Author: Design & Culture by Ed

(The Last Moment) Great Gifts To Give!

| Design & Culture by Ed

Giving gifts is a special moment. But what’s even more special is finding them! Here’s a (pretty much) last moment guide of great gifts to give this Christmas to your closest (or to yourself, of course). Scroll down for magical pearl pendants, surreal ceramic mugs, hand-crafted bags, very pricey vintage, heaven scents and incredible, statement pieces! And a few blankets, of course.

This The Vampire’s Wife velvet silk blend dress in red is fit for a Christmas dinner goddess.

Ormaie Paris is about perfumes that will blow your mind sensually and visually (just look at their fabulous flacons). I want Toï Toï Toï, which means a German expression ballet dancers say to wish good luck before going on to perform. The fragrance evokes the polished wooden boards of the stage and the dancer’s waxed ballet shoes. More here.

Phaidon re-released Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue. And, yes, it’s signed by Grace Coddington. Click, click. Adding it to my cart.

This Loewe bunny bag is so cuuuute. Maybe it’s not a life necessity, but then… why not? Available right here.

Boston’s Covet & Lou has some statement pieces that will perfectly fit under the Christmas tree. How about this A Détacher skirt and No.6 fur loafers?

The XXL faux fur bag from Pajonk (a Polish brand worth having on your radar) will be there for you in 2019, I guarantee you. More up on the designer’s site.

Re-See Paris has the best, hand-picked vintage out there. Chosing two things is hard, while chosing one is impossible. Treat yourself with a vintage Vogue and their delicious Alaïa selection.

Lemaire‘s molded leather bag in yellow equals a dream bag.

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NET-A-PORTER Limited

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What a boy really want is this Haider Ackermann reversible velvet bomber jacket. No explanations needed.

Alighieri has some of the most beautiful and magical pendants out there. This one from Matches is gold-plated and has a baroque-inspired pearl. A true treasure.

When I saw those new season jug bags from Rosie Assoulin, I instantly felt in love with their authentic artiness. They are still on pre-order, but maybe it’s worth waiting a bit and receive your Christmas gift as good start of 2019? Some are made with a latex-and-pigment combination, inspired with Gaetano Pesce’s iconic furniture. Love.

I’m not sure if at the time I’m writing this, they aren’t all gone. Botticelli Ceramics proves that some of the most incredible things can be found right here, on Instagram. I’m dying to get my hands on one of those very limited edition, one-of-a-kind ceramics coming straight from Marc Armitano Domingo’s studio.  “Inspired by art, Wunderkammer, and music from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries”, Marc creates plates and mugs with 3D flowers, bees, boobies and eyes. And not only. Too obsessed with those artworks. You can buy them here.

This Jacquemus straw hat continues to break the internet. Enter the new year boldly, wearing it with an outfit as warm as Simone Porte’s favourite, beach-y colour palette.

Acne Studios is always filled with goodies. Please consider their new limited edition interior décor, just like the new men’s knits. Wouldn’t mind spending an evening covered up with all that fleecy wool!

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Let’s carry on. Maryam Nassir Zadeh has this 100% virgin wool sweater. That’s a gift that will keep on giving for years!

If you read my journal, you might already know my major obsession with everything Mondo Mondo does. The Janus ring (available in sterling silver and brass) is a must-have from this Los Angeles-based brand.

Blame Jeff Goldblum for making those Prada shirts so flame hot. Forever on my wishlist.

Another thing a guy will love: Bode‘s quilted jacket. This workwear jacket is made from a 1940’s album–patterned quilt. The quilt contains bits and pieces of men’s shirting, as well as a number of other checked cotton fabrics. Will look perfect with a pair of corduroy pants, as well coming from this New York-based brand.

Byredo‘s Eleventh Hour is an experience of its own kind, I tell you. You will get completely addicted.

If somebody ever gifts me this Calvin Klein 205W39NYC x Pendleton wool and cotton-blend blanket, I will marry them immediately.

Hope my public Santa Claus letter helps a bit!

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NET-A-PORTER Limited

New Start. Bottega Veneta Pre-Fall 2019

| Design & Culture by Ed

 

So, I haven’t written about Bottega Veneta for ages. Here’s why. Tomas Maier’s vision for the brand was proper, classy. Sometimes comfy, sometimes lady-like. You always knew what to expect from him: very well-crafted, safe outings with occasional, special appearances. It seemed he’s at Bottega forever. Clearly, at one point the brand needed a stir. And here we are with Daniel Lee, British designer you surely never heard of a year ago. The moment Maier exited Bottega Veneta was just a few months after Phoebe Philo’s departure from Céline – and with a sudden gap to fill for Philophiles, Lee appeared in the right place, right time. He’s the guy who was at helm of ready-to-wear at Philo’s Céline. It seems to be clear that he should know how to design clothes suited for the Philo-loving women (and men). His debut, pre-fall 2019 presentation eventually feels very familiar to Phoebe’s presence. The collection orbited around leather (the brand is a heritage leather house) and the question of how it can be translated in a chic, modern way. The signature intrecciato technique appeared in coats and dresses, while the bags received an XXL treatment (so, so good!). Contrasting colour palette; minimal jewellery; sensual neck-lines; over-sized outerwear – it’s a stylish, elegant, yet comfortable wardrobe that’s absolutely seasonless and ageless. Menswear is impressive as well. One might say that there’s nothing overly innovative about it – but then, when was the last time you saw such a gorgoues, camel suit? I just hope that while everyone’s putting Lee into the ‘new Philo’ shelf, this won’t become a sort of curse for him. His design is close to Phoebe’s Céline, yes. But look again. It’s completely different. It’s rawer, it’s more modest, slightly Helmut Lang-ish (just see some of the 90s collections to get what I mean). I’m really, really can’t wait to see Daniel’s first runway collection – coming in March, I bet.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Garment Care Season. Vaquera Pre-Fall 2019

| Design & Culture by Ed

Vaquera’s Patric DiCaprio, Claire Sullivan, and Bryn Taubensee are New York’s young avant-grade of fashion. But even the biggest enfants terrible need to grow up someday: here’s the first pre-collection coming from them. For Pre-Fall 2019, Vaquera’s designers remade some of their brightest ideas into a capsule of clothes and accessories at prices their younger fans can truly appreciate. They designed fewer than a dozen silhouettes, some of them recognizable from past shows, and limited themselves to just three materials: a cotton poplin, a dark-rinse denim and a sweatshirt fabric (look at the distorted, white track suit – it’s genius!). Smart move. Vaquera called this their “Garment Care season”: they introduced dry cleaning slips and printed the back of hoodies with a Vaquera dry cleaners logo. The collection’s sock bag with its coin-purse clasp is a nod in the direction of Martin Margiela, who did same with a leather glove two decades ago. Fun tailoring and even crazier shirting might be a harder sell, but then, Vaquera doesn’t want to lose its arty edginess it became renowned for in the city.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.