BELLAS ARTES

A chronicle of the pioneering and subversive brand Parachute and its influence on the evolution of fashion in the 1980s and beyond. From its beginnings inspired by New Wave subculture to its position as an international fashion sensation, the Parachute brand from Montreal was recognized for its visionary, bold apparel and innovative concept stores. Avant-garde in attitude and design, Parachute brought together high and low, the establishment and the underground. The clothing was defined by androgynous looks, oversized silhouettes, elevated essentials, and graphic references to past and future, from exaggerated trench coats to “space samurai kimonos.” Together with a considered retail presence, which combined an industrial aesthetic in the stores with exuberant photography campaigns, the brand created a vision for street fashion that is keenly relevant today.

El libro propone un recorrido del exterior al interior: comienza por el emplazamiento y su entorno, sigue por las diversas envolventes del edificio y termina con el análisis de los aspectos ambientales de la iluminación, la calefacción y los sistemas de climatización. Un recorrido donde se exploran distintos temas transversales, como el ahorro de agua o materiales, la calidad ambiental interior o el uso de energías renovables. El conjunto ofrece una exploración completa y metódica de la arquitectura ecológica exponiendo los temas clave, un marco teórico básico y estrategias concretas para proyectar bajo el paradigma de la sostenibilidad. Las ilustraciones que detallan estos principios y discusiones, realizadas por el maestro Francis D. K. Ching, conforman una magnífica guía visual para el proyecto y la construcción de edificios ecológicos, y hacen de este libro un manual único e ineludible en el ámbito de la arquitectura y la construcción sostenibles.

A wide-ranging book on the timeless, elegant interiors of the versatile Frances Elkins, the grande dame of early twentieth-century design who influenced so many important designers of our time. Called “the most creative designer we have ever had” by Billy Baldwin, Frances Elkins has been revered for her classic, erudite, and multidimensional decor. Ahead of her time, Elkins became a successful decorator who by the early 1930s had reached the top of her profession and was considered the only rival to Elsie de Wolfe. Working throughout the United States, Elkins brought an international perspective and architectural sensibility to her work. Elkins traveled widely with her architect brother David Adler, educated at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and he was a strong influence on her. Her social circle included interior designer Jean-Michel Frank, couturière Coco Chanel, aesthete Charles de Beistegui, arts patron Misia Sert and painter Salvador Dali, For her clients, she brought a modern European chic as well as a melding of the best of American, English, French,, Asian and Mexican traditions. A talented furniture and fabric designer as well as interior designer, she collaborated with many luminaries, including Frank; architects Adler, Gardner Dailey, and William Wurster; weaver Dorothy Liebes; decorator Syrie Maugham; the artist Bruton sisters; and furniture maker Myron Oliver. Her carefully planned interiors were known for their distinctive sophistication and polish, and an inviting sense of comfort.