Casual Friday.

via Barena

Although I visit a few blogs/websites on men's fashion I haven't really been inspired by much of anything lately. That is till I read this post on the fab blog A Continuous Lean on Venice based men's clothing company Barena. Simple, uncomplicated, refined Italian fashion, now that I can get into. Something I very much respond to is that the pieces can be combined to create effortlessly stylish looks by men of any age. I might not be able to afford Barena but they have inspired this Canadian to think in Italian.

My Ultimate Style.

via Haberdasher

I would wear anything from Missoni's Spring 2013 line. All Day. All Night.

Summer Haven.

I still manage and maintain my parent's garden in the suburbs. I've been doing it for over 15 years and every time I visit I see new and wonderful things! So far this year robins and cardinals have nested, and a wild bunny seems to have taken up residence as well. It's kinda neat to know that something that started off as a boring suburban patch of grass has turned into a little 'garden of earthly delights'. I often feel like I don't participate enough in creative endeavours but when I see this little garden it makes me feel like I do alright.

Robin's nest. All babies have hatched and have long flown the coupe.

Cardinal's nest, we're currently waiting for these eggs to hatch, any day now I think.

All photos by © J. Dias

Shauna Born's Galore.

I checked out this great series of ball point pen drawings by artist Shauna Born at Katherine Mulherin Contemporary Art Projects in Toronto this past weekend. There are a lot of elements that I like in this work. The fact that there are so many portraits to look at, the diversity yet commonality in the aesthetic, and the love of drawing that comes through. The works are unframed which makes them personal yet somehow the subjects are impersonal, that's interesting to me. There is also something worthwhile about exploring the objectification (and idealization) of young men e.g. teen idols. There is an androgyny to the features that I find amusing because I think that a lot of what these young girls (or most likely commerce makes them) respond to is a weird projection of ideals of both the masculine and the feminine.

"This series of intimate, delicately rendered portraits explore issues of desire and mortality through the idealization of beautiful male types. Working from a variety of sources, Born shifts the context in which these images exist—the screen and magazine—to re-imagine them as poetic dandies and romantic heroes, steeped in classic pictorial tradition."

via Katherine Mulherin  Contemporary Art Projects here

The show is on until July 29th, so check it.

image via Katherine Mulherin  Contemporary Art Projects here

Love me some Mies.

all photos by ©J. Dias

My favourite building development in Toronto is hands down the Toronto-Dominion Centre. It was designed by the great modernist architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.  I love it when architecture (or art for that matter) can speak for itself. What we see as ordinary office buildings did not exist 100 years ago. Pioneers in modern design like Mies conceived and developed the aesthetic that we take for granted today. However I'm not sure how we went from buildings of such minimalist detail, constraint, and elegant design to many of the ugly condo developments that have been popping up all over this city of mine. C'mon already Toronto! put a little thought into it. It's time to get back to good design practice again.

Summer.

My summer staycation is almost over. The weather has been so great, it's been hot without the humidity. I got to do the things I treasure most.. loiter around my city, spend time with friends, check out some art, read, do a bit of gardening, and I even managed a trip to a friend's cottage. It's been great! but I've still got the weekend and it's my birthday so YAY! I'm gonna make the most of it!

I wish you a happy & fun weekend!

via one of my fav's habitually chic

photo by ©J. Dias

photo by ©J. Dias

photo by ©J. Dias

Down with Upsala

So loving Upsala-Ekeby these days. My fav has to be the Rostrand stuff but I love a lot of Mari Simmulson and Anna-Lisa Thomson's work for Upsala.

Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby via 20th Century Forum

Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby via Starkeld

Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby via  Jacksons

Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby via Modern Boom

"Paprika" designed by Anna-Lisa Thomson for Upsala Ekeby via Retrolyckan blogg

"Paprika" designed by Anna-Lisa Thomson for Upsala Ekeby via Bukowskis Market

I'm kicking myself for passing up on this one when I saw it recently.

All this big love for old stuff lately is making me wonder if any contemporary crafts people are making anything worth hunting down. Hmmm... another design renaissance! that's what we need! Well I guess Etsy is a start ;)

if your interested in reading about Upsala Ekeby you should wiki it here

It's A Mid-Century Kinda Summer

Even while on vacation up in cottage country I managed to find some Mid-Century love.

First up a Rostrand leaf dish, probably 60's, cool eh?

Next up, this gorgeous large Finish bowl, I HEART!

My favourite part is the base which has crystal facets (see below) The gem facet trend has been so hot the last few years but the Finns were making that cool shit way back in the day! 

Item # 3 are these two modernist glass bowls. You have to see this one in the 360 to truly appreciate it's awesomeness.

I also picked up this Dansk piece. The dealer was convinced it's a ring holder but when I told him that I'm pretty sure it's a candleholder for special hollow based candles he told me he wished he didn't sell the other one he had, I coulda had a pair gosh darn it. 

Isn't it neat that companies like Dansk were really into design with a capital 'D'

And last but not least is this sweet little bud vase from Rosenthal, a nice addition to my West German porcelain collection. 

all photos by ©J.Dias

Great finds, all gravy on what was already a wonderful holiday! oh and all that swag cost me a whopping $45 total, he shoots!!! he SCOREZZZZ!!!