With the dominance of ‘black box’ minimalist des
ign in the 1970s it was hardly surprising that the next big movement would head in the opposite direction, towards more decoration; it didn’t have anywhere else to go.
Once the Bauhaus mantra of ‘form follows function’ had been reduced to its absolute basic skeleton, a quiet revolution began in Italy.
Like a velvet revolution, a seamless new movement is making its presence felt in the upper echelons of men’s couture. Savile Row, the bastion of tailored quality, is being challenged by a new generation of couturiers that revive old-fashioned skills whilst creating exciting new designs. Oscar Udeshi is one of the leading lights of this new direction in men’s fashion.
The former banker had a career that involved travel, money and great perks, yet he gave it all up to commit himself to an entirely new calling. Rather than simply join the legions of designer wannabes, this economics and philosophy graduate really had something to say, and it’s a message that is helping to revitalise London’s luxury men’s fashion sector.
Rhode Island, long established as the home of some of the finest real estate in the world, seems to be in the vanguard of the revival of the luxury property market. Its otherwise buoyant market dropped off in the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis of late 2008, but the early signs point to 2010 as the year in which this region regained its dynamism.
Critics looking for evidence of how art changed in the latter half of the twentieth century could do little better than consider the name that Andy Warhol chose for his studio.
The Factory was originally based at 231 East 47th Street in Midtown Manhattan on the fifth floor, a sprawling space that became the meeting place for a dissolute posse of artistes manqué ranging from Velvet Underground’s Lou Reed and John Cale to future Warhol Superstars Holly Woodlawn and Candy Darling. This relentlessly social aspect was common to all of Warhol’s workspaces: while the artist busied himself with his endless stream of silk-screened images, the Factory hangers-on would entertain themselves with a variety of dubious activities.
Starting from humble beginnings, Jorge Martínez – or Aspar, as his fans came to know him – was to become a true motorcycling sensation. His prowess on the bike made him a national sporting icon and a much-loved figure in the sport internationally, but his success story did not end there, for he was to prove as influential off the track as on it, leading his racing teams to multiple successes and playing a pivotal role in the development of a world-class circuit in his home region of Valencia.
Born in the little village of Alzira, in an area surrounded by orange orchards, few would have foreseen the rise of Jorge Martínez to international motorcycling star. Here, most people earned their living as farm or factory workers, and his hardworking father was no exception, toiling long hours throughout his life. From a young age on Jorge displayed a total fascination with and talent for anything fast and mechanical, yet it would take time and determination to break through.
Sometimes houses are, completely accurately, described as unique yet few can measure up to the quirky individuality displayed by Casa Guastavino.
Walk along the South Shore of Long Island and you cannot fail to notice the row of elegant, well-established residences that evoke a period when life was lived on a grand scale. Considering that these memorable buildings were constructed between the 1880s and the 1920s, this is not surprising. However there is one especially eye-catching property that is very closely linked with the Spanish city of Valencia.
From fairly modest beginnings near Lake Orta in the Italian Alps, the Alessi brand has become one of the world’s most recognisable. Founded in 1921 with the aim of producing metal utensils for eating and drinking, it has helped to shape our expectations of how a household object should look. (more…)
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