Furniture Design: Philippe Starck Art Edition by Dutch artist Ton Pret (04)

For long time readers of my blog, you'll know that I love the colorful art & furniture designs from Dutch artist Ton Pret (so happy and cheerful colors & designs). I wrote earlier several blogs about Ton and his work, SEE HERE

Philippe Starck Art Edition by Dutch artist Ton Pret

Today I would like to show you his new work: the hand-painted Philippe Starck art chairs. Ton transformed the model Driade into these colorful art chairs below. The titles of the chairs are: "Beastly" (full with beasts) and "Escape from the city & feel free". What a great art pieces! Would love to have one piece in my garden. :-)

Philippe Starck Art Edition by Dutch artist Ton Pret

Philippe Starck Art Edition by Dutch artist Ton Pret

Philippe Starck Art Edition by Dutch artist Ton Pret

Philippe Starck Art Edition by Dutch artist Ton Pret

More about the artist Ton Pret

Ton Pret is a painter artist with a very personal style, characterized by a very bold use of color, incredibly imaginative figures and an explosion of enthusiasm, spontaneity, passion and positivity. Influential people in the world of art as Erik Hermida and Geert Jan Jansen describe the style of Ton Pret as "exponent of Cobra," "Cobra 60 years later" or "Cobra of the 21st century." Whatever you call it, it is clearly the "Ton Pret Style". The style of Ton Pret is best described as "colorful realism of a different reality, with a strong positive effect". With his work Ton wants to bring out the positive in man, by taking them to another reality, where positivity is the most important factor.

Dutch Artist Ton Pret. Photo by Fotoflex Nederland.

Although as a child Ton drew a lot, molded and did other forms of creativity. It took many years before he decided to become a painter artist. From one day to another, he knocked over the helm and has followed his heart. He also has no single artistic training, but is a pure autodidact who totally isn’t guided by rules or tendencies, but only follows his spontaneity and inexhaustible fantasy. The paintings of Ton are his transformation into another reality. With his paintings he gives the viewer the opportunity to share this other reality. The viewer is token to another dimension and experience, which gives a certain feeling of  happiness.

In a very short time, Ton became well known in the world of art and his work was also seen in the famous Amsterdam Beurs van Berlage, the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Ascona, The Louvre museum in Paris, Barcelona and the Rotterdam Kunsthal museum. Not only his paintings and sculptures are sought after by collectors and enthusiasts, but also his famous art shoes, jeans, jackets, watches, design furniture etc. have become true collector items. For this reason Ton designed special art shoes for Dutch most exclusive shoe brand Greve and also for the catwalk in Paris. Even the Dutch Shoes Museum added some art high heels to their collection and his art edition of the Michael Kors handbag, is added to the collection of the Dutch Museum of Bags & Purses in Amsterdam.

Among his clients are well known collectors and celebrities, who also appreciate his work and even one of them let Ton painted his Ferrari 355 GTS in a real driving artwork. Ton also did some furniture design and some really serious designers are working with him in collaboration. Even the famous Alessandro Mendini is interested in a collaboration. Other very special pieces of art, are a hand-painted design bath tube for a design company and an original Fender Stratocaster in collaboration with the famous French guitaris Jean-Pierre Danel, Brian May (QUEEN) and Steve Lukather (TOTO), Hank Marvin (SHADOWS) and French superstar Jean-Jacques Goldman. Furher on art editions of the famous Philippe Starck chairs, an art edition of an Italian design bike for Duedipicche. And .... recently some very special glasses and sunglasses for American Eyewear Design Alliance, which will go global. And there is a lot more to come.

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Source: TON PRET

Note: these pictures have been placed with approval of Ton Pret.

Colourful glass lighting design by Curiousa

Take a look at this beautiful & colourful hand blown glass lighting design 'Dine Light' from the brand Curiousa. Isn't it a beauty? I hope you're inspired .......

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: CURIOUSA and Yatzer

Art Deco: The Red Lady by Georges Barbier

While surfing on internet this morning I found this beautiful art deco artwork: 'The Red Lady' by Georges Barbier. In love with this painting, so refined and colorful. Be Inspired .......

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Source: FINE ART AMERICA

Carolina Herrera S/S 2026 fashionshow Live at the iconic Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Carolina Herrera unveils the S/S 2026 collection with a runway presentation in the heart of Madrid at the iconic Plaza Mayor — the first main runway collection shown outside of New York and its third runway presentation abroad in the House’s 44 year history. Inspired by a vivid marriage of Madrid’s 17th-century Golden Age and the irreverent spirit of La Movida movement in the 1980’s — the very era of the House’s founding — this collection bridges past and present in a celebration of femininity to the future. Be Inspired ........

“Madrid has always been one of my favorite cities in the world — rich in history, art and culture. It’s home to incredible creatives with a unique approach to beauty and joy,” says Wes Gordon, Carolina Herrera’s Creative Director, “There’s something about this city’s rhythm — its appetite for life — that inspires and energizes me and is deeply aligned with the 

Herrera woman.” 

The color palette of the collection reflects the tension between boldness and romance: from the sun-drenched warmth of saffron yellow to the Herrera red, deep Rioja, electrifying bright pink, violeta lilac, crisp white and graphic black. Color combinations that recall the unexpected juxtaposition of prints and colors from the universe of Pedro Almodóvar’s cinema.

At its heart, the collection blooms with three distinct florals: the Carnation, Madrid’s flower and emblem of beauty, appears in intricate threadwork and jacquard, The Violetta, a nod to 

the city’s beloved candies, is brought to life in ethereal three dimensional embroideries and the Retiro Rose, cultivated in the park’s historic Rosaleda, a symbol of how Madrid transforms its courtly heritage into an open and public space.

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources:Carolina Herrera, Show Studio and Kendam
Video and photos: courtesy of Carolina Herrera

Bedrooms: Timeless Bed Design by Chi Wing Lo for Giorgetti

 While surfing on internet I saw this beautiful and timeless REA bed designed by Hong Kong-born architect Chi Wing Lo for the Italian brand Giorgetti. Could not resist to share this elegant bed design with my readers. Hope it inspires you too ........ This blogpost is a repost of my blog of 29-07-2024.

More about the designer Chi Wing Lo
An architect whose furniture designs have helped to shape the direction of Giorgetti since 1996, Chi Wing Lo was among the Italian Delegates to advance Italian Design in Russia. His aspiration for timelessness has brought his collections to worldwide attention and many of his work continue to be much sought after today.

His architectural and design works have been awarded, exhibited and published internationally. In 2007, he was invited by the Hong Kong Government to contribute a design to commemorate the tenth anniversary of unification with China. The same year, the Radio Television Hong Kong broadcast a documentary of his life and work. Lo was Art Director of Giorgetti S.p.A. from 2004 to 2006, and the chairman of the jury for the St. Petersburg Design Biennale 2009. His Tower-House in Athens was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Prize in Architecture in 2009.

Raised in Hong Kong, Lo received his Master Degree in Architecture from Harvard University with the best thesis prize in 1988. He had taught at the Syracuse University, NY, and was a member of the Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart. Served as a visiting critic in different Universities in Greece and abroad, he is an active practitioner, integrating architecture, interior and furniture design for projects in Milan, Athens, Instanbul, Yalta (Crimea), Beirut, Dubai and Beijing.

Since 2010, he has been working on the sculptures he has conceived in drawings from To Kardizu 1992. Exhibitions of these sculptures have been scheduled and planned for the coming years in different parts of the Far East.

Thank you for reading this blogpost.
Source: Giorgetti

Art: Beautiful artwork 'First Touch', sculpture by Hindi

Would like to share with you today this beautiful artwork named 'First Touch'. It's a sculpture by Hindi. I wrote this blogpost on 13-06-2013 and republished it today. Unfortunately the direct links I placed earlier are not active anymore. Be Inspired .........

Thank you for reading this blogpost.
Sources: Key West Gallery + via Facebook/The Beauty of Arts & Antique

Beautiful Places Around The World: Florence, Italy (05)

I love travelling and visiting other places / countries, meeting people, making new friends worldwide. Today I would like to highlight the place Florence, Italy. What a beautiful place to be! It's on my bucketlist ........ :-)

For more inspiration see also my PINTEREST 

moodboard Travel & Places Worldwide.
Ph. Filippo Bacci Photography

PFW: Iris van Herpen S/S 2021 Couture - Roots of Rebirth

 

Such an outstanding collection again from Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen for her Spring/Summer 2021 couture collection from Paris Fashion Week. She is a true visionary and such a fascinating artist! This collection is beyond. Elegant, innovative and mystical. Bravo, Iris! What a craftsmanship, creativity and originality. So beautiful to see. Below you will find her Couture collection for S/S 2021. At the end I also added the You Tube movie. I found the video completely mesmerizing, from start to finish. Get Inspired ...... This blogpost is a repost of my blog from 01-02-2021. 

Sevdaliza embodies the 'Apotheosis' gown.

More about this haute couture collection S/S 2021

Iris van Herpen explores a symbiosis of high technology and the artisanal craftsmanship of couture, through a collection that references the intricacy of fungi and the entanglement of life that breathes beneath our feet.

Iris showed her latest collection ‘Roots of Rebirth’ during Paris Haute Couture Week on January 25th 2021. The work of Iris van Herpen is often described as ethereal and transcendental; a chimeric exposition, radiating shapes that reference the relationship between the human body and the natural world. This season, the Dutch designer explores the rich, yet deeply fragile interconnectedness of an unfamiliar world, the enigmatic fungi empire and the life-bearing fine threads of mycelium. The collection details the extraordinary existence of this winding ‘fabric of life,’ the marvelling world of undergrowth tapestry. In reference to the book penned by scientist Merlin Sheldrake, ‘Entangled Life’ notes that ‘fungi is the ecological connective tissue, the living seam by which much of the world is stitched into relation.’

“Thinking about fungi makes the world look different. These astonishing organisms challenge our animal imaginations and make questions of many of our well-worn concepts, from individuality to intelligence.” - Merlin Sheldrake

‘Roots of Rebirth’ extends its own branch, an invitation to a sequence of 21 looks inspired by roots and spores. During the show, the models seem to magnetise a living lace of spores with each stride, the entanglement of each garment resembles roots of regeneration. Two looks embody the 'henosis' technique, in which multiple translucent layers of duchess fabric were dyed in pastel hues, forming a 'mantodea' motif. An off-white lasercut venation formed by a myriad of hovering fins sprout outwards, radiating each motion into a delicate lacy array of invisible interconnectedness. In other creations, hand-embroidered roots surge and symmetrically entwine the body in transformative tones, from liquid copper to deep shades of burnt umber. Hand-pleated mahogany silk were draped to fan out into hemispheric blooms.

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: IRIS VAN HERPEN, VOGUE (01) and VOGUE (02)

Photos courtesy of Iris van Herpen.

Photography by Myrthe Giesbers

Stunning photography by fashion photographer Sølve Sundsbø

Would like to share with you today this beautiful photography work by London-based fashion photographer Sølve Sundsbø. This photographer is so talented: artistic, creative and innovative. He is one of the most versatile image makers in contemporary fashion. Be Inspired ........ This is a repost of my blogpost of 02-06-2015.

Doutzen Kroes by Sølve Sundsbø for Vogue China june 2012

Edita Vilkeviciute by Photographer Sølve Sundsbø

In Love by Sølve Sundsbø for LOVE Magazine - Cara Delevingne

Kel Markey & Herieth Paul Take a Trip for i Ds Pre Fall 2012 Cover by Sølve Sundsbø

Lets ride ... with Ondria Hardin by Sølve Sundsbø for Vogue Italia October 2014

Points à la Ligne. Model Edita Vilkeviciute.
Ph. Sølve Sundsbø, Numéro, Issue #93, May 2008

Nothing pushes the boundaries, like chic beach wear Emily Didonato by Sølve Sundsbø

Thank you for reading this blogpost.
Sources: Solve Sundsbo and Wikipedia
Photos: courtesy of Solve Sundsbo