Mixed Use Tower... in San José!?

A few months ago I was shocked when I read this article about an amazing construction planned to be constructed in Sabana Sur... Yes! In our country!

Little by little Costa Rica has some development, at least from an architectural point of view (not the same with fashion and culture). Moho Architects, a spanish firm, proposed the construction of this tower which will rise in San José's skyline, driven by a progressive enviromental strategy for the region.

It has a mixed use program of day and night activities which will include commercial and retail spaces, business centre, offices, conference rooms, hotel floors and a casino. It would have 25 floors and a restaurant with a panoramic views over the city.

As described, "the tower splits and creases independently as it rises into the sky. this 'head split' configuration, permits natural lighting, while sky courts filled with vegetation punctuate at intervals the tower and mitigate the hot climate. the development will take advantage of a number of sustainable energy strategies and key to the energy performance of the building are its wooden brise-soleil facades, designed to filter solar gain and to encourage daylight to permeate the complex. the tower is intended to be a paradigm for passive environmental control, providing an alternative to the more conventional models of sealed and air-conditioned glass stumps. the layered facade cuts air-conditioning load and the plan encourages daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting. the project is currently in the schematic design phase and is expected to be completed in 2012".

This kind of projects make me feel sometimes that there's hope for this country. There's potencial, but still there's many changes that need to be made. What I really liked about this project is that Moho is proposing a different building, very interesting, with an amazing shape and, besides all this aesthetic characteristics, is thinking about the enviroment, something that is really important in our country because of the conditions and our natural resources.

I just hope that this project won't stay as just images and files on a computer. I think that if we want to stop being a forgotten country we have to start to open our minds to new proposals, to new shapes, to new kinds of constructions that will put us back on the map.

La Moda Animada

Elle España ran a spread this April in collaboration with Disney artists depicting some of the most famous fashion designers as animated characters. Of course they chose the most famous from both sides, fashion and animation.

It was impossible not to fall in love with this spread, as a kid I grew up watching Mickey and all of the Disney characters. And now, many years after I find them mixed with the thing I love most: fashion.

It's a great spread, for many it might be childish, but as a fashion designer and fashion lover I found this collaborations so fresh and nice to see. As many time I've said, fashion can not be separeted from the world, not from everything that is happening in life. Nowadays we can see how movies influence designs, for example the collection Stella McCartney created for Disney Couture or like Valentino's designers getting inspiration from Avatar.

I guess that's what I love about fashion, it can be mixed with so many things from around (arts, film, cartoons, architecture, psychology, everything!). Fashion must be concious of what's happening, taking from it the good and the bad things, answering to people needs and feelings.

This illustrations were created by Ulrich Schröder, who's a freelancer for Disney, doing merchandising artwork and covers for the Dutch Donald Duck. He also worked at Disney Paris, supervising all the merchandising and promotional materials.

I just can't love more this editorial! It's funny, it's current! It gives a twist to Elle and also give a breath of fresh air in all this crisis period that fashion's going through.

Karl Lagerfeld
Getting to his Chanel store at La rue Cambon as a wolf, being escorted by the lil' pigs and surrounded by Lilo, Stitch and Pixar characters.

Dolce & Gabbana
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana at their atelier working on a new collection inspired by western and by Minnie.


Donatella Versace posing for the cameras.


Jean-Paul Gaultier working with his muses Clarabella and Minnie in Paris.


Sonia and Nathalie Rykiel at Café de Flore, one of the most famous cafés at Saint-Germain.


Marc Jacobs working backstage with his signature look: white shirt, skirt and boots.



Alber Elbaz, Lanvin's designer, at his rue du Faubourg-Saint Honoré, supervising one of his creations.


Showman, John Galliano, at his show finale in Paris Fashion Week.

(Thanks to Carlos Villalobos for posting this pictures)

Drama Queen

Talking about beautiful faces and amazing girls... I found the latest photoshoot featuring Tilda Swinton, my one and only. Of course credits must be given to Glen Fuchford, photographer, and to Katy England for the styling.

This is one of this entries that doesn't need much text or description about. Tilda is an unique actress, such a photogenic woman that she can be used for portraits, fashion spreads, movies, videos, ad campaigns, EVERYTHING! She's so versatile that we can see her posing nude or in haute coture and she can pull both looks off.

"Stepping out of a tiny lift, with her short red hair, green eyes and lunar-white skin, Tilda Swinton is looking more than ever like The Woman Who Fell To Earth"

I guess Dazed say it better! Maybe that's the closest I would ever get to describing her. She leaves me speechless!

♥

Naked Young Lady

I must confess that I'm a little obsessive when I like something... It's simple. It's love or the opposite, hate. In this case I'm obsessed with pale models (and with models as you can see in my last entries).

I love magazines with new proposals, maybe that's the reason why it was so shocking for me knowing that W Magazine was going to make a turn on their ideals and image. Dazed always comes out with something that I found so interesting and amazing, or maybe something that shocks me and makes me think a lot (like the breast cancer shoot from a few years ago). So this time it's not shocking or sad, it's just beauty, in its pure way: nudity.

This shoot, simple and pale plus a shocking pink hairdo and pretty revealing clothes, makes of Hannah Holman a one of a kind beauty.

There are some great models here in Costa Rica (Leonora Jiménez, Annabella Prins, Leda Artavia, Natasha Flemming, etc) with a high potencial that can almost be compared to the one's we can see in fashion magazines from outside the country, all they need is a chance to get photographed, a chance to model in a decent runway, good styling and of course they need people to believe in them.

Lately all of the entries have some kind of criticism, but I'm just trying to make a point here and to support what is think is right and to criticize what I think it's wrong and right now I'm pissed with this country. Maybe someday people would open their minds to something more risky and new, and maybe they will have the culture necessary to appreciate what fashion is.

(Soon I'll write a "deep" entry about this that "annoys" me)

Rolls-Royce ♥

I've always been a car lover... And nothing better than the luxury brands such as Rolls Royce, Maserati, Ferrari, Bugatti, Bentley and all of those who drive me crazy.

The luxury goods business is very wide, includes cars, yachts, technology, hotels and of course fashion (bags, shoes, jewelry). People day after day has a different point of view when buying any kind of good. Is a better investment to pay for something exclusive and more expensive, than paying for something that is massive like Zara. With crisis hitting many fashion houses we can see how Hermés or Louis Vuitton are still alive and also increasing their sales.

So the same theory (and it's a fact now!) applies to the car industry. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based in Goodwood, England. They've making history since their start back in 1903. Always being recognized for the quality, design, luxe and exclusivity in each a every piece that makes a Rolls-Royce.

That's why it's impossible not to fall in love everytime I see a Rolls-Royce. Feels the same way as when you see an amazing dress out in a runway or when something is amazingly created, taking care of every detail, wowing everywhere it's used. I think I could make a whole speech about this cars and how much I love them and how beautiful is their aesthetics. But as we all know, a picture worth a thousand words... So here's some amazing photos by one great photographer/designer: Hedi Slimane who is also in love with Rolls-Royce.

They speak for themselves. They captured beauty, sexy, elegance, sobriety, design, luxe, time, texture, sculpture... It's everything capture by photography!

6126 by Li.Lo

More than a fashion entry, this one's about one of my guilty pleasures: Lindsay Lohan a.k.a Li.Lo. We all know about the mess created for one of the last seasons in Emanuel Ungaro, by I really think that it wasn't all her fault. I'm not going to defend her, but once again there's a celebrity "designing" a collection. And once again I can help but wonder: do they really design everythinr? Or, they have just a bunch of slaves/fashion designers creating beautiful pieces in the shadow of someone famous?

No matter what everyone says or what Lindsay does, I think she's so pretty. She has this cute face plus an amazing body, but that's not gonna sell me the idea that she's designing for 6126. Her first collection, which was in a 100% composed of leggins and now she's expanding to all kinds of clothes (jackets, pants, vests, shorts, leggins, etc).

Oh well... There's some nice pieces in the whole 6126 new collection. They are very Li.Lo-like. Is what we could see her wearing. So check it out and create your own opinion about it. I just think it would be fair for the customer to know who's designing what they're buying. And yes, she looks fucking HOT! ♥

The collection has 280 pieces, between $60 and $1000 and includes edgy and draped mini dresses, leather, chunky cardigans and lots of embellishment. Her isnpiration was “the iconic Marilyn Monroe and the timeless, confident glamour she represents.”

♥.♥

Go Wild!

It's been a while since my last entry but I've been very busy preparing my graduation project and also presenting it. But finally much of the stress and pressure is gone and hopefully A la mode, a la mort will be alive and kicking.

I've looking around recent editorials and for some reason I'm still obsessed with models and their look (maybe it's because my photoshoot is coming and I'm dreaming about having a famous model on it). Lately I've seen some great fashion spreads in different magazines, full of creativity, great photogrpahs, gorgeous models and amazing clothes.

As we all expected, McQueen pieces are everywhere! Is impossible not to see his armadillo shoes or any of his Spring 2010 dresses in every magazine.

Usually I'm not a spring/summer lover, I'm much into fall and heavy fabrics, lots of layers and fur. But for this season, they are showing great styling options. This is an example, V photographed model Masha Novoselova in the latest trends for time time of the year.

I LOVE this photos! They are clean, perfect lightning, white background...

"De alma felina": John Galliano shoes ♥

"Instinto Indomable": Armadillo shoes by Alexander McQueen.

Dress by Alexander McQueen.

I don't like the "ethnic trend" but this photo on the left wowed me! The make up is great!

This one is speacilly interesting. ♥ the texture on both pieces.

Hannelore Knuts

There's something about androgynous models that drives me nuts. And also, I love old models. I know that the boom is being 14 years old a being super tall and skinny, but I guess I love maturity. And here's one example.

Hannelore Knuts it's a Belgian fashion model and she has been on the cover of Vogue Italy, Japan and Korea. I remember "meeting" her back in 2004, when I started watching every single fashion show online and buying every magazine that got in my hands. The first time I saw her I was shocked and immediately in love. There's something about her face, her bone structure and of course her eyes that makes her so unique and so different from the rest. I really like the fact that she's old and looks like a real woman, not like a highschool girl.

She was born in Antwerp ♥, she is 5'9.5" or 176.5cm and she's a size 6 (wow!). She has an amazing curriculum, thousands of fashion shows (both ready-to-wear and couture) and I think that all the rest that I could write it's useless. Her photos speak for their own.

Here's some of my favorite pictures of her.

Photo from her modeling portfolio.

WOW!
♥

Taken from Vogue Italy.

♥