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In January 2013 Philipp Bree introduced his first collection of bags and accessories in both Berlin and Paris. Bree’s philosophy centers on creating beloved objects that nurture individuality through daily use. His profound fondness for cherished possessions is reflected in his blog devoted to showcasing a curation of such items from friends and family.
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Dries Van Noten’s show “The Woman Who Dares to Cut Her Own Fringe” encapsulates boldness and a purposeful fusion of various rich spectrum of colors, textures, and unexpected combinations that took center stage, highlighting a spirit of spontaneity and creative expression. Models confidently flaunted zip-up hoodies with one sleeve off and button-down shirts worn in reverse, illustrating Van Noten’s knack for blending unconventional elements in a quirky yet intentional manner. Despite the unconventional pairings, each garment exuded individuality and stood out on its own merit. Van Noten’s uniqueness stems from his steadfast dedication to challenging conventions and embracing individuality, empowering individuals to embrace their distinct style with assurance and liberation.
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Matthew M. Williams’s second runway collection for Givenchy showcased a newfound straightforwardness rooted in what people are really interested in wearing. The almost monochromatic – save for splashes of purple, blue and yellow – streetwear-focused collection saw a slew of looks that presented layered varsity-meets-heavy-metal-band T-shirts, thigh-high leather boots and zippered cargo pocket vests finished with futuristic faux facial piercings and brimmed-balaclavas. “I really wanted to create a synthesis of powerful, sophisticated femininity, with an interplay of multiple American and Parisian influences, sports and craftsmanship… On the runway, both are grounded by a sense of reality,” the designer explained in the show’s notes.
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From ivory to celluloid, the earliest combs ever discovered to prized representations of art and craftsmanship, Qompendium takes a look back at the rise and fall of the comb.
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Ryo Kawasaki was a jazz fusion guitarist and composer who was one of the first musicians to popularize the fusion genre. Kawasaki started off at Nippon University with a major in quantum physics and soon earned a Bachelor of Science degree. When he was 10, he bought a ukulele and, at 14, he landed his first acoustic guitar. The album Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell and Stanley Turrentine inspired Kawasaki to study jazz. During the 1960s, he played with various Japanese jazz groups and also formed his own bands. In the early 1970s, he moved to New York City, where he settled and worked with Gil Evans, Elvin Jones, Chico Hamilton, Ted Curson and Joanne Brackeen. Kawasaki staked a major role in developing the guitar synthesizer in partnership with Roland Corporation and Korg and also created the Kawasaki synthesizer for the Commodore 64. His album Ryo Kawasaki and the Golden Dragon Live was one of the first all-digital recordings.
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“Engagingly told through the voices of many musicians, Blue Nippon explores the true and legitimate nature of Japanese jazz. Author E. Taylor Atkins peers into 1920s dancehalls to examine the Japanese Jazz Age and reveal the origins of urban modernism with its new set of social mores, gender relations, and consumer practices. He shows how the interwar jazz period then became a troubling symbol of Japan’s intimacy with the West. Atkins closes out his cultural history with an examination of the contemporary jazz scene that rose up out of Japan’s spectacular economic prominence in the 1960s and 1970s but then leveled off by the 1990s, as tensions over authenticity and identity persisted.”
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Peckham’s underground keyboard-wizard Henry Wu returns to galvanize both locally and globally.
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“Fragrances reflecting a vital interconnectedness of scent and wavelength” is the perfect encapsulation to describe the alchemy that is Arpa. Impossible to neatly categorize, perfumer Barnabé Fillion’s multifaceted project pulled together the likes of musician and multidisciplinary Joseph Schiano Di Lombo, Memphis Group’s Nathalie du Pasquier and German glass artist Jochen Holz to create ethereal sounds, mesmerizing graphics and limited-edition handblown bottles – or art, depending on how you look at it – all in the name of scent and synesthesia. Following a year-long setback, Fillion’s first sequence of genre-defying scents seeks to instill an experience in its wearer; being cleansed by onsen waters in Kyushu, Japan surrounded by towering hiba trees, or inhaling the earthy scent of licorice as sunlight filters through a canopy of leaves in the Belgian Blue Forest, are both instances of Fillion’s lived experiences which he hopes to translate to others, or consequently, stimulate the wearer’s own personal synesthesia. Side effects of using such transcendent products? Possible blazing eyes, reflecting another reality and induced psychological submersion.
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British perfumer Lyn Harris’ collaborations with leading creatives in their field – from the glassblower to the graphic designer to the architect – is the bread and butter of her visionary and original brand, Perfumer H.
As a classically trained perfumed maker, Harris first cut her teeth in Paris at Robertet Grasse before embarking on her career working with many acclaimed brands. Through her eponymous brand, Harris crafts perfumes, candles, fine pantry items, decorative objects and personal care products. She also partners with all sorts of makers and doers, including Sonya Park of Arts & Science, Studio Henry Wilson, Tim d’Offay of Postcard Teas, Epices Roellinger and many others.
The Perfumer H laboratory and shop are located on Crawford Street in Marylebone where perfume fiends can experience the laboratory in action. Go for the Cucumber Mask First-Aid to dab on your mask for all the lockdown monologue days.
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The Global Merchants by Joseph Sassoon chronicles the rise and fall of a tightly-knit Jewish immigrant family whose riches were spoiled by the self-indulgence of later generations.
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Helmut Lang Eau de Parfum Vintage
Head over to Qompendium Work Shop to purchase a rare collection of new, authentic and sealed Helmut Lang perfumes.
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Caran d’Ache Rotary Pencil Sharpener
Paying homage to its fatherland and its creative roots, Caran d’Ache has chosen to produce 4,478 numbered copies of the “Matterhorn” collector’s edition of its rotary pencil sharpener.
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Efi Sandwich Box
If you are a collector of Germany products this little red sandwich box will be your great find. It is a product by the company Efi which does not exist anymore.