Most of your will remember the man only because of the hit single “Tainted Love” which he recorded with Soft Cell, the band he formed with Dave Ball. The band split before the nineties, got back together for a brief reunion and an album in 2001, and the two members decided to embark on their own projects. Dave Ball formed the electronic dance band The Grid (whose remix of “Waifs and Straifs” we highly recommend) and whose album “456” is a must-have in every record collection.
As for Marc Almond, he started a solo career, launching a myriad of albums with superb pop songs, flirted with French and Russian music and has been performing solo ever since. The album “Tenement Symphony” or the single “Glorious” are perhaps the greatest living proof of Marc Almond skills.
Trendenz saw the man in Cologne in 1989 at the Saartory Saal during “The Stars We Are” tour where Marc proved he is indeed an master of performance.
For those who never had the chance to seeu him live, “12 years of tears” is a astonishing document live at the Royal Albert Hall, featuring Marc Almond’s own songs and some Soft Cell classics.
In this world of fast information it is good to stop a while and look back in delight at the work of someone who has given a great contribution to the story of Pop music throughout these years.
http://www.amazon.com/12-Years-Tears-Royal-Albert/dp/B000K2Q7VY/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1358770272&sr=1-1&keywords=12+Years+of+Tears+-+Live+dvd
Lisbon inspires Spanish fashion designer Ion Fiz
The geometric elements in the cobblestone designs, the romantic feel of narrow streets sided by house with balconies and flowers, the romantic decadence of the city’s palaces and private houses and gardens and the glazed tile motives were just some of the elements that have sparked Spanish fashion designer Ion Fiz’s imagination whose collection “Lisboa” is now available worldwide.

The feel you get when visiting Lisbon is that of a romantic city. Ion Fiz wisely used flower patterns to convey that feel in elegant dresses and accessories. The selection of colours, in white and ochre tones is an important element in this collection, matching the theme and concept of “Lisboa”.
“The reason for this collection was a trip I did to Lisbon, a city I just love”, says Juanjo Fiz, the man behind one of the most interesting designer brands in Spain, the man who smartly combined the right patterns, colours and materials to create a collection inspired in the capital of Portugal. This collection can be seen as a true homage to the city, to its contemporary and romantic nature and to that certain element of decadence that attracts so many foreigners to this city, all perfectly summoned in the garments and accessories created for this Spring/Summer. Ion Fiz, whose main reference in national and international fashion is Cristobal Balenciaga, worked “in collaboration with the prestigious fabric makers “Gastón y Daniela” with whom I have created silk, linen and cotton fabrics for this collection”, he said.

The contemporary designs of the cobblestone streets of Lisbon and in the glazed tiles adorning the walls of iconic contemporary buildings were smartly used in men and women trousers, bags, ties and espadrilles.
The “Lisboa” collection is currently available in shops worldwide and pretty soon at the designers own online store to be launched this month. “We will launch the online store at www.ionfiz.com offering menswear, womenswear and accessories, along with catwalk collections and special Fiz re-editions”. The online store is just another step in the career of this talented and highly productive fashion designer, who studied in Bilbao, worked at the famous fashion house Pertegaz and who has recently opened his atelier un Madrid. The Spanish capital, where he we saw the collection Lisboa for the first time in September, was also the stage for his AW fashion show. Last February he surprised the audience once again at the Mercedes-Benz Madrid Fashion Week with his AW collection “Sui Generis” featuring structured and vertical lines in silk, wool and lurex materials. As for the colours the garments in off-white beige and sand tones did catch our eye, particularly the use of stripe and fishbone patterns elements in jackets, dresses and blouses.