Style Imitating Art - The Curator

My sister thinks this dress is something a museum curator would wear, so it's a fitting one to start a new project with!

I've been following Jess' blog, Animated Cardigan for a very long time now and she and a blog friend, Salazar set up the Style Imitating Art series, where they allow themselves to be inspired by a work of art they choose, and dress up accordingly.

This time the painting in focus was a Klimt piece, who I really really love, namely The Portrait of Emilie Flöge, so I decided to finally take part. :)

I wish I had a dress just like hers...
You can check out all the other bloggers and their inspired outfits at Salazar's blog soon -we're in very different timezones, so I guess a few hours after my post is up. :)

These rings are handmade by a friend of mine who I've known since we were both 6! She became a very talented jewellery maker specializing in enamel and copper. I've made the earrings. :)

Wearing: Thrifted dress, handmade jewellery from Jojó Art Shop, 
H&M Mama tights, Chinese boots.

Yellow and Brown Set

Another rainy day... In between two rainshowers the best thing you can do is to wear yellow!






































Thank you so much for your kind words and overall lovely positive feedback on my jewellery! Honestly, it means so much that you girls like them!

Here's another set I've made last week, in brownish-yellowish colours. I decided to wear them with something relatively simple, as I guess the two pieces together are a statement enough! Of course I couldn't resist throwing in a pair of coloured tights...







































Isn't this thrifted bag cute? My Mum found it at our favourite second hand store - proof that all the inconveniences of thrifting that I wrote about are worth it after all!





















For some reason I lift my hand to my neck on almost all the pictures, and I have no idea why. The necklace holds up fine, one doesn't need to hold it in place! :)









































I'm definitely selling this set along with many others once the project I'm working on is finished, and I'll have time to set up the Etsy shop of my dreams! Next week! Exciting!

Wearing: necklace and headband made by me, H&M dress and vest, thrifted bag, 

random shoes, Calzedonia tights.

Pictures taken by my Mum, edited by me.

Blue Moon

The absolute highlight of this outfit for me is my gorgeous new necklace.

My Mum made this beautiful pendant and as I helped her assemble quite a few necklaces yesterday, I sort of felt like I deserve one in exchange... I fell in love with this one!

I fall in love with these sandals as well, every time I wear them. :)

The days are getting shorter so fast... These pictures taken at my favourite door are quite dark already. Wait a minute, shorter days remind me first of all of shorter picture-taking time? I must be hooked on this blogging thing after all. :)

I wore: Trousers: H&M, T-shirt: Zara, Shoes: Tamaris, Bracelets: two sets were gifts 

and another set is from Jeans Club, Necklace: Made by my Mum.

The Child Within

I like style when it’s fun. When it’s playful and has a sense of humour, when it’s innocent and when it doesn’t take itself seriously. Just like a child.

For me, letting my inner child coming out to play is not something infantile, naive, simple or sticky sweet – it’s rather honest, carefree and self-confident.

It’s so important for me to be able to retain my ability to see the world as new, just like I did when I was a child. To find beauty in the smallest things, and to constantly look for it in places that grown-ups gave up long ago.

When I feel grumpy, fed up, negative and tired, I try to see the world around me with new eyes. To wonder at the world is one sure way of pulling yourself out of many a dark place.

Enjoy beauty in an around you and have fun in getting dressed! Have a beautiful week!

What I wore: I bought the bird-ring at Museum Night last Friday, a night when all museums are open well into the night and host programs, concerts, shows… The Museum of Applied Art hosted a fair and that’s where I met my little bird.

Trouser-skirt: Promod, T-shirt: Zara, Shoes: Some boutique, Leggings and Sweater: Chinese Shop, Bracelet: A necklace from Brigitte Bijou maybe, Scarf: C&A.

Bazaar Times and Handmade Products

I’m a passionate advocate of buying handmade and buying local. Mostly because it’s so much more fun browsing stalls and talking to the designers and finding things that are truly original. New ideas always inspire me to think differently too.

Gozsdu Bazaar or Gouba, a weekly bazaar for handmade products here in Budapest is held in a string of adjoining courtyards, which I’m not very good at photographing, sorry! Believe me though that the setting is really nice and very atmospheric, calm and happy, while buzzing with creative energy.

Handmade chocolate! Yum!

What I wore: trousers: Zara, Blouse: Second hand, Shoes: Vagabond, You can't see my bag but it's from Clarks, Scarf: H&M, Necklace: Jeans Club, Earrings: DIY, Bracelets: H&M, and from a Lindt chocolate bunny. :)

I could go on and on about why I support buying handmade, so I thought I would get some of the arguments together for those who aren't sure about buying from local designers and artists. 

So let's see, why buy handmade?

Invest in Ethical Produce

Many times when I buy mass-produced jewellery I can't help but wonder who assembled it and how much money they earnt with that painstaking work. If you buy directly from the maker, or from small local shops, you can be sure your money reaches the artist directly, or only one step removed. Phew, you can forget remorse and nightmares of child labour, while the artist gets all of their money, without the interference of big companies. Win-win!

Invest in Your Area

Buying something directly from the designer-maker is the best way of ensuring that only ethical labour went into the product, and that the materials were sourced in your area. What's more, your new possession probably didn't travel very far to get into your hands.

Whether the sellers are the designers themselves or a local shop owner, by buying their bags, dresses, earrings, you support your area to grow financially, as well as artistically.

Invest in Quality

Invest in handmade pieces lovingly assembled by the designer. At a market you can discuss how to care about your new acquisition and make a note of the designer’s details to ask for help if a seam is burst, or half an earring is lost. Building a personal connection with your newest acquisition makes it more valuable – treasuring what you buy, you take care of it better. Try to look at your clothes in a different light, after all, they could all be pieces of art! If half of your earring is lost, you might just throw it out. If it’s a handmade, one-of-a-kind piece, you can contact the maker to work out a way of saving it. Quality over quantity - well-loved, well-made pieces instead of mass-produced, almost worthless stuff. It's easy to choose!

Invest in Talent

Be proud to support young talent and if you like their work, help them making more art by buying their designs. Dare to be original in your purchases, your one-of-a-kind piece might become one of your most treasured possessions. Don’t you wish you could have bought one of Coco Chanel’s early designs? :)

Don’t hold back with praise if you see a design you like. As bloggers you know how much it means to be inspired by a comment, feedback is important for designers too. Even if you don’t buy anything, your opinion and support will matter for a young talent who might emerge as an influential artist – thanks partly to you!

Most importantly: enjoy browsing and shopping, enjoy your acquisitions, enjoy connecting and reconnecting with the designers!

Pálinka and Broderie Anglaise

What is pálinka? The lovely, fruity, rich and very strong national spirit of Hungary. Why is it so good? It's made entirely of fruit, and fruit, and more fruit. What sort of fruit? Any and all types, really, from plum and apricot to walnut, quince, and all the berries you can imagine. Why am I writing about this? Because this weekend the famed Pálinka Festival, where all the distillers present their best pálinkas, is held in the Castle of Budapest, and obviously we had to pay a visit!

My favourite type, the "ágyas pálinka" (fruit-bed pálinka) is aged together with fruits - even more fruitier! Here, I am tasting a green walnut pálinka... Look at the colour, enjoy the rich scent, then taste! Wonderful!

Good pálinka has a culture, just like wine. I never used to like alcohol, but gradually warmed to wine and pálinka, mostly because of the work that goes into making them. Hungary is not a beer country, but we're really very good at wine. And pálinka. :)

But you might also be interested in what I wore, so here's a picture where you can sort of see all of me... (and a bit of the castle.)

If you wondered what Broderie Anglaise is, it's the embroidery technique used on my blouse, involving cutting out the patterns from the material.

This blouse was made by my Mother when she was younger, using an old pillow case. Can you imagine the care that used to go into embroidering pillowcases? I'm so amazed by the detailing on this ex-bedlinen. It felt fitting to wear it to an event celebrating practically handmade drinks.

Top - handmade by an unknown housewife, refashioned by my Mother, 

Leather skirt - thrifted, Leggings with holes - Chinese shop, Ballerinas - Vagabond, 

Clip-on earrings - handmade by me, Bracelet - by my lovely little Cousin,

Necklace that looks like a huge doodle by an annoyed child - Rossmann.

Handmade... Books

I've been looking forward to trying my hand at making books for a long time, and finally I did, attending a workshop for 9 hours - these two lovelies are the result.

 

Well, if someone ever gives you a handmade blank book as a present, revere it (and them), as a lot of time and effort goes into making these. But they're absolutely worth it. :)

My models wear scrapbooking paper, H&M and Jojó Art Shop roses
and lounge around on my clothes. :)

On a different note, this is what I wore today. I'm so inspired by Art Nouveau patterns at the moment (as you can see above). I'm aware of this wrap dress not being truly Art Nouveau, but it reminds me of it - and that's more than enough for something thrifted for ridiculously cheap!

Thrifted dress, Chinese leggings, Joid'art necklace and the same pink Humanic shoes hiding in the grass.

 These are my first attempts at taking my own pictures - thus the uncomfortable look. :)

Oh, and look, now you can:
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