Charleston dance!

I really like the rythm of the Charleston, dance from the USA popular in the 20's; it just makes you happy. It would be good to learn some technics! At the Bellevilloise they may have parties with this type of music: let's go soon!

FIAC 2011 Paris

I went yesterday to the International fair of contemporary art in Paris, and discovered some interesting pieces I wanted to share! Always some inspiring work of art and trends.

- First best work, by Michal Rovner at the Pace Gallery: a projection of slowly moving silhouettes onto a stone. Theme observed inside the fair: the mix of the mineral world with the technological one. Creating something prehistoric as well as contemporary.

- Very known artist but this work touched me more, following her previous work but very subtle display by Rebecca Horn with the colour capture of this crazy blue of the mechanical butterfly. Again exploring organic life movements which looks very real but is not...

- The curious association of a salon seat like eaten by the stone colour matching the green colour. Inspiring to imagine a rough coffee table against a seat! Have a look at this "Alchemy box" on GB gallery website: photo here
- Loris Checchini white books appearing from the white wall. Very well realized and always fascinating the public!

- The deconstructivism theme I felt strongly a time ago is also still on and explored by artists widely, becoming geometrical sculptures with coloured facettes; for me it's like giving a 3D shape' interpretation to the internet abstract world. Inspired by russian contructivism, seen a lot in graphic design, it explores space and beautifully frames an apparent void. I loved the work by Esther Klaes presented at Bureau gallery NYC. And Ernesto Sartori sculptures:

- Like a cubist paiting but definitely revisited personally: this sort of 3D collage of some rubber material by Carol Rama. I loved the interaction of the dark pink behind which surprisingly makes it elegant:

- The roughness of materials, destructed, recycled, elementary, chalk, wood, concrete, stones were very present but also very precisely displayed and organised to sublimate simplicity... Last instance for today is the work by Andrea Zittle which makes me think of a cave/grotto environment and also becomes an architectural structure, almost at the frontier of art?

Quartier des Batignolles 17eme visit!

That's now one of my favourite district in Paris: the Batignolles! Located slightly far from tube stations, it's very quiet! Discover a few design stores with very trendy selection on rue Legendre and stop to have a coffee at the corner. I did my internship on rue Nollet at Rochas (now unfortunately closed), and remember some very good restaurants around there. Of course go until the lovely Square des Batignolles by the Church. You will find the village feeling, charm, small streets and nice light, Bourgeois Boheme atmosphere... Also have a walk on this discrete passage: Cite des Fleurs: simply beautiful! Great on a sunny day, very peaceful ;)
Metro Brochant, La Fourche.

Les Journees Particulieres chez Louis Vuitton

On this cold Sunday October the 16th, I went visiting the Louis Vuitton Ateliers in Asnieres. It took us 5 hours of queue before getting in; the nice thing was to make random friendship along the way!... It was a very long wait since it was the first time LV was opening to the public its family home, gardens and workshops.
An extract from the brochure: "Established in Paris in 1854, the Maison Louis Vuitton embodies the art of travel. Louis Vuitton, who had trained as a packing casemaker but rapidly became an official supplier to Empress Eugenie, moved his workshops to Asnieres in 1859. The town, which was just beginning to urbanize, offered a host of advantages: proximity to Paris, the ability to transport the wood required for manufacturing trunks via the Seine, and the peace and quiet needed for skilled craft work..."

I very much enjoyed the outside as well as the interior look of the house, all Art Nouveau & Nancy style. It was good to discover step by step the manufacturing process and quality of the leathers. There's 170 leatherworkers today. We really feel the passion and strong ethic from the Vuitton family and why a real Vuitton is so precious and unique. Thanks for letting the public seeing the inside world of LV!

Cite de la mode et du design, 12-18/09/11

This was the first Paris Design Week, organised by SAFI which also organises Maison & Objet. I just had time to go to the "Cite de la Mode et du Design", very nice building along the Seine on Quai d'Austerlitz. Good to see a few things in one place, not too big neither too small! Here are the things I wanted to share:
- Wa.De.Be: Granny chair, realised in collaborations with grand-mothers!

- Jean Sebastien Poncet: tea set and wooden chairs
- friends from RCA: the collectif Glitch Fiction was supported by the British Council

- Laurene Barjhoux and Adrien Goubet from ESAD Reims: cheese stands:

Maison & Objet 2011/ Textile selection

- "Made of Chair", in rice straw, by Seoul Designers Pavilion:

- Chevalier Masson textiles:

- "Just a bag" material effect by Raphael Charles, felt:

- The 100% recycled leather stone colour material developped into notebooks, folders by Labrador

:
- The beautiful colour palette of linen by Linge Particulier:

- Arxe, from Barcelona, design with quality and sustainability, very nice discovery:

- Mohair collection, beautiful stand and fibres, supported by Edelkoort:

Maison & Objet 2011/ Brand selection

- Top 1: Astier de la Villatte: the identity and branding is all more and more controlled. I love the atmosphere, the details on the plates, the photographs, the website!

- I continue to much like Flamant Home Interiors: the extreme of luxury interiors, objects scale only fitting Chateaux!

- Cote Bastide: for its pure simplicity, traditional, honnest, basic:

- In another sector and look, I thought that"Collegien" has got a really nice identity working well with their product: nice use of knitting patterns for original and affordable slippers!

Maison & Objet September 2011 /trend selection

- "Obsessions Privees", by Elizabeth Leriche, looked at various collections. Very interesting and great display!

- There I discovered the ceramic work by Livia Marin which was really fresh.

- Already seen in Milan but definitely catches the attention: the insects by Thomas Eyck. And the mise en scene by Julien Flak.
- The ceramic shapes by Atelier Polyhedre, lots of character:

- The ethnic, fossil necklace, lacquered, very long-time process by Eve Vautier selected in the young talents:

- The metal sculptures by Antonino Sciortino

- In the trend section "Hors Piste" by Francois Bernard, the bench Siesta by Magini for Campeggi:

Poppy Pantone hairdresser!

I tried this new hairdresser, located near by Duperre school, in a tiny charming street: 4 Cite Dupetit-Thouars (3eme). And I recommend! Only by appointment as Lydiane works on her own: 01 44 78 92 94. I loved the decoration, the photograph on the wall by Thomas Jorion, the spirit of the salon, my natural haircut and the price: 45£.

Addresses in Marais: Caravane store, AESOP, LOFT

- Caravane: For its homy atmosphere, its beautiful selection of textiles, its simple shapes of furniture and its etnic fabrics... They can make your sofa with the fabric you want. You can even glance through Bloom and Selvedge magazines! 6 rue Pavee, Marais, Paris

- AESOP: 64 rue Vieille du Temple (3eme): I love their quality of body & face cream products, their very clever design, packaging and shop styling. Very pleasant feeling in this new shop in Paris:

- LOFT: 12 rue de Sevigne (3eme). Really enjoy the experience inside the shop, vintage items as decoration, simple and efficient designs, a pitty slightly expensive these days: