Man Shops Globe: Launch & preview

I'll be there in spirit!

Event: Casa FOA 2009

Casa FOA is early this year! Don't miss it. This annual event is an important exhibition where architects, landscapers, decorators and interior designers showcase the local and international trends.

Each year Casa FOA is housed in a building in a different area of the Buenos Aires, and is carefully restored for the event, thus adding value to the community and local area both during the event and after the designers have dismantled their showrooms.

Previous locations have included: Casa de la Moneda (1995), Hotel de Inmigrantes (2000), Monasterio de Santa Catalina (2001), Casa del Patio de la Reconquista (2003), Hotel Avenida de Mayo (1991), Puerto Madero Dock 5 (1993), Palacio Alcorta (1994), Tattersal de Palermo (1998) Apostadero Naval (2000), Terrazas de Buenos Aires (2002), Tribuna II Palermo (2004), Puerto de Frutos de Tigre (2008).


[Photo: former Canale biscuit factory, previous Casa FOA venue, and just on the other side of Parque Lezama from our apartment.
Love the building, but this was the most disappointing FOA I've been to in the last five years].


Casa FOA 2009 info:
Dates: 4 September to 18 October, 2009.
Opening hours: 12 to 8 PM
Location: Tribuna Plaza, (Hipodromo), Av. Libertador 4401
Entry fee: AR$ 30
Casa FOA official website.

Icon: Fileteado design

[Photo: Fileteado on a shop front in Barracas]

Any visitor with an eye for design will spot fileteado in the streets of Buenos Aires. This disctinctive type of artistic drawing, with stylised lines and climbing flowers, is painted on houses, shops signs, taxis and buses. Colourful and highly decorative, they are typically symmetrical designs with local expressions or poetical lyrics. Fileteado is embedded in Porteño culture and history, having started at the beginning of the 20th century as cart owners painted their vehicles as a sign of prosperity.



Macu of Anti-Tour has used the fileteado concept for her web logo.
www.antitour.com.ar

And Pioneer Productions worked with Coco Creativo to give a twist on traditional fileteado for their company branding and promotional products. Here's one of the early design suggestions.

www.pioneerproductions.com.ar
www.cocoweb.tv

Man Shops Globe: Buenos Aires Design Tours

In partnership with Macu of Anti-Tour (www.antitour.com.ar) I'm offering a new design tour, taking clients to the artists and artisans, shops and workshops featured in the Man Shops Globe - Argentina episode to be aired on the Sundance Channel in October.

Visits to third generation basket weavers, sourcers of textiles from remote villages in the north of Argentina, an engraver of exquisite glass and mirrors, and a handful of flea markets and vintage shops make up the tour which can be a half or full day.

Email Macu at magdalena@antitour.com.ar for more info or to book a tour.



[Photo: Macu restoring a fresco at the Colon Theatre]

Man Shops Globe: coming soon!

I managed to catch up with Keith Johnson of Anthropologie during my recent trip to England.
Anthro are opening a huge flagship store on Regent Street later this year. It was great to hear about the hype surrounding Man Shops Globe, which premieres on the Sundance Channel on October 7. I'm gutted to be missing the launch party at Anthropologie's Rockerfeller Centre store next week. Free flight anyone?