HUNTING FACES

Several weeks ago when I heard that Yvan Rodic will have a book promotion and lecture in Skopje, as part of the activities of Skopje Fashion Week I was really excited to attend it and hear something about his work. I have first read about him year and a half ago on www.thecoolhunter.com and have immediately visited his blog. Since than, it's been one of my daily internet fashion destinations!

Though not many people in Macedonia know about Ivan Rodic and his blogs, internationally he is very famous. He posts his photos of interesting faces, people and styles on http://facehunter.blogspot.com/, while on his other blog http://yvanrodic.blogspot.com/ he posts photos of the places he has been visiting on his many travels. 

Yvan's presentation was very nice, concise and fun. It was interesting to hear how he developed from a copywriter in an advertising agency into a blogger when he started photographing faces of people which were interesting to him, with the camera he got for Christmas. Once he started running his blog, fashion magazines became interested in his work. When some of them published stories about blogging and street style the fashion brands became interested as well, willing to reach for the young people who follow such blogs. 

The part that I especially liked from Yvan's lecture was his statement about the opportunities of communication that we are given today and how they influence individuality. Though fear might exist that people around  the world are becoming the same with globalization and global communication, this phenomenon can be used the other way round - one can nowadays pick and choose different aspects or elements from a culture that they like, and then combine them in their own unique style, taste, personality....

Among the many activities that Rodic has, like exhibitions, lectures and Fashion Weeks around the world, he has published a book called FACE HUNTER, which consists of chosen photographs of people he has taken and published on his blog. The book is now available in Macedonia as well. 

Can't wait to have it in my hands!

ISLA MODA

The dream of international fashionistas is about to come true. An island dedicated to fashion is already drafted and ready to be built 20km off shore from Dubai, on 111.483.648 m². And who else can be the creator of such and exclusive and surreal place other than the always innovative Karl Lagerfeld?

Together with an American architect and a famous hotel group, Lagerfeld has projected the futuristic island which is supposed to be built by 2014. It will host 150 luxury properties, several five stars hotels, most famous fashion brand's boutiques as well as space for fashion related shows and events.  Other famous designers are expected to offer collaboration in this project as well.


The CGI images of Isla Moda promise a wonderful and exclusive getaway for the international fashion jet setters.

SKY HIGH

This autumn I've fallen back in love with high heels. For some time I've been avoiding to wear them as I was feeling that it is much more comfortable to wear flats. This might be true, but the fun is not the same. High heels make the figure more noticeable, make you feel more confident, and can come in so many great forms and designs that they can represent real pieces of art. 

Speaking of arty shoes I think I have finally found my favorite shoe designer - Nicholas Kirkwood. This Englishman has introduced the "sculpture" shoe, which has a unconventional form, very high and architecturally designed heel, many details and is made of wonderful and specific materials like satin, hand-printed suede and leather, laser cut mirror leather, rubberised leather and the like. 

Kirkwood started creating his shoes after working as a milliner in Sir Phillip Treacy studio in London. There he realized that as hats make the outfit complete, so do shoes, and outfits from designers like Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan simply didn't have a decent supplement in the shoe department. That was when Kirkwood enrolled to study about shoe making and soon started cooperating with designers like Rodarte, Ghost, John Rocha...In 2008 KIrkwood was appointed accessories designer at Pollini. Since July 2009 he has his own space in London. 

Speaking about inspiration Kirkwood states that there isn't anything in particular that inspires him, sometimes as he says the design comes out of nothing. He also explains that a certain design goes thorough many changes in the designing process. First it is an idea, a scatch on paper, then it is being developed and a 3D model is made, and then the final design is defined. 

For season 2010/2011 Kirkwood has created shoes inspired by the art of the American contemporary artist Keith Haring. These shoes are very pop and a bit different from what has Kirkwood done so far, but still have his very creative moment embedded in the designs. The collection will be available worldwide in February 2011.

Keith Haring collection