#InstaLOVE – May, 2016

May 6, 2016May 6, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

@rouje / Jeanne Damas is a French girl perfection. Her eponymous, friends-contributed label, Rouje, is for multi-faceted woman, whose sober sophistication meets assertive sensuality. Rouje’s feed is filled with Polaroid go-see’s, presenting Jeanne’s French must-haves – from nostalgic t-shirts and mini-skirts to flower print dresses and flared pants, it’s worth following them. You are #LesFillesEnRouje.

I am an Instagram maniac and I openly confess that I spend too much time on filtering my feed. But it’s irresistible, when you have so many great accounts to follow! If you are ready for a dose of beautifully curated walls, inspiring photos and delightful shots – see my May recommendations!

@lilahsummer / A blond beauty from Next Models LA. Photographed by her boyfriend, Henrik Purienne (@purienne_), Delilah’s Instagram profile is all about blush-pink colour palette, vintage Cadillacs and Los Angeles vibe.

@oroma.elewa / Multi-media artist, Oroma Elewa, makes me drool over Africa with her feed. Tastemaker, cultural ambassador and women’s issue advocate is known for engaging a global audience on her cultural musings, aesthetic and style sensibilities. If you are dreaming of Morocco just like me – then check out her photos, as she’s there, preparing a special project! Oh, and her vintage Gucci flats…

@adrienneraquel / Raquel is a based in New York photographer. I’m into pink lately – and her pink, pink, pink feed is a daily dose of inspiration. The photo above, captioned “No eggs, just bakey” is everything.

@4thandbleeker / Alexandra Spencer is the creative editor of a sell-out label, Réalisation. Her account is filled with carefree joy and has a lovely, raw feeling of a mood-board. Whether posing in custom-made Levis denim, new Dior boots or a Réalisation signature, “Diane” dress – it’s all about a stylish, free-spirited girl.

AND, if you want to follow one more account on Instagram… why don’t you follow, ta-da, @designandculturebyed?

Borchardt

April 29, 2016April 28, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Berlin can amaze you with the best Vietnamese cuisine – but it can also make you fall in love with German’s national pride. Wiener Schitzel, hello! I’ve never been a fan of this specialty, however the one I ate at Borchardt changed my view on this usually unattractive way of meat serving. The Borchardt looks back on a 150 year long history, being one of the oldest restaurants of the German capital. In the past, it supplied the Kaiser in the Wilhelmine era, went on to survive the Second World War and the city’s division by the Berlin Wall – so there is no possible way that this place could have dissapointed. Although you might think that Bochardt smells with antique, it surprisingly looks quite modern thanks to perfect restoration, while the marble pillars and an original Byzantine-style enthrone give this one-of-a-kind spot a spirit which you won’t find anywhere else in Berlin.

Franzosische Straße 47 / Berlin

The Store Berlin

April 28, 2016April 28, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

The Store is an ever-changing space created to inspire, create, work and enjoy – and most of all, to shake-up the stereotype of how a fashion retail place should look like. Located in the über-cool Soho Haus Berlin hotel, The Store makes you feel like at home, with its beautifully curated furniture (from chic Pierre Jeanneret seats to Mathieu Matégot heart shaped-patio set) and a connoisseur-level book selection, coming straight from London’s cult Idea Books. Moreover, The Store is Berlin‘s hottest fashion destination right now, with heaving hangers of Vetements, The Row and Loewe. The shelf with classic vinyls and a lovely corner with freshly-cut flowers is at the entrance, while the bar, which serves organic salads and other seasonal goods, will keep you here for a longer time… so just sit on one of the velvet armchairs, take a sip of your coffee and try on these Vetements boots with a cigarette-lighter heel!

Torstraße 1 / Berlin

There is a Comme des Garçons display of autumn-winter 2016 collection right now, too!

Zenkichi Berlin

April 25, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

There is a widespread affiliation that if a restaurant serves Japanese cuisine, then it should have sushi in its menu. However, Zenkichi restaurant in Berlin is an exception, as they call themselves a Japanese brasserie – so, there is a focus on variety of Japanese dishes, which is often missed in other “Japanese” restaurants. Zenkichi experience starts at the very entrance to the place – it’s literally a bamboo maze, and every table is hidden in traditional, slightly lighted mini-rooms, with blinds which are put down by the waitress. In other words, I was quite sure that this is what you feel in this type of place in Japan – intimacy, tranquility, peace. This foreshadowed only the good, and indeed, my intuition was right.

The food, served like art, was unbelievably… I don’t how to describe this level of deliciousness. Their seasonal small plates, which are popular among Tokyoites, are recommended to share, while emphasis is put on Omakase (chef’s tasting menu) – it changes every season to showcase the best fish and vegetables available in the market. During my last visit to Zenkichi, I ordered three dishes – sashimi of fish of the day (salmon, scallop and yellow tail tuna), thinly sliced organic beef tataki served with soy sauce and the one and only hiyashi tsukimi udon – my favourite. This one is quite sophisticated, though – udon noodles in bonito dashi broth, with wakawe seaweed, a soft organic egg (!) and wasabi. Served chilled. Heaven, noting that I’m a number one fan of Japanese pasta!

Drinks are as important as food at Zenkichi, with its rich assortment of rice wine and Japanese whisky. The menu of sake is long, and Zenkichi specializes in junmai, so the pure-rice ones. The free-of-additives sake is initially served cold, however Zenkichi believes that the warmth of the drinker’s hands makes the taste “blossom”, like a cherry tree. Myth? Nope. I totally agree with them, after trying myself.

If you’re in Berlin, and you are obsessed with Japanese cuisine just like me (but want to try something more than sushi, though) – Zenkichi is the place for you. A must, if you ask me!

Johannisstraße 20 / Berlin

A Week in Minsk

April 17, 2016April 17, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

I’ve spent a week in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to visit my grandparents, and I must say – I have this something for the heavy, Soviet architecture. Minsk is filled with this type of buildings – and every spot seems like a great venue for the next Vetements show. But also, I tasted so many goods of former USSR countries’ cuisine on Komarovka, Minsk’s largest (and most famous) market. Moreover, I have a long-lasting love affair with those bold, old-school neon signs – and they appear nearly everywhere on the streets. Take a look at my photographs from this quite unusual trip!