Mumford & Sons

Where the f... have I been - they are awesome!!! I just love, love, LOVE this song:

First thing on the shopping list - "Sigh no more" album. 2009?!?! I can not believe I've missed them.

The song of the day

From mini to maxi

So here is the story I promised to tell about the beautiful dresses. 

There is a remarkable exhibition taking place in Riga until 2 October. For those who love fashion or simply beautiful things, for those who want to remember their youth and for those who like vintage and the sense of classy things it is a must see.

Alexandre Vassiliev - an internationally acclaimed Russian costume and set designer, fashion historian, collector, author of many books and articles, host of fashion TV show, lecturer - has once again brought one of his marvellous  fashion pieces collection over to Latvia  - this time 75 sets from the 60s of 20th century - a decade that broke many fashion traditions, mirroring social movements during the period, featuring a number of diverse trends.

So here's a little sneak-peek.

On the left woolen evening dress in raspberry colour by Pierre Cardin fashion house. Paris, 1963. From the former collection of the Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA. On the right hat from silk muslin fabric with floral decoration. Fashion house Christian Dior, Paris. Red colour leather handbag, USA. And the other red handbag from leather replacement, USA. Linen shoes with metallic buckles. Mileme. Elche. Spain. Pendant from metal and enamel in the style of Pierre Cardin.


On the left silk fabric evening gown embroidered with fake gem myriads, lace, glass beads. Guy Laroche fashion house. Paris, 1960. On the right moire fabric evening gown. Christian Dior fashion house. London, 1961.

Evening dress embroidered with glass beads and pearls, with floral ornament. Ostrich feather trimming. Michelle Novaresse fashion house. USA (?), 1963. From the former collection of the Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA. Top left corner - hat with silk petals, workshop Vassallo. Turin, Italy. Other hat with velvet flowers and feathers, Union Made, USA. Evening purse embroidered with glass pearls and beads. Handmade. Japan. From the former collection of the Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA. Shoes from silver metallized fabric. Quah Craft, USA. Silk leather shoes with fake gem rosette. Firm Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, USA.

Knitwear evening coat embroidered with glass beads and fake gems. Nina Ricci fashion house, Paris, the 1960s. Dress in top right corner comes from actress Lauren Bacall's (Humphrey Bogart's wife) wardrobe.

Central black organza cocktail dress. Rety fashion house. Paris, 1960. Left lower corner velvet hat with satin ribbon. Fashion house Christian Dior, Paris. Next to it silk ecening shoes by Italy shoes, Italy. Evening purse embroidered with fake gems, Austria. Right upper corner black woolen mini dress with futuristic openwork pattern. Pierre Cardin fashion house. Paris, 1965.

Wooden fabric coat by Fouks, Paris, 1965, and woolen casual day coat from Christian Dior fashion house (1965 fall-winter collection No 128372), Paris, 1965.

Printed silk jersey fabric mini dresses (with tassels - this years trend as well). Emilio Pucci. Florence, Italy, 1966 and 1968. From the former collection of the Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA.

Evening mini dress enbroidered with golden and bronze glitters. Yves Saint Laurent fashion house. No 013727, Paris, 1965. From the wardrobe of the Hollywood movie star Leslie Caron. Very similar dress is a part of 2011 fall-winter Zara collection :)

And famous Andy Warhall's mini dress in pop art style Campbell's soup, USA, 1966.

And even more accessories, accessories, accessories...

So I hope you got hooked and it is on your TO SEE list until October :)

Be inspired!

Back

So here I am back from my holidays with several nice discoveries and stories to tell. One of them is about a place called Terrace Riga - an open air restaurant with a view over Riga's rooftops from the 8-stories shopping centre top.

During the winter they have an ice-rink there and I guess it must be a really bizarre experience to skate on a rooftop so I will try it out this winter. Prices are a bit above the average but it can be understood as you pay also for the gorgeous scenery.

The next great discovery was a bar-restaurant called Garāža though the name of the place left me puzzled as the interior was more based on the elements of train theme, should inquire next time. In an instant Garāža became an all time favourite place for my 8-year-old niece as we were sitting at the table in a built-in glass compartment with double deck beds and a flat TV screen on the wall next to the table instead of a window where the video track of a railway trip in Switzerland was rolling all the time. Lovely idea! It was a great illusion :) Now whenever you ask my little niece where would  she like to go, she exclaims - GARĀŽA! Therefore a suggestion for their team even though the main target group is grown-ups - guys, make children menu as well, please!

Tasty food, very friendly staff, interesting interior design. Garāža recently celebrated one year anniversary so I hope they'll manage to keep all these good characteristics in the future as it is quite typical for the new, popular places to give up on the quality of service after some time for the sake of... I do not even know what. Maybe they just loose the enthusiasm. Prices overall were ok, bit above the average, but food and service was all worth it. It felt like one of those places which becomes a regular meeting spot for you and your friends, very cosy.

I am leaving one more story for the next time. Story about beautiful dresses. But for now be inspired and have a lovely w-end!

The song of the day

Holidays

• being with family
• meeting friends
• hopefully enjoying the sun, the beach and the sea in Tūja
• two weddings to attend: one Estonian, one Latvian/Portuguese
• self-sewed dress public trial
• discovering new/lovely/inspiring places and things
• bringing back a BIG bag with different Latvian goods (and later sharing them with my friends in Luxembourg (maybe) :)) )

photo by Hak Lohn, found on Oh Happy Day, respresenting Geronimo ballon-troopers, inspiration for Ljokoljo

The song of the day