Brussel exhibition showcases students' fashion artworks in Darquer lace

If you're visiting Brussels during this festive season, and would like to get some fashion inspiration or experience something of design nature, you may be pleased to learn that the exhibition: Mad Vitrine / Double Jeu/ La Cambre - where you can discover the artworks of fashion design students at La Cambre arts visuels - is now on.

The textile design students have invested the culture and archives of Manufactures Catry - which specialised in the manufacture of high quality woven carpets since 1912 - to address the formidable technique of weaving Jacquard Wilton, while through a singular exercise of double volume, propose an original use of Leavers lace.

Photo © Dominique Maitre/ Catwalkpictures.com 

The fashion artworks have been based on a theme of Parade Animaliere, the result of great support from French textile mill Darquer - a lace specialist - and the initiative of its artistic director Stéphane Plassier.   Darquer specialises in Leavers lace which has been developed since the nineteenth century in the region of Calais and Caudry of France.

Enjoy the unexpected silhouettes which sublimate Darquer's lace giving them a very contemporary reading.

The exhibition is on until 10th January 2019.

Venue: MAD

Nouveau Marché aux Grains 10

1000 Brussels

Hong Kong Shines Brilliantly for its festival of Light!

While Paris, which is normally referred to as City of Lights, is burning and under sieged by protesters and rioters (and how will this be resolved, Monsieur Macron?), Hong Kong can easily take over the banner as it celebrates its brilliant Light Festival.

The lit-up skyline and city scape with Christmas lights turn this city and its beautiful harbour into a jewel box.  Feast your eyes on these photos captured while Content Editor Lucia Carpio was crossing on the Star Ferry from Central in Hong Kong Island towards the Kowloon Peninsula and the Tsim Sha Tsui district.  You may need to put your shades on.

All photos © Lucia Carpio 2018

Hong Kong's Winter Sky lit up for its first Pulse Light Festival

There is no better time to visit Hong Kong than this winter, so says the Hong Kong tourism authorities.  And  so here I am just when the temperature starts to drop, dipping ever so slightly from mid-20s to the high-teens.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is launching the inaugural Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival 2018, running between 29 November 2018 and 24 February 2019, covering the Christmas season, New Year and Lunar New Year celebrations.

The first Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival turns the city harbourfront 

into a playground of luminous artworks.  Photo from the Hong Kong Tourist Board.

It is billed to be the largest open-air light festival in this vibrant cosmopolitan city.  From the enhancement of “A Symphony of Lights” light-and-music show featuring more skyscrapers and special effects, to brilliantly lit installations by artists from  11 countries including France, Italy, Japan, Israel, Singapore, Hungary, the US and India, along with four createdby Hong Kong designers.  

The HK$23 million (USD2.939 m) festival is expected to draw about 500,000 visitors to the Central district harbourfront, according to organisers at the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)  

If you are able to come to this amazing city this winter, you will be treated to a list of visually enriching events:- 

Winter Wonderland

A total of 18 art installations by artists from around the world will be on display along the beautiful Victoria Harbour.   

The creative luminescent displays offer a futuristic interactive experience in addition to Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, including: The brilliant cephalic illustration “Talking Heads” by Viktor Vicsek from Hungary will come to life via animated facial expressions that change colours at night. Interactive light bicycles “Lightbattle X” by VENIVIDIMULTIPLEX from the Netherlands will be on display for spectators to immerse themselves in a competitive and warm-spirited racing game; whereas the premiere exhibition of “Bat and Coin” by the Daydreamers from Hong Kong turns the traditional pawnshop sign into a larger-than-life illuminated silhouette. 

Bright Skies Ahead 

Dubbed as the one of the world’s most spectacular light shows, “A Symphony of Lights” is a nightly light show along Victoria Harbour for this Christmas and New Year. The additional skyscrapers participating in the coordinated production and pyrotechnics from building rooftops adding highlights to the show on selected evenings will usher in the holiday season.  

A Tale of Two Trees 

A 25-metre-tall artistic reinterpretation of the traditional Christmas tree will be installed adjacent to the Observation Wheel. The “XTree” by France’s 1024 Architecture is made with lit-up metallic scaffoldings that represent branches, and augmented by strategically placed light decorations that dance to a matching soundtrack.  Hong Kong’s Christmas atmosphere is further enhanced by the much-anticipated iconic Christmas Tree at Statue Square, enticing visitors with its sparkling festive display.

Along with a range of magical winter celebration activities taking place at key attractions across the city, festive seasonal events and night tours, these festivities promise to spice up visitors’ holiday season with an unforgettable visual voyage in Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival Event Information 

Key Activities	Date & Time	Location
International Light Art Display	29 November 2018 – 24 February 2019 Lights on at 5:00pm – 11:00pm daily (except on 29 November 2018 - 7:45pm – 11:00pm)	Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section)
A Symphony of Lights	Enhanced version from 29 November 2018 onwards, 8:00pm – 8:10pm daily Pyrotechnic display on 29 November, 1, 8, 12, 15, 22, 29 December 2018	Best vantage location in Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and night cruise tours
Christmas Tree	29 November 2018 – 1 January 2019 Lights on at 5:00pm – 11:00pm daily (except on 29 November 2018 - 7:45pm – 11:00pm)	Near Hong Kong Observation Wheel
Iconic Christmas Tree	29 November 2018 – 1 January 2019	North Statue Square, Central

Dolce & Gabbana in deep water as Chinese consumers reject its mis-judged advertising campaign

I wonder what founders of the Italian luxury fashion label Dolce & Gabbana are having for breakfast this morning.  By sunset on my first day of this current trip to Hong Kong, a popular shopping destination for Chinese mainland consumers, which is also seven hours ahead of Europe's time zone,  news was circling that the list of the world's online luxury goods retailers dropping products from Dolce & Gabbana is growing, joining the likes of Alibaba, Yoox Net-a-Porter, the Outnet and Yoox.

Sunset over the Victoria harbour in Hong Kong.  

Photos © Lucia Carpio

Even Lane Crawford, a luxury Hong Kong-based department store, has also announced they are pulling the Italian brand from its stores.  This is definitely bad news for the Italian label when Chinese consumers are spending billions of dollars shopping for luxury goods, much of it is on line.

The controversy started after Dolce & Gabbana's tongue in cheek advertising campaign featuring a Chinese lady struggling to eat pizza and spaghetti with chopsticks.  Despite the Italian label's issuing an apology on video by both its founders - Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana  - asking for forgiveness for the misunderstanding and both designers saying "sorry" in Mandarin, Chinese social media users heaped scorn on the apology, saying it lacked sincerity, noting that the video only posted to Weibo and that the Instagram advertisements had yet to be removed, according to a report in Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (owned by Alibaba).

Dolce & Gabbana had to cancel  their Shanghai fashion show on Wednesday which was billed to be one of the brand's biggest ever events outside Italy.  It was also meant to be a high profile event with many top celebrities and actors booked to make their appearances.

While many will argue about the cultural attitudes and differences between China and Italy, the irony of this whole incident is that both countries have a lot in common, especially in the area of  food and fashion which are in the centre of their respective cultures.  Chinese people care very much about their attire and have a long history in fine tailoring, and the Italians are the same.  Culinary experts would point out that Chinese noodles and green onion dough cakes can find their similarity in pastas and pizzas.  But there's a fine line between drawing similarities and judging the mood of a prospective customer base.  The Italian brand should know better with its success in the global fashion market that it's best not to take anything for granted.  National pride and the growing power of the Chinese consumers cannot be underestimated.

Squids and Sharks everywhere....

No, we're not under water but the giant stuffed shark and squid are inside British designer Christopher Raeburn's new shop at Coal Drops Yard - the new retail destination near London's King's Cross off Granary Square. Fabulous!  The only stretch of water near here is the Regent's Canal.

One of Raeburn's signature works, apart from his being a master in recycling and repurposing materials, is featuring animal mascots in his designs and this Autumn and Winter, his current collection showcases sea creatures swirling on a sweatshirt or knitted brightly into the motif of another top.

At a time when the world is waking up to the destruction and pollution caused by plastics in our open waters, it is definitely a good way to remind ourselves of the life forms that seas provide and support.

Photos by Lucia Carpio.

Some Christmas retail cheer: Mintel forecasts growth of 4% for UK sales in December

With the Christmas countdown in full swing, retail researchers Mintel is forecasting some festive cheer for Britain’s retailers. Latest findings predicts that December’s retail sales will reach £47.7 billion (incl. VAT), growing a respectable 4% compared to last December, when sales hit £45.8 billion.  

Coal Drops Yard new shopping mall - a stunning new favourite retail destination in King's Cross, London, near Granary Square. 

Photos © Lucia Carpio

Sales through non-food retailers are expected to reach £23.5 billion (including £4 billion from online sales generated by physical stores); while food retailers will enjoy sales of £18.6 billion (including £1.4 billion from online sales generated by physical stores). And in the battle between the clicks and bricks, Mintel estimates that internet pure players (online only retailers), will account for £5.6 billion worth of sales.

Mintel December 2018 retail forecast: Non-food retailers (stores + online)  £23.5 bn Food retailers (stores + online)  £18.6 bn Online pure players  £5.6 bn  Total  £47.7 bn With online sales generated by physical non-food and food stores estimated to hit £5.4 billion, combined with the £5.6 billion generated by internet pure players, Mintel expects total online sales this December will be worth £11 billion.   Caravane, one of the upmarket retail shops in Coal Drops Yard, King's Cross, London Richard Perks, Director of Retail Research at Mintel, said: “We think that retailers can look forward to a reasonably good Christmas—not outstanding, but it won’t be bad either. While there are some reasons to be cautious, such as falling consumer confidence, there is no real sign of an underlying slowdown in retail sales growth. Retail sales have held up well this year and we expect the recent momentum is likely to be maintained, with retail sales growing at about 4% both in the final quarter of 2018 and in December itself. “While there’s been much talk of how the High Street is being undermined by online retailing, it still only represents a relatively small part of overall retail sales, with most shopping still taking place in physical stores.” Black Friday still stokes interest, but most Brits think discounts are overhyped Black Friday is now well and truly entrenched in the shopping calendar. According to Mintel research, last year nearly six in ten (57%) Brits browsed for goods during Black Friday promotions, while 41% made a purchase during the event. It’s proving a big hit with the nation’s 25-34s, of whom 75% said they browsed for goods and 62% made a purchase. While Black Friday has been synonymous with scenes of crowding bargain hunters, last year just 16% of Brits engaged with the event in-store, with the majority of shoppers engaging online  (56%). Electrical goods were the most  popular purchase, bought by 51% of Black Friday consumers in 2017, followed by fashion, which was purchased by 42% of these consumers. Overall, half (51%) of last year’s Black Friday shoppers said the majority of the purchases they made during the promotions were Christmas gifts. Meanwhile, a savvy six in ten (61%) Black Friday shoppers said they waited for the Black Friday promotions before making a purchase. However, despite the hype, some cynics remain as 66% of 2017 Black Friday shoppers felt the discounts were not as good as they’re made out to be. “While Black Friday has become a high profile retail fixture, retailers do run the risk of bringing forward festive spending, but at discounted prices. There is always a fear of missing out, so the actual outcome is the big unknown for how the retail sector will perform this Christmas. Given some evidence of growing disillusionment among shoppers for Black Friday, Mintel predicts that retailers would like to pull back from promotions for this event. We think that this year’s event will be no bigger than last year’s, and that means good news for the amount of money left over to spend in December.” Concluded Richard.

Photos by Lucia Carpio.

Happy 90th Birthday, Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse is 90 years old.
Congratulations Mickey and thank you for all the fun and entertainment you've provided us all these years.

Ingersoll Limited Edition The Walt Disney Quartz Gents Mickey Mouse Watch.

Photo: Lucia Carpio