May 18 2013

Categories: NEWS & BLOG, CREATIVES, NEWS & BLOG, FASHION, NEWS & BLOG, MUSIC, NEWS & BLOG, PARIS | Posted by: admin

SAINT- LAURENT TAKES AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE

As we are sure all you fashion-lovers have (unless living under a rock), noticed that YSL is no more – this is actually a little on the sad side. The house of Yves Saint Laurent is no longer present, but in all fairness, we are also glad that this brand and memory of the famous “YSL” iconic image will remain un-touched and will live through archives and true (now vintage) collector’s pieces. Now, through the brand’s transformation, has come the new “Saint Laurent ” – a completely fresh take on modern glamour. Appointed creative director of Saint Laurent in March 2012, French fashion designer and photographer Hedi Slimane is internationally known for his association with rock bands like Mick Jagger, Jack White, Franz Ferdinand and The Kills, asking them to produce original music for catwalk shows.

Mar 02 2013

HIGHLIGHTS OF PARIS FASHION WEEK

Categories: NEWS & BLOG, FASHION, NEWS & BLOG, PARIS | Posted by: admin

PARIS FASHION WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

KA MAGAZINE’S Higlights from Paris Fashion Week Fall / Winter 2013 – 14

LA MAISON ERES OPENS A SPARKLING BOUTIQUE IN CANADA

13 Jul 2012 | Categories: ARCHIVES | Posted by: admin

What was once a distant commodity for Canadians to have pieces from this Parisian Lingerie and Swimwear brand, is no longer so unattainable. With Eres’ first Canadian store opening in Toronto, they have now made their mark in the Great North. With only a few warm months in this beautiful and at times very cold country, Eres knows how to bring the HOT and SEXY to even the most frigid winters with pieces that exude such architectural and feminine aesthetic. And let’s not forget, Eres swimsuits are made of a very special fabric that dries in a whopping 4 minutes!

The boutique is located at 126 Cumberland Street in Yorkville.

Visit the Eres website to view their latest creations that “illustrate the art of the body”http://www.eresparis.com/

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Oct 14 2009

Interview with young Mr. CREED

Categories: Uncategorized | Posted by: admin

KA MAGAZINE TALKS WITH ERWIN CREED — FALL 2009

KA — The lovers of CREED perfume have gotten younger and younger over the years. What do you think is the reason for this?

EC — CREED is historical, yet very contemporary. I think anyone would say Acqua Fiorentina is a contemporary fragrance. It is light and versatile, with an appeal across generations. I can attribute this to the skill of my father, the master perfumer, who sets the creative direction. As an artist, he is in touch with the 249-year legacy of CREED, of course, but also in touch with the moment. It is not an easy thing to achieve, creatively.

KA —The CREED brand remains synonymous with the best in the world. What makes you so focused on this level of quality, in a world where this is the first thing to cut?

EC — For us, there is no other way than the long, painstaking way of creation, like a painter or sculptor. Beyond that, some of the methods we use in making fragrances are exactly the same as they were in 1760 when the company was founded, for example, the way we macerate ingredients. Our hand methods require great physical labor and expenditure of time. Certainly, it could be done more quickly and less expensively if we used more chemicals, fewer natural ingredients and greater mechanization. But then it would not be CREED. It would be like everything else. My father and I still travel the world to select the best ingredients — the best bergamot, the best iris, the best roses. We meet with the farmers and growers and make the selection ourselves. Then it all comes back to our workshop in Fontainebleau, where my father, I and a team of just 35 people do all of the physical work of creating fragrance from blooms, buds, fruits, spices and woods — creation, bottling and sending to our clients, all by hand. Of course, the creative concept is my father’s. I assist him more and more. This is our way. We have a family method, seven generations strong, and it works for us. It will not change.

KA — Scent is such a personal thing, yet you and your father have succeeded in translating a series of scents that become personal to many unique individuals. How is this achieved?

EC — A given scent may smell different on each person, depending on PH levels in the skin, the wearer’s geographical location, for example, in warmer or colder climates and so on. Each person brings a unique chemistry to a fragrance. What is much more interesting is that an individual’s choice of fragrance provides a unique insight into his or her personality. For example, you can go to the CREED counter at Holt Renfrew, Neiman Marcus, Harrod’s, Printemps or Lane Crawford and smell the CREED fragrances worn by — and in some cases made specifically for — historical figures such as Eva Peron, who wore CREED Ambre Cannelle, or Amber Cinnamon. Appreciating the fragrance such a person held dear tells you a bit more about them and adds a dimension to what you’ve read about them in books.

KA — When we work with music, we have to listen to music at low volumes to be able to keep the sense of hearing always sharp. How is this achieved in an art in which you need to use the full sense of smell?

EC — The sense of smell is an extraordinary one. The human nose can detect innumerable individual notes of fragrance. This is part of the joy of composition. When my father and I are creating a new fragrance, a process that can takes years, we wear only the fragrance we are creating. We wear it — and live in it — day by day, changing it, adding to it, lessening it, refining it, building it, day by day, moving toward a creative ideal. My father is the ultimate judge of when a fragrance is complete, and that is a difficult judgment to make, as with any artist. It is a subjective question. So we may ask the impression of a friend or other family member. But it is the master creator’s nose that is the essential one.

KA — There is a theory that we smell not with our nose alone, but with our very soul — the essence of who we are. What is your take on this theory?

EC — I appreciate that theory because a fragrance, let’s say violets, may be very evocative for you, immediately calling to mind a childhood memory. Virtually everyone has had this experience, the amazing connection between fragrance and memory. Some memories are certainly held not just in the mind, but also in the heart and soul, for example, memories of love. So I appreciate what you are saying. We cannot predict, when creating a fragrance, what emotions or memories it may provoke in you. We have an idea, based on our experience and our own reaction to what we’ve created. But like any art, fragrance is subjective. The important question is what a fragrance means to you, and we hope that what we are creating will stir the heart, the mind and even the soul.

KA — The perfume of flowers (as in incense burning) is considered to be the bridge between celestial and terrestrial. Do you consider the art of making perfume to be a bridge between the physical and the spiritual?

EC — It’s an interesting question. Certainly, the ancient Egyptians considered fragrance a bridge between the physical and spiritual, and they included fragrance in the rituals of the pharaohs. As you’ve pointed out, incense is viewed this way in many places — as a fragrant smoke to lift a spirit or plea to those above. The CREED fragrance Angelique Encens, or Angelic Incense, incorporates this idea. It’s one of our rarest creations, quite hard to find — because it is quite difficult for us to make and cannot be hand made on a constant basis! The fragrance was originally created by CREED in 1933 for the bishop of Paris. The fragrance is meant to evoke the interior of the cathedral of Notre Dame: wood, stone, incense, the warmth of flame. It is evocative and powerful as a fragrance. Certainly this fragrance was created with the concept of the spiritual foremost in mind. But as I say, we do not make this fragrance often, and it will soon no longer be available in North America at all, only in Paris.

KA — What triggers you to create a new fragrance?

EC — The same impulse that triggers the sculptor to pick up his tools, the painter his brush or the architect his pad. For us, it is the same. The creative impulse seeks its own expression. It occurs at its own time. It cannot be predicted, and it cannot be controlled. It arrives. One must be ready when it does. Ready in terms of technical preparation to bring the creative to fruition. Making fragrance is a creative endeavor — with all of the exhilaration and frustration that it entails. Before my father joined the family company, he painted more than 100 canvases. I too have painted. At CREED, for 249 years, we move toward a notion of perfection, creatively speaking, fragrance by fragrance, pursuing a vision of the true, the good and the beautiful. That is the best way I can express it.

KA — What is your definition of the term “best in the world”?

EC — The best in the world is that which is born of the purest intention and is pursued with the greatest vigor — intellectually and creatively — sparing nothing.

KA — What single event has created the most profound life change for you personally?

EC — Surviving a crash during an automobile road race in France in 2008. The car was destroyed, but I was unharmed.

KA — What music are you listening to presently?

EC — This is a great question. You know, people who live for fragrance tend also to be very interested in cuisine, art and music. I am. On my iPod you will find a bit of everything, truly. I travel a great deal, continent to continent. Part of what remains with me when I leave a country, whether it’s India, Brazil or America, is their music, whether it’s music of celebration or romance. Recently, I was very impressed with the American band, Chester French, who coincidentally are very appreciative of CREED fragrances. But I listen to everything.

KA — Where in the world do you find the best flowers for your fragrances?

EC — My father and I might find the best and most fragrant oil from roses in Bulgaria. We may find the best irises in Egypt, the best violets in Italy. But fragrance also requires woods, fruits, spices and other materials. So our travels take us everywhere, from the royal sandalwood forests of Mysore, India, where harvesting wood is expensive — and properly so because it is done in an environmentally sound way — to Calabria for lemons to Ceylon for lotus flowers. In many cases, my family has been in business with growers for generations, so we get the best.

KA — Who is Erwin CREED?

EC — Your friend.

ACQUA FIORENTINA — NEW WOMEN’S FRAGRANCE FROM CREED

Acqua Fiorentina is hand made from the flowers and fruits from the orchards of Florence. Greengage plum is the masterpiece’s top note. Renaissance roses, pink carnations, vivid bergamot and Calabrian lemon are the master’s choice for the thriving heart. Warm base notes of Virginia cedar and Indian sandalwood are the sculpted wood frame for this work of art.

Available as of September 1st 2009 in Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and select Saks stores (US) Holt Renfrew across Canada and Ogilvy in Montreal, Printemps and Bon Marche in France, and Harrod’s in England.

May 27 2009

Balance – With Dr. Chanh Tran Tien : Brussels, Paris, Montreal

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Why does everything go back to Balance if left alone — Going to a place where energy is no longer needed to reach great distances. Can this be applied to our lives? Is there a co-relation to harmony & success ? Are we by nature, stress creatures, or harmony and balance driven?

Without balance, any system in nature will die. Are we as individuals, killing ourselves slowly with our “unbalance”— Is this by extension, killing our world slowly — Then, to create a solution would be the imperative of the individual ( be it a global imperative of the collective individual)…

KA, in the Balance Series, will tackle this subject from the perspective of balancing our most important asset : Our Health.

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INTERVIEW WITH DR. CHANH TRAN TIEN — KA MAGAZINE, SUMMER 2009 ( translation francaise )

1. KA — Mind over body seems to be as old as our species, yet it is only recently that we are realizing the strong effect our thoughts have on our general well being. How much influence do you think this connection has on us?

Dr. — In the extreme oriental culture, we believe that the body and the spirit are the expressions of one (1) and the same reality. They are believed to be inseparable, like the Yin and Yang. Modern thought and medicine have now started to separate the two, yet have thought the notion of life down to a molecular science. Because of this, we now speak of organic and “psychosomatic” diseases. In Chinese medicine, the term “psychosomatic” doesn’t exist because for them, most everything is psychosomatic – this depends only on how we look at things. For me however, it is undeniable that thought has so much influence on our general well being and health.

KA — La théorie stipulant que l’esprit contrôle le corps existe depuis des générations cependant, ce n’est que récemment que nous réalisons le pouvoir que nos pensées ont sur notre bien-être général. À quel point croyez-vous que nous sommes influencés par ceci ?

Dr. — Dans la culture extreme orientale, on pense que le corps et l’esprit ne sont que les expressions d’une seule et meme réalité. Ils sont indissociables comme le Yin et le Yang. La pensée moderne ainsi que la médecine contemporaine ont commencé par séparer le corps et l’esprit, ce qui aboutit à une vision très moléculaire et parcellée de la vie. On parle alors de maladies organiques et de maladies psychosomatiques. Dans la médecine chinoise, le terme de “psychosomatique” n’existe pas car pour eux tout est forcément psychosomatique. Cela dépend seulement de l’angle sous laquelle on observe les chose. Pour moi il est indéniable que la pensée a une influence sur notre bien etre générale et notre santé.

2. KA — When you think of diets, the picture that comes to mind is nothing that satisfies the pleasure of eating is allowed, but you seem to go in an opposite direction. Are the results of diet then based more on balance than a specific method of starvation?

Dr. — When it comes to “weight loss diet” and nutrition, I find that the word “balance” has often been misused. Balance is a relative notion, which must be brought to a precise situation. If one wishes to eat well and maintain a healthy weight, it is obvious that one needs to eat a “balanced” diet! Balance, is by definition, when things do not move, when they are stable. For instance, a store that is balanced will not lose money, but it will not make any either! Therefore, with a balanced diet, we don’t gain or loose any weight. In fact, if one wishes to lose weight, they must come to the understanding that they will need to deprive themselves temporarily of elements in their current nutrition. Many think that when they wish to lose weight, the pleasure lies in the foods that they eat. But in fact, the joy is in knowing that you have now gained control over your body, which has for so long been ignored.

KA — Quand nous pensons aux régimes amaigrissants, tout de suite nous croyons que les plaisirs de la table ne sont pas permis cependant, vous semblez croire le contraire. Alors, est-ce que les résultats des diètes sont plus influencés par l’équilibre qu’une méthode spécifique de privation ?

Dr. — En matière de régime amaigrissant et de nutrition, je pense que le mot équilibre a été souvent mal employé. Un équilibre est une notion relative, et doit se rapporter à une situation précise. Si vous voulez manger sainement et maintenir votre poids de forme, il est évident qu’il faut alors manger équilibré. Mais aussi étonnant que cela puisse paraitre, j’affirme que pour maigrir, il ne faut pas manger équilibré! Un équilibre, par définition, c’est quand les choses ne bougent pas, c’est un état stable. Par exemple, un commerce équilibré ne gagne pas d’argent mais n’en perd pas non plus. Donc avec un équilibre alimentaire, on ne prend pas de poids mais on n’en perd pas non plus. En fait, pour perdre quelque chose, en l’occurence du poids, il va falloir accepter l’idée qu’il faut se priver temporairement de quelque chose dans notre alimentation. Beaucoup de gens se trompent en croyant que pendant la perte de poids, le plaisir doit résider dans ce que l’on mange; Non le vrai plaisir réside dans le fait de reprendre possession de son propre corps qu’on a longtemps délaissé.

3. KA — The art of mind and body balance has long seemed out of reach for us mere mortals to achieve. When we think of mind and body balance, the Monks of Tibet seem to be the only thing that pops up, leaving me to sit back and relax in my armchair since hey, I’m no monk! so it’s ok to slack off,… but you suggest that this balance is achievable by everyone?

Dr. — Tibetan monks seem to have found a middle ground between meditation and detachment. However, in our modern society, the search for vacuity is far from priority. It seems to be thought that as a people, we would be in such harmony- if only we only searched more for “ourselves” rather than search for “things”. Being in a constant state of wanting leaves you with the frustration of always wanting something. But who and what are we waiting for?! To finally feel like we exist? To simply shift your attention to “being” (which we are already) your whole world will change.

KA — L’art de l’équilibre entre l’esprit et le corps semble être un idéal impossible à atteindre pour les communs des mortels. Les Moines du Tibet sont le seul exemple qui me vient en tête de personnes qui ont réussi ce tour de force. Vous suggérez cependant que cet équilibre est atteignable par tous ?

Dr. — Les moines du Tibet semblent trouver un équilibre dans la méditation et le détachement, dans notre société moderne et occidentale la quete de la vacuité est bien loin de nos préoccupations quotidiennes. Pourtant, il me semble que nous serions infiniment plus en harmonie avec nous memes, si nous étions moins dans la quete d’avoir mais d’avantage dans la quete d’etre. L’avoir nous emmène dans une situation de frustration et d’attente, un peu comme si nous étions assis sur un quai de gare à attendre. Mais attendre qui, attendre quoi ? Attendre d’exister enfin dans notre vie ? Alors que “etre”, nous le sommes déjà, encore faut il en etre conscient.

4. KA — Losing weight seems to be the struggle between one extreme and the next, weight loss followed by weight gain. The mere fact that this has spawned a large industry, by definition means that it is a business. The fact that weight loss is a business means that it must keep it’s clients coming back. This is a cycle of loss and gain and return for more help. Your plan seems to fly against this reasoning, and you want people to keep the weight off and have fun too.

Dr. — Unfortunately, losing weight is a process that is unnatural. Only people who are either very ill or depressed will tend to lose weight without making the real effort. From this, we need to understand that to gain a few pounds after a diet, is something completely normal. It is a natural reaction, and it’s certainly nothing to feel upset about. A diet is not a magical vaccine against weight! Until we truly understand the psychology behind each pound, we risk to gain it back.

KA — La perte de poids semble être une lutte entre les contraires ; la perte de poids suivie par un gain de poids. La perte de poids a engendré une grande industrie et des profits énormes. Les gains financiers sont assurés tant et aussi longtemps que les clients partent et reviennent. Le cycle « perte de poids/gain de poids/retour pour plus d’aide » est primordial pour la survie de l’industrie. Votre plan semble aller à l’encontre de ce raisonnement et vous souhaitez que les gens perdent du poids et aient même du plaisir dans le processus ?

Dr. — Malheureusement, maigrir est un processus anti-naturel. Seules les personnes très malades ou très dépressives maigrissent spontanément sans faire de régime. De ce fait il faut accepter que reprendre un peu de poids après un régime, est un processus normal.Ce n’est ni un échec du régime, ni un échec personnel. Un régime n’est pas un vaccin définitif contre le poids ! Et tant qu’on n’aura pas compris que chaque livre raconte une histoire, on risque de reprendre son poids ; Une histoire hormonale mais souvent une histoire triste aussi.

5. KA — How do you create a balance in your life?

Dr. — I try as best I can to have fun in everything I do. I find that the words : fun, love, action, existence and presence all really mean the same thing. The opposite is also true- where the words : not fun, waiting , hate, and absence also mean the same thing. Because I know this, I try to live my life in a state of constant awareness, and not to live the “day to day” consequences of life.

KA — Comment réussissez-vous à créer l’équilibre dans votre vie ?

Dr. — J’essaie d’avoir du plaisir dans tout ce que je fais. Je pense que les mots plaisir, aimer, agir, exister et etre présent à sa vie veulent dire la meme chose. A l’inverse les mots déplaisir, subir, attendre et etre absent à sa vie expriment aussi la meme idée. A partir de ce raisonnement, j’essaie d’etre en permanence à ma vie et surtout éviter de vivre, comme on dit, au jour le jour qui revient en fait à subir sa vie.

6. KA — We see over and over when a person is depressed, the first sign is that they neglect their appearance. Do you suggest that if this is held on to at all means (not to become a victim of fashion) that the chances are they might resist the depression a sort of reverse, creating matter over mind?

Dr. — People who are overweight or depressed live some sort of separation with their “true selves”. They often feel like they live in a body that is not theirs. They don’t love it, so they have tendencies to neglect themselves. More often than not, they wear clothing that will hide them, rather than make them feel good. However, to take care of one’s appearance (without being narcissistic) is proving that we are able to love ourselves- through it all- without the need to resemble anyone else..

KA — Nous constatons souvent que les gens déprimés ont tendance à négliger leur apparence. Suggérez-vous que si ces personnes résistent cette tendance (sans toutefois devenir des victimes de la mode) ils pourraient résister à leur maladie, prouvant ainsi que le corps peut aussi contrôler l’esprit ?

Dr. — Les gens déprimés ou en surpoids vivent une sorte de dissociation ou séparation avec eux memes. Ils ont souvent l’impression d’habiter dans un corps qui n’est pas le leur, alors ils ont tendance à se négliger car ils ne s’aiment plus. Le plus souvent, ils portent que des vetements qui les cachent et non les vetements qui leur plaisent. Pourtant, soigner son apparence n’a rien de narcissique, c’est se prouver qu’on est capable de s’aimer tel qu’on est, sans chercher à ressembler à qui que se soit.

7. KA — Five words to describe Chanh Tran Tien

Dr. — Passionately in love with life

KA — Qui est Chanh Tran Tien en cinq mots ?

Dr. — Passionnément amoureux de la vie.