Japan House London unleashes creative ideas for doggies in new exhibition

In recent months, due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has made it essential for many of us to stay at home more, we have come to appreciate the importance of biophilic interior designs that help promote our wellbeing, like incorporating nature and natural materials.  

Photo: Jeremie Souteyrat.

Now an exhibition in the heart of Kensington, London in the UK opens our eyes to unique designs that promote the wellbeing of ourselves and our trusted best friends, our dogs.  

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

Entitled “Architecture for Dogs” the exhibition in the basement of the tranquil Japan House** features a range of 16  creative doggy furniture/homes designed by international notable architects and designers.  Many of the creations are much like furniture that make comfort a major factor for our four-legged friends, specifically small to medium sized breeds including the Beagle, Bishon Frise and Poodle, while others are designed to promote activity, perhaps to ensure peaceful co-habiting with humans.  

With our loyal, four-legged friends proving their value as comforting companions during lockdown more than ever, Architecture for Dogs offers visitors a fun and insightful exploration into how it is possible for dogs and their human companions to be at their happiest through interaction with specially designed architectural pieces, according to Japan House in a press statement.

Photo: Adrian Brooks, Imagewise

Internationally renowned Japanese architect Kuma Kengo has created “Mount Pug”, a form of a nest or playground made organically with interconnecting pieces without the use of a signle nail.  

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

Kengo is the designer of the Tokyo’s New National Stadium which has been built for 2020 Summer Olympics, which sadly the world didn’t get to experience this year.  Fingers crossed the Olympics will be able to proceed in 2021.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

“No Dog, No Life” is by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, created to reminisce his famous “House NA”, featuring a grid-like shelfing structure that doubles up as a display and storage space as well, while housing a hopefully well-behaved dog that doesn’t act like a bull in a china shop.  In 2013, Fujimoto’s commissioned work for London’s Serpentine Gallery featured a cloud-like structure made from grids of white steel poles.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

While designer Misawa Haruka’s Pointed T is a doghouse made from paper that resembles a cone-shaped tent suspended from the ceiling, architect Sejima Kazuyo, founder of SANA, goes for a cloud-shaped design – described as a candy floss cocoon - to mirror the fluffy fur of the Bichon Frise.  It’s sort of a hideaway where dog and structure blend into one.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

Architect Ban Shigeru turns paper tubes and soft wires into organic, flexible structures to create flexible structures that allow dogs and humans to interact in a myriad of ways.

Photo: Hiroshi Yoda.

While MVRDV presents a playful take on the dog house, with an interactive toy which is at the same time a stimulating environment for the intelligent Beagle breed to enjoy, German industrial designer Konstantin Grcic has created a fun mirror-led structure for pooches to gaze at themselves. 

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2020

To visit Architecture for Dogs, you need to pre-register at the Japan House London website.  Dog owners may also bring their own small dogs to interact with a number of the exhibits in the free exhibition.  Visitors  are also given paper and pencil to come up with their own creations inspired by the show.  Architecture for Dogs will continue until 10th January 2021.

Hara Kenya, Chief Creative Advisor for the Japan House project and creator of Architecture for Dogs, says, "We are delighted that, at the invitation of Japan House London, we are able to take this exhibition to London. While the architecture is ‘for dogs’, each of the contributors taking part in this unique project is a first class, world renowned architect. Please come and enjoy this cutting-edge architecture exhibition”.

Simon Wright, Director of Programming, Japan House London, explained, “This exhibition, featuring architecture specially designed for our canine best friends by a pantheon of stellar creative minds, is thoughtful, provocative and delightfully playful. Come and join us, and design with us.”

“Architecture for Dogs has always allowed us to see designers and architects as creative problem-solver, story-teller and even empathic futurists,” says Julia Y.C. Huang, CEO of Imprint, co-founder of Architecture for Dogs. “In its eighth year of inception, we cannot but think it has a special meaning for it to take place in 2020. In this time of uncertainty, I can be certain that a visit to Japan House London for this exhibition will bring smiles to your faces.”

** Japan House London is a cultural centre offering visitors an experience of the best and latest from Japan. Located on London’s Kensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens our appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are two other Japan Houses in the world: in Los Angeles and São Paulo.

Brazilian denim expert develops fast-acting Antiviral & Antibacterial fabric technology

 

Brazil’s leading denim specilist VICUNHA has developed functional  fabrics  with  antimicrobial, antiviral and repellent properties,  and are capable of destroying the Coronavirus with 99.9% efficiency in just one minute of contact. 

All will be revealed at the KingPins24 Amsterdam online trade show from 27 to 30 October 2020 when the Brazilian company will introduce their new V. Tech Protective fabric range.

Their new development of antiviral & antibacterial fabrics is said to be  capable of mechanically destroying the wall of enveloped viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, responsible for COVID-19, with the help of Swiss company HeiQ Viroblock by CHT, combining the innovation of two technologies - the antimicrobial activity of silver salts and the technology of fat vesicles.

The V. Tech  Protective  collection has achieved effectiveness in inactivating viruses belonging to the Coronavirus group, according to tests carried out in the UNICAMP´s Virology laboratory, showing the imprresive result of inactivating 99.9% of the viruses in just one minute of contact.

The technology was conducted together  with  the  Peter Doherty  Institute  of  Infection  and  Immunity  in  Melbourne,  Australia  (Doherty  Institute), and tests were conducted by Prof. Dra. Clarice Weis Arns, at  Virology Laboratory, that is part Biology Institute in State University of Campinas-UNICAMP. Each fabric from Vicunha´s line were individually tested according to ISO 18148/2019 standard.

According to Vicunha in a statement, the company has been at the forefront of safeguarding  the  population's  health,  well-being  and  safety since the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil, including  the creation of a fabric bank to support projects aimed at the production of masks and medical items for hospitals, the donation of 27,000 PPE items to the health departments of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte and the reopening of its Sewing Room in order to produce 36,000 masks for  employees,  their  families  and  communities.  

The  company  also  created  the  website "Together in the fight against coronavirus," an official channel for providing guidance, services, industry news and useful information about the pandemic for all audiences.    

Restaurant & Bar Design Awards - Goddard Littlefair is Winner of the Hotel Category

Maybe this is not the right time to visit Manchester, while the city is under very high alert due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  So as soon as it is safe again to travel to that part of the country, one should visit Manchester as one of the Staycation destinations as the city has so much to offer, and also stay at The Lowry, a luxury hotel named after the city’s famous artist, for now there is another reason to do so.

London-based luxury interior design house, Goddard Littlefair has just announced that The River Restaurant at The Lowry, designed by the studio, is the winner of the 2020 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards - Hotel Category. 

This award will add to the impressive portfolio of prestigious awards awarded to the studio which has recently completed work at the iconic Gleneagles in Scotland, the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik and the Kimpton Charlotte Square whilst work is underway on a five-star Mediterranean resort and a beautiful reimagining of a historic property in Vienna. Their soon to open project, Villa Copenhagen in Denmark, will highlight the studio’s accomplished F&B division Epicurean.  

Back in the UK, Goddard Littlefair redesigned the iconic Manchester hot spot The Lowry Hotel,  its restaurant and The Lowry Lounge and Bar. The The River Restaurant boasts not only bespoke, chic and luxury interiors but also outstanding locally sourced seasonal food.

Geometric influences come from the very recognisable bridge over the River Irwell, while the playful, soft hued colour pallet comes from the vibrant musical heritage of the city.

The team at Goddard Littlefair has paid homage to the city’s industrial past with the use of metal elements throughout the space.  This complete renovation has been carried out by weaving two essential characteristics into every aspect of the change, luxury and contemporary.

The architectural approach taken by Goddard Littlefair was to create completely bespoke furniture and fittings for the space, while deploying a playful yet elegant colour pallet.

The space features exemplary fitted joinery, creating a series of distinct but linked spaces, which has completely reconfigured the space.

A grand centralised marble top bar is the focus of the room; the slatted screen design of the bar allows, when needed, segments of it to be closed down to make a private event that much more special.

But it is the colours and lighting used which brings the space together - from bright burnt oranges and reds to calming greens and blues, all picked up and accentuated by the stunning artwork in the space.

The bespoke glass lighting is the final touch that not only brings warmth and vibrance in the day but also creates a moody yet sophisticated atmosphere in the evenings.

Images from Baccchus for Goddard Littlefair.

Husband and wife launch Claude & Leighton® online art and décor shop

We cannot under estimate how art in our home and work place can lift spirits and nurture our soul and stimulate senses.  Now husband & wife team Laurent Stadelmann and Jayne Leighton Herd who are based in Wokingham in Berkshire, UK, have launched Claude & Leighton®, an online destination for high-quality, contemporary art prints, posters and wall decor with an aim to lift our mood as we are spending more time than ever indoors during these difficult pandemic times.  

Claude & Leighton offers abstract geometric art prints and typography posters. All designed and produced in-house in the UK.  This lifestyle image shows two wall art prints in Red Geometric Stained Glass and 
Bisous Kisses Typography Poster.

The couple's  aim is to lift the mood of all those people who are spending more time than ever within the walls of their homes during these difficult pandemic times.  

This lifestyle image shows three framed prints in a lounge setting:  If Our Love Was a Circus - Song Lyrics Typography Poster; Falling Leaves Wall Art Print; and Fields of Green Photography Art Print, all available at
Claude & Leighton® online.

Claude & Leighton want to help personalise walls with British designed and produced art, which would hopefully "to bring a smile of delight, a grin of humour, a wow moment."  

Laurent comments: “I have seen many times how much pleasure Jayne’s art gives to people. We want to bring more smiles of joy to a greater audience during these difficult times.” 

Flowers In Her Eyes Photography Art Print.

Claude & Leighton offers prints in a variety of genres, to enable people to enhance their homes and offices with expressions of style and personality. 

From abstracts and landscapes, to portraits and animal art, to fine art photography and typography. 

Claude & Leighton is proud of its British design credentials. All art prints and posters are created and printed to the highest quality from its Berkshire print studio, and carefully packed in gift-ready, British-made recyclable packaging. 

This new online business has been created as an outlet for professional artist Jayne’s other art and design. 

This lifestyle image at left shows three framed prints in a lounge setting: 9 to 5 Numerical Typography Poster; 24/7 Numerical Typography Poster and Bee & the Pink Flower Photography Art Print.

Over the last 15 years Jayne has been known for her original statement paintings. But behind the scenes, Jayne creates so much more.  

Two framed prints of painted flowers in vases.

Jayne explains, “I am always creating, experimenting, painting and designing in different genres and media. With a background in graphic design I also love digital art and composite photography.  Before now, people would only get to see my collections of originals, and a couple of particular styles. My official art, if you like. Now I’m so excited to share my other art and designs too, and I hope people will find pleasure in them.” 

While Jayne is the creative force in the partnership, Laurent is the business mind and the catalyst for Claude & Leighton. For a long time he has felt that all of Jayne's creative expression and skills deserved to be seen and enjoyed by others.

All photos from Claude & Leighton®.

Smalto Paris SS21, the tailoring spirit in motion - Paris Fashion Week® Online

During Paris Fashion Week® Online this past summer, the Menswear event for Spring/Summer 2021 collections went online for the first time and each house that showed in the Week was represented in the form of a creative film/video, and the works were widely shared on international media networks.

One menswear brand Smalto Paris showcased its master tailoring through a filmed performance featuring two dancers.

The short film featured the graceful and yet powerful dance movement performed by Senegalese dancer and choreographer Ablaye Diop and French ballet star Germain Louvet (principal dancer at the L'Opera Nationale de Paris), showcasing that Smalto’s smart suits and tailoring are created for ease of movement.  You may recognise Louvet as the dancer to walk en pointe in Jean Paul Gaultier’s final couture show in Paris in January this year alongside supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid.

Realised by Jason Last, filmed against the enchanting backdrop of Paris, under the creative direction and production of Fabrice Davillé and cameraman Sebastien Tran, “blows a wind of youth, peace and universality that accurately reflects the spirit of the house.”

The message is clear.  Smalto Paris is the redesigned tradition serving urban modernity that has established a signature style that combines the power of a master tailor’s know-how with a Parisian vision of masculinity, in Smalto's own words. 

For Spring-Summer 2021, Smalto Paris has chosen to highlight this heritage brand and its

intuition, defending the importance of the artisanal gesture at the heart of its collection.

Clearly visible on the dancers' jackets, not hindered in any way by their clothing, a few threads still bear witness to the work of the atelier.

Smalto's codes of style is recognisable through a certain shape of shoulder or collar lapel, the extreme attention paid to the choice of fabrics, details and finishes, such as the hand-embroidered Milanese buttonhole to name but a few, have been the brand's signature style since its creation in 1962 by founder Francesco Smalto.

Smalto Paris invites to de-compartmentalize traditional codes of the men's wardrobe in favour of a unique style mixing formal, casual and sportswear for a more personal approach.  Wide or tighter fitting trousers, shawl collars or suits, sneakers or moccasins, no more need to choose between comfort and elegance: the SS21 collection heralds a new lease of life for Smalto, an urban brand rooted in its time, which dares to play with its own codes, mixing influences and reinventing its heritage.

Smalto admits that their continuous innovation work, inherent to Smalto's bespoke method, is the result of a team work. 

During this special season, the entire atelier came together to build the SS21 collection in record time, more convinced than ever of the accuracy of the brand's message.

"The message of an avant-garde Master Tailor, who puts his technical savoir-faire at the service of a forward-looking vision."

Smalto Paris is located at 44 rue François, 1er, Paris, a stone's throw from Avnue George V.

To view Smalto Paris video premiere, click HERE.

Dancers: Germain Louvet and  Ablaye Diop

Production reaslied by Jason Last

Photographer: Gregoire Avenel

Creative director: Fabrice Davillé

Cameraman: Sebastien Tran

Production: Nalini Cazaux

Hair & make up Laurianne Rousse

VITELLI Spring Summer 21 collection at Milan Fashion Week

The young Italian fashion brand Vitelli is made with 100% reclaimed yarns, with a non-gender orientation and a zero-waste ethos.  All the attributes that many fashion names across the world today aim to address.

Vitelli’s eighth “Gioventù Cosmica” collection launched during the recent Milan Fashion Week was inspired by the history of Italian youth culture “stile Italiano” through the filter of the present, according to founder Mauro Simionato (creatie director) and Giulia Bortoli (knitwear director).

The Milan-based knitwear brand is entirely made in Italy, produced by local craftspeople, and family-owned local mills. All garments are knitted, looped, printed or embroidered in Veneto, in the northeastern part of Italy. 

Since 2019 VITELLI works towards a 100% sustainable production cycle: the “DOOMBOH” line is entirely made with 100% reclaimed yarns from neighbours’ production leftover, felted together into clothes and then used for creating non-gender collections with zero waste; other reclaimed or waste materials such as dead-stock silks are collected locally and used as a canvas for knitwear hybrids.

The concept of the collection references the culture of Italian tailoring and classic elegance,

reinterpreted and revisited with a psychedelic touch of Cosmic Youth and the early ‘80s. The

dressed- up 3-piece suit is created in a classic pinstripe entirely ton sur ton where the shirt, jacket

and trousers are produced in the same shade and weight of silk. 

Key pieces can be mixed and

matched in courageous combinations with the collection’s outerwear and jackets, influenced by workwear and uniforms, created in jacquard silk. In fact, suit jackets are made from silk fabrics not typically used in apparel but instead meant for home furnishings or ties, for a deluxe version of ready-to-wear.   

Deconstructed military uniforms and navy jackets are embellished with knitwear, the signature touch that deVines each garment, for example in a decorative band of a cotton/Lycra blend that adds an embossed effect to the silk sleeves. 

 

The choice of silk in floral-themed

prints and various patterns is linked both to the search for naturalistic elements and abstract

motifs which combine on the garments to create a look immersed in a current of multiple cultural

references and influences.

There are 24 looks in the new collection, proposing a new lifestyle range that is the result of collaborations between the brand and its seasonal partners, including Bloke, whose own collections are entirely handmade in Lagos, Venetian footwear brand Marsèll and Milan-based active-punk brand, Rayon Vert.  Additionally, Vitelli engaged with the London incense brand Cremate to produce a special line of knitted headwear and a new scent.

For the first time the attention is shifted also to silk suits, pants and jackets, shirts and blouses 

.

Italian tailoring is mixed with embroidery made with knitwear yarns on traditional machinery. 

The decorations are reminiscent of seaweed and coral navigating sinuous waters, whose shapes allude to an upside-down perspective of oceanic creations that become terrestrial.

In this collection, conventional knitwear becomes structural, as cuffs or banding used to adorn the

garments from the pocket flaps to stitching details. Knitting and crochet are applied to accessories and “Doomboh” needle-punch techniques embellish many of the collection’s looks.

300 Objects: An Inaugural Exhibition in London West End until October 10th

During these unprecedented times, it is important not to be dragged down by negative news but give ourselves an uplift by beautiful things that give out positive energy.  It is good to nurture our soul in the process.  

So as London is slowly coming back to normal, one can find right in the heart of the capital’s West End, a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus on Regent Street,  an exhibition called 300 Objects, a first of its kind from London Craft Week St James’s Series.

Housed in Quadrant Arcade, and designed by Charlotte Taylor, the multi-disciplinary exhibition is featuring a wide range of artist-makers, well-known names juxtaposed with those yet to be discovered – and all the objects are for sale starting at £150.

The show is spread across a series of rooms over two floors, curated by Holly Wood with selections chosen by guest curators Martin Brudnizki, Alice Fisher, Yinka Ilori, Bianca Saunders, Charlotte Taylor, Russell Tovey, Kristen de le Vaillière and Kristen Joy Watts. 

The approach has been described as considered, yet personal, inclusive, vibrant and occasionally idiosyncratic. Each guest curator was given a simple brief: they must select work from an artist, maker or designer that they love. These modern-day patrons reveal their creative eye to us and invite us to discover more about the stories and work generated by today's contemporary artists. 

As with the Royal Academy's influential Summer Exhibition, the aim is to be inclusive, to shine a spotlight on high-quality and diverse practice, and through sales provide vital support to this community of artists and makers.

There is no need to book, and it is free to visit, on until October 10th.  

If you are not able to go, you can visit it online where details are given. Click HERE.

Photos© Lucia Carpio 2020