APICCAPS - Footwear Organization

Around the world there are numerous organizations that promote the footwear industry.
In Portugal we have APICCAPS (Portuguese Association of Manufacturers of Footwear, Components, Leather Goods and their Substitutes) based in Porto, founded in 1975.
This organization is responsible for several initiatives to help brands and industries of the sector.
For further info:
APICCAPS Homepage
APICCAPS Facebook

APICCAPS launched last September the second edition of this report analyzes the major trends in the footwear row on five continents, both in quantity and value, and evolution of the major global players in this sector. Here we can find important information about the global production of footwear and many relevant curiosities...
Required reading:

2012 Yearbook.pdf

There's No Brand Like Nobrand

Finally I got some time to post ;)

Well, this last weeks have been amasing. I'm doing an internship at a great portuguese footwear company. 

My friends let me introduce you to Nobrand and to the work of one of the most creative designer I ever met, Hugo Melo.

Nobrand is another great example of quality and design combined in differentiated products with a warm and optimistic personality. The key element of this brand is the special attention to details. 

The final result are amasing shoes for young adults with funny and cool personality.

Take a look to some of my favourite shoes for this winter.

Man

Woman

For more information go to:
http://www.nobrand.pt/

Book & Art - Altered Book

Well I've always enjoyed books. I love reading almost any kind of literature but I've never thought we could use books to make a piece of art. 

A friend of mine just told me about a work that he did during his Master. He chose a book and a concept that somehow were related to each other. Using just a knife he cut and folded all the sheets of the book to transform it into a different piece. The result could be very amazing. I'm really tempted to try it. 

Let me show you some examples and I challenge you to try it too.

Artist: Isaac Salazar

Artist: Alexander Robinson

Artist: Jennifer Hibbard

 

Artist: Brian Dettmer

Artist: Rachael Ashe

Artist: Brian Dettmer

Artist: Georgia Russell

Artist: Kristina Lahde

Unknown Artist

Fashion Illustration

Here I am today for showing you some works of a great fashion illustrator of OUR TIME...

I always had a great fascination for drawing in particular for fashion illustration. As fashion designer I'm learning more and more to recognize value to this kind of artistic representation and now I was led to meet some great artists and their works. 

So among all the possible names of amazing artists I decided to write about a young female illustator of the presente days... Laura Laine.

She is from Helsinki and she studied fashion design at University of Art an Design Helsinki. Her passion is illustration so after she completing her studies she decided to work as a full-time freelance illustrator and also teaching fashion at the university.

All her works are absolutly stunning. The characters are very stylized, twisted and with long and flowing hairs, with different textures on the clothes (fur, silk, leather, etc.) and she use the minimal color palette.

For me it's a very beautiful and delicate work with a pinch of darkness and eccentric taste. Her illustrations are like a dive into a mystic and sinister atmosphere of feminine forms.

You can see all this and much more at http://www.lauralaine.net/

See you soon.