Lectura de sambata dimineata

Este genul de weekend care imi doresc sa nu se incheie. Mi-am dat seama ca il astept cu atata nerabdare ca abia o mai tin in mine, desi lista de chestii planificate are doar 6 randuri:

1. sa vad Budapest Grand Hotel
2. sa ma bucur de soare in parc, cu revistele pe care nu le-am terminat de citit
3. sa iau un brat de flori de la piata
4. sa ma joc de-a vedeta la o sedinta foto-surpriza duminica
5. sa beau o cafea extraordinara
6.  … las intotdeauna o optiune deschisa, sa fac loc surprizelor 🙂

Inainte sa trec la selectia de articole a saptamanii, va fac o recomandare. Am pierdut sirul cartilor citite de-a lungul anilor: pe unele le-am indragit o perioada, pe altele le-am uitat imediat cum am ajuns la ultimul paragraf, sunt si cateva care imi vor fi preferate mereu. Exista insa o carte descoperita in urma cu vreo 2 ani, a carei poveste – pentru ca se bazeaza pe o poveste reala – m-a emotionat profund, m-a miscat mai mult decat orice alta carte si la paginile careia ma reintorc des. A fost in sfarsit tradusa in limba romana, iar Ioana Aneci a facut o treaba de milioane.

„Iepurele cu ochi de chihlimbar” este o capodopera, este o poveste vie si adevarata despre drumul parcurs de 264 de netsuke – o colectie de sculpturi miniaturale japoneze, din fildes sau din lemn – care au trecut din mana in mana, de la o generatie de la alta. „Iepurele” este mai mult decat povestea istoriei unei familii – este o calatorie din Japonia prin toata capitalele Europei, este o parte de istorie care porneste din Parisul impresionistilor si al lui Proust, trece prin Viena interbelica apoi prin cel de-al doilea razboi mondial si, in sfarsit, rememorarea se incheie aproape de zilele noastre.

Un paragraf poate este suficient pentru a va face sa intelegeti frumusetea cartii, tocmai de aceea aleg unul la intamplare.

„Fiecare rand din frumoasa dumitale carte mi-a trezit atatea amintiri! Mai ales orele petrecute lucrand singur in camera dumitale, unde exploda nota data de un fotoliu galben, galben, foarte galben! Si impresionistii! Doua evantaie de Pissaro construite solid, cu rabdare, din tuse minuscule. De Sisley, Sena, stalpii de telegraf si cerul de primavara. Sau malul unui rau in apropiere de Paris, cu un om plimbandu-se agale pe poteca. Si merii infloriti ai lui Monet, catarandu-se pe coasta unui deal. Si mica salbaticiune zburlita a lui Renoir, iar de Berthe Morisot, o padure tanara, deasa si proaspata, o femeie asezata, copilul ei, un caine negru, o plasa de prins fluturi…

Tot de Renoir, pariziana cu buze rosii si rochie albastra. Si aceasta foarte capricioasa femeie cu manson si cu un trandafir de lac roz la butoniera… Si dansatoarea cu umerii goi a lui Mary Cassat in galben, verde, blond, roscat, pe fondul fotoliului rosu… Ah! Orele acelea linistite, petrecute acolo, pierzandu-ma in catalogul cu lucrarile lui Durer, visand… in camera dumitale luminoasa, unde exploda nota data de fotoliul galben, atat de galben!”

The Thriller at Vuitton – “A year after Nicolas Ghesquière’s reign ended at Balenciaga, the news that he would succeed Marc Jacobs as Louis Vuitton’s creative director touched off a rare hullabaloo in the fashion world: What daring! What a triumph!” In Vanity Fair.

Seeking an image, but first a dress – “Most New Yorkers dream of having a little more closet space. If they are dreaming in Technicolor, they might envision the Albright Fashion Library, a 7,000-square-foot space in NoHo that houses some 1,500 gowns among more than 23,000 pieces and has supplied television series like ‘The Carrie Diaries,’ ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Gossip Girl’…” In NY Times.

Why spin-off brands are on the rise – “As specialty retailers face more and more competition from fast-fashion (Zara, H&M, Forever 21) and online retailers (Nasty Gal, ASOS), spin-off brands have become more ubiquitous.” In Fashionista.

Karl Lagerfeld: „I always think I’m lazy, maybe I could do better” – “The genius of modern fashion – and master of soundbites – holds forth on Cara Delevingne, his catwalk supermarket parody, and why the selfie is a ‘horrible thing’.” In The Guardian.

Lessons from the stylish: Tory Burch, designer -„For Burch, her style became a sartorial diary, absorbing elements from wherever she happened to be working at the time. There was the summer of jumper-folding in Benetton, where she learnt about colour; the five weeks in an Alaskan fish-canning factory, where she discovered nothing about style but plenty about tenacity.” In The Telegraph.

Fashion does fun – „Some street fashion uses jokes for the sake of them. But in the luxury market, where buyers want classics, not playful novelty, irony, wit and pop imagery are trickier to pull off. Eyebrows were raised when Anna Wintour was photographed recently in a Prada fur coat bearing the image of a face, one of Jeanne Detallante’s “Beauty Masks”.” In Financial Times.

Fashion trucks are driving a new trend – „“They spruce up their trucks with bright colors, cool graphics and catchy names as they tweet out information about when and where they’ll pop up next. But instead of serving fusion tacos, organic burgers or lobster rolls, they’re hawking fast fashion as part of the latest business trend to hit the streets: fashion trucks.” In Long Beach Press

Success outside the dress code – „Researchers have discovered subtle cues that help nonconformists break from the pack and thrive. However, acting differently risks losing the benefits that come with conforming, such as shared group identity and automatic group trust.” In Wall Street Journal.

Three’s a company at Proenza Schouler – “[Shirley] Cook has worked for 11 years with designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough. Together, these three have turned what began as a fashion school collaboration into a red-hot luxury brand, one which keeps its financials private yet is thought to have sales in excess of $US50 million ($56 million).” In Financial Review

The Investment Dresser: why a cream tote gets my vote – „Since black and white is far too comfortable a marriage to give up on, we must change the dynamic of the relationship. One of the easiest switches is from black bags to cream. It’s not as radical as it sounds. Cream does everything black does – ie goes with everything – and more.” In The Telegraph.