What's on the Fashion Calendar for October 2011

Saena Afternoon Scent Collection

October is chock-a-block with fashion and arts related events:

October 1-2: This is the last weekend to see The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. This exhibition is a celebration of the 30 years of visionary and groundbreaking fashion creations by Jean Paul Gaultier under the premise that there is no singular standard of beauty. The exhibition will move on to venues in Dallas (November 13 - February 12, 2011) and San Francisco (March 24 - August 19, 2012). My review of the show can be read on Fashion Projects here.

October 1 from dusk until dawn: Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is Toronto's all-night celebration of contemporary art. The menu of activities is too long to recount here, but one of the highlights will be a live performance called SLEEP as part of Gullivers' Rehearsal: Drawing into Performance at Loop Gallery.

until October 5: Paris Fashion Week.  I had two invitations to Paris Fashion Week this year neither of which I could accept.... Sigh! I am intrigued by the work of both of these talented young designers as they seem fresh and vibrant in their own way. I've mentioned Saena before as she appeals to my romantic side. Saena Chun is based in Berlin and creates modernist confections like the gorgeous dress shown above. The other designer who has caught my eye is Andrew Majtenyi who has created an edgy and fashion forward collection inspired by the Medieval trial of Katherina Hetzeldorfer in 1477. I am especially sorry to miss this one since I am currently doing research into how fashion designers reference history.

October 14: I will be giving the keynote address at the Costume Society of America mid-west conference on the topic of When Does Fashion Become Art?

October 17-21: The Spring/Summer 2012 Collections of LG (Toronto) Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oréal Paris will take place in their new home at the David Pecaut / Metro Square.  The SS12 Collections will include more than 40 shows and presentations filled with local talent.

October 20: The launch of my project tentatively titled  The Swing on this blog. I chose to do a creative project for one of my grad courses called Design, Text and Ideas and will be posting regular updates here as part of my progress reports for that assignment. This work takes its inspiration from the 18th century painting by Fragonard which is in the Wallace Collection. I will create a dress sculpture in a post-modern mash up of fabrics and using embroidery or other means as interventions to make the work into a conceptual art piece.

October 29: Opera Atelier’s 2011-12 Season opens with a glittering new period production of Don Giovanni designed by Martha Mann and my friend Gerard Gauci. The new production will be presented October 29, 30, November 1, 2, 4, and 5, 2011, at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto and will also be performed in Columbus, Ohio on November 25 and 27, 2011.

Photo provided courtesy of Saena.

Notice of copyright: 
All text and images on this blog are the copyright of Ingrid Mida, unless otherwise noted. The copying of posts, images and/or text without proper attribution is violation of copyright and legal action will be pursued.

What I Love about Berlin

Me with my darling boy in Berlin

Berlin is my new favourite city! Rich in history and vibrating with creative energy, it is much like Paris, but without the attitude and so much less expensive. Here is my list of top 5 things I love about Berlin.

I. A vibrant arts scene
There are too many galleries to count... some of which are simply pop-ups. You can walk down a seemingly desolate street or enter a graffiti decorated courtyard and find something off the map. One of the most dynamic museums of contemporary art in the world is called The Hamburger Bahnhof. I was stunned by the simple perfection of Richard Long's Berlin Circle which is a circle of stone with a diameter of 12 meters. Five other floor works by the artist were shown in the historic hall of this former railway station building. As well, they have a permanent collection that is filled with works by big names like Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Rauschenberg and Anselm Kiefer.

Richard Long's Berlin Circle with admiring fans

II. A city rich in history but sensitive to its past
Berlin has been a political symbol of power for hundreds of years. It contains a vast wealth of historic and artistic treasures that are beautifully displayed in its many museums. But, it also is sensitive to its past - both in terms of the Holocaust and the Berlin Wall. Memorials have been presented in a beautiful and sensitive manner, reminding all of us of the gifts of freedom of personal choice and freedom of religion.

Sidewalk marker for the Berlin Wall
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011

Holocaust Memorial

III. Breathtaking architecture that combines the old and the new 
Since the wall came down, the city has been renewed by stunning new buildings that are simply breathtaking in their sculptural innovation.

The Dome of the Reigstag

IV. Museums filled with incredible artistic and historic treasures
It was a race against the clock to see all that I wanted to see among the many museums in Berlin. I think we barely scratched the surface and often I wished I could have lingered longer.... I cannot think of any other city that has so many museums. Plus the exhibits are usually bilingual (German and English) and the displays are done to utter perfection. I saw things that I didn't even know still existed - like Napolean's hat in the German Historical Museum and the Ishtar Gates in the Pergamon Museum.

Altes Museum
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011

Pergamon Museum Statue
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011

Museum of Decorative Arts in the Kulturforum
Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011

V. A hip fashion scene
I wrote about a new fashion find Saena on a separate post the other day, but there are more hip Berlin labels that could have made their way into my closet if I had had more time to shop. I adored the Jil Sander-like looks of Firma, which for the summer was dominated by black, white and red. I bought a stunning frayed black silk blouse and a cherry red pencil skirt to bring home some of that uber-cool Berlin vibe.

Firma F/W Collection 2011 (Courtesy of Firma)

I could go on and on.... I feel like I left a part of my heart behind as my darling boy is staying on in Berlin until the end of the month.....

Notice of copyright: 
All text and images on this blog are the copyright of Ingrid Mida, unless otherwise noted. The copying of posts, images and/or text without proper attribution is violation of copyright and legal action will be pursued.

The Berlin Fashion Network

saena 

Fashion insiders in Berlin know that some of the most interesting shops are down alleyways and at the end of courtyards. And The Berlin Fashion Network Store is not something that you just stumble upon.... It is at the end of the eight interconnected courtyards of Die Hackesche Höfe. This beautiful Art Nouveau styled complex with an array of shops, cafes and galleries is adjacent to the Hackescher Markt in the centre of Berlin.

Die Hackesche Höfe. Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011

One of the courtyards in Die Hackesche Hofe

The Berlin Fashion Network Store is a two level store that features the work of both established and up and coming Berlin designers like German Garments, Burkhardt Möllman, Barre Noire and Prodotyp.

I fell in love with one of their featured labels called Saena, whose delicate and feminine clothing has a sophisticated sensibility. The designer, Saene Chun, worked at Céline, Sonia Rykiel and Chloé before moving to Berlin in 2009 and launching her own label.  Her motto is 'one woman_one dress'  in that "she wishes to give women the feeling of having that one favorite dress in their closets."

saena entrechat

saena temps leve

Feminine and yet powerful - that is my kind of look. To see more of the saena collections, visit her website here. I've only been home for a few days and I'm already looking forward to a return trip. Could Berlin Fashion Week be in my future?

Berlin Fashion Network Store
Die Hackeschen Hofe
Rosenthalestrasse 40/41
10178 Berlin
Phone: +48 176 64 14 22 85

Notice of copyright: 
All text and images on this blog are the copyright of Ingrid Mida, unless otherwise noted. The copying of posts, images and/or text without proper attribution is violation of copyright and legal action will be pursued.