This beanie's got a beard

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Came across it on Etsy.com, had to post it. Creative genius behind it, user taraduff, mother of three, who according to profile learned to crochet by step grandma while she watched Dallas and Dynasty.

Kids version: super-cute!

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Last night's close-ups

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My close-ups maybe strange but these bags got soul.
Eastpak Artist Studio, team Greece 2011:
*attached to bag above: kids, this is a 'tape cassette'. Long before the mp3, this is what used to carry our music.
To have your own close encounters before the auction, visit the exhibition at Balux Cafe House Project - Glyfada till February 28th.

**Also see this post by Ordinary Style Pulse.

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Eastpak Artist Studio - the bag

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I have already told you I am participating at this year's Eastpak Artist Studio project for charity. As it all happened so fast, I haven't been able to show you the bag. Taking you through it now:
I was chosen for blogging about fashion so I thought it should be a blogger themed bag. What bloggers are notorious for among other things, is snapping photos. I made a velcro detachable camera pocket and placed it at calculated hight on the left arm of the backpack so one can shoot photos as you go.
The pocket secures with a bow to fit most pocket-camera sizes and has two strass elements attached to it, a small for turn on and a bigger for snap. (made a camera dummy out of a random magazine cut-out)
Then, most bloggers like knitting. I do too and since I both perform and talk about it every chance I get, it had to be part of my bag. Opened two button-holes at the top of the bag and stuck my bamboo needles in them. What you can't see is that on the inside, there are two tubes perfectly fitting them and stopping them at the right height.
Bottom left side of the bag there is another button-hole. This one is for the yarn as you don't want it twirling on dirty floors as you knit. Once you've started knitting of course, your project can be kept safely at the front pocket between sessions. Up to here, I'd made the perfect backpack for me. I even thought about not handing it in - but then I thought of the charity:) So on we go. With all the press fashion blogging has been receiving lately I thought there had to be a tongue-in-cheek cheesy element to it. Well I blastered 'blogger' with yarn all over the front top and crowned it with a strass. Doesn't get cheesier than that hun.

Also, we do get to keep lots of notes so I pinned all kinds of phrases (some hand-written by me) and even clothes and shoe images to create a blogger's 'edit drafts' feel.

'Knits between shows' is well, what this bag is meant for! (saying this, it's an exhibition piece, I don' expect to see it anywhere in public)
Among all other stuff I chose to pin, is an original 'Made in Greece' tag, something that will soon be a collectors item considering not much will be produced in Greece for long the way it goes.
So there you go, now you know all there is to know about my bag. That, and the fact that I made it with lots of love hoping to bring some of it to the people in need. Spent time with it as long as I could thus it's fully charged with Alecca-positive energy.
Last but not least, special thanks to Ino Mei for the amazing shoot of this bag at her studio and all the mental support.

*More on the fate of this bag, the exhibition party and all other participants, coming soon.

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Past decade's top 5

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Some say this post should have come about a year earlier (or maybe just a week?). Doesn't change the fact that these are 5 really important things that happened in the past decade. Plus they make a good Sunday post! 1. Second hand / DIY
It seems that the decade began with the remains of the '90s obsession with second hand clothing (think Kate Moss) and ended with the widespread acceptance of DIY clothing and accessories as something you can wear in public (think Yourself, etsy.com). This shift is a good example of how fashion really is for the masses and not just for celebrities or the elite: DIY is free, everyone can do it at home.

2. Designers went highstreet
Speaking of fashion for the elite and the privileged, about mid-decade and with WTO shifting most barriers for global production, dominating design houses are faced with a pickle: their styles are being 'borrowed' straight from catwalk and produced in thousands for a fraction of the price their collection sells. People no longer want to pay a fortune for a top with their name on.

They try to fight is with law suits and more affordable diffusion lines. In November 2004 though, a bomb is dropped by Swedish H&M: a limited edition line signed by Karl Lagerfeld, priced by H&M. Collaborations between mass production companies and eponymous designers become a standard ever since. Finally the latter found a way to grab a piece of the cheap fashion pie and shoppers are happy with the amounts they are spending.

3. E-shops
With the first e-shop, boo.com, being such a famous massive disaster in the late '90s, many were quite sceptical of the possibility to ever sell clothes successfully online. At 2004 British Fashion Awards, net-a-porter.com proved a point by winning the Shop of The Year Award and causing a stir. Now there are thousands of profitable e-shops and online shopping is a big industry with what seems to be a bright future.

4. Fashion blogs
Here's a new term that's emerged in this past decade. Much more than a term actually and you know it. For me, fashion blogs' contribution during these years will always be described best by Suzy Menkes' words in this clip: it finally turned fashion monologue into a dialogue. Shoppers have a voice too. According to wikipedia, 'Fashion blogs first appeared in the blogosphere prior to 2002, and Kathryn Finney, of The Budget Fashionista, was invited to New York Fashion Week as early as September 2003'.

5. Hellenic Fashion Weeks
(obviously this one's for the Greeks!)
Fashion shows and exhibitions have been taking place in Greece for as long as fashion exists. However, it was in 2004 that Greece officially announced the launch of a fashion week that... soon became two. 'Moda Athena' took place in October 2004 and 'Athens Collections' was established around the same time, with the first, featuring among others the likes of Doukas Hatzidoukas, Angelos Bratis and Vassilios Kostetsos and the latter listing Hellenic Fashion Designers Association members.

I believe 2004 was the year 'Fashion Forward' started in Thessaloniki too so it would be fair to say that mid-'00s were a fashion week era for Greece overall.

'Athens Collections' was based at Zappeion whereas very short lived 'Moda Athena' at the Hellenic World Cultural Centre. I was present at both as a... foreign correspondent, will try to find their booklets in my archive and show you at some point since there's not much available on the web about it.

Athens would not stay without a second fashion week for long though(!): in May 2007 'Athens Xclusive Designers Week' came to stay.

I guess all 5 somehow changed the way we see fashion today, in the year 2011. What remains to be seen is what the future holds for them.

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xmas shopping list 2010

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[click to enlarge, save as, print A4]

Ta-ta! This year's edition of my xmas shopping list (personal saviour) is ready. Whether they involve money spending or not, last minute gifts are a pain so this is what I've come up with to tackle this very important issue:) This way I leave none out and stick to budget. Too early? No it's not, especially if you are planning to shop online - think delivery times. Feel free to use it, you'll thank me later.

*There's a slight change from last year's list: 'Done' column is now 'money left', which makes more sense. Ol' strike-through is unbeatable + maths was never my strong point!

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Sew with THEIA

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Wonna learn how to sew? THEIA can teach you. Classes start on November 1st and there's still some space in Monday's evening group (17:00 - 20:00) as well as Saturday's morning group (11:00 - 14:00). For more info, contact THEIA on 210 3600449.

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Striped 'n' Buttoned

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Parcels like this have been travelling across Athens lately (I suppose they'd go further if they were asked to). What are they? They are Stripes 'n' Buttons goodness. Mine is a sunflower boutonniere I fell in love with whilst reading her blog a while ago.
It arrived in a handmade cotton case, double the joy. Have known the girl who is S'n'B for quite a few years now, but this talent of hers was something I came to discover just like you, through her posts. The minute she made the first item was like opening Pandora's box, no turning back for her, no stopping her!
I went for a yellow one to brighten my days/nights/outfits. The result has such a feel-good vibe, planning to put it in action soon.
The S'n'B signature buttoned bow at the back. This clever bird marks her territory. Like. This clever bird is also in Barcelona and about to start reporting on Primavera Music Festival. Envy.

Loving my sunflower Stripes'n'Buttons, hope you're having a sunny trip yourself!

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7ply Project, Athens 2010

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Here's some (girly) stuff you can do to your board.
All from the 7ply Poject exhibition at Technopolis, Gazi.
(See image title for artists names)
Or you can use it as a stool and gain a few cm over others in the crowd.
Action outside the exhibition area. Falls under stuff you can do to your board*. (* add 'BMX bike' to that)
Leaving you with a back flip flair. (i'm a knitter what do I know;) )


For more cool exhibits and action shots, visit Stop That Sound, here.

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Fish on (in) board

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Sunday, Technopolis, Gazi - Athens, the 7ply Project.
Board turned aquarium, complete with goldfish and water purifier.
Artist: SET.
Goldfish was camera-shy.


(Lopi was there too, on a different day, enjoying every minute here and here)

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Home-studio II

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Since some of you praised my inspiration in creating my own home-studio moment, let me share with you how I first got to know all about the 'curve' trick. It was during a home shoot with very talented professional photographer miss Kelly Filiou.

We had to produce a studio effect in a four-walls living-room and I was ever so surprised to see stylist Marli Aleiferi skillfully stick white pieces of carton towards the bottom part of the walls, to then have them magically erased in the final edit by Filiou. Studio effect it was:

If you fancy browsing Kelly Filiou's very inspiring selection of images, it's all here.

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Home-studio for outfit posting

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Let's say you need a studio photo for outfit posting or some other reason that may or may not make sense to others(!). Something like this so to say:
But you don't have a studio handy. Well, no worries, just make one! All you need is good light, a block colour background and ...cornerless ends. I know, the last one is not very common inside (most) houses. However, the other day I went all creative and looked for something hard enough as well as tall and wide and, well, managed to pin my carpet on the wall.
I was quite pleased: it was hard enough not to crinkle, long enough to create a curve at the bottom and with plenty of space for me to step on. I guess I could have used a thick monochrome quilt but somehow this seemed easier. Clever or totally mad? Either way, it did the trick!

And if carpet-on-the-wall tip didn't make you smile, I know something that will: it's Friday;)

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I'm on 3D

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I have just come back from watching the notorious 'Avatar' movie (& this post is on timer, obviously!). Whether you are a modern cinema tech fan, a nature lover or simply up for a good watch, I'd totally recommend it. Go for 3D projection. I must say that watching it like that made a whole lot of difference.

To give you an idea, today's post is in 3D format (I made this picture here). How are you gonna see me on 3D? Well, unless you have a pair of 3D glasses handy at home (because?!!), here's how to make one:



Easy peasy. Apart from checking me out and playing around with your own shots, wouldn't this be a cool gift for someone? A 3D photo of you or them complete with a set of handmade 3D glasses, now that would be different! Knock yourselves out, this is fun;)

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