This is a box of Sicilian minerals I saw a while back at my brother’s. I always liked minerals, especially pieces that looked from the outside rather dull but, once broken, they revealed a wonderfully bright universe made of different shades and nuances and of amazing crystals.
When I saw the box I was actually struck by the electric blue coveline, the green-turquoise malachite and the orangey mimetite.
I also loved the smooth texture of the black obsidian pieces.
On a closer inspection I decided I was mesmerised by each single piece, even the rather simple white calcite, the brownish pumice lava and the sparkling crystals of the sulphur and ematite rocks.
I thought I could dedicate a post to a couple of the minerals one day, maybe focusing on their colours or texture, but then I found Cala Ossidiana’s swimwear collection and decided to combine in a single post the mineral inspiration with a brief analysis of this brand’s creations.
"Cala" literally means “beach” and “ossidiana” stands for "obsidian", the smooth black mineral so common on the Aeolian Islands and in particular on the Lipari island. This mineral was used even during the Neolithic era and, by exporting it, the island became rather wealthy.
Unfortunately, though, the mineral became less vital to the economy of the island around 2500 b.C. when metals were discovered.
Cala Ossidiana’s 2009 swimwear collection features bathing suits in black, bright turquoise and white that remind me of obsidian, coveline and calcite.
One of the inspirations behind the collection was obsidian flowing from volcanoes in Lipari, but I think that minerals didn't only influence the main colours chosen for the bathing suits and bikinis, but also the motifs that characterise some of them.
The 2009 collection features for example one swimsuit available both in black and bright coveline blue characterised by a knotted motif on the back that makes me think about the configuration of crystals in minerals; the design of a solid black Lycra bikini with chiffon-like mesh inserts reminds me instead of the texture of obsidian. Cala Ossidiana Creative Director Anne Pachan is also a knitwear expert and she has developed her own consulting knitwear business, so the knotted motifs of her swimwear could also be a reference to the experimental spider web-like knits that have currently become so popular in many recent collections.
Pachan added a touch of humour to the collection through a lighter inspiration, poolside memories from the 80s with girls from diving teams layering one costume on top of another.
You can keep up to date with Cala Ossidiana’s latest news by following Pachan's blog.
The latest Cala Ossidiana collection is available on NJAL's site.
There's only one dilemma left to solve now: shall I have to return the mineral box to my brother?
While I try to sort out my "mineral dilemma", I'm going to leave you with this montage from Michelangelo Antonioni's L'avventura (The Adventure, 1960) that features quite a few landscapes surrounding the Aeolian islands.
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Member of the Boxxet Network of Blogs, Videos and Photos
Comments