The Beautiful Alice from Form 42

'Once you learn how to be happy, you won't tolerate people who make you feel anything less.'

I have never dreamed of blogging. Mostly because I am one of those horrifically technologically handicapped people who only know how to check e-mails and use Word, and partly because I was apprehensive about overly judgemental people. Then I realised, I would do this for myself, just to make me happy.

It all started when Alice came across some of my photos on Instagram and she was the first person to encourage me to go ahead. Now, with a growing audience, I'm very thankful and grateful that what once was an idea, a fantasy, a seed, has now slowly sprouted, and hopefully will blossom in the future.

All photos by Alice from Form 42, also available at: http://form42.wordpress.com/

Alice's blog, Form 42, is one of those I shamelessly go back to time and time again. From the contents of her blog, I have no doubt that I'll get on with her like a house on fire if we met. Her compositions are simple, clean and elegant, and I am head over heels in love with her lifestyle posts. You can tell that she has high standards, and appreciates everything beautiful in life. 

Jetting from Maldives to Malaysia, Paris to the Amalfi Coast, she's always on the go. We have been frantically sending e-mails to and fro, with her trying to juggle her show and dissertation whilst I whiz through electrocardiographs and squeeze in every second to shoot a new place to be, a new feeling to experience. Alice has been nothing short of helpful no matter how hectic her schedule was, and these photos are all originals provided by her, also available on her blog, Form 42 (http://form42.wordpress.com/). You can also find her on Instagram (reinhardt42)!

1) Where were you born?

I am from Eastern Europe, lived there half of my life and in England the other half. Having experienced such different cultures growing up and studying and working in one of the most diverse cities in the world, I can't pinpoint a specific place or culture that I would call home. If I had to describe myself as something, I'd describe myself as international. I feel very lucky, because this has given me the passion and open minded attitude to explore new places and new cultures and meet new people. 

2) Which aspects of design/fashion/art are you mostly involved in? 

I am a graphic communication designer by trade, making interactive pieces that solve everyday problems. Studying at Central Saint Martins has been such an inspirational and eye opening experience. It's the kind of place where you are one making the rules you play by. You get to write your own briefs, take your design practice in whatever direction you want, collaborate, innovate, break new ground. The only requirement is excellence. With everything you do as a designer, you not only have to reach the standard, you have to set the standard. This kind of thinking has inspired me to use my work to question where graphic design stops and other disciplines like product design, jewellery, fashion and architecture begin. As well as making websites and posters, I design interactive pieces of jewellery, home ware products, communication systems and interactive restaurant decor, all with the aim of solving everyday problems. 

When it comes to fashion, I prefer to use the word style over fashion. Style implies cultivating a certain look that works for you and wearing that look instead of falling for the latest fashion fad. It's about knowing yourself and being true to yourself. As a designer, my work is as much about usability and functionality as it is about looks. You cannot have one without the other. Likewise, when it comes to clothing, I believe in the kind of cut and design that compliments your body, and not just aesthetically. Clothes, by their nature, serve a very functional purpose. They keep us warm, dry and comfortable. And sometimes it's very easy to lose sight of these things when you fall for the latest trend. So for me dressing is all about setting the bar and demanding comfort, usability and durability as well as style from the clothes in my wardrobe. There is no point in spending money on a beautiful piece of clothing that you never wear because it's itchy, or a stunning pair of heels you can't walk in.

3) How did your love for travelling and blogging start? 

I have always loved the idea of exploring the world, all the diversity in landscapes, architecture, amazing sights and new cultures. I never travelled as a child. And later, I chose to really focus on my education and career. I never took a gap year, I studied hard, and when I wasn't studying I was interning. I finished my university finals on a friday and was at a desk working the following monday. And the time I had off from work I was, again, at the library studying. After living in London for the best part of a decade, and spending over 2 years working around the corner from St Paul's cathedral, I still hadn't visited it. That was when I realised that if I didn't start making my travel dreams come true, getting out of my comfort zone and exploring it was never going to happen.

So I started to make up for lost time, travelling every opportunity I got. I got in touch with all my friends who once said "Yeah, you should absolutely visit my beautiful county, I'll show you all the sights" and took them up on the offer. Before I knew it, I was seeing the world every time I got a day off. When I wasn't going abroad, I'd make a conscious effort to be a tourist in my own city, enjoying both the famous sights and the hidden gems. 

As for the blogging, it's a relatively new adventure for me. I remember sitting in front of my computer one night, editing pictures form one of my trips and thinking, "Wait, what's the point of editing or even taking these is nobody is going to see them?". Very soon after I launched Form 42 – my blog and my digital photo album, as a way of sharing my travel pictures with the words. Since then, it's evolved into a lifestyle-on-the-go offering, a place where I talk travel themed beauty, style, food, culture, adventures and locations.

Love,

K