#DACBE in The Waiting Room

May 10, 2016May 10, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s so strange, when you are the person, who writes for magazines, and then… you see yourself in one.

You can’t believe, how happy I am. It’s the first time, when Design & Culture by Ed, my five-year old blog, and my collages (which accompany every fashion show coverage) were featured in a printed magazine! The Waiting Room is a publication that touches on all creative territories, delivering articles on contemporary culture in art and design. The magazine, founded by Mosope Alli, looks forward to still widely unknown artists, fashion’s creative sensations and in-depth, profound interviews. It focuses on art, but in comparison to other big players, Alli tries to leave pretentiousness behind and make a statement – art is all about self-perception. In the first issue of The Waiting Room, I’ve shared my favourite collages from the past few seasons, like military Casely Hayford AW16 for men or Gucci’s Frida Kahlo-inspired collection for women. Also, there’s an interview where I’m discussing my love to collage-making, most inspiring people in the industry I admire and my plans for the future!

For now, The Waiting Room is a university project – but Mosope is having big plans for his “baby”. Hope to hear her soon in magazine industry!

Interview with This Is Not A Tie

August 4, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

François Guillaume is not a street-style photographer who seeks the most fancy, Instagram-worthy handbag in a person’s outfit. On his independent blog, This is Not a Tie, François presents his photographs of people through the lense of his Leica.

By looking at your photos, there is this very Parisian mood about them. In a way, your photos translate the amazing aura of Paris, but not in a literal way. Could you describe your feelings towards this city?

I didn’t grow in Paris, but in a really small town. I dreamed a lot about cities and Paris when I was a child. After my studies, I began to work there, it was 11 years ago… Even after struggling for years and walking its streets tirelessly, I still feel like a stranger in Paris. When I work on a manuscript (I’m a book publisher now) in some café, I enjoy the view, the constant agitation, the passerby, the noise, the grace, the lights and the dirt…

How is your street-style photography style different from all the others?

Well… The outfits are completely secondary for me. And “This is not a tie” is a personal project… I try to shoot something real, beautiful, funny, or powerful, well composed, or even blurry if it makes me feel something. In the end, it’s a lot like an exercise for me, and it’s liberating because I get to work oustide. To be honest, I don’t believe in “street-style photography” as a genre in itself, It feel it’s not that interesting. It’s more of a way to get a pass at shooting total strangers, when they ask “why do you take my picture ?”, You have the “street style” alibi, and it makes it OK every time. I remember the words of Robert Capa when he was talking to Cartier-Bresson : “Never say you do Surrealist Photography, they’ll never hire you ! Do what do you want but label it as photojournalism”. At this time, it was the best thing to say to be able to work, whatever your style really was.
Other than that, obviously, contrary to other photographers, I shoot only with analog cameras, most of the time with black and white Kodak TriX. I also allow myself to post a lot of out of focus and underexposed shots!

What do you search for in an outfit, person or a situation when you take a photo?

Sometimes I see a good background, with a beautiful light, an interesting pattern on the wall, a striking contrast, and I just wait for a character to pass by. It can take some time, but I’m kind of a patient guy. Every photographer want some life, a lot of action, dramatic gestures, but most of the time you’re stuck with a discreet movement, a fading shifty look, people simply walking or looking at their phones. But even in these moments, you can sometimes find something worthy of a shot.

When you take a photo of a person, what makes you want to photograph him or her? Is it an impulse or something further?

It’s sad you cannot stop a stranger in the street, a man or women, a kid or and old grand-pa, and tell him you find him or her beautiful. Taking a pictures of them is my direct way of telling them I find them radiant or graceful or stunning.

Could you tell me about your personal style, “finds” that you were, want or collect?

This week I have bought a red Filson trucker hat, a vintage Batman T-shirt with a drawing of Gene Colan, looked up a black or grey Arc’teryx Veilance jacket, and stole a book from my wife (The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, I bought a copy 14 years ago but I loaned it to a friend who ended up killing himself. As you might imagine, I never asked for the book back, even if the irony might have made him laugh in his tomb)… And I also want to buy new running shoes for my weekly 45 kilometers, but I’m too broke for that right now… Wanting to buy sneakers and having an empty wallet, It’s like being 15 years-old again! In a way, it’s absurd and that’s a good feeling.

More of François’ photography on thisisnotatie.com

Interview with Francis Kurkdjian

July 15, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

He knows how to talk about perfume like no other, using images that speak to everyone. Born an artist, Francis Kurkdjian became a perfumer. Through an association of ideas because he has a feel for his times, a desire to tell beautiful stories and curiosity about people and raw materials. For the pleasure of giving pleasure. For an attraction to taking risks – the antidote to boredom. Meeting up with Francis Kurkdjian for an interview is not that easy – being a world-famous perfumer makes you think and care about your own maison all the time. But during his arrival to Warsaw last month, I had a great opportunity to talk to Francis about his perfumes, inspirations and of course, fashion!

Francis, what inspires you while creating fragrances?
Diversity, travelling, modern life, lack of rules. The so-called hidden part of creation. Something you do not see.

What ingredients do you use? And why?
If you are writing a book, you need a story and letters. My words are materials which I use. It is a very abstract usage – oud, amber.

Do you believe in power of aphrodisiacs?
No. It is based on people’s imagination of “love being a scent”. For me, it doesn’t exist that way.

What do your perfumes convey within themselves?
Memories and extraordinary emotions which can be created by the connection of sense of smell and a perfume. Also, I am trying to bring on something new within my fragrances – something the nose doesn’t know.

As a perfumer, I think you should have some interest in fashion – do you have your favourite designer(s)?
Yes, definitely! Rick Owens, AMI by Alexandre Mattiussi (who is my friend) and Nicolas Ghesquiere when he created for Balenciaga. In fashion, I value comfort that makes me feel free in my clothes.

The interview was edited. More on franciskurkdjian.com

Interview with Isaac Reina

June 4, 2015January 6, 2024 | Design & Culture by Ed

The list of inspirations that designer Isaac Reina names include architects and industrial designers like Jasper Morrison instead of the usual fashion suspects. That’s not to say that Reina doesn’t know luxury – he spent years at luxury leather giant Hermes, and collaborated with Maison Martin Margiela. It’s just that his version of luxury relies on what is not said, knowing when to use luxury elements and when to refrain from all the embellishments and other. I am happy to present you our June interview with this amazing leather goods designer from Paris!

How would you describe “the user” of Isaac Reina leather goods?

Architects, designers, photographers, graphic designers… For now, our typical client is someone extremely cultured and exigent who is generally looking for an alternative to big brands that are too much distributed. They find themselves in our products which are more discrete and confidential.

Are your leather goods “minimal” or rather “sophisticated”? Or both?

Both. We are always looking for the right balance between minimal and sophisticated. If we tend to do minimal work, we might forget some practical and useful aspects necessary in a bag or a wallet. If on the opposite we tend to do sophisticated work we might loose the strength of the first and formal essence of the product. Therefore, we are always searching for something ultra simple and sufficiently sophisticated or something sophisticated without excess.

You have studied architecture in the past. Does it influence your wallets, bags, backpacks, clutches and others?

Definitely. Because architecture is only made of geometry (square, circle, triangle…)which is also our tools and is a very similar approach. Of course architecture has its own techniques specific to architecture itself, like all profession has, very different but incredibly parallel in the projects.

How would you define “luxury” in nowadays leather goods industry?

Luxury itself doesn’t interest me. But I am interested in someone feeling at ease with one of our bag or wallet because the product conveys values and shapes that correspond and suit him/her.

Your brand is all about leather goods. Are you planning to expand the brand with shoes, etc.?

Not shoes at the moment. It is too difficult for me. But since a little time, i am working on new projects like stationary, small objects and furnitures to edit in the future. Why not?

Special thanks to Isaac Reina for sending me the exclusive photos of his showroom and store in Paris,

38 rue de Sevigne

Visit http://www.isaacreina.com for more.

Interview with Meo Fusciuni

May 1, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Who is Meo Fusciuni? A perfume magician, I might say. A herbist, which understands human emotions. A bold character, which pours olfactory memories into a bottle of fragrance. And, guess what – he’s starring in our May interview. So take a sit and feel chilled out while reading this beautifully poetic post…

What inspires you most while creating new perfumes?
“Our collection tells our life, our travels, our poetry and all that life hides every day. At this time, after creating the trilogy of travel and the cycle of poetry, I am facing the triptych of mysticism and therefore after Narcotico follow two other works inspired by the mystical human and beyond. At first I decide only the theme of each project, but then it is the case, the life and the dream to dictate my path and construction of each olfactory scent, it is important to continue to seek, in yourself and in the journey, both in the physical and spiritual world; to create and think of a new scent is the delicate moment for me, where my sensitivity to each event is very strong, are very intense moments of listening, about the smells and the emotions I feel. Passed this stage very poetic, Federica and I begin to translate this work in material and images, to tell the world about the new job.”

How do you pour in different memories and moments of your life into a bottle of perfume?
“It is a process that at the beginning of my journey I did not know , but after has become a natural process, now, all times in my life, I try first of all to recall a perfume, a smell. I’m not a classic “nose”, I am a chemist and herbalist doctor, with a very strong passion for anthropology and aromatherapy, the plants was for me only therapy for the body and man’s mind, but today has become a conduit for the dream. So what was very strange for me has become normal, enclose memory life in a brown bottle of perfume. I’m just at the beginning of my journey and I still have so many things and secrets to discover in my work, in life I love research, always.”

Do you agree that the language of smell is one of the strongest of all?
“I agree with you. Unfortunately, the sense of smell is the least developed sense in humans, but I think it is the most mysterious. The olfactory memory belongs to everyone and it is wonderful to think that the same perfume can cause a person a nice way and another a negative feeling, the path of our memory is closely related to the smell and the sense of smell, about this we work together the University of Psychology of Bologna about this a very interesting project, telling the connection between smell and memory, between scent and our whole life, as a room full of pictures.”

As a “perfume magician” and professional herbist, do you think that a specific smell can be an aphrodisiac?
I never thought of creating an aphrodisiac perfume and ever I decided to create fragrances for men or women, all our work is oriented without sex. I think the sensuality of a perfume I belong to the person wearing it, but if I have to give a name in my collection is Notturno, because his metamorphosis on the skin is very sensual and mysterious.

Can you tell us a bit more about your latest best-seller, Narcotico?
Narcotic is the first chapter in the cycle of mysticism, is a much important because it marks my transition to the use of raw materials very strong. It’s a very emotional work, tells about our connection with the sacred and the memory of the emotion most intimate of each of us. Born in the streets and in the churches of Palermo, it’s a physical and mental journey through holy places and transfigured the smell, of the human soul. A scent full of meaning, a scent that becomes ritual and in its evolution smell is very mysterious and should be listened quietly, leaving him speak…

Meo Fusciuni are available at Concept 21 Store.