Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Valentine's Day


This bent twig was cut from a graft of Tako’s favorite flowering tree. I first acquired the graft four years ago, right after Tako and I had taken a trip to Japan. The arborists in Kyoto gave me the grafting and I’ve been growing the tree in secret all this time. Why all the effort? Tako regularly gets me great gifts, whereas I ineluctably fail to find just the right concept. I’ve been saving this for a special occasion, and the timing was finally right. I cut the flowering branch from the grafted transplant and brought it into the house for an arrangement for Valentine’s day. You can just see Tako’s gift to me in the back of this photo—it is a painting from my new favorite artist. He has no name, but his work reminds me of a blend of Richard Prince and Gerhard Richter.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

NYTimes Book Review


My book just got reviewed in the NYTimes online. Although it's only in a few bookstores (mostly at museums), you can find it on amazon. I really enjoyed seeing which quotes the Times reviewer chose to surface. Somehow the review makes it all feel more real. Thanks to everyone for your support during the creation of the book.

Enjoy!

Friday, August 13, 2010

From Blog to Book

After four years of writing this blog, it is now a book. You can find it on Amazon by following the link below:

All Fashion is Fiction: The Collected Writings of Serg Riva

Thank you to everyone who encouraged me along the way. The adventure continues on twitter and facebook, so join me there to follow along.

Special thanks to the Berkeley Museum of Art/Pacific Film Archive who supported the production of the book.

Ciao for now,

Serg

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Hit me on twitter

Why not follow me on twitter?

http://twitter.com/sergriva

All Fashion is Fiction

Did I mention I wrote a book?

The paperback version of All Fashion is Fiction is nearing the final stages of completion. Just a few details left (lawyers to call, etc).

Expect it to hit the shelves of Amazon right about the time you are bored with summer.

Check back here for more updates...

Monday, June 07, 2010

The Mathematics of Doubt

The Mathematics of Doubt from Serg Riva on Vimeo.

All Fashion is Fiction; some people just tell more interesting stories. Learn more about aquatic couturier Serg Riva as he reveals insights into his creative process, intellectual struggles, and deep devotion to the art of bespoke swimwear.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Celebrity Corner


I’m creating more celebrity suits than I’d like. There is something not quite couture about a celebrity assignment; it feels more like an exercise in publicity than a true expression of the sartorial arts. Not that I mind celebrities. They have fascinating stories, unique personalities, and are great for getting reservations at popular restaurants—it just that they tend to be more insecure about their own physical armature than a traditional couture client.

Also, in general, they seem more interested in how a piece will photograph than how it looks to the naked eye. The details of couture are hard to see in a tiny digital photo posted on someone’s best dressed for the beach list. Sometimes a celebrity client (or their publicist) will push for something that will show up in a photograph, rather than what makes the most sense for the piece itself. This is why logos have grown larger in the camera phone/internet era.

In person, my suits are remarkable for the fact that you can’t actually see any stitches, unless of course I specifically foreground them as visual details. Hidden pick-stitches and locked under-tucks are never going to show up on a camera phone. In the flesh, however, there is something arresting about that fact that with a Serg Riva suit, the fabric just stops. No hem or seam is visible. The result is both seductive and unsettling. It is like seeing a person with perfect skin in full sunlight or a ski run with completely virgin snow; the plentitude is astounding.

All couture is like this. I just happen to do it for swimwear.