life's a beach

ironically what I would have done this past Memorial Weekend instead of being home in the land of cannibals … 

where The Nutcracker meets Night at the Museum

Directions on how to use: read profusely after watching the video , as many times as desired. 

back to the future

fountain pens and their blue ink containers, calligraphy, archives, libraries, rare finds in antique markets hidden behind centuries: a whole realm of enchantment.

in a world of the impossibly NOW, when everything is so 20 minutes ago, Nicolas Ouchenir is a successful and sought-after calligrapher.  

imagine …

his desk being where “gone with the wind” meets “to the infinity and beyond”. the fine arts and imageries from the 18th century can be mixed with spontaneous kids calligraphy, or objects of nature decomposed and warped with conventional fonts or graffiti. 

imagine … 

a 1000 invitations daily as normalcy (chapeau) as well as being commissioned for special projects imagery for the Louvre, or a one of a kind invitation to a wedding in Bordeaux for Grace Jones, or mirrored invites for a glittery lunch for Lancome in Cape Ferrat (Cannes Film Festival galore).

imagine …

never being trained as a child and humbly utilizing your natural skills as a job. a dream job driven by passion, fascination for the past and bearing endless possibilities.

new jewelry obsession →

wit, fabulous, could’t be more British, feminine meets rock badass 

can we really trust Stefano Tonchi? the skinny on Elsa Schiaparelli

WHAT’S HAPPENING.

In the past years, we have assisted to a rising of historical fashion houses that had been temporarily defunct under old patina. Madame Vionnet, to name a glorious one dear to the inner-circles, is being re-interpreted after shutting down over 60 years ago and is now on its route to the original haute-couture splendor thanks to  Matteo Marzotto and the 2            sisters. Some other “gold mine” cases of labels dug out of the ashes like the Phoenix are Givenchy with Tisci, Emilio Pucci with Peter Dundas, not to forget the unprecedented genius of Alber Elbaz for Lanvin. Faux-pas there are lots, but we don’t want to mention them here.  

The talk of the town, or as we ought to say now, the top trending fashion topic of the entire month are Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli, their “Schiaparelli – Prada. Impossible Conversations” exhibit at the Costume Institute (along with the most glamorous event of the year, the Gala).

 

Schiaparelli’s Lobster dress re-interpreted by Prada

the Lobster’s close-up

SCHIAP.

So: who was Elsa Schiaparelli? Besides being Marisa Berenson’s grandmother, Schiap (her nickname) was a surreally modern sophisticated artist, artist not designer as she disputes in the curated video tour with Miuccia whether fashion is art or not. She created jewelry, objects of decoration and art and clothing in her atelier in Place Vendome.

Italian fashion mogul Diego Della Valle made his moves declaring a prêt-a-couturecomeback, for the few fortunate capable of affording some expensive and unique pieces.

• acquired archives and trademarks in 2006 
• following the same tactic he used with Roger Vivier and Ines de la Fressange, recently tapped Farida Khelfa as muse d’inspiration.
• the scoop is it will be exclusively sold in Place Vendome,
• no commercial ads nor wholesale, that is from the Southern Riviera we’ll have to go transatlantically.
• first official runway Paris March 2013
• only two runways per year and not the frantic tour de force of eight.

 

THE SUCCESSOR.

Diego Della Valle will announce the designer in September, meanwhile speculations flock. Stefano Tonchi (how did he even come out in the equation?) bids on John Galliano, Jenna Lyons confesses she would see Iris Apfel would be perfect as “full of life and attitude”. We only have left to wait until September to know who will let the brand express at its best. Meanwhile we can buy original Schiaparelli pieces on www.1stdibs.com and replicas on Moda Operandi and delight ourselves with the most sophisticated baubles and style.

London calling

There isn’t such a thing as London fog. It is that blurred industrial, cold, misty, coal mines,  grey pop up image from a Charles Dickens story. I like to think of it as London calling: the only place on earth where rain is sexy and addicting.

So as I a were in a Spring dream, here I am, May in London. Where to go?

The dream begins with me watching a royal weather forecast . My mind goes freely and cannot stop but thinking: in the U.S. we have “water cooler conversations” but here I am witnessing a true U.K. weather conversation, real original tea with scones and clotted cheese talk with no lees than Prince Charles forecasting live the Scotland weekend weather. There’s even Kate the Duchess snuggling the puppy. Is this a  Mary Poppins kinda dream? No, it’s real Royal watch.

Now, still in my Peter Pan dream, I am transported to 6, Burlington Gardens, London W1

Hermes Leather Forever. May 8th to 27th, 2012.

The exhibition celebrating the 175 years of the French house couldn’t have chosen anything better than the quintessence of a London address and Christie’s online to auction off four bags conceived, designed and created for the occasion. Perfection.

A sudden refreshing and inspiring smell of pure rose oil, handpicked in Morocco and Tunisia attracts me to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show May 22nd to 26th, 2012

Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London SW3 4SL

Chelsea and the Royal Horticultural Society and everything else that unfolds in a vivid mind: honeysuckle, hydrangea, wisteria, English rose, peonies. Downton Abbey meets May Fair Lady, Covent Garden meets Anglesay. Hunter boots mandatory unless your name is RH Queen Elizabeth and then you show up with bodyguard, in a pastel color paisley suit, white gloves and no hat. 

'til then, your truly.