Thinking outside of the box

It doesn´t happen every day you see something where you think; "damn, that´s such a great idea!" But today I had one of those moments where I felt just like that. So what was it about? Puma´s Clever Little Bag; an eco friendly shoebox slash re-usable bag! Apparently it takes 65% less paper to make and it reduces water, energy and diesel consumption during manufacturing. And on top of that it also reduces carbon emissions by 10,000 tons a year! Thumbs up for thinking outside of the box by bringing more eco friendly solutions for commercial products I´d say! But even without needing to start buying sneakers now; eco thinking is something we all benefit from! Just to start with; when going shopping, take a re-usable bag with you. It´s mind blowing just how many plastic bags one person collects during the course of one week... It´s such a great feeling to know you did something really good for this planet -when skipping all that wasted plastic- by opting for a re-usable bag! Creating a greener world is something we can and will do together!

www.puma.com/cleverlittlebag

Creativity

Besides creative satisfaction, there´s one more thing which I really like about creativity; the possibility to share emotions with people. It´s such a great feeling when being able to inspire others with some pen lines which started to live their own lives. Model Talk is no different. To me it´s mostly a creative outlet, where I can draw my favorite catwalk outfits (as a true fashion geek;-)), while also integrating some fashion style one liners, random conversations & fashion news flashes. But after I finished my drawings, they start their second life, where the public (you) also get the possibility to get from it whatever they want... throughout pictures, checking out the blog or reading the book. All of this was exactly what I thought about when reading the reaction from at least one happy Model Talk reader; the winner from the Model Talk competition; Jaszmurka, who made a joyful posting (with the pictures below) about her reaction when she received the prize for her winning contribution! When getting really great feedback, one can only feel joy for having creativity in life!

Photographer: Jaszmurka

Location: Poland

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

This world needs some more dancing...

In a world where everything´s available in an overload of options & choices, we sometimes tend to forget the simple pleasures in life, like dancing in the sunset light! It´s my best feel happy trick when I´m just getting all restless and annoyed with myself. Life feels so much easier when watching the blue sky, when feeling the warm sun, when feeling the soft wind, when seeing the fresh green colors from a bright new world... Being surrounded by nature and using the strength of your own body -to dance in the nordic sunny nights- it´s the key for a happy life!

Photographer: Halewijn Bulckaen

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

After the rain always comes the sun

Photographer: Halewijn Bulckaen

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

National Day in Nordic Wonderland

Photographer: Halewijn Bulckaen

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

model outfit: Balenciaga

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

dear swimming pool ... I´m dreaming about you!

Feel happy moment for this evening after another hectic day at work :: seeing a new picture of Babs & Trudy, as they continue their journey around the world (by Tanja Sivonen)! Last couple of weeks have been so busy with traveling around the world, all kinds of deadlines for creative projects, a fashion show to prepare,... It´s crazy how life always appears to have those peaks & lows with super busy times versus relaxed moments. But -even when I probably more enjoy a calm peaceful day than a crazy hectic day where I´m constantly trying to catch up with time- at the end of the day it´s still worth it, when then being able to contemplate a new finished project. Looking forward to a hot summer day now, to chill beside the open air pool, mmm soon!

Photographer: Tanja Sivonen

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

...and the beat goes on!

This edition of the Model Talk Competition might be over now, but new pictures can still be send in for publication on the blog! Hereby already a new picture by Kathrin Deutsch, who was unfortunately fashionably late... or just very early for a next edition of the project! Kathrin shot Model Talk´s Trudy in true Kenzo style, at sunset, with lovely soft colors, sunlight and shadows.

Photographer: Kathrin Deutsch

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

a happy winner!

What better way to celebrate the winning contribution than with 2 new pictures (see below) made by a very happy winner to the Model Talk Competition; Jaszmurka! As often with creativity & talents, we maybe all have those moments of doubt, when wondering if it´s really good enough, interesting enough, possible to win something,... yet often it´s just about going for it and believing in your own capacities! My motto is; "don´t try, don´t win", and it´s funny to read that Jaszmurka at first doubted if it would really be a good idea to participate. This world needs positive energy and creativity, and it´s great to see that translated in this international project and the contributions made by all those creative minds! Happy sunday!!

If you want to see more pictures by Jaszmurka, do check out her blog!

Photographer: Jaszmurka

Location: Poland

We have a winner!!

With the Model Talk Competition I wanted to give others the chance to join in my ongoing Art Project. Back in 2007, Model Talk started as a joke; a little sketch which I made about some random funny event, which just happened to me that very day. But, I found it to be a nice activity to portray funny moments & one liners from my life in "fashion universe". So what basically started as something small became a major project with; the Model Talk cartoon, a blog, a collaboration & publication in Elle Belgium, the Model Talk Competition, a photo project, a book... and many more things ahead!

But now back to what this posting is all about; the winner of the Model Talk Competition!! Model Talk´s supermodels Babs & Trudy travelled all around the world; to Belgium, Germany, New York, Poland, Hong Kong, Shanghai, London,... which resulted in a lot of really nice contributions! But... unfortunately there can only be one winner. And I won´t keep you any longer in anticipation now...

The winner of the first Model Talk Competition is :: JASZMURKA!!

The winning picture showed a truly original interpretation, where story telling, photography, vision, creativity, color&detail all came together in a really original shot! The entire contribution by Jaszmurka was outstanding and well styled! It showed beautiful pictures where figurine and surrounding interacted in a very nice way. A well deserved winner with other words! Congratulations!!

And the first prize is :: "Model Talk - the book, by Halewijn Bulckaen" :: a soft cover book with 80 pages color pictures, showing all the daily adventures -from supermodels Babs & Trudy- in "Fashion Universe"! So Jaszmurka; keep an eye on your letterbox because your copy is coming your way!

But... given that there was so many really nice contributions, I still want to mention some other pictures which were found particularly eye catching;

Best Electric Eclectic Shot :: "Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein" by Tanja Sivonen. A really great picture due to its very up to date modern touch! The vibrant electricity gave a wonderful energy to the whole picture and worked really well together with the Jil Sander outfit! It also feels like a great PR picture to promote why one should go visit Berlin!

Best City Fairy Tale Shot :: "Hanging with my Gnomies" by Megan Long. A heartwarming, sweet and playfull picture which could come straight from some fairy tale story book! Lovely colors and nice movement -with both figurines and graffiti curving in the same direction- in the picture!

Best Travel & Media Shot :: "Model Talk & the City of David" by Bart van der Veer. A really nice "cultural" shot, which took the Model Talk Project to a whole new place; where fashion meets culture & world history! Creativity and Fashion might come over rather light headed and superficial, but behind each creation there´s nevertheless often a lot of influences from world history, media events, major social news events,... This pictures blended those elements in a very elegant way!

That´s it for this edition of the Model Talk Competition! A big Thank You to everybody who send in a contribution! It was a pleasure to see all those pictures and stories. I hope that this was also a fun project for each and everyone of you! This edition of the Model Talk Competition might be over now, but don´t let that keep you from making and sending in more pictures portraying your Model Talk figurine on some adventure, somewhere in this world!

P.S. :: If someone would be interested to purchase the "Model Talk" book; don´t hesitate to contact me on hb_lynx@hotmail.com or my facebook page!

Thank you for all participants & LONG LIVE CREATIVITY!!

TIME´S BURNED UP!!

Midnight; time´s burned up; the Model Talk Competition has reached its deadline!! All the contributions are posted online, so now it´ll be waiting till sunday (june 3rd) to know who´ll be the lucky winner! A big thank you & good luck to everybody who participated, it has been really fun to see all the places Model Talk´s Babs&Trudy got to visit! On saturday the jury will put itself to the fun task to pick the happy winner among all the pictures. First price is the "Model Talk" comic book; an 80 pages -soft cover- glossy photo book, with the magic adventures of supermodels Babs&Trudy in Fashion Universe (value 750,-SEK/85,-euro)!

Photographer: Halewijn Bulckaen

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

model outfit: Balenciaga

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

pigment colored landscape

At 2 minutes to midnight, the very last contribution -by Siv Varhaugvik- to the Model Talk Competition, dropped in to my mailbox! Perfect timing just before the final deadline! And really good that they made it in time, because it would have been a pity if these colorful pictures wouldn´t have joined in the competition! To finish up the world trip, Babs found herself in a most beautiful pigment colored landscape (totally in line with Siv´s other work), where dream meets nature & virtual reality. With other words; the perfect images to round up the competition in style and enter dreamland with!

Photographer: Siv Varhaugvik

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

model outfits: Sonia Rykiel

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!

Hanging with the Gnomies...

"Once upon a time, there was a Hawaiian-Finnish Kitchen Princesse called Megan. When meeting up with her it´s only natural that fairy tale magic is omnipresent in every single second of life..." The perfect company for Model Talk´s Babs with other words! Not only did Babs -as from now on also to be known as Miss Molecule- hang out with the coolest girls in town (a must for every self respecting supermodel, of course), but she also met some great new friends; Gnomie and Bambi. She might have missed her mode of transportation to get to the wedding where she was supposed to be, but that didn´t keep her from having a most amazing time!

Photographer: Megan Long

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

model outfits: Alexander McQueen

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!

Model Talk & Alfa Papyrus

Before taking the midnight flight back to Sweden, Trudy still made a quick stop at my aunt´s place in Bruges. A model will always be a model, so the mirror could not be passed by without a quick glance into it. She also striked the pose between the books and the boxes from my aunt´s shop "Alfa Papyrus"; a treasure place you don´t want to miss out on when visiting Bruges!

Photographer: Els Brys

Location: Brugge - Belgium

model outfits: Roberto Cavalli

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!

Family Life

Even Supermodels sometimes get a reality check, when glamour red carpet gets exchanged for a busy family life. Inneken told the story both in text and image...

"After eavesdropping and peeping into our family life, Trudy decided, in the nick of time, she wanted to join in. She started to come down with us, regular people, and wanted to pitch in during morning rush. Brushing five people’s teeth, washing up five snouts and ten hands. Getting dressed, fed and ready to go. Already exhausted, she got with me on my bike going to school. On the way Trudy posed, what she does best, and enjoyed the perfect view, cigaret in hand..."

Photographer: Inneken

Location: Eernegem - Belgium

model outfits: Isabel Marrant

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!

Flashdance

I put my close friend Meike under slight pressure that she really REALLY had to send in a picture for the Model Talk Competition, because I knew the result would give me something to think about... So; I just received her contribution. Knowing Meike, there´ll probably be a whole story behind it which I´ll have to question her about. Virginia Woolf´s "Night and Day", lipstick, aspirins for headache, a phone, a purse, tickets for a ride at Gröna Lund... hmmm, a story is getting shape in my mind. Probably something about Intellectual Nightlife...

Photographer: Meike Dörband

Location: Stockholm - Sweden

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!

Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein

Last hours for the Model Talk Competition, so contributions are still flowing in last minute! My colleague -and ever lovely- Tanja Sivonen send me her selection of pictures, entitled "Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein". While spending a little holiday in exciting Berlin, she also took Model Talk´s Babs along on the trip, so she could enjoy the energy of the city too! The result is electric colored pictures which totally match the Jil Sander outfit Babs is wearing!

Photographer: Tanja Sivonen

Location: Berlin - Germany

model outfits: Jil Sander by Raf Simons

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!

Exotic Dreams

What better way to show my cousin Pepijn´s world than with his colorful tags... Model Talk´s Trudy looked slightly pale in comparison to those exotic bright & popping colors! Makes one already dream about all the upcoming tropical summer moments ahead! Swimming pool; can´t wait to see you back!

Photographer: Pepijn De Jonckheere

Location: Brugge - Belgium

model outfits: Roberto Cavalli

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!

If pictures could make music...

One of my former Art Academy teachers -Moniek Darge- send me the pictures below, as part of the Model Talk Competition (which has deadline tomorrow!). If pictures could make music, then the pictures below would probably be the most amazing sound experience you´ve had in a long time! In case you´d wonder why I write this; Moniek also makes amazing little music boxes and does really fun experimental music performances. So if one day you´d happen to be in Ghent (Belgium) then that´s maybe just what you want to go check out ...or you can also have a look to her Logos Foundation.

Photographer: Moniek Darge

Location: Gent - Belgium

model outfits: Kenzo

Check out the cartoon: www.modeltalkfashionflash.com

To join the project: get your figurine, take some pictures & win!