India has a rich and varied textile heritage, where each region has its own unique native costume. While traditional clothes are still worn in most of rural India, urban India is changing rapidly and international fashion trends are reflected in cosmopolitan metros. Fashion in India has become a growing industry with international events such as the India Fashion Week and annual shows in the major cities. Below some images from the spring/summer 08 shows.


Rutchi Mehta


Varun Sardana


Anuj Sharma

In New Delhi, 83 designers presented their autumn/winter 08 collections last week during India's largest fashion show: Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. The Sartorialist was in town and has posted some beautiful street images.

For all shoe lovers

Lisa Bengtsson designed the popular wallpaper Family (the one with all the frames), this new one is plobably going to be just as popular, called Svärmor (mother-in-law).

Spring at Judits

The display window of Judits Second Hand in Stockholm. It was a rainy Saturday but this window was so happy and colourful and I went in there and bought a green jacket and a pink bracelet. Judits have one of the nicest display windows in Stockholm, always so creative and inspiring and they change it almost every week.

RGB by Fredrik Mattsson

RGB is a new lamp by Swedish Designer Fredrik Mattsson for Zero. Mattsson, tired of different shades of grey, wanted to create something colourful and playful. He paid attention to the cable and made it into a chain of colourful balls, with the aim of giving the lamp something of the elegance of a piece of jewellery.

Lampel

My first contribution to our series “Favourite things in my home” is Lampel, a pendant in my kitchen. It’s so variable and you can chose decoration by season and occasion. I’ve had it filled with glitter, garlands, and different kind of plants. But it is also nice without any decoration. It’s designed by Margot Barolo for Bsweden. The photo is from our webshop Andyland and shows the artpiece “Dogs” by Mikael Olsson.

Dries Van Noten spring flowers

Last week I wrote a post about his autumn/winter 2008 collection, and here are some images from the charming spring/summer 2008 collection from Dries Van Noten.

Manolo Blahnik Marimekko shoes

An interesting fashion collaboration this spring comes from Finland’s 56-year-old design house, Marimekko, and Manolo Blahnik. Blahnik's spring/summer 2008 collection includes shoes in the Marimekko pattern Mini-Unikko. Maija Isola designed the pattern in 1964 in protest to Marimekko’s founder Armi Ratia’s pronouncement that there would be no floral patterns in Marimekko. Unikko melted Ms. Ratia’s heart and has become one of the most recognizable of the Marimekko patterns. The other Marimekko pattern for the spring Blahnik shoes is the more graphic BonBon pattern.

Extended Sex and the City trailer

Here you can look at the new trailer for the very wished-for film. I want a fairy tale ending, no - I need it, so it's a little distrurbing to see signs of trouble in paradise. Via A Cup of Jo.

More signs of spring.

Stars

For a while I've been wanting a necklace with stars - but since I haven't stumbled upon one, and I am just too lazy to search, I decided to make my own. I used star prisms (for Christmas decorations) and tiny black glass pearls.

Monochrome New Yorkers

I'm trying hard not to wear black - at least lot all black... every day. I am so impressed by these five New Yorkers who wear only one colour all day, every day (and it's not black). Article by Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo.

At Viktor & Rolf by The Sartorialist

I just couldn't stop looking at this photo by the The Sartorialist from the Viktor & Rolf a/w fashion show in Paris earlier this week. It has lots of interesting, captivating features: the light, the composition, the colours, the little girl's amazement, the shared moment, the contrasts between un-self-consciousness/control, inside/outside, intimacy/attitude, rugged/glamorous.

Dries Van Noten a/w -08

Dries Van Noten showed his autumn/winter collection today in Paris. The arty prints, the colours and shapes are just beautiful.

Non Funkis

Within the frame of our not so frequent series “Favourite things in my home”, I am showing this set of pewter objects from Svenskt Tenn (Swedish company which also produces the Josef Frank print textiles). A couple of years ago or so, Svenskt Tenn invited young designers to create new pewter shapes. Ceramist Eva Hild came up with these very tactile fantasy forms. Each piece was given to me by a member of my family with the purpose to be an object of beauty to brighten up my hotel room on my work related travels – which there were just too many of at that time. As I discovered, even small pieces of pewter are quite heavy to carry, so the objects stayed at home. But I just love the thoughtfulness and imagination behind the gift.

Home-made

I while ago I found a beautiful silk scarf from the eighties with blocks of red, lilac and cerise and a navy border. I was wondering how to use it - I don't often wear scarves and even though I quite like navy, black is the base in my wardrobe. I removed the border and bought black silk satin and the scarf became the front of a very simple dress.

Maybe there is life after winter. When I was almost running out of hope the sun finally turned up this week-end. Another sign of spring are the bulbous plants starting to turn up in the flower shops. I couldn't resist this delicate grape hyacinth.

You make my day award

Last Wednesday Denise from Freshly Found presented us with the You make my day award. Thank you! Your creativity is so inspiring and I'm so glad that you like our blog. I'm going to pass this award on to:

Danielle of The Style Files. Her blog mixes modern design with ethnic in a great way. She also runs her own webshop Le Souk.
Kate of Little Doodles. Kate is an illustrator who presents her often fashion related beautiful illustrations.
Gaile Guevara: interior designer with a very stylish blog that presents modern, minimalistic design.
Emma of Emmas designblogg. Emma is also Swedish and her blog is filled with great Scandinavian design.
Victoria of Sfgirlbybay: A very charming presentation of bohemian modern style and SF.

The rules are:
1. Write a post with links to 5 blogs that make your day.
2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.
3. Tell the award winners that they've won by commenting on their blogs.

Central Saint Martins

The students of the Central Saint Martins MA class of 2008 showed their collections last Friday during London Fashion Week. Above Mary Katrantzou, who used giant trompe l'oeil digital prints on jersey dresses in the shape of necklaces and Simone Shailes with chunky fringed cardigans and sweaters.

Johannes Norlander

In Älta just outside Stockholm, architect/designer Johannes Norlander just finished a house project called House Alta. The 160 square meter concrete building is very unlike all other houses in the area and has caused lots of discussions. Johannes Norlander has not only designed the house but also built it through his construction company Norlander Projekt AB. He wanted to secure quality and control the building process, not have to compromise in his architectual work and at the same time keep the costs as low as possible. Whenever I drive pass it I smile - it looks so cocky and stubborn.

U-form

I went to the Stockholm Furniture Fair last weekend. To make a quick trend analysis based on the exhibitors on the fair there's going to be a lot of white (Alexandra is happy) and green and much more minimalism than I expected. I just took a few pictures and here is a lamp I really like, it's called U-form and is designed by Elisabeth Henriksson (produced by Örsjö). It's made of acrylic plastic and looks like a modern chandelier.

Swedish design of the year

Designer of the year: Monica Förster

Bedroom product of the year: Hemnes by Nike Karlsson for IKEA

Wallpaper of the year: The Linné Collection from Boråstapeter

Chair of the year: TBC/The Black Collection by Fredrik Mattson for Blå Station

Fabric of the year: Kimono by Anna Sörensson for Ljungbergs Textil.

Swedish magazine Elle Interiör belongs to the Elle Deco group and will, together with its 23 sister magazines, present the International Design Awards at the Milan Furniture Fair in April. Above are some of the choices from the Swedish jury.

Venini

Ulrika and I talked about posting about things we like in our home. There are lots of objects that I hold on to because they are connected to a memory of a person or an event. These vases do not belong to that category. I bought them for myself about ten years ago and I like them because of their colours and shapes. They come from the Italian art glass producer Venini.

Look-alike

This week-end's super-sales made me a bit bold and I bought a fake fur coat, a garment I wouldn't exactly describe as me. Returning home I started to get associations to some really furry guys. Is it possible to feel attractive in a Sesame Street-costume?