The Swelle Life

Leanimal Untamed on Project Runway

   

(Sorry, Leanne - sometimes headlines are a bit of a challenge.)

Leanne Marshall is one of my favourite designers and I'm thrilled to have found out that she's on Project Runway 5! Actually, she's my #1 favourite of the accessible designers, meaning those who make amazing clothes that we can afford without starving or selling off the family jewels (I'm speaking literally, not figurately, but you can earn your money however you like). For her Leanimal line she mainly designs dresses and coats (do we really need anything else?) that upon first glance have you mentally calculating your savings and clearing space in your wardrobe, thanks to her unique brand of structural and femine detail. 'Cute' doesn't cut it; Leanne's expert ways with tucks and pleats and an instinctive non-traditional approach to mixing fabrics and textures result in a truly original garment. Which is why those who know her covet her extraordinary and beautiful designs.

However, time may be ticking on the bargain prices now that she's been chosen to be one of the 16 (now 13, well done!)talented designers to battle it out before the delightfully snotty Michael Kors, the intensely alert Heidi Klum (those eyes scream 'caffeine!'), and that woman Nina Garcia. And how much do you love 'make it work' Tim Gunn? ProjectRunway.com is auctioning the dress Leanne made in episode 3 (see right) and as of today it's leading the bids of the others by miles. This dress looks so 'Leanimal' yet I haven't seen it before. I really look forward to what brilliant pieces will come from her in future episodes.

I am lucky enough to say that Leanne is designing a custom dress for me once the show is finished and I can't wait to show it here. And she still designs and makes every piece herself. How insanely busy must she be? What a woman. And, she has one dress left in her Etsy shop, a truly special, one-of-a-kind piece that is so artfully crafted that it was displayed in the Contemporary Museum of Craft in Portland. Oregan, where she is currently based.

Project Runway 5 is running on Bravo in the US but I have no idea when Canada is getting it and who is running it (no info on Bravo.ca or google. Hmph!) You can see the first two episodes on YouTube right now, hopefully #3 will be posted soon.

Here are some gorgeous pieces from Leanne's Spring 08 and upcoming Fall collections:

 

 

Turntables Are Sooo Last Spring

Now that we have the Pacemaker, the 'pocket-sized DJ system' from Swedish startup Tonium, does this mean that in 10 years we're going to look back at turntables and view them as awkward and antiquated, as we would the rotary telephone today? Well, no. That's just silly. The clubbers in Ibiza might be right off their nut but it's still not likely they'd get into a DJ set that's essentially a guy in a black t-shirt checking his text messages. We'll always want to see the holier-than-thou DJ at the decks making a big display of swiping that cross-fader and frenetically scratching vinyl.

Ah, but the Pacemaker is not meant to replace the traditional set-up, rather it's a convenient gadget for storing (120 GB worth - can one have that much music?) scratching, bending and stretching your tunes wherever you please (honey, do I hear techno coming from the bathroom?):

Childhood Flashback - A Doggie Without a Name

   

My mother-in-law has kept many of my husband's childhood toys (how cool is that? Like Jerry's girlfriend on Seinfeld where he feeds her turkey and wine so she passes out and he can play with them), and yesterday another gem was mined from the basement for our daughter to play with (how many boys didn't destroy all of their toys? Miraculous). As soon as I saw the puppy with the Sherlock Holmes cap the childhood memories came flooding in, there was a name on the tip of my tongue but I just can't get it. It has the string that you pull to make the legs kind of cycle across the floor - ring any bells? Forgot to take video. Will do tomorrow.

Does anyone recognise this poor, nameless pup? If so, and you recall the name, please let me know so I don't spend the next month obsessing about it. I have other things to obsess about.

Neither myself nor my three brothers can say that a single one of our toys has survived us, or our dad. One Christmas, my little brother Daniel excitedly unwrapped his 'big present', that one thing he REALLY wanted - a toy guitar that looked like a guitar but instead of strings, the fret board had buttons that made sounds. (What was with that? They weren't really even guitar sounds, more like a Casio in guitar form - how 80s.) My dad immediately took it and started playing around with it, trying to compose some kind of Mr. Roboto-esque masterpiece, then two minutes later it was broken. And then he just kind of forgot about it. But Daniel didn't. Poor kid, the socks and underwear just didn't bring out the same kind of holiday cheer. 

Update: Thanks to Karen, we now know he's Digger the Dog. That is not at all familiar to me, and there I thought the name was on the tip of my tongue!

  

Lagerfeld Inspired by Organ Pipes and Fluoro Safety Vests

Karl Lagerfeld's inspiration for Chanel's Fall Winter 2008 Haute Couture show in Paris is fairly obvious, as the installation of massive metallic organ pipe structures at the centre of the circular catwalk at the Grand Palais would reveal. The full view of the display makes me think of a futuristic city arising from the post-apocalyptic rubble of a lost civilisation in a sci-fi movie. The show, the clothes (of course) and even the music are awesome, though you wouldn't know it from the look of sheer boredom on the spectators' faces (shall we assume the heat deflated their enthusiasm? This show could have been held on the surface of the sun and I would have been there with a goofy grin plastered on my face).

You can view the stunningly beautiful show in its entirety below. And (not) oddly, Lagerfeld takes the catwalk for his 'bow' at the end with a man wearing the fluoro-yellow safety vest that he is helping promote driver-compliance for in France (I love how he had someone wear it for him):

Update: Reader Mike Ryan was asking what the main song in the show was, it's Comme dans un reve by Seelenluft (no doubt handpicked by Karl Lagerfeld who is really up on his tunes - and kind of like Aqua on tranquilizers):

Save Amelia's Magazine and Get an Eyeful for Your Efforts

The UK produces some fantastic independently published fashion magazines and Amelia's is one of the best. At just four years old it's known as a hotspot to find up-and-coming illustrators. Which means it looks fabulous - which is what you want first and foremost in your style bibles, is it not? Great writing is expected (though not always delivered), yet the quality and overall appeal of the images is the big unknown when about to flip through a new rag. Personally, I don't go for the harsh and edgy (hard to believe, I know) so I want pages that tempt me with bright, soothing colours and shiny, happy people. Don't get me wrong - it's not a catatonic state I'm seeking, quite the opposite. When I see what's pictured above and below here, I get a rush of inspiration and I immediately want to create. (Though, somehow I always end up at the fridge first.)

Published bi-annually, Amelia's Magazine (love the personal touch) brings us the best fashion, art, music and culture from the UK - all the stuff you had a hunch was happening but had no proof. I don't know about you, but I need magazines like this, I'm not exactly 'living it' on the coast of the North Sea. (Lovely yes, but quaint beach life won't help you keep up with the cool kids.)

Producing an issue is a hefty job (312 pages! Clear off your coffee table) and they need our support to keep going. They offer neat little treats with each issue, such as a cut-out-and-keep carousel (issue #5) and an illustrated (of course!) USB stick with 22 original songs created just for Amelia's, free with the current issue #9. And none of that weird Euro stuff going on here, this is the UK after all!

 

Rothko Fans Must-See: Rothko Symposium at Tate Modern

I'm on the email list for Tate Modern's Events and Courses calendar, for curiosity's sake, which is pretty much a tease as I live in the north east of England and The Tate Modern is in London, about three hours on the train. Trains in the UK are very expensive, it's cheaper to fly (how's that helping offset our carbon footprint?) and then you'd have to get a hotel for the night before. Cost of one night in London would be about $500 including travel - and that's if done on the cheap.

However, this time there was an event that would make the trip and all of its sacrifices worthwhile. Rothko The Symposium is happening Saturday, September 27th, 2008 from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm:

This symposium brings together a stellar cast of international speakers to explore Mark Rothko's late work in the context of the 1960s, a time of historic turmoil when the practice of painting was under increasing attack. The speakers explore key issues such as series and seriality, and the existentialist endeavour of Rothko's late paintings against the rise of Pop art, minimalism and Conceptual art, offering new ways of thinking about one of the most significant artists of the last century.

If you 'get' Rothko, you are thinking this sounds so cool and you are really wanting to go. If you don't know who he is or you don't get Rothko, then you would likely rather eat a piece of gum off the street. I fall into the first category (obviously) and feel such an intense affinity for Rothko's later work that to describe it here would embarrass me, my family and the guy who delivers our groceries.

If you know what I mean, and haven't visited Tate Modern before, make a point of it if you find yourself in London. They boast a Rothko room that is home to nine of the murals he was commissioned to paint for the most exclusive room of the new restaurant at The Four Seasons in New York's Seagram Building. Rothko gave them to Tate Modern after returning his fee and refusing to hand them over to the luxury hotel chain, at odds with the lifestyle of excess that the once poor, Russian immigrant had come to despise.  

But it's not quite what you'd expect. From the fascinating 2002 Guardian article Feeding Fury: How Rothko's Seagram murals found their way to London:

This is what Rothko told John Fischer, a fellow tourist he bumped into in the bar of an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic in the early summer of 1959 after he had been working for several months on the paintings. Fischer was an editor of Harper's Magazine and their conversations over drinks have therefore been recorded - Fischer published Portrait Of The Artist As An Angry Man, a memoir of Rothko, in Harper's Magazine in July 1970. Some guardians of Rothko's memory prefer to think that he was playing up to the journalist, that he didn't mean what he said, because what he said is so incendiary. Rothko told Fischer he wanted to upset, offend and torture the diners at the Four Seasons, that his motivation was entirely subversive.

Fischer quotes Rothko describing the room in that very expensive restaurant in the Seagram Building as "a place where the richest bastards in New York will come to feed and show off".

Rothko didn't seem to Fischer in the least unworldly, let alone spiritual about his intentions. "I hope to ruin the appetite of every son of a bitch who ever eats in that room," he gloated, with paintings that will make those rich bastards "feel that they are trapped in a room where all the doors and windows are bricked up".

I've sat in that room on four occasions and found that despite his attempts to disturb the viewer (which he does succeed in doing), Rothko couldn't betray what seems to be an unstoppable propensity to create a beautiful experience (described by many as 'religious' or 'spiritual'). The shapes within, like those in the rest of his late pictures (as he liked to call them) do also float above the canvas. It's a profoundly confusing ordeal, and I highly recommend it.

See Me, Touch Me, Love Me

If you are drawn to surfaces that compel you to run your hands all over them to the point of momentarily forgetting where you are and what you were doing - you're in luck. There is some serious A/W 2008 eye-candy begging to be felt-up.

On my last day at the cottage, I sat down in front of the large bedroom windows overlooking the lake, and began flipping through the current issue of British Vogue. Some complain about all the ads but I love them, I'm beginning to think they're the best part of some of the fashion rags out there. A few pages in I see that Gucci is doing fur as a key element of their Hysteria Collection (aptly named, considering?)...okay, not really into that.

But wait - what's this? Ooh! Wow! Bottega Veneta has done the most incredible coats of fabric loops upon fabric loops that look like they were produced in the most fabulous craft class (above). I haven't yet had a peek at their Fall 2008 RTW so I took the opportunity to see what other goodies were on offer (see how the ads come in handy?). I was delighted to find that Tomas Maier's collection is full of delicious texture (see the dress below - it's like a well-manicured garden of charcoal grey petals), though most of it is quite understated in comparison.

Turning the page I come across Dolce & Gabbana's latest, who I have to admit I'm really loving as of late. With Spring's to-die-for, handpainted, floral dresses and their expertise in smartly layering knits - accessorising them with caps, scarves and boots in a way that takes the look eons beyond the typical approach to cool weather dressing - I'd have to say they make it to the top of my Fall 2008 wish list. Here, the texture is an illusion, with fabrics appearing to  be painted with visible brushstrokes that resemble fur (far less 'hysteria' inducing than Gucci's real thing):

 

Oh wait, I think this is fur here: transparent and gauzy is paired with a lush, curly-textured...fur?:

 

The examples certainly don't end here, but for this post, the final look is a tribute to Linda Evangelista, who is making somewhat of a comeback (she never really went away but she's 'hot' again) as the face for Germaine de Capuccini, L'Oreal Paris and most excitingly, the current Prada ad campaigns (rumour has it Sasha Pivovarova's contract was cancelled). Prada is responsible for bringing back lace in a BIG way this year and naturally it stars in the ad campaign along with our favourite Canadian supermodel (can I mention again that she went to my high school??):

Prada ads from levangelista.net

Other photos from Style.com

D'oh! I Missed The Simpsons at Colette

Let me clarify - I missed The Simpsons at Colette by about a year. So I'm not breaking any news here (unless you're easy on "currentness" being the criteria for news). I stumbled upon these photos of Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs and Alber Elbaz posing with Simpsons illustrations and immediately panicked, asking the world in general "How? How? How did I miss this episode of the Simpsons?" I was going to blame it on UK TV being a bit behind Fox's scheduling as very few U.S. shows run simultaneously in Brit-land (hmm... although I would have been in Canada then, as I am here now, as we are for the good part of every summer). 

Anyway, I was relieved to find out this was from from an exhibit at Paris' Colette (you must look at their website, it's so French in the way that Daft Punk is French - I guarantee you haven't seen anything quite like it). The illustrations were from a Harper's Bazaar feature from August 07 called The Simpsons Go to Paris with Linda Evangelista (illustrations by Matt Groening and artwork by Julius Priete). Incredible model she was, don't you think? One of the best ever? (And she's nabbed a most-coveted Prada campaign at 43!) She went to my high school in St. Catharines. I didn't know her, though - she left grade 13 when I was coming into grade 9. In the yearbook she had massive, frizzy hair. Look who's laughing now.

So then I was left feeling dumb and out of the loop for missing that issue. I really must pay more attention to Harpers Bazaar - though I have to say I'm really tired of US magazines putting over-exposed, American actresses on their covers, photoshopped to a level of flawless smoothness my almost three year-old daughter can't rival, and trying to look all modelly. (Like, their current cover is Jessica Biel. I'm not buying that!)

 

This display isn't creepy at all:

Source

A Most Wonderful Introduction to Synaesthesia

Synaeth - what? Most people haven't heard the word, much less know what it means. Despite the fact that many of them have it.

Synaesthesia is a joining together of the senses that are normally experienced separately. I have it myself, thinking until I was thirty years old (not so long ago!) that it's normal to see music (I still have a very hard time believing that others see nothing when hearing music or particular sounds). Experts say this is especially rare, though I don't know life any other way so it doesn't seem particularly special to me, other than comparatively.

What does music look like to me? Well, it depends on the music itself. I see it about a metre in front of me, and it's a fairly large composition consisting of colours, patterns and shapes. If the music is composed of many layers or tracks, I see those individual elements. I've seen everything from a bright transparent green background with diagonally moving red opaque spheres of varying size, to a smooth, light-coloured wood grain texture moving slowly and horizontally along the bottom of a very pale yellow background.

I also taste things that are emotionally repulsive to me (it's a wonder I don't carry gum with me at all times as it's so sour I want to spit) and I see some people as colours and shapes, as I do with music. I don't know if that's what people are referring to when they say they see auras; I prefer not to label it as even between synaesthetes experiences can be varied and are quite personal. Quite common is seeing letters and numbers as colours (for me, the number 37 is yellow tinged with orange on the 7 but there's no universal 'colour code' amongst synaesthetes):

Out of my three brothers, one shares a remarkably similar synaesthesia to what I have. We've written music together where he creates an electronica composition using computer software and sometimes live instruments, and I listen, then draw it using coloured pencils. After, we take a look and see where the composition needs something added to create symmetry, in other words - a balanced composition, a successful piece of art. So, if there is an awkward gap between the lines, shapes, or patterns near the bottom of the composition, for example, we know we can add, say, an ice blue bursting shape over the bass and the sound will become more lush and complete. And we keep going until we're happy with what we see.

Oddly, the brother I'm referring to is an identical twin, and his twin doesn't have it. The same has been observed by Dr. Jamie Ward of Sussex University, UK, a leading expert in synaesthesia who has written an excellent booked called The Frog Who Croaked Blue: Synesthesia and the Mixing of the Senses  which argues that the condition is not abnormal as it was once viewed but rather quite normal (though I can tell you that myself and my brother had always felt different growing up but we didn't know why). While it does run in families, many identical twins don't share the neurological phenomenon. 

That was the introduction and here is the 'wonderful' part I promised. By chance, I happened one day to find a website featuring an exhibition from 2005/2006 called The Sound of Clothes: Synaesthesia. Admittedly, I immediately suspected the word was used to superficially 'make cool' some fashion piece by someone who knew little about it. I was thrilled to the point of loudly squealing to discover this was far from the case. From SHOWstudio.com:

During the shoot of a 'Balenciaga special' by Nick Knight for Pop magazine in November '05, digital artist Daniel Brown was invited on set to respond to Nicolas Ghesquiere's Spring/Summer '06 collection. Inspired by its delicately layered, translucent garments, Brown proposed a series of interactives based on the unpublished images from Knight's story (published in January '06). Using the notion of 'pictures for the blind' as a stimulus, a collaboration with synaesthete and sound designer Nick Ryan ensued, aiming to interpret the source garments and images through sound.

Nick Ryan is amazing. When he was shipped the Balenciaga jacket (as modeled by Gemma Ward, who happens to be my favourite model, what a bonus) to complete the score (he realised he needed to see it in person after trying first with photos) he heard 36 distinct sounds upon seeing the exquisite garment. After working with an orchestra to capture exactly the right audio for each fabric or skin tone, Ryan then gave the tracks to Brown, who delicately married each sound with its respective part of the image. Use your mouse to unleash the full cacophony in Brown and Ryan’s extraordinarily beautiful, fashion interactive:

http://www.showstudio.com/projects/synaesthesia/interactive/

Be sure to get your mouse going on the image to begin the interaction. Notice the sounds on the tiny little buttons on her cuffs, and her fingers which are like delicate tinkling on piano keys. Just incredible. Do you find yourself becoming familiar with the sounds and instinctively creating your own composition?

If you have synaesthesia (I prefer to call it 'my thing'), I'd love to hear from you.

Cottage Bloggin': Do You Dare Take Your Computer To the Cottage?

Let me preface this post by admitting that I have had to leave the most luxurious cottage I've ever seen in person for a wired coffee house in Bracebridge, due to a failed internet connection at our (rented) woodland palace on Muskoka's Lake Rosseau. (I guess you really can't have everything.) So, four days after writing this post, I am finally able to publish it (the connection failed as I was loading the photos - oh, the agony). So, if you will, come back in time with me to this past Saturday:

This summer getaway is courtesy of my husband's family who thought it was time everyone had a break at the lake (my mother-in-law does nothing if not with style). I brought with me my trusty and tiny Eee PC (so great for travel) and prayed the wireless worked and that the speed was going to allow me to load a page without having to do the laundry to pass the agonising wait time. (Note: And we all know how that turned out.)

Why take along the cyber Ball and Chain when lucky enough to be in a place so perfect for detaching from the drudgery of our daily routines and the world in general, in favour of calm and restful bliss? That's quite a subject of debate. It was the question of the hour for a daytime radio show I caught in the car a few years back, and people were quite fired up. Predictably, it was split between those who said "I'll do what I want, what do you care" and those who were so offended by a modem at a cottage, it seemed the very idea that their neighbours were logged on diminished the quality of their own holiday. At the time, I thought you'd have to be missing a soul to worry about a computer on holiday, and while I wouldn't condemn anyone else's choice, I simply couldn't relate to the mindset of mixing nature with technology in that particular way.

Yet, here I am - blogging from a wicker club chair in the Muskoka room with it's high ceilings and breathtaking view of the deep blue lake, gorgeous skies and lush foliage as far as the eye can see. There's a moose head crafted out of dark wicker mounted on the wall and loons swimming by the dock. This place couldn't feel more Canadian if the guys who founded the Roots Company were sitting next to me (who happen to be American draft dodgers but you get the point).

Oh look - there's someone jetskiing, and my husband's cousins are climbing out of the lake onto the deck and into their waiting Muskoka chairs (their refreshment will abruptly ruined when they take a sip of boiling hot beer from those cans they left in the sun). I hear debate in the kitchen over exactly where Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell's 'compound' is in relation to us (each claims to have it on good authority its whereabouts but the info doesn't match - hee hee).

I'm feeling a bit sheepish about all the precious minutes spent trouble-shooting an at-times dodgy internet connection so I can keep up with my daily posts, but at this time - for me - it's very important that I do. I love my blog and it means something to me. Because, if it didn't, there would be no blog. It's a labour of love that requires a lot of each as any blogger can attest. And, it's being featured on Typepad (I highly recommend them if you're serious about blogging) on Wednesday, July 23 so I am especially keen to post daily and avoid appearing as a lazy blogger. How many more times can I say blog or blogger?

I've just been handed a Bellini - thank you, very refreshing. Is it just me or when you hear 'Bellini' do you think of Kids in the Hall's pudgy and mustacheoed cameo character, Paul Bellini, who was always naked but for a towel wrapped around his waist? I can see from where I'm sitting the bottle of champagne that went into the Bellinis. It is Spumante. It is truly the ginger ale of champagnes. 

Back to the topic at hand: do you or don't you bring the computer to the cottage? I think it depends on necessity (are you working from the cottage) and consensus of your group (will it tick someone off). Though only a few of us were using our computers, no one seemed bothered (whether they were secretly thinking we were soulless ghouls is another matter).

I have to say, blogging from the Muskoka room - with its incredible view, I didn't feel I was missing anything by being inside. Of course I'll get out and play some badminton and take a walk down to the dock with my daughter, so it's a matter of balance. Oh - I caught a frog last night. Or maybe it was a toad. It peed on me. See? Despite my cyber obligations, I am in touch with nature.

Karl Lagerfeld Shows Off Cool New Robot Hand

Kaiser Karl recently appeared in public with what looks to be a space-age robot hand, replacing his right human hand (except for the fingertips which he apparently opted to keep). Whispers amongst fashion insiders reveal that the hand desperately required radical measures to repair what had sadly become a gnarled and wizzened appendage, due to years of obsessive self-cooling with a dainty hand-held fan and gripping ice-cold cans of Diet Coke (brilliantly remedied by his employment of a beverage butler, if only a little too late).

Sources say that this is the first phase toward a complete transformation, which we could all see coming, as Mr. Lagerfeld's face and ears are the only flesh he will now expose to the world (and sometimes that little window cut-out in his racing gloves). Speculation is rampant that his morph of choice is the tres apropo Cylon - the bio-mechanical, bad-ass beings from the TV series Battlestar Galactica. Watch for his grand debut at Paris Fashion Week,  A/W 2008.

Prove Your Love at the Lakeside Park Carousel

My daughter was shouting it excitedly and I was thinking it (also excitedly - that's the great thing about keeping things to yourself, you're spared the public shaming): we wanted to ride on the shiny white horse adorned with the pink and blue gear. It was the prettiest of all the animals on the historic Lakeside Park carousel. Yes, that's the Lakeside Park made famous in Rush's song of the same name (..."so many mem-orieees").

As we ran onto the carousel giggling (her, not me. Okay, me too - but only in my mind, with a little vocal leakage), I noticed that we had no competition for our chosen ride, we were the only fun seekers clambering for this fine specimen. How could this be? I wondered. Then I saw why: no hydrolics, it didn't go up and down. Duh. Also, I don't think the others really considered the aesthetics of their animal. Unthinkable for us! To have only plain brown horses as options would really put the droll in our drollery. Luckily, for our next ride we found two lovely brown ponies  with purple and blue, side by side, and bingo! They did go up and down. I didn't feel like such a novice this time.

The Lakeside Park carousel is very special. Handcarved between 1898 and 1905 in Brooklyn, New York, this Charles Looff original (no cheap knock-offs here) was first an amusement at Hanlan's Point in Scarborough, Toronto. It found its current St. Catharines home on Lake Ontario way back in 1921, and still functions using the original organ - complete with twirling dancing girls - which was restored in 1985 thanks to Lottario funds. It boasts 68 animals and  many of the horses tails still sport real horse hair (cool or gross, depending). The nostalgic sentiments are reflected in the teenage carousel operators' uniform of a blue newsboy cap and shorts with red suspenders over a white, short-sleeved dress shirt (you know that a little piece of them dies every time they get dressed for work but it's a nice touch). To top it all off, it's still only 5 cents a ride. Imagine! You can take the family down to Port Dalhousie with a twoonie and ride all day!

I was surprised to see that in addition to young children and their parents, there were many young, 20-something couples partaking in the 360 degree fun (and not in that annoying ironic way). The boyfriends were only too happy to straddle a horse to merry-go-round music alongside their sweeties, and I just found this so fascinating. I couldn't imagine Other Half doing the same, without some kind of substantial bribe and a promise to leave the camera in the car and never a word about it again. I mentioned my observation to my brother Greg who was with us and his response was "If you're really into the girl, you'll do it." Hmmm...really? Is this true? Or are you simply a Carousel Guy or Not A Carousel Guy?

Enter Other Half as I'm writing this so I ask him. He says "It depends how much I'm trying to impress you." I can't believe he would even consider it under any circumstances, other than with our daughter. So I push and remind him we're married, so would he do it now? He smiles and shakes his head "Uhhh...no. I'd have nothing at stake." Ha! It's just as well, I didn't think I was marrying a Carousel Guy, I need the balance. Imagining myself with someone so much like me is far too frightening. And anyway, more nickels for me and Elle.

Taking Tea as They Did in the 20s

 

I wanted my wedding gift to my lovely, good friend to be special, to reflect a bit of the Old World style she and her husband-to-be sought to bring to their matrimonial festivities. They didn't go full-on with the 1930s details (as to do so would drive an otherwise cool bride up the wall and over); instead they thoughtfully chose their opportunities, specifically the Art Deco invitation design (created by a multi-talented fiance), the square, black lacquered flowerpot table centerpieces, and an elegant vintage-inspired birdcage veil worn by the bride, pinned at the back of her perfectly styled 'do so as not to obscure her radiant face. Considering this, a set of towels wrapped up in pretty paper just didn't seem right (no offence to those who may have given towels - they were on the registry after all, as they were on my own).

I felt it was my duty to find something truly wonderful from the era so I began my search. One of the first places I visited was the local antique shop on the Tynemouth high street, which houses an incredible collection of 19th century china, the most dainty and intricately detailed cups and saucers that you wouldn't dare drink from. Alas, they were too old, and then there's the risk of it being deemed too stuffy or worse - fuddy duddy. It turns out I went in there on the right day. I asked the owner/dealer for anything 1930s, preferably Art Deco, and he told me he doesn't usually get Art Deco in the shop but a tea set had come in and he'd just finished cleaning it. "Shall I show it to you?" he asked, and next thing I knew there was a stunning, orange-red and black, handpainted ceramic tea set laid out in front of me - complete with pot, sugar bowl, cream jug and four small cups and saucers (the cups from that era seem to be quite tiny). It was near-perfect and appeared to have never been used.

The next thing to do was look up the potters mark on the bottom, which hadn't yet been done as this set of treasures had only just arrived. The dealer showed me the page with the corresponding mark which stated these pieces were made between 1913 - 1930. SOLD! Now only to get it back on the plane without so much as a chip.

And I did get it back with nary a scratch. It was meant to be. I've actually just given the set to my friend tonight and I am pleased to report she loved it and greatly appreciated its character. I knew she would, and that's why I sought it out.

But I didn't stop there. Out of curiosity I did a Google search for the mark and found the saucer - the exact design and colours corresponding with the mark introduced in 1930. There was also the same set in a blue colourway, which they identified as a coffee set (it's up to you, really), 1930s - again, bearing the subsequent mark to the one I'd found. So, it appears they continued with the design into the 30s. A popular one, I reckon.

And a bit about the history: Soho Pottery Ltd. was located in Stoke-on-Trent, England - considered to be the home of the pottery industry in England and commonly known as The Potteries. Excellent - it's from good stock, then. And it's found the same and better in its new home.

Cecil Beaton: Beautiful Pictures, Beautiful Words

Have you ever read about someone whose body of work is so immense and so accomplished that you can feel the breath sucked out of you?

Cecil Beaton was best known as a photographer of theatrical, royal and societal luminaries, and he snapped a few models here and there. The Londoner also designed for the stage and film, winning Oscars for costume design for Gigi and My Fair Lady and for his art direction on the latter. In 1972 he was knighted, but so was Cliff Richard so it's not a big deal, really.

While the days of being able to view his fashion photographs with a simple flip through Vogue or Vanity Fair are long, long, gone, some of Beaton's most compelling work is immediately tangible - through his many fascinating books consisting largely of his diaries. Loaded with name dropping, juicy insider bits (he had an affair with Greta Garbo in the 40s) and bitchy observations, the gossip is countered by his voluminous heart-felt expressions (Garbo would fit here as well) - an example being his love of nature, particularly flowers.

The Glass of Fashion is considered by some to be his best writing. Described by Maria Bustillos, editor of Vintage Voice, as "a vivid book, sensual, rich, absurd, philosophical and prophetic", I was immediately intrigued and looked to see who was selling it. From what I gather it's out of print and if you want a used copy (albeit first edition, 1954) you can spend anywhere from $92 to $1035, depending on the condition. Hmm.....

The good news is you can get the more accessible title The Unexpurgated Beaton: The Cecil Beaton Diaries as He Wrote Them, 1970-1980 for $17.95 at Amazon.com. Written during Beaton's declining years, and being an unexpurgated diary (nothing has been removed) there is some detail that will be off-putting for some - though for most fans, likely not enough to spoil an otherwise enjoyable read (Andy Warhol and David Bailey make an appearance). Includes 40 photographs.

 
Matisse Series, 1952                          Marilyn Monroe's favourite portrait

  Marlene Dietrich, 1935
     

 The official coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth, taken after the ceremony (Amazingly, this could be a Dali painting with the addition of a halved pomegranate and a reference to sodomy.)   

Men, You Don't Have to Suffer in Sweaty Silence Anymore

Reader Pret-a-Portly has brought to my attention a new product on the market that men have been screaming for, to soothe an untreated affliction that is part of everyday life - yet one that the women close to them are largely unaware of (unless they've considered what the frequent grimace-and-shifting of the nether regions might be indicating). As this blog does have some male readers (thank you), I would be doing you a disservice if I neglected to pass it on.

Amazon.com sells this little gift from heaven. You might want to make special note of the charming product description and the helpful and truly genuine customer reviews. Adios, dreaded bat wings. Eeuuuw.

In the words of Elaine Benes, "I don't know how you guys walk around with those things..."

Understated Dubai Will Blossom with Help from Karl Lagerfeld

Dubai has finally overcome its modest approach to living with plans for a fashion island or 'Isla Moda' as it will be known, by hiring Karl Lagerfeld to design 80 residential homes.

The man behind Chanel has high hopes for his influence on the project, saying, "Dubai is a fashion bud on the verge of blossoming into the next fashion hub of the world. Isla Moda has tremendous potential to be the style icon of the future and I intend on driving the island to high style stardom."

The first of five designers handpicked to take on the role of Mr. Brady, Lagerfeld's contribution will include a "limited edition line." In case houses in the land of the ludicrously wealthy designed by arguably the world's greatest living fashion designer wasn't already exclusive enough.

With the blazing temperatures and all the water about, I wonder if Karl will be tempted to revive his sizzling 1970 beach look? (You should see the full shot. I'd have shown it but I didn't know if you could handle the sexy.)

Source

It's True, 'Want' Doesn't Suck

My favourite Toronto boutique Want certainly does not suck. Nor does it wang, blow, or narf (I made that last one up). And neither does their newly relaunched website - anymore (there wasn't really anything there until now). A trip home wouldn't be complete without a visit to their Yonge & St. Clair or Avenue & Lawrence shops (they're also on Bathurst in Richmond Hill) to browse the racks of irresistably feminine, stylish clothes (it's impossible not to leave with something), and now you can buy from direct from their website.

Their online shop offers a selection from their in-store stock of over 70 predominantly L.A. brands in three categories: Accessories, Basics and Must-Haves. Owner/buyer Pari Davis has a keen eye for what women want and she must be right - clothes fly off the racks as loyal and eager shoppers watch for the latest arrivals. It's one-stop shopping for any occasion - from rainy, do-nothing Sundays to office to black-tie, plus a large collection of accessories to play with.

 
Personally, I go in for the dresses, which Want do brilliantly. Thanks to my recent purchase of two super-comfy yet great-looking Notify and Bailey 44 dresses, I have now achieved my 'dress every day' goal (meaning that I wear dresses every day, not that it was a challenge to get dressed everyday, though admittedly, there have been days I'm not proud of). The key is finding dresses that you actually want to wear when you wake up, it's practicality as much as style. It has to be easy and comfortable for getting things done around the house, a dash out to the local chippy, do well for a girls' lunch with a little accessorising, and hand-washable. Dry cleaning just won't work for inclusion in the 'every day' rotation. (Both of my new dresses say 'Dry clean only' but neither are silk so I handwash). So, bravo to Want for giving us fabulous options for whatever it is we need. In a range of prices from dirt-cheap to investment piece. And I love that they carry Ella Moss, BCBG and Trina Turk.

Oh, and their coats and jackets are amazing. I still have and wear often an Edward An pink-mix silk tweed belted coat with a removable tulle crinoline that I bought 6 years ago (what happened to Edward An?), and an aqua Ruth coat with yellow contrast piping that is even older and still cheers me up when I put it on. They are modern classics that I will always want to wear (provided I'm not exploding out of them and popping buttons. It's come close). Enduring love of your wardrobe - that's a sure sign that your beloved boutique is doing their absolute best for you.

Need style advice? You can hide behind your monitor and ask away using their Ask a Stylist online form. And don't miss the Window Shop feature for a preview of special in-store items that you can order by phone (right now there are several to-die-for dresses). Me want. You want?

 

More Impressive than those Weiner Dog Balloons

Your local party store may be all you need to create your own versions of the innovative Maison Martin Margiela's latest dresses, tops, jackets and jewelry.

The haute couture season in Paris showed collections that Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune described as "architectural" due to the use of "sharp angles and circle shapes". and MMM's balloon twist jacket would fall under that category. I'm guessing there are no zippers or buttons, and that many highly skilled clowns were recruited to produce this squeaky piece (a nice break from kids' birthday parties).

There's also a dress made of records and a necklace created out of brass wire made to look like gift ribbons. According to Diane, A Shaded View of Fashion, the wire is coated in silver to make a piece of plastron jewelry, and a crepe de chine dress is covered with cut-up 35 and 45 rpm records that were reshaped when warm to mould to the shape of the body.

And that's why it's haute couture.