Dreams do come true… once you stop being a “Material Girl”, and start being a “Spiritual Guy”. Having the chance to talk to my childhood idol and longtime spiritual inspiration, Madonna at the Venice Film Festival…

My question appears around 6.38… and the answer goes on, and on!

…and my question is already history! British paper, The Sun reveals her answer to my question: “Did your strong spiritual foundation help you to stay calm at the darkest hours?” The Queen of Pop held court during a post-screening news conference where she explained how she drew on her ‘strong spiritual foundation,’ to find time to work on the film project, including the writing the screenplay – a process that took three years. “Making films is really hard in the first place. You have to believe in your subject matter and be passionate about it because there will be challenges along the way. You have to be prepared like the captain of a ship, no matter what happens you have got to keep going. So your spiritual foundation has to be strong.”

After the incredible experience I had a few more days in the Italian city of love. Wondering around the old city I felt like I’m one of the weird characters from Woody Allen’s infamous neo-musical, Everyone Says I Love You, and enjoying the view from my fancy little hotel on the corner of a canal i kept pinching myself if this is only a dream. Well if it is, I still didn’t wake up yet. I’ll be grateful forever for my Kabbalah teachers for pushing me, and for making it sure that I’m always following my dreams. And – from a “material girl” point of view, I’ll always be grateful for this amazing website, where I found my “home in Venice”, this perfect little castello.

My article will premier in the December issue of the Hungarian Elle magazine.  More great hotel deals at www.szallodak.hu.

At 16 Millfields Road, Hackney, we are having another infamous party to commiserate Valentine’s day and see it in with a bang… bang… banging hangover. 7pm start for cocktails and fun. After you red my ab fab poem, I’m sure you’ll be trough with love. All welcome!

Are You?…

Roses are red, violets are blue,
Everyone’s a liar who says love is true.
Romantic illusions – get away from me!
Let’s celebrate scepticism with a themed party.

Put on your black gloves,
dig in the makeup set.
On this valentine’s day…
all the hearts are dead.

Join us for a drink,
better drunk than in love!
Say bye-bye white swan,
and welcome the black dove.

Breaking hearts with style,
it’s like heaven is near.
Bring your partner with you,
and have your break-up here!

Burn your wedding portraits,
melt your gold ring,
and be open for the pleasures
that our brawl will bring!

Alessio Nessi says fashion is having an affair with cinematic media, video in particular. After all, clothing only becomes fashion when dresses come to life, when narratives, however loose, materialize, when atmospheres gather around silhouettes. And I say: I’m over the moon to be one of the judges of these fashionlicious art works!

Fashion-smashion in Budapest!

Within the framework of the festival Digital Fashion Week offers a new showcase platform to the Hungarian fashion community of designers, photographers, and video artists side-by-side with international participants: replacing the format of traditional runway fashion shows, new collections are presented via fashion videos.

Along with our desire to become an international festival, we would like to create an authentic forum to present the fashion industry of Hungary, bringing recognition to Hungarian designers both domestically and internationally and initiate an ongoing dialogue within the industry in the context of an exciting and forward-looking series of events. Our intent is to provide appropriate communication channels and infrastructure, by including offline and online media, members of the fashion industry and the general public as well.

In recent years the new medium of fashion video – due to its attractive qualities and cost-effective mode of presentation – is gaining increasing popularity on the international fashion scene,which enables designers to keep abreast of rapid shifts in community-generated online media and allows their work to reach the widest audience.

The festival will feature two categories of videos: by-invitation and pre-selected from submissions through an open competition. The best featured videos will receive prizes from a relevant professional jury: Kathryn Ferguson, film and video director, Maroy Krisztina, Glamour magazine editor-in-chief, Lakatos Márk, stylist, tv personality, teacher, Oltai Kata, curator of Museum Ludwig – Contemporary Art Museum, Zanin Éva, founder&CEO of Sonntag Media, aestete, fashion critic, Martinkó József, design and architecture critic, journalist, Fliglauf Benedek, film director, Pálos Máté, filma esthete, editor of film magazine Prizma, Andreas Waldschuetz, video director… and myself, Steiner Kristóf, journalist, and – as they called me very kindly on the program sheet – pop culture expert.

In addition to the video screenings, the festival offers a variety of programs. There will be a slew of petcha kutcha presentations, interactive installation and film screenings on the topics of fashion and new media. Fashion meets culture in Hungary? I’m lovong it!