Design

Rick Owens Furniture at Andreas Murkudis

| Design & Culture by Ed

Although it’s been a while ago, Andreas Murkudis hosted a temporary pop-up store feauturing Rick Owens and Michele Lamy‘s furniture line. I wanted to see those designs for such a long time, and it was worth the wait. There’s something truly incredible in their raw beauty. When Lamy and Owens first started out making furniture, it was purpose-built; their marital bed was the first thing that they created, long before they thought that their work might evolve into the sort of thing to be exhibited at global art galleries, because “we don’t buy; we do,” as Michele told Another Magazine back in 2017. “We have always been this way, always building spaces; small or big. Rick with his studio, me with Les Deux Cafés…” Formed from basalt and petrified wood, crystal and oxbone and alabaster, such objects might easily appear sterile, but they are instead imbued with resounding warmth. “Part of the romance invested in the furniture is the look on the faces of the guys who work on it when she sweeps into their studios in the jewellery, furs and smoke – her love for them and their love for her is a big part of every piece,” writes Owens in their book dedicated to their furniture. Most beautiful things are made with love.

Photos by Edward Kanarecki and Owenscorp.

Triennale Brugge

| Design & Culture by Ed

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I went to Brugge (you might also know it as Bruges), the capital of West Flanders in  Belgium, last week. The city is world-known for its canals, cobbled streets, townhouses and medieval buildings – shortly speaking, majority of this magical city is under protection of UNESCO. Well, no wonder why. But this time, this city felt even more enchanting than usual.

Now I’m honest. I had no idea that the Triennale Brugge 2018 is on – this was meant to be a few day trip to the town I’ve been visiting for years. But the occurring event transformed this city into a breathing artwork. The Brugge Trienniale invited international artists and architects to think about this question: how flexible, liquid and resilient can a historic city like Bruges be in an age when nothing seems to be certain any longer? Many of them sought inspiration for their work in the role of liquidity in the city that is literally criss-crossed and surrounded by water. The waterways that once earned Brugge its international renown, become a metaphor for Liquid City. Fifteen works of art, installations and meeting places have been put up in the city centre. You can walk into them and experience them. And while seeking them, discover the less touristic, off-beat tracks of Brugge. My favourites? The inflated installation by Spanish studio Selgascano, which is a literal ‘meeting place’ on water, and Jarosław Kozakiewicz‘s ‘Brug’ bridge. The ‘Skyscraper’ by StudioKCA, which is a massive whale sculpture made of 5 tons of plastic pulled out of the ocean, makes you think as well.

Triennale Brugge 2018 lasts until September 16.

Céline in Munich

| Design & Culture by Ed

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Our road trip to Italy (lots of posts coming up!) had some stops. And the first, but very major one, was the Céline store in Munich. We weren’t only lured by Phoebe Philo’s last pieces for the brand. The two-floor store was opened last September, and will be -unfortunately – soon refurbished under Hedi Slimane’s direction (as all the other Céline boutiques around the world). So, we wanted to have this ‘good-bye’ moment with the multicoloured marble tiles inlaid with semi-precious stones, the abstract hangers and shelves, fluffy sofas and enormously big pot plants that made each Céline store somewhat feel like home for all the Philophiles. As all the other Céline stores, this one was designed by the Danish artist Thomas Poulsen. Together with the pre-fall 2018 goods  (think rubber boots and over-sized hoodies), everything from the colours to textures works in a perfect harmony. Now, I’m serious – if an eventual garage sale of the Céline store stuff comes up, please, let me know!

Maximilianstrasse 22 / Munich

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

República das Flores

| Design & Culture by Ed

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to enter a cabinet de curiosités? Well, entering República das Flores might be just the experience you’ve always been dreaming of. It’s a magical store that’s located in a Pombaline house from the beginning of the 19th century in Lisbon’s Chiado district. What to see and love in here? Perfumed paper, cushions, soaps and bath products, Bordalo Pinheiro china, fresh flowers, linen table clothes from Porto, vintage garments, jewellery from remote destinations, Alentejo oil and wine, antique objects from India and Morocco… in fact, you can’t go out with empty hands.

Rua Alecrim 99 / Lisbon

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Sterling Ruby’s Calvin Klein

| Design & Culture by Ed

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Collages by Edward Kanarecki (the above featuring elements from Sterling Ruby’s art).

Raf Simons‘ take on Calvin Klein is the biggest momentum going on in New York’s fashion, whether we’re speaking of his brilliant autumn-winter 2017 show or the visionary advertising strategy. As if that wasn’t enough to make a dusty brand take-off right away, there’s also the Madison Avenue flagship re-designed by Ruby Sterling, which reopened last Saturday.

Raf and Ruby are long-time friends and have collaborated on many projects – from a capsule collection of parkas and sweatshirts at Simons’ eponymous menswear line to fabrics for Dior’s haute couture show in 2012 (the Belgian designer designed womenswear at the French house for three years). Simons and Sterling’s paths cross again, but this time in form of a three-floor store covered in glowing yellow paint and the artist’s custom-made installations. As Ruby described his work in the past issue of 032c, his art is something cartoonish and illustrative, yet contains dark gothic humor of it. Knowing Simons’ signature style, that’s quite a match. Also, the artist often uses motifs connected to Americana – a theme Raf frequently relates to while working at Calvin Klein, the all-American fashion powerhouse. It’s worth adding that aong the clothes and accessories with CK tag, you are able to buy vibrant Italian glassware, Homer Laughlin coffee mugs and Rose Cabat’s ceramics in Raf and Ruby’s brand new empire.

Calvin Klein; Location: New York NY;

But if you’re not planning New York in near future and have no chance to get hold of Simons’ Calvin Klein garments, better get hold of those yellow sleeves, this jacquard blouse or that very in-demand turtleneck. Just saying.

Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein