A Unique Place Called Home: Nanushka Flagship Store

A UNIQUE PLACE CALLED HOME

In 2011 Nanushka opened its first store in downtown Budapest. The aim was to create a store that is in contrast with traditional retail spaces. One that is a reflection of the brand’s core values. An intimate, snug shelter that filters out the sometimes overwhelming racket of the urban experience.

This was achieved thanks to the work of an amazing team of talented young architects who turned an uninspiring retail space into a new home for Nanushka. The design team was selected by Sandra (Creative Director) from a pool of candidates who responded to an ad posted throughout several universities.

News of the store’s unique interior made its way onto over 300 international blogs. It has become a must-see tourist attraction for fashionistas and design-lovers visiting Budapest and has been mentioned in top international interior design polls.

Originally the store was an experiment, a pop-up space to be open for a few months only, hence its original name Nanushka BETA Store. However the experiment was a wild success, they dropped the BETA, and are here to stay and are very happy to call the Nanushka Store Budapest home.

MADE IN BUDAPEST

As inspiration for the design, Sandra and the team used elements from wedding tents and barn weddings and gathered raw materials such as cotton, linen, firewood and rusted steel.

They created a rigging system for the 250 square meter canvas that would drape the interior by pulling wires below the ceiling. Running from front to back they were able to hoist the canvas into the air and let it fall and flow in a way that wrapped the entire retail space from the inside.

The floor was created from logs of firewood sliced into 3 centimeter rings and laid out over the course of several days. Small display stands were built from logs of wood that sprouted from the ground.

Linen poufs and Ballon Lamps sharing the same cylinder shape strengthened the organic flow of the space, while the strict, geometric forms of the counter and fitting rooms, as well as the rusted steel racks created a firm counterpoint and a calm balance. Contrasts were also created with the choice of materials through the combination of rusty, rough, smooth and soft surfaces, all in soothing variations of tranquil, clean, quiet white.

THE DESIGN TEAM
Zsofi Dobos www.zsofidobos.com 
Noemi Varga www.numbernow.org
Dori Medveczky 
www.mdvczk.tumblr.com/ 
Daniel Balo - danielbalo.tumblr.com/

LIGHTING
Ballon Lamp Hungary - www.ballonlamp.com

PHOTO
Bujnovszky Tamas - www.bujnovszky.com 

LOCATION: Fashion Street - Budapest, Deak Ferenc Utca 17. CONTACT: budapest@nanushka.hu - +36 1 202 1050 

HOURS: Monday - Saturday- 11 a.m. - 8 p.m and Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

AS SEEN ON
Dezeen - Plataforma Arquitectura - Designboom - Trendland - Frameweb 

www.nanushka.hu 

D.Efect SS15 “a small girl, a big world”

“a small girl, a big world”

D.Efect Spring Summer 2015

This season D.EFECT imagined a young girl who spends her carefree days in the playground, exploring the shapes in the sky, echoing them in the sand, bringing them to life with watercolor. then there is this whole other space surrounding the girl – big, grey, geometric, logical. architectural. yet equally fascinating.

When asked, she couldn’t pick just one world – the contrasts of the two compliment each other. simple & clean shapes are enhanced by little imperfections: a crack in the wall, an unfinished shape in the sky, a scratch on the skin, a peekaboo pocket on the jumper.

Staying true to the brand’s core values, SS15 is full of contrasts. Masculine, oversized and modern shapes are softened with silky fabrics and sheer details. Stiffer materials are balanced out with light, air-like ones.

“I was inspired by great, monumental architecture of 20th century: Hanselmann House, Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban, Centraal Beheer. All this and my two year old daughter. Seeing her playing with a rocking horse inspired me to add the little fringe details to the collection – something light and quirky. A horse’s mane on your sleeves is al- ways a bit off – that’s where the beauty of imperfection lies” explained creative director of D.EFECT Egle Ziemyte.

Keywords:
texture, contrast, boy-meets-girl, oversized shapes, light layers, soft structures

Colors:
pastel: shades of blue, pale pink, wet asphalt, sand beige, whites & blacks

Fabrics:
natural & light: cotton, linen, silk, viscose; experiments with texture & patterns

Must-Have styles:
Beverly silk overcoat & Dominica silk jacket lose their regular boxy shapes when constructed in light fabric Flick overcoat wows with its stand out geometrical 60s print
Eva dress surprises with unexpected mix of architectural shape mixed with fun fringe details 

D.Efect will be showing SS15 at Macandi Showrooms, London 21st July - 15th September and at the following trade fairs:

Pure, London
Capsule, Paris
Tranoi (Bourse), Paris

Current UK stockists include Start (Shoreditch, London), LaIi (Notting Hill, London) Diverse (Islington, London),  Gallery 9 (Naas, Eire), Peel (Belfast, Northern Ireland), Arnotts (Dublin, Eire) and Coggles (online)

www.defectonline.com

Please contact Chiara Zanardo for further information or to book an appointment - 0207 242 3734 chiara@macandi.com

Defining Beauty

There seems to be a trend right now that is focusing on the fact that 'perfect' is not the definition of beauty and that ultimately, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

Is this a direct result of the over production of images (shadowing, re-touching) in print and film alongside celeb magazines that point out every perceived flaw which has encouraged an obsession with seeking perfection through beauty treatments and cosmetic procedures?

Uber cool site Nowness is running a series of film based discussions under the hashtag #DEFINEBEAUTY. The series kicked of with a beautifully brilliant short film celebrating body hair. 

http://www.nowness.com/day/2014/5/6/3854/les-fleurs?icid=MTL_2_Home

“One of the things I appreciate most about female beauty is what’s commonly appreciated the least,” says Saam Farahmand of his ode to body hair that launches NOWNESS’ new five-part series #DefineBeauty. 

D.Efect, which we have been representing for 3 seasons now, has always gone by the tag line The Beauty of Imperfection and the ethos of the brand is to celebrate those details and quirks that are not deemed conventionally beautiful. Having recently re-branded and re-launched their website D.Efect commissioned a short film which you can view here http://vimeo.com/89381623

Find out more about D.Efect and #thebeautyofimperfection in these recent blogposts

http://weareselecters.com/2014/05/D-Efect-s-Beauty-of-Imperfection/

http://kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/2014/05/the-beauty-of-imperfection.html

UK and International sales enquiries chiara@macandi.com

Press enquiries IPR London - Ellis Nicholls ellis@iprlondon.com

Ginger & Smart "Dualism" Runway Show

April 7th 2014, Sydney. Mercedes Benz Fashion Week - Australia. The setting was a beautiful converted warehouse space. Ginger & Smart showcased "Dualism" their AW14 (SS14 if you are in the Southern Hemisphere) and Resort collections. 

The show was a roaring success, with positive reviews from The Business of Fashion, PopSugar, Trendspotter and many more and Vogue Australia coverage can be seen here http://www.vogue.com.au/fashion+shows/galleries/ginger+smart+ready+to+wear+s+s+2014+15+,29971

The theme of "Dualism" explored double vision and duality via  multiple layers, contrasting textures, shapes and some strong shades. Feminine yet strong, soft yet edgy, structured yet fluid, print with colour block.. all the while ensuring a balanced collection.

Ginger & Smart Resort will be available to view at Macandi Showrooms, London

from June 4th.

Contact Maggie Smart - maggie.smart@macandi.com for appointments or further information

Blanket Row - discreet, functional, beautiful design

Sometimes a product comes along that feels just right to us - it's not about branding, it's not about celebrity following; it's all about the quality, the price and the love that goes into the design - Blanket Row is one such brand.

Blanket Row is a new label by Nikki Mellors, with a focus on discreet, functional simplicity. Local manufacturing, materials and suppliers are the mainstay and anchor of the brand which fuses a typically British robust manufacturing with a pure minimalist aesthetic.

Leaving a career  in  museum artifacts, costume and theatre, Nikki began working on Blanket Row last year collaborating with a traditional family-run leather goods manufacturers a mere 20 minutes walk from her front door in the UK.

Offering a small range of products using carefully selected materials, chosen for their purity and individual qualities, the emphasis falls on the quiet nature and simplicity that Nikki strives for in her work. A passion for clean lines and simple forms, gentle curves and strength of structure are the inspirations for her products. 

Three types of leathers are used in the collection, all sourced locally in Yorkshire. The smooth regularity of a 2.6mm thick cowhide split leather was chosen for its clean perfection. A 3.5mm thick full-grain black bridal leather was chosen for its rippling, velvety texture and the way it ages to produce a soft sheen. Finally the pale beauty of a vegetable- tanned, untreated leather was chosen to offer its raw, fibrous ever changing nature for those who wish to see a transformation over time.

Blanket Row is in an old area of Hull, full of history and family ties for Nikki. Close to the river Humber with all its spare beauty, it is this landscape of nature and industry that runs through all of her products.

Blanket Row offers a mark up of 2.5 and retails prices range from £80 – 220

Worldwide sales enquiries:

Macandi Showrooms , 14 Emerald St, London WC1N 3QA

Call us on +44(0)207 242 3734

Email us sales@macandi.com

Spektre Sunglasses arrive just in time for summer

‘The perfect mix of elegance and street style’ , founded in 2009 in Milan, Spektre Eyewear is sold in some of the world’s most cutting edge boutiques, lifestyle stores and department stores. Current stockists include Collete (Paris), Le Bon Marche (Paris), Antonia (Italy) , Matches (London and Online), Folk (London and Online), Fenwick Bond Street (London), Brown Thomas (Eire)

These sunglasses not only make you stand out from a crowd but reveal the unconventional side of your personality too. As such, they have become a firm favourite of bloggers and the fashion world already with frequent postings from Anna Delo Russo, Giovana Battaglia and many more. MSGM also used Spektre eyewear for their men's and women's SS14 runway shows.

Sold in 42 countries across the globe, Spektre is a must have accessory, whether your sun bathing on a beach abroad or walking through the city.

100% made in Italy, Spektre are renowned for their quality; frames are either injection moulded or hand-made Mazzucchei acetate; lenses offer a UV factor 3 protection (4 is the maximum) and are polarized, S.I.L.O Multilayered for the mirrors and Carl Zeiss for the opaques.

All frames have optical grooves so that they can be worn as sunglasses or opticals. Currently there are 7 frames in the range - 4 of which are suitable for menswear also.

Despite the quality and broad choice, the price is highly competitive at €45 or €55 wholesale (and offering a 2.7 mark up). We are working on a stock basis and as such delivery time can be as quick as 2 weeks from order.

Please call us on 0207 242 3734 or email us:

Womens - chiara@macandi.com

Mens - maggie.smart@macandi.com

www.macandi.com

www.spektresunglasses.com

Pure London

We have just returned from the new and improved Pure London where we pretty much moved the entire showroom for 3 days to Olympia.

The team behind Pure have been working their socks off to update and refresh the show; the physical size of the show has reduced by around 15%, there is more of an edited and curated approach to the brand list,  the catwalk has been brought back to the centre of the show and the show is now zoned by brand category. We were part of the Agenda (premium) area.

In the run up we were met with many raised eyebrows and quizzical expressions when we told buyers / friends / colleagues that we were taking part. I can understand why, the Pure show that we have come to expect over the past few years has been focused on lower price points, in season business and has lacked a tight edit and focus. However, we are not afraid of trusting our instincts and getting on board early with a project; and we definitely feel our instinct to participate has been spot on.

As a first step into refreshing the show the organisers have done a great job. For us, we reconnected with old faces, met plenty of new faces, wrote orders and left with a smile on our faces. It felt like a smaller version of Who's Next / Premiere Classe in Paris - a balance of commercial and contemporary brands and a really strong accessories offer. To fill a venue like Olympia there has to be a broad appeal.

We loved true spacious stands, great light and our position - right by the entrance and alongside Innocenza Agency (http://www.innocenza.co.uk) you can read more about the show and the response it has received in the links below.

Pop the date in your diary for SS15 now - we will most certainly be there!

and now, we get ready for Paris.

http://newsle.com/article/0/123551091/

Drapers Round Ups
http://www.drapersonline.com/fashion/trade-shows/pure/pure-london-autumn-14-image-gallery/5057297.article?blocktitle=Pure-Autumn-14&contentID=13323

In Conversation With … Delicate Love

For Spring 14 we began to slowly introduce our customers to a new knit brand, Delicate Love. We asked Wiebke Kaup from the Delicate Love team to tell us a little more about the brand in advance of the AW14 sales campaign.

Wiebke, we love the passion for product of the Delicate Love team, can you tell us a little more about the brand and what drives you?

The story of Delicate Love is simply put, a love story. A love for knitted fabrics, a love for the highest quality yarns; especially cashmere. A love for colour and last but certainly not least a love for quality production. 

We are so proud of our production facility in Madagascar and the consistently high quality garments that we produce.

Why should the Macandi Showrooms customers get excited about Delicate Love?

We offer our customers exceptional value for money, having developed a sophisticated collection of modern basics in a plethora of vibrant colours using the highest-grade yarns.

Not only are you passionate about creating great products at a great price, you are also passionate about workers rights and the ethics of how you produce. Tell us more...

At a time when discussions about the minimum wage and working conditions at production sites are rife, we can guarantee that Delicate Love is only produced in our own factories in Madagascar; we do not outsource . We are committed to the highest social, ethical and environmental standards; we are continuously looking for ways to improve the conditions for our workers in Madagascar, promoting workplace safety and providing health care for them. Our factories are BSCI accredited, we do not simply pay lip service to ethics. All production facilities are equipped with water purification systems that are compliant with international standards.

Apart from our commercial operations, Delicate Love is strongly committed to improving the lives of disadvantaged children in Madagascar, supporting the work of the Madalief Foundation (see http://www.madalief.nl/ for details). 

Tell us about the exciting developments at Delicate Love for the AW14 collection. 

In June 2013 Delicatelove brought together its knitwear expertise with the creativity of two Parisian Art Directors: Lenny Guerrier (Creative Director and Co-Founder of Coïncidence Paris) and Riadh Trabelsi (Stylist). It’s the perfect marriage for Delicate Love – classical cuts, timeless pieces that can be re-invented time and time again, an amazing colour palette and a that unmistakable French je ne sais quoi.

Together with these two connoisseurs of style and taste Delicate Love has developed an enthralling collection with a very feminine touch. Inspired by pieces from the designers’ archive and their deep knowledge of fashion history, Guerrier and Trabelsi have thus given our collection a distinctly Parisian feel; chic, understated and effortlessly stylish.

What does this mean for the future of Delicate Love?

The result of the collaboration is the Delicate Love AW14 collection—a collection that shakes up the future of our brand, giving it a new and unique DNA without losing its roots: strong, must have basics, essential for every modern woman’s wardrobe.

This first collection “kissfromparis” was inspired by the fashion districts of Paris, Tokyo, London and New York and revisits the classic feminine wardrobe with “feelgood” materials such as mohair, fine wool and pure cashmere. The collection comprises dresses, t-shirts, printed sweaters, oversized sweaters, leggings, bodies, coats and bomber-jackets.

Delicate Love AW14 will be showing at Premium, Berlin and Pure, London in addition to

 Macandi Showrooms, London until Feb 25th.

For appointments, lookbooks and further information please contact:

UK, Eire & Channel Islands - Chiara Zanardo - chiara@macandi.com 

Japan - Maggie Smart - maggie.smart@macandi.com 

or call us on  0207 242 3734