» minimalism

Fashion | Minimalistic, kinetic jewelry: Verve Flow x The Silent White

23|11|2014

necklace:
verve flow

take a bath:
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“Invention is the most important product of man’s creative brain. The ultimate purpose is the complete mastery of mind over the material world, the harnessing of human nature to human needs.” Nikola Tesla

I am always happy when I find likeminded blogger and designer who share the same interest in fashion (or science) and Svetlana is that kind of person. Her interesting approach of making innovative jewelry with complex geometric shapes and special effects is really one of a kind. She has a variety of different projects going on (see here and here) but her kinetic jewelry from Ianua Art and Verve Flow is probably the most geometric. Together we discussed a new design for a necklace with a moving pendant that changes the pattern when moved. I have never seen something like this before and was already very excited to think about the design in black and white which resembles The Silent White.

Svetlana explained her principle of movement in her jewelry like this: “The construction is very simple: the inner (not fixed) element inside the ring is shifted by gravity. You can move it by moving your hand. There are two types of movements: one type is up and down (rectangle jewelry), the other is circular (round jewelry).” So cool! She perfectly realized my additional idea to put the pendant on a very lightweight leather band to make the necklace hang very straight from your collar. The moving pendant is made out of a 3×5,6cm epoxy lens to make it durable and shiny and the final leather band is made of soft white velour. My favorite part is the strong but subtle looking neodym magnete closure, so practical and minimalistic! I am very excited to now own something special like this. It fits my new favorite Alexander Wang for H&M ~~sweater~~ dress and rest of wardrobe perfectly. If you’re curious about the other minimalistic pieces, visit her store (here). Thank you Svetlana, I am very happy with this collaboration! Having early xmas, Ea

today: supercooled cloud droplets

3 Comments Nov 23, 2014

Art | Eric Marrian

2|10|2014

pictures:
eric marrian

“There is the photography which seeks to translate into pattern and design the magic of a detail of growth and deterioration. Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created.” Edward Steichen

Just today I came across french photographer Eric Marrian. Especially his eerily beautiful photographs from ‘Carré Blanc’ (2005) point out what I like most about him. It reminds me of organic figures which turned to white marble. The composition of each carré puts the focus on the human body’s convolutions both with sharp and soft edges in a very not habitual way and it makes you a little uncomfortable.

I can’t help myself considering these photographs the organic equivalent of architectual photography. Marian’s initial study of architecture and 15 years of designing buildings may explain the heavy influences to this department. Check out the rest of his work here. Best, Ea Birkkam

today: sharp edges, soft edges

0 Comments Oct 2, 2014

Fashion | Porsche Design Spring 2015 Ready To Wear

9|9|2014

pictures:
style.com

shop:
porsche design

“Black-and-white always looks modern, whatever that word means.” Karl Lagerfeld

Few times I have accidently stopped by the window of Porsche Design, the ‘fashion affiliate’ of Porsche, and I must admit: I never really liked it. Oftentimes I found it very bourgeois with a cheap ‘sporty’ touch and I would never have imagined they would surprise me with a Spring 2015 Ready-To-Wear at this year’s New York Fashion Week like this. Porsche Fall/Winter 2014 strongly reminiscent me of alpine outfits of the 70s though with a touch of futurism and clean-edge, which made me a little curious for the first time, but this 2015 collection is a whole new level.

The simplicity and sophistication of this collection was not expected and I took my time to take a few looks on each piece. It was hard to limit myself to 3 outfits to give a sample but above you see my (and steinbrueck’s) idea of the perfect amalgamation of clean and sexy. I don’t want to swoon any more about this collection, take a look for yourself: Here is a video from Porsche and the gallery from style.com! Craving the shoes and dress of the first outfit, Ea Birkkam

today: the white wool coat

2 Comments Sep 9, 2014

Fashion | Titania Inglis

5|9|2014

pictures: titania inglis

titania inglisshop outfits:
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“As I grew older, I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature, for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art.” Albrecht Dürer

Minimalism and sustainability. Titania Inglis designs fashion that has pleased me from the first moment I saw it, especially her ‘Suspension dress’ (outfit 2, see here another picture). I have curated my 6 favourite outfits of her last 4 collections above which was a hard task, since every collection tells a different geometric story and I love them all!

Titania’s aim is to create fashion for the futuristic but ecologically aware woman: simple, geometric, minimalistic. Her web presence states following: “Equally minimal is the line’s environmental impact. Each garment is sewn in a small factory in New York from high-quality, low-impact fabrics including Japanese organic cotton, Italian vegetable-tanned leather, and dead stock wool from the local garment industry.” I love the way she utilizes minimalism as a form of environmental sensibility, personally this is exactly what adducted me towards minimalism aswell. I can relate to her philosophy and of course to her minimalistic design. Best, Ea Birkkam

today: simplistic geometry

2 Comments Sep 5, 2014

minimalistic cosmetics | squalane

20|7|2014

Phytosqualane:
-read more about it here
-like? order it here

“Each one of us must carry within the proof of immortality, it cannot be given from outside of us. To be sure, everything in nature is change but behind the change there is something eternal.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

What do Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Wheat Germ Oil and Sharks (yes) have in common? It is not the beginning of a bad joke, rather a connection to a 30-carbon organic compound (Squalene/see here) whose saturated form (Squalane/see picture above) acts both as a very good emollient and moisturizer in cosmetics. Squalene is a clear, scentless and low-viscous lipid that occurs with appr. 5-12 per cent in the skin’s own hydro-lipid layer. Squalane however is not as auto-oxidating prone and the fact that it is non-toxic and non-irritating makes it a cosmetic ingredient almost too good to be true.

Sadly there is a downside. A lot of sharks are being killed for having high amounts of Squalene in their body, especially the liver, because they lack of a swim bladder and this is nature’s solution to reduce their body density (read more here). To dissociate from the cruel slaughter but still benefit from a great ingredient like it manufacturers prefer the term Phytosqualan in their products which points out the vegetarian origin. I really cannot wait to involve this compound in my lab actions, it is said to have a super silky and smooth feeling on the skin. I really like the way the molecule looks too, someone please make a silver necklace in this pattern. Excited, Ea Birkkam

today: deep ocean

0 Comments Jul 21, 2014