Souvenir report : Porto

With Labo Sabo and friends in Porto. Mostly for pleasure but also a bit for business.

Labo Sabo Praliné bag in Burgundy / photo by Annelies Vanhove

Jar lamp by projecto NUMA at Galerias Lumière

Coraçao Alecrim the most perfect store in Porto where I found my copy of Thisispaper #2

And also:
A Vida Portuguesa for beautiful packagings and portuguese products (souvenirs)
Delicious food at Galeria de Paris / Bacalhau / Bugo

I want to go to : City Trippin'

Next weekend I will spend in Porto with friends. I've been in Lisbon once and I really enjoyed the food, the colorful streets, the down-to-earth way of living and I was really surprised that accomodation and food are still quite cheap.

I'm preparing and looking for things to do, so if you have tips for nice shops, galleries, museums, let me know! I found this website OPORTOCOOL and next weekend already looks promising!

My city trip experience mostly relates to visiting capitals and larger cities and I also agree, you must have seen London, Paris, Berlin and New York at least once in you life but there are some less obvious and smaller cities that are very high on my to-go list for 2015.

Graz

First Graz, a city in southern Austria, I once passed there very brief hitchhiking to Croatia and since then I'm very curious about this city. Although Austria has not the most coolest reputation, Graz seems very interesting especially because it has some contemporary art and design background with Kunsthaus Graz and as UNESCO city of design.

Kunsthaus Graz

Bucharest

Bucharest, the capital of Romania has its role in many parts of history, from the early settlements in the Antiquity to the Ottoman Empire and more recent the establishment of communism and the end of it (more here). And today the city seems buzzing more than ever according to this article. The more I read about it, the more enthusiastic I get.

La Motoare (bar/social place) / photo by Mihai Ignat via Bucuresti Optimist

Nice pendant by La Designarie (concept store)

Copenhagen

No, I never been to Copenhagen, oh shocking! as it is the walhalla for a design spotter.

I'm not going to sum up all the famous designers and labels that are originated in Denmark, but I would take this illustrated map to find my way and Caroline Gomez' destination booklet to guide me.

by Herb Lester Associates

Caroline Gomez : destination Copenhague

Oh my record : Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

Did you know the spoken advice in this song (from Romeo+Julia / Moulin Rouge / The Great Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann) came from an essay by Mary Schmich written in 1997.

Oh my record : Chaleur Humaine by Christine and the Queens

Chaleur Humaine by Christine and the Queens / a good mix of french and english, no frenglish. I'm hooked!

Impressed : Interieur Kortrijk 2014

Even though I'm belgian I never went to Kortrijk during the design fair Interieur but this year I managed to get there. I chose not to visit the actual fair and went for the city trail to discover and to be impressed. (and to be proud too! WARNING: this will be a chauvinistic post)

Hydrophobia by 21-12

a limited edition jewelry collection inspired in form and material by the underwater world, I loved it!

photos by Studio Stefanie Geerts

Eyes Nights Only curated by Dift

During the day an exhibition of different brands in a former school building and at night a hotel to check-in and take a rest. Every room had its own atmosphere and I was pleasantly surprised by the lounge with a fresh display of the belgian brand Durlet.

Durlet

Espoo

IKEA

Collection 1.0 by Anne Van Assche

A chair, a table and a closet but also a shoe, a dress and a jacket. One line drawn over multiple design disciplines in a black marbled theme.

At first sight it seems stone, but the marbled effect is the result of mixing black and white plastic.

The design is very straightforward, a style I like and with an interesting use of material. (the plastic didn't seem very durable, but it is prototype)

photos by Sofie Coreynen

Report : A messy meal with Kinfolk

Last weekend it was Kinfolk time again. In about 25 countries like minded people were enjoying their messy meal, inspired by wabi sabi. Together with Annemarie, I organised and hosted the gathering in my hometown Ghent and I was so delighted to have met all these magnificent persons and to have shared this evening with them. Each time it is different, but it is for sure a special experience.

So many words of appreciation for SIR catering, the food was délicieux!

Thank you C'est party - Qualitea Time - Or coffee - KERK (location)

And merci Melissa Milis for the beautiful photography.

(and not to forget my friends who helped to put everything into place)

Design Joy : Design September / Victor Hunt / The Game / La Fabrika

In September I visited some locations of Design September in Brussels, during this month the whole city is infected with stylishness. For my tour I picked a few stops in the city center, mainly around the Dansaert neighbourhood and I finally got to visit Victor Hunt and also their brand new shop The Game.

Victor Hunt is, as they describe themselves, a designart dealer, conceptual and functional designs but (mainly) one-of-a-kind pieces. Their shop The Game is more accessible, as it should be for a shop, but with the well curated eyes of a designart dealer. The collection of items is less mainstream than what you see in most of the interior/design shops these days and I find it also a selection of more experimental designers.

We also stopped at Pimpinelle for the collaboration with San Pellegrino and at La Fabrika were Caroline Gomez filled the space with her distilled and craft designs during the design festival month.

VICTOR HUNT
A growing collection Lines & Waves by Tomas Alonso (everything fits perfectly!)

And the project Pierre et l'Amandier by Erika Muller (graphic designer), Nick Ballon (photographer) & Tomas Alonso (furniture designer)

THE GAME
plates by Faye Toogood - The Haphazard Harmony porcelain tableware of Maarten Baas - Leather Sun Clock by Lina Patsiou - Kantir (carafe) by Martin Azua - Enamel cups by Diario

LA FABRIKA - Caroline Gomez

PIMPINELLE x SAN PELLIGRINO - the glassware (in recognizable green) and plates designed by Aline Gerard (La table d'Aline) of Pimpinelle and the artisans of Segno Italiano