Cameron Hill x Odissea at Australia Fashion Week

Cameron Hill is Australias Up & Coming new talent. She debuted on her first Australia FW this past May 19th with a knitting collection of 12 looks paired with Odissea earrings, necklaces and rings custom made to implement each of the outfits.

This collection was inspired by the ocean, hues of blue / orange, shells, pearls and sterling silver replicated the sea’s delicacy.

BACKSTAGE by Samm Clare

BACKSTAGE BY MADDISON WOOLLARD

hercules, greek mythology & silver

Hercules Pavillion

Copenhagen, November 2022

For centuries silver has been a powerful metal in the mystic world. Ancient civilizations believed it had healing powers, and being associated with the god of the moon, Selene, silver symbolizes creativity and the feminine part of humans this is why its alchemy symbol is a crescent moon. 

Aztecs for instance, polished it into mirrors, since they were portals to the spiritual world - it was their channel to connect to a higher dimension. Our third chakra or “ The third-eye” is our intuition, spiritual connection, imagination and multidimensional perception and silver is believed to be an enhancer of wisdom and inner power. 

 “voyage marked by changes of fortune” has been a series of interviews and blog posts where we share odissea’s world.Our latest photoshoot was in Copenhagen at The Hercules Pavilion, where the King hosted his most intimate encounters in privacy.

- life and death, fall - rise, light and darkness -

I’ve come to realize that the most unexpected moments in life come at the right timing.On my last trip I had been optimistic of finding someone to shoot some of the new pieces. As days passed by I hadn’t had an “a-ha moment” and it was getting a bit disappointing.  On a Monday I met up with my good friend Nicole at Studio X cafe for lunch - a very cute, simple, minimalistic coffee spot. As I approached the counter to order, I noticed someone glowing behind the counter, I immediately felt her presence, it was strong but delicate and youthful, I was stroked. I instantly knew she was odissea - a natural and pure essence.

“natural + pure essence” 

We exchanged information and decided to meet only a day prior to my departure due to her schedule. Risky, but I knew it had to happen. 

Sunday, October 15th 3:30 at the Kongs Have.

As I am biking through the city I feel the cold transition of autumn clearly. Change of foliage, shorter days, and that feeling of gloominess…

Biking half way through the city I saw this tremendous gray cloud taking over half of the sky - I was getting anxious but kept going. As I made my way through the halls of the garden trying to figure out the labyrinth I was tangled in, the sky kept getting darker and darker, not a good feeling.

About 3 minutes of me looking around to see if I saw Mathilde, she showed up walking graciously toward me, and just as she was walking towards the Pavilion it started drizzling. No umbrella, nor idea of where to hide, but we just found a corner next to Hercules while she grabbed her umbrella protecting us both. We were laughing and making fun of what was happening, a moment I will keep forever. The rain went for about 5 minutes each drop had more time in between, the sky slowly opened up, letting the sun shine through,  illuminating the Pavilion as if nothing had ever happened. 

Rushing to get things done, we dressed her quickly and as I was standing in front of this classical monument with my pieces and Mathilde, I felt  thrill. I started taking pictures of her moving and playing around, we were talking and laughing while getting all the angles possible with Hercules defeating a lion as a prop set. This whole scenery of his force and brutality seemed perfect with Mathilde’s effortless beauty - opposite forces creating perfect balance. 

This photoshoot depicted the beauty of opposites - ying & yang, feminine and masculine, light and darkness - all opposing forces give us balance. 

Exit_Ceren is an escapist

Photos & text by Nathalie M.Arzt

Lately there’s been a common denominator in my conversations with friends, acquaintances and overhearing conversations. Uncertainty seems to be a common discussion, and regardless of opportunities arising from our COVID pandemic, life seems to have gotten a bit overwhelming.

This “voyage marked by changes of fortune” features Ceren Arslan, also known as @EXIT_CEREN to tap into her reality and have a limitless experience, go beyond with your imagination and forget limits.

After spending a month with Ceren, we got into some insightful and grounding conversations over wine and home-cooking. I got to know more about herself, her art, NFT’s, and Senza Fina, the experientia project she has been working on with some friends. 

With such an extraordinary talent, and mind blowing imagination, I consider Ceren a F*** cool creative, so I decided to dig a little more into her world and share it with y’all. 

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O: I’ve always had a great appreciation for your work and up until we spent this past month together, I got to learn a lot about you. It really inspired me knowing all the context behind what you do. Can you briefly explain what EXIT is?

C: EXIT is a catalog of spatial designs which I’ve been working on for over a year now. It is my weekly agenda of design thoughts, a release of inspiration, my design journal. It is a series of concept spaces from a Green Suede Walls for the Basketball Court to the Church of Tolerance. They are unique pieces of escape with alternating concepts represented as images or videos. It is my moment of escape, my exit. 

O: Do you remember the first piece of art you made that you were like ok, this feels right -  Which one was it?

C: EXIT evolved from my first collection, EPISODES. It is a collection of 10 pieces of building facades which I’ve created with digital collaging. I was designing unique buildings in undisclosed locations. The first piece I made was for the exhibition Aesthetics of Prosthetics which  I was co-curating along with my friends Alican Taylan, Irmak Ciftci and Can Imamoglu at Pratt Institute in 2019. The exhibition focused on how we as designers use design tools to advance our creative capacity. The methods varied from AI to robotic arms to projection mapping. My method was digital collaging. I’ve collected a numerous amount of textures and images online to form a building facade of a single family home in Los Angeles. It was post-modern, funky and slightly out of context, but real enough to make it look photographic. That was the first time an art piece I made felt right. 

O: Is there something that makes you feel that spark of inspiration? 

C: To be honest, I usually start creating without thinking too much. As I free-flow I get more into it and start digging everything I saw, heard, felt that week. I keep adding more information, play around with materials and lighting until it feels right. As Diana Vreeland says “the eye has to travel”. When it’s complete you stop playing around with it. 

O: Usually, my most creative self comes when I’m going through a big challenge in my life -  I guess this makes me look into ways to connect to myself. Do you have a similar experience with your art?

C: Absolutely, creating art is a great way to express emotion. That’s why I do not stop producing if I am feeling down or if I am distracted. I keep pushing out the thoughts and shaping them into spaces. It really does affect the concept of the space though, for example Giacometti's Tomb happened after a very intense weekend..

O: I see your pieces as a portal to tap into your realm. Looking at your videos made me realize how limited our imagination sometimes is. They are so futuristic and mind blowing, that I remember seeing your last EXIT044 and being like “Woah, imagine walking through that velvet green minimalist room” and then all the rest of the questions come - who would I be with, why would we be all there, what is this moment  - and BOOM, I had created my own experience in my head through your piece. 

Is tapping into a new experience what you look for people to experience with EXIT?

C: Wow, this is such a great complement. That’s exactly what I am after for. I think we are all escapists as much as we play around with it. I’ve always lived in stories, movies, books, fiction in general. The idea of escaping from your current reality to another one is what we are all after. The concept of EXIT is super relevant to Michael Foucault’s heterotopia only in a more recreational way. The way he describes these spaces are “breaks from the mundane” for example when you go to a honeymoon, spa, basketball game on and on. These are societal institutions that co-exists within reality as escapes. For EXIT, I am pretty much suggesting alternative spaces with a strong design agenda to think outside of the box and create a feeling towards the space itself. How would you feel when you walk in, is it sublime, is it happy, is it dark?  The story of the space is complete only when it’s experienced. 

O: You recently went to Burning man for the first time, and even though everyone has an idea of it being crazy partying, I feel like it can be an amazing experience, do you have any insight for people who have never been?

C: Well it’s going to sound incredibly cliche, but you can only understand Burning Man once you are there, probably day 2 or 3 though. First day was a mess.. It was my favorite real-life EXIT, an incredible feeling of being present for yourself, for your friends and for the community. There were amazing parties of course, but my agenda was more than that. Just to go with the flow and be present. It was the best first burn. 

Follow her on IG @EXIT_CEREN and exitceren.com

Odissea Takes Over Paris

By Christine Jiang

I lived in Paris, back in 2016. I had still not started odissea, but looking back it was part of the beginning of the journey.

This experience has a huge influence in who I am and what I do now. Even tho many years have gone by, I still remember how it felt walking down the streets - the emotions, the noises, the air, the feelings, they were all something I had never experienced before. The monochromatic gloomy streets made me nostalgic, but in them I found a huge feeling of grandeur. Everything about Paris makes it seem like a dream. Knowing the history, art and beauty found within the most mundane details makes it hard to grasp.

I fell in love with it, and I fell in love for the first time as well. It is a place where I have fond memories of a young and wandering soul, and this will always make it home.

When Christine told me she was going to explore Paris for a shoot, I knew that Odissea had to be part of it. After our last collaboration, Ocean Goddess, I knew she was someone who would capture not only the jewelry but she would create a story around it. And here it is!

“Odissea taking over Paris”

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CJ: “ I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived in Paris. I had my camera and odissea jewelry with me, so I was sure I’d find a spark of inspiration somewhere in the city of lights. During the first few days, as I wandered street after street - seeing the romantic architecture and the sun set over the sleepy Seine river sparked my imagination of possibilities.

I played tourist for a few days while scouting locations - The Eiffel Tower, The Opera Garnier, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame - they all looked exactly as I had imagined. What took me by surprise, however, was The Louvre. Its sheer size, set against the grandeur of a Renaissance Palace, was in itself an artistic feat unlike anything I had ever seen. Standing there gazing at the top of the pyramid made me feel small yet energized, and I felt a spark - this was the place.

On the day of the shoot, we arrived on location just before sun down. Crowds lined up for the museum filled the Louvre’s courtyard as we scoured the space for the perfect spot. Around 20:40 (the sun sets late in Parisian summer) the light became soft and subtle, which was just what I had hoped for. We ventured towards the NW corner of the courtyard, away from the swarms of people, and violà - the perfect spot - a long, graceful corridor with high arched ceilings. Strangely, there were no crowds and Clèmence stepped into the middle of the hallway, wearing odissea. The jewelry brought a sparkle to the museum’s massive facade, as we played with poses and experimented with locations.

The vision I’d imagined in my head unfolded in front of us: sophisticated, elegant, bold baubles of silver, enveloped by an amazing panorama of art and history. 

Looking at the pictures now, while I am back in New York, they remind me of the feelings I felt while shooting that day. The energy - working with an international team, bridging the modern with the historic, in a place that has housed some of the most significant works of art known to man - fills my soul. It is a universal feeling I know many creatives strive for; it's what keeps us going. We may have only been there for a split-second relative to the Louvre’s extraordinary lifetime, but this feeling is what lasts.

À Tout, Parigi!

XX

Lucia Bosch - Giving a second chance

With a long history behind us, Lucia and I have re-encountered many times in our lives. First her dad and my mom dated for a while, and at the time our age difference made it hard for us to relate, but a couple of years later we reconnected through friends and became very close, we even worked together!  Now, Lucia is an entrepreneur based in Mexico City who along the side of her partner Ximena de Iturbide launched Armario Comunal - a second hand clothing pop up. She also has a handbag brand called Juana de Mexico, which she manufactures in Mexico and designs herself. When thinking of who would be the next “Fortune of changes'' interview I had Lucia in mind, as I’ve been witnessing her projects closely and I think she is and has always been looking to revamp Mexican traditional standards. There’s a lot of  opportunities to bring new and innovative projects to Mexico.  

Mid June I went to her apartment Downtown Mexico City. She lives in this stunning  Art Deco building where the renowned jazz bar ZINCO is. The building is absolutely fabulous, robust, gray with golden lights and symmetrical accents which make you feel back in the 1950's.

O: So, I just briefly introduced you, but can you tell us more about Armario Comunal? How did the idea surge and what was the thought behind starting this because it is an amazing idea that no one in mexico had ever really thought of

L: Beyond fashion, personal style has always been something I am very passionate about. I love seeing people being they’re most authentic selves - when they take risks to be different and unique. I love finding gems in the least expected places or seeing potential in things you wouldn't even imagine becoming “something else”. I believe in second opportunities as each and every one of us give a different meaning to what we own, this is the main idea that lead to create  Armario Comunal.

One day while talking to my business partner Ximena, we were discussing all the clothes that just sit on our closets dusting. We were wondering what it would look like to be seen by new eyes… so we gathered all our close friends and told them to take things they no longer wore or had bored them, and we made exchanges between us all. 

People heard about this and wanted to join, so we saw a great opportunity to gather clothes and create an inventory which eventually became a good amount to set up as a pop up, and from there it's been more than 5 years that we have not stopped and this has taught us the importance of not wasting and to be conscious when we buy new things.

O: What have you learnt about this business and do you want to share any surprising and exciting things about it

L: I’ve learnt that it is a very noble business, where it is 100% based on creativity, as there is a lot to do to uncared or unwanted clothes, The most important thing I’ve learnt is how important it is to be conscious in how we consume, as clothes are not degradable and sometimes it is better to repair, recycle or re invent. It is undeniable that we live in a time where marketing makes us shop non stop. However, this has led us to consume without reasoning or intention, making things become obsolete. 

These past 5 years we have realized that people are becoming more and more conscious, also this initiative has spread our message across a city where people did not have this ideology, but seeing things change slowly and people joining makes me really happy. 

O: Changing subjects a little -  I mentioned Juana de Mexico, your handbag brand before. Could you share what is the inspiration behind your creations?

L: Juana was born from my boredom (ha - as ideas usually do). When I had a 9-5pm job and I was eager to have a side thing for myself since my job was not very inspiring. I have always been very creative and I  tried to take the lead on ideas before the spark died off. At that time in my life I realized that making bags wouldn't be so compicated as they aren't any sizes or complicated variants to them. And this was the  perfect excuse to experiment with all my interests such as  photography, fashion, colors, materials and so on. 

Juana evolved along the years, and I could say it is very simple and minimalist since the intention is to keep them as long as possible but also for it to be practical enough to take a paper envelope or a bunch of essential things you need throughout your day. Bottom line, is “the simpler the better.” 

O: Given that you’ve made a lot of very cool trips around Mexico - what would you tell people from abroad to visit/do?

L: I love Mexico. There’s so much to do and explore - I still have a .lot of things to discover but one of my favorite experiences was a camping trip I did last year, all along  the coast of Sonora, in the high California Gulf. These were the  most impressive landscapes I had ever witnessed, like the Paredones, Altar Dessert Pinacate and the beaches in the reservoir of el Cajon del Diablo. 

O: Thank you for sharing this with us Lu! We are very exited to see what is coming with ODISSEA x ARMARIO soon, so stay tuned!

Text by Nathalie Martinez

Dreamland x Odissea

How many of us don’t get lost in day dreaming?

Sometimes you fantasize during the day about your old self. The inner child that as years went by grew, learnt and matured. We often get caught up in our day to day, fulfilling achievements, accomplishing expectations and so on, but we tend to forget how to just “dream” - that, which makes all magic come to reality, what makes us want to go further.  

Not having dreams is like an invisible shadow

“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.”

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

ocean goddess

Odissea’s identity was born in 2019, inspired by greek mythology. If you are familiar with the story behind the brand - Odissea is named after The Odyssey, Homer’s poem - as he described life as “a voyage marked by changes of fortune”. At this time of my life I was beginning my own journey living abroad, persuing my dreams, transitioning into a more mature self and trying to understand my place on earth better - this phrase gave me a lot of meaning.

As I studied more about greek mythology, I found meanings that conveyed what my creations represent. For instance, Nekyia in ancient greek means “a rite by which ghosts are called up and questioned about the future." The pieces in this collection are one of a kind and unique, made with shells, pearls and semi precious stones which makes them an amulet to keep during your life’s journey.

Ocean Goddess is the newest collaboration of Odissea with photographer Christine Jiang. Alexandra portrays Venus; the goddess of love and beauty. Capturing the innocence and playfulness, these pictures represent our Nekyas collection pure essence - femininity, playfulness and sexiness.

With all the natural elements the pieces are made with, they blend in with the ocean and surroundings - making us travel to this moment of bliss.

The ever changing expression of our pieces represents change as a path for beauty.

Furthermore, it is important to remind ourselves that there’s a story behind us all.