maandag 30 november 2009

Bjørg Jewellery

Bjørg Nordli-Mathisen is a Norwegian jewellery artist. She claims her inspiration, in part, from the Nordic nature she grew up with, believing that unpretentious beauty can find a place and be reflected in the most unlikely places. Bjørg went to art school in Oslo before working in the fashion industry, enabling her to travel the world, developing her style and the ethos of her designs.


In 2001 she moved to India with her family for three years. There she discovered the vibrant colors and mesmerizing beauty of majestic gems and natural stones.

“This revelation became my point of no return – l was absolutely hypnotized and it was a true gift to get the opportunity to play with such amazing material.”





She developed her very own style of jewellery with combinations that had no root in rights and wrongs. A new market emerged for “everyday use” and she managed to create a style that was innovative, raw and elegant at the same time.

“I was never fascinated by classical jewellery. There has to be a soul. I’ve always loved discovering odd pieces while traveling, which l could customize for my very own joy.”




Her first one-off pieces was sold directly to Liberty and Harvey Nichols in 2003. Jewellery making was now a full-time commitment. In 2004, after moving back home to Norway, the brand bjørg was a fact. Her first collection was released with great success - and her jewellery is now represented in more than 20 countries throughout the world.

“For me jewellery is a very intimate thing which reflects our passions and emotions. I believe we all need joy and some glitz in our lives, and l feel very privileged to have the opportunity to make a difference to other people by adding some sparkle to special occasions as well as those random days in between!”





So the label Bjørg was launched in 2004, and is selling in more than 20 countries today. The jewellery is represented at Fred Segal in LA, Harvey Nichols in London, Scandinavian House in NY and NK Details in Stockholm. In 2006 the Bjørg Jewellery concept shop opened at Köningsalle in Düsseldorf, Germany.

It is quite hard to find and buy the entire Bjørg collection online, in the near future I suspect that you will be able to buy it at the Bjørg homepage, but for right now I really like the following store: Johannesenstore
Also check out this great artistic video to promote the 2009 collection :



Longchamp Le Pliage, a designers classic re-invented

Personally I love to use "Le Pliage®", the large shoulder version, for carrying my laptop (I do put it in an extra protective laptop sleeve) and some other office junk.

Longchamp is celebrating the 20th anniversary of ANDAM (Association Nationale pour le Développement des Arts de la Mode), which promotes emerging French and international fashion talent, with an unprecedented creative collaboration with three previous winners of the prestigious ANDAM Fashion Award.

Jeremy Scott, Charles Anastase and the design duo Bless were selected by ANDAM and invited to create limited editions of Longchamp's Le Pliage® bag, bringing their unique and avant-garde vision to bear on the groundbreaking foldable design that has become a cult classic and a staple of modern urban life.

Jeremy Scott ( ANDAM Fashion Award Winner in 1998 and 2000) - with whom Longchamp maintains an ongoing creative partnership - has, with his trademark sense of humour, pictured himself as a "nouveau samurai", emerging from the bag in a red silk kimono.

Charles Anastase (ANDAM Fashion Award Winner in 2004), meanwhile, has chosen to use Le Pliage® as a blank canvas on which to create two delightfully poetic illustrations - a sketch of a pair of ballet shoes accompanied by the handwritten message "I could sleep 24 hours a day", and a drawing of Persian cats with the words "In my heart or in my hand".

Last but not least, Bless - true to the conceptual approach of designers Desiree Heiss and Ines Kaag (ANDAM Fashion Award Winners in 1999 and 2004) - have pushed the design of Le Pliage® to the limits, creating a bag that can be folded inside its own circular leather handles and worn as a bracelet.

Head of ANDAM Nathalie Dufour comments: "Here are three styles, three ideas, three ambiances, that reflect the diversity which it is ANDAM's mission to nurture. Longchamp should be congratulated on taking part in this game of transformation with such enthusiasm, going so far as to adapt its production methods to these amazing innovations. Longchamp has remained true to its philosophy and, once again, has associated its name with quality, savoir-faire and cutting-edge creativity."The three Le Pliage® bags, in a limited edition, will be available in the Longchamp boutiques andselected concept stores worldwide from 1st October 2009.

Also check out the online webshop of Longchamp, where you can customize "Le Pliage®" in 4 easy steps


zondag 29 november 2009

Interior designer Piet Jan van den Kommer

The philosophy of Piet Jan van den Kommer says it all: "Pure honest materials that get more beautifull by being used and besides that they always consist and display a certain rough authenticity"

Designer Piet-Jan van den Kommer started designing when he was very young, just 14 years old he carved his first design. Fifteen years later, Piet-Jan had developed into a box man who gets his inspiration, above all, from honest and pure materials.
At fourteen he began, in a shed behind the parental home, work on making the first furniture pieces he designed. These were cabinets and tables for a small circle of friends. Soon he had to expand, he doubled the size of his shed. After finishing high school, and a number of years of placements and training years at other companies, in 1998 (he was 24 years old) he started his official own company in Heiloo (in one of the northern provinces in the Netherlands) and later moved to Stompetoren.
Now his office, showroom and workplaces consists of 15.000 M2 of lifestyle products, whilst mainly using natural materials such as wood, zinc, steel, natural stone and concrete.

These natural resources are the foundation of all his designs. Whether it is for decorating an entire home or company, the interior of a living room, kitchen, bathroom, terrace, bar or workplace, Piet-Jan will always look for and find the best and most suited combination of natural materials.

zondag 22 november 2009

Ermanno Scervino Fall Winter 09/ 10

Luxurious, sexy, super fit and it will make every woman look stunning and feeling great. Don't you just love his knitted wear this winter?

vrijdag 20 november 2009

Tod's D Bag Bauletto

One of my favourite bags this winter is the Tod's D Bag Bauletto in suede with lambskin lining. First launched in 1997 and carried by Princess Diana, the D-Bag Bauletto is a classic handbag must have. Its rich leather design with contrast stitching has two top handles and an adjustable messenger strap. The ubiquituous Tod's oval logo is missing here and that's a good thing. Its simplicity and understated luxury will stand the test of time and trends.

Bape: The Beatles Tshirts

Just like Comme des Garcons before them, A Bathing Ape aka Bape is coming out with their own Beatles capsule collection.

The Japanese clothing company have created an assortment of t-shirts, sweaters and coin purses which look quite similar to the Comme bags.
If you haven't completely overdosed on the second wave of Beatlemania, check out the rest of the collection here.

woensdag 18 november 2009

Great kitchen design by Fred Constant

In the Dutch magazine: Villa d'Arte I spotted the advertorial by Fred Constant with this kitchen. I really like the sturdy natural look....

vrijdag 13 november 2009

Which Christmas trends are hot?

As announced at the Christmasworldfair 2009, held every year in Frankfurt at the end of january, the trend for Christmas 2009-2010 is “Express your dreams”. It is declined in 4 decorating trends: Airy, Sweet, Comfort and Obsession. Each trend also represents a season. So feel free to be inspired by the Comfort decor theme to decorate at Thanksgiving.

Airy (spring) is characterized by lightness and transparency. It feels romantic in a modern way. Soft pastel colours, blurred motifs and fluid structures lure the observer into a fairylike fantasy world. Plenty of glass vases, baubles and crystal are a must.
The colour parameters are created by chalky pastels ranging from cream to pink and pale grey, all combined with lots of white. Transparent, translucent materials are as light as the colors.
Sweet (summer) is the most feminine decor. It is unusual to see pink floral patterns at Christmas. Do not be afraid to use a multicolor palette. This decor feels fresh and girly with a hint of kitsch. The milky palette extends from sand, aqua and turquoise to violet, lime and slate grey. Materials include plastic, varnish and porcelain, tulle and satin ribbons. Surface are over-sugared, candied and glazed.
Comfort(Autumn) is an evolution of the birch bark, the deer and the natural theme that was popular on the last two years. Comfort plays with contrasts in textures, materials and styles. Make sure to include pieces made with natural materials. Feel free to oppose modern style objects with driftwood. A must are the touches of red or orange to enliven the decor.

Obsession (winter) this is by far the most glamourous decor for Christmas. You mix metallic colors. Quartz pink and mauve lighten up mahogany, aubergine, violet and gold. You will need to look for curved lines, ornate objects, luxurious materials and fabrics like velvet and silk to reproduce the Obsession look.
At this point it seems that the trend that is being picked up the most, is airy in combination with fresh blue tones.
But personally I really like SWEET ....

Related Posts