Wednesday 30 January 2013

Design talent: Camilla Salgaard


Last week I visited the 'Modefabriek' in Amsterdam. Modefabriek is a two-day fashion trade show with over 600 fashion brands. There I met Camilla Salgaard, a young talented Danish fashion designer.

Camilla was invited by the Modefabriek to show her fashion collection for autumn/winter 2013, as part of the Next platform. This is a showcase selection of notable international designer labels. 

Camilla (26)  received her bachelor's degree from the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in the UK and continued with a Master at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. She was also one of the five finalists of the Designer forTomorrow hosted by Marc Jacobs (Berlin Fashion week 2013).


This collection is her first and is inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Not the girly, fairytale side of the story, but the deeper meaning of Alice's adventures. About a girl in her teens, growing up and feeling insecure about transitioning from a girl into a young women. Size and volume are two strong focus points in the overall black collection.

As stated on her own website, she has a hunger for powerful garments with soul to suit the female shape. I think that's exactly what she grasped in her collection.


Camilla Salgaard with the Cadence coat
Beautiful details





















My favourite is the 'cadence coat'. The shape is just stunning. Although not your everyday wear, a piece of Camilla would definitely be great for a special occasion. Prices vary from  340 euros for simple pants to € 1140 for the lovely coat. 


Wednesday 9 January 2013

My Favourite Book of the Moment

I bought this book at the airport in Amsterdam, to read on the plane to New York. However, during the trip, I only managed to read the first two chapeters. Not enough to get a real grip on the book. But now.. after the Christmas break, I'm hooked. WHAT A GREAT BOOK.  A must read for everyone. Inspirational, fun and challenging. And the timing for reading was just right. Great inspiration for my New Years resolutions...

So this is the book: 'The Happiness Project', by Gretchen Rubin.
Gretchen describes her one-year journey to happiness. Sounds a bit fluffy, but the book is actually very practical and also contains a lot of nice to know facts. Gretchen designs her Happiness Project, by defining 12 area's that she thinks will contribute to happiness.  Then she dedicates every month to one of these area's. Every chapter describes one month. She shares her experiences and anecdotes, but also information about the research that she has done about the topic.

The power of the book is that it shows happiness is in the detail. It's not a BIG MAGIC thing that is only available for the happy few. Or something you should only strive for, if you have a crappy life. It's there for everyone and achievable for me (and you :)) too. So why not start to sing a little song in the morning and look at the impact on you kids and husband. Brilliant? I think so. Not shocking, but truely effective and doable. So just try it.

If there is a special occasion, I'll give all my friends this book. It makes you happy just reading it. How simple can things be?