Suzhou Cobblers



Stopped by The Orchard to enjoy a peaceful brunch. In the gardens the flowers are blossoming to the fullest. I must have had perfect timing as the flowers were lovely.

For those of you who have yet to visit Beijing, China, I thought I would give you a little sneak peak.

Darlings, I am pleased to publicly annouce for the first time that Linnea Page will be moving to London, England this coming autumn! Upon my exciting acceptance to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design I will be relocating and leaving my home in Beijing, China. In preparation I have studied the satirical comic of Miss Remarkable and Her Career. The hilarious strip, by Joanna Rubin Dranger, follows the fabulous protagonist Miss Remarkable as she pursues a career in the competitive design industry. Initially cocky and ready to take on the world, she finds that reinventing the wheel can be a difficult task and instead becomes stuck in a design rut in which she is unable to produce inspired work. I can't help but feel for her struggles as I am about to embark on the same journey. Both exciting and nerve wrecking!

Today I had a most interesting visit to artist Wang Jianwei's studio.



Upon arriving I was met by large iron gates featuring the artist's own initials W. J. W. Fancy, and to tell you the truth I liked it!



I was given the grand tour of the large studio warehouse which was once a factory.



Photographs from his more conceptual installations covered the walls, as did his sculptures made from white plastic.



Much like the mummies of Egypt, his sculptural statues were securely stored in bubble wrap and resting against the wall.



Wang Jianwei's studio was packed with materials and projects which were recently returned after exhibition. The studio also featured some of his current projects such as the many cabinets and furniture which was stored in one corner of the large room. For those interested, his latest exhibition Yellow Signal is currently on display at UCCA in 798 art district.

Spent a day with graffitti artist Biskit. This is how we do it...

German fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh's latest exhibition The Unknown is currently on display at UCCA in 798 Art District and as usual I simply couldn't resist stopping by to check it out.



Known for launching the global supermodel phenomenon, his images featured the likes of models Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford but also current superstars such as Chloe Sevigny, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Pivovarova, and Jessica Stam.



Jessica Stam, Mojave Desert, California, USA 2004



As Lindbergh himself says, "Creativity is the basis of self-expression. When I create a photo, the structure, the light and the face of the model, terrified, joyful or amused, comes from an idea, from a feeling, an emotion in that moment".

Picked up a copy of the art magazine Glass during my time in London, and what did I find?





A large section of the center photo spread was photographed by my pal Trunk Xu under Womeswear preview part 1: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Exciting! I think they turned out really well!

The graduation ceremony was beautiful however, the highlight was definitely seeing my terrific sister elegantly gliding across the stage to receive her degree! Hurray and thank goodness for the possibility of online streaming!

In celebration of my sister's graduation, I did something that I never do. I baked! Inspired by the latest addition to my library, The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days cookbook.





Suggestion: keep the cupcakes in a cupcake tray or else you risk having them float out.



I cooked up a storm with the result being mocha cupcakes sprinkled with a cappuccino finish.

Went shopping for some inspiration the other day and ended up playing around with different color combinations using pearls, beads, and stones.





Not only were there interesting colors but also intriguing shapes and textures. I especially fell for this, even though I'm no fan of red. It's just so frivolous!

After hitting up Diane von Furstenberg's fashion exhibition, I stopped by the neighboring gallery Faurschou Beijing. Their current exhibition displays works by the influential artist Lucian Freud and his studio assistant David Dawson.

Lucian Freud, David & Eli, 2003-2004, Oil on canvas, 163 x 174 cm

This particular painting is of Freud's studio assistant David Dawson who regularly models for Freud. With a close friendship built over 20 years of working together it is not surprising that he is not a stranger to Freud's ability to scrutinize every little detail of the model's character. This painting has a classic freud set-up, a nude model on a bed. Freud has depicted this in his paintings for years with models lying or sleeping on his studio couch, sofa or mattress.





The exhibition also displayed images taken by David Dawson showing the working process of Freud and giving a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. David Dawson is actually one of few people ever allowed to take pictures in Freud's studio.

Stopped by the Pace gallery in the 798 Art District to check out Diane von Furstenberg's latest fashion and design exhibition Journey of a Dress. The exhibition featured the designer's timeless collection of sophisticated fashions, including the original wrap dress and a selection of 80-plus looks ranging from the 1970s to present-day collections.



image: http://inside.dvf.com/dvf_magazine/2011/04/04/journey-of-a-dress-opens-at-the-pace-gallery-in-beijing/

Her mission is to empower women through fashion, mentorship and philanthropy. This was reflected throughout the exhibition which featured slogans such as "proud to be woman", "live your fantasy", "fear is not an option", and "just be yourself not an imitation". (No photos allowed- this was rigorously enforced as I had a security guard shadowing me throughout the entire show)





image: http://inside.dvf.com/dvf_magazine/2011/04/04/journey-of-a-dress-opens-at-the-pace-gallery-in-beijing/