Dan23

http://www.dan23.com/

Unfortunately my french isn't brilliant but this up and coming designer has some really interesting fresh work in his portfolio, take a look to see what you think. I particularly like his black and white images that he has used for 'al green'.

Fuel for Life

The new diesel fragrance has really strong branding. I first noticed the advert on television and decided to look into the new diesel fragrance further by going to their website. I was really impressed. The website reflects the urban image of diesel and trys to draw the viewer 'into the unknown' by spinning fortune wheels and answering questions to determine where you are navigated to. The snippets of film within the website also add to the feel of the product, there is also a small section where you are able to view the tv ads, which is unusual for clothing websites. They are usually more concerned about getting you to the checkout. The diesel website is updated with the seasons, therefore it stays in touch with the fashion and doesn't have a generic shopping website feel about it. http://www.diesel.com/ Diesel also host a competition: see the website for more information.

Express v's Innocence

I recently went to Pizza Express to grab something to eat before going to the cinema, as I entered the restaurant I began to feel a little confused as the name no longer matches the style. I was expecting a quick easy fast-food style restaurant (much like Pizza Hut) however it has been refurbished to look more up market and contemporary. This is not a bad thing of course, but I got the impression that they were trying too hard to be something they're not. Sometimes you need somewhere you can just pop into to get something to eat without feeling that you need to be wearing your Sunday best! I got over the initial shock of my surroundings only to be more bemused by the menu. This has also been revamped, and is supposed to conjure up thoughts of Rome. Again I felt that I was being cheated into thinking something that the restaurant didn't actually live up to. For example there were only two traditional Italian style pizzas on the menu- they made a point of saying that these two pizzas were cooked in a particularly Italian fashion. (Thus implying that the others were typically English counterparts.)

The reason behind the title of this blog is that the menu and new attitude of pizza express is trying to go down the route of an honest approach with humour thrown in to keep people interested. Much like Innocence juice. However you just feel that it is so forced you can't believe that they really believe in what they have written.

For example in the passage above (featured on the menu) they suggests that their 'new menu comes from Rome. Not the Rome from postcards, but the real Rome.' They then go onto say that they have two 'Romana' pizzas on the menu - surely this doesn't justify initially saying that the whole menu is inspired by Rome. This passage is on a double page spread the facing page has a very 'touristy' picture of people enjoying themselves in Rome- not a gritty image of a true Italian going about their day to day business, as you may expect to see after such an 'honest' spiel. The whole place, including the menu contradicts itself. Unlike the innocent approach of the juice company. You just don't believe what they are saying. Even the typeface that they have used on the menu is unconvincing, it is very ridged, justified text that just doesn't fit with what they are trying to say to the consumer. They make bold statements such as 'Rome is Brash' but these are written in an odd typeface that bares no relation to anything else on the menu.

When I left Pizza Express I felt cheated. The food was fine, but the service was slow - not reflecting their name. I wanted a quick bite to eat, that was easy with no frills. They have obviously tried to go down the innocence approach to marketing but it just doesn't seem truthful. You really get the feeling that they are trying too hard to be something that they are not.

Zandra Rhodes

I have been intrigued by Zandra Rhodes since visiting her exhibition in London three years ago, she combines soft floaty fabrics with bold prints to create feminine yet eye catching designs that have influenced many other fashion designers. The timelessness of her designs inspire me to think about creating designs that have impact but will also not date too quickly. She has been at the forefront of British fashion design since the 1970's and continues to have a cult following whilst knowledgeably inspiring creative students in her academy.

For more information on Zandra Rhodes: http://www.zandrarhodes.com/

Chelsea Flower Show 2007- '600 Days with Bradstone'

Although I didn't manage to get tickets for Chelsea this year I did tune into some of the live coverage from the show. One of the gardens that captured my attention was the Bradstone Show Garden. My initial reason for liking the garden was the large spherical sculpture in one corner. It utalises hexagonal structures to create a shape that reflects structures in nature such as honeycombs. I then realised the concept behind the garden, '600 Days with Bradstone has been inspired by the Millennium and a new era in scientific and design idioms. The garden has been researched for eight years with input from the European Space Agency (ESA), which is researching the psychological effects of spending long periods in space, and the British Science Museum.' (Royal Horticultural Society) I thought that some areas of the garden were overconcerned with replicating Mars's surface and ecosystem, such as the large crator for relaxing and enjoying the planting- slightly unrealistic on Mars or in the average garden. However I was very impressed with how Sarah Eberle the garden designer selected the plants in the garden for their contribution to biomass and the carbon oxygen cycle, and researched into which plants and foods could be grown on Mars.

Dale Chihuly

Chihuly creates amazing sculpture out of glass, he writes so passionatly about each piece that without even seeing his work one can find themself inspired by his enthousiastic nature. The majority of his work has been in America, however the Kew Botanical Gardens is now the home of some of these fabulous sculptures. I remember about two years ago when I first came across Chilhuly, being mesmorised by his orgainic glass structures, they somehow blend into their surroundings whilst standing out at the same time. I watched a documentary about how he makes and transports his work, this alone seems to be a remarkable feat, as few of his pieces are regular shapes that can be packed into boxes! The colours, forms, positioning and even shadows created by Chilhuly are inspiration for all in the art and design world.
Website: http://www.chihuly.com/