Pablo Ramirez
It’s not easy to find a lot of personal information about Argentinian designer Pablo Ramirez. Whose fault is that? So glad you asked: As always, sports is the root of all evil. Apparently there’s some football or soccer or some equally lame sport player with the same name – so if you google this awesome designer, most of the result you’ll get will be about sweaty t-shirts and scores. Who cares? (Yeah, we’re not so much sports fans here at Vili Flik (we have brains)). Anyway, I now declare rant over, so that we can focus on the one and only Designer Day worthy Pablo Ramirez.
Ramirez studied fashion in Buenos Aires, and after working some time in Paris, returned to Argentina where he made his debut collection “Casta”.
Before starting his career as a fashion designer, Ramirez worked as a costume designer for operas, theaters and ballets, and his style does seem influenced by this. It’s dramatic and elegant and excessively magnificent. (No, I’m not trying to be objective here)
And sometimes just a tiny tad influenced by Little Red Riding Hood.
You know you love it – at least I know I do.
Love, Hanna
Shaun Tan
Shaun Tan is an Australian artist and maker of some of the most beautiful picture books I’ve seen. His style is dream-like and surreal, with lots of little, weird creatures.
Shaun graduated from the University of WA with a joint honors in Fine Arts and English Literature, and currently works as a freelance artist in Melbourne. My type of guy, indeed. His books deal with social, political and historical subjects, and many of them have been widely translated.
Shaun has also worked as a theatre designer, and he worked as a concept artist for the films Horton Hears a Who and WALL-E. In 2010 he won an Oscar for the short film The Lost Thing (which, incidentally, is narrated by Tim Minchin). And just last week he received the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for his contribution to international children’s literature. Yes, this man is happening, people!
I highly recommend that you check out his work, it is truly unique and magical.
Love, Elin
The Plague of Doves
The gun jammed on the last shot and the baby stood holding the crib rail, eyes wild, bawling.
Not too long ago, Louise Erdrich’s brilliant novel Love Medicine featured as Flik of the Week. However, given the magnificence of the author, I’d say it’s high time to present to you yet another of her novels. I give you The Plague of Doves (2008).
The novel opens with a horrible crime near the tiny, wannabe ghost town Pluto, North Dakota in 1911. In typical Erdrich style, the narrative is not linear, and she employs four (if I remember correctly) different narrators, but it’s all tied together with two elements, blood and music. To quote Novels Now: “Ultimately this is a saga of a small town (Pluto and the reservation combined) and the relationships of the people, where everyone knows everyone and are likely to be related to them somewhere down the line, and the secrets that are kept for generations until in the end all is revealed.”
Erdrich writes beautifully, and as the book ended all I wanted to do was start it again.
So here’s my recipe for a wonderful Saturday: Put on some fabulous clothes, go out, get a coffee to go, and head straight for your favorite book shop. Buy at least one Louise Erdrich novel, grab some candy (and possibly some more coffee) on your way home, find a comfy chair and read, people, READ!
Love, Hanna
La Vie en Rose
I apologize for the lateness of the hour, but time does fly when one is watching bad Asian horror films. But here is a good film suggestion for you:
I am sure you all have heard of the amazing French singer, Edith Piaf, and I am also pretty sure that most of you have seen the film about her from 2007: La Vie en Rose. But I’m going to write about it anyway.
La Vie en Rose depicts Edith’s upbringing, partly in a brothel, partly with her father at a circus. At the age of 20, her talent is discovered by a night club owner, while working as a street singer. She is given a voice coach and quickly rises to fame as “the Little Sparrow”.
The cast includes the wonderful Marion Cotillard (as Piaf), and Gérard Depardieu. I highly recommend this film if you have not already seen it. It is heartwarming, heartbreaking and everything in between. And if you’ve seen it, why not see it again?
Love, Elin
Pin-ups
Today’s vintage is all about the pin-ups. The name stems from the fact that these pictures were originally cut from magazines, post cards and newspapers, and where as such meant for “informal display”; that is, to be pinned up on the wall. The term was first attested to English in 1941, put the practice dates back to at least the 1890s.
Pin-ups are photographs or drawings of sexy models and celebrities, showing swimwear or underwear. They often incorporate humor, and most of the pictures seem to be telling a story (albeit not necessarily a very deep one). There is a sense of playful innocence to the pictures, at least in this day and age where nothing is secret anymore, which is why I like them. Also, there’s some good clothing to be seen.
Here are a few more pin-ups for you to enjoy:
Love, Elin
Kimberly Newport-Mimran
In February, as I was perusing the program of New York Fashion Week, a (to me) unknown brand screamed for attention: Pink Tartan. This has got to be good, I thought, and promptly googled earlier collections. It was everything I hoped it would be, so today I want to share this fashion house and the magnificent designer behind it, with you guys. I hope you’ll like it as much as I do.
This here is Kimberly Newport-Mimran (1968 – ), the President and Head Designer of Pink Tartan, a brand she launched with her husband in 2002. Newport-Mimran started her career in fashion when she was 14, selling retail, before she went on to study fashion merchandising.
Newport-Mimran wants to design “clothes to live your life in.” Ah, I wish.
As you read up on Kimberly Newport-Mimran, you find a lot of her fashion philosophy in snappy, little sentences such as:
“Simplicity is the secret to elegance.”
I sort of agree. Sometimes. But other times, excessiveness is just so right! What do you think?
I do loooove the hats, though.
and the colors
and the retroness (not a word, you say? Don’t care, I say)
Love, Hanna
Miwa Yanagi
Miwa Yanagi is a Japanese photographer with a taste for the surreal, the dark and the frightening. She creates elaborate, and often costly, staged events using female models of all ages. The models may display ages different from their own in the photos, emphasizing the weirdness of it all. I would like to share with you her exhibit entitled “Fairy Tale”, in which she has tried to capture the cruelty and brutality of fairytales. Enjoy!
Want to see more? Go here: http://www.yanagimiwa.net/e/index.html
Love, Elin
I Capture the Castle
When I was very young, around 6 or 7 I guess, I read Dodie Smith’s The 101 Dalmatians (1956) probably ten times. (This was before Disney got their hands on, and subsequently ruined, the novel. [Kudos on Glenn Close though, Disney – brilliant casting there.]) However, I never went on to read any of Smith’s other works. Then, a few years ago, my sister lent me her battered, old, and exceedingly charming copy of I Capture the Castle (1948). Since then, it has resided on my shelf, patiently waiting for me to have time to read again. Which I finally did this week, and silently cursed myself for not reading this book before.
I Capture the Castle revolves around 17 year old narrator Cassandra Mortmain, who lives with her father – an acclaimed author who has not written in years, her model stepmother Topaz, sister Rose, brother Thomas, and Stephen – the son of their now late housekeeper, in the ruins of a castle in Suffolk. They have no money, no income, nothing of value and a very narrow social circle. When the estate to which the castle belongs is inherited by a young American gentleman, their lives take a slightly Jane Austenesque (is that a word? It is now, at any rate) turn as they come to know their new landlord and his family. Cassandra, an aspiring writer herself, captures their lives in her journal in a mesmerising manner, and one cannot help but fall in love with her. Charming, witty and occasionally profound, I Capture the Castle is simply one of those novels one should read.
Love, Mari
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Today, I want to present one of my all time favourite TV-shows: Joss Whedon’s amazing Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003).
If you’re not familiar with the show (or if you are, but have not watched it as religiously as yours truly), you may think it’s just another monster-show. But it is so much more than that! In fact, the monsters aren’t even that important – what the show is really about is friendship, growing up, taking responsibility, and (naturally) feminism.
- …although some of the monsters are really frigging scary.
The characters are wonderful and brilliantly cast, the story arcs are great and often unpredictable, not to mention the writers’ play with language and hilarious sense of humour. Additionally, they are not afraid to break convention – as demonstrated by such episodes as “Hush” (4×10), “Superstar” (4×17), “The Body” (5×16), “Normal Again” (6×17) – which dares to question the very premise of the show, and of course “Once More With Feeling” (6×7) – the musical episode:
No plans this weekend, you say? Lucky for you, there are seven lovely and entertaining seasons waiting for you – all available on DVD. And trust me, it’s well worth the time and money you invest!
And here’s a bonus song:
Love, Mari
Waistcoats
Yesterday’s celebrations and lovely outfits served as the inspiration for today’s vintage: the waistcoat – also known as the vest.
As far as I’m concerned, no suit is complete without one of these. And they’ve been fashionable for a very long time. In fact, it was introduced in Britain in the 1600s by king Charles II, although they were inspired by Persian clothes. For once, a member of a royal family was not only innovative, but also very stylish. (Sadly, this no longer seems to be the case in any monarchy…)
Since then, the waistcoat has managed to stay in fashion, and they come in all different colours and patterns. Most of them are singlebreasted and without lapels, but there are exceptions to this. Let’s take a look!
Staying true to the Vili Flik philosophy: always end on tartan and polkadots!
Love, Mari
Zhang Zhifeng
First of all, happy May 17th to all of you! If you’re Norwegian, May 17th is kind of a big deal, and if you’re not, then, well, I guess it’s just another day for you. But treat yourself to an ice cream to celebrate with us.
Now, as a patriotic Norwegian (or something like that), I should choose a Norwegian designer to present to you on this most Norwegian of all days. However, as my favorite Norwegian designers are Mari, Elin and Annette, who already frequently show off their designs here, I figure that it could become somewhat of an overkill. Instead, I want to introduce you to a fabulous Chinese fashion house, which I myself discovered during last fall season’s China Fashion Week: meet Zhang Zhifeng (1965 – )
The wonderful Mr. Zhifeng is the founder and chief art director of the scrumptous Ne-Tiger, one of China’s fastest growing fashion houses.
The brand Ne-Tiger was founded in 1992, and the designs obviously draw inspiration from Chinese culture as well as trying to invent something new. I love the use of strong colors (as always) and the elegance of it all.
Unfortunately, it’s quite difficult to find some decent information about the fashion house, since every article I read about the magnificent Zhang Zhifeng seem to be filled with pro-China propaganda, and really does not focus on the designer at all. But, since the clothes as so great, I guess they speak for themselves.
Love, Hanna
Done and Dusted
Today is for bragging. We here at Vili Flik have officially handed in our masters’ theses, and we are very proud indeed. What’s more, we feel that it is only right to share with you the wonder that is our work:
Are they not beautiful? From left to right: Dreaming Up James by Hanna Marie Volle, The Centre Cannot Hold by Elin Fjøsne, We Who Are Not As Others by Mari Elise Baustad (Warning: some of the information in the photo might be misleading).
The topics of our theses are Henry James, Bret Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk, three brilliant and interesting writers that we have already recommended to you on this blog.
And now we wait for our grades.
Love, Elin
Everything is Illuminated
My legal name is Alexander Perchov. But all of my many friends dub me Alex, because that is a more flaccid-to-utter version of my legal name. Mother dubs me Alexi-stop-spleening-me!, because I am always spleening her. If you want to know why I am always spleening her, it is because I am always elsewhere with friends, and disseminating so much currency, and performing so many things that can spleen a mother.
These are the first words by one of the narrators of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Everything is Illuminated (2002).
It is a curious novel, told partly by Alex, either in monologues such as this, or in his letters to Jonathan, around whom the story centres. Jonathan goes to the Ukraine to attempt to track down a woman who fifty years earlier saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Alex, his grandfather and their bitch (as in dog!), Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. Alex provides much of the humour throughout the novel, with his bizarre twisting of the English language through his, often very direct, translations from his mother tongue – but despite the humourous style, the story is very touching, as are the characters.
Interspersed between their search for the mystery woman are chapters set in a Jewish village in the 1790s, and these are equally hilarious and emotional, with wonderfully eccentric characters and occasionally heartbreaking scenes.
The novel was filmed by Liev Schreiber in 2005 and starred Elijah Wood.
Although the film is lovely in its own way, the novel is far more intriguing (as is usually the case) and I really recommend it.
Love, Mari
Deadwood
If there is one TV-series you should all be watching, my dear readers, it is Deadwood (2004-6) by David Milch.
The show revolves around the town of Deadwood in Wild West South Dakota, a town ruled by crime and corruption. The characters, the storylines, the language, it is all so very, very brilliant, and the cast includes such wonderful actors as Ian McShane, Brad Dourif, John Hawkes and Paula Malcomson.
Unfortunately the show only lasted for three seasons, due to lack of funding (which is quite vexing considering the kind of shows that get to go on forever and ever), but it has won several awards, including a golden globe.
Both historical and invented characters visits the town of Deadwood (a real town btw), and I highly recommend that you do too.
Love, Elin
Domhnall Mitchell
Dear readers,
We present to you: The One, The Only, The Fabulous professor Domhnall Martin Mitchell!
Now, you may not have heard of this one, but he alone is reason enough to study English at NTNU. Let’s include a quick resymé, copied (shamelessly, as per usual – we know no shame!) from NTNU’s website: “Domhnall Mitchell received his Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin in 1990. He has been employed at the English Department since 1991, and received his Professorship in 1999. He has taught courses on poetry, prose, American literature, Literary Theory, Detective Fiction and Native American Literatures. His areas of interest include the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Detective Fiction, and American Literature before 1900. He has published articles on Emily Dickinson, James Fenimore Cooper, Catherine Maria Sedgwick, Lydia Maria Child, James Joyce, and Henry James, as well as text-books on poetry and the American Short Story. His book, Emily Dickinson: Monarch of Perception, was published by the University of Massachusetts Press in March 2000. He is currently engaged in research on Emily Dickinson‘s manuscripts, and was awarded a Houghton Library Visiting Fellowship by Harvard University in 2000.” Why have we emphasised Emily Dickinson, you ask? Because she is the most important person who has ever lived, and the greatest poet, and all her sociopathic tendencies are NOTHING BUT CHARMING! So there…
For the past year, Domhnall has functioned as our supervisor – and we apologise sincerely… (To him, not to you dear reader, for everything we have put him through – the penguins, the squirrels…) Whenever we’re in his presence, our brain-crushes reduce us to giggling teenagers. We blame these brain-crushes on his vast intelligence, neverending stream of anecdotes, brilliant wit and wisdom, and magnificent sense of humour. And he’s a snappy dresser too, with a great sense of style – both linguistic and sartorial.
Domhnall: please forgive this post, and know that it was made out of love. We truly are not worthy!
Love, MEH
Polka dots
Let’s talk patterns. Favorite patterns. My favorite, the simple yet stylish and awesome polka dots, is not exactly the best kept secret ever. I tend to shout it from the rooftops whenever I can, and it’s actually reached the point where I have to restrain myself not to buy more polka dottie stuff. (which isn’t working at all, btw.) Anyway, I think this fabulous pattern deserves its very own vintage post.
Did you know that the term polka dots was first used (that we know of) in 1871? Talk about vintage. The pattern became fashionable around the same time as polka became very popular (the dance we all know and love to make fun of), and that’s why it got it’s name.
The wonderful Carolina Herrera gave the polka dot pattern a comeback in the late 1980s, and it had another one around 2006. It’s just lovely, and so versatile!
Polka dot room? Yes, I need that.
See? Everything gets better if you just add some dots!
Love, Hanna
Cristóbal Balenciaga
Today’s designer is one of my absolute favorites. He might not be the most famous designer, but his clothes are pure art. Allow me to introduce the lovely, magnificent, glorious genius and master of haute couture, Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972).
This brilliant Spanish designer was, believe it or not, the founder of the Balenciaga Fashion House. When still a teenager, Balenciaga became the personal tailor of a noblewoman in his town, who also sent him to Madrid where he went to school and learned to make dresses like these:
Thank you, Marchioness de Casa Torres!
Balenciaga opened his first boutique in Spain in 1919, and the Spanish royal family and aristocracy quickly became his customers. When the civil war began he moved his business to Paris, where he continued creating original designs such as the tunic dress in 1955. (Can you imagine, a dress without a waist?)
Balenciaga is also credited for, among other stuff, the creation of the balloon jacket and skirt.
According to Diana Vreeland, Balenciaga’s designs caused Audrey Hepburn to “foam at the mouth.” (Way to disgustify a compliment, Diana!)
The brilliant Balenciaga also taught design, and inspired some of my other favorite designers, such as Oscar de la Renta and Hubert de Givenchy.
But, sadly, not even Señor Balenciaga could live forever, and his fashion house now belongs to the Gucci Group. The head designer has for the last fourteen years been Nicolas Ghesquière. He’s not too bad either, if you ask me (which you totally should).
Personally, I do prefer vintage Balenciaga, though, it just got so much more… muchness.
Love, Hanna
René Magritte
It is time for another artist here at Vili Flik, and today’s choice is the lovely Belgian surrealist René François Ghislain Magritte (1898-1967).
Magritte was born in Lessines, in the province of Hainaut, in 1898. He began taking drawing lessons at an early age, and from 1916 to 1918 he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.
Magritte’s style range from impressionist to surrealist. His work frequently displays a juxtaposition of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things. The most famous example is perhaps his painting of a pipe with the text “Leci n’est pas une pipe” – this is not a pipe. This might seem like a contradiction, but as he said himself: “Of course it’s not a pipe, try and stuff tobacco in it.”
Magritte was a wonderfully talented and popular artist who has influenced many other equally wonderful artists, including Andy Warhol. Please enjoy some more of his paintings:
Love, Elin
Them
Jon Ronson (1967-) is a British journalist who tends to do strange and occasionally dangerous things to get his stories, and these stories often end up as wonderfully entertaining reads. You may be familiar with The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004) which was made into a film a few years ago, but today’s Flik is his brilliant book, Them: Adventures with Extremists (2001).
Them is a report of Ronson’s adventures with some of the world’s best-known “extremist” groups – including the Ku Klux Klan and Islamic extremists, while searching for evidence of a secret ruling group which may or may not consist of twelve-foot lizard men.
The book is a very entertaining read, mainly due to Ronson’s delightful sense of humour and absurdism, but it is also thought-provoking, as you get an inside look into the thoughts and philosophies which drive “the others” – the ones we perceive as threats, or even just “random crazies”. I thoroughly recommend that you check out this book and not just wait for the film version directed by Edgar Wright. Oh yes, he’s attached to the project, which is a sure sign (for me at least) that it will be glorious and fine and good. But while we wait for that slice of fried gold, why not read the book? And while you’re at it, you could do worse than to read some of his other works, such as Out of the Ordinary: True Tales of Everyday Craziness (2006) or What I Do: More True Tales of Everyday Craziness (2007), both of which are hilarious and lovely, or the aforementioned The Men Who Stare at Goats.
Love, Mari
Vili Flik 