Skyline in Stockholm on a Sunday, a grey winter’s day, November 2007
We were in Stockholm over the weekend and there was variation in weather. A bright and clear blue Saturday and a grey wintry Sunday. Temperatures were around -1 deg C with rain and snow at the same time. Just the day before, the picture below of the same waterway was taken, with clear blue skies.
A clear blue sky on a Saturday in Stockholm, November 2007
Just across Paragon, Orchard Road, Singapore
Continue reading “Christmas lightups”
Me in a curio stall at the Gothenburg Antiques Fair. On the shelves, the Swedish ceramic artist and studio Tilgman’s ceramics, much defining Swedish homes from the 1950s.
Over the last week, Gothenburg held its annual antiques fair at Svenska Mässan, a large convention hall for just such events. We thought we’d spend some time there browsing the ins and outs of antiques. Continue reading “Annual Antiques Fair in Gothenburg”
Photo for CMC © Jan-Erik Nilsson, 2007
The rebuilt replica of the first East Indiaman Gotheborg, the Gotheborg III has now made its old trade route trip around the world, from Sweden, around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and up to Canton, China. On its way back from China, it touched base at Singapore earlier this year, where some of you might already have had a chance to view Her in Her majestic beauty. To me, she looks every bit belonging to the movie Pirates of the Caribbean where I can almost see Captain Jack Sparrow at the helm, albeit in the wrong flag colours.
The project was based on the excavation of the original East Indiaman Gotheborg which sat sail in early 1743 not to be heard of again before September 1745 when upon homecoming, She, with a huge crash, hit an underwater rock just outside the home harbour of Gothenburg and sank. The salvaging of the immensely valuable cargo of silk, tea and about 300,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain started immediately. This salvaging of lost treasures continued intermittently for centuries, since her foundering.
Continue reading “The Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg III: arrival in Canton, China”
Entrance to the Sanderson, picture by Morgans Group LLC, from the Sanderson.
JE and myself had the privilege of staying at the Sanderson hotel in London when we were there earlier this year.
The Sanderson opened on 25 April 2000 and after a great success of St. Martins Lane, Ian Schrager again teamed up with Philippe Starck to create, what to me is a fairly eccentric hotel with an ecclectic mix of too much money and not knowing what to do with it, although they have phrased it rather differently in this article. A quote from the article:
In a world where style is knocked off and mass-marketed at the speed of light, Schrager is keeping alive those most endangered of artistic species: experimentation, risk-taking, innovation and originality. Sanderson is all about charm, poetry, excess, glamour and elegance. It is an ironic combination – a balancing act – between extravagance and simplicity.
While I do agree on the originality of the idea of the design at the Sanderson, the “balancing act” as mentioned above, came across as none too well executed since the putting together of the pieces of art / furniture came across more as an indecision than statement purposeful.
The lobby at the Sanderson, picture by Morgans Group LLC.
The ’60s murals and mosaics clashed specifically with the enormous and out of place Louis XV armoire. Set that right next to the African chair, an etched Venetian mirror and you hardly get sophisticated but rather, confused. Something that is most definitely difficult to categorize and impossible to define. One could almost get a headache out of looking at all the fantastic furnishings that would have indeed cost quite a bit to procure.
Continue reading “The Sanderson, London”
Me and Lina Hane, Miss Sweden Universe, September 14, 2007
A while back out of sheer desperation with what I read about how Sweden was dealing with their Miss Sweden Universe (Nya Fröken Sverige) event, I searched out who was running it. A few days later I met with the most considerate and charming CEO of Panos Emporio, Mr Panos himself, who after having been in the jury for some years, decided to take over the whole event in an attempt to turn the tide in Sweden back to the glamorous and high prestige event it had once been.
The treatment Miss Sweden gets in the press was so far removed from my own experiences when I took part in the Miss Universe final in 1999 that I hardly recognized what I read in the Swedish newspapers. How come the same event was seen so different in Sweden, and why?
Continue reading “Leveraging on events, beyond Nya Fröken Sverige”
In June 2007 I spent a few days in London in a combined business and pleasure trip. It was almost a decade since I was there last, at that time with my parents. This time I could steer my steps better and of course went directly for the fashion districts and also to seek out any and all interesting exhibitions going on. And of course food.
The arrival to London from Landvetter, Gothenburg was early and after checking into the hotel, we (JE and I) explored the London Chinatown, near Leicester Square.
Gerrard Street, the central street in London’s Chinatown.
Isn’t it strange how Chinatowns are always crowded?
Text & Photo © JE Nilsson, CM Cordeiro-Nilsson 2007
We came across a bakery that I had to go in because it reminded me so much of the neighborhood bakeries back in Singapore. Continue reading “London, June 2007”
A picture here from my London trip about two weeks ago. By the way, all pictures from my London trip were taken by a mobile phone, the Sony Ericsson 810i. Here, I’m at Pringle of Scotland along Bond Street. I was totally blown away by the baby down softness of this white, plush cardigan.
Me with the cardigan ON! What I like about it is that the design doesn’t overwhelm my small frame – an important feature when choosing clothes for a tiny framed person. I like how it’s bubbly sleeves or lantern sleeves falls out and creates an interesting silhouette but doesn’t take too much attention away from the person wearing it. I dislike clothes who wear the person.
I also like that the mohair doesn’t itch like cheaper versions. Speaking about prices, what I’m wearing costs a cool £800.
Got cash? Then this would be a splendid way to pamper yourself this autumn!
Stalking Louis Vuitton, Singapore 2024.
Text & Photo © CM Cordeiro & JE Nilsson 2024
The last visit to a Louis Vuitton store in Singapore was in 2016. From the bustling streets of Orchard Road to the iconic Marina Bay Sands, Louis Vuitton has always had a special place in the heart of Singapore. The store at Marina Bay Sands, with its unmistakable presence, is particularly memorable. Each time I step into a Louis Vuitton store, it feels like entering a museum of fashion, design, and innovation, where every element is curated with exquisite attention to detail.
Over the years, my visits to Louis Vuitton in Singapore have charted a journey through the evolution of luxury fashion. Each visit brought with it a new theme, a fresh collection, and an inspiring story. From the pastel shades of the 2017 Summer Collection to the bold prints introduced in the 2019 lines, each piece reflected Louis Vuitton’s commitment to staying ahead of its time, yet firmly rooted in its heritage.