MOVING / Hello New Love Aesthetics

It has been exactly 6 years since I wrote my first post on Love Aesthetics and my digital brainchild was born. It is the project I've been involved in for the longest amount of time in my life. My blog has lasted longer than high school. Though Love Aesthetics has slowly been growing into a thing on its own and has outgrown the format of just a blog.

Thank you all for reading and being with me all these years. The best thing about running this blog has been meeting so many of you talented readers and making a lot of new friends. There is a Dutch expression 'stok achter de deur' which literally translates into 'stick behind the door', which means a threat in the most positive sense of the word, an extra motivation for doing something. So thank you all for stopping by each time (and leaving all the lovely comments, I've read each single one of them), you have been my 'stick behind the door' to update Love Aesthetics, to keep the ideas coming and to push myself to deliver better quality each time. I can honestly say that I love you!

Please do come and take a look at our new digital place! There are a lot of new updates waiting!
I've been working hard on it the last month together with Fleur Glansbeek and can not be more excited to finally invite you over!








/ NEW WEBSITE !
http://LOVE-AESTHETICS.nl

A C C E S S O R I E S / Still Life

Still lives are my life, this still life is my life.
I utterly enjoy arranging items neatly, finding order and making a balanced composition with them and photographing it. It is usually carefully and artificially arranged. But this little still life came into existence in a complete spontaneous way; with Giuliano, a bottle of wine and a piece of my clip in hair that was lying around (you might remember that I don't have anything against a little faux hair). It looked so fantastic that I had to recreate this moment the morning after when the sun was shining through the window and immortalize it with my camera.

wallet: Jil Sander
shoulder bag: &OtherStories

A C C E S S O R I E S / Mini Backpack For Essentials

I'm predicting that this little baby will become a regular for spring/summer 2014. All my (tourist)essentials fit perfectly into this small backpack; my DSLR camera, wallet and my sunglasses case.

Just last fall/winter Sarah Law, launched the first collection of her handbag label Kara. Four main styles including this backpack come back every season in new iterations. I love how basic this piece is yet how many different personalities it can take on with the different materials used for it(mesh, leather, lambskin shearling). What is also new about this particular one from Kara's upcoming spring collection is it's smaller size; which I think is quite perfect and also forces you to bring nothing more than only your essentials. Thank you Sarah for the wonderful bag!

Bag: courtesy of Kara

A C C E S S O R I E S / Elevated Birks

Adding something rarely results in something that is better. Though this elevated take on the Arizona Birkenstock might be an exception. The platform gives you just a tiny bit of extra height and literally lifts the entire sandal to a new level. Also like that the hardware is white and visually blends in with the white leather. Will not wait for better weather to wear these.

got them here
(also come in black)

A C C E S S O R I E S / Simplified Rose-Gold Ring

A promise I had made to myself -to invest in high quality jewelry- was what stopped me from buying this ring for a couple of months. Though I couldn't bare it being sold out. The lovely simplified design and the material; a light grey 'stone' combined with my favorite metal color rose gold won me over, I finally decided to get it and break my promise.

I could have foreseen someone tripping over my display columns when I placed them on the floor (it looked so nice though!). They got damaged but I actually do not mind at all and think they've even improved by this little accident. Love how these white cuboids mini buildings have gained more character and rawness.

ring: Whistles
display columns: DIY

A C C E S S O R I E S / Favorite Footwear

Dear shoes,
The fact that you're not getting picked as often anymore in the morning doesn't mean I don't love you the most. I am leaving you safely in the wardrobe to protect you from the muddy boots in the busy trains that will damage your delicate materials and the splatters coming off the wet concrete as the wheels of my bike ride over it. Just knowing that I have you guys (and I recognize that this is a strange form of greed), is enough for me; I don't even mind wearing the wrong shoe.

Every single pair of these involved a search, a long wait, the feeling of -if only I had this pair in to complete this outfit- in the morning and lastly; finding them on a strange corner of the internet or coming across them on an unexpected place. So happy to have this little collection, this is my favorite footwear.

Nike Cortez here
Tibi Shane heels
Dr. Martens '2011 (similar)
Nike Air Max 1 glow in the dark

A C C E S S O R I E S / A Rock On Your Finger

Like tiny mountains forming a rocky and rough landscape, these rings lie randomly on my desk. They were part of the graduation collection of Rianne Suk, a friend of a friend, who let me borrow a few this week. I love the references to nature in Rianne's collection titled 'Earthly Prothesis'; from the rocky shapes in which she molded the fabric around the body to the actual pieces of french chalk(these stones with marble like veins in them) left raw and unrefined on the fingers of her models. For now her pieces can be ordered upon request.

A C C E S S O R I E S / Cortez

All you nineties kids must remember these. It took me a while to track down a pair in my size on the internet, as no shoe store seems to carry these anymore. When I first put them on and looked down to my feet I got overwhelmed with a deja vu taking me back to 1999. Which was the last time I wore this exact pair, they were my favorite sneakers. I remember wearing them every single day and when they started to fall apart I got my mom to buy me the exact same pair (though with a shiny silver swoosh this time).

About the MMM give away/
Thank you all for leaving such supportive and appreciative messages. I read every single one of them. I can still not wrap my head around how many comments were left. Blogging usually only consists of me and my computer and it is so nice to hear from all of you guys on the other side of the screen. It has become a bit emotionally tough to choose only one person to send it to, as so many of you want and deserve it so badly; specially the hard working students on a low budget or the people who live somewhere where Margiela is not available.

Nike Cortez
(found some here, here, here, here)

A C C E S S O R I E S / Chunky Sock Sandal

A neoprene sock attached to a pair of chunky, squared sandals on a thick rubber grip sole. Thank you weekday for answering our prayers and putting all this goodness in one single shoe. Though the first samples that appeared in the lookbook featured a white sock inside a black sandal, they ended up producing it in black on black. A bit of a shame.

Recharged/
Apologies to everyone who came to Love Aesthetics last week and didn't find any updates. It was the first time that I took a real break from the blog since I started blogging 5 years ago. Working on projects without the interruption of social media, grabbing a sketchbook instead of staring at my computer screen and being disconnected from the speed of the internet was what I desperately needed. I'm back, completely recharged, with lots of new ideas up my sleeve and excited about a future of Love Aesthetics that goes beyond a blog. :)

top: Uniqlo
trousers: vintage
shoes: Weekday
bag:
Love Aesthetics x Blackblessed

A C C E S S O R I E S / Leather Goods

For the first time in a long time I felt greedy and my wish list got substantially longer in a few hours. Dutch department store De Bijenkorf invited me to take a look at the new arrivals of their newly acquired brands. Luxury shopping in Amsterdam had been almost non existent since they started stocking up on everything from Givenchy to Phillip Lim, Margiela and Acne. It is even said that thanks to De Bijenkorf we have a Dutch Vogue, as labels only want to advertise in countries where their products are available, and since a little while they now are.

What I was most impressed by was the collection of leather goods, a perfect mix of timeless staples and pieces with iconic status. Yet still with a very Dutch feeling to it; nothing too crazy, seasonal or embellished, but all investment pieces. Very 'Degelijk' which does not have an english translation but which basically means something solid, reliable and long lasting. (The only thing my mom cares about when buying shoes. - Must. Be. Degelijk.) I loved to see these luxe labels in this context, my favorites were both Wang's: an asymmetric pair of pointy pumps and the Kori boots with the mirrored cut out heel.

Celine trio bag
Acne boots
Alexander Wang boots
Celine pouch
advertorial (read ethics)

A C C E S S O R I E S / Helmut Lang Asymmetric Bra

It is so great to see items transcend seasons and come back in stores years after being on the runway. Unlike product design, where the same chair for example stays available in stores for more than 50 years, fashion designs are typically only in stores for a couple of months. Isn't that strange? It was a nice surprise to see this asymmetric bra being restocked after it was completely sold out during spring/summer 2012. It proves that good design is non-perishable. This baby is super comfortable, practical and though it remains perfectly hidden underneath my cropped polo necks with cutaway shoulders, I don't mind these straps showing when wearing a loose tee. They can also be worn on one side of the neck making it look like a single strapped bra. Now let's keep our fingers crossed that the white version will have a comeback too.

bra: Helmut Lang

A C C E S S O R I E S / Paperclip Cuff

Their collection was inspired on what I think are very interesting thoughts on youth culture. According to Cheap Monday, 90s grunge was the last real youth movement. Today, in a world of fast fashion and medialized culture, these movements are picked up commercially almost before they even appear, creating something artificial. So every youth culture from nowadays has commercial interest and brands driving it? Ironically, so has this collection from Cheap Monday called 'Artificial Grunge' (hence the paperclip jewelry).

bracelet: Cheap Monday

A C C E S S O R I E S / Convertible Bag - Worn 3 Ways

It has been little but over a month since my capsule collection with BlackBlessed has been launched. The best thing about it was to see the pieces come to life; seeing my friends in them, bumping into outfit snapshots of them on instagram and (specially!) seeing them be worn by three of my favorite girls online; Charlie, Jayne and Tasfia.

My personal most worn item has been the convertible leather bag as it proved to be really versatile. The bag sold out within the first couple of hours, but can now be pre ordered. Here are three ways in which I've been carrying it around;
1/ as a backpack (straps can also be crossed creating an x on your back or on the front)
2/ cross body (with a single strap attacked diagonally)
3/ rolled up paper bag style (instead rolled, can also be folded)

bag:
Love Aesthetics x Blackblessed
coat: self made
shorts: Cheap Monday
assymetric bra: Helmut Lang

A C C E S S O R I E S / Tiny Technicality

When the employees of the hardware store know you're name, you know that you're a regular customer. I either visit to shop for industrial jewelry or DIY supplies. When looking for some rope last weekend, I came across these tiny bow-shackles that were hanging right beside it. I had already spotted them in a wrist-size but these were too thick and not delicate enough to wear (though several jewelry designers have translated those into wearable pieces). The tiny technicalities of the screw, the hole in it and the embossed '80KG' in the metal make this piece so interesting to me. Also love how because of the curved shape there is a gap of air between my finger and the straight end of the screw.

(some earlier hardware store finds: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Most metals with a mechanical purpose have not been tested for allergic reactions with skin. What you can do to avoid any possible skin irritation is applying a layer of clear nail polish on your 'jewelry'.

A C C E S S O R I E S / Material Merging at Margiela

Experimenting can lead to wonderful new ideas. One of the things that I was impressed and inspired by from the Maison Martin Margiela show last week was how high tech techniques were applied in a Haute Couture collection: these pieces of jewelry made out of crystal and white matte resin.

I imagine the Swarovski design atelier looking somewhat like a lab. Their team is partly made up out of technicians, engineers and mathematicians who experiment with crystal (apparently, Swarovski does much more than only produce sparkles for asian nail salons). They somehow managed to fuse crystal with a white matte resin, merging them with pressure and without any glue involved. Then took the samples of their newly found technology to Paris and asked for a vision from Maison Martin Margiela. Who came up with the idea of shapes and cuts resembling natural stalactites. In the beginning it was a complete experimental adventure, it was still even unsure if it was going to work out and if there was ever going to be an end product. But now two years later, the line is finally a reality. My favorite pieces were the multi purpose tie- and document-clips; which can be clipped pretty much everywhere and also be used as an office accessory.

A C C E S S O R I E S / Matte White Magnetic Jewelry Set

magnetic bracelet: found it here
magnetic necklace: here


Confession: I have a weakness for accessories. And almost every month end up purchasing a new piece.
This time I fell for this set in white coated metal with magnetic closures. I had seen an identical minty green version of these at COS, but the color put me off.
Though I've got to be honest; a part of me feels guilty about bringing these non-investments into my collection, another part really loves them.
Oh, and you can also create one long necklace by connecting the bracelet and necklace together.

A C C E S S O R I E S / Docs and Socks

shoes: Dr. Martens (similar here)
socks: Asos


Breaking into new docs can hurt like hell. The leather is so stiff that I can still wear them without laces.
Though I also love how they look with a bare ankle, it's a lot less painful with a thin sock.


Can't let this go unmentioned; Happy liberation day! Exactly 68 years ago The Netherlands was liberated from Nazi Germany.
Enjoy the peace, if you're lucky enough to have it guys!

A C C E S S O R I E S / Basic Everyday Sandal

Had no idea that I was getting two for the price of one when I poured all my pennies in the Tibi Shane heels. A week later Tibi send me an email; they had found out that I loved their footwear and therefor wanted to send me another pair. Ahhh, felt like my birthday came early this year. I've already been playing around with the ankle straps and switching these smoky ones with the clear ones on the pair that I already had. These basic babies might even be more versatile than the pointy ones, All set for summer now!

A C C E S S O R I E S / Plastic

shoes: Prada (2010)
plastic bag
wallet: Comme des Garçons

It's almost graduating season, a lot of friends are busy with their final thesis, projects and collections.
Found this picture of my plastic accessories during last year's Artez graduating event, always the most exciting shows if you ask me, can't wait to see this year's showcases soon.

A C C E S S O R I E S / White, Pointed, Clear Strapped

shoes: Tibi

The Tibi Shane pumps were in my dreams for weeks. Well, not anymore!
They were a pretty big investment, but are a greater addition to my collection than 10 cheaper garments would have been.
Every old thing I wear with them just gets an instant update.