The Swelle Life

Lanvin's Luscious Ribbons

 

I've seen countless neck adornments with ribbons over the last few years, yet I fail to tire of the look. It's classic and feminine, and there's no end to the creative possibilities and variety of materials. But sometimes simple does the trick - which is not to say plain or unfashioned, but rather restrained, yet opulent. Which sums up Lanvin perfectly.

Take grosgrain ribbon and pearls in a powdery gray, link together in a pattern we haven't seen before and Voila! - you've got a modern classic. Other To Die For pieces from the Lanvin pre-collection for Spring 09 are the matching crystal drop necklace and earrings:

...And the black grosgrain ribbon and white pearl necklace, all of which come wrapped up with a big black bow in a Lanvin box. (Very clever, that packaging seals the deal.)

 

Whenever I hear the name Lanvin I feel the sensation of slipping into a hot bath. There's something very unique and special about this historic French fashion house, non? Credit the supremely endearing Alber Elbaz (love his bow-ties) for translating that for us into something meaningful, today.

I Miss the Beach

Admittedly, I have not yet seen the film The Edge of Love starring Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller (who look as if they really had fun on the set whereas I thought they'd hate each other), about their relationship with poet Dylan Thomas. The costume is enough to make me want to see it (post WWII London, dresses worn with cardies and wellies - costume designer April Ferry immersed herself in researching the era). But combined with the beach scenes I'm really missing my favourite attraction which is just a few minutes walk down the road from me - the North Sea. Our part of the coast is just beautiful, there's a bay with castle ruins looking down upon from the cliff above, and a sprawling beach that is just massive at low tide. I know, it's just a few minutes away, but that's what makes it so hard, I too want to run around in floral dresses and wellies but it's too cold now (though the year-round surfers don't seem to mind):

King Edwards Bay, Tynemouth

And back to the fashion and beach scenes from The Edge of Love, which I believe were all filmed in New Quay, West Wales:

And for the sake of seeing Keira Knightley looking stunning while performing a number in her 40s songstress garb - it works for her, no?

A Nice Big Dose of Colour

Still carrying on with extra-special editorial from British Vogue's Fantastic Fashion Fantasy issue (done in a whimsical graphic font of shoes, butterflies, martini glasses and fantasy gowns for the letters), I thought a dose of high voltage colour and ridiculously wonderful fashion might be just the antidote for those of us already treading dirty snow in the cities with scarves over our faces. (It's a great autumn day in England but I know others aren't faring so well.)

Patrick Demarchelier shot the spread Where the Wild Things Are, a cottaging/camping fashion story which is all cobalt skies and rainbow outfits with accessories upon accessories, mixing cottaging equipment with giant fluffies. Completely impractical, and that's the beauty - how nice to pile on the gear because you want to, not because you have to!

These bright bags remind me of the hot pink Superdrug carrier bags that draw attention to anyone who walks by with one. It always makes me smile to see the men in business suits who likely popped in to the chemist to pick up some paracetemol, not figuring they'd then have to get home on the metro with the super-girlie bag that screams I'M PINK!

Back to Bags: Meet the 'Joanna' Bag

 

When I started this blog, my shop went on a bit of a hiatus due to time constraints, travelling, etc. Now, things are getting back on track and the bag making which I miss so much has started up again. I wanted to create a fall/winter line and sell it from my shop, but have decided to do the bags on a made-to-order basis, as all are one-of-a-kind anyway.

The bag I'm showing here, the 'Joanna' has been purchased, but it serves to show what I'm doing at the moment, so if you like what you see, you can have one, too! I created the underlying structure out of felt that I made from merino wool, then wrapped it in this scrumptious Roberto Cavalli fabric that is quite thick yet very soft. It's lined with lilac taffeta. Wrapping uses a lot more fabric than you'd think, so I'm left with not enough to make another bag this size, but could do a mini clutch if you fancy the fabric. I found it in Toronto and will be returning in December, so if you're interested in something more substantial I could see about getting more.

There's about a three week waiting list at the moment, but holiday orders could be accommodated on a first-come first-served basis in less time if you've got something in mind - feel free to contact me (see email link in the left sidebar) to discuss ideas!

Christie's Resurrects Vintage Avant-garde

   

Recently, Christie's auction house in London sold a collection of avant-garde designer clothing and accessories from the 1930s to the mid-80s. The sale consisted of 229 lots and included a Cristobal Balenciaga couture evening jacket (yes, designed by the man himself) and four jackets from Balenciaga's protégé André Courrèges.

A few pieces were deemed in their description to be 'rare and important'. Indeed. Here's a look at some of the collection:

(Above, l-r: Norma Kamali, 1970s, Edwardian-style heliotrope tweed with tailored bodice fastening with two mink ties, sold for £750; Azzedian Alaia, 1986, cut on the bias, with a single swathe of aubergine - sold for £1,000; Jean Paul Gaultier, mid 1980s, purple neoprene lined in salmon pink, sold for £2,250)

Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld. Cruciform bangle, late 1980s, gilt-metal set
withgripoix pearls and pastes in Renaissance style. Sold for £1125


Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo. 1983. Skirt and top of
blackgauze, with interlaced, looped bands. Sold for £6,250


Harry Gordon 'Rose' disposable dress. 1968. Screen-printed
tissue, wood pulp and rayon mesh. Sold for £1,750


Pierre Cardin pinafore skirt. circa 1970. Straps of scarlet glossy
vinyl with quilting, skirt of navy wool jersey. Sold for £2,125


Rudi Gernreich. 1964. A 'Rare and Important' monokini topless
swimsuit of wool and elastic. Sold for £1,250


Pierre Cardin. circa 1965. An 'Important' Satellite cape of glossy
 scarlet vinyl lined with synthetic fleece. Sold for £5,000


Cristobal Balenciaga Couture Evening Jacket. 1960s. Black silk gauze woven
with a black spot motif, with sequinned ruffled fronts. Sold for £2,000


Gucci 'Snaffle' Bracelets. 1970s, white metal. Sold for £1,375


Paca Rabanne. Circa 1967-8. Assembled from linked aluminium
panels, the bodice panels centred with studs. Sold for £15,000


Hermes 'Motoring' coat. 1930s. Soft goatskin stitched with
knotted twine, zipped from hem to neck, hooded,
with checked wool plaid lining. Sold for £4,000


Norma Kamali. circa 1975. Rip-stop parachute nylon,
with rip-cord ruching. Sold for £813


Pierre Cardin, an 'Important' Neck-plate. 1966-1967. Chromed-metal
panels with acrylic hemispheres to neck and to pear-shaped
terminal at navel. Sold for £3,750

Maggie Gyllenhaal Dares to Wear the Fur Gilet

Fur issues aside (I figured Maggie to be one not to wear it), she's showing some serious fashion bravado for wearing the bulky fur gilet WITH A BELT! I see she cleverly kept the wide leather belt exposed in the front only, so the inescapable appearance of profile bulk is kept to a minimum. This is high-risk territory, reserved only for the fiercely confident fashionista. Dolce & Gabbana (below, left) sent long fur gillets down the runway for A/W 2008, worn both belted and unbelted, and Diane von Furstenberg took the belt-worn-on-the-outside look further (below, right), wrapping it around many layers of clothing to create the trend that so many of us want to work into our daily dressing, but can't because we'd wind up looking like a telephone pole with a rubber band around it.

Um, More Gift Ideas for Men?

Earlier I posted some ideas for men's gifts, as they are typically a nightmare to shop for and the holidays are barrelling toward us (I just realised it's mid-November already, and I'm not sure how that happened).

So, uh, how about this Scottish bar stool for guys who wear kilts? Or like to sit around naked?

I said I'd provide suggestions. I didn't say they'd be good ones.

Via Like Cool

Finally, Your Calves Won't Be Bulging Out of These High Boots

 

I recently bought an awesome pair of Paul Smith Kings boots and I adore them. Just one problem - I have a knee injury and my left leg has been compensating for the right for over a year, and thanks to that my left calf looks twice the size of the right. And the boots have a heavy-duty zipper all the way up the back. I can get the right boot on just fine, it fits with a bit of room to spare. However, when I try to get the zipper up past the thickest part of my left calf it becomes all stuck and throbbing and resembles Ben Stiller's junk-caught-in-zipper scene from There's Something About Mary. Not sexy.

While I would not trade these boots for another (I assume post-surgery my 'enhanced' leg will deflate somewhat), I would certainly welcome some long-overdue innovation in the form of adjustability with tall boots. I've never considered myself heavy in the calf department, yet about half the tall boots I've tried in the last 10 years have been mighty tough to wear comfortably. How all those women were able to tuck their jeans in them in 2004 is beyond me.

Now, about that long-awaited innovation - it's here, courtesy of Tom's. (I'm sure it's been done before, the underlying aesthetic reminds me of early Vivienne Westwood but I haven't seen anything so practical until now). They've come up with a cure for throbbing calf in the form of their Wrap Boot - a slipper-like shoe with an attached elastic wrap that extends from the ankle and closes with Velcro, when YOU decide it fits properly! Genius. If I was more of a DIYer I'd have tried my own version already with a pair of my shoes (in moments of exasperation I've been tempted but it never got past the 'light bulb' stage).

Worth a try for $118? For sure. (If you've got the cash for your rent/mortage/car payment covered first!)

Merry, Chanel-wearing Puppets at Printemps

One of the best things about the holidays is the fantastical, magical shop window displays. Imagine what Chanel might conjure for the Paris department store Printemps: articulated puppets geared up in quilted, metallic outfits à la the 2.55 bag, dancing in a garden of golden flowers, perhaps? Love the matching fringed bobs. And they answer to the name of 'Coco'. Of course.

Here's a man who is famous for his magnificent window displays, the lovely Simon Doonan, creative director at Barneys. Below, he talks about his Andy Warhol installation and how he approaches the creation of his displays (watch for a snippet of the Saks window with a doll that looks as if it's about to throw up):

Barney's Andy Warhol Window Display
by rocketboom

Happy Friday: Little Karl in Lederhosen!

Cathryn Horan of The New York Times posted this rare gem of a photo on her blog. Does that coy grin look familiar? How about the knowing pose? The inherent confidence? No? Imagine the hand is gloved in cut-out leather, the collar is stiffer and higher and the hair is white and tied back. You got it, this tiny fashion genius in the making is Karl Lagerfeld - IN LEDERHOSEN! You know, I did wonder whether this 'costume' is something only seen at Oktoberfest, and whether Germans actually really wear it (like Mounties in Canada - they don't work in that getup, you know!). Turns out, they do! Or, at least they did.

I am dying over the fact that he's wearing a white dress shirt and tie under the braces of the lederhosen. As a baby he probably scribbled a collar and tie on his onesies and requested Diet Coke in his bottle.

Via Catwalk Queen

UK Swelle Readers: You're Invited to Join an Exclusive Club

If you're not already in on the best thing that's happened to designer sales since....nothing, here's the scoop: The people who bring us the UK's most famous fashion titles such as Grazia, Pop and Arena Homme + (oh, how we love them) have created the online luxury fashion destination Cocosa - an invite-only members club for women.

How does it work? Members are offered exclusive access to carefully curated private sales of premium fashion brands at special prices, each running for a limited period and brimming with an unrivalled selection of on-trend pieces.

Cocosa will notify you of upcoming sales in advance by email. Each sale is focused on one designer brand at a time and lasts only 48 hours. Designers working with Cocosa include Amanda Wakely, Pringle, PPQ, Christian Lacroix, Matthew Williamson and Temperley, offering everything from handbags to cocktail dresses.

Want to join? You're in luck! Cocosa is offering Swelle readers an opportunity to snap up these coveted spots in the club. Go to Cocosa and in the "I've been invited" box enter "Swelle", and you're in! In addition to access to the sales you can benefit from the exclusive coverage from leading fashion experts and wardrobe advice from the most respected fashion journalists, all designed to ensure that Cocosa delivers an experience normally reserved for the fashion insider. And why shouldn't that be you? You're deserving!

I joined the club before Cocosa launched and can attest to the quality and value of the sales. Gorgeous handbags from Zac Posen were recently offered at 70% off, so if you're looking to add to your designer collection, or even start it, this is pretty much fashion heaven.

And for today and tomorrow only - members can enter to WIN a pair of Rupert Sanderson heels, designed exclusively for Cocosa. The shoe is a one-off shimmering lilac shade in the hot London designer's foot-flattering and length-lengthening 'Winona' style. Yes, please.

Update: Oh. My. God. The Christian Lacroix sale preview just began, and I nearly fell off my chair when I saw what's there - eight pieces of extroaordinary design with showstopping detail. Anyone would appreciate the genius of Lacroix, but if you're into the luxe Goth look especially, you will just die. Trust me.

Karl Lagerfeld Paints a 'Secret Ball'

Continuing on with features from British Vogue's Fantastic Fashion Fantasy issue, Karl Lagerfeld treats us to a series of paintings in which he imagines events (with the Batman movies in mind, it would seem) at the most exclusive party of the year - a ball hosted by an unnamed Russian woman in honour of her billionaire husband. There was no press, no red carpet, no charities involved, and the guest list remains a mystery.

"Hairstylist Katsuya Kamo has designed a veiled headpiece similar
to those he has made for Junya Watanabe. The guest has topped
this with a vintage diamond headpiece, believed to be set with
emeralds from the treasury of Tsar Alexander II"


"The male guests are all in Tom Ford tails, though these two
gentlemen have added Batman-style masks. Their leather gloves are by
Causse. She is in a Marios Schwab jacket, a Louis Vuitton headpiece
and carries an Alexander McQueen Faberge bag from this season"


"A masked guest dressed in colourful Tao"


"She is in gold Givenchy with another Kamo headpiece.
The Asian gentleman wears a vintage Cartier headpiece
of emerald, diamonds and feathers in his turban"




"This guest accessorises her pink Giles ensemble with Chanel lace
gloves and a 1912 Cartier bandeau with a huge sapphire. Her Cartier
necklace of the same year was bought at the Paris Biennale in
September 2008. Her companion is a distinguished gentleman with a
black monocle, who reminds Lagerfeld of someone now dead"




"The youngest boy in the room is claimed by this guest,
in Alexander McQueen"


"This Gareth Pugh-clad woman is accompanied by a man
disguised as Heath Ledger's malevolent Joker"

If You Need a Lift...

For Tammy

We've Come a Long Way, Baby...But We're Still Owed

The new World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index was just released and the findings are quite shocking. Norway, Finland and Sweden round out the top 3, respectively, for the least discrepancy in equality between women and men. However, even these 'progressive' countries are still nowhere near full equality as measured by WEF's set of key indicators. Unfortunately, women still remain systematically disadvantaged in areas like economic earnings, access to education, political representation, and health care. With the top countries still only providing women with 82% of what they grant to men, there is still much work to be done.

As a Canadian woman living in the UK, it seems I'm better off here. The UK ranked 13th out of the 130 indexed countries while Canada tanked at 31. The United States didn't do much better (likely ousting Canada in political representation, because it's certainly not health care or access to education), coming in at 27. The shame!

Hmm...modelling seems to be the only industry that is exceptionally more lucrative for women than it is men. And people think models are dumb.

Lydia Hearst Poses for the 'Classy' French Playboy

Speaking of gifts for men (see previous post), model, heiress to the Hearst newspaper fortune and daughter of kidnap victim-turned-collaborator Patricia Hearst Shaw, Lydia Hearst is the latest to bare all in the French version of Playboy. Last month it was Lily Cole, whose shoot was inspired by a pervy Serge Gainsbourg album cover that crossed all sorts of boundaries. At least I can show this one.

I looked into her modelling credentials, knowing she was trying to make it as a model but having not really seen her anywhere, and found that she's actually included in Style.com's model directory. But while she's done some high profile shows (Fendi, Anna Sui, Betsey Johnson, though nothing since 2007), most of her photos were as party guest. Tough life.

However, I think the reason I posted about this in the first place, is to share what I read in the NY Daily News article about Lydia's cover, and that is the fact that before posing for French Playboy, she did a racy spread for another French 'gents' magazine called Self Service. Eeeeeuuuwwww......

The 24 year-old Hearst explains her decision to the Daily News: "I'm not a teenager anymore and this is the transition of going into adulthood." And there I thought the rite of passage was being approved for my first credit card.

Here's an unlikely couple - Lydia with SNL's Rachel Dratch (love her) at an Imitation of Christ Party:

 

And Lydia in 2004, who makes a good Charles Anastase model for his spring 2005 RTW show:

Ideas for the Ever Elusive Men's Gift-giving

Shopping for gifts for men is just brutal. No matter how well you know the guy you're buying for, the brain becomes a giant, grey void when it comes to finding that thing he'll really love and also shows you went out of your way to find something special. (That's if he already has an X-Box or you refuse to buy him one).

While actually not looking for gifts (I already got something wicked but can't say until later - a rare achievement that comes down to timing), I found this leather Paul Smith wallet with a photo of a striped mini (the stripes being Paul Smith's signature graphic) in a field, printed on the inside. For someone who's a bit quirky and stylish, I think something like this might be appreciated. And it's plain black on the outside so if he's shy about his tendencies he can keep them a secret.

And for a gag gift (albeit an expensive one), or if you are both just into these things, there's the 'naked lady' wallet:

Maybe not the best choice for your boss (male or female), male family members, or your minister/priest/rabbi/etc.

I'll add more things as I find them. Assuming I do...

Update: I just showed this one to my husband, and his reaction was to ask "Can you customise the picture??"

Tim Walker's Marvellous Tribute to Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Actor Jamie Campbell  and Karen Elson

Continuing on with British Vogue's Fantastic Fashion Fantasy issue, Tim Walker shot an editorial tribute to the "marvellous, mischievous, magical world" of Roald Dahl, accompanied by a written piece by his great-granddaughter, model and author, Sophie Dahl. It featured Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, but my favourites of this vast spread happened to not include them! What I love most about Tim Walker's photos is how he incorporates florals, especially the gorgeous flower fields he chooses so often as backdrops. I must find out where they are and run through them! (Photographed from the pages, apologies for the compromised quality):

 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Musician Lightspeed Champion


Karen Elson in Gareth Pugh's stylish monochrome transmission


Never smile at a crocodile...Karen Elson


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Georgia Jagger


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, actor Jamie Bell and the Oompa-Loompa


James and the Giant Peach, Karen Elson and Gareth Pugh's Grasshopper


Bellville Sassoon, Sophie Drake as Miss Honey


Rhyme Stew, Karen Elson and Peter Jensen


The BFG, Sophie Drake and Alice Gibb


Revolting Rhymes, Karen Elson

Time to Put Up the Christmas Pugh

Gareth Pugh has reinvented the traditional Christmas tree for Topshop to create a "modern seasonal celebratory symbol". I take that as meaning everyone can enjoy it. Standing 2.8-metres tall, it features 60 white neon tubes on a free-standing metal structure. The tree was unveiled Tuesday at Topshop's newest location in London's Westfield shopping centre, and can also be seen at the Oxford Circus flagship store.

"This neon tree is my interpretation of the traditional Christmas tree shape, putting a super-slick and modern edge to it," the designer explains. "Neon was an obvious choice for me, linking it both to the aesthetic of the Moët & Chandon room I designed at London Fashion Week in September, and the set of my debut show in Paris for spring/summer 2009."

"I think the simple melding of tradition and modernity aptly suits the mood at the moment; we are all looking to a brighter future."

It's really cool and all, but for me, a Christmas tree just isn't a Christmas tree until it has tattered painted toilet paper rolls sparsely adorned with glitter hanging on it. (My parents still use the ornaments I made in nursery school, a looong time ago. They are quite pathetic looking but alas, an institution.)

Via Vogue UK

You Are One Hot Couch Potato

You're a homebody, and getting kitted up in heels and silky dresses for a night of clubbing isn't your thing. So is it fair that you should be deprived of the indulgence of wearing beautiful things? Well, no. It isn't! But it doesn't have to be that way. A night in, lying on the couch watching reality TV and cheesy movies wrapped up in your favourite flannel blanket, with Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey never more than an inch away from your face is great, one of life's simple pleasures. And for years that was pretty much what my at-home nights consisted of.

There's something comforting about your old sweatpants and oversize T shirts, until you have a well overdue lucid moment and look down one day, only to notice there's a history of all your lazy nights on the couch, in stain form. (Oh look, NY Super Fudge Chunk, they don't even make that flavour any more.) And the bum in your pants bears no resemblance to the shape of what it's supposed to be covering. The shame sets in. If there was a fire in your apartment building, you'd sooner stick around and take your chances rather than be seen at 4 am on the lawn in your dirty sloth uniform with no discernible ass.

So keep the routine, there's no reason to abandon a good thing - but get rid of those disgraceful old rags and invest in some luxe loungewear. It's time. Get ideas from these Home Comforts. Do it properly, with pride. Be comfy and cozy, and look fabulous. Just be sure to wear a bib.

Unbelievable Fashion

Left: Alexander McQueen, spring 2005
Right: 'Wood table skirt', Hussein Chalayan, A/W 2000

Christmas came early courtesy of British Vogue: the wrapping is a tri-fold cover featuring Kate Moss in clouds of Dior silk tulle (though it's the dress I fancy much more than the model) and the treats are Fantastic Fashion Fantasy-themed editorial, with such delights as Tim Walker's fields of flowers tribute to Roald Dahl; Karl Lagerfeld's painted depiction of a Secret Ball - a mysterious, exclusive event hosted by an anonymous Russian woman for her billionaire husband; winter wonderlands created using the pages of books and decorated with jewels in Spellbound; an outdoorsy, technicolour editorial shot by Patrick Demarchelier; and to begin, Unbelievable Fashion - "a vivid and memorable demonstration that fashion can be about so many things other than what to wear", shot by Nick Knight (photographed from the pages by moi, apologies for any comprised quality):

  
John Galliano silk-gazar origami, spring 2007 Dior haute couture collection

Left: Alexander McQueen, spring 2005 collection
Right: Yohji Yamamoto, A/W 2000

Both, Dior couture, spring 2003

Gareth Pugh, A/W 2006

Dior couture, spring 2003


Left: Comme des Garcons A/W 2008
Right: Viktor & Rolf, A/W 2003


Thierry Mugler's paper concertina dress, spring 1991


Hussein Chayalan's remote-control aeroplane dress, created in 1999


Left: Hussein Chalayan, spring 2000
Right: Viktor & Rolf, spring 2006

Introducing the Pretty But (Not So?) Smart Car

Hermès is now in the auto business. Well, at least in the business of making cars look beautiful. Last Thursday, the luxury leather goods company unveiled the tiny Smart Car it designed to celebrate the vehicle's 10-year anniversary. The Fortwo édition Toile cars are available in 10 colours and each is fitted with Hermès leather-covered steering wheels and gear levers, with colours including fuchsia and lime, along with the brand’s original canvas toile H. Prices start at 38,000 euros, or $48,564.

But if you can spend that kind of money on pimping up an economy car, why not put it into something safer? Like a car that won't need to be picked out of the axles of an 18-wheeler should it veer too closely on a rainy day.

Okay, I know they're built stronger than they look, but doesn't a big part of the Smart Car's beauty lie in its financial efficiency as well as its fuel economy? It just seems a little incongruent, is all. Hmm... I guess the luxury brands are finally cluing in that the future isn't going to be about gas guzzling Bentleys. No matter how many Diddy buys. Goof. 

Photos: Trashbag Aesthetics