Month: February 2014

DIOR HOMME 2014 FALL WINTER COLLECTION

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Dior Homme released it’s 2014 fall/winter collection which consists of unique and high quality wears. These pieces are high quality suits. The suits are available in different styles and designs; there are the two piece suits and the three piece suits. They have also these single breast and double breast ones. They come in different electrifying colors of blue, black, grey and checked. They are made from high quality woolen fabric which makes them look gorgeous.

They are matched very well with plain blue shirts, stripped shirts and checked shirts. The suits are also well matched with high quality shoes in black and brown. Each suit comes with a jacket to match. The jackets are available in different colors, styles and designs and are made of high quality woolen and cotton materials.

They are available in the knee-long sizes. Also available are the jeans jackets and trousers. They appear in blue and are matched well with different types of trousers. The jeans trousers are also very well matched with high quality coats and ties. They also keep high quality ties in their collection; the ties are available in different styles and colors.

There are the checked, dotted and plain ones. They match well with the suits, coats and the Jackets. High quality stylish suits are also available in different styles, colors and designs and match well with the suits and ties.

Beautiful Chinese Bridges

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Being one of the world’s oldest cultures, Chinese culture is influential in a large geographical region in Eastern Asia with traditions differing between cities, provinces, and towns. Vital elements of Chinese culture include music, literature, cuisine, religion, visual arts, architecture etc. I am in awe whenever I see pictures of beautiful buildings and other structures in China. The Great Wall of China is one testament to how much of a perfectionist Chinese people are and how they will do everything just to protect their territory against intruders.

Having said that, China has been known to have a long history in bridge construction and recently it has been pushing the frontiers of bridge construction with many record breaking bridges. The long list of bridges is structured by province and includes noteworthy bridges such as the Anji Bridge which also happens to be the oldest existing bridge. Then there is the Danyang Kunshan Grand Bridge which is the world’s longest bridge measuring over 164 kilometers. Another is the Sidu River Bridge, the highest bridge in the world and the Xihoumen Bridge in Zhejiang province, the second longest suspension bridge span. The list of magnificent, well constructed bridges goes on.

The book Chinese Bridges: Living Architecture from China’s Past by Ronald G. Knapp takes us on a more detailed look and gives thorough information about over 50 historically, culturally, and architecturally noteworthy bridges across China that represent the advanced engineering and technological achievements of earlier times. Readers are given an intellectual and enlightening tour of both famous Chinese bridges and those that are just being discovered by people in the west. The author shows how beautiful, grand, spectacular, and unique these bridges are apart from being functional. They are a part of Chinese architecture that may not be given a lot of attention but in this book they are given the importance that they deserve.

Chinese Bridges is an English language book that contains more than 400 magnificent colored pictures, historic images, paintings, and line drawings as well as descriptions, history, and essays of these bridges. The book is an amazing work of architectural history and will surely provide inspiration for years to come. It is thoroughly researched and carefully written and displays how historical architecture can bring to life the living experiences and ancient culture of its people. This coffee table style book truly imparts rich historical and cultural setting for China’s bridge building tradition.

Learning Ikebana

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Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and I cannot help but be reminded of beautiful flowers during this time. Not all of us are fond of flowers, but personally, seeing them in the garden, living room, and bedroom always gives me that calming effect. Not only are they nice to look at, but more importantly, they are an essential part of nature – feeding birds, insects, animals, and humans. Furthermore, they help in a plant’s reproduction by attracting outside pollinators and supply natural medicines. They have become such a deep-rooted part of our daily lives and a fundamental part of our landscape.

Admittedly, I know very little about flowers, much less arranging them. I know the names of the popular and common ones but I am quite ignorant when it comes to flower arrangement. I see florists preparing them and it looks easy but since I am no expert, it probably is not and takes a lot of skill. I am interested though in Ikebana or the Japanese art of formal flower arrangement, also known as kado or the “way of flowers”. I see pictures and notice how delicate and exquisite these arrangements look. It emphasizes form, balance, and harmony. Although it is a creative expression, there are rules determining its form and the meaning of each arrangement are seen through the color combinations, graceful lines, and natural shapes.

The book Japanese Ikebana For Every Season by Rie Imai and Yuji Ueno gives us more information about Ikebana and makes it more accessible to everyone. A lot of us may think that it is hard but this book makes it all look so uncomplicated. It presents 53 simple yet elegant flower arrangements that even someone who has not done any arranging can do anytime, anywhere. The flowers are arranged in simple containers to adorn your surroundings or to be given away as gifts for special occasions like Mother’s Day, birthdays, and wedding anniversaries.

This book presents and explains in detail some simple principles such as the idea of seeing old things with new eyes and also offers a few very easy methods of flower stabilization and how to support flowers and plants inside a vase or any container. Using any kind of flower, you can make beautiful Ikebana in just a short time. Choosing the flowers and the containers that you can see around you and showing how to turn them into special arrangements are carefully and thoroughly explained. Furthermore, the book presents many styles that make the reader use his creativity rather than imitate traditional and highly technical Ikebana design concepts. Probably the best thing about having this book is knowing that all these elegant Japanese flower arrangements do not have to cost so much.

A Worthwhile Read: Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins

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I like browsing through the pages of Good Housekeeping because I get a lot of home decorating ideas and it keeps me abreast on what is happening in the world of interior design. If you do not want to spend too much money then instead of hiring an interior decorator just flip through the pages of magazines to get inspiration and in the process know the latest trends when it comes to what looks good in a home. But more than contemporary design, I have always been fascinated with old fashioned homes decorated with oriental rugs. Their beautiful and intricate designs and colors make a house, no matter how small or big it is, look so elegant.

A lot of people consider them as pieces of art. They are rugs that were made in the Orient or in Asia namely China, Vietnam, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey, Cyprus, Iran, India, Egypt, and Morocco. They were brought to the West during the Crusades and are organized by origin such as Arabian rugs, Persian rugs, Central Asian rugs, Chinese rugs, Indian rugs etc. They can last for decades because of their high quality. Antique oriental rugs have been in demand for years. Some even display them as wall decors. Since there are so many different designs and sizes, finding one that will complement your home’s motif might be challenging. It is probably a good idea to start your home decor with the oriental rug first then pick the rest of the furnishing to suit the oriental rug.

If you want to know more about oriental rugs, then Peter F. Stone’s book Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins is a great reference. It contains over 1,000 vivid drawings and pictures of different types, designs, and sizes of oriental rugs. The book gives ample information about rugs being a part of art history and how tribal weavings, particularly oriental rugs, make us more knowledgeable about some traditions that were not given much attention before. Examples of which are the weavings of southwest Persia, Baluchistan and Kurdistan.

This book likewise gives information about oriental rugs that have not been previously written. It provides straightforward and exact definitions for the rug and fabric terms used in each country where it is made. The book also touches on museum-quality rug traditions and the modern ways of manufacturing or producing them as well as on the rich hand-knotting and hand-weaving traditions of the Near East and Central Asia and some examples of Scandinavian and Native American weavings. This brief but comprehensive book is a must-have for beginners, serious collectors, scholars, and dealers. It is easy to read and any rug afficionado can read this to expand their knowledge of textiles.