Monthly Archives: December 2011

As a follow up to yesterday's post, let's look today at an iconic Art Deco building in Bucharest, the Palatul Telefoanelor (Telephone Palace). Located on one of the main avenues in the city centre, Calea Victoriei, the 52.5 metre building … Continue reading →

Bucharest was once named "the Little Paris" and through the architectural confusion that surrounds you, there are still signs here and there of its Art Deco past. So let's start looking at it with this brief post.  I've recently found … Continue reading →

I'm embedding in today's post a brief video I did while visiting a small yet very colourful and nice traditional costume and mask exhibition at Bucharest's Muzeul National al Satului Dimitrie Gusti (The Village Museum). The most interesting things in … Continue reading →

Even if you're not interested in architecture and you don't usually go around a city you're not familiar with just looking at the buildings surrounding you, one of the first things you notice walking around Bucharest is the way different … Continue reading →

In the 16th-17th century kaftans became the official vestments of the Wallachian and Moldovian princes. Wallachian princes and boyars were famous for their richly decorated state costumes made of brocades sewn with silver-gilt thread which turned them into works of … Continue reading →

Traditional Romanian costumes can be a complicated business to the eye of a foreigner. With 7 ethnographic regions, each with its own traditions and style of costumes (directly connected with factors such as geographic and climatic conditions and local occupations), … Continue reading →

To tell you the truth the correct title for this post would be "sightseeing with Miţa" since, if I tried to cycle in Bucharest (more about it later, but I didn't take this trip for fashion reasons, though it will … Continue reading →

This brief post is directly connected to Monday and Tuesday's posts. This picture shows Michele De Lucchi's piece for Cleto Munari (included in the "Postmodernism" exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum). Michele De Lucchi is an architect and designer, … Continue reading →

In yesterday's post I mentioned Cinzia Ruggeri's "Homage to Lévi-Strauss" (1983-84) ziggurat dress stating that this Italian designer was widely quoted (or rather plagiarised) by many others. A friend who read the post wrote me asking to elaborate this point … Continue reading →

Yesterday I briefly looked at the “OMA/Progress” exhibition at the Barbican, but there is currently another event on in London with an extensive section about architecture, “Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970-1990” at the Victoria & Albert Museum and I’m republishing … Continue reading →