Though Portugal has brought us many wonderful things over the years, I’ve now moved on from enthusing about their sublime vintage Port and egg custards and replaced it with La Paz clothing at the top of my Portuguese exports that blow my mind list. Just back from very well received MAN shows in Paris and NYC, not only has Jose written us an excellent article on the Portuguese surf scene but he’s also done us a favourite five, which you can check out here. Obrigado Jose!
Item of Clothing
A vintage Italian pea coat that used to belong to my father. Thick fabric, timeless design, stylish as they come.
Book
My favourite book is “Thing’s my father loves to do”. It’s a three-page book written/drawn by my daughter Maria when she was 4. Page 1. Going out on dates with mum; Page 2.Reading; Page 3. Surfing. – She got it all. In a more serious way, I love Tchekhov’s short stories. He had the ability to go deep in the human existence with his beautifully written and assertive descriptions of stereotypes, a great sense of humour, and most of all his simplicity. It’s incredible how contemporary his writings still are.
Music
These are the ones that at some point I always end up returning to : Chet, Chet Baker – A classic morning record. Inspiration Information, Shuggie Otis – It’s perfect for the after-surfing mood. The Queen is Dead, The Smiths – Reminiscent of my youth. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor, Adiagietto by Herbert Von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic – That’s beauty man, it’s life as it is: Calm, soft, stressful, sad, stormy, mysterious, beautiful. So, definitely a nice one to play at a funeral.
Art
I never had this feeling before, but I guess I’m becoming more and more conservative about arts. Like, I’m that kind of guy who is still impressed by the impressionists, you know. I saw Monet’s Water Lilies at MOMA and just thought “Can they still do this? What happened? Where are they?” I mean, there’s obviously some things I like but, in general, I don’t feel challenged in a good way. In fact, there’s a Portuguese photographer I really like, which is Paulo Nozolino. And I have to say that I loved The Turin Horse, from the Hungarian film director Bela Tarr. Yeah, they are both visually challenging and you will go to bed and think about what they want to say.
Something Else
La Paz is a project I used to dream of and that it’s happening now. I had the luck to found a great partner who, besides knowing about the business, is also a great human being – Thanks Sir Andre.
1 Comment
This would be in my top 5 favourite fives