold them up and put them back in their pouch, which is a convenient way of carrying it in your bag everyday - just in case.

Genious, isn't it? I love this simple ideas that really make our life easier - or at least more pleasant.

I chose the yellow ones :)

Shuella's website here.

Banksy

My favourite Banksy's works:

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

In Palestine

  

  

 

More from Banksy here.

Pee & Poo

I love these :)

I need one of these NOW!

They can be shopped only by internet, and everytime I tried they were sold-out - because it's handmade and they weren't expecting such a huge success. What can I say, the more difficult to acquire, the more I want it!

They are made as standard unisex pieces, and are all in the same shape and size. It costs around €89 and can be sent worldwide.

The new collection will be available on their web shop tomorrow, on February 24^th. 

Designer Ashley Payne's work on Puma-McQueen collaboration

Even after PPR Group having communicated that McQueen brand will be kept alive, Puma hasn't decided yet if the collaboration between the two brands will keep going. Yet, footwear designer Ashley Payne, from Detroit is working on it as a personal project, improving her portfolio in the most creative, beautiful and functional way I've seen lately. She has just designed these amazing convertible 3-in-1 moto boots very accurately and creatively based on the Puma-McQueen collaboration concept.

Here's her portfolio, and here's the Puma-McQueen official site.