Fantastic trip in Europe… Berlin, Zurich, Geneva, London and Paris all in less than 10 days. Some highlights from our show at Bread & Butter LOCK  in company of our friends from Dunderdon, Penfield and St James. We then proceeded to visiting our distributors in Switzerland, England and finished with the Playtime kids show in Paris. Stayed at the Hotel de Crillon… a Paris classic soon to be closed for renovation. Amazing how easily you can city trot on Europe! A few culinary discoveries along the way…

- Berlin: Sale e Tabacchi

- Zurich: Kaufleuten

- Geneva: Le Socrate

- London: Cabana (my brother in-law’s new place… best Brazilian food in town!)

- Paris: Le Bistrot de Paris depuis 1965, and of course always the best La Maison du Caviar with a drink to follow at the GV (Youbi style!)

Bread & Butter Berlin @ L.O.C.K.

Etiquette @ Playtime Paris

Etiquette @ Playtime Paris

One year since the last posting… unacceptable but many things in between:

1)  My little baby girl: Charlotte

2) A new brand: the launch of basics brand Etiquette Clothiers

3) Travels: Splitting life between the New and Old Amsterdam

4) Getting rid of Wankers: They are a lot like socks and tend to come in pairs… the key is to replace them with fresh ones

5) Info gathering: Accumulating enough content so I can be a responsible Selectism blogger for the next year

More to follow…

Super progressive design work around the symbols or simply the dutch touch. Happy Eid poster spotted by the central station in Amsterdam – Pics powered by BlackBerry Phone Cam.

Walking the streets of The Hague with non-stop pouring rain I found refuge in a small park facing the Swiss embassy… Here by pure coincidence I discovered the open air United in Art festival featuring 2 very impressive artists — local Dutch Kim De Ruysscher and Spanish/NY-based Manolo Valdes exhibiting true art craftsmanship. My son slept through the whole thing… but will have a few pix to go by. Pics powered by Leica D-Lux.

Like a live episode from the Wii. Original klompen spotted at a local market in the very fancy neighborhood of  Wassenaar in NL… ideal for the Dutch roller girl. Pics powered by BlackBerry Phone Cam.

A whole week spent in Istanbul navigating from one factory to another… it was nice to come back to a more civilized setting in the evenings. A french restaurateur turned hotelier who goes by the name of Alex has this year alone opening 2 new hotels in Istanbul and a third on the go. They are all called the House Hotels followed by the name of the area they are located in… I had the occasion to stay at the HH Galatasaray situated in the old district of Cukurcuma hosting some of the coolest antique stores in town. All hotels are suites only each one carefully designed by the local uber-interior design agency Autoban. Keep your eyes open for these guys… A few pix of the 1830’s building, common areas and my room — Pics powered by Leica D-Lux.

Recent discovery whilst in Amsterdam… I love the concept these guys have created — a perfect global traveling art concept giving substance to ruins. Check out the story…

History exists. The Contemporary exists. Museums are Contemporary Art history making machines. Our Museum is a Contemporary Art making machine. The only history it writes is its own. Museums collect linearity. Show linearly. Important artists, important movements, placed on a great timeline in the name of a complete, objective education. Our Museum does not confuse time and space.

Museums suffocate, cryogenically freeze works, techniques and ideologies, they preserve a type of value. They are non-profit, profit making, with democratic illusions of balance, of objectivity. The structure of Museums, the language they use, their goals and premise are not wrong. We do it different.

A Museum is a failed Art project because a Museum can’t fail as an Art project. We are essentially dealing with an economy of means. We have limits, they are subjective.

More of the story here… For the official website better click here than typing it… it happens to be the longest URL I have ever experienced!

Spotted on Soho. Pics powered by BlackBerry Phone Cam.

What do Newport, Austria and Puch have in common? Some of us may know Puch from growing up in Europe as the master tool for the daily school commute, but I have recently discovered that the 1889 founded Austrian brand was one of the world’s largest bicycle, motorcycle and car producers all throughout the first half of the 20th century. In 1979 it merged with Mercedes-Benz to build the engine for the Mercedes-Benz G Class. In 1981 they worked with Speed Unlimited in Wayne, New Jersey to manufacture a line of high end BMX race bikes, while also utilizing this new partnership to make bikes for Hutch and Thruster. But the highlight if the brand remains the infamous Puch moped with models ranging from the “iconiclly-named” Maxi, Newport & MK… all playing a big role in the 1960/70’s popular culture.

A modified Puch Newport moped I recently spotted on Lafayette/Houston… there has to be a fan base in that neighborhood as I see a new one popping out every other month or so. Pics powered by BlackBerry Phone Cam.

A video featuring the Newport in action…

Geneva is famous for its many boutique chocolate producers, including Settler, Teuscher, Chocolaterie du Rhone, La Maison du Cacao, Zogg and Chocolaterie des Bergues all subsisting among other giants of the arena. But in my opinion none rival the master chocolatier since 1939 —“Auer”, a fifth-generation family company that I have been visiting since my very early childhood and consider to be the absolute benchmark. At their shop on 4, Rue de Rive in Geneva, handmade chocolates are still served from antique wooden drawers and sold in beautiful cloth-covered boxes. With more than 50 different types of chocolates the choice is wide… but doubtlessly the pavé glacé of Geneva and the chocolate covered almonds are recognized as some of Auer’s prides. And the best of all, you can order online and get it delivered right to your door step!

Visit Auer online or on your next trip to Geneva.