Niels Peeraer – The lotus and the snake, the curse of the white fox

Description ilovebelgium

You’re born with talent, without any doubt. One day your talent will come out whether you’re 6 or 60. Belgian designer Niels Peeraer’s talent showed really quickly. At 18 he went to the Fashion Department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, where he obtained his Master degree in June 2011. His Master collection guess technology isn’t ready for pancake teleportation, which included a limited edition of handbags, made with the collaboration of Delvaux, won 5 awards and was exhibited at the fashion museum MOMU in Antwerp. Not bad for an 22-year old no?

Niels is currently based in Paris (let’s admit it, still the fashion capital of the world). His leather accessories are mostly made out of natural colored cow’s leather in combination with metal pieces, carefully crafted but still with the intention to celebrate the natural beauty and strength of the leather. The roughness of the material mixed with the light heartedness of the designs.

His Fall-Winter 2012 collection  The lotus and the snake, the curse of the white fox, reflects the will of two youngsters wanting to protect their family crest and traditions. The accessory collection is very recognizable since everything is made of  the same vegetable tanned bridle leather with brass fittings. It does not only has hand bags but also bracelets, necklaces and even hat pieces. All with the signature super cute Niels Peeraer touch. Classics in the making.

Taeseok Kang Handbag Collection

Description trendland

Have a look into the London College of Fashion’s Fashion Artefact program, which teaches studio courses in the use leather, metal, plastic and wood. One of our favorite finds is the work of Taekseok Kang, seen here, which touches upon “palpable sensations that manifest from the sexual instinct of a human”.  Each one of these pieces was handcrafted using vegetarian leather, plated brass fixtures and hair used as tassels and handles.  Humorous and surrealistic, we commend Kang for reviewing the status of bag materials, revealing taboos, and inducing our appetite for fresh fashions.

“MA Fashion Artefact is a provocative and original course. Since its development in 2007, it has become a renowned international think tank of individuals who explore provocative methods of production to create objects known as fashion artefacts. These artefacts challenge the norm, their existence question the role of the maker and consumer in the context of fashion design and culture.”

Purchase on  www.etsy.com/people/taeseokkang – More information at www.taesokkang.viewbook.com

W Hotel Maldives

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Fujifilm and Globe-Trotter’s limited edition X-Pro1 kit for Harrod’s

Description bornrich

Photography equipment manufacturer, Fujifilm has now joined hands with British luggage equipment manufacturer, Globe Trotter to create limited edition photography kit for Harrods, the luxury retail chain. Produced in a limited edition of just 12 units, these vulcanized fiber board bags is handcrafted with Victorian equipment, and carries within itself 3 lenses and its hoods, X-Pro 1 camera, flash and also a filter to be used alongside. Along with the premier equipment and limited editions, the dozen strong stock will be carrying a ‘Harrods Exclusively’ brass tag along with a $9,038 (£5,695).

The black and tan leather trim, brass riveted corners, the ultra-fine finishing are all a part of package exuding luxury, and exclusivity. When an entity like Globe Trotter is involved, who have made casings like the Nat Sherman edition, and also the extra deep centenary edition of suitcases, fabrication of the packaging is virtually taken too granted to be of optimum class, just like in this case. To a naked eye, the brass rivets appeal their sophistication like royalty almost. A little bit of digging says that Queen Elisabeth II had commissioned to get suitcase and bags shaped like this, with a similar level of fabrication and craftsmanship and also from Harrods’s outlets.

In terms of equipment, there are the 3 lens hoods (18mm, 35 mm, 60mm), which provide options in different conditions, for high quality photography, taken care of the by the X-Pro 1 camera from Fujifilm. For classical photographers, this camera is in the latest X series that looks to retain the old world charm, which is a definite plus-point for them. With extra bits of cash lying around to spend, one might as well give this one a shot, but that too luck will play a big role in finally getting hold of them. Having just 12 of these cases, makes for fierce competition and aggressive buying.

Prada 2012 Spring/Summer Wingtip Brogue Sneakers

Prada presents a new take on the popular wingtip brogue model for its 2012 spring/summer season. Available in classic patent black and more extreme multi-colored versions, the shoe retains the instantly recognizable wingtip upper but replaced the sole with an interesting molded arrangement that models itself on a spiked running shoe design. Set for release soon, the Prada 2012 spring/summer wingtip brogue sneakers have a Japanese retail price of ¥81,900 JPY (approximately $1,015 USD).

Shambhala Estate Bali

Description whatthecool

The beautiful residential health retreat, Como Shambhala Estate, is located near Ubud, Bali.

La Co(o)rniche Hotel Designed by Philippe Starck [France]

Description trendland

“One of the strongest, most beautiful, most poetic, most surreal, and most powerful place in nature.” Philippe Stark – La Co(o)rniche Hotel is an extraordinary location. Key landmark in the Pilat-Plage district in Pyla-Sur-Mer near Bordeaux, the vantage point over the Arcachon basin, backing onto the highest dune in Europe, it is suspended between sea and sky, nestling between sand and pines. This former 1930s hunting lodge in the heart of a preserved site, evokes the Golden Age and the invention of the Côte d’Argent.

A luxury family and essential features the new look of the hotel, that Philippe Starck has helped: the terrace, bar and restaurant have a breathtaking decor and minimalist but at the same time warm. The neo-Basque interior, strongly backed by the very first manufacturer Louis Gaume, has been maintained to avoid losing the magical aura that surrounds the whole building.

Dark wood, frescoes, period furniture contribute to strengthen this particular and evocative atmosphere, thanks to safe stay out of the ordinary. However, some hint of modern style is recognizable, especially in the bedroom, where materials such as glass and steel, blend well with a pure white, common to both intent to the most surreal contemporary era.

More information and booking at www.lacoorniche-pyla.com & www.starck.com

MoneyMaker: Leather Multi-Camera Harness

Description trendland
Beautiful leather Multi-Camera harness by HoldFastGear! For less than $200 The MoneyMaker is a harness which derives its style from that indelibly cool detective in our collective memories with that boss leather shoulder harness holding his peacemaker. Made out of top grain leather with anchored D-rings, this is the only multi-camera harness that actually gets better with age. The brown harness is oil tanned, making it very soft and malleable. The natural harness actually darkens with use and exposure to the sun.
HoldFast modified the “bossness” to hold the modern shooters tools. Drawing from those classic themes, HoldFast designed a highly fashionable, highly durable, as well as highly comfortable harness for two or three cameras. It’s adaptable in that the MoneyMaker can be converted into a video rig which makes shooting in the field with a shoulder mount video camera and DSLR in tow an easy and fast experience.
The Speed Clutch is an ingenious product that allows the camera to easily slide up and down the harness, and will also be used in conjunction with the upcoming bag line. The design of this harness keeps the cameras from hanging too low making them easily manageable, keeping them close to the body thus more comfortable. This setup truly shines on long shoots such as weddings.
The cameras are kept inline with the body and the weight centered over the upper back and shoulders taking strain off the lower back. The MoneyMaker looks classy when dressed up in a suit and tie or just as classy with jeans and a t-shirt. Pair this with 2 Camera Leashes to gain the ability to carry a third camera from the front D rings.
If you plan on doing a lot of active movement before you stop to shoot you can secure the cameras from swing around by using the Camera Leash attached to your belt/belt loop and then anchored to the camera.

More info & buy at www.holdfastgear.com
http://holdfastgear.com/?products/money-maker.html

Emporio Armani S/S 2012 Campaign

Description trendland

Giorgio Armani himself heads to Hong Kong with photographer Alasdair McLellan to direct the S/S 2012 Emporio Armani Ad Campaign featuring models Irina Kulikova, Kendra Spears, and Tao Okamoto.  This perfectly set and styled, black and white campaign captures the elegance and timelessness of these looks flawlessly.

See more from S/S 2012 Fashion Ad Campaigns