The Swelle Life

Red Valentino: There's No Shame in Being Pretty

Unabashedly feminine and youthful, Valentino's latest 'little sister' collection Red Valentino is not only darling and pretty, it doesn't care that the season it's to be sold in is autumn,  I like that! Lots of blush pinks, floral appliques and prints, mini lengths, ruffles and bows that traditionally resurface in spring. We have been moving toward seasonless collections for a few years now but I still get a real jolt when I see such fresh loveliness in the shops and editorial pages as I lament the skies being jet black at 4pm in November. Red Valentino is what it is, year-round. I like a label that has an aesthetic you can set your watch to. 

Ok, you pretty much need a concave chest to wear these dresses so you don't look like a Lolita Jordan, but aren't the illustrated fairytale backdrops are a dream?

Photos: Style.com

Haute Couture: Alexis Mabille's Monochrome (Probably Not Mannerist) Models

My first thought when I saw Alexis Mabille's monochromed models for Spring 2012 haute couture week was "The acid coloured faces - they're just like those in the Mannerist paintings!" Now I may not remember what I had for lunch yesterday (or today), but I vividly recall certain things I learned in high school art history, it was the only thing that truly interested me. As a fine art major in university I don't recall coming across this again and therefore re-confirming the information, but I do believe I was shown some paintings from the Mannerist period as an example of something you wouldn't expect to see from the time because they used vivid colours, on the faces as well. However, I should admit it's entirely possibly that I was half asleep and I got confused, because after searching for hours and hours over several days since the collection was shown, I cannot find any evidence of this. I couldn't drop the reference though and start over, because at the very least they remind me of Jacopo Pontormo's acid-hued masterpiece Descent from the Cross (1525-1528).

But it's small consolation, it's not a close resemblance. I might be clutching at paint brushes here. Now I am (almost) convinced I imagined the whole thing. It wouldn't be the first time!

I still wanted to show the collection, for two reasons. I love the colours Mabille chose and the way the faces harmoniously carried through the hue (not at first but it really grew on me) and focussed attention on the head which was adorned with a giant paper rose.  According to Tim Blanks, his inspiration was (guess what, not a Mannerist painting!) a photo of Lisa Fonssagrives on a beach "her face suffused with pink from the sunlight coming through her umbrella." Sounds gorgeous, doesn't it? I couldn't find that one either!

And the dresses themselves aren't bad either! Beautiful, actually. Modern classics.

These are my favourite colours from the collection, as shot by Style.com:

Right: I love this shade of gold, very pure and clean, completely devoid of yellow.

The other reason I carried on despite my failed concept is I found some absolutely stunning photos of the collection on Violeta Purple, a gorgeous blog with lots of original photography by Yavidan Violeta, a Mexican-Turkish woman living in Paris. She's utterly charming, signing her posts with a photograph of shoes, her other muse. 

Her Mabille photos are so gorgeous and convey the romance of the collection beautifully - the feel is so engaging it makes the standard runway shot seem pointless. Does anyone else wish we could ditch the singular view from the wall of cameras at the end of the runway in favour of something magical, like this?

 For more of Yavidan's Alexis Mabille photos including backstage, see Violeta Purple. Enjoy!

Cupcake Monday! Maisie Fantasie's Floral Beauties

Maisie Fantaisie must have the most gorgeous collection of wedding cakes, they are so ridiculously pretty without being overdone, the epitome of edible loveliness. And I love that their photos are beautiful, accessorised with the pastel patterned wallpapers and charming cake stands. To quote an adorable, small and always smiling Italian man who used to do deliveries for us at the production studio I worked at in Canada years ago,  "'preciate." That's how he said "appreciate" which was his way of saying 'Thank you." (Do you know how many bad photos of pretty cakes I see? Far more than good ones - what a waste and so frustrating!)

Here are just a few of Maisie Fantaisie's floral designs, and I'm glad Im already married because I would never be able to choose! (Well I guess there are other reasons, too.)

Each design has a suggested flavour, although you can have your pick of their many options which are as gorgeous as their cakes.  The cake on the bottom left, Romantic Rose, is described as:

Madagascar vanilla bean cake, Amedei Chuao chocolate buttercream, grosgrain ribbon, satab
ribbon, handmade sugar roses, sugar pipework.

Enjoy drooling!

Photos: Maisie Fantaisie

Floral Friday! The Last of Wallington Pt.1

If this is Part 1 I guess it's not really the last then, is it! But it is winding down. Two weeks ago we saw Wallington's gorgeous greenhouse and now we walk through canopied paths to another walled garden with a small pond. There are more photos than I realised that are worth sharing, the garden is just bursting with beauty, so next week we'll finish with the scenery on the walk out of this living wonderland. It started to rain halfway through, but it would take a lot more than that to send me running from Wallington. Golfball-sized hail would do it.

To take the rest of the tour see here

I hope you like green.

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday: Au Revoir, Francois Lesage

The man responsible for much of the heartbreakingly exquisite beauty of haute couture has died.  Francois Lesage was head of Maison Lesage, the legendary embroidery salon in Paris where rare magic happens. He was 82.

It seems the craft was in his blood. His father, Albert, founded the family firm in 1924 when he bought the atelier of Napoleon III’s embroiderer, Michonet, who had also worked for Charles Frederick Worth. Subsequently Albert married Marie-Louise Favot, an embroidery worker at Vionnet. With that legacy how could he have followed any other path?

Luckily he fell in love with beautifying textiles with threads and beads and has helped keep this highly skilled art alive, through the work of the Maison as seen on the best of haute couture (not without help from Chanel who saved the Maison by buying it), and ensuring new talent is nurtured through his Paris school, Ecole Lesage Atelier de Broderie. What a dream vocation. (A fellow Canadian named Sarah Crowley got her dream and moved to Paris to study at Lesage a few years ago, you can read about her time there and see her own beautiful designs at Glimpse Creations.)

Below is a delight of an interview with Lesage from 1987 from Fashion Television:

Christian Lacroix's exquisiteness was greatly owed to Lesage

Floral Friday! Wallington's Lush Greenhouse

This Floral Friday I take you back to Wallington's walled garden, one of my most favourite places, which I'm really missing especially now that the winter bitterness is beginning to creep in. Their picturesque greenhouse is just a dream, it had me wondering how I could live in one. (Probably wouldn't work out anyway, I'm a huge wimp when it comes to cold.)

For more on glorious Wallington, including their dreamy pond with a floating bed and baby black coots flitting upon the lily pads, see here (you'll have to scroll down a bit but be sure to catch Versailles on the way!)

(I think it's funny there's a picture of a flower hanging amongst the superior live specimens!)

Nice place for a cat nap

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! Papery Printed Porcelain from Bath

This past weekend I went on a girls' trip to visit a friend in Bristol (no one makes toast like you, Sophie) and it included a visit to dreamy Bath, which is a must when in town. We had gorgeous autumn weather and I really wished I had my camera, but I left it at home so I wouldn't be holding up the group or miss everything that was happening. I took lots of pictures in spring of last year which you can see here here here and here. (Though I do find my old photos a bit cringe-worthy so if you look, do it quickly, eh?)

While roaming the shops in Bath I popped into Rostra & Rooksmoor Galleries - I couldn't resist a turquoise-painted shop - and saw a collection of works by local ceramicist Janine Roper which immediately attracted me due to their Delftware influences. And then they really intrigued me when I noticed they weren't poured into moulds but had a papery effect in that they were obviously hand-formed. I didn't get her name (must work on that) but the woman at the gallery was really helpful and explained that the artist rolls out the porcelain into sheets, cuts and shapes it and then screenprints it. That is is so neat! She uses mostly traditional cobalt blue oxides and draws her print design from vintage 'Sunday Best' tea sets and other domestic items from her life.

I had to take one home and decided on the jug, a charming little piece that stands about 6" high. I pictured delicate flowers in it but really wanted to actually use it, as a jug. But I wasn't sure if that was a stupid idea (that happens a lot with me). Was it safe? Would I break it? I got all excited when I read the artist's statement the lovely woman gave me and saw the words "pour exquisite drinks from her range of pitchers of all different sizes." Permission! I've been displaying the jug on my aqua French side table in my living room, then last night when I was putting a tray of tea together I took it into the kitchen and filled it with milk. This was exciting to me. Is milk exquisite? No, not unless it comes from an exceptionally beautiful cow. But it made my tea ritual much nicer.

I know what I want to do in my next life. Study ceramics in Bath. That sounds pretty good to me.

You can see where the porcelain is folded, giving it a papery effect

The spout has been applied as a separate piece but it appears seamless from the exterior

Photos and collage © The Swelle Life

LFW: Jasper Conran SS12

Update: Jasper Conran is brilliant at documenting his behind-the-scenes processes with inspiring images, and so he thought I might like to see his album of 1930s photos of the 'leisure class' that he drew upon to create his collection (as portrayed by photographers Jacques Henri Lartigue and Georges Hoyningen-Huene), and also the backstage slideshow for his LFW show. He's right!

Click the images to see more:

I have to admit I was really hoping for details of the more overtly feminine kind at Jasper Conran's SS12 show - huge thanks to LFW sponsor Glaceau Vitamin Water for sending me - and not so much sporty.  I fell in love with his lace doily-look laser cut flower appliques from two years ago and wanted more of the sort. See the beautiful pages from his design scrapbook for SS10:

But I also love a surprise and was wowed that Conran's return to sporty and a bit preppy was also lithe and flowing. With lots of sexy backs, clean cuts, precision cutouts and transparency. The clear, geometric shaped and appliqued bags were especially neat and would make just as much sense carried empty  - if not more!

The show notes listed each outfit in detail and I love that by-gone approach to the fashion show, like an old salon presentation narrated by an MC. Actually, that's exactly how it was at Craig Lawrence and I'll be getting to that dream of a show as well.

(I love Jasper Conran's designs for Wedgwood too!)

 

"White cotton pique long tunic dress, white cotton pique shorts"

"Black silk cotton sleeveless jacket, black silk cotton A-line skirt, translucent black  and white handbag"

"Red chiffon panelled applique shift dress, white crepe de chine slip dress"

"White crepe sleeveless t-shirt, white crepe split panelled skirt, clear shoulder bag"

"Black silk cotton top, black organza straight cut box pleat skirt, translucent red handbag. Red crepe shirt dress, translucent red box bag"

"Grey melange linen jersey sleeveless t-shirt..."

"Red crepe A-line pleat front bustier dress"

"Shocking pink crepe split front dress with square wrap back"

 Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! Razzberry's Bazaar's Fuchsia Garden

During the freakishly awesome weather we had recently, I took the opportunity to get a few snaps of the most cheerful garden I know. (At the most challenging time on the sunniest of days, hence the harshness.) A shop on the local high street called Razzberry Bazaar is known for its gorgeous and inviting entrance of hot pink and purple painted pots with flowers to match. People come from all over to see it and have a browse in their rainbow rooms where thousands of trinkets and gift items are arranged according to colour. The garden is just for show, not for sitting in, but I wish it was.

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Weekend! The Fashion Week Edition

Florals may be a bit of a cliche now, we see them season after season including AW. But I don't care, I love it! There's always a new way to work with them so it's not just another floral dress, like these looks from fashion month which are anything but old and dusty.

Clockwise from top right: Chistopher Kane; Richard Chai Love; Peter Pilotto; Antonio Marras x 2;  Erdem; Kinder Aggugini; Gary Graham.

I cordially invite the Erdem and Kinder Aggugini coats to my wardobe, April 2012 sharp.

Floral Friday! This Morning's After-Rain Finds

Getting back into the school run routine wasn't something I was looking forward to, but I did miss my walks home along the beach. It was lightly raining for the first bit (of course the sun came out 30 seconds after I got in the door!) and I  noticed that the flowers in the gardens of the houses I was passing after coming up from the sea were still thriving. I didn't have my favourite lens for the closeups but I thought these still might do the trick for a little brightening up if it's a bit gloomy where you are:

   

I love this flower, it's so spiky and lush. Its orange petals have lilac tips which is so unusual. I don't know what it is, do you? Tell me in the comments if you do!

 

© The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! The Butterfly Conservatory Gardens

I know this is huge but I like that it looks as if you could jump into it!

I've got to rest up for a shoot in the morning so this is a quickie from the gardens outside the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, plus a shot of a storm coming in at dusk. Have a great weekend and happy Labour Day weekend to everyone back home! (Despite it being the most depressing holiday ever - who wants to celebrate the end of summer? Yarg!)

 
 
     

 

 
Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! Niagara-on-the-Lake's Blooming High Street

A restaurant I can't remember the name of that is beautiful with so-so food (so I've heard)

Following my afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara-in-the-Lake with my awesome friend Bridget (she is lovely but that word is getting played), I took some photos of their very pretty, very floral, very English high street named Queen Street, of course. (A funny fact - we noticed that they don't really age the Queen on notes in England, she's completely smooth in her 80s and we all know she didn't take the Joan Rivers route. So we showed a friend here a Canadian bill which shows her appropriately craggy face, and he had a good laugh at the extreme difference.)

           
   
  

 

 

A very pretty Sunflower umbrella displayed outside the shop

Photos © The Swelle Life

Versailles Series: Le Théâtre de la Reine

Last week we saw Marie Antoinette's wee bedroom (I just read that this was indeed her original bed) and that was the last view from inside the Petite Trianon. Walking outside, I had no idea which way to go. I stared into a small marsh trying to see one of the bullfrogs loudly croaking and did. And off in the distance was the Temple of Love filled with people, in the middle of nothing (I think, maybe I would have seen something had I gone out there).

I saw pathways in at least half a dozen directions and didn't know which one to take, I didn't want to miss anything. I hate maps and the one for Marie Antoinette's domain was so busy I didn't even bother to check it. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm not one to plan a route, I'd rather just go and see what happens. (When I was much younger I drove, or rather 'fled' to New York City once with a friend and stupidly refused to look into just how I would get to Manhattan where we had arranged to stay with her friend (who was an assistant photographer to Annie Leibovitz at the time. I wonder what she's doing now). I wound up in the Bronx talking to a gas station attendant through a drawer. Well, I talked and he didn't. You couldn't even see the guy, he was behind opaque black bullet proof glass with duct tape all over it and I knew I had to get back in the car and out of there fast. So I  followed a police car into a sketchy apartment complex for help getting out and they thought that was suspicious - it was 3 a.m. - so the two officers got out of their cars and walked over to talk to us. They saw my Ontario plates and one asked in his thick New York accent 'Ontario's beautiful  - whaddya doin' here?' I explained and they gave us directions, and as they were walking away they stopped to talk, looked back at us and came back over. The one said 'Hey, can you do us a favour? Our friend over there (pointing to another police car parked at the side of the building) is sleepin'. Can you bang on his window and scare 'em?' I said 'No thank you, I don't want to get shot in the face'. We arrived at the place in Manhattan soon after and I've never been happier to be in a stranger's tiny, weird-smelling apartment. I no longer 'just see what happens' in those situations.)

Back to Versailles. Here's the rear view of the Petite Trianon:
  

You can see one of the paths on the left:

Then I found myself in a garden of manicured hedges and those neat rectangular trees that look like tree lollies: 
 

When I walked out I found myself in front of a building. I didn't know it (remember I don't look at maps) but I was entering the Théâtre de la Reine, or the Queen's Theatre, and what a surprise!

 

I'm going to quote what the Chateau de Versailles website tells us about this small, breathtaking theatre, le Théâtre de la Reine:

Richard Mique’s work, architect of Marie-Antoinette

While the Opera of Versailles was a theatre of court, the small room at Trianon was a theatre of society, as many existed then in residences in the countryside where, to pass the time, the owners and their guests would put together plays or operas. During her childhood in Vienna, Marie-Antoinette had gotten used to these familiar performances. She wanted to do the same with her close relations, princes of the royal family and some rare friends.

In 1780, on the orders of Marie-Antoinette, Richard Mique built this theatre whose severe exterior contrasts with the refined interior which, through its harmonies of blue, white and gold, recalls the opera of Versailles, only smaller since it has a capacity of only a hundred people: the domestic service on the floor and the guests on the first floor behind the boxes with grids. But the greatest luxury is not in the wooded room painted in a false, veined white marble and adorned with sculptures made of pasteboard, it lies in the machinery used for the scenery changes, which was fortunately preserved. On the stage of Trianon, plays by authors who were fashionable at the time, such as Sedaine and Rousseau, were acted out and entire operas were sung, and everyone agreed that the Queen was very good.

The view from the foyer of the theatre

 

To see the previous posts in the Versailles Series click here!

Photos © The Swelle Life

It's a Miracle! My First Homegrown Herbs

  

My first home-grown herbs, fragrant and peppery oregano

It might just be a little pot with herb sprigs, but it's my first attempt at gardening and it was a success! Love the Garden sent me everything I needed including soil, seeds - mine were oregano - and a bottle of Miracle Gro. I found a pretty pot to sit on my kitchen window sill, put it all together and in a week or so saw the first sprouts appear. Next thing I know I've got a jungle of green, peppery leaves and I'm ripping them off to use in sauces and on pizza. Every basil plant I've bought has died a miserable death, so I'm really hoping that I'll have better luck growing my own herbs and my reputation as Plant Killer will be redeemed.

(I have to admit there might be a horrific scene when I return to England. When we left for our six-week visit to Canada I put it, along with a flowering plant, outside. I did the same the last time we went away and everything was fine - plants will not go thirsty in England and I placed them so they couldn't be blown over. But, today I heard that there's a flood warning for the north east - apparently we had a month's worth of rainfall in one day. Let's hope they drained well...if not, this will be the first time I've apologised to oregano.)

If you love gardening you may want to 'like' Love the Garden's Facebook page (that's a lot of emotion happening there) and you'll get all kinds of expert tips and advice on growing plants and flowers and updates on their gardening projects.

Here's an infographic illustrating how Brits are getting into homegrown:

 

Grow your own infographic from LoveTheGarden.com

Floral Friday! Wallington's Walled Garden

Now we enter the walled garden at Wallington at last. After a beautiful walk in, past the mansion and past the lush lily pond with baby coots frollicking about and a bed floating in it, I came upon the wall and went through the wood and iron door. On the other side was the most stunningly landscaped garden with sheep grazing on the green hills that overlook this romantic dreamland.

 
 
  

I love the texture of this plant that I don't know the name of.

 

 
    
   

 

   
     

 

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! The Walk Into Wallington

(Apologies for missing Versailles which I promised for yesterday. We travelled back to Toronto to find that the cable and internet were out. So Rogers made a liar out of me. Ach. However, I am flagellating myself for not delivering, it's way overdue.) 

The proper title of this post is actually 'The Walk Into Wallington's Walled Garden' but that's a big of a tongue twister. Last week I showed you the incredible pond, dense with lily pads and frollicky baby coons, which is actually what's behind this gate after you've walked a couple of minutes through the forest:

And we continue the tour which makes no chronological sense at all because I'm taking you back to the beginning!

 

The mansion at Wallington is a real treasure trove of curiosities. Last year I showed you the dollhouse rooms but there's so much more and I'll get to it one day ...

   

Next week we finally get into the walled garden which is so beautiful you won't be able to stand it.

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday: Six Baby Birds and a Bed in a Pond

First - I've been travelling this week and am now in Toronto for my summer visit home. Next week I will get back to Interiors and Exteriors on Thursday and finish showing you Marie Antoinette's domain at Versailles...

I think Monet would have appreciated this scene. Carrying on from last Friday's intro to my visit to the walled garden at Wallington in Northumberland (in the north east of England in case you're not familiar), I take you to the pond which was a wonderful surprise on my way to the gardens. After walking through a forest we came upon the lily pad covered water and I noticed some movement on the surface - it was six fluffy black baby birds! I think they were coots, a marsh bird. They were so light that as they ran with their spindly legs the lily pads didn't even move.

 

Two other babies look for food amongst the firm yellow flowers:

 

What is that off in the distance?

Why, a bed of course!

I can't find anything about this bed which makes it even more mysterious. It's an installation, but who put it there? I don't really care why, it was neat. Like a (very) small-scale Cristo and Jean-Claude.

It started to pour. Luckily this was on my way out after being through the garden (see some of those next week) and it wasn't enough to deter me from taking another shot:

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! Contrasts at Wallington

I went back to Wallington in Northumberland today to photograph their stunning walled garden which I missed when I visited last year. And had I actually known what I was missing I wouldn't never have been able to leave. Last time, I spent a couple of hours in the mansion, particularly in the dollhouse rooms which you can see here and here (I never did post anywhere near what I had altogether, I hope to dig out the rest one day).

These gardens quickly became my new favourite place and I'd love to go back with a picnic and just take it all in without my eyeball pressed against the viewfinder. A serene, huge pond covered in lily pads with baby coots (a black marsh bird) running atop greeted us on the way to the garden gate, and I couldn't pull myself away. (Somewhere my husband is nodding firmly and slowly with eyes glazed over.) Oh! And there was a red and white bed floating in it! Come back next Friday to see what I'm talking about.

To start, here are some of my favourite shots from a small patch in their enormous and breathtaking garden. The gardener seems to have wanted to create a bit of drama and planted a few varieties of vivid flowers with leaves so dark they appeared black. I especially love the first photo, the flowers appear as if they were painted.

 
 
  
 
 
 
 

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! Neighbourhood Gardens (and Bad Dog Owners)

I walk home along the beach every day after taking my daughter to school (despite being knocked off my feet by a dog that charged full speed into my shins thanks to its owner throwing  a ball just over my head, and having a pug relieve itself in the brown way right beside me as I sat on a bench brushing the sand off my feet - the toff who owned him was on his mobile, looked over 'during' at the scene which could not have been more graphic, but kept walking. I had to call after him and was repeatedly ignored until I shouted "You have got to be kidding!" at which point he came back, feigning ignorance.) 

What's this post about? Right, one day last week on my walk I paid particular attention to the gardens of the houses on the seafront (which all have brilliantly painted doors. Which reminds me, we're overdue for a Painted Houses post.) It had just rained and the flowers looked absolutely beautiful with raindrops resting on their petals. They were in prime bloom. Today I had my camera with me, minus the lens I like to use to shoot flowers, but I took some pictures anyway. I noticed that a lot of the flowers were now in their ''twilight" phase and they had lost a bit of their lustre - rougher edges, fallen petals. But I went ahead anyway, trusting they still had something to give. The pink peonies certainly did, they were still gorgeous and I resisted rubbing my face in them. Do they compel you to do that, too?

Note: I do love dogs. It's the odd owner that could use a swat on the nose with a newspaper. That woman didn't even help me up after I face planted in the sand!

 
   
   

 

Photos © The Swelle Life

Floral Friday! Vivid Tulips

 

Welcome to the first Floral Friday! I've taken many photos of flowers, a favourite and irresistible subject, in England, France, Netherlands and Canada, with plans to take my camera to all of the stunning local gardens I pass on my local walks (which reinforces the notion that you should never be without it!), so I think all of this focussed activity necessitates a weekly outlet!

I'm starting with the tulips I photographed locally in early spring, their vivid hues make them some of my favourites. It was an overcast day and I was walking by an unassuming patch that I'd never seen before and luckily I had my camera with me, fitted with my new 50mm lens. The colours just popped as you can see. I haven't and don't want to use any effects on my photos, I'm going to present nice clean shots with naturally saturated colour, the way the flowers look in person. I can't think of anything more beautiful.

I'm also shooting a story for a US magazine on north east England castles and gardens, so there will be lots to keep this weekly feature going. I start my tour this weekend at Alnwick Garden and the timing couldn't be better - in their Ornamental Garden they have a Himalalyan Lily which flowers once every seven years, and it's in bloom!

    

Photos © The Swelle Life

The Last of Paris...

 

 

 

 

One of the views from our hotel balcony...I miss it

 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
   

Photos © The Swelle Life

Paris Week: Jardin du Luxembourg Pt. 2

Carrying on from last week's Pt. 1, here are more glimpses of one of my most favourite places, Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. And now I cry.

 

 
 
 
 
I understand now why Parisians are so slim. There are scales all over the park so you can keep that bread and pastry intake in check.

This may not be the best view:

 

 

 

These kids were antagonising the pigeons for about half an hour. I guess they know how to make their own fun.

 
 
  
  
 
 

Photos © The Swelle Life

Paris Week: Jardin du Luxembourg Pt. 1

One of my most favourite places in Paris is Jardin du Luxembourg. We got to know it well in 2009 when we lived next to it, and found it still had all of its magic when we were there again last week.  It didn't even give me allergies.

In the spirit of brevity, a concept with which I am only vaguely familiar, let's let the photos tell the story...

 

 

 
  

"I am very sorry to have to tell you this, Mademoiselle, but this will be the last horsie ride."

"Oh, wow... I need to take a moment. Damn."
 
 
 
    

 

 

 

 

Even the snack bar is pretty.

   

Photos © Denise Grayson, The Swelle Life

Interiors & Exteriors: Two New Old Teacups

Can you take another week of vintage teacups? I've just added two more cup and saucer sets to my collection and couldn't wait to photograph one of them especially, I bet you can guess which.

The beautiful handpainted turquoise and gold floral set is from Noritake, but oddly the mark on the bottom of the teacup is only a partial print of their Komaru symbol with no writing other than what looks like three errant letters, and as far as I've found there wasn't an era in Noritake production where only the symbol was used. I wonder if it's a second? On one side of the exterior the handpainted flowers remain, but the gilt decoration is completely missing, as if it was never there. Considering the other side shows hardly any wear, and the inside  is full ornate, it seems intentional for whatever reason. More than likely it's pre-1921. But it's so gorgeous and so delicate, it's like eggshell, none of this matters. Let's call this piece mysterious and curious!

The other set is a perfect little miniature George Jones.  In 1907 Trent Pottery became Crescent and after 1921 the marks said 'Made in England', so that puts this set somewhere between 1907 and 1921. It's incredible that so much of this delicate china survives 100 years.

For the two previous vintage teacup and teacup posts see the Interiors & Exteriors archive

 
  

   
 

All photos  © The Swelle Life

To Sip a Cup of Roses...

To sip a cup of roses you need some whole dried fragrant rosebuds with hot water poured over in a pretty teacup.  Mine come courtesy of my lovely friend Kate who got some as a gift at the Charles Anastase show last September. I think that beats a bottle of water!

The tea is soft and tastes perfumey, as you would imagine, and it's gorgeously aromatic. So be sure to indulge in a sniff with every sip! (I didn't feel like drinking the rest of  my third cup so I just held it to my face and repeatedly huffed it. Best to do that when you're alone.)

Update! My brilliant Kate offers this suggestion for the leftover tea (after huffing it, of course): "I freeze left over tea into little ice cubes.  Something pretty to put into home made limeade in the summer!" For Kate's fantastic limeade recipe see here!

My small collection of teacups and pots are among the prettiest things I own. I've decided to show my absolute favourite teapot in a separate post because I love it that much (it's a 1920s handpainted Noritake pedestal pot and you can see a preview in the shots below), but for now here are some of my favourite cups and saucers which include my newest Wedgwood, a stunning little deco set with lavender and pink flowers, even on the inside of the rim (I love it when the pattern is carried through to the inside, it's so stark otherwise). It was the obvious choice to host the rosebuds.

Befitting such a gorgeous set was the box it came in. Look what you get when you buy something from Wedgwood's Harlequin collection (it's perfect atop the ivory French bookcase which needed something but I wasn't sure what):

Below is an adorable cup and saucer Christmas tree ornament from Wedgwood, if you haven't guessed. I wouldn't dare hang it on the tree, that slippery ribbon would slide right off the needles and it would probably break, and who wants to see this sweetness only once a year? So it sits on my French antique aqua painted side table where it and the other breakables act as a magnet for the hands of friends' small children (my daughter has never broken anything of mine so I forget that she's not typical). You can actually hear my teeth grinding.

This trio is from Royal Albert's 100 Years collection. They re-released an iconic style from each decade starting with 1900, and I had difficulty choosing whether to get the 1930s Polka Rose or the 1990s Hartington Lane. I know, you can't believe it either, that I went with 1990s design over the 1930s. The Polka Rose is a mint green tiny polka dot pattern but it just seemed such an obvious choice for me, so I went with the lilac set from the far less enchanting era, you don't see lovely purples all that often and I do love them.

If you look closely at the saucer and dessert plate below, you'll see a subtle (but more obvious in person) cross-hatch pattern all over the lilac. That is pretty much what makes it 90s, I can't really explain why it does but I think you might know what I mean? It's not a pattern that would likely ever be repeated as such and it bugs me a bit, actually! (I know, total weirdo.)

The most discernable features of good china are its pristine sheen (no relation to Charlie), and the gorgeous gold gilt detailing. I will just sit and stare (not for too long, don't worry), you can see how solidly made and perfect the pieces are, and you can feel it in your hands.

 

Come back for Interiors & Exteriors next Thursday if you want to see more of my favourite teapot!

Ashley Isham's Floral Autumn

Last but not least of my (untimely) London Fashion Week coverage is Ashley Isham. I wasn't familiar with the London-based Singaporean designer (yes, that's what a person from Singapore is called, I looked it up) but I was all 'ooh!' as soon as his first look hit the runway. From my fortuitous vantage point - I was directly in line with the models as they began their walk from backstage - I was in awe of the headpieces which were a mix of silk flowers, pouffy embroidered tulle, some with chopstick-like appendages finished with tassles. The more florals the better and they were echoed in the dresses as prints and lace appliques. The all-dress (+ 2 jackets) collection offered short and full-length styles (with the odd appearance by the hybrid variety, the 'mullet' dress - short in front and long in the back. Perfect for those days when you're not sure if you're party or business).

There was a bit of sheer paneling - or nothing at all - in the mid-section of some dresses, and I wondered if these were simply showpieces and the production for retail would cover up the belly-buttons and ribcages that were saying 'Hello'. I think the ornate-ness of the headpieces atop those slightly exhibitionist outifits made them seem more naked; with simple hair and minimal accessories they just might work on the right person at the right event such as the Grammys (though I think the belly button should never be the centrepiece of an outfit! Bikinis excepted).

On a good note, the one that matters, the glorious headpieces and vivid floral prints made me want to run around in a meadow until allergies would make my eyes swell shut.

 

  

 
 
 
 

   

Photos by Denise Grayson

Judith Frankland's Wonderful Car Boot & Museum Living Room

Judith's mother and aunt in 1955.

The first time I walked into Judith Frankland's living room I was taken aback. I had never seen a room like hers, ever. There are knick-knacks, or tchotchke as Judith likes to call them, everywhere you look - rainbow colour, texture galore, kitsch - and personal photos and artefacts from moments in fashion history I've only read about. I was in awe. I was just getting to know Judith, we'd only spoken on the phone before that day and the sight of her flat told me there was a heck of a lot to explore with my new (then) platinum-haired fashion designer friend, and it wasn't going to be done in one afternoon. It took about thirty minutes before I'd absorbed enough of my surroundings to be able to settle into it, I could not stop looking around. I found it a challenge to engage in conversation which says a lot as Judith is so full of fascinating stories.  A year and many visits later I'm still noticing curiosities on the tables, the walls and the shelves. And I'm still hearing new stories.

She has a pink microvave. She doesn't use it. Her kitchen is a bit like a 1950s version on acid, and the bathroom is lushly decorated with marine-themed objects. Of course it is.

There's a method to the madness. A quick glance around might have you thinking 'A crazy lady lives here' if you're devoid of imagination. Take a closer look and you'll see that's it all arranged quite meticulously and is dust-free. These are all things that she or someone who well knows her aesthetic leanings has picked up at flea markets and car boot sales, including her TV. She loves nuns and The Sound of Music. She has an original Sex Pistols t-shirt from Seditionaries, they were printed inside out, as well as the handkerchief. Not the fake kind Damien Hirst unwittingly paid thousands for, poor chump. These were made by Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood on their kitchen floor and somehow they remain in her possession; Judith's had many things stolen and even left some at John Lydon AKA Johnny Rotten's flat one time. Considering how much Judith has moved around in the last 30 years it's really a wonder anything's left.

And in case you're asking 'Who is this Judith character?' see her blog Frankly Frankland here or in the sidebar for a closer look.

  Judith has the first issue of Anarchy in the UK, pubished in 1976. That's the whole newspaper in there and she's offered to let me have a look and take some pictures of what's inside. Oh yes, please! You can't see this and not ask 'Who's that on the cover?' It's Soo Catwoman, a well-known figure from the London scene of 1976-77, the period we now know as punk, although as Soo says on her website it "defied description and didn't get its name for quite some time, having taken everyone by surprise." And as you can see, Judith is a fan of Tupac. Yep, she loves him. That's what great about Judith, you can't shoehorn her into a label!

The original Sex Pistols handerchief. I didn't ask Judith if she ever blew her nose on it.

There's the Sex Pistols t-shirt, among other items. That terrifying looking thing on the shelf is a form for making ventriloquist dummies. She sometimes helps out a friend who makes them by creating tiny little outfits with matching hats.

 
That's Judith in one of her designs, that fantastic skirt.

 

Judith designed and made the outfit featured on Visage's Fade to Grey single cover, worn by her good friend Steve Strange. The blond man with the glasses was also a friend, I believe he was in an 80s band and I'll check on that. He passed away. Judith lost a lot of friends to AIDS in the 80s.

  One of Judith's many abilities includes incredible flexibilty. Or maybe they're mannequin legs.

Her coffee table. It is under there.

 

 
 "Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the pinkest of them all?"

 
 
 
 

Photos by Denise Grayson

Cupcake Monday! The Pretty Ones + Porcelain Roses and Heartbreak

Let's just bask in the prettiness of these cupcakes which appear to be wrapped in ketchup cups! (Also brilliant for Jell-o shooters I recall from back in the day. I wonder if they stole theirs from McDonald's.) I was going to post more but these mini beauties really do it for me and so I don't really want to look at anything else (I'm loyal that way). Hope you don't mind.

The icing roses remind me of those tiny, delicate porcelain flowers. I have a silver anchor necklace just covered with them, I got it in Paris from Les Bijoux de Sophie. I came close to a public hissy fit when I was at a restaurant in Montmartre and its long pendant got hooked under the edge of the table so when I went to stand up it sheered off some of the roses. Augh! I'm still not over it. It stings. Although, it did teach me a lesson that things don't need to be so precious and I even tried to convince myself that it was more interesting that way. I had a story! Not a good one, but a story nonetheless.

 

I love its pretty take on the cheesy sailor tattoo. I still wear it and tell myself it's more beautiful in its accidental asymmetry.

And if those cupcakes are yours please do let us know as I found them with no credit given, for shame!

Wedgwood's Beautiful Baubles and Blues Pt. 2 (and Teacups!)

So I'm back with more Wedgwood baubles and the teacups I was talking about in my last post. Thanks to Alexandra for letting us know in the comments that the baubles are not only still available in the U.S., they are on sale! And they have even more designs! Now why does the U.S. site have more options than the UK site? It's a British company! Stop being stingy at home, Wedgwood, they've got more than they need yet we're deprived. Oh, the injustice.

I'm kidding of course (almost). I so want that teacup and saucer so I can display it on my mantle year round. And how about that three-tier cake? Oh, wait - back up. I just checked and they're gone, as they should be!

As for the teacups, I was at first lusting after Wedgwood's Cuckoo collection, those are three with the large floral patterns in the first collage which come in pastel blue, pink, green and peach. Then I saw the cup and saucer set from their Harlequin collection with the gold stripe deco handle and I instantly cheated on the Cuckoos. And the pink and gold daisy mug, wow. If I had those two I think I would have to put all of my food in a blender so I could drink out of the cups as much as possible. (Ew. On second thought I would just look at them a lot. I eat a lot of pizza.)

The dotty cup and saucer in 1950s minty turquoise - the absolute best colour in the world in my mind - is from Royal Albert. I have one of their sets coming for Christmas, I had to order my own gift as it was low stock and I would have missed out. Does that mean I can use it as soon as it arrives? It's a gorgeous lilac floral set of just one cup and saucer and I can't wait to have it, but that was before I saw the deco cup and lost my mind. Even the box is a dream.

I mentioned in the last post that I was going to do a little story on how I've brought blues into the house. (And by that I mean colours and not PMS. Though to be fair both qualify.) Then I realised that it's not the best time for photos as I've got Christmas decorations up, but I will do it. Especially now that we've got an antique tallboy sideboard painted in a saturated cerulean blue which I found today through sheer luck at our local market. For £80. And they delivered it free. That never happens to me, I'm not that girl! It made our kitchen and I can't stop staring at it. After the holidays I'll do my show and tell. I'm going to stare at it now! (It smells a bit funny but that's ok.)

Showstudio: Mary Katrantzou Making a Blooming Skirt Live!

 

Click to view the livestream

As I write this, Mary Katrantzou is putting the final touches on her lampshade skirt made of hundreds of flowers. Mary is the latest to create a piece live in the SHOWstudio.com LiveStudio, fo their Florist exhibition. She was just discussing the model's look with the makeup artist for the big reveal. The structure for the garment was created yesterday by welder Rob Hall.

What I love about these intimate work sessions, beyond the insight into the designer or artist's creative process is the glimpse it gives us into their personality. You can easily see who is lovely (Mary is), who carries the weight of the world on their shoulders, who likes throwing up on things. (Yes, Millie Brown aka Puking Millie does that. I didn't tune in. I did look at the result, and if I'd seen something really beautiful in her um, 'expression', it would have caused me to contemplate what I know about the process behind creating beauty and there might have been something profound in that analysis, a revelation. However, to me it just looked like someone barfed coloured paint. Which was actually coloured milk. I'll fully admit that I can't get past her method to consider it thoughtfully, and I'm not sure I'm obligated, which to me means don't judge it, then. I just looked again and it actually caused me to gag, seeing her bent over the canvas with the milk spilling Pollock-ly? from her mouth. I tried. To each her own.)

So, flowery skirts! Watch before it's gone, she's been at it since this morning.

Above is the early construction of the Lampshade skirt, and it immediately reminded me of the work of Lola Brooks, my favourite artist jeweller:

Stephen Jones' Glamour on a Budget: The Reveal

 

Yesterday during Showstudio's latest LivesStudio session, Stephen Jones created a floral centrepiece and a beautiful hat trimmed with fresh flowers as his contribution to their latest exhibition, Florist. When Stephen reappeared after changing outfits - I love that he had a setting up outfit and one for working - he greeted us with 'Welcome to Glamour on a Budget' and I thought he was kidding, but apparently that was the title of this project. Which makes perfect sense considering the centrepiece was made of yogurt pots, wire hangers and toilet paper rolls! It's like the coolest nursery school craft time ever. And you'd think I'd have a photo of the final piece but the feed cut out, then they broke for a bit and there's nothing on the site. Just trust me it didn't look like it was made from the contents of your recycle bin!

The piece will be available for sale in the Showstudio Shop, so I'm a bit confused as to how that is pulled off with fresh flowers! An edited version of the session is currently being prepared.

The next Livestudio happens Monday, 6 December 10:00 GMT and it's with Mary Katrantzou!

The model was wearing an incredible John Galliano trench:

And Stephen loved her shoes:

 

Photos are screencaps of the livestream, the trench and final shot is from Showstudio

Flower Therapy

It's going to be 6°on Wednesday in Newcastle which means it will be even colder on the coast. In England that temperature is the psychological equivalent of getting caught in an arctic blizzard naked. While in my Canadian mind anything above 0° isn't really winter (I do realise we're still two months away from official winter but we all know that crisp and lovely autumn days are shortlived), I still can't deal with the cold, so in that way I fit in well with the Brits.

Instead of lamenting the arrival of dwarfed days where it's pitch black at 3 pm - who's up for some mid-afternoon clubbing? - I've decided to keep my head sunshiney and spring-like by indulging in some flower therapy, in the form of of photos I haven't posted before, from my house, neighbourhood and the natural wonderland that is Northumberland. I could live forever in a field like the one below. For more, including the Quarry Garden at Belsay which is one of my most favourite places on earth, see here.

  

 

 

 All photos by Denise Grayson @ The Swelle Life

Dior's Beautiful Blooms

Fans of flowers will be enchanted by Dior's F/W Haute Couture collection which celebrated the vivid colours and sensual textures of flora. And as we expect from high fashion there were some wonderful oddities to take things out of this world. Steven Jones created head pieces resembling florist's cellophane, which the models bee-like hairstyles - not 'beehive' like, they actually resembled the cinched abdomen shape of the little stingers - were wrapped up in, like a bouquet. The dresses were the usual Galliano ultra-feminine opulence, this time with some voluminous tulle skirts.

 

This is amazing hair:

And the prettiest flower of them all, the grandest of couturier/beekeepers:

Photos have been collaged using original runway shots by Monica Feudi/GoRunway.com

The Gorgeous Gardens of Cragside Pt. 2 (Plus a Really Cool House)

Carrying on from yesterday's post (see below) here are more flowers from our visit to Cragside's formal garden and photos of the house itself which I find hard to believe was built in 1863 but my husband doesn't.

 

 

 

Being afraid of heights I got a bit freaked out walking on the foot bridge which you can see in the middle below, but it was the only way to the house from where we were. It's not terribly high so I looked like quite a wuss.

This is our house. That's what I would be saying if I was Lord Armstrong, if he was still alive. It's built into a rocky hillside above a 4 km² forest garden. And you thought you had a lot to prune. Having seen it we can't fathom the maintenance. We took the scenic route out of there and drove for about 10 minutes, trying not to scrape the sides of the car against the rocks, before we were finally out. It is a truly stunning and awesome landscape.

The house boasts a sandstone rock garden that is said to be Europe's largest.

The Gorgeous Gardens of Cragside

 

Last weekend we took a drive through Northumberland to Cragside House, Gardens and Estate, a National Trust heritage site. We'd heard it was one of the most beautiful sites in the area if not England, and quickly remedied having been ignorant of it for so long.

We didn't have time or the energy to go inside the house which is like a modern castle (it's Victorian but that's modern in English terms). To get around the estate grounds requires a bit of hiking skill or at least hardy footwear, so I'll save the history of the intriguing Lord Armstrong for when do see inside this house of magic - the industrialist had the first home to be lit by electricity thanks to his inventive and resourceful nature.

This is a cottage on the grounds near where we had lunch (at which point I remembered that the Wolford cropped leggings I was wearing weren't fully opaque - especially when stretched thin ie. over the bum - and I was wearing a short baby doll dress over them and it was windy. And we were hiking up hills. Well, at least I wore the right footwear.)

The landscape is so lush and there were blossom bushes everywhere. Stunning, but allergy pills are a must next time. I got off easy with a few sneezes.

  

 

I took these at the formal gardens. Its beauty lies in the close-ups; it's not so much a garden that is constructed for grand scenery but rather for its individual elements, like this koi pond complete with lily pads:

 

 

 

There was a little strip of garden along one wall that had the most exquisite varieties of flowers...

 

...which I will continue in the next post with some photos of the amazing house and its 'largest in Europe' rock garden!

Paradise Found: The Quarry Garden at Belsay

   

A little while ago I did a series of posts with photos from my first visit to Belsay Hall, Castles and Gardens (you can read those here, just scroll down) in the beautiful Northumberland countryside. I had yet to show the quarry garden which actually made me gasp as I walked into it and got an eyeful of its awesome rock formations, grotto and blossom trees. I could live in those gardens. I got to visit again when I was invited to the press day for their latest art exhibition called Extraordinary Measures which was a fantastic experience. I'll be posting about it just as soon as I can finish it. It was a fascinating exhibition, there's a lot to talk about!

And on to the gardens - are they not absolutely beautiful?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Denise Grayson @ The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! The Spring Flowers Edition

 

After my trip to Belsay Castle and a wander through their glorious gardens yesterday (more coming later today), I've got spring on the brain, particularly flowers in vibrant, sun-drenched colours. But pastels are lovely, too! These wedding cupcakes from Le Cupcake are so pretty and so finely detailed; I'm especially fond of the roses. Her cupcakes were featured in Bride to Be magazine - notice that gorgeous gerbera with the rosette middle in the last photo (I have a real thing for pink and fuchsia ones right now).

Old Castles, Spring Gardens and Stella McCartney's Crystal Horse Pt. 1

Today we took advantage of a gorgeous spring day and went off to explore some of the beautiful Northumberland countryside. We drove to Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens and I think I may have stumbled upon paradise. (I thought I found it when I went to Maui but it seems to exist way up here in the north east of England, too.) I just got a new camera and this was the perfect place to try it out, the gardens were spectacular and flooded with mid-afternoon sunlight. 

  
A room in the cellar of Belsay Hall, an early 19th century mansion

 

Belsay Castle. The turret part of the castle is 700 years old

 

And this image below is a bit of a teaser, I have so much more to show from this piece and the project itself. It's an installation conceived by Stella McCartney as part of a project involving thirteen British creatives that was commissioned by English heritage to transform Belsay in 2004. More on that tomorrow!

All photos by Denise Grayson

M·A·C Give Me Liberty or Give Me, Um...Liberty Will Do!

The first photos from MAC's latest collection come courtesy of Temptalia, a collaboration with Liberty of London who have been partnering with all kinds of like-minded giants, and this one is a total treat for the eyeballs. I don't even care so much about the makeup, I just love looking at the mixed Liberty prints of pretty pastel ditsy florals and bold graphics. And the packaging! I'm not sure that what's in those tubs and pans could possibly live up to what their beautifully adorned cases promise but who cares, really. Who doesn't need another pink gloss or purple eyeshadow anyway? 

I was invited to Cacharel's showroom in Paris last spring and saw their entire Liberty collection, a revival based on their first youthful, printed cotton floral pieces from the 70s. Cacharel say they created the Liberty print in the 70s. Yet Liberty fabrics are considered to be quintessentially English. Liberty of London sells Liberty prints and they seem to be an English institution of sorts, fashion-wise. I don't see how they could be two different things considering the look of each is unequivocal and each is called The Liberty Print. Did the French give the English a gift? The Statue of Liberty went to the United States and the Liberty print fabric was maybe a 'hey, you're cool, too' present to the English? Anyone care to explain?

Back to the make-up - the look is inspired by the quintessential London girl and is described as 'cool Britannia.' Oh, the tired buzz phrases PRs are forced to use. I'm a bit crabby. Immigration problems that are no fault of ours and my laptop is burning up my nether regions and it's not a great feeling.

Okay! Let's look at the pretty pictures! And by the way, the collection will be available first in the US on March 11 and internationally April 2010. And it will also include a scarf and a make-up bag. And more cosmetics. That hat is neat-o.

Tonight I Was Seduced By a Coat

There I was, innocently tapping and clicking away at my keyboard, when a garment of many fabrics revealed itself through the ether, enveloped in the rhythm of my keystrokes. It must have sensed I was in the mood for a late-night rendezvous from the aroma of far away spices on my breath (tonight we had Indian take-away), and I don't know if it was my rapid heartbeat and runny nose brought on by the sultry heat of the vindaloo, but I was ripe for seduction.

I can't go on like this, my silliness is going to turn into jibberish, it's late here. But seriously, I was taken aback - I gasped and made some funny noises and my face probably looked funny - when I saw this stunning Couture Evening Coat by RSVP on Shrimpton Couture. Now, this is not something you see every day. It transcends those horrible words, "on trend" (in my humble opinion) and unites us all through our love of truly exquisite clothing. A piece like this creates its own context, taking bits from the past and infusing it with new energy. And RSVP designer and visual artist Christine Davis had a little something to do with it, too. I'm happy that Christine chose to reveal herself; until recently she was anonymously reworking vintage into extraordinary garments for Shrimpton Couture. And while her unclaimed work created an air of mystery about the person behind it, it's also nice to have a name to put with the dress, especially when it is imbued with a touch that is undoubtedly personal.

The style is based on a captain's great coat and made of almost entirely of vintage fabrics, ranging from the Victorian era to the 1970s; Cherie (Ms. Shrimpton Couture) says she counted at least a dozen different fabrics altogether.

And the details. The details!:

I want to live in the lining of this coat. While I hate to draw comparisons when a garment is so utterly unique, the 70s patterned fabric and azure blue silk makes me think of McQueen's Plato's Atlantis. Yet the exterior tells a different story with its mélange of textures and florals. The blues are breathtaking, like a mix of winter lakes and summer oceans. 

You can find out more about this coat at Shrimpton Couture. And the kind of 'responsibility' I was talking about in my previous post - giving a handmade piece of work proper credit and informing potential buyers about its special attributes? Cherie is a shining example.

Let's Take a Magic Carpet Bag Ride!

I am so in love with these luxury carpet bags by Mary Kaiser - they're such happy, happy bags! They've got it all: the lushness of gros point, cut velvet and tapestry fabrics from Clarence House, Lee Jofa, and Scalamandre; the interior boasts silk lining and two roomy pockets; finishings include leather handles, Italian lock and key and brass feet; and they're embellished with vintage ribbons and braids, velvet flowers, rhinestones, French jacquard trims and buttons. They come in full and petite sizes in two shapes.

I think my favourite is the green and white petite with the black and white striped bow. It's just so fresh and pretty but I think all of them are absolutely droolworthy. 

Mary Kaiser sells her bags and other lovely items through her Etsy shop, including these precious coussin pin cushions of silk atop a French gilt tole stand, embellished with ribbons and jewels (I dare you to stick a pin in it!):

Passionate about Linen: An Interview with Mayumi Maeda

 

You know that you like the look of a nice, crisp cotton, or maybe the way a smooth, slippery silk feels against your skin. A thick, scratchy wool on the other hand may be something you avoid at all costs. For many of us that’s the beginning and the end of any thought on what our clothes are made of. But there's more to the fabrics we wear than meets the eye, and an unassuming, understated textile would demand closer inspection if the work of one designer is anything to go by.

When it comes to linen, Japanese designer and artist Mayumi Maeda can’t get enough of writing about it, talking about it, and creating with it. She’s even published books on the subject and one in particular, Every Day with Linen, served as a passionate plea to her then linenless country to the embrace the virtues of this natural, versatile, finely textured textile. And it worked.

I was introduced to the wonderful Mayumi through couture feltmaker and textile artist Liz Clay, who brought together four English and Japanese artists, inclulding Mayumi, for the Connections II exhibit at her Sommerset, UK studio as part of Somerset Art Weeks last month.

Here Mayumi describes what it is about linen that endears her so and how she singlehandedly created a new market within Japan’s textile industry:

Can you tell us what it was about linen that first attracted you and made you want to work with it over other textiles?

Flax, which is the raw material of linen, was initially one of my favourite plants as a flower motif to illustrate. It is not native in Japan, so it had been categorized as 'herbs and spices from overseas'. Actually it is easy to raise, so I grew it from seeds. However, at the time I did not have much knowledge about linen and how flax becomes linen. But one day I fell in love with flax and linen; the charm was 'doubled'. That was when I began working with linen.

How does linen compare to cotton - what makes them different?

As a fabric, I love linen's elegant texture while I also adore the softness of cotton. For me, linen is reassuring because of its durability. When we use high quality linen it will last decades which decreases excessive consumption. In this modern age, many things are changing so rapidly. But with linen, I feel I can have something that will stay long in my life and is not easily changed. That gives me peace.

 
Your 2002 book, Every Day with Linen, raised the profile of linen in Japan by exploring its virtues as a natural fabric, which then lead to the creation of a new market for linen in the country. Why do you think linen was overlooked before your book made its impact; and how has the introduction of linen changed Japan's textile industry?

As I mentioned previously, in Japan, there had been little knowledge about linen. In Japanese, we have a term called 'asa' which covers all fibers and fabrics made from plant stalks. Hemp, ramie and linen are all categorized as 'asa'. So my project for the book was to clarify what linen really is and to distinguish it from the other 'asa', and also to highlight its environmental virtues. The chapter about linen being a durable and sustainable material has been embraced by the readers; it has garnered very enthusiastic reactions.

 I also talk about the holy image that linen has in western culture and the role it plays in religious rituals, and the culture of white house linens with monograms which is something that appealed to the readers. Actually, in the past hemp was regarded as a divine fabric in Japanese traditional religion, but now production is now strictly limited to licensees (mainly shrines) by regulation of 'Cannabis control law'. So, linen could be regarded as a suitable substitute for the divine fabric, hemp.

Once the public was given a new context for linen through my book, it became an icon of pure, natural and sustainable lifestyle. Linen is now featured heavily in magazines and I play a big part in that. Due to public demand, we began supplying linen products through our company LINNET in 2002. Until then there was no distribution of linen in Japan.

Following this, many small stores began to carry linen fabrics and linen products which activated the market for linen and brought innovation to the country’s textile industry. Now, linen is a very popular and indispensible fabric in Japan.

Your husband and partner in LINNET is an architect. Can you describe how his architectural view influences the direction of your company?

When I expressed my special interest toward linen to my husband Satoshi Maeda, he shared it from the very beginning because he was also fond of fabrics for furnishing. Currently he is charge of planning fabrics as well as managing the company. I think his approach is very constructive, especially in the way we work with yarns, such as creating processes for how to finish the woven fabric. He also designs top dyed simple checks and stripes, using some geometric ideas. This kind of approach is quite different from mine which is more emotional. Satoshi is now leading a project focussing on the creation of a special soft and light linen yarn.

Through LINNET you are releasing patterns - do you design clothes yourself? If so, do you have plans to develop a special line of linen clothing?

Yes, I am also designing all the patterns for LINNET. We are mainly focusing on releasing the patterns for sewing but we’re also trying to establish some lines of simple clothes as well.

I had not been a design professional. I just learned how to pattern from my mother, who was a seamstress and the owner of a dressmaking boutique. For me, the clothes are also a kind of "container of one's mentality". I make the patterns which I like to wear, to be comfortable, natural, healthy and relaxed, both physically and mentally. For me, designing clothes is not my 'art', but the work that's indispensable in my life, like cooking, gardening, cleaning etc.

In that way, I would like to introduce how it can be fulfilling and enriching to spend time sewing the clothes ourselves, quietly with nice music in the background, rather than being worn out and tired after long walks searching for clothes around the shops located in tthe city center, on some occasions. However I know, too, that simple and good quality ready-made clothes can be also very inspiring and refueling for our mind. So, I would like to continue producing small collections of ready-made linen garments from my patterns for LINNET. We would like to take a long-term approach to the production of our designs, rather than introducing new designs every season like the fashion industry.

The tactile nature of making clothes, especially for ourselves and our family is indeed good for the soul. Do you see yourself working with linen indefinitely? And what do you think of the newer innovations in natural textiles such as bamboo, hemp and soy blends?

I am sure that we will work with linen forever, but also we are seeking a way to work with hemp in future, together with linen. Hemp is a traditional, holy plant in our culture, and is said to be very ecological. It has a number of uses including making fabric, paper, building materials, etc. In Japan, there are techniques to make hemp as soft as linen. When it is as soft as linen, hemp feels slightly lighter and more airy than linen. I adore the quality as well.

What's next for you and LINNET?

LINNET will soon release the new collection of linen fabrics dyed with complete natural dye stuffs (such as madder plants, etc) and I am working on a new picture book of Japanese wildflowers in autumn and winter.

We aim to remain a small, independent company. We appreciate production based on the necessity. The happiest future for us is to continue as we are doing today. Loving linen, plants, arts and working with nice people!

swelle.

How refreshing is that for a company mission? You can visit Mayumi's shop LINNET and read her blog at www.lin-net.com

Linen ribbons, tapes, and yarns

 

A hand crocheted scarf of organic linen

Crocus painting by Mayumi Maeda

Mayumi was asked to design and produced uniforms for Kurosaka Pediatric Clinic in Himeji, Japan. She was delighted to receive the lovely request, especially as they asked to put some small bunnies or birds among the large flower patterns for the children. In Japan cheerful uniforms are not the norm. But when Dr.Kurosaka was working in Britain he saw in a hospital a beautiful curtain with a large flower pattern and wanted something similar to create happy atmosphere in his own clinic.  So, this apron which we made is already 3rd generation of what they adopted.

"I am just so happy to have been involved in this work, and also very honored that my artwork is used for a place where people can be ‘cured’," says Mayumi.

Isn't she something special?

And my favourite piece of hers, a gorgeous linen corsage that was part of the Connections II exhibit:

Cupcake Monday! The Dreamy Edition

How lovely and gorgeous is this cupcake presentation? It's from the very talented cupcakier (I made that up) Kylie Lambert who shows off her almost too beautiful to eat creations on her 'Le Cupcake' Flickr page. 

The combination of pale pinks, minty greens and delicate flowers will get me every time. I really would have trouble eating these! Stare at or eat, stare at or eat...Oh, we both know they wouldn't last one minute in my presence.

Update! I've just found out that Domestic Sluttery is holding a National Cupcake Week contest (did you know that it's National Cupcake Week in the UK? I didn't until now!) and they are giving away a box of cupcakes every day! Sorry, it's only available to those who live in England or Wales. But that doesn't mean you can't celebrate by indulging in your favourites this week along with us!

NY Fashion Week: The Cynthias' Summertime Blues

The looks from 'The Cynthias' immediately grabbed me, they appeal to my feminine-floral-youthful-cool-loving self. However, while Cynthia Rowley still designs her namesake label, Cynthia Steffe's sweet-casual collection is from Shaun Kearney.

Each favoured gorgeous shades of blue. While Rowley (above and below) played with shades of moody indigo in both solids and painterly floral prints, Kearney brought out the fresh-air hues of bright cornflower, minty turquoises and lilac in floaty fabrics. For me it creates the same feeling as walking outside into a warm, sunny, summer day. It doesn't last long enough, does it?

 

 

That was Cynthia Rowley.

And this is Cynthia Steffe:

 

 

 

Milla Marries in her Own Creation

Correction: The original title of this post was 'Milla Marries in Vintage.' But as it turns out my source was wrong. Bah! Milla actually designed her wedding dress herself, which make sense as she designed for her own label Jovovich-Hawk until last year at which time she and fellow former model and partner Carmen Hawk made the decision to shut it down. The label was a success but grew too big for the two of them to keep it up. It's too bad, the clothes were gorgeous and very in line with the vintage-y, soft and feminine boho look of her dress. You can still find some items from their last collection at The Outnet

Milla Jovovich married director and Geordie lad Paul W.S. Anderson in a vintage gown accessorized as a flower child goddess. I have to say I'm happy to see the old glam hair back from when Milla was transitioning from model to serious actor. Not all of it may be hers but I love the look nonetheless. And how about her bouquet? Are these some kind of divine camelias?

 

Photos: Splash

Xuan-Thu Nguyen's Exquisite Strip Show

No, I haven't resorted to reviewing the costumes of exotic dancers for blog content, though that would be hilarious. It would certainly be a unique front row experience. Funny, I'd actually get to see the clothes longer than I would at an actual collections show! (Not sure there's value in that, however...)

Ahem. I had the absolute pleasure of attending Xuan-Thu Nguyen's couture show in Paris a little while back. You may be familiar with her if you've read this and this. And I already talked about my evening at her Paris atelier and boutique the night before her show here. So let's get right into the collection!

Thu is known for her detail which can be both exquisite and whimsical. She uses lots of pleats, specially designed and placed pockets, hand embroidery, stoles made not of fur but handcrafted flowers (see first photo below), and her signature feature at the moment is a layering and intermingling of strips of silk to create luxuriously textured and dimensional dresses, skirts and jackets.

Some of these photos I took, and the straight-on runway shots are from Vogue Paris. The Vogue site allowed for zooming in on detail (a great feature for a show like Thu's!) so I'm able to show the fantastic shoes, all of which are designed by Xuan-Thu Nguyen. I got a shot of two flower-embellished pairs backstage (I was so entranced with the clothes I hadn't noticed the shoes until after) but most of the girls were changed within a few minutes, so I was lucky to get anything!

The ribbons on the dress and the overlapping strips on the shoes look like some kind of exquisite exo-skeleton:

The way this skirt moves is incredible to watch. I'm not sure how many layers it took to build it up but it's quite weighty and is an entity unto itself - it commands absolute attention as it floats by.

These pants might appear to make the model look terribly hippy in the photo, but they are divine in person, I swear to you. One of Thu's signature features from this and recent collections is extended pockets that give the pants a clean, sculptural quality. I love her ribbon treatment on the shoes:

Again, the photo below does not do this outfit justice. When I was at Thu's atelier the night before, a model was being filmed walking in it. It was the first piece I saw from her collection and it was so chic and so original I wanted to cry. The fabric is some kind of nubby knit with metallic threads running through it - so gorgeously textured. The outfit prompted a standing ovation at the show. I wish I had photos of the pants from behind, they are very sculptural and created a shape that is quite odd yet extremely feminine and flattering. Sounds like those two elements can't co-exist? That's why it got an ovation.

Isn't this jacket amazing? It was sans sleeves the night before the show (it works just as brilliantly as a vest) and I was watching one of Thu's knitters working on it. It's hand-knitted using linen ribbon with soft metallic threads which looked fairly delicate when just lying there but when it's all woven together it takes on the appearance of raffia.

 

 

I had to snap these two. Although they were engaged in polite after-show conversation, it appears that they are about to have a 'style-off' where I imagine that umbrella would come in handy for posing - double points. I declare a fabulous tie!

  

And here's me and Thu. Have I mentioned she's awesome? Since this is as close to a styled post as it's going to get for a while, here goes: next season Xuan-Thu Nguyen jacket (from her RTW Fall 2009 collection), Cacharel silk dress and Wendy Brandes SmacEnroe necklace.

 

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. 

 

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