RIDICULE AROUND RITA

Some time ago there were headlines over here, and smaller notices elsewhere, about Ivana Trump suing the Finnish fashion company IVANAhelsinki claiming the later was taking advantage of her name. This was when the IVANAhelsinki collection was presented at the New York fashion week. While many considered it a PR trick from Trump's side, it was considered plain idiocity over here : IVANAhelsinki was founded in the late nineties by Paola Ivana (yes, that's her name too) while Trump registered her name as a trade mark as late as 2002... And back then few even knew about any of the Trumps over here - and even fewer cared. I noticed that some of the non Finnish articles mentioning the case, while over all neutral, were wondering why someone would want to use the Ivana name anyhow as the thing is a bit "old and used already". (To be pointed out is that there seems to be several Ivana-named brands in NY already, like an Ivana Vodka for example). Which shows of bad research of those authors - apart from the facts already mentioned the thing with IVANA helsinki is that the brand of course has nothing to do with any other Ivana than the one designing the clothes, and does not really have any need nor desire to be associated with anything else than itself.

Well, I don't know how the case has continued as the news front has been silent so far. But yesterday a new case made the headlines (something I noticed already has been appearing in posts by many fellow Finnish blogs during the past day too); Adidas has demanded Minna Parikka to withdraw her Rita shoe from the market, claiming the three stripes are copied from the classic Adidas sneaker.

Minna has explained that the three stripes are the ribbons of the bows in front of the shoe, but she still chose to withdraw the boot as "a small entrepreneur stands little chance against a huge corporation". It seems her matching Mistress gloves are also no longer available.

Of course companies and trade marks should watch out for themselves and their copyrighted products and look (for example the Marimekko vs. D&G case was rather obvious), but not by being obsessive - or cocky. I think comparing a high heeled boot from a chick designer to a classic leisure sneaker is, well, ridiculous.

For me those striped boots resembles a covered version of some of her pumps with three or more straps. But never in a lifetime would I have thought of Adidas! What do you think?

DREAMING ABOUT SHIPS, LONGING FOR THE SEA

My photos from this shoot in January.







Sailor Cherry / Burlesque Doll
Photo : Mirva Thil / Post Production: me
Make up, hair & Styling: me

Corset: Corsets UK, Top: Tara Starlet, Frilly Knickers: What Katie Did, Shoes: Minna Parikka

I've had that sailor monkey, Plyti Apan, since 1982.

DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO CLICKING THE BUY BUTTON...

Minna Parikka's S/S 2010 can be wieved at her new site. I'm not going totally banans over the collection (or the ultra skinny model featuring it) but I wouldn't say no to this little overall for example, or to some of the cardigans in the collection (not to mention the Stocking Heels...)

Some of the knitwear from the past collection are on sale and I'm considering to get myself a salorish cardigan for more than half of the price it was. So far only considering, as it even at some 60% off is rather costy. But Sunday evenings, especially after a long day at work, has the dangerous ability of putting things slightly out of proportion (economically) - and perspective(economically) though, as well as listing things in a different line of importance... It usually end in the same way (which is: I buy).

So I don't know, Go! or No?

A NEW PAIR OF PARIKKA'S

I think one should always be happy about and appreciate every single gift and present one gets, but when your boyfriend gives you a pair of Parikka's for Christmas it's OK to be a little bit more happy about that than all the rest.

I originally got a pair of red booties but they were a bit too big and the smaller ones out of stock so I changed to these soft pink ones. And that's just as good.

MORE PARIKKA

Minna Parikka on Bulevardi. Visit recommended if you are in Helsinki.

What's good news for you may not always be good news for your wallet, but thumbs up either way- Minna Parikka has launched a collection of knitwear and gloves! The items showed up in her store today, and can be admired on her site and webshop soon, along with the autumn collection of shoes. I picked up the collection brochure today, and no need to add that I'm drooling over a lot of the content in it...

Cardigans and jumpers, dresses and skirts. It was really hot and humid today so I wasn't in the mood for mohair and wool, but there sure is a long red zipped dress that I got my eye on for colder days...

And gloves! Oh so pretty but for the price of a plane ticket to, say, Budapest...

A peak of the designer dressed in her own creations. (And a mini-peak of me in the mirror. Don't know why I had to point that out but anyway, mini peak of me.)


Minna's store beats any candyshop anytime:







Oh, oh, oh!

The sale is still going on in her shop and online btw and some of the items are heavily reduced so maybe worth to check out!

DREAMS OF MINT

My life would have been a little bit closer to perfection (well, on certain levels only but hey anyway) if I would have gotten that mintgreen smeg refridgerator for my kitchen, which unfortunately lacked 5 centimeters, making the smeg nothing but a mintgreen dream for me. (Same thing goes for the soft pink smeg washing machine that has 4 cm too much height and thus will not fit either, sight).

Well, obviously bags and domestic machines have few things in common but my craving for soft pastel coloured items could be more satisfied if I would own a powder-blue coloured Ginger bag from MinnaParikka. And that would certainly set my life, some levels of it that is, very near perfection indeed. And I swear, if that bag would come in mintgreen I would let the bills wait for a month and go get it right away.

Or, to be more exact, I would have it already.

IT STARTS NOW!

Photo : Laura Kansanen-Stavale © Helsinki Burlesque

The Helsinki Burlesque Festival week starts now!
(Or kind of started already with the tease party last Friday, which btw went great for our part). It will be a week filled with workshops, burlesque photo- and Dr.Sketchy's art exhibitions and, well of course, parties, fabulous parties! Oh oh, it really annoys me I have to go to work in between...

For those of you elsewhere who'll miss out on all the fun, here's a little treat for you too: You can now buy Minna Parikka shoes online from her own web store! And the bags are back!
www.minnaparikka.composer.fi/eshop

OH ARMI

Oh Armi Armi, how I want you. How hard you would be to wear in the Finnish soggy winter, and how hard you'd be to pair with some parts of my wardrobe. But it doesn't matter. I'd still love you very much, if only you were mine.



I did buy a pair of shoes for last winter, but for some strange reason I chose them one size too big - theyr're totally wearable, but they look a bit, well, big (I'm slightly obsessed with having my feet look small). And my mother's suede boots that served first her and then me for ten years each are starting to slowly fall apart. Might need to get something new. You know, so my feet don't get wet and I sick and so on.

But my sister reminded me I could fly back and forth to NY for the price of those beauties. So it might be that -for the moment at least - they'll just remain on my 'dream on' list. *sigh*

But for the price of a ticket to, well, Copenhagen for example, I could get one of these. And that's already considerable:


Minna Parikka by Mantere. Not nearly as delicious, but not bad. And perhaps slightly more easy to wear in crappy weather and snow due to a thicker sole and lower heel. Considerable, indeed.

Buy them here for example (and check out other FInnish design at the same time too :)

(images from www.minnaparika.com and www.finnishdesignshop.com )

JOYCE IN BURGUNDY

I said it, I did it.(And I'm obviously quite selective when it comes to in what order I get on with my to "do" list...)

They're mine mine mine.

I had been planning to eat porridge for the rest of the month anyway.

(Like them? See more here)