Lectura de sambata dimineata

„Ne-a prevenit natura, ne-au prevenit parintii. Am inteles cum stau lucrurile cu zdrelitul incheieturilor si cu traficul. Am invatat sa fim atenti la covoarele care nu stau bine fixate pe scari, fiindca bunica se daduse odata de-a berbeleacul din cauza ca una dintre vergelele de fixare din alama, duse la lustruirea anuala, nu fusese pusa la loc cum trebuie. Am invatat despre gheata subtire, despre degeraturi si despre copiii rai care uneori varau pietricele si chiar lame de ras in bulgarii de zapada – desi nici unul dintre aceste avertismente n-a fost justificat de ceea ce a urmat.

Am invatat despre urzici,  despre ciulini si despre felul cum iarba, care parea ceva atat de inofensiv, putea sa iti produca niste arsuri neasteptate, ca smirghelul. Am fost preveniti impotriva cutitelor, foarfecilor si a pericolului sireturilor dezlegate. Am fost preveniti impotriva strainilor care-ar putea sa incerce sa te vare-n masini sau camioane […]. Am fost preveniti impotriva baietilor rai si, mai tarziu, a fetelor rele. Am fost preveniti cu privire la voracitate, lene si inselarea asteptarilor scolare, cu privire la avaritie, lacomie si inselarea asteptarilor familiale, cu privire la invidie, furie si inselarea asteptarilor patriotice.

N-am fost niciodata preveniti cu privire la inimile frante.”

Eeeeeee, dar Julian Barnes nu e motiv de tristete, ci dimpotriva! Va invit sa cititi orice scris de el – preferatele mele sunt Puls, Pedantul in bucatarie si Tour de France – , dar asta dupa ce treceti prin recomandarile saptamanii. Iar in alta ordine de idei, sunt curioasa: voi ce cititi in vara asta?

The life aquatic  catches the Olympian mood – “As the tide of competitors filled the Olympic stadium on Friday, blue was the dominant color for the teams of the Western world, from Armani’s sleek jackets, finished off with a necktie, to France’s sportier high-tech tailored blazers from Adidas.” In NY Times.

Haute wheels: fashion takes a cue from food trucks – “The first time the brakes went out in her trailer/store, Joey Wolffer ran a stoplight and worried what would happen to her high-end accessories inside. Two years later, she has a close relationship with a mechanic, knows the best spot to park in New York’s Meatpacking district and has a devoted summer following in the Hamptons.” In Wall Street Journal.

The oracle of girl world – “By the time Teen Vogue named her ‘the luckiest 13-year-old on the planet,’ in 2009, Ms. Gevinson had appeared on the covers of Pop and Love magazines and starred in a video for Rodarte’s Target line. Later, she was profiled by both The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine.” In NY Times.

See you in September – “The annual magazine ad-page race just got a little bit tighter last week among the fiercely competitive women’s fashion titles, with Vogue trumpeting a 658 ad-page tally for its September issue (its most watched), up a robust 14 percent from a year ago.” In NY Post.

Mary Katrantzou: the queen of frocks -“There is a lot of the enthusiastic student about Mary Katrantzou. There she sits on top of her desk by an open window, hair loose, chunky earrings swinging, cigarette and lighter in hand. She laughs a lot – throws her head back and really laughs – and talks 10 to the dozen; so much so that it takes 20 minutes for her actually to light the cigarette and start smoking it.” In The Telegraph.

Mumbai Journal: the city looming over Indian Fashion – “The WSJ’s India Real Time spoke with Ms. Vasudev, now associate editor at the Indian Express, about the increasing influence of Bollywood on luxury, and why the fashionista is an entirely Mumbai construct.” In Wall Street Journal.

It’s Karl’s world, we just live in it – “Lagerfeld’s output is more diverse than any other designer’s: he is responsible for everything from Chanel haute couture where money is no object to the accessible Karl. In 2004, he was the first big name to collaborate with the Swedish high-street chain H&M.” In The Independent.

Chinese women are muses for fashion gurus – “Today, with five stores doing brisk business (and plans for four more this year) and more than 300,000 followers on China’s Sina Weibo, she is becoming a household name here, a realization of her 2010 resolution to be widely known in a country that has become more than a business destination.” In China Daily.