Lectura de sambata dimineata

“Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” — Bill Moyers

Sunt femeie si sunt atehnica. In fine, ma pricep sa asamblez una-alta de la Ikea (dar doar cu instructiuni), pot sa schimb o siguranta si un cauciuc (dar are cine sa ma ajute, when I really need it), reusesc sa descarc, sincronizez, transfer tot felul de aplicatii… dar cam atat. Nu stiu sa ma descurc cu specificatiile tehnice, masinile mi le aleg pe criterii estetice nu de eficienta samd.

Asadar, cu atat mai uimitoare propunerea si provocarea primite saptamana trecuta de la Samsung: sa testez, sa ma joc si sa invat cum se folosesc nou-lansata lor tableta, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

Nu stiti care e? Ba o stiti din reclama TV, cea cu ochelaristul cu gura cascata, lipit de umarul unui barbat bine imbracat, care schiteaza pie charts, trimite emailuri, o coloreaza si decupeaza pe Mona Lisa, face fotografii…

Am sa va spun doua lucruri despre tableta Samsung. Unu: in ultimele 2 saptamani mi-a devenit o a doua mana dreapta, e o bijuterie (si nu doar tehnologica), e fun, e user-friendly, vorba unei amice: „nustiucemasfacefaraea”. Doi: daca vreti sa va jucati si voi cu ea, sa o testati cap-coada, haideti azi si maine, la ora 19, in AFI Cotroceni. Timp de o ora, eu am sa fac un demo, o sa incerc sa nu imi prind urechile cu S Pen-ul si multiscreenul, o sa prelucrez niste fotografii si o sa va arat cum imi vin ideile pentru blog, o sa va explic ce inseamna Pop up Play si Smart Stay… Ah, da, o sa va spun si ce inseamna Cloud. Eu abia am aflat…

Oh, da, si nu uitati sa intrati in concursul pentru inca o carte – „Cronologia modei” ! Spor la citit!

Sisters of the divine – “Watching Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen pose for a photo shoot is like watching a hypnotic piece of performance art. Former child stars, extraordinarily savvy brand nurturers, founders and owners of an estimated $1.5 billion business empire and, now, designers of the critically acclaimed high-end fashion line The Row, the Olsens have spent the great majority of their 26 years either in front of a camera or otherwise hard at work.” In WSJ Magazine.

Alberta Ferretti hands Philosophy line to designer Natalie Ratabesi – “Central Saint Martins graduate Natalie Ratabesi has become the latest British fashion designer to helm a major international label after Alberta Ferretti decided to step down from her role as creative director of her second line, Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti.” In The Telegraph.

An intellectual fashion: Nicola Fornichetti – “Nicola Formichetti is known as one of the most creative minds in contemporary fashion. In less than ten years, he has become one of the most influential voices in art direction and design.” In AnOther.

Why designers should think like bakers – “To sit down with Dries Van Noten after one of his fashion shows is to encounter a designer whose perfectionism tends to get the better of him. ‘I don’t focus on the things that went well,’ he confesses within hours of his recent spring/summer 2013 presentation in Paris.” In Globe & Mail.

Mario Testino: the man who makes models super – “At 57, the world’s most prolific magazine photographer is just getting started. It’s only 15 years, after all, since his career exploded in the wake of his 1997 Vanity Fair shoot with Diana, Princess of Wales. In 2010 he shot the engagement photos of Wills and Kate, and it’s entirely conceivable that, should the time come, he’ll photograph their children’s engagement portraits.” In Observer.

Shopping under the stars – “For the French department store Galeries Lafayette, this great upturned bowl of glass merits the much-used title ‘iconic.’ For it has been a symbol of Art Nouveau architecture and of a new age of pleasure purchasing for 100 years. To celebrate the dome’s centenary, the flagship store on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris has unveiled a 21st-century façade: a luminous cocoon of lighting using the dome as its matrix.” In International Herald Tribune.

Marc Jacobs: a conversation with Robert Duffy – “Ask any creative person trying to make a living from design or art what the hardest part of their working life is and they’ll probably tell you it’s the business side of the company that keeps them awake at night…  So it must have been a relief for Marc Jacobs when he, 28 years ago, met and befriended Robert Duffy.” In Port Magazine.

Five Chinese designers to watch – “China is one of the fastest growing markets for western style brands, but what about the homegrown labels? Here are five that are poised to go global.” In The Guardian.