sisterMAG Issue N°7 by sisterMAG

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ab s i l E

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Antisala 5, 9, 21, 22

Italian Northern Lakes

Toni's editorial

… from Jillian Crocker-De Groeve

Toni says Ciao e benvenuto

102

Edgy Dolce Vita

Pic & Sounds 6

Giardino

A view on Bologna from Italian blogger

10 Contributors 12

Mobile Magazine Reading How-To-Guide for our sisterMAG App

Thea's Editorial

Alessandra Aghilar 109

Florence is …

View through Sivan Askayo's camera

130

The Crafters

About production & content, cover & videos of this issue 26

Masseria Alchimia A little photo overview of a resort in South Italy

Writing life CVmag – the second magazine from Carry-On Publishing

App-Watch e-Magazine

Negozio 34

Spotlight Commerce Past & future of commerce (36) I Am The Lab; (39) selekkt.com; (41) Emmas Enkel; (45) Lokaldesign; (50) Pippa & Jean

App Watch Commerce

New Silhouette made yourself Fashion Editorial in the south of Italy

The new Keypiece Checked skirt made yourself

Old and traditional artisan crafts in Florence from Laura Puliti 140

City Guide Bari Cover Model and born Bari – Paola – takes us with her through her hometown

Cucina 228

Blogger Lemon Kitchen

centro Benessere 210

Recipes featuring lemons by 10 international bloggers 248 251

Dr. Lorenzo Zappa talks about lemons in cosmetics

Startup Spotlight: Electric Espresso

212 Wrinkle-free

Giulia's Spring Fling

218

The best wrinkle killers

289

Pomeriggio alla Masseria

221

Wheatgrass Drink Review

Claudia Gödke takes us with her to Italy with an afternoon inspired food feature

222

Startup Spotlight: true fruits

Real Italian Classics … from the kitchen of Italian food blogger Fabiola Aghilar

300

sisterMAG Medicus Are High Heels suitable for everyday use?

Fresh recipes for spring from Giulia Doyle 264

The Power of Lemons

Biblioteca 168

Keep Calm and Carry On – The Poster Story A visit to the Antiquarian Bookshop »Barter Books« in Alnwick

Pizza Graziosa

Fashion-Food Shooting with pizzas and accessories of this season 180 Goethe's Italian Travels Robert Eberhardt about one of the most popular Italian travels in history 186

Womanly Weimar Laura Erler about portraits of outstanding women

192

Startup Spotlight: Small Demons

198

Publisher's Talk Mini Interview with Italian publisher Michele Dalai from add editore

200

Bookwatch Italy

202

How-To Video: Bookbinding

si st

… with a free cover illustration made by Elisabeth Weber

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ANTISALA & Sound« we inic »P es ri se d ve lo h uc m r ou ng Continui ken during ta am te al ri ito ed r ou om fr es troduce pictur of sisterMAG. e lif to in t gh si in tle lit A . ks ee w the last otify to link Sp e ic rv se g in am re st ic us m e th We are using You can download u. yo ith w s ne tu e ar sh d an ic us to the m or tablet ne ho tp ar sm r, te pu m co e m ho ur the app for yo or simply use a web player.

Pic sound Floral Inspiration: Shot during a first walk

Song: A Fine Spring Morning by

Blossom Dearie

through the Botanical Garden in Berlin, where we shot our cover of sisterMAG N°7

You can send this picture as a digital postcard to a friend: Simply click here L and use the Facebook app – »Telekom erleben« – to send this photo with your own songs

toni's editorial

Ciao Belle

The greatest love

It was definitely the best semester in

of my life in terms

my whole studies - I not only got to

know and love the country even more

definitely Italy. It

(including reckless car driving in Italian

all began when I

cities and on Italian motorways), but

was 13 years old

also found friends for life. Without

and the whole family

their help this sisterMAG issue would

(Âťtutta famigliaÂŤ) went

only be half as interesting as they

on holiday to Tuscany. We

generously offered their help and

stayed in a beautiful country house

introduced us to great people. Here I

set in a vineyard. The owner was

would like to thank especially Maria

a well-dressed Italian - as casual

and Stiene!

and charming as (almost) only men

Many people before me in very

countries

in that country can be. We drove through sceneries from picture books and found the best ice cream and greatest shoes that you can imagine (yes, exactly - my shoe love originated there!) - in short, I fell head over heels in love!

different eras experienced a similar fascination for Italy: Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II, painters like Angelica

Kauffman,

actors

Audrey Hepburn, collectors such as Peggy Guggenheim or author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Goethe also

si st

12 years later, this fascination brought

provided us with the book theme to

me to the completely spontaneous

our issue. In his work of Wilhelm

decision to choose a university in

Meister's Apprenticeship we find

Northern Italy for my semester

the literary figure of Mignon. In her

abroad. A decision I never regretted.

Goetheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (and somehow all of our)

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yearning for Italy takes shape. Goethe

known

companies

and

creative

therefore lets her sing the song

products economically a downward

»Do you know the land where the

trend persisted in recent years, so

lemon trees bloom«.

that many, especially young Italians

Robert tells us in his article about

have to seek their fortune in foreign

Goethe's journey through Italy . A

countries.

closer look is taken at Goethe's era

Nearly each of the contributors in

and in particular the strong and po-

this issue can tell a story about their

werful women who shaped it in the book review of the work »The smart women of Weimar« . The Library or Biblioteca as it is called in Italian is one of the main sections in this issue with many interesting articles and interviews that will make you feel like reading books immediately. There are also book recommendations regularly on our blog. Just have a look! But I also don’t want to deny that my love for Italy is not always easy. I have listened to endless discussions about the political situation in which attempts were made to understand, explain and see a solution in the confusion. Also, in spite of worldwide

Bella Toni

own Italy: We met Alessandra from

pasta and with Jillian we discover the

Almalus Place (and thus also her sister

Northern lakes .

Fabiola from La signorina deliziosa

Giulia from Audrey's (not based in Italy)

Effe) and Jillian from Jillian in Italy at last year's blogging conference The Hive. Since then we followed their blogs with great joy as they always allow a small Italian view - and were becoming even more keen to work with them on this issue. Alessandra introduces us to her city Bologna

, Fabiola prepared some of the best Italian recipes

apart from pizza &

and Laura from Lau's Notes (from Florence, Italy) are both real internet friends, i.e. we got to know them through their emails to the sisterMAG editors and quickly felt that we would like to do something together one day. For this issue Giulia put together delicious spring recipes with a lot of greens and Laura shows us the oldest artisan crafts in Florence.

Photo: Cris Santos

There are so many little stories around this issue, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to hold you back from diving into the issue any longer. Step into our Italian Villa (wonderfully illustrated by Elisabeth) and enjoy a pinch of Italian flair wherever youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sitting and reading right now.

Yours, Toni

La Thea

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Pic Sound An Italian dove during our sisterMAG trip to Apulia for the fashion shoot in the section »Negozio« }. See more pictures in our »Bari Guide« } where photographer Cristopher Santos L shot some beautiful Italian moments.

Song: Fühlt sich wie

fliegen an

von

Max Herre, Cro &

Clueso Album: Hallo Welt! Thea's absolute favourite while working on this issue. It was playing in a loop!

our cont Photo Ashley Ludäscher

text Robert Eberhardt

text & Photo Alessandra Aghilar

Rachna Sahni

Laura Erler Fabiola Aghilar

Cris Santos

Antonia Neubauer Sivan Askayo Dr. Michael Neubauer Susanne Rietfort

models Paola Pierno Christine Wolgast Content Button: Brings you back to table of contents Jump Button: Brings you directly to the next article

A magnifier or a little camera shows you a bigger version of the picture.

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Jillian Crocker Giulia Doyle Claudia Gödke Laura Puliti External link. Internal link. Shows you a PDF download (e.g. our recipe cards) Link to Pinterest Board. Location: Link to Everplaces or Google Maps Tweet the quote/ neu saying via Twitter.

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tributors illustration & Layout

proof

Bookbinding

Marina Engelhart

Thea Neubauer Simone Haffner Judy Torgard Isabelle Koelling Elisabeth Weber Katharina Kraatz

translation Sabrina Bäcker Hanna Brunken Kathrin Greyer Sarah Müller Antonia Neubauer

Amie McCracken Marisa Nöldeke

Julia Herbst Victoria Kau Claus Kuhlmann Elisabeth Weber Thea Neubauer

Donata Proske Antje Reiche Alex Sutter

Donata Proske

Styling Barbara Laneve Evi Neubauer Lena Schleweis

t.d o j i l l e

How-To Guide for our sisterMAG App

MOBILE MAGAZINE READING text ANTONIA NEUBAUER | translation DONATA PROSKE

Are you reading this article on a tablet

tes). Digital issues are also read about

or a smartphone? If so, you are among

the 83% of US-Americans1 and 60%

This of course has implications for

of Germans2 respectively who – ac-

magazine publishers. In order to

cording to the latest MPA (Associati-

maintain their reach they have to

on for Magazine Publishing) and VDZ

provide their content on a multitude

surveys – own a smartphone or tablet

of digital channels. Running a websi-

and have already read digital magazi-

te is not sufficient anymore. Smart-

nes on them. And there seems more

phone and tablet apps for the most

to come. Most recent studies indica-

common operating systems such as

te an increase in openness towards

Android and iOS have become com-

reading on digital devices. This also

pulsory.

reflects in the usage: the intensity

The considerably lower distribution

resembles the one for printed maga-

costs open up new opportunities for

zines. The time spent reading digital

small independent publishers to pu-

magazines is according to GfK MRI

blish new titles and reach a broad au-

& Omniture/Condé Nast3 32 minutes

dience.

per visit (vs. 42 minutes for printed

This opens up exciting possibilities

magazines and 9 minutes for websi-

for readers as well. Fascinating new

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Sony Xperia Tablet Z magazines keep popping up almost daily and can be retrieved worldwide. But how do you find these digital treasures? Are there any requirements for using them? And how does reading on a tablet or smartphone actually work? With the help of our own magazine, sisterMAG, we would like to introduce you to the use of digital magazines, provide you with useful information and will present some of our all-time favourites! MPA-Association of Magazine Media: »Magazine Media Readers and Smartphones«, October 2012. 1

Verband Deutscher Zeitschriftenverleger: »2. VDZ-Studie 'Zeitschriftennutzung auf dem iPad'«, August 2012. 2

GfK MRI & Omniture/Condé Nast: Digital reading habits. In: MPA-Association of Magazine Media: Magazine Media. Factbook 2012/2013, Folie 68. 3

So brilliant and vivid colors that you can still see the icing on our Bundt cake recipe even in bright sunlight. The Sony Xperia Tablet Z appears elegant and graceful with its dimensions of 25.7 cm (10.1") and a thickness of only 6.9 mm. The very light Android tablet (495 grams) is waterproof and has a glass screen, so you can also use it next to the swimming pool or navigate cooking recipes with wet fingers. »» Water-resistant and dust-proof »» 16 or 32 GB disk space »» 8 MP camera with great results even in less perfect light conditions »» Possibility of a fully connected home »» Serves as a universal remote control in a connected home

Sony Xperia Z A smartphone, that is as solid as a car? The frame of the Sony Xperia Z is made of fiberglass reinforced polyamide, which is normally used in the automotive industry to replace metal parts. In addition, it has a resistant glass display, which displays Full HD with 16 million colors. »» 12.7 cm (5 "), 7.9 cm thick, 146 grams in weight »» Android 4.1 »» 13 MP camera for great pictures even in backlight

The Requirements The most fundamental requirement for enjoying a digital magazine is an adequate device. The market for mobile phones has changed in such a way that only a vanishingly small propor-

»» Water-resistant and dust-proof

tion of all mobile phones sold these

»» Talk time (up to) 11 hours

days are not smartphones, meaning

»» 16 GB expandable with microSD

phones that are not internet enabled.

»» Bluetooth, LTE, NFC

Internet capability is a prerequisite for the use of digital magazines on your mobile device. Tablets, portable, flat and very light computers equipped with a touchscreen display, are very well suited for reading digital magazines. Just as mobile phones, these devices have undergone a rapid development in recent years. 22% of the US population4 and 5 % of the German population5 own a tablet – prognosis: further precipitous rise.

ANTISALA

In most countries, smartphones and

But if you keep some rules for the

tablets running on an Android or iOS

downloading process in mind, your

operating system are most common,

reading pleasure should not be im-

which is why most magazine apps are

paired by this. First of all, you should

available for these devices.

make sure that you are connected to

Besides the mobile device, the net-

a WiFi network when downloading the

work is essential as well. Just as print magazines, digital magazines – especially in the field of lifestyle, food or fashion – attach great importance to a striking design and appealing

issues. In case that no WiFi network is available, you should ensure that you are using a tariff that includes a certain data volume. The download experience improves when using LTE.

pictures. These require an appropriate MB volume of the magazine app which in turn impacts download and loading times.

comScore: »The comScore Data Mine«, URL: comscoredatamine.com, accessed: 05.05.2013.

BUDW: »Repräsentativbefragung des Bundesverbandes Digitale Wirtschaft«, November 2012 5

01 /1 3

Digital Newsstands Newsstands, comparable to magazine newsstands selling print magazines, also exist for magazine apps running on Android and iOS devices. These app stores can be regarded as platforms for finding, buying and downloading certain magazine titles. Android users use the Google Play Store as their central kiosk. Apart from that, providers such as Samsung and Amazon operate spec ial AppStores offering a specific range of apps, a kind si st er M AG

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of subset of those apps available on

A lot of these digital-only magazi-

Google Play. The central platform for

nes started off as browser-versions.

iOS devices is the Apple AppStore.

These can easily be found using the

What all these newsstands have in

website of technical infrastructure

common is that they provide a search function allowing users to look for certain apps or even categories such as ÂťNews & MagazinesÂŤ which subsume interesting titles to browse through. The Apple AppStore furthermore provides a separate area dedicated to digital magazines, symbolized by the periodicals rack which also appears on your smartphone or tablet.

providers, i.e. ISSUU, zmags, AppStudio or PageSuite. If one of the magazines catches your eye, the next step would be to visit their website and look for information if there is an app which provides further features or allowing you to read the magazine offline. 01 /1 3

Guideline to use the sisterMAG App on Android devices Part 1

How do I find the sisterMAG App? Look for the »Google Play« icon on your Android device. Previously the marketplace was known as 'Android Market'. It is the app distribution platform of Google for all Android devices. You can find there music, magazines, books, films, TV programs and apps. Enter »sisterMAG« (it’s not case-insensitive) in the search window (small magnifying glass).

Find sisterMAG

You recognize our app through the icon with the characteristic apple-green-curved »S«. Once selected, you can see the magazine overview with screenshots, information and addresses as well as the rating of the app (we would appreciate if you rated us). On the top right, you find the button »Install«. Select this.

App Homepage

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The app asks then for app permissions - a routine query so that our app can run on the Android operating system. This is not an automatic opt-in to postings or the publication of any data! Once installed, the ÂťOpenÂŤ-button appears in the top right corner. Otherwise, you can find the app on your home screen or in the list of installed programs.

Install

Once opened, you see the archive with all the previously published issues, which you can download and view all free-of-charge. Already downloaded issues can be read offline. Each issue is available twice - ('xx edition') in German and ('Issue xx') in English. Do you want to start reading with the first issue from February 2012 or immediately look into the latest edition? Simply tap on the desired cover.

App Homescreen

Firstly a brief description of the content appears and you can download (»Load sample«) a first sneak peek (5 pages with cover and table of contents). After downloading the whole issue (~ 100 MB) it is »unpacked« and prepared. This takes a few minutes. Meanwhile, the »package« icon is seen over the cover.

5 Download an issue

A fold in the bottom right corner marks the already downloaded issues. Also a tap on »Downloads« in the top bar shows you an overview of all the downloaded issues. In our next issue we will explain you our sisterMAG app in detail and show you, which features lie behind the buttons within an issue.

ANTISALA

sound pic Song: Action/Adventure Artist: Andrew Bird Album: Weather Systems

Italian Masseria: During our photo shoot in Italy we slept in the »Masseria Alchimia« (see more infos about it here L) with its beautiful Italian flair.

/1 21

with your loved ones (or with us ;))

You can also send this picture L via »Telekom erleben« App on Facebook to a friend and include your favourite songs to share

Photo: Cristopher Santos L

pic sound A cup of Espresso Macchiato is

Song: Morgens

an absolute given for the sis-

Immer Müde

terMAG team. Such cute little

von

Laing

hearts you can get in Berlin's coffeeshop Pure Origins. Photo: Ashley Ludäscher L

Very funny song from a young German girl band named »LAING«. The title means »Always tired in the morning«

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thea's editorial e n o i z u La Prod

Where shall I start when telling you

streets of Rome, Florence, Milan and

about the production and preparati-

Bari. Our fashion editor then decided

on of this issue? There are so many

that we would not just let our mind

background stories, anecdotes and

wander and so at the end of January

ideas that this editorial will or better

we went to the heel of Italy, Puglia,

cannot cover all of them. The seventh

for a few days. An enormous organi-

edition of sisterMAG is finally finis-

zational effort for everybody involved,

hed and a little sadness mixes into

especially for our fashion expert Evi,

my joy of going live. Because the the-

who produced all the clothes and pat-

me »Italy« accompanies Toni and me

terns for the two shoots. The absolute

since October last year, when my sis-

highlight: the composite check skirt,

ter came up with the idea. In our ima-

whose detailed instructions you can

gination we constantly wandered the

find in the section »Negozio« .

01 /1 3

Makeup & Hair:

In fact, a lot of manual work and di-

the pictures you do not see the cold!

ligence went into the issue, because

This went definitely better for our co-

an enormous amount of features and

ver model, because such humid tem-

content is self-produced: I wandered

peratures prevailed in the Botanical

the streets of Bari

with our photo-

Garden in Berlin that photographer

grapher Cris and Paola - a bona fide

Ashley had to constantly clean her

Italian and sisterMAG friend who we

lens.

met on the Web a few years ago and

I especially enjoyed our pizza shoot

who is also on the cover of this issue - and noted everything down. During the mentioned fashion shoot

not

only our model Chrissi shivered at 5Â° C at the Masseria Alchimia in Fasano (see the pictures of the Masseria si st

on the next page ) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fortunately, on

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for the Cucina section. An unusual and a little crazy - concept, because it combined the national dish of Italy with accessories for ladies: rings, bracelets and watches piled up in my apartment and I am now an expert in the production of pizza dough.

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Photography: Ashley Ludäscher L

Lena Schleweis L

Speaking of hard

cially for you (available for download).

work: Evi and I

The great how-to video was created

groaned

in collaboration with the agency gret-

IND WATCH THE BEH EO OF ID V S E N E C S E H T OT! O U R C OV E R S H O

than once about

chen.

our own crazy

I could tell you many more anecdo-

idea for the cover dress: the

lemon-shaped skirt is fully embroidered with lemons made of Plexiglas, which we sawed out one by one. However, this work also inspired us to further DIY projects such as the

»Italian Notebook« . You can make it yourself at home with a cover illustration by Elisabeth Weber made espe-

tes and stories, but then you would never see the actual content. Therefore, I postpone the behind-the-scenes to later blog posts, Instagram pictures (brand-NEW, follow us at @sister_mag

) and Facebook sneak

peeks. We are all looking forward to your feedback.

Grazie e ciao, Thea

Masseria

Alchimia

The Instagram images in January already gave you a taste of our Italy Edition: With the whole crew of sisterMAG â&#x20AC;&#x201C; models, photographer, stylists and editors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we took a plane to the South of Italy and spent four days working and enjoying the Southern flair. Almost hidden in the Puglia countryside, surrounded by olive groves and idyllically

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located between fruit farmers, we resided at the Masseria Alchimia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a holiday resort with a lot of southern flair. The small appartments offer self-catering kitchens, internet (you can imagine how important this is to our digital editing team!) while the whole complex is also environmentally up-to-date with solar panels for hot water. Especially our photographer Cris enjoyed a dip in his light-coloured whirlpool in his own room every night after taking pictures for us (from the estate, from the city of Bari and our fashion shoots). The Masseria is a great resort, which we recommend wholeheartedly since we found it ourselves a few years ago during a family vacation. The Masseria is located about 5 km from the Capitolo II private beach and such wellknown cities as Monopoli, Savelletri or Torre Canne. We thank Caroline Groszer, who gave us all a nice home and has created a modern, chic and stylish destination.

Visit the blog from Caroline with infos about Apulia & the Masseria: ONLY PUGLIA

CVmag – the second magazine from Carry-On Publishing

WRITING LIFE text VICTORIA KAU & THEA NEUBAUER Before heading to your summer holidays this year you are in for a treat: Carry-on Publishing, the publisher of sisterMAG, will launch a new digital-only magazine this summer. Since you as our readers have shown such great support for sisterMAG and have given us enough courage to start a new digital project, we want you to be among the first to get an insight into it: CVmag – Writing life. The CVmag (short for Curriculum Vitae) revolves around life stories. Not those neatly arranged in a

Abbreviation for Curriculum Vitae The Curriculum Vitae lists all important and individual data of a person.

portfolio and always prone not to fit to a company’s profile or a job advertisement. Our magazine rather takes an interest in exciting people, who manage their life in a remarkable way and thereby prove that life is not all about an outstanding degree, the right internships or an impeccable command of a foreign language – or maybe it is ;). We will portray personalities all around the world, bringing all their facets and disruptions to light, regardless of their industry

and background.

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This is meant to happen holistically,

to people already, CVmagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distincti-

as life stories always include perso-

ve feature is that it does not focus on

nal challenges, hobbies and interests.

any particular industry or a catego-

Interviews and profiles, concepts of

ry of people: neither is the world only

life and job profiles stand side by side

made of artists and creative people,

with innovative media concepts and

nor is it only made of managers and

inspirational photo shoots.

politicians â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this broad spectrum is

Why such a portrait magazine? Ever

what we want to show â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in an inter-

since our dream of a digital publis-

national manner!

hing company has turned into reali-

The magazine strives to spur open-

ty we have discussed several ideas,

ness and to encourage people to take

jotted them down in a little notebook

their life into their own hands without

and have evaluated them over and

giving stereotypical advice. Oppor-

over again. What inspired us most

tunities are manifold and success co-

while working on sisterMAG were the

mes to those who dare to take them.

life stories of our contributors and the

Six months ago, this idea crossed our

people we interviewed. This shall be further emphasized by the new magazine by providing a special platform for these profiles. Even though there are magazines and portals dedicated

minds for the first time and it was already in November when we found our new editor-in-chief who is probably known to our readers: Victoria Kau contributed to sisterMAG from 01 /1 3

the very first issue, documented the history of knitting, interviewed fashion photographers and has been the model for our Tech-for-Home feature. We are delighted to have found a great journalist, presenter and dear friend in her. The website is still under construction but you may already follow us on Twitter (@cv_mag) and sign up for the CVmag-Newsletter to stay informed about current events and the first

Contact To write to Victoria and the team of CVmag, just drop us an eMail at: mail@cv-mag.com . No worries, you don't have to add a CV to your eMail to us !

ยก

issue. And as sisterMAG relies on content and input by its contributors and readers CVmag is going to inherit this tradition: Do you know any outstanding people who are just made to be introduced in one of our issues? We want to meet people from all over the world as simply everyone is of interest to us and has a (life) story to tell!

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App e-Magazines

You may call it competitor analysis, but the sisterMAG editorial team loves to find new digital magazines. On this page you'll find Toni's and Thea's recent favourites: THE NEXT WEB L

In the last issue of sisterMAG we showed you TNW as source of tech and digital market news. Their iPad magazine always has one definite theme, this time it is »Fashion« with articles about Instagram, Fashion Books, apps and much more. SPOON L

Apps full of recipe ideas and wonderful photography. Until now SPOON has published an issue about pies, christmas, valentine's day and the latest one is about Asian recipes (left). One recipe idea from Veronika Studer – brain and photographer behind SPOON – you can see on page 238 } of this issue of sisterMAG. € 1.79 / App

LONNY L

The mother of all digital magazines. Lonny is full of inspiration for your home, style and design. Now you can also read Lonny on your iPad. € 2.69 / Issue MARTHA STEWART LIVING L

An all-time favourite of Thea ever since the iPad was first introduced. In the monthly digital edition of the popular lifestyle magazine from the US, you'll find DIY ideas, nice cover animations, recipes and much more.

SpoTlight commerce

Sometimes while shopping I remember the times when the Internet was not yet playing a role and shopping seemed a very simple thing: You had a wish, went shopping into town, visited shops in question and either found something or not. This simple process was due to the organization of commerce in the industrialized countries. The realization of a product idea was mainly reserved to big companies, because only

text ANTONIA NEUBAUER

PAST AND FUTURE OF COMMERCE

they could afford the production of larger quantities and had the necessary retail connections. Retailers, in turn were quasi-monopolists in the sale of goods, because the set-up of a nationwide retail network was a costly affair. An alternative would have been to either offer an own network of agents for door sales or direct sales through catalogues. However, both were not suitable for all product categories. The transaction itself was completed for the merchant with the sale of the product. Unsatisfied customers and their comsi st er M AG

Loka

NEGOZIO

plaints were resolved directly with the The behaviour of customers, for whom buyer and potential adverse effects to shopping on digital channels is inthe business were limited to the imme- creasingly common, forced brick-anddiate, influenceable environment.

mortar retailers to catch up on this

How different is this today! The Inter- development and to set up their own net has broken up the traditional pro- eCommerce shops. Today you can buy ducer-dealer-buyer-structures and is everything online from initially statiabout to change them completely. It onary fashion retailers like H&M and started out with Internet retailers that Marks & Spencer, sportswear brands sold goods from brands through their such as Reebok and Le Coq Sportif or eCommerce shop. The most famous from consumer electronics giants like and largest representative of this kind Apple and Sony. of company is Amazon, which comple- Due to the significantly lower cost of tely revamped the way, how books are setting up an online shop (no expensibought and now adds more and more ve lease in high-street locations, less product categories. staff) completely new business models

aldesign

emerge, allowing internet retailers to develop, produce and distribute their own products. Many designers dare to produce their own designs in small series because of the sales opportunities the internet offers. They sell them in their own shops, on platforms such as Etsy or DaWanda or in market places for independent design. 02 /1 3

I AM THE LAB

Brad Torrey Haynes (FOUNDER)

GENS DU MONDE

JANDHP

Briefly explain in your own words the

designs and products nowadays??

idea behind iamthelab.com.

There is so much competition for

I’ve been a fan of the handmade

big box stores. Many of them copy

community for a while now. The idea

handmade items, searching through

for IAMTHELAB came about after my

Etsy and other online resources for

last site had a major crash. I really

designs to copy. Not only do artists

wanted to build a different kind of

have to be innovative, they also need

handmade blog and that crash pushed

to protect their designs. The goal of

me forward with IAMTHELAB.

most handmakers is to grow their

My goal is to not only showcase

business with the hopes of making a

the best handmade goods from around the world, but to also inspire

living from it. The challenge is to keep your soul (or to not sell out) by aiming

handmakers to use the web to spread

for mass production.

their influence. Many artists still don’t

I’ve seen many craft artists who have

utilize blogging and social media to

done quite well by being true to the

its fullest potential. It is my hope that

Handmaker Manifesto.

IAMTHELAB can show them that it’s

How do you see the interplay between

necessary and beneficial to do so.

the online and offline channel, when

How easy or how difficult is the

selling

commercialization

goods?

si st er M AG

handmade

independent

handmade

NEGOZIO

I think it is very important for

media presence, an online seller can

handmakers to try to connect with

reach a much larger market. I’ve

local merchants. Not only is it a great

purchased handmade goods from all

way to support the community, but

over the world, mostly due to finding

it also expands their reach. Some

great items online.

artists think it is so difficult to get local shops to carry their goods. The truth

What advise would you give a

is, many local independent shops are

handmade

looking for fresh items to showcase.

starting off online?

A little courage is all it takes. There is no reason that a handmaker can’t have both a strong web shop and a great local following as well.

design

brand

when

First, take great pictures. I’ve talked about that before on IAMTHELAB. Next,

get

Twitter,

Facebook

and Pinterest. Twitter is great for

Which advantages does an online

connecting with other artists and

store offer for the sale of handmade

bloggers who would be willing to

designer products?

feature their items. Another thing:

Online shops have a few big advantages.

don’t overstock your shops. Know

For one thing, the overhead is lower.

your style and stick to it. It is so much

Plus, with an active blog and social

better to have a well-curated shop with a modest amount of items vs. a

huge selection that doesn’t tell a cohesive story. How do you find the great designers and products on iamthelab.com? Some current favourites?

I search for the artists I feature via sites like Bigcartel.com, Etsy and Shopify. Artists can also submit their designs via my website. I also

2. Oxley&Mortimer

: a new

artist making great jewelry 3. Leilei Aloha

: updated

Hawaiian style 4. Gens du Monde

: great

bracelets for men 5. JandHP

: the most beautiful

lapel pins for men

What are your next plans?

shops that I visit. That way I can stay

Believe it or not, my next plan is a

on top of what is new and fresh from

digital magazine that focuses on

the shops that I personally enjoy.

the global handmade community. I

So artists that I especially love right

have a podcast in the works as well.

now are:

I’m also an artist myself and I am

1. Unurth

: really unique

hanging pots

I AM THE LAB

hoping to design more art, like this poster for example.

NEGOZIO As recently assessed at a meeting of Insider Trends and Enterprise Nation in London, especially large, long-established companies have problems to transform ideas into products and services. They find it difficult to adapt to the continuous feedback loops of their customers and to take on the democratization of product designs and use this for their own business. Small, flexible start-ups often embrace this much better.

Jan Rode (CONTENT MANAGEMENT) Explain in your own words the idea

always require a lot of experience,

of your company. What does selekkt.

capital and above all perseveranceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

com do?

all these are scarce resources during

The idea behind selekkt.com is to

the start-up phase. This is where

support a new generation of creative people. Our marketplace represents a

new

distribution

channel

for

it comes in handy to team up, for instance on a platform like selekkt. com.

outstanding products that are far off

How do you find new designers and

the mainstream. We make it possible

products for selekkt.com?

to sell products directly to potential

customers and thereby help young, up-and-coming designers to get the attention they deserve right from the beginning.

are

constantly

looking

for

interesting designers and special products but thanks to our large network

about

400

carefully

selected sellers new designers are

How easy or how hard is it for young

approaching us every day as well.

design talents to commercialize their

We are choosing our sellers with

ideas in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world?

care focusing on the quality of the

That is the essential question: It has

idea and the product. But of course,

always been easy to come up with a

the integrity and the reliability of the

good idea, and to implement this idea

sellers are important factors as well.

with the new possibilities available

What is the advantage of an online

online as well. But marketing and sales

shop distributing design products? 02 /1 3

The advantages are obvious: With

products and the introduction of the

just one click, people from all over

designers themselves are perfect for

the world can access selekkt.com

communication, and we can resort

and both sellers and customers can

to large networks using Facebook,

SELEKKT.COM contact us any time. We benefit from

for example. In addition to that,

this advantage of eCommerce and

we introduce creative people from

provide a platform where designers

our marketplace with their favorite

and

products every week through curated

manufacturers

can

operate

product lists. This has become a really

profitably from day one. Is there a difference between the various product groups that you offer?

simplified

the

sale

through

selekkt.com in a way that the only thing the designer has to do in the end is to ship his/her productâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; regardless of whether it is a t-shirt or a coat rack made of concrete. We take care of everything else. This way, the designers have more time for the really important things: creating new ideas. In which way do you use digital media and channels for selekkt.com?

illustrious mix. What are your future plans for selekkt.com?

We see ourselves as an important ambassador

for

the

current

developments in the field of product design. With a purchase a new generation of products is promoted: refreshingly creative, often locally manufactured and made to last. Our products have a reasonable price and we want to prove to as many people as possible that our products have more value than those coming from mass production. It therefore is a useful and

To us, social media is key and I

sustainable investment that pays off

think this is one of our greatest

for everyone. Our small contribution

strengths.

for a better world.

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The

presentation

NEGOZIO

EMMAS ENKEL The power in retail shifts more and more from retailers to customers. They determine what they buy, when, where, how and why. Thereby modern customers use multiple channels to gather information, to compare and to buy. An up-to-date retailer must therefore be available on all channels. na.hili necklace black and wood

Alex Valder BAENKKLE 320 Bench

lara kazis Fold it! XXL Clutch

Why are there no more mom-and-pop stores? Are the days gone when you could run such a store profitably or does the concept just need to be rethought? These were the questions that the two founders of Emmas Enkel (= »Emma’s Grandsons« as momand-pop stores are called »Aunty Emma’s shops« in German) contemplated about and that led to one of Germany's most innovative start-up ideas in food retailing. We caught them for a quick telephone interview:

02 /1 3

EMMAS ENKEL Interview with Sebastian Diehl (FOUNDER) What is the idea behind Emmas

On-site in a store clients can be

Enkel?

serviced much better, e.g. by letting

Emmas Enkel is first and foremost

them taste products they would not

a full-line supermarket with nearly 4,000 articles and thus positioned somewhere

between

discounters

and big supermarkets. Besides the classic supermarket products, goods from local producers and by small manufacturers are offered. What's new about the concept: Everything can be ordered online or via mobile at the Emmas Enkel online

have tried on their own. The founders of Emmas Enkel also think that the brick-and-mortar store is important in the context of demographic change. Many older people prefer to do their shopping at a grocery store and having the purchases delivered to their home. Digital shopping however convinces through speed and availability. Also digital lists simplify routine purchases.

shop. The groceries are either picked

How does shopping at the Emmas

up in the store in Dusseldorf or the

Enkel grocery store in Dusseldorf

purchases are homedelivered.

work?

What were the reasons for the dual

The grocery store has the look and

online and offline strategy – with

feel of a mom-and-pop store, i.e. only

online shop and offline supermarket?

a part of the products are on display

The founders are certain that the

in the store and the rest is in stock.

si st er

future of retail does not only lie in the

An integral part of the business, which

online space. Both worlds, online and

is a prototype for other markets, is

offline, have specific strengths, which

the »parlour« : In this café-lounge

need to be combined.

area people can drink coffee, chat

M AG

NEGOZIO

with friends or order at the Emmas

What are the biggest challenges

Enkel online shop via tablet and pick

for the implementation of a Virtual

up their purchases up later at the

Shopping Wall?

shopping counter.

The

What is a Virtual Shopping Wall?

technical implementation of the

The Virtual Shopping Wall is a digital shopping surface, on which different products from the Emmas Enkel assortment are displayed. The customer can select products that he/she would like to buy via the Emmas Enkel mobile app, put them into his/her virtual shopping cart and order. display only a part of the whole product range, for example special promotions

challenge

the

shopping wall and the associated mobile app. To constantly exchange the displayed product range and to adapt it for example to the different times during the day, the upload of large amounts of data is necessary. This is done via the Vodafone LTE network. Vodafone connects everything and provides communication and infrastructure.

The Virtual Shopping Walls always

price

biggest

products,

The detection of the selected products is realized through the integrated Augmented Reality scanner and reader in the mobile app. Similar to

which are particularly likely to be

a QR-Code the app recognizes the

purchased at a specific time. The

product image, matches it with the

Emmas Enkel team can vary the

stored product in the database and

selected products depending on

then creates the item in the virtual

location and time.

shopping basket in the app. 02 /1 3

The Virtual Shopping Wall is therefore

are planned. The second Emmas Enkel

the link between the digital and the

grocery store just opened in Essen. More

real world.

locations are planned as a franchise

What are the plans and next steps for

concept. With this expansion also new

Emmas Enkel?

By the end of May, the iPhone app will be available. In parallel, the prototype of the Virtual Shopping Wall will be finalized to go live on the Vodafone

Virtual Shopping Walls are possible. They are only feasible in combination with the brick-and-mortar store due to the needed logistics processes for the delivery of goods.

Campus in Dusseldorf. There not only

Are there differences in the online

individual products but full dishes

and offline purchasing behaviour?

will be displayed. The accompanying

Very significant ones! The average

recipes and ingredients can be downloaded and bought directly via the app to have them delivered to your home in the evening. Also further brick-and-mortar stores

online basket is bigger and often covers the entire purchase for the week. In the grocery store there are more take-away products like Coke or bread and goods for the short-term

Also the retailer-customer relationship does not end after the sale anymore. Through social networks like Facebook or Twitter, the customer can immediately and beyond his/her direct sphere of influence articulate his/her satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a product or service. The biggest challenge is the combination of online and offline. These are not separate channels anymore, but they converge and interact. Each company must decide to what extent online and offline should be integrated into the various stages of their sales process. si st er M AG

NEGOZIO

LOKALDESIGN Katharina Roedelius (FOUNDER) Explain in your own words the

connect customers and designers,

idea of your company. What does

but also link designers to one another.

Lokaldesign do?

How easy or hard is it for young design

Our philosophy is that we believe in

talents to commercialize their ideas

design talents, furniture and great

today?

ideas.

Once a product has gone into

By following this philosophy, we

production, the designer can choose

discover design talents and their

from a number of web portals to

unique ideas for furniture that we then

sell his or her products. This works

present and sell at Lokaldesign. We

just fine for a certain price range.

work with different design colleges

However, we have noticed that large

and universities to help promote

articles / pieces of furniture from

young designers and help to launch

unknown designers starting at a price

new unique and elaborated products.

of â&#x201A;Ź150 are rarely ordered online if the

Our partnership and cooperation

customer has not been able to take a

at eye level with designers builds

look at them in person before. In case

a commercial bridge to customers

they do order them, the designer has

and those interested in design. This

to cope with the Distance Selling Act,

way, Lokaldesign focuses on the

meaning he or she has to cover all

uniqueness in the field of interior

shipping fees if the customer decides

design.

to send the product back.

Our core piece is our retail store in

That is why our sales in the retail store

Hamburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trendy bohemian district,

are much higher. Here, customers

the Schanzenviertel. This is where our

receive personal advice. They can

sales take place as well as substantial

also touch the products and try them

networking events that not only

out, and they also have the guarantee 02 /1 3

LOKALDESIGN of an offline store in case of exchange

At first, we contacted every college

or defects of the products.

and university for design in Germany

It gets more difficult if the designers

asking them to forward our online

cannot

produce

the

products

themselves. It is very expensive to produce a prototype and hardly any manufacturer agrees to the production of a new product where only 10 pieces might be produced. In addition to that, most universities do not teach how to set the price of a product or what possibilities there are for its distribution. As you can see, a young designer has to master big challenges. As part of our concept, we provide consulting services for designers with regard to those topics â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we always set the prices together. We also have a network of small

survey. This is where we explained our concept and asked about the demand for this kind of concept. We subsequently received 200 feedbacks. We met with about 50 of the designers for which we had to go to all parts of Germany. By now, word of our concept has gotten around, so that most of the designers come to us through word-of-mouth advertising or they find us online. Because

our

connections

colleges and universities, lecturers also refer graduating classes to us. We also recruit young designers at the international furnishing show in Cologne or at similar trade fairs.

manufacturers who are willing to

Why did you decide to open a physical

produce very small numbers of

store while eCommerce seems to be

products from time to time. This is

the topic of today?

where we act as a facilitator resolving

On the one hand, we believe that

very time-consuming questions before approaching the manufacturers.

the hype about eCommerce will slowly abate â&#x20AC;&#x201D; at least with regard

si st er

How do you get in touch with designers

to people with certain standards and

or products for Lokaldesign?

with regard to high-priced products.

M AG

NEGOZIO

It was cool for some time but there

you have to send it all the way back at

is a clear trend back towards offline

the seller’s risk.

businesses. It is the combination between a good business with trust, sound advice and customer service and the possibility to eventually order online that will pay off.

Our products are made by hand locally. We therefore have much smaller profit margins than retailers selling products that are manufactured in the Middle East. They factor in online risks, but this is something we cannot and do not want to do. Our

customers

buy

individual

products from small-scale series and they want to be able to link a face or a story to the product. We accomplish this through personal conversations. On the other hand, because we have

Our online business is usually used

specialized in furniture. We also offer

by customers who were at our retail

smaller products and furnishings,

store before or want to buy smaller

of course, but furniture is the core

articles that cost less than €100.

of our business. It is hard to sell furniture online, because you have to offer every possibility to return the products. Let’s say a customer orders

How do you use digital media and channels for Lokaldesign?

We mainly use digital media to raise

a couch, the hauler delivers it to the

our profile and create emotions.

5th floor, puts it together and then the

Our facebook page gets more and

customer doesn’t like the color. So

more fans and we are proud to see it 02 /1 3

LOKALDESIGN growing using only little advertising.

we do not have the necessary

We work really hard for our fans and

capacities for this at the moment.

once someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fan they will stay

Right now, you are working on your

one. In spite of that, we are planning on further promoting social media advertising to reach out to target groups that are not located in our area. For example, the Danish are a great target group that we usually cannot reach via German channels. We also work on our own little blog that we use to inform about events and exciting products, trade fairs etc. Moreover,

si st er M AG

own online store. How do you see the interaction between the retail store and the online store?

We are mainly building the online store for customers who came to our retail store and who do not want to make a decision right away. These are people from Hamburg but also many tourists. So far, customers have called us and placed the order by telephone. But since the number

started

making

is increasing, handling it via an

product videos that we promote

online store makes it easier and also

via YouTube. This is going very well

reflects professionalism. However,

and we therefore plan to expand it

not all products will be available

further.

solely online. When it comes to large

We would also like to offer a digital

furniture, it is important to us that

magazine to inform about new

we are able to give the customer

products, cooperation with colleges

good advice. Direct contact to

and universities, interviews with

our customers is one of our main

designers and so on. Unfortunately,

focuses.

NEGOZIO

What are your future plans for Lokaldesign?

At the moment, we focus on the issue of getting a license, meaning that we would like

Outliner lampshade from Martin Schmitz

to independently manufacture products

that

are

created

through our cooperation with colleges and universities under our own label. But our main goal is to establish ourselves on the market in a way that we can stabilize our business and easily approach

Cupboard Norway from Hafenholz

new projects. In order to do so, it would be important to be able to make a living from Lokaldesign, which is not possible yet. But we are definitely headed in the right direction. Really looking into the future, I am sure Lokaldesign would do well in other cities as well. But

Meat tenderiser & knuckle-duster from Anja Mรถhwald

that is going to take time. 02 /1 3

Out of all these trends new distribution and business models have evolved. So-called flash sales sites like fab.de offer remainders or limited editions for sale online for a short period of time. A similar concept – only offline – are popup shops, briefly opened stores in major cities. Also home sales events – based on the legendary Tupperware parties – experience some kind of renaissance since having been extended to the online world as well offering additional functionalities and activities on the web.

Annette Albrecht-Wetzel (CREATIVE DIRECTOR & GESCHÄFTSFÜHRERIN) In

your

own

words:

what

collection. In the meantime, we have

Pippa&Jean?

Pippa&Jean

of April 2013 we launched our third

stands

for

high-

been adding accessories to it.

quality designer jewelry combined

How does the selling of high-quality

with a modern marketing concept

jewelry work normally?

that

High-quality jewelry is mostly sold

supports

women

work

independently. Pippa&Jean is not a

via classic direct sale channels,

si st er

retail business but a team of style

jewelers, in jewelry shops or stores

coaches that presents our products

but also at fairs. Online boutiques

at home shopping parties or sells

have also spread. But especially with

them via their own personalized

jewelry, which is quite an emotional

online boutiques. Our social selling

product, it is better to have direct

community is a combination of classic

sales contact, so the customer can

direct sale and online trade which

actually try the jewelry on. Therefore,

is stylish and keeps up with times.

jewelry and accessories are perfect

Our designs are very unique, cover a

for our marketing concept, especially

wide spectrum, are handmade from

since the jewelry market is huge:

real materials and have an excellent

in 2010 more than €30 billion were

quality. In May 2012 our website

spent on jewelry just in Europe. Three

went online and in the beginning

billion of that was spent on fashion

M AG

NEGOZIO

jewelry and 70 percent of the turnover

to the style coaches what channel

is generated in Germany, Italy, France

of distribution they want to use,

and Great Britain.

depending on time and preferences.

Why have you chosen a dual strategy

How important is the offline-channel

consisting of an online and offline

and the style parties for Pippa&Jean?

channel – with an online shop and

The Style parties are an important

style coaches/style parties?

element, if not the most important

We wanted to use the common

one. We call it »friends plus jewelry

denominator

marketing

equals party«. And indeed, we sell

channels to extract all their advan-

three times as much offline than we

tages and combine them to launch

do online. The reason for that is the

a modern, innovative and efficient

party itself. I think everyone knows

sales platform. Our strategy helps

exactly what happens if women get

to overcome the growing distance

together to try on jewelry. They start

between »online« and »offline« and

giggling, comparing and exchanging

links the benefits of classic trade –

jewelry, giving each other advice etc.

e.g. personal customer service – and

It’s simply so much fun and feels like

the power of businesswomen to the

going shopping with your best friend,

benefits of eCommerce. In any case,

except that you are at home with all

the mixture works and it leaves it up

your friends surrounded in a familiar

the

02 /1 3

PIPPA & JEAN

atmosphere. No queuing, no stress,

their second career.

no husband waiting or closing times

they

are bothering you.

consultants, nurses or in the fashion

How and to what extent does

industry. About 40 percent have

Pippa&Jean use social media?

The so-called digital world is highly essential to Pippa&Jean. Our Facebook page has 15.000 fans and is being used by both our style coaches as well as our clients

management

already worked in the direct sales sector. Most of our style coaches work part-time, 15 percent work full-time as a style coach and have put together their own teams by now.

as platform to exchange ideas.

How does the future off Pippa&Jean

Besides, we are also on Twitter and

look like? What are your plans?

Pinterest. Blogs are quite important

We definitely want to continue

for us as well, which is why we

growing. In the long run, we want

are using them very frequently

to give 100.000 women the chance

and are thankful for everyone who

to start their own business by

gets actively involved. Since we are

supporting them on their way to

simply an eCommerce business we

self-employment. Therefore, we

rely on social media. However, we

also have to expand internationally.

focus more on the content than on banner advertising. Who works as a style coach for Pippa&Jean?

si st er M AG

worked

Before that

Last year which by the way was our first year in the market we took over two other companies: the direct selling company BabyBasket

Many different types of women.

and our competitor Juvalia&You,

Overall, they are between 25 and 60

who has stopped doing business in

and have children, some of them

Germany. Thanks to the takeover

even up to four. Pretty much all

new style coaches joined our team

of them started with Pippa&Jean

which is quite inspiring.

NEGOZIO

*Source: Enterprise Nation: Five big trends that are shaping the future of retail. URL: http://bit.ly/ZL5S19

Particularly exciting are the developments in the luxury sector. In the past ÂťnormalÂŤ customers often did not dare to enter the snobbish boutiques of luxury brands. Today, online shops like Net-a-Porter allow access to high-end fashion brands for everybody. The retail sector seems on the brink of great change. Every day new business and distribution models appear, which mix and match the different trend ingredients in a new way. When I will look back in five years, today's shopping world will probably appear like a relic from the past, just as the pre-Internet era seems today. 02 /1 3

App Commerce You can't live without ÂťmobileÂŤ anymore. Thus, mobile apps and gadgets have also changed the world of commerce. On this page you'll find some of the apps and services, sisterMAG likes to use on their mobile phones.

ETSY L

The renowned Handmade platform offers a unique shopping experience in their app: Browsing instead of searching! Especially handy for people who don't know what they are looking for.

SCVNGR L

is more a gaming platform with Checkins at real locations (e.g. shops). Dealers can start challenges and users, who take part in these challenges, earn points and rewards through their activities. si st er M AG

LL VOUCHERCLOUD

n The virtual coupo e booklet for th e mobile phone. Fre coupons, discounts m well o fr s r e ff o e iv s lu and exc your in s p o h s d n a s known brand John , p o h S y d o B e h T , p area TopSho 's Pizza o in m o D t, e g d u B , a Lewis, Asd pp. a e n o in d e in b m o c and many more less r e p a p d e m e e d e r These can be hosen c e b n a c s r e ff O in a shop. such as y, r o g te a c y b r o n by locatio s or n io s r u c x e , d o fo , g Online shoppin spa.

FANCY L

An app to discover, collect and buy from a crowd-curated catalog of goods, places and stores. Store, magazine and wishlist in one item. STUFFLE L

The digital version of a flea market for your mobile phone. Via geolocation nearby sellers and offers are displayed.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Cristopher Santos ST YLING

Evi Neubauer HAIR & MAKEUP

Barbara Laneve MODEL

Christine Wolgast

FA SHION EDITORIAL

NEGOZIO

THEME

New Silhouette made yourself LOCATION

Fasano/Apulia

KEY PIECES

Jeans & shiny fabrics

TITLE

Check mate TOP

SHOES

Louis Vuitton Spring 2013

Tutorial N째1

PrivatE

Vintage

SKIRT

INSPIRED BY

SILHOUETTE 1

NEGOZIO

SILHOUETTE 2

TITLE

flower play INSPIRED BY

Prada Spring 2013 BLOUSE

JEANS

SHOES

Tutorial N째2

True Religion

Vintage

SILHOUETTE 3 TITLE

White-blue affair INSPIRED BY

Miu Miu Spring 2013 BLOUSE

SATINSKIRT

Tutorial sister N°3 MAG N°1

SHOES

Kennel & Schmenger via Zalando

NEGOZIO

BROOCHES

Vintage, Bijou Brigitte PIC

NEGOZIO

TITLE

Jeans-Mania SILHOUETTE 4

INSPIRED BY

Miu Miu Spring 2013 BLOUSE

JEANS SKIRT

PUMPS

GLOVES

NECKLACE

Tutorial N°3

sistermag N°1

Pura Lopez

Leimböck

Bijou Brigitte

JEANS FABRIC 02

Buttinette

/1 3

SILHOUETTE 6

TITLE

crushed white INSPIRED BY

Miu Miu Spring 2013 BLOUSE

SKIRT

WATCH

Tutorial N°3 without collar

sister mag N°1

DKNY

NEGOZIO

02 /1 3

Shiny Coat INSPIRED BY

Miu Miu Spring 2013 JEANS

COAT

Tutorial N°4

si st er M AG

Scotch & Soda

BLOUSE

sisterMAG N°5

SHOES

cinti via Zalando

GLOVES

Leimböck

SILHOUETTE 5

TITLE

NEGOZIO

l u f r e d n o w a d e id v o r P h ic wh , ia im h c l A ia r e s s a M o t s k n a Th . ly a it f o h t u o S e h t in t o o backdrop for our fashion sh 02 /1 3

Every season there are a few col-

What we love about the show? Jacob’s at-

lections that stand out and that

tention to detail: The checked fabric (large

make you wonder why haven’t

and small) was specially woven, the flowers

thought about these things be-

were embroidered in mini squares and even

fore. For our fashion expert

in the handbags the cubic patterns were repe-

Evi this was the case with the

ated. The only downside: more than thousand

spring collection 2013 from

Euros per piece it’s totally out of our budget.

Louis Vuitton. Retro shapes,

But don’t worry, our fashion editor sat down and

stunning checks from head

put together the pattern and tutorial for the che-

to toe and pointy pumps

ckered pencil skirt. And for those who are not as

with low heels the show

gifted in sewing, we have collected some examples

at the Palais Royal in Paris special.

si st er M AG

where you can buy clothes instead. Check mate!

NEGOZIO

HOW-TO TITLE

DIFFICULTY

Checked skirt

difficult

FROM THE FEATURE

DOWNLOAD

New silhouette handmade

MATERIAL

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DETAIL PICTURE

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Italian Northern Lakes

Lago di Como is the 3rd largest lake in Italy and is situated just along the Swiss border towards Lugano. Herself living at Lago Maggiore for over a decade, expert Jillian Crocker-De Groeve from the blog Jillian in Italy takes us on her very own and personal tour to a beautiful region of Italy: the Northern Lakes. si st er M AG

Layout inspired by helloman.nl

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Lago d’Orta Sometimes referred to as the »secret little sister of the Italian lakes«.

Lago Maggiore

Second largest lake in Italy, situated north of Milan.

Lago di Garda Proudly holding the title of largest lake in Italy, is situated east of Milan and in the provinces of Brescia, Verona and Trentino.

02 /1 3

When most people

think

of the Alps and charming towns with

long and rich histories. Over the

Italy, romantic images

centuries this lake district has been a

of wandering through the

favourite vacation or get away spot for

streets of Rome, Florence and Venice

many famous writers, philosophers,

usually come to mind. Every year

historical figures and celebrities.

thousands of tourists flock to these popular Italian cities to enjoy the art, history, culture and cuisine these world class destinations have to offer.

The most popular lakes in the Northern Lake Region include Lago Maggiore, Lago dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Orta, Lago di Como

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But today I want to talk about another

and Lago di Garda (and many charming

side of Italy; a region that is less known

smaller ones as well). You can spend

by the masses but one that offers

your days exploring the lakes by

some of Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most stunning natural

boat or by car, discovering charming

beauty â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Northern Lake Region.

medieval villages or hiking world-

This area of Italy includes numerous

class mountain trails with some of

lakes of every size, panoramic views

the most stunning views in Europe.

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Many locals and tourists who find themselves in the oppressive heat of Milan in the summertime can flee the city and head towards the lakes and

fact that we are only a minutes’ drive

be enjoying the crisp, clean mountain

away from several lakes where we

air and water in more or less an hour’s

spend our summer days swimming

drive (depending on traffic of course).

and relaxing on the beaches and our

Personally, I have been living close

winter days strolling and admiring the

to Lago Maggiore for over a decade and have slowly fallen in love with everything this region has to offer.

breath-taking views. Even after living here for more than a decade, my daily glimpses of the lakes with their alpine

It’s great being able to visit Milan

backdrop amaze me.

easily for some culture and city

So, let’s take a look at the major lakes

life and I especially appreciate the

and what they have to offer. 02 /1 3

Lago d’Orta

Lago d’Orta, sometimes referred

From the piazza you can catch a

to as the »secret little sister of the

passenger ferry to the Isola San

Italian lakes« is by far one of the

Giulio. This tiny islet is a mere 254 m

lesser known and most enchanting

long but full of picturesque buildings

of all the Northern Lakes. Situated

and villas. While there, you can visit

west of Lago Maggiore this little gem

the 12th century Basilica di San Giulio

of a spot is famous for the town of

and the 19th century monastery

Orta San Giulio and the small island

situated along the pedestrian path

of Isola San Giulio.

that loops the island.

Orta San Giulio, located on the eastern

After exploring the town and island,

bank of the lake, is a picturesque medieval town pleasantly free of motorised traffic. You can meander through the town’s maze of cobbled lanes and narrow alleyways and admire its tall pastel coloured buildings and palazzi. Eventually

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you can stroll along the lakeside promenade, which leads up to the UNESCO world heritage site of Sacro Monte di Orta. Perched on the hillside you can hike up the pilgrimage trail and visit some of the 20 chapels of which many house famous works of

you will arrive at the charming 2000

art.

year old town piazza which faces the

Historical devotees of Orta included

island. Here you can relax on one of

German philosopher and poet,

the beautiful terraces, enjoy a drink

Friedrich Nietzsche, the French

and admire the views.

novelist and playwright, Honore de

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Balzac and the English poet

and

Every time we visit Orta San Giulio we stop at the 500

playwright,

Robert Browning. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s said that Nietzsche fell in love and had his heart broken during his time on Lago dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Orta.

If you wish to stay in the area, there are some great vacation rental apartments, hotels and small inns available. If you want to treat yourself to some style and luxury, make sure to book into the impressive Villa Crespi

year old Al Boeuc Enoteca (wine bar) for some delicious wines and plates of cheeses and charcuterie. Make sure to order the Piedmontese favourite Bagna Cauda which is a warm anchovy and garlic dip served with fresh vegetables for dipping.

a 14 room hotel with Moorish inspired architecture (including a minaret) that also offers a two Michelin star restaurant. 02 /1 3

Lago d’Orta

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One of my favourite pitstops when we visit Lago d’Orta is the Alessi Factory Outlet . You can find great bargains on some of Italy’s most famous designer kitchen and house ware products. The Alessi Factory Outlet is located in the small town of Omegna just north of Orta.

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02 /1 3

Lago di Como

Lago di Como is the 3rd largest lake

of Bellagio but if you dig

in Italy and is situated just along the

a little deeper you’ll find

Swiss border towards Lugano. This

enchanting spots that are

upside down Y-shaped lake of glaci-

tranquil, romantic and less tou-

al origin is one of the most popular

risty. Summer months on this lake

with tourists visiting northern Italy.

can get quite crowded so do your re-

In recent years this lake has made

search to find the perfect place to stay

cameo appearances in movies such

to avoid being in the middle of hordes

as »A Month by the Lake«, »Ocean’s

of other visitors.

Twelve« and »Casino Royale«. The

One of the nicest ways to enjoy Lago

fact that George Clooney bought a

di Como and the beautiful villas and

property along the shores of Como

gardens that are sprinkled along the

seems to have given the lake a boost

shores is definitely by boat. You can

in tourism as well (there even is a re-

hop on numerous lake cruises and

staurant that advertises having a ter-

ferries, rent a private boat with skip-

race that looks over George’s garden).

per or even venture out on a sail boat.

Putting George aside, Lago di Como

After a saunter around B ellagio

has so many beautiful places

(and especially the Villa Meltzi

to visit and explore. The-

Gardens ) I would suggest heading a

re are the well-known

little further up the coast and visiting

tourist destinations

the picturesque town of Varenna, nest-

such as the town

led between the lake and mountains.

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Here you can stroll the »Lover’s Walkway« along the shore, visit the splendid gardens of the 13th century Villa Monastero

or admire

the medieval fortress of Castello di Vezio .

nal art exhibitions and has a garden open to the public. Historically Como was known for its importance in silk production and trade. The city of Como, once known as the City of Silk, began the art of silk

Another great place to visit is the city of

weaving in 1510. Today you can visit

Como where you can wander around

the Silk Museum

the charming shopping streets and

della Seta) and browse around vari-

enjoy the beautiful architecture inclu-

ous silk shops. Many women actual-

ding the impressive Duomo di Como

ly come to Como to buy material for

situated inside the ancient city walls.

their wedding dresses.

Not far from the city centre, there is a

Como has also been mentioned or

7 minute funicular ride up to Bruna-

referenced in famous books such as

te and some of the best vistas of the

Mark Twain’s ›The Innocents Abro-

lake and mountains. Also in Como

ad‹, Tom Wolf’s ›Bonfire of

City there is a lovely lakeside board-

the Vanities‹ and Mary

walk leading out of town towards the famous Villa Olmo , a vast neoclassical

estate

(Museo Didattico

Shelley’s

›Victor

Frankenstein‹.

that

now houses internatio02 /1 3

Lago di Como

For me, one of the best ways to see Como, besides by boat, is by car. Whether you arrive by car or rent one there for a few days, it will give you a chance to head out on the lakeside roads, stop to experience local village life and scope out little known local restaurants and cafes. ONE WARNING: the roads can be winding and very narrow.

On a recent trip to the city of Como we ate at a little restaurant called La Colombetta , famous for its fish and seafood dishes. We had a delicious meal and lovely time chatting to the very friendly owners (who told us Robert De Niro is a fan of their restaurant).

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Since the Swiss border is only a few minutes’ drive from Como city, I would suggest taking a little side trip to Switzerland. In half an hour by car you can visit the city of Lugano situated on the beautiful Lago di Lugano, try the »alpine coaster bobsleds« at the top of Monte Tamaro or take a cogwheel railway train up Monte Generoso . This area is famous for its gorgeous hiking trails for every level hiker.

ra n

H ote

Î le

ée

Lago Maggiore

Lago Maggiore is the second largest For centuries this town and

lake in Italy, situated

the famous islands known

north of Milan and located partially in both the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy

as Le Isole Borromee have been ruled by the aristocratic Borromeo

as well as alpine Switzerland. This

family.

massive lake stretches 68 kilometres

In the town of Stresa you can visit (or

long and has a width between 3 and 5

stay in) the world famous hotel Le

kilometres. It enjoys a mediterranean

Grand Hotel des Îles Borromées , a

climate with an average of 2300 hours

favourite haunt of Ernest Hemingway.

of sunshine a year – enough to allow

You can even book yourself into the

many tropical and sub-tropical plants

Hemingway Suite (at 3,300 Euro a

to thrive there.

night) with beautiful views over the

Lago Maggiore has been a popular

lake and islands and experience

destination for honeymooners from around the world for many decades.

where the author frequently stayed to write. Lago Maggiore is featured

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Visitors’ first stop is usually the

in Hemingway’s famous novel ›A

opulent little town of Stresa with a

Farewell To Arms‹.

population of 5000 inhabitants and a

A trip to the Borromean Islands is an

rich history dating back to the 1500’s.

absolute must. If visiting in the high

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season try venturing out during lunch

Stresa to the top of Mount Mottarone

hour to avoid the large crowds. You

and enjoy the 360 degree views over

can arrive at the islands by public or

the 7 lakes. You can also enjoy lunch

private navigation services and taxi

at the top in any one of the several

boats. There are three main islands

restaurants (the seasonal polenta

to visit; Isola Bella, Isola Madre and

dishes are a local favorite).

Isole dei Pescatori. Isola Bella offers

Further down south is the charming

an impressive Baroque setting with 17th century palace and gardens where even today aristocratic wedding are held, Isola Madre is home to a stunning peacock filled botanical garden and Isola Pescatori is an old fishermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s island still inhabited by local fisherman.

town of Arona where you can do a little shopping along the quaint cobblestone pedestrian streets, have a nice lunch in one of the lakeside trattoria or visit the massive 35 metre tall statue of San Carlo

located a short (but steep) walk outside town. From

After visiting the islands you can take

Arona

there

the 20 minute cable car ride from

beautiful views of

are 02 /1 3

Iso

lla

Lago Maggiore

La Rocca Castle, located across

If you continue up the lakeside road

the lake in the town of Angera.

from the monastery youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll arrive

From both Arona and Angera

at the town of Laveno where you

you can catch a traghetto

can take a small bucket lift up the

(ferry) that heads up the lake

mountain behind the town. At the

towards Switzerland and stops

top you can admire the views while

in many of Lago Maggioreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most

having a drink on the cafe terrace,

popular sites to visit.

watch the paragliders start their

Another famous spot to visit on

descents down the mountain or

Lago Maggiore is the hermitage

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hike back down the mountain by

of Santa Caterina del Sasso

foot on one of several trails.

perched on the rock rocks and

Also from the town of Laveno you

located on the eastern coast of

can catch a car/passenger ferry

the lake. Although you can arrive

to Intra located on the other side

at the monastery by car, it is

of the lake. Intra is a small city

recommended to arrive by boat in

with lovely little shopping streets

order to appreciate its splendour

and a popular Saturday morning

from the water.

market.

lla

Ta ra n

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Lago Maggiore

A favourite activity of our visitors is always a boat cruise that heads up the lake into Switzerland. It starts in Arona and slowly makes its way to Locarno. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a full day cruise where you can admire all the impressive coastal villas and gardens. The cruise leaves at 10am and returns at 8:30pm. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget your passport.

Another favourite activity close to Lago Maggiore is to bike along the Naviglio Canal (which runs off Lago Maggiore). You can do a small piece of the trail or even bike the entire way to Milan. Best starting point is in Nosate (close to the Malpensa airport).

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N av

lio

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si st

Isp la Iso

Just minutes from Lago Maggiore (close to Ispra on the eastern side) is our favourite swimming lake Lago di Monate. This lake boasts no motorized boats and has a natural source that feeds into it and keeps the water clean and fresh. There are many little private and public beaches along the coastline. If you arrive early in the morning youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have the lake to yourself (Italians tend to head to the lake later in the afternoon).

Lago Maggiore

Lo Sw oki itz ng er to la nd

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Lago di Garda

Lago

Garda,

proudly

holding the title of largest lake in Italy, is situated east of Milan and

Historically, Lago di Garda was a

in the provinces of Brescia, Verona

popular muse for world famous

and Trentino. The area enjoys a mild

literary figures such as Roman poet

climate, which surprisingly enough

Catullus, Italian writer and journalist

for its altitude allows mediterranean

Gabriele d’Annunzio, German writer

plants such as olive and lemon trees

and artist Johann Wolfgang von

to thrive.

Goethe and English novelist and

Lago di Garda is a very popular

poet D.H. Lawrence who finished his

tourist

destination

for

Northern

acclaimed book ›Sons and Lovers‹

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Europeans (don’t be surprised if

during his stay on the lake.

you’re addressed in German before

One of the most interesting towns to

Italian) who flock to the windy lake

visit is Sirmione which sits on a narrow

to enjoy its world class windsurfing

peninsula that juts into the southern

and sailing, its impressive castles

tip of the lake. In this popular town you

and gardens and one of Italy’s largest

can visit La Rocca Scaligera, an 800

amusement parks Gardaland

year old castle and one of the finest

A great way to see the lake and all

examples of medieval fortification

it has to offer is by one of the many

(including a fortified port). From the

steamers or ferry boats that criss-

town you can walk to the impressive

cross the lake between various towns.

2000 year old Roman ruins, Grotte

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GIARDINO If you find yourself in the town of Malcesine you must drop by Gelateria Artigianale Dolce Vita for one of the best ice creams around. These incredibly delicious homemade gelatos are made using the freshest, in-season products and perfect for a hot summer’s day. Apparently they even have gorgonzola flavoured gelato at times. Located on Corso Garibaldi, near the port.

di Catullo. This enchanting archaeological site is spread over 5 acres and allows visitors to explore the ancient private home of the powerful Catullo family. If you’re headed to the Riviera degli Olivi, the lake’s eastern coast, some mustsee spots are Torri del Benaco, with its charming Roman harbour, Malcesine, with its Scaliger Castle and Bardolino made famous by its red wine. On the

One of the greatest ways to see Lago di Garda and its gorgeous landscape and coastal regions is from the top of Monte Baldo, situated on the eastern side of the lake. You can take one of the world’s most modern cable cars to the top (2813m) and enjoy the panoramic view, do a beautiful ridge walk or enjoy any of the mountain bike trails.

narrowed

end

of the lake. Some charming towns in the north are Riva del Garda and Limone

Riviera dei Limoni, the lake’s western

di Garda.

shore, are the medieval cathedral

Lago di Garda is really known as a

city of Salò and the town of Gardone

lake of leisure and there is definitely a

Riviera with its botanical gardens

vacation feeling wherever you go. It’s

and d’Annunzio’s former residence

a place where you go to lay on a beach

(Il Vittoriale

). As you head north

to read your latest novel, frolic in the

you’ll be astonished by the steep and

water and lounge in one of the many

rocky mountains that tower over the

outdoor terraces with an aperitivo. 02 /1 3

General Insider Tips

Throughout northern Italy, some of the best meals we have eaten have been at local agriturismi. An agriturismo is a working farm that offers a restaurant and often accommodation. Though not »fine cuisine«, the food is farm fresh and takes advantage of the in-season local and organic produce. The prices are quite reasonable and portions very generous.

Along the lakeside roads of all these lakes you can find small beaches both public and private. Look for signs that say »spiaggia«, »spiaggia pubblica« or »spiaggia privata«. The private beaches usually have an entrance fee and offer everything from umbrellas and sunbeds to snacks and drinks.

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GIARDINO Keep in mind that most shops in Italy close between 12:30 and 3:30pm. There are big grocery stores that stay open all day but in general smaller bakeries, boutiques and shops are closed during this time. In August there are many places that close down for a week or two as part of the obligatory »construction vacation«. For those people wanting to visit the northern lakes district and planning to arrive by plane, there are three airports in the Milan area – Malpensa located between Milan and Lago Maggiore, Linate located east of the city and Orio al Serio Airport located just outside the nearby city of Bergamo.

Visit the blog:

Jillian in Italy jillianinitaly.com

02 /1 1

Bologna

Edgy Dolce Vita LOOKING AT BOLOGNA

When I was a kid

ALESSANDRA AGHILAR ALMALU'S PLACE

fact that its buildings are made of red bricks),

I always thought

has a lovely mediaeval cityscape, whose heart

I would have ended

is Piazza Maggiore, where every city tour

up living in Bologna. Its

should start from. From the Piazza you

vitality and the fact that it

can visit the fifth largest basilica in

is mainly populated by young

the world, San Petronio. Then you

students and people coming from all over Italy to study in Europe's oldest University, had a great appeal on me. La rossa (which means Âťthe redÂŤ, because of the si st er M AG

can have a walk through Via Rizzoli, towards the two famous Renaissance towers. And from

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there you cannot miss a visit

made it to Bologna in 2008, when

to Basilica Santo Stefano,

I moved for my job, and I love it.

originally made of seven

Bologna is a combo of Italian

churches, one built

glamour and edgy undercurrent,

in the other (now

combining beautiful sightseeing

only

four

remain). I finally

and

kilometers

monuments,

porticoes,

museums

and

theatres with its cool clubs, restaurants,

shops

and

art

galleries. The city is also one of Italy's culinary capitals and you cannot leave without tasting its

famous

tortellini,

mortadella and tigelle and crescentine.

Picture above: Miemo Penttinen

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BOLOGNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SHOPPING

Paradiso

Confezioni

Abacanto Home Via del Luzzo 4/c Bologna

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A lovely concept store in the heart of the city centre. Angela, its owner, chooses quirky and beautiful pieces form brands from the North of Europe, such as Society, Sabre, Ferm Living... All of her pieces were found and discovered by Angela during her travels around the world. And when she finally found the perfect little corner in town she made her dream of sharing her passion for interior design true.

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Via dell'Inferno 12 Bologna

CONFEZIONI PARADISO

Emanuela Paradiso, the owner of this lovely bottega, creates and sells embroidered objects that are midway between graphic and modern illustrations and granny's tablecloths. Her illustrations and design are fresh, essential and simple and were born from childhood memories translated on recycled fabrics, giving life to beautiful creations for the girls, the kids and the house.

Fabrica

Mixing and sharing is a way to promote each other and generate creativity. This is the philosophy behind this cool shop, full of eye-candy, colorful and witty pieces from Japan, France, Austria and more...

Mirna Vintage

Strada Maggiore 50/a Bologna

ZOO is a 360째 design project that combines, in one place, a fashion atelier, a food design laboratory, a graphic art bookstore and a gallery.

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Strada Maggiore 7/e Bologna The shop also has an entire corner dedicated to Lomography, and

it is a must go for all passionate about analogue film photography.

If you are looking for one of a kind treasures from the 50s or 60s then this is the place! Mirna selects amazing clothing and accessories from all over the world.

Here you can find feminine cardis and jackets, quick escape coats and unmissable party dresses.Â

Zoo The aim of ZOO is to promote artisans and their little businesses, picking pieces recognised for their esthetic taste, simplicity and original 02

use of color.

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BOLOGNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EAT & DRINK A hipster and edgy osteria,

finds and handmade

where you can taste

creations. On the wall,

traditional dishes, such as tortellini and crescentine, in

Moustache

quirky illustrations and vintage movie posters.

a cool environment.

A must stop before or after

The local restaurant is

movies (the place is located

decorated with thrifted

next to a cinema!).

Via Mascarella 5/a Bologna

For lunch you can enjoy Fresh and local products,

tasty sandwiches or soups

local ingredients and tas-

made with fresh and seaso-

te translated in a modern

nal ingredients.

cafĂ¨, inspired by famous American coffee shops.

Largo Respighi 2 Bologna

ITIT

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8 10

Here you can have delicious muffins and donuts for breakfast along with real espresso and cappuccino or American style long coffees.

More from Alessandra on her Blog ALMALU'S PLACE

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sisterMAG loves her view of the world: today travel and lifestyle photographer SIVAN ASKAYO takes us to the most scenic places of Florence. Her words and pictures are simple and powerful and show us, how to enjoy this magical Italian city.

FLORENCE IS

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FLORENCE

is one of the most romantic cities I know. Let's face it.

I WAS 16 YEARS OLD

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FLORENCE

I was 16 years old when I first visited Florence. It was a 'Sweet 16' trip to Italy and the tour guide took us to Florence just for a day. All I remember from that day was the statue of David. I remember how my parents got

excited

when

they

heard I saw the statue of David, and my sister was /1 11

was naked.

shocked to hear that he

It took me 20 years to go back to Florence for the second time, and honestly, I don't know why it took me so long. Last year I got the urge to visit Florence. But only Florence. Was it because of a travel article I read or just my imagination and curiosity about Florence, I don't know... but eventually my instincts were right! Florence was glorious. A little Renaissance gem in the North of Italy. My trip was mostly focused on photography and my wish to see more of this city than the statue of David. I walked a lot, as walking is

favorite

way

discovering a new place and I got into some great neighborhoods beside the touristic attractions.

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FLORENCE IS

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â&#x20AC;Ś for me climbing up 412 stairs up the tower of the Duomo, for the sake of taking beautiful pictures.

FLOREN

riding the

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s it u s d e r o il a t t s e b ir e h t in n e m g in NCE is watch

eir bicycles.

02 /1 7

having Ricotta Cheese and Figs for lunch and chocolate and ice si st

cream for dinner.

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FLORENCE IS…

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02 /1 1

â&#x20AC;Ś visiting the Acad emia at Via Ricaso li on a busy day, payin g only 4 euros to se e the masterpiece of David, and sneaking pictures of him when the museum guards are not watching.

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â&#x20AC;Ś for me running up the hills all the way to Piazzale Michelangelo, just to see the city waking up soaked in a morning dew.

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FLORENCE 02 /1 5

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ee. ff o c d n a te la o c o h c ll about a s a w e m r fo e c n Flore gical lo o th y m e th t a o tw e for Better have a coffe dieri u c S e ff a C t a m a re coffee c g in k in r d r o , li il G è Caff ith it. w t h ig r m a re c e ic with a chocolate ing v r e s b o d n a i z ffi U … visiting Galleria r the o ra e v a im r P e h T , s The Birth of Venu glory. ll fu in e tu ta s e n tu Nep ing a ld o h e il h w io h c c e Ponte V r e v o t e s n u s e th g … watchin other. e th in e n o d e v lo r and you d n a h e n o in e in w bottle of

… walking in cobble stone streets with funny n ames such as Via de' Tornabuoni or Via Maffia.

… having an afterno on stroll in Giardino di Boboli, or drinkin g water from Fonta na dello Sprone. … visiting the Towe rs of Donati or the great halls of the old synagogue in V ia Farini. … walking through Piazza San Lorenzo markets, P iazza Del Repubblica or pass ing by Palazzo Pitti. 02 /1 7

FLORENCE si st er M AG

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. e v o b a e h t f o ll a g … doin ! in a g a r e v o d n a r Ove 02 /1 9

sisterMAG Series: The Crafters

1 Moleria Locchi 2 L'Ippogrifo 3 Marchiani 4 Manetti&Masini 5 Monica Lupi 6 Antico Setificio Fiorentino 7 Pampaloni 8 Libreria Salimbeni 9 Aqua Flor 10 Sant'Ambrogio market 11 Gilda Bistrot

Florence

Florence, cradle of the Italian Renaissance, is well known for her narrow streets full of history, her museums and famous people that lived there. Florence is also a city with a strong artisanal culture. If you visit it today you'll be impressed by the quantity of Âťtraditional productsÂŤ offered but it has to be said that a certain number of historical activities had to move to the surroundings or to close while only a few number of new activities really devoted to handicrafts techniques opened.

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A tour through old and new workshops in the centre of Florence.

by Laura Puliti lau.blogspot.com

Here is a short list â&#x20AC;&#x201C; non-exhaustive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of shops and workshops that I discovered doing my interior design work and that you can visit if you're looking for something exclusive to this city. Sometimes, little treasures are hidden around that corner where nothing special seems to be. So let's turn that corner to find them. We'll begin our tour from the west part of the city, walking from the popular district of San Frediano, to the other side of the Arno river. We'll end our walking in another popular district, Sant'Ambrogio, on the East side.

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The Crafters

Florence

Title

Locchi The Locchi laboratory has been restoring, grinding and carving crystal objects since the XVIII century, when the family was working for the Grand Duke of Tuscany, combining an established tradition with continuous research activity. Thanks to the skilled craftsmanship of the master grinders working there, precious crystal objects from glasses and cups to mirrors and chandeliers can be brought to their original beauty again. Today the laboratory also produces their own crystal collection inspired to historic pieces.

MOLERIA LOCCHI Via Burchiello 10, Firenze www.locchi.com

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L'Ippogrifo The L'Ippogrifo is the engraving art laboratory where Gianni Raffaelli and Francesca Bellesi produce with passion and extraordinary competence their amazing works using a process described from Vasari as a typical Florentine art of 1500. The tecnique â&#x20AC;&#x201C; called acquaforte â&#x20AC;&#x201C; requires a special procedure that assures the originality of the finished work, protecting the buyer and marking the artist's value. The L'Ippogrifo workshop creates and sells

only

original

handmade graphic works.

STAMPE D'ARTE L'IPPOGRIFO

Via Santo Spirito 5r, Firenze www.stampeippogrifo.com

The Crafters Title

Marchiani

Florence

MARCHIANI

Via S. Spirito 16r, Firenze

In the laboratory of Leonardo Romanelli,

novel The Adventures of

originally opened in 1880, it is possible to order

Pinocchio, by the Florentine

any kind of frame for paintings and prints with

writer

an interesting variety of mats. You'll also find

Florentines really love him

lots of wooden Pinocchio puppets. Pinocchio

so you'll often find works

is the fictional character of the 1883 children's

inspired by the novel.

Title

Manetti & Masini

Carlo

Collodi.

MANETTI & MASINI CERAMICS

Piazza Nazario Sauro 13r, Firenze

Since 1948, the craft workshop Manetti & Masini has been producing handmade ceramic art and pottery. Each of their manufactured articles is made with rigour, handed down from father to son. They also specialise in restoring and reproduction of ancient artefacts, by using

http://www.manettiemasini.it/

the same kind of clay and glaze, and by giving special attention to their ageing. The restoration

On demand the workshop

activity has led them to the production of stoves,

can also produce modern

today the pride and joy of Manetti & Masini.

ornaments and furnishings, even design.

Title

Monica Lupi The showrooms of Monica Lupi are a real Aladdin's cave. You can find treasures you weren't even thinking of, from decorative objects to big-sized furniture, carefully restored by the experienced craftsmen working for Monica according on her flawless taste.

with

customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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MONICA LUPI

Via Luna, (cellar), Firenze http://www.monicalupi.it/

Title

Antico Setificio Fiorentino The Antico Setificio Fiorentino transferred his old mill in San Frediano district in 1786. Since the XVII century, the Antico Setificio Fiorentino produces precious historical fabrics on old looms from the XVIII and XIX centuries: brocatels, lampasses, ermisini, damascs and rustic Tuscan traditional fabrics available for purchase in their showroom and ordered from all over the world.

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The Crafters Title

PAMPALONI

Pampaloni The

Pampaloni

family

Florence

Via Porta Rossa, 99r

established

their

pampaloni.com

silversmith business in Florence in 1902. Entering the Pampaloni shop via Porta Rossa, brings us to a world of oneiric shapes where silver is treated not only for its preciousness but mostly for its creative possibilities. The collections go from modern designs of contemporary artists and designers, back to GiĂ˛ Ponti till the pieces designed by Giovanni Maggi in 1602. Recently, the Pampaloni factory, not far from the centre, opened up its canteen for dinner to the public.

PAMPALONI FACTORY

Via del Gelsomino, 99

pampaloni.com/infabbrica/

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Libreria Salimbeni In Salimbeni bookstore is where current books and rare publications live side by side. The shop specialised in art and antique books so that you could surely find some interesting publications about things such as Futurism, the Risorgimento, 20th century Italian Literature, Collodi and art in general.

LIBRERIA SALIMBENI

Via Matteo Palmieri 14/16r libreriasalimbeni.com

Title

Aqua Flor The

perfumery

atelier

of Sileno Cheloni, offers an exclusive range of his own perfumes,

waters,

soaps,

candles, ambient fragrances

made perfumes. Once you have your recipe, you can order your perfume wherever you are in the world. Recently opened, this

charming

atelier

and more. On appointment,

lets you make a jump

the Master Perfumer creates

into the past of an old

unique recipes for custom

apothecary.

AQUA FLOR

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Title

Sant'Ambrogio market Let's end our tour with a digression in my favourite district, the popular Sant'Ambrogio

MERCATO SANT'AMBROGIO

Piazza Ghiberti

From Monday to Saturday 8:00-14:00

district. More specifically, look for the Ghiberti square where every morning, the Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio (S. Ambrogio Market) – one of the most authentic and less known markets of the centre – is held. Giorgio in one of the oldest stalls selling his own grown up fresh vegetables.

Title

Gilda Bistrot In the same square as the market – if you're looking for a cosy place to stop and have a nice rest, you can try Gilda Bistrot. The atmosphere of this little bistrot makes everyone feel like friends. At Gilda’s you can always find a table between authentic Florentines where you can drink a cappuccino or taste the local food. The menu is always a surprise.

GILDA BISTROT

Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti, 40-red gildabistrot.it

Read more on Laura's blog lau.blogpost.com

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Let me state my ignorance: before a holiday vacation in 2010 I only had a faint idea what the South of Italy looked and felt like. The Terra di Bari is – in terms of tourism – a blessed piece of land. One cathedral after the other, beaches and small, beautiful villages made a trip worthwile. And when visiting Italy's heel you cannot leave without experiencing the capital city of the Apulia region. No city in the region conveys such a large, urban, elegant or busy flair. Bari presents itself confident with magnificent streets such as the Corso Cavour and lavish facades from the end of the century. We wanted to look behind these facades and asked a born Bari – Paola Pierno, who is also our cover model – to take us through her town. With her we saw Bari's many different faces. See all locations on Everplaces by clicking on the location marker . PHOTOS: Cristopher Santos WORDS: Thea Neubauer

capital city of the province of bari and of the apulia region, on the adriatic sea in italy

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See and save this map and all locations on Everplaces Google Maps

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piazza del

ferrarese square, named after the ferrara merchant stefano fabri who lived here in the 17th century

We meet up with Paola on Piazza del Ferrarese

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; locals just leave the

ÂťdelÂŤ out of the name. It serves as an elegant entrance into the older parts of Bari. However the first thing to see is a large building with arched windows, which attracts attention due to its colourful banners: At Sala Murat contemporary art exhibitions are held and you can just walk in and stroll around.

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The Piazza itself conveys a wide and open feeling, facing the sea to one side, lined with bars and cafés on the other.

»My favourite cafeteria is Caffè Nero, it’s in a bohemian style and there is always a great music selection. This is very important to me, I could never focus on what I am saying or the other person is saying if there’s loud music that doesn’t match my taste at all. I prefer going to the Piazza after lunch time, it’s quiet and seems a completely different place from the chaotic part of the city.« – Paola

Sipping a Caffelatte at Caffé Matisse , Paola explains that young Bari people use this space to meet up, go out at night and meet up in the afternoon after school. Only a few streets away is the old town and so, she explains, it is a great place to see the people mixing from both parts of the town. On Sundays you can see traditional families sitting on the Piazza, bringing their own chairs, while modern Bari with posh clothing mill around as well. 02 /1 5

barivecchia

barivecchia or old bari is a sprawl of streets and passageways making up the section of the city to the north of the modern murat area

See more pics of Barivecchia

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»Since I don’t live in Barivecchia I just knew the most important streets, it’s easy to get lost…But a few years back I asked a friend of mine whose family has lived there for ages to show me around. There’s the narrowest street of Barivecchia which I really like, from which you can barely see the sky when looking up. Sometimes I go to an amazing library next to the church of Santa Teresa dei Maschi.« – Paola

We do not walk very far and enter

Orient and Occident, this part of

a maze of small streets, lined with

town does bring the Orient to mind

beige stone houses. Washed clothes

when looking at the alleys, elements

hang outside of the windows and

of houses and the cathedral.

we walk under these canopy-like

Everything is so old and tiny; you

arrangements.

almost can't imagine modern people

A world completely different from

living in these streets. However

the rest of the town presents itself to

once or twice a door opens and a

us in Barivecchia . Some alleyways

busy Italian leaves for coffee, you

and narrow streets do seem a little

can peek into an open window or

eerie, which is why the old part of

Paola suddenly greets a young guy

Bari used to be ill famed. Due to

who just pushed his bike through an

Bari’s history – always being the

ancient looking wooden portal – the

bridge between the two worlds of

entrance to where he lives! 02 /1 7

quartiere delle

orecchiette orecchiette: orecchio = ear | suffix 'etto' = small

To call the two little streets in the middle of Barivecchia called Arco Alto and Arco 足Bas足 so

a 'quarter for pasta' may

seem like an exaggeration, but these streets, which are even hard to find on a map, have

earned

some

fame

for travellers and tourists. si

Walking down the pathways we

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notice wooden frames, covered with white cloth. Underneath you can spot homemade pasta. Out front of their very own houses, women make Orecchietti, the ear-shaped local pasta specialty and sell them in small batches to locals. Close to perfection this pasta has exactly the right form and texture: small and curled, with a rough texture on the outside to soak up sauce. The even tinier, but nevertheless perfect, pasta is also made by hand and called cavatelli. 02 /1 9

Part of the reason why our guide Paola chose to study languages â&#x20AC;&#x201C; English and Russian â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is the strong influence of Russian Orthodox people in Bari. She tells me about this as we walk around a grand limestone building, which is the most known basilica

of Bari. Here

the relicts of Saint Nicholas are buried. Back in the days there had been a great competition for the relicts between Venice and Bari. The tomb can be seen si

in thecatacombs of the Basilica. The

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Basilica di

San Nicola

basilica of saint nicholas is a church in bari, it is an important pilgrimage destination both for roman catholics and orthodox christians from eastern europe

ancient story, that St. Nicholas provided dowry money to the three impoverished maidens is still cherished in this space. Even today young women who wish to get married come to the Basilica on the 6th of December to leave a note to St. Nicholas and put three coins in a box. The money is collected and given to a young bride from the region. 02 /1 1

Castello

swabian castle built around 1132

Originally built by the Normans, the grand fortress was rebuilt and altered by Frederick II. The influence of the second Hohenstaufen duke of Swabia is evident in many regions of Apulia (his most famous castle being Castel del Monte situated upcountry). Walking alongside you can see the Aragon walls and the main Swabian tower. Today Castello si

Svevo

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is used for exhibitions.

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Svevo

by norman king roger II

Here and there we spot Mary figures high above our heads on street corners, strangely put next to a street sign â&#x20AC;&#x201C; seemingly out of place. You can find a lot of these icons in Barivecchia where people decorate them with flowers to pay homage to Virgin Mary. We pass San Sabino

and not far from it,

stroll alongside the grand Castello Svevo. Old Bari lies behind us.

Cattedrale di

San Sabino

cathedral senior to, but less famous than the basilica, seat of the archbishop of bari-bitonto

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murat district is the new part of bari named after joachim murat, built of an orthogonal grid, urban centre of the city

quartiere

murattiano

Straight lines and a uniform appearance of the streets in the new part

of Bari are rather reminiscent of France than the impenetrable street jumble of Old Italian Bari. Just as I've learned in school about Napoleon's Nepotism politics, Napoleon's brother-in-law Joachim Murat became Napoleonic King of Naples. In 1808 he ordered the building of a new section of the city, laid out on a rational grid plan, which bears his name today as the Quartiere Murattiano . Under his reign, Bari developed into the most si st er

important port city of the region.

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Loads of shopping opportunities, new

stores

and

old

little

boutiques welcome you to the new urban centre of the city. As in every large city in the world, the emergence of big chain stores is bothering Bari people today. Small boutiques, family-owned, are still there, Paola tells me, but they are struggling. The latest evidence is an old, independent bookstore which just had to sell a large part of his store property. Now, big advertisements for the newest Prada Brand store hang from the side of this building.

See more pics of Murat district 02 /1 7

palazzo

mincuzzi My eye is especially drawn to one building, which is embellished beautifully and situated on the corner of two big shopping streets. Paola spells the name numerous times until I get it: Palazzo Mincuzzi

In the heart of Murat architect Aldo ForcignanĂ˛ developed this spectacular building, which was from its beginning in 1923 has always been used for commercial purposes. The facade appears as a jumble of columns, pilasters, ionic capitals and gargoyles as well as uncountable windows. As a little girl, Paola used to visit the building, holding the hand of her grandmother. Unfortunately, the days of showcases full of leather gloves and solicitous saleswomen seem to be over and today Benetton has si

a large flagship store inside.

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»My grandma used to make orecchiette and tagliatelle. She let them dry on the balcony. She was from Molfetta, another lovely place by the sea, but the pasta tradition is everywhere. I love how she cooked them with fresh tomato sauce, basil and Ricotta marzotica, an amazing hard cheese.« – Paola

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See more pics of Italian treats

caffé

saicaf

What makes every lover of sweets love Bari is the abundance of cookies, cakes and desserts in the coffeeshops along the streets. A local specialty and typical carnival sweet are Chiacchiere (above). Shaped like a strip, they are made of a mixture of flour that is deep fried or baked and then dusted with powdered sugar.

caffé

can be found at Caffé Saicaf

(left).

One of the oldest and most traditional coffeeshops is Caffé Savoia , both situated in the centre of the Murat district.

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savoia

The best selection of Italian treats

»There’s a group of friends who started organising small events by the sea, hosting local bands or DJs and promoting local artisans and vintage addicts (me) and creating a lovely atmosphere during summertime.« … read more } Paola

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lungomare nazario sauro: beach promenade in bari

nazario sauro

lungomare Almost at the end of our stroll around the city, we stop at Lungomare, which means beach promenade. Bari is quite blessed with the sea exposure and you can see many people jogging along the sea. The water has a very special blue, pale and almost pastel. Paola tells me about the market where she sells vintage handbags at a little stand and which takes place at the beach. Leisurely, we walk towards Corso Vittorio Emanuele while the sun is slowly disappearing. 02 /1 3

See more pictures!

»I like spending my winter evenings at the cinema. There are some cinemas with film d’essai that I really like and plenty of cineforum around the town. The Apulia Film Commission and the Circuito d’Autore are promoting this but it’s also very common to do it in private places between friends.« … read more }

bari

at night Finally night settles in at Bari and Paola finally takes us to taste some of her favourite food: deep fried calzone and Foccacia. It definitely

hasn't been a calorie-low day but as we drive back to our Masseria, we feel that Bari has many things to offer: sometimes it is just hiding behind a si

corner or hidden in an archway!

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A visit to the Antiquarian Bookshop »Barter Books« in Alnwick

text THEA NEUBAUER L photos RACHNA SAHNI L & THEA NEUBAUER

BIBLIOTECA

If you have ever set foot in Great Britain, you’ve probably noticed a mug, a tea towel or in the worstcase scenario even a condom, which depicted a crown and read »Keep calm and carry on« in bold, majuscule letters. This design, so simple and catchy, has been used to embellish

A stylized crown and underneath the The success story of simple claim »Keep the design started calm and carry when Stuart Manley on« – it seems to found an original be a phenomenon poster beneath some of pop culture. old books in Alnwick / But it is so much Northumberland where more! he and his wife Mary run

every article you could think of, but

Barter Books – an all-

few people ever ask about its origins.

antiquarian

Only recently a YouTube video that

wanted to know more about the

went viral has revealed to millions

poster and about the bookshop.

of viewers the real story behind it:

Thus we boarded a train and visited

the simple saying was printed by the

the couple in their hometown. What

British government in 1939 to give the

we uncovered was not only the story

population strength and power during

of a beautiful design but also the

World War II. This design was only

beautiful lifelong journey of what we

one of three. Surprisingly, only the

can only call the loveliest couple. The

other two were actually distributed

sort you’d want to visit for a cup of tea

and hung all over Britain whereas the

every weekend. We invite you to join us

simplest and most powerful (as we

on our adventure to Northumberland

now know) was never used.

and meet Mary and Stuart Manley.

bookshop.

sisterMAG

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that it might be a good idea to have a ›Keep calm and carry on‹ app. Back

THE POSTER AND ITS STORY OF SUCCESS

at that time there weren’t any others. If we today decided to commission an app, it probably wouldn’t be a problem

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When we ask Mary to explain the

to find an agency but back then we only

sudden hype which has arisen –

got lucky. A friend’s son owns an agency

again – around the poster and their

in London and they did a beautiful job

shop, she laughs and tells us that the

(read more about the app here). The

poster’s popularity gained sudden

first step for them was to come up to

momentum because of one of her

the shop with a videographer – Temujin

bizarre ideas: »You want to hear the

Doran. He created a three-minute video

story of the app, don’t you? About

linking our shop to the ›Keep calm and

three years ago I got an iPhone, and I

carry on‹ poster.«

really love it. I do like this device to an

The video was launched on YouTube

extent that Stuart says he married an

on 28 February 2012 and already had

iPhone.« She laughs and looks a little

been viewed by 995.585 people as of 16

ashamed at her husband, sitting in

April 2012. Mary and Stuart have been

an their buffet area in a comfortable

amazed by the media attention they’ve

booth next to her. »I thought to myself

gotten since the video became such a

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BIBLIOTECA

hit. Mary explains that it always had

a poster of us, remove our label and

been a point of frustration, that their

put their own name on it.« What Stuart

shop had never been properly linked

further explains are the legal basics.

to the poster in the way it should have

The copyright of the original poster

been. It is now ten years that Stuart

had long expired when they found and

found the original poster. The exact

copied it. In order to fit the design on

spot is not even recognizable anymore,

modern standardized paper (A2) they

hidden behind an unattractive white

however changed the typography of

functional divider, which hides the

the design. What didn’t seem like an

kitchen of the shop’s buffet.

important alteration at that time soon

»The books I found were actually

turned out to be a lucky move: now

pretty crappy, but right at the bottom I

they can clearly identify illegal copies

discovered a folder with just one poster.

of their own poster.

I showed it to Mary, she loved it, framed

Mary and Stuart are not the only

it and put it in the shop. She didn’t even

people still holding an original copy,

want to have it sold in the beginning, but

but they obviously own the one that

eventually we produced some copies

was rediscovered and started the

and they were gone terribly quickly. It

hype. »However the Imperial War

was about four or five years later that a

Museum has five different copies of it,

reporter (Suzie Steiner) came across it

but they just left them in a drawer and

and mentioned it in the Sunday’s Colour

didn’t realise the power of what they

magazine of the Guardian. That’s when

had«, Mary explains. Today the poster

it took off and suddenly became very

is renowned worldwide. It however

big. In that December I used our whole

hasn’t made them millionaires, they

shop’s staff to packing up posters and

coyly explain and smile.

just sending thousands of them all over

The public does not know the exact

the place.

story of what happened with the three

About seven or eight months after

posters. Mary herself tried finding

the mention in the Guardian another

out by questioning the Imperial War

phenomenon started: people would buy

Museum in London, which didn’t prove 02 /1 1

to be very helpful. Mary and Stuart

In the end however Mary shares the

however have wondered before what

thought we all have wondered about.

would have happened if the British

»Historians say that the posters were

government

the

meant to be put out in case of an

»good« design first. The public gave

invasion, but does that really make

the two posters, which were released,

sense? You wonder whether in times of

reading »Your freedom is in peril.

a war, the German invaders would have

Defend it with all your might« and

just waited around while British civil

»Your courage, your cheerfulness,

servants put out the posters. I would

your resolution will bring us victory«,

love to know the real story!«

a big thumbs-down. People felt

The application which was developed

had

distributed

them to be patronising, which is why the government pulled the whole campaign. »To think what could have happened if they started with the good one – the design is effective even now and I muse in all times of stress. This poster could have been effective back in 1939!«

by the agency NATION, lets people not only read about the origin of the poster but change the wording on the poster to make your own saying. Ironically Mary and Stuart are not very keen on the very many parodies, which people have come up with over the years. »I think ›hate‹ is a good word,« says

Stuart, »We are indeed sick of it.«

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BIBLIOTECA

that

suffered

quite

badly. In the summers it all died off. Hence Mary

NOT ONLY A BOOKSHOP While explaining to us the story of rediscovering the poster, Mary and Stuart are drinking a cup of coffee, placed next to each other in a little booth. We are sitting in the buffet area of their bookshop, which used to be an old waiting room of a train

had the idea of putting the bookshop in part of the factory. The idea was no more than to sell models in

Today the exact place where Stuart found the poster many years ago is almost not recognisable any more.

the winter and books in the summer. Really it just took off, hence I eventually closed the factory and we extended the bookshop.«

station. The story of this space and

With about 350,000 books and 3

the people behind Barter Books –

miles of shelves, it is evident what

one of the largest bookshops in Great

has evolved out of their initial idea.

Britain – is inspiring. Opened in 1991,

Entering the space one immediately

Stuart Manley had used the front part

feels the special atmosphere of the

of the old train station with his former

shop: light French music is playing in

business: a little factory for train

the background, sofas and couches

models. »It was this sort of business

invite you to sit down. It seems as 02 /1 3

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if you can really »keep calm« while

of the week« – one of her many little

spending time at Barter Books. This

jokes and crazy ideas. »Secondly I

atmosphere is intentional, we find out

wanted an organised shop – not one

as Mary explains her philosophy: »For

which was famous for its musty-dusty

me it had always been the question

feel. I imagined a shop that wasn’t

›What would I want if I walked into a

overly manicured but at the same time

bookshop?‹ The first thing: I would

organised – a bit like a library.«

want to be left free to browse without

Their enthusiasm for the business and

anyone trying to sell me anything. If you

their shop is palpable. Mary organises

go into a London shop, they ›madame‹

the space, ambience, is responsible

you to death! I often end up leaving. I

for marketing and the visual impact

however felt that if people wanted to

of the shop, whereas Stuart is the

spend the day in our shop, they could

business brain. He looks after the

without pressure. I want people to

numbers, management and deals

feel comfortable around, even if they

with the Barter Books website, which

bring their dogs!« Mary succeeds in

includes a huge catalogue of their

giving people that feeling! She even

entire inventory. »One’s weakness is

started a twitter series with the »dog

the other one’s strength.«

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BIBLIOTECA

to him asking for flight details. Stuart was transfixed and spent the entire first inflight movie figuring out how

A HOLLYWOOD LOVE STORY?

to speak to her again. Not being a

Seeing them together we naturally

telling her a little bit about him and

have to ask how the two met,

raising the question If you’d want to

especially since Mary is American,

talk, raise your hand momentarily.

born in Missouri. What follows is a

Throwing the note at her, he endured

heart-warming story, almost out of a

a few minutes of anxiety waiting for

movie script. Back in the time when

the reaction. Mary did raise her hand.

chatter-upper he finally wrote a note,

Stuart owned the model factory he did an export drive through Northern America, ending up at New York airport, ready to go home to Britain. While waiting for the flight, Mary –

A TOUR THROUGH HISTORICAL GROUNDS

on her way back to Oxford where she

After enjoying a delicious snack with

was studying at that time – came up

the two – you may choose a lemon 02 /1 5

drizzle cake from the buffet or have

railway station is that the Duke of

a healthy fruit salad – Mary takes us

Northumberland lives in a large castle

on a tour through Barter Books. It

just a few minutes away. Furthermore

nearly takes an hour to explore all the

the railway network very much started

different corners and details, each bit

in this part of England. In the beginning

just getting better and better! We first

of the industrialisation era there were

go outside of the building, walking

large railway companies rallying for

down a little alley, passing a black

power and wanting to show off.

arch guarding the entrance, which

Sadly the station suffered badly

welcomes you to the bookshop. The arch is named after Mary’s brother Charlie whose watercolour drawing inspired the architect responsible for the design. Walking up the path again, passing

through 30 years of no use. Smaller businesses – as Stuart’s – rented the space but there were a lot of maintenance issues. Today however the ceilings and grounds are kept in very good shape, mostly renovated to

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beautiful daffodils blossoming at the

its original state.

sides, you have a good look at the front

Beautiful benches, whose sides are

of the train station. The reason this

imitating stylized swans, frame the

small town of Alnwick had this huge

main doors. Here one of the main

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BIBLIOTECA

themes of the shop begins: everywhere

immediately. An enormous mural

you look and go you find poetry lines.

attracts our attention. The colourful

They are embossed in the benches

mural depicts famous writers from

in front of the shop, they are leading

all different times. The writer, director

you through the bookshelves and they

and animator Peter Dodd painted it

cover the walls.

over the course of almost two years,

The first little room is kept in its original

Mary chose the characters and their

layout because this is the space where

interactions. Exploring the detailed

Mary began selling books. Large, white

picture teaches you quite a lot about

paper lamps are hanging from the

literature and writers. The group of

ceiling, just gently moved by the wind

Mark Twain, T.S. Eliot and Robert Louis

of an opening door. Customers are

Stevenson right in the middle of the

chatting in front of the large fireplace,

picture: ÂťThey are grouped together

enjoying a cup of coffee and a cookie

because Eliot was a great admirer

from the self-service space guarded

of Huckleberry Finn and wouldn't

by the other two British posters. Our

have missed this chance to meet its

eyes wander around, finally looking

author. In addition, both Twain and

through the small window into the

Eliot were from Missouri, both cat

next part of Barter Books, and we stop

lovers. (I don't know who that cat is; 02 /1 7

he just wandered into the mural.) As

Almost hidden in between stacked

for Stevenson, he and Mark Twain had

bookshelves we find a white door

already met, liked each other, spent

labelled »Old waiting room« . We step

the afternoon talking in New York's

inside and find ourselves in a dark but

Washington Square – Tom Sawyer

cosy space. An enormous candelabra

meets Jim Hawkins. The

two

other

A large wall painting, semicircle walls art installations made of the station are of light bulbs, micovered with a niature trains runvery modern light ning through the installation inspired by store above our a New York art gallery heads, velvet soand the enumeration fas and thousands of all people who ever of books: Barter worked for the train Books certainly station in Alnwick. is NOT ONLY a bookshop. Every part of the

depicting rails is the centre of attention. It however rivals with yet another fireplace at the far end of the room. Real flames cast shadows over the vintage rug. Finally we have time to stroll around and discover the books. We find vintage editions of our favourite childhood stories; we adore the craftsmanship of past bookbinders and even buy a book about cross-stitch flowers. Just before Stuart takes us back to the train station, he asks whether we want to

si st er

bookshop is thought after

see his most expensive book.

and innovatively designed:

A heavy and locked chest of drawers

such as the columnar bookshelves

is opened and reveals an old edition

with books on all sides. These are

of Italian plates. Reverently we

connected at the top via rails where

leaf through the pages, which have

model trains are endlessly doing their

endured hundreds of years. Finally

turns and tours. Somehow all these

we leave Mary and Stuart with a warm

details do not lead to a discomposed

hug and the promise to keep in touch

space but rather add to the snugness

– and tweet a warm Goodbye to Mary

of the rooms.

and her iPhone!

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BIBLIOTECA

A large number of Germans have traveled to Italy and, depending on the different eras, there were various reasons for their journey to the south. Politically motivated journeys of medieval rulers such as the famous Walk to Canossa in the year 1076, religious pilgrimages to the Eternal City like the one the young Augustinian monk Martin Luther undertook in 1511 or the numerous writers who were looking for inspiration and liberation following the footsteps of ancient poets in the south are just some examples.

BIBLIOTECA

02 /1 1

The most famous of all journeys to

in the small Thuringian Duchy of

Italy is without a doubt the one of

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach due to his

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-

friendship with the young Duke Karl

1832) where he went to explore Italy

August. Those positions challenged

from 1786 to 1788 and surveyed it in

him and at the same time deprived

writing.

him of his real vocation: writing. So

ÂťThe object of my most ardent lon-

after the first euphoric years, his

ging, the pain of which quite filled

resignation followed quickly, causing

my soul, was Italy, whose image

the minister and privy councilor to

and picture floated before me for

take flight in the dead of the night.

many years in vain, till at length

He crossed the Alps over the Brenner

I formed the bold determination of

Pass, took the route from Verona to

seeing the reality face to face,ÂŤ

Venice and eventually reached Rome

si st er

Goethe later wrote about his decision

after

to finally set out south. The 37-year old

Goethe described the day he entered

had quickly obtained higher positions

the lively mediterranean Rome as his

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passing

through

Florence.

BIBLIOTECA

»second natal day, a true rebirth« .

Goethe discovered the land »where

He later traveled to Naples and Sicily

the

for three months before staying in

experienced eye and was influenced

Rome another ten months.

by Johann Joachim Winckelmann, a

After arriving in the Eternal City,

classicist to whom the stylistic ideal

Goethe, traveling incognito as the German painter Filippo Miller, took up quarters in an apartment with other German artists where he came to have a merry time. He noted his experiences in one of his diaries that

lemons

blossom«

with

of the old people with its »noble simplicity and quiet greatness« was the most important thing. Goethe was searching for ancient art and architecture and left other significant pieces of art belonging to later eras

was dedicated to his muse Charlotte

unnoticed along the way.

von Stein. He later published his

Goethe did not only want to consider

diaries in his book Italian Journey,

the Italian promise of happiness, he

which today is still able to open any

wanted to acquire it. What a relief it

person’s eyes travelling to Italy. The

must have been after all these years

drawings of his fellow lodgers convey

living in provincial Weimar is revealed

the feeling and the atmosphere of the

in his diary entries and in some of his

German artist community on Via del

other works. His most famous poems

Corso, for example the drawing of

of the journey are the Roman Elegies,

Tischbein that shows the back of the

which is a sensual cycle of poems that

poet calmly looking out the window.

was originally called Erotica Romana. 02 /1 3

They reflect his love for the Roman

limitedness: »Though you’re a whole

Faustina, the familiar atmosphere

world, Rome, still, without Love, The

in which the scholar learns in a very

world isn’t the world, and Rome can’t

special way:

be Rome.« It was important to him

»And am I not learning, studying

to follow his various interests in Italy

the shape / Of her lovely breasts:

and to satisfy his curiosity: He drew,

her hips guiding my hand? / Then

even took lessons from his painter

I know marble more: thinking,

friends, wrote poetry and climbed

comparing, / See with a feeling

Mount Vesuvius several times to

eye: feel with a seeing hand. / If my

study its geology.

darling is stealing the day’s hours

The journey to the south in form of the

from me, / She gives me hours of

»Grand Tour« for gentlemen (at first

night in compensation.«

only for the aristocratic offspring,

si st er

Goethe continued the tradition of

later for sons of the bourgeoisie as

writing love elegies and gave an

well) was almost mandatory since

insight into his own mediterranean

the 16th century. Before they started

experiences far away from the homely

a family, wealthy men were to educate

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BIBLIOTECA

destiny of human works, upon the becoming and fading of life. Over themselves in the south and savor

the months he had spent in Italy, he

la dolce vita. Goethe made the most

had broadened his life and given it

of his travels, indulged in hours of

beauty, stating later that he had never

leisure and let the southern lifestyle

again—40 long years—felt that kind

pervade him.

of happiness like he did back then.

The downright iconic portrayal of Goethe during his Italian journey was painted by Johann Heinrich Tischbein. Today, it is displayed in a prominent place in the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany. Wrapped in a

Back in Weimar, he was relieved of his former duty upon his own request. He continued to be the duke’s advisor and was entrusted with public tasks, but more important, he had found himself in Italy: as an artist and poet.

light travel coat imitating ancient

»In Rome I first found myself. For

clothes, the poet rests on the ruins

the first time, I achieved inner har-

of ancient Rome looking at the

mony, happy, reasonable.«

Campagna Romana, the surrounding

The best way to follow Goethe’s

region of Rome that was undeveloped

footsteps while visiting Rome is at

at the time, and musing upon the

the Casa di Goethe

. 02 /1 5

BIBLIOTECA

Portraits of outstanding, yet neglected female characters

WOMANLY WEIMAR text LAURA ERLER Weimar immediately calls to mind

on the cultural and political life has

one thing: the Weimar Classicism,

been underestimated for a long time,

a European cultural and literary

as they were reduced to their roles

movement (1772 – 1805) whose

as muses or concubines of the great

followers attempted to establish a new

thinkers of the time.

humanism by synthesizing Romantic,

In her book »Die klugen Frauen von

classical and Enlightenment ideas,

Weimar« (The wise women of Weimar)

dominated by Goethe, Schiller, Fichte

author Ulrike Müller sheds light on

and Herder. But there is more to the

Weimar’s cultural history in the course

cultural history of this city. Well beyond

of the different epochs with regard to

the time of Classicism, Weimar, as a

the contributions made by women.

cultural site, played a key role on the

She portrays female characters who

European stage. And it would never

– with their artistic and poetic talent

have achieved this fame without

– have left their mark on the cultural

the multitude of highly gifted and

landscape of Weimar and in the field

committed women, whose influence

of women’s rights. 02 /1 7

1804 #C H O

N ST EI

#co

ron

asc

hro

ede

When the author moved to Weimar

Weimar court at that time and began to

in 1992 to pursue her research

play an increasingly important role in

interest, she found first evidence on

the artistic scene. Intellectual women

the women of Weimar in secondary

such as Anna Amalia und her court

sources revolving around the great

lady Charlotte von Stein established a

poets of the early 20th century which

new culture of conversation in Weimar

only marginally touched the issue of

whose tradition of literary circles was

women. Müller wanted the women

cultivated ever since. It was them who

»to have their own say« and kept on

brought thinkers and poets of the

searching for further documents about

time (Wieland, Goethe, Herder und

the Weimar women. This turned out

Fichte) together causing Weimar’s

to be an arduous undertaking as the

salon culture to flourish. The women

testimonies about female characters

of this epoch were not satisfied with

had long been neglected and buried.

their mediating roles as outsiders

Ulrike Müller combed through ar

but became more and more involved

chives and numerous estates left by

in the literary field. As a matter of

Weimar’s famous poets and thinkers

fact, Charlotte von Stein – who had

to find letters or diaries that revealed

for a long time been underestimated

insightful material about the womanly

and only recognized as Goethe’s

Weimar after ten years of research.

conservative accessory – was one

The success story of the Weimar

of the first women to earn money

women began with Weimar’s rise in classicism – a time of female evolvement. A strikingly high number

si st er

of unmarried women lived at the

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as a writer. In her novel »Die zwey Emilien« she voices witty criticism of the dominating gender roles and emphasized her emancipatory

BIBLIOTECA

thoughts

and

the

criticism

charm attracted international guests

patriarchy. During classicism, the

like Hans Christian Andersen and

stages of Weimar were further

thereby sparked a new cosmopolitan

vivified by outstanding actresses and

exchange among artists.

singers such as Corona Schröter

The greatest achievement

who all had the pleasure to enjoy financial independence. Also in the post-Classicism, music turned out to be the art form mostly dominated by women. Maria Pawlowna, daughter of the Zar, came to Weimar in 1804 as wife to the heir of the throne Carl Friedrich and dedicated a great share of her dowry to music and art. She succeeded in hiring the famous pianist Johann Nepomuk Hummel as court music director and later also Franz Liszt with whom the »silver times« commenced

Weimar.

Another

personality of importance at this time is the exceptional Swedish soprano Jenny Lind, who promoted Weimar from a Thuringian provincial town to a well-known musical epicentre in Europe. Her fame, grace and

of the Weimar women at

The success story of the their contribution to Weimar women the emancipation movement and the begins with the rise beginning women’s of Weimar during the movement. SaxonyWeimar Classicism Weimar-Eisenach – a time of female practiced very development. that time certainly was

modern politics in the

19th century promoting equal rights and social justice. In this environment, the women were able to develop a certain impact. Maria Pawlowna for instance strived to provide schooling and education to everyone regardless of gender and origin by opening an industrial school for girls in 1816. 02 /1 9

#m ar ia nn eb ra nd t

1899 #G

The

women’s

rights

T S A

Z EL

advocate

artistic skills, some of them gained

Nathalie von Milde states her brisk

great public recognition. Marianne

demand for educational freedom and

Brandt’s famous tea pot made of

equal rights in a number of public

silver and ebony is known to be the

speeches. It was already in 1899 that

icon of Bauhaus and is well-known

she spoke about the topic of »The

among

German woman in literature« on the

Stölzl was among the first female

occasion of the Women’s Congress in

teachers in the newly built Bauhaus

London, where she deliberately put

Dessau. Especially in the context of

emphasis on the classical tradition

the difficulties the artistic avantgarde

and referred to the independent and

faced during the Nazi era, another

strong female characters in Goethe’s

female multi-talent, Friedl Dicker, has

collected works.

to be mentioned. Due to her Jewish

In the times of change in the early

origins, her work at Bauhaus and her

20th century leading to modernity, women finally were permitted to study. Especially the Weimar women were able to benefit from this change: in 1919, Walter Gropius merged the Academy of Fine Arts and the Weimar School of Arts into Bauhaus which was the first college to enroll women. Even though women were si st er

still not believed to be capable of all

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art

connoisseurs.

Gunta

political commitment as a communist she was deported to Theresienstadt in 1940 and later died in Auschwitz. This exceptional woman brought the Bauhaus pedagogy into the Ghetto where she practiced therapeutic painting

with

children

and

left

important contemporary documents for posterity.

BIBLIOTECA w w w .w ei m ar -w ei bl ic h. de

A look at the – in literature oftentimes neglected female figures – of the Weimar Classicism is worth it.

All of Weimar’s witty

Author Ulrike Müller also

women have lived in a

offers guided tours to tourists,

certain epoch, which

covering all the historical

demanded a lot of

sites where the artists and

commitment and re-

salonnières lived and worked,

volutionary spirit from

allowing

tourists

fully

them to be recognized

feel and grasp the spirit of

in the patriarchic wor-

the women of the Weimar

ld that surrounded them.

classicism.

Their unusual concepts of

Additional

life have not only changed Weimar but have created role models which are still valid for today’s world, symbolizing female

information

and

further publications treating the female side of Weimar can be retrieved from w ww.weimar-weiblich.de

strength. It is worthwhile to keep these personali-

THE BOOK

ties in mind and see the

(only in German)

Die klugen Frauen von Weimar – Regentinnen, Salondamen, Schriftstellerinnen und Künstlerinnen, München: Insel Verlag.

cultural history that we know today th-

rough their eyes, reflect

and

let

their view expand our knowledge. 02 /1 1

Small Demons is a website that indexes cultural references like music, movies, TV shows, people or places inside books. Users can then browse those categories for inspiration and information.

si st er M AG

ld e

ns.

com

/s m L | o @smalldemons L | fb.c

alld

n o m

BIBLIOTECA

Explain in your own words the idea of your company. What are you doing?

nalists have created them to illustra-

We're indexing all books for the cultural references inside them: movies, music, TV shows. For people and cities and landmarks. For bands and cars and shoes and drinks and events. Users can browse from a book to a song, to another book and to places, to a movie and so on. Users can also listen to the music mentioned in the books now (via iTunes or Spotify) and they can make their own Pinterest-style collections of any person, place or thing mentioned in a book.

widgets that will allow you to embed a

How can readers contribute to Small Demons?

Why should book publishers be on

Joining, spreading the word, and sharing feedback on how we can improve are all really helpful and appreciated. We just launched a feature our users immediately embraced: Collections. It lets users create lists or Vcollections« with any person, place or thing from our site. Authors have created collections of influences on their writing; readers have created collections based on their childhood, their vacations, their reading groups; teachers and librarians have created collections for classes and patrons; jour-

In the first instance, there’s the in-

te stories. Shortly, in fact, we’ll offer collection in a post or on a site as if it was a YouTube clip. Beyond that, we’re working on contribution tools and an API to allow, in the first case, users to add to and edit the site, and in the second case, developers to build experiences using data from the site. So if you’re the kind of person who’s interested in either of those use cases — contribution and tapping into the API — we’d also really love to hear from you.

Small Demons? creased visibility for each of your titles on the site itself, and in the Collections that shortly will be embedded all over the web. In a world where the amount of shelf space devoted to books is shrinking, virtual shelf space is extremely important to publishers. Secondly, we’re connecting books to the larger world, to music, to movies, to history, to geography. Songs and cities and wine can lead to books on our site, and that can only help growing 02

readership. Finally, the keywords, the

/1 3

CEO Valla Vakili

so-called »metadata« that we generate from the books that allow us to create the site, we share these with publishers so they can use them for their own purposes. What was the inspiration for your idea? I had just finished Total Chaos, by Jean-Claude Izzo, the first of his Marseilles Trilogy. The lead character in the book, Fabio Montale, drinks a lot of single malt scotch and listens to a lot of jazz and blues music. I found myself on a journey not just through the pages of

si st er

the book, but also through the stuff of Montale’s world — a bottle of Lagavulin; Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Lightnin’ Hopkins; and eventually a trip to Marseilles. When I came back from Marseilles, I’d open up the book, point to it’s details, and tell everyone around me,

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BIBLIOTECA

»There’s so much great stuff in here, as good or even better than anything you can find anywhere else. We should catalogue all this.« No one got it. It wasn’t until years later, when I stopped talking about it and worked on a quick visual design of what the website would look like, still using Total Chaos as an example, that it clicked. It comes down to one thing, really. The details inside the stories, they’re awesome. And yet they’ve always been nearly inaccessible. I wanted to open up that world behind and beyond the page. How do you finance your company? Via angel investors and some seed venture capital companies. How do you earn money? Because we have funding from investors to last a while, we don’t need to generate revenue immediately—however over the long run we believe there is a lot of value in the data we’re generating.

patterns of media consumption. Already we have allowed a book to generate a playlist, and we will find more and more ways to allow culture to flow from one object to another, using context to drive the consumption of and the engagement with culture. Who do you see as your main competitors? If you’re interested in a single detail from a book, looking it up on Google or Wikipedia (which is where many Google results will take you) is fine, but limited. First, the context is very different. We have hard boundaries at Small Demons — the universe of the site starts and ends with stories — for a very particular reason. Any path you follow starting from any topic on the site will ultimately lead you to a story, a book. Context. So while Google and Wikipedia may satisfy an immediate »tell me what this is« impulse, what we’re far more interested in is »show me the story where I saw this and everything else it rela-

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

tes to.« Along the way we also provi-

A week is a long time in politics and in start-ups, not to mind five years!

de information about »what this is« ,

However we believe we can transform

about Small Demons.

but the connections are what’s unique 02 /1 5

Also, we have an approach to gathering, categorizing, and displaying information that makes it easy to scan a lot of details very quickly, and minimizes the number of searches you’d need to do, say, to find all the music in a book, or every gun mentioned in your favorite crime series, or every historical figure in the definitive work on any given period. What have you done before? I studied at the Georgetown School for Foreign Service, then at Oxford (although I did not finish there), and then took on several positions at Yahoo. I si st er

was VP Product in the Entertainment Group when I left there.

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Who was your first team member (in which department?) outside the founding team? Hala Al-Adwan, our Chief Technology Officer. What is the meaning of your company name? The inspiration for the name comes from the Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges, specifically a passage in his short story »Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius.« Borges writes, »The history of the universe… is the handwriting produced by a minor god in order to communicate with a demon.« I read that as, the history of the universe is all the stories ever told, minor gods

BIBLIOTECA

The favourite drink of your book's main character – you can find this on »Small Demons« as well. Everything that appears in stories – people, places, things – is searchable on Small Demons. Click on the Play Button to watch a wonderful and fun video about Small Demons.

are the storytellers who rule the worlds of their stories. And the demon is the force that drives the need for stories, the place where author and reader meet. I took »minor« and »demon« and from there, Small Demons. How did you come up with your company colours? My co-founder and head of design,

re we worked with a logo designer to create the final logo and a primary/secondary color palette. In which city are you located? Primarily in Los Angeles, although we have team members in Seattle and New York. Most often used software? Google Docs.

Tony Amidei, established the original

Main food during starting up phase?

green and black of the logo. From the-

French fries. 02 /1 7

Publisher's talk Michele Dalai

NAME

Add editore

PUBLISHING HOUSE

CATEGORY

Torino

OFFICE

A. NEUBAUER INTERVIEW

WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU DO?

so I started working with him in a way

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

we call »ragazzo di bottega« , like an

I'm a 39 year old publisher in love with

apprentice. I worked in nearly every

writing and journalism. I was born in

department of the publishing house,

Milan, lived 7 years in Venice, moved

then I left and founded my own (add

back to Milan and now I'm in Turin.

editore, based in Turin).

My mother comes from Sicily and

WHAT WAS THE MOST INTERESTING

my father has his roots in Tuscany. All of that makes me an all-around Italian man in love with his country. A controversial love, the only way to love Italy. I practise and love sports, I'm married and I tend to treat dogs way better than people, sometimes.

PROJECT YOU HAVE WORKED ON SO FAR?

Writing a book, a novel. Finishing it, reaching the End. Suffering the complex of the unfinished. That was great and helpful in many ways. WHICH BOOK/FILM/SONG/ARTPIECE

si st

WHAT WAS YOUR WAY INTO THE

HAS REALLY INFLUENCED OR INSPI-

LITERARY WORLD?

RED YOU IN YOUR LIFE?

It has been a very natural contact. My

Many, many books. But let's say »The

father is an independent publisher,

Naked and the Death« by Norman

er M AG

BIBLIOTECA

Mailer. Movie? »Il Sorpasso« by

stimulate people, create the debate,

Dino Risi. Artpiece: »l'Empire des

live in the creative society.

lumiéres« by Magritte.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A MO-

About WHAT IS THE IDEA BEHIND »ADD EDITORE« ?

Simple: adding something. A dialogue can be a gift for readers. We talk and our words add something, in many ways. HOW DO YOU FIND AUTHORS? DO YOU APPROACH THEM OR IS IT THE OTHER

DERN PUBLISHING HOUSE? DO YOU THINK, IT NEEDS TO ACT DIFFERENTLY FROM A TRADITIONAL ONE?

Technologies have changed, helping us to connect easily. But the patterns are just the same. What we're not ready to face is a longer crisis. The market is kind of extinguishing right now, so we're looking for solutions.

WAY ROUND?

WHAT DO YOU PREFER: PRINTED

Both ways are good. We're not just

BOOKS OR DIGITAL EBOOKS?

a publisher, the world is changing.

I read printed books, mostly. But it's

We do communications, we deal with

just because I'm old. I love digital

ideas, you can't wait for the ideas

natives reading ebooks. In the end,

to come to your desk, you need to

it's always reading, come on. 02 /1 9

Italy

Garden of the Finzi-Continis

This is a haunting, elegiac novel which captures the mood and atmosphere of Italy in the last summers of the 1930s, focusing on a Jewish family moving imperceptibly towards its doom. Giorgio Bassani: The Garden of the FinziContinis, Penguin Modern Classics, GBP 6.89

The Food of Love

A comedic love story of Laura, an American art history student in Rome, and the two Italian friends – Bruno, a chef, and Tommaso, a waiter – who woo her. Anthony Capella: The Food of Love, sphere, GBP 5.24

si st er M AG

Under the Tuscan Sun

Frances Mayes opens the door on a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. Frances Mayes: Under the Tuscan Sun, Bantam, GBP 5.99

BIBLIOTECA

At the end of the library section Toni shows you her favourite novels and books set in Italy. La Dolce Vita, love and tragedy and a glimpse into the Italian soul – definitely the perfect reads for a sunny spring afternoon:

The Birth of Venus

Alessandra Cecchi, a fifteen year old girl from Florence, is intoxicated by a young painter from Northern enEurope who is brought to Flor ls in ce to decorate the chapel wal o. But the family's Florentine palazz upted their blossoming love is interr range when Alessandra's parents ar h olher marriage to a wealthy, muc der man. nus, Random Sarah Dunant: The Birth of Ve P 5.75 House Trade Paperbacks, GB

Breathing Room

Isabel Favor is a life-style coach whose life is falling apart. She needs to escape, so she heads for Tuscany determined to find a little perspective and meets Hollywood bad boy Lorenzo Gage instead. Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Breathing Room, HarperCollins, GBP 5.24

The Passion

In the spring of 1860, the charismatic Prince of Salina still rules over land and people. Then comes Garibaldi's landing in Sicily and the Prince must decide whether to resist the forces of change or come to terms with them.

Set during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars, The Passion intertwines the destinies of two people: Henri, a simple French soldier, who follows Napoleon from glory to Russian ruin; and Villanelle, the red-haire d daughter of a Venetian boatman. In Venice's compound of carnival , chance and darkness, the pair m eet their singular destiny.

Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa: The Leopard, Vintage Classics, GBP 6.29

Jeanette Winterson: The Passion , Grove Press, $ 12.45

The Leopard

02 /1 1

sta Book s« a vide o tu spine . You d on you o nly n eed a The c over d esign ca n d ownlo ad it was m ade fr om i (w w w .elljo t.de I ta l i a n hou se in The s aying »Tutt »The o il whole world is a si st er M AG

BIBLIOTECA

Ita lia N n ote Our n ew se boo r i e s »DIY B k arts i

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Download cover design

BIBLIOTECA

TUTORIAL TITLE

DIFFICULTY

Book Coptic Binding with two needles

middle

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VIDEO

Binding Scheme & Cover

Watch DIY Video

MATERIAL

HOW-TO

»» Paper: writing, copy or bookbinding paper from a craft shop, as much as you need depending on the desired thickness of the book

PREPARE BOOK BLOCK

»» Acrylic plates in required size (for our cover design we recommend 12 x 18 cm), e.g. from Modulor »» Bookbinding thread

00:33

1. Print cover on A4/Letter format (sturdier paper is even nicer) and fold in the middle. Cut on three sides to fit your book block (either 12x18 cm or 11.8 x 17.6 cm – see step 3)

00:37

2. Fold your papers to make your sections. Each section should have between 8-16 pages.

TOOLS »» Scissors, cutter, sharp knife »» Stable, long ruler (e.g. made out of metal) »» Bone folder »» Drill »» 2 bookbinding needles »» Awl »» Wax (e.g. candle)

3. Trim the folded sections on three sides