The Swelle Life

Belated Cupcake Monday, Again

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am always late. I'm a real jerk that way. (But I don't mean to be.) So it's no surprise that Cupcake Monday has been coming on Tuesday. I should pretend it's Cupcake Sunday so it actually gets posted on time. But that would work as well as putting the clock 5 minutes ahead. You never forget that it's fast. (And sometimes I don't even know what day it is, so...)

Anyway, this week's little beauties look so pretty not because of what's inside but rather thanks to their presentation (though the cupcakes themselves are making me want to eat a package of icing sugar). These daintily detailed wrappers are from Estilo Weddings and the cut-out designs range from white picket fences to orange Feur de Lis. The online shop sells all kinds of wedding-related adornments as well as a line of eco-friendly items.

HOWEVER! The site is on hiatus until next spring due to the arrival of their new baby but they have a blog and lookbook to satiate those who love all things 'wedding'. Speaking of weddings, I was late for mine.  

Truly Tasteless Post: 'David' Shorts

 

I hope the title of this post braced you somewhat for what was to follow. Sincere apologies if not, or if this offends your tender sensibilities and puts you off cocktail wienies for the rest of your life.

So I'm in Canada now at my family's and yesterday I was watching a show on the CBC where the host attempts to ascertain, for his own cultural enrichment, what is 'art.' So he travels to Florence, the home of Michelangelo's masterpiece 'David,' and included in the shots taken of the Palazzo della Signoria where a copy of the statue stands (the original is housed in the nearby Galleria dell'Accademia) we see racks of shorts with David's nether regions printed on the front and back. I couldn't believe it. I've not been, yet, but I'm glad I had a heads-up so my heart wouldn't fall out the bottoms of my feet when I do one day visit the city.

I had to look this up and found The David Shorts Store when I googled 'David shorts.' And there they were. I like how the website boasts 'we use only the highest quality materials.' Because surely the guy buying these shorts has discerning tastes. But is 100% polyester a top quality fabric? Especially for 'down there'? Better yet are the key selling points, which include:

• Impress women at parties
• Parade around town without having to be bashful

The latter of which is followed by a trip downtown to have your name added to the sex offender's registry.

And they offer alternatives if David isn't 'man' enough for you, like the Italian XXL David Shorts. The XXL does refer to the size, but not of the shorts if you know what I mean.

There was NO WAY I was showing those.

Wanna Buy Coco Rocha's Miniature Greenhouse?

Victorian miniature greenhouse by Simon Costin. £6,000.
Model Coco Rocha. Albion Cosmetics A/W 2009 campaign.
Photographed by Tim Walker.

Have you ever wondered what happens to those cool and unusual props made for editorial shoots and campaigns? Well, some of them now go Showstudio's new curated shop. It was established to sell an exclusive selection of one-of-a-kind creations that will appeal to collectors eager to own a piece of fashion history. Showstudio's got the inside track in that renowned British fashion photographer Nick Knight is the creator of the site and the shooter of many of the spreads from which the items came. Others are from Tim Walker's fantastical and dreamy editorial so if you have the cash to scoop up the greenhouse please know that I hate you. Just a little bit.

Cherries by Simon Costin. Edition of 9.
Albion Cosmetics A/W 2009 campaign.
Photographed by Tim Walker.


Taxidermied Belgian tiger on painted wooden base, £50,000
Alexander McQueen S/S 2010 PUMA campaign
Crane Vs. Tiger, photographed by Nick Knight.

I'm uh, assuming it died of natural causes...


Poodle marionette by Shona Heath, £6,000
British Vogue, April 2008. Model Karen Elson.
Photographed by Tim Walker.


Eyeballs by Shona Heath. 6 pieces, £3,000.
British Vogue, December 2008.
Photographed by Tim Walker.



Life-size Toy Soldier costume by Shona Heath, £5,000.
‘Soldier, soldier, won't you marry me?’ British Vogue, April 2008.
Photographed by Tim Walker.

Now here's something interesting. It's a pirate flag made from a Union Jack, created by John Galliano for a 2001 portrait shot by Nick Knight. Price, £25,000. That's a lot of sterling for a piece of distressed cotton with a stencil spray-painted on it. So, the perceived value must be in the idea that Galliano made it with his own hands (I'd want proof) to serve as the backdrop for an iconic photograph of himself. Surely many of his fashion designs, particularly haute couture, sell at a price even higher than this. It could be argued that his dresses, embellished by artisans at Paris' last remaining specialty ateliers and the product of hundreds of hours of work should be considered works of art. And I'd agree. But the flag? And to the extent that a price tag of £25,000  is justified, even to the least objective of fans? What do you think?

‘John Galliano’. Design Museum London, 2001
Photographed by Nick Knight

Passing the Time with Pretty, Dead Roses

When I arrived in Paris the other week I went straight to Xuan-Thu Nguyen's atelier and boutique in the Marais to pick up my invitation to her couture show. There was such an excitement in the air on the eve before her collection and it was the perfect welcome back to Paris. The BBC was there filming an interview, photographers were shooting a model walking in one of the looks - a most exquisite pair of nubby black trousers with a jacket that I will soon show - and an embroiderer and a knitter had come up from the busy atelier downstairs to complete the last of the pieces. There was a palpable intensity in the air as there was still so much to do, yet everyone who had a stake in the following day's event offered a smile and a 'Bonsoir' and Thu herself - stressed to the gills - was as sweet and hospitable as ever as my excitement about the collection nearly bubbled over into some kind of embarrassing mess.

As I waited to speak with Thu I was occupied with, or rather fixated on, these gorgeous roses in glass bottles that were scattered on the floor in her front window around the base of an installation that Thu later explained had been on display in a gallery in the Louvre. The roses were dead; the yellows had faded and the edges browned while the lilacs and purples were still saturated with colour, and the combined effect was romantic and lovely. I took pictures of this calm little haven when I felt I wouldn't be interfering with the goings-on by doing so. Thu told me almost apologetically that the flowers were alive when they were brought in but I thought the look was intended. Without seeing them alive I thought I most certainly preferred them dead. The same doesn't work for food, though. I forgot about a slice of brie in the fridge once and I'd for sure say it was better when it was new. 

 

D'oh! Belated Cupcake Monday

I just had one of those 'Aw, crap!' moments. I realised that it's Tuesday (it is, right?) and that I forgot cupcake Monday. Things have been nuts, we just bought a new house, we're getting ready to go to Canada tomorrow for four weeks and a good friend is moving away and we had our goodbye lunch today (sniff).  My brain works at 7% capacity on a good day so me missing something shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. 

But I can still show you cupcakes! I love really colourful ones that look like some kind of Claymation creation such as these from Australia's Cupcake Cuisine. The icing looks so sugary I bet one lick would make you rip off your clothes and take off running through the streets. And that's why I'm not allowed to eat cupcakes.

 

Living Out of a Suitcase is Looking Pretty Good

I thought since today was all about furniture shopping I'd keep with the theme. This cat bed from Vintage Renaissance is made from a vintage suitcase and mid-century coffee table legs and is just so cool. But the cat doesn't care, you can see that he's just dying to attack a piece of string he sees on the floor and is already over the whole modelling thing. 

If only it was this easy to furnish our bedroom. After a day of looking at showrooms with a three year-old in tow (who at the moment thinks it's hilarious to get Mummy and Daddy angry and frustrated -  her eyes light up and she smiles BIG at the first sign of exasperation) I'm about ready to resort to luggage, too.

Shameless Self-Promotion: Swelle Interview at Aspiring Couture

On Friday The Swelle Life aka 'Me' was featured at Aspiring Couture, a blog with a big heart for emerging and independent fashion designers. Thank you to everyone who left a lovely comment, and much gratitude to Allison for thinking of The Swelle Life!

Aspiring Couture has recently launched an online boutique that sells the unique creations of the clothing, bridal, accessories and jewelry designers who have had spotlights on the blog. And as The Swelle Life has also got it bad for exciting indie talent I'll soon be introducing the Aspiring Couture boutique and its growing roster of new designers. So watch this space, especially if you're looking for an extraordinary wedding gown!

Marie-Antoinette Visual Overload

I'm not really sure that Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette was a good film but this is one occasion where it matters not a whit. For it is a tasty feast for the eyes with breathtaking costumes from Milena Canonero and set design so enchanting that it could tempt you to trade places with Marie Antoinette, if only a spaceship could come rescue you sometime down the road from, well, you know.

For me, these pictures never get old.

 

   

 

 

 

 

Drown Me in LA Drama Queen

It's late July, everyone is suffering in the sweltering heat and the humidity is so thick it's suffocating. You do the charitable thing and offer to take your nieces and nephews to the community pool for a dip in what is essentially raw sewage. What swimsuit do you take along for such an occasion? Something you won't mind pouring gasoline over and setting ablaze after you remove it, and certainly not a piece from LA Drama Queen.

The Los Angeles-based swimwear and intimate apparel designer creates showstopping suits, taking her cue from ultra-feminine vintage styles and incorporating such features as a built-in corset bra in the above 'Barbie' swimsuit. And better yet - you can actually swim in them. Though wouldn't you be a bit reluctant to get this insanely adorable 'Absyinthe' suit all wet?

 

 

A Decorated House is a Happy House

Tonight I found another artist who loves Paris as much as I do (I'm referring to Fifi Flowers as the first, and I have a hunch there may even be more!). Donna Courtney of The Decorated House creates collages that completely satisfy the lust for romantic and hazy French antiquity and delivers it nice and compact so we can clutter our walls with the (seemingly) time-yellowed aqua and pink-hued delineations with the reckless abandon of Marie Antoinette.

 

The French writing that is featured in the first collage is from a note Donna found in a French book dating back to 1808. It's details like these that transform a piece of paper into a much-loved treasure.

 

Donna also creates mixed media pieces using found objects such as beautifully aged skeleton keys, old crocheted lace, metal birds, all of which are meticulously finished to look and feel like a piece of antique art:

 

 

Le sigh...

La Joie de Vivre, Fifi Flowers-style

Parisienne Party Dress. Fifi Flowers

Just about everybody who has been to Paris has fallen in love with it. And the rest are likely just as smitten with the notion that lives within their imagination thanks to photographs and paintings that illustrate the best of what one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world has to offer.

The paintings from Fifi Flowers convey the playfulness, guilt-free indulgence and unapologetic passion that lives in the heart of Paris, its interiors and its people. How is it that simple lines and a vibrant colour palette can imbue the kinds of qualities that leave us hopelessly besotted? The answer lies in the heart, the hand and the eye of the artist who, who when I first saw her paintings, had me feeling the emotional equivalent of a wet puppy just out of the bath madly tearing around the house.

Red Bench Entry. Fifi Flowers

Fifi paints homages to other great cities as well and takes commissions where she works from your travel photographs or pictures of your house or business or even your pets, and makes them Fifi-esque. And she appears to be endlessly enamoured by flowers and beautiful interiors which are my favourite paintings of hers as I share the same longing to be surrounded by gorgeous and happy things.

And then she takes it even further. The saying goes "the home is where the heart is," and the ultimate home surely reflects those details we consider the key to a blissful existence. So it's only fitting that Fifi also provides an online decorating service which is as simple as sending her photos of the room you want to decorate. She then works within your budget to create colour renderings and floor plans of your new look, and provides photos of the items she envisions for your room and where to buy them.

 

Pink Mirror. Fifi Flowers

I wanted to know more about the Los Angeles-based artist and decorator so I delved a bit further into who is Fifi:

One can't help but notice that Paris figures prominently in your paintings; is it your favourite city/subject?

Paris...French things are a favourite of mine, for sure!! I studied French art and the Parisian art lifestyle while I was in art school. Once I graduated I went to Paris for a week, walked the streets and felt overwhelmed knowing I was where some of my favourite artists hung out. EXCITING!! I have yet to return, but the memories are still in my heart. I hope to return next year!

Your lively painting style conveys a fun and happy energy; who or what was it that inspired you to paint this way? 

What inspired me to paint in the first place was the LOVE of art. My favourite artist is Henri Matisse. I wanted a painting in my home by him. Of course I cannot afford an original so I painted reproductions of his work. I have six or seven Matisse reproductions by moi hanging in my home. I enjoyed painting so much that I started painting my own paintings of things that surround my daily life. I LOVE colour and FUN, so that is what reflects in my paintings.

You also decorate home interiors. Do you seek to re-create the kind of aesthetic that you like to capture in your paintings or will you work in any style?

I do decorate homes and offices and I try to consider each individual in the home and the clients that will be in the office. I will not be living in the houses so they really MUST reflect the inhabitants of the dwelling. Everyone is so different with unique needs and wants. However, I do like to incorporate a painting in each project I work on and they are also to their taste. These days I do very little interior decorating because I am so busy working on my paintings or painting commissions, but I do some online decorating. 

swelle.

 

Berry Cushions and Wine. Fifi Flowers.

 

Fifi's Happy Studio. Fifi Flowers

 

Cafe de France. Fifi Flowers

After spending a total of 10 weeks in Paris thus far I have to say that what is so wonderful about the city is that once experiencing it in person, it lives up to the expectations conjured during daydreams and then some (though sufferers of Paris syndrome - a bizarre reaction to disappointment once arriving in Paris that affects some Japanese tourists who require medical attention and counselling - would surely disagree!). So, to be able to put up a painting that captures the spirit of the city, whether it be a street scene or a turquoise chaise longe and look at it daily is a real treat. For my new house I'm now trying to decide which pieces of Fifi's collection will make me happiest; though that's a tough one - I find myself smiling ear to ear every time I browse her gallery. Vrai bonheur.

 

Pink Commode. Fifi Flowers

Today at the Beach I...

...took some photos. And here they are! I'm trying to take advantage of an opportunity to be brief but I can tell you that this is King Edwards Bay in Tynemouth in the north east of England. And it's proof that the sun does shine in the UK! And the sun was hot. Although even in August just dipping your toes in the North Sea will numb your bits and make them fall off. That doesn't seem to stop the natives from diving right in, though. They are apparently immune.

Cupcake Monday!

Ice cream cone cupcakes from Couture Cupcakes

There's Pancake Tuesday so why not Cupcake Monday! Mondays tend to wang (well, not for me because working from home means every day is kind of the same) but it's a dreaded arrival for office folk, a tribe I was once a part of. There is nothing more evil than the shrill ring of an alarm clock on a cold, dark, Monday morning. So hopefully this will add a little sweetness to your day.

I'm just coming under the wire as we near midnight, London time, but I just thought of it now! So every Monday look for The Swelle Life's weekly pick for cutest, most mouth-watering or most unique cupcake. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I ADORE them and judging by the explosion in cupcake shops and websites so does everyone else.

The debut featured palm-sized treats are from Couture Cupcakes at the Blushing Bakeshop, some of which are adorned with beautiful and delicate gelatin butterflies.

Have you made your own fabulous cupcake? Take a photo and send it to denise[at]swellebydenise.com and I'll feature it on Cupcake Monday! Or share with us a favourite cupcake shop in your neighbourhood or online. Or a special recipe! I apologise in advance for cravings this post most certainly will have spawned. My mouth actually just watered. Uh-oh.

Geeking Out at Chanel

Sasha Pivovarova with Karmen Pedaru

Earlier this week I was in Paris to attend what was supposed to be two couture shows: Xuan-Thu Nguyen and Alexandre Matthieu. Then I was bumped from the latter by Vogue Italia! I was one of the last confirmed and they made requests after the list was closed and therefore I became the sacrificial fashion lamb. I was disappointed because I really admire the beautiful work of Alexandre Morgando and Matthieu Bureau and this was the first time they were invited to show during haute couture week. However, their people were very apologetic and asked for my understanding. And uh, yeah, I think I can understand why Vogue might have won out there. And I think it's kind of funny. Turns out I wouldn't have made the show anyway, I got in too late. So there.

Xuan-Thu Nguyen's superb collection deserves a post of its own so this one is about what I saw afterward, outside the Chanel show at Grand Palais. And this is where the geekery comes in. I couldn't care less about celebrities, unless it's Audrey Tautou or Vanessa Paradis or any other French actresses or singers. Haute couture favours the socialites who are the ones who buy from the collection and fashion editors and other big players in the industry, and it's those influential people I'm most interested in. Socialites slide right off my brain, however, but I was looking forward to seeing Daphne Guinness who must have been there but I didn't see her (and she's so much more than a socialite, it must be noted). Her cousin Jasmine was and she looked fantastic with her red lips, red belt and red seamed stockings (she never goes out without something red). And she paused for a photo when she saw me light up at noticing her but it blurred. Poo.

It rained while sunny and we got a rainbow over the Petit Palais across the street!

 

Before that, the same thing happened but with Mario Testino. I nearly died. He saw me gasp (I know, I know) and stood right in front of me, looked me in the eye and smiled. My heart was racing and my fingers were so shaky that the photo came out completely blurred. But I'm keeping it because you can still see that he was smiling. And what a smile it was. He's quite tall, too. He's a very charismatic presence.

And then it was like my fairy godmother granted all my wishes at once with a parade of style icons, editors, the models from the show and the most gorgeous Chanel haute couture dresses. One young socialite who couldn't have been more than 17 years old was wearing the most exquisitely detailed dress with lace and tulle and camelias which I believe is from the current collection (of course).

The Queen of fashion journalism: Suzy Menkes and her famous quiff.

I was so excited to see Suzy Menkes but I have to admit it was eclipsed when I turned around and Carine Roitfeld, Editor in Chief of French Vogue was right in front of me. (And if you don't know her you are probably thinking that's an unflattering photo but that's actually what she looks like. But we don't care, she's amazing. She's real, like French women tend to be.) I was expecting Balmain shoulders but she's already done that. Next.

My new prized photo: Carine Roitfeld

I know some of you who come by for the Paris photos and art are saying 'Who?' and others at the opposite end are saying 'Please. No need to crap your pants.' But this really is a big deal to me, these people are my Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce and whoever else everyone loses it over. They create fashion, and some of them ARE fashion. And by my reaction it would seem that this is an important thing to me. It stings but I missed Inès de la Fressange. This time.

But I didn't miss Anna Piaggi! And no one was taking her photo but me! How can you not photograph Anna Piaggi even if you don't know who she is? (And if you're there, how can you not?) She was whisked away in a waiting car, which was a Vogue car. Yes, it had 'Vogue' painted on the side. Speaking of Vogue, Vogue Italia's editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani went unnoticed as well (I wonder if it was her who got my seat at Alexandre Matthieu). I didn't take a photo because silly me didn't want to appear ravenous like some others out of respect (I must have confused a major fashion event with a funeral). But then the subjects became far too tempting and I remembered that I do write a fashion blog. And they are surely used to being photographed by now!

And this woman was something else, she was wearing a sheer dress with nothing underneath on top and had a much younger man on her arm. She hammed it up, flashing some leg and dancing around and then she changd her shoes with the help of her date who replaced her heels with these ratty flip flops! Awesome.

 And now, the models. When Sasha Pivovarova appeared (header photo) - my favourite of the last few years as she filled the void Gemma Ward left but in her own way - people went absolutely apeshit. Imagine this, gasped in the most over-the-top male 'fashion' voice: "She's FANTASTIC!" Gasp. Moan. Gasp. "She's THE BEST!" More gasping and shaking of the head with mouth agape. And a little bit of drool. She was in FULL model mode and with that Chanel cap, the multi-strands and her attitude she gave everyone exactly what they wanted. Her intensity is really quite surreal. Her signature taken-from-a-psychotic-episode stare is a force of nature yet for that brief moment I wasn't sure what was in front of me was actually human. Here's an example if Sasha is new to you (I'm accommodating my non-fashion readers here because I love them):

More girls who just can't help being 'modelly' when off the clock:

She whipped out the cigarette and began smoking in one
fluid, overly-dramatic motion. She still reeked of tobacco, though.


I love this photo. They just keep on giving. Every movement
seems camera-worthy. Yulia, Tara Jean and I can't tell who is
on the left (many do look the same!)


Lara Stone. Her gift bag was bigger than that of a lot of the other models.

Remember, she's considered the 'normal-sized' girl':

Baptiste Giabiconi, who appears in every Chanel show for
some reason. Apologies to him for the laser eyes.


Elsa Sylvan


Magdalena. Stunning.


Shu Pei Qin. I cannot begin to describe just how gorgeous
she is in person. Especially when she smiles. She's so tall and I'd
say she presented as the most impressive out of all the models.

Oh, and I finally got to sit in Ladurée's dreamy bar and have my macaron cocktail! I went for the cassis. And it was only 22 euros! Ha. Seriously, it was. It was strong, as in alcohol, and that cream at the top while at first seems more fresh and milky than rich and creamy is deceptive. I got so full that halfway through I had to stop. Maybe I should have had it before I had lunch upstairs! I didn't know how I was going to finish it but despite feeling very uncomfortable I persevered - it cost 22 euros after all!

I finished all but a couple of sips. As I ventured out on Champs Elysees I thought at one moment I might throw up right there on the street. And if I had, do you know what my next words would have been? "I REGRET NOTHING!"

The Winner of the Fashion A-Z Giveaway is...

The lucky winner of Fashion A-Z: An Illustrated Dictionary is Mary Jane! Congratulations Mary Jane! And thanks to everyone who entered, your answers as to which fashion detail is your favourite were fantastic and I think there were barely two of the same in the bunch! Reading them as they came in was a real treat and it served as a reminder of why fashion is endlessly enticing.

Mary Jane tells us her favourite detail is godet inserts, "they are so flattering!" I liked her answer because I had no idea what godet inserts are (the draw was random, just to clarify!). Something new to learn! So I looked it up in Fashion A-Z and there it was:

"A piece of material, typically triangular in shape, that is inserted into a garment to add fullness. Used on skirts, dresses, gloves and sleeves."

So that's what those are! I should mention that Mary Jane is the designer behind By Mary Jane, a unique line of bohemian and vintage-inspired, one of a kind handbags, jewelry and headbands.

Watch for the next contest coming soon! It's a very cool necklace!

Why Models Get Paid the Big Bucks

Last month I won first prize of a contest that Dream Sequins hosted to mark her 100th post (a favourite blog of mine - it's great for discovering emerging designers). She asked if I'd do a photo with the prizes and I was only too happy to oblige - not just out of gratitude but because no one who has ever won a Swelle giveaway has granted that very request from me! So I know how much it sucks when people don't.

So I got an outfit together to show off what I won (see below). I thought I'd make one of those happy 'surprise' faces which I tried out in the mirror a few times and it seemed to work. A bit goofy but fun. So I thought. After Other Half snapped a bunch of photos they looked okay. On the tiny screen of our camera. But once I had a look at them full size I realised just how misleading those thumbnails were. As you can see above, the 'surprise' face lacks the smile/ooh! combo I had practised and thanks to what appears to be a hugely oversized tongue that despite efforts just can't be contained it looks like a rude gesture if only my left hand was closer to my mouth. And that pose was supposed to convey energy, like a forward momentum propelled by my unbridled enthusiasm. Which apparently was all in my head.

So, yet another situation where I find that modelling isn't as easy as it looks. I swear, it didn't really look like that in person! I guess I just have to accept that I don't have a photogenic tongue.

Just for the record, I was thrilled to win this contest. I NEVER win anything. In fact, the last time I won something was kindergarten. Which would also make it my first. It was Halloween and there was a draw for a huge pumpkin. I remember it being the size of a boulder. I'm sure it wasn't really that big but it was definitely substantial. My teacher offered to drive me home and I think my mother picked me up from school then but I took the ride anyway (duh). So of course my mother wasn't home when we got there and we had to wait in the car for a few minutes until she was. That was uncomfortable. So much so that I can still recall it now. Which reminds me of the time I missed the bus in grade 5 so my cool British principal, Mr. Wolfe, put me on the back of his motorcyle and took me home! Ha, can you imagine that happening now?

What was I talking about? Oh right. So here's what I won: a limited edition "Garfield" tote from Stand Up Comedy (my right arm); Envirosax shopper courtesy of Shopflick (my left arm); LucyJ flip mirror from Brittique (what I'm holding up, it's so cute); Mini-bag and lookbook from Chree (in the shopper bag); knit armwarmers from NIT: FELT: PHRAME (love them) and two bamboo jersey headbands from The Battalion (I'm wearing one which you can't see in the photo but they feel awesome, they are beyond soft. Do they make bras?).

Does anyone still wonder why I don't do styled posts?

Xuan-Thu Nguyen's Blooming, Foxy Haute Couture

I've taken a bit long to follow-up my interview with Xuan-Thu Nguyen with looks from her haute couture show in January, but the timing is just right as I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow to attend her Fall/Winter haute couture show on Tuesday (and yes, I'm stupid with excitement) and this makes for a nice teaser/prelude.

If you read the interview you know what makes Thu's garments so special is the detail, which goes beyond simple embellishment. Many of the looks she sent down the runway for her spring/summer show began as one thing and transformed into another - specifically, jackets and dresses that bloomed when unsnapped. And then there's the fox stole made entirely of flowers:

When I think of haute couture I think of exquisite detail upon exquisite detail, a piece of clothing that at first glance blurs the eyes and leaves you compelled to stare in the hopes of unravelling the glorious chaos. Xuan-Thu Nguyen delivers this with an undeniable joy.

These colours combined with the various smocking techniques
and those strippy bows is just delicious





 


A 'fox' capelet


I love how the shoes give a hint as to what's
hidden beneath the snaps of the dress (header photo)


Notice the subtle embroidery on the top.
The print on that skirt is a dream.


What a stunner. Both the front and back offer something
beautiful and unique with the elegant ruching and those
strips that are somehow chaotic and sublime at once:

 

Here's the video of the show where you can see some of the detail a bit better and watch the clothes transform:

When I visited Thu's boutique in the Marais in April I got to see her couture necklaces which look fun at first glance but they are much more than that. They take four days to make - each 'bead', like an exquisite ball of twine, is created by hand and the technique is the designer's secret. In fact, a major retail chain copied Thu's design but made them cheaply and no surprise, they fell apart and had to be recalled after a week. H. and. M.

The metallic fibres and the thick, wooly yarn each offer their own
wonderful texture, and they feel lovely on

Little fabric dolls that are fun as brooches


Those shoes - the ones I love so much I asked Thu
if I could use them for my banner!




A jacket with exquisite broderie anglaise

I'll report back fromt the show Tuesday night, hopefully with some good photos! Bisous!

Ript, Poked and Deflected

Boing Boing has come up aces today with a trio of goodies that I must share. First off is the 'Hypolux Chandelier' made of plexiglass plates and commercial syringes (I'm not quite sure what a 'commercial' syringe is but it might mean it doesn't have a needle), from Bughouse. It is really cool and kind of sickening all at once.

Next up is the Anti-Papparazi Clutch by [AH] Projects. That's right, it is meant to ruin unwanted celebrity photos and it works by detecting camera flashes and responding with another flash that obscures the photo and gives the subject a kind of Pulp Fiction open briefcase effect. Adam Harvey's website doesn't actually show the bag itself which exists as a prototype and is patent-pending. The designer says he is seeking investors. Well, that might be tough because the potential market is miniscule. First, no 'regular' person has a use for it; and second, we're all on to the fact that the most papped stars put themselves in front of the camera.

However, I do buy that Twilight's Robert Pattinson really isn't loving being stalked 24 hours a day by fans or paps so maybe he should start carrying the clutch. He can start the trend.

I saved the best 'til last. Get a load of this. Ript is "a classic men’s undershirt injected with steroids" created by a designer for Diddy's Sean John label. I don't know about you, but I'm attracted to a guy who is intrigued by a salespitch that uses "injected with steroids" to sell their product. It's like Spanx for guys and acts as a compression garment so the moobs and jelly belly are minimised. Right. A guy with a B-cup who looks to be carrying twins is going to be buying this. It's never the people who need it that buy it. It's the guy who goes to the gym five times a week and cuts out carbs who will drown in his own saliva at the prospect of looking even more cut in his tight t-shirts.  

I'd like to point out what Boing Boing also found amusing - instructions for how to put on the RIPT shirt:

This is especially funny considering that according to the Ript website the designer has "mastered her understanding of what appeals to the most sophisticated and discriminating men." Who need instructions on how to get dressed.

These come in XS. I'm so getting one.

Jena Ardell's Dreamy Summers 'Past'

Diver by Jena Ardell

Hazy, washed out photographs that appear like a faded memory make me nostalgic for my childhood, even if the subject matter doesn't quite fit my own experience. Like this candy-coloured attraction-filled pier below that has me asking if it even ever existed; it looks right out of a child's fantasy. And I mean the good, pure kind of eras past that is devoid of corporate sponsorship and the scourge of animated characters that have their own breakfast cereals and clothing lines. Hard to believe then that these were all taken today, though I'm happy and willing to buy that fact.

These photos are polaroids from the Summer Love series from photographer Jena Ardell whose work I was introduced to thanks to a contest happening at Constant Cravings. The prize is a print of Homage and the contest closes July 5.

The pool scene above reminds me of David Hockney's A Bigger Splash which is one of my most favourite paintings in the whole world. A nicely framed poster of it sits on my wall and never fails to replicate that dreamy feeling for me. Diver does it for me as well and frankly so does Ardell's entire Summer Love series.

Ardell is from California and that neatly fits the 'perfect summer' depicted here - who wouldn't have guessed these are scenes from the 'Sunshine State'? After all, it's an idyllic and romantic notion that we who are not from California all seem to share. But it so happens that 90% of Ardell's beach shots were shot on the east coast which she reveals in an interview with Feaverish Photography.com. She offers an explanation of this and I love the last line - it sums up perfectly the innocence and simplicity of our own childhood summers:

The spirit of Summer isn’t in California because Californians do not know what it is to miss Summer. Most native Californians actually despise the Summer months because to them Summer represents heat waves, rolling blackouts and wild fires. Plus, there is a phenomenon known as “June Gloom” when the Marine Layer gives California gray, depressing skies for a month. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, temperatures are slowly climbing and children are dreaming of Dairy Queen and lightning bugs.

I spent most of my summer days playing outside in the sun in our small southern Ontario town with the neighbourhood kids (I remember one day when I was about seven years old and it was so hot I came in and changed four times trying to find something cooler so I wouldn't have to come inside) and if there was a promise of Dairy Queen in the evening that just made my day. The one we had at the time was hardly more than a shack and there was always a line working its way out both sides of that metal framed ice cream stand. I always got a raspberry Mr. Misty and sometimes an ice cream sandwich. Writing this I can actually smell the mix of ice cream and flavoured syrup in the air.

Thanks for the memories, Jena.