ITALY, AND THE ART OF ENJOYING BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH

Florence shows the colours of Tuscany.

So you've decided on Italy for this month's holiday, but you can't make up your mind whether it's going to be North or South. Your friends tell you that Florence will be the trip of a lifetime, yet you're kind of intrigued by that saying: "See Naples and die". 

Your pals aren't being of much help, however. Those who've been to Florence tend to wax lyrical about the charms of the Tuscan capital, known as the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to the largest concentration of art in the world, but when you ask them about Naples, you draw a blank.

Still, you should know that Naples has its own devoted fans, who love the rough-and-tumble atmosphere, the great pizza restaurants, the striking views of the bay, and the no-nonsense demeanour of residents. Even devotees, though, are aware of the seedier sides of the city, notorious for its history of organized crime and garbage piling up in the streets because of corruption in the waste disposal industry.

A view across the Bay of Naples.

The two towns are a study in contrast, offering very different "attractions" to travellers. Art lovers will find their visual feast in Florence, which seems to have a statue on every corner, often surrounded by hordes of photo-snappers. The city has palaces and historic buildings galore, with art on the ceilings and walls, in the courtyards and gardens. But you will have to brave the crowds to see some of the treasures as Florence generally has more tourists than residents in the high-season months of April to October, and sometimes in December.

Naples, meanwhile, attracts those who don’t mind, or may even enjoy, a certain form of realism: the roar of scooters, the bustle of people who don’t live for tourism, the view of a volcano in the distance, sturdy landmarks of a rich history, and an edgy ambience infused by illicit activity. North or South? The art of travelling is to appreciate both, and while most people might give the nod to Florence, here are some images to help you decide. Our tip: see Naples while you can walk without a cane!

Art on the piazza - a common sight in Florence.

Naples: a culture of litter?

Florence, with Il Duomo as centrepiece.

Yes, Naples has castles too, both historic and neo-Gothic.

Florence's Ponte Vecchio, Medieval  bridge with shophouses.

One of Naples' charming, challenging streets.

Florence by night.

Naples at dusk.

(Text and photos, copyright McK-DeC)

THE 'ISLAND OF ENCHANTMENT' LIVES UP TO ITS PROMISE

Puerto Rico has proclaimed itself the Isla del Encanto (Island of Enchantment), and this is no empty boast. Despite a number of social problems, as elsewhere, this eastern Caribbean island is a country of stunning landscapes, spectacular beaches and generous people.

The license plate tells the tale.

What one will remember most is the unexpected kindness of total strangers - such as the motorist who gave his own brand-new road map to lost travelers, and the lady who got out of her car to give directions and then said "follow me", leading one to one's destination.

Certain sights, smells and tastes will also linger: images of the hills in the distance, the scent of sweet, fried plantains (or plátanos amarillos, guaranteed to bring on the salivation), and the taste of mofongo, the typical dish of mashed plantains filled with meat or seafood.

Traveling around the island, away from the frenetic atmosphere of San Juan, means passing through postcard-type scenery, evocative of other Caribbean countries, but still somehow unique. Waterfalls, mountain views, historic towns and colourful bird-life make sight-seeing a true pleasure. And one mustn't forget to visit the markets, where heaps of fruit such as papayas, pineapples and guineps are displayed like art installations.

Below, Tasshon offers a photo essay on this singular island, whose Spanish, Caribbean, African and American parts make up a fascinating whole. Sí, let the enchantment begin. 

Tired of flying? Walk like an egret.

Some of the biggest papayas you'll ever see.

Water massage, anyone?

They call me "el chango".

Mind the falling coconuts.

The charming pueblo of San Germán.

A quiet day in San Germán, after the weekend bustle.

The beach in Condado, San Juan. Be careful of the undertow.

The hills are ... everywhere.

(Text and photos, copyright McK-DeC, with thanks to L. Collins Klobah)

PARIS FASHION WEEK: A UNIVERSE OF COLORFUL HEROINES

A Ground Zero design at Paris Fashion Week 

An outlandish kind of joie de vivre has been the order of the day since Paris Fashion Week began Sept. 23, with designers seeming ready to spring a new race of playful superheroines on the world.

Ground Zero's 'comic' creativity

From the very first day of the Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015 collections,  the London and Hong Kong-based label Ground Zero set the tone, with designs that could have been inspired by a childhood spent reading Marvel Comics.

The label's Eri and Phillip Chu, brothers, delivered a show that an onlooker described as “X-Men (or women) leisure style” for a day out in the sunshine.

Later in the week, one of our favourite designers, Manish Arora, also went in for that otherworldly heroine look, with characters in gladiator cyber sandals waiting beside their spaceships to welcome you into a pastel universe.

Arora can always be relied on for creating a buzz during Fashion Week, and with this exuberant collection, he didn't disappoint - as long as you were ready and willing to enter his "kaleidoscopic lunar world". 

Manish Arora: peace, love and pastels despite the gladiator look.
(Photo by Y. Vlamos)

NEW FESTIVAL LINKS FILM AND FASHION IN MILAN

For some, it’s just a natural fit - film and fashion - and Constanza Cavalli Etro is among those who believe this. She is the founder and director of the first edition of the Fashion Film Festival Milano, held at the start of Milan Fashion Week in mid-September.

Escandalo: A Cruise, by Dean Alexander,
won for best editing

With sponsorship mainly from the Italian Fashion Council (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana), the hugely successful festival was the first event of this kind in Italy to showcase fashion movies from around the world.

According to Etro, famous feature films such as Prêt-à-Porter and The Devil Wears Prada indicate the  public’s interest in the world of fashion, and the festival wanted to take things further.

The long-term aim is to become a “meeting point for designers, video makers, directors and artists, who share great talent from all over the world”.

The event, which took place on Sept. 14 and 15, comprised two sections, a film competition and an exhibition. The competition featured  30 finalists selected from more than 300 submissions, while the exhibition portrayed the top fashion films from well-known directors and established brands.

Poster for the festival, with inspiring quote.

A panel of five judges selected nine winners in categories such as best fashion film and  best Italian fashion film, among others.

Cavalli Etro described the initiative as a means of combining her love and respect for fashion and her passion for cinema. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she lived for many years in Mexico where she  became the fashion editor of Fashion Week Mexico and co-founded the first Latin America Film Festival. She now lives in Milan with her husband, the designer Kean Etro.

Her Fashion Film Festival Milano joins the ranks of other festivals devoted to the art of fashion. In Paris, A Shaded View on Fashion Film (ASVOFF),  was launched in 2008, and this year’s edition will take place in November, after Paris Fashion Week (Sept. 23 - Oct. 1). 

VIENNA SHAKES OFF STAID IMAGE IN BOLD ARTISTIC FASHION

From coffee houses and sachertorte, to “hipness” and creativity. Yes, Vienna is shedding its formerly staid image, with the help of cutting-edge fashion and a flourishing contemporary art scene.

Design by Michel Mayer
(Photo MQVFW/ T. Lerch)

The Austrian capital has a noticeably different atmosphere from years past, when the grand, imposing buildings, sounds of music and traditional cafés seemed to push visitors back in time.

Now, local and international designers are contributing to a vibrant fashion scene, amidst the baroque architecture, and new art and exhibition spaces are adding a youthful buzz to this historic city.

From 10 - 14 September, the Museumsquartier in the 7th district will become a giant runway with the MQ VIENNA FASHION WEEK, as the city vies with other capitals such as Paris, Milan and London for the title of trendsetter.

German designer Michael Michalsky will present his latest collection on the opening night, after which the week will see more than 70 designers participating. Viennese stylist Michel (Michaela) Mayer will be among those representing Austria, while others hail from Portugal, Thailand, Russia, Romania and a host of different countries.

The organizers of MQ Vienna Fashion Week

Last year the Fashion Week drew some 10,000 visitors, and the organizers say they expect more this year for the sixth edition of the event, which is unusual in fashion circles because of its accessibility.

“Unlike other Fashion Weeks, it is possible for everyone to buy a ticket and attend the shows, to see the upcoming trends being presented on a runway,” the creative headz organizing team - Maria Oberfrank, Zigi Mueller-Matyas and Elvyra Geyer - told Tasshon.

“We also offer a designated shopping area, where guests can shop the current collection from the designers that present their coming collection.”

Fashion by Susanne Bisovsky
Photo: MQVFW / T. Lerch

They added that the MQ VIENNA FASHION WEEK “offers young designers a platform to present their latest ideas” and that it has sparked collaborations outside of the traditional Fashion Week.

Asked to describe the fashion scene in the city, the organizers had this to say: “Like Vienna the city, the contemporary fashion scene is a delicate balancing act, between the classic and the young avant-garde.

“There are a great many young new fashion designers, further enriching the scene each year. We have well-established designers like Susanne Bisovsky, Anelia Peschev and Manufaktur Herzblut, who put their own spin on what can be considered to be classic fashion. On the other hand, we have young designers like Ruins of Modernity, R! by Dominique Raffa and Mariella Morgana, who have a more avant-garde approach, but are still ultimately wearable fashion.”

The growing group of young, enthusiastic stylists have already carved out a niche in the capital. In several areas of the city, particularly around Schleifmuhlgasse and Kettenbruckengasse, visitors are spoilt for choice by the array of boutiques offering modish outfits.

Dress by Susana Bettencourt,
a designer taking part
in MQ Vienna Fashion Week

Norbert Kettner, managing director of the Vienna Tourist Board, asserts that the city’s “avant-garde fashion scene has no end of collections” for visitors to discover.

The same could be said of the art field, as a thriving contemporary landscape has developed over the past years, complementing Vienna’s long-established museums devoted to the works of Klimt, Schiele and other icons.

The Museumsquartier (Museums Quarter or MQ), the site of the fashion week, is at the heart of the cultural resurgence. Inaugurated in 2001, it has expanded to become one of the ten largest cultural areas in the world, comprising museums, theatres, recreation facilities and restaurants.

This one-stop "culture feast" complex also houses mumok, the museum of modern and contemporary art, and here visitors will find artwork that contrasts hugely with Vienna’s erstwhile old-world air.

The modern interior of mumok (Photo: Tasshon)

Mumok is made for art fans who adore conceptual fare, and the wide spaces of the ultra-modern interior will appeal to such visitors. But for an in-depth look at an earlier “modernism”, one can head over to the neighbouring Leopold Museum, which boasts of having the world’s largest collection of works by Egon Schiele, along with a wide selection of paintings by Gustav Klimt.

The Leopold is the most visited museum at the Museumsquartier and with good reason, as it gives viewers a remarkable insight into the life and work of Schiele, who died in 1918 (at the age of 28) but who seems timeless.

In fact, Schiele’s paintings wouldn’t look out of place in the many current alternative art spaces in Vienna. These include das weisse haus, which changes locations according to its exhibitions, and the 21er Haus, housed in the former Austrian pavilion from the 1958 World’s Fair.

Known for its art shows and performances, the 21er Haus has billed itself as a “meeting point for fans of contemporary art” since its opening in 2011.

The Belvedere (Photo: Tasshon)

But contemporary art can also be seen in the traditional museums, which is part of what makes Vienna unique, according to Helena Hartlauer, the daughter of an artist and a member of the media relations team at the tourist board. “You don’t find this mix in other cities,” she told Tasshon.

At the Belvedere, the majestic former summer residence of Prince Eugene de Savoy, Klimt’s famous golden masterpieces such as “The Kiss” are on display. But in the same building, visitors can also view contemporary works.

This is equally the case at the impressive Kunthistorisches Museum, whose collections include famous paintings by the Flemish master Brueghel as well as Greek and Roman sculptures. The museum makes space for contemporary art in its programme too.

Works by Alex Katz  (Photo: Tasshon)

At the renowned Albertina, meanwhile, the range is from Leonardo da Vinci to Andy Warhol, with Manet, Cezanne, Klimt and Schiele also in the mix. Starting in September, the Albertina will show the “cosmic magic” of Catalan artist Joan Miró in a show titled “From Earth to Sky”. And until the 28th of September, visitors can catch the “cool aesthetics” of the American artist Alex Katz.

New York-born Katz, now 87 years old, donated 60 works to the museum, which has displayed them in an appealing manner, highlighting the artist’s contemporary style through sketches to portrait drawing.

As if all this wasn’t enough, there is art in the metro, art at hotels such as the Sofitel and the newly opened and very luxurious Vienna Park Hyatt, and art at diners such as Schaltwerk in the 6th district - a fusion of art gallery, bar and café

Cafe Central (Photo: Tasshon)

In addition, Vienna will host two major events this fall: the Vienna International Art Fair (aka Vienna Fair) in October and Vienna Art Week 2014 in November. 

Yes, this is the way to change one’s image, and when visitors have had their fill of art, they can still head to Café Central for a coffee and a slice of rich chocolate cake, never mind the rude waiters. - L. McKenzie

ILJA SERVES UP COOLNESS, CLASS AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK

Glasses of chilled, bubbly water welcomed fashion lovers in the front courtyard of an ambassadorial residence in Paris Monday, as Dutch designer Ilya got ready to present her couture show.

When spectators entered a stunning hall of parquet floors and taspestry-covered walls, they were greeted by long-stemmed white roses on each seat, giving everyone a “voorgerecht” - a little taste of what was to come.

Coolness and class were thus the promised flavours, and the show followed through on those first hints.

Ilya’s Fall-Winter 2014-2015 couture collection relied on a refined black-and-white color scheme, with salient splashes of corals and blues. Simple cuts and understated shades contrasted with intricate sculptural and geometric shapes.

Although most of the pieces highlighted femininity, suit-type ensembles did not look out of place, as they integrated some fashionable twists such as plunging v-necks and transparent fabric.

Outfits made from luminous material also bedazzled the eye, despite the overall discreet element of the show.  This was an altogether very wearable couture collection, evocative of Ilya’s journey to her current position as a designer who eschews needless flamboyance.

Born Ilja Visser, she started her career in fashion design at ArtEZ School of arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands. She went on to intern with Donna Karan (founder of DKNY), and Maria Cornejo, whose clientele includes American first-lady Michelle Obama and Scottish actress Tilda Swinton, queen of the ice-cool look.

Ilya founded her own company in 2005 and was the first designer to receive the prestigious cultuur mode stipendium award from the Prince Bernhard Cultural Foundation in 2011. 

The current collection suggests she might be in for several more prizes. - J.M. De  Clercq

FROM RABANNE TO AZERBAIJAN, TILMANN GRAWE DESIGNS ON

An early creation by Tilmann Grawe

His name might not be on everyone’s lips, but his innovative designs are on several celebrity heads and bodies. Tilmann Grawe is a German-born Parisian designer who is attracting new fans with his inventive couture and accessories as he celebrates 25 years in the fashion business, including seven with Paco Rabanne.

Tilmann Grawe
 (photo: V. Verdiyev)

Stars such as American singer Lady Gaga and Indian actress Aishwaryra Rai have worn his designs, but this is not something that Grawe dwells upon. As a designer, he’s focused on his art and also involved in social causes.

He has been a long-time participant in UNICEF's Frimousses de Créateurs (Designers’ Dolls) venture, for instance, contributing to a project that raises funds through the selling of designer dolls in order to provide vaccines for the children of Darfur in Sudan.

"This project is very important to me,” Grawe says. “The money raised helps to save children’s lives and that’s the reason we’re all involved.”

This past year has seen Grawe doing magazine shoots in Azerbaijan (a country not without certain problems), and he’s getting ready to launch a project that he's keeping private for now. But it’s also been a time of reflection on his quarter-century as a designer, working with icons such as Rabanne and others.

Grawe began presenting his own clothing and accessory collections in 1989. He says he has always known that he wanted to be a designer, as he grew up watching his grandfather work as a tailor. But when he eventually did a sewing workshop as a teenager, he realized that he “liked fashion, but not for men”.

Lady Gaga in a Grawe design

“I found that tailoring for men was annoying because the colours were always dark blue, grey or black,” he told Tasshon. “Light blue was the most exciting you could get. You couldn’t let your imagine go wild which is what I wanted to do.”

He pursued an apprenticeship in Frankfurt and, after two years of study in Germany, he became conscious of the fact that he needed to leave his homeland to pursue his dreams.

“Frankfurt is a banker’s city, and while there is money there, it doesn’t mean that’s the best place for fashion,” he says. So he moved to Paris with his parents' financial assistance, and attended classes at the prestigious Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in the French capital.

At the time, he was very “oriented towards haute couture,” he recalls. “I thought I would just do one dress a year, handmade from A to Z.” But business and economics would “intervene” to change his goals. While he was completing his studies, he was hired by Louis Féraud Haute Couture, and learned the first tough lessons of the industry.

“The attitude then was that you work but you don’t ask for money,” Grawe says. “That was just how it was.” He spent a year at Louis Féraud and saw one of his sketches turned into an haute-couture dress, which the design house gave to him when he left to embark on full-time designing rather than toiling in the workshop.

Grawe's "Queen of Mars" creation

A few years later, in 1992, Grawe got his big break when a colleague recommended that he contact legendary Spanish-born designer Paco Rabanne and he landed a personal interview with the couturier after sending him a letter. Rabanne, whose outlandish designs had gained him a huge following in Paris, was interested in Grawe’s experiments with metal, crystals and other materials.

“At this time to be honest, I didn’t want to go back into a fashion house because I didn’t like the aggressive atmosphere,” Grawe says. “But working with Paco Rabanne was wonderful because he gave me so much freedom. For every collection, I had my own part, doing showpieces.

“Paco Rabanne was never afraid of being different,” Grawe says of the 80-year-old designer who incidentally was erroneously reported to have died this month. “Most people are afraid of what their neighbours will say, and when you start thinking like that, you’re cutting your genius down because you don’t take risks. He always did things that made him stand out.”

Grawe and friends at a costume party.

After a very fruitful seven-year collaboration, Grawe stepped out on his own when Rabanne’s haute-couture line ended. In 2000 Grawe presented his first luxury ready-to-wear collection at the landmark Bristol Hotel in Paris, and the show was hailed as a resounding success. Among those drawn to select a dress was actress Rai, who chose a creation that combined pink chiffon, crystals and Plexiglas that she wore to the Cannes Film Festival.

Since then, Grawe has travelled the world, showing his collections that range from headgear to footwear, and expanding his clientele. One experience that remains close to his heart is his association with Eunice Johnson, co-founder of the Johnson Publishing Company and of the renowned magazine Ebony. Johnson also produced and directed Ebony Fashion Fair, where she raised funds for charities, and Grawe was among her favourite designers.

Grawe with one of his UNICEF designer dolls.

“She was an amazing person,” Grawe says of Johnson, who died in 2010. The entrepreneur worked to promote models of African origin, and Rabanne and Grawe have always included such models in their shows, unlike some other stylists.

“Human beauty comes in diverse forms and this has always been my vision,” Grawe says. “I don't understand designers who use only one type of models.”

Regarding his participation in social initiatives, such as UNICEF's designer-doll programme, Grawe sees this as being part of his future over the next 25 years.

“Whether you’re a designer or a doctor, you always have to give something back,” he told Tasshon. 

A midnight-blue gown by Grawe

STOCKHOLM SHOWS ITS TRUE COLOURS IN SPRINGTIME

Stockholm's Old Town on a spring day

Sunshine makes a huge difference to cities such as Stockholm, where the dark winter days can fill one with an overwhelming desire to flee south.

Once the light comes out, the Swedish capital comes into its own, showing off its waterways and striking pastel-hued buildings. A warning for those who can't even draw a straight line: spring in Stockholm might push you to sign up for a course in oil-pastel painting.

Cityscape at sunset

The city pulses with restored energy as well, and travellers can find much to keep them occupied.

One doesn’t need to spend too much time searching for a place to stay because accommodation ranges from bright, clean youth hostels to fancy old-world establishments

In between are lodgings such as the Clarion Hotel Sign, a new architectural landmark designed by Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh. The building, dominated by granite and glass (imagine a modern Tower of Pisa), leans over the historic Norra Bantoget, a square near the Central Station. Its convenient location makes it a good base for exploring the city, as a short stroll puts one in the heart of things.

The Drottninggaten shopping street, a pedestrian thoroughfare with all the well-known Swedish brands, is less than five minutes away, for instance. The street is home to what seems like the largest H&M store in the world, but tourists shouldn’t expect the prices to be any cheaper than in their home city. A common complaint about Sweden is that everything is “so expensive”.

Royal guards, on their way to duty

Drottninggaten leads to the imposing Parliament building, the Riksdagshuset, and to the Royal Palace, one of the largest palaces in Europe. This is a huge block of a building that couldn’t by any stretch of the imagination be called beautiful, but the royal guards make up for the lack of splendour.

With their horses, bugles and colourful uniforms, they put on a memorable spectacle at the changing-of-the-guard ceremony in the palace’s courtyard. It's wise to try to get a good position early because the warm weather can mean big crowds jostling to see the show. 

Behind the royal abode, one can explore the narrow, cobblestoned streets of Gamla stan, the Old Town. This medieval area used to be called “The Town Between the Bridges” as it lies on an island. In spring, the soft-tinted buildings take on a special light, and it’s a pleasure to stop for coffee on the Stortoget, a square where the colours of the old merchant houses flow from rose to ochre.

Houses on the Stortoget

Besides the Royal Palace, Gamla stan is home to several major attractions including the Nobel Museum, the Stockholm Cathedral, Riddarholm church, and the Riddarhuset or House of Nobility – all worth seeing.

From Gamla stan, a walk along the water shows a different side of Stockholm. Water, in fact, is another reason that the city shimmers in spring, with reflected splashes of light all around as one crosses bridges such as the Centralbron or rides a bike along the Strandvägen. Sight-seeing boats also criss-cross the bay and offer some spectacular views of Stockholm’s diverse islands.

Tourists can hop off the boat on Djurgården and visit an array of museums, galleries or even an amusement park. "Abba: The Museum", devoted to Sweden's iconic pop group, is here, and another must-see is the Vasa Museum, which houses the world’s best-preserved 17^th-century warship.

A section of the Vasa warship

The massive 64-gun Vasa keeled over on its maiden voyage in 1628, and sank in the middle of Stockholm harbour after sailing a mere 1,300 metres. It was salvaged in 1961 with - so we’ve been told - the skeletons of its crew still on board. 

After a day of seeing sights such as this remarkable ship, one can dine al fresco in Gamla stan at any of several good restaurants. 

Another option is to head back to the Clarion Hotel Sign, where the renowned Ethiopian-born Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson has set up his American Table Brasserie and Bar. Here, Swedish ingredients are used for new American cuisine, making for an unusual mixture in this Nordic town. - Text and photos by Tasshon

A cookbook by Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson.
His restaurant "American Table" can be found
at the Clarion Hotel Sign in Stockholm.