For a 2009 that is comng to a close.
For a 2010 full of positivity and good will.
For all the rest, we will always have Rome!
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Monday, 14 December 2009
I HEART: Mary McCarthy by Jane Bown via Betty Draper.
I am a huge fan of Jane Bown's work. In fact, I have a print of her Mick Jagger image pinned on a board right above my desk and every time I look at it I fall in love with the young Mick yet again! So much energy in a black and white image!
So, when a couple of weeks back I flicked through the Observer's book reviews and came across this picture of Mary McCarthy, author of The Group, I knew it was one of Ms Bown's, and I was right. I just had to scan it and post it here!
The Group is one of the books I've been meaning to get for a while now and although the pile of books to read on my shelf is magically refusing to get shorter (I still have books that were a Christmas present from last year!) I will definitely get my hands on a copy in the next few weeks. There has been a lot of talk about it recently but the image I have stuck in my head is a glimpse-and-you'll-miss-it scene from the last series of Mad Men where Betty is reading it (in its original 1963 cover, of course!) in the bath. So much to say in such a short scene! In fact, I can only imagine the black and white portrait shot that Jane Bown would take of Ms Draper!
Images by AMC and Jane Bown for The Observer.
BLOG BLESS AMERICA: Me, Me, Me!
A couple or so weeks ago, I ordered a copy of the Phillip Lim edition of Me Magazine from New York, curious to see both the magazine's concept up-close and in particular Lim's selection of friends and family. Due to a small mishap, I received the latest issue of the magazine, edited by Kitsune, but the lovely Me people quickly sent out the Lim edition too.
I'm a huuuuge Phillip Lim fan and really loved reading about all the people that have been instrumental in his life and career, from his business partner Wen Zhou to Joe Zee and Amanda Brooks as well as Anh Duong and a certain Mr. Oliver. Oh, and the big question of "why 3.1?" is answered!
Kitsune was a lovely surprise too and it was fun seeing Dr Richard Mortimer of Ponystep in it as well as Colette's Sarah, Loic Prigent, Pierre Hardy and Christian Mazzalai from Phoenix.
So, here are some scans, excuse the poor quality, I spent a couple of hours scanning on Friday and nearly lost my mind so these will just do! But do go onto Me's website where you can order any issue from their back catalogue. Very well worth it!
Images by Me Magazine.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
BLOG BLESS: Cacharel in my dreams...
Cacharel is one of those names that instantly bring to mind hazy, rose-tinted childhood memories, whether you ever had any direct encounters with the brand or not. It's just there. I vaguely remember a bottle of Anais Anais on my mother's white dressing table. I must have liked it although I can't say for certain. I definitely liked the pretty flowers on the bottle and most certainly fell in love with the name, Anais; so good they named it twice! I imagine I day dreamed about being a girl that would have such a sweet, ethereal French name...
For all those faded memories I was pleasantly surprised to see these showroom images on Géraldine's Café Mode from the label's SS10 collection. I must admit, the show itself passed me by and I didn't take much notice of it other than being aware that it was the first under new designer Cedric Charlier, previously at Lanvin and His Royal Genius Alber Elbaz for six years. The collection has made more of an impact on my hanging on a rail than on the show, strange, no? It feels very fresh, poetic, crisp. Perhaps it's all the blush and white (not shown here) shirt and tee details. I love the print dresses and adore the blue rail. In fact, I'm sure I dreamt about that blue dress, hanging at the end, recently. I think my name was Anais...
Images by Cafe Mode.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Friday, 4 December 2009
I HEART: Doogie Whistles!
I know there's a dog theme running through this blog lately but trust me, story of my life!
This sweetie is named Doogie and he turns out to be Whistles' studio pet. Very appropriately he's gracing their Xmas sweater this season (and I think he ought to do so every year!) with profits of each sale going directly to Shelter (this amounts to around £25 with each sale).
Talking of Whistles, I know their press day was ages ago, or so it seems, but I still can't get over how good their SS10 collection is, just wait! I literally wanted every single item on the rails, a huge congrats to Ms Shepperdson and her team! Here are some pics, the prints in particular feel so right for spring, there's a great 'bandage' skirt, cool jackets to throw on top of everything and, of course, an amazing jumpsuit! Oh, did I mention the sweet canvas flats that so happen to be in my fave colours?
Images by Whistles and myself.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
BLOG BLESS: The amimal issue.
Just to round up the silly posts session nicely, here are three images that have been waiting on my desktop for a while.
My perfect dog. I can't remember where I saw this (sorry I haven't credited anybody) but I love it! Remember, I'm the asthmatic girl that could never have a puppy as a kid and after watching one too many Lassies (God, how old does this make me sound?!) made a plan that one day I too would have a ridiculously intelligent dog that would carry my shopping list to the local shop in a basket and come back with all the shopping! So, what this good boy is doing here is pretty spot on. Oh, and did I mention that the other day I saw a terrier carrying a magazine down the road? One day.
Also, the perfect job? This lady is Sharon Montrose and she's a puppy photographer. As I said, the perfect job!
I HEART: So many things, so little time!
Where was I? Right here, it seems, accumulating more 'cool things for the blog' while somehow finding less and less time to actually 'add cool things to said blog'. C'est la vie, que sera sera, it is what it is! So, my lovely imaginary friends, here is a super-post; a long, rambling, inconsequential list of stuff I felt like sharing weeks ago and are still, strangely, in my head.
Like the last episode of the third series of 'Mad Men' that I still haven't managed to get over. Don't worry UK residents, no reveals here. The third series has yet to start over here, of course (no rush BBC, who's waiting, right?), but the lovely boyfriend, his magic Apple TV and the lifesaving US i-tunes account ensured that we watched every episode as it aired in A M E R I K A. So, now I have to wait for season 4. But that Vanity Fair article on the fantastic Mr Weiner has made me worry. Just a feeling. We'll see. Until then, we'll always have Rome. Ciao Draper!
Talking about Matthew Weiner, you know about his adorable, super-duper-dapper son, Arlo, right? What? No? Here he is, as seen in the American GQ. Papa Weiner, adopt me. I will play freak-out-over-the-exact-shade-of-eggshell-blue-a-copywriter-would-go-for-in-1963 with you and Arlo, I promise!
I saw the one Stella did for Gap. I liked. It's for kids, of course, but Carla Bruni wore one of their jackets and they're probably sold out by now, but still...
So, I went over to the movie's website (last time I did this was, what, 2002?) and played around with the games. Here is my name as performed by the circus mice and here's me with buttons with eyes. Scary, I know. No, not the eyes. The amount of time I can waste online. And still no yellow raincoat. Did I mention that Coraline has a cool blue bob?
Thursday, 26 November 2009
BLOG BLESS AMERICA: Three words: Muppets, Bohemian, Rhapsody!
Tomorrow is V-Day (I will explain later) and although my desktop is full of stuff I want to post about it's pretty much a case of "maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day". But - I HAD to post this. Really. The funniest thing EVER. I say that a lot, I know, but this is it. Watch it till the end because when Miss Piggy sings "Nothing really matters" you'll have a tear in your eye. And it won't be from sadness!
Happy Thanksgiving my US of friends!
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
I HEART: The Kirkwood flat!
So, here they are! Nicholas Kirkwood, master of the extraordinary heel, has introduced flats to his SS10 collection and really, is there anything this guy can't do? I love the rounded lines of the first one (is that a small zip detail I see at the back?) and the interesting heel on the lace-ups that show how Nicholas has not put the architectural tendencies that underline his other collections aside for these.
I interviewed Nicholas for Ponystep back in February this year and he mentioned that he was planning to design a flat. Here's what he said then:
"KG: Is it true that you’re doing your first pair of flats?
NK: Uhmmm, yes if I get it done! I haven’t started working on them yet but I’ve got to have it ready for Paris so…
KG: No pressure!
NK: I’ll start work on those maybe next week. But yes, if they come out looking OK they will be. They’re not going to be flat flats like a ballerina, because that’s also, in the same way I felt when I first started making shoes with everything looking same-y, I feel that now about flats and ballerinas. Ballerinas are the same f****** shoe, done in every colour-way possible so yeah, there’s an area slightly unexplored! I’m not quite going to the mid-height yet, I’m sure in seasons to come that will happen, but for me it’s just going to be either high or low."
A limited-run of just 17 pairs per style is available at Dover Street Market until they become available worldwide in the new season.
Images by Dazed Digital.
I HEART: A slice of Ossie pie!
Some pretty exciting sales are taking place online right now (Liz Goldwyn's Ebay sale of her own private, mainly vintage, collection is another) and this morning TheOutnet have kick-started their Ossie Clark sale with discounts of up to 80% off. Admittedly, these aren't vintage pieces from the designer's own icon-making years of the '60s and '70s but as part of the label's final collection they are bound to hold their own significance in its history. There are some great easy, flowing gowns but what really caught my eye is this long-sleeved colour-block dress!
Uhmmm, hey, Santa...
And the winner is: Sophie Théallet!
So, French-born and Brooklyn-based Sophie Théallet won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award in New York last night and the $200,000 grand prize that accompanies it! She joins an impressive list of past winners that features Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler. Jewellery designer Monique Péan and menswear designer Patrik Ervell are the two runners-up, taking home $50,000 each.
Interestingly, Her Highness Anna Wintour said in her speech that other countries are keen to introduce a similar contest, most notably France, "and Brazil, India, Russia, and China aren't far behind."
Congrats to all the designers!
Monday, 16 November 2009
Francophilia: Chanel-o-mag!
Olivier Zahm, he of Purple, has art directed and designed a magazine for Chanel, she of Karl Lagerfeld, called 31 Rue Cambon to be distributed in all Chanel stores worldwide? C'est un rêve!
Image by Purple Diary.
And the finalists are: And the rest!
With the heavy schedules of showing, wholesaling, manufacturing, shooting and every other -ing that a fashion designer has to get through every season (did I mention being inspired and coming up with the next collection too?) it was to be expected that not all of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominated designers were able to get back to me with their Q&As. The lovely Alexa and Flora of Ohne Titel did manage to tell me, in between showing in New York and leaving for selling the collection in Paris, that they "are very proud to be counted among the top ten for the award."
With the Big Night itself taking place this evening in New York I thought it would only be fair to include the remaining nominated designers here just so we can wake up tomorrow morning and read up on who won, who didn't, who wore what and get all excited about our very own British Fashion Council / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund to take place next year!
OHNE TITEL
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