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Congratulations Bolon for 70 years of sustainable design products!
It is Stockholm Design Week and I am going to the different design studios to discover what is new. At Bolon I discovered they are celebrating 70 years this year! The company was started in 1949 by Nils-Erik Eklund who incorporated sustainability from the very beginning - using textile waste to produce rag rugs and awnings for RVs and campers. Today the company focuses on floors and rugs, continuing with the sustainability and ethical practice. The new floor collection, Diversity, celebrates variety, commitment and inspiration. Carmencita Lundsten, who showed me around Bolon Lab shared with me that Armani stores use Bolon's floors. Way to go Bolon!
Images above: Ekaterina Larsson
Images above: BOLON
London Fashion Week SS19 – Mary Katrantzou
We absolutely love and admire Mary Katrantzou! After studying Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design (USA) and graduating with a BA in Textile design and an MA in Fashion from Central Saint Martins (London), the Greek designer established her own brand in 2008. Her amazing prints and craftsmanship landed her collaborations with Longchamp, Moncler, and Adidas Originals. For her SS19 collection at London Fashion Week, the designer is inspired by old school silhouettes, perfume bottles, jewelry and colouful patchwork.
Images: Getty
Let’s Pretend It Never Happened!
Stockholm Design Week is in full swing again and I am there ready to be amazed by all the new trends in furniture design! I was quite impressed by the skillful performance and presentation by the Portuguese furniture brand De La Espada! For their presentation the brand picked the intimate setting of a Stockholm home once owned by the manager of ABBA. I was personally greeted by the owner of the brand Luis de Oliveira and swooped into the performance by the talented actors Fernando Nobre and Vania Rovisco!
Image: De La Espada
Image: Ekaterina Larsson
I loved a few pieces at the performance - the Belle Reeve sofa by Luca Nichetto, where I sat and watched the play unfold. Also watched a few excerpts of movies that included a sofa, such as Pulp Fiction, The Royal Tannenbaums, and Stranger Things.
Image: De La Espada
Image: Ekaterina Larsson
I liked the Solo desk by Neri&Hu above, as well as this beautiful Elliot dining chair by Jason Miller, which shows Jason's elegant, historically rich work that has become his signature.
Image: De La Espada
The actors involved the public in the performance - I got to live chat with Fernando's "wife" and play musical chairs (and win!). Vania even played a bear skin rug at some point in the performance and brought smiles to our faces!
Image: Ekaterina Larsson
The performance ended in this Solo bed by Neri&Hu. The final scene, however, was not of love making but with a declaration of love for....memories.
Image: De La Espada
And the ending? "Let's pretend this never happened!" But if you do touch people emotionally they will always remember it!
Image: Ekaterina Larsson
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Stylein AW2018 collection
Stockholm Fashion Week is in full swing and one of my favorites is Stylein, a Swedish brand founded by Elin Alemdar. The brand normally features very simple minimalistic style and the new collection is no exception.
Cobalt blue, camel, bright red and deep chocolate are some of the colours, and the palette has been inspired by the artist Josef Albers.The interesting additions were the accessories - muffs for the hands and fur collars wrapped around the neck. I loved the off the shoulder dresses, transparent pants and pleated materials! Check it out for yourself:
Images: Stockholm Fashion Week
New Year, New Promises
A new year comes so full of promises and excitement! And we are excited! Excited about what it will bring - new trends in traveling, design and fashion? New breakthroughs in technology to help human kind live more sustainable lives, waste less resources and help save the planet? We are all hoping! So a Happy New Year and never stop dreaming!
A Danish bracelet to rule them all
On a beautiful summer day I went, well, shopping. I was wondering around inside Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm and started chatting with a very charming gentlemen showing some Danish jewelry. I found out the jewelry was Dyrberg/Kern and the lovely gentleman was Henning Kern himself! He started the brand in Denmark together with Gitte Dyrberg in 1985 and decided to focus it exclusively on sterling silver pieces in 1990. In 2001 the duo received the King Frederik IX’s Award for Excellence in Export! What an endorsement! I bought a lovely bracelet in pale blue and received as a present a leather jewelry box. My day was wonderful already! So, if you are in Denmark and hunting down for some exquisite Danish present - Dyberg/Kern jewelry is your best bet!
Ⓡ Images: Dyrberg/Kern and Ekaterina Larsson
Prada Spring/ Summer 2018 Resort Collection
Spring is a time for cleaning, giving away some frocks and buying new ones. What new outfits to buy? We absolutely love Prada's new Spring/ Summer 2018 Resort Collection! A bit futuristic, very feminine, check it out!
Photos: Who What Wear
Is Finland closer to Japan? Marimekko’s SS17 Home Collection
I have known Marimekko more as a clothing company from Finland but during Stockholm Design Week I got to know it as a home decor company as well. Carina Seth Andersson and Sami Ruotsalainen got together to create the new SS17 home collection. Carin was inspired by the climbing hydrangeas at her summer house, while Sami played with color dipping. Very clean and sophisticated lines! Reminds me of Japanese design and thinking. I sometimes wonder if Finland is closer to Japan in terms of design and mentality. What do you think?
® Images by Marimekko
Artek’s new collection for Stockholm Design Week
Stockholm Fashion Week has barely ended and now I am off to Stockholm Design Week! So far I have had a few "Wow!" moments and one of them is Artek's presentation of their new collection designed by Daniel Rybakken, a young Norwegian designer. One is called Kiila, coat stands and coat racks for the hallway. The other one is 124°, wall mounted mirrors set at 124° to each other creating an unexpected dual-aspect reflection of the surrounding space. I loved playing around there, checking out the different reflections as the mirrors were turning around! For those of you who do not know - Artek is a Finnish company that has produced design pieces for more than 80 years. Enjoy!
® Images by Artek
New Year’s Resolutions
Come January the gyms are full of people who are determined to lose weight, look better, feel better and be healthier. Come February - only 50% of these same people are still coming to the gym. So what goes wrong? I guess life just comes in the way. According to Statistic Brain only 9.2% of Americans achieve their NYR. But do not discourage! I believe you just have to decide on a realistic and achievable goal at any time during the year and just keep pursuing it! Hey, there are even apps now to help you keep your eyes on the prize! Plus I think it is also very important to choose the type of work out that you really, really enjoy. Be it biking or jogging to work, boxing, squash or some good old weightlifting. For me that pleasurable work out is yoga.
So as I am sitting on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean in Puerto de Mogan, Gran Canaria, I am enjoying every asana of the yoga I am doing. A yoga class I discovered towards the end of our stay here. I have enjoyed doing yoga for many years and sure, I would like to do it more often. I would love to even become a certified yoga instructor but I will need to do 100 hours of yoga before that. Will I make those hours this year? I will surely try! Check up with me in December 2017 again. And good luck with your New Year’s resolution!
® Image by Pinterest
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