Master Illustrator Antonio Lopez

Chocolate Layers

Chinese Splendor

Raise The Red Lantern via National Ballet of China

Yellow Chinoiserie Wallpaper via NSR Handcrafts Co.

Wedgewood Jasper Conran Chinoiserie Green via Matching China

Raise the Red Lantern Film by Zhang Yimou

Midnight Blue Chinoiserie Wallpaper via Made in China

Mint Green Chinoiserie Wallpaper via de Gournay

House of Flying Daggers Bamboo Forest

Ralph Lauren's seems to have China on his mind, this is my favorite  collection in years.

I see some influence from Bernardo Bertolucci's wonderful 9 Academy Award winning film The Last Emperor which had incredible costumes, music and set design.

Also the colours in this collection made me think of Director Zhang Yimou films, The stunningly visual House of Flying Daggers with its incredible vibrant Jade Green Bamboo scene, the reds and blacks from both Hero and Raise The Red Lantern which was also made into a Ballet by China's National Ballet.

On 8.8.2008 Zhang Yimou directed the unforgettable Beijing Olympics opening Ceremony. So wish I could have been there.

Here are some links to view clips of these wonderful movies,

The Last Emperor www.criterion.com/films/254-the-last-emperor

House Of Flying Daggers www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLkedDMb8vI

Raise The Red Lantern www.youtube.com/watch?v=vivaoPZhIH8&feature=related

Hero www.youtube.com/watch?v=srFhXDZhUZI

http://www.ballet.org.cn/en/home.htm

www.ralphlauren.com

Horus at the Temple of Edfu, on the banks of the Nile Egypt. November 2019, Photo by Vision of Splendor

Uxua Casa Hotel

Last April my brother got married in Sao Paulo to my lovely Brazilian sister in-law. Thanks to this wonderful union, we got a chance to come to beautiful Trancoso and stay at the incredible Uxua Casa Hotel where my brother and his wife got engaged.

This is not your average hotel, its an Oasis of Tropical Splendor, little casas dotted around the grounds and out on the Quadrado, Tancoso's 16th Century town green.The attention to detail is heavenly, everything is made by local artisans, the staff are warm, friendly and happy. We had most of the hotel to ourselves so it felt as we were all living there, it has such a magical and seducing quality and none of us wanted leave.

Uxua is a labor of love and you feel it, an unforgettable experience and I hope to return very soon.

All pictures via Uxua except picture 11 which is taken by me on Uxua beach.

The website is also fantastic, am sure you will be seduced,

www.uxua.com

Ciao Italia

Photo Via Persol

Photo Marcello Mastroianni Via Persol

Photo Via Garance Dore

1938 Alfa Romeo Touring Berlinetta via Sportscardigest

Photo Anna del Russo Via Garance Dore

Photo Via Bvlgari

Photo Via The Sartorialist

Photo via Garance Dore

Photo Via the Sartorialist

Source unknown

Photo via Pasticceria Marchesi

En route to Milano for some Mangiare , Sole  e Shopping.

Arrivederci xo

The Need for Speed

Confederate X123 Hellcat Combat photo by Jerry Garns

Salt Flats Photo by Simon Davidson

1952 Buick Super Riviera photo by Gunther Maier

JCB Dieselmax 'Streamliner"

Indian Motorcycle photo by Jerry Garns

1952 Buick Bombshell

Sunset over the Salt Flats by Dirk Ehrentraut

Spectre Speedliner

Looks like a rocket bike photo by Simon Davidson

Love this Buick photo by John Michael Cooper

A little shade needed photo by Jerry Garns

Technical Support photo by Simon Davidson.

Bonneville Salt Flats Utah photo by Yawara on Flickr.

If you like Speed and the magical desert, and am not talking about Burning Man, this for you! Welcome to the Annual Bonneville Speedweek.

This famous race has been around since the early 1930's. There are some cars and bikes here that I have never seen in my life and they are here in the majestic Salt Flats of Utah to beat world speed records. There are over 500 entries for this race and speeds going over 400MHP. That is crazy, but these wonderful pictures caught my eye and I became fascinated. 

This ain't Driving Miss Daisy! xo

If you want to see how fast these people go, here are some amazing videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGGzdG7RAuA

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/racing/confederate-x132-hellcat-combay-bonneville-lsr/#more-35506

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_Speedway

Masculine Edge

1. Craftsman 1470pc Professional Tool Set

Ferrari via GQ

Kitchen via Erin Martin Projects

Tom Dixon Lights

Miles Redd Kitchen

Todd Romano Living Room

Italian Style via The Sartorialist

Men's Dressing Room

Tom Kundig Pool and Gym via AD

Martin Gee Apartment

Office Source Unknown

1938 Alfa Romeo's Lungo Touring Coupe

Gio Ponti Blue Diamond Living Room

Denver Art Museum North Building by Gio Ponti

Gio Ponti

Francisco Costa Apartment Via AD

Miles Redd Bedroom

Mad Men's Don Draper

Pinstripe Arm Chair via Inside Man Apartment Therapy

1963 Aston Martin DB5 via GQ

Pinstripe and Silver Via Apartment Therapy

Douglas Friedman Office Space

Roman & Williams Living Room Elizabeth NYC

Roman & Williams Black and Caramel Kitchen Elizabeth NYC

Roman & Williams Office NYC

Hank Azaria Dressing Room via AD

Hank Azaria Office/ Games Room Via AD

Kitchen via Apartment Therapy

AMC's Rubicon TV Show

Rakovsky Loft via Anima

Restoration Hardware Aviator Office

Ryan Gosling via GQ

Tom Kundig Living via AD

I Loewe You

Clockwise: Founder, Enrique Loewe Roessberg (1844-1929); Enrique Loewe Hilton (1879-1934), charmed high society to Loewe; Enrique Loewe Knappe (1912) pioneered international expansion; Enrique Loewe Lynch (1941) launched ready-to- wear in the 60’s, and created the Loewe Foundation, 1988.

Most people when they see the name Espagana , they think of Flamenco, bullfights, passion, paella, sangria, tortilla and Ibiza.

Let us not forget the incredible history of this country that brought these worldwide famous painters like Velazquez, Picasso, Goya and Dali and the legendary story of Don Quixote de la Mancha written by Miguel de Cervantes to name a few of the top of my head. The other well known Spanish expertise comes from craftsmanship and leather.

This is where the House of Loewe (lo-ay-ve) comes in, in 1846 a leather goods workshop was created  by  a group pf craftsmen on the year of two royal marriages, that of Her Majesty Isabel II of Bourbon to the Duke of Cadiz and that of Princess Maria Luisa Fernanda to the Duke of Montpensier. In 1872 Enrique Loewe Roessberg, a German craftsman specializing in leather working arrived in Madrid and decided to join forces with the these craftsmen and established the Loewe brand. With the precision and technique of Enrique Loewe and the creativity, leather and sensuality of Spain the house of Loewe rose in popularity becoming the Official Supplier to the Spanish Royal Crown in 1905. Famous stars such as Ava Gardner, Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Maria Callas and Ernest Hemingway would all purchase from the Gran Via store in Madrid.

Loewe started expanding all over Spain and in 1963 opened its first boutique in London's New Bond Street. Loewe then branched out into the Fashion Industry, Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and Laura Biagiotti were behind the first Women's Ready to Wear Collections. From there they created perfumes, Men's ready to wear and opened shops all over the world, in 1988 the Loewe Foundation was created including the Annual International Poetry Prize . In 1996 on the 150th Anniversary of the House of Loewe  LVMH took over the ownership of the brand, now with by Stuart Vevers as the Artistic Director of the brand.

What wonderful history this brand has, and if you ever get a chance to pass by their store go and view their collection "Clothing as Light as Air, as Soft as Silk", the leather is so so soft you can't believe it , the quality is just perfection.

Ole! xo

All photos via,

www.loewe.com

Research via,

www.wikipedia.org

The Light Aquatic

Aqua Creations Lighting & Furniture Atelier was founded in 1994 by designer-artist Ayala Serfaty who completed her degrees in Fine Arts at the Bezalel Academy of art in Design in Jerusalem and then at Middlesex Polytechic in London. Well known for her art creations Ayala and her husband Photographer Albi Sefaty collaborated to evolve their talents to develop Aqua Creations a Lighting & Furniture Atelier.

Based out of Tel Aviv where their pieces are all handmade by their team of skilled artisans who use their craft to create such unique pieces. They create, manufacture and design all out of these headquarters.

I am especially fascinated by the Light designs, there is something so modern but yet so soft to each piece, for some reason I see them as creatures from the universe both below in the depths of our oceans and above in our galaxies. They make me dream and escape into these worlds.. These magnetic pieces can be commissioned for a home, apartment, hotel, restaurant  I imagine they would blend in well with any type of lanscape sea, mountain, desert or snow. Fun to play around with and use your imagination with various colour and shape choices you will be surely transported to their world. 

I am floating xo

To commission a piece, Aqua Creations can be contacted in their offices in Tel Aviv or their Showroom in New york City,

Aqua Creations Head Offices

29 Ben Zvi road, Tel Aviv 68103, Israel

Telephone. +972 3 5151 222

Fax. +972 3 5151 223

Aqua Creations USA

200 Lexington Avenue, Suite #427

New York, NY 10016, USA

Telephone. +1 212 219 9922

Fax. +1 212 219 4042

All images via 

Aqua Gallery