Myanmar: AROUND MANDALAY

February 7, 2014November 1, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Mandalay, the city of thousand of pagodas, is one of the most beautiful places in whole Birma. However, it also has many other amazing towns on it’s outskirts: Mingun, the little island where you may ride a taxi in posture of a cow carriage and see the biggest bell in the world that weights 101 tons. Then, Ava (Small River)- another jungle-like town, where the teak Bagaya monastery is located within wild flora of this place. And the third awesome place is Amarapura. It’s 12 km south of Mandalay. There, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset from the lake, or from the teak wood U Bein bridge. And photos taken from there are as impressive, as the place itself. Unforgettable experience.

Myanmar: MANDALAY

February 7, 2014February 7, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

That was a very busy day in Mandalay for me… This town can really mix up you with all these 2000 pagodas that are located here. First we visited the Shwenandaw monastery, that is totally made out of the teak wood in a carved technique. What’s more the, Kuthawdaw Pagoda, that contains the largest book in the world (owned by UNESCO) is so mind-blowing, that I am still overhelmed. In Mandalay city, I saw so many amazing things you won’t find anywhere else (note the Kyauktawgyi Pagoda, where a sitting Buddha sits carved in one single piece of marble, weighting 900 tons)… So here are my photos!

Myanmar: YANGON

February 6, 2014February 6, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Yangon is the city of contrast. Full of holy places like the Shwedagon Pagoda or the old colonial Downtown built during the British colonisation, this city got a lot of beautiful city. For example the Bogyote market full of famous Burmese jadeite, flip ones, embroidery, londgy skirts and other great, local stuff. After the shopping fun in a loud crown of Myanmar’s traders and customers, we’ve went to the Downtown- the colonial quarters and it’s old buildings, such as, the old station or Port Yangon full of fresh crabs and fish. And the architecture here is like London’s- but mixed with a deep, virgin jungle.

✈ Kinetic Travel at Chanel ✈

July 3, 2013May 13, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

A destroyed theatre, with smashed windows and peeling walls, was filled with scruffy, pre-war chairs where the guest would seat. Something is going to happen. Then something amazing happens, that even Rihanna and Natalia Vodianova gasp with excitement. From under the dark curtain thats hanging above the scene, a 3-D installation of metallic skyscrapers and blue sky are coming out. And it’s of course all in Grand Palais!
“It’s a new world” Karl Lagerfeld says, thinking of Singapore, where his Chanel resort was presented. The damaged theatre, as Karl said suggested Coco Chanel coming back after war, looking in Paris for something beautiful and quiet- rebuilding the fashion house. It is like a closed chapter of Chanel that Karl wanted to show. Now a new one, modern and elusive chapter is opened for the Parisian house. But the show was very dynamic, models ran the catwalk like on the olympics. Yes it sounds all very cosmic, but the clothes weren’t at all crazy. Tweed suites in new silver colours made from different weaving methods; dresses that were called kinetic by the designer, had a eerie silver polish.
There is also a pretty dangerous trend upcoming in jewellery- putting small diamond rings on all fingers in the hands, but- not in the typical place for wearing rings, but nearly on the nails! This bling looks really nice and modernistic, but feels a bit uncomfortable. Never wear it to a fish restaurant wee you may eat some crabs or shrimps; don’t wash your hands in it because you don’t really want to take out your diamonds from the sink. That’s why this trend in jewellery is super unpractical but super fashionable!
New models were tapped to the show- mostly Asian newcomers and rest was the it girls- Ashleigh Good, Jamie Bochert, Lindsey Wixson and Joan Smalls. There seems that a strong change is coming up to Chanel from the Eastern part of the world- time will show.

Men’s: AW13 for Louis Vuitton

January 19, 2013January 20, 2013 | Design & Culture by Ed

Louis Vuitton knows how to amaze me. This time, LV was awesome! Kim Jones, the deigner, is just a menswear genius! The collection started from faded leopard coats, then into black. The sport jackets with fur and backpacks are just perfect for a stylish trip to mountains and the 70’s floral kimonos look like they were taken from Tibet! The whole collection was like a trip to this magical place in Asia. Mountains, snow, Asian-culture influences, dragons… The bags from traditional tapestry shown some mystic stories and the super cute sweater with a comic leopard will be for sure must have in Paris street style (the same as the beige too big scarves from last season). And look at the backpacks- they are edgy with youthful vibe, although they look practically for a journey to a ideal snowy country… Maybe Switzerland, Italy, France or Aspen?