Tag Archives: trip

7 DAYS IN BARCELONA

7 DAYS in BARCELONA

There a lot of things to do and see in Barcelona when it comes to art, music, architecture, culture in general.  C and I, had few things in mind, few activities that were recommended to us or we read about. We were there for a week, so we tried to combine the delightful days at the beach, the lazy walks around the city during day and night time, the delicious dinners and drinks with museum visits, or architectural pilgrimages.
But before we start sharing some of these beautiful treats, I first need to mention that C is an architect and for him Barcelona is a real urban spectacle, he enjoyed a lot many of Barcelona´s streets, buildings, parks, plazas. According to his taste Barcelona is his favourite city when it comes to urban spaces, he considers Barcelona as the Mecca of urban life and urban design (that´s his opinion so let´s respect it 🙂 ). So I guess for those of you that are really interested in architecture and urban space, take some time to walk around the city, get it´s vibe, start understanding the structure, the scales, the corners, the details, the music of the city and it´s smell.
So long story short, here is our list of things to see in 7 DAYS IN BARCELONA.

1st –  The Diposit de Aigües Building 7 DAYS IN BARCELONA7 DAYS IN BARCELONA

The library is part of the Universitat Pompeu Fabras campus, the building is a former structure that was holding a water tank, it was designed in 1874 by Josep Fontsere and the static calculation were done by a young student of architecture, Antoni Gaudi i Cornet.
From the 1874 to nowadays the building had a very interesting history, sheltering a municipal asylum, fire service store, garage of the Municipal Police force, justice department archive. It became a property of the university in 1992. The architects that did the renovation and transformed the space in to a library are Lluis Clotet and Ignacio Paricio.7 DAYS IN BARCELONAhttps://www.upf.edu/campus/en/historia/aigues.html
C was amazed by the imposing structure, and the feeling of walking through a temple rather than a library, a temple of knowledge. This feeling reminded him of other retaining water designated structures that he found in India the water wells, which impressed him a lot radiating the same type of feeling of wandering through a sacred space.

2nd – Fundacion Mapfre – 7 DAYS IN BARCELONA7 DAYS IN BARCELONA

The Fundacion Mapfre exhibition hall is located in Casa Garriga Nogués, which is a truly beautiful space and a great example of Catalan modernism. The house was built by the architect Enric Sagnier in the early beginning of the 20 th century for a family of bankers.
The exhibition hall was open to the public in September 2015 and so far it featured shows like the triumph of color, a beautiful expedition trough the impressionist paintings and the avant garde, from Van Gogh to Matisse, the photography of Hiroshi Sugimoto or the photography of Bruce Davidson.

7 DAYS IN BARCELONA

C heard about the Hiroshi Sugimoto show and he was really eager to see it, unfortunately the show already left for Madrid, but instead we manage to see the show of the American photographer Bruce Davidson. We weren’t familiar with his work, but at the end of the tour we were really impressed. There is a chronological order that you need to follow, that opens pages of American and European history. It is a beautiful documentary about human life, a must see.
https://revistalafundacion.com/septiembre2015/en/culture/
https://www.fundacionmapfre.org/fundacion/en/culture-history/our-exhibition-hall/

 

3rd – Elogio al aqua – Eduardo Chillida 7 DAYS IN BARCELONA7 DAYS IN BARCELONA

This piece is in Parc de la Creueta del Coll, which is situated in the very hilly side of Barcelona, reminding us of the streets of San Francisco. Far away from the tourist invasion (reachable with the metro) and nested in a residential area. The sculpture is big and impressive, reminding you of an ancient marine animal, that instead of finding itself in the water is levitating over in some kind of contemplation state. The very funny detail about this sculpture is that it is inside of a public children swimming pool. The sculpture is the work of Eduardo Chillida, a Basque artist coming from San Sebastian, formerly trained as an architect. C appreciates his work a lot.

4th  Fundacio Juan Miro 7 DAYS IN BARCELONA
7 DAYS IN BARCELONA

Last but not least, Fundacio Juan Miro was a very nice surprise. Situated in Parc Montjuic, surrounded by beautiful nature and other touristic attractions, the museum is a quiet and rich artistic oasis. The building designed by the Spanish architect Josep Lluis Sert is hosting a good amount of Juan Miro´s work, plus contemporary art works from different artists that are collaborating with the foundation.
It is really an interesting mix of architecture, modern and contemporary art, that deserves a good two hours (at least). So if you are in love with art or just curious, write it down on your TO DO list and don´t miss it.

7 DAYS IN BARCELONA

I hope you liked our tips for 7 DAYS IN BARCELONA. I can not wait to go there again. Please keep us posted about your favorite places to visit in Barcelona. X
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Choux Restaurant Amsterdam

MY AMSTERDAM TIPS

I was invited by C&A to see the AW16/17 collection in Amsterdam and now I wanna share all my visited places with you, hence the title: MY AMSTERDAM TIPS. the photo below was taken by lovely Giséle from TEXTILREVUE, thank you for taking this photo, it was very nice to meet you! and now lets start with the delicious food and drinks I had.

Amsterdam Tips

CAFE & RESTAURANTS

BEURS VAN BERLAGE CAFE
Amsterdam Tips
mmhhmm, such a tasty vegetarian sandwich that I had at the Beurs Van Berlage café. a very nice place to either sit in the sun on the terrace in front or to warm up inside. I went there twice and had the chance to do both due to amsterdams april weather. the café is very close to the central station and here is some info that I found about its history:
At the end of the 19th century, Amsterdam was doing well. Trade was flourishing and a growing number of people decided to move to the city. In 1896, the Amsterdam administration therefore decided to allow the construction of the new stock exchange to go ahead after all. The honour of developing this new building went to architect and urban designer Hendrik Petrus Berlage. Berlage designed a completely new building, its bell tower carrying the ‘Beursbengel’ (exchange bell) being the most prominent element. Berlage, being a staunch socialist, believed the stock exchange trade had a short lease of life. Yet he found a smart and creative solution for this dilemma: inspired by the Italian Palazzo Pubblicos, he decided to design the new stock exchange building in such a way that it could serve as a grand communal home, a public palace, after socialism had triumphed. He therefore built a sort of symbolic city hall, a ‘public palace’ that could temporarily serve as a stock exchange. Beurs van Berlage has a rich history of being the third stock exchange building of Amsterdam and being the host of the marriage of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima”
CHOUXAmsterdam Tips Amsterdam Tips Amsterdam Tips
a very cosy and nice place to have lunch or dinner. and let me tell you, the food is nothing what you have ever had before. special combinations and gorgeous decorations. the restaurant is located behind the central station and is open monday to saturday. my favorite part of the lunch was the dessert. mmmhhmm, the mix of frozen, soft, tart and sweet made my day!
CAFÉ RESTAURANT AMSTERDAMAmsterdam TipsAmsterdam Tips
this place is a bit further outside of the centre but is absolutely worth to take a cab or bus and visit this place. a huge hall with a ceiling height of at least ten metres. here is some info about its history:


”1897: a new century was beckoning, an industrial revolution was rageing, factories were shooting up everywhere. in amsterdam the first brick was layed for the pumping station. ever since 1851, the dune-water company had provided the people of amsterdam with fresh drinking water from the dunes at vogelenzang. through 23 kilometers of cast iron piping, it was pumped into the city where it could be bought outside the willemspoort at one cent per bucket. forseeing an imminent increase in water- consumption (in which case the capacity of Vogelenzang would prove insufficient), manager J. van Hasselt had plans drawn up for a new pumping station in amsterdam. In 1897, construction was started, and as early as 1900, the pumping station haarlemmerweg went into operation. behind the main building there were four underground reservoirs, each holding about 10,000 cubic metres of dune water. this water could be forced into the city through huge pipes in the cellar and the old watertower by four pumps in the engine room (now the restaurant). the spectacular engine room was renowned and people from everywhere came to see it. In 1941, a technical magazine spoke of “a well filled, symmetrical engine room that made a grand impression on the visitor and could be considered to be a jewel for the city of amsterdam.” the pumping station was kept operational until 1996. in the eighties, when it became trendy to convert vacated and restored ninteenth century industrial buildings into museums, theaters, restaurants, studios, offices and appartments, westerpark city council decided that a restored pumping station was to become the heart of a new car-free eco-area built in the former watercompany grounds. and so, on december 20th, 1996, café-restaurant amsterdam, situated in the old engine room, opened its doors to the public.”
W HOTEL loungeAmsterdam TipsAmsterdam Tips
this is the signature drink of the W Hotel lounge and as I dont drink alcohol I ordered the virgin version. it was as delicious as it looks! a rather posh lounge with very comfortable seating areas, an open fire place and a gorgeous view over amsterdam, thats what the W Hotel lounge has to offer and I am very glad that Mano took us there.

COFFEE & DESIGN

COFEE ROASTERS LOT SIXTY ONE Amsterdam Tips
Adam and Paul are behind this very nice coffee place where you can also find Urban Outfitters goods. I found some interesting facts about them which proves that they really know what they are doing: great coffee!
“ADAM CRAIG is australian born and raised. while he remains a true-blue aussie at heart, the lure of new york’s cutting-edge specialty coffee scene soon grew too much for him, and before long he found himself heading over to see what all the fuss was about. it didn’t take long for rumors to become a reality when he saw the throbbing pulse of specialty coffee driving innovation and experimentation far beyond his wildest imagination in some of new york’s hippest coffee bars. not one to sit on the sidelines and watch, Adam soon set off on an entrepreneurial spree when he opened a string of his own inimitable coffee bars- ‘Variety Coffee’ in brooklyn in 2007, followed a year later by ‘Coffee Bar’ in brooklyn and eventually ‘Culture Espresso’ in the heart of manhatten with Paul Jenner in 2008. it wasn’t long before local hero The New York Times listed all three coffee bars in their ‘top ten all-time great coffee spots’ in manhattan and brooklyn. ultimately however, even the big apple proved too small to contain the dreams of this coffee serial entrepreneur, and in 2010 he sold up and set off over the horizon, this time with his sights on europe. in 2013 Adam and Paul opened Lot Sixty One which endeavours to be the netherland’s finest coffee bar and roastery.”
“PAUL JENNER is about as australian as they come. born and raised with a surfboard under his arm, he grew up carving his name into some of mother nature’s finest waves that rolled daily into his home town of sydney. but getting up to meet those early swells ain’t easy, and before long Paul was pulling espresso shots and earning his stripes in the horeca industry where he’s since been rocking it with the best of them for almost two decades. after founding and operating his own espresso bar back home, legend has it that a massive rip tide one day dragged Paul too far out from shore and brought him to america’s famed west coast surf belt, where he set up his next espresso bar in LA. always on the prowl for his next adventure, Paul soon headed on over to new york after hearing rumors that it offered respectable surf. well, while the verdict’s still out on that one, new york is where Paul opened Culture Espresso with Adam Craig in 2008. together at last, this dynamic duo perfected the art of running top coffee bars before relocating in 2012 to share the love with amsterdam, where Lot Sixty One receives the full double shot of aussie flair which has become the secret ingredient to making this place tick the way it does.
 today, Paul continues his search for the perfect wave – so if you see him wandering barefoot around oud west at 6am sporting a 10-foot longboard under his arm, you’ll know why.”
KOKO COFFEE & DESIGN
Amsterdam Tips
we had a great start into the day with hot tea at KOKO & Design. unfortunately I forgot to take a photo and thats why I had to hop to google maps and screenshot the location so you can at least see the house. KOKO offers a lovely mix of fashion and design accessories but let me tell you what I found via their website:
“the fashion at KOKO is selected by the two owners karlijn and caroline. with a strong vision and opinion about materials and quality they choose their designers. at KOKO you can create your own personal wardrobe. a combination of everyday basics combined with unique pieces.
the coffee at KOKO is roasted with love and care by the roasters of the antwerp caffènation. this microroastery and coffeebar is a statement in belgium and abroad. the roasters are always looking for the best quality specialty coffee of biological harvest. the love and passion for specialty coffee is at real place at KOKO coffee & design.”

FASHION

PRJCT AMS ™Amsterdam Tips
PRJCT AMS is a multi-brand store for men, based in the heart of amsterdam’s city centre.
they carry an on-going mix of casual chic & quality garments in the mid- and high-end segment with a strong focus on the perfect basic. they offer an in-store made-to-measure sartorial suit service! quality is key and they salute innovative brands and upcoming designers alongside their private label and household names. brands: PRJCT AMS LABEL, 
SSD | SUSUDIO
, VIVE L’HOMME,
 FRANZEL,
 PIOLA,
 DROME,
 PALOWOOD, 
THU and
 WON HUNDRED.
O’ QUIREY by JAN PALMENAmsterdam Tips Amsterdam Tips
when I was walking by this shop it was unfortunately closed but I got to sneak a peek thru the window and saw lots of really nice men shoes. and then I googled O’Quirey and found out about Jan Palmen:

“as a passionate sportsman and certified instructor, Jan Palmen entered the retail business as a store manager in at a sports apparel store in groningen, the netherlands. during this time his love of shoes became his passion.

his passion led Jan to establish his own athletic shoe and apparel store named COACH. under his leadership, COACH expanded its business to 69 retail outlets located throughout the netherlands and germany. in 2000, Jan Palmen sold COACH and devoted his energy to the development of a premium retail concept focused on shoes and apparel.
 FOSBURY opened its flagship store in 2001 at assen and was elected “most beautiful store of the netherlands” that same year. FOSBURY meets the needs of its customers for distinctive quality and style through its premium products for men and women. from its own design studio Jan Palmen develops exclusive shoe and apparel designs for his customers. 

it is at this studio that the O’Quirey line of shoes, boots and apparel was born. O’Quirey shoes, boots and apparel are being sold throughout europe and china.”

so that was it from my tips for amsterdam, I had an amazing time and want to thank all of you who made my stay so nice and welcoming. I hope you found these tips helpful and let me know which are your favorite places in amsterdam. X

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BUCURESTI

BUCUREŞTI

that was our beautiful view from the AIRBN place in BUCURESTI. we arrived on December, 27, and stayed until January, 1, 2016 and I saw so many nice things and I also saw many not so nice things. as you know me I rather focus on positive things and try to see the best in everything I do and live. hence the name of the blog. the situation in Romania is very special and difficult to judge from the outside and even after talking to local friends of Cristian I realized that this country has so much more to offer. It needs politicians who stand for their people and not for their own benefits. the country needs lots of reforms and transperancy when it comes to projects. Romania has great, smart and qualified people and is a country with precious resources, hopefully it will soon be a step closer to realize a change, I really wish for a country with less corruption and more trust.

Continue reading BUCURESTI

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BRASOV – ROMANIA

as you read in my previous post I am currently in Romania where I have spent a lovely Craciun = Christmas in Brasov and am now enjoying some days in Bucharest.

in BRASOV you should definitely visit the old city center with the gorgeous old houses and  the black church and stroll around the streets. BRASOV has the third narrowest street in Europe (told by our cab driver) STRADA SFORII (means rope street and is between 111 and 135 cm wide and about 80 meters long.) brasov brasov

house in brasovold doorI saw so many beautiful houses and when you go a bit outside of the old city center  you will see houses that are abandoned or half done. I find Brasov a very picturesque city and I have to go back and take photos of all the beautiful gates and doors. abandoned housewe started the day with ZOOM SERIE which opened 5 days ago and is famous for their sweets. they have an awesome list of fresh teas and make fresh juice. I can totally recommend the juice with banana, apple and oranges, the SWEET NOVEMBER tea, I hope I remember that tea correctly : ) its the one with hibiscus and berries and their BROWNIES. mmmhhmm! zoom seriewe ate very well at BISTRO DEL ARTE and HOCKEY PUB, in general the food was very delicious. as a vegetarian I was warned that Romania is the country of meat and cheese, two things I don’t like at all. but as I said I could not complain there were vegetarian dishes on the menu. a local vegetarian dish is ZACUSCA 🙂 another place that I really liked is called BISTRO MA COCOTTE. here you can see my BRUSCHETTA and PASTA from the hockey club. pasta Bruschettama cocotte bistromacocotte

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IS IT A TOP OR A DRESS ?

hahaha as you can see from the phot below. I really dont know and I also dont really care : )
It is a top and a dress, lets agree on that. I have found this piece on SALE at h&m for 20 CHF and I wanna thank Freya very much for the birthday voucher that I used for this purchase – thank you so much for coming to my party!  new dress

outfit
top H&M
shorts ABERCROMBIE&FITCH
sandals GRACELAND
sunglasses C&A

new dress

 

from the front it looks like a dress and from the side it looks like a top.

 

 

 

new dress

today is the first day of our trip to SICILY and of course I have also brought this top/dress to wear during the vacation – I try to take some really nice sicilian photos in castellammare del golfo. until then stay tuned for something nice tomorrow. X

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#kbreise15 – KARLSRUHE

I just got back from KARLSRUHE and I wanna share with you my impressions. I already shared the program with you in a previous blogpost and now you get to see the images. I had a great time and I met so many nice bloggers. check the links below the photos to see who I met.

MUSEUM //

IMG_7797window_karlsruhe IMG_7807

DIE MEISTER SAMMLERIN // 11 x Karoline Luise

diemeistersammlerin messagesfromParis IMG_778611malKarolineLuise 11malKarolineLuise herdress herdress herdress diemeistersammlerin

FOOD //

refreshmentmain course starters

IMPORTANT LINKS for KARLSRUHE //

http://www.kleiner-ketterer.de/kk/index.php
https://www.lehners-wirtshaus.de/karlsruhe
http://www.heilige-sophie.de

http://www.kunsthalle-karlsruhe.de
http://www.hotelderblauereiter.de

BLOGGERS //

Angelika
musermeku.hypotheses.org/credits
Wera
kulturundkunst.wordpress.com
Anke
kulturtussi.de
Miriam

Michelle
museumsglueck.wordpress.com

ME //

me

top STREET ONE
bag DKNY via zalando.ch
coat H&M
pants C&A
scarf PRESENT FROM SINA
shoes BIRKENSTOCK
jewelry CHRISTIN WEBER / GRIEDER

 

 

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D SUMMER HUB

d-summer-hub

today I am going to ZH to check out the D SUMMER HUB locationin order to share with you some sneak peeks. stay tuned for more via my SOCIAL MEDIA channels. thank you so much for inviting me. X

MORE INFORMATION about the event:
http://www.summerhub.ch
MORE PHOTOS from the location:
http://www.isawsomethingnice.ch/category/socialmedia

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LACE IT UP

In the DIY post I have talked about the white lace dress and that I was changing the buttons and made the dress look very different. so this very dress was my outfit for the C&A night out at LE PERCHOIR and the dinner at the MAMA SHELTER. first I was wearing the dress with my flat animal print flats and then later on changed to my grey tamaris heels. what an awesome dress, I am looking forward to wearing it in many ways during spring/summer!

lace it up

 

 

 

lace it up

outfit

lace dress C&A (buttons MANOR)
coat H&M
bag DKNY via zalando.ch
flats ZIGN via zalando.ch
rings SWAROVSKI
armband LOLA AND GRACE
earrings LARA PATRIZIA VOGT
scarf DIESEL

 

 

 

lace it up

waiting for the SHUTTLE buses in the rain and being very excited about the drinks at the LE PERCHOIR and the dinner at the HOTEL MAMA SHELTER. I have met so many nice people during the press trip to PARIS and I really hope to stay in touch. yesterday I have uploaded the VIDEO about PARIS – take a look now! >> more photos about the LE PERCHOIR and the C&A showroom HERE <<

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PARIS – JE T’AIME!

ouff.. I finally packed my bags for my mini trip to PARIS – starting today in the morning! I will travel with the TGV and since I live in Basel it only takes around 3 hours!

ELISABETH LECOURT galerie K+Y at SCOPE

packing my bags was a hassle – like always… I just find it very hard to know what I want to be wearing another day – fashion is something spontaneous for me and thats why I also tend to over pack.. this time I just took three different outfits and a couple of shoes for day and night. so I am very proud already about that 🙂 C&A invited me for a bloggers presstrip and I will keep you up to date about all the nice things I see. stay tuned via my SOCIAL MEDIA and maybe I will find time to upload an article via the blog under the EVENTS category. X

 

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DIY MOMENT

 

so let me start with the amazing news first: I am going to Paris on Monday early in the morning and will stay until tuesday night. for that very occasion I was shopping for a nice dress. Indeed I found one and also bought it but I absolutely didnt like the buttons. I knew I had to change them and was not so sure what kind of buttons to get. I have a huge collections of single buttons that I collect from dresses and blouses but somehow I didnt want to put different buttons on that white lace blouse dress. and then I found the right pair. here you can see the new and the old buttons, what do you think? isnt it a super nice upgrade for the dress?

image

I will soon tell you more details about my trip to Paris and hope to share many nice photos with you. so I was thinking what to pack for a two day trip to Paris? I decided to travel with the black jumpsuit and my chunky sandals and to wear the white lace dress with the wooden sandals for the event. also I wanna bring my brown and my black sunglasses and also the beige DKNY bag will work for both outfits. thats what I think now but lets see how it will turn out in the end 🙂 packing is not my most favorite thing to do as I always have the tendency to bring too much. thats why I am very pround of my very basic packing approach!

image

I also have some amazing new red/brown pants that I could wear for the way back but I am not sure with what to wear them. lets see, more infos coming soon. X

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where to stay in VENICE ITALY?

I can highly recommend to stay at the Molino Stucky Hilton on Giudecca Island. It is very easy to access and it is only a couple of stops away from the trainstation. there is a shuttle boat that takes u to the other side of the Giudecca Canal – Zattere is the stop called. I can not believe that already so much time has passed since I was staying at the lovely Hilton Hotel in Venice.. sigh! it really was a blast. unfortunately we had to leave our awesome ride – the Alfa Romeo Giulietta – at the Airport as Venice is a car-free city!

http://www3.hilton.com/resources/media/hi/VCEHIHI/en_US/img/shared/full_page_image_gallery/main/HL_skylineview_45_675x359_FitToBoxSmallDimension_Center.jpgthere is a fancy rooftop pool with a bar and there is a quiet nice SPA and fitness area – although I didnt have time to get any treatments but of course I had to check out the rooftop pool. that is absolutely awesome! from up there the view over Venice is priceless!

http://www3.hilton.com/resources/media/hi/VCEHIHI/en_US/img/shared/full_page_image_gallery/main/HL_pool35_675x359_FitToBoxSmallDimension_Center.jpg

the room was sooo pretty – it faced the Giudecca Canal and also from there (fifth floor) I had an amazing view over Venice! thank you very much for the welcome bag! I enjoyed the cookies – mmmhhmm! and of course there had to be a MURANO chandelier in the room 🙂 how lovely!

http://www3.hilton.com/resources/media/hi/VCEHIHI/en_US/img/shared/full_page_image_gallery/main/hi_kingexecplussuite01_2_675x359_FitToBoxSmallDimension_Center.jpg

HOTEL MOLINO STUCKY HILTON

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BLACK AND WHITE in VENICE

I had such a good time in Venice. here I am sitting inside the STAMPALIA. Venice is built on water and I found it so nice to always have access to water. awww.. summer! here in switzerland it really feels like fall already. no more tanktops this year.. sigh!

http://ak1.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/cid/133923843/id/fFOLX3cz5BGfQkCwzSGTQA/size/l.jpg

 

outfit

top HANRO
skirt ESPRIT
sandals HAVAIANAS
earrings FLEAMARKET (Bianca)
sunglasses C&A

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FLÂNERIES BÂLOISES

Flâneries bâloises (3) Avec Lea Zeitman, ambassadrice de la mode

Depuis quatre ans, cette jeune Bâloise fait l’inventaire des bons plans chics sur son blog, isawsomethingnice.ch. Elle nous a livré quelques-unes de ses adresses préférées.« Presque tous les jours, je pars en quête de nouveautés. À Bâle, mais aussi Zurich, Mulhouse… » Le nom du blog lancé en 2010 par Lea Zeitman affiche clairement ses intentions: isawsomethingnice (j’ai vu quelque chose de sympa). « Je voulais partager ce que je trouve bien, dans les domaines de la mode surtout, mais aussi du design, de l’art, de la beauté, du lifestyle. Contrairement à beaucoup de blogueurs, je ne parle jamais des choses que je n’aime pas… »

Fille d’une Bâloise et d’un Californien, qui se sont rencontrés dans un kibboutz israélien à la fin des années 1970, elle écrit en anglais, visant d’emblée une audience dépassant le périmètre qu’elle arpente. Depuis quelque temps déjà, elle guide les fashion bloggers du monde entier en visite dans sa ville natale. Si, à 31 ans, elle habite aujour d’hui près de la Kaserne, dans un Klein Basel moins onéreux et plus tendance, c’est une enfant de Gross Basel, qui a grandi à Gellert, secteur résidentiel du quartier St-Alban. « Ma grand-mère maternelle faisait beaucoup de choses de ses mains : elle tricotait, fabriquait des poupées, ça m’a passionnée très tôt. À 6 ans, je fabriquais des pantalons pour mon petit frère, en découpant les housses de coussins de ma mère… » Attirée par la mode et le design, elle a choisi d’étudier le second, à l’institut HyperWerk, branche de l’Université des sciences et arts appliqués. « Je ne voulais pas devenir créatrice de mode, je voulais que cela reste une passion dont je parlerais. »

Quand elle a voulu gagner sa vie, les fondateurs de la marque de vêtements Tarzan (lire ci-des- sous) l’ont embauchée, malgré son inexpérience, pour organiser leur production de coton bio, en Inde et en Chine. Puis elle a travaillé deux ans à l’accueil du cabinet des stars locales de l’architecture, Herzog & De Meuron. Un job à temps partiel, qui ajoute une belle ligne à son CV mais qui lui a surtout permis de payer son loyer pendant qu’elle développait son projet personnel : isawsomethingnice.ch. Depuis février dernier, elle s’y consacre pleinement. Malgré des propositions de plus en plus nombreuses, elle a toujours refusé la publicité, pour préserver la clarté de son blog. Elle cherche plutôt à développer des partenariats avec des marques et « pige » pour des sites de vente de cosmétiques en ligne. Depuis une paire d’années, sa notoriété va croissant, son nom fait son chemin d’un service de communication à l’autre, et elle reçoit des invitations régulières, comme à la récente « Fashion Week » d’Amsterdam. Aujourd’hui, quand elle entre pour la première fois dans une boutique, appareil photo en main, on la toise encore avec méfiance. Mais quand elle se présente, les sourires apparaissent et l’accueil se fait bien- veillant. « Récemment, au Hinterhof [NDLR : un bar branché], des ados m’ont demandé si j’étais bien la Lea Zeitman d’isawsomethingnice.ch confie-t-elle, à la fois étonnée et ravie.

Son style personnel ? « Il change tous les jours », associant grandes marques et bon marché, sac Miu Miu et bottes « à 8 € » dénichées dans les enseignes chinoises de l’avenue de Colmar, à Mulhouse, qui lui permettent de snober ses copines bâloises. Elle fréquente aussi les marchés aux puces. « Je trouverai toujours quelque chose, dans n’importe quel endroit. C’est d’ailleurs mon problème ! » Elle adaptait beaucoup de vêtements achetés en seconde main, mais le temps lui manque désormais pour faire autre chose que rapiécer ceux de son compagnon ou de son frère. Face à la demande d’un cercle de plus en plus marge, les collerettes qu’elle confectionnait pour elle-même sont devenues une collection, fabriquée dans la région, vendue à Bâle et aux États-Unis. Son inventaire permanent met en avant le « swiss design » et la production des stylistes locales, qui reste souvent artisanale. « Beaucoup de créateurs de mode suisses sont formés à Bâle, à l’institut Doing Fashion, et certains ont acquis une notoriété internationale, comme Julian Zigerli et Sandro Marzo. Mais ils ne restent pas : ils s’installent à Zurich, à Paris, à Milan… Les seules choses qui sont famous à Bâle, ce sont la Fondation Beyeler, le FCB (le club de foot), Art Basel, Baselworld et Herzog & de Meuron ! » Dans la belle rue montante de Spalenberg a tout de même été créé un discret « walk of fame », comme sur Hollywood Boulevard, avec des dalles portant les noms de personnalités locales. Mais comme leur ville, leur succès reste un secret bien gardé.

Marinsel
« Voilà un vrai concept-store, souligne Lea Zeitman à propos de Marinsel. Ceux qui ont déjà tout trouveront encore quelque chose… »
Vêtements pour hommes et femmes, pour petits et grands, ceintures, lunettes, sacs, casquettes, accessoires de bureau, étuis pour téléphones et briquets : de style casual, les marques sont italiennes, scandinaves (Ganni, Won Hundred), américaines (Dusen Dusen, directement de Brooklyn et ici en exclusivité européenne), rassemblées depuis huit ans dans une des rues principales de Kleinbasel par Marianne Mumenthaler. Feldbergstrasse 10. Site internet : www.marinsel.ch

Westen
Sabina Jäger et Angelina Sandri sont deux créatrices de mode. Depuis deux ans, elles travaillent au sous-sol de leur propre boutique, dans le quartier de St Johann. Le centre-ville est à dix minutes à pied, mais on ne vient pas par hasard. Les affranchies trouvent là les créations des deux Bâloises – des exemplaires souvent uniques, comme l’étonnant imperméable imaginé par Sabina, vendu 290 FS – mais aussi des vêtements et accessoires d’autres créateurs, locaux (comme les collerettes de Lea Zeitman) ou lointains, ainsi que des articles de seconde main, l’occasion n’étant pas réservée au bas de gamme outre-Rhin. Mülhauserstrasse 55. Site internet : www.westen-store.ch

Riviera
Ouverte en 2006 par la francophone Andrea Otto, cette boutique propose vêtements pour elle et lui, bijoux fantaisies, chaussures et accessoires, conçus par des créateurs locaux ou européens, connus ou méconnus. Le panier moyen des clientes se situe entre 100 et 250 FS. Feldbergstrasse 43. Site internet : www.baslerriviera.ch

Taktil Work/Shop
La vente de vêtements très orignaux (la patronne, Danielle Noelle Dreier-Harris, crée d’étonnants modèles transformables, « tout en un ») se double ici d’un atelier qui accueille régulièrement le public pour apprendre à fabriquer des chaussures à la main ou l’impression sur tissus, avec des spécialistes. Feldbergstrasse 39. Site internet : www.taktilworkshop.ch

Tarzan
Les Bâlois Manuel Rieder et Caesar von Däniken ont commencé par imprimer des tee-shirts pour eux- mêmes, à l’effigie du célèbre homme singe créé par Edgar Rice Burroughs. Leurs amis en ont rapi- dement voulu aussi, le cercle s’est élargi de plus en plus. La première collection a vu le jour en 2001. Aujourd’hui, la marque est présente dans toute la Suisse et possède deux boutiques, à Bâle et à Zurich (depuis 2009). Le siège, où sont conçus les vêtements, est resté à Bâle, l’impression des tissus se fait dans les environs. Si elle ne peut exporter faute d’acquisition des droits sur le nom (la variante Tarzan.ch permet apparemment de lever l’obstacle à domicile), la société s’apprête à lancer une seconde marque pour le reste de l’Europe. Rue Spalenberg, on trouve notamment les fameux tee-shirts, aux motifs nombreux, et des « hoodies » (sweat-shirts à capuche) colorés mais sobres, dont la qualité tient remarquablement dans le temps. 25 % de réduction sur présentation d’une carte d’étudiant – même française. Spalenberg 39 à Bâle. Site internet : www.tarzan.ch

La Suisse dans la poche
Lea Zeitman fait partie des « ambassadeurs » retenus par l’Office national du tourisme suisse pour son application mobile Suisse Pocket, proposée en version française depuis mars dernier. Ils sont plusieurs dizaines, aux professions variées – musicien, styliste, photographe, journaliste, directeur marketing, chef, écrivain (Joel Dicker, l’auteur de La Vérité sur l’affaire Harry Quebert, parle de son Genève)… –, à faire découvrir les principales attractions et trésors cachés, à proposer leurs bons plans et adresses, dans les villes où ils résident : Bâle (rangée dans la rubrique « sociable »), Berne (« culturelle»), Genève (« chic »), Lausanne, Lucerne (« sportive »), Lugano et Zurich. L’application permet aussi de recevoir automati- quement des réductions et des offres commerciales utilisables « in situ ».

Textes et photos : Olivier Brégeard

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