Bruges City in a fairy tale

Posted on 4 September, 2014 by María López Linares

Its name comes from the Flemish term “brugge” which means “bridges”, in plural, since there are many of them completing the appearance of this small Belgian city near Brussels (around 100 kms away). Its roads hide a mysterious and charming spirit that you just can’t let pass.

Walking through Bruges is like living inside a fairy tale from the Middle Age with those little houses with North European tile roofs, romantic corners, windows with laces in the curtains (they are well-known artisans) and gardens plenty of flowers… Of course I can’t forget about that especial smell to vanilla and chocolate that hits the tourist all the time.

Because two in three businesses in Bruges are chocolate factories. At making bonbons the are truly experts. There are both those small and traditional establishments tempting the visitors with a delicate aroma and those more innovative like The Chocolate Line, one of the three unique chocolate factories in the world that was included in the Michelin Guide. By the way, for the cuisine lovers, this is the sixth city with more stars per capita in the whole world, right after Kyoto, San Sebastian (Spain) or Bergamo.

It is considered the medieval city best well maintained in Europe. The historic city center was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO back in and it’s set up around the Grote Markt. Right there you’ll find the Belfort tower with wind chimes of 47 bells. It was all of a survivor after get beyond several fires and rebuildings. Although the entrance has 366 steps, the effort is really worth it because of the outstanding views up there.

Near you’ll find the church of Notre-Dame Bruges. Its architecture is Gothic and within its walls preserves the only Michel Angelo’s statue that traveled out of Italy during the artist’s life; a wonderful madonna in marble that was first pillaged by France during Napoleon war and then sacked again by nazis during the II World War. Nowadays, Bruges neighbors guard it very carefully.

However the most recognizable image in Bruges is Rozenhoedkaai (also hard to pronounce). It probably was a quay where dealers loaded and unloaded their goods. Today that place is the most photogaphed in town. From here you can take a small boat and go through the channels in order to see a different and charming view of the town.

Other of the main points of interest is the Minnewater or the Lake of Love that hides mysterious tales. It says it harbors in its bottom a lady’s tomb who preferred to die rather than to marry a man she didn’t love. Other legend is about Maximilian of Austria who “punished” Bruges’ residents to maintain the swans in the town forever.

And after the sunset a mild fog covers the city and its roads are lighted up with faint flashes that are reflected over the river… And then the magic is even more realistic than ever, more tangible. Get lost within its paving streets because maybe, as in a tale, anything could happen.

“Post written by Maria Cereijo, Journalist and Writer. Find her on Twitter @capitulosiete or as a juvenil authour @LabAmy
Pictures by @Maria Cereijo

The neutral Gursky

Posted on 4 September, 2014 by María López Linares

Gursky, with his neutral and straightforward way of looking at the world, at the current society, has been our photographer protagonist to reproduce in August for the project with El Objetivo Magico.

His work focused in the architecture of vast panoramics and color, always under a point of view a bit too neutral and cold with regards to the reality we live nowadays.

Huge áreas, ofices, fabrics or other enormous work places where men stay backwards or he just doesn’t exist at all. Men are just simple toys for society.

Andreas Gursky is the most valued photographer nowadays worldwide. Each work of his can reach over 3 or 4 million. Beatriz Pina chose him in order to challenge us to reproduce his art in August. Believe me if I tell you I hated her because of that! Because of the difficulty, of course… It’s been extremely difficult to find some inspiration.

I am very content with having known his work and learnt to look at the photograph from a different point I used to. Try to emulate his neutrality towards society and see his work as a critic to what we’re building for our children has been enough to make me happy and all those hours dedicated to reproduce his art have been worth it.

Gursky’s images are not simple shots worth thousand euros. His original digital techniques and his way of work are what turn his pictures into truly art.

Here’s the result of my work with the only image I’ve been able to reproduce this month.

From here, I’d like to thank Beatriz Pina for helping me to understand other different way of photographing, and my colleagues from El Objetivo Magico for the patiente and dedication this month to face this challenge.

With M: Miniature

Posted on 2 September, 2014 by María López Linares

It seems the name comes from the word “mimium” (red lead oxide), a substance used as a component to make the ink for the illustrations in the old codex.

The history of these miniatures dates back from the beginning of the writing. During the Middle Age this sort of artwork was used to decorate manuscripts and books with illustrations. This type of decoration keeps being used along the Renaissance and Baroque. However, when the printing press the miniatures stopped being useful and the art almost disappeared.

We are going to focus in what means miniatures for jewelry: small illustrations usually made over ivory, shells, metal or any other material that were used to decorate bracelets, pendants or lockets. You also can find these tiny and creative paintings in fans, medallions, watches, jewelry box or earrings. The miniatures are usually made with oil painting over copper, tin or similar metal.

This art stamps a very special nature to the piece and makes it unique and a once-in-a-life-time jewel. Wearing a bracelet with a tiny decoration over ivory, or a pocket watch with little illustrations made by a master makes you feel different, important, unique. You are wearing a piece that you could easily find exposed in an exhibition.

Unfortunately, it’s not easy nowadays to find an artisan able to create these miniatures. We actually spent a lot of time looking for a reproduction that was really worth being included in our collection. The only two workshops we finally found in Italy and Spain make tiny pieces in Golden brass, those that I’m including in this post, and decorations over fans .

We keep looking for more pieces with miniatures as decoration, but they are very special jewelry worth being part of our historic jewels collection…

Back to work… With new vintage projects!

Posted on 31 August, 2014 by María López Linares

Here we are again. We’ve just come back from our holidays with many ideas and thoughts to make this new season very appealing for you. We really hope you like it as much as you did the previous one. Otherwise, let me know! You know I always listen to you.

Our vintage Blog releases two new sections:

“Iconic Women”. In this section we’ll count on the expertise of Esther Gines, writer and journalist. Between the two of us we’ll try to dig deep into 12 huge women’s life. Esther will tell you their history and I’ll dress it up for the best celebrations. I’ll look for the perfect jewel for each of them, according to her taste and personality. A team work I’m looking forward to start with.

Once a month we’ll take you to a vintage show abroad. It might be close to you, in your country or a good plan for your next holidays across the world. Although it’s likely that we ourselves won’t be able to visit it, we will do in a virtual way and will share it with you. Our writer for this section will be Gema Molina, our right hand in social media, journalist and community manager. She lives in Las Vegas so luckily she has the whole American art reachable.

These are just some of the surprises you’ll discover this new season in our blog.

Of course we’ll keep working on My Vintage Dictionary, one of the sections that you al lloved the most last season. We’ll receive new articles from our monthly Vintage Blogger and will go on highlighting the visits of our Vintage Friends and our walks back to the Renaissance, Baroque and the history of the biggest masters through our Historic Jewels collection.

Don’t hesitate to let us know if you have a subject you’d love to read about. You only have to ask! We’ll be very glad to hear your thoughts.

We’ll be waiting for you in our new vintage blog.

My Fair Lady

Posted on 6 August, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1964.

Director: George Cukor.

Stars:

Audrey Hepburn (Eliza Doolittle).

Rex Harrison (Profesor Henry Higgins).

Stanley Holloway (Alfred Doolittle).

Wilfrid Hyde-White (Coronel Pickering).

Gladys Cooper (Sra Higgins).

Awards:

It won 8 Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Music.

It was nominated to four more Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Writing and Best Film Editing.

The movie won many other awards you can check on IMDB website.

Curiosities:

Despite the efforts made by Audrey Hepburn to nail all the songs, most of them were actually doubled by the singer Marni Nixon, but for a few sentences at the beginning of some of the songs like The Rain in Spain or Just you Wait, Henry Higgins”. Later, Audrey admitted she wouldn’t have taken the role if she would’ve known she was to be doubled. She didn’t appear in a musical again unless she was ensured she wouldn’t be doubled.

Because of the way Rex Harrison used to sing, it wasn’t possible to shoot the voice and double it later. He was the first actor at carrying a wireless microphone under his tie.

According to some biographies, Rex Harrison sang I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face thinking of his ex-wife Kay Kendall who had died a few years before.

Audrey Hepburn was performing a role of a 19 years old young lady, when she was already 35.

Jack Warner didn’t want Harrison to do the role of professor Higgins, since he was too old. He actually wanted Peter O’Toole in that role, but this actor asked for an astronomic pay.

Rex Harrison dedicated the Oscar to his “two fair ladies”, Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews, who had worked with him (with Audrey in this movie and with Julie in Broadway).

Audrey Hepburn always thought Julie Andrews should have done the role of Eliza. The only reason Julie didn’t do it was because the Director Jack Warner didn’t want her to. The actual reasons are not cleared yet. Walt Disney was ready to delay Mary Poppins shooting if Julie Andrews was accepted for My Fair Lady.

It seems the third actress in the list for the role was Elizabeth Taylor, who wanted it very badly.

Back in 1994, the movie was completely restored with a Budget of $600,000.

This is one of the few productions that has won both, a Tony Award and an Oscar in the same year. The other three films with these two awards are The Sound of Music, A Man For All Seasons and Amadeus.

The film cost $17 million, what meant it was the most expensive movie up to date.

It was shot totally indoors.

If possible, my first recommendation for you is to turn on your speakers at home, if you do have them, and listen to the music… It’s poetic, a pleasure for your ears. In my opinion, Audrey Hepburn does one of the best performances in her career, even though she didn’t win many awards for it. Unfortunately, The Academy didn’t forget her voice was doubled and didn’t give her the prizes she deserved.

With no doubt, the movie is one of the master pieces in the musical genre. A musical with a performance and a costume design worth of being admired.

With this movie we close our year of films. We’ve been reviewing one classic movie per week in our Film of the Week and I’d like to thank you all the incredible good acceptance this adventure has had among you all. We might bring it again to the blog some day, but first we have to give you many other surprises we are planning for our new sections from September onwards. Be tuned!

Imágenes:

Doctormacro.com

Wikipedia

Richard Avedon

Posted on 31 July, 2014 by María López Linares

One more month with my project “The Magic Lens”. Time passes by so quickly!

Our protagonist this month has been my friend Araceli Calabuig who chose Richard Avedon as our master photographer to replicate in July. And Monica Giannini has been one more time my adorable model. Without her this challenge wouldn’t have been possible.

Richard Avedon was the photographer who made us witnesses of 70 years of history. He was a revolutionary fashion specialist who made his models myths of the history. After his work, fashion photography never was the same. The best fashion magazine are inspired in his artwork yet today.

From his life’s work I choose the elegance and essense of his portraits. He knew how to suprise with something that looks so easy like having someone posing with a white background. Hamphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando or Marilyn Monroe were some of his many models.

I’ve read the way he used to get the essense of his protagonists was easy and very effective at the same time: exhaust them, not only psychology but also physically. Sometimes, over four hours of work in front of the camera was enough for the model to show the real personality.

Richard Avedon was a great artist able to surprise not only by capturing the luxury and glamour. His work with social class injustice has been the cover of many newspapers worldwide.

Richard Avedon passed out in October 2004 as a result of a brain hemorrage he had when he was working. From then onwards he has been beating records. One of his photographs, the most emblematic, was sold for as much as 840,000 euros a few years ago.

Let me show you now the images Monica and I selected and copy, during a very hot summer evening. A white background, a non-stop spotlight and a huge wish of learning and learning… I hope you like them!

Lover come back

Posted on 30 July, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1961.

Director: Delbert Mann.

Stars:

Rock Hudson (Jerry Webster).

Doris Day (Carol Templeton).

Tony Randall (Peter Ramsey).

Edie Adams (Elie Davis).

Awards:

It was nominated for 1 Oscar to Best Writing.

Tony Randall was also nominated for a Golden Globe as the Best Supporting Actor.

Golden Laurel Award for the Top Comedy and Top Female Comedy Performance (Doris Day).

Curiosities:

The original end actually was the couple getting drunk in a hotel. But the final cut was totally different…

Doris Day explained this way how comedies with Rock Hudson were pure elegance: “I’ve became into a new kind of ‘sex symbol’ girl, the woman with whom men dream about taking to bed, but not before getting married with her. I’m sexy but pure. Somthing I tried very hard in these movies was to avoid the vulgarity, which truly disgusts me. I loved those scripts about the game between men and women if those were made with style, ingenuity and imagination. Within my vocabulary, vulgarity starts when the imagination succumbs to what is explicit.”

The Spanish title is totally different from the original one. In our country they decided to choose a desert (pijama) as a title, which ingredients are peach in syrup, canned pineapple, sour cream, flan, vanilla ice-cream and cherries. Rumors say that this desert makes you be sleepy, so you had to to to bed and have a nap (siesta). You understand why when you see the movie.

The film is supposed to be a satire about the advertising business in Madison Avenue, where the main agencies were in New York.

According to the Director: “Sometimes, we had to do 10 or even 12 shots of one scene, because Rock and Doris used to laugh out loud once and again”.

For many of the classic films lovers this is one of the three best romantic comedies by Doris Day and Rock Hudson, since it reflected very well the reality happening among middle class people by the end of the 50’s.

With no doubt, they are a couple who won by their own merits to be in the top of the best Hollywood couples in the history of cinema. They were good Friends in real life, therefore they turned to be the funniest couple in cinema.

Audience just fell in love with them, both of them, although the help coming from the unforgettable Tony Randall, the third part in that trio, did the rest for this movie to be a complete success worldwide.

I’ve enjoyed a lot remembering some of the funniest scenes. Hope you like them too!

Trailer:

Images:

Screenrelish.com

Telegraph.co.uk

Peliculas.film-cine.com

Paperblog.com

Doctormacro.com

Some Like It Hot

Posted on 23 July, 2014 by María López Linares

Year: 1959

Director: Billy Wilder.

Stars:

Marylin Monroe (Sugar Cane).

Tony Curtis (Joe).

Jack Lemmon (Jerry).

George Raft (Spats Colombo).

Joe E. Brown (Osgood).

Awards:

It won one Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White. In addition, the movie gained many other prizes you can check in the IMDB profile.

Curiosities:

When the designer was having mesurements from the three protagonists he said to Marilyn that Tony Curtis “had a better butt”. Marilyn didn’t hesitate to putting off her shirt and show him her breasts saying “he might have it, but he doesn’t have these ones”.

Marilyn has trouble memorizing sentences. There’s a very famous scene where she just had to say “where’s the Bourbon”? and after more than 40 repetitions in which Marilyn always said it wrong (“where’s the whisky?”, “where’s the bottle” or even “where’s the bonbon”? Billy Wilder opted to writing it inside the drawer she had to open. But Marilyn was smarter than that and started going to the wrong drawer. They had to write the sentence in all of them. It took her 55 shots to make it right.

In the scene where she says good bye to Tony Curtis on the pone, she is moving he reyes from one side to the other. It was pretty clear she was reading the sentences in a board in front of her. She also used to be around 2 or 3 hours late and sometimes she didn’t even leave her dressing room.

Tony Curtis asked Billy Wilder if he could imitate Cary Grant to properly performance the role of a millionaire. They did so and it seems Grant liked the scene, although he admitted “I don’t speak like that”.

The first time Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis dressed up as women, they walked through the studio to find out if someone could identify them. Nobody did. Then they went straight to the female restroom but nobody did either. A scene in a train reproduce this moment.

This is one of the few movies qualified as cursed by the American Catholic Legion of the Decency. In Kansas was actually censored.

Marilyn wanted the film to be shot in color, but Wilder convinced her of the opposite. He explained the make-up on Lemmon and Curtis would be seen in a green tone.

The team hired a cabaret dancer in order to teach the main characters to walking over heels. After one week, Jack Lemmon said he didn’t want to learn that since he wanted to walk as a man imitating a woman.

According to Jack Lemmon, George Raft spent hours trying to teach him (and Joe E. Brown) how to dance tango.

Jerry Lewis was offered the role of Jerry, but he rejected it. Later he regretted.

Tony Curtis’ voice as a woman is doubled.

In order to do the role of Josephine, Tony Curtis thought of her mother, Grace Kellly and Eve Arden.

If a movie is worth of being in the history of cinema as THE COMEDY is this one with no doubt.

Billy Wilder, to me the god of cinema, makes again a master piece where drama doesn’t fit at all. The only purpose of this film is allow viewers to laugh out loud during the whole tape. Marilyn is sensational, although she already was suffering from all the excesses in her life. She is sexy, swindler and a bit inocent. That way she turns to be the goddess in every scene where she appears.

The moment she appears with Jerry and Joe at the train station right when the steam was coming out (that wasn’t on purpose) is just ingenious, just masterful.

The end is pretty amazingly funny too… Don’t miss a second!

This is possibly the best comedy of all times. A movie that still has the same funny over the years and that will make you spend a really good time.

Trailer:

Images:

Blogdecine.com

Serueda.wordpress.com

Cicus.us.es

Locureandovoy.blogspot.com.es

Atopedecine.blogspot.com.es

Sospechososcinefagos.blogspot.com.es

Mubis.es

Over two centuries of bridal fashion

Posted on 22 July, 2014 by María López Linares

Let me give you today a very special recommended plan: an exhibition that was opened last March at the Victorian and Albert Museum in London. Among its walls the luckiest readers who happen to live in London or around will be able to learn the history of the classical wedding dress since it became popular among brides-to-be in the end of the 18^th century. I don’t live close enough but I’d really love paying a visit, so I’ll do so through your eyes.

The best designers over the year like Charles Frederick Worth, Norman Hartnell, Charles James, John Galiano, Christian Lacroix, Vivienne Westwood and Vera Wang will guide you with their over 70 designs through the evolution of this costume that will ever be fashionable: a wedding dress in pure white or in the most sensual ivory.

The exhibition tells the astonishing story of each one of the 70 dresses, starting back in 1775 until today, and include new acquisitions like the purple dress worn by Dita Von Teese for her marriage with Marilyn Manson and the one worn by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale on their wedding day.

Besides enjoying these pieces of art, the V&A Museum has planned events regarding the bridal collection. Evening talks, workshops or romantic concerts will give the show even more spectacular nature. If you want to know the upcoming events, go to Wedding Dresses 1775-2014: Events (just click over the link to go to the page straight away)

I wish I could go for instance to the workshop with the award-wining writer Julie Cohen as a speaker, who will please the visitors with an introduction to basics of romantic writing. Or… Why not? Listening to the Britain’s most acclaimed fashion designer Bruce Oldfield. And my favorite workshop: Learning how to use a Victorian tiara, like a real queen would do.

The show will be opened until the next March 15^th 2015, which means you, who live in the UK, have time enough to go for a visit, enjoy all its details and get amazed with each piece. And of course, I’ll be waiting for you to tell me your experience on comments! You’ll be my eyes…

Here’s the link to the website with more information about timetable and tickets availability. Enjoy your visit!

Wedding Dresses 1775-2014: Visitor & Ticket Information

Images source: Victorian and Albert Museum and Arabia Style Fashion

With L: “Lapis Lazuli”

Posted on 18 July, 2014 by María López Linares

“Blue Gold” – Lapis Lazuli:

Sacred stone for antique Egyptians and commonly used in their temples, decorations and funeral ornaments. They actually thought it was a celestial material. It intense twilight blue and the white spots on it make it look like a starry sky.

After the Middle Age, the dust from the lapis lazuli – commonly named Azurite – became into a pigment very appreciated by artists and the fabric workshops.

However, it was during the Renaissance when this stone reached the condition of “blue gold” – four times as much as the price of gold – when masters started using it as a proper pigment in their paintings. Leonardo da Vinci or Alberto Durero were some of the distinguished artists who inmortalized its delicate colour. Then, the use of it spread out across the workshops of the epoque. There it was used to dye fabrics thanks to the quality and beauty. Among the most well-known cabinetmakings also started using it with decorative purposes.

The name came from the latin “lapis” (stone} and the arab word “azul”, with the same meaning. It was considered as a symbol of purity, health, good luck and nobility.

Let me give you a piece of advice for you not to be mislead when buying an original (or plastic) lapis lazuli: The authentic lapis lazuli doesn’t burn easily, so if you put a lighter on close to the edge of the stone won’t get any damage.

Vintage by López Linares

Pure vintage Blog

Author Archives: María López Linares

Bruges City in a fairy tale

The neutral Gursky

With M: Miniature

Back to work… With new vintage projects!

My Fair Lady

Richard Avedon

Lover come back

Some Like It Hot

Over two centuries of bridal fashion

With L: “Lapis Lazuli”