±

2012-02-20T21:09:00.000+01:00

carven

nathan carter

surface2air

CQ DX

2012-02-17T15:42:00.001+01:00

There are just not enough words to describe how uninspired Iam to write/post/blog about anything whatsoever. There are people who get awaywith pretty much anything from microscopic geckos to photos taken at theSchipol airport…I’m afraid I’m not that kind. Technically, I could dedicate awhole post to how my cat just managed to rip a curtain in two …or how I’m goingto the avant-premiere of the animated film festival to see the Miyazaki’s “Fromup on Poppy Hill” …or how me + Japanese friend want to start a band and I’mthinking to fit somewhere between Julia Holter and Grimes…all those fuckinggirlie hipsters are doing the same thing that Patrick Wolf did back in 2003…and no shame I’m one of them.

Street's like a jungle so call the police

2012-01-23T23:07:00.001+01:00

(CARVEN) GIRLS WHO ARE BOYS

WHO LIKE (MARNI) BOYS TO BE GIRLS

WHO DO (CARVEN) BOYS LIKE THEY'RE GIRLS

WHO DO (MARNI) GIRLS LIKE THEY'RE BOYS

ALWAYS SHOULD BE SOMEONE YOU REALLY LOVE

2011-12-31T17:07:00.002+01:00

Happy New Year everyone!

2011-12-31T17:06:00.000+01:00

Resolutions? Just a few things I will do, without any accentof the improbable…that’s why I prefer not to call them ‘resolutions’.

I will not blog as much as before, hardly ever – it’s old. I’drather read a book (that’s a resolution though).

I will launch a tiny online boutique dedicated to localmusic releases, diy zines, objects andclothing, naturally. Nothing you’ve ever heard about, but still quality productsconceived with as much soul as skill.

I will finally go to a hairdresser.

I will train a steady hand sewing, learn to use the correcttools like a hem foot, and provide my tiny atelier with all the necessaryparaphernalia…making samples – the world domination plans are for the anno 2013…andwill probably remain a ‘resolution’.

2011-12-08T13:10:00.001+01:00

in this time of the year i never do much effort to make my place look like it's christmas, but i do so much effort to decorate it in the most puzzling way ever and call all this oddness christmas decoration.

in my world snowflakes are square.

2011-11-17T12:43:00.001+01:00

have you ever loved someone so much that you were out of control? every day like for the first time.

hige

2011-11-11T14:23:00.001+01:00

11.11.11 is so passe! 12.11.11 is the new black. as black as that very moustache of yours!

À St Médard

300 Rue Haute

1000 Bruxelles

Belgique

magic of online retail

2011-11-10T22:25:00.004+01:00

I’ve been contemplating for a while on one very old butobsessive idea…something I wanted to create, but never found a physical spacefor. Now the world of internet comes in handy, it’s giving out virtual spacesalmost free of charge.

So I’m putting together an online boutique – simple, basic,but very much loved and tended with care. I’m searching for deco objects,music, zines, apparel, silkscreen prints and handmade accessories. I’m veryinspired by the north, infested with private online shops where, mostly women,sell all the lovely stuff they create. Mommies on a parental leave, yeah, butall with the best artistic education ever…just check varpunen.bigcartel.com forinstance.

Annie Larson is my idol too, and the humble Stand Up Comedyboutique from Portland, Oregon.

I plan to function in themed editions and a small selection,right enough for the moment in time. And the best way to know when and where itwill happen, watch this space!

COS spring/summer 2012 lookbook

2011-11-10T19:59:00.000+01:00

my page got some blogger bug... i really hope it's over now, because i have just so much to tell!

Some simple and predictable freshness from COS. I like the blues and the greens, but I hope to see some rust or ochre appear here and there. It’s the 90’s sort of cleanness, without any fuss or unnecessary details…but there are no exceptional pieces either – it’s the combination that grabs the attention: the printed suit with shorts or a flood-length printed trousers and an extreme shoulder navy top. I’m not sure if this sterile and grown-up fashion is tailor-made for my taste, but COS lookbooks are always just a deviation from reality of a large surface high-street boutique filled with hits and misses of the current fashion consumerism. I’m rather sure to buy my entire wardrobe at COS….again!

2011-11-06T18:00:00.004+01:00

A CAT =^_^=

we've adopted a tiny kitty and she's happily dozing off on the couch. welcome Visby-chan!

HOW TO BE A PERFECT LIVE BAND tutorial

2011-11-06T14:31:00.004+01:00

(administered by Gable at Beurscafe last night)

start slow, like any other band kneeling on the floor and fiddling with extraterrestrially complicated equipment.

entertain your public by blowing into two flutes simultaneously.

make sure your guitar is missing some strings and is tied with a cord.

swap, sample, interact. Put 'Bonsoir Bruxelles' on a loop.

buy your instruments in a toy store, choose brightly coloured ones.

do the foot action.

put a cat sticker on your guitar
grab a bunch of unnecessary stuff and use it as a drum effect.

(always employ the key of your hotel room as a music instrument)

tear a wooden crate in pieces, smash it on your head for a more convincing stage action (only while pretending you are a drunk fox in London)

do more floor action, amongst the debris.

NEVER forget Elvis.

give up trying to be cool! just go see Gable do their thing.

new

2011-11-03T15:47:00.001+01:00

I’ve been feeling like a Handy Mandy again. My dream to havea coloured cord with a simple bulb as a hanging light above the dining table,all fuelled by the countless appearances on Scandinavian design blogs of course, finally came true. I made it allmyself – something completely new and strange to me. It’s not as easy as itseems though - the woven electric cord needed plenty of fiddling with, preventingit from shedding, not twisting it, plus the porcelain socket got blocked,chipped off…literally – a pain to handle. The result is a slightly askew, butjoyous little lamp. I’ll go back to the electric supplies shop when the occasioncomes to buy a new socket, and try mybest fitting it well next time.

OM IS OM bowling and sound festival

2011-10-27T12:26:00.002+02:00

Yesterday we went bowling…we are the 70 eager bowlers (tocoin the term) who have ventured out to Jette for an evening of gigs and gamesorganised by KRAAK. We should do thismore often as an exercise of the international team spirit - people came fromall over Belgium and beyond! And can you believe I got through into the finals?Now I really wonder how the Cut The Cute(yes, the first thing that came outwhen I’ve been asked the player nick-name) impostor got along… what I pity toleave before the final game, I got one British guy to play in the name of thisblog and all things silly. I hope he did well.

i never read

2011-10-27T12:06:00.000+02:00

by the way, if anyone can get their hands on this poster and send it to me...yeah, someone's dreaming again!

2011-10-27T12:01:00.000+02:00

i would really like to take some pictures of my apartment and have them published on some interior design blog. not that my interior is extraordinary, but the rooms are bright and inviting, so why not share.
and while i'm getting carried away dreaming, here are the pictures of my new drawing and the creative mess of the home office.

2011-10-25T23:50:00.002+02:00

i collect all sorts of images. hobby or obsession? either way, it's all on various sources.

i definitely wood

2011-10-23T15:14:00.000+02:00

A.P.C

wood wood

monki

topshop

wood wood

timex via UO

batcave

2011-10-23T13:26:00.002+02:00

I’ve never seen myself this way – natural, spontaneous. Manythanks to Camille and Julie for dropping by my den and showing me the things I neverknew were there.

On bxlfashionstyle.blogspot.com you can read a very long interview with me and see otherpictures too – merry clicking!

all photography by Julie Calbert

the volga route

2011-10-23T13:08:00.002+02:00

The greying skies of the golden autumn, some wanderers likewe are, the traffic is sparse. This new motorway…no it’s not a tiny roadbetween two villages, it’s E22 route between Moscow and Ivanovo. You just don’texpect to see anything else than a tank station…and just for those who believeto drive on the ordinary route, there’s the magnificent village of Ozherelki!

The dull landscape turns into a drive-through Dreamlandmegastore – every house on that route has a huge stand littered with all kindsof extra-large stuffed toys. They are almost the size of a human – neon coloursand cheap synthetic fur galore! You get astonished on seeing the first stand,but then there’s another one and another one and another one…

Умом Россию не понять,
Аршином общим не измерить.

У ней особенная стать,

В Россию можно только верить!

(Russia cannot be understood,cannot be measured, she’s of a rare kind, one can believe in her)

Fyodor I. Tyutchev

2011-10-16T18:45:00.001+02:00

confronted with the inevitable. my grandad has passed away.
packing for long trip back to russia. leaving tomorrow at dawn.

in da house

2011-10-16T18:41:00.001+02:00

today i had a visit from Camille of bxlfashionstyle.blogspot.com, so you'll soon see what my apartment is about. and on the question where are all my stuffed anymals gone i had to think of all who have adopted the stuffed foxes and eagles and weasels. down here it's scandi-cool now.
this visit made me finally put some frames up and i'm very happy with the outcome. it isn't like on Weekday Carnival yet, but my coloured poster frames make the space lighter, at once nordic. i'll add some more smaller postcards and drawings to that wall later. for now - the lucky three and various inspiration images.

to the finnish

2011-10-09T14:23:00.001+02:00

yesterday i walked into the new armchair and almost broke my toe...curious how those little accidents can fuel my creativity! inspired by a lovely finnish blog Weekday Carnival, i'm considering painting more walls, installing some vintage Tomado shelves and actually making my own coffee table. the finnish people do it - why can't i?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

next week one fashion blogger is coming to take pictures at my place, and with all the projects in my head i'm starting to stress a little. i have never let anyone take pictures of my home and my personal belongings before, so i wonder how that will go. these two photos are a tiny 'preview' of what my place is about, and today i've added some details - the legs of my dining table are green now (supposedly matching a picture frame in my living room and a wall in my veranda, y'know). i've used some left-over window sticker vynil to cover the bottom part of the table legs.

2011-10-05T12:04:00.000+02:00

it gets darker every day, and i just looove making playlists for autumn drizzles! a bit of Oneida, a bit of Pocahaunted, and everything in between. enjoy!

2011-10-03T23:43:00.002+02:00

Carven sweater A.P.C shoes COS coat

A.P.C. bag

COS mittens

I should be getting all of these because I just love lookinglike a rubik’s cube. The only real obstacle is the price-tag of the Carvengargoyle sweater, but I’ve got a navbar full of bookmarks for online sellers, so let’sjust see who lasts until the Christmas sales. I’m loving the fact that COS has finally opened the online store – digital windowlicking made easy! And that’salways a plus.

a very random playlist for the last sun(ny)day

2011-10-02T12:08:00.000+02:00

it kind of feels like a new start.

2011-10-02T11:32:00.004+02:00

the blogger window has changed so much that i have trouble orientating within the page which previously felt like home. now it's all clean and white. i'm an old-skool blogger, i don't add any feeds or location to my posts. well, noone said it is necessary in order to spill your thoughts out on internet. right?

2011-08-07T14:52:00.002+02:00

cardigan Opening Ceremony
blouse COS
trousers COS
shoes Dries Van Noten

http://www.jnc-net.de/en/fashion/street-people/129-brussels.html

I have barely noticed how fast the time passed by. I guess that’s how it is when you’re confronted with the new. In my case it’s the new job – no more retail – time to lay low. I have many plans , but…I always have them. And whether the point of doing something else is to learn and grow or to bore the living daylights out of myself just to finally get up and do something, I may not know.

Well, enough rant, I’d rather feed you yet another streetshot and disappear for another month. This time is in J’n’C – a German magazine. The funny thing is that while flipping through the pages of the mag I came across a shoot made by two lovely acquaintances of mine from the Cologne/Berlin connection. It’s a small world.

Thom Yorke - And It Rained All Night

2011-07-14T12:06:00.000+02:00

And it rained all night and washed the filth away
Down New York airconditioned drains
The click click clack of the heavy black trains
A million engines in neutral
The tick tock tick of a ticking timebomb
Fifty feet of concrete underground
One little leak becomes a lake
Says the tiny voice in my earpiece
So I give in to the rhythm
The click click clack
I'm too wasted to fight back
Tick tack goes the pendulum on the old grandfather clock
I can see you
But I can never reach you
And it rained all night and then all day
The drops were the size of your hands and face
The worms come out to see what's up
We pull the cars up from the river
It's relentless
Invisible
Indefatigable
Indisputable
Undeniable
So how come it looks so beautiful?
How come the moon falls from the sky?
I can see you
But I can never reach you
I can see you
But I can never reach you

±

2011-07-10T13:08:00.004+02:00

I’m slowly trying to resume blogging again. I’ve been doing it for years just for the sake of writing, without conveying any message …just writing…just because I had nothing to do or no one to tell this to. Things change. And when they do they change for better. And so has the unstoppable engine has screeched to a halt.
And if I resume writing is because I’m being a good person, doing good things because there’s a good person next to me. I’m changing jobs, learning to play guitar, preparing the new issue of the zine and collecting hundreds of images for my Tumblr blog, which is surprisingly getting quite a few hits these days. The success of image blogs is puzzling, well tant mieux, I’m pretty much hooked up on it.

...in weekend knack

2011-07-10T12:39:00.002+02:00

Just to prove that I still exist, there’s a silly streetstyle shot of myself. I can’t even be sure whether I like it or not. The part of any blogger’s jouissance is to be photographed in all glory the wardrobe may offer, to casually scratch the back of your head saying “ well, I forgot where I got these trousers, I think it was at some private designer sale in Antwerp”, and then you’ll probably site the designers by their first name, like they are all friends of yours, and then you’ll surely add to your ridiculous occupation of a sales assistant that you’re are a blogger too. And off you go – into the jungle of the city streets, sad creature longing to be hunted…
But what really happens is a poor lighting, clumsy pose and a head-to-toe COS outfit on the day when you woke up on the wrong side.

Time's up!

2011-06-15T21:41:00.002+02:00

This is probably the only shop that makes me believe in vintage again.

Celine Resort 2012

2011-06-15T21:35:00.003+02:00

Next year shall be a fashion fun-ride. Thanks Phoebe Philo!

it's a sign

2011-06-02T16:01:00.002+02:00

Today is a public holiday in Belgium, but to be honest, I’m not even sure what we are celebrating. So I’ve decided to have a lazy writing day and ended up moving furniture and unpacking books again, followed by a long browse through ASOS. No, I’m not complaining! Doing (almost) nothing is my favourite way of spending time, but the deadlines are getting near and I have to focus on writing.
But let’s for a moment get back to the fact that this is meant to be a fashion blog…or at least a personal blog…well, whatever may represent my thoughts and state of mind. Yet I realise that I haven’t been honest or open on this URL lately. Probably because I’m a happy sausage, because life is giving me one gift after another. And when I previously wrote a lot, I wrote out of boredom or confusion or misunderstanding…now I’m just happy, so nothing to complain about, nothing to ponder on, no more Topshop wish lists because I’m satisfied with what I own and how I look like…to a certain extend of course since there will always be that little gnawing mouse inside all of us, but this time it’s not out of frustration but out of ambition. Does it make sense?
And to steer off the subject, here’s a small selection of the photos I made in Gotland, collecting weird and mysterious signs.

shy blog

2011-05-30T23:53:00.002+02:00

As unfortunate as it gets, IKEA has stopped the production of my favourite Olle chairs, the ones I saw about one month ago and chickened out on buying without a place of my own. Now I have a home and now I have to search for alternatives. A vague rhetoric question is why does IKEA stop producing the most Swedish of its chairs…we may never know.
Well, let’s see the positive side of things – I just got one moment closer to buying the Hay RU chair.
This month’s budget though will be spent on light fittings for the living room and this month’s energy…on fixing those aforementioned light fittings to the 3 meter high ceiling. I’m thinking about making the lamps myself from several coloured electric cords in red and yellow and simple bulbs…a bit like on this picture, just with more loose cords hanging under the ceiling in a coloured spider-web.

And with yet another interior-oriented post I wanted to thank those who read this blog and enjoy it, despite of it being hidden and timid. May be in a couple of years I will share a link to Cut The Cute with everyone, but so far I’m happy with my personal electronic space and I’ll be keeping it in this way intimate. It’s a shy blog. And therefore the shy yet most honest thank you to those who care to read and comment. I greatly appreciate it.

2011-05-29T22:04:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow I’m taking yet another trip to IKEA to hoefully come back with one more chair for the dining room, and then it will be time for the long-awaited purchase – the Hay RU chair in turquoise…and a bit later, the gorgeous multi-coloured wall clock from Habitat. So far these are the two darlings on my realistic list, but there’s surely the dream one too.

shy pastels

2011-05-29T21:43:00.004+02:00

Having spent the entire day working in my garden, I still can’t get enough of design blogs. I wish one day I can take similar pictures here and virtually show you around the house.
These are all perfectly coloured in shy pastels and touches of neon on white background. I love white because it makes the furniture stand out and I love colours because they compliment perfectly well my favourite material – wood.

less is a bore

2011-05-26T21:54:00.001+02:00

I love the coloured details, the stripes, the grids the polka-dots. The most exciting of the news is that we’ll be seeing more and more of it in the season to come. At the moment my pattern combination motto is ‘more is more’.

colourblock

2011-05-26T21:47:00.002+02:00

A long chase after the compensated soles is almost over. As the likes of Prada and Robert Clergerie have issued a myriad of coloured-soles-and-perforated-brogues hybrids to covet, there is always one Korean website to make an ‘improved’ copy of the sought-after item. Pradas seem to be sold out all over the universe, and too bad, not my budget anyways…neither is RC… so my trustworthy Korean website has produced these:
And I am soon to become a happy owner.

2011-05-20T15:00:00.001+02:00

I used to post photos of the objects on my table now and then on the old blog. Because my table is incredibly photogenic in pure white, rendering every object desirable perfectly poised on its surface. This is my latest selection of those objects living in a perfect symbiosis of the need and want.
My favourite red cup that makes coffee just perfect. The best toy created by mankind –Rubik’s cube, and the trompe-l’oeil one which actually serves as a pepper mill - is a gift from my darling. The best reading of nowadays – the second issue of Vestoj. And last but not least my latest vintage find – a Celine bag – I found it today at the flea market, and so far a brief research into the vintage Celine models tells me that it’s authentic and that I didn’t even pay 1/10th of what it’s really worth…a dab of white shoe stain on the corners and it’s as good as new.
I do admire the newly-found lean and mean minimalism of the two recent Celine seasons. Not being a fan of cigarette pants, colour-block or turtlenecks, I’m a mere onlooker, but the bags are a dream, whether of the latest creation or vintage. Now I just have to go with what I can afford.

2011-05-11T23:07:00.000+02:00

Loads to talk about and loads to share from the country of yellow and blue.

mtwtfss in sthlm

2011-04-25T00:00:00.006+02:00

Having mentioned the shopping lists…This is just a small selection of the gorgeous stuff I want to get my hands onto. All from Weekday – and comes by no surprise.

The Naked And Famous - Birds

2011-04-24T23:59:00.000+02:00

The lack of updates on this blog isn’t a rarity anymore. I’ll try to get back to the regular blogging practice some time in the imminent future, but so far I’ve been enjoying the love, the heatwave, The Naked And Famous music videos and making shopping lists for Stockholm where I shall find myself in less than a week. Psyched!

Catclub

2011-04-04T21:01:00.004+02:00

It stormed that night. No wonder some pictures came out looking like they were taken in a zombie land, 28 days later when yet another flock of birds crashed into the sky and hundreds of dead starfish get washed ashore in North Wales. Then it all went glowing in rainbow colours. I’m no good party photographer…I’m no party photographer at all, but a visual exploration of one space transformed by a flood of primary colours was rather amusing. No pot of gold at the end of it though.

umool umool vol.9

2011-04-04T17:11:00.002+02:00

Looking forward to this absolutely gorgeous book to drop in mail. Ordered via Motto Berlin, so let’s see how quick these guys are.

the tiger sunday

2011-03-30T20:36:00.003+02:00

Those are the Aspen Tigers, entertaining the Sunday afternoon crowd at Fontainas. I’m glad to have such lovelies to take pictures of.

Brico, here I come!

2011-03-21T22:56:00.002+01:00

http://newyork.timeout.com/shopping-style/apartments-home-design/31483/mood-lighting

And I hope you have those Y-shaped splitters.

Guillaume Henry (Carven) @ Hunting and Collecting Brussels

2011-03-21T22:10:00.000+01:00

Carven at Hunting and Collecting

2011-03-21T21:42:00.005+01:00

So here’s another historic event and its ‘historic’ documentation. It was a full house at Hunting and Collecting, believe me! but somehow every time I take a picture it looks like I’ve been to a desolate island full of fashion treasures. Carven’s first season at Hunting and Collecting has been marked by a massive launch event and just as massive afterparty. Unfortunately I missed Guillaume Henry – the designer who has resurrected the old French label, but you can watch a small interview with him above.

This is probably irrelevant to the event, but I am glad to see Vanessa Aerts’ jewellery being sold here.

Later at Kafka the light has changed – what is usually pure and white turns all colourful and glittery – it was time for the afterparty! Excuse me for having a piss-poor knowledge of popular music as I can’t tell Prince from George Michael, but that’s what the De Jeunes Gens Modernes DJ set consisted of, queuing hit (so was I told) after hit. Many thanks to my fellow bloggers for a history lesson of the 80’s pop culture and an occasional but recurrent feeling that I was partying with the Dutch on a camping somewhere in south of France.

Next up were my feline darlings, Aspen Tigers, slamming one electro track after another. I couldn’t keep my feet from a merry shuffle on the dancefloor. Evidence – the blurry snapshots as the night grew older. All I can add is a massive round of applause to Aude and Niels and everyone else who made this lovely evening happen. The good thing is – we know they’ll do it again.

somewhere in Finland

2011-03-21T17:42:00.002+01:00

Oh those Scandinavians! Every time I see yet another interior I’m amazed at their sense of proportion, colour combination, and simply effortless and cosy mish-mash of all things beautiful. I’m sure to rip off the kitchen idea to the tiniest detail in my new home. Graphic black vinyl sticker – genious!

2011-03-16T16:22:00.001+01:00

I’m looking for a new home when thousands of people lost theirs. I didn’t want to post anything Japan-related lately, but the mentioning of it in the previous post made me once again run to the telly hoping the CNN will finally bring some good news. It will, it surely will, just hang on there, Japan.

À St. Médard

2011-03-16T14:40:00.003+01:00

Welcome to an image-heavy post – a documentation of last Sunday visit to À St. Médard. If you are not familiar with this project, check their website www.a-st-medard.com, or come and check out the space next weekend, which will happily coincide with a stocksale of Kris Van Assche and Raf Simons past seasons’ collections – all at very attractive prices. I must stress that the event is by invitation only (and to get yours you must mail a request to thefabricsales@gmail.com), but it is well worth the trouble. Plus you can enjoy the tastiest Japanese brunch ever! All on Rue Haute 298C-300, here in BXL.

similarities

2011-03-11T14:21:00.001+01:00

I better post them on here before the pictures of ceilings turn into a series of absurd snapshots of yet more absurd light installations. One from Cantine, one from Reservoir Shop.

Tu Fawning

2011-03-11T14:01:00.002+01:00

On Wednesday night we went to see Tu Fawning play their epic tunes at Maison Des Musiques. At times explosive, at times contained, I really appreciate what they do and how they evolve. There aren’t many snapshots of the quartet, but that has been the major change since the last time I saw them back in 2008, if I remember correctly. I loved them quiet and intimate, and this week’s concert did feel way more extrovert than the first Tu Fawning experience. Well, the expectations are high for the 31 Knots gig in April. They are back!

Carven at Hunting and Collecting

2011-03-11T12:48:00.001+01:00

Here’s one of those events you just can’t miss, given a chance to meet the designer who in the past couple of years turned the destiny of this forgotten French label around, and to dance the night away, be you the eager beaver or the Aspen Tiger. Nevermind the inside joke.

lost and found

2011-03-04T12:11:00.003+01:00

In London, yet less than a week ago I found a heart at the bottom of my tea cup. Yes, I found it back! What was it doing so faraway, hiding for so many years in a cup of raspberry flavoured tea anyways? So I took a picture and claimed my heart back right in time to give it out to a very special someone.

And with this picture, say goodbye to the blurry shots courtesy of Panasonic DMC-FX7 (i.e. the soap dish)! The new era of Sony Nex-3 has begun, and nevermind the fact that I can’t take pictures – this camera can. I’ve been practice-shooting kitties at home this morning – won’t be sharing those pics though, in fear of turning this blog into Cat The Cute of sorts… but the camera is doing miracles with whatever you point it to (hm, gotta try my face)…
Tomorrow I’m in Paris – the sunny Paris! And I’m going to act like a bad tourist before heading down to the RA showroom. I’m dying to see it, document it, photograph it, and after long yet lovely conversations with everyone who takes part spend a night putting it into the most abstruse of terms.

desmet

2011-02-28T16:21:00.002+01:00

http://www.amerrymishapblog.com/2011/02/desmet.html

Got these from A Merry Mishap - simply gorgeous! I'll do a slightly altered 'copy/paste' of these interiors to my own home when I finally move.

Text.

2011-02-27T16:13:00.003+01:00

Pages of it have been spewed out on the floor, motionless, random, pointless, absurd. But in all is such a hidden dynamica on a steady path of convergence to one probable outcome, untimed and presumed. Yet it does take shape, the longer you stare at it, and I feel like I’ve been staring for years, reading the random spill of letters, life’s notes written for me in evil tongues, running a spectrum of emotions from bafflement to boredom, at times sparse and drenched in reverb of the immediate past, at times exhilarating…
My comfort shell – totally insular and socially autistic, the past months did not seem to fit for the role of a writer or a blogger. So throw in some meditation (i.e. trip to London), meetings, decisions and inspiration and you get a pot of magic brew, brimful – good enough to cast love spells….or produce even more text – raw unedited text, the stream of consciousness text, the kind of text I love.
Text…
…riddled with symbolism and hidden meanings. Letters aligned to the page, poised so casually on top of each line that it’s almost sexual. But behind the reading and the research... behind the text is one thought, that I’m killing time ‘til five o’clock.

Breaching of blogger’s social etiquette

2011-02-16T18:47:00.001+01:00

NOTE: this post contains fowl language….because I just followed the link to Elle Belgium’s blog and it almost made me throw up my dinner onto the laptop keyboard. Hunting and Collecting is badly misspelled on their own competition page – poorly written awkward text that doesn't even worth reading! Not being able to take it any longer I scrolled down to find a suggested link to the Topshop launch at RA13 – all finely illustrated with an image of Rodarte shoes. What the fuck are the bloggers at Elle Belgium thinking while polluting the digital air with such bull? Or the audience has got to be completely blind, deaf and dumb to appreciate this… Read Dazed Digital and learn how it’s done, Elle team!

escapism

2011-02-16T16:12:00.005+01:00

Only one and a half day left and I’ll be in London! And if two weeks ago I was absolutely sure which clothes I’m taking with me, now I’m desperately trying to put some outfits together, doing my best to restrict myself to maximum three pairs of shoes. Shouldn’t be such a big deal, but I love all my shoes and I want to take them with me. Besides the shoes are the clothes which I always pack way too many, wanting to have choice when I get dressed, and then ending up wearing the newest things I bought already on my trip. It’s just so predictable.
I’m planning to check out a couple of showrooms, jot down some interesting names to follow and join my fellow countrymen of RA13 to some shows. I have absolutely no need for running around trying to get the most out of this Fashion Week. On the contrary, I’m much more eager to go to the fleamarket, music shop, and eat loads of sushi, since it happens to be the cheapest dinner alternative in London. I’ll drop by Janette’s and Machine A for some boutique inspiration and find a concert to go to – the usual city-trip stuff.
It’s a shame I’ll miss the Topshop launch at Hunting and Collecting, but I’ll probably do my bit of Topshop as well, since it’s still the cheapest shopping spot. I already have a list of pieces to fit, it includes all things burgundy, loads of accessories and print. It may just be the influence from the yoga classes I just started taking, but I want to have my feet well on the ground – looking for good flat shoes, as you might have supposed. My best choice is slippers because I can’t see anymore brogues or loafers, and I’m surely not wearing ballerinas or sneakers or plimsolls – eew! So those Topshop black suede slippers…hm…will do some fitting.

via style.com

stop it right now

2011-02-13T16:35:00.001+01:00

No, please, never do!
This is my favourite blog recently. She looks impeccable always!

fun for the butterflies

2011-02-13T13:51:00.006+01:00

Whether the coming spring has the most peculiar of effects on my wardrobe, or am I finally getting over those unpleasant childhood memories, I do not know. But many things gradually change as I grow older. I used to hate print – any print, of any shape and colour, on any fabric, garment or object. Then in the beginning of my old blog .origami mon ami I bought a stripy t-shirt – yes, that’s classified as print in my world. I hated it, it looked like a cheap rock’n’roll cliché, but with all I did for my loved one back then…I learned to live with it and more stripes followed. Then the prints got a bit more complicated – I got hooked up on intarsia knit, graphic Nordic prints. Enter the checker prints, especially those of flannel shirts. Soon followed the tie-dye, dip-dye and paint splatter effects. Last summer I became a slave to photographic prints, especially those of trees, owls and horses…soon the animal prints appeared, in small details, but the tiger, snake and leopard are a happy family of scarves, shoes, tights and belts. Very recently you’ve witnessed yet another print invasion – polka-dots – the print I used to hate for many years with all the passion given, but it works, it lives happily in my wardrobe alongside with stripes, tie-dye, checks, animal, Aztec and photographic prints.

Harmony and cacophony all at once!

My latest venture into the print world has a VERY special background, because the new print is the flower print!
Why am I making such big deal about flower print? Well, let’s consider this: as a child growing up in the remains of the Soviet Union, on the edge of the village, adjacent to a big factory town. You live a stone-through away from a river and a forest, your granny has a garden with vegetables and fruit trees and she dresses you in flannel dresses with flower print, and makes you wear cotton shawls with flower printed border, tied up under your chin babooshka-style. Then in your house the lino floor covering has flower print, so do the carpets, curtains, tablecloths. The flower-printed sofa has a cover with flower print on it, the upholstery of the armchairs has got flower-print too…and so does every chair in the dining room, where the wallpaper has a different flower-print to the one of the living room…the guest room, the bedroom…and they all have different curtains and furniture, as previously mentioned, with flower-print. The cups, plates, saucers, tea-pots – all with flower-print, taking in account that each single plate has a different print. The cutlery has flowers engraved. The big grandfather clock has flowers carved into the wood. The bed-sheets have flower-print, different to the flower-print of the pillow-cases, bed spread, and the white tulle pillow-covers with woven flowers on them. In the kitchen the table is covered with rubberized cloth, it has a psychedelic 60’s flower print, so do the orange and yellow saucepans. There’s even a tiny pot near the sink to keep your toothbrushes in – it’s blue with pink flower-print, and the towels have big woven flowers – each member of the family gets a different one, with different flowers. And in every room there are lovely paintings that my great-grandfather painted, they are mostly landscapes with flower fields or still-lifes with bouquets of flowers, because his favourite subject was wild flowers. And when not at home, I used to play in a shed that my grandmother also wallpapered with flower-print, I used to make dresses for my dolls from the scraps of flower-printed fabric that my grandmother bought to make dresses for herself – she always wore exactly the same shift-dress, but she had it made in all different fabrics with flower-print, cotton for summer and wool for winter, and her favourite fabric was the light-blue one with tiny white flower-print. And may be it’s just worth to mention, that my home-town of Ivanovo is a well known industrial town which is specialised on production of flower-printed cotton…it’s like the Liberty print really, but more Russian-style. That was the key product of the city made in massive amounts, which means most of the Ivanovo citizens worked in the textile industry, very much like my mom, grandmother and my godmother. My grandfather was a technician at the factory which made flower-printed cotton…well, he didn’t design a thing, but he looked after the flower-printing machines. Um, a question: if you were to consider this, imagine you or me or anyone else in the same situation… Would you ever want to see the freakin’ FLOWER-PRINT again??!!
They say time heals all wounds, but not without help, I add. Thanks Hunting and Collecting! Thanks Emma Cook! I think my flower-print trauma is finally resolved and I’m running silly and happy with those gorgeous flower-printed trousers on.

So much fun for the butterflies too.
tank top Acne
cardigan Opening Cermony via RA13
trousers Emma Cook via Hunting and Collecting
nailpolish Essie and Barry M

side-notes

2011-02-10T17:24:00.004+01:00

If I feel like socializing without moving a muscle, I leave a couple of comments on facebook, blogs and Tumblr. If I feel like going shopping, I do it remotely, from the comfort of my home. Sometimes it feels like we’d function perfectly well even if reduced to a brain and two fingers(that’s for the laptop’s touchpad and left-click button…)…one for Apple users, they’ve got the left-click on their touchpad, right?

Made up my mind about the colour of the Rodarte for OC sunglasses, and indeed it is mauve. Hurry up Mr. Postman!

ASOS – I do love thee for the infinite supply of cheapies, perfect designer rip-offs and good honest service with the occasional free international delivery. Ann-Sofie Back may have assumed the spikes to be placed around the neck and be at least ten times longer, but ASOS keeps it simple, by selling me this spike-through-finger ring at 8£. Well done!

Time to go rummage through piles of fabrics, draw some patterns and get cutting and sewing.

Rodarte for Opening Ceremony

2011-02-09T17:05:00.007+01:00

I can cry and laugh all together! What else is one to do when the most amazing collaboration in retail history so far drops in stores. I need to find the way to make an official statement somehow about my endless affection for Opening Ceremony – it is truly my most fetish brand. But when they do this (scroll down!), I only want to cry: “Why??!!”
Why torture one poor little girl who lives in a far-faraway Belgium by such unfair display of beautiful things she cannot afford?
I’ve been really modest, assessing every piece whether I really want and need it, and this is the list of things I most certainly need:

The grand total hits just under 4000 bucks. I swear to buy a lottery ticket tomorrow, because the good old plan of marrying an oil mogul hasn’t been in much evolvement at the moment. Finding some scraps of upholstery fabric and putting them to good use is yet another solution, I could make a skirt or a coat…ideas ideas!
One thing I cannot make is the sunglasses. I want the fabric-covered ones and will probably place an order tonight, when I decide on the colour. It’s true that the blue on white is the logical choice for my Snow White complexion, but the mauve on beige is the most complimentary to the summer tan. Difficult choice.

her name was Jade

2011-02-02T19:17:00.004+01:00

From today on, green is officially a part of my haircolour. I finally gathered all my courage to get a small part bleached and dip-dyed in emerald green – the result is may be not as bright as I initially wanted, but keeping in mind that to get a true flash of colour one needs to bleach the hair out to white, I ran a risk of a ‘chemical haircut’ – I’m happy with the way it worked out. Now the deal is to let my hair grow out a bit, cut a fringe and dip-dye the both sides of the bob – that’s some homework for summer.
I did the bleaching and dyeing job myself using products from a professional hairdresser’s supplies shop, but surprisingly while studying various colouring techniques on YouTube yesterday, I came across the endless list of references to dip-dyeing with Kool Aid and simple food colorants. Kool Aid is apparently an American soluble drink that is oversaturated in food colorants so that simply dipping you hair for 5 minutes in a hot water solution gives you a colour that will last several weeks. It gives me creeps! Our modern world makes us ingest all kinds of crap which is the next best thing for hair colouring! Where are we heading to?
Now with my hair glowing green, I need some proper gear. All things from Proenza Schouler or Meadham Kirchhoff will do. All I need now is to marry an oil mogul, and problem is solved.

blouse COS
lip-colour MAC in Lasting Lust

2011-01-31T21:20:00.003+01:00

Somehow I’m back in the blogging mood, showing off my latest purchases, rambling on about yet another identity crisis and the meaning of the cute.
I really wonder if anyone else may feel the same – the yearning for another life, a wish to swap this one for something else, something different? I’m in my seasonal mood for change, so please excuse my bluntness when I say that I feel like I should find a new job, a boyfriend, move to another city, learn a 5th language, grow my hair very long (ok, that’s an old one) and colour it green. I’d like to change pretty much most of my wardrobe too, and look like a girl. I’d like to be open to appreciate other music styles, and not remain forever stuck in the doom and the gloom of hardcore punk – I tried it before, but found very few pop bands that stuck by, because I lost my interest in those going mainstream. It’s really time for another trip to the Rough Trade record shop in East London, I need it like air to breathe.
Lately I find that blogging contributes very well to our economy, since all of the online exhibitionism is closely related to the amounts of money we’re spending. So many fashion bloggers write about their recent purchases with great enthusiasm…and I follow! Living up to no purchase = no blog post formula. Alright, you might have guessed where I’m getting to.
The shopping ban did not last very long. I actually felt rather depraved without being able to buy the things that I wanted, not needed. I felt ugly. So as a result a dress, a pair of trousers, a necklace, a skirt, a pair of shoes and a shirt are queuing up to have their picture taken and a blog post dedicated to how wonderful they all are. But for now I’ll show you the result of today’s trip to Ikea – new crazy coloured bed sheets and a pair of vases that were a total bargain! Really, when my favourite PS range vases are being sold at 5€ for the big one and 2€ for the little one, I couldn’t resist but to pull them lonely souls off the rack and take them home. And to finish on a fashion note, that blue tote is from COS, gorgeous but very practical too – my new companion for daily run-abouts.

DeLuXe

2011-01-21T23:57:00.003+01:00

The air is sinister. Even if I like when it moves in Brussels. There are still a lot of things left to comprehend after yesterday’s visit to De Lu Xe opening night.
If you’re not too familiar with what goes on in the BXL, you may make no connection between the former Moustache Collectif activities (previously showing at Norden and Congress Station) and those of De Lu Xe, but I assure you – it’s one and the same group/collective. Moustache got renamed (cod knows why!) and opened a new pop up store in the rue des Melezes. The store will remain open for three weeks, and I’m most likely to go down there once again, just to take some decent pictures and to see the items they are selling in a good close-up and without the DJ throwing any Otto Von Schirach or S4lem in.
I don’t mean to be mean, but I haven’t experienced any coherence in the whole of the presentation, since it brought together too many different people, too many different styles and forms of expression. But once again, I’ll make time for the second assessment, in the meanwhile feel free to figure it out yourself.

May scroll help us all.

up north

2011-01-18T22:32:00.001+01:00

Did I promise to stay away from press releases? Not for too long. It’s fun to see the blog evolve and collect the first signs of the blog’s new age – press releases. This one came straight from Denmark, and as you know my heart is feeble for all things Scandinavian, I let this one take up a whole post.

The Danish swimwear brand North may provide you with the beach basics of the unsettling simplicity, but that’s a nod to the Scandinavian approach to most of design – pure and simple timeless minimalistic style and carefully worked details with a contemporary edge. The entire range is a mix-and-match set of shapes when it comes to the separates, but also includes one-piece, towels, bags and men’s swimwear.
I randomly clicked around the press package and picked out the one-piece. There’s no structure or geometry, but it’s the kind of swimwear you go back to when everything else fails. Personally, I am not too keen on colours and frills, so the North’s basics are right down my alley.
On a side-note: who else to model for North’s lookbook but the beautiful Ingrid of Anywho. Take a look.

±

2011-01-12T22:40:00.002+01:00

This is my favourite image at the moment, but there’s more on Various Sources’ digital home.

Elin Kling for H&M

2011-01-12T21:53:00.004+01:00

While COS lets the bloggers have a go at their window display, the big sister, i.e. H&M lets blogger design the whole collection. And surprisingly, in both cases the blogger-appreciation club that the most high-street giants seem to join gives fruitful results. Honestly, I like Elin Kling’s capsule collection a hundred times more than Lanvin’s – round of applause for one very talented blogger!
Shame it will only be sold in Sweden, but as always, we’ve got eBay, because there are some gorgeous pieces I’d love to dress down, accessorise, and basically give the floor-sweeping gown some daily use, restrict the Grecian-goddess effect by popping a men’s blazer on – I have my ways of de-glamourising everything I own…or wish to own. In the dreamer’s world it’s one and the same.

Toppers does Antwerp

2011-01-12T17:47:00.007+01:00

I’ve heard strange news about the Topshop takeover of Belgian stores…shall we laugh about it? be excited about it? I have no answer.
What’s with Toppers being sold at luxury concept stores? Isn’t it the nearest comparable thing to H&M?
After Hunting and Collecting, RA13 joins onto the Topshop craze. They will be the first ones to bring the brand to Antwerp. I’ll stick to my mixed feeling about it until I see the clothes in person, for now I’ll go back to planning my trip to London for the Autumn/Winter 2011 Fashion Week. It’s comes close.

And just for the sake of posting it, here’s some gorgeous randomness I’d love to possess. See some Topshop lurking in.

Topshop cardigan

MiuMiu bag

United Bamboo blouse

Stine Goya trousers

Doc Martens shoes

all work and no play

2011-01-10T22:09:00.001+01:00

While parents were shopping, the kids made those funny lego-men.
Sundays feel like a human zoo when the extended Flemish families go shopping all together, from grannies to grandchildren.
Thank God the Danes invented Lego, to keep the infantile pests from crashing into mirrors, banging onto the cupboards and peeping into the fitting rooms.

Whatever happened to the mistletoe

2011-01-10T21:45:00.003+01:00

I spend days working or sleeping…but thinking back, the New Year’s eve was fun! All I have left now is some random shots, but somehow I’ve been so intrigued with that coloured light bulb and that yellow cactus alcove, that no festive mood has been documented…on the other hand, do we need to see yet more Christmas trees and drunken expressions? They all look the same to me. So instead, yeah, coloured light bulbs!

Goodyear

2011-01-04T21:40:00.001+01:00

Oh has everyone made new year resolutions? I’d love to do it, but I’m not sure to have enough courage to make anything that I wish for actually happen. I don’t like to lie to myself coming up with an endless list of goodness to do if I’m not capable of doing it…so I begin little by little introducing weird ideas into my own head and observe what happens.
From today I’m on the 2 month spending ban – I can buy food, necessary cosmetics, medicine and socks and stuff. The ban is not because I spend too much (although it goes too hand in hand with the main reason) but because I don’t need anything. I have clothes, shoes and all the rest to keep me happy. I have everything I need in my home, which will change slightly when I’ll move to my own flat(that’s somewhat a resolution number two), but then the rental truck, an iron or a pot of white paint will be classified as ‘need’. I have a feeling the 2 months will pass unnoticed.
The second resolution (as mentioned) is moving. I spent 9 months now living at my parents’ house and it’s about time to get my independent character back. I always lived alone, since I turned 18…just left home and lived as I could, and I must say it was greatest thing ever! Now I’m pretty impatient to find a new home, decorate it and feel cosy and happy again. Basically, the spending ban is aimed at saving up for the bank guarantee, hence no irrelevant resolutions, but a coherent and logical chain.
Next up is two issues of Various Sources and already the next one with international points of sale. It’s very achievable, but once again I don’t like to make false promises to myself, instead I prefer to be reasonable and work hard.
I’m sure to come up with several more resolutions in the course of 2011, I prefer so start with something positive and see it evolve… so that was my rant concerning the BIG DEAL of the New Year, which it really isn’t. I’m just happy to see a new year slowly taking over the former sorrows and heartaches. It’s a good year whatever it brings.

currywurst

2010-12-30T14:25:00.002+01:00

I did claim to have no warm feelings for polka-dots, but some things change. And if it wasn’t for the amazing smooth texture of silk that I have felt running my fingers through the racks at ACNE Studio in Amsterdam about a year ago….and if it wasn’t for the queer combination of two polka-dot ‘calibres’ in the same garment…and if it wasn’t for ACNE Online Outlet to do a Christmas deal of 70% discount on selected items…at those moments I feel like the stars align and send me a sign from above.
I haven’t been checking the Outlet all that much, but apparently it is well stocked. Most of the discounts aren’t that attractive though because they don’t reach further than 40%. I must be spoiled, I know! But I quickly get used to a massive discount at the store where I work, and 10% at basically the entire A. Dansaert street during the current season, that paying more than a half of the original price doesn’t inspire my shopping, so I plough through the internet in search of the great deals on the pieces I saw during the season but have not been able to afford.
In comes the polka-dot shirt! I’m nowhere near getting cherries tattooed on my breasts though. The second thing I bought was this gorgeous tie-dye mini skirt (and was right to size up - it’s tiny).
And here I am, in a ludicrous mix of hippie and rock’n’roll, tie-dye and polka-dots, jumping around my house like a happy sausage…hm, or a currywurst.

the fashionalists

2010-12-26T14:36:00.004+01:00

http://thefashionalists.blogspot.com/2010/12/mardi-17h08-lena.html

Every time I see myself on streetstyle photos…well, not that it happens so often, but when it does I tend to reconsider a few things about my appearance.
I had a good laugh at this one actually. Caught in front of H&M! Not doing much of good publicity either, because the shopping bag is actually from Hunting and Collecting. Well, my legs look two times thinner than they actually are, my face looks two times fatter…hm, and I should have left the hat on otherwise my bowl cut looks glued to the scalp…have I ever mentioned that I hate pictures of myself? I do.

For those who care to know what I’m actually wearing on those photos:
COS coat and denim trouser
Arne&Carlos cape
Surface2Air bag
Dries Van Noten shoes (with some random shoelaces, because the original ones broke)
H&M gloves

mint institute

2010-12-25T13:43:00.008+01:00

2010-12-24T17:27:00.001+01:00

Dear Santa, I'm size 10 and I love pyjama shirts and floral shorts, especially if they are on sale at Topshop.

Circlesquare - Untitled (For Christmas)

2010-12-24T16:35:00.000+01:00

The beauty of today. Let Circlesquare take care of all the right things. Here's a sweet tune for all you friends and foes!
Much love!
I

Legoland for Christmas

2010-12-23T22:05:00.003+01:00

I've decided to cheer up and brighten up and drink loads of champagne tomorrow.

Timex pink watch via ASOS (it comes with a neon-coloured display case, they say)
Topshop socks
Holly Fulton for ASOS shirt
Tsumori Chisato leggins via Opening Ceremony

How To Dance To Dubstep

2010-12-23T18:55:00.000+01:00

I had a good laugh, I really did!

2010-12-23T17:04:00.007+01:00

Is it fun? Yes! To the point of the ridiculous? Yes! Taking pictures of myself in various ways to love that IKEA cabinet, on top of it and upside down.

2010-12-23T14:57:00.000+01:00

This is an old scan, footage from the Amsterdam trip that was included in the debut issue of my zine. Just needed some collage ideas, that’s all.

2010-12-23T14:49:00.001+01:00

It’s not that Christmas means much but being knocked down by a fever and some very aggressive allergy attacks is not my kind of fun. I’m spending a second day in bed with a difference between yesterday of crawling out of my room to put new nailpolish – that’s holy!
Opening Ceremony went to 50% off, and I’ve been licking their website for a good hour now, without any means of making a purchase. Why do I do these kinds of things when I’m already feeling down enough…bugger! I’m allergic to my very self.
Today I feel like drawing, and that doesn’t happen to me very often, but these days the digital media bores me, so I revert to the basics of the analogue – paper and a coloured pen, a water-soluble marker and a neon highlighter.
I don’t have a steady hand today.

Ronin - Ronin theme

2010-12-19T23:02:00.001+01:00

A weekend well spent is this very weekend. I even managed to cram up some work in it, but otherwise it ranged from shopping at RA13 to rolling in the snow like an imbecile (see the evidence in the post bellow).
This is my soundtrack for the snow. Be warned, it explodes into an accordion madness!

2010-12-19T23:01:00.000+01:00

punk'snow't dead

2010-12-19T21:49:00.001+01:00

I’m kind of lazy for updating much. The snow is soft and fresh, and honestly I prefer drinking hot wine on Sunday evening than reading fashion blogs. I made this little punk in my garden.
Mohahahahahahawk!

Rag&Bone

2010-12-14T20:02:00.004+01:00

I’ll be living off fries and cokes from today on. Hunting and Collecting started a presale, and I can call myself officially broke after one visit. I should mention HAPPY though. I bought the gorgeous Rag&Bone blouse…silk+leather, and it all winds up to the nth number on the price tag. I wish I could buy more, I wish I could earn a million and not think about how much anything costs. But then...
Today my parents asked me what I want for Christmas, and I said that I don’t need anything because I have all I ever wanted…within the reasonable, but it’s true, even if it leaves me broke at times. The best way of getting all you want is being honest to yourself not wanting things you can’t get. You can laugh at this, but I made it work for me because I didn’t want to spend a worthless life chasing after a ghost. A lot of what we do is a product of someone’s marketing strategy anyways.

Rag&Bone shirt, Margiela joggers, ASOS bracelet, grey nailpolish Barry M

gold cold

2010-12-14T18:43:00.002+01:00

The Topshop sweater is in. The postman did dump it in the middle of the street, but thanks to my vigilant dad the golden sweater is mine. It’s very oversized which I wouldn’t tell from the photos on the website…I think they stretch all their pictures so that the clothes would appear slimmer, but in reality this sweater is a lump. I got the Medium thinking that I’m not a skinny Brit but I’m floating inside it. Topshop it’s your lucky day – if you would have only known how much I love my sweaters to be oversized to a ridiculous proportion. The first Topshop buy I am actually keeping = progress.

for life

2010-12-13T22:40:00.005+01:00

Three days ago I thought about moving my blog quietly to a new space, giving it a clean fresh look and writing about what I think frankly and ouvertly…well, there was just one thing that didn’t go according to the plan – moving it QUIETLY. But I guess it’s not a bad thing.
Today I feel dark, wintery and blurry. Trying to find a couple of images that can reflect the meaning of ‘dark’ I came across this amazing haircut. It’s not so far from reality though, I just need to wait a couple of months for my bangs to grow out and I’ll have the identical one happening on my head. Then I’ll be able to sleep on the train to work without pulling the hat over my eyes, and I’ll bump into strangers and start unnecessary conversations, and wear the sunglasses backwards so that no one can tell which way I’m going.

2010-12-12T21:33:00.001+01:00

Drinking Glögg to keep warm….isn’t the most fantastic idea. It makes me feel like a tourist…or a drunkard…or both. ..but definitely not much of a Swede.
Well, that was a lyrical note.

image via Tumblr

Tim Van Steenbergen @Stijl

2010-12-12T21:24:00.003+01:00

This is a window installation Tim Van Steenbergen made in the shop where I work. He published a book recently and we’re organizing a book-signing evening this Thursday at 6PM. I'm pretty curious to meet him.

gimme

2010-12-12T19:48:00.005+01:00

It’s about time to start making lists for Santa full of expensive stuff I’ll never get. And tomorrow before work I’ll run to Zara to get that gorgeous satchel I posted about some days ago. Banal, I know.

images via Need Supply, net-a-porter, etsy.

snow

2010-12-12T16:45:00.005+01:00

…where art thou? I want to stuff my face full and feel thee melting on my skin like last night’s kiss.

image via Tumblr.

Here Needs Love

2010-12-12T15:14:00.005+01:00

Ready for some fringes and glitter?
Yesterday night was the 7th edition of High Needs Low, as usually converting the Congress train station into a club. I think it’s so typical for Brussels to use train stations for parties, we take ‘underground’ too literally, me thinks. I didn’t take any pictures of the dancefloor because with so many hipsters showing up this time the party atmosphere was very different from the previous editions. High Needs Low is evolving and is no longer a lo-fi selfmade production.
This time the High Needs Low crew collaborated with Hunting and Collecting, who in turn collaborated with Confetti System, hence all the fringy and glittery decorations in the lounge area (where I basically spent all night). I gave one of those piñatas to a friend for his birthday once, but we still don’t dare to look inside, even though it seems to have a hatch for all the confetti to go in. Well may be one day, when we’re roaring drunk, we’ll just grab a stick and smash it, and then glue all the confetti to the floor and make a permanent installation…which may look a bit like this:

The Confetti System duo + Hunting and Collecting duo.

The anatomy of a piñata powered by too many shots of Jagermeister. .. everyone had a go at it. FUN!

try

2010-12-10T19:56:00.007+01:00

This is a small selection of images from my picture blog Various Sources. The digital winter moodboard.

the soft moon

2010-12-10T18:11:00.001+01:00

Without S4lem showing up to their gig in Gent the year in music seems incomplete (and so is the interview I was supposed to do with them). I’m counting on The Soft Moon to solve it for me. Looking forward to hear their release and a possibility to exchange a couple of words with the band.

arithmetics

2010-12-10T16:55:00.005+01:00

+
+
= <3

coat Anywho
headband Bernhard Willhelm
satchel Zara

the owl friday

2010-12-10T14:27:00.007+01:00

Waking up to the fog and the dim light is not always fun, it feels like there’s no day unless you do something. I’m in a horrible writer’s block these past weeks and I just can’t get around writing anything substantial for my zine. Having to postpone the second issue release date has drowned me. So to remember that this Friday has ever happened I went shopping (yes, you are allowed to laugh at this). I passed by H&M, which I don’t do that often – it tires me to see heaps of stuff piled up one on top of another – so when I go in I pretend it’s a department store, I visit only one section at a time and in about a month I’ll visit the other one…or so I say, but then never have enough courage. All the same I went directly to H&M Trend picked up some stuff, chose the best colour and in a matter of twenty minutes I was out with two pieces: a polkadot skirt and an olive button-down.

Polkadots aren’t a huge thing in my wardrobe…neither is colour olive, but H&M price tags leave enough room for experiment. Or may be it’s a stupid idea I’ve got in my head? I rarely dare to buy special colours and print from more expensive brands or designers, thinking that on paying the nth sum of money I want to wear the piece as many times as possible and as long as possible too. I don’t want it to be good for one season only, hence the amount of black I own. And just may be I should buy the strong colours and the recognizable shapes instead, like all those Dries Van Noten customers I have – they are proud to wear a heavily printed and the bright coloured skirt from five seasons ago without ever saying ‘oh that’s so last season’. I think they are proud because they wear the pieces created by their favourite designer, they are pretty sure of themselves and their position in society to wear what they like…and those ‘old’ pieces look great worn with new ones.
But what am I to do if the brands I prefer to buy are mainly trend-led. What am I to do with this season’s ACNE, Opening Ceremony or Stine Goya come year 2015? I work hard to be able to afford a couple of pieces each, but would anyone be stalking my Opening Ceremony clog boots in five years from now, like they are stalking the Margiela tabis? I really doubt it…
All that long paragraph is only to say that I’m free to experiment when it costs peanuts, but just may be I should get a hold of a few strong pieces that are made to last…

When I got home from my quickie shopping spree the ASOS package was waiting at the doorstep. The bird claw bracelet has arrived and it feels like there’s a giant owl clasping at my wrist…so here it is, my Friday full of trophies.

queen Midas

2010-12-09T01:11:00.000+01:00

One more crazy addition to my wardrobe is the gold Topshop sweater. I’m so amazed by it that I just went on to place an order without even a vague idea of what to wear it with. I’ll probably need a couple of hours of intensive outfit ideas research…but actually in the real world I just need sleep.