I’m late to the party with Est magazine: global living with an Australian twist. It’s a straight forward, clean-lined welcome addition to the online design magazine world (which has been somewhat dominated by a Domino-aesthetic to date). I adore the first issue’s cover, above, with the kookaburra on the Favela chair. Check out past & current issues here. HF.

Part III of the Mary Katrantzou / Erik Madigan Heck collaboration, titled The Surrealist Ideal, to follow on from Surreal Planes and Florals. The project is becoming more  conceptual with each series: this time Heck is drawing on Andre Breton’s 1924 Surrealist Manifesto and concepts of automatism and dream imagery. I love that this partnership is in for long haul; it makes the presentation of fashion so much more compelling. Read an interview with Heck over here. HF.

I wish I could get myself to Designing Women: Post-war British textiles at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London, featuring the work of Lucienne Day (1917–2010), Jacqueline Groag (1903–86) and Marian Mahler (1911– 83). Day wanted to be a painter, but decided that expressing her designs in a fabric form would allow them to be used and viewed in everyday homes, and thus have a greater impact. Her patterns were reimagined British flora and natural forms, resulting in bold, graphic abstractionism akin to Kandinsky. They are associated with the resurgence of Britain’s industry and design culture post WWII, and reflect the optimism of the period. You can still buy Day’s designs at Classic Textiles. HF.

Images, from top: Marian Mahler, Lucienne Day, Mary White, Lucienne Day, Lucienne Day.

Vintage clothing & textiles from Mina Perhonen. A brand of ‘good natural taste’ (thank you google translate)! I couldn’t agree more. Wallow in similarly lovely images and try navigating Japanese Kanji here. HF.

Why, you’re welcome. Erdem pre-Spring 2012. I love the hexagonal prints. HF.

Untested waters for t&t, but I couldn’t not share some images from the film La Delicatesse, the set and wardrobe of which are worth viewing alone. There’s this wonderfully unforced retro feel to the entire film that never collapses into hipster cliche. The person responsible for the male lead’s beige on beige ensembles is a genius, and Audrey Tautou is adorned in divine yet realistic knits and coats throughout. But the real star is the wood panelled offices in which they work, with a supporting award to the tangerine-highlighted apartment. Favourite film sets/wardrobes, please? HF.

Cibi, Collingwood, Melbourne. Purveyor of Japanese ceramics, cast iron cookware and Japanese cafe fare. They also like to drape cyclamens en-masse in milk bottles on the cafe tables; completely disarming. I fell in love with the cast iron, as well as the Masahiro Masi white ware. Image, second from bottom, is his 8-type mug range, not seen at Cibi but now part of my new dream kitchen dreams. HF.

There is always one garden at Chelsea each year that speaks to me (via the internet) above the onslaught of perennials, water features and topiary. Last year it was the Diarmuid Gavin’s green & hot pink vision of Ireland, and this year it’s the Quiet Time: DMZ Forbidden garden, designed by Jihae Hwang.

Created to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean conflict, this garden makes use of the vast treasure trove of indigenous plants that have thrived in the almost pristine conditions in the sanctuary of the demilitarised zone (DMZ). The design highlights the tensions and lasting effects of the conflict.

The barbed wire fence surrounding the garden creates a feeling of mystery and unease. Carefully considered installations feature the remains of warfare, including defensive walls, trenches and charred trees. The fence is hung with cans and bottles containing letters from separated families and friends to illustrate the sense of longing felt by people kept apart by the conflict.

The watch tower reminds visitors of the surveillance of the DMZ and also provides an observation point for the garden. A memorial chair commemorates war veterans and victims. A stream flows through the garden, defying the barriers of human conflict and depicting the feelings of love and tension that the designer believes co-exist in the DMZ.  www.rhs.org.uk

To me, this is whole point of gardens: to communicate traces of human existence and experience. I wish I was in London to see it in person, but I’ll settle for some quiet time with the images. HF.

This could only be from Vogue Italia. And a good reminder of what so many Vogues have been missing: irreverence, artistry and the unexpected. Photography by KT Auleta and fashion by the likes of Prada and Bottega Veneta. HF.

At first glance, I thought the shot, at top, was a digital manipulation. But no, it is the work of Architects CMA and SeARCH in Vals, Switzerland. The cardboard bedroom was designed by Studio JVM, whilst the rest of the interior design fell to Bjarne Mastenbroek. I equally adore the circular cave concept and the way they’ve treated the subterranean space with warmer woods and cardboard, and slivers of bright textiles. And then there’s the outdoor blue tub. Found via ArchDaily. HF.