Happy International Day of the Orchid

September 1st has been declared the International Day of the Orchid. For the occasion, streetstyle and fashion photographer Daniel Bruno Grandl, also known as The Urban Spotter, was invited to portray 12 different types of personalities (or archetypes) and their matching orchids.

The photo exhibition ‘Show who you are' was inaugurated August 31st at 5&33 Gallery, inside the art'otel Amsterdam and will be open to the public for two weeks. The exhibition will be shown simultaneously in London, Paris and Berlin.

After introductions by Henk van Dongen, who spoke on behalf of the growers, orchids ambassador and TV host Vivian Reijs & photographer Daniel Bruno Grandl, it was time to check out all the different arche... and orchitypes!

And of course I took the test myself to discover which orchid suits me best. Guess what...? My favourite orchid came out as a result!!! Incredible... it's the Oncidium, with lots of little yellow flowers (shown in the first picture, in front of Amsterdam Central Station).

I loved the exhibition! It was a great way to discover new orchids and to meet new people. By the way, did you know there are 25,000 different types of orchids? Definitely more than enough to go with any kind of personality and every type of home decor.

During the vernissage I had a chance to speak with the lovely Vivian Reijs, who owns a healthplatform, VivOnline and to talk with Daniel; more about his work will follow soon.

For more information, please visit:
Orchids info https://www.orchidsinfo.eu/en/
Orchids test https://www.orchitypes.eu/
TheUrbanSpotter http://theurbanspotter.com
Vivian Reijs http://www.vivonline.nl

A big thank you to Nienke & Hafida of Weber Shandwick.

Photos (without logo) courtesy of Weber Shandwick for Orchidsinfo.eu.

6 year Anniversary!

Todays is the 6th anniversary of my blog! I can hardly believe it.... six years already! Celebrations were in order of course... but instead of cake and champagne, this year I got treated to dinner at one of my favourite restaurants... Kua Mexican Kitchen. Margaritas and enchilladas, what more can a girl wish for?

Cheers and a big thank you to you, my readers, who have followed and supported me these past few years! For daily inspiration you can also follow me on instagram, facebook or twitter (@tarasdolcevita).

To read more about Kua Mexican Kitchen, please continue here:
http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2014/09/kua-mexican-kitchen-hague-netherlands.html

I wore a skirt made by my Mexican friend Graciela, the owner of Pitti Vintage. Perfect for the occasion, right? Unfortunately her shop in Florence is closed, but she still sells online. For more information about Pitti Vintage, please continue here:
http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2010/12/pitti-vintage.html

Balenciaga and the changing silhouette

The Victoria’s Secret shows, Beyoncé’s performances, the models on the cover of Vogue or Men’s Health… it’s all about the body! Showing off your body has become one of the biggest hobbies for young -and not so young- people on social media.

But is it a new thing? Definitely not! The current fashion exhibition at Momu Antwerp focuses on the changing shapes (of clothes) in fashion and therefore the changing image of the (female) body.

'Game Changers – Reinventing the 20th century silhouette' is not a traditional retrospective, instead it "looks at the groundbreaking work of fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga whose innovations in the middle of the 20th century created a radically new silhouettte, in which the body got freedom of movement and architectural volumes created a space around the body."

MoMu hardly ever organizes its exhibitions in a chronological order by the way. Instead, the exhibition is divided into different themes, such as Classical inspiration; Rethinking the body; Exploring the sleeve; From waist to shoulders; Kimono influences; Babydoll, the road to abstraction and more.

I also love how the curators, Miren Arzalluz and Karen Van Godtsenhoven, incorporated many videos into the exhibition, showing original footage of the clothes, where you can actually see them in motion.

I could go on and on about this exhibition, but the best thing to do, is not to read about it, but to visit it! So pack your bags and book a plane or train to ticket to Antwerp before it's too late. You still have about 10 days to check it out… so you better hurry!

My apologies... I wanted to write about this wonderful exhibition at Momu Antwerp from the day it got inaugurated, but due to personal obligations and work overload, I just didn’t find the time.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.momu.be/en/tentoonstelling/game-changers.html

For more information about Antwerp:
http://www.visitantwerpen.be

Catch of the Day... Sal de Ibiza

Are you looking for a gift for the hostess with the mostess? Sal de Ibiza might just be the answer. It's "granito" or sea salt mixed with rose, cornflower, marigold and orange blossoms... how delicious is that? Just sprinkle it over a salad, pasta or cheese (for example mozzarella) and it instantly turns your dish into something special. In fact it makes you dream of a hot summer night in Ibiza, dining "al fresco"...

For more information, please visit: http://www.saldeibiza.com

Chanel Cruise Collection 2016/17 in Havana

After Barack Obama and the Rolling Stones, now it's time for Karl Lagerfeld to take the spotlights in Havana, Cuba. On tuesday May 3rd, the Chanel Cruise Collection 2016/17 will be shown on the famous Paseo del Prado. This wonderful tree lined avenue in the centre of Havana is a natural runway, used by the locals to talk, walk and strut their stuff. You'll also find many kids playing games and posing like true models in front of the cameras.

Speaking of models... I wonder which models will be walking the Chanel show... Rumour has it that Gisèle Bündchen and her husband Tom Brady will be special guests.

While in Havana for the Chanel Cruise Collection, you cannot miss some of the following highlights! Have lunch or dinner at the most famous restaurant in town (and my personal favourite), paladar "La Guarida": http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2011/10/paladar-la-guarida-havana-cuba.html

If you want to try something new, opt for another paladar called "Atelier", a stunning restaurant with titillating art and food to match: http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2013/03/atelier-havana-cuba.html (By the way, the roof top terrace is not bad either!)

For old school showgirls and mindblowing music, you must pay outdoor nightclub "Tropicana" a visit. (This is the place where jazz pianist Bebo Valdés, father of Chucho Valdés, started his career. Other famous headliners included Josephine Baker and Nat King Cole!) http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2011/06/tropicana-havana-cuba.html

The morning after you need a good cup of coffee of course... and I know "Parisiennes" do like their café... so head over to Cafe El Escorial: http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2014/05/cafe-el-escorial-havana-cuba.html This is also a great spot for people watching!

If you still have some energy left, take a cab to the Museo de Artes Decorativas. This old villa in Vedado used to be the residence of a countess. It has stunning tableware, ceramics, and other pieces of art on display. There's italian marble and even an Asian inspired room. But the best part is the grand staircase... I can totally picture Karl Lagerfeld shooting one of his muses there for a new photo exhibition or fashion magazine! http://www.lahabana.com/guide/museo-nacional-de-artes-decorativas/

While most of Chanel's guests stay at the Hotel Nacional, I can really recommend the five-star Hotel Saratoga, accross the Capitolio and just a two minute walk from the Paseo del Prado. This hotel has the best swimming pool in town! (Beyoncé and Jay-Z stayed here for their 5th wedding anniversary.)
http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2013/02/hotel-saratoga-havana-cuba.html

For those of you who are not so lucky to be there for the Chanel Cruise Collection show, do not despair... Havana is there for everyone!!!

#ChanelCruiseCuba