It is coming up to that time of year again, February 9th kicks off the Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin. Acclaimed Dutch Filmmaker Paul Verhoeven will be Jury Head. The 67th fest opens Etienne Comar’s debut film Django.
14 films are in competition this year including entries from directors Holland, Veiel, Potter, and Moverman.
Stay tuned for more updates and complete coverage of the Berlinale here at Black and Paper.
A tell-tale characteristic of a stylish man, whether in formal or casual clothing, is the state of his clothing defined by subtle details.
A shirt should be crisp, never sloppy.
Stylishly, comfortable, and low key without a wrinkle.
The Philips Steam&Go 2-in-1 Handheld garment steamer is perfect for touch ups and difficult to iron clothes
Black and Paper recommends this device. Our fashion stylist fell in love with it.
A Black and Paper Production
Photographer-Dale Grant
Stylist-Hercules Terres
We are feeling very excited about Milan Fashion Week Uomo with up to date commentaries and features on the latest happenings from designers, accessories, and models starting on January 13th.
Starting January 10th Black and Paper will cover all the latest menswear trends, styles, and happenings at Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence.
Follow this link to an interview with Fashion Designer
Tim Coppens who will speak at Pitti Uomo this season:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOt_zE8DokE/?taken-by=blackandpaper%20
This is a time to use color to express your optimism for the New Year.
Chanel
Dior
All of these items are available in stores worldwide.
SALE!
These items are for sale at GREAT PRICES!
What is a trip to Paris without a visit to Colette on Rue Saint-Honore? Always an experience, never dull, this boutique is a world class destination for fashion and trends with hundreds of distinctive, diverse items reflective of its status as first class shopping destination.
Black and Paper Chat during Paris Fashion Week in Colette.
What is Colette?
Fashion is a piece of the puzzle. It is art, watches, food, streetwear. And there is intimacy here. The buyers select but 1 person decides on what is in the store. It is all one vision. But Colette loves life.
Are there plans to open another store?
NEVER! There are no plans. All the focus is on this store.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOjZ3dBD5zA/?taken-by=blackandpaper%20
Why do non-fashion brands want to be sold here?
They want to touch another type of clients. We can display products in a new way. We had an event with Samsung. Coca Cola (Special Edition Bottle), Happy Plugs, Fuji Camera, Disney, World Cup, and Moet Chandon had special “Colette Collections” only available here.
The Colette Café is a meeting point especially at Fashion Week, there are people from all over the world.
(Side note: During our conversation a well-known magazine editor and publisher came by our table to say “hi.”)
It is a destination where fashion people have to come. Lagerfeld came in to shop without the drama. He is often here. But all customers are treated equally, the same service whether Jay Z or a person who walks in for the first time for a 4.00 euro café or a 4000 euro one of a kind Ready to Wear jacket.
It is a meeting point all the time. It is very difficult to get bored in Colette. There is always investment in the store to keep it fresh and new, it is the curiosity factor. Like the menu designs and wallpaper, these are redone every 2 weeks.
There is always an event ranging from a pop up store to book signing. Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington had a successful book signing.
The Burberry London Fashion Week See Now Buy Now event was very successful. We had a video feed of the runway show, then after we allowed viewers to buy the see and buy the collection
Independent Brands are always supported in the store.
YES! They are the future.
Paskal Clothes form the Ukraine .
Sacai from Japan is great, a brand mixing RTW with Bespoke.
The Fabrizio Viti shoe collection is a must have.
What’s popular now ?
Chris Kane Sweatshirts are popular. Kongol hats, Puma High Heels. Streetwear is in the store’s DNA.
What about shopping online?
The website is the Colette experience but on a screen. Everything in the store is online.
Colette is located in Paris at 213 Rue Saint Honore or go to:www.colette.fr
Hasselblad X1D Review
How did you start as a photographer?
I became a photographer by chance. I was studying International Relations in Paris, then panning to go to London to study law but as fate would have it I had a good friend who was a photographer. I began assisting him then fell in love with the camera and photography. That is how I started my career.
What camera do you normally use?
I have always used Nikon cameras, usually I work with the D750 and the D810.
You tested the Hasselblad X1D, What where your initial feelings about the camera?
I was curious when the opportunity arose to see how the mirrorless medium format performed because I knew the reputation of the brand. When I have important commercial shoots and the budget allows I place Hasselblad on my wish list, great image quality. However, I was never hands-on with a camera because I let my assistants do all the necessary adjustments and settings.
Testing the X1D I was very hands-on. It feels great, light, the ergonomic grip is comfortable. Usually, I use a neck strap because I do not want to risk letting the camera drop out of my hand, especially one that costs 9400 euros.
I found the camera setting menu very well edited. It felt like I did not have to go through as many camera settings in the menu as I do with my Nikon.
I really enjoyed the touch screen for viewing and settings, very simple.
How fast can the X1D shoot images?
The camera is fast but focusing can be difficult. Maybe I was doing something wrong but the lens I was using (XCD 90mm f/3.5) only had one focal point. I had to focus on the model and then reframe the image while my finger was pressing the shutter button half way down. I am used to the Nikon focal multiple point system. I found this annoying because it resulted in unfocused pictures.
Using a Medium format camera was there a higher level of expectation?
Yes! The expectation was higher and I was not disappointed. The images were sharp.
Was the Camera Interface Intuitive?
Before reading the camera manual I wanted to see how intuitive the camera was for a new user. The camera interface is adaptable quick, ready to usage for a short period of time. I was able to make adjustments and began shooting. The manual was good for referencing, very complete.
The Auto Focus Mode
The Auto Focus was very fast, perhaps faster than my Nikon. I was shooting in low light but I had no problems with the setting.
ISO Mode
Shooting in low light I sometimes had to shoot as high as 6400 iso but I did not lose the image sharpness. The grain quality was acceptable when blowing up an image 100 times in Photoshop.
Battery Life
This was my biggest disappointment. I went through a fully charged battery after only shooting 500 images. Luckily there were extra batteries in the test kit. For outdoor shooting where there is no access to electricity the camera is a disadvantage.
The fashion production you shot with the X1D, how did the camera perform?
Overall I enjoyed shooting with the X1D. I could use high ISO settings in addition to opening the aperture to 3.5.
I was happy with the results I produce with the Hasselblad X1D.
Dale Grant is professional photographer, instructor, and Black and Paper contributor.
For more information: www.dalegrantphotography.com
France 24 looks back on the iconic career of singer George Micheal. YES! We were fans!
For more news on George Michael: http://www.france24.com/en/20161226-singer-george-michael-wham-fame-dies-53-1