John Galliano. Why do I love almost everything designed in your name?! Okay, so the controversy continues but if they keep coming up with ideas like his Gazette Print coated with exotic prints and colors, who cares?! I love the effect of the transparent raincoat with that print underneath.

And the full-on colour continues throughout the John Galliano Kids this Spring-Summer 2013. Inspired by the vibrant hues of Rio, little girls are dressed in butterfly printed dresses with asymmetric carnivale ruffle tops, in frilled hem tees and jerseys with little flourishes. For the boys, olive green and yellow appear on trompe l’oeil tees, on new combat fatigues and reversible jackets. Available online at Melijoe.

Here is our next installment of Angle on Artists! I am completely and totally blown away by British artist, Stephen Wiltshire. He is a true inspiration to me and so many people all over the world.

Stephen draws and paints detailed cityscapes. He has a particular talent for drawing lifelike, accurate representations of cities, sometimes after having only observed them briefly. He was awarded an MBE for services to the art world in 2006. He studied Fine Art at City & Guilds Art College. His work is popular all over the world, and is held in a number of important collections.

Stephen was born in London  to West Indian parents on 24th April, 1974. As a child he was mute, and did not relate to other people. Aged three, he was diagnosed as autistic. He had no language and lived entirely in his own world.

At the age of five, Stephen was sent to Queensmill School in London, where they noticed that the only pastime he enjoyed was drawing. It became apparent he communicated with the world through the language of drawing; first animals, then London buses, and finally buildings. These drawings show a masterful perspective, a whimsical line, and reveal a natural innate artistry.

Stephen did this drawing from memory after having taken a 20 minute helicopter ride over New York City. Sheer genius.

Stephen has his own Gallery in London called, of course, The Stephen Wiltshire Gallery. It looks adorable. And if you are London, Stephen will be doing an in store signing at the Gallery on Friday the 26th of April between 2pm and 5pm. Get your prints, calendars, postcards or anything you wish, autographed by Stephen.

And here are some fascinating facts about Stephen:

favourite artist
Stephen’s favourite artist is Richard Estes. He likes almost anything from the hyper-realist painter.

new york penthouse
Stephen was still a teenager when he first designed his own penthouse in New York.

drawing people
He draws more portraits of people than buildings. Although, he keeps these compositions to his private sketchbook.

his first words
Stephen’s first words were paper and pencil (just like Picasso) and he fully learnt to speak at the age of nine.

just a normal guy
Despite Stephen’s astounding memory, whilst in Manhattan he still managed to get lost and walk 45 minutes in the wrong direction before finding Cheyenne’s Diner.

music
Stephen has perfect pitch and had been endorsed by The Royal College of Music to perform his piano and singing skills. Although, his true passion remains with drawing and painting.

first sale
Stephen was first commissioned at the age of 8 by late Prime Minister Ted Heath.

panorama
His largest ever drawing has been a panoramic view of Tokyo, measuring 10 metres in length. It took Stephen 8 days to complete the artwork using pen only.

words of inspiration
Stephen’s motto is “Do the best you can and never stop”.

Words to live by.
 
 

It’s Spring and even though it’s not the warmest Spring weather, Oona already started talking about popsicles today. And she got me thinking that popsicles are just the ticket-but something creamy as it’s not yet icy popsicle weather. With the layers of coconut cream pie pudding intermixed with crushed Samoa cookies, these Samoa Popsicles are also dipped in Chocolate Magic Shell and finished them with a sprinkling of toasted coconut. Perfection. I found these on the My Baking Addiction blog and will be making them very, very soon. To see full recipe, go here!

And I will definitely be buying this Zoku Quick Pop™ Maker so we can get these ready to eat in 7 minutes! Yes! I see lots and lots of popsicles in our future.

Well, the big news is that Bugaboo have teamed up with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and have come out with the most amazing Bugaboos. Stroke of genius, I say.  And….we were invited to their launch party here in NYC last week! The girls had an absolute blast drawing on the Andy Warhol flower wall and getting balloon animals made for them and indulging in the delicious food being catered. It was hard to drag them away from the candy table but I did my best. As for me, I was thinking that I really would have loved one of those flower embellished Bugaboos, but alas, almost past the stroller stage altogether!

And guess what, my little buddy Fulano was DJ’ing again. That kid is amazing – the girls were grooving to his music with their balloon animals. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any good photos of them. Oh well. Next time.

Here is my guest post on Bubble London Blog today!

Take a good look at the people above. They are the Creative Directors of new breakout label, Frank & Lu.

I am so thrilled to share some lovely work of my friend, Kymberly Marciano, a very talented kids’ fashion photographer who hails from LA! We met at the Petite Parade fashion show for which she had the job of shooting all the kiddos and we had a tea together. (We all know I love that!)

And above are some shots from her spread in Miss Bradshaw a couple of weeks ago. Below, some from the Norman Rockwell inspired story in the last issue of Babiekins magazine , shot at Magnolia bakery in LA. What I love about Kymberly’s work is how the kids in her shots all seem to be filled with inner light.  Very sweet. Here is her website so you can see more loveliness!  See below, also my mini-interview with Kymberly.

Jeanne: What inspired you to get into children’s fashion?

Kymberly: With my strong background in fashion, I was very stimulated by the world of fashion overall. My start in the kid’s world was actually with kid’s beauty and haircare. We developed a brand inspired by my daughter. I soon developed a kid’s haircare line for Guess kids, launched it and was their spokesperson in late 1994. It launched so successfully that it led to a entire line of baby and kid products for Guess. As I moved away from my modeling career and had another child, by 1996, I saw the massive potential in the larger kid’s market. I saw the huge trend starting, with designers expanding their brands and introducing kid’s and layette lines. Naturally, I hopped on this immediately, and began to seriously commit myself to the children’s photography market. By 2000, I had established Kymberly Marciano Photography and shot my first editorial for Vogue Bambini. I continue to photograph children of all ages, and I work with philanthropic organizations with an emphasis on kids causes.
And, of course, I love being a wife and mommy.

Jeanne: What is your current inspiration for photoshoots?

Kymberly: The ambience and the atmosphere influence me enormously. Trends in fashion most definitely inspire me, and get the creative juices to flow. I’d have to say the color Emerald Green will be the source of inspiration for my next shoot!

Jeanne: What is your favorite time during a production or producing a shoot?

Kymberly: Over the years I have developed a strong ability to cast great talent, oversee production on all levels, and strongly believe in creating a narrative with a beginning, middle and end…I conceptualize and collaborate with other creatives, enjoy the research and tactile part of the process, I prefer to scout all my shoots personally, and am lucky to have a great team to help execute our sometimes ambitious projects! Shoot day is the absolute best part, seeing the fruits of everyone’s efforts and talents come together!

Aww, I am just crazy about these recycled and artistic toys. re:Something and designer,  A.M. Victoria Ladefoged is an innovative Danish design company devoted to creating a sustainable consumer culture by developing high quality designs from recycled materials. They turn waste into high-end fashion and other cutting edge designs. The animal collection above was handcrafted from recycled wooden road sign bars. Waste never looked so stylish and charming! If you live in Denmark, you are in luck as there are shops who sell these right here.

Every now and then you come across a label that is so simple and refreshing and contemporary. That’s Tuss! This Swedish label for girls from 1- 12 years is all about the essentials with pared down lines and just a touch of detail. Even the photos taken in the Swedish countryside are fresh and vital. To find stores around the world who sell Tuss, visit this link.

Every now and then I see kids’ rooms that make me think I am just not doing enough! Let’s face it, the girls’ room is very simple and well, not a fantasy playground like some of these rooms. And I dream of really going in there and creating a whole world for them. Maybe I will one day. Or maybe it will stay simple. In any case, I love to see rooms like these where imaginations run wild!

Via

We have a fantastic giveaway from Snuggly Uggly! We are giving away the TWO cashmere pillowcases above (value $52 each), AND the super cute Mr. Three Eyes Snuggly Monster (value $75). OR any monster of your preference on www.snuggly-ugly.com. And it all goes to the one winner!

To be in it to win it: All you have to do is…

1. comment below and

2. like Bellissima Kids Facebook page, here,  and Snuggly Ugly Facebook page, here.

Simple.This is open to people all over the world. Don’t miss out on your chance!

And make sure you check out the Snuggly Ugly website to see all the other adorable dolls which are made with the hand needle felting technique and all the other modern cashmere pillowcases they have on offer.

I met with the lovely Marta of Tocotó Vintage a few weeks ago at Playtime and was so touched by this nostalgic and romantic label. Tocotó is inspired by Marta’s love for her children, love for the sea and for her small island of Formentera in Spain. Sounds wonderful. When are we going?!

Marta recovered vintage patterns and garments purchased in antique markets in her many travels to model her label on. The winning features of these beautiful clothes for babies and toddlers are the weathered, dusty colours ranging from grey, taupe, pink and blue, with little hoods and touches of lace. I would have loved these for the girls when they were younger. To find a retailer, just email: info@tocotovintage.com.

Also, check out the lovely, breezy video of Tocotó shot on Formentera below.

What great toys by Acne JR – a Swedish company based in Stockholm. They make traditional, iconic, toys in a modern way. I really love the apple with the worm that comes in or out. Really wonderful. To check out the whole range go to the Acne website.

What a vision of cuteness that appeared in my inbox this morning! This is Rhapsody in Pink and White – a gorgeous nursery by baby concierge and design team, Sissy + Marley for a very lucky little girl named Victoria, who is just below. I love the precious selection of toys including quite a few Jess Brown dolls all around the room and that wonderful goose on the wall. The touches of silver to lift it all really work too. To see more magic by this duo, check out their website!

I just love what these personal collections of these kids say about the lives of the owners by Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti. He spent 18 months travelling the world, documenting children with their most prized possessions – toys. To see the full story go to his site.

I had such an emotional reaction when I came upon these compilations and works by Toulouse artist, Isabelle Rey. Something so ephemeral and French and poetic. Hard to explain. But feels like something about connecting with the innocence and picturebooks and imagery of my childhood. Isabelle is a portraitist of interiors, and has painted the interiors of celebrities such as Yves Saint Laurent. And her work has been featured in Elle Decoration, W, Victoria Magazine and Vogue.

She also has a charming Etsy store and has curated these “Exquisite Papers”, a selection of vintage papers and just random things that come all wrapped in a cellophane envelope for you to scrapbook or collage or be inspired by. I know I am.

Above are some of her sweet woodblock collages and pendants which are also available in her shop. I am smitten by the little bunny in a funk! And below, a print you can purchase of one of her interior paintings.

This cute tree house is set among the trees of the west coast rainforest of Vancouver Island in Canada. This handcrafted sphere is suspended like a pendant from a web of rope. 

We have a fascination for all things treehouses here at Bellissima. And I thought it was about time for another installment of these wonders! See some of the other amazing ones here and here that we featured earlier on.

Located in Okinawa, Japan, this cool tree house by Kobayashi Takashi was constructed with the purpose of communicating with outer space. The interior, as well as exterior are definitely out of this world!

Posing as a Japanese lantern on stilts, this beautiful tree house by Lukasz Kos is located within the trees of Lake Muskoka in Canada. 

This playful tree house is located in the World of Living park near Strasbourg, Germany. The treehouse cabin is propped up by seven asymmetric larch-supports. What a place to spend some reading time, or a day of relaxation!

These tree houses are located in Washington state, and are actually hotels! 

This cute animated tree house is The Naha Harbor Diner in Okinawa, Japan. The tree house lies at the very top of a huge Gajumaru tree about 20 feet above the ground. Sadly, that is not a real Gajumaru tree, – it is actually concrete!

This enlightening creative restaurant is located in Auckland, New Zealand, designed by Peter Eising and Lucy Gauntlet.

This treehouse is up in the great heights in Hokkaido, Japan. A place to get in touch with your inner nature, or to wait for Tarzan and Jane to arrive!

Made by the TreeHouse Co, in Scotland, this tree house is a 45-foot spire with cedar shingles, a copper turret, a side deck and two staircases with multilevel verandas. 

Dutch designer Jurgen Bey has created a classroom to inspire and draw out the extraordinary in young minds. The classroom interior project is part of the ROC training school at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.  The aim was to create an environment that enables students to start their studies in a space with room for investigation, for trial and error, for study and personal development.

Almost every surface of the room is covered with images found in books used at the school. Using mainly a palette of white and grey, Bey placed graphics on walls, furniture and even the floor. Moveable screens allow the room to open completely or divide spaces depending on the activity.

A key feature – the wear-resistant flooring system made with Senso Freeze, contains a transparent resin where digital photographs were embedded into the surface. Every inch of this space bursts with creativity and awesomeness – we can only imagine what kind of inspiration a space like this will generate in the young minds lucky enough to spend time here!

I’m pretty excited about H&M’s new Conscious Collection for kids and tweens. Not only because the clothes are colorful, fresh, fun and affordable (Love the horse print on the dress above!), but because H&M has made big moves towards sustainability and are now the world’s largest user of organic cotton. You have to congratulate a global leader in garment production for an initiative like that. So, here it is: Congratulations H&M for this mighty effort!

You also might have seen the ads with Vanessa Paradis for the women’s line:  Conscious Exclusive, a party wear collection that nods to old Hollywood glamour that is made from 100 percent recycled polyester. Here is the commercial with Vanessa and a bit of behind-the-scenes footage.

And besides the Conscious Exclusive collection, H&M has just released its Sustainability Report 2012. One of the highlights is that the company has become the first global retailer to give customers the opportunity to return old clothes from any brand, as long as they are reusable, to its stores. Very cool!

Okay, here it is. Little Creative Factory: my latest “coup de foudre” as we say in French. That means, I am just in love with everything about this label! The brainchild of two moms, Cristina and Esther, who also happen to be two of the former top architects in Barcelona, have really hit the golden note with this brand.

I met the lovely and passionate duo at Playtime and experienced the concept, quality, thought and genius in their beloved label. Even this photo shoot took place in an old textile mill to create a synergy with their ethos of quality fabrics and production like the old days. All of their pieces are carefully crafted in Barcelona. And I so appreciated their necessary and vital approach to detail, function and aesthetics. They also design ranges for teens and women. Available at these retailers. And if you are in New York, at the gorgeous shop, Sweet William.