Illustrator Conrad Roset

Felicidad Duce, the Fashion School here in Barcelona organized this week a masterclass of creative illustration of fashion. This was in order to promote their "Creative Fashion Illustration" course that will be held by Conrad Roset. I did sign up to the one and a half hour class of this illustrator, but unfortunately I was dead tired after walking in the centrum buying all the last minute stuff for my unborn baby. It would have been interesting to practice again drawing and painting with watercolors.

Nevertheless I am glad I got to know this Spanish illustrator Conrad Roset as I really like his way of using watercolors. His paintings are so relaxed and colorful, joyful. His speciality seems to be muses; young ladies.  

Above some examples of his works.

Another upcoming event of FDMODA will be held next week about fashion journalism in the digital era; communication in social networks. That would be also great class, but I'm afraid or I hope by next week I would already be mother and therefor not able to participate in this one either. 

Closing of October

October has been quiet. My apologies for not to be more active here in Style Pigeon, but I'm in my last weeks of pregnancy and have been mostly sleeping or without energy the whole October.

Alexander McQueen started the October and now Hempel Award 2014 will close it. Folks; Hempel Award the 22nd China International Young Fashion Designers Contest is open for the year 2014! Here the link for the information.
Theme of the contest for this year is The Golden Age of each country.
Good luck for everyone who decides to participate! I would love to repeat the experience as since this years' contest I was left with the feeling that I could do it better...but I think this year I will pass it thanks to my approaching maternity. Fair enough.

Few practical tips:
Tip 1. In most of the recent editions the winning collection has been white, white, white. So no need to complicate the color palette for the contest as curious enough the winner seems to be in most cases the white one.
Tip 2. When being in Beijing don't pay the fee for sending a CD/DVD of the contest as it will never arrive and the organizers are no longer interested in replying emails regarding that.

Few picks from this years experience:

Creative solution for shoes from Norway.

I was Nr.20 and here fixing clothes & camera.

Gorgeous McQueen

Alexander McQueen doesn't fail; out of the 902 pages of American Vogue his add was one that captured my attention.  You just had to stay looking on it and give credit that they know what they are doing. Impressive.

Autumn has arrived

Although the weather might not seem to notice it. It's tremendously sunny here in Barcelona. But the fact that autumn is here, my favorite season, is the arrival of American Vogue's September Issue. Yes, the big book with this year 902 pages (14 less than last year) of new seasons fashion (mostly adds). I tend to buy it at the end of September as I am lazy to walk until the middle of Las Ramblas to the International Magazines Kiosk so I only do it when there's the fear it might be already too late to buy it.

After, it's pleasant to start the day glimpsing this image overload magazine. Usually during summer I hardly buy any fashion magazines as the summer selection; bikinis etc. tiny clothes is not so tempting, but when autumn arrives I am more than willing  to study the seasons chunky knits and warm coats. Time to cover up our bodies girls!

This year the cover is really fresh portraying the wonderful actress Jennifer Lawrence; beautiful and natural. The magazine itself is nothing really special; adds, adds and more adds and some maybe interesting article, but it's more the routine for "the starting of the autumn" that makes me to buy this issue. As I no longer study anything "back to school" doesn't exist to me, so I have to find some other things to get inspired. This September Issue is one of those.

Beutiful vintage

A new e-shop for vintage clothes and accessories was opened last week; Stiina's. Stiina Huhtanen is a Finnish stylist living in Berlin and the items she sells are mostly Finnish with some treasuries found in Berlin. The web page of Stiina's is really beautiful, stylish and really easy to use. You can find the items and the description of them easily and prices also seem to be fair enough, affordable.

In the past years vintage and retro have been really a trending topic and widely used describing and especially when selling things. An old item sounds so much better when you say its a "vintage" piece. I was glad when in Olivia's August issue they had a description of these "old" terms, to have some clearance what is what. Following is from Olivia's August 2013 issue:

Antique: more than 100 years old

Vintage: from the 1920's to 1980's

Retro: from the 1960's to 1970's

Second hand: from 1990's

Old/Recycled: all garments produced after 1990's

I have never been a fan of retro; the brownish color palette and more or less psychedelic prints have never attracted me, but vintage has always appealed to me. Old, well done and sewn pieces  evoques great respect in me. My dream job would have been one of a seamestress, but as we live in the prosperous era my parents didn’t let me to study in profesional school, instead I had to go to high school in order to then graduate from university…and at that time I didn’t have my own will to choose against them. Well, old things. Now I have my sewing machine at home and the possibility to create things always when I want to, or have time for it.

Following pics are from the Stiina's web pages.

One outfit from the Stiina's. The shirt has funny ruffle sleeves.

Good add

Today driving in the center I saw a good add on the back of a buss. It was about Vichy Catalan's Tonic Water. Vichy Catalan's product is sparkling water, but lately it has expanded its products to lemon taste sparkling water and now apparently to this tonic water.
The publicity is really stylish black and white image and it did gave me an impulse to buy it. Unfortunately  the supermarket we visited didn't have it, so I have to wait still to taste it. The sparkling water of Vichy Catalan is always a must to have at home, I like it.

R-collection

R-collection is a Finnish clothing company. Its style is simple, honest clothing for leisure and all the clothes are really practical. The wonderful thing about this company is that they weave some of the fabrics they use in Finland, Orivesi. The fabric is thick cotton jersey and it is really long lasting, good quality fabric. They have the headquarters in Kajaani and that is where they also do patterns and cut the fabrics. Sewing is done in Estonia.

R-collection clothes are perfect to my boyfriend who is not metrosexual at all and likes simple, long lasting, classical clothes. I always buy something to him when visiting Finland; T-shirts, college trousers or hoodie. This time I wanted to buy him a jacket, but as he was not with me maybe better not; when back in Spain changing a product wouldn't be so simple. A pity they do not have international e-commerce; they only send goodies within Finland.

From sales I bought 2 dresses for me; a black autumn dress and a blue linen dress for summer. The linen dress had funny pockets in front and the fabric was really pretty as the weft and warp where different color, the other one black and the other blue, creating a beautiful color texture. The black dress was just a simple jersey dress with no fuss, easy going. Maybe if I add blue lace stockings I might get the outfit to rock a bit more.

To be honest the R-collection clothing is not fashion or fancy at all; it looks really "Finnish" so to say. The clothes are perfect for home and outdoors. They also have really loose cuts, so you can't find anything really tight there or figure hugging. Loose and practical.

The linen pocket dress.

Above the typical R-collection logo, and then the one that was in my dress, more fancy one. I don't really follow/understand the different logo in the etiquette of my jersey dress as it is not fancy at all and therefor the basic logo would be more suitable for it. 

Styling from the Olivia's August issue. I love those blue stockings, it would give a twist to my practical but boring black jersey dress.