Living and Dying Structures by Azuma Makoto

Azuma Makoto, a botanical artist known for his intricate and beautiful floral and botanical art installations, had amazed the public with his opening installation “Art of Plants" at  the newly remodeled Isetan department store in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Following the store's new vision “Welcome to the Fashion Museum”, Azuma based his project on the juxtaposition of several installations of hand-folded leaves throughout the remodeled floors featuring gallery displays and vignettes in the sales departments. The leaves eventually will dry and fall.

“It was actually our intention to show all the process by which leaves slowly decay, as part of the installation,” Azuma says. “We were there every day for maintenance and kept them dry in the end.”

The team of 300 people used several leaves, including cast-iron plant, danae, liriope, dracaena and black leaf, creating patterns by folding them in a multitude of ways. Nearly 20 varieties of leaves were used to create the piece in the main entrance of the store.

Azuma published in 2012 the Encyclopedia of Flowers: Flower Works by Makoto Azuma photographed by Shunsuke Shiinoki.

Dolce & Gabbana and the treasures of La Famiglia

I have been craving gold and red all this year and now after watching the Dolce & Gabbana Winter 2014 Women's collection everything makes sense. The passionate love of Dolce & Gabbana for the Italian culture is portrayed in a Baroque collection with the upmost taste. Inspired by the richness of the Byzantine glamour and infused with the elegance of the Cinecittà of the 50's. I am speechless. Superb.

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana used the golden twelfth-century mosaics of Sicily's Cathedral of Monreale as a starting point for their new Fall collection. "The art of mosaic-making is a slow and precise one." _D&G

 

Love Yourself, Changing Women Self Perception.

The latest Dove campaign "Real Beauty Sketches" by Ogilvy & Mather Brazil addresses image issues by showing women how they are lovingly seen by others instead of the harsh image they have of themselves. Surprisingly enough, they actually look closer to the version of themselves that others gently see.

 

The "Star Models" ads from agency Revolution Brasil fight anorexia by comparing fashion illustrations to images of real models Photoshopped to have the same measurements as the drawings. The celebration of Anorexia in Fashion has distorted the perception of beauty and by creating impossible figures has hurt deeply women self-esteem. Bones are not beautiful people, true women are.