Journal - Page 8 of 8 - Zoe Greenhalf

October 8, 2013February 24, 2018

ROMBO DI TUONO

Last weekend, me and the boy paid a much anticipated visit to Brescia for a motorbike fair known as Rombo di Tuono (Rumble of Thunder) and I couldn’t wait to post some of the photos we took there! What I love about the biking community is that they really seem to embrace the 1950s and the whole rockabilly movement, so not only did I come across some awesome custom bikes, but beautifully restored 50s vehicles and some fantastic rockabilly outfits!

Unfortunately, the outfit shots didn’t come out too well but, instead, take a look at these cars, bikes and bags… There are also some more 50s/rockabilly photos on my Instagram page here and I’m also busy working on a ‘rockabilly’ Pinterest board which can you view here

hudson1950 — Even the wheels were beautiful back then…

black opaque — 1950s with a modern, opaque twist

silver headbanger custom — Matt silver custom by Headbanger

brown custom — Loving the use of brown & rust colours on this custom…

I also came across a very cool shoe brand called Monkey Garage (www.monkeygarage.it). They take simple, styles like sneakers, ballet pumps and platform courts, (made in Italy), and airbrush them into beautiful works of art. You can see more of their work here;

Well, that’s all for now but don’t be surprised if you see some more 50s stuff popping up on the blog soon…!

Zoe x

August 20, 2013February 24, 2018

L’ARLECCHINO

Holidaying in Jesolo, you could be forgiven for thinking that beyond the beach and numerous bars that line the streets, it’s a seaside destination like any other.

But then you stumble upon ‘L’arlecchino’ (The Harlequin), a hidden gem of a shop, selling made-to-measure clogs and beautiful, artisan leather accessories and you realise you have discovered something very special.

Spying the rolled-up skins and sewing machine behind the counter, I was immediately enticed to enter and, upon opening the door, was greeted by a friendly couple and the familiar smell of authentic leather.

Giorgio and Lella have devoted 30 years to their leather business and their skill and passion is evident everywhere you look, from the delicate, wrap-around bracelets, to the hand-crafted, pony-skin bags and wooden sandals that line the walls. Their work is imaginatively displayed; perched on tables and shelves or peeking out from cupboards and trunks and there is a wonderful, vintage vibe adding to the atmosphere.

I left with a beautiful, studded bracelet – a gift from the boy – and the thought firmly planted in my head that this would really be a fantastic job to have…

I hope to return soon, not only to purchase a pair of shoes but to find out more about Giorgio, Lella and their captivating workshop! In the meantime, here is a small selection of the treasures to be found inside L’arlecchino…

Ciao for now,

Zoe x

Address : Via Bafile 145 30016 Jesolo (VE)

Telefone : 0421 92236 / Fax: 0421 92236

E-mail : l.arlecchino@libero.it

(All images used with permission from L’Arlecchino)

August 2, 2013February 24, 2018

A little holiday does you good!

So it’s been a while since I last updated my blog. Oops. Stumbled already?! No, it’s just that we’re in full-on Summer here in Italy and sitting in a hot sweaty apartment, typing on my equally hot computer has just not been my priority these past few weeks. It’s like being 16 all over again, shut inside revising for GCSEs when all I wanted to do was to be outside and enjoy the sunshine!

As a result, I have filled every millisecond of free-time with something outdoors! I’ve been swimming, cycling, out on the motorbike, camping by Lake Garda, BBQ-ing, wandering around Trento with an ice-cream and off to Verona for a Spritz…

Most recently, we spent the weekend at the beach in a place not far from Venice called Jesolo and there I met a fantastic couple with a shop of hand-made leather goods. This will surely be my next blog post as it was so inspiring.

Well, I am off to the UK tonight for a cheeky hen-party and, (if I survive), will get going on the next blog page on my return!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend of holidays and sunshine!

Zoe x

June 3, 2013February 24, 2018

GET YOUR HARLEY ON!

For those who know me, (and those who may have read the ‘meet Zoe’ page on this site), I am totally enamoured by motorbikes at the moment. I can’t get enough of them. My only wish right now is to finish my licence (started last year when I was back in the UK) and save up enough money to buy a cheeky, little custom. It doesn’t have to be big, but it must have chrome and has to have that throaty, vibrating sound. Music to my ears! Until that day however, I must live out my motorbike daydream on the back of my boyfriend’s Roadking…sigh…

And so it was that last weekend we found ourselves cruising down to Sirmione for the Harley Davidson Party. The weather was typically British, despite being Lake Garda, and at one point we had to take cover in a bar and wait for a hailstorm to pass. There was nothing glamorous about getting suited up in our waterproof-onesies, but nonetheless we made it and were able to meet up with our friends and set about admiring all the bikes.

Here’s a small selection of photos from the day and some designs inspired by it!

Zoe x

: Chrome, chrome, chrome

: The calm before the burn-out…

: One of the merchandise stands…

: Some serious bike admiration

May 27, 2013February 24, 2018

GATSBY FEVER

It seems like everyone’s talking about The Great Gatsby right now so I decided to venture out to the cinema and see what all the fuss was about. Many film critics have slated the latest offering from Baz Luhrmann, disapproving of his flamboyant styling and imaginative interpretation of the original story, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Having not read the book beforehand, I can’t comment on the sincerity of the plot itself, but watching the film purely from a creative perspective, the overall visual effect was fantastic. The lavish costumes exemplified perfectly the decadence of the ‘roaring ‘20s’ which inspired me to get designing…

The Great Gatsby: Dress design by Prada and scene from the film (both taken from Elle Italia), chandelier photo taken in my bathroom(!) and sketches my own... — The Great Gatsby: Dress design by Prada and scene from the film (both taken from Elle Italia), chandelier photo taken in my bathroom(!) and sketches my own…

Scouring the internet, I then came across this awesome illustration from somethingsosam.com which sums up the film brilliantly!

Feeling inspired? Shoewawa.com have pulled together a great selection of current shoe styles, all emanating the 1920s. Asos.com also have this rather marvellous art deco print skirt and glittering, diamante headband, so you can let loose your inner flapper girl.

This version of The Great Gatsby may be too exaggerated for some, but there’s no doubting the impact of the spectacle which Luhrmann has produced. He has sparked debate, reawakened our interest in the 1920s and inspired fashion creativity so ultimately, who are we to criticise…?

Zoe x

May 20, 2013February 24, 2018

“DO ONE THING EVERY DAY THAT SCARES YOU…”

…or so went Baz Luhrmann’s paternal advice in his hit single “Wear Sunscreen”, back in the 90’s.

Despite the monotonous voice and lack of melody, for some reason that one line resonated in my head more than any other and it’s become something of a mantra to me over the years. From moving to London to enrol myself on a BA footwear design course at the prestigious Cordwainers College, to moving to Italy 5 years later in pursuit of my design career; what I have invested in backbone I have earned back ten-fold in life experience.

Maybe that makes me sound old (I’m not, I’m 31), but there’s something to be said for confronting your fears. It gives you an enormous sense of satisfaction and spurs you on to your next challenge.

Why am I mentioning this? Because today is the day I publish my first ever blog post and this is it, my ‘one thing for the day that scares me’. Actually, it’s been scaring me for quite some time, not knowing what I could possibly say that people would genuinely want to read, but I think it’s time to bite the bullet and hit that ‘publish’ button!

The hardest part of anything new is taking the first step but, as the saying goes, where there’s a will there’s a way!

So, I guess this leaves me nothing more to say for today other than to welcome you to the first page of what will hopefully be the next, exciting chapter.

Thanks for sharing it with me!

Zoe