Festival of Colors: Holi Open Air

Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is an ancient festival celebrated in India at the arrival of spring, where people would cover each other in bright colored chalk to rejoice for the return of spring. Te ritual is also considered to be the symbol of good's victory over evil.

The joy and the colorfulness of this festival brought the idea of creating an European version of the celebration starting this year. The 29th of July marked the first edition of the Holi Open Air Festival in Berlin, with thousands of participants and sold out tickets. The festival will also take place in other major German cities, such as Hamburg (September 1st). Rumor has it that the festival will expand towards Koln, Munich, Ibiza, Barcelona and even Cape Town, but the dates are still to be confirmed yet. In the meantime, enjoy some amazing shots from this colorful event:

On the Riviera: Natasha Poly for Vogue Russia

Magazine: Vogue Russia August 2012
Editorial: On the Riviera
Model: Natasha Poly
Photographer: Ellen von Unwerth
Styling: Ekaterina Mukhina
Location: French Riviera

The warm weather outside calls for an escape to the French Riviera. What do you say, will you follow me? Natasha Poly looks stunning in Gucci gowns and Chopard and de Grisogno jewelry for her latest editorial in Vogue Russia. Photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, the editorial captures the glamorous life on the French Riviera between luxurious hotels, parties and fresh air. Looks nice, don't you think?

Valentino bought by Qatari Royal Family

The Iconic Italian Fashion House Valentino is the latest Italian luxury brand that has been bought by a foreign investor, after Cerutti and Gianfranco Ferre. The Qatari royal family, who also owns the British luxury department store Harrod's, supposedly acquired Valentino for about 700 million euros, although financial or ownership details have not been made official by the brand. 

What do you think about this constant estrangement of iconic brands from their founders or country of origin? Do you think that it could damage the brand in the long term? Do you think that there could be a change in the brand's direction and style following this change in ownership? I sure hope not, the current designers are brilliant and I really love their vision, it would be a shame to change something at this point.

Fashion Illustrations by JSK

Taking a break from all those Fashion Week posts, today I'd like to show you some cute and quirky fashion illustrations and I'll continue with some travel photos (I told you that I went to Italy, right?). So stay tuned!

Freelance fashion illustrator and art director JSK is the founder and creative brain behind his personal brand Susu. Based in Sydney and Seoul, the brand brings a fresh air into fashion through an inspiration mix from these two exotic locations. The fashion illustrator started his Susu girls illustrations some time ago and he caught the eye of some major shops and publications. Nowadays you can see his Susu girls everywhere, from Bloomingdale's and style.com Korea to the Korean issues of Vogue, GQ, Allure or W. The signature style of the designer can be seen in the slim, long legged silhouettes with short dark hair. 

I really like how the illustrator manages to create such unitary images from a blend of styles and brands. Every piece seems to have been especially created to be in perfect harmony with the garment next to it. Also very interesting is how the illustrations are inspired from iconic pieces and milestones of the featured brands, like the SS 202 Louis Vuitton Carousel show or the pink Louis Vuitton bunny ears. Have a look for yourselves!