Japanese tattoos

While I was waiting for my tattoo yesterday I read a beautiful thing... In ancient Japan, believed to have originated in the Kansai region, lovers would exchange beauty spot tattoos called irebokuro or "love dots". These exchanged tattoos are also known as kisho bori.

a new tattoo

Yesterday I got a new tattoo, from Maxime Büchi, editor of the wonderful Swiss Sang Bleu magazine. He's in Berlin for the month working at the gorgeous tattoo parlour BLUT & EISEN, and this seemed too good an opportunity to miss, seeing as I'd been planning to meet him in Lausanne one day when I visit my best friend there.

This one adds to the small collection I have growing of drawings by heroes of mine... such as Paul Klee, Le Corbusier, and my dear friend Takk in Japan. The new one is a drawing by Jean Cocteau with a tiny personal addition... I've always loved Cocteau's line drawings!

Maurizio Anzeri

Continuing the hair theme indirectly, I adore the work of Italian born, London based artist Maurizio Anzeri. His series "Family Day" is what caught my eye immediately, because it combines my two passions of textiles/embroidery and photography in the most elegant, inspired way! He embroiders tightly stretched geometric colour wheels and spirograph forms over the faces of people in old found photographs, creating wonderful, sometimes surreal, sometimes sinister masks for these faces to hide behind.

He has collaborated with fashion designer Alexander McQueen and also uses hair to create clothing forms that wow in their scale and craftsmanship.
His work simply makes me want to get to my own work! Always a good thing.

Nagi Noda Hair Hats

I love checking in with my friend Marco. Yesterday, through him, I discovered the work of two people who inspire me and the common thread is hair...

These wild and wonderful "Hair Hats" in the form of animals are made by Japanese video/tv commercial director and fashion designer Nagi Noda. I have to say I love the Poodle and the Afghan dogs best amongst her crazy menagerie. The obviously exquisitely crafted hats/wigs make me laugh in the way that we need - for pure fun and joy!

Street Pianos

This morning I was listening to some beautiful Rachmaninov Piano etudes as I sewed a piece of clothing for a friend, so it seems appropriate to continue the piano vibe now with the art project of British artist Luke Jerram titled "Play Me I'm Yours" in which he puts numerous pianos in cities around the world, to be played at the will and desire of anyone in the public! What a lovely idea to bring interactive art and music together and put the onus on all pianists out there to contribute to the success of the work and brighten up those passing's day.

Check his website for news and details of where to find a piano to play... http://www.streetpianos.com/

Wundervoll underwear

Yummy sexy feminine lingerie by German brand Wundervoll is something I discovered during Berlin fashion week recently. I adore the Berlin-based label's vintage-look high-waisted panties and soft jersey bras...

Wundervoll was selected as the only German label for the exhibit "Undercover - the evolution of Underwear" which runs at London's Fashion and Textile Museum from June 12 through September 27, 2009.

Kate Towers

Ah Etsy, there are some absolute gems hidden amongst the millions and yesterday I discovered the work of Kate Towers. She makes beautiful, romantic, decadently feminine dresses - my little girl inside who knew at 7 that she wanted to be a fashion designer is in raptures!