Life

petal pusher

June 28, 2021

Cassie Byrnes‘ clothes are walking works of art. Think large canvases covered in bold abstract shapes, high wattage florals and lush, leafy greens; now turn them into summer frocks, skirts, scarves and tops. Who doesn’t need “lounge shorts” splattered with plump tomatoes or a field of tulips on her back? Byrnes is so prolific. Anthropologie, Google, Nike, Häagen-Dazs, Microsoft and Penguin are among her many clients. There is joy in her designs, and a love of colour and nature sings through everything she creates.

blue

June 28, 2021

“The secret of blue is well kept. Blue comes from far away. On its way, it hardens and changes into a mountain. The cicada works at it. The birds assist. In reality, one doesn’t know. One speaks of Prussian blue. In Naples, the virgin stays in the cracks of walls when the sky recedes. But it’s all a mystery. The mystery of sapphire, mystery of Sainte Vierge, mystery of the siphon, mystery of the sailor’s collar, mystery of the blue rays that blind and your blue eye which goes through my heart.”— Jean Cocteau, from The Secret of Blue, Tempest of Stars.

chennai

June 25, 2021

There is a beautiful movement and sense of play in the images of Indian street photographer, Sasikumar Ramachandran. You can tell that the people in his photographs are having fun. There is joy and celebration. There is also hardship and sadness. Ramachandran captures the full human experience as he sees it on the streets and beaches of Chennai. There are 8 million people living in Chennai. Listen here to the sounds of Chennai.

modern ruins

June 24, 2021

In this mesmerizing short film, British documentary producer, Alex King shows us a very different Athens. Far from the charm, majesty and grandeur of Plaka, the Acropolis, and the National Garden, there is another Athens, one that speaks of ruin, abandonment and neglect. Former Greek National Opera Ballet dancer, Michael Doolan moves eloquently through the capital city’s forgotten relics; a hilltop mansion, an old drive-in cinema, and the Tatoi Palace to an hypnotic sound design created by Costis Kontos. “The stillness of these forgotten spaces seemed so surreal and alluring while the rest of the world continued on the rat race,” says King. “But now, we have become familiar with major cities around the world locked down and completely still. At times it has seemed like the whole world has become petrified and devoid of life, just like the ruins we shot in.”

around and around

June 23, 2021

The work of land artist, Chris Drury.

Alessandra Sanguinetti’s images of sisters on a farm in Buenos Aires.

Artist, Robert Nava’s childlike imagination.

Monogrammed towels and decoupage.

The perfect boiled egg.

A tiny copper clad home.

Children playing by Hiram Maristany.

Bather

June 23, 2021

Not everyone is into clawfoot tubs. Not everyone is into tubs. But if your daily scrub includes bubbles and a good book, this one here may inspire you. It’s not just the tub, I know — it’s the reclaimed wood, the weathered corrugated screen, and the overall French country fabulousness of it all — but I kinda want to dive right in and stay here ‘till next Tuesday. I may even grow a tail.



Wall to wall

June 21, 2021

Eleni’s playroom was a delight to visit. Her family lived across the road from mine, and she and her two sisters shared a large playroom filled with dolls and puppets and heirloom prams. The walls were handpainted with flowers and kites; the kinds of things that stir a child’s imagination. The walls were my favourite thing about the room. To this day, I dream about handpainted walls. My artist friend, Dasha covered a wall in our living room with colourful Twombly-inspired scribbles and splodges when we first moved in, and I hope she’ll come back one day to paint flowers directly on to the concrete wall in our garden. This wallpaper by Atelier Wandlungen is my inspiration. What a thrill to see daisies and dandelions in our garden all year round.

check mate

June 18, 2021

From the quintessential summer table cloth, to Dorothy’s pinafore, to Bardot’s wedding frock and the classic oxford, what’s not to love about gingham? It’s preppy and playful (like the hotel room at Finca Cortesin, below). This gingham check top is right up my alley, as is this scoop neck bikini. Just thinking about gingham sends me into holiday mode.

give me resin

June 17, 2021

I came across a beautiful bowl of blue swirls the other day and fell in love with it. Dinosaur Designs is an Australian brand founded by Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy. The duo’s line of homewares and jewellery is made from resin and brass. I like resin. It’s smooth and durable, and provides immense possibility in terms of colour and form. Have a look at the Wildflower Collection; think giant bangles in peach and lapis blue, jewel tone platters, and drinking cups in every colour of the rainbow. If you’re preference is a more muted palette, the Clay Collection is a mix of terracotta, honeycomb, caramel and sand. It’s design at its best; simple, original and bold.

flower power

June 16, 2021

Once a week, I pick up a bunch of flowers from our local corner shop –– this week it was floppy tulips and frilly stock –– and run home to play. Flower arranging is an easy way to feel a burst of creativity. We have a large tulipiere which always poses challenge and possibility. My tastes run the gamut from minimal to classic, but a decadent vessel stuffed full of a single bloom is always a good idea. Have a look at Marina Filatova’s stunning photographs. I love the playful combinations of vessel and flower, and the scale and theatre of each arrangement.

All rights reserved © La Parachute · Theme by Blogmilk + Coded by Brandi Bernoskie