„Non-experienced game“ bring us back to Spanish Renaissance

The Belgrade (Serbia) audience had opportunity to attend and discover the work of a very young fashion designer, Sonja Jocic. Her first solo fashion show, called „Neproživljena igra“ ( „Non-experienced game“), transposed the Spanish Renaissance costume from the 16th century.

Spain is definitely an inexhaustible inspiration for this young designer and this becomes obvious once you see her first solo collection Through the costume she intends to show vices and rigidity of the Spanish society of that era. In particular, she finds inspiration from the internal condition of the young Spanish princess, who didn’t have the basic human right to play and grow up normally just like the other children. Sort of similar influence could be seen in Velazquez’s models during the 17th century.Through his undisputed obsession for showing internal states through the portraits it is possible to see the main society from the previous century.
This was the period when that little princess was forced to be adult right at her early years having to give up a healthy, honest and pure childhood. And that is not all, she didn’t even have the chance to feel the experience of it, as she had to serve the world of the adults.
The collection of Sanja is an attempt to rigidity and social status of that era present in separated parts. Therefore costumes are a way to show a series of roundabout mixed feelings behind the fine manners, beautiful gestures and proper posture.
Costumes, as a kind of a landmark of financial situation, clearly show out the social status automatically placing a person at the given level in society. As such, it attracted the attention and became major concern in the community of that time. Women’s costume consisted of a collar which made it difficult for them to move their head and showed the proudness of a high-standard lady. They also used to wear corsets and a Vertigaden’s wire construction that turned out to be a form of dress. With very light strength of vertigaden, a woman didn´t have it easy for moving. Opening up a new chapter by noticing it, Sanja Jocic has succeded in achieving harmony and comfort using rigid materials with lighter colors, like Keper, and transparent materials such as tulle with a desire to show the tendency towards freeing the monotony of such ways of living. Moreover, with the aim to add happiness, she also uses flax and cotton materials, more comfortable for the body, but becoming at the same time a contradiction to the values of that era.
The idea and desire to turn traditional Spanish costumes from 16th century into new vision came up spontaneously with the same desire to explore the Spanish history. The life of that period, seen through the pupils of the most sensitive member of any society - the child - this young designer manages to complete it by adding the human feelings which were profoundly suppressed underneath tight corsets and narrow collars.

It turns out that the only way to get a real picture of that time was through the eyes of that young Spanish princess from and this is clearly what this young designer used in her first solo creations.

Sanja’s Fashion Designer Carrier
As fashion designer her solo career started with “Non-experienced game”, but public knows her with presenting in Fashion Selection in Belgrade and Fashion week in Sarajevo in 2009. In the famous Belgrade show she presented mini collection, “Moving Images”, inspired by Charlie Chaplin. In the same year with theme “Transposing the Spanish Renaissance Costume” she was chosen by Cervantes Institute for the best exhibition of using all materials and exposing in public. Above all this, she had big success by working as Costume Designer in some student movies at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, Serbia.

Woman Without Shoes is the same as a Woman Without Character

At one point in life the woman find out that she is addicted to a particular style and especially those pair of shoes she has just seen in some fabulous fashion-store windows. She wants to owe them and to wear them no matter with which piece of clothing of her closet. However, she is not alone in this…

In fact, woman’s passion for shoes has become a phenomenon that increasingly attracts the attention of psychologists, sociologists, scientists and many others. Based on years of research, they have come to the conclusion that by the type of shoes a woman stares at, it is possible to guess out a lot about her personality. Through this passion for shoes, careful observers can detect a whole range of characteristics, personality traits, habits and other sides of her character.

For instance, a woman’s closet with only heel shoes, no matter the height, shows she is a confident aware of her sexuality, femininity and power. This kind of woman is probably not afraid of saying what she thinks, is independent, courageous and believes in her own qualities. Determined, she strongly sticks to her principles and views –according to some published researches.

American shoe expert, Meghan Cleary, says that heels are worn by so-called “alpha-female”, who are often dominant in many segments of life. They are usually excellent bosses, actresses, entertainers or editors of fashion magazines. Heels decorated with zircons and great details are image of a woman with a playful spirit, who likes fun and entertainment. By contrast, elegant every-day heels are for very moderate ladies and without wish to experiment. These are common for lawyers, economists and women dealing with investments. And denote a serious woman, sometimes with strict personality, capable of doing more things at the same time and easily adapts to new circumstances without fear.

There is also the woman who wears heel shoes with open toes. She wants to impress and be different. Usually she is very good at it and attracts attention wherever she appears. She likes feminine style and is often an incurable perfectionist.

In contrast, there are ladies who prefer flat shoes. These are comfortable and functional shoes, just like woman’s character. This kind of woman knows a lot about movies and music, is curious and eager for new knowledge. She is humorous, flexible, but sometimes also sarcastic and cynical. With a “toxic tongue” when she wants and very difficult as an opponent. Always in rush, she does not like stagnation and always seeks for changes. These are usually the first-choice shoes for women engaged in art, photography and design.

One type of flat shoes are “ballet”, common to ladies with a “trapped” little girl inside. Cheerful, lovable and dreamer, she does not like seriousness and be uniformed. Her emotions can be read on her face and she has difficulties to hide her bad mood or sadness.

Yet these are not the only type of shoes which can describe the features of a woman. Sport shoes and boots have also their own charm. The woman who wears sport shoes also carries the message that she is difficult in accepting compromise. She is casual and relaxed, but never slave to trends. She does not care what people may think about her. For her it is more important to live life as she wishes. This kind of woman is commonly fanatic about sports, without interest in reading “gossip” press or what is going on with the celebrity world. For them only matters to avoid stagnation and have a nice, yet rarely showed, body.

Wild spirit, acuteness, dexterity and diligence is common for a woman who wears “cowboy” boots. She does not escape from the hard work and she is hypersensitive with capability to cope up with difficulties. Courageous, dignified and sometimes with hard character, when she is betrayed she does not forgive or forget.

The phenomenon about shoes exists ever since ancient times. From fairy tails such as “Puss in Boots”, to cartoons like “The Shoe People”. Then comes the famous “The Wizard of Oz” movie (1939). 2009 marks the ’70 anniversary of this well-known story where the famous red shoes appear, worn by 12-year-old girl Dorothy (Judy Garland). To celebrate, London’s famous shopping centre, “Harrods”, is nowadays fully decorated following the topic of the movie and the “red shoes” become part of fashion mythology. And what about TV sitcom “the Sex & the City”, where one of the main actresses, Carrie Bradshaw (Sara Jessica Parker), is a famous journalist addicted to shoes? Stylish, expensive and fairy-tail look of shoes is almost obsession for Carrie- She cares about them and treats them like a pet. However, the sitcom doesn’t only show her addiction, but shoes are quite an important part of womens’ life in New York.

After all, it is not all about women and shoes. The character of a man can as well be reflected on (his shoes. Yet, more than the shoes is the material they are made of. For instance, a man wearing crocodile skin models is unrestricted and free, hard to link and does not believe in romantic relationships. But he is hard worker and always seeks status and recognition. By contrast, if he selects classic, leather shoes, it may mean that he is an emotional person and sometimes very vulnerable. Tougher materials and more modern design show a dominant male, confident and aware of the world around them. The man, as much as the woman, has need for a good pair of shoes. Yet, for a woman is more than that: woman is not a woman without good pair of shoes.

“Officially I pronounce you Twitter, Facebook and My Book Married!”

The groom in the moment when the priest pronounce them married, pulled out the mobile phone and started to type on the web community pages Facebook and Twitter his new Relationship status.

However, non selfish groom Tracy Page, doesn’t do that only by himself. He pulled out the mobile phone of his beloved bride Dana Hanna, so she can write great news to her facebook and twitter status. “Just Married” status on Facebook and the Twitter was from that moment official.

Family and friends were amazed by their acting, and the young priest through the smile sad: “I was saying that now I pronounce you the husband and a wife. It’s official on the facebook it’s official on my book, so you can kiss your bride!”

With great applause couple get their first marriage kiss, and as Hanna, the bride, says for some newspapers : "Many members of our family and friends living far away and could not come to the wedding. This is the great way to them to find out immediately if we got married.”

Only what I can say, officially they make wedding for remembering, but not only for them. I can say for sure that this will be topic in many conversations for long.

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Wonderful Exhibitions by Karla Black and Cova Macias

Working with artist from all around the world, pioneering programme of Modern Art Oxford  enables audiences and communities to participate in and engage with contemporary art. From 30th September until 29th November 2009. year Modern Art Oxford presented the most comprehensive UK exhibition to date of work by Glasgow-based artist Karla Black and three works by Cova Macias, Spanish Artist.

Karla Black is born in Alexandria, Scotland in 1972 and now lives and works in Glasgow, she completed a Masters Degree in Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art in 2004th and a Master of Philosophy at same school in 2000th. She also finished a BA Fine art, Sculpture at Glasgow School of Art in 1999. year. In her career she has exhibited widely in the United Kingdom and internationally, including solo exhibitions at Der Kunstverein Hamburg and migros museum, Zurich in 2009, with a forthcoming exhibition at Inverleith House. Group exhibitions have included “Strange Solutions”, “Art Now”m, Tate Britain, London in 2008, “Poor Thing” Kunsthalle, Basel in 2007 and “Like It Matters”, CCA, Glasgow in 2005th.

Over recent years, Karla has attracted attention for her expansive floor works and remarkable hanging sculptures, created from materials that suggest both a sensory recollection of childhood and distinct feminine association. She used materials like powder-paint, sugar paper, crushed chalk and on the other side lipstick, nail varnish and body cream. The artist’s use of cosmetic products and other loose materials evoke the body and the natural world, and many of her works literally “wear” make-up interplaying between the cosmetic and surface.

Spanish artist’s Cova Macías was born in 1976th in Oviedo. She studied at the Oviedo School of Art and has completed residencies at Hangar, Barcelona in 2005th year. Her exhibition La révolte intime, presented at Modern Art Oxford, is produced in “CENTQUATRE” Établissement artistique, also have included Conflicto/Pluralismo/Comunidad at the Sala Rekalde, Bilbao, 2004th and Existencias at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y Leon, Spain, 2007th. Cova has done a solo exhibition at the Frankfurt Kunstverein in 2009th year.

The exhibition at Modern Art Oxford presented three works, centering on her most recent piece La révolte intime, made with young inhabitants of Paris. It is part biography of the protagonists and part social documentary about this ethnically and culturally diverse area. In her researching she was experimented with projects in real time seeking to find the defining codes, systems of approach and representation for each participant. Representing of participant should be by means of dialogue, negotiation agreement and complicity between both parties. The results are captivating insights into the lives of young people today.

It was trilling to visit Modern Art Oxford which is the largest gallery devoted to modern and contemporary art in South East England and even better to have opportunity to see two such remarkable exhibitions. As a visitor of it I have courage to say that those were two wonderful visual experiences!

Wonderful Performance of Debussy and Saint-Saëns at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin

At Saturday, 21st November, Hertford College Orchestra organized wonderful concert of Debussy “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Saint-Saëns “Symphony No. 3”.

Hertford College Music Society is one of most active music society and represents the strong musical tradition at Oxford. Arranging a huge variety of events each term including orchestral and choral concerts, they give opportunities for everyone to spare little time to enjoy in wonderful melodies of greatest compositors. First conducted by Simon Rattle in 1972, the orchestra now consists of over seventy players from across the university, and puts on a concert every term. This time orchestra manager Rhys Jones filled in Saturday evening presenting to audience wonderful performance of Debussy and Saint-Saëns.

Debussy Claude was born in 1862 in Paris and he was one of the most important musicians of his time. In particular, his harmonic innovations had a profound influence on generations of composers. The Prélude is recognised as being a landmark in the movie to a modernist musical aesthetic. The first three musical paragraphs were open with the same flute arabesque at the same pitch, but to totally different effect each time by virtue of the opening C sharp first being unharmonised. Until final when they play over an E major chord, they sound first over a D major chord, giving more harmony than in first opening. Silence and joy during Debussy’s Prélude was stopped after last chord played, with a big applause from audience.
However, this was not the only compositions, after short changing started Symphony No. 3 by Saint-Saëns, who was also French composer, pianist, organist and writer. Like Mozart, to whom he was often compared, he was a brilliant craftsman, versatile and prolific, who contributed to many genres of French music. He was one of the leaders of the French musical renaissance of the 1870s. His Symphony was popular from the start. One of the most outstanding and original features of the piece was the ingenious use of keyboard instruments: piano scored for both two and four hands at various places and an organ. Because of use of an organ, the Symphony was popularly named “The Organ Symphony”.

St. Mary church was filled in with fantastic sound of eleven violins, which in one moment play together and in other like they are in competition. They were traced by abut five Violas and three Double Basses, together four Trombones and Tubes, Flute, Oboe, Cello, Cor Anglais, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn, Trumpet, two magical Harps and Pianos, all instruments until the Alistair Reid, on the Organ … But, all synchronised by young conductor John Hardie.

However, complete idea to both performance during listening was that those two melodies were in some of favourite old movies from seventies. Like if in any moment just start to listen with the closed eyes, imagine which appear would be scene from some of the movies like “Gone With the Wind”…One word, wonderful!

Renault F1 Car “Sings” British Anthem

After very hard year of competitions, Renault Formula 1 Team organised for their valuable employees special day to bring family and meet whit magic of Formula.

Renault F1 welcomed to the 2009 Family Open Day all employees and their guests, giving them opportunity to have a look round and see what goes on behind the scenes of the Renault F1 Team. Program was very colourful, from the presentations of some of the seniors and heads of Renault management to the entertainment for children. Walking tours allowed to visitors to follow the tour route and visit areas within the factory, including R&D, Fabrication, Machine Shop, Composites, Electronics, Inspection, Sub Assembly, Gearbox and the Design Office.

In building of CFD Aerodynamic, in the fantastic CARC auditorium, visitor could hear a number of talks given by management of the Team, approximately 20 minutes in durations each. Presentations started at 9.30am with talk by Bob Bell, new Team Principal after famous crashing by Flavio Briatore, and continued with talks by Graeme Hackland – Head of IS/IT, John Mardle – Operations Director and James Allison – Deputy Technical Director.

Parallel with the presentations, visitors could go to the Pit Stop Tyre Challenge area where they could give a try and experience what it is like to change the front tyres of a Formula 1 racing car to the stop watch. Big interesting for this area was obvious and it was very interesting to see how people manage to do very hard work of team mechanics. However, this was not only interesting for visitors. The Demo Team was very popular on Car Fire Up area, because within every hour they were starting the engine of the R28 chassis. Free ear protection was available all around the tour through the manufactory, so when visitors were to the point where is the firing up, they have becoming witnesses of the ear pounding noise of the V8 Engine as its hits the rev limiter and pumping flames from the glowing red exhausts. And this was not all! My personal excitement just for firing up car was already very high, but engineers give us more surprises. The careful listeners could hear while car was tuning, the melody of Great Britain Anthem! Satisfaction to hear anthem melody from visitors was followed by applause.

Better yet, just next to the Car Fire Up area was Photograph Opportunities area, where all visitors could come and have photo taken with the R28, Renault F1 Teams 2008 racing car, which was almost immediately been available on the Company intranet to be taken as a memento of the day. That didn’t mean that visitors were not allowed to make their own photos. At the Reception Area, where are the Teams trophies and some of old team cars, was the only area where personal photography was permitted. Basically, this area which allowed making personal photos is museum and gallery of Renault manufactory and also area where you could challenge yours skills by playing simulation of driving formula one car at Silverston circuit, or to test your reflexes, which are necessary for all good drivers at formula.

At the end and not less important was the Children area. Big number of activities were available exactly to children, including a bouncy castle, remote control scalextric racing circuit and F1 play station simulators. They had ‘make and do’ activities, push along cars for the toddlers, pick and mix sweet stands – which were available for adults too if they wish – and children could go on a nature walk around the facility grounds to enter in a wildlife quiz and photography competition to win some great prizes. However, Renault didn’t only award for competitions, in the entrance of the children area was also table where were the staff girls charged to give presents to all visitors. Baggies with Renault logo full with interesting presents, like the cap of Renault team, Notebook, key pendants in shape of cars etc. Refreshments throughout the day was complementary. Hot and cold drinks were available in the Communication Centre and Museum within the morning, lunch and afternoon meals – pastries, soup and cream teas.

They after when I look on all day at Renault F1 manufactory, memories are fresh and beautiful. Family day is definitely something which brings Renault F1 team, at least on the 1st place of the best hosts.

Please, Stop Torturing With Wearing Dropped Pants

What is about wearing dropped pants on the street! I don’t get it. Somehow, my usual everyday walking becoming torment for me. Why?! Well thanks to the “cool” guys and sometimes girls, who showing me theirs panties all the time!

I’m walking behind them and believed or not, I’m watching those butts in panties wondering “Why he or she think that this style is cool?” and more often my thoughts are: “Why he or she think that have rights to torment people around by showing boxers or butt?!” and usually that butts are quite big and ugly.


But, I can’t come or again I am not alowed to come to a guy or a girl, and just say: “Ou, Please would you mind and put your pants just a little bit higher?!” Yes, just a bit! To be in line with hips and again not too much high and too much low. In that way girl, or in some cases guy, can see that a some of those butts are actually very hot, not just an elephant buggy butt.


Does this people actualy knows somethign about style they wear?! Fact is that wide trousers, from which you can see boxers shorts or panties on females, are seen as part of the style of Afro-American youth. In some part of US it’s more seen as part of style of street crews and gangs. In new age time it’s more in Hip-Hop culture as recognized style, but again I know a lot of youngsters who listen this music and still don’t show their panties and boxers all around, and if you watch better on some of music TV channels you can see that HipHop-ers don't wear at pants like that. For example, P. Diddy is one of the fathers of hip hop and he also in last couple years make his own fashion collection. Does anyone of you see there boxers out of some buggy pants?! Me not!


I was reading some interesting articles where its says that dropped trousers and underwear, soon could be banned by law in Atlanta, indicating that the features “bag” pants as “epidemic that had engulfed the whole country, and threatens to undermine its moral structure.” Wonder what’s happened with that?


For sure I do not agree that some style should be banned or forbidden. I don’t like to interfere Law in Fashion or any other thing, but this style definitely should be somehow banned from the streets, and stay in prisons, from where it comes. Well, that’s the cruel story about this style. Many of creators of Hip-Hop culture began to wear untied shoelaces and dropped pants to consolidate with a friends in prisons, where they are not allowed to wear belts and laces.

Howevere, lets make my thoughts more understandable. When I talk here about dropped pants I don’t think about new super interesting style you can see this days in the streets of New York, London, Paris etc.

I talk about street gang style which is one of the most NOT attractive styles ever made. Than “low waist” or “shallow pants” how its called jeans or pants most worn in last years, and I wear them also, start to be more low then they are actually. If I can wear my jeans in line of my hips and keep my figure to look well, and most important panties in side of pants, why you can’t do the same??? Guys who tries to show how they have “I don’t care look” make such a big mistake. Theirs “I don’t care look!” just make me think that they actually care too much to look like they don’t care. That they spend hours to make those boxers to be out of jeans or to make jeans to stay low, somewhere in the line with “biiiip”, I don’t want to be rude.

Still don’t get it?! Just look photo and you will have more clear what I think about.

However, I am not some super special case who don’t like to see this. I sure you that on the streets are many of people who think just same as me, but at the end, what they or me, can do more then scream in mind and walk near “it” in silence.