'Fashion' Category

Food and Fashion -MARIMEKKO 1st Cooking party held in hong kong

Food and fashion exquisitely linked by Taste !! 

MARIMEKKO 1st Cooking party was held  at Corner Kitchen, Sheung Wan. There’s a saying in Finland – “we don’t leave our buddies behind” – and this spirit is needed more widely in the world. We cook and dine the Finnish dishes together to experience MARIMEKKO’s core value- “Get things done – together” and be joyful.

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It was more then a joyful experience  , it was a Fruitful experience too , by seeing all the beautiful Classic prints tableware includes Unikko (Poppy)Räsymatto (Rag)Siirtolapuutarha (Garden) and Socks rolled down glassware collection were showcased in the event. Oiva tableware also gets a new look for spring: the cornucopia of fruit from Aino-Maija Metsola’s Kompotti fabric seduce on the dishes designed by Sami Ruotsalainen. The cheery dish theme continues in the Kippo fabric designed by Ville Silvennoinen, in which jaunty stacks of dishes rise in blocs of peppy colour.

 

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Vatruska and Kompotti

 

The Vatruska (vatrushka pie) and Kompotti (compote) patterns, designed by Aino-Maija Metsola in 2012, are jolly mixes of various fruits – and an onion has managed to slip along, too. The patterns have been inspired by the designer’s own garden, where she grows vegetables and fruits of many sorts together with her sister.

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the fruitful experience doesn’t stop there , here is the recipe of the finnish dishes

 

Meatballs

Serves: 4

Meatballs

• 500g ground beef (or substitute half of the beef with ground pork and/or veal)

• 50-75 ml dry bread crumbs • 1 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp white pepper • 1/8 tsp allspice

• 150-200 ml cream • 1 small onion, grated fine • 1 egg

Basic cream sauce

• 2 tbsp onion, minced • 1 tbsp flour • 2 tbsp of butter • about 500 ml of beef stock, kept at

a hot temperature • salt and pepper to taste • about 50-75 ml cream

Add the cream to the breadcrumbs and stir to form a soft paste and let the mixture stand for a few minutes until the cream is absorbed in the breadcrumbs, making them thoroughly soft.

Add the meat and pureed onion in the breadcrumb paste and knead until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Break in the egg and continue kneading until the mixture is firm, smooth and homogenous. Form the mixture into small meatballs (21⁄2-3 cm) with clean, moistened hands. You can place the balls on a parchment paper covered tray or cutting board to wait for frying.

Melt some butter in a hot frying pan. Add enough meatballs in the pan to cover half of its bottom surface at the most, and lower the heat to medium-high. If your meatballs are firm enough, gently shake the pan so that the meatballs roll around, acquiring a round shape, and brown evenly. However, if the meatballs are fairly soft, use a wooden spatula or cooking tongs or tweezers to gently turn them over, until they are lightly browned from all over and hold their round shape.

Continue cooking them by shaking the pan every now and then so that they roll around and brown evenly. Continue to fry them in the pan until thoroughly cooked. If you are not sure whether they are done, split one in half to check it is no longer pink inside. Keep the meatballs warm while you prepare the sauce.

Saute the onion till soft and slightly browned. Add the flour and sauté until browned and toasted. Start pouring the hot stock in the skillet a little at a time, stirring continually to make the mixture completely smooth. Watch out for the hot steam rising from the skillet. You may not need to use all of the stock. Mix well and simmer until smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream, stir it smooth, bring to the boil and let simmer until thickened, stirring every now and then. Serve the sauce with meatballs. *You can serve the meatballs and cream sauce with some boiled pasta tossed in salt, pepper and melted butter.

 

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Seared Scallops with Lemon & Dill Sauce, Toasted Hazelnut

Serves: 4 as an appetizer

Scallops

• 2 tbsp canola oil • 800g of scallops or 12 Diver Scallops • salt and pepper Sauce • 100 ml chopped fresh dill • 1 tsp honey Dijon • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar • 100 ml canola oil • pinch of salt • pinch of white pepper • juice from 1/2 lemon

Croutons

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for making croutons

• 1 tbsp of parsley leaves, minced • A few slices of toasted Baguettes • pinch of cayenne pepper or black

pepper • 200g or four large handfuls of

Mesclun salad greens • 2 tbsp of toasted hazelnuts

To make the sauce, take about two tablespoons of the chopped dill and rub or pound together with a pinch of salt in a bowl or a mortar, until a green paste is formed. Stir in the mustards and the vinegar and mix until smooth. Beating the mixture with a wire whisk, slowly start adding the oil, first a drop at a time, like in making mayonnaise. When the mixture begins to thicken and emulsify, you can start adding the remaining oil in a thin stream, whisking continually. Season the sauce with salt and white pepper and lemon juice.

To make the croutons, brush the baguette slices generously on both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and cayenne pepper and a pinch of the minced herbs. Toast in a 160°C oven till golden brown. Crumble the toasts into little 1/4 inch pieces and you have your croutons.

Wash and pat the scallops very dry with paper towels.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until the oil smokes. Add the scallops in batches of 2 or 3, making sure that the pan is not overcrowded. The earlier batches will brown before the later ones, so turn them over accordingly. It should take about 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the scallops. Turning them in batches makes sure that your pan stays hot and the scallops won’t release too much liquid. Cook the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the scallops have a brown crust on both sides. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the croutons over the scallops. Serve with the salad greens and sauce. Garnish with breadcrumbs and toasted hazelnuts.

Fruit and Cookie Tower

Fruit and Cookie Tower

Makes: 4 towers

Cookie base

• 2 cups of all purpose flour • 1 tsp baking soda • 1 tsp salt • 200 g butter

• 1 cups sugar • 1 tbsp vanilla • 1 eggs • 1 yolk

Cream

• 450g or 1 tub of Mascarpone Cheese • 3 tbsp sugar • 1/2 cup whipped cream Fruits

• 4 cups chopped fruits (strawberries, kiwi, grapes)

Sift all purpose flour, baking soda and salt together.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually. Add the flourand mix on low speed to combine. Using about 2 level tbsp per cookie, shape dough into balls. Arrange the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them, because the dough will spread. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are no longer shiny. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on a cooling rack.

To make the cream, whip sugar, mascarpone cheese and whipped cream until light and fluffy.

To assemble, you place a cookie at the bottom and spread some of the cream on top. Arrange some chopped fruits on top of the cream. Place another layer on top and repeat with the cream with the fruits. Repeat with another layer of cookie. You will have three layers of cookies in total and the top layer will be a layer of cream and fruits.

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To mark the Hong Kong MARIMEKKO shop 1st Anniversary! Capture a special moment at their Unikko setting in-store between April 20 – May 5 and share the joy with all Marimekko’s friends on Facebook! The picture which gets the most “LIKE” will be announced on facebook on and the lucky winner will win an unique photographic experience with Venture Photography, valued at $2500. (The voting will close on May 14)

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Marimekko

G/F, 42 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay

T:+852 2203 4218

The Guangzhou’s delight – Redtory Art & Design Factory

the entrance of Redtory

the entrance of Redtory

 

 

I stay behind one more day after the Cultural Chanel exhibition in the Guangzhou’s opera house. My friends in Guangzhou told me about the Redtory Art & Design Factory so I went !!

I took a taxi from the opera house which cost only 20RMB or less to get there , suddenly I arrived in a quite greenery entrance !! So nice to get away from the busy ,dusty and forever constructing sites of hotel and office block in Guangzhou !!

Stared in the spring of 2009, Guangzhou Redtory Art & Design Factory  turns  the abandoned old industrial factory buildings into a creative /art space . Its located at the east side of the center axis through the CBD of Guangzhou, Zhujiang New Town. With full scenery on the north bank of the Pearl River in view, Redtory faces Pazhou International Exhibition Center across the lake in the south; in the north, it is the Tianhe business center, making it a precious creative district at the center of Guangzhou city replete with artistry and cultural atmosphere.

For more info : http://www.redtory.com.cn/english/index.php

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following this nice and quite road go into the main area of Redtory

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Redtory Art & Design Factory is a good place to chill out ! with shops , gallery and cafe !

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At Hanging Garden Art Café, big window with the winter sun !! just want to live there !!

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lovely green wall and living room setting for a cafe !!

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green is the theme in this cafe !!

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yes im obsessed with shadows !!

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at the front of the 360 design/ lifestyle shop !

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great space at the 360 shop ! they sale good selection of books magazines and design products

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360 shop cafe at the attic with skylight !!

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nice layout of the space with the beautiful door and windows

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just in case of the hot summer day , additional fan is needed !!

 

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the beautiful ceiling with skylight !!

 

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cool design – glass water bottles which looks like the old hong kong style warm water kettle

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everything taste better with wooden spoons and bowl !

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I like this table design specially with the under table lighting

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kind of regret that i didn’t but the teapots

 

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vintage telephone with a speaker !!

 

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leather bangles with wooden boxes !!

 

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Uncle is a Hong Kong style cafe , they even have the pineapple bread and the “West Toast ” there !!

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I like the minimal interior design with the high celling

 

 

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contrast with the modern design and the old building side by side

 

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back of a restaurant ! The dog is not for eating !! you know in China !!!

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the outdoor area of the creative design office !!

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Local couture designer shop , btw a lot photoshoot and wedding photography going on in and around the Redtory !!

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the back entrance of Redtory , that water tower reminds me of Germany

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some old furniture as a display in front of a cafe ,this vintage look is just for looking don’t sit on it !!

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the old communist design train station turns into a restaurant

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apart from the train carriage , dinning space extended beside the kitchen area which next to the railway 

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 What this” thing ” got to do with the train station ??

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went out from the back side of Redtory ! is that the Berlin wall of Guangzhou ??

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lovely blue door with yellow wall , am I in Tuscany ?? !!

 

 

 

 

 

Culture Chanel- The Breathe, Move, Love ,Dream and Invent of Gabrielle Chanel !

Culture Chanel exhibition,stared in Shanghai early 2011 ,  Beijing last November,and  make its third China exhibition at Guangzhou’s Zaha Hadid-designed opera house.

Running from January 16 through March 3, Culture Chanel is again curated by Jean-Louis Froment, and in partnership with the Guangdong Museum of Art, includes around 400 pieces showing the brand’s history and the centerpiece for the Guangzhou show is Pablo Picasso’s backdrop for the 1924 ballet “Le Train Bleu,” on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Additional items on show for the first time in China include works by Amadeo Modigliani ,drawings by Picasso and one of my favorite artist Jean Cocteau !!

This Pablo Picasso’s backdrop for the 1924 ballet “Le Train Bleu,”  perfectly installed at the experimental theater of the Guangzhou’s opera house . Gabrielle Chanel created the costumes for the ballet “Le Train Bleu,” in  1924

In 1930 , Gabrielle Chanel Launched Le 1940 series , a trilogy of unusual perfumes : Beige , Rouge,and  Bleu de Chanel .Ten years before its name bears, perfectly illustrated the designer’s vision . ‘a great fashion designer is one with a foward-looking mind ‘

I was obsessed with the beautiful shadows in this exhibition !

Picnic basket from 2010 s/s rtw collection : Gabrielle Chanel love open air and sunlight ,  freedom of  movement for modern women

 

Karl Lagerfeld drew inspiration from the achieve and this beret appeared in 1988 spring /summer RTW collection

In 1913 , Gabrielle Chanel opened a fashion boutique in Deauville , an elegant seaside town in Normandy, northwest of Paris.She sold a new style of clothing , inspired by sailor’s wardrobe !

blue silk chiffon dress , 2012 Paris – Bombay “métiers d art collection

Part of the exhibition installations are covering the windows in BLUE tone  !!

By 1921  Gabrielle Chanel already had a sports workshop in her HOUSE FASHION ,with a model for specifically for fitting , Tennis rackets and balls have been seen intermittently throughout the collection as essentials in the wardrobe of an athletic women today

 

My object of desire : two-tone rubber boots , 2008 F/W collection

Love this photo and the look of  Gabrielle Chanel salmon fishing 1926-1928

Door of Mademoiselle Chanel’s studio -enter to the creative world of Chanel !

Drawing of  Gabrielle Chanel  by Jean Cocteau 1933

more info of Culture Chanel  exhibition - http://culture.chanel.cn/en/index.php

 

My selection from the Maison Martin Margiela with H&M

Shirt HK$799

We’ve seen the campaign. We’ve seen the lookbook. 2 more days to go !!

Every items of H&M’s Maison Martin Margiela  are “re-edition”  from some of the MMM most iconic archive pieces  become the modern classics now, Here’s my selection from the menswear collection!!

Wool jacket HK$1290, Wool vest HK$499, Shirt HK$799

Leather shoes HK$1990

Wool jacket HK$1290

Wool jacket HK$1290

all photos by shawn hung

Maison Martin Margiela with H&M launches on 15 November. hm.com

Hedi Slimane-Saint Laurent Paris the first ad campaign and Shanghai store

Saint Laurent Paris  the first ad campaign featuring the new brand identity, shot by Slimane himself, has just been released, model muses Slimane choose musician Christopher Owens for the first of 15 images soon to be released .Owens was until recently the lead singer of the San Francisco band Girls, and he has been photographed previously by Slimane, who plans to continue working as a photographer in addition to his role as creative director of Saint Laurent Paris

Saint Laurent Paris Fall/Winter 2012 Eyewear Campaign
Model: Brayden Pritchard
Photographer: Hedi Slimane

 

Saint Laurent Paris,The 3,200-square-foot Shanghai store is the first of its kind, designed by Hedi Slimane and set to sell both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear lines.

Volumising your hair !

photo by kary kwok 

This year is Aesop’s 25th anniversary, Aesop skin care products already very popular, but may not many people know that Aesop started with hair products since the company ‘s beginning in 1987.

Growing up in a family of barbers and hairdressers, Dennis Paphitis, Owner and Founder of Aesop was dissatisfy with the quality of the hair products that they used in the hair salon, so he started to make his own shampoo and its became the worldwide brand Aesop.

I have a very sensitive scalp, therefore I won’t change my regular shampoo easily, but once I tried the Aesop Volumising shampoo and conditioner, with my fine, thin and flat hair this shampoo give volume, body and lift as well as condition my hair with botanical oils and the lovely smell of bergamot mint wakes me in the morning and refresh me after work!! Just love it!!

For more info www.aesop.com

Suit is a man’s best friend -Interview with Master Tailor Jonathan Payne from Dunhill !!

What is a man’s best friend ?  I think is a perfectly made to measure suit , the ultimate sartorial elegance !!

Alfred Dunhill Custom & Bespoke Manager -Jonathan Payne with 23 years in the tailoring trade who is the Master Tailor that I interviewed in Hong Kong . We talked about the art of tailoring as well as the fabric innovation with the use of modern technology !

1          How do you go about guiding a client in the custom process?

 If the customer is new to Custom, the first appointment will take around one hour. During the appointment, I will be asking questions about their current wardrobe and find out their requirements (what they want out of the garment etc) and act on the replies. I will then take him through the cloth collection, drawing their attention to relevant cloths based on their earlier replies. I will give suggestions on style, if the customers want it, recommending one which suits their figure type and I will discuss the silhouette they are looking for and work with either St James’s or Belgravia depending on whether they want a classical English silhouette or a slimmer version.

 

2          What is the first investment piece that a man should start with?

Something that they will relish wearing – this could be a blazer or a dinner suit but for most it may well be a navy suit, perhaps plain or semi plain – it is so versatile and if you choose interesting accessories, the look need not be boring.       

                                                                             

3          What styles of suit you will recommends for Asian/oriental man?

Generally single-breasted for the heat and humidity in Asia. 1 Button or 2 buttons  usually works well if the customer is a short fitting. A double-breasted has to be buttoned and so could be too much, in the summer months especially.  

 

4          How to match the style and the fabrics?

 As a rule, if you have a ‘busy’ cloth, keep a simple style and vice versa.

 

5          How to choose the shirt styles to match the suit styles?

We must bear in mind the angles – choose a collar that works well with the angle of the lapel of the jacket. As a rule, avoid pockets on business shirts. Choose a collar that is suitable for your neck – for example, if you have a short neck, avoid high collars. It is very important to keep the shirt design relatively subtle, if you have a bold design in the suit cloth.

 

 

6          What are the difference between Italian tailoring and the British tailoring?

The silhouette is the greatest difference. The English jacket looks to fit snuggly on the shoulders, have a fullish cut over the chest and is suppressed through the waist before flaring out over the hips. This is such a flattering shape for the male figure and can help to make even the ‘larger’ gentleman appear slimmer.   

 

                                                                         

7          Is there are difference ways of measuring for different styles?

 Yes – currently, some customers are asking for shorter jackets so the normal proportions have to be adapted slightly. Also, some cloths require slightly different measures – for example cottons & linens which do not have any natural stretch.             

                                                                       

8          What do you think of the current inclination towards skinny and tapered fits and silhouettes?

 I think it’s great as it can be really flattering even on bigger customers and can be outstanding on the right guy.           

                                                                              

9          What kind of “traditional” suit styles for the younger people?

 Single-breasted button with peak lapel can provide a subtle and stylish variation.      

 

   

10         Has there been  fabric innovation with the use of modern technology?

 Hugely important area. Nanotechnology, thermo-sensitive cloths. Cutting edge technology combined with traditionally cut and constructed tailoring – best of both worlds!    

                                                                                     

11         What would be the difference between bespoke and custom?

Custom provides a garment that has the appearance of a ready-to-wear garment but which is made from scratch within the boundaries of a pre-defined silhouette. Bespoke is created with the customer from a blank canvas.   

 

                                                                                

12         How do you see the future of tailoring?

 Very rosy. When I started in the trade 23 years ago, it was full of people saying is was a dying trade. Since then, it has grown and become a more and more important part of menswear. Advances in technology have allowed finer cloths to be woven and lighter weight garments to be made. It is constantly looking to improve itself and embrace innovation while retaining the subtle arts of cutting and sewing. As long as man wants to look good, he will dress himself in this most refined way of flattering the male form.     

For more info on  Alfred Dunhill Custom & Bespoke    

 http://www.dunhill.com/the-homes/hong-kong/                  

 

Before The Devil Wears Prada , before Anna Wintour, there was Diana Vreeland

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel

“Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel” is an intimate portrait and a vibrant celebration of one of the most influential women of the 20th century, an enduring icon whose influence changed the face of fashion, beauty, art, publishing, and culture forever. During her fifty year reign as the ‘Empress of Fashion,’ she launched Twiggy, advised Jackie O and coined some of fashion’s most eloquent proverbs such as ‘the bikini is the biggest thing since the atom bomb.’ She was the fashion editor of “Harper’s Bazaar” where she worked for 25 years before becoming editor in chief of “Vogue” followed by a remarkable stint at the Met’s Costume Institute where she helped popularize its historical collections.

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel is a must-see and must-read about someone that’s responsible for the way we view and interact with fashion today !!

 

Before The Devil Wears Prada , before Anna Wintour, there was Diana Vreeland.

Screening Time:

HK Space Museum Lecture Hall

| 19/8/2012 (Sun) | 21:00 | SP |
| 24/8/2012 (Fri) | 19:30 | SP

contacts
phone number: (+852) 2970-3300
email: info@hkiff.org.hk

 

Mr Hiroto Rakusho, a Master in Gold and Silver leaf art !!

I was invited to a private viewing and to meet Mr Hiroto Rakusho, a Master in Gold and Silver leaf art, His art works are truly all masterpieces which displayed exquisite skills, artistic expression, a spirit of excellence and inner strength.

The style of the work is based on the Rimpa School (琳派 ) which is one of the major schools in Japanese art dating back to the 17th century in Kyoto.

The Crest of Wave -Approximately 1000 sheets of golden leaf were used in this particular piece and considered one of the signature pieces of Hiroto’s works

 

Two of the pieces he brought with him  are traditional “nishijin” (西陣織) hand-woven in 0.7mm fine gold plated washi(和紙) threads!   The “Waves” is almost  3 meter long and was completed over a span of  two generations, with Hiroto’s  father starting it and him completing it. The other piece, the “Cranes”, Hiroto started painting and weaving  in 2009 and completed it  in 2011. Over thousands of sheets of gold leaves were used in these pieces and both of them are considered signature pieces of Hiroto’s work using gold threads.

Hiroto Rakusho provided Nishijin obi and braidcord for Ralph Rucci’s NY collection

Hiroto Rakusho collaboration with Chado Ralph Rucci spring 2010

Hiroto Rakusho collaboration with Chado Ralph Rucci spring 2010

Hiroto is a candidate to the Ningen Kokuho (人間國寶Living Treasures of Japan), and has been awarded Kyoto Traditional Craftman Award (京都工藝士).

For more info  http://www.hiroto-rakusho.com/

 

 

 

 


Short film “Mirror Mirror” created by Peter Philips, Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup

Bold, innovative and unexpected… CHANEL MAKEUP CONFIDENTIAL (http://www.chanel-makeup-confidential.com/), the digital magazine that reveals the creative and sometimes off-beat world of CHANEL makeup in each edition, is delivering its latest innovation with a short film “Mirror Mirror” created by Peter Philips, Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup. The mirror face, in composition of pieces of crystals and mirrors, complimented different lipstick shades creates a sparkling, hypnotizing effect.

MIRROR MIRROR

Interview of Peter Philips, Creative Director of CHANEL Make up

1. After <Here comes the Beauty Pack> and <Shade Parade> what was your inspiration for this video? What message did you wish to express?

Various elements came into account in the realization of this film. I wanted to do a film, a teaser, to announce the coming lipstick event that CHANEL is doing around our Rouge Allure line. I also was very inspired by the Paris Bombay Show that we did last December.

2. The usage of a mask often occurs in your work, why the use of the mirror effect? What is the hidden message?

There is no hidden message behind this makeup. I was mainly inspired by an editorial makeup I did a few years ago. It was a composition of pieces of crystals and mirrors that I applied on a girl’s face. We did some amazing pictures, but I always felt a bit frustrated that we never captured this makeup in movement. I loved the sparkling, hypnotizing effect, which, unfortunately, you partially loose in a still image. When the idea of doing a film around the lipsticks and Paris Bombay started growing in my head, I actually found a platform to recreate this mirror face. The concept complimented the shades and the hypnotizing, psychedelic aspect fitted well with the Indian theme.

3. How were these masks created?

The “mirror look” isn’t an actual mask. The pieces of crystals and mirrors are individually applied onto the face. The composition is created around the central mirror that’s applied on the forehead as a third eye, surrounded by a peacock-tail motive. The whole face is covered with pieces of crystals and mirrors to create a mesmerizing effect. The only touch of color is the changing lip shades. The application of the crystals and mirrors took a good 4 hours.

4. What makeup products were used for this shooting to enhance the eyes and the mouth?

I kept the eyes almost naked. I only curled the lashes, applied Ombre Essentielle #Ivory and our #Clair khol liner on the eyes, and that’s it. On the lips I applied 5 different, new shades of Rouge Allure lipstick: #Pimpante, #Excentrique, #Enjouée, #Exaltée, #Palpitante.

5. Any interesting anecdotes on the shooting?

The brightest sparkle of this shooting, was our model, Inguna. She was truly amazing, her beauty and patience made it for the whole team an even better experience.

6. Who is the model?

Inguna Butane.