SHOES FOR TOMORROW

I've just found out about this guy, american Blake Micoskie, who created a great shoe project, the TOMS SHOES: for every pair of alpargatas (a rope-sole Argentina's typical shoes) he sells, another pair is donated to a child in need. "The more you give, the more you live", he well belives. The project was created 8 months ago and already sold more than 10.000 pairs - the same quantity has been distributed all over the world. Next week Micoskie will travel to Africa. You can buy a pair ($38,00) online: www.tomsshoes.com

FASHION SP

Reinaldo Lourenço is my favorite Brazilian designer. Like what we saw in Parisian catwalks a month ago, his summer collection has flowers everywhere (Reinaldo did it first, by the way, but flowers are flowers, right?). I went to his shop today to do my first summer strike - bought a beautiful white cotton dress printed with red and pink roses, just like an english garden, perfect for a chic pic-nic lunch; and a low-necked dress, watermelon color, great for hot days in Rio. Have a look at his website: www.reinaldolourenco.com.br

LASAR SEGALL

Every year, the Lasar Segall Museum organizes an auction of plates, painted by renomed artists, in order to raise money for itself. This year, my mother, Marina Amaral Overmeer, was invited as one of the artists. Look at her beautiful plate, baptized as "Running against time":

In time: I bought it!

I SAW BOB DYLAN

Yes!!! I saw the film of the year in the Mostra de Cinema de São Paulo, last monday . "I'm not there" is not only a great title, an interesting biography of Bob Dylan or an amazing opportunity to actress Cate Blanchet, who plays the musician's top life period - just like a woman. The film is NEW in it's way of telling a story, what makes the whole big difference for those who appreciate good movies. Hats off to Mr. Todd Haynes.
There are seven characters, under different names, playing different aspects of Bob Dylan's life: Markus Carl Franklin plays his imaginary childhood, a young and poor wanderer who writes songs and plays guitar (blues) like a pro; Christian Bale is the successful Dylan as a folk-singer and political prophet, and later the born-again evangelist; Up-and-coming British actor Ben Whishaw (naming himself Arthur Rimbaud) incorporates Dylan's transgressive poet verve during a long interview; Heath Ledger plays Dylan as never there husband and father of two girls; Cate Blanchet is Dylan as we all know him; and finally Richard Gere plays his retired days.
Than, there are also great costars such as Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams - and David Cross playing beat poet Allen Ginsberg.

And last, I just saw at IMDb that actor Stephen Rea is also playing Bob Dylan in "Kisses", by Lance Daly. The movie is yet to be released, so let's wait and see. Hair for that, we know Rea has it.

BOND GIRL

James Bond producers are looking for a brazilian girl to be the next Bond Girl. Uau! How I wish I was an actress (and a girl) now. Since I was a child my top dream was to become a Bond Girl - and to reincarnate Ursula Andress at that moment she walks out of the sea, in white bikinis. This would be better than a gold medal on the Olympic Games.
Well, I did have my Bond moment last july, not AS Ursula, but with her. We had lunch together in Rome and had a great time. Best part was when she told me her list of men: Allain Dellon, Sean Connery, James Dean, Belmondo... "I can tell you I had fun enough my dear, so now I just take care of my garden", she concluded. Ok. I knew I was right, since I was a child.

DAY OFF

If you happen to be in São Paulo with some free time - like me, yesterday - go for a shiatsu or a lymphatic drainage. There are at least two great clinics in town: Luiza Sato, for its shiatsu, ofurô bath and acupunture in japanese style; and Hara, for its strong and very efficient drainage (it worth some hurt).

www.luizasato.com.br (remember there's one unit at Hotel Fasano)
www.hara.com.br

IN VOGUE

My column about fashion in India, published on Vogue Brazil - october:

KORDA IN SP

Many years ago (2001?) the cuban photographer Alberto Korda came to Brazil and my sister Juliana and me modeled for him (he used to do fashion shootings back in the fifties, that's why). At that time, between some pictures, whiskies and cigars, he told me he was at the boat with Fidel and Che when the revolution was announced: "They had arms, I had my camera". And that he never got big money out of the famous portrait from Che.
My friends Georges Foz and Alexandra Alonso, who kind of hosted Korda in São Paulo, are now showing an exhibition of his pictures from that period (never shown before) at their cuban club, Azucar, from 24th october to 7th november.
Azucar: Rua Dr. Mario Ferraz, 423 - Itaim, São Paulo. (+5511) 30783130. Look at us:

HERE I GO

Just arrived. First time as blogger. No. Actually, I've been posting some comments about Paris Fashion Week at Hint Mag Blog - Dries Van Noten, Chanel, Vuitton. But there, great Lee Carter edit my texts. Since I'm not a natural born english writer (I was born in Brazil, portuguese is my mother language), please forgive eventual absurd mistakes and some lack of vocabulary. Oh, yes, I know, it sounds strange. But at some point I had to try. And this is now, that I'm spending most of my time in London, or never. Well, now I just arrived in São Paulo for two weeks. So don't be surprise if I switch in the middle of a paragraph. I've been told I can do everything I want in my Blog. My plans are to write about the world I see, the views I like, and filter some interesting hints to you, my friends, mysterious readers. So here i go:


São Paulo is such an awful, polluted, chaotic, dangerous city, but i have to admit people here are soooo nice. And the weather is sooooo good. Today, sunday (14), had lunch with some people from brazilian movie field - Hector Babenco, Bruno Barreto, Bruna Lombardi, Ricelli - who are in town for the Mostra de Cinema de São Paulo. They all have new releases to show:
"O Passado", directed by Babenco, with Gael Garcia Bernal and Paulo Autran, will open the festival on thursday (18).
"174", by Barreto, is not ready yet but I glimpsed some minutes and liked it. Quite intriguing, the film is inspired on a documentary, "Bus 174", and tells a fiction life's story about the boy who was responsible for that real crime.
Bruna and Ricelli are playing "O signo da cidade", to be shown on saturday (20), at Cine Artplex Frei Caneca, where we promised to go.
Tufi Duek (fashion designer, brand Forum), and Ana Paula Junqueira (many titles, great friend) also joined us for wine and pasta with tartufo brought from Europe - my guy is a (many titles) big gourmand.