Innehållsförteckning för Issue 17 från White Paper by - English

Just like in most English manor houses, the journey to Houghton Hall unfolds along a lengthy path, meandering through vast gardens that boast a remarkable feature: herds of deer gracefully roam the grounds. Built in 1720 in the Anglo-Palladian style for Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, this magnificent residence is now owned by David Cholmondeley, the seventh Marquess of Cholmondeley. However, neither of these historical figures takes center stage during a visit to this estate. The true protagonist is Sean Scully, acclaimed as the foremost abstract artist of our time, who presents his masterpieces within the domains of a family whose origins bear little resemblance to his own humble beginnings. A staff member graciously guides us to the designated parking area, leading us towards the entrance where we are…

If art, as it was known until the late 19th century, transformed with the invention of the camera, Nicola Bertellotti (1976, Pietrasanta) has set out to reclaim it through photography. With an aesthetic exploration centered on decadence, the Italian photographer has spent over a decade searching for places that still retain a romantic sensitivity akin to his own. His first encounter with this world occurred at the age of eight. On an excursion with his father to a rusted amusement park, he embarked on a sensory journey that would shape his own life’s path. And, as he acknowledges, “totally self-taught, what I know I learned by making mistakes and making mistakes again.” Naturally, after studying History at the University of Pisa, he immersed himself in visiting all those places he…

There is something innate in human beings that inspires us to decorate our living spaces. As historical examples, we could look as far back as the cave paintings at Altamira or Lascaux, after all they were the spaces where our ancestors lived. Later, there are the wall paintings in the palace at Knossos, Crete, or those at the Villa of Poppaea Sabina, Nero’s wife, in Oplontis, present day Torre Annunziata in Sicily. During the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the walls of palaces and convents became large blank spaces to be covered with a profusion of figures, architectural elements, still-lifes and so on, giving each space its own particular character. Today, we find it commonplace to decorate our surroundings without realizing it is part of an ancestral ritual rooted in age-old…

In 2023, the Giacometti Foundation celebrates twice over. Annette Giacometti, the person who worked most intensely for the foundation and its creation, would have turned one hundred years old. She played a leading role and was responsible for a significant part of the work of the legendary Swiss artist; she was his facilitator. Without her, Alberto Giacometti would have been a good artist, a great artist even, but not the immense artist he became. She transformed and accompanied him. After Giacometti’s death in 1966, she bravely dedicated herself to promoting her husband’s work and defending it to infinity. She did not live to see the establishment of an institution that would embody the same spirit. She passed away in 1993, and the Alberto and Annette Giacometti Foundation came into existence…

ELVIRA LINDO Elvira Lindo (Cádiz, 1962) is as prolific as she is intuitive, and it’s no wonder her writing is considered among the finest in all of Spain. Her ability to convey profound ideas with simple language makes her an essential voice in this interview (or as she playfully refers to it, an interrogation). Delving into her articles is an absolute delight, exemplifying responsible journalism—thoughtfully exploring diverse topics while refraining from insults, disrespect, and falsehoods—qualities desperately needed in our current landscape. This year has been particularly remarkable for Lindo, with the release of her latest work, En la boca del lobo de Seix Barra, and her directorial debut, Alguien que cuide de mí, although she has previously worked as a screenwriter in several films. Her latest film explores the complex…

Richard Gere’s impeccable style in American Gigolo, Jessica Chastain donning a stunning white coat in A Most Violent Year, and Kevin Costner and his colleagues´ unforgettable suits in The Untouchables—Giorgio Armani’s creations for dressing some of the silver screen’s most celebrated characters epitomize the timeless style that the Italian maestro has exemplified over the course of nearly 50 years of his eponymous brand’s history. Yet, the same can be said of his red carpet designs—just think of Cate Blanchett, one of his most devoted ambassadors—or the garments he conceived in the 1980s, which aimed to facilitate the lives of women entering the professional world traditionally dominated by men. The fact that these creations have withstood the test of time, remaining as desirable and relevant today as they were then, serves…

Vestiaire Collective, the leader of vintage luxury fashion e-commerce, has brought back together what seemed impossible only a few years ago: playing and expressing one’s individuality through fashion and reducing environmental impact along the way (as far as 82% of consumers displaced their choices for traditional to second-hand market only last year). Fourteen years after its launch and with more than 5 million pre-loved items available on the platform, Fanny Moizant, CEO of VC, talks about the keys to its success and what’s to come short and long-term. How did you come up with the idea of launching an e-commerce business of vintage fashion? What steps did you take to put everything together? After having my two daughters, I was inspired to start my own company. I came up with…

Yours is an intriguing name for a design studio. Can you explain why you chose it and what it implies? The name Timorous Beasties was inspired by a line from Robert Burn’s poem To a Mouse, ‘wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie, o what panic’s in thy breastie’. It is a nod to our Scottish routes, but does not define us as a wallpaper and fabric brand. But it suggests that there is a lot of humour in the company’s design ethos… Yes, there is a lot of humour in our designs. We don’t like to take ourselves too seriously. You met at Glasgow Design School. That alone implies a lot of tradition in a city and a school that has a high reputation in the history of design. How has…

She advocates that awareness and word of mouth are fundamental tools for change, and she is the best example of this. Blanca Padilla (Madrid, 1995), one of Spain’s most internationally renowned top models, as demonstrated by her participation in fashion shows for Chanel, Versace, Valentino, and Victoria’s Secret, has decided to use her powerful media platform in service of sustainability and environmental care. This commitment extends to both her professional and personal life, aligning her image with brands that respect her convictions and lending her consumption choices with a great deal of reflection. Because no matter how distant or challenging the transformation may seem, every small gesture counts. “What we demand from home, what we consume and buy in our day-to-day lives, is powerful. Brands don’t want to produce if…

Tierra del Agua Hotel offers a range of accommodations, from 11 suites and homes to apartments ranging from 100 to 30 square meters. The culinary experience, spearheaded by the talented Asturian chef Carlos Hernández, celebrates traditional Asturian recipes with Mediterranean touches. It all started as the dream of two friends, a dream that blossomed into reality, giving birth to Tierra del Agua Hotel. Nestled in the stunning Nalón Valley, right within the Redes Natural Park, an area designated as a biosphere reserve, this boutique hotel and apartment complex is an exquisite encounter with nature at its finest. Here, relaxation, gastronomy, and a fantastic spa offer a unique way of living, allowing us to escape in search of that elusive silence we all need—a silence that we never truly realize is…

It is the magical and sacred essence of photography that allows it to make the invisible visible, bringing forth what is right there in front of everyone’s eyes but remains imperceptible to most. It’s not “The Lord Sees”; it’s “The Camera Sees.” Amy Arbus stands behind that camera, capturing and portraying what would otherwise be imperceptible. And what does she place in front of it? What does this American photographer, whom the world calls a master or queen of portraiture, position before her lens? She placed Madonna, not when she was already Madonna, but as someone passing by on the street. Would you have noticed her? Amy Arbus did. She depicted furious babies in uncompromising and unsettling postures. Do you think a baby’s life is easy, and their duty is…

When he was just a kid, dressing up as a cowboy was his favorite costume. That untamable spirit of the wild west was a perfect embodiment of the desire for freedom and creativity of Tsew, the young Parisian rapper who would soon find music to be the best tool to channel those desires. That’s why he chose to pay homage to the iconic outlaw Billy the Kid by making him part of his artistic identity and today, at only 26 years old, Tsew The Kid rides freely through the French music industry thanks to a style as personal as it is impossible to classify due to his way of incorporating a variety of genres such as rock, funk or R&B into his hip-hop soul. With half a million followers on…

Legislative changes are not only constant but also have an impact on those who often go unnoticed, such as wildlife. The trajectory of the Fox Hunting Act in the United Kingdom serves as a paradigmatic example: in 2005, the practice was banned, but three years later, a leaked document suggested its possible repeal by the Conservative Party. It was then that the alarm bells rang for Queen’s guitarist, Brian May, and activist Anne Brummer. For years, they had been rescuing wild animals in collaboration with Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue, an emergency charitable hospital that cares for injured creatures. When the unfortunate news broke in 2008, standing idly by was not part of their plans, and thus began a race against time. The initial plan - to partner with a national…

The initial commission was as follows: to reimagine the rear facade of a Victorian house in North London and provide a new kitchen and two new bathrooms, one of them on the ground floor and accessible. Behind the commission were Russell Vandyk and Alan Day, a retired couple who, after a long time living in that house, realized they had to choose between continuing their life there or moving. They wanted the former, but they had a very particular idea on how to go about it. The house is the backdrop of our lives, where our days begin—why not make it the most comfortable space possible, the one that suits our needs and desires? And since we’re talking about desires, why not make the house the most beautiful in the…

“If you’ve got a head, you can wear a hat” Between 5,000 and 7,000 pieces. At first, these might just seem like ordinary numbers, orders, tasks… They don’t say much until we take a closer look at them and discover that, in reality, they are the figures of a lifetime, of a life devoted to a craft and shaped by it. A life that cannot be understood without the time devoted to making 7,000 hats. We could say that they are a verbalization, they are thought, they pass through our hands, they mix stories, they last for days, they last for months, they are enriched with other tasks and they are woven, dyed, decorated, ironed, moistened, pressed, shaped, sampled, tested, modified, transformed… and transform others in return. “I’ve lived it.…

The story of Heaps & Woods is one of those beautiful and hopeful stories that are incredibly interesting to tell in the times we’re living in. “Timeless furniture created for the future, crafted from sustainable materials native to the land of our artisans.” That’s how Louis and Marta describe their work. They met in Bali, Indonesia, where Louis had gone to learn local woodworking techniques, and Marta, an interior designer, was eager to discover all the beauty Indonesia had to offer. Their love for design, their desire to create pieces that tell stories, sustainability, and craftsmanship were all qualities that gradually shaped Heaps & Woods into this wonderful project. Could you give us a summary of how this dream, this concept of creating furniture came to life? Marta: I studied…