Post-event: Puma Creative Factory

Yesterday I was telling you about the project the sport shoes brand Puma was launching. It's time to tell you all about it!

Last night's event at the new Kristal Glam Club in Pipera was one of the best I've ever attended. Very well organized, up to the smallest details, with a great playful and creative atmosphere encouraged by all of the games and surprises the organizing team planned for us and most of all, with quality guests. Everything lead to a casual and fun evening where we put our creativity to the test as you can find in the following.

 Vali Barbulescu

 

As I told you before, Puma is launching a bold concept: starting the end of November, any customer visiting the Puma Showroom in Afi Cotroceni Mall will be able to choose all the details of the Puma sport shoes Basket or First Round and have it made exactly as he imagined it. You can choose different textures, different fabrics, the colours and combine them in any way. You get to choose even the colour of the labels or the inside! 

In the showroom there will be available an iPad application that we all had fun testing last night. Also, fabric samples are available for those who need palpable inspiration. Once you're done designing, the shoes are ready to be ordered. 

The only downside of this project is the fact that there is a 6-weeks wait list due to the fact that the orders for the customized shoes are centralized and processed one at a time.

 Tudor Chirila and Andi Moisescu

 The creative corner with the iPads and the samples

The show presented by Claudiu Sara from ProFm focused on the 20 creations of Guess Who and Andi Moisescu, the two Puma Romanian ambassadors. Each of them created 10 pairs of Puma shoes which will be posted on Puma's official facebook page where the fans will vote one shoe for each of the two ambassadors. The shoes getting most of the votes will then be produced in 100 pieces to be sold in the Afi Cotroceni showroom and on Guess Who's online shop. 

The two ambassadors created their shoes in one day, using the samples and the help of the Puma design team. Their inspirations were music (Puma Manifest), hip hop culture or even girls, for which he created the Puma Lollihop shoes. 

Andi Moisescu's inpirations were plenty: patriotic (Puma Carpathian), moralizing (Puma Purple Flame), geographical (Puma Holland) and eco-conscious, dedicated to his wife (Puma Eco). 

 

The night continued with a street dance number performed by Trouble Crew and an amazing game/contest that almost everyone joined at least for the fun. We all got some mint Puma sneakers and Puma t-shirts which we then had to customize using graffiti sprays, markers, patterns ecc. It was like crazy: we all looked like a bunch of children let loose in a candy store. 

 

 

Andreea Balan

 

The shoes I made for myself

 

The jurry represented by Daniel Buzdugan, Mihai Morar, Andi Moisescu, Guess Who, Doru (Puma) and Adina (Puma) had the tough task to choose the most creative set. The winner, Ana Nechita (fashion editor for Beau Monde), will get to design a pair of shoes which will be produced in 30 pieces and sold together with the ambassadors' creations.

The fun night ended with confetti and Puma shoe shaped cake. All in all, it was great and Puma team deserves a big round of applause! 

Don't forget to stay tuned and check out the project once it will be available in their showroom. It will be great so you might want to try it as soon as possible so you don't get left out.

What do you think about this project? What's your favourite shoe?

photo source: www.piticu.ro, www.nwradu.ro

Puma Creative Factory

The well known and adored brand PUMA will be launching in Romania at the end of November Puma Creative Factory.

For this project which will be accessible to every customer in their store located in AFI Cotroceni Mall, the brand has teamed up with Andi Moisescu and Laurentiu from Guess Who. The main idea of the project is that any customer would be able to customise his PUMA shoes according to his preferences, using different textures and colours. Choosing one of the styles Basket or First Round, the customer-turned-designer could choose and mix the colours and the fabrics, until he creates an unique shoe.

Tonight I will be attending the lauching event of this project. Hopefully, I will be inspired enough to create a lovely PUMA shoe. Stay tuned for more details to come!

photo source: puma.com

Avanpremiere, Fashion and Life-style Fest, Day 2

Iata si programul pentru ziua de azi:

Miercuri, 17 noiembrie, The ARK

Ora  17:00 -  Workshop cu tema: Evolutia Modei si Sec XXI

Ora  19:00 -  Lansarea enciclopediei “Sa intelegem moda”

       - Invitatul special al zilei este Mairi MacKenzie, lector de studii   culturale si istorie  la Colegiul de moda din Londra.

Ora 20:00 - Lansare Expo-Foto “Life-style’s”

                - In prezenta unora dintre cei mai importanti fotografi ai momentului

      - Cu participarea speciala a sectiei de fotografie a Universitatii de Arta  din Cluj

Enjoy!

Avanpremiere, Fashion and Life-style Fest

Urmeaza un material informativ, neprelucrat, publicat pentru a va prezenta programul si invitatii. Parerile personale le pastrez pentru momentul cand voi fi participat si vazut pe viu ce si cum s-a intamplat.

Pentru ca lumea modei din Romania avea nevoie de un eveniment de amploare, care sa o sarbatoreasca asa cum se cuvine, a aparut AVANPREMIERE-Fashion and Life-style Fest, o manifestare moderna si complexa, dedicata artelor si stilului de a trai in noul secol. Prima editie a festivalului se va desfasura intre 16 si 18 noiembrie, in doua dintre cele mai avangardiste si emblematice locatii din Bucuresti, The ARK si Muzeul National de Arta Contemporana, si va cuprinde expozitii de fotografie, instalatii, video, workshopuri si prezentari de moda.  

Marti, 16 noiembrie, The ARK (Calea Rahovei 196 A, Bucuresti)

Ora 17:00 - Workshop cu tema: Life-style-ul sec XXI si Internetul

Invitati:

1. Dr. Florin Munteanu activeaza in prezent la Centrul pentru Studii Complexe, aflat sub patrimoniul UNESCO, care isi doreste sa uneasca abordarea  academica  cu cea pragmatică pentru a valorifica economic  noile  teorii,  modele,  concepte şi noţiuni furnizate de studiile şi cercetările efectuate în domeniul  fenomenelor neliniare. In cadrul workshop-ului, Dr Munteanu va discuta despre “Contextul unei noi paradigme. Provocari pentru un nou stil de viata”

“AVANPREMIERE este un punct de plecare intr-o aventura fara precendent, o aventura in care Omul isi redimensioneaza Nevoile si Identitatea. Un joc al creativitatii in care densitatea Cunoasterii  explodeaza intr-o noua Constiinta care, la randu-i, va impune un alt stil de viata, o alta expresie artistica.” – Florin Munteanu

2. Gabriel Valsan, este specialist IT si va discuta despre ce inseamna cu adevarat o societate informationala, care sunt noile tendinte in Internet si ce este si cum poate fi folosita New Media.

“AVANPREMIERE incearca sa strapunga dincolo de viziunea actuala a Lumii, o viziune fragmentara, atomizata. Aduce laolalta abordari diferite, meserii diferite! Este creuzetul din care poate apare, spontan dar asteptat, Noul stil de viata, produs al unor Minti libere, conectate informational intr-un urias WWW.” – Gabriel Valsan

3. Arh. Tudor Vlasceanu face parte din Unu la Unu, grupul care a reprezentat Romania in acest an la Bienala de Arhitectura de la Venetia. De-a lungul timpului a dezvoltat proiecte de arhitectura in Rotterdam, Berlin, Dubai sau Oslo.

“In cadrul festivalului Avanpremiere, Unu la Unu expune ipostaza post-ocupare (post occupancy) a proiectului 1:1, Exhibiting Space, care a reprezentat Romania la a 12 a Bienala de Arhitectura de la Venetia. Expozitia reprezinta atat o auto reflexie asupra proiectului, cat si o metoda sintetica de prezentare a ideii generatoare intr-o expozitie-concept. Astfel Unu la Unu se alatura familiei creative conturate in jurul evenimentului Avanpremiere.”

4. Cerasella Craciun este Doctor in Arhitectura, specializarea Urbanism si Amenajarea Teritoriului si coordonator al Sectiei Peisagistica din Facultatea de Urbanism, Universitatea de Arhitectura si Urbanism Íon Mincu Bucuresti, fiind implicata atat inprocesul de proiectare, cat si în procesul educational si de cercetare, în studii si proiecte europene în domeniul landscape-ului, urbanismului si al dezvoltarii urbane durabile. Adepta motto-ului ‘’creative by nature’’, autoarea promoveaza ideea inovatoare a unui concept unitar, metabolic, al Spatiului Uman cu Mediul Natural si Antropic, Arhitectura si Orasul, vazute ca organisme vii în conexiune cu Planeta si Universul in acceptiune transdisciplinara.

Ora 19:00 - Vernisajul AVANPREMIERE Habitat & Complementary Arts

Invitati:

1. Arantxa Etcheverria este o artista de origine basca, aflata de trei ani in Romania. Desi a studiat scenografia in Franta, nu a activat foarte mult in acest domeniu. In Romania isi expune lucrarile la H’art Gallery, iar la AVANPREMIERE va aduce cateva piese ca un preview al expozitiei sale personale din 2011.

2. Unu la Unu este creaţia unui grup de cinci tineri arhitecti, din care patru de origine romana si unul de origine italiana: Ciprian Rasoiu (1986, Brasov), Liviu Vasiu (1982, Targu Mures), Matei Vlasceanu (1986, Brasov), Tudor Vlasceanu (1981, Brasov) si Romina Grillo (Como, Italia, 1984). Formand cea mai tanara echipa dintre cele care au reprezentat vreodata Romania la Bienala de Arhitectura, cei cinci au lucrat, studiat si trait pana acum in Romania, Italia, Elvetia, Olanda, Belgia, Germania, Norvegia si Dubai.

3. Giulian Dumitriu este absolvent al Academiei de Arte Plastice „Nicolae Grigorescu” si locuieşte şi lucrează în prezent în capitala europeană a modei, la Milano. Giulian Dumitriu este prezent în expoziţii personale şi de grup la Bucureşti, Milano, Amsterdam, Paris şi Toronto, iar lucrările sale se regăsesc în colecţii particulare din România, Italia, Franţa, Canada, Statele Unite şi Elveţia.

4. Ana Andronic  este nascuta pe 29 mai 1981 la Bucuresti si este absolventa a Liceului de Arta N.Tonitza si a Facultatii de Arte  Plastice, sectia grafica. A participat la mai multe expozitii colective si personale, cele mai recente fiind anul  trecut la Verde Cafe, Hotel Sofitel sau Baneasa City Center. Cele doua lucrari gigantice expuse la AVANPREMIERE sunt realizate digital si imprimate pe panza. Aceste lucrari sunt inspirate din mai multe prezentari de moda, in cadrul Fashion week, din toata lumea, 2009-2010. Fiecare personaj din lucrare este inspirat din creatia unei case de moda recunoscuta si relizat in stil propriu.

"I don’t feel that I, as a person, made a name of myself, but the shoes that I create." - descovering Mihaela Glavan

 Mihaela Glavan is one of the most popular and creative Romanian accessory designer. She has joined the industry in 2003 at the age of 24, when she created and sold only 5 pairs of boots in a closed-circuit store. With the money gained from this first attempt, Mihaela bought materials which she used for her next collection. 

She started designing shoes when she was looking for some for herself and discovered that the market did not offer much. She began with bride shoes and in 2006 she launched the first Sepala collection, the "shoes with attitude". The Mihaela Glavan line was launched in 2008 and it represents the more artistical brand, which often includes collaborations with other designers, Romanian or foreign. Time passed by, the business became stronger and in 2009 she launched the first Sepala store. In 2010, the designer has launched the online shopping facility. Another year, another progress!

Constantly evolving, Mihaela Glavan has found the perfect way to create amazing accessories, keep customers satisfied, collaborate with almost every important name in the fashion industry and keep true to herself. Down to earth, she is a family persons like few that I have met.
 

I personally discovered Mihaela's work in 2006, when I started college and when my passion for shoes started. I find it amazing that she has managed to keep her name in the industry, altough we have had such an increasing amount of young shoe designers in the past years. You can immagine why she was my first choice when I decided to start the interview series. Let's meet Mihaela!

The Shoe Dictionary: You graduated the Faculty of International Economic Relations and became one of the most imporant Romanian shoe designers. How did these two parts of you come together?

Mihaela Glavan: The Economical Faculty hepled me to better understand this business and get the correct image of what it means and how it works. Then, creativity added the rest and made people like you say things like these about me.

TSD: Was it difficult to join this area of fashion: did you come across obstacles or negative opinions? How did you manage to overcome them and, most of all, how did you manage to make yourself known as a brilliant shoe designer?

MG: It wasn’t an easy decision, but I began this journey driven by passion and a little bit of madness. I met wonderful people and, honestly, luck was on my side too. I don’t feel that I , as a person, made a name of myself, but the shoes that I create.

 Mihaela and Kristina Dragomir (hat designer)

 Mihaela and Gianina Corondan

 Mihaela and Catalin Botezatu

 Mihaela and Corina Vladescu

TSD: What does it mean being a Romanian young designer and, most of all, how difficult is it to obtain this status?

MG: It takes creativity, passion and consistency. The selection is made by the market,  though atypical and in a formation process as it right now.

TSD: How do you feel about the overflood of people/workshops/stores creating custom made shoes that we have been experiencing over the past years? Do they bring something new to the industry or is it just a fashionable trend which will wear off eventually?

MG: I’m glad to see that we have more accessory designers every day. It’s a good sign. This reflects the fact that the number of people wanting and buying one of a kind, custom made creations is growing. But as I said before, it’s up to every shoe designer to do what it takes in order to become more than a “fashionable trend”.

TSD: Is there a school (in a programmatic way), a tradition in shoe design here in Romania?

MG: Unfortunately, no.

TSD: Did you notice or come across rivalries and friendly connections in this “industry”? How did the Romanian fashion world treat you?

MG: Hahahaha. You can find vanity, more or less justified, in any area, not only fashion. I would rather say that friendly collaborations have been settled with few production brands or shoe designers from Bucharest and all over the country.

Mood Board:

Inspiration: architectural details, gestures, movies, exhibitions, places I visit

The most treasured shoe collection: fall winter 2009-2010, which was inspired by the Bucharest in between the two world wars

Greatest outcome: professionally speaking, Sepala

Favourite shoe designer: Pierre Hardy

A fashion icon: Twiggy

The first high heel pair of shoes: around tenth grade in highschool (about 17 years)

TSD:  You created two brands: Sepala – the more basic and “tamed” line – and Mihaela Glavan – the more artistical line. Did you decide this because you felt that the Romanian public is not  ready to wear more arty shoes? Is Sepala the commercial compromise to sustain the Mihaela Glavan brand?

MG: The Sepala shoes keep the touch of the Mihaela Glavan collections, they have intricate detailing and special cuts, but they are more accessible as far as price is concerned. This is certainly not a compromise! It is about different targets. And as far as I am concerned, I work with the same amount of pleasure and passion for both of them.

TSD: Throughout  the years, you collaborated with several famous Romanian designers. Tell us about these collaborations and mostly about the TouchedBy project. How did you come up with it?

MG: TouchedBy is a dear project to me, an idea that came from the desire to create mini accessory collections together with the dear people surrounding me, designers or public figures with an acute artistical sense. The design of these collections belongs entirely to the guest designer and the technical consultancy and production are provided by the Sepala workshop. The pieces are then available for purchase in our store located in 9 Franklin street for about a month after the launch.

We started the TouchedBy series in 2009 with the cretions of Ana Alexe. We then collaborated with Lena Criveanu, George Neagu, Ovidiu Buta, Stephan Pelger, Catalin Botezatu, Irina Marinescu, Adelina Ivan and Carmen Secareanu.

 TouchedBy Adelina Ivan

 TouchedBy Ana Alexe

 TouchedBy Catalin Botezatu

TouchedBy Carmen Secareanu

 TouchedBy Irina Marinescu

 TouchedBy Lena Criveanu

 TouchedBy Ovidiu Buta

 TouchedBy Ovidiu Buta

 TouchedBy Stephan Pelger

TSD:  What can you tell us about the representative profile of the Sepala/Mihaela Glavan customer?

MG: Educated and creative in style and fashion terms, he/she appreciates  both design and comfort in a shoe.

TSD: What do you think about online shopping and online stores? A few months ago you launched the online store on www.sepala.ro. How did you decide to enter this business too?

MG: There are more people every day choosing to buy things online. The main reasons are, of course, time and comodity. We launched the online store on www.sepala.ro in August 2010, the customers from outside the capital are very excited and thankful for this store. They can access the latest Sepala and RSM collections and not only, because the online shop has a special but continuous section of Sales.

TSD: Tell us a little something about the fall winter 2010-2011 colletion. What exactly did inspire you, what fabrics did you use?

MG: This year, for the fall/winter collections of Sepala and RSM we decided to approach things a little differently. For both men and women shoes I added some punk-rock influences. I have always liked combining fabrics, textures and develop new patterns.

TSD: What are the future plans and surprises that you have planned for us from Sepala and Mihaela Glavan?

MG: In spring 2011, we will be launching Sepala Kids, the brand for children’s shoes. As for surprises, there will be plenty and lovely ones, you just wait and see!

Workshop Details: 

When it was opened: september 2003

Location: Carol Park area

How many persons are working there: 20

How many shoes are being made there, monthly: about 500

The store and the showroom

 Spring Summer 2010

 fall winter 2009-2010

 spring summer 2010

 spring summer 2010 (fashion show)

 fall winter 2010-2011

Fall Winter 2009-2010

You can find more photos here. 

So, dear reader, what do you think? What's your favourite part about her work, about this interview? What's your favourite collaboration? 

P.S. I'm open to suggestions, if you want to know more about a shoe designer, share and I'll do my best :-)

photo source: Mihaela's Facebook page, acasa.ro, viva.ro, hipmag.ro, fashion-affinity.ro, 121.ro

Surprise

I have been preparing a surprise for you for quite a while now. On Friday the wait will end and you will be able to enjoy it.

It will become a regular feature on The Shoe Dictionary and I plan on using it to uncover, discover and learn things that are yet unknown to regular people who do not belong to the fashion elites, which is, after all, the purpose of this blog.

What do you think this is all about? Who will it be about? Any guesses? Here is a hint :

And another one about the identity of the person: it's my favourite Romanian shoe designer :-)

Lanvin x H&M shoes

If you haven't seen yet the Lanvin x H&M collection, if you haven't even heard of this capsule collection and if you haven't been waiting for the pictures as they were revealed gradually, then you must be from another planet. But don't fret, you still got time to find out everything about it and prepare for the day everyone is waiting for: the 23rd of November, the day the purchase is on!

The entire world has been waiting impatiently for more photos to be made public, more details to be shared with the public. At last, the entire collection (prices included) have finally been made public this week. To see  them (again) click here.

I have waited so long for this post because I didn't want to show you the studio photos that everyone knows. Yesterday the H&M showrooms all over the world have presented the collection to press, bloggers and fashion people. Therefore, we have some decent photos of the shoes, thanks to Chiara and Andy.

I honestly am a bit dissapointed, I expected more shoes, not only 4 pairs. But let's not get greedy, the bag-people have only one item to chose from! I pretty much like all 4 pairs, they would go with different situations/occasions:

- the red ones for a meeting/cocktail ecc. where you would want to keep things classy

- the black ones as a solution to every look, when not feeling too inspired or for those of you who want to keep things simple in the shoe department

- the animal print ones for the modern ladies who love to be classy but sophisticated at the same time

- the floral print/mint ones for the funky ladies who love to have fun with their looks

All in all, just about anyone could find a favourite shoe to dream about from this capsule collection. 

For us Romanians, the online purchase is the only one possible (unless you plan a trip to Hungary of another close country that will sell this collection).

Which ones are your favourites? How do you plan on buying them (if you are planning it)?

photo source: theblondesalad.com, the stylescrapbook.com

Current obsession: Eye Candy from Miu Miu

I've been obsessed for over a week now with these pastel dusky pink Miu Miu platform sandals. They're available for purchase on net-a-porter, here. With a high platform, straps, back zip and, above all, pastel dusky pink suede they're just the right shoe for romantic girls, worn with pastel tights, dot or heart print tights or socks. Amazing! What do you think?

photo credits: net-a-porter.com