The Mast Brothers.

I watched this short interview with the Mast Brothers by Cool Hunting while I was travelling and I have been meaning to blog about it for sometime now. I find it inspirational. What attracted me at first was their beautifully printed wrapping paper and not to mention the chocolate “food of the Gods”, combining two of my favourite loves in life! Creating a chocolate machine with the help of their aerospace engineer friend to produce a chocolate bar with precision and a dedication for detail is something that has to be praised and appreciated- even their beards deserve credit! Next time I am in Brooklyn I will be paying them a visit.

” It is arguably the most popular food on earth”.

N x

Missoni Hotel Edinburgh.

I went for lunch yesterday to the Missoni Hotel, which opened in June 2009 on the corner of George IV Bridge and the Royal Mile, in the heart of the old town of Edinburgh, Scotland. I have to say I am happy to see it replace the ugly, old office government building that once stood in it’s place. We dined at the hotels restaurant Cucina and the Missoni trademark of print and bold colour lived up to my expectations. The table setting was punchy to say the least and it made me feel a little like I was playing at a children’s ‘tea party’. Nevertheless the meal was lovely, the service was good and the company wonderful, with people coming and going for their midweek lunch and glass of  wine. Missoni has always been at the forefront of their industry in fashion and now more so in interiors. As a print designer who admires and finds inspiration from such a prestigious brand, it was exciting to sit and look at all the beautiful fabrics that lined the restaurant. The black and white tiled entrance in contrast to the multicoloured table settings and large sculpture, a giant bobbin of thread was unique. It was a shame that the painted blue walls in the restaurant distracted me from the colour and fabrics mounted on the wall. The decor continued throughout the toilet however I found it far to overpowering in a much smaller space. I must admit after spending two hours inside I was very pleased to get a break from all the pattern. This is a personal opinion and I am sure many will disagree with me but on a whole I would rather have seen a more understated approach to the decor to really appreciate this amazing archive of fabrics. You will love it or hate it. Next time I would like to be checking into a room so I can elaborate on this experience, their website shows a more subtle approach to the bedroom decor, so we will see. For the moment though, my most memorable of it all was the door man and his uniform- a Missoni tartan kilt and matching flashes! Very stylish and fitting quite rightly so, into the surrounding environment!

N x

Missoni hotel

Cucina restaurant

Cucina table setting

Missoni trademark fabrics and kilt!

A/W 2011 Research Imagery.

Nice cover!

The blog bold which I have taken a fancy to recently posted a write-up on the next edition of Joia & Kings Magazine in Chile. Joia is a design and visual arts magazine, being one of Chiles top ‘revistas’ on the shelves. This 14th edition cover grabbed my attention, and I have been keeping up to date with Joia’s publications. Here is the translation of text that followed ‘bold’s post. I know this could be tricky to follow if you don’t speak Spanish but have a look either way! They mention a few interesting names, Matt W.Moore is one to check out MWM and the work of Michael Kutsche is damn good too.

‘We have already captured the pink Batista and Niark1 geometry, so the third charge of giving life to our new home is Spanish San, who with his delicate art crosses the border and the limits of creativity and delights us with a lid developed entirely by hand: “Working with pen is an ancient technique that should never disappear. I am one of those artists who appreciates the taste of the process over many aspects of a work of art, especially in these times. For me it is a way of being in communion with the past by being aware of this, “says the artist.

Also in this issue include the design and color of Radim Malinic, photographs of the Chilean and American Schkolnick Gabriel Robert Yager (gangs in LA), and part of the portfolio of visual artist and designer Matt W. Moore. Also, an interview with Sven Ehman Gestalten editorial director, who talks about his latest book on bicicultura. Street art by Dan Witz, creations of German Michael Kutsche, who made some of the characters of Tim Burton’s latest film, “Alice in Wonderland”, the work of the American Noah Kalina, the Greek Alexandros Vasmoulakis andEmeric Trahand French.
To celebrate this latest edition of magazine Joia & Kings, we invite Tuesday July 27 at 20:30 hours Santeria restaurant bar located at Chucre Manzur 001, Providencia. In addition, you can find a magazine stand at a special price.’
Joia Magazine can be found from the July 28 sales outlets in Chile, which can be known through the magazine’s Web site, where you can also enjoy a blog with interesting news about trends and visual arts.

N x

Joia Magazine Cover

Markets continued

I thought I would follow on for my last post on the subject of markets. I came across a few more on my travels and wanted to share them. Pots and pans, shisha pipes, antique camels and more….

N x

My mum has recently started making her own jewellery, necklaces and bracelets. I went with her to a market to buy some beads and stones, all from within the Middle East, the volume for sale was incredible so I took a few quick snaps to show you….

Also below are some more unusual things I picked up along the way……

Arabic man and woman 'russian dolls'-love them!

shoes old and new!

A few more goodies.

Hello all, sorry  for being slack on updating the blog. I hope you like the next few bits and pieces, I am still going through loads of images. Here are a few more delightful objects that I find pleasing to the eye.

I will begin by telling you a little about the following object, ‘Mateo’. We bought this object in Argentina. It won the Argentine Design Innovation Award back in 2009, if you want to have a look at a few more check out their website, http://www.matemateo.com/. It is made from 100% silicone and I find it to be a delightful piece of design. Yerba Mate is a bitter herb, a beverage, the plant and leaves are broken down and steeped in hot water, this tea can be enjoyed with friends and is quite a common practice in South America. We have a few from Chile in our household!  The metal straw that you see is what you would use to drink through, there are small holes at the bottom of it which act as a filter. The Mate can be used for cold beverages also. If you are into your tea then look out for it, I am sure you can purchase straight of the website, have a nosey and enjoy.

N x

Yerba Mate

I bought a few fabrics while we were in the north of Chile in a place called San Pedro de Atacama. There was a beautiful market, every textile enthusiast would be in their element here. The people were lovely, different crafts left, right and centre. If you ever have the opportunity then you must visit the area. It is amazing! Nature and a culture of the best kind. Here are a few pictures to get a better feel of this small town quietly developing in the vastness and driest desert in the world, the Atacama….

While we are on the subject of markets, It reminds me that during my time in Chile I came across many of them, all selling different things. Whether it was food, drinks, cleaning products, furniture, they all had one thing in common- Colour! I walked through them in the blistering heat and as you will see the amount of produce piled high within these stalls made me smile.