Following this attitude we have the permission – better the duty – to explore, to mix, to go back to Sicily and to poor materials as the Dolce & Gabbana raffia shoes, passing by black leather jackets (Yves Saint Laurent) and studded accessories (Tom Binns and Noir Jewelery). Manoush on the other hand is always capable of surprising us with bright colors and a genuine gispy style, influenced by Mexican colors, Peruvian fabrics, Russian tradition and shapes. From the Sixties we can borrow the plastic red clutch by Charlotte Olympia, as well as the sequin wristlet Jamin Puech.

The past is not our only alternative, we can get our machine time and have a quick glance to what the future is preparing for us: Prada shows a golden flatform sandal, a black and gold shoe for Pollini, who seems have been inspired from a geisha of 2050.

In this process we must remember that classic is always well accepted, especially when we talk about some must-have as the shape of ACNE black sunglasses, the cropped trousers from The Row, or the colored Hermès bracelets.

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In the digital era, where the great majority is smartphone equipped, this is a sad true story. Luckily, in Brazil, the agency DraftFCB has created for Nivea a special ad that will solve the problem. The company took out a full-page ad in a Brazilian magazine and decked it out with solar panels and a charging port you can plug your phone into. To understand how it works they posted a video on YouTube, using the payoff “You don’t need to leave the sun for anything”.

I really hope the idea will be applied in Italy too because it’s a cool (and practical) way to attract people attention in promoting products. Personally I would be disposed to buy the worst italian gossip magazine to have it. Maybe it could seem an off topic idea or not in line with the brand mood, but on the contrary the target that will be reached is coherent. People that buy Nivea’s products are supposed to be young, fresh, dynamic, care about health and beauty, so probably they use continually the smartphone to be always up-to-date.

Advertising has never been so useful!

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In fact it is, think about it: this foil of canvas with a cross-stitch braided hemp base that doesn’t best represent the idea of “shoe” not even of “slipper”, in addition to the fact that in terms of manhood every excuse miserably succumbs under the evidence that these infernal inventions are reminiscent of bad (maybe worse) designed flats.

Despite this ancestral repudiation, I feel like lowing my aim this summer since I have been implanted that childlike curiosity towards espadrilles  ”Why do they do them? Why do they wear them?!”, and looking around I figured out a couple of alternatives that to my eyes lose that flat-ballet silhouette and become more Native-American-like, or Tuareg-bedouin-like, and I (omg) like the thing.

Manebì Suede Hamptons

Havaianas Origine Relax Washed

FRAU shoes 39 Z3

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Now let’s move to what to do at the beach! Apart from the classical beach volley or beach paddleball, one of the thing that everyone does while lying in the sun is reading. It is a personal things, so I won’t suggest you a particular book (as you may prefer a sudoku or a tabloid), yet if don’t want to put inside your bag that heavy novel then buy a Kindle, which is far lighter!

Talking about devices and excluding the evergreen ipod, the coolest camera to bring with you is the GoPro Hero3, which allows you to take shots and videos underwater, so it is the ideal purchase if you are planning to spend your summer holidays in crystalline water. And by the way, do not forget your scuba mask and your fins to discover the wonders of the sea bottoms.

After the suntan, it’s time for the happy hour! Put your wet swimsuit into one wet bag (I bought a lovely orange one in Dublin last year) and a paisley kaftan, with the same Havaianas you have used the whole day. And if you don’t feel comfy without make-up for the evening, don’t ruin the natural beauty of your tanned skin. A bit of lip gloss and mascara will be enough.

Images found by using google.com

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Where to start from? I decided to dedicate some of my articles to this theme starting from the very beginning, so that anybody, even non-marketers, non-business people, can understand what personal branding really is and how to do it. I’m extremely far from being an expert, I have to learn a lot about it, so I thought we could learn together, step by step.

So, let’s start from the basics. Even if it seems a very recent concept, the term “personal branding” is not that new. To be more precise, it first appeared in the article “The brand called you” written by Tom Peters on Fast Company. It was 1997. His article became very famous for this particular sentence:

Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.

So, starting from today, you are a brand. Now, you have to manage your brand and every good brand management activity starts with a clear definition of what the brand is. So, the very first thing you have to do is to answer this question: what are the main features that define yourself? If you would describe yourself with few words – let’s say between 10 and 15 – what would you write down on a list?

And now the second step: what are your strenghts? What are the traits of your personality, your way of working and your approach to people that are appreciated the most?

It’s not easy to answer these two questions, as they require a lot of self-consciusness, so take some time to think about it by yourself. In my opinion, it’s much more difficult to understand what our real strengths are instead of weaknesses, because in general we tend to focus on what’s wrong in ourselves and we all know what’s the worst part of our personality (maybe we don’t admit that, or accept that, but we know it) while not everyone is completely aware of the good things.

COMING NEXT: How to start developing a personal branding strategy?

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Avoiding for once to make a comparison between political actions, I think it’s extremely important not to shelve the human factor, which is the absolute supporter of any event related to changes and subversions.

To foment and encourage a riot does not necessarily mean to react with strenght. The Egyptian companions showed us incredible solidarity attitude towards each other, and they expressed their ideas towards really modern and contemporary forms of art.

A new book on Egypt’s post-revolution graffiti wave is turning to crowd-funding in order to cover its production costs. Basma Hamdy and Don Karl, the authors of Walls of Freedom, say that their book serves as more than a documentation of the graffiti movement.

“We will not understand the Egyptian revolution unless we delve deep into the graffiti that covers the walls of the country. It is the true chronicle of the revolution. I am certain that ‘Walls of Freedom’ will be an exquisite combination of art and intellect that reflects the true spirit of what is unraveling in our nation.”

To know more about the project and how to contribute, here the official website.

Credits: http://news.egypt.com/en/index.php

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FMV suggests you read this article while listening to “Labels Or Love”  by Fergie

Personally, I have always been impressed by the shoes collection that all the protagonists, but especially Carrie, had in her closet, in this way we can understand a particularly love for fashion, nearly obsessive and for sure crazy. So Sarah, from fashion addicted, decided to take the career as a fashion designer for the fabulous business of fashion, creating a personal line of shoes, but also bags and coats, called “SJP”. In an interview for American Vogue Parker debuted: «Maybe I will say something banal, but I think that’s what people expect from me after seeing me in the role of Carrie Bradshaw».

Well, we could not imagine a partnership more perfect and in line. Manolo Blahnick made a really important repositioning thanks a good product placement in “Sex and the city”, and now with this co- production it could improve it and be even more profitable. Continuing with another interview, this time for the Daily News, Parker stresses: «For the role I’ve played I’ve worn lots of shoes, and I learned many things».
Unlike the footwear worn by the star of “Sex and the City” Sarah’s collection will have more accessible prices (from 200 to 300 U.S. dollars) and will be available from early 2014 with an exclusively for Nordstrom. So, women fashion addicted, are you ready?

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The main criteria to adopt is, as in many other cases, coherence: with the brand identity, with the positioning and the target. If the product and the market can be different, the two brands should have the same level of price/performance and share the same core values and style.. can you imagine a partnership between the classic and high-level Mercedes and a fashion brand like Desigual? Noooo!

A co-branding I really appreciate is MOSCHINO + KARTELL. Moschino is my favorite Italian fashion house, I love its style so much, and I also like how this brand “behaves”: its communication, its ability to enter markets with high potential such as Russia and its collaboration. The partnership with the Italian design company is not new, and its success is due to the strong relationship that both brands have with the pop culture.

For this Spring Summer, the two launched a new line of colorful plastics Bow Wow ballerinas and Superbow wedges. They look lovely, but are they comfortable? As for the past collaborations, we cannot forget the beautiful Mademoiselle Moschino armchairs designed by Phillip Stark for Kartell.

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Let’s see some meanings of the main terms of this discipline through an ‘ABC of architecture’.

The prince term: ARCHITECTURE.

In a objective point of view it is the science and art of organizing space in which humanity leads its life, in a small scale -their homes, and in a large one -the city.
In the eyes of an architect, this discipline takes on a deeper meaning, away from the patterns of a dictionary.

Let’s see how Alvar Aalto, one of the fathers of contemporary architecture, defines the outline of the architecture: “Architecture is not a science. Architecture is, and remains, a wonderful synthesis process in which they are involved thousands of human components: it still remains ‘architecture’. Its mission is still to harmonize the material world with life. Making more humane architecture means to make better architecture, and it also means broaden the concept of functionalism over the limit of the technique. This goal can only be achieved by architectural means, creating and combining techniques, thus the existence can be offered to men as harmonious as possible”.

photos found surfing on google.it

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Well, for all the people who will be in Venice until the 31th October, in Campo Santa Maria Formosa the new Freitag’s pop up is worth a visit. The opening of the temporary store had been one of the most waited collateral events organized for the Contemporay Art Venice Biennale, and it was organized by the Swiss Foundation for Culture Pro Helvetica.

The most interesting part of all that?! The bags, of course! A limited edition has been designed just for the temporary store, Fenedig  553; Fenedig stands for the merge of Venedig, German for Venice, and 553 is the distance in km between the lagoon and the Freitag historical factory in Zurich. More over, if every Freitag’s bag is one of a kind, of the Fenedig one will be produced only 553 pieces.

Freitag is not just a factory, is the symbol of the revolution of the concept of the bag. With a design very pure and essential for what concerns the models of the bag, when you get one, you have in your hands an unique piece and no one else will have exactly the same bag that you have. An object made with rough materials, removed for the streets and re designed into unbreakable bags.

Freitag brothers had been the first ones who understood the real value of a tarpaulins, giving them a second life and making them re-used by more than 400.000 people per year.

sources: vogue.it, freitag.ch. Images found on google.com

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