CANDY FOR THE SENSES

Hong Kong Ballet 40th Anniversary Season Brand Video from Design Army on Vimeo.

I am away performing in Turku but meanwhile here is some brain candy and eye orgasm for your Sunday!

THE ATELIERI O.HAAPALA BOOK

The crowd-funded Atelieri O.Haapala book is finally here and it is so beautiful I almost want to cry!

The bi-lingual book -the texts are both in Finnish and English- features the studio's portraits and distinctive style of photography from the last decade (the studio/project was active 2008-2016 and produced more than 7000 portraits),  taking you on a journey trough an imaginary past:

Performers, artists, family portraits, guests at events who photographed themselves in the popup photo booth, as well as some of the studio's own project series and adventure scenarios...

...not to forget a few of Saara and Marcos, the photographers', most iconic theme-looks!

But apart from being a book with hundreds of beautiful creative images to aesthetically enjoy, this work functions as quite the emotional nostalgia pack for me, being filled with amazing people, dear friends, and oh-so many memories.



The Atelieri O.Haapala book is a superb coffee table book and will most definitely make a great Christmas present! Get your own book via their website.

GUCCI AND BEYOND

You may have seen the Gucci campaign already, or you may not, and if so then here it is and I totally love that they did this:

So much of that oh yes! I'd wear it too.

SNACKS AND OUTFITS

Pretty much two of my favourite things!
(Well you know, depending on what level of life and living you are referring to.)

I find these images of snacks matching the outfits; a series named Wardrobe Snacks by Kelsey Mc Kellan with stylist Michelle Maguire, strangely soothing for the eye and mind, partly in the sense that they somehow are very reminiscent of my childhood. Must be the hues and the polyester, early 80's.

That. And the snacks.
I mean is there anything more 80's than that cardboard like waffle cone?  Those (and they are still around) were the only ice cream waffles back in the days. And that shade of ice cream - pear ice cream. An instant childhood boost for me. You might have heard this story before, but we were in Heikintori in Tapiola with my mother and now late grandmother and it was warm and sunny and I got a pear ice cream and then my 9-month pregnant mother's water broke and we had to rush away and I did not get to finish that ice cream. Or so my almost three-year old's brain remembers it, the day my sister decided to arrive; a half eaten pear ice cream.

Find all of the prints here.

A MINIATURE A DAY -

You may recall I have a huge love and fascination for all things miniature. As well as photo stories (my Milk Toof, remember?). Minitature Wunderland is one of my favourite nerdy places to go when in Hamburg. So when I stumbled across Miniature Calendar and it's small smart dioramas by Japanese artist Tanaka Tatsuya I was of course blissfully happy! And there are so many of them, as Tatsuya has been creating these for years, one for each day. *late night insomnia browsing topics secured*

Ah, so many genius thoughts there!

All pictures from Miniature Calendar
You can follow the artist on instagram @tanaka_tatsuya

THE PERFECTION OF MOVEMENT

Since this autumn I've been following dancer Lil Buck on social media in total awe. Very inspirational and madly beautiful movement.

THE OWLS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM

One of my all time favorite TV series ever is without a doubt Twin Peaks.

There is just something about the dreamy world of Twin Peaks and it's characters. Not to mention all the small crazy details and jokes that the series were filled of. And, of course, the music of Angelo Badalamenti (a lot of the things
 that Lynch does).
I've watched the series several times over the years and also when it originally aired the first time in Finnish TV , although some of the irony I didn't catch until later; I was still rather young then.  I probably will watch it several times still. I thought Twin Peaks was something everyone had seen, but alas, I was wrong. Some of you will obviously need to correct this matter.

(source of above image: In Twin Peaks)

I had a total crush on Agent Cooper when younger. Well I wasn't alone.

And Bob is of course the scariest TV character ever! To be completely honest, I used to close my eyes in the Bob scenes. He was actually a character that was born by accident as he was a set designer who happened to be caught in a shot.

He totally manages to go all BOB in a  off scene shot too! (source: last day on the set ot Twin Peaks )
I'm sorry if I'm feeding anyones bob-phobia here with the images. I read the late Frank Silva was a very nice guy in person. IT IS JUST TV. Ok yes I still close my eyes in the Bob scenes.

The Black Lodge with all doppelgangers running around also freaks me out.

So, I am of course, very much looking forward to the 25-years-later return of Twin Peaks (next year).
Next week however there is a three-day Twin Peaks spectacle at Gloria (something of a live interactive performance-concert thing), and I am weeping a little bit that I can't attend-  it sold out right away before I even had a chance to notice. Some of our students will be there as One Eye Jack's girls for the setup and I'd totally hop in myself but I have a rather heavy pilate education weekend from morning to night coming up anyway so I'll just have to let that one go (sniff) and stick to my DVD's of the series. And the interwebs.
And Julee Cruise.

LOW KEY AND A LITTLE FLOWERS

This is how I dress up for work sometimes...

Atelieri O.Haapala was, as usual, present at the Helsinki Burlesque Festival a few weeks back with their pop up atelier. Here's one of my performer photos for this year, I love it!

The number I premiered was one I had planned for years. I spent a lot of time working on the costume, although I did not do everything myself. The headpiece, with leaves that turn into fans, was, as you know,  made for me by Fiona Timantti Millinery, and many of the flowers I used for my clothing was made by Anastasia, The Crazy Flower Maker. There is also a dress, which you can't see here, that Olivia Rouge sew me.

Although I had the costume ready planned in my head for a long time I sought up some inspiration pictures to go along while putting it together, some of which you can see here:

(pictures from retronaut.com)

You can see more of Atelieri O.Haapalas fabulous festival photos here.

BEFORE THE SHOW, BACK IN THE DAYS

Cabaret artists and chorus line girls getting ready in the 1920's.

Source: Vintage Everyday.

RED LIPS AND A WINK

'Tell me a story'-heels from Modcloth.

And their sweater twin. (From Sheinside.)

Plus their purse cousin (or cousins, as there are several in the series)  from Lulu Guinness.

I actually got the sweater out of a sudden idea to kind of look like it and wear it with waved hair peeping out of a black - or possibly red - beret, red lips and pair it with tiny black hotpants, dark tights and chunky heels. Would have made a nice combo;  I thought the knit would be kind of oversized and hang loose on my shoulders. Which it didn't. It was kind of fitted and with the fluffy mohair it made me feel like an albino orangutang instead. So I'll pass that look onto some tiny tiny petite person instead :)

SHANGHAI

My black floral dress has something of a cheongsam feel over it, which brings my thoughts to warm humid colonial nights, paper lanterns and the early thirties.


And behold, my decade long fear of long hems in day time use is over (after my arty-boho-hippie years; I had an overload back then) - it feels rather great on! Comfy and flowing.Wooh-yey! Must get some more. Also this dress is the kind of non-sweaty polyester, which is a plus.

I wore the dress with heels when inside but with a pair of low lace up boots and my beret for outside which actually felt rather casual. The dress is vintage seventies, from Hoochie Mama Jane.
The silk hair flower was a gift from Anastasia last year and the hair do a quick five minute one rescue; I had an oil mask in that did not quite wash out on the first try. And if someone want's to know the nail polish is Kure Bazaar's shade macaroon and lipstick Zuii's Sugarplum, both natural and organic.