BUSINESSWOMEN / Merily Leis and Paula Pärnaste of SWÄRK

So that's what Merily of Sequin Magazine has been up to these last months!

She's a young Estonian fashion blogger, whose style I like a lot. Her outfits are cute and classy and she takes beautiful pictures - Tallin is now amongst my top must-go travel destinations thanks to her. 

A couple of days ago she announced the launch of the business she founded along with her friend Paula. The two girls are the heads, hearts and hands behind SWÄRK, a clothing company that sells upcycled man shirts. 



Is it bad that I want one for myself? I think they're great, and it doesn't harm that the brand design - from the logo to the photography, to the website - is supercool! SWÄRK shirts are unique, eco-friendly and.. they ship world-wide!

Congrats Merily and Paula, the best of luck on your business venture!

ps. Click through to check out SWÄRK's Facebook page, blog and Instagram.

FASHION / Fashion Victims by Yolanda Dominguez

On 24 April, an eight-storey factory building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1200 people who worked there in dangerous and unsafe conditions, at a minimum wage, employed by big names of the fashion industry.

Spanish artist Yolanda Dominguez tried to raise social awareness around this event and its causes through a "living", an urban action in which the audience is involved, which took place in one of Madrid's busiest shopping streets. On the pavement, women in fashionable clothes and accessories lied covered in debris, much resembling the bodies found amongst the ruins of the Rana Plaza building.

The workers who were killed and those who are still working in the same conditions in third-world countries are the real "fashion victims", in the most tragic sense. Dominguez's action is a call out to more responsible production and consumption behaviors. Something has to change.

 

 

ps. Yolanda Dominguez's website and blog

(via Junkculture)

TREND / Holographic

I know I'm a bit late to say this, but I like the holographic trend. I wouldn't wear a whole iridescent suit, or foil-like leggins, but I think a clutch or a pair of shoes would make some perfect statement accessories.

ps. How great is this holographic building designed by Hiro Yamagata for the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum?! (via My Modern Met)

GRAFICA / Love Aesthetics' New Blog Layout

Go go go go check out Love Aesthetics' new blog layout! The old one was already perfect (and will always hold a spot in my heart, it'll take some time to get used to the novelty), a great example of the "less is more" philosophy. Stripping simple is sometimes the best solution to get your message (pictures, personal style, thoughts) through. 

ps. I'll tell you more about the woman behind the blog very soon. Here's her Pinterest page, in case you want to have a sneak peek into her minimalist world.

LADIES ONLY / Don't Freak Out! by Garance Doré

Because we are all human, and summer is drawing closer.

Hilarious account of the infamous First Swimsuit Try-On of the season by illustrator and fashion blogger Garance Doré. Lots of not-so-serious tips and a refreshing real-life point of view light years away from that of glossy fashion magazines. Here's to summer fun (almost)!

VIDEO / Fashion Film: Lizzy Caplan for Viva Vena

Today at uni we talked about fashion film, which has quickly become a popular type of advertising, mostly used by fashion brands. It basically tells a story about the brand - its mood, philosophy, atmosphere and emotions it conveys - rather than focusing on the product and subtly telling the customers "Buy it but it buy it".

All the time during the lecture I couldn't stop thinking about Lizzy Caplan's Fashion Film, which is actually a commercial for a clothing line called Viva Vena. I love it when brands use irony to communicate, and you can see this very well in Matthew Frost's spoof video of hipster fashion advertising. Enjoy!



ps. Here are some fashion films:

Lanvin for H&M "The Show" (2011)
Giorgio Armani "One Plus One" (2012)
Prada "A THERAPY" (2012)