Loving Portuguese Artist Joana

I have been following Joana Vasconcelos fabulous work for several years. Joana is Portuguese artist born in Paris in 1971 and first came to global attention at the 2005 Venice Biennale with her work A Noiva (The Bride). It consists of a 5 foot chandelier made entirely from 25,000 tampons!!She was the first female artist to be invited to show work at The Palace of Versailles in 2012 and is the sole Portuguese representative of The Venice Biennale 2013. I find it fascinating how she incorporates household objects such as spoons and pot lids, traditional Portuguese crafts such as crochet, filigree and ceramics into her work. Many of her pieces are giant crochet and knitted objects dangling from ceilings. You'll see below with only some images of her work just how crazily creative she is. The rest, jump on her website.

Lilicoptere 2012

Bell 47 helicopter adorned with ostrich feathers, Swarovski crystals, gold leaf, industrial coating, dyed leather upholstery embossed with fine gold, Arraiolos rugs, walnut wood, wood grain painting, passementerie.
Love it.....a ride anyone??

Marilyn 2011

Giant shoes made from stainless steel pans and lids.......go figure!

Piano Dentelle 2008-2011

Steingraeber & Söhne baby grand piano, piano stool covered in handmade cotton crochet.

Imagine one of these in your home!

Vasconcelos’ art practice is characterized by a decontextualisation of the familiar - be they household objects, plastic spoons or national icons - and the deconstruction of how we identify things, particularly gender, class, and nationality. There is a political current to Vasconcelos’ work: the revolution of 1974 and the stifling patriarchal culture of the Salazar years form the backdrop and counterpoint to her ferociously energetic reinvention of Portuguese, and specifically femaShe has inherited and assimilated the visual language and themes of Duchamp’s readymade; the pop art of mass consumption exemplified by Warhol and Oldenburg; and the subversive, at times humorous, feminist voices of Louise Bourgeois and Eva Hesse.(From her biography)

If you're in Europe or heading there this month, her current exhibtions are in Venice, Palma de Malorca Spain and the Gucci Museo in Florence. Details on her website. http://www.joanavasconcelos.com/index.aspx 
I hope you get a chance one day to view her work.  It is well worth it.
Gessica 

A love affair with Mannequins

Her name is Esmeralda, she stands at 50cm tall, it took approximately 14 hours to make her, and is the latest addition to my mannequin obsession.

This little mannequin I hand created using feathers, tulle, french lace, diamanties, beads, Italian trims, silk flowers, crochet, wings and much more. There is a lot of detail on them and one can look at them for a long time observing the crazy mix of textures and colours. The items I use have been collected either from my travels in various parts of the world, sourcing on line and scouring vintage shops which tend to have some wonderful one-off pieces to add. Each layer/piece is glued or stitched on(even the beads on top of beads are individually glued on).

 

My love affair with making these avant garde mannequins started 25 years ago when I bought a dressmaking bust from a 2nd hand shop and glued a collage of shells and beads all over her. I had a wrought iron candelabra top and base made to fit the mannequin so that it transformed into a giant 2m high mannequin candelabra. I still have that mannequin! From there I made several large ones and sold them in galleries and shops in Australia and Italy.
Whilst living in Milan I stumbled upon a man that hand made small papier mache mannequins and that is when I began to make smaller ones too.....also having iron feet and miniature candelabra tops made for them. 
The last few years I haven't made any with candelabra tops because of my travels and in fact had a break from making them entirely until recently. Since making them again they have become more and more detailed and elaborate (as you will see in upcoming posts on my previous mannequins) and hence take more time to make.
I believe this a reflection of my changing life and the many colourful experiences I have so far had. I also think I'm a little crazy, so it could be a reflection of my personality!! 
My ladies (as I like to call them) are all given names to suit the personalities they take on as I make them and have been sold all around the world in shops and galleries from Italy to London, France to USA, Australia to Singapore.  They adorn homes as unique décor pieces, shops as window displays, centrepieces for tables. They have been photographed and featured in numerous magazines I have lost count.....I guess they become super models!!

 

No two are alike.  I am inspired by the baroque era, colours, nature, textures, and travels. Each and every one of them are unique art pieces that give me such joy when creating them. I love transforming them from a papier mache bust to a theatrical ornament. Each time one sells, a part of my soul goes with them so I guess a little bit of me is scattered all over the globe.

No matter how many different creative avenues I take with my career......I never lose sight of making my ladies regardless of whether I take a break for a while in making them.  They will be what I will be doing late in life and they will only get better.  

One day when I have a proper studio and all my equipment in one place, I will re-commence making "life size" mannequins and I just can't wait. Watch out for these, they will certainly be grand.

I custom make. If you have particular colours you love, then I can make to suit you. 
For all enquiries please email me on stylebygessica@gmail.com

In posts to come I will feature my "yellow" mannequin (below photo) and some others.....do keep reading.

Bye for now........Gessica & Esmeralda X

Feathers.....crystals....beads......glamour

I am a devoted follower of SoniaM Designs, a talented accessories designer based in QLD. Take at look at her blogspot http://soniamdesigns.blogspot.com.au/ with all her pieces featured on there.
Below are some of her beautiful designs

It is not because Sonia is my sister that I promote her, for even if I didn’t know her I would most definitely still be a fan of her accessories as they are unique, quality pieces that are not mass market. For quite a few years now Sonia has had great success in “hand making” beautiful necklaces, earrings, bracelets and feather capes. I love love love wearing her pieces for they add colour and glamour to an outfit whether It be casual or dressed up. I admire Sonia's great eye for detail and colour combinations. When making her jewellery from her studio in Brisbane, Sonia uses Swarovski crystals mixed with freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones and various Indian beads. Other trimmings are leather and silk tassels. Her beads and trims are sourced from Italy, France, the UK and USA.

Her elaborate feather capes are a stand out. They can be worn over a dress to glam it up or for a more casual style over a t-shirt and jeans with high heals….it looks slick.  Imagine one of these worn for Melbourne Cup lunch!!
Sonia wears her capes, jewellery and patterned outfits all together and somehow pulls it off beautifully always drawing positive attention.

The "fantastical" feather capes, caplets and collars(made in various sizes) are made with a  mixture of rooster, ostrich, goose and pheasant feathers sourced from France and USA. The trimmings with the majority imported from France, Italy and UK consist of tulle, velvet ribbons and beaded trims......and all capes are lined with satin.

I know that Sonia spends great amounts of time sourcing the perfect stones, trims and feather for her pieces.  Many of the brooches found on some of her necklaces are one-off vintage pieces.
When I visit her in Brisbane I too along with her gorgeous young daughter spend copious amount of time in her studio playing like children with all the bits and pieces.  I even sneak a few little pieces in my suitcase to add to my mannequins ;-)
Of course I will highly recommend adding a piece or two or a few of her creations to your wardrobe. If you’re a boutique, buying some pieces to go with your garments can only add value. You can specify what colours you like and Sonia will make to your requirements. Sonia like me is also a personal fashion consultant so you can email her explaining what you have, and she can make something up to suit you.  With spring racing carnival here(be quick ladies) and Xmas around the corner think of a gift for yourself, friends, family!!

For all enquiries Sonia can be contacted via her Blogspot mentioned above or email her on soniamarmotta@hotmail.com

Va Va Va Voom.
  

 

 

 

 

Racing Carnival...something to wear for women and men

The spring racing carnival in Australia is upon us. The main day, The Melbourne Cup is traditionally known for crossing the boundaries with your outfit.  It can be about the outlandish and bold.....the colour combinations, patterns, textures mixed together, crazy hats and fabulous shoes. Using your wonderful imagination in bringing out your uniqueness and wearing outfits you would most probably not wear on the streets. However as a fashion consultant, I have noticed the last few years women more than men are playing it safe.....tight short dresses or skirts and boring headwear seem the norm!! Fashion on the Fields in my opinion has been rather disappointing the last few years. After speaking with many women on this subject, they admit they are too scared to stand out. Sad indeed. Women have retreated a little and too frightened to bring out their creative side for that one time of year to wear something super slick. I guess this subject could turn into a psychological discussion on self esteem so I better stop now (save that for another post). For those few that truly do make an effort to stand out, well done I commend you. This post is about what I suggest for both men and women for those daring enough to want to push some boundaries without going OTT. It does not need to cost much to look different. Re-invent something from you wardrobe or purchase one great piece to go with something in your wardrobe. My advice I repeatedly seem to mention to my clients.....don't follow the past and current trends just for the safety of it.....use your imagination and let it show in what you wear. If you find your own style, you will shine no matter how simple or crazy it is. This year Art Deco prints, geometric shapes and botanical prints are big. I absolutely love mixing these pieces together....so below are just some ideas from my pinboard to get your imagination going.

Geometric Art Deco Prints

Geometric mixes. This is a great look when you put it together well. Who says it all has to match.  An A-line skirt with one print mixed with a sassy jacket or silk top in a different geometic print and belted is just fun and feminine. If you want to down play it, choose a patterned skirt with a bright plain jacket or silk blouse or visa versa, plain skirt with patterned jacket.  And yes I must admit I do love the headscarfs under hats for something different.  Wearing a silk headscarf with a flower attached is an alternative to a hat. You don't have to cover the whole head in a scarf.  Partly covered with hair flowing under is still feminine and classy. As a huge lover of large costume jewellery, I say put some bling on with it all just to make it jangle.(The jewellery in the pics are from fabulous QLD based designer SoniaM. My next post will about her....so keep tuned.)

Florals and Botanical Prints

Again mix them together. Mix florals with geometric as seen in these photos. Love it. And yes I would wear a long vintage shift dress to the races with a stunning bright print on it(imagine a tropical print in vibrant colours).....why not, it would be elegant and certainly a standout to the normally super short skirts seen on the track. Team the outfits with a colourful necklace or better still a hand created feather cape as seen in photo(again from SoniaM Designs). And yes mix the bag colours up.
For information on Headgear go to www.racingfashion.com where it lists many of  the well known milliners. At this point you would be looking for ready made as it's too late now to order a custom made. Otherwise many vintage shops have unique one-off pieces at a smidge of the price of a custom made hat.

And for the MEN

Loving the neutral Look. Cream and Oatmeal linen Stripes & checks. Worn with black or chocolate brown bow tie, silk weaved tie and dark brown oxfords..............just so dashing.



Now I am a huge fan of Lapo Elkann's style(you will see a lot more of him on my blog).  If you don't know him, he is the grandson of the late Gianni Agnelli aka "Mr Fiat & Ferrari". Like his grandfather he oozes style no matter what he wears. In the above photos of him, I've picked out some of his daily ensembles that I feel are perfect for the man on the track who wants to stand out a little. You don't have to be a bad boy like him to look cool, just use your imagination and work with colours that suit you. How about some colour with mustard yellow? Everything from the white shirt to his shoes and hat works. The classic large pinstripe is always just so handsome on most men. I can't help loving the vintage camel colour suit with green tie. Such a fabulous colour combination and if you can pull if off like he can...then go for it. Then of course the pink hat.....why not!! 
Now for Geometric die-hards who don't wish to stand out too much, how about the patterned shirt/tie/hanky look in bottom left hand corner? Subtle but smart. Then of course if you want to truly push boundaries, go for the whole geometric look with complete suit. I dare you!
Another dashing outfit on the track would be an Indigo blue suit worn with white shirt and dark brown shoes.

These are only some ideas of mixing colours and prints.  For further advice and a consultation email me on stylebygessica@gmail.com

 

Oh Marilyn

I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I'm out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. Beauty and femininity are ageless and can't be contrived, and glamour, although the manufacturers won't like this, cannot be manufactured. Not real glamour; it's based on femininity.
This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you’re going to mess it up.

 

Lovers, come and go. And babe, I hate to say it, most of them are going to break your heart, but you can’t give up because if you give up, you’ll never find your soul mate. You’ll never find that half who makes you feel whole and that goes for everything without fear.

Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re going to fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.

We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets.

Marilyn Monroe

Living Flowers Staircase

Built in 1608, The Santa Maria del Monte is a 142-step staircase made up of thousands of individual terra cotta tiles. It is often used as a backdrop for various festivals in  in Caltagirone, Sicily. The floral theme shown here is part of the “Scala Infiorata,” or the floral festival, and the designs are made up of 2000 potted plants and flowers including  included geranium, marigold and boxwood. If you look closely at the last photo, you can see all the colourful terracotta tiles.  If you're heading to the south of Italy in the spring one year, go and check it out, looks gorgeous. 

This post was found on the blogsite Pattern People(under blogs I'm obsessed with)

Photos by Andrea Annaloro

 

  

 

A Delicious Ottolenghi recipe

"Stuffed eggplant with lamb, almonds and pomegranate seeds"
Adapted from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.
yum yum.....give this a go.......

                

 

 

Ingredients:

4 medium eggplants
6 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 medium onions, finely chopped
500 g ground lamb
50 g almonds, coarsely chopped (the original recipe states for pine nuts)
20 g flat-leaf parsley + a little bit more for garnish
1 big tbsp tomato paste
3 tsp superfine sugar
150 ml water
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
the seeds of 1 pomegranate

Preheat the oven to 425˚F/220˚C.

 

Place the eggplant halves, skin side down, in a roasting pan large enough to hold them snugly. Brush the flesh with 4 tbsp of the oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.

While the eggplants are cooking, you can start by making the lamb stuffing by heating the two remaining tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Mix together the cumin, paprika and ground cinnamon and add half of this spice mixture to the pan, along with the onions. Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, before adding the lamb, almonds, parsley, tomato paste, 1 tsp of the sugar, 1 tsp salt, and some black pepper. Continue to cook and stir for 8 minutes more, until the meat is cooked. Mix in half of the lemon juice.

Place the remaining spice mixture in a bowl and add the water, the remaining half of the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well.

Reduce the oven to 375˚F/195˚C. Pour the spice mixture into the bottom of the eggplant roasting pan. Spoon the lamb mixture on top of each eggplant.  Cover the pan tightly with aluminium foil, return to the oven and roast for 1 1/2 hours, by which point the eggplants should be soft and the sauce thick. Twice during cooking, remove the foil and baste the eggplants with the sauce. Add some water if sauce dries out.

Serve warm, not hot, or at room temperature. Before serving, sprinkle the eggplants with some chopped parsley and the pomegranate seeds.

Buon Appetito