Amazing Liu Wen

It is refreshing to see faces that are different from conventional boring barbie look. Liu Wen is one of the few Asian supermodels out there and I think she is absolutely stunning. 

Stylised to Perfection - Lana del Rey

Effortless Cool

I am a big fan of effortless cool. But what exactly is it?

For me effortless cool comes from confidence, you have to be enough to be complete. No pretence, no showing-off, no people pleasing, just you as you are.

It's about doing what you feel is right even if it is against the norm or even against what others consider cool.

I think Ryan Gosling's character in Drive is effortlessly cool (in fact the whole film and the soundtrack are so cool...). That guy can make knitting look like the coolest thing ever, that's how effortlessly cool he is.

Is it me, or being a real human being makes you effortlessly cool? ;)

Paris. Eiffel Tower

This is the last post dedicated to the most romantic places in Paris. It won't be complete without the Eiffel Tower... I know that a lot of people find it too banal, too familiar. But I love it. That's all.

Paris. Pere Lachaise Cemetery

There is something so beautiful about cemeteries. It's peaceful. It's calming. It allows you to think and look at things from a different perspective. The reason I went to Pere Lachaise in Paris was the Oscar Wilde resting place. But then I realised that this place is so much more... While walking through the labyrinth of graves - some plain, some so elaborate - I saw the beauty of life as well as the beauty of departure.

Paris. Pont des Arts

I went to Paris for the first time... and now I'm in love. Its beauty, culture, food, language and atmosphere seem to be in such harmony, it's classic and timeless and so sophisticated... I had heard so many mixed opinions about Paris - some people love it and some people hate it and some are indifferent. So when I went to Paris, I didn't have high expectations - I thought I will go and see it for myself. And now I think how can you hate or remain indifferent to its beauty?! I guess, a lot of the times people were disappointed by the notorious "unfriendliness" of the locals towards tourists and the lack of efficient service. But for me these are not the things I rate highly in my book, I am a visual person, and so what I see around me is more important than service or attitude (although I must say that during my visit I have had a great experience with service and locals - it is just the same as in any big city).

The three highlights of Paris for me were the Pont des Arts, the Pere Lachaise cemetery and the Eiffel Tower.

I thought that the most romantic place in Paris is the Pont des Arts with its padlocks and the famous "postcard" view on the island where Notre Dame stands. This place was familiar to me even before I went to Paris through the photograph of Henri Cartier-Bresson:

And here is my homage to the master of classic photography:

You can see how the background got "busier" with time but it still holds its classic Parisian look.

I don't really know when has the tradition of couples in love attaching little padlocks to the railings of the Pont des Arts bridge and throwing the keys in the Seine waters started, but it really adds to the charm of the place. I caught myself thinking that one day I would like to come here with that one person and attach a little padlock to symbolise something meaningful. Here are the ones I found particularly interesting:

I will write about the Pere Lachaise cemetery in my next post...

Hedi Slimane and Lana Del Rey

I was looking through Hedi Slimane's work recently and on the background Lana Del Rey's "Blue Jeans" was playing. Somehow the two entwined and here's the end result...

Vampire Hunter D

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is one of my favourite animes of all time. The scene with the flying stingrays in the desert is a masterpiece...  

The Great Photographers. Part II - Julia Margaret Cameron

Julia Margaret Cameron started photographing when she was 48 years old. Her work is instantly recognisable - the romantic Pre-Raphaelite feel, the unusual cropping (this is late 19th century!) and that relentless pursuit to capture beauty...

Decoration Tip

I am using Chanel's ad campaign as a way of "livening up" the antique style frame. It goes well with an "aged gold" jewellery stand as the ad campaign is for its Byzantine jewellery line.

The Genius of Tim Burton

Tender is the Night

There's something special about nighttime... I always enjoyed the peaceful, quiet nights which grant you the freedom to think, to dream and to create... This dark and quiet substance that envelops you during the night makes your thoughts more profound and clear.

Night is strange. Night is surreal. Night is when you dream, and not always because you are asleep.

The Great Photographers. Part 1 - W. Eugene Smith

W. Eugene Smith was a photojournalist. He photographed life as it happened - events, people, landscapes... His work was not just about the visual, it had meaning, it had significance.

Not just because he photographed war or consequences of pollution, or people's sufferings. It was more than that. It was about capturing a moment that lasted a split second and under no circumstances could have been repeated again. It was about conveying a message through a stunning image that evoked emotions.

The very first photograph of Smith I saw was the "Walk to Paradise Garden"(1946) - single photo of his two children walking hand in hand towards a clearing in woods. And I was blown away by the power of this image. Not only Smith creates visually strong images, he creates a mood, he tells a story with it. And that's a sign of a truly great photographer.

Designer Stuff I Don't Regret Buying

There are things in life that are just meant to be yours... They fit, they make you feel and look good, they bring just a little bit of that extra joy into your life... I am talking about designer clothes and accessories.

Now this may sound shallow, but let's face it - if you had an opportunity to wear something that was made well, looks amazing and will last long, you'd go for it (affording it is another question, but I am talking hypothetically here). 

So, throughout my life I have owned several designer things (some were more successful than others) and these are the ones that stood the test of time:

Pride and Prejudice

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife..."

What is it about Pride & Prejudice that makes you read (and watch and watch and watch) it again and again? Maybe it is the characters that everyone can relate to and recognize, maybe it is the desire to believe in the fairy tale ending and the happily ever after,  and maybe it is the need for stories that are simple and true, almost like the stories that can happen to you one day...

Video Games

Swinging in the backyard
Pull up in your fast car
Whistling my name

Open up a beer
And you say get over here
And play a video game