It's Cherry Blossom season in Japan and lifestyle brand Muji opens hotel in Tokyo's Ginza district.

It's Spring time in Japan, and tourism is booming in this oriental kingdom as visitors flock there to admire Cherry Blossoms.

A luxurious gown  from Christian Dior SS 2017 haute couture collection designed by Maria Garzia Chiuri, elaborately embroidered to channel Japanese cherry blossoms as a nod to the Hanami - Japan's National Cherry Blossom Festival - and echoing Monsieur Dior's 1953 "Jardin Japonais" dress.  This is one of 200 rare Dior haute couture gowns now on show  in the Christian Dior - Designer of Dreams Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, until 1st September 2019.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

According to BBC business news earlier this week, the blossom season is worth billions for Japan.  The season attracted nearly five million people and boosted the economy by some US$2.7 billion, according to figures from Bloomberg.

Cherry blossom represents the nature of life and a season of renewal in Japanese culture.  Events and festivals are held in Japan each spring during "Hanami", or "flower viewing" season.

If one has the luxury of time to travel to Japan this Easter break, you may like to try out the Muji Hotel Ginza, operated by the Japanese retail chain Muji - known for their minimalist designs.

The hotel is to open this Thursday in Tokyo as a novel way to experience the brand's wide range of lifestyle products.

The hotel offering 79 guests rooms which will be decked out with Muji's own lifestyle-related products, from furniture, to slippers, to toiletries and toothbrushes.

The hotel is situated above its shop - from 6th to 10th floor - above the commercial complex.  This is very handy because if guests like any of the items, they can buy them at a Muji store below.

The hotel is viewed as a kind of showroom where guests can experience using their products, according to officials at the chain's operator, Ryohin Keikaku, which has revealed that sales of Muji products are on the rise, mainly in Asian countries, and they hope the new hotel will further boost its brand recognition and help expand sales globally.

The Ginza hotel will be the company's first in Japan; it follows ones already opened in China, in Shenzhen and Beijing.

Tom Dixon showcases new collections in a Milan restaurant: The Manzoni

Good designs should be displayed of course but can benefit greatly from being shown off in a commercial setting that showcases their functionality.

This is the thinking behind London designer Tom Dixon's new venture in Milan as he has chosen to show off his new collections at The Manzoni currently until Sunday 14th April 2019 to coincide with Milan Design Week.

The Dining Hall in The Manzoni, a restaurant and also an experimental space cum a theatrical backdrop of Italian food and an international stage to present the designer's latest innovations and best sellers.

The Manzoni, a formal dining experience in the centre of Milan. Tom Dixon design meets Italian cuisine, expressed in a Restaurant, Showroom and Shop.

Tom Dixon has returned to Milan after a year's absence and decided that a better strategy for showcasing his design brand is to embed itself into the heart of Italy's commercial and cultural capital.

The Manzoni is a new 100-cover restaurant created by Tom's Design Research Studio.  It is pre-opened this week to coincide with Milan Design Week; after the fair it will re-open as a permanent restaurant and a showroom for his new collections.

The Jungle inside The Manzoni, Milan.

The Manzoni is open for Salone del Mobile from Tuesday 9th — Sunday 14th April 2019, and will re-open permanently after Design Week.

Tom Dixon says The Manzoni will be the brand's first mainland European home.
He says: "After years of doing 5-day exhibition in Milan, we finally decided that we had enough of putting such huge energy into pop-up interventions.  We wanted to look at different ways of being present in Milan.  With the city being so active and engaging right now, it is the right time to forget being temporary and build something permanent.

Tom Dixon's restaurant and showroom in Coal Harbour, London.  Photo by Lucia Carpio.

"Just like in London, we don't think it's enough to just have a showroom.  We need a place where people slow down and experience our products in a live setting.  There is nothing dustier than a conventional lighting and furniture showroom.  But with The Manzoni, people are able to experience our new collections in an active context.

Another view of the Dining Hall, in The Manzoni, Milan.

The bar and shop.

The Manzoni is a restaurant and also an experimental space, a theatrical backdrop of Italian food (lunch is by invitation only) and an international stage to present the designer's latest innovations and best sellers.  New collections on show include FAT, SLAB, OPAL and SPRING.

Every element of The Manzoni is an exploration of traditional and new materialities and manufaturing processes, according to Tom Dixon.  The materials have been sourced from different regions of Italy; stone from Mount Etna in Sicily, marble from Verona and flowers from Sardinia, for example.

The entrance of The Manzoni features a monolithic block of granite, which serves as the foundation of the bar.  Exotic lava stone tiles decorate the wall, which complements the materiality of the Testi stone bar.  New lighting range Opal illuminates the space with an ethereal glow.

The dining hall features monastic cork dining tables where guests are invited to dine in a communal setting for lunch and dinner.  Tom Dixon's new FAT dining chairs upholstered in Raf Simons latest collection for Kvadrat are shown here along with SPRING pendant light installations suspended from the ceiling.

In the gallery is a dense jungle of greenery supplied by Sardinian florist, Art Flowers Gallery.  Palms and vines flourish from spun aluminium planters and cluster together to create a wild overgrown oasis.  In the centre of The Manzoni is a courtyard which features a custom-made forest green marble table designed by Testi and JKL Design Studio.

Images of The Manzoni from Tom Dixon.

Berlin's KaDeWe opens 3D-Knit-Lab with AlphaTauri

On many occasions lately when discussing with industry experts and peers about the state of high streets in the UK and Europe, especially how online retailing is presenting a challenging environment for bricks and mortar outlets, most people agree that shops need to up their game to improve or even create exciting events and unique experiences for shoppers.

Here's one great example of how shoppers can become more engaged and in fact, informed about a new line of products at the Berlin international department store KaDeWe which is co-hosting a pop-up shop with AlphaTauri, the stand-alone fashion brand of Red Bull.

KaDeWe, Germany's equivalent of Harrods and Galeries Lafayette, and the second largest department store in Europe (after London's Harrods), has opened the AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab in a 64-sq. metre AlphaTauri Pop-Up area where two 3D-knitting machines that produce custom-made, seamless 3D-Knitwear made of Performance Knit are set up.

Berlin-based influencer and blogger Masha Sedgwick said of the interactive pop-up concept: "The choice of different colour and personalization combinations is so great that I could 
hardly decide. Individuality and uniqueness is what it is all about. The AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab offers both customization and personalization!" 
Ms Sedgwick is seen here with the two knitting machines by the Japanese based company Shima Seiki.
 (Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for KaDeWe)

"The 3D Knit Design Lab combines the online with the offline world."

The initiators of the concept are Petra Fladenhofer, Brand & Marketing Director of the KaDeWe Group, and Ahmet Mercan, General Manager of AlphaTauri & Head of Global Consumer Products who said at the opening night at the Berlin shop on 3rd April, "The 3D Knit Design Lab combines the online with the offline world.  The future will not be purely digital.  It's about bringing the worlds together and harnessing the power of 3D-technology and innovative tools to create added value for the consumer."

German TV presenter Rabea Schif at the KaDeWe X AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Labs in Berlin, Germany.

(Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for KaDeWe)

The AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab offers both customization and personaliaation.  Customers visiting the pop-up shop have the choice of a selection of colours when creating tailor-made knitwear to suit their individual body profile.

In addition, AlphaTauri presents a 3D-Knit-Cashmere-Merino-Capsule Collection exclusively made for KaDeWe in 14 different colour combinations,
which can be personalized with initials or emojis in the Pop-Up.

(Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for KaDeWe)

Some 300 guests and fans of the brand including top screen, stage and TV personalities got to experience the opening of the AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab at KaDeWe in Berlin while being entertained DJ set by duo ALYGANY, Gia Cordes and Alyssa Haupt from Berlin.

Glorious blooms. Funky Flowers.

Spring flowers in All Saints Park, Eastbourne.
Photo by Lucia Carpio

This is a most beautiful time of the year when the days are longer and vibrant floral blooms bring a sense of optimism, even when the frustrated political climate threatens our sanity.  But the blooms won't last and we can capture the unique moments by photographing them for continuous admiration even after the flowers are gone.

Hydrangia Clock from the Funky Florals collection at Perkins & Morley.
Each clock is hand made and decorated in Pershore in Worcestershire, UK.

Over at Perkins & Morley, their 'Funky Florals' collection  - Made in the UK - showcase large overblown flowers against contrasting primary colour backgrounds bring the good vibes indoors.  Hydrangeas, lupins, pansies, poppies, tulips and marigolds are given a pop art makeover to produce a bold statement on cushions, mugs and clocks.

Tulip Cushion (45cm X 45cm) made in England from the Funky Florals Collection at Perkins & Morley.
Available in either faux suede or cotton linen options.

Marigold Mug from the Funky Floral mug range at Perkins & Morley.
Each ug feature different flowers shown in cropped detail.
The mugs are in fine bone china sublimation printed in West Cornwall, UK.

The funky designs were taken from lino cut artwork by Jill Perkins, who co-founded Perkins & Morley with designing partner Jan Morley.  The two have been a designing duo since 1987;  they both studied graphic design at Middlesex Polytechnic and have shared passions for art, design, travel and nature.

China's huge automotive market presents opportunities for nonwovens producers at China International Nonwovens Expo

China is undisputed the world’s front-runner in the global car market, leading the way in both production and sales. 

While new car sales in China dropped for the first time last year since 1992, production still reached 27.8 million vehicles in 2018, including 23.5 million passenger cars and 4.3 million commercial vehicles. While these numbers were down slightly year-on-year, the opportunities for global textile producers are still unrivalled given the overall size of the market.

At this year’s biennial China International Nonwovens Expo & Forum (CINE – supported by Techtextil), which runs from 3 – 5 June in Shanghai, a number of leading automobile brands, and textile suppliers to these companies, are expected to be sourcing at the fair. Previous buyers have included Autoliv, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Lear Corporation, Lydall, Toyota Boshoku, Volkswagen, Wangbo Co Ltd and more, according to organisers at Messe Frankfurt's Hong Kong office.

This edition, buyers can source from a range of automotive nonwovens suppliers. This includes Shanghai Shenda, one of the country’s largest producer of automotive textiles, who will group together a number of automotive interior suppliers.   The CINE 2019 fair will take place in a new venue, the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing, located conveniently between Hongqiao airport and downtown Shanghai.

China's strong automotive market growth is evident also in in new energy vehicle (NEV) sales, as well as exports of all vehicle types.  NEV production totalled 1.27 million units last year, a staggering 60% increase, while sales grew by nearly 62%.  More e-vehicles are sold in China than rest of the world combined, while the government recently set a target of selling 7 million e-vehicles by 2025, ensuring growth in this sector will remain robust for some time. Exports of all vehicle types in 2018 did not grow as fast as NEVs, but the 1.04 million vehicles produced for overseas markets last year still represented growth of 16.8%.*

* Sources: China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China Industry Information Network, MarkLines, Nonwovens Industry.

The China International Nonwovens Expo & Forum (CINE – supported by Techtextil) is organised by the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA); the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA); and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

Photos from Messe Frankfurt (HK) taken at CINE 2017.

Samantha Louise Emery launches IKONA / Mirrored Interior - A Collection of wearable art inspired by modern muses

IKONA 9 Malala Yousafzai,
Nobel Peace Prize winner and ardent activist
for women’s rights,by Samantha Louise Emery.

Artist Samantha Louise Emery presents a new collection of scarves and sarongs based on her series of powerful portraits IKONA | Mirrored Interior. The portraits of 10 modern muses represent the women who have inspired the artist throughout her life.

Emery presents the women in bright abstract forms with their features becoming distinguishable upon closer inspection.

IKONA 7 Caitlin Moran, columnist and candid comedian, by  Samantha Louise Emery.
Each portrait attempts to capture more than just a physical representation of the subject but seeks to reveal the deeper layers of the self and the Feminine spirit, looking to bring awareness to the positive effects of Feminine solidarity, says Emery.

Subjects of Emery's art span from an Anatolian vegetable seller Sadiye to Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and ardent activist for women’s rights, Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo.  There's Grammy Award winning musician Laurie Anderson, and British author and outspoken feminist Germaine Greer.

IKONA 4 Germaine Greer, author and outspoken feminist , by Samantha Louise Emery.

IKONA 3 Sadiye, matter of fact, maternal Anatolian vegetable seller by Samantha Louise Emery.
The scarves (28”x38”) and the sarongs (50”x66”) are at samanthalouiseemery.art/.  A portion of all income from the work is donated to the Working Chance charity and the Malala Fund. Working Chance is the only recruitment consultancy for women leaving the criminal justice and care systems. The Malala Fund works to give all girls the chance to an education.

IKONA 6 Krystyne Griffin, prominent jewellery designer and godmother by Samantha Louise Emery.

​Throughout the series Emery incorporates imagery of her own body, displaying her connection with her subject and laying bare her vulnerability as an artist, according to the Emery, the multimedia artist who splits her time between the UK and her studio in Bodrum, Turkey, her spiritual home.

Emery says, “IKONA honours ten women alive today who have inspired my evolution and journey in rediscovering the source of a woman’s power, the Feminine spirit.  I believe in the potential and majesty of female solidarity and feel privileged to live in a time of change, when many women have asserted their Feminine selves and have inspired others through their actions.”

The 10 muses in the series are:
IKONA 1 Laurie Anderson, creative pioneer and Grammy Award winning musician
IKONA 2 Angelique Kidjo, Fearless activist and Grammy Award winning singer
IKONA 3 Sadiye, matter of fact, maternal Anatolian vegetable seller
IKONA 4 Germaine Greer, author and outspoken feminist
IKONA 5 Alanis Obomsawin, spokeswoman for Native American and women’s rights
IKONA 6 Krystyne Griffin, prominent jewellery designer and godmother
IKONA 7 Caitlin Moran, columnist and candid comedian
IKONA 8 Jane Goodall, conservationist and impassioned animal rights activist
IKONA 9 Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize winner and ardent activist for women’s rights
IKONA 10 Lucy, artist Samantha Louise Emery

Singapore designer and illustrator promote bridal brand in London Bridal Fashion Week

Singapore-based bridal wear designer Vienna Mei and founder of bridal company Giorgia Couture is in London Bridal Fashion Week to promote her range of bridal fashion.

Vienna Mei showing her showpiece gown to a visitor from the US at London Bridal Fashion Week.

All photos by Lucia Carpio.

But Vienna's showpiece that has attracted buyers' attention is a one-off tiered organza gown featuring a special print that was originally painted by Singapore-based fashion artist Chan Clayrene, who's known for her signature style of illustration, using water colour and her own brand of nail polish that she sells online.

Chan's illustration for the dress was painted on paper and then transferred and digitally printed onto fabric.  It features Singapore's Changi airport and surrounding architecture; the complex has undergone an elaborate  development recently.  Chan Clayrene takes the opportunity of attending London Bridal Fashion Week to customise her illustration for visitors to their stand.



And here's Chan's customised illustration she has done for our Content Editor, Lucia Carpio, embellished with her own brand of nail polish.