Irenebrination: Notes on Architecture, Art, Fashion, Fashion Law, Science & Technology

Launching Impiraressa, a Multi-Threaded Podcast

After months of thinking, trying, trials and errors, I'm happy to announce that Irenebrination is launching a Podcast – Impiraressa.

While it sounds a bit like the English noun "empress" or "piratess", "impiraressa" is actually a Venetian word used to define a craftswoman who used to thread with long needles colored glass beads made by local artisans.

The unassuming impiraresse worked from their doorsteps, gathered in small groups outside their houses, in shared public spaces. These scenes were often captured in engravings, paintings or black and white photographs in which men are usually absent (if you're lucky you will spot books featuring photographs of impiraresse in antiquarian shops in Venice).

Seeing these depictions, you can envision them singing or talking about their daily lives, struggles, and aspirations as they diligently threaded each bead. You can imagine them recounting a legendary tale about the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, who supposedly fell in love with an impiraressa during a visit to Venice.

Though this was an ordinary and humble job, passed on from mother to daughter, it was important for the number of women it employed and for its economic relevance. It provided indeed a vital means of support for their families especially during times when men faced extended periods of unemployment. Besides, without these dedicated women, the local merchants would have been unable to market the exquisite Venetian beads in long, alluring strands.

Chances are that the fringes of Venetian glass beads you may see appliqued on fashion designs and accessories, on interior design pieces and in funeral beaded wreaths, or on traditional attires of different populations from Asia to Africa, preserved in museums all over the world, were threaded by these women.

The impiraresse would work even after dinner and after their family members would go to bed. They would never rest, not even on a Sunday. Yet the compensation for their work was not generous. In fact, despite requiring skill, patience, and keen eyesight, these women received rather meager wages.

In August of 1904, the impiraresse orchestrated a strike in Venice, at the time some newspapers commented they were the most oppressed group of laborers, not only in Venice but throughout all of Italy.

However, with limited alternatives, they had little choice but to accept the job. Yet, the most skilled among them ingeniously devised strategies to maximize their earnings.

These women, often using between 40 to 60 needles, demonstrated remarkable dexterity by threading beads on multiple strings simultaneously. They held the needles in a fan-shaped configuration, deftly working with just three fingers, selecting the beads from the sessola, a wooden tray positioned on their knees.

This podcast draws its primary inspiration from the impiraressa, investing her with a symbolic meaning. The act of threading beads mirrors the art of storytelling, and using multiple needles becomes a metaphor for exploring a variety of topics, something referred to in the subtitle of the podcast that also hints at technology. In computing and software development, "multi-threaded" refers indeed to a program or process that can execute multiple threads (a thread is the smallest unit of a program that can be executed independently) concurrently.

Like an impiraressa threading beads, this podcast weaves a tapestry of stories tackling a wide range of themes. Some will appear disconnected, inappropriate, or bizarre. You'll encounter different styles, from radio dramas (or just personal dramas about my undeniably maladjusted role in society…) to commentary on current events and the occasional interview. There will be moments of tears and moments of laughter, primarily at my own expense because, let's face it, it's far nobler to laugh at oneself than at others. Sometimes it will be whimsical, at other times, wildly unpredictable, and perhaps, a tad anarchic. Expect bouts of anger.

Hopefully, it will be an eccentric journey, like the one in the Japanese manga and anime Nami Yo Kiitekure (Wave, Listen to me!) by Hiroaki Samura. While I may not be Minare Koda, pondering questions about love while imagining a brown bear attack or harboring dreams of Mitsuo's demise, you get the idea - it's all about embracing that particular mood.

Who is this dedicated to? Everyone, but especially the misfits, those who've taken a detour in life and somehow managed to make every possible mistake; those who've stirred up endless trouble and have consistently chosen the road less traveled, often the most difficult one, knowing that, by choosing any other road, they would have turned into boring conformists instead of the resilient rebels they are today. Enojy the journey. Enjoy Impiraressa.

Impiraressa is brought to you by Irenebrination and Kutmusic. All the music featured in this episode is fully licensed through Kutmusic. Impiraressa is available on Podbean, Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Samsung Podcast, Podchaser and BoomPlay.

Mauve Tinted Deep-Sea Pearls: A Follow-Up on The Octopus Muse

It is always fascinating to do follow-ups on previous stories, especially on scientific topics as there may be progresses regarding discoveries and researchers.

Previously, we looked at octopuses as sources of inspiration and discussed the discovery of an octopus nursery located 2,800 meters below the ocean's surface near Costa Rica.

Researchers have actually documented a total of four deep-sea octopus gardens: two off the coast of Central California on Davidson Mount, and two off the coast of Costa Rica.

In 2018 researchers from NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Nautilus Live made a groundbreaking discovery. Thousands of pearl octopuses, scientifically known as Muusoctopus robustus - their nickname is due to their distinctive appearance that make the nesting individuals look like (very cute!) opalescent pearls on the seafloor while protecting their eggs - were found nesting on the deep seafloor near Davidson Seamount, an extinct volcano located 130 kilometers southwest of Monterey, California. Further research followed to unravel the mystery of what makes this Octopus Garden such a magnetic destination for deep-sea octopuses.

According to a recently published study in the journal Science Advances (the result of a research by a team comprising experts from MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute), NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of New Hampshire, and the Field Museum), octopuses migrate in significant numbers to these deep-sea thermal springs for the primary purpose of mating and nesting.

Octopuses tend to cluster around hydrothermal vents, openings in the seafloor where warm, chemically enriched fluids flow out. These vents are located approximately 3,200 meter below the ocean's surface, in an area known as the midnight zone, perpetually shrouded in darkness.

After laying their eggs (usually approximately 60 eggs each) and securing them to the bare rocks, the expectant octopus mothers (note for fashion designers: they are characterized by wonderful shades of mauve, so keep in mind these two points - the fact that they look like pearls and their colours), maintain the eggs' cleanliness and protect them from potential predators. The elevated temperatures in this environment accelerate the embryonic development of these creatures.

While the surrounding water at this depth is 1.6° C, the cracks and crevices within the octopus garden maintain a relatively warm 5°C to 10°C temperature.

Octopuses are ectotherms (cold-blooded animals), so that the frigid temperatures of the deep sea slow their metabolism as well as their rate of embryonic development. Indeed, expectations for pearl octopus eggs in this frigid environment were that they would take five to eight years, or possibly even longer, to hatch.

Instead, the warmth emanating from deep-sea thermal springs accelerates the development of octopus eggs. Researchers were surprised to find that the octopuses' eggs hatched in under two years, which was notably faster than their initial expectations as the warmth from the thermal springs appears to enhance the metabolism of female octopuses and their eggs, thereby reducing the incubation period.

It is worth noting that one deep-sea octopus species typically broods its eggs for a staggering four and a half years. In contrast, the octopuses at this hydrothermal vent site exhibit a significantly shorter brooding period, which seems to confer advantages such as higher hatch rates despite the potential risks posed by the warm water. However, it remains uncertain whether this warmth is an absolute necessity for this species' reproductive process or simply a preference. This research led scientists to conclude that the site off the coast of Monterey, California, serves exclusively as a breeding ground and nursery for these octopuses.

Octopuses are renowned for their self-sacrificial parenting behavior. Male pearl octopuses cease eating and die shortly after mating, while females strive to survive until their eggs hatch. These deceased octopuses, along with the vulnerable hatchlings, become a source of sustenance for various invertebrates such as sea anemones and sea stars that coexist in proximity to the brooding octopuses.

This Octopus Garden covers 333-hectare and researchers counted more than 6,000 octopus in a portion of the site and expect there may be 20,000 or more at this nursery.

MBARI's images and video of beautiful deep-sea octopuses, corals, vibrant sponges, and curious fishes engaged and inspired audiences worldwide, but, while Davidson Seamount and its Octopus Garden are protected as part of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, other similar sites may face vulnerability due to activities like trawling and deep-sea mining. The thriving ecosystem that surrounds it emphasize the urgency of comprehending and safeguarding such vital hubs of life on the ocean's floor. It is therefore imperative to protect and preserve them for the sake of marine biodiversity and the health of our oceans.

So, what we can do to preserve these ecosystems? Well, we should respect the planet we live on, but we can also raise awareness by promoting these researches, finding inspirations in them, and spotting connections as well with the disciplines we practice.

In that previous post about octopuses as muses, we looked at octopuses in connection with the works of a variety of designers and artists and mentioned Cinzia Ruggeri's ingenious designs. Among her creations, there's another piece that stands out - a bejeweled bulb transformed into a beaded ornament with the whimsical addition of an octopus tentacle that gives it a playful twist.

The late Italian artist and fashion and interior designer had a soft spot for octopuses and pearls as well, so you can bet she would have loved and been inspired by the super cute pearl-like Muusoctopus robustus nesting on the seafloor.

Neo Pop Surrealist artist, Philip Colbert, recently hosted an exhibition in Venice centered around two intriguing symbols - the lobster, representing mortality, and the octopus, considered a sacred symbol. His inspiration was the ancient mosaic from Pompeii depicting the intricate dance of predator and prey involving an octopus, a spiny lobster, and a moray eel.

Colbert transformed this mosaic into vibrant pop art renditions and, as a playful addition to the exhibition, an inflatable sculpture representing a cartoonish fight between a lobster and an octopus, traversed the Venetian lagoon, becoming a symbolic representation of his artistic vision.

Last, but not least, for those with an appreciation for the avant-garde fusion of fashion and marine life, check out the costume hailing from the 17th century featured in the last image in this post.

This remarkable attire is showcased in the volume titled "La Noblesse Française à l'église" (The French Nobility at Church), attributed to Abraham Bosse, based on the original work by Jean de Saint-Igny, dating back to approximately 1628-1629 and taken from the collections of the Rijksmuseum.

Bosse's artistry captures the essence of Gothic churches in Paris, portraying them not only as places of deep spirituality but also as hubs of fashion and elegance.

In one of these intricate engravings, a lady graces the scene, adorned in a magnificent hood or veil that forms a sort of bulbous shape around her head that, paired with the voluminous sleeves of her costume, evokes the configuration and shape of marine creatures such as octopuses or jellyfish, creating a correspondence with the architectural backdrop of the church the lady is solemnly walking in (consider the arches of the church and the dome-like hood she's wearing). Though rare and extravagant, this ensemble exuding an air of mystery was possibly indicative of a mourning attire and remains a testament to the era's fashion sensibilities.

Eager to explore more illustrations from this volume? Check out the collections at the Rijksmuseum, that also feature further images relating to art, costumes and architecture that may allow you to create more wonderful connections with marine creatures and the marvels of the ocean. 

Salome's Seductive Spell: From Canvas to Catwalk, From Film to Opera

As seen in a previous post, religious celebrations can be inspiring to make fashion and even costume connections.

Today, for example, the Roman calendar remembers the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.

According to the tradition, John the Baptist, sent to prepare people for the arrival of Jesus, publicly criticized King Herod Antipas for his unlawful marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife. This eventually led to his arrest.

Herod's feelings towards John the Baptist were somewhat ambivalent. Herod respected John as a holy man and a prophet. He recognized that John was a righteous and godly person, but was perplexed by John's preaching and his call for repentance.

During a banquet, Herodias' daughter, Salome, danced for Herod and his guests, pleasing him greatly. As a reward, Herod promised to grant her any request. At her mother's urging, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Reluctantly, Herod ordered John's execution, and his head was delivered to Salome.

In art there are all sorts of representations of Salome by a variety of painters and illustrators, from Caravaggio and Titian to Guido Reni, Artemisia Gentileschi and Aubrey Beardsley. Artists often represented Salome as she sensually danced or holding the head of John the Baptist.

This is the case of Caravaggio who depicted different versions of Salome, and of Artemisia Gentileschi as well, both of them opted to portray her with the severed head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Henri Regnault's painting presents instead a sensual and exotic portrayal of Salome in a yellow and golden dress with a large platter and a knife balanced on her legs, alluding to the imminent beheading.

Lovis Corinth's painting offers a more impressionistic interpretation of Salome, and captures in pastel shades the moment in which the young woman receives the head of John the Baptist that has just been severed from his body, also visible in the right corner of the painting.

The theme of Salome also captivated Gustave Moreau throughout his career, the artist explored it extensively through sketches, drawings and paintings.

In" Salome Dancing before Herod" (1874-76), Salome looks like a supernatural being, floating rather than dancing, creating a sense of enchantment. Her inward gaze and unusual arm position add to the mysterious aura, as does the lotus flower she holds, its symbolism ambiguous, possibly signifying both lust and purity.

In thsi painting Herod is fascinated, but so are the musician, Herodias, the executioner and even the black panther in the foreground.

In another version, "Salome Dancing", also known as "Salome Tattooed" (1874), the body of the young woman seems to be covered in intricate tattoos, including a pair of eyes. Moreau’s "Apparition" (1876-77), features instead Salome dancing and John the Baptist’s head suspended in front of her.

In Moreau’s interpretations of Salome, she is always the enigmatic and complex femme fatale, seductive and dangerous, clad in exotic veils or heavily embroidered and beaded costumes, her body adorned with sparkling jewels, an attire we see also in Léon Bakst's sketch for the costumes in Oscar Wilde's play "Salome" (1908).

It is impossible not to look at these images and in particular at "Salome Tattoed" and not think about John Galliano’s "Suzie Sphinx" collection (A/W 1997-98, a combination of Egyptian moods, with visions of Salome View this photo) or about Edie Campbell in beaded handcuffs and chains closing Marc Jacobs' for Louis Vuitton S/S 14 runway wearing nothing except a G-string and with her body covered in the LV logo designed by Stephen Sprouse.

But Salome inspired also films, from 1918 American silent drama produced by William Fox and starring actress Theda Bara (incredibly inspiring for its costumes) to the 1923 silent film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play "Salome" directed by Charles Bryant and starring Alla Nazimova (that then inspired Werner Schroeter's and Carmelo Bene's movies about Salome), notable for its highly stylized and avant-garde set designs and costumes. Lyda Borelli also interpreted Oscar Wilde's Salome on stage in 1910. 

In a league of their own stand Carmelo Bene's triumph of phosphorescent nuances with Donyale Luna as Salome and Tsai Ming-Liang's Visage (Face) - a film about a director shooting a movie based on the myth of Salome.

One of the strongest connections between Salome and fashion remains Gianni Versace: the Italian fashion designer created the costumes, among them an elegant black velvet gown with cascades of silk ruffles for Montserrat Caballé, in Robert Wilson's "Salome" (1986-87) at Milan’s La Scala.

For this performance the Italian designer (who had a passion for opera and ballet costumes) took inspiration from the couture tradition and in particular he referenced Balenciaga, Schiaparelli and Balmain for the costumes of the singers; for the mimes and dancers he instead designed costumes with a punky twist.

Versace's black elegant gown leads us to a noir film: for those who seek to journey into the surreal and explore the fine line between madness and the allure of Salome, the classic film "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) offers a compelling narrative.

In this exploration of Hollywood and the intoxicating allure of fame, former silent film star Norma Desmond becomes ensnared in her own delusions and mental turmoil. Norma, convinced that the cameras are poised to capture her personal rendition of Salome, embarks on a grand descent down her staircase, culminating in the unforgettable line: "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm prepared for my close-up."

Salome has been a constant inspiration across various art forms - including fashion, cinema and opera - her timeless appeal possesses indeed an almost mystical magnetism, capable of enthralling and mesmerising. What incarnation of Salome will you conjure forth? How will you reinterpret her story, imbuing it with your unique vision and perspective?

Revival of a Fashion Classic: The Return of Midriff-Baring Styles

This summer, the fashion scene has been ablaze with trendy midriff-baring attire, ranging from low-rise jeans and hip-slung skirts to snug baby tees.

These styles have taken center stage, and the Fashion Museum Bath recently crowned the Dress of the Year for 2022, a light brown cotton twill micro-miniskirt paired with a slashed blue cotton shirt and a cropped grey cable knit cashmere sweater, designed by Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu. The outfit is accessorised with a brown leather belt, branded underwear, grey ribbed socks and brown and white leather sling back shoes, and was selected by Elle UK's editor-in-chief, Kenya Hunt.

Some fashion observers attribute this trend to the post-pandemic world, where people are eager to embrace bold and liberated styles.

In a statement accompanying the Dress of the Year, Hunt said: "It was also a defining look of that unique post-pandemic period. As the world was reopening, we were wrapping our heads around the prospect of socialising again and having occasions to dress up for. This incredibly memorable look from Miuccia Prada with its daringly high hemline, low waistband and uber cropped top was strong, dynamic and very sexy - all the things we wanted to be after two years of confinement."

Notable celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, sported the daring Miu Miu outfit, but this trend it's predominantly for the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, who have adopted baggy pants matched with cropped tops. This trend has also transcended gender boundaries, with men getting in on the act, inspired by icons like Lil Nas X (who in turn may have taken inspiration from Prince).

In a way, this is nothing new in the history of fashion: baby tees were fashionable in the '90s, often matched with baggy trousers, while midriffs were prominently featured in fashion during the early 2000s, the era fondly remembered as Y2K. At the time stars like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, often donned looks that highlighted their toned stomachs.

But the midriff as a fashion statement isn't a recent phenomenon; it has roots that stretch back several decades. Its origins can be traced back to the 1940s when Hollywood icons such as Marilyn Monroe embraced midriff-exposing styles with high-waisted trousers. In the '60s and '70s this continued to be a trend, best displayed by Jane Birkin who favored tops that stopped just below the breasts, paired with low-slung bell bottoms.

Back in August 1961, cropped tops were in vogue, often accompanied by what we'd now call low-waisted cowboy pants.

This was a popular look from St. Tropez on the French Riviera to the bustling streets of New York. At the time John Weitz reinterpreted the style in glamorous gold lamé, pairing it with matching Capezio boots.

The '80s continued the tradition of cropped items, emphasizing the cult of body beauty, while at the moment there is actually a resurgence of the cowboy look matched with a cropped top, partly thanks to Margot Robbie's pink Barbie cowboy outfit in the eponymous film... View this photo).

A significant change in today's midriff fashion is the move away from pressuring women to maintain an idea" body. Back in the Y2K era, being a size zero with a perfectly flat stomach was the goal. However, in 2023, things have shifted and the trend is more open to stomachs of all shapes and sizes as the important thing is feeling confident in what you wear and not letting your body shape determine your fashion choices.

So, go ahead, rock that cropped top and those low-cowboy pants if you must; and if you're looking for inspiration, as usual check vintage magazines for that proverbial blast from the past.

August's End: Finding Inspiration in Underwater Grace

August is inexorably slipping away and the transition from vacation mode to work mode is upon us. Whether you're reluctantly bidding farewell to your holidays or eagerly embarking on a well-deserved escape, find some inspirations in the vintage image captured on the cover of Life magazine (27th of August 1945 issue), showing a woman plunging in a pool.

The issue included a feature about classical dancers performing underwater photographed by American press photographer Walter Sanders from a window in Los Angeles' Town House pool.

At the time, the world was emerging from the shadows of the Second World War, which had drawn to a close in May 1945 (the issue featured long articles and several pages of images about the celebrations for the end of the war), so the ballerina executing in the pictures graceful arabesques and grand jetés beneath the water's surface in bikinis or tutus, was a poignant representation of freedom, beauty and renewal.

So, whether you're already missing those easygoing summer days or gearing up to plunge back into your work routine (pun intended, sorry!), just take a moment to let the elegance of these early underwater performers inspire you as August winds down.

Vintage Ads as Multi-Pattern Muses

In yesterday's post we looked at an artist employing multi-patterns in his works. Now, where can we find inspiration for multi-patterns without infringing any copyrights? Well, in vintage magazines – adverts from the '50s or the '60s often showcased multiple products on a single page that we can rework into digital images and textiles as well.

For instance, consider a 1961 advertisement introducing Goodyear's "Multi-Color" tires. This advert emphasized their versatility in either complementing or contrasting with car colors, adding a distinct accent or second color, or enhancing the aesthetics of black, grey, and white vehicles. The advertisement for these multi-colored tires was visually striking, showcasing various car colors and tire options.

If you're seeking something less inclined towards modernism and minimalism and perhaps with a touch of kitsch, explore food adverts from the same decades.

Take, for instance, this 1965 Pillsbury cake mix advert that may seem a bit boring at first glance. However, don't underestimate its potential. You'll discover here pastel and creamy hues and cakes that could serve as a wellspring of inspiration for crafting fluffy knitwear pieces. Besides, if you scrutinize it closely, you'll find a variety of fonts - each cake mix features indeed a distinct typography, offering ample material to ignite your creative spark if you're a graphic designer.

So, leaf through vintage magazines whenever you stumble upon them in second-hand shops or while browsing through antique markets. Keep an eye out for multi-product advertisements that can fuel your imagination for multi-patterned designs.

When the Familiar Local Meets the (Un)familiar Global: Tomokazu Matsuyama & The Global Us

In the previous post we looked at an inspiration that has been constantly remixed by fashion designers and creative minds. Leaving aside the final results, that exercise teaches us that we consistently assimilate inspirations from our surroundings, concepts that we often blend with our own identities, our histories and memories. We are, in fact, the products of a multifaceted culture, communicating through a visual language.

Tomokazu Matsuyama is a great example of a contemporary artist who manages to remix diverse influences in clever ways.

Born in Takayama, Japan, in 1976, Matsuyama moved in 2000 to New York where he still lives and works. Fascinated by street artists like Keith Haring, he enrolled at Pratt Institute to study graphic design which explains the graphic quality of his art.

Matsuyama's art, though, doesn't look strictly Japanese: throughout the years the multidisciplinary artist worked hard to combine a variety of inspirations, creating large-scale sculptures, installations, and paintings.

In his works he includes classical Greek and Roman statuary; the art of the Edo and Meiji eras; Shogun-era screens and panels; motifs from Chinese paintings; European Renaissance masters; Art Deco and Art Nouveau; Modernist art history; Abstract Expressionist techniques and American art history. But you will discover more, if you analyze the works deeper: you may indeed spot a fashion reference there or a hint at interior design there.

Recombining all these elements Matsuyama started creating colorful paintings (but also sculptures, some of them integrating Gothic, Victorian, and Rococo architectural patterns) in which his subjects, dressed in multi-patterned colourful clothes stand often surrounded by fantasy landscapes or interior spaces formed by intricate combinations of prints and graphic elements.

Everything is visually saturated and vibrant: in one work characterized by the mood of the Japanese woodblock prints known as ukiyo-e, you may discover floral prints reminiscent of 19th century British designer William Morris or of an Edo Period kimono.

Yet there are also clashes between poetically elegant moments and the relics of contemporary society with a hint at consumerism: a portrait inspired by a photograph of French fashion designer Christian Dior integrates for example a counterfeit Hermès scarf that the artist bought in New York’s garment district; in other works there are figures carrying a Rite Aid or a Target bag, while you can spot an empty Sapporo bottle, a bag of potato chips and a Starburst candy wrapper in a bed of plants, elements that point at the debris of globalization.

This is actually one of the main themes of Matsuyama’s art - not globalization per se, but our global identities: no matter where we live, we often hear this or that politician boasting with fascist pride about national identity. Yet, can we truly talk about nationalities in our world where we are all inextricably interconnected?

While Matsuyama is not a political artist, his dense graphic surfaces and multiple layered textures point indeed at a world in which the East and the West are combined, just like in the artist's biography, to create fictional landscapes populated by characters that are often portrayed in meditative poses, even though they are surrounded by a chaos, a visually pleasant confusion that mesmerizes, and in which they often seem to blend in.

There is also a sort of fashion inspiration in Matsuyama’s works – some of the patterns in the paintings are indeed taken from his personal archive of historical textiles, through which he creates visual languages and cultural dialects. The artist developed an interest in patterns and textile designs that show deep connections with different cultures (think about Japanese Gingham check and Scottish tartan patterns - they are different but they are also similar in a way).

Finding this connection interesting, the artist started intentionally incorporating different yet interconnected patterns in his paintings to highlight that there are links between identities and cultures. In this way, Matsuyama created a sort of community-based visual language, tackling through his works the theme of "globalism" or of the “global us”. This expression summarizes the artist’s interest in questioning what is familiar and what is foreign, inviting us to look at his paintings and consider among his layered patterns those ones that may be a reflection of our personal culture, remixed with graphic motifs that may be unfamiliar and alien to us, but that are equally mesmerizing.

Expect to hear more about Matsuyama in connection with fashion: after two landmarks solo exhibitions at two of China’s largest and most influential private museums, Long Museum Shanghai and Long Museum Chongqing, and exhibitions in New York and London, maybe one day we will see a fashion collaboration between this artist and a famous maison.

Even more exciting would be the prospect of Matsuyama developing exclusive textiles for a fashion house or starting a collaboration with a prominent textile company. His singular aesthetic, blending the familiar local with the (un)familiar global, and his passion for intricate amalgams of references and cultural hybrids, would allow him to design vibrant combinations of patterns that could serve as a poingnant reminder to all of us - it doesn’t matter where we’re from and where we’re living in, we are all part of a broder collective, a "global us".

More Is More: Boucheron & The Memphis Milano Aesthetics

As seen in a previous post, in the history of modern fashion there are some designs, motifs or inspirations that have the potential of becoming an obsessive presence, returning season after season or every so many years like a dreaded burden, similar to the cursed albatross hanging from the neck of the ancient mariner.

In another post we looked at the futuristic circuit board bodysuit, can you guess another inspiration that can be compared to the proverbial albatross? Go on, guess it. I know you can do it. Yes... you got it! It's the Memphis Milano aesthetics.

Over ten years ago the shapes of the vases and dishes by this Italian collective reappeared in Dior's Autumn/Winter 2011-12 Haute Couture collection. Then it was the turn of footwear brand Sergio Rossi with its Spring/Summer 2013 collection with unmistakable graphic zigzag lines or black and white stripes broken by colourful elements reminiscent of Michele De Lucchi's tables and lamps, or by the contrasting shades and patterns of Nathalie Du Pasquier's porcelain vases and fruit bowls.

The pastel shades in Prada's A/W 2015 collection looked entirely lifted from Michele De Lucchi's Girmi prototypes, while Arthur Arbesser's Resort 2016 collection borrowed from Ettore Sottsass' works and Valentino's A/W 17 collection featured prints by Nathalie du Pasquier. Then it was the turn of  Saint Laurent's creative director Anthony Vaccarello who, in 2021, created a capsule collection dedicated to Memphis Milano and added to its Saint Laurent Rive Droite "curated" site a selection of books about the group and interior design pieces by the design collective.

In July, also Boucheron jumped on the Memphis Milano bandwagon. We're all familiar with the reason behind our unwavering fascination with Memphis Milano, the continuous allure for the collective is actually almost effortlessly comprehensible: the eccentric textures, the collision of vibrant colors and patterns of their pieces, all serve as symbols of the unbridled optimism and exuberance of the 1980s. They have an uncanny ability to instantly uplift your spirits.

Yet, there's another aspect to consider: the fact that the objects created by this collective bore little resemblance to conventional interior design pieces. Instead, they resembled more fantastical toys, poised to captivate and astound you with their sheer audacity and unconventional aesthetics. 

Boucheron combined in its 2023 High Jewelry Carte Blanche collection entitled "More Is More" these two points: the vibrant patterns and dynamic textures and the notion that the design pieces possessed an appearance akin to toys, yet transcended mere playthings.

The collection moves from the paralyzing days of Covid lockdown, when Creative Director Claire Choisne came up with a new concept of High Jewelry, released from any constraints and characterized by a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials, geared more towards joy than towards ostentatious luxury, and boldly incorporating innovative materials and technical solutions.

The collection, unveiled in July in Paris, exudes a vibrant and joyful spirit reminiscent of the 1980s. It features pop colors, extravagant volumes, and whimsical silhouettes.

When it was launched models playfully showcased the pieces while sitting on Masanori Umeda's Tawaraya Ring (1981), the famous Memphis Milano boxing ring-shaped seating unit/bed, evoking a sense of fun and nostalgia.

Geometric designs, spheres, cubes and black and white Memphis Milano graphic stripes are combined together in this collection.

For example, there are rings adorned with a yellow diamond and sapphire sphere and a rock crystal and white gold cube, outlined by titanium and resin. A two-finger black and white striped resin ring also displays a rock crystal sphere carved with yellow diamonds and sapphires.

The black-and-white stripes reappear in bangles and in an Art Deco-inspired hair jewel (a more practical scrunchie featured in this collection integrates instead a sphere and a cube View this photo).

The bangles showcase the Maison's signature designs through the Memphis Milano-evoking hand-lacquered black and white elements emulating the "gros grain" code of Boucheron. They also incorporate the maison’s clou de Paris motif in red, blue, and green lacquer, diamond lines and double-gadroon motifs in resin and aluminum.

The Art Deco hair jewel plays instead with optical illusions and features black and white lines that create a maze-like pattern, merging parallels and perspectives.

The collection also includes a black and white jeweled pocket applique made from 3D-printed titanium, mounted on stretch fabric and equipped with a magnet for attachment to clothing.

This is actually not the only design that can be attached to a garment: there are also two 40 cm long yellow gold, titanium and aluminum jewel strings set with citrine, diamonds, black lacquer, onyx and white opal that can be applied to the base of a hood.

Transformation and multi-wear pieces are actually a key to the collection as the hood strings can become long earrings, or diamond-paved stud earrings, while a tsavorite and black lacquer sphere-shaped bangle with a titanium structure can be turned into a cuff bracelet and two rings when the sphere is dismantled, making it a four-in-one creation.

The theme of flatness and illusion runs through the collection, particularly evident in the brooches inspired by high school iron-on badges featuring a variety of subjects like Hokusai's wave (a homage to Japan) and the Maison's iconic designs, including the Jack.

One standout piece is an oversized hair bow, red on one side and adorned with black and white stripes (again emulating Boucheron's "gros grain" code) on the other.

Despite its playful and cartoonish appearance, this design, dubbed "Tie the Knot", is set with diamonds and white gold. Remarkably, it weighs a mere 94 grams, thanks to its construction from bio acetate, a favorite of eyeglass manufacturers and a sustainable material derived from wood paste and cotton fibers.

Bio acetate's production methods are eco-friendly, mixing lightness and sustainability. For the back of this piece, they employed magnesium that is 30% lighter than aluminum and ten times lighter than gold. The strips of the bow were meticulously shaped, dyed black through a cataphoresis treatment and then set. All 200 components necessary for its creation were individually crafted and assembled, ensuring both resilience and flexibility.

There are other pieces in the collection that embody the same whimsical quality as this bow, and that also call to mind the flat aesthetic of the iconic "Stolen Jewels" pixelated collection by design duo Mike and Maaike.

There is a comic book quality in the oversized titanium chain link piece lined with black lacquer and mandarin garnet elements, as well as in the large flat pearl necklace.

Borrowed from a Boucheron archive necklace, the extra-large digital printed soap bubble-like pearl elements on an aluminum base are covered with mother of pearl powder to recreate the nacre reflections of natural pearls.

Memphis Milano's creations often evoked the world of toys, and certain designs in this collection playfully reference that theme.

For instance, a cube necklace, aptly named "Solve Me," brings to mind the iconic Rubik's cube, the quintessential '80s puzzle. In this necklace, each of the 21 precious cubes boasts a different color, alternating between grey and pink spinels, pink sapphires, and diamonds.

Besides, three brooches re-imagine Boucheron's iconic Jack design and with their resin-colored cones they resemble spinners more than traditional Haute Joaillerie.

So, while moving from Memphis Milano, the pieces in this collection transcend the literal interpretation of the original aesthetics they borrow from, presenting at the same time cutting-edge technical solutions for Haute Joaillerie.

Rather than merely mimicking the aesthetics of Memphis Milano, these creations move from this inspiration, but then take another direction. They whimsically reimagine some of the original moods and shapes, reinventing the duality of Memphis Milano (think about Umeda's "Tawaraya Ring" – a boxing ring that can be a seating unit/bed or vice versa…) to highlight the transformative potential of jewelry (a cuff that turns into rings, the hood strings that can be disassembled into earrings…), adding in this way a layer of intrigue, and playing between forms and functions, inviting the wearer to be an active part of a dynamic dialogue with their accessories.

So, engage in a dialogue with Memphis Milano if you must, but do it cleverly, pushing boundaries and embracing playful transformations and unconventionally quirky innovations that can inject new life - and joy - into the world of design.

Evolution of the "Visage" Jewelry Trend

In the previous post we looked at ophthalmology and eye inspirations. In that post we touched upon a fascinating niche of the jewelry world - Surrealist pieces featuring eyes, noses, and lips as their central motifs.

Among these creations, none shine brighter than Salvador Dalí's pieces and, in particular, the "Eye of Time" brooch, originally crafted by Alemany & Ertman in 1949 for Dalí's wife, Gala, part of a collection that included 39 pieces.

It consisted in a diamond and platinum blue eye, adorned with a ruby at the lacrimal sac and crowned with a teardrop pendant. The eyeball integrated a watch with a dial hand-painted and signed by Dalí.

The artist's pieces unleashed in the decades that followed a trend for eye, nose, ear and lips jewelry.

In more recent times, Delfina Delettrez often featured eyes in her jewelry collections, particularly in her collaboration with Kenzo during the A/W 2013-14 season; then, in 2015, she did an entire series of Dalí-esque pieces - the collection dubbed "Faceted".

An earlier iconic contribution to the realm of "visage" jewelry was actually a necklace with eyes and lips enamel pendants designed by Niki de Saint Phalle in the '70s for the Milanese goldsmith Giancarlo Montebello's Gem Montebello label.

Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli remixed Dalí, de Saint Phalle and Delettrez's designs (mind you, the latter were already a remix of Dalí's jewelry, that's probably why Delettrez didn't really object when in more recent years Roseberry produced a variety of eyes, lips, ear and nose pieces...) and came up new pieces along these lines.

Should your tastes tend toward the avant-garde and the unsettling (or should you be considering remixing this inspiration that has anyway been pilfered and remixed so many times that nobody cares anymore about who did it first and about copyright infringements....), try Midjourney.

A very basic prompt about "eye jewelry" provided a steampunk necklace which wasn't so original actually.

But things got a bit more messed up when the prompt asked the system to generate eye earrings and Midjourney actually came up with an earring for an eye that looks rather painful to wear.

More prompts about pendants offered ceramic pendants with glass eyes (retaining the bulbousness of the natural eye compared to the flat printed resin eye used by Roseberry in his pieces for Schiaparelli View this photo) and eerily lifelike eyelashes, complete with a crystal tear, or pendants and a nose that actually looked like a vagina (naughty, naughty Artificial Intelligence…).

The scariest interpretation of the "visage" jewelry courtesy of Midjourney was instead a ceramic green face in two versions – a dreamy one and a rather scary version, featuring a pair of eyes, three noses and a trio of screaming mouths.

Maybe it represents the expression you'd do when encountering yet another "visage" jewelry piece in a fashion collection, or perhaps, it is the embodiment of a chilling nightmare.

Anyway, for those determined to embrace eye or visage pieces with a very surreal and innovative twist, and for inspirations for imaginative creations that blur the lines between art, fashion, and pure whimsy, explore the extraordinary world of Luigi Serafini.

His magnum opus, the Codex Seraphinianus, initially published in 1981 in Italy by Franco Maria Ricci, stands as an iconic reference for creative minds across various disciplines, from architects to fashion and interior designers.

Amidst its pages of amazing illustrations, which include astonishing and disconcerting creatures, you'll find fish that bear an uncanny resemblance to eyes. You don't have to copy them, but let them remind you that a dash of playfulness and of eccentric absurdism is what makes a statement piece, so maybe it's time to leave behind the "visage" pieces and find more personal inspirations for your jewelry collection.

From Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology to Oculomics as Inspiration

Eyes have always been a source of inspiration in the world of fashion. From exquisite eye-shaped jewelry (especially Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli who embraced Surrealism and borrowed from Dali and Niki de Saint Phalle for the decorative motifs on his designs and for his jewelry pieces) to intricate eye-print patterns and dazzling eye-themed embellishments, the all-seeing eye has consistently made its presence felt in fashion collections season after season.

However, in recent times, there's a new, cutting-edge dimension to the fascination with eyes, one that transcends mere fashion aesthetics.

The latest studies in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are indeed venturing into a territory where technology and the human eye intersect in remarkable ways, promising to reshape our understanding of vision, health, and even our very perception of reality.

Last year it was announced in a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool could assess an individual's risk of heart disease in less than a minute just by scanning their eyes.

The fully automated AI tool, Quartz, evaluates the veins and arteries of the retina (the nerve tissue at the back of the eye responsible for light sensing and signaling to the brain). The width, curvature, and width variation of retinal veins and arteries can indeed play a role in risk prediction.

The discovery opened new medical opportunities for ophthalmologists and healthcare professionals implying that in future we may be able to determine the risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular-related mortality, and strokes in a shorter time and without blood tests or blood pressure measurements.

But eyes and visual changes can reveal a lot about us and our health, indeed numerous systemic diseases manifest ophthalmic alterations: bulging eyeballs, can indicate a thyroidal condition, while dry eyes can help diagnosing certain chronic, autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome.

Researches focused on eyes and employing retinal imaging and AI are continuing as, just like advancements with these techniques can detect changes in the retinal blood vessels and signal blood or cardiovascular disease, the retina, being also part of the central nervous system, can help detecting other conditions.

A study published in August this year shows indeed that a 3D scanning technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) used by opticians could potentially identify individuals at a high risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, recognizing early indicators of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia up to seven years before the onset of symptoms.

OCT employs light waves to create cross-sectional images of the retina and is used by optometrists to detect eye diseases like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

The study employed anonymized data from thousands of patients and volunteers and AI was employed to compare OCT eye scan data from 700 patients who later developed Parkinson's disease with data from over 100,000 patients who did not.

A cross-sectional analysis using data from these two studies measured the thickness of the macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL), ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL), and inner nuclear layer (INL) using optical coherence tomography (OCT). 

The relationship between prevalent PD and retinal thicknesses was assessed as individuals with PD exhibit reduced thickness in the INL and GCIPL layers of the retina.

The involvement of these layers several years before clinical symptoms manifest suggests the potential utility of retinal imaging in categorizing individuals at risk for PD (please note that image 5 in this post is not a scientific image, but an imagined rendition of an eye scan made with Midjourney).

Further research is obviously necessary and the technology is likely several years away from providing precise diagnoses, but, in the future, routine eye examinations could potentially detect early signs of various diseases and delay the onset and impact of life-altering neurodegenerative disorders.

Apart from offering hope that eye scans could be used to identify people at risk of developing Parkinson's and enable early treatment, the eye scans analyzed in this study are non-invasive and already in routine use, which means that they could easily be employed by hospitals and national health services.

Maybe in future AI-enhanced retinal imaging can accurately help us with other disease with highly efficient, cost-effective and non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic tools and tests. But, for the time being, there are some great inspirations behind these medical stories: from retinal imaging to oculomics (the capacity to identify connections between the state of the eyes and specific diseases through non-invasive ophthalmic imaging, combined with health data analysis).

If you want to get some other wonderful inspiration check out (as usual) the Wellcome Collection archive where you may find stimulating items and objects relating to eyes.

There’s something vaguely disturbing, but also truly exquisite in the craftsmanship behind the ivory and horn artificial eye complete with eyelids (1679), by Giovanni Batista Verle accompanied by a little booklet about the artificial eye, dedicated to Ferdinand, Prince of Tuscany, or in the eye defect teaching models from 1840-1900 and in the clay-baked eye votive offerings from Roman times, 

But, if you want ideas for prints check out the cross-sectional view of the compound eye of a Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) made using a transmission electron microscope. The eye is composed of numerous small, rounded structures known as ommatidia, which are clearly visible in the image. Each ommatidium appears as a circular cluster of cells enclosed by supportive cells (they do look like flowers, don't they?). If you prefer bright colors, check out Adolfo Ruiz de Segovia's image of the eye of a fly, taken using the photomacrography technique (its colors and textures could actually inspire entire collections...).

So keep your eye peeled (pun intended) about news regarding ophthalmology and oculomics - eye-related insights and AI-related discoveries can indeed be a treasure trove for creative minds and spark ideas for innovative solutions, artistic expression, and fashion storytelling.