prada the book

When the word hit the cyber-street about Prada’s latest invention – the 706-page tome that “retraces and represents the multivalent aspects” of the Italian fashion brand – I knew I had to get one. And thanks to the site dedicated to the book, online shopping is possible and with super fast delivery, I got mine yesterday. Despite a little mishap with the shipping where the cover case was damaged and the slip case torn apart (dealt with superbly by Prada Client Service who’s sending me a new copy), it doesn’t shy away from the fact that Prada the book is gorgeous. Not only does it come with a Saffiano textured slip case and book cover, it’s also filled with hundreds of beautiful photos chronicling Prada’s history, ideas development, production processes, advertising campaigns, and innovative engagement with the worlds of technology, architecture, art and cinema. And at the root of it all, the fashion that has driven Prada since its establishment in 1913 to becoming a global powerbrand.

Accessorize your coffee table collection with this handsomely structured book from Prada. Available at Prada stores and here. €100.

the glass house

I was on LV ban until Thursday night, when my SA friend surprised me with this limited piece she had been keeping for me. And I could not resist breaking the ban for this. After all, history repeats itself.

Last time I was on a self-imposed ban, my last purchase was the Louis Vuitton book collectible The Birth of Modern Luxury. This time around, I’m truly entering my ban state once again with Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture – a large-format volume that is a definitive work on Louis Vuitton’s contemporary fashion, art, architecture, design and photography.

Apart from the critical essays written by Jill Gasparina (Art: 33 Colors), Olivier Saillard (Fashion: The Empire of Signs) and Taro Igarashi (Architecture: Learning from Louis Vuitton), the title chronicles Louis Vuitton’s esteemed collaborations with an elite group of artists, architects, designers and photographers, indexed alphabetically for easy reference. The book is filled with a lot of arresting images that represent Marc Jacobs’ time at the helm of Louis Vuitton.

It is extra special for me because the Oslo boutique is photographed (shown above with Olafur Eliasson’s Eye See You installation for Christmas 2006), where many of my LV dreams have been fulfilled. This deluxe limited edition book is designed by Takashi Murakami. It comes with an acrylic slipcase bearing the Damier pattern that’s also found in architectural details in several Louis Vuitton stores around the world. It also features Murakami’s “LV with Hands” on the cover and multicolor bookmarks.

Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture is available in Louis Vuitton stores worldwide and at www.louisvuitton.com. £90.

lessons in fashion

These arrived in the mail today.

The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman, The September Issue with Anna Wintour.

The pages and the chapters would have to wait. I’m gonna be late for the Louis Vuitton Jazz Club event tonight.

the poor man’s connoisseur

Here’s a little clever literature I picked up as I left the counter of my favorite coffee shop with a chocolate-infused frappe drink in hand yesterday afternoon.

“Oslo – A poor man’s connoisseur guide to living in one of the most expensive cities in the world” is the first edition in a series of city guides initiated by by:Larm, the biggest music conference in Scandinavia. 

The Poor Man’s Connoisseur is all about enjoying the best things in life. This guide, slightly taller than a Wallpaper City Guide but a whole lot better than your average complimentary multi-fold ad-splattered (advertisements in this guide are designed/illustrated by young designers and artists from Oslo) city guides, writes what’s really great about Oslo in the following categories: accommodation, coffee, food, nightlife, galleries, shopping and activities. There are suggestions that excite the resident out of me and experience Oslo the way the Connoisseur sees it.

One case in point: Tonica Vintage Corner. And I quote, “This is a store the fashion houses of Europe visit to seek out old treasures. It’s a treat for the eyes and soul of an addict just to window shop here – Chanel no. II, Hermes scarves, rugged old Gucci bags, Balenciaga dresses, Vuitton, Dior. Truly one of Oslo’s finest and a must see for visiting fashion lovers. Prices range from expensive to astronomical.” Ok, maybe this isn’t exactly a poor man’s haunt. But as the guide says:

This does not mean the poor man’s connoisseur is parsimonious, he or she is just demanding when it comes to quality. It is always a question of context rather than cost. So, the poor man’s connoisseur will happily spend a month’s salary on one dinner, but consider it money well invested.

Here are more photos courtesy of yourfriends.no

I don’t know where else you could pick your copy of this guide, but I got mine for free from Evita Coffee Shop. And just to make it easier for you dear reader if ever you’re visiting Oslo, I have an extra copy to share. :-)

sunday coffee at wayne’s

Every Sunday afternoon, Knut and I would indulge ourselves with cups of caffe latte and bites of baked goodies while poring over the day’s newspapers at our neighborhood coffeeshop (read: Evita).

This time around, after swinging by the exhibition of 40 international entries for the new Munch  + Stenersen Museum (where Tadao Ando was one of the invited architects) and the new Deichman Library, both to occupy the spaces next to the National Opera by the time of completion, we walked westward and tried Wayne’s Coffee.

A Swedish import, the coffee shop by the National Theater at Vika is one of four Wayne’s Coffee in Oslo. It has stylish interiors with color palettes playing on greens and browns. The coffee choices are varied and the food selection decent. Literature includes coffee table books like this one on hip hotels in New York. I settled with a medium double shot caffe latte which turned to be a potent brew and a chocolate cookie. Knut had the same cup paired with a rich berry pie. I’d definitely come back here and would recommend it to my friends. 

The lamp.

The street view.

The window view.

The Louis.