No21 Pre-Fall’16 RE-SEE

February 4, 2016August 5, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Alessandro Dell’AcQua, the designer behind Milan’s hottest brand N21, knows what will be strongly desired the next season by his diverse clientele. The Italian designer took an interesting twist for pre-fall 2016, refreshing his house codes and bringing new motifs – like the kitty-kat prints and embroideries on knitted, chunky sweaters and mini-bags. Long, grey coats with strips of velvet, silk dresses in military hues, series of light, masculine shirts with lace sleeves and the flawless, parachute maxi dresses in red and green are the total highlights of the season. Also, the shearling jacket, which reinteprets a classical, leather jacket is a favourite of mine after seeing it on the brand’s re-see a week ago. Just like the bow-top cocktail dress , which is an exaggerated symbol of N21, the collection is full of toned, yet cheerful clothes.

All photographs courtesy of Design & Culture by Ed

Maison Borella

February 3, 2016February 3, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

During my recent trip to Milan for the pre-fall 2016 re-sees, I’ve stayed at the Maison Borella. This hotel literally makes you feel like at home. The cozy atmosphere of the Naviglio Grande district is already close to my heart – and when I saw the peaceful, all-green patio, I felt instantly that this is my favourite hotel in Milan from all I’ve been to. In a former balustrade townhouse, Maison Borella is kept in a stylish, Italian manner – eclectic lobby filled with beautiful flea-market finds and charming, minimally furnished rooms with original wooden ceilings have this modern “vintage” aesthetic I love so much. In fact, I would love to live in a place like this, having a wonderful view on the patio every morning…

Alzaia Naviglio Grande 8 / Milano

Photographs courtesy of Design & Culture by Ed

Lane Marinho

November 17, 2015November 17, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Scrolling down the feed and filtering Instagram can be sometimes a good thing – and surely, when you are about to discover new, fresh designers with their unique vision! My latest find is the remarkably talented footwear designer, Lane Marinho. Lane is based in Sao Paulo, which currently experiences a kind of fashion renaissance. After working for several, big shoe companies in Brazil, Marinho decided to start experimenting with natural materials (like sea-shells and local natural stones) in order to make her ideas and old dream come true. She created her own label, which focuses on hand-made shoes and the heritage of artisan craftsmanship. As you can see on the photographs of Henrique Gendre, who is Lane’s collaborator since the beginning of her fashion adventure, the brand’s signature pieces are meticulously embroidered sandals. All of them are cut, sewed and hand-painted by the designer herself, which marks that all of the exemplars are one-of-a-kind and produced in very small quantity. Currently, the Brazilian designer has three collections under her belt, and all of them look equally impressive – and the shoes presented in bold, still life aesthetic (styled by another collaborator of the brand, Renata Corrêa) add warmth to this gloomy, rainy day.

November in Berlin

November 12, 2015November 12, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Berlin always charges me up with creativity. That’s why, I can honestly recommend a trip to this diverse and extraordinary city to anyone who wants to spend his or her time in a, as they say, hype way. Here is my November mini-guide to the city’s most interesting shops and restaurants.

ORA – Kreuzberg – A former pharmacy is situated on the peaceful Oranienplatz, which one day became the most beautiful restaurant of the German capital – ORA. With the original cabinets de curiosities, wooden shelves and marble counters from the past, the restaurant serves lovely carrotscakes and casual, yet nutritious lunches. The romantic interior makes this restaurant not only a place to “EAT AT”, but also to “BE IN”.

Oranienplatz 14

Voo Store – Kreuzberg – Voo is a concept store hidden in a former locksmith shop patio with perfectly selected clothes (Marques Almeida, A.P.C., Our Legacy, Gosha Rubchinskiy pack), awesome shoes (Raf Simons X Adidas rules) and lovely stationery (the notebooks! the pottery!). Here, you can relax and read niche magazines while drinking drip coffee from their Companion Coffee place.

Oranienstraße 24

Kreuzberg wouldn’t be such a bold and colourful district without its well supplied flower-shops.

Fête De La Boutique – Mitte – Owners Feli and Teresa have created a cozy atmosphere in their place. Self-designed contemporary furniture accompanies niche French, German and Scandinavian brands like Bruuns Bazaar, American Retro or Minimum. From fashion to home decor to jewelry and books, Fete De La Boutique makes you feel nearly like at home.

Mulackstraße 11

Unico – Mitte – Unico selects its jewellery straight from the studios of the most talented and contemporary designers from Buneos Aires. Their small, eclectic space located in the heart of Mitte is a place where a perfect Christmas gift can be found.

Alte Schönhauser Straße 50

Qua Phe – Mitte – Qua Phe is leading the Asian cuisine game in Berlin, and specifically the Vietnamese one. Great selection of finger food from Vietnam like banh bao or bahn gio is here, and you can eat it in a off-duty atmosphere of wooden tables, Asian stools and raw, metallic elements. Qua Phe is also known as a Vietnamese coffee shop – if you are visiting this place, don’t forget to taste their coffee drips with one of their signature desserts, ginger moshi! This gluey, sweet treat reminds me of toffee, but not quite…

Max-Beer Straße 37

Piece of Fall

November 7, 2015November 10, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

It’s November, and what’s better than an autumn-wardrobe update? Here is my editorial for Concept 21 Store, which has just received a new delivery from N21. Mohair sweaters with feather appliqué, comfortable denim trousers and uber-cool hoodies designed by Italian designer, Alessandro Dell’AcQua, are all here, looking at their best. All photographs were taken inside and in the vicinity my favourite cheesecake & coffee place, Piece of Cake. Enjoy.

Piece of Cake / ul. Zydowska 29 / Poznan