Don’t know about Spielberg and his crowd of blue people on some far away planet, but braids and hair are the new black. Here, meet our new fresh from the oven necklaces, made in collaboration with label PAPARITA (talented jewellery designer Peteris Ripa).The mighty muse has done its job – an exquisite collection of quirky unisex accessories WARRIOR is soon to be available. These are everyday accessories, made for contemporary urban gods and goddesses. A necklace or bracelet like this can also serve as a mythical sword, dividing the day and night.

..It’s time you fight your own crusade. Courage came into your heart and it changed its tune. Thus, the legend was born..

But why hair, moreover nylon artificial hair from a factory in Tibet? Basically, the main idea’s to pass it as a natural substance, looking so real and pleasant, almost sexy to touch. Hair have always carried constant mystical force, hence the Biblical hero Samson. Then the Indians came knocking with their enemies’ scalps as war trophies. Hair, hair, hair. They pray to be touched yet caressing one’s hair is the most intimate thing one can think of. Cut them off and restart your life in a blink, right, Britney?

Trophies are possessed only by gaining a victory in a battlefield or overcoming oneself. If you’re proud of what you’ve done, here’s your trophy. Now you’re one of us, one of a tribe that cannot stand hypocrites.

Life’s a journey, don’t miss the plane to Pandora.

Credits
Photo: MARIS LOCHMELIS Syle: ARITA VARZINSKA Model: MARA KAMPERNOVA

Have a look at our Autumn/Winter collection that will be arriving in stores near September.  This season BR trademark – simplified forms complimented by unique details – comes hand in hand with wool knit / woven silk reversible tops, skirts and classic pencil dresses with the front constructed in chiffon and satin and knits on the back. A particular current this season – wrap-a-round effect, which lets the wool and silk dress or wool knit tunic hug its owner’s body ever so fondly.

There it was. Somebody had carved white painted letters on the dove gray asphalt. She knew right away that it was Chekhov’s tongue, Russian. In ivory white it kept whispering: “Люблю”. I love you. “Literature is my mistress,” Chekhov once said. Wait! Nobody around here was aware of her roots… Except him. Transparent steam evaporated in the blue gray air. It seemed as if the asphalt was breathing, heavily and peacefully like her beloved grandfather, asleep in his old creaking rocking chair. Long time ago, it was. Somewhere miles and years away from here. Where there were green grey forests, midnight blue lakes and eternal sky. Yet now she was here. Confident and by her own will.

Just don’t think of it as a dress or a jacket. Think of it as something you have always dreamed about, something you have longed for.

When they joked that Iceland has deliberately opened its volcano and won’t shut it down until its national fiscal debt will get remitted, we laughed. But when we found out that no plane will leave Riga airport (and till last minute we were hoping for the opposite), we were close to losing our heads. No rental car office could help us as all their vehicles had been booked for all the following week, while for us… Yeah, we had to get to Vienna till the following day. And so we did. We got in the car and drew ourselves until the very capital of Austria, because we just had to get there for the final of this year’s edition of the prestigious Ringstrassen Galerien Designer Award.

Every year since 2004, young Austrian design has been presented at the Ringstrassen-Galerien Designer Award in Vienna. This year a perfect collaboration of Ringstrassen-Galerien and NOT JUST A LABEL, the leading global business directory for showcasing avant-garde fashion designers of today, was born, offering an opportunity also for international designers to enter to win the prestigious Award. Under the theme of ‘Black And White’, both national and international designers were this year challenged to create cutting-edge design, after which 10 finalists were chosen (http://www.notjustalabel.com/articles/the_vienna_finalists is more about 5 international entries, BAIBA RIPA among them).

We arrived in Vienna covered in ashes and only five minutes before the fitting. However, when professionals get together, everything has to go smooth. And it did! Models did their job perfectly and organizing of the event was flawless. We were honored to be among so powerful rivals, and every single one was so kind and polite – we especially fell in love with guys from London. As it turned out, Jürgen Bertsch (Germany) with his Playground collection was the well deserved winner. We salute you, dear comrade, and wish you all the best! Chuss!

Foto: Jürgen von Hammerschmid

Having put our entry in Ringstrassen-Galerien Designer Award in Vienna, where everyone was asked to design under theme ‘Black and white’, a fabulous photo session had to be done. It turned out as super good collaboration with photograph Nils Vilnis , make-up artist Vita Radzina, assistant Indra Miklava and model Mara (DANDY). Here she is, the girl we created both in our designs and philosophy.

..Black dress against white sand, she was sitting in the sun and writing a poem. Black letters on white paper. Morning and evening. Happiness and sadness. To inhale and to exhale. Man and woman. One cannot exist without the other. But does everything stands so clear? Is it always only black or white? Look at the waves coming and going, meeting the seashore, then again parting with it! Even the mighty sea cannot ever decide whether to stay or go, to say yes or no…

The black cannot exist without the white and vice versa as there is a man in every woman and every man bears a touch of feminine. It’s the unrepeatable mix of both that makes every individual so unique.

Hello, you all, reporting from Riga again. While Riga Reval Hotel Latvia hosted catwalks of Riga Fashion week (24th – 27th March, 2010), Riga fashion shoes boutique Madam Bonbon entertained another crowd. Ladies were feeling silk and linen fabrics, listing hangers and exchanging glances of connoisseurs, as the boutique presented collection S/S 2010 by BAIBA RIPA as well as two other Latvian labels Anna Led and Natalija Jansone. Now, if you’ve always been thirsty for BAIBA RIPAdesigns, don’t miss your chance to put your hands on warmer coats for spring or crisp white dresses for summertime! If not, just visit the boutique and try it on. Oh, it suits you as second skin! It’s just that you didn’t know it yet.

Foto: INGA KUNDZIŅA

As winter turned to promising spring, BAIBA RIPA flied to Paris (oh, yes, the almighty fashion Mecca) as the parlez-vous-français city hosted its annual spring Fashion week (4th – 11th March, 2010). BAIBA RIPA presented collection AW 2010/2011 in one of Paris Fashion week’s showrooms ANOTHERSHOWROOM (anothershowroom.blogspot.com), located just at the foot of the Musée de Pompidou. For those, who were in the city at the time and dropped by, it was also a unique chance to appreciate BAIBA RIPA brand new collection of quirky accessories – necklaces from (almost) real human hairs. While Fashion week was in full bloom, BAIBA RIPA collection AW 2009/2010 was displayed at pop-up store ANOTHERSHOP together with wide range of French designer’s garments. 22 Rue de Quatre Vents, Paris. That was the exact address of the mentioned pop-up store. Every mention of it just made Baiba’s and Agita’s hearts melt as, translated from French,it means „the street of four winds”, sounding just like some old Latvian fairy tale!

Back to the fashion. While at Paris, BAIBA RIPA received fantastic news. The label has been nominated as one of ten finalists in Vienna designer contest. The theme is Black & White and, so, here’s BAIBA RIPA entry, complimenting the dress designed specially for the contest:

..Black dress against white sand, she was sitting in the sun and writing a poem. Black letters on white paper. Morning and evening. Happiness and sadness. To inhale and to exhale. Man and woman. One cannot exist without the other. But does everything stands so clear? Is it always only black or white? Look at the waves coming and going, meeting the seashore, then again parting with it! Even the mighty sea cannot ever decide whether to stay or go, to say yes or no. The black cannot exist without the white and vice versa as there is a man in every woman and every man bears a touch of feminine. It’s the unrepeatable mix of both that makes every individual so unique..

Isn’t it marvelous how fashion makes you wander in unworldly universe?

Foto: SERGEJ KONDRASHIN

As human beings like to look back every now and then, we start this blog with a short reminiscence on BAIBA RIPA past achievements. On May 15th, 2009, BAIBA RIPA traveled to Gratz, Austria, to participate in Dessign Assembley festival. This was a moment for a lot of champagne to flow as Latvian fashion designer duo won the main Kastner & Ohler fashion award, proudly engraving their names in the award’s history and Europe’s fashion chronicles.

Then it was September 24th, 2009, that fashion label BAIBA RIPA was invited to take part in Vienna Fashion week . Girls in white, almost paper like dresses floated on catwalk, presenting BAIBA RIPA collection S/S 2010 and proving that Latvian fashion design is new yet ripe dot on the world fashion map.

To wrap it up, we will only note that on November 23rd, 2009, designer Baiba Ripa, one half of the designer duo BAIBA RIPA, was nominated for the best costume designer in the annual Latvian theatre awardSpēlmaņu nakts. Baiba used her fashionably twisted mind to create costumes for the playWell known bear and his friends(afterA. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh).