Blossomday - dresses by Marianne Kohlmaier-Ecker, Innsbruck

I'm opening the New Year's posts journey with a bouquet of young designs and pastel colours arriving from the charming mountain city, Innsbruck. Blossomday is a little, fine brand of bridesmaids (and not only) dresses dedicated to those that are looking for a European hand-made garment with a reasonable price tag.

Three Days With Alexandra, Day I

Vienna has many faces, secrets, stories and moods... I love to explore new places or re-discover those, where I like to spend my private or professional time. Alexandra is one of my models from Bucharest and she was my guest, together with our friend and colleague, Sorina Dumitrescu.

They drove from Bucharest to Vienna and our plan was, to organize a three days documentation of some of the places that surround my atelier and home. I absolutely adore my district and it wasn’t easy to a make a selection, I would have needed several weeks. :-)

My New Bridal Showroom

This autumn I will celebrate 10 years since I opened my fashion design atelier; I can’t believe how time was flying but it also feels like “forever”. It’s impossible to imagine my life without my profession, as it absolutely truly defines me.

After I won Austria’s Best Bridal Designer Award on the 28th of January, I decided to take a daring step and rent a beautiful space dedicated entirely to my bridal work. A place located in the city center, where I can meet the brides-to-be for talks and fittings. The process of finding this jewel apartment was very short and filled with luck and joy! Despite its condition, the financial and time strain to renovate it, I could see the utmost potential: a gorgeous Gründerzeit building located in one of the best Viennese areas.

Blissful Christmas Eve with Leonie

One of my most special collections is "I Am Leonie", designed in 2013. Leonie is the main character featured in the storyline: a fictional jewellery designer that wears my garments. One year later, during Brautsache fair, I was thrilled to meet a real life jewellery designer, named Leonie! She is the epitome of my character: talented, beautiful and naturally sophisticated. I asked her if she would like, one day, to do a photoshoot where we can display our work and simply share our joy that we got to know each other! She was very happy and a while later, we realized our project! I invited a couple of artist friends to join us and everyone loved the idea! We created a beautiful Christmas Eve story, a wonderful day filled with gifts exchange, champagne, cookies and our designs! Delicate photographer Skye Kiss captured lots of details and precious moments, playful interior decorator Mademoiselle Fée took care of the Christmas decorations and awesome Adriana Holban created a beautiful natural make-up for Leonie and me!

Izabella Petrut And Her Fascinating Art

My dears, after a pretty long break, while I was working intensively and was fully focused on many projects, I am now ready to bring you fresh material; hope you will enjoy it!

I will start with one of the most amazing artists I've ever met in Vienna, her work is insanely cool and unique. I love that she puts her entire heart in every jewellery piece she is designing, everything has a story behind it and you can’t simply resist the temptation of wearing her designs as soon as you step in her atelier.

Izabella Petrut is a contemporary jewellery designer, born in Baia Mare, Romania, established in Vienna since two years. I feel so lucky having her close to me; she is a source of true inspiration and motivation for my work and professional life.

Crazy About Tiziana Terenzi

This summer, before my holidays, I ordered eight perfume samples to enjoy them on my upcoming trip. It’s not easy to decide which perfue to try, so I went after the character’s description and ingredients selection. When I received the samples, with one exception I wasn’t impressed with my choice... still, I wasn’t disappointed at all. That exception meant so much to me; it was wrapping my soul and mind in pleasure and delight! I've never heard before about the Terenzi perfume house but I was so intrigued that I went on ordering the other three perfume samples of the collection. I was wondering about their differences and smilarities, and I do detect a certain "house note". But each of the four fragrances has such an unique character, that I can fully identify with the statement that the creators give us: “In our fragrances, we gathered the impressions of four stages of a journey that was dedicated to the mysterious entity of fire."

Handmade by Susanne Payer

This year was filled with special, new people that came into my life and two of them are Susanne & Piet Payer. I was so touched by the story that Susanne told me a couple of months ago, that I would love to share it with you, especially now, before Christmas, when we all have a bit of time to reflect about others, less fortunate than us. Susanne started about 10 years ago to make one of a kind cards - and the entire sale proceedings are are used for the benefit of Dr. Ruth Pfau’s Lepra – Project in Pakistan.

Interview: Linda Croitoru aka Linda Taylor - International Top Model, Actress, Producer, Humanitarian, Activist, Philanthropist

                                                                                                                                            

Linda Croitoru known abroad under the stage name as Linda Taylor was born and raised in Romania. She has studied Physics at University of Bucharest and speaks five languages. Her career started back in 1999 as a TV hostess in ‘Super Bingo’ at  PRO TV  Media Pro Pictures. She also hosted ’The Weather’ on the daily NEWS program for the same channel, PRO TV. Her success ranged from runways, to TV commercials, prints, campaigns, billboards, editorials, interviews, music videos such as Holograf, Krypton, Vank, Train to name a few.
Watch her latest music video:

The big screen break through came when she had been discovered by the Italian movie director Franco Zeffirelli, who chose Linda for his movie ”Callas Forever ” while shooting in Romania with  Jeremy Irons and Fanny Ardant  as the leads.

With her timeless natural beauty, Linda’s career as a model flourished internationally as well. Contracts from all over the world, called for her work. From Europe, to Asia and back and forth, Linda has traveled the world and has worked worldwide from the runways of the worlds top fashion capitals such Milan and Paris, to fashion magazines and campaigns, in more than twenty countries.

Besides her accomplished world wide seen modeling work, Linda Taylor serves as a liaison between those in need and those who can help. Many communities profited from her work as a professional fundraiser and active volunteer, from her intellect, integrity and dynamic leadership. (taken from:
http://lindacroitoru.wordpress.com/)

For more information and photos about her admirable career check HERE. 

I chose Linda Taylor for opening my latest section “guest blogging and interviews” being an admirer of her professional path from the very beginning of her career. I’ve been following her even previously I had the tremendous pleasure to meet her in person, in Vienna. At the start of Linda’s career, being a teenager myself, I loved to identify and look up with respect to her and few other similar girls. She has always been stylish, elegant, intelligent and modest.
I’m truly honoured that she has dedicated some of her valuable time to organize for our interview; she was very prompt and professional. I fully appreciate her openness and agility in writing back as soon as she reads my emails; I rarely live this nice experience. Thank you, Linda!

Movie Scene from I’m not famous, but I am Aromanian

Photographed by Douglas Kirkland

What was your starting point in becoming a model?
The moment I became one. That was literally the 'starting point'. Till then it was never even a thought of it.

When have you decided to redirect your carrier towards acting?
Well acting I guess was there always, from the very beginning. It was never really either or the other one. In fact, prior to the modeling world, I trained in the TV land, hosting TV shows and entertaining people through the acting doors. The beauty detail and modeling came along right hand in hand with acting. There wasn't much I could choose but simply just be and follow the path.

What do you love doing most? Modeling or acting?
Though it is hard to choose between these two, my previous answer should tell everything. A great friend of mine and an actress said, while watching me on the runway and then on camera, she said 'Linda you are not a model. You are an actress who knows how to model!'' So there you go, you have to think of it, I guess I am. Luckily I am enjoying and loving these two same way.

What is the most memorable show/movie you took part in?
It's hard to pick one as everything that I do or take part in, is quite memorable, but if we really must, I guess it has to be the 'Callas Forever' (2002). Filming alongside Jeremy Irons and under the directorial of the only one maestro Franco Zeffirelli at the very first steps of my career it is definitely memorable. But then again, can't forget the first love either, and that of when I worked with Pro Tv on 'SuperBingo show'. That LIVE audience with not only the artists we brought on stage every Sunday, but to be one with the entire country, to know you're able to bring a smile on someone's face and enlighten their lives at least for a day if not for a change like in most cases, it is quite special to me till this day that I'll never forget.

Does fashion play a role outside your professional life?
I try not to follow any 'fashion' rules, either way inside or outside the job but I do love to appreciate and admire the work of art in each and everyone who is creating or wearing it. Fashion, like beauty, should rather be a state of being than that of a trend. If you like me now, I guarantee you'll like me next year as well and the next and the next, wether I am or not in the fashion trend. Coco Chanel used to say this and I so applaud her words ''Fashion fades, only style remains the same.''

Are you a trend follower?
Fashion, trend.. everything you wanted to know is answered above.

What is your most common casual outfit?
Jeans, t-shirt and flip flops is what usually you'll see me wearing on my most casual days. But depending on weather or location, sometimes even jeans might be to much, therefore a loose bohemian vintage dress is what makes me the happiest.

What are your beauty and diet secrets?
Can't really say I have secrets about this. I only believe in balancing it all. From looking inside ourselves and caring there first and foremost, to the outside of us. Eat healthy, think healthy, stay healthy. Health is a wide broad word that can go from the smallest detail of food we put into our body to where and how much sleep we take or how much laughter did we share together today. I for instance believe in smiles, music, nature, poetry, the sound of the ocean, the smell of wet trees and leaves after the rain, the laughter of a child, to sharing the moment with a dear close friend and just be present in the moment, be there for each other. Anything that makes you beautiful. Make that your secret garden and retreat there as much as possible.

Linda for DFLA.com

How would you describe in three words the fashion scene in Bucharest, your home-town and Los Angeles, your working and living ground since the past seven years
Bucharest holds a very special place in my heart beyond the fashion scene. A three word description wouldn't do its right. He simply is the center of all being. From fashion to history and culture, Bucharest is my little Paris too.
As for Los Angeles, though here the LaLa land it is known for its Hollywood entertainment business rather than that of fashion, many icon legends though have walked its path and brought the image from the big screen to the street and its people for a change in the history of fashion, I'd dare to say, worldwide.

Ⓒ Linda Taylor, Douglas Kirkland, Joshua Shelton, Evan Duning, Patricia Vincent

departure Fashion Night, Vienna

Romanian-Canadian Topmodel Irina Lăzăreanu

departure, the City of Vienna’s agency for the creative industries, was established in 2003 as Austria’s first independent business promotion agency and service center for companies from the creative industries. For years there has been close cooperation between Unit F büro für mode and departure with the aim to strengthen the position of Viennese fashion on the international fashion landscape.
In 2012 departure hosted the departure fashion night for the eighth time in the scope of the 12 festival for fashion & photography organized by Unit F büro für mode. This year’s fashion night featured the collections of four departure funded fashion graduates of the University of Applied Arts, Vienna:

DIPTYCH
Wilfried Mayer
Daoyin
house of the very island's...

The fashion night took place in the Museum of Ethnology, Hall of Columns; it felt very special and sumptuous.

 

I liked that it wasn’t very crowded, the coordination between the shows was perfect and each label brought a new scenery approach on the catwalk. DIPTYCH and house of the very island's... had the most creative staging.
My definite favourite fashion project was Daoyin's collection, Dawn.

DIPTYCH:

Wilfried Mayer:

 Daoyin:

house of the very island's...:

SMITH/GREY

Founded by jewellery designer Birgit Marie Schmidt and creative strategist Sofus Graae, their designs are an expression of their Central European and Scandinavian background in combination with their British education and lifestyle. At the core of the company is the goal of delivering the highest quality product made with integrity, passion and awareness. Each design is intended to bring an inspired and sophisticated edge to the jewellery market and ultimately, into your hands and home.

Vienna born and raised Birgit Marie Schmidt received her MA in Goldsmithinging and Jewellery at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London, following a strong urge of working with wearable objects after being trained as an architect at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna in the Masterclass of Zaha Hadid.

Copenhagen born Sofus Graae has been educated in graphic design and film post production and has a diverse background in the creative industry working in Copenhagen, Vienna and London. In his career he has worked on various story driven projects ranging from product design, brand development to management in the movie industry.

In 2011 the collection “I Can’t Seem to Get Rid of the Horses” received the Theo Fennell ‘Best in Jewellery’ Award, the Wolf&Badger Graduate Award for Jewellery and the Matthews Wrightson Starting Your Own Business Award.

http://smithgrey.co.uk/

Photography: Nick Clements

Bliss Evaluation

I frequently like to test my apparel, so I would pick either a top, dress, shirt, trousers or skirt and try to feel what my customers would sense.

I love each item from my latest collection, Luft, especially the flowing wide trousers that can be paired with a multitude of tops, tanks or bodysuits.
Today, the weather has been wonderful and I decided to pick the off white ones, match them with a similar shade top and enjoy the outfit in one of my favourite garden-parks in Vienna.
It has been a real bliss! The silk fabric was cascading in the wind and the sun was offering a natural glaze and adoration: