David Kretschmer is a German based photographer who assisted Erwin Olaf in 2010 in the Netherlands. His award-winning expositions ‘Mirrors’ and ‘Confessions’ are now to be seen in the multibrand concept store FOUR by Azzurro at Amsterdam’s finest shopping district the P.C. Hooftstraat. Together with the Amstel Gallery, FOUR by Azzuro put these great pieces of work in their store.

                                           David Kretschmer

Face the stories
The industrial, sleek look of the store and the framed pictures of David Kretschmer blend perfectly as if they never hung anywhere else. Both series are seen through the whole store where you’ll find yourself staring at the intriguing faces of the models. artist David Kretschmer must have put some thought in the concept: “If you want to take a good picture you cannot just choose any model, but someone who really stands for your story. That’s why choosing the models was the most intensive part of the whole process.”

Routinely
Part of our daily routine is looking at ourselves in the mirror. David told: “I was searching for a new point of view that’s never been captured before. I investigated and I could not find a photographer that has captured a person standing in front of a mirror.” The time invested in the mornings is different between men and women. You can see that the women on the pictures look more critical at their selves than the men. “Women always seem to put more time and effort in thinking of what to wear or how to do their hair. Men on the other hand don’t. I think it was made up once in history.”

After already winning the ‘Prix de la photographe de Paris’, ‘Sony World Photography’ and ‘Canon Proffoto Award’, David Kretschmer’s work has already proved to be a huge success. We cannot wait to see even more from this artistic talent.

What: Mirrors and Confessions by David Kretschmer
Where: FOUR, P.C. Hoofstraat 127, Amsterdam
When: May 17^th – June 16^th
More: http://www.amstelgallery.com/david-kretschmer/

These are the musthaves for every creative woman out there that has little time to invest in letting her creativity out. From stylish stationery to DIY, there are a lot of easy ways to create something pretty.

Marc it

For the creative businesswoman, BOOKMARC by Marc  Jacobs makes your stationery a lot more stylish. BOOKMARC teamed up with the marker brand Krink to develop three different high-quality markers in pretty colours that are for sale now. The markers are ideal for writing, marking or just doodling around. You will surely ask your writing utensils back when someone borrows these from you. BOOKMARC also has an idea book to put all of your creative outlets in. All are available here for prices between  $8 – $24.

Design the clothing you dream of in a minute

For the creative, fashion-minded woman who would love to design clothing, Fashionary created these sketchbooks with barely visible templates which make designing easier and faster. It also provides all the information you need about fashion such as brand names, description of fabrics and more. You can buy the Fashionary here for US $23.90. Want to try it first? You can download a trial version here.

A piece of yourself in the living room

If you want to create something for daily use but don’t want to invest a lot of time, here’s a quick way to change your furniture. It will make people wonder where you bought that beautiful design table from. All you need is some washi-tape, a table that you’re tired of  and your own imagination.

Now, imagine that with one of our beautiful coffee table books on it.

Polish it

For the beauty lovers with nail polish in every thinkable colour, there is a lot more you can do with it than just using it for your nails. Ever think of using a q-tip and nail polish to vamp up your sunglasses? Another great way to use nail polish is on your keys. By giving your keys different colours, late-night fumbling for the right key is over. And what’s more, you can match your keys to your purse or even your outfit!

So, what are you waiting for? A little work goes a long way. Let your creative mind run wild and make something that will bring a smile to your face.

To launch its key project of 2013, Tommy Hilfiger held a summer Surf Shack Cocktail in their store at the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam. Although it was raining cats and dogs, BN’ers such as Bastiaan van Schaijk, Hilmar Mulder and Valerio Zeno all showed up to check out the limited Surf Shack-collection and an artist-desgined surfboard, by our very own Piet Paris.

The Surf Shack-Collection
With surf style as the inspiration and basis of this limited edition collection, a lot of loose fitted items, eye-catching prints and neon-coloured details are featured. As a result, the always classic designs of Tommy Hilfiger feel more laidback and playful. Mainly including beachwear, shoes, sunglasses, watches and bags, the collection consists 12 women’s designs and  16 men’s designs.

#GONESURFING
As of May 1^st, Tommy Hilfiger also launched its online campaign. With the Surf Shack-competition customers, bloggers, European trendsetters and media partners can share their views about surf life, and suggest the best surf beaches and coolest hangouts. The best entries are published on tommy.com/surfshack and on various social media. The Surf Shack-competition closes on May 21^st, after which four winners will be announced. Their grand prize will be a surf tip to a dream destination. Visit tommy.com for an inside report on their destinations and trips.

Arts & Boards
Because of their partnership with Art Production Fund (APF), Tommy Hilfiger also released an artist-designed addition to the Surf Shack-Collection. Five American artists (Lola Schnabel, Scott Campbell, Raymond Pettibon, Richard Phillips, Gary Simmons) and our very own Dutch fashion illustrator Piet Paris designed unique and exclusive surf boards. These unique, artist-designed boards will be exclusively showcased in the Tommy Hilfiger stores in Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, Milan, London, Antwerpen, Madrid, Stockholm and – lucky for us – Amsterdam. Fancy buying one after you’ve seen them? Inquiries about the exclusive surfboards can be made after June 10 on tommy.com/arttosurf.

Not only is the long-awaited movie ‘The Great Gatsby’ now out for everyone to see, it also opened the Cannes Film Festival last night. After months of whispering about the movie itself, the costume designs deserve some special attention as well.

The Great Gatsby’s Leonardo DiCaprio, Carrey Mulligan, Baz Luhrmann and Tobey Maguire

A Costumed Ball
With Catherine Martin as the wife of director Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge), well-designed costumes were inevitable. The Oscar-winning designer has let her creative brain run wild on all of Luhrmann’s films, and The Great Gatsby was no exception. With her designer friends at Prada by her side, she has created about 40 costume designs that take the spotlights during the 20’s-styled parties. The result is an on-going fashionable costumed ball that makes for a lavish and credible portrayal of the roaring twenties.

Style & Status
In an interview with Mercury News costume designer, Catherine Martin, said that during the twenties in New York, clothes and jewelry were a status symbol and showed off your wealth. According to Martin every sort of dress was explored during this era; “loose, fitted, strapless, one-shoulder, robe-de-style. We just reprised those in the movie.” Therefore, it’s not surprising that the twenties still have a big influence on today’s fashion and trends.

Shop:
Bouclé jacket, Dress, Clutch, Ring, Shoes

Prada and Tiffany & Co’s
Fashion hot shots such as Prada and Tiffany & Co’s also got inspired by the classic twenties’ story. To perfectly complement the lifestyle as seen in The Great Gatsby, Prada treated us with lots of fringes, sequins and rhinestones. To make every woman feel like a roaring twenties flapper girl, Tiffany & co designed a special ‘The Great Gatsby’ collection. A diamond and fresh water pearl encrusted headband with detachable brooch, a chinoiserie-inspired bracelet and emerald cut aquamarine earrings, were designed in honour of the movie.

                                   Prada sketches for The Great Gatsby

                       Tiffany & Co collection inspired by The Great Gatbsy

Who wore what?
While everybody’s probably still gushing about the eye-catching costumes in the movie, some of the costumes worn on last night’s red carpet were also spectacular. Take a look at the best red carpet looks from last night, according to Little Soho.

Cindy Crawford, Solange Knowles, Isla Fisher, Lana del Rey, Freida Pinto and Nicole Kidman

Usually Terry Richardson is the man behind the camera. The only time he smiles at the camera is on his ‘thumbs up’ candid shots. However for the new Valentino ad campaign the famous photographer willingly modelled.

Valentino Gone Wild

During the latest catwalk show in Paris, Valentino surprised the entire fashion industry with its collection. The Italian fashion house, known for its romantic designs and use of flowers and bows, presented an edgy, clean-cut look this time around.

F/W 2008/09                     F/W 2012/13

The newest accessories, including shiny leather, studded bags and shoes, illustrate Valentino’s bolder attitude too. And now that Valentino’s design duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli have asked the 47-years old fashion photographer not only to shoot, but also to star as a handmodel in the autumn ad campaign Rockstud, there is no going back.

Valentino vs. Terry Richardson

As everybody knows, Terry Richardson is the mastermind behind the stunning fashion campaigns of Sisley, Lacoste and even H&M, and on the other hand the man who likes to snap Lady Gaga when she is in the ladies room. For Valentino though, the lumberjack shirt-loving photographer kept things relatively civil, only framing his nude, tattooed arms holding on to the Valentino’s newest ‘objects of desire’ for dear life.

On May 14^th, only weeks after giving birth to her second son and launching her first collection, celebrity stylist Danie Bles opened her new, permanent vintage boutique supported by family and friends such as Anouk Smulders and Leontine Borsato.

A Dirty Habit

For decades wearing vintage clothing has been stigmatized, especially by the mainstream, as a dirty habit.  In the last few years though, as new vintage shops pop up everywhere we look, wearing unique, pre-owned pieces has become a huge trend.

 “Every time I tried to sell the concept of vintage fashion to my husband, he chuckled: Why on earth would you spend money on ‘dirty’ clothes? Only when we visited my favourite vintage stores in Paris, he understood”, Danie Bles explains.

Vintage Lovers

The godmother of vintage, according to The New York Times, can’t be anyone other than Barbra Streisand. The singer, who will perform at the Ziggo Dome in June, turned vintage into her signature style. Initially her love for vintage only translated into her personal wardrobe. However it did not take too long before her basement was a vintage shopping street. These days everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to Kate Moss flaunt their eye for vintage. And while some struggle to incorporate their vintage treasures into their wardrobes, American stylist Rachel Zoe is constantly on the haunt for all things vintage and often shares her best-kept vintage shopping secrets on her website.

Mom Knows Best

Truce, the mother of Danie Bles, will welcome customers in the cosy boutique everyday and turn dreams into a reality by picking the perfect Chanel jacket or must-have Birkin bag for you. This is why we expect many high-heeled women to come knocking on this vintage heaven’s door soon. Especially since you can even hand in your own vintage designer items to sell here.

Address: Cornelis Schuytstraat 45, Amsterdam.

Jennifer Aniston finally shares the secret behind ‘The Rachel’ with the world. Oh yes, her hairdresser Chris McMillan was stoned when he gave the Friends star the chop back in 1994.

Unexpected inspiration

Jennifer Aniston has been known as America’s sweetheart since she first stepped onto the set of Friends. Her sleek, shiny and smooth hair named ‘The Rachel’, after her character on the comedy hit, only emphasized her girl-next-door image. One of the most imitated hairstyles of all time was not a product of good genes though, as Aniston often shares, she grew up as the girl with the uncontrollable, frizzy hair. Now long-time friend and hairstylist Chris McMillan admits that he created the straight chop by total coincidence. He was stoned when he pre-formed his scissor magic on the actress.

Become Living Proof too

This revelation comes as perfect timing just as the befriended couple announces Aniston will become co-owner of the hair care brand Living Proof. Since the brand promises to tame even the frizziest of hairs, which is convenient as the  sought-after sleek hairstyle is definitely making a comeback this summer. Michael Kors, Lacoste, Narcisco Rodriguez and Victoria Beckham, just to name a few, demonstrated a renewed love for the ‘The Rachel ‘.

Narcisco Rodriguez                    Lacoste                               Michael Kors

How to Rachel

For everyone who has her mind set on a sleek, shiny hair this summer’, check out  the tutorials Jennifer Aniston and Chris McMillan created with Aniston’s all-time favourite coupes in mind. Click here for a step by step direction on the  Living Proof website and get your shine on!

Having a love-hate relationship with your nail polish, because of its effect on the skin around your nails? Well those times are gone now, because Clinique has taken its customers desires at heart! For those with sensitive skin, Clinique launches a line of nail polish that contains a variety of gorgeous eye-catching colours.

Clinique facts

Since Clinique is known for its allergy tested products and offering 100% fragrance free formulas,  it only makes sense for them to launch a nail polish for sensitive skin. It took Clinique six years to develop this line, that has been tested by dermatologists and ophthalmologists.

Nail polish line

The line is called ‘A different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins’, and includes a 12 colour permanent collection and a limited edition collection of 8 colours for summer 2013. The permanent collection  has classic pinks and reds and even includes Black Honey, Clinique’s most wanted burgundy lip colour. On the other hand, we’ve got the summer collection, which is full of bright and neon colours and has one metallic silver polish.

Benefits of ‘A different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins’

A lot of nail polish brands are now marketed as “3 free”, meaning they don’t contain dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene, which are known for bad substances that can cause allergic reactions and even cancer. Clinique doesn’t say whether or not the polishes contain these chemicals, but does state that the formula will minimize allergic reactions.

Where to buy

Cliniques new nail polish isn’t available in The Netherlands yet, but if you can’t wait any longer Nordstrom ships internationally and sells for €12,93.

It is a special day for artist Piet Paris! “The Chambers of Piet Paris”, the first exhibition entirely devoted to his life’s work, will open today in his beloved Arnhem. And the renowned Dutch invites everyone to share this special moment with him via live stream on www.mmkarnhem.nl or on www.vogue.nl.

A True Artist

The artist who designs the catwalk décors for Viktor & Rolf, writes a style column for Vogue and even has his own china collection, yet has always remained his humble self, delved into his 25 years archive to pick his ultimate 75 favourite works for the occasion. Together with contributing creators like Prada, Marni, Thom Brown and Viktor & Rolf this really will be a must-see exhibition!

Visiting Info

Today, Friday 10 May at 16 pm, Piet Paris will guide everyone with a computer, tablet or smartphone through his chambers at the museum.

On Sunday 12 May the exhibition will open to the public, will remain so until 4 August 2013.

Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem.

Utrechtseweg 87, Arnhem | T. (+31) (0) 26 3775300 | www.mmkarnhem.nl  | E-mail: mmka@arnhem.nl. Open: tuesday – sunday 11-17 hour.

Sara Blakely, founder of our favorite shapewear brand ‘Spanx’, is the youngest self made billionaire out there.  She is also a socially conscious philanthropist and the first female to join the Bill Gates and Warren Buffet ‘Giving Pledge’ initiative. You gotta love this woman!

The Giving Pledge initiative

The Giving Pledge initiative is an organization that stimulates the wealthiest of the world to give away at least halve of their mass fortune to charity. An initiative founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet in 2010. Sara was personally asked by Bill Gates to join this cause, and so she did.  Sara Blakely has always been interested in philanthropy and especially women’s issues, so this was an amazing opportunity for her and made her the first woman to join The Giving Pledge.

Sara Blakely admits that she is in a different stage in her life than the other pledges. She hasn’t monetized the mass of her wealth because ‘Spanx’ is still a privately owned company. But, she did know she wanted to do something like this and has been setting aside a share of her profit each year. Her focus is going to be on women and girls, like she has been doing from the start. She recently gave the Detroit based organization, ‘The Empowerment Plan’ $100.000. This organization focuses on creating jobs for homeless women by paying them to produce sleeping-bag coats for others sleeping on the streets.

The future

Blakely hopes that her pledge to the initiative is going to allow for more encounters with humanitarians, as well as guidance from seasoned philanthropist like Gates and Buffet. On the website of the Giving Pledge foundation there is a letter written by Sara Blakely explaining why she joined the initiative. When writing Sara got real emotional and was grateful that as a woman she was born in the U.S.A.