BLOG BLESS: This Is The End, My Friends...

As promised, and thanks to my sis, here's what the presenter of the Greek Dancing With The Stars wore to the grand finale of the show on Sunday. I must admit, I was ever so slightly disappointed, given what she donned in previous episodes was so life-enhancing and out of this universe and beyond the next! Let's be honest though, it's always been about the hair and although I had grander ambitions for a full-scale eat-your-heart-out-Maria-Antoinetta assault on the senses and minds of the nation like this...

...sis reassured me that this particular magical creation looked awe-inspiring from every single different angle so bravo Milady!

All pics taken by my sis who I imagine was also in the required open-mouthed state while snapping.

BLOG BLESS AMERICA: I Raise My Hat To You, Grand Rapids!

Awesome. Bravo, good people of Grand Rapids. And suck it, Newsweek!

BLOG BLESS: There and Back Again!

Back to London after two weeks in Greece. British TV, I have a feeling you'll find it hard to surpass this! Don't worry, I've been promised pictorial proof of this Sunday's big finale look so watch this space.

All images taken by an open-mouthed me while watching the very 'out there' Greek Dancing With The Stars on Ant1 TV.

Francophilia: Hedi snapped Yves and Yves snapped at Tom!

While he keeps the entire fashion world hoping that his much-wished-for return to design is imminent (but let's not play fashion musical chairs here), Hedi Slimane released this week a group of images that reaffirm what we all knew: this is one talented guy! Shot in black and white, of course, and in the atmospheric yet promising style that has come to be known as very Hedi - just like one of his YSL Homme skinny black suits - they stand out from the rest, that can be seen on his website, due to an air of nostalgia that hangs around them and slight feeling of sadness that his superb portraits of rockers and skaters stick well away from. The subject? The late - but so present in recent collections - Yves Saint Laurent!

Hedi shot backstage at le maître's swan song of a show in 2002 and I find these so beautiful and clean and powerful. Don't all the women (the choice of word over 'models' purposeful) look beautiful, elegant and strong? Like they are about to have a helluva time? And is that a look of worry on Monsieur Saint Laurent's face or melancholy? Still, it is this first image of Yves et Pierre that I find most touching. A great love, an era-defining empire, a beautiful friendship.

And if this all seems too sugary for you, here's Tom Ford talking about some pretty special 'fan mail' he got in his days at YSL from Yves himself. And yes, Tom - we'd all care to see that book even if you're 105!

All images by Hedi Slimane and video by CNN.

Sartorialisms: Vanessa Jackman snapped me...

...and I couldn't be happier!

If you have been reading this blog for a little while now (and I can't thank you enough for that!) or if you have just stumbled upon it (hello and come back soon!) one thing will be very clear to you, I think. That I don't include many, if any at all, pictures of myself. This was nothing more than a conscious choice right at the beginning that this space will be dedicated to people and places I like that, for one reason or another, I don't get the chance to write about in my work as a freelance writer.

Even I, however, could not resist the urge to repost these pics from Vanessa Jackman's blog - even if the person in them is little, ol' me! I have been a fan of Vanessa's lovely blog for a long time now and when I first met her in person outside the Somerset House tents at London Fashion Week a few seasons ago I was taken back by how lovely and delightful she was in person too! These pics here were taken as I was leaving the Erdem show in February and - of course! - I had just resumed my show schedule following a quick stop at home which means that minimal, if any, attention was paid to the *ahem* 'look' but Vanessa's eye went straight to my bright red satchel from the Cambridge Satchel Company (a Christmas present thanks to T) and I couldn't be happier! I later sent Vanessa this pic on Twitter to say that Satchel was pretty happy about it all too! And now you've learnt another thing about me and this blog: I take silly pics with fruits and send them to people. Oops!

All images by Vanessa Jackman apart from the silly one that's obviously been taken by me!

ps: to the anonymous commenter who at the end of Vanessa's post suggested that my blog's name is not as original as I may think, I'd like to kindly offer a suggestion that he/she might just find enlightening: please, visit my blog and scroll down until you see the little slideshow dedicated to the 1989 Hayao Miyazaki film, Kiki's Delivery Service.

BLOG BLESS: Hello from Greece...

...where I've been drinking too many freddo cappucino waiting for my new passport to be approved in some airless, Kafkaesque government building while I enjoy views like this...

...and this...

...as well as playing with him...

...enjoying the bright colours that make the early summer season so blissful...

...and coming to the conclusion that I'd much happier living in a shack like this....

...than this...

...but mostly, I've been keeping my fingers crossed that stormy clouds like these stay well away!