Steven Arpad’s Shoes

After a lot of vacation, trips, party, etc. I’m back my friends ! Unfortunately I’ll be giving up on the ‘’lebanese designer’s reviews’’, because I just can’t find pictures to describe my words. So I bring to you today a discovery I made a while ago, a true artist who’s name must be restored and put on a pedestal.

Steven Arpad was a french shoemaker who worked around the thirties. I discovered him while browsing the web, and I was personally amazed by his work. It was way ahead of his time, and perhaps still ahead of ours, but nowadays shoe designs involve so many detail that we can find in Arpad’s work and that is simply amazing.

Okay, he might have worked for the House of Balenciaga, but I can’t believe he’s not well-known in today’s fashion culture. That is why I bring to you pictures of magical, avant-garde, and sculptured wonders in an attempt to spread his name on the web, not only his, but all of the ones we tend to forget, the pioneers that should receive more attention, think Vionnet, Poiret, Patou, Grès, or Schiaparelli, whose works become more scarce on the web every time bloggers write about today’s designers who are not only uninteresting but also copycats of forgotten artists.

Back to Arpad

Spot the cubes heels don’t they remind you of something ? And what about the fan-like one ? And the first one ?

If you don’t see the similarity with some of today’s designs then you must be blind or really uncultivated. But if you do see the resemblance, tell me with what and who, I’m really interested !

Anyway, my work for today is done, and I’m leaving you with these astonishing designs, and you can even see more of them here. I’ll be back soon with more discoveries, new designers and artists to watch, perhaps even lebanese ones…

See ya !

Photos source: Fashionising.com

Vans X Hermès

I’m sorry for not posting a lot lately, I’m just being super busy… And even this one’s going to be disappointing, it’s just a quick and short trip to show you something beautiful !

Last day, going through the latest Plastik* issue (a great local magazine), I stumbled on these wonderful shoes I’d personally die for !!!

Just look at the amazing shit that comes out when you ask Robert Verdi to customize Vans, and he uses magical famous Hermès designs and prints ! Fuck ! I’d totally like to grab a pair when they’ll be out this fall…

(Babes you know my birthday’s in October, right ?)

  

I want them all !

And to catch up (even though you may hate me), I’ll share with you these cute random pictures of animals in boots !

 

So cute !

See ya !

Givenchy Fall 2011 Couture Collection

I should have done this post yesterday but i’m being too lazy lately my friends… Anyway this is going to be easy, because fact is: Ricardo Tisci never fails to impress me with his collections for Givenchy. This couture collection is not an exception, and like all the others, it is composed by few dresses, but exceptional ones, and that’s why I’ll be showing all of them, in order of preferences.

(This one is such a beauty, my favorite, I can’t wait to see people wearing it, and photoshoots of it !)

   

These dresses are true pieces of art, I love this eerie feeling they give rise to, and some of them are so McQueen-ish, I love them, their sophistication, they are as close to perfection as something can possibly get. (Note the setting, it’s just breathtaking, the bridge, the river…)

Now I like these last three less, because the shape is disturbing me, I’m not a fan of this strict half-thigh thing… (Yet, you have to admit the work, the embroidery is ravishing).  

Easy, didn’t I told you ?! But well there isn’t much to say, all you have to do is admire when it comes to Givenchy, and more especially to Ricardo Tisci…

 

Perhaps you’re not satisfied and still hungry… Well guess what ? My friend Clara sent me pictures of the stuff she bought when we went to Souk El Ahad, I promised I’ll show the ladies what they can buy, so here we go !

A vintage necklace, “western’’ style for 3$.

A ‘’something’’ she’s going to use as a brooch or pendant for 3$.

Stylish retro sunglasses, also for 3$….

I love these ! Especially the sunglasses !

Photos source: Style.com and Clara ! (Thank you !)

My first visit of Souk El Ahad

Hello peeps ! I’m really tired of these couture collections reviews, and really don’t feel like doing all of them, especially after having seen Chanel’s Fall 2011 collection that I just can’t comment… (it was horrible, terrific! What may I say… Totally disappointing! They’re ruining her reputation!)

I mean: Boots with supposed-to-be classy suits ! What the fuck ?! But anyway, there were some good stuff… And I might do a post about it soon.

Tonight I want to share with you this awesome day I’ve spent between Souk El Ahad and Bourj Hammoud.

(I’m sorry I don’t have a lot of pictures; the feeling of discovery and excitment was too strong. I promise to take more pictures next time…)

I embarked with a friend of mine on an exciting journey on which I discovered truly amazing places… And to start with: Souk El Ahad, a popular “souk” (as in market) that takes place every Saturday and Sunday in Sin-El-Fil.

I had never been there but people told me about it; good things, bad things… Anyway I had to go discover by myself.

At the entrance, loads of caged animals captured our attention as we were going to enter the “souk”, there were birds and hens, cats and dogs, and even monkeys ! Of course, I obviously don’t need to express myself on this subject, I guess we all share the same opinion, or at least should be…

Here’s a puppy in a cage:

And this pictures says it all:

And this is the pet shop owner’s dog:

Joyfull ! Isn’t it ? Anyway if you manage to cross this horrifying scene you’ll enter an amazing market full of wonders and hidden treasures.

To be sure of not crossing the caged animals simply look up; a strange and unusual scenery awaits you… The simple idea of it is disgusting but I found the view of it so captivating, beautiful, the kind of beauty that rises from ugly compositions… Here’s the picture:

It’s hard to see and imagine, but these are used tea bags that have been thrown and that sticked under the bridge… The simple idea of it might be repulsive, but to see all these strings move in different directions according to the wind was just mesmerizing my friends… I’ll have to film it for you…

Back to reality ! I’m so sorry I don’t have any pictures from inside the “souk” because I was too busy exploring, touching and admiring stuff… So I’m just going to show you what I bought between the food, rugs, clothes, materials, antiquities, toys, jewelry, watches, sunglasses, shoes, accessories, tools, TVs, radios, frames, candlesticks, juice, LPs, underwear, belts, pottery, furniture, etc. etc. (Yes ! Yes! There is almost everything there !).

First of all I bought two vintage pairs of sunglasses, one à la John Lennon, that I’ve been searching for a while! (The rounded ones). And one that I just bought because they were cool and because the vendor almost offered them to me…

 

I love them !

I also bought meters of this beautiful fabric (it’s lycra):

Now I just have to figure out what to do with it…

And finally I bought this useless piggy bank simply because it brought childhood memories to my mind… (Yes I’m a compulsive buyer):

(Check Duchess in the background sleeping on my drawings)

All of these for less than 20$ my friends ! And this is it… However my friend (Clara) bought interesting stuff too but I forgot to take pictures, I’ll ask her to send me some, so that the girls checking this can see what they can find there…

I’m sorry I didn’t take pictures of the place itself, I promise I’ll do next time, now that I discovered it ! And because I now know it, expect me to go there often and bring some of you too !

Afterwards we went to Bourj Hammoud (but didn’t buy anything), and even though it was not my first time there I couldn’t help but be amazed and enthusiastic about everything… The place is just wonderful, crumbling under tons of boutiques selling almost everything too; from materials for clothing design to finished products like shoes, bags and jewelry, (a lot of imitations though), where we found so many beautiful pieces like rings and wallets and earrings and buttons, but anyway to talk about it isn’t enough, I’ll bring you pictures next time, and maybe dedicate a whole series of posts to this great suburb… (I’m so stubborn I should have taken pictures).

If you want to go at either of these locations I’ll be glad to come with you ! I know this is not enough and you’re perhaps dying to know/see more and I promise I’ll do another post on each of these very soon. Until then… See ya ! (Probably with a post about couture collections).