ALEXANDER MCQUEEN 2012 RUNWAY SHOW

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN AUTUMN/WINTER 2012 RUNWAY SHOW
Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Anyone who loved Alexander McQueen will love this poetic and dramatic runway experience. I dont use the word experience lightly. After seeing Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Musuem in New York City,  the outstanding 2012 collection in London, England last Monday nodded to all the tell-tale tailoring that McQueen was known for. Loved the structured outerwear, chunky belts with nipped waists, Tule ballerina skirts and my favorite was the embellished lace and velvet dresses. See the Video:

SPOTLIGHT: FASHION HOUSE MOSCHINO DESIGNS BOUTIQUE HOTEL

The Fashion Moschino brand has always been known to be irreverent, humorous and innovative. Moschino himself believed that fashion should be fun and so he spoofed high fashion lines through his clothes. For example he mocked the classic Chanel jacket with brazen gold trimmings and details; would accent hem lines and tops with safety pins and embroidered the words “Expensive jacket” in gold across the back of a cashmere jacket.

His legacy and vision has now been transferred from clothes to a trendy Milan hotel dubbed Hotel Maison Moschino. Under the direction of Rossella Jardini and Jo Ann Tan, House Moschino maintained the exterior façade of  the1840 neoclassical Milan train station but converted the interior into 65 contemporary rooms and junior suites accented with whimsy and fantasy. I would love, love, love to experience the unconventional world of Moschino.!! Talk about getting inspired while on vacation!! See the interior pictures, the details are insane! (Pics courtesy of Hotel Maison Moschino)

HOTEL MAISON MOSCHINO, MILAN ITALY

LIGHT FIXTURES IN LOBBY AT HOTEL MAISON MOSCHINO

As you walk in, guests are met by Moschino's lampshade dresses. And so it begins, the interplay of architecture and fashion where their guests get to experience a world built from the imagination.

LOBBY AT HOTEL MAISON MOSCHINO

Don't you love the quirky cloud like light fixtures shaped as different animals?

LOBBY AT HOTEL MAISON MOSCHINO

The fanciful surprise is in all the guestrooms where all their guests get to lay their heads. A physical dreamscape where you can unleash your imagination. Nite,nite...

SLEEPING IN A BALL GOWN ROOM

SHADOWS ROOM

BLUE ROOM

SLEEPING ROOM

SWEET ROOM

BED OF ROSES ROOM

IVY ROOM

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD ROOM

FOREST ROOOM

RIBBON ROOM

ALICE'S ROOM

Are you inspired?

TYPOGRAPHY TREND AT CB2

CB2 TYPOGRAPHY TRENDS

I was in the city for a client meeting this past Wednesday and I found I was early so I dodged into CB2 on Third Avenue. Great store and very helpful staff! There seems to be a new trend or new found appreciation for Typeface. If you are a word nerd or font junkie, CB2 has some great Typography accents to modernize your home: different scales from small to large, single words or single letters, multiple words, oversized numbers, and blocks of text. Each typeface imbues its own personality, check it out!

Cuckoo for numbers spelled out one thru twelve? Love this large clock called ‘Type 39 clock' that showcases radial black topography powdercoated on white metal. $199

Relax don’t do it!! Ok, it commands you to ‘RELAX’ with upper/lowercase 3D letters in different colors. It is iron with powder coat finish.  Sort of expensive $299

Shall we crunch numbers or try to figure out how to tell time on this ’Dropped number 23" clock’? It’s a graphic jumble of tonal grey digits on a white background. $99.95

‘Jump up and down’ 100 percent cotton duvet breaks all those bedtime rules! Would make a statement in a little boys room! For a set $99.95

Yellow ‘The End’ props books up with stenciled typography lasercut in MDF. Great pop of color in a bookcase. Only $14.95

A collage of random letters, numbers and symbols modernizes this porcelain plate-ware set called 'text message.' How cool would your table look for a dinner party?  Only $7.95

Handtufted wool rug declare independence. Designers freely express!!

Come back every Tuesday, as I will post TRENDS at the following stores: CB2, Crate and Barrel, West Elm, Home Goods, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Target and Room and Board.

MUSE ESSENTIAL: LACE IN DESIGN

TADASHI SHOJI FASHION WEEK 2012

Fashion Designer Tadashi Shoji sent a magnificent Fall 2012 collection down the runway last week at New York Fashion week. Inspired by the "Golden Age of Shanghai,” his models were adorned with dresses of chanitilly lace, velvet, chiffon and silk with high necks, tiered skirts and beaded embroidery. The lace detailing from Tadashi Shoji’s collection is so magnificent that it invoked my MUSE! It made me wonder if this fashion element will be a Home design Trend for 2012?

TADASHI SHOJI FASHION WEEK 2012

What is Lace? : a netlike ornamental fabric that is patterned with open holes and made of threads by hand or machine. Lace-making is an ancient craft dating back to the late 15^th century and early 16^th century. Lace is created when a thread is looped, twisted or braided to other threads independently from a fabric backing.

LACE is my source of inspiration for today’s post. Lets see how it translates into architecture, interior and home design:

  LACE IN ARCHITECTURE:


COBOGO HOUSE



Brazillian architect Marcio Kogan of StudioMK27 has designed the Cobogó House. The focal point of the exterior is the sculptural, light-diffusing architectural screen by renowned American sculptor, Erwin Hauer. (See pic above)

ERIN HAUER SCREEN

Hauer is known for infinite continuous surfaces, room screening and light filtering effects. The screens at the Cobogó House help form the walls on the top level of the house. At night, they appear like spatialized lace when light filters thru. (See pics below)

ERIN HAUER ARCHITECTURAL SCREEN AT COBOGO HOUSE

LACE IN INTERIOR AND FURNITURE:



DOREEN WESTPHAL CONCRETE LACE


Have you ever heard of Concrete lace? Designer Doreen Westphal designs lacy concrete curtains, and suspends them in mid-air. Doreen starts with a digital file of an old Belgium lace design and uses this file to construct plastic molds. The wire is placed in a special concrete mix called Quantz by G.Tech and is poured into these molds. I love that she combines craftsmanship with modern technology to transform a heavy material into a delicate installation. She defies gravity!

MARCEL WANDERS BON BON GOLD

Holland designer Marcel Wanders designs architectural, interior and industrial projects. In his designs he tends to use a layer of lace or crochet. I wonder if you can illuminate this orb from within? How cool would that be? (See pics above)



BROCADE STORAGE



Lace cut storage furniture designed by Brocade Home is unusual furniture you can use for different functions in your home. I love the cut-outs! (See pic above)

ANGELO TOMAIUOLO SWING CHAIR

Swing Chair by Angelo Tomaiuolo is an ergonomic chair that is inspired by old fashioned textiles. The design is laser cut aluminum that is lacqured in different colors. Its modern steel legs give its sleek elegance. It would be cool to combine these chairs with an old wood kitchen table! (See pic above)

ANGELO TOMAIUOLO WAVE TABLE

Love this lacquered table made out of recyclable aluminum! Its amazing how this dynamic structure supports the glass table top by two points. uh-mazing! (See pic above)

LACE IN LIGHTING:

BERNABEI AND FREEMAN

Rina Bernabei and Kelly Freeman design beautiful lighting inspired by textiles. The geometric pattern is made out of 2 layers of offset powder coated aluminum. The light casts beautiful shadows thru this delicate pattern. (See pic above)



BROWN HSEIH MOTH EATEN LIGHT



BrowneHsieh & Sons design nature inspired light fixtures. The MothEaten Lights are delicately mysterious. (See pic above)

What inspired your blogname?

Inquiring Bloggers want to know....why I changed Heymdesign blog to Mod Design Guru. I appreciate all the emails and tweets, thank you!! To be honest, I struggled whether to do it or not as I knew I would lose followers (OH NO!!) I am hopeful to recapture HeyMdesign's followers and attract new followers but the basic and real reason is the direction of the blog was not fitting the name anymore. Hey M (Michele) is me but what was it really saying? Picking a new name was fun, creative and a challenging task but I feel ModDesignGuru better fits my mission: to demonstrate unusual ways to find design inspiration; to spotlight innovators and their innovations in technology, materials and methods that are influencing architecture,interior, home, product and fashion design.

What would be fun would be to hear the story and inspiration behind your blogname! Please post HERE

Spotlight: Transformer Apartment

The transformation of this 258 square foot shoe-box space is remarkable and innovative! Watch an empty room with no furniture cleverly unfold into an entertaining space, dining room, bedroom, bathroom and storage all in one space. With the help of designer Barbara Appolloni, Christian Schalleret's roof top Barcelona apartment is ingenius! Click Video HERE

Lets Connect!
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Twitter: @ModDesignGuru

MOD MUST HAVEs: STUDS

I was in Starbucks yesterday and I couldn't take my eyes off a simple leather handbag with a cool studded handle dangling in front of me. I immediatley had to ask the girl, "where did you get that bag?" It's Kenneth Cole," she said. How fast do you think it took me to Google it? Voila, it's the Kenneth Cole No Slouch Hobo. Love it, gotta have it!

Kenneth Cole - No Slouch Hobo

See, inspiration can happen anywhere- even from a handbag! I would totally opt for studs over bling any day! I can see pewter, brass or nickel nail heads adding flair to an upholstered wall, screen, furniture, headboards or decorative hardware. See below:

UPHOLSTERED WALLS

DOORS by AIVEEN DALY

SCREEN AND WING BACK CHAIR by VICTORIA HAGAN

IKEA HACKER

TANGIER HASSOCK OTTOMAN by MICHAEL BERMAN

DECORATIVE HARDWARE BY LAUREY

Love to design a studded pedestal light fixture or bathroom vanity for one of my projects, hmmm...?