maanantai 19. joulukuuta 2011

... Picnic at Hanging Rock

Why is it so that there are millions of films in the world and only about twenty of them can be described precious? I, having seen a fair amount of generally recognized films, can only nominate these:
Titanic
Spirited away
In the mood for love
The Crying Game
Vertigo
Gladiator
And then there is Picnic at Hanging Rock.
Now that I examine my list I do notice some similarities between the films. They all have the certain nuance of mystery (except for Titanic and Gladiator, which I praise because they make me cry) and they all are visually stunning. They also seem to exist just for themselves, not to execute any determinate function. L´art pour l´art, I should say.
Picnic at Hanging Rock is particularly dear to me because it has taken the concept of enigmas to the whole new level. And it is - how to say it - formidably beautiful. One of the few movies I wouldn´t change the slightest bit if I had a chance to. I admit there are resembling films that have had a great influence on me even though they have some notable imperfections. Films like Inception have fitting ambience but lack imagination. Films like Black Swan are spectacular but too abominable for me. Picnic at the Hanging Rock, however, is neither of the types. It´s creepy, but not too creepy - and it´s imaginatively cryptic. I´m glad I´ve seen it. It makes me believe it is possible to create something that´s important - sometimes.
It is really too bad that PHR  isn´t available here in Finland - my mother had to order it via some foreign website. It is also irritating that if its name is translated into finnish - as I have sometimes heard to happen - it alters to mean "Picnic at a gallow", "Huviretki hirttopaikalle", which I think totally changes the idea. I mean, it sounds like a name of a western! Or a half-baked black comedy. Well, I can vaguely see the connection between hanging as an execution and hanging as a geolocigal feature. It´s still quite a transition.

keskiviikko 14. joulukuuta 2011

... fashion show

So, I was on this fashion design course and had an assignment to modify an own assortment of evening wear. I was to use unusual, eco-friendly materials such as second hand clothing or an old fishing net and turn them into new clothes. Then I was to exhibit them at the independence day celebration with other pieces by other designers.
After weeks and weeks of stressful organizing and lurking for materials in dumpsters I finally had some pieces to show to the people and, astonishing as it is, some models to wear them, too. I´m thankful for my lovely relatives Veera Ekman and Riikka and Henrik Wikström for making it possible to do an actual fashion show instead of just one outfit worn by me! It was my first show... I wonder if it´ll be my last. 
Let me introduce my collection of evening wear for the spring 2012: Hawaiian rivets. The music I used at the show was a piece from Mew, and is - naturally - called Hawaii.  
  





I´m sorry for not showing all of the outfits from head to toe. The quality of some of the photos is so poor, I think they would not have looked neat. Especially I have to say that Riikka´s outfit is not showing here sufficiently. I´m sorry, Riikka =)
Sunny models at the backstage
In case someone is interested I´m going to tell you now a little about the outfits. 
The story behind my outfit: The velvet body was originally an old frock. I found the fabric for the lower part at a dumpster. The skirt I found as it was in a flea market. I just love the way it suits to my late hair colour ;) The collar I made out of garbage leather and rivets I ripped off from a denim jacket - which I also found at a dumpster. I wanted to make the arms of the body extra long because normally the sleeves are always too short for me. 

I wanted my outfit to be gothic, delicate and colourful.




The story behind Henkkas outfit:
I found the smock in the dumpster and ripped off sleeves.
The trousers I found in a flea market.
I wanted to create a men´s outfit which would not be too dandy but still would have some colour and impish twist. Fortunately Henkka owned suitable accessories, to break the image of an "countryman". It was actually his idea initially, and quite good, too.
The elephant brooch I like so much I think I will use it myself xD It´s made of an old toy.



The story behind Veeras outfit: I found the shirt and the baubles at a dumpster, except the feather earring I made of one I found in the ground in Madeira. The trousers are from a leave-here-box. I wore them also in the update for the date 17.11.2011. I just fringed the shirt and glued pieces of garbage leather on the knees of the trousers.
I think on the show Veera was "the Hawaiian" and others were "the Rivets". Well, nothing wrong with that. Her outfit was the first I created.


Particulars in Riikkas outfit

The collar for my outfit

The story behind Riikkas outfit: I found the frock at a dumpster. I shaped it a little, narrowed the waist and rounded the hem. I made the leather accessories out of an old belt and rivets from the denim jacket.
I like the plainness of Riikkas outfit, as well as the rose details.
A godparent picture was a must :)
I had to put this picture, too, just for the cuteness :D

torstai 8. joulukuuta 2011

... dreams

I put here this music video because it has some resemblance to my dreams. I often dream about things that are supposed to be unpleasant but are not. For instance, I once had a dream in which I had some kind of stoned outer space monkey stuck to my left leg. It was repugnant in a way for it had a skin wounded and hairless and it grimaced eerily at me. Still I wasn´t worried till I finally loosed it and slided it along the floor of some kind of book store. Unfortunately I was seen and afterwards sent to prison for life.  But I had time to wake up before completing the life sentence. 
Now that I recollect my dreams I recall only one truly happy dream. I received a letter from the certain somebody and went to the station to wait for him. In the letter it stood:
Not anymore her
it´s you now
But I woke up before he came. 
That´s the one I missed when I woke up. Most of the time dreams are just an intriguing way to spend one´s nights. And they can be visually dazzling, like some paintings by russian neo-surrealistic painter Vladimir Kush. I wish my dreams always looked like his paintings! I´ve had some with colossal waterfalls and stairs, but with butterflies and Gladioli... no, not yet... I keep dreaming.


tiistai 6. joulukuuta 2011

... the dramatic change of circumstances

 This is what the landscape looked like couple of days ago - depressingly autumnal.
This is what it looked like early this morning.
I can´t understand people who prefer the former to the latter. I mean, what´s the idea with four seasons if they´re not properly distinguished? And what´s the idea with a Christmas without snow?
I´m positive I will be made to do some shoveling this winter as well, but this can´t inhibit my glee. Please, clouds, I´m begging you, don´t  stop snowing! I´m still waiting for the sweet blizzard.

... the first snow

I couldn´t have been more surprised than I was when I opened my eyes in the morning and realized the white glow behind the window. It´s finally here! Winter! 



mother´s old jacket from flea market, dress H&M, shoes flea market







Olen niin onnellinen siitä, että talvi tuntuu viimein alkaneen! Olin jo tyystin menettänyt toivoni valkoisesta joulusta, mutta tänään kaikki tuntuikin valoisammalta... Mikäs sen sopivampaa, kun nyt on itsenäisyyspäiväkin. Kunpa lämpötila vain pysyisi nollan alapuolella, ettei lumi sulaisi pois yhtä äkisti kuin on tullutkin!

torstai 1. joulukuuta 2011

... ballads for December

Oh snow, where art thou!?! I´ve been waiting for you about... let me count... nine months, approximately, starting from some vague day of April when you last showed up. We had such a magical white winter last year, so ravishing, I almost knew it couldn´t occur twice. But I can´t help longing for it...
I´m sorry, but this depressive twilight without a single glimpse of light reflecting from drifts provokes an inevitable craving to listen to Mew. So, don´t get upset for the list not being so versatile this time.

Mew Mew Mew! Kuinkahan monta kertaa olen kuunnellut Her voice is beyond her earsin? Varmaan miljoona... Tämän päivän aikana.
Mew on muuten ainoa bändi maailmassa, joka tulee koskaan ylittämään ns. fanikynnykseni. Se on luultavaa, koska tieteellisestikin todistamaton tosiseikka on, että fanitus ylipäänsä kuuluu enimmäkseen 10-30-vuotiaiden harrastuksiin. On vaikeaa kuvitella, että reiluun kymmeneen vuoteen musiikkibisnekseen pistää nokkaansa yksikään vakavasti otettava artisti, joka voisi haastaa Mewin. Siispä olen turvassa uusilta hullaantumisilta aina tylsäksi aikuiseksi saakka...
Ohops. Käyntiin taisi pyörähtää toistokerta 1 000 003.