Chanel Spring 2010 shot in my dear Buenos Aires

Karl Lagerfeld chose "Misteriosa" Buenos Aires as the backdrop for Chanel's Spring 2010 Campaign. The iconic German Claudia Schiffer is the main face of the season and joining her are also models Freja Beha Erichsen and Baptiste Giabiconi. Visit www.chanel.com

Although the hats, boots and belts can be reminiscent of gauchos, the above photo portraits a more "Spanish torero's look" than an a real Argentinean gaucho... well I guess that might be the Lagerfeld's touch! Anyways the rest are more true to the traditional culture of las pampas... and the whole vintage San Telmo's  je ne sais quoi definitely sets the mood for drama.

You may browse the entire Chanel's Spring 2010 collection at http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/S2010RTW-CHANEL and watch the runway show set as a French country barn bellow.

MVRDV, Producing instead of Consuming Space... So Dutch.

MVRDV is a Rotterdam, the Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 1991. The name is an acronym for the founding members: Winy Maas (1959), Jacob van Rijs (1964) and Nathalie de Vries (1965). Maas and Van Rijs worked at OMA, De Vries at Mecanoo before starting MVRDV. Visit their website at http://www.mvrdv.nl/

Frosilos, two silos converted into a Copenhagen apartment building

MVRDV is well-known for its philosophy of densification and multiple space use. Their Studies in Density implies a city that is not only in front, behind or next to, but also above and below. In short a city in which ground level zero no longer exists but has dissolved into a multiple and simultaneous presence of levels where the town square is replaced by a void or a bundle of connections; where the street is replaced by simultaneous distribution and divisions of routes and is expanded by elevators, ramps and escalators where far away is reduced to proximity; and the park is transformed into a stacking of public spaces. In this dense three-dimensional world, spatial quality is no longer translated into morphology or geometry, but in richness, diversity, presence, and proximity.

WOZOCO housing in Amsterdam, 1997 (also known as Oklahoma)

 Watch it at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWHxJMXFucA&feature=fvsr

"We want to position our work outside of architecture, as a clear piece of sociology and ecology. But to do that in such a way that not only architects understand it, but also the other 99 percent of the population understands it, and can debate it.” - MVRDV.

El Mirador Building in Madrid. Learn more at 

http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/mirador/index.html and watch it at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_isGe0_vREE&feature=related

Dutch Pavilion for Hanover, Germany’s Expo 2000

Silodam, Amsterdam. Learn more about the project at

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/mvrdv/silodam_article.html 

and watch it at http://vimeo.com/8532835

Learn more about MVRDV browsing the slideshows at http://www.dwell.com/articles/the-placemakers.html and http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/06/06/magazine/0608-MVRDV_index.html Also watch the profile video bellow.

The office researches and debates global ecological issues such as the consequences of urban sprawl, the bio-industry and climate change. Large scale studies and provocative proposals have lead in many cases to a constructive discussion about issues often considered terrifying or to be solved by legislation rather than architecture. MVRDV seeks architectural solutions for ecological issues. Some of the most  know proposals are Pig City, the high-rise farm and the China Hills, currently at in Beijing Center for the Arts. The project aims to combine the city with agriculture and energy production. Learn more about these proposals at http://www.architectenweb.nl/aweb/archipedia/archipedia.asp?ID=7238 and http://www.dezeen.com/2010/01/05/china-hills-by-mvrdv/

Pig City

China Hills

One of their latest projects is the headquarters building for a bank in Oslo, Norway.  A 17-storey building with a particular pixelated design that adapts to the urban context and combines an efficient and flexible internal organization. Learn more clicking http://www.dezeen.com/2009/09/17/dnb-nor-headquarters-by-mvrdv/

The headquarters building for a bank in Oslo, Norway

Some of their Space theories have been published in books like "KM3 Excursions On Capacities", 2006 and "Skycar City", 2008. Preview some of the interior pages at http://www.actar.com/index.php?option=com_dbquery&task=ExecuteQuery&qid=2&idllibre=3264&lang=en and http://www.actar.com/index.php?option=com_dbquery&task=ExecuteQuery&qid=2&idllibre=3578&lang=en

Illustrations, Photos and Blog... What Else? Garance Doré

With a few strokes made with pen and a hint of mostly red Garance Doré makes her illustrations talk. She is a French Fashion illustrator, also photographer and well respected blogger and influencer in fashion. She has been documenting real people in their street style around Paris for the last three years. Visit her blog at http://www.garancedore.fr/en/

As a collaboration for The Gap's 40th Anniversary, a London pop-up exhibition of Garance's work will feature the talented Parisian drawings, spontaneous photos and illustrated limited-edition tees. Only 69 shirts in each style will be manufactured (the number is in reference to the 1969 Gap brand jean, the new collection of which just launched). Read more at http://www.garancedore.fr/en/2009/08/31/gap-moi/

"I'm a big fan of Gap; the way they focus on the individuality in their ads and creative collaborations has always attracted me.”- Garance.

Not only that, she also dates Scott Schuman, from the Sartorialist, one of the most followed blogs in fashion due to his sharp eye on the stylishly dressed showgoers in New York, Milan, and Paris http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/ that has already a book " The Sartorialist" and a dedicated section in Vogue's online website, Style.com http://www.style.com/fashionshows/sartorialist/ ... It is definitely a small world.

"Uova a quattro ruote" from La Bella Italia

Following on my previous post about micro cars "Good things come in small sizes", you may read the entire history of the micro cars at http://ellauniverse.blogspot.com/2009/11/good-things-come-in-small-sizes-fun_11.html Emilia Paglicci Reattelli contacted me from Italy and told me that she and her husband have a personal collection of more than 70 micro cars from the 50's. The bubble cars are also known in Italy as "uova a quattro ruote" (egg on four wheels), "macchine-bolla" (ball machine) or "macchinette".

Currently one of her cars is in Milan at La Trinnale di Milano Design Museum and other two at dell'Ara Pacis in Rome ( the monument where Valentino's Exhibition took place, view my previous post "After me the flood, Valentino" at http://ellauniverse.blogspot.com/2009/11/after-me-flood-valentino.html).

The current exhibition at Milan can be previewed at the museum website that really worth browsing, click http://www.triennaledesignmuseum.it/node?lang=EN

And the exhibition called "Disegno e Design - Brevetti e Creatività Italiani" at dell'Aras Pacis in Rome is open until January 31st. You may visit their website at http://www.arapacis.it/mostre_ed_eventi/mostre/disegno_e_design_brevetti_e_creativita_italiani

Watch an updated version of the Messerschmidt KR 200 come alive in 3D at http://www.belowtheclouds.com/2010/01/20/smite/ and learn about bubble cars and the Macchinette exhibition in the following websites and videos bellow. Let's see how good is your Italian... sorry but there are no translations available... http://www.archimagazine.com/xbubblecars.htm and http://www.cesar-eur.it/show_eventi.php?nid=17

Now... Emilia promised me that she will let me drive one when I travel to Italy... and I take her word. I will take a picture of myself posing like the ad that dandy Gary Grant did in the 50's to promote the cars. Driving one will be definitely fun!

Sicilia, La Cosa Nostra and its men by Dolce & Gabanna

Always inspired in a manly, sexy, tough Sicilano, Dolce & Gabanna presented an explosive formula of long johns and henleys, wool suits and undershirts mixed with newsboy caps and dusty work boots for their menswear collection  Fall 2010. Who can resist? They can create the sexiest fantasy while delivering impeccably tailored suits, sleek button-downs and luxury leather goods. Browse the full collection at http://www.gq.com/fashion-shows/complete/F2010MEN-DGABBANAMEN and the runway show at http://www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/fashion-show/man/video_runway

They are mostly known for their glamorous and sexy women's line. Domenico Dolce, the son of a Sicilian tailor, attended fashion school briefly, while Stefano Gabbana, the son of a Milanese factory worker, had trained as a graphic designer. Dolce's tailoring and Gabbana's eye for styling were very well receipted when they launched their first women's collection in 1986.  Favorites of Hollywood, the list of clients extends from Madonna, Monica Bellucci, Ayumi Hamasaki, Isabella Rossellini to Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue. They also created the costumes for Madonna's Girlie Show in 1993, as well as Whitney Houston's 1999 tour.

Visit their website at www.dolcegabbana.com where Madonna do the dishes at http://www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/ And watch the videos of the making of the Menswear campaign bellow.

The label has been expanding with knits, swimwear, lingerie, fragrance, accessories, menswear, a junior line, and the youthful, lower-priced D&G all in the mix. And now they added to the list of enterprises a restaurant called Gold that opened in 2006 and a theater and event space called Metropol, in their home city of Milan. You may visit their websites at http://www.dolcegabbana.com/gold/ and http://www.dolcegabbanametropol.com/

And now discover why the Scottish descent British model David Gandy is their leading men in the videos bellow... Viva l' Italia!