Tuesday 20 March 2012

Revillon

This beautiful bottle is the original bottle that 'Revillon's' perfume 'Carnet de Bal' came in. I  came across it the other day and I'm told by Andrew Heather Revillon's new and very deserving creative director that when you invert it,it is a cognac glass or at least that was the inspiration. I love it, you want to touch it, in the same way as you just want to hold a cognac glass...

See?Yes!

Guy Bourdin photos- fantastic

I've LOVED these for years and thought I'd share as I was doing some research the other day and saw them again...Guy Bourdin advert for Charles Jourdan spring 1978. Charles jourdan did shoes. I think they must be due a reinvention- their archive must be stunning...

Guy Bourdin for Charles Jourdan a/w 1975

Oufit-Harry said...'David Bowie'

Actually, he sang it in a mock David Bowie way the other night when I wore this outfit...I don't mind I'm a life long fan, he is my hero...

I'm wearing 'seven for all mankind' flares,ivory silk bouse with tassells (that I made), 'Maje' silk crepe jacket and vintage Hermes belt., wooden platform sandals ( you cant see them) and my HAT..

Nails...

I'm a cross between a purist and schizophrenic when it comes to nail varnish. I like no pearlescent as a rule but then I do also break that rule- that's what they are for, right?!
For me the dark 'rouge noir ' has endless appeal and I just discovered Tom Ford's 'bitter bitch' (on index finger)which is as good as vampish dark gets and 'mink brulee' (on thumb)which is a pinkish beige ( in general my most favourite hue of all time) and does a California kinda look, but better still I think just looks like an extension of your fingers and seem to make them look longer.
 My schizophrenic side isn't really illustarted here, but goes something like a different pastel shade on each finger., in which case they have to be pearlescent....

Style and outfit-my new trousers

I made these and have been loving wearing them. They are high in the waist with pleats and a tapered and cropped leg. I LOVE the pockets and you can really slouch around in them, well sort of, if it's possible to slouch in high heels, because they don't work with flats on me- my arse looks ENORMOUS and my legs look really short. Oh dear, the vagueries of  vanity and fashion...
 Check out my shoes too. Brilliant vintage find... the say' Colette Couture Paris' inside. Unworn! Beautiful burgundy suede, soft as chamois. The ankle straps are shaped so when you tie them they fall prettily no matter what. A tiny attention to detail but lovely. The shape of the toe is a lovely almond.

Sunday 11 March 2012

Timeless vintage inspiration...

This great shot is from the 70's


 An 80's Versace ad- see Jerry Hall looking languid in her fluid chain mail!






Layering for 1st days of Spring Sunshine...


For meeting a client, for a shopping session the other day, I was pretty pleased with this concoction.It was a beautiful sunny day, as you can see from the pics, but with a distinct nip in the air. I knew I'd be in and out of shops and would need layers and relative comfort as well as  a bit of a 'look' going on. I also had to factor in that after my client I'd be racing to get my children from school.( Read-comfort!- low heels)
 I put my sheepskin gilet under my 'Maje' a line coat and stepped into my 'Maje' ankle boots (the heel is a really good height for all day -see my earlier post- maybe even my first one!)Topshop Baxter skinnies, trusty hat and I was ready to go. I'm outside my front door, which I painted for the Royal Wedding last year- I'm sticking with it now for the Jubilee...






Underneath I'm wearing  my sparkly Zara knit over a silk blouse I made. It's an easy look but just dressed up enough once I've taken off the coat.



And here I am without the fur gilet under the coat.It's all about the hat really...isnt it? If I have one piece of advice to give , it's 'get a hat'.I don't know what it is about the hat but whenever I'm wearing it I tend to get great service in shops and people are immensely polite!  You should see Garance Dore's post http://www.garancedore.fr/en/2011/10/11/le-chapeau/  I must say -My hat doesn't have quite as an astonishing effect as Garance's but if you want to get noticed - get a HAT!




Here  I  go!


I'm off!

Monday 5 March 2012

Style Rediscovered-my Gucci 1994( I think!) shoes

At the risk of reminiscing I'm going to tell you a bitter sweet fabulous fashion moment.  Picture the scene: I was a fashion student at the Royal College of Art and I'd won an internship at Karl Lagerfeld in Paris.OOH! what to wear? Every day was a massive ordeal to concoct an outfit. And OH! how I lusted after these Gucci stilettos. I even had a picture of them on the wall of my Paris attic apartment.
For 3 months, everyday, I scrupulously composed outfit after outfit from my vintage finery. I strived that each look would achieve just the right mix of style, insouciance and fashion forecasting, and that whilst wearing it I'd be being able to perform the tasks of a fashion design intern without falling over, sweating to death or (the worst!) looking DULL!
 One day preshow Liz Tilberis came into the studio to preview the catwalk looks.  She was then Editor of Vogue. I had only just got over my daily awe of Karl and now had Liz Tilberis standing right there in the black version of  my object of desire-these shoes. After my initial' hello, how do you do?', imagine my surprise as I heard myself launch into a stream of concsiousness  ''I love your shoes, I'm saving up to buy them, they are my favourites, I love the new look Gucci, blah blah blah... I continued , as LT incredulously looked on at me!Eventually, my diatribe faded  as Karl said something like  ''So, Ve look at the clothes,no?!''
 and I sat, uncomfortably, down, silenced, staring at my rather lacking footwear.
 Anyway I HAD been saving and I bought the shoes ( in tan- although I still wish I had them in black!!) and as you can see I wore them just the other day again for the first time since those days of youth and crippling embarrassment. Now I'm only crippled by the shoes! They just look right again...
 I'm wearing them with a vintage fur jacket( type unknown) and my current favourite jumper a gold knt from Zara topshop Baxter skinnies



Housekeeping!!! Take the drudge out of it( a bit!) with these products...

This smells delicious. Of almonds. I love it.I've got shabby (v. shabby ) painted floorboards and this transcends them to fragrant heavenliness when I clean them with it!  Methods wood polish smell the same too.


Ecover limescale remover. It really works and it's green. I love my chrome to look shiny but I loathe using regular limescale removers as I know they are full of hideous chemicals. This is a brilliant product. Spritz it on , leave a while and then scrub with a bit of elbow grease and scourer and hey presto-shiny, shiny, watermark, free, O.C.D. taps, shower glass, etc.

More green and delicious smelling cleaning products from Method. All of this range smells great, they don't seem to 'get up my nose ' the way non green cleaning products do. And they really work, work but they are a little pricier. I note, though, that they seem to last longer than others and the bottles are bigger than most, so perhaps the price tag is not so inflated  after all. 'Homebase' and 'Waitrose' stock the full range and the other super markets are lagging behind. Actually 'Sainsburys' is really rather poor on green cleaning products ranges .Certainly, my local branch don't stock their own 'green' variety of cleaning products. I can go so far as saying that this puts me off shopping there!

Spotted:On the buses ...Londons' coolest Nanny.

I saw this immensely glamourous woman on the bus the other day. Her name is Pascale. She is a nanny- so cool! Note her vintage fur coat and hat and rather splendid 'bosom basher' necklace. Even her name is cool. Imagine growing up and being able to boast about your nanny who was called Pascale!


I chatted to her and noticed her pinkie ring just as she was getting off the bus . I snatched a quick pic of it. She told me her friend had made it for her.Sadly, as she was jumping off the bus, I didnt have time to get full details. Shame- I'd like one of those!