Monthly Archives

April 2012

My Life in Polaroids

Tel Aviv is going vintage

April 25, 2012

One cup filled with foam to the top with one shot of espresso on the side. 3 times a day. 3 kilometers of swimming in an outdoor pool every morning. Creamy cottage cheese on a whole wheat hazelnut cracker for breakfast. Social Club, Friday afternoon drinks at Shishko, Wineberg wine bar on Friday night, Bazel street just before midnight. Pomelo. Touring the vintage scene in Old Jaffa. Arabic salad in Pua’a cafe and mint tea right after. The French movie La Delicatesse with Audrey Tautou, Delicatessen restaurant in Yehuda Halevi street. Graffiti walking tour all over Tel Aviv and a stopover for coffee at Loveat, Gan Hachashmal. Bauhaus buildings all over the city, Bakeri on Yavne street and avoiding bread on Passover. The great Intouchables movie, the new building of Tel Aviv museum. The renovated Habima Theater and watching the sunset on the beach. Catching up with old friends, catching up with new ones, catching my breath in some points at night. Celebrating a friend’s birthday at Nanutchka, having a dessert at Rotschild 12. 2 pairs of jeans, one full shopping day with my sister and many afternoons with my nephew. Getting upset because of some bureaucracy issues, and yet, enjoying the old style of celebrating Independence Day in the streets of Tel Aviv….Priceless.

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, TravelTel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Tel Aviv, My Life in Polaroids, Travel

Design & Lifestyle Travel

The Design Scene in Paris

April 25, 2012

So you are going to Paris…

You set the dates, you purchased flight tickets, maybe you also saved some frequent flyer milages, just in case. You wrote your ‘to do’ lists, your ‘where to eat’ and ‘what to buy’ lists and you told the whole World that you are going to Paris. Paris, in spite of all the cliches, is still the most romantic city in the world. If this is your first time in The City of Lights than this post is not for you (yet) and I suggest you bookmark it and read it for your next time. If this is your second or third time in Paris, then this short Design Scene Guide is for you. This following post is dedicated to those who like design and love to spice up their lives with some style. For those who want to know the City of Light a little bit different. You will not find here the Tour Eiffel, Louvre, Champs Elysees or Montmartre, but you will get a glimpse to some of the stylish stores and places in Paris. This post is for the ‘Advanced Users’ of Paris with a touch of style.

Tre Chic, Magnifique. 

Mama Shelter Hotel

Mama Shelter Hotel, designed and owned by Philippe Starck, is located in the 20th arrondissement. If I didn’t have the exact address, I could easily confuse the facade of the hotel with the cultural center and public library next door. But maybe this is the whole idea of the hotel, which wants to give its guests a homey feeling and a sense of security, or at least a feel of being close to Mama. This is also the reason for the logo of the hotel (mama hen legs) and why the concierge and the staff of the reception are wearing aprons with portraits of Mamas. The hotel was opened three and a half years ago (September 5th, 2008) by the Trigano family who also owns Club Med. The Trigano family has hired Philippe Starck to design the hotel and its concept and later on he became one of the owners himself. The vision was to create a hotel that combines an urban concept with a homey atmosphere, a hotel where the guests come to relax, hence the less central location. There are 172 designed rooms in the hotel, all designed in an urban look with an unfinished grey concrete wall. The highlight of the design is the plastic masks that serve as reading lamps next to the beds. The masks were purchased by Starck as there was no budget left for ‘real’ reading lamps. With time, the masks became very popular among the guests who tend to take pictures of themselves wearing these masks. There are two bars and a Pizza bar by the well known chef Alain Sendernes, an outdoor terrace that serves Brunch and a BBQ on the roof in the summer. The design of the main bar space is eclectic and combines long common tables and colored stripped sofas with the portraits of the mothers.

In the lobby of the hotel you can find a small gift shop to buy some unconventional souvenirs from Paris. The hotel is a great solution for those who already know Paris and want to have a different experience.

Mama Shelter, 109 rue de Bagnolet. 

Directions: Get off Alexander Dumas station (line 2) or Gambetta station (line 3) 

Paris, France, Travel, Design, Life Style, Mama Shelter Hotel

Paris, France, Travel, Design, Life Style, Mama Shelter Hotel

Paris, France, Travel, Design, Life Style, Mama Shelter Hotel

Paris, France, Travel, Design, Life Style, Mama Shelter Hotel

Paris, France, Travel, Design, Life Style, Mama Shelter Hotel

Paris, France, Travel, Design, Life Style, Mama Shelter Hotel

Paris, France, Travel, Design, Life Style, Mama Shelter Hotel

If you are in the neighborhood, visit Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, which is the largest cemetery of Paris, established in 1804 and look for Oscar Wilde, Honore de Balzac, Frédéric ChopinCamille Pissarro and other well known graves. As the cemetery is located on the high hills of Paris, you can catch a great view of the city, which is highly recommended especially during dusk hours.

Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise, Paris, France, Travel, Design, Lifestyle

Paris, France, Travel, Lifestyle, Design,

Paris, France, Travel, Lifestyle, Design

Merci

Walking on Blvd Beaumarchais, you can find some real Parisian gems. One of them is Merci, a well known chic, ethnical concept store, hidden at the back of a courtyard in number 111 of the Boulevard. At the entrance to the store, there is an old red mini car, which is now serves as the trade mark of the store. It is a three levels store, divided into sections. At the entrance level there is a small cafe with a book store, men clothes collection, perfumes and some little items of decorations, based on a concept the store has in mind. In my latest visit to Merci, the concept was clothes hangers and the entrance level was filled with different kinds of those. In the lower level there is a restaurant with sittings over looking a small flowery patio, selling kitchenware and greenhouse items, and on the second floor you can find women clothing, accessories, vintage and designed furnitures and home accessories. Occasionally, you can find Ives San Lauren’s and Stella McCartney’s items as well as local designers. All the profits of the store go to charity. I highly recommend to dedicate some time and explore every corner of this well designed loft and have a bite of their delicious tart of the day while looking at the greenery outdoors.

Merci, 111 Blvd Beaumarchais.

Directions: Get off Saint Sebastien Froissart station (line .8) and walk on the blvd. 

Merci, Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle

Merci, Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle

Merci, Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle

Merci, Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle

Merci, Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle

Merci, Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle

Bon Ton

A few steps away from Merci, you can find its kids version at the colorful concept store Bon Ton, which sells kids clothes, shoes and toys. The brand has more stores in the city but this one is a three level high, filled with Kids accessories, decors, clothes and toys with little fitting rooms, playing space and photo booth. Everything is so colorful and every detail is carefully planned. Even the friendly sales women wear colorful clothes that match some of the items. It is definitely friendly store both for kids and their parents.

Bon Ton, 5 Blvd des Filles du Calvarie

Directions: Get off at Filles du Calvarie station (line .8) 

Bon Ton, Paris, Design, Lifestyle, France

Bon Ton, Paris, Design, Lifestyle, France

Petit Pan

Talking about kids, Petit Pan is a wonder of its own. This brand also has a few stores in Paris (in fact, in other locations all over Europe) but the one I’ve visited was at tiny store in the heart of the Latin Quarter at rue du Bac. The brand Petit Pan is known by its colorful fabrics and the little toys and decorations made of paper and bamboo. You can find paper lamps in the shape of fish, flowers, dragons and other animals. Beside the cute and colorful clothes for babies and infants, the store holds lively pillows, little blankets, ribbons and a large variety of rolled fabrics with so many interesting and adorable prints which are hard to choose from. Petit Pan is a great alternative if you are looking for a special gift for a baby or the parents. Everything is so cute and tiny that it will be so easy to carry in your suitcase.

Petit Pan, 95 rue du Bac

Directions: Get off at rue du Bac station (line 12) 

Petit Pan, Paris, France, Design, Life style

Petit Pan, Paris, France, Design, Life style

Astier de Villatte 

One of my favorite streets in Paris is the fashion-chici rue Saint-Honoré. There is a great combination of high-end fashion stores, well dressed and good looking people, well designed cafes and bistros and other unique concept stores, such as Colette (which deserves a post of its own) and Astier de Villatte. Astier de Villatte is well known for its light weight white porcelain plates and dishes, all shown in a big wooden closet at the entrance hall of the store, alongside home perfumes, candles and other colored decorative dishes. It serves as a pilgrimage for porcelain dishes lovers. The store itself is simple and its decoration but the cracking wooden floor gives a sense of an old haunted vintage place.

Astier de Vilatte, 173 rue Saint-Honoré

Directions: Get off Madeleine station (line.8) and walk toward rue Saint-Honoré

Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle, Astier de Villate

Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle, Astier de Villate

Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle, Astier de Villate

Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle, Astier de Villate

Paris, France, Design, Lifestyle, Astier de Villate

Paris is filled with magnificently designed concept stores, and sometimes even in a simple store I visited, I could find something very unique. There is an endless number of boutique hotels, restaurants, bistros, cafes and well designed stores in the City of Light, but the most satisfying thing is to find those you like on your own.

Bon Voyage….

Intimacy Under the Wires

Hanging Laundry in Tel Aviv, Israel

April 23, 2012

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

My Israeli friends already know how to spot laundry-hanging-out-on-wires for me. They already know which path and road to choose so I can have a great visibility of hanging clothes. They are patient enough to stop when I’m stopping all of a sudden, pulling my camera out of my bag and standing under the wires, waiting for a breeze and a windy wave to come by and animate the clothes. Some of them even pull out their iPhone cameras and take pictures of me taking pictures of laundry. (one day I should have a post only with those pictures). Some of them parting from me, giving me my time, my space and make plans to meet me later. In all occasions, there is always a picture to take.

Tel Aviv is filled with opportunities to take pictures of laundry. The warm weather makes it easier on those who want their laundry to get dry faster. Lots of old crumbling terraces that serve as a great background, air conditioners backs peeping out of the windows and electricity wires sliding down. Here are some images from my recent visit in Tel Aviv.

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Tel Aviv, Israel

 

My Life in Polaroids

On the table: Vintaging Tel Aviv

April 20, 2012

on the Table, Vintage, Tel Aviv, My life in Polaroids

In my current visit to Tel Aviv, I can’t ignore but noticing a common trend. Vintage! Or was it because I was visiting the old port in Jaffa the other day, where a busy, colorful vintage and flea market scene was taking place. I guess Tel Aviv is getting Vintage, and the more I saw it, the more I liked it. After a long shooting day in Jaffa, I met few friends for an early dinner. We were at that great restaurant, that holds a variety of old furniture, plates and kitchen ware. So eclectic!  When I got my mint tea with the check, the waiter got it with a Nancy Reagan image! We couldn’t help but laughing how vintage can you go! Food was great, by the way :-)

Intimacy Under the Wires

Laundry in Jaffa, Israel

April 12, 2012

Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Travel

My Laundry project started with one image. (above) I was walking in the quiet alleys of Jaffa on a Friday afternoon. It was two years ago, when I came for a Holiday visit on April. I love Fridays in Tel Aviv. It has a special atmosphere you don’t have anywhere in the World. The city slows down bit by bit, getting ready for the Shabat (Saturday, a day of relaxation). There is less traffic on the roads, public transportation disappears, people drink their coffees in the neighborhood cafes, gathering the Weekend’s newspapers under their arms, getting ready to have a nap after a long week of work. Tel Aviv’s beach is slowly getting empty from visitors and the sun has its own rhythm.

I was in Jaffa, waiting for a friend to join me for a shoot when I’ve heard a woman’s voice over my head. I lifted my head up and saw her hanging laundry. I waited for her to finish and then a breeze came and gave life and animated the laundry. Someone once told me that these images look like color marks in water. I couldn’t agree more.

Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Jaffa, Travel, Israel, Tel Aviv

Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Jaffa, Travel, Israel, Tel Aviv

Since then, ‘Intimacy under the Wires‘ project has become very popular. And in every visit to Israel, I keep coming back to these quiet alleys of Jaffa, the mixed city of Arabs and Jews, looking up the crumbling balconies to find laundry.

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel, Travel

New York City Urban Art

On the City walls; New York inspirations. zooz magazine

April 8, 2012

I am really excited to be featured in one of my favorite online Interactive magazines in Israel. This is a short article/interview with me for Zooz Interactive Magazine, Issue 8, in which I am talking about what inspires me in New York, the city I live and create in, and what ‘moves’ me forward. Obviously, Street Art.

I also mentioned a great video clip which inspires me every time I watch it. ‘The Beat of New York‘ by Tim Hahne.

New York, Zooz Magazine, Street Art, Urban Art, Graffiti

New York, Zooz Magazine, Street Art, Urban Art, Graffiti

New York City Urban Art

Zooz Magazine; Issue 8 Global City

April 6, 2012

I’m really excited to be featured in one of the most innovative, cutting edge interactive magazines in Israel and talk about my photography and my love of Street Art in the streets of New York City (p.18-19)

Issue no.8 is all about global cities in the World and the Art scene in them. Make sure to click on the link and turn on the volume. It’s an audio visual experience.

New York, Graffiti, Street Art, Photography, Zooz Magazine