Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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Gods And Party Monsters At Yazbukey’s Tenth Anniversary Bash

April 19, 2010 2:10 pm

Yaz Bukey and her sister Emel are Paris party girls extraordinaires, so their accessories

line Yazbukey’s tenth anniversary requires nothing less than ten parties to celebrate.

Yaz has a gift for revamping the classics—she designed a gift box for Paris’

primo macaronpurveyor Ladurée earlier this year, and created a mini collection of Barbie-inspired

Plexiglas baubles that will be available at Colette this May—and for her latest trick,

she made over the vintage Parisian vodka-and-caviar club Raspoutine into Yazpoutine.

The dimly lit, red velvet lair was stocked with Baba Yaga dolls, pictures of Russian folk dancers,

and ancient samovars. Jefferson Hack (pictured, with Laetitia Crahay and Josephine de la Baume),

Camille Bidault-Waddington, Mario Testino, Nicola Formichetti, Olivier Zahm, and Catherine Baba

stopped by for a “tableau vivant” performance by Paris’ House of Drama troupe.

(Emphasis on the vivant, not the tableau.) House of Drama’s Aymeric Bergada Du Cadet—

Bukey’s former design assistant—turned himself into a whirling dervish, assisted by the

troupe’s exotic dancers, before one and all fell to the floor for a moment of communal ecstasy.

Yaz herself joined the tableau as a deity of sorts, attired in a corset—her preferred stage attire.

But some things are apparently out of even a goddess’ hands. Bukey was scheduled to fly to NYC

the following morning to work with Zac Posen on the bags for his Z Spoke collection, but he’ll have

to wait until that Icelandic volcanic ash blows away from the European skyline.

Monday, April 19, 2010

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com

We Three Things | Lip Reading

Lip Reading

If the eyes are window to the soul, then the mouth is window to the gut, revealing anxieties, turmoil and hidden appetites. My partially deaf step-aunt lip-reads, and she understands me better than any other member of my family. The way a person smiles clues us into their disposition and emotional state, and whether painted, bitten or sealed, lips are constantly speaking volumes.

Last week a friend mailed me a book. When I unwrapped it and saw the cover, I felt like a kiss had been blown to me all the way from Berlin. “Interview” is a series of questions asked by Hans Ulrich Obrist and answered, photographically, by Hans-Peter Feldmann, one of my favorite artists. (It is an homage to a similarly formatted interview Feldmann made in the 1970’s with Avalanche magazine.) While Obrist’s philosophical and expansive questions are rich material to begin with, “reading” Feldmann’s pictorial replies opens up a passage of memory and reverie that mere verbal response cannot.

Lee LozanoPrivate Collection © The Estate of Lee Lozano. Courtesy Hauser & WirthLee Lozano, “No Title (She Bites),” 1962.

Lee Lozano was another artist who thought before she spoke. She also thought before she declined to speak. From 1961 to 1971, through powerful canvases of drills and screws; abstracted paintings of wavelengths; energetic drawings and conceptual performances, Lozano — who died in 1999 — examined sex, perception and prevailing ideas of feminism. In 1969 she began a deliberate and extreme retreat from the art world with a series of pieces, beginning with “General Strike,” (a withdrawal from a group show), followed by “Drop Out” (a move from New York to Texas) and finally “Decide to Boycott Women” (a refusal to have contact with other women). A retrospective of her radical and haunting work is being held at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm until April 25

YazbukeyCourtesy Yazbukey

I first came across Yazbukey’s jewelry at my favorite store,Kokon to Zai, in London. Sisters Yaz and Emel create pieces that are coy, pop and beautifully crafted, twisting culture into bon mot baubles. A favorite of mine is a Plexi brooch they call “Marilyn’s Red Lips” which evokes America’s favorite pout, from their collection “my Heart Belongs to…” Other collection titles include “Love me i’ll be your nightmare,” “Look at me, copy me” and— with a nod to The Pet Shop Boys— “I love you, you pay my rent.” From the mouths of babes.

www.runninginheels.co.uk


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Running in Heels: Emel Kurhan, Jewellery Designer

Posted in Fashionista » Features » by Alice Revel :: April 20, 2009

13Emel Kurhan is one half of the team of two sisters that create Yazbukey, a range of quirky, fun and beautiful accessories and jewellery. Emel was born in Cairo, an Ottoman princess and descendant of Mehmet Ali Pasha, King of Egypt no less! After a spot of globe trotting Emel decided to settle in Paris with her sister, Yaz. She worked with Christian Lacroix’s textile prints department for three seasons before studying at Studio Bercot. In 2000 Emel and Yaz launched Yazbukey. Their point of inspiration was dressing up the Little Black Dress – adding jewellery, shoes, bags, belts – anything that would make a classic piece fabulous! Emel and Yaz are inspired by a variety of eccentric and interesting sources – from old musicals and Tim Burton films to fairytales. Their current collection features otherworldly High Priestess medallions, cording and ropes and….Sebastien Tellier! You can buy Yazbukey at Colette in Paris, Kokontozai in London,Le Fati Ignoranti in Rome or Walter in Belgium.

http://www.yazbukey.com/

http://emelkurhan.blogspot.com/

Have you always wanted to be a designer?

I never thought of it, but as a kid I always wanted to do something creative. I was, and still am a daydreamer! So I knew very, very young that I would be making money with dreams, drawings, my imagination and doing something visual, but I never put a name on it.

How did you get to where you are today and would you do anything differently?

I wouldn’t do anything differently. I have made mistakes and learned a lot. I have no regrets. I think I never gave up dreaming and buying into my dreams. I truly believe in what I do but don’t take it too seriously.sebastien-tellier

Who helped you along the way?

My sister Yaz, and my dearest friend Eren.

Who inspires you?

People that have guts!

Influences?

Love, life, my boyfriend, Fatih, travelling, cinema, books, friends, art, cinema,my sister Yaz, sleeping, laughing, my dog, fairy tales, tv, pop culture…anything and everything.

What do you think is the biggest problem in French society today and what is the most positive thing?

Concerning fashion,the French have this amazing history, but unfortunately they are too closed to new opinions and changes because they rely so much on this history,and it is so heavy and becomes so important that in a way French society is scared about doing anything in case it won’t be as good as waht’s gone before. It’s a old institution scared of that’s scared of anything new. İn french school they always teach you that you can’t reach perfection, that’s why on an exam you will never get 20/20. I think this is a good reflection of French society!three-blind-mice3

Do you feel Turkish, French or European?

French-Turkish-European …all in one but none at the same time.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

A lot of The Beatles! And Debussy too.

Jewellery trend for this season?

I have no idea!

What couldn’t you live without?

Above all love! And also my dog Kumpir, my sister Yaz and my dearest friends and of course Fatih.

yaz-and-emel

Emel with her sister Yaz

Dream purchase?

My flat in Istanbul.

Favourite film?

Since my childhood it would have to be “The Wizard of Oz” and from this year I really liked “The Wrestler”.

One piece of jewellery every girl should own?

Diamonds!

Favourite European city and why?

Paris! It is the most romantic city at night with all of these lights.

Desert island book?

William Dalrymple’s “The Last Mughal”

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In 5 years, I see myself in a happy and mellow place.

Can you run in heels?

If I had to yes, but my sister runs faster!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010