FROM #STYLEMAGAZINE TO #IKEACATALOGUE - REVIEWS

What has the Sunday Times Magazine and the Ikea Catalogue got in common. Well, they arrived at about the same time and I felt that they both needed to be reviewed. And why, well I have been working for over thirty years with Magazines this kind (weekly women's fashion and interior magazine Damernas Värld and VeckoRevyn and Elle and Elle Decoration, all in Sweden) and I worked with the Ikea Catalogues worldwide for over ten years. I think I know what I am talking about. Normally I love them both but this time I really felt I wanted to review them and give some feedback. I will start with the Ikea Catalogue. Well, is it a catalogue or a magazine, or an inspiration book for interiors made by Ikea? Well, it´s like they cannot make up their mind about this. As if there has been no editor in chief or an art director in charge of the whole issue. The  impression I get is that there has been to many chefs to spoil the broth. The idea of home stories by different families and with the same amount of different tastes and expressions are good. But they need to feel more authentic and mixed up with more "non Ikea products". In a magazine you would quite often add pages with similar products that has been inspired by the homes. In some way Ikea has tried to do that but has resulted in follow up pages that does not correspond with the homes. The catalogue also has stillife pages themed in colours. Having and being an expert on this kind of pages I find them very unprofessional and I also wonder what they are doing in the catalogue. Trying to add inspiration? When it comes to more product specific pages, again, why not let these pages flow, use the same home/background/colourway. I also find that the whole catalogue lack continuity, from style to colours and way of shooting. Where is the AD in charge...  

One of the homes lived in by this middle aged couple without names. I would have wanted to get to know them a little better.

The textile pages has room settings that do not come together, they could have been part of the same interior which would have made it look more homogeneous. And just to add to it - the layout is all over the place.

I do wonder what this stillife is doing in the catalogue. Appalling styling and what are they trying to tell you? Strong and bold colours and too much copy writing. There has and are so much knowledge and experience around, and in Ikea to know how you get the right flow. From stylists and interior designers that has been working with the big players in this field, both in the world of magazines and advertising. Why not let them have more influence. Perhaps a advisory group including specialists within these fields, from designers to editors and art directors.

Then we come to the "ad pages". Somebody came up with an idea of "Hand" ( The Adams Family) having a part here. Some ideas are better on the table than executed. This is one of them. Should have stayed on the table.

Another "Hand".

With Sunday Times Magazine it is another story. Kind of turning into a catalogue that could have been for Harrods or Harvey Nicols. Luxury gifts for Christmas. This year I thought was the year when the gift of the year is "nothing" or "vintage". Since I in my early career was employed by a big magazine group and know how important the ads are, there is a hidden agenda here. I remember being told on occasions during my time in the magazine world to pick products  to satisfy the big buyers of the ad pages. I spy with my little eye that that is what is going on here. They have tried to fit in a couple of pages of "affordable gift" but unfortunately it just looks like a way of getting rid of some bad conscience.

The week after the luxurious issue I was expecting something more adaptable to all of us but this time the theme was jewellery, expensive jewellery. I would have wanted to see gifts that you can make yourself, or the best second hand shops, and/or a story about why we should try to minimise our spending, etc, etc. I am not saying  that you cannot give somebody something luxurious for Christmas but two whole magazines with the same message? That is hidden advertising to me!

#FROMTODAYINTOTHEFUTURE AND SOME MORE...#MAROC ETC...

Christmas is coming up, again. With Peace, Love and Understanding. Went to the 57, Bridge Street shop and restaurant in Usk, Wales yesterday with some good friends and enjoyed the festive decorations and good hearty food (Moroccan Style). Peace is what I and my family need more than ever at the moment. This Autumn was supposed to have been when we, after having moved from The Cotswolds and downsized, would start reaching out and start with the rest of our life. But, to our big surprise, our contract for the lovely renting flat we are in, was not renewed and we have had to quickly find a new home. We were lucky and found a small terraced house just a few blocks from where we live now and are just waiting for all the paperwork etc to pull through. After what we have been through this last five years with being totally let down by close family, selling a house when Brexit is overshadowing the whole of Britain, and loosing some big clients...we are now looking forward with new energy and hope.

Tomorrow I am finally having my cataract operation and that will limit my working on the computer for a week or so... We did have a very good time, though, last week going to Morocco and Essaouira where a very good friend of mine have built a fantastic mini boutique hotel in the middle of the desert. A calm and great week with nice walks, lunches by the beach, massage, swimming in the (cool) pool, wonderful dinners and nice company. It was a treat we gave ourselves (me and my husband Bruce) since we have our silver wedding anniversary coming up in December. We also took the time for a four day trip to Yorkshire being inspired by the author Peter Robinson and his books about DCI Banks and the fictive town of Eastvale. Another fab trip that I will tell you all about later...

Moroccan style food yesterday at 57 Bridge Street in Usk, Wales.

This will still be are view when we finally (hopefully) get into our new house before Christmas (or just after) but from the top of our new garden. Blorange in Abergavenny.

I will shortly come back with the story about our trip to Essaouira and Darboutazert. This is Argan tree country and they are listed so where the house my friends built was situated was partly dictated by these trees. 

Bruce, me, Peter and Reino (the creators and owners of Darboutazert Boutique Hotel) catching the afternoon sun in the courtyard. More from Morocco, Christmas in Wales, London etc coming up soon!

#AUTUMNVIBES #STOCKHOLMARCHIPELAGO

It´s Autumn in the Stockholm Archipelago. One of my favourite times of the year to be there/here. Everything is very calm, nature, the island since most people have closed down their houses for the winter and only come out on the occasional weekend. We had a big tree that fell in front of our house during the Alvine storm last winter and now is the time to put all the branches on the fire (only allowed this time of the year). After a couple of hours of hard work I relaxed by reading in our very comfy sofa while enjoying the perfect view of the sea.

Halloween is coming up and I invested in some orange flowers to decorate with. More about Halloween soon.

The pumpkin is waiting to be cut and meanwhile it is looking good on our big picnic table.

Cosing up for the evening. We love the sun cell driven lights, a gift from my dear friend Leena!

Blue hour and lots of candlelight.

Our lovely big room facing the sea, feels like you are outside inside. We are never bored of the view that changes all the time.

Baking is one thing I find that I have the time and calm to do when I am at our seaside retreat. Swedish BULLA, i.e. cinnamon and cardamom buns with lots of butter, yummy.

#PUFFSLEEVES, #TRUMP, #BORIS #SHAME #FACTS AND #LOYALTY

Puff sleeves are back in fashion, again.(Baby doll dress by Richard Quinn using recycled materiels for SS20).
 When I was 17 I made my own puff sleeved tops and wore them with sailor type wide black throusers and flat black square shaped shoes. 

I am not quite as sure that the politics at the time in the world were as puffed up as they are now. Just think of Trump and Boris who are puffing up there sleeves with lies, alternative facts and false promises. How did we get here... They are both using democracy to get their way, finding the loop holes in the system to try to get what they want. Screaming out alternative facts to the people, of which many do not know better than to believe. It is a DISASTER. The word SHAME and LOYALTY  has been forgotten or/and lost its values. Missing in today's self centred me´s. For me loyalty is a major value in my life. It was makes me tick and want to move on. Unfortunately I have been let down by close family and friends these last five years and wonder why they are not being more shamed by people around them who knows what they have done and are capable of. It make us, the victims, the criminals. The punished. I´d wished there was a new Greta who was more tuned into politics. A person that can communicate the big risks it involves to back Trump and Boris up. We must update our knowledge in history and remember how Europe was just 20 years ago. Today we can travel and work more or less freely and enjoy Europe as a friendly and easy place to live and make our living. The promise that these people make about making USA and UK the big nations they once were is a fantasy. We have to remember how it actually was, and, that despite all, the world is a better place today than it was then. What we have to concentrate on now is stop pollution, and work together on the climate change and stop closing borders. Alone is not strong, not an option. We have to work together, the whole world. Stay loyal to our believes and make these leaders walk down the road of shame.

#GREEN #EVERGREENS

I have been to London again. London Fashion Week and London Design Festival. It has taken me nearly a week to fully recover and digest all new design and information. Above, first destination in Chelsea as the start of the Chelsea Design Week and Focus (Chelsea Harbour Design Centre) William Yeoward and my green outfit (Zara, Topshop and John Levis) matched the interior perfectly. A lot of green this season when it comes to interior design and its fabrics.

I took one break this week, Sunday. Since staying with friends near Queens Park it was a treat to visit "Queens Park Day" with everything from Salsa dancing to upholstery (pictured; www.stapleandtack.co,) Lamb racing and street food. I love this fabric in velvet with fruit and veg! All for Homeless People!

One of the highlight - as usual - was, of course, Designers Guild on Kings Road. Not only is Tricia Guild just releasing her memoirs, but she is also to be the next to be exhibited at Fashion & Textile Museum in Bermondsey early next year! Exciting!

From the garden at Designers Guild, always very botanical and inspiring.

More greens at Designers Guild, a lot of Art Deco inspiration this season.

Across the street from DG is O&L (Osborne & Little) equally very green this autumn! And quite art deco-ish!

Green plants live and on the walls, Osborne and Little.

Modern tradition with retro styled furniture and flowery vases and cushions, made me think of the Bloomsbury Group.

Greens and blues. Petroleum blue is a big colour in interior at the moment. I remember it being super fashionable in my teens with flowery blouses from Cacharel and corduroy trousers from Fosters (1971).

More Victorian and Deco inspiration at J.P. Baker with a Shabby Chic feeling. Focus.

For every season the common areas  at the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour are redecorated. This time with green stars and big round lamps in fabrics from the showrooms.

Recycling is now compulsory in fashion. I love these shoes from Ancuta Sarca made from recycled materials and Nike trainers. LFW at 180, The Strand.

Mixed upholstered chairs at 100% design.

At Tom Dixon at the Coal Yard, a forest installation in the office for the senses...

More recycling. Me myself in green (Zara and sneakers from &other stories) in a recycled chair made from an old armchair and a bath tub! By Bim Burton at Kings Cross/Designjunction. I will now be off to Yorkshire for a miniholiday and will be back soon with more from LFW and LDF and more...

#CHELSEADESIGNQARTER WITH #FOCUS AT #CHELSEAHARBOURDESIGNCENTRE

Last night I attended a very interesting talk with Italian designer and architect Paola Navone about her career but also about her collaboration with Italian furniture company Baxter at Silvera on Kings Road. She is so down to earth and enjoyable to listen to!

At Focus at Chelsea Harbour Design Centre I bumped into Sue Timney of Timney & Fowler. We go back nearly 30 years. I love her black and white neoclassical designs.

Greens everywhere, even in the ceiling at Focus.

A vibrant Art Deco feeling at Designers Guild uplifted by citric coloured cushions.Tonight Tricia Guild is launching her "design memoirs". More about that to come here soon...

#LONDONDESIGNFESTIVAL KICKS OFF AT THE #V&A

8.45 Friday morning. Time for the yearly press tour of the V&A etc with the team of London Design Festival. At the new entrance your were met by this installation, "Non-Pavilion" where you can view different ways of filling in this space by iPad controlled alternatives.

In the main entrance, "Sea Things" by Sam Jacob Studio exploring how the sea will be half filled up with plastic if we go on like we are now without recycling and rethinking. Beautifully scary!

Bamboo Ring: Weaving into Lightness by Kengo Kuma. In the courtyard on the basin at the V&A. A weaving installation on bamboo and carbon that gives this stainless steel strenght.

Please be Seated! Recycled scaffolding forming a rolling landscape at Broadgate that invites you to take a break or to just walk trough the arched "tunnels". An amazing project by British Land.

Please be Seated!

Flower installation at Kings Cross by the Coal Office.

Disco Carbonara, "This one-off-site-specific installation is a playful temporary addition to the Kings Cross architecture; a false facade of a disco with a fresh take on a traditional cladding from the Italian Alps.

In the Tapestry Room at the V&A contemporary artist Demond Melanoon and Assemble are collaborating with the V&A to bring Melanooons´s huge Mardi Gras Indian suits composed to intricately hand-sewn bead work to the Tapestries Gallery. His work draws a broad variety o stylistic influences, addresses stereotypical representations of black people, and tells powerful stories from his experience of the African diaspora. (From the LDF catalogue).

Iri-Descent by Liz West at Fortnum and Mason. A work that absorbs your own colours and just mixes in perfectly into the Fortnum and Mason atrium at their flagship store in Piccadilly. We just hope it will be there for some to time to come. Today is Sunday and I am taking a day off design and visiting the Queens Park Day celebrations. More from London Design Festival and London Fashion Week tomorrow. 

#LONDONFASHIONWEEK IN A NEW SHAPE INTO THE FUTURE?

LONDON FASHION WEEK starts this Friday in a new format. From having been only for the trade and fashion professionals they are now opening the doors to the public, for money. Blogger Alexa Chung and designer Henry Holland are having catwalks shows were anyone can buy tickets for alongside the normal "closed" catwalks.  The British Fashion Council has struggled the last couple of years to get enough exhibitors and catwalks. Mainly due to the internet this tend to be spreading around the world and recently the Swedish Fashion Council had to cancel their Fashion Week due to lack of funding etc. There explanation is that they will try to find a more sustainabale way of working with this kind of events. The fashion industry is struggling, the high streets are losing out. The whole world is changing and from attitude to values and how to communicate with each other. The future is a mystery and we are not sure were it is going to land. London Fashion Week are trying the commercial way by getting the public in. Good luck with that. I do hope it doesn´t mean that bloggers, influencers, vloggers etc witt take over from freethinking and independant journalists and broadcasters. The same is happening to the interior design industry and it will be interesting to see how the London Design Festival is going to turn out this year. I will be attending both and report here. Do not miss it!