Ellie Tsatsou: New Talent On The Block

published in: Photography, 09 Apr 2013

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Greek-born Ellie Tsatsou is a freelance photographer and filmmaker, currently based in New York. After completing a BA in Communications in her homeland, Athens, she went on to study an MA in Fashion and Film at the University of the Arts, London, from which she graduated with a distinction. 

Ellie's research interests focus on the aesthetics of avant-garde art of the 20th century while her personal projects explore and cherish togetherness, wilderness, kindness and intimacy. She has collaborated with and worked for Ryan McGinley, Nick Knight, Marie Schuller, Christopher Thomas Allen, Alice Hawkins, Julie Verhoeven for Chloé and Melissa, and Topman among others, while her projects and contributions have been featured in SHOWstudio.com, LOVE and Dash magazine. 

Tsatsou currently focuses on a range of different personal and commissioned projects in between NYC, London and Athens, aiming to identify and portray freedom, honesty and affection.

Ellie let us pick her brain, sharing with us her personal style, current fashion obsessions, inspiration and more:

Fashion-Pixel: What is your personal style when it comes to dressing?
Ellie Tsatsou: I like patterned fabrics, pastel colors, black trousers and washed out jeans. Patterned shirts have a prominent role in my wardrobe as well as monochrome cotton long-sleeve blouses and high-waisted trousers. I like to be dressed minimally but with a twist of painterly color and embedded nature.

F-P: What is your favourite colour?
ET: I’ve grown to love all the colours really but at the moment, I tend to prefer blue and white.

F-P: Which designer do you admire?
ET: Phoebe Philo- she has a mellow breeze that reminds me of summertime.

F-P: Do you have a piece of jewellery that means a lot to you? What is it? If you want, tell us why is it so important to you?
ET: I’ve got a ring that my mother has recently given to me and which I wear ever since. It is made out of three rings, one silver, one gold and one bronze, and I like to think that it is our family bonded together. She is the gold.

F-P: What are you going to buy next for your wardrobe? Where from?
ET: A long and lean jeans with flared legs from Gap, in baby blue color.

F-P: What is your favourite outfit?
ET: I favour anything that makes me feel comfortable in my own skin and imagination. It really depends on my mood too. A patterned shirt though never fails to make me feel nice.

F-P: Do you usually buy clothes from your trips abroad?
ET: I would usually, yes.

F-P: What piece would you place in a fashion museum?
ET: I am not sure how to answer this. Since I tend to see clothes as the most intimate things we put on our bodies, I can’t really feel or experience them when in museums. But maybe jewellery or hats could impress me in such a context.

F-P: What is a key item that all wardrobes should have?
ET: Blue jeans, white shirt.

F-P: Would you like to live in another era?
ET: Many people have told me that my physic looks like it has come out of the Renaissance era, but I am pretty fine where I am now. I kind of like our era- it can still be tough and romantic at the same time, and it is a turning point. We see things we had never seen before.

F-P: What inspires you?
ET: Elephants, dogs, my brother and father, the seas of my homeplace, the poems of E.E.Cummings, Ryan McGinley, New York, my jazz drummer, trees, orchids, the colours of Basquiat, the kindness of Julie Verhoeven, mangos, driving at night and the open, wide roads.

F-P: What is your favourite material to use?
ET: My camera and then watercolours.

F-P: What is your fashion fetish?
ET: I am not sure if it is a fetish but I like reddish-burgundy, plum lips.

F-P: What is your latest fashion obsession?
ET: Earrings and ear cuffs.

F-P: How do you determine what is chic?
ET: The lightness of a feather is very chic to me. And flamingos.

F-P: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
ET: Maybe ‘Voyagers;- it is an inspiring little story of humans.

All images courtesy of Ellie Tsatsou©. Video: Chloé©

BABBU: Autumn/Winter 2012-13

published in: Fashion Design, 21 Feb 2013

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BABBU arose in 2005 from Cristina Onofri’s creative mind, who, fond of design from a tender age, has decided to give a shape and texture to her illustration creating her first collection of accessorizes and bags.

Her first creations have been noticed by Daniela Poletti, owner of Vetrofuso, who advised her to exhibit them at “Who’s next” in Paris, a fashion show dedicated to new designers, gaining a great success.

Shortly after Cristina started to design a clothing collection as well: every item is handmade and reflects her idea of fashion untied from trends.

From the very beginning her clothing collections had a remarkable success in the foreign markets, especially in France, England and Japan.

Her Autumn/Winter 2012-13 collection has a punchy taste and is directly inspired from the 1990s. 

The tattoo-clad models strutted down with an Amy Winehouse attitude and a beehive coupe wearing knitted garments. 

All the clothes in the collection are treated in detail, bringing to light the importance of hand-working: crocheting and embroidery embellish the knits and woven garments, composed mainly of fine materials such as mohair, merino wool, silk and woven loop pile, which we find once again in shades mostly ranging from black to ivory, bordeaux and turquoise.

Last summer kites have been stored in the attic: the designer for this Autumn/Winter collection is back on earth drawing inspiration from the Tulip flower.

Not everyone knows this, but the flower that represents true love is the Tulip, through which BABBU gives that touch of romance that has always distinguished its creations.

All images courtesy of Cristina Onofri©

Bioderma's Sensibio H2O Solution Micellaire

published in: Make Up And Hair, 07 Feb 2013

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Looking for a product that will take off even waterproof mascara without irritating your eyes and no effort on you part what so ever? Then you should definitely check out Bioderma's Sensibio H2O Solution Micellaire ideal for sensitive skin, and therefore, perfect for all skin types! This bottle is pure magic as it melts the make-up off your face without sucking it dry. It is the holly grail for most make up artists out there, and for models too. (Take it from a model, if she swears by it and obviously is not the spokesperson of the brand, you are probably good, as they deal with skin problems all the time due to constant and heavy make up!)

The best way to get your eye make up off, especially with this baby, is to soak your cotton pads and place one on top of every eye and let it sit there for a good minute or two and just let it do all the work for you. You will literally see a stamp of your mascara lashes on them once you gently take them off. Best features? It is a gentle fragrance, and alcohol free solution, that contains no phenoxyethanol, and can also be use as a cleanser (no rinsing needed!). Still not taking my word for it? Just google it and see how many celebrities, models and make up artists love and stock up on it religiously, starting perhaps from my all time favourite make up artist, Lisa Eldridge...

Benedetta Bruzziches: Autumn/Winter 2012-13

published in: Accessories, 30 Jan 2013

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It's fun when one is browsing through famous designers and their pieces on places such Net-a-Porter.com, but it is even more interesting when you look through other less-known designers that ooze creativity and functionality. One of these young and talented creators of chic is Italian bag designer, Benedetta Bruzziches. 

Born 27 years ago in Caprarola, Benedetta graduated with merit from the European Institute of Design in Rome and in 2007 won the Riccione Moda Italia contest in the accessories category. After having become Romeo Gigli personal assistant for the IO IPSE IDEM collections she was awarded by the Camera della Moda and Alta Roma a scholarship to attend a MA in the International City of Arts in Paris as “Best Italian Talent”.

In 2009, Bruzziches undertook new international collaborations, as she became art director and marketing coordinator of a weaved leather accessories line sold in the Emirates and in India. She also joined the team as art director of the new brand Creative Art of Souls (Pondycherry), a leading company in the sector of ecological cotton, and collaborated with export companies also in New Delhi.

The Indian experience played a fundamental role for the development of her style and in September 2009 Bruzziches presented her namesake brand and its first collection during the White Milano and Tranoi Paris fairs where she achieved great success among  international buyers. Her talent was also recognised across the globe; during the APLF fair in Hong Kong she was awarded the “Best Bag Collection” prize for the second time.

Benedetta's adventure continued in 2010 when she presented her Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer collection during the White, where she was bestowed yet another award, the INSIDE AWARD, and during the Tranoi, where she repeated the same success of the previous season.

In September 2012 she was selected to take part to the second edition of Vogue Talents Corner organized by Vogue Italia and Thecorner.com, a project aimed at the promotion of young international talents through the e-commerce.

At the moment, Benedetta Bruzziches lives in Viterbo, her hometown, and she runs her homonym company together with her brother. She keeps designing for her namesake brand two collections of bags per year that she presents in Milan, Paris and, starting from next season, New York. Also the international collaborations continue and she keeps travelling all around the world. Besides the office in Viterbo, one year ago the company opened a workshop for the development of prototypes, a fundamental step for the growth of the brand that in just one year has increased clients and contentment of 100%. 

Benedetta's Autumn/Winter 2012/13 collection is inspired by heartache, the kind that the end of love leaves behind. In my opinion, apart from the obvious romantic aspect, there is also a playful, funnier side to it. First of all, her Carmen bags remind me of those classic Chesterfield sofas that are timeless, luxurious with its fine leather and smell, and beyond elegant. The colours are endless, as are the prints and they come in two sizes.

The Dottore bags, obviously inspired by the old-school bags that doctors used to carry around, are minimalistic in style and severe looking, but ready to mend a broken heart. As Bruzziches explains: "The first time I suggest you keep on hand the doctor's bag, being ready to care a sudden heartache."

The Libro bags, resemble books and diaries "where you can write down thoughts and desires, and a good glass of wine to warm up you when it's cold outside." There is also a "blackboard" version of it, where you can actually write on it with a piece of chalk (remember us saying playful?). The same goes for her Shopping bag, which also includes a mirror version.

How cool is that? Needless, to mention that the collection has been exhibited at the Vogue Talents Corner in Palazzo Morando, Milan, where Bruzziches has earned a great success. If only there was enough space in our closet for the whole collection! (*Sigh*)

 All images courtesy of Benedetta Bruzziches©