Karlota Laspalas

I met Karlota Laspalas during my job as fashion stylist for potipoti's AW 08-09 show during Pasarela Abierta in Murcia, Spain.

One day Karlota came to backstage to ask me for safety pins and we exchanged some words. Later I found out that she was one of the students who won the opportunity to show their graduate collections during Pasarela Abierta, being she the one who later won the special award to the best student collection.

Her designs surprised the audience and jury for their quality, and I still remember the long wait to talk to her after the show... that was A big line!

Say hello to Karlota Laspalas...


1.- Hi Karlota!. Let's start with a question that is wondering my head since I started to find out things about you... are you the same Karlota Laspalas that used to win awards on snowboard?
Yes, that's me. Well, life has different phases and that was a good one. I went to Barcelona to study and that meant rent, student bills... too many expenses to pay with a student's salary.

1.- Para empezar una pregunta que me viene comiendo la cabeza desde que empecé a averiguar cosas de ti... Eres la misma Karlota Laspalas del mundo snowboard?. Si es así, a que se debió este cambio de snow a moda? Aunque me imagino q seguiras haciendo snowboard...
Si la misma. Bueno, la vida son etapas y aquella fue una muy buena, llego el momento de venirme a Barcelona, piso, estudios...muchos gastos que cubrir con un pequeño sueldo de estudiante.



2.- One collection and innumerable awards. What are you enjoining the most in the present and are afraid the most in the future?
The truth is that I'm not having enough time to enjoy my present but the most rewarding thing is to see your efforts valuated, not only for the awards but also for the lovely welcome I find everywhere. In regards of my future, I have more respect than fear, although things are going on very well there's still a long way to walk.

2.- Una coleccion y millones de premios. Que es lo que más estas disfrutando de tu presente y lo que más miedo te da de tu futuro? La verdad que estoy teniendo poco tiempo para disfrutarlo pero lo mas gratificante es ver de alguna manera el esfuerzo recompensado, no solo por los premios sino por la buena acogida que me encuentro en los distintos lugares. Y respecto a mi futuro, mas que miedo tengo respeto, aunque las cosas estén saliendo muy bien aun me queda mucho camino por recorrer.


3.- Are you preparing your next collection or you're giving yourself a break to enjoy what's happening?
Right now I'm fully immerse in a possible participation in Modafad. Then i will work on a Madrid fashion competition, followed by Mittelmoda (where I was also selected for the Levi's Award and I will be showing two or three new designs). After that it comes Modorra in Bilbao and maybe then i will start to think in my next project...

3.- Estas preparando ya tu proxima coleccion o has decidido darte un respiro para disfrutar de las cosas buenas del momento? Ahora mismo estoy inmersa en una posible participación en Modafad, luego vendrá un certamen en Madrid, Mittelmoda, en el que también estoy seleccionada para el Levi´s award donde presentaré dos o tres nuevos estilismos. Después posiblemente participe en Modorra de Bilbao y tal vez entre tanto empezaré a pensar en mis próximos proyectos.




4.- What did it mean to you to be finalist of a prestigious fashion competition such Mittelmoda? How was the selection?
It wasn't that different from other contests. Through our fashion school they offered us to participate, so I prepared the long dossier you need to submit and sent it. It is very special to be in there because it is an international contest where they receive a great deal of works and being selected is already a great satsfaction.

4.- Que ha significado para ti el ser finalista del prestigioso premio Mittelmoda? Cómo fue la selección?
No ha sido muy diferente al proceso de selección de otros certámenes. A través de mi escuela nos propusieron la idea y simplemente, realicé el dossier extenso que se precisa para participar. Es muy especial porque es un certamen internacional al que se presentan un gran número de trabajos y estar entre lo seleccionados ya es una gran satisfacción.



5.- During these months of shows I guess you have had the chance of meeting fashion professionals whose work has been very inspiring to you. Who has been the person or people you keep a better memory of?
Yes, i have been very fortunate in that matter too, first for having as tutors for my project no other than Ismael and Sergio from Spastor, such a honor, and second for meeting all kind of people during the contests, people that has shared with me their own vision on fashion, from the jury of each contest to photographers as Javier Ferrer, Manuel Lozano, Juan Francisco Lopez... stylists as you or Analia Lanfranco, press journalists as Leticia Orúe or designers as Alberto from Sinpatrón, Pedro form Pedro y El Lobo, Silvia y Nando from potipoti, Jose Zambrano and Ibai Labega.

5.- Durante todos estos meses imagino que habras tenido la oportunidad de conocer profesionales de la moda de una calidad valiosisima. Quién ha sido la persona o personas a quienes más te ha sorprendido y placer te ha dado conocer?
Si, en eso también he sido muy afortunada, primero al tener como tutores de proyecto nada mas y nada menos que a Ismael y Sergio de Spastor, todo un honor, y después al encontrarme en los diferentes certámenes personas que me han aportado su visión sobre el sector, desde los jueces de cada certamen, pasando por fotógrafos como Javier Ferrer, Manuel Lozano, Juan Francisco Lopez, estilistas como tú y Analia Lanfranco, gente de medios como Leticia Orúe, hasta diseñadores como Alberto de Sinpatrón, Pedro de Pedro y el Lobo, Silvia y Nando de potipoti, Jose Zambrano e Ibai Labega.


6.- What's the difference between men's wear and women's?
For me none. My collection is unisex so I odn't see the difference between woman and man. The fact that I proposed men's wear in the contests is because I think that it could be a different proposal to what's the norm.

6.- Qué tiene la ropa de hombre que no tiene la de mujer?
Para mi nada diferente, mi colección es unisex y por tanto no veo diferencia entre mujer y hombre. El hecho de que haya presentado hombre en los certámenes es porque considero que podría ser una propuesta diferente a las que normalmente se presentan.



7.- Bla Bla Bla magazine with Klaudia Laspalas... Tell us about this project.
It's not exactly a project per se but some designs I created while studying fashion design. Then, thanks to Klaudia, I could collaborate with this magazine where I presented part of those designs.

7.- Bla Bla Bla magazine con Klaudia Laspalas... Hablame un poco de este proyecto. No se trata de un proyecto en concreto sino varios diseños creados durante mis estudios. Luego, gracias a klaudia, pude colaborar en este magazine haciendo una pequeña presentación sobre algunos de mis trabajos.




8.- If you could curate a fashion exhibition in a Contemporary Art Museum, what would you choose?
It could be an exhibition on international young designers. It is always interesting to know what new proposals are emerging in other countries.

8.- Si pudieras comisariar una exposicion de moda en algun museo de Arte Contemporaneo...
Podría ser una exposición sobre diseñadores noveles a nivel internacional. Siempre es interesante conocer que propuestas están emergiendo en otro lugares.

milkshakechocolate.net in ELLE Girl Korea

My very personal fashion project milkshakechocolate is featured in this month ELLE Girl Korea on a special "Online Magazines" together with Australian sesamemedia.com and Korean nazine.com thanks to the lovely MinKyung Kim who contacted me to ask permission to publish the magazine and send me a couple of questions.

I was thrilled.

I founded milkshakechocolate and been fashion director and editor in chief for two years and right when the e-zine came to an end I received the best press I could ever had.

I'm very grateful for such honor because ELLE Girl Korea is demonstrating that a girls' magazine doesn't need to be all boys and pinks; they are publishing interesting articles, really good selection of contemporary designers and cool stuff by the hour in their pages. Believe me.

Below is the translation of the interview, although I don't think they published the whole (I can't really tell as the publication is in Korean so I have not clue of what's published and what's left away). But there you have:

1. Milkshakechocolate... So sweet name! For readers of ELLEGirl, tell us a bit about what's Milkshakechocolate magazine.

milkshakechocolate started in 2006 as a platform for young artists, both in the field of fashion and art.
At the beginning, all the work that was published was from artists I met through myspace or from artists I knew personally whose work was really good but very difficult to find other than in their personal sites, because they were still young and unknown.
The first issue was a bit of a success and soon I started to have the opportunity to feature the work of wide renown artists like BLESS, Sandra Backlund or Boudicca, whose presence in the magazine would support the work of the younger ones.
Now milkshakechocolate is focused in avant-garde fashion because that's where my personal interest led me to.

2. It is known that one staff is in charge of editing and designing. How do you choose up the rest of staffs?

I choose the people that work for milkshakechocolate in regards of the quality of their work. The majority of those people are friends or friends of friends whose work I really respect, so it's like a community of friends working together and doing things they like to do. I'm very fortunate to have such good professionals collaborating with me.



3. Why you choose online-based magazine, instead of paper based one? In comparison with other online magazines, the majority of articles are lengthy detailed interviews. With so much read, is it more suitable for offline media?

This is a really good question that I often ask myself too.
milkshakechocolate started as a very personal project, and still is really. When I started my main goal was to feature the work of artists I knew and really admired.
The first thought was to do it on paper, in a zine-kind of magazine. But paper is very expensive and you need a good monetary back up to print and then distribute, something I didn't have at the time, so I needed to think of an alternative.

I believe in a DIY (Do It Yourself) philosophy, if you want to do something you should use all is around you to make it happen.

My friend Alex gave me the brilliant idea to do it online because it's cheaper and the distribution is worldwide. So I attended a course on web design and started to design the magazine myself.

Now things are a little different, the quality is getting better and the goals are others.
I realized myself what you so brilliantly asked me: my articles are very in-depth because that's what I was looking for, but online readers want quick and very easy readings because it's uncomfortable to be in front of a computer.

For this reason I decided to go on paper and that's what me and my partner Sonia Ostrovsky are working on right now. The next issue will be on paper and the magazine will have a new name.



4. Anyway, you feel keenly the boundary of online magazine. What's the most difficult thing?

The most difficult thing is to find artists (designers, photographers, illustrators, journalists etc) that want to be feature or to work for an online magazine, unless is a world renown online publication like showSTUDIO of Totem Fashion.
I was really fortunate to have the support of designers like BLESS or Boudicca, who believed in my magazine and their interviews opened a lot of "doors" to me.

But online magazine have not credibility whatsoever because there's thousand of online publications so for the artists their work gets lost on the net. That is why I decided also to go on paper because I wanted to feature the work of designers who only agreed to be interviewed if my magazine was printed.

5. On the contrary, what's the fascination with online media as compared to offline one?

I like the democratization of online media.
Everyone is able to express his/her creativity and to show it to the world.
Before we had Internet it was very difficult for artists and designers to get known if they were living in a remote town. They needed to move to big cities in order to know the right people. Now they can be in contact with the whole world with just a click!
I think we all are very blessed that this thing is happening in our time. You only need two things to make an online magazine: a web design program and Internet connection.

6. Two special issue 'Subway Issue' and 'Child Issue' were shown. What are your inspirations in planning special issues?

Haha… there is really not a planning!
Both themes were chosen in a certain moment when I just felt inspired.
I chose the Childhood issue because that was the first issue of the magazine so I thought it would be fun to ask the artists how they see childhood, the "first", the beginning of everything.
The Subway issue was chosen because at the time I met a very special person on the subway… ☺

7. It has been dealed with fashion, art, and cultural whole. But most recent issues are inclined to define only fashion and design. Are you deliberately designed for this purpose?

When I started milkshakechocolate I wanted to create a Fashion & Art magazine, a publication with an eye on modern culture.
For that reason the first issues headed that way but I soon realized that fashion was my real passion, that all my energy was dedicated to find good designers rather than good fine artists.
Consequently the magazine developed into a fashion platform and now it's a mainly-fashion online publication, always focusing in fashion as an art more than fashion as a shopping experience.


8. Milkshakechocolate still has stayed in 2007. When will the next issue be out? The issue from winter 2007, the one that is now on view, was the last online issue.

We are now working in the new issue that will go on paper. The magazine's name will change too but unfortunately I can't give more details yet.
In any case, I would like to give you a little scoop so I'd say that we interviewed amazing designers like Jean Pierre Braganza, Toga or United Bamboo… And the magazine's new name was inspired by a trip that my partner Sonia did to Seoul last year!

Thank you so much (again and again and again)

I <3 You

Love is definitely in the air... two posts in a row about love!... this time about my love for Mexican label TEAMO.

TEAMO is Roberto and Rafa, two kids from Mexico DF that decided to start something together and ended up designing really interesting clothing, and not only.

Roberto very kindly answered a couple of questions for bobble-bee.

México is in vogue, no wonder why...

1.- What's TEAMO? ... Quién es TEAMO?

TEAMO is a concept that involves fashion, the label's main reflexion, but not only.
Rafa Cuevas is a musician and also throws parties, and Roberto Sánchez is an illustrator and media speaker. We do styling together so this way we try that everything done in our label is done with love: there are pieces that might be rough and aggressive, while others are very pretty and organic, but all are inspired by our love. That is what made us create TEAMO two years ago.

----- TEAMO es un concepto que involucra principalmente la moda, que es el mayor reflejo de la marca, pero no sólo hacemos eso.
Rafa Cuevas es músico y hace fiestas y Roberto Sánchez es ilustrador y comunicólogo, y juntos también hacemos Styling, de esta forma tratamos de que en nuestra marca todo esté hecho con sentimiento, puede ser que hayan piezas crudas y agresivas como pueden existir piezas lindas y fluidas que sean inspiradas por el amor que nos tenemos mutuamente, es esto lo que dió origen a TEAMO ya hace dos años.



2.- You design fashion but also do styling for magazines, promote music ... what did come first and what did come last?
Vosotros diseñais ropa pero tambien haceis estilismo para diferentes publicaciones, promoveis música ... qué vino antes y qué vino despues?

Well, the firs thing was to meet each other. It's funny because that same day our group of friends met each other as well, we all met at theopening of photographer Regina Pozo here in México DF.
After that day all started to happen organically, Roberto lived in Cuernavaca and Rafael in México DF. The started to date for a month, decided to live together and build up something together. That's the way TEAMO was born, we have always been surrounded by very talented people that never give up their artistic dreams. That gave us also faith in what we do.

Things are rolling, nice and strong. Let's say that a little water drop fulfilled the bottle: firs Rafa and me met, then we dated, moved together, TEAMO was born and so forth.

Regarding the music, Rafa was in a band called Dragkillers together with painter and producer Mario Varguez, an electro band that was very successful.
I had some friend in DF like Zemmoa, an electro pop singer here in México, also Regina Pozo was my friend and she put me in contact with several people, the same did Juan Pablo Bastarrachea, who is now director together with more people of Discos Tormento which has Rafa under its wing. Mario Varguez is producer of his new solo project Yo Soy Dios, y a su vez Rafa fue con quien Zemmoa empezó su proyecto musical, él como su productor. Todo es un rollo lo que nos encanta es que todo siempre hemos estado juntos de una u otra manera, algunas veces de mi lado y yo los presento con rafa y hacen proyectos juntos o viceversa.


----- Bueno, lo primero fue conocernos. Es chistoso porque ese mismo día nuestro grupo de amigos también se conoció, nos reunimos todos en una exposición de la fotógrafa Regina Pozo aqui en la ciudad de México.
Después de ese día todo empezó a fluir de la mejor manera, Roberto vivía en Cuernavaca, y Rafael en ciudad de México. Al mes de salir como novios, decidieron vivir y crear algo juntos.
De ahí nace Teamo, siempre hemos estado rodeados de gente muy talentosa que no se ha dado por vencida en el ambiente del arte y de la lucha por alcanzar sus sueños, eso nos ha hecho tambien que no perdamos la fe en lo que hacemos.

Las cosas han ido pasando muy bien y sólidas, digamos que la gotita poco a poco ha ido llenando la botella, primero Rafa y yo nos conocimos, luego nos hicimos novios, luego vivimos juntos, luego nació TEAMO y de ahí todas las conexiones han ido dándose.

En cuanto a la música, Rafa antes de que yo llegara a su vida ya tenía una banda con el pintor y productor Mario Varguez, juntos hacían Dragkillers una banda de electro que tuvo mucho éxito.
Yo por mi parte tenía algunos conocidos aqui en DF como Zemmoa que es una cantante de electro pop aqui en México, también Regina Pozo era mi amiga y ella me conectó con varia gente, lo mismo que Juan Pablo Bastarrachea quien ahora es director junto con un grupo de personas de la disquera Discos Tormento donde Rafa está firmado. Ahora con su proyecto de solista Yo Soy Dios, que por cierto Mario Varguez sigue siendo su productor, y a su vez Rafa fue con quien Zemmoa empezó su proyecto musical, él como su productor. Todo es un rollo lo que nos encanta es que todo siempre hemos estado juntos de una u otra manera, algunas veces de mi lado y yo los presento con rafa y hacen proyectos juntos o viceversa.



3.- What can you tell me of the project Clínica Store? ... Y Clínica Store?

In fact that project was started for two friends of ours, also designers, Denise Marchebout and Enrique González, both Rafa's friends from Guadalajara, his hometown.

They came to the city and created the store almost two years ago. Then, just by chance, Enrique leaves the store and it's when TEAMO and Mancandy, another fashion label made by Andrés Jiménez, were invited to collaborate with Denise in this project. We've been almost two months now. We are really happy with this because even before being partners of it, our collections were sold here and now we are part of it. We don't sell anywhere else now, only here. The concept of it all is awesome, it's called "Clínica" (Clinic), it's a Fashion Clinic!.

----- De hecho el proyecto de Clinica lo iniciaron unos amigos nuestros que también son diseñadores de moda Denise Marchebout y Enrique González que son amigos de Rafa desde Guadalajara su ciudad natal.

Ellos vinieron a la ciudad y crearon la tienda hace ya casi dos años. Hoy por azares de la vida Enrique se ausenta de la tienda y es cuando Teamo y Mancandy (otra marca de ropa hecha por Andréz Jiménez), somos invitados a colaborar en el proyecto junto con Denise. Llevamos en la tienda casi dos meses. Estamos muy contentos porque antes parte de nuestra colección se vendían ahí, y ahora ya es todo, de hecho no vendemos en otros sitios aqui en la ciudad, solo confiamos en esta tienda. El concepto es padrisimo, se llama Clinica, una clinica de moda.

collection SS 08. photography Andrés Jiménez

4.- Mexico Fashion Week is around the corner. How's everything going? ... Dentro de nada es la Mexico Fashion Week. Cómo van los preparativos?

We are doing pretty good, the collection is almost done but hey, it's really around the corner!!!!! but everything will be perfect, we think that as long as one's working, things will turn as one desires.
Although the truth is that we are a little dissapointed with the organization, I don't know how other fashion weeks work but each time we get a letter from the organization it make us think if it is really worth it. But anyway, it is our first edition so let's see.

----- Vamos muy bien, la colección casi está terminada, tenemos ya el tiempo encima¡¡¡ pero todo saldrá perfecto, creemos que mientras uno no deje de trabajar las cosas salen como se desean.
Aunque la verdad estamos un poco desentusiasmados por la organización del evento, no sé si en las demás sedes del Fashion Week en el mundo pasan cosas así, pero cada vez que tenemos un correo nuevo del equipo son cosas que nos hacen dudar si de verdad vale la pena. Pero bueno es nuestra primera edición.


5.- What's the name of your new collection? ... Cómo se llama vuestra nueva colección?

It doesn't have a name, but it has a concept behind it. It evolves around the animals and their night lives. It's a little sarcastic and funny, very clean and dark.

----- La colección no tiene nombre, pero sí un concepto que viene de los animales y sus vidas nocturnas en el bosque, un poco sarcástico y divertido pero limpio y oscuro.

collection SS 08. photography Andrés Jiménez

6.- How is living in México DF? ... Cómo se vive en México DF?

It's beautiful but also very difficult.
We that work in the fashion industry, where the support is not very clear or often, we need to work in more than one thing to make a living.
The city itself is really pretty. It's amazing to think that being one of the biggest cities in the world those who work in the same business know each other!. There are a lot of casualties and if you don't keep your eyes open you might miss them and don't see them anymore.

----- Es muy lindo pero también difícil.
Nosotros, que mayormente nos dedicamos a la moda, en un país como México donde el apoyo no es muy claro ni frecuente, tenemos que hacer más de una cosa en nuestros ámbitos para poder sobrevivir.
La ciudad es preciosa, es increible saber que es una de las ciudades más grandes del mundo y que dentro de ella la gente que se dedica a lo mismo se conoce. Hay muchas casualidades y si no abres los ojos y estas atento se te pasan y no las vuelves a ver nunca.



7.- So is México DF for ever or you have plans tomove somewhere else? ... México DF for ever o teneis planes de ir a vivir en otras ciudades?

We'd love to live in other cities but right now México is a virgin space with a lot of potencial for fashion and art proposals as ours, that is why we want to keep on doing things here and later going away to share those things.

----- Nos encantaría vivir en otras ciudades, pero no por ahora, creemos que en México hay un campo virgen para propuestas como la nuestra en cuanto a moda y arte y por eso queremos hacer cosas aqui y después ya salir y compartirlas.


8.- Mexican Art and Fashion ... Arte y Moda Mexicana.

Art, we like illustrator Cynthia Yee and photographers Tony Solís and Andrés Jiménez. In music we like Porter and in fashion, designers Denise Marchebout, Marvin y Quetzal and EGR.

----- De arte nos gusta Cynthia Yee que es una ilustradora, de foto Tony Solís y Andrés Jiménez, de música Porter, diseñadores Denise Marchebout, Marvin y Quetzal y EGR.



9.- The TEAMO campaign of your dreams. ... Cual es la campaña teAmo de vuestros sueños?

Model: Lara Stone
Photographer: Juergen Teller
Stylist: Terence Koh
Location: The Palacio Nacional de Bellas Artes

Modelo. Lara Stone
Fotógrafo. Juergen Teller.
Estilista. El Artista Terence Koh
Localización. El Palacio Nacional de Bellas Artes



10.- Un unforgettable concert ... Un concierto inolvidable.

Rafa: Björk
Roberto: Yo soy Dios



11.- Who would you like to send your greetings? ... A quien quereis saludar?

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and all our crew in México!.

----- Mary Kate y Ashley Olsen y a toda la muchachada de México!.

código 4140 magazine featuring TEAMO

Pedro y El Lobo /// Peter And The Wolf

Pedro García Martínez is the head behind the fairy-tale like Spanish fashion label Pedro Y El Lobo (Peter and The Wolf, remember the famous children's story by Sergey Prokofiev?).
Pedro was one of this year's selected designers to show their work during Mustang Fashion Weekend at the independent music festival FIB in Spain.
Together with 5 more designers, he presented his college final thesis "Instrumental".
Don't miss the video he did for it!.

>>> When did you start designing clothing? /// Cuando empezaste a diseñar ropa?
I really started when I rolled the Fashion Academy. Before that I used to paint T-Shirts, doing little things, all very DIY, customizing some garments and bidding in Fashion contests while I was finishing Natural Science in college.

/// Cuando entré en la escuela, la verdad. Antes de ello pintaba camisetas, hacía pequeñas cosas, customizaba prendas y me presentaba a concursos de moda mientras terminaba mis estudios de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, todo a un nivel autodidacta.


>>> Did you ever study fashion design?/// Llegaste a estudiar alguna vez diseño de Moda?
Yes, I studied it in the Escuela Superior de Arte y Diseño de Murcia, I was part of the first fashion design graduation.

/// En la Escuela Superior de Arte y Diseño de Murcia, soy de la primera promoción.



>>> Tell me about your collection "Instrumental". Where did you show it? Have you had any kind of economical support? /// Cuéntame un poco sobre tu colección "Instrumental". Dónde la presentaste? Has tenido algun tipo de ayuda económica por parte del ayuntamiento, familia, amigos?
"Instrumental" was my final thesis. It is inspired in the music, in the instruments, the way their shape is similar to the patterns of clothing, as well as the musical graphic designs, everything wrapped in a decadent atmosphere. The collection has a very coherent base, the colors reinforce the visual character of the pieces and their shapes remind and evoke the musical world.
I submitted my work to the Young Designers contest that Mustang organizes for FIB (Independent music Festival of Benicassim) and I won. They game me the chance to show my collection together with other famous designers. As an award they game me a symbolic sum of money to do the event. But I have had real financial help thanks to my family that has been and always will a great and unconditional support.

/// La colección "Instrumental" fue mi proyecto final de carrera. Inspirada en la música, en los instrumentos, en cómo la forma de éstos se unía a la de los patrones base, en los grafismos musicales, y todo envuelto en una atmosfera de decadencia. La colección tiene una base muy coherente, los colores refuerzan el carácter visual, y posee cortes que le dan una fuerte presencia y que evocan a las formas del mundo de la música.
Presenté este proyecto al concurso de jóvenes diseñadores que organiza Mustang para el FIB, (Festival Internacional de Benicassim), y lo gané, teniendo asi la oportunidad de poder desfilar con otros diseñadores ya conocidos. Por el premio me dieron una ayuda económica simbólica para poder llevar a cabo el proyecto. Ayuda económica he tenido gracias a mi familia, que ha sido y será siempre un gran apoyo, incondicional.


>>> Tell me about the video. Where did it come from the idea of a dress out of score paper? /// Cuéntame un poco sobre la experiencia del video. De dónde vino la idea de crear un vestido a partir de papel de partituras?



I thought of doing a video like that the day before my final thesis presentation. I was having a coffee with a score notebook and I thought how could I summarize the concept of my collection in a few images, then i decided to record some mini-videos.
It was a lot of fun more than anything else. I started with my photo camera in one hand and with the other "converting music into fashion" (although my mom had to help me a couple of times...). The video is very amateur, it was shot in my room in Murcia, with my desk and my sewing machine. The model is my sister Lucía; I asked her to come back down with me to the waste ground below my house to filmed her for 5 minutes. When I finished the editing I ended up very happy with the result. I think i got exactly what I was looking for...

///El video se me ocurrió el dia antes de la entrega de mi P.F.C. [proyecto fin de carrera], tomandome un café y con un bloc de partituras en la mano, pensé en cómo podría reducir todo el concepto de mi colección en unas pocas imágenes, así que me puse a grabar minivideos.
Fue más divertido que otra cosa, empecé con la cámara de fotos en una mano y con la otra a "convertir música en moda", (aunque mi madre me tuvo que ayudar un par de veces...). El video es muy casero, está rodado en mi habitación de Murcia, con mi escritorio y mi maquinita de coser. La modelo es mi hermana, Lucía, le pedí que bajase al descampado de debajo de casa para grabarla 5 minutos. Cuando terminé de montar los minivídeos acabé muy contento con el resultado. Creo que conseguí perfectamente lo que quería transmitir con el video, a mi manera...


>>> Where do you make the clothing? Where do you choose the fabrics that you will use in the collections? /// Dónde fabricas la ropa? Dónde decides los tejidos que utilizaras?
I make the clothing with my dressmaker, who is such a lovely person, hand by hand, sometimes till dawn, every day. I like to walk in the fabric stores and I try to match the materials I choose with the the collections' concept, which I think I've got it so far. I also like to investigate with fabrics, manipulating them and making new ones, like the lace edging patchwork that i did for Instrumental, putting together little pieces of irregular shapes and leaving the seams inside out.

/// La ropa la hago con mi modista, que es un encanto, mano a mano hasta la madrugada todos los dias. Suelo pasear por las tiendas de telas, e intento que el género que escojo interprete perfectamente el concepto que le doy a la colección, y hasta ahora lo he conseguido. También investigo manipulando tejidos, y creando otros nuevos, como el patchwork de distintas puntillas de encaje que hice para Instrumental, uniendo trocitos cortados de forma irregular y dejando las costuras hacia el exterior.


>>> What stage in Fashion design you enjoy the most? /// Qué fase de la creacion de una coleccion de gusta mas?
When an item is finished, you look at the illustration and see that what you thought became reality... I think is fascinating.

/// Cuando una prenda está acabada, miras la ilustración y ves que se ha hecho realidad física... creo que es una sensación increible.


>>> Is there any designer who inspires you nowadays? /// Qué diseñadores actuales te inspiran?
No one in particular. I find inspiring all kind of designers and labels that have little in common with each other, like Miuccia Prada, Hedi Slimane, Locking Shocking, Chloé, Phoebe Philo, or icons like Cristobal Balenciaga etc.

/// No tengo ninguno como referente, me influyen muchos diseñadores y firmas que poco tienen que ver entre sí, como Miuccia Prada, Hedi Slimane, Locking Shocking, Chloé, Phoebe Philo, iconos como Cristobal Balenciaga, etc.


>>> How do you see the fashion industry in Madrid? What do you think about the battle Cibeles / Ego? /// Como ves la moda en Madrid? Que piensas de Cibeles / Ego?
The industry here is very difficult, I guess like everywhere else, you have to work very hard, being very patient and having a strong willpower. I'm brand new in Madrid, I've been here only for a month and a half now so I can't really say much about the situation. I will see how everything goes.
I think Cibeles is an interesting catwalk to see certain fashion trends or sides that I might be interested in, and El Ego is a great platform for young designers and a great opportunity for them to show their work.

/// La veo dificil, como en todos sitios, un trabajo duro, en el que se necesita mucha paciencia y fuerza de voluntad. Yo estoy recién instalado en Madrid, llevo un mes y medio, y bueno, asi que poco puedo decir, a ver qué cosas surgen y a ver cómo me desenvuelvo.
Cibeles me parece una pasarela interesante para ver ciertos aspectos y propuestas de la moda que me interesan, y El Ego me parece una muy buena plataforma para jóvenes diseñadores y perfecta oportunidad para mostrar su trabajo.


>>> Where would you like to live other than Madrid? /// Dónde te gustaria estar si no estuvieses en Madrid?
If I wouldn't be here I would be ... in Barcelona, Tokyo or New York, or a little town called La Arboleda, in Bilbao, where there are many lakes, animals, trees and someone very special...

/// Si no estuviese aqui...en Barcelona, Tokio o Nueva York, o en un pueblecito que se llama La Arboleda, en Bilbao, con muchos lagos, animales, árboles y una personita.


>>> What's your next project? /// Cuál es tu proximo proyecto?
Finding the way to produce my collection, seeing how Pedro Y El Lobo keeps growing and at the same time being able to make other projects that fill my time.

/// Encontrar el modo de poder producir mi colección, ver cómo continúa Pedro y el Lobo y al mismo tiempo hacer otros proyectos que ocupen mi tiempo.

Mario Sorrenti in Front Of The Camera Looks Damn Good

Today I bought the latest issue of Vogue Homme International with American actor James Franco on the cover.
Flipping through the magazine, which is covered with interesting interviews, amazing images and lots of hot men, i stumbled upon an article on photographer Mario Sorrenti.

Editor-in-Chief Olivier Lalanner interviews the Italian-born photographer and the pictures that accompanies the interview couldn't be more surprising .... as they show Mario in front of the camera, not behind as usual, and ...
A.- They show how damn good looking Sorrenti was.
B.- They show Kate Moss as quite a good photographer ... because she was the one who took these amazing images...


Q: Which woman most impressed you?
A: Probably Kate Moss. We met when I was nineteen and she was seventeen. It was an aesthetic shock. She was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I took endless shots of her when we were together and even now I never get tired of photographing her. [...]

Coveting The Coveted

Jennine from The Coveted has become, in less than a year, a favourite of all of us who once had the fortune to stopping by her amazing fashion-related blog.
Her style has developed since then and what started as a girl-likes-clothing log became a girl-knows-fashion Bibble.

Together with Susie from Style Bubble, Jennine is a fashion voice that many of us fashion bloggers count on, and witnessing her fight against SFFW and her not-so-little ending success, was such a wonderful story to follow.

She belongs to those group of lovely bloggers who, no matter what, bring us every day interesting news to keep our minds in awe, and thanks to her, my fashion point of view has become wider.

Thank J for your posts, this is a little homage to your wonderful work.

** Why did you start to fashion blog?
Oh dear... why I started to blog about fashion....
Well, I've always been intrigued with blogging. I started a blog about 2 years ago, but it sucked, because it was about my day to day life, and it was a bit too self indulgent. Years later, after a shift in consciousness, I realized that many of my friends were asking me shopping questions. I didn't even think my style was that great, but I did really enjoy telling people where I got my clothes from. After a combination finding Style Bytes and Style Bubble, my own shopping habit, and annoying my friends with eBay finds and things I covet... I had a blog subject.
The final element to my story was I had been seeing a career coach for about a month, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. He told me to take photos of things that inspired me, and that's really when I started The Coveted. Originally I thought I could do a street style blog, but I'm not very good at it, so I just stuck with photographing myself.

** When did you start to be interested in Fashion? Why is fashion an important piece in Jennine's life?
Hmm... I don't know to tell the truth. I think since I was little. My mom is not really into fashion nor is she particularly girly... She dressed me in sneakers and jeans as a kid, and all I wanted was to wear dresses. I remember the first fight we had about shoes. She wanted to get me sneakers or Maryjane's, and I wanted these black ballet flats (I thought shoes without straps were very grown up). She said they looked like boats, and I didn't care, I wanted them. It was a terrible fight. I was six.

As far as why is it important today, well, I look at is as the visual articulation of of my spirit. My body is nature, fashion is my nurture.

** What's your goal as a fashion blogger? what's your challenge?
You know, I tend to put my foot in my mouth a lot. That's my biggest challenge. I started The Coveted in search of my professional passion... my goal... is to one day live off my blog or in fashion.

** A question you always ask and we all die to know from you; What's an average day in Jennine's life?
Oh my... that's not really very exciting... really. During the week, I work as a graphic designer. I walk to work, and often photograph myself along the way. At night, I come home, have dinner, hang out with my two cats and write.

** You have interviewed a very interesting people, including favourite blogger of all times, Susie Bubble. Could you tell me some spicy anecdote, or a funny one ?
Oh no...it's all been a bit cut and dry... everyone has been so lovely! I think my favorite was the interview I did with you a while back, because it opened my eyes to the personal nature of blogging. Also, I really like Serena Cole. I hope to meet her in person Friday at her gallery opening.
** When you approach people in the streets to take their picture? what's their reaction? do you tell them who you are and what the picture is for? Has any of the people approached recognized you?
No one has recognized me. I'm not famous. Most people are nice, once I got a guy who seemed to be tripping on acid, and another time I got a crazy chick who started screaming at me. I sure can pick 'em right?

** Three favourite photographers? Three designers?
Oh my... I don't know where to begin...
Dianne Arbus is perhaps my all time favorite photographers. No one has really been able to capture the bizarreness of human nature.
Designers? Hehe, today, I'm really feelin' Missoni. You know for some reason, I'm obsessed with their textiles. Oh yeah, because it's awesome. And it somehow fits in California.

** A look to covet this season
Yes, look happy, it's autumn, and it's time to play.

Paper Dresses and Art Magazines

Irana Douer is one of those people whose life has been attached to mine without even knowing it.

I was following her own online magazine, Ruby Mag, for quite a while but I didn't know who the person behind it was.
A very good friend of mine turned out to be a very good friend of hers and what's most amazing, a very dear one was once involved in some way with her.
One day Irana contacted me because of Milkshake Chocolate and from there on we started to unpuzzled our connected lives.
She runs her own magazine, she makes beautiful paper dresses and here she talks about her life in great Buenos Aires, Argentina.


When and Why did you decide to make Paper Dresses?

I started one Saturday night when I was very bored at home and I had tons of brown paper and I started doing a collage that looked like a skirt and so I turned it into a skirt. Soon I started trying doing other paper outfits and enrolled myself in a sewing class but I didn’t last long. I must admit that fashion design is not for me. The few classes I attended I learnt to do children wear and so I made a few kids dresses out of paper and draw on them as if they were canvases.

I know there's a very sad story behind the dresses...

Well, I was invited to be part of an art show in another city in Buenos Aires (for those who don’t know, Buenos Aires is not only a city but a whole province/state) and I went there for the opening and came back home. When the show was over the curator gave the pieces to another artist in the show who lives near me and told me about it later. A few months passed by and I didn’t claim the dresses and then I went away (to Cuba and Europe) for about 3 months.

When I got back I contact the artist who had my dresses and he said he couldn’t find them and he thinks he might have thrown them away. I know I waited too long (about 6 months) to claim them back but I wouldn’t expect him to throw them away, specially since he’s an artist too and he should have some certain respect for artworks. If he didn’t want to hold them for me he should have reached me but he never did so and it makes me really sad and angry.

Do you have a favourite fashion designer?
mmmm I don’t think so. I used to be more interested in fashion design but not nymore. I mean, I do like nice clothing but I’m not into deigner clothing. Still, I love shoboshobo’s jumpers and all those one of a kind /artsy kind of clothing.

A favourite artist?
that’s a tough one! Right now I’m obsesed with Richard Colman’s art. And Roger Ballen.

Tell me about your latest trip to Cuba...

I had a good time in La Habana, i felt I was living in the 50s. the buildings, the cars, everything is old but amazingly beautiful. And the ocean is amazing! You can see your feet even if the water is up your neck (fish and all kind of underwater creatures intrigue me but scare me so much). But the whole trip wasn’t that good for me because it was more of a family trip and I don’t like resting. Being still bores me…I’m more of a city person. I should go back on my own someday!

That is why 4 days after coming back home I left to Europe for 2 months on my own.

What are you reading right now?
I just finished “No one belongs here more than you.” Stories by Miranda July. I didn’t like her movie that much but I must admit she has a very weird and funny imagination so I thought I should try her book. I thought it was pretty good.

Latest movie seen and enjoyed?
I recently saw (for the second time) “Santa Sangre” by Alejandro Jodorowsky. It is insane.

What are you working on right now?

I haven’t done any silkscreen in a while so I’ve been thinking of doing some work using that technique. I’m also preparing a new book for Ruby (my magazine) and I’m planning a new trip for the summer (your winter). I’m also attending school so I try to do everything all at once.

I know one of your latest projects are the hand drawn tea cups, one of them has a girl whose nose is bleeding…I'm very curios about it. ..

Most of my latest work has been about sad and/or hurt women. Some of them have bloody noses, other have black eyes. Other are just crying. I try to show phisically their internal pain.

Where do you make the cups?

Oh well, I don’t do the cups. They’re not handmade, they’re drawn. I buy plain ceramic tea cups and draw on them. My mom used to paint on ceramics and then quit and so she gave me all her materials (pigments, oils, everything needed to work on ceramics). I do everything at home and after I finish working on them I send them to a special oven for ceramics for getting the ink “fixed” and that’s it.

Tell me 3 things in your room you couldn't live without. Why?

I have EVERYTHING in my room! I work there, I sleep there, I have my computer! I need everything in it!

Well…that’s not 100% true though. I’m a “things” person. I like having stuff, paintings and art pieces from other artists, letters and packages, books, things from my trips, papers, papers and more papers and it is very hard for me to throw things away. but here is my top 3:

1- My computer

2- My art materials (specially my acrylics and 3 brushes I love the most)

3- My small art collection (I’ve been trading art and buying some pieces and I have made a small but amazing art collection which I hope to increase little by little. Hopefully I’ll have a special room for them someday)