The Swelle Life

Chanel Film: Bicolor, The Making of the Cardigan

Click the image to watch the Chanel film Bicolor, The Making of the Cardigan at Chanel News

Leave it to Chanel to turn the making of a cardigan into something magical. From choosing the colour of the finest cashmere threads to the finishing of the piece with those intertwined C buttons - measured for exactness with a wooden ruler - we get a glimpse into the highest level of craftsmanship that goes into making the French fashion house's two-tone cardigans.

Chanel's cashmere is produced in Hawick, Scotland. In fall 2012, Chanel purchased the Barrie Knitwear cashmere mill after its owner company collapsed, saving 176 local jobs and keeping yet another artisan manufacturer from going the way of the Dodo. To date, Chanel has ensured the quality and that unique exquisiteness of their garments by acquiring the struggling couture ateliers Lemarie, the last remaining Paris plumassier, Michel for millinery, Desrues for costume jewellery, Massaro for shoemaking, and Lesage for embroidery. Most of us may never be able to afford a Chanel garment (lottery tickets), but it's nice knowing they're still out there in the world. 

Macaron Day Overload!

The master of macarons, Pierre Hermé, created this fresh and unusual recipe of mint, apple, cucumber and rocket for his July offering for the Les Jardins 2013 collection

Leave it up to Pierre Hermé to bring us National Macaron day - that's Jour du Macaron in its originating country of France - in association with Relais Desserts. This is its 8th year running annually on March 20th and it's not just about celebrating the beloved macaron and the beginning of spring, it's to support a chosen charity, and this year it's Vaincre la mucoviscidose, the association for beating cystic fibrosis, in France. The idea is that participating patisseries in France and abroad will offer their macarons in exchange for a donation to the charity - that's a great way to truly enjoy your macaron guilt-free. 

In addition to Paris, the cities I've found to be officially participating are Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Budapest, and although I can't find a website for London, surely Pierre Hermé (in Selfridges) is supporting a UK charity; last year it was Ambitious About Autism. And the young pastry chef we know from Masterchef Australia, Adrian Zumbo, joined in these last two years but this time is in Kuala Lampur teaching his craft, according to his twitter. 

I spent the day perusing the participating patisseries for the most mouth-watering and craving-inducing images of macarons and it nearly killed me:

PARIS

Dalloyau's candied ginger and apple 

 

Christophe Roussel's macaron skewers (oh my god) and Variation de Moment (Changing Moment) of lavender and apricot

TORONTO

A sunny approach to sweet treats at Butter Avenue - love those minis!

 

 

Ruelo's varied selection includes some adventurous options, such as Black Truffle 

I'll have to investigate whether there's some pistachio chopped up on there next time I visit Rahier

 

J'adore Cakes Co. does a pistachio rosewater macaron, two of my favourite flavours, which makes J'adore a high priority on the list to visit this summer

Moroco Chocolate just may have the most beautiful boutique in Toronto, and they create personalised macarons

NEW YORK

Macaron Parlour likes to experiment with flavours including candied bacon - why not! - as well as Earl Grey tea and black sesame. 

BUDAPEST

It appears as if this is the most celebratory Macaron Day going in terms of centralising it into a ticketed event and bringing Hungarians together in one space to indulge in macarons. The images I found in their site's gallery may not actually be from Hungary, I recognise one from a New York cafe's site, but rather they're a collection of images people were encouraged to send in - unfortunately they were posted without credit. If one is yours please let me know!

 

Thanks to Yashesh!

Candy Hearts, Cakes and Elle Fanning by Will Cotton

Headpiece by Will Cotton, based on Alexander McQueen

This was initially supposed to be a Valentines post...obviously that did not happen. It was too soon after my first post of Will Cotton's works anyway, and that is a lot of sugar to consume at once (no complaints here though).  New York magazine's spring fashion issue featured a cover and spread of Elle Fanning as Will Cotton's latest muse, wearing designs from the spring runway accessorised with sweets and icing against candy land backgrounds that are blowups of Cotton's paintings. I haven't actually seen Fanning in any films so I have no opinion of her as an actress (though I hear she's talented), but I do like her as the human embodiment of sweetness in Cotton's paintings; it rings genuine. (Those Fanning girls really buck the child actor stererotype, don't they?)

Cotton reworked the clothes into "something even more perfect for the environment", adorning them with all kinds of dainty designs made from icing, and 'Cottonised' a brand new Reed Krakoff bag by shoving a couple of big squishy cakes into it!

You can watch the behind-the-scenes video featuring Will Cotton and Elle on The Cut:

Elle pipes the icing corset Will Cotton created to be worn over a Dolce & Gabbana bodysuit. Cotton made the earrings and headpiece, too. 

Elle Fanning wears a Marchesa gown in front of Will Cotton's Pastoral, 2009

Will Cotton hand piped this Erdem dress with icing to create sugar appliques

Eyes by Will Cotton, based on Dior

Will Cotton based this dot candy detailed bag on a Fendi design

This Thom Browne skirt reminded Will Cotton of a tea tray, so he decorated it with petits fours "because what a nice thing would that be?"

Elle wears a Marc Jacobs dress in front of a version of Will Cotton's Insatiable, 2008

And you thought your purse was messy. Will Cotton stuffed cakes into this Reed Krakoff bag!

Elle wears Reem Acra in front of one of Will Cotton's gingerbread house paintings

An ink on paper rendering of Elle in a Louis Vuitton romper by Will Cotton

Elle lounges on sugar crystals wearing Valentino's 'glass slippers'

Photos: NY magazine/The Cut

Winter Escape to Ladurée

I've heard rumours that something called 'the sun' exists. Is this true? England is in a dreary deep freeze right now (well, for England). The south has been hit especially hard and hundreds of schools around the country are closed, unfortunately not my daughter's (is that wrong to say?). I got a face full of sleet walking her in today and my chin froze, that was weird. The winds off the North Sea sent kids' hats flying off and they had to walk into class with soaked, frozen heads. Yet I still saw a guy walking around in a t-shirt! That saying about Geordies having an aversion to coats may not be completely unfounded. To be fair, it's just a few out of thousands of others who aren't allergic to warmth who are responsible for this reputation. But, I guess there are worse things than being hardy? (I'm trying hard to understand, here.)

So I tend to do a bit of daydreaming on days like this, and right now I can't get Paris in springtime out of my head. But it's not spring and I can't be there anyway, so one of my go-tos is to see what's new at Ladurée. They've got new boxes, 'Petits Accessoires' - which according to the image below it appears to come with tiny accessories in the square version, hence the name - and 'Calendrier' or Calender, the contents of which is not forthcoming on their website. Maybe it's up to you. (I picked up the chickadee yellow 'Louise' design for my daughter in London last autumn and filled it with macarons. I didn't even sneak one. It wasn't easy not stealing candy from a baby.) That regal-looking treat is the Ladurée King Cake , a caramelised puff pastry filled with a fondant almond creme. Maybe wait until extra holiday pounds are dealt with before diving into that. And then there are candies in pastel stripes in six flavours; the Bonbonierre which is a box of chocolates and yes, the box is also chocolate so when you've finished the little ones the indulgence is far from over; and macaron chocolates. Macarons covered in chocolate. Ladurée chocolate. Homer drool. And although not new, I included the tea canister because it's so pretty. I have this one on display in my kitchen and it's filled with the Marie Antoinette tea. I admit I bought that because of the name. It's very nice but I just realised I'd forgot about it completely. You know how thngs become part of the scenery and they register anymore? I think that's why rearranging at least once a year is a winning idea. Or I can save the effort and just have a good hard look around the kitchen and reacquaint myself with lost loves. Maybe I'll have it tonight, it's a good night for keeping hands around boiling cups.  

The Delicious World of Wayne Thiebaud

Cakes. Wayne Thiebaud, 1963.

I can't believe Wayne Thiebaud hasn't featured on The Swelle Life before now. I remember seeing the American painter's work - he shuns the title of artist, looking down on "art" as "an abstract term that's still developing" - in art class in high school, it was one of his iconic dessert paintings and my eyes lingered on it for half a second before I turned the page in my survey text book. I didn't get it, I was too wrapped up in the fascinating, salacious and just plain weird lives and works of the Surrealists. At a time where adolescence is transitioning awkwardly into adulthood, the perpetual child-like curiosity and dreamstate exploration of the Surrealists just fit the teenage brain so well. 

We're looking at Wayne Thiebaud now because I became reacquainted with his cakes the other day, playing Go Fish with my daughter, of all things. We were using a deck of Modern Art cards I bought her that are made for the game  - a great way for children to learn the names of Modern artists and their works, and it comes in a set for Contemporary as well - and when it was her turn she asked me if I had any Wayne Thiebauds. A bell rung and I said Go Fish, and then later when I picked one up myself I looked at it with fresh eyes and realised I'd wasted so much time not appreciating what he did in 1960s, and what he is still doing. Yes, he is still with us at 92 years of age and incredibly, he still paints and does it as well as he ever did. In 2010 he created the google 12th birthday logo; it was of course, a birthday cake:

Like a Cezanne bowl of fruit, there's much more happening in Thiebaud's still lifes beyond his simple subject, whether it be a sundae, lipsticks, or a toilet. My initial response is noticing the presence of the subject; these are dramatic little pastries with their heavy, punctuating shadows that could not be reproduced in reality, and colours in acid hues that really stick. What I love is how each individual object, when conveyed as part of a group, has its own set of qualities and occupies its own space apart from what surrounds it. (This is the point where my dad is reading this, leans forward, squints and asks "Really?") What's been noted about Thiebaud's earliest work is its obvious 'pop' qualities derived from its focus on objects of mass culture, yet they predate Pop Art, suggesting that he may have influenced the movement. I'll take Thiebaud over Warhol any day. I can feel Thiebaud. 

For more about Wayne Thiebaud and to further understand (and fall in love with ) his work, watch the Smithsonian's video 

Wayne Thiebaud with one of his wonderful streetscapes. Like his still lifes, they also prompt us to look beneath the surface. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pure + Simple Way to Healthy Skin

Pure + simple's Kristen Ma explains why natural skincare is important for our health as well as beauty

Ten years ago, I walked into a beauty shop and spa next door to my office building at Yonge & Eglinton in Toronto. I'd worked next to Pure + simple for quite a while, but until that day had hesitated to venture in. The name suggested natural skincare, and I'd come to mistrust those who claimed to sell natural skincare products because I knew that a hugely popular, global company that based their entire philosophy on the concept were not as they appeared, and there had been an exposé on some smaller producers of 'natural' products mostly sold in health stores, which made me believe there was really no such genuine thing being sold commercially. (At this time I had no reference for Pure + simple,  unaware of their stellar reputation in the city and many awards. I was still kind of new in town.)

Do the Opposite

I finally walked through their door when I'd had enough of being greeted by the oil slick on my face in the washroom mirror at work. I'd never had oily skin before and didn't know what was going on. I bought blotting papers but they were a temporary measure. (One day my male director appeared around the corner of my cubicle and found me with one stuck to my forehead and each cheek, I'd just left them on for some reason. I said "Um, I've got a bit of an oil problem." Better to be honest because it certainly warranted an explanation, he thought I'd decorated my face with Post-its.) So I found myself standing in Pure + simple when a young woman, with skin so clear and fresh it reminded me of what skin is actually meant  to look like, approached. I told her about my problem and she explained that my skin was dehydrated and was compensating by producing more oil, and that I needed a heavier moisturiser to rehydrate and balance it. The last thing I wanted to put on my visibly oily skin was cream, especially a heavy one, but nothing I was doing was helping so I thought that sounded crazy enough to work. (Ever since that Seinfeld episode I've believed there was something to the notion of doing the opposite of what you'd normally do if life isn't going so well - and I'm happily married because of it. I can't believe I have George Costanza to thank for that.) I bought the moisturiser she recommended and was really impressed that she was so confident about the principle behind what she was telling me, yet she was not at all pushy about it. I put it on that night and again in the morning. I remember the next day my face was hardly shiny at all and I couldn't believe how quickly it turned around, and the oil never returned. Needless to say, I went back. I wanted to know more.

Kristen Ma and Ayurveda

That vibrant young woman with the enviable complexion was Kristen Ma, co-owner of Pure + simple Inc., along with her mother Jean Eng. They created their first product range after finding nothing suitable on the market to address their skincare needs.  I found out that there is a specific ideology behind their holistic spas that I wasn't familiar with - both are Ayurveda practitioners in addition to being highly skilled estheticians, and approach the attainment of beauty through health. Kristen explains it for us in her first book Beauty: Pure + Simple - a must-read for anyone frustrated with their skin despite having tried everything, or just not feeling generally well (the two go hand-in-hand). Ayurveda guides us to live in harmony and beauty, according to our individual constitutions, known as doshas, and our environment. Unlike western medicine which focuses on alleviating symptoms and conditions with drugs and surgery, Ayurveda searches for the root cause and treats ailments from this perspective. It specifically considers the characteristics of the individual, while understanding that our mind, body and environment are always changing. Makes good sense, eh? I've been on the other side of the Atlantic for the past seven years but I always come back to Pure + simple when I visit Toronto - they do the most heavenly facials which are second to none, I've got one booked just before Christmas - and their products and advice always straighten me out.

The Products

Although I've been a Pure + simple devotee for over a decade, somehow the only products I'd tried from their proprietary line were their organic hydrosols which I just love - I alternate between rose and lavender, the latter also being great for oily scalps and refreshing what I call 'plane face' after a long flight. All of my skin and body products had come from their shops but from other high quality natural and organic lines they carried. Well, recently I found out what I was missing and was also introduced to products from the new specialised Holistic Vanity lines for Damage Care and Rosacea Care, Kristen's brainchild. All are made locally in Toronto using undiluted and concentrated, organic, therapeutic ingredients harvested seasonally and are free from ALL of the harmful ingredients commonly found in commercial beauty products (you can see a list of the undesirables at the bottom of this page).

So what do I think? I love the completeness of the Damage Care line which offers a treatment for each sin you've put your skin through at one time or another resulting in cellular injury. I'm guilty of causing some: sun damage (when I was a teen they still sold suntan oil with no SPF!) which leaves you with hyperpigmentation that becomes more pronounced as you age, and the thing we all do even though we know we shouldn't - picking. Those little scars your mother warned you you'd cause if you didn't leave your spots alone but you'd escape to the bathroom to willingly annihilate your face in private? Got some. Add the effects of pollution, stress and free radical damage and pretty much anyone will have a skin issue that needs addressing.

These products gently yet effectively help improve specific damage symptoms:

Rejuvenating Rosewater Cleanser - It all starts with proper cleansing. This milk formulation hydrates depleted skin as it removes damaging surface impurities. My skin looks so fresh afterward as it contains absolutely no stripping agents to cleanse the skin.

Repairing Rosehip Skin Tonic - This tonic smells heavenly, thanks to water extracted from the rosehip fruit. Rosehip has been found to be excellent in treating pigmentation and is one of the only natural, non-bleaching ingredients to do this effectively. It's a treat to put on your face.

Edit: I clued in this morning that I didn't give the Rosehip tonic enough credit! I use it twice a day after cleansing and the lightning fast, almost complete removal of the hyperpgimentation on the sides of my face is probably due more to the tonic than the lotion below. The lotion surely does the job, too, but I use different moisturising products from this list on different days, and the tonic is consistently applied twice  a day so I think I owe it the credit for this small miracle of a transformation. Use it with the brightening lotion below and you'll be rid of that 'dirty face' look in days. Seriously. It's been three weeks for me and there's hardly anything there.

Brightening Hyaluronic Lotion - Something about the combination of seaweed extracts and the 15 percent hyaluronic acid - one of the best actives for increasing skin hydration and encouraging cellular repair - makes this hyperpigmentation fighting lotion work. I'd only used it a few times and wasn't even looking for any improvement as it was so early, when I noticed that the 'sandy' look on the sides of my face was reduced, looking a lot less blotchy and now barely noticeable. Amazing. And it achieves this without bleach. (Why would you put bleach on your face?!)

Regenerating Seabuckthorn Berry Oil - This is the healing one, helping to repair skin marks, weak tissue immunity and scarring. Loaded with nutrients, it's great for undernourished skin types and it also provides topical protection as a shielding barrier for damaged complexions. I still get a little surprised when I pump it and see its bright crimson colour from the Seabuckthorn Berry oil. But don't worry, the addition of evening primrose oil prevents it from staining your skin. I feel like I'm giving my skin a hug when I put on this soothing oil.

Restorative Raw Argan Oil - When my skin is angry (those hormonal times so enjoyed by my loved ones) I turn to this oil that repairs broken out, sun damaged, and inflamed complexions and helps to restore balance and increase tissue health. Made with raw argan, this oil is crafted with care by the artisans of an all-female co-operative in western Morocco. Its entire extraction process is done completely by hand and sustainably, employing a zero-waste approach.

And I have one product from their excellent Rosacea Care line which is the Comforting Camellia Oil. I don't have rosacea but my skin can go red and blotchy for some reason at times, so I'm glad I have this on hand. It contains skin comforting Camellia (green tea oil) as well as the ancient Ayurvedic anti-inflammatory Turmeric (also known as curcumin), and permeates deeply to charge the skin with extra resilience.

Don't be afraid of using these oils on on your face - all Pure + simple oil products are free of petrolatum and parabens and are non-comedogenic, meaning they will not cause breakouts. I can attest to this!

We've had some face-stripping windy and bitter weather here by the sea recently, and if my skin isn't protected properly I come home looking looking like a fine leather glove left on the radiator to dry out (I know what this looks like because I stupidly did this once). So on those days I've been using Pure + simple's Nourishing Sunflower Cream with an oil on top of that, and not once have I come in from the cold resembling a wizzened leather good. And you can't forget the lips - their Organic Lip Oil in Lavender calms inflamed, sensitive lips (I use this when my lips are so weather beaten I could cry) while the Peppermint freshens and plumps as well as hydrates. 

About the oils: Kristen recommends blotting your skin with a tissue if you look oily, but I've never needed to, it absorbs completely into my skin and you would never know I put oil on my face. I always rub the excess oil left on the palms of my hands onto the backs, and from just this tiny amount I have seen a major transformation in how old my hands look. (Has anyone else looked down only to be horrifed that your hands look 20 years older than your face?) I am now a total oil convert. As long as it's Pure + simple.

For more advice on how to find that healthy balance visit Kristen's blog Holistic Vanity, and see her fantastic YouTube channel for all kinds of insightful videos including collaborations with other Toronto experts on topics such as healthy digestion, anti-inflammatory diets and DIY all- natural styling and beauty products.

Pure + simple has three Toronto locations and one in Oakville, Ontario, and they offer their entire product range for sale through their online shop. And yes - they ship internationally!

Make Mine Multi-Faceted

 

('Faceted' would have sufficed but alliteration just sounds better)

I know what I want for Christmas. Forget diamonds, I'll take my facets in the form of water-based blue resin, please. (I wasn't going to get diamonds anyway but it's still a compliment.) I've been looking for decor pieces that are different from anything I have. My living room is in need of a minor transformation, and I like to buy things that aren't just space fillers but unique and beautiful and the kind of piece I won't be looking at in a year saying 'I am glad I am no longer the person who thought this was a good idea.' But these things of enduring significance tend not to come cheap, so it's a slow process building that collection. (If bookmarked web pages and blogs count as a collection, I'm already there!)

These Faceture vases, which I think are better without flowers - the way the light catches the facets is beautiful enough - are made by Phil Cuttance, a New Zealander who manipulates each object's form with a turn of the hand before casting, making every piece genuinely unique (you can see how he does this in the video above). Phil says:

“I like the idea of people knowing where products come from, and what goes into making them. I think a lot of products are now seen as ‘throw – away’ as they are made on a mass scale, in places far away from where they end up, and out of sight. There was time when people commissioned a local maker or craftsman to make an object, which gave it an inherent value. I like that model.”

Yes, us too! The vessels and the rest of his Faceture series, which includes lamps and sidetables, are sold at Australian-basesd shop theminimalist.com.au, my new obsession. The lamp is just awesome, but I like the slender design of the vessels so much that, for me, the the sidetable's chunky approach can't compare. (It's still cool though!)

This small vase is a limited edition colour called Summer Mint. That totally has my name on it.

The vases in two sizes, lamp and side table. I want to touch them for a long time.

Photos: The Minimalist

LM Series: Duro Olowu's Umbrellas for Outset

This is the second installment of the LM Series, documenting the discovery of new and wonderful, world class, art and food during 'Le Méridien at Frieze' at which I was a guest in October, hosted by Le Méridien Piccadilly in London. Watch for the Duro Olowu for Outset umbrella giveaway tomorrow!

Duro Olowu introduces his umbrella installation for OFT at Frieze Art Fair, with Candida Gertler, co-founder of Outset

It was a thrilling surprise to see Duro Olowu's name on the itinerary for my three art-packed days in London with Le Méridien at Frieze. In this case, the beloved fashion designer was seen as more of an artist due to his collaboration with Outset, a philanthropic organisaton dedicated to supporting new art. With the aim of bringing attention to and raising funds for the Outset/Frieze Art Fair Fund to Benefit the Tate Collection (OFT), this special commission was introduced as an installation on the special preview day at Frieze to celebrate the 10th anniversary of OFT this autumn. It was enthusiastically received and that was as much due to the affable charm of the designer as it was the beautiful umbrellas. (I had heard Duro was genuinely lovely and it's true!)

Two exclusive, limited edition designs in Duro's signature fabrics - one in vibrant multi-colour (edition of 500) and the other a bold black and white graphic (edition of 1000) - are available to buy in the shops at Tate Britain and Tate Modern for £85 and £65, respectively (not online at this time). And I have one in the multi-colour to give away to a Swelle reader - watch for details tomorrow, 14 November. Thanks to the generosity of Le Méridien, I have the black and white version for myself and I absolutely love it, it's a very high quality umbrella (of course!) and the fabric is just gorgeous, it makes rainy days instantly cheery. (And it gets lots of compliments whenever I go out with it.)

Duro's Limited Edition umbrellas displayed at Frieze in a large tree installation

I became besotted with Duro's original and vibrant clothes - those magnificent textures! - when I first laid eyes on them a few years ago. An irresistible blend of his Jamaican-Nigerian heritage and chic cuts, how can you not fall in love:

Duro Olowu AW12

Duro Olowu SS13

I was lucky enough to speak with Duro for a few minutes; he was full of smiles and happy to talk about what he does, and he's just so pure and genuine about it it's easy to see how his clothes have their specialness. There's no doubt they are all Duro. He told me that when he designs it's very spontaneous, it comes to him and he's off. 

More formally,  Duro explains his creative process behind the final umbrella designs in his artist statement:

"My original design for Outset's 10 year anniversary was inspired by the range and breadth of artists and projects that Outset has supported since its inception. Once I fully digested this diversity of media, geography and aesthetic points of view, my aim was to represent this broad spectrum with abstract shapes and patterns. The design evokes in a contemporary way the decorated umbrella which has for centuries been a fixture in parades, coronations and other celebratory occasions around the world."

Duro's designs elicit an excitement, a glorious energy that is right in line with what one would be feeling at a celebration. In that sense, Frieze, with its endless aisles of world class art and colourful characters roaming the floor and taking it all in, was an especially fitting event for the launch.

The leftover umbrella fabric was used to make vibrant notebooks , available at Tate shops for £12

We loved Duro's shoes! (And I forgot to ask who did them)

Duro and Candida (wearing a Duro Olowu jacket) with Jérôme Sans, Cultural Curator for Le Méridien

Photos #1, 5 and 6: Dave Watts Photography ©

Peter Gilmore's Eight Texture Chocolate Cake

I've been hooked on the latest Masterchef Australia series, which to me is the model for how television cooking competitions should be presented. (I'm not linking to it in case there's a spoiler on the homepage, it's still running in the UK and I can't know who won and don't want to ruin it if you're watching, too!) There's no drama amongst the competitors, because the show doesn't exploit any that may exist; the aspiring chefs are truly lovely people who are talented and passionate about their cooking; the judges - award-winning Australian chefs Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris, and Liberty print-loving, internationally acclaimed critic Matt Preston who loves his cravats as much as his ceviche - are supportive and constructive and clearly not prompted to be horrible for the sake of 'good' TV. And! Every few shows they do a masterclass which airs in almost real time, with measurements clearly given, so you can actually follow it and make the three dishes yourself. I record them so I've got a library of lessons. I can't watch any other competitive chef shows, especially the US ones which are more like soap operas than educational, so you don't really learn anything. (Hell's Kitchen is just a series of bleeps and screaming - that's fun?)

I had a point to this post! A big highlight of the show is the guest chefs they bring in to provide the challenge for the elimination round, a pressure test where the cooks fighting to stay in the competition are tasked with replicating a signature dish chosen by the star chef to demonstrate their skills with particular techniques. One of the standouts was a chocolate cake consisting of eight layers of complementary textures, created by chef Peter Gilmore of Quay in Sydney. No small feat to make and assemble, and if that was not enough, you had to finish by pouring melted chocolate over the centre which is meant to collapse in gooey, dramatic fashion. The brief video above takes you through the dish, and if you want to try it yourself, the Masterchef Australia website has the recipe for you which you can see here - it's spoiler free!

I can't mention Matt Preston and not show him, he has a cult following due to his commanding physical presence, wicked hair, love of colour and extensive cravat collection:

I have to wonder if he ever gets sauce on that cravat and how he would handle it...I'll bet he brings spares!

Swelle Review: Virgin Experience Days at Bannatyne

Two Sundays ago I went down to Darlington to Bannatyne's Health Club to review their 2 For 1 Pamper Day for Virgin Experience Days (£75). Needless to say, I didn't need asking twice. (And if there was ever a time for destressing, this was it. I was this <-> close to doing the crazy dance down the street in the middle of the night, possibly without pants.) The package included a choice of a Swedish Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage or Bannatyne Pick me Up Facial, finished with a scalp massage, plus full use of the health club facilities. When I booked the appointments for myself and the friend I'd invited to join me, I chose the Swedish massage and also took advantage of a half price offer to add an extra half hour service at £15, and I went with the Elemis facial because I had a sinus infection and thought my face could use something nice beyond nasal sprays and tissues shoved into it. (That could have backfired - I'd forgotten that my left eyebrow hurt when touched!) I was so looking forward to this relaxing and fun girls' day, though I did wonder if anything could be capable of chilling me out completely - my homeostasis had become 'hot mess'. 

Little did I know the calming powers of this lovely pamper day were going to be truly tested. The day got off to a rough start when something happened on my way down to Darlington and made me see red. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to enjoy it and feared the day was ruined before it began. When I got to Bannatyne's, I checked in and was offered the spa kit of a plush and comfy white robe, slippers and a bag for £3, the latter two you can keep. I took it. Beyond the desk was the cafe which had lots of couches and magazine racks for relaxing with your refreshments, and there were about eight women in their robes and slippers having coffee which I thought was kind of neat - I didn't have to get dressed to have lunch! (Yes, that is exciting to me.)  The staff were very friendly and I was taken on a tour of the facilities, then left to do whatever I wanted for the next four hours, at which time I would start my spa appointments. My friend was joining me a little later so I went off to change.

I was already feeling optimistic. Some places meant for relaxation don't feel quite right, as if the spa has been shoehorned into a gym and there are two opposing vibes happening at once, but Bannatyne's has a warm calm that runs through the entire place, it seems everyone is there for the same reason and are respectful of others and so are very whispery. In the changeroom, which is large and spacious with a flat screen TV and wood lockers and benches which made it feel very homey, I noticed straight away how new looking and clean everything is, and very well-attended. Staff were always around taking care of things - no Sunday skeleton crew here. This was consistent throughout the entire complex, and I realised how rare that is these days now that doing the bare minimum seems to be the norm.

I decided I would start with the tough stuff and went up to the first level of the gym. I chose to really challenge myself with a brisk walk on the treadmill. (Ok, I've had a torn meniscus, running and me do not mix. But I did raise the incline!) Then I went up to the floor above for a change of scenery and proceeded to do every single weight machine. I know you're supposed to only work out two or so muscle groups at once but who knew when I was going to have access to a gym again, so I really went for it. I loved the machines - they were more innovative than what I've previously seen despite being in some very modern gyms in the past, working out the muscles in new ways. (I was careful not to load too much weight so that I could move the next day, and I'm glad to say that I did not wake up decrepit and unable to dress myself.)

Once the sweaty stuff was over it seemed logical that I go for a swim and sauna. The pool area, like the rest of the club, looked brand new. For me, and likely every other human being, I can't enjoy swimming if the area is even slightly grungy so I was thrilled at how shiny and perfectly clean it all was. I went into the pool and took the slow lane. I attempted to swim and realised my arms were too tired from doing so many weight machines - big surprise - so I did a kind of slow-motion sprint in the water for several laps and tried to convince myself that it looked totally normal to be doing this. After that I thought I'd have a first-time go at the steam room. I'm not really good with breathing in saunas and therefore had never tried a steam, but I wanted to so I opened the door, couldn't breathe while still standing outside it and said to the woman sitting in there 'Uh, I can't do this!' and closed the door. I'm sure she appreciated that. I wasn't totally giving up and so I went into the sauna next to it. There was a young couple in there and we chatted a bit which kept me in there for a lot longer than I thought I'd be able to do. And then the magic happened. When I walked out, I felt something I'm not sure I've ever felt before: true relaxation - it does exist! That thing that had me so vexed earlier was now like a baby deer prancing around on candy floss in my head, it was all good. And it was going to get better. I got out of the wet stuff and after a huge tuna and veg salad in the cafe - in my robe! - I went up to the relaxation room and decided immediatey that I would like to live in this room. It had those spa loungers that are made of heated tiles, and two waterbeds covered with thick velour blankets, and I wish I had a room at home with one of each. (Lottery tickets.) There was a table that was being replenished of pitchers of ice water and platters of fresh fruit - see, well-attended! - and so I poured a glass, took a banana and a magazine and luckily got a heated ounger after a few minutes. Heaven. My friend joined me a few minutes later and we hung around until it was time to go down to the spa for our appointments. 

It says a lot about a place when you're completely at ease before you've even had your services! I had to ask for an upgrade to  my massage because my back, well my everything really, is one huge monkey fist and a gentle Swedish massage was going to be like trying to move a ton of concrete with a feather. So I had the bamboo massage for an extra £5 and it was a good compromise between a deep tissue which would have left me really sore, and the Swedish. It was nice, loosened me up without killing me, and then we went straight into the facial. My aesthetician, Gemma, was lovely and gave me the heavenly scalp massage while one of the masks was doing its magic. Afterward, we wanted to let the feeling linger a little longer (forever) and so we went back up to the relaxation room which we now had all to ourselves. I took the waterbed and felt so relaxed that I wished I could somehow ride that bed home all the way home, get it through the front door and stay on it until morning. 

Needless to say, my Pamper Day at Bannatyne's was a resounding success - I highly recommend going yourself to your local or buying a voucher as a gift for friends or family. I only wish we had one in Newcastle. But I'll be going back. I've got a steam room to conquer.

Antonio Marras SS13

  

Antonio Marras is usually the first show I look at from Milan Fashion Week. It's the richness of textures and the liberal use of pastels that gets me (no, I will never tire of pastels!), presented in classic, feminine cuts that Marras reinvents with each season. A few of the looks from his latest collection would be right at home at Tokyo Fashion Week. Luxe fabrics, especially irresistible when he mixes many in one garment:

and hand embroidered details:

finished with those shoes! (which I could never walk in) and those bags! (luckily I have no difficulty carrying bags).  As you can see in the video above, the show took place during a suitably sugary afternoon tea and I think I actually saw someone eat something. (I have seen the most gorgeous food go ignored at fashion events and I've so wanted to come in with a stack of Tupperware and rescue it all.  I like that Antonio Marras went with the idea anyway).

Photos:  Style.com

LM Series: A Most Unique Afternoon Tea...

This is the first installment of the LM Series, documenting the discovery of new and wonderful, world class, art and food during 'Le Méridien at Frieze' at which I was a guest in October, hosted by Le Méridien Piccadilly in London.

Imagine that instead of pouring out your tea to have with a few scones and finger sandwiches, you've got a pot of gin - infused with chilli and vanilla - and rather than adding milk, you top up with tonic. Le Méridien’s homage to two of the most recognisable English traditions, their G&T Afternoon Tea offers a contemporary makeover combining both, giving you a deliciously unique experience. I first had this special G&T in the spring when it accompanied the dessert course at their Damien Hirst-themed dinner, and I was instantly smitten by the clear glass presentation and how beautifully the two flavours and the gin complemented one another.

This time, we were treated in the afternoon - along with a selection of sandwiches and pastries - to the range of fruit and herbal infusions Le Meridien offers, each paired with the perfect gin to bring out the flavours of each ingredient, and meant to be sipped, like traditional tea:

           • Monkey 47 Gin infused with Lavender
           • Bulldog Gin with Fresh Lychee Fruit
           • Cucumber infused Hendrick's Gin
           • Vanilla and Chilli infused Sloane's
           • Sweet Basil infused Gin Mare stirred with Rosemary
           • Japanese Green Tea infused with Beefeater 24

Although there were many tempting flavours to try, I couldn't help but go back to the vanilla and chilli because I'd enjoyed it so much the first time, and then I finished with the sweet basil which was nicely refreshing. But I noticed something interesting this time, when I added the tonic myself: add a little and you get a hit of the chilli, but add more and you don't dilute the drink but rather the tonic brings out the sweetness of the vanilla, allowing you to custom blend your G&T just the way you like it. I asked the mixologist (who was so knowledgable and passionate about his craft) about this and he explained that the tonic has been reduced to create a syrup, and you can do this for yourself at home by boiling it down on the hob to make the reduction. He also told us how to infuse gin (or whatever you'd like) very quickly - using the dishwasher! Add your ingredient(s) to the gin in an air-tight container, run it on a long cycle and let the heat and steam do the work. Just be sure the container is well sealed and do not try to get in a wash at the same time - no detergent!

The G&T Afternoon Tea (£32) is such a fantastic way to do the ritual with friends, and you won't find it anywhere else in London, it's Le Méridien's special service. And it comes with the traditional delectable: finger sandwiches of cucumber and cream cheese, honey roast ham and mustard, Scottish smoked salmon, and egg and cress; warm homemade scones with strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream; and a selection of fresh pastries - ours had macarons! Just delicious and such a treat. I can't think of a better way to begin a special day such as a birthday. Or a Tuesday!

Photos © The Swelle Life

Fred Butler SS12: Our Summer Sun Has Arrived!

The reception was hosted by Susie Bubble, seen studying one of the textural sorbet outfits

Last autumn I saw some of Fred Butler's SS12 presentation at London Fashion Week. I had to be quick despite this being the collection I was looking most forward to, because my evening train back to Newcastle was leaving across town in just over an hour. To walk into the Portico Rooms at Somerset House,  see this thing of pure joy, and have to rush through it was just cruel. I took photos of the three outfits being modelled, after stopping to take in each one in - you can't not smile when doing this! - then ran off just as more models appeared in high-inducing oufits, but I was already late and I left with a whimper (and I mean literally, people looked at me). So I tried to take a shortcut to Kings Cross which wound up being a longer way, and missed my train by 20 seconds. Swearing and some self-flagellation followed. When I returned home I was so excited about the photos and posted a teaser for the presentation, then my hard drive crashed a few days later, obviously a punishment for not getting onto the main post sooner. After five days in the IT hospital and being told to write a eulogy for my laptop, our local guy saved it and the hard drive was recovered, but there was no guarantee that everything would be there. This drawn-out tale leads me to today, when I finally, and purely by chance, found my lost Fred Butler and Craig Lawrence photos which I thought were gone forever, my record of the best of what I saw for spring at  LFW.

And technically it's still summer, eh? Not that it matters, Fred's clothes and accessories aren't bound by seasonal restraints; colour is celebrated simply because it's a new day and one must get dressed in something, so why not make it happy? Her palette takes shape though unusual forms that must be the result of manipulation, playing around with soft textiles and rigid materials like perspex, and whatever she can sculpt to create things that are joyful, sunny, and different, but not simply for the sake of it. Her style is tightly honed and elegant in its own way. I took a pass on the last LFW as it wasn't a good time to be away from my family, and when I saw what I missed, a salon showing of her AW12 collection, it just stung. If you love pastel harmonies, you will melt like blue bubblegum ice cream on a summer day (that is, unless you're in England!!)

This is the video for Fred Butler SS12 followed by the photos, and it's well worth clearing an hour to watch her videos on Vimeo, they are one of my few go-tos for daydreaming and you can see why:

 

 

Fred has a knack for making things that leave you desperate to run your fingers over them. But I didn't touch the model's feet or forearms.

She must not have seen what she was wearing, otherwise she'd be smiling.

 

Photos © The Swelle Life

I like my new pink bike

We got new bikes. All three of us. It was a huge surprise considering I hadn't owned, or even been on a bike since I was about 14, maybe even 13. I know, I know! My last bike was an orange ten speed Supercycle from Canadian Tire and I was probably 11 when I got it. The reason it was orange is because that was the colour they had in stock and I thought it was alright enough, and it meant I could go home with a brand new bike. It was the boys' style with the crossbar which was a must, the girls' was not considered cool. And to this day I have no idea why there were different versions of ten speeds for boys and girls. (Especially when the boys' included what was essentially a rod of agony to the 'nads. Just ask Morrissey.)

We went to our local bike shop to get a new one for our daughter, and on display was this lilac-pink Claud Butler with a deep wicker basket and brown leather seat with matching handle grips. My pupils dilated. A fairy godmother appeared in husband-form and asked me if I wanted it. About a half-hour later, I was riding home wearing an updated version of a retro-style helmet and narrowly missing crashing into parked cars. Since then I'm steadier on it and not embarrassing myself nearly as much, but I've noticed that people stare at my helmet, and I've even been asked 'What is it?', which I cannot get my head around. When I tried the streamlined racing style helmet it looked like my brain was on the outside, and it didn't match the retro style of my bike. Mine kind of looks like a motorcyle helmet I guess, maybe that's what's confusing people. That and the fact that hardly anybody here wears a helmet for recreational cycling, there's no by-law. I have found that it is not hard to confuse most people. 

The wine bottle, rubbish and broken bench are a nice touch, aren't they? I hadn't noticed until I got home and looked at my photos. I could have photoshopped them out but I'm keepin' it real.

My favourite place to ride is along the coast, which in most places has a very wide pavement which is a life-saver because I do not like riding on the road. Wussy and proud. You cannot beat it for the scenery and fresh air, and I have to admit in the seven years we've lived by the North Sea there is a whole strip of coastline I'd never explored until now. My bike is already expanding my horizons!

I love these baby blue painted shelters with the ornate iron brackets reinforcing the roof.

The beach in Whitley Bay on a bright and sunny day

There were three of these houses in a row, a style I had no idea existed out our way!

My friend Caroline took me out to St. Mary's lighthouse which no one could believe I'd never seen before. Well, now I have! 

Photos © The Swelle Life

Beautiful Book: 'Birds of a Feather Shop Together'

The books I loved most as a little girl had two elements in common: lovely and colourful pictures,  and enchanting stories. The stuff of wonderful daydreams that made childhood magical. As the years have passed, I've found that through their vivid imagery and words, these affections have remained firmly embedded in the mind and in the heart.

So what a treat is to continue the tradition, thanks to Birds of a Feather Shop Together, a gorgeous and witty book of 'Aesop's Fables for the Fashionable Set', adapted by author Sandra Bark who serves up life lessons with delicious fashion savvy.  Bil Donovan masterfully brings the fables to life with his vibrant watercolour and ink illustrations, taking the anthology from bookshelf to proud display.

It's such a joy to read; a fashion and beauty indulgence that feels a bit of a guilty pleasure until you reach the end of the tale and see that fashion and morals can indeed coexist! The original stories are found at the back of the book, though once you've read Bark's there's no going back.

This book has become one of my daughter's favourites, and when I have to put it down because it's bedtime, she invariably reaches over and opens it back up to have a longer look at Bil's illustration for that story. I love that this book is one she'll remember for the rest of her life.

Birds of a Feather Shop Together is a hardcover book  (the cover has a gorgeous texture with brilliant colour saturation) published by Harper Collins and includes 17  illustrated stories plus their originals. It is available to buy for £12.95.  

Huge thanks to Bil Donovan for introducing me to this beautiful book and to Harper Collins for providing the copy. It is much loved.

About the author and illustrator:

Sandra Bark is a New York Times bestselling author who collaborates on books with notable figures. The founder and curator of the street art blog the Scenic Sidewalk, Sandra lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Bil Donovan is a fashion illustrator whose work has appeared in various publications and advertising campaigns worldwide. A brand ambassador for Christian Dior Beauty, he teaches fashion illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology and is the author of Advanced Fashion Drawing: Lifestyle Illustration and illustrator of The Dress Doctor. He lives in New York City.

To read about Bil on The Swelle Life, including our interview, browse the Bil Donovan category here.

Here's a look at some the book's stunning story illustrations, by Bil Donovan:

'Birds of a Feather' - the level of detail is just incredible!

'A Birkin in the Hand'

'Carpe Dior'

 

'Amanda and the Grape Gaultier'

'Best Dressed'

Images provided courtesy of Bil Donovan

A Girl and a Dog Named Sonny

Just a little series of a girl and her dog (which doesn't actually belong to her but it sounds nicer). His name is Sonny and he's a five month-old beagle who enjoys sniffing things and looking inquisitively at humans. Naturally suspicious, he'd make a great interrogation dog.

Photos © The Swelle Life

Sketch Night in New York with Bil Donovan

If you can't read the details, you can see the Society of Illustrators website for full details and to purchase a ticket. It goes without saying this is an incredible opportunity to sit with Bil and benefit from his guidance - and it costs hardly anything! For more on Bil Donovan see his website, and give yourself some time to get lost in it.  

Bil is a great friend of Swelle and arranged for me to receive the new book of fashion fairytales he illustrated called Birds of a Feather Shop Together by Sandra Bark, published by Harper Collins. Watch for the review next week, with gorgeous artwork by Bil Donovan of course!

Mid-Century Modern at its Best: Stills from 'A Single Man'

Tom Ford's directorial debut, A Single Man, may have come out nearly three years ago but I've now finally got around to watching it (that's my usual timing), and I'm glad I did. Ford's adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel is absolutely gorgeous, and although it's a story worth following closely, it's one of those films you could later watch with the sound down. Especially if you love the mid-century modern aesthetic which personally I go mental for - I had dilated pupils throughout. With beautifully shot scenes capturing with a discerning eye that which we wouldn't usually see, or rather, be shown.

Colin Firth brilliantly portrays George, a British professor living in LA in the 1960s who isn't the funnest guy by nature. He is struggling with the sudden loss of his younger partner, Jim, and we see him preparing to end his life. The film has a few, significant characters who were perfectly cast, particularly the sweet, young student Kenny played by Nicholas Hoult, whose 1960s American accent was so flawless that I began to doubt that it was indeed the English actor.  (Jude Law, take note. That's how it's done. What the heck was that in I ♥ Huckabees?)

I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story. (Don't mind the runny quality of most of the photos, I took them from the TV.)

GEORGE'S HOUSE

George appears as a kind apparition here. It could be taken as foreshadowing, or symbolic of the fact that since Jim's death he's become a ghost of his former self.

Hi-brow story alert! George is sitting on the toilet here, peering at his neighbours between the wooden slats of his beautiful walnut bathroom. Leave it to Tom Ford to make sitting on the can look stylish. That reminds me of something funny that happened to a friend once.  She was in the washroom at work, and you know how when you're on the toilet in a stall you can sometimes see out through the space between the frame? Well, when she was looking out (where else are you going to look?) a co-worker walked in and they actually made eye contact through that 1cm gap. It was really awkward and my friend didn't know what to do, so she smiled and waved. Her coworker did not. Needless to say, she waited until she left to come out!

KENNY

Kenny's friend Lois was played by model Aline Weber who I didn't recognise at first thanks to her Bardot-esque look. She didn't really speak, but she sure did smoke a lot.

CHARLEY

Julianne Moore's Charley was all about full-on glamour - she even brought out the purpley-pink cigarettes when she was dressed up!

JIM

SCENERY

Another model, Jon Kortajarena, who has featured in Tom Ford campaigns, plays an exotic James Dean-type who has a chance meeting with George. This LA parking lot features at both night and daytime with Janet Leigh's Psycho billboard looking on. It seems ominous, but I took it as symbolism for George's eyes opening to the tiny details usually overlooked in daily life, because he knows it's going to be his last day alive. He becomes engrossed in every little thing, and therefore so do we. This is my favourite scene:

GEORGE RUNS INTO THE NEIGHBOUR GIRL AT THE BANK

The head-to-toe turquoise of the girl's outfit with the walnut browns of the bank decor in this scene are gorgeous together. I love the random specifics of the scene. She's holding her pet scorpion in a curious jar which her more-than-likely gay brother - as she innocently insinuates in this scene - decorated with columns to make it into a mini Colosseum in which they watch it kill its prey.

A Single Man is a dreamy film, one that stayed with me which isn't something I can often say. Is there anything Tom Ford can't do?

Artist Series: Pop Fantastic's Susan Canaday Henry

Late last year I received a scrumptious surprise package containing two beautiful art prints from New York-based multi-media graphic artist Susan Canaday Henry. She knew just what to send - one was a lovely pastel-hued scene with a rendering in her own style of Marie Antoinette languishing on a chaise longue. I love the shades of blues, pinks and purples she used and would be happy to live forever in this room. (Especially if I had Ladies in Waiting as seen in the shadows. Oh wait, that would be weird, wouldn't it? I like to get dressed by myself. Maybe one to bring me tea and macarons every afternoon, that would work.)

The other is the Empress Wu Zetian, the only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor.  The composition is gorgeously coloured in saturated blush, flame hues and crimson. Susan has outfitted her in long, dramatic stripes and an intriguing headdress. Her commanding presence against a backdrop of hazy dawn-lit mountains creates a portrait of power and serenity.

What  struck me first about Susan's works was the harmony of the beautiful colours in each, and what looked to be delicately hand drawn detail and watercolour layering in Marie Antoinette and painterly brushstrokes in  I didn't want Susan to give away any secrets but was curious how she created these images, and lucky for us she was willing to talk about it!

"The drawings all start as pencil/watercolor and then are oomphed digitally--- I think that's what gives them a sort of dreamy look.

"I get a lot of feedback that the colors in my illustrations are very bright, yet nuanced. I don't want to give secrets, but I think the watercolor base gives a weird glow to anything digital, and I aim to make sure you can still see the hand drawn beginnings of my illustrations. I think so much today is too digitized, too clean. I approach Photoshop like makeup: not too heavy, but enough to add distinction. And layer, layer, layer! Add to that a background in traditional animation (I studied a lot of Golden Age Disney, UPA & Warner Brothers at Pratt Institute) and numerous visits to the Metropolitan to gaze at classics... mix it all together, and these are the results. It took a long time to get comfortable with my style because there's a natural inclination to want to produce what is popular, but I've also found that this is what makes me unique, and have learned better to embrace it.

"The Marie Antoinette print really helped me with that. So many people responded to it, that I finally made it available as a print, and it's my best selling image. Marie Antoinette is my favorite, but so is the Empress Wu Zetian. Like many powerful female leaders, she has such a fascinating (and ruthless) story behind her rise. I am hoping to continue the portrait series of Empresses and Queens in the new year."

Susan is such a faceted, talented creative - and she's fun, too! - so  I'll be featuring more of her work on Swelle and talking to her about it.

If you can't wait - and you shouldn't! - see Susan's website Pop Fantastic which showcases her illustration and animation work. I just love her And, Darling...conversations films. Zing!

To see the range of Susan's art prints including Marie Antoinette and Empress Wu Zetian, you can visit her shop on Society 6

Marie Antoinette art print detail by Susan Canaday Henry

Empress Wu Zetian art print by Susan Canaday Henry

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

Latest from Alice Hawkins: "Museum of Costume"

Click the image to watch the film

(My headlines get less and less imaginative as the years go by.)  I've really been looking forward to this, Alice Hawkins' latest fashion film, from SHOWstudio:

"Created to accompany the Antwerp Fashion Museum's 2011 exhibition 'Dreamsuits: Designs by Nudie Cohn, the Rodeo Tailor', photographer and filmmaker Alice Hawkins lends her unique eye to Cohn's equally unique couture creations, capturing the glittering surfaces of Nudie suits drawn from the collection of Belgian entertainer Bobbejaan Schoepen on fashion film in 'Museum of Costume.'"

Country/Western/Fat Elvis outfits are not really what turns my crank (I guess I'm bringing that phrase back) and neither is the music that is performed while they're being worn. Alice Hawkins' film Musuem of Costume celebrates both, though it is focused on a particular designer and a particular artist of the genre. But her way of capturing her subjects just 'being', as if they are occupying moments outside of time and space as we know it, is always fascinating and mesmerising to me. Her style of highlighting detail with dramatic light and shade, through both flashing cuts and lingering looks, demonstrates her appreciation for the elements as much as the whole of the character, a study that is always a treat to watch. She made me appreciate the couture aspect of a style I would never associate with couture. But the details in the embroidery, textures and fabrics really are exquisite if you can get past the style of the clothes. I say this at the same time I'm thinking how fun it would be if everyone dressed this way.

Alice Hawkins' films are such a hypnotic, sensory experience (the more accurate descriptor would be 'sensual' but I feel weird saying that, like I should be slipping into a candlelit bath in the dark while whispering the word as I stare at you). 

I have to admit, I love this one best with the sound muted. No offence meant to the talented Bobbejaan Schoepen who has an awesome name and wicked car to match. I'd love to be taken for a ride in it with his stereo cranked.

Alice herself makes an appearance:

Cupcake Monday! Coolest Halloween Edition

Cupcake Monday's new love, Arthur & Aleksandra, wins hands down for most original and the coolest of the Halloween cakes. I mean really, how cool is a glass skull vessel with black cherry liqueur to dip your pipette in and drizzle over red velvet sponge and pure white cream cheese frosting? A clever trick and a glorious treat.

If you love what Arthur & Aleksandra are doing (how can you not?) see their first Cupcake Monday feature here and visit their blog. Then prepare to suffer intolerable cravings!

And their brilliant version of the Halloween bat: Rich chocolate sponge topped with a white chocolate and milk chocolate frosting. Embellished with  a dark & white chocolate shard. Dangerous indeed!

Photos courtesy Arthur & Aleksandra

Swelle on Houzz.com: Pastel Mid-century Modern

You may have noticed the widget in the first sidebar that always shows some neat furniture or decor items. It links to my Swelle Ideabooks on Houzz.com, an incredibly inspiring site for endless daydreaming about spaces and the things that make you want to live in them. If you don't already know it, you must visit. You will return, I promise you. 

Since being asked to contribute, I've created five Ideabooks featuring 20 products  each that fall within a theme I've chosen for that month, with my thoughts on how it might work in a space (and I love it!). My fifth collection is Pastel Mid-century Modern, my tied-for-all-time-favourite architectural and interior style. (I think you  know what the other one is, and there are four idea books for that.) The George Nelson sofa is shown in black but colour options are available in your mix of candy and pastel colours which would look like a paint-by-numbers set of paints. Imagine the combinations! 

Each product links to the website where I found it so you can get full details and order. I admit it can be torturous! But it's too dreamy not to indulge.

LFW: Orla Kiely SS12

Orla Kiely brought her girls back after having two-dimensional representations the past two seasons. They rotated on circular platforms to show off the waist-focussed silhouetttes and fresh prints from every angle. I love that you can expect the same thing from Orla Kiely season after season, yet it never feels like 'Oh, that again.' Her shapes are classic, ultra feminine and youthful, but she eludes monotony and overt girliness by using high quality fabrics, thinking through textural details, and creating print graphics that look refined.

There were lots of  clean white cottons amongst the spring colours, my favourite being the coral which was soft and gorgeous and edged in a sheened trim:

 

Orla had ice cream in branded cartons served by a 'cigarette' girl. I had some, of course!

I love this girl, she gave me big smiles with every outfit. Happy clothes!

 Photos © The Swelle Life

Bil Donovan Adorns the New Dior Suite, St. Regis NY

Where do I start...these images are pure joy! I'm humbly grateful to Bil Donovan for sending these to me (plus another tremendous treat further down). This is the new Dior Suite at The St. Regis New York. It's a stunningly decorated suite made spectacular by the presence of a nine by five foot watercolour painting by Bil Donovan who is Dior Beauty's resident artist. The photos alone left me breathless, so I can only imagine how the room feels with such a powerful thing of beauty looking on.

So many important and exquisite details were considered in the decorating of these rooms by Caroline Rippeteau and Bree Dahl that I couldn't bear to simply summarise, so here is the article from the The St. Regis magazine which tells of all the glorious finery:

   

In his painting for the Dior Suite, Bil Donovan has portrayed figures wearing two original Christian Dior dresses, one from Marc Bohan (1960-1989) and the other a creation of Gianfranco Ferré (1989-1997).

 

And Bil gave me a very special gift to share, a fifth painting from the Dior collections that wasn't included in the Suite's original:

 

I interviewed Bil Donovan earlier this year and featured some of his incredibly beautiful paintings, you can read it here

THANK YOU, BIL!!!

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.

LFW: Fred Butler SS12 Teaser

It's going to take me a few more days to edit the rest of the shots I took at Fred Butler's mindblowing SS12 presentation at LFW on Sunday, but I couldn't wait to show one of my favourites - a head piece or hat, lilac-pink (one of the best colours ever) hexagonal sunglasses and fabric earrings that follow through on the sorbet softness of the voluminous scarf/top/jacket (in the full shot it's like a longer bolero style). The fact that I can't quite define it exactly is one of the reasons I love Fred Butler.

More to come!

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

Interview with Trine Marie Skauen: Making Up the Male Model

Last year I interviewed the fantastically talented makeup artist and art director Trine Marie Skauen (read it here). We saw her candy-spackled eyes, fresh glossy looks and avant-garde creations - but what about the men? Making the male models camera-ready is a bit more of a mystery, and one that you likely won't mind me exploring further!

The Norwegian all-round creative works in tandem with her fashion photograher fiance Marco DiFilippo, and together they travel the world creating extraodinary and beautiful images for magazines, advertising campaigns, video and an array of projects. (I think we've found two nominees for the 'coolest life' award.)

Here Trine answers some questions and gives up a glimpse into what's involved in making up and grooming male models, and what she thinks of it:

How do you approach making up men when you don't want them to look 'made up'?

I would say I work more or less in the same way when approaching ideas for men as I do  girl models. I do research and make mood boards if necessary. If the client wants him to look "natural" then it is more about the skin, making it look fresh, lips not dry, and covering acne and red spots. Then a "messy" styled hair.

Are there many opportunities to do more creative looks on men, especially when the target audience is men? Do men want to see the avant garde in their fashion magazines?

No, I don't think so, the majority of clients want "good looking" men in their campaigns. The differences are mostly if he should be slick, smooth or the urban, messy, cool guy. Like the cool Diesel / Levis guy or the slick Armani guy.

When it comes to magazines, I cannot speak for the men out there, but I believe most men probably like the cool, handsome "normal" guy; they can relate to that type. They probably read GQ, Vanity Fair etc. When it come to the more avant garde magazines like Numero Homme, which I love, the target group is more narrow.

This photo of the 'boy in the bow-tie' prompts the question 'How far do you go with the grooming for a shot where clothes are not the focal point?'

Sometimes I use foundation, creams or also oil, and we go as far as it takes us! It depends on the look. This image is from a test shoot and we just used a some normal cream, if I remember it correctly.

Ok, I'll come right out and ask - did you have to do his armpits?!

This guy actually had his armpits as you see, I did not do any cutting or shaving. We usually ask the agency to tell the models about the body hair. But the request is usually more along the lines of "don't shave for three days."

Or we shave him on set if it's a clean look. I've been lucky with the body hair until now - no clients have asked for shaving or cutting other places then the head! I sometimes have to cut the hair a little bit, but I don't really like that since I am not a hairdresser you know, I don't want to butcher the poor guy!

 
 


Reader Lauren wants to know "How receptive are the guys to having makeup done?"

When it comes to my job and putting makeup on models, they are used to it. They know they have to come to a shoot and just let us do what we want.

But I also see more and more boys using cosmetic products, they just want to look good. If they have acne or red spots they can use some foundation or concealer, some use balm on a dry lip, some use a little powder. Ok, it is not so many of them...yet. The trick is to make it look as "natural" as possible. I also like when men take care of their nails and hands.

Do you have a preference for working with guys or girls in terms of the makeup? And also the behaviour, is one generally more pleasant to work with or is it an individual thing?

The behaviour is individual, but I must say the most fun guys we work with are Brazilian, they are so easy going and fun. Overall, all the boys we have worked with were great, we've never had a problem. Some are just more stiff then others.

As for preference, it depends on the client and the model and project. I like both.

Thanks, Trine! You can learn more about Trine Marie Skauen and Marco DiFilippo's production company and view their work at their website www.tmstudio.me

 

 

All photos by Marco Di Filippo. Makeup and art direction by Trine Marie Skauen

Reflecting on Paris at Lost in Cheeseland

When I was in Paris in April I met up with Philly expat Lindsey from Lost in Cheeseland, a well written and beautifully photographed blog about our favourite and most exhilarating city. During our easy and interesting conversation - the kind that makes two hours feel like 20 minutes and makes you late for dinner in Versailles! - at a cafe on Rue Montorgueil, Lindsey told me she'd like to interview me for Franco File Friday. It's a very popular weekly feature and I was too happy to talk about Paris  and share the company of her wonderfully inspiring previous subjects.

You can read the interview here.  I'll be featuring Lindsey later this summer with my own questions about her (heartbreakingly) covetable life in Paris.

Is it just me, or do you also crave French cheese when you see 'Lost in Cheeseland'?

Cupcake Monday: Sweet Paul Summer Issue is Out!

Just about everything that's great in life is found in Sweet Paul magazine.  Food, colour, beauty, light, surprise and delight - just what you need to create a blissful moment for yourself, or bond with family and friends, in or around your own home. (Though you don't even need to do anything, just looking through Sweet Paul is a massive treat! But you must, and you'll see why.)

New York-based food and interiors stylist Paul Lowe aka Sweet Paul has just launched his summer issue, the 5th and biggest yet at 144 pages filled with mouth-watering recipes, eye-popping interiors and wonderfully creative people sharing their craft, always with a little of the unexpected thrown in and all so gorgeously styled and photographed. This issue was as hungrily anticipated as a dark chocolate donut and strawberry lime float (page 122) on cheat day.

Paul tells me he thinks this is his best issue yet, and I wholeheartedly agree. A fresh new layout debuts as does a print version of Sweet Paul magazine, now available at newsstands in Norway, Paul's home country. Lucky them!

As always, I want to make everything from these pages, but my first crack will have to be one of Paul's incredible summer salads. Have you ever seen potato salad presented so brilliantly? Yes, that is potato salad on the right! Now that is food styling at its finest.

Paul presents his summer brunch menu which includes lobster rolls, Pimm's cups and yet another neat idea for guests' place cards:

I have promised my daughter to make something from the Sweet Paul Soda Fountain story, such a sacrifice:

And a picnic is in order which might look a little like this:

 

I could go on and on and on but best you just go see for yourself!

 All photos from Sweet Paul magazine, summer issue

Versailles Series: Marie Antoinette's Chateau, the Petit Trianon Pt. 2

 

This is the salon in the Petit Trianon, the grandest room in the chateau. Some of the photos are a bit dark; however, the duskiness does convey the hazy, 'frozen in time' feel of the room at that moment. The berry saturated embroidered silk textiles that carry throughout the room complement the pale green and white painted boiseries gorgeously, and serve as a teaser for the more vivid acid hues we're about to see in the Grand Trianon.

If you notice dark smudges in some of the mirrors, fear not, it's no ghost (though that sure would be cool). I could pretend it's a patina belying the age of the 18th century artefacts as  seen in some of the other rooms, but really it's my poor attempt to erase the reflections of the crowd. A big guy in an electric blue t-shirt with a giant Nike swoosh on it kinda blows the scene.

Watch next week for a small but charming bedroom that I can't believe Marie Antoinette slept in, with its own awkwardly placed salon, and her toilet!

You can see the previous posts in the Versailles Series here

 

    
 
 

     
 
 
 
 

   

 
 

Photos © The Swelle Life

Fashion Illustrator Series: Interview with Bil Donovan

Bil Donovan for Christian Dior Beauty

Whether fashion is art is a perpetual topic of debate. Conversely, we'd be hardpressed to find objection to the idea that those who document fashion, in an inspired way, are indeed artists.  Fashion illustrators possess that magical combination of technical skill and provocative flair that is essential in bringing their subject to life.

Bil Donovan is one of today's most accomplished and revered fashion illustrators, and a true artist - deemed so by Christian Dior Beauty who named him their first Artist-in-Residence in 2009. Based in New York, he is also an educator, currently as Assistant Adjunct Professor at the city's prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology where he was once a student; and a fine artist working under the name William Donovan, a pursuit that allows him to engage aspects of his creativity in an expression unique to that of his fashion-focussed  illustrations.

In 2010 Bil published his first book, Advanced Fashion Drawing/Lifestyle Illustration through Laurence King UK. It's a beautiful textbook that "promotes the idea of observation, thinking and selectivity through a series of exercises and demonstrations that explore the concepts of line, shape and composition." For illustrators looking to broaden their perspective, this hugely inspiring and challenging book is a must-have. Bil's introduction alone is of immense value; his story will surprise you.

I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Bil, my favourite fashion illustrator, about his work. I look at his pictures when I want to feel happy or elated; it's something in the combination of his precise, elegant brush strokes and how he chooses and uses colour. I'm drawn to his bright hues, though some of my favourites are mostly monochromatic - Bil is a master at summoning an exhilarating energy with his use of light and transparency and translating the space and proportion of a live event into two dimensions without compromising a shred of its vitality, even taking the beauty to a higher level. I would like to live in Bil's world.

 

DG: First, congratulations and big thanks for your book, a truly original and invigorating approach to fashion illustration instruction. It's hard to believe you were once told you were not a natural and that you should 'rethink your artistic pursuit.'  That professor would prove to be instrumental in shaping your path early on, when you took her advice to 'draw draw draw'.

I think you may be about to change the lives of others yourself by revealing this bit of information in your book - t’s a universal given in our minds that true creative talent is something we're born with, that comes easily. You've proven through your achievements that with insightful guidance and nurturing, anyone with the commitment to be a good illustrator can indeed be one.

Do you feel that without the specific education you received from several extraordinary individuals that you would have eventually found your way to where you are now, or was it absolutely crucial to your success?

BD: I believe that regardless of the degree of talent one person may possess, that individual needs to nurture, perfect and explore that ability through practice as well as understanding the fundamentals related to that field.

It is important to get a different perspective and evaluation of your work through the eyes of another and of course this would occur in a class. I know that studying with a variety of instructors sharpened my thinking and pointed me in the direction of pursuing my personal vision.

Would I have developed my eye, or draftsmanship without that experience?

Absolutely, probably through practice, but each teacher brings a distinct viewpoint and perspective to a class and those factors influenced my perception of drawing and nurtured my style.

I love the theatrics of a circle of easels occupied by artists surrounding a model perched on a model stand. Imagine this arena energized by the presence of an instructor who circles around the room pushing, encouraging, inspiring and challenging you to see, think and create work in a different light…the energy is palpable and courses through your body pulsing through your veins into your hand holding the pencil onto the paper…There is nothing like that. I’m still addicted and still take classes.

DG: The fact that you’re still taking classes will either be reassuring to young illustrators or totally intimidating! Then again, learning is a life-long process.  

Do you prefer the easel circle to the live event? Does the spontaneity of the live event force you to adapt your style?

BD: Each is unique. The studio setting is a more controlled environment and the energy is generated through the model, the instructor and of course the other artists present. If I create work alone at my studio then the energy is collaboration between the model and me.

Live events have a kinetic energy generated by the state of flux. You have no control of the surroundings and events occurring and it is great to allow that spontaneity to filter into the work. You have to be in the moment and constantly edit and adapt your process, rather than style to meet the challenge. There is no room for preciousness.
In September Ralph Rucci invited me to document his Spring 2011 collection and it was exhilarating to witness his brilliance and world; to capture that experience as models floated by in these gorgeous creations, for the press, editors, buyers and privileged guests…it was an Ahhhh moment and everyone took a pause at the beauty of his collection, they actually gasped, but I had no time or I would have missed it.
I had to let go and just trust that the essence of that moment would rise to the surface.

At Chado Ralph Rucci, New York Fashion Week, September 2010

DG: You conveyed the structure, textures and lightness of the Chado Ralph Rucci collection beautifully. We love to look at fashion drawings and paintings; they go even further in creating that ideal world, the fantasy, and capturing the essence of a collection than the fashion show itself. They can be so enchanting.

So why isn’t illustration a more regular part of documenting fashion today, alongside the photograph? Fashion week is typically fed to us through a singular view – there’s the catwalk and the wall of photographers at the end of it snapping the models in identical poses without facial expression. We could use a more fanciful narrative!

BD: Amen! I wish I had the answer to that question. And those who are in a position to choose the editorial content and create the narrative could best answer it. The fashion world is a business, and the editorial and advertorial markets revolving around that world must promote an image that meets the demands of a particular audience in order to thrive. However, I believe that this audience is underestimated in their ability to appreciate an illustrated narrative over a photo-realistic one. It is also the responsibility of the illustrator to reinvent the genre of fashion illustration with energy and concept to seduce the eye and capture the attention of a new audience.

DG: During a discussion earlier this year between Imran Amed from The Business of Fashion and Nick Knight for BoB’s series Fashion Pioneers, Nick declared, “I think photography is dead” upon reflection of the notion that as a medium it can’t evolve. He also downplayed the importance of the printed medium and claimed that ‘fashion will be shaped by the internet’, an idea which was supported by the massive public response to McQueen’s live streamed Plato’s Atlantis in 2009.

As an artist who also documents fashion and the curator of the January's exhibition Fashion Illustration: Visual Poetry, do you see a unified movement amongst fashion illustrators toward the use of specific technologies to create both the art and the means of access? How does the concept of evolution apply to the classic art form of fashion illustration, and it is imperative that the genre evolve in order to be influential in shaping fashion?

BD: All art has to evolve, high, low, commercial or fine and Fashion Illustration is no exception. Technology nurtures that evolution by providing a creative arena for exploring possibilities beyond our imagination.

We are witnessing Video, Animation, Drawing Painting, Photography, Performance and Music accompanies one another and move beyond the printed page. That’s entertainment!!!

However, I am a firm believer that your digital skills are only as effective as your traditional skills. Those with a foundation in drawing painting, composition and theory will have a competitive edge over those who to rely on the digital technology to make their work.

Anyone can scan a photo-distort-posterize and process it through a filter. But what makes it unique? Does technique dictate the work or do we dictate the technique to communicate and enhance our vision? Intuition is idiosyncratic and has as yet to be incorporated into digital technology.

Social networking has changed the landscape of how work is seen, perceived and promoted, unimaginable a decade ago.

 

DG: There seems to be an element of critics who dismiss beauty at its most simple and pure as fluff, as if meaningful expression can only be found in the edgy, hard, damaged, or ugly. How would you respond to that? 

BD: Work that is from the soul whether it is dark or light should never be dismissed.

My personal work is dark and my fashion work is light. It took me a long time to calibrate the two and realize that one does not invalidate or surpass the other.

Thank you, Bil. It was an honour.

For Chado Ralph Rucci, New York Fashion Week, September 2010

  For Vanity Fair Italia, 2011

 

For more about Bil Donovan visit his website, and if you're in New York you have a unique opportunity to see him work live:

All illustrations © Bil Donovan

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

Versailles Series, Pt. 1: Bassin de Neptune

While in Paris I visited Versailles for the first time. Why I didn't go when we lived there I have no idea, maybe I fell into that trap of thinking you have lots of time, then it's gone. Here is the first of what will be many, many posts from Versailles. I walked for 6 hours straight, didn't eat, got a bit of sunstroke and took over 1000 pictures,  and I didn't even see the main palace. (And I'm not finished with my show and tell of Paris, either!)

This series is all about Marie Antoinette's domain, the Petite Trianon and the Grand Trianon.

Admittedly, this introduction, starting with Bassin de Neptune, is the most boring of the scenery. How's that for a lead-in! It's the very first thing I saw when I left the grounds of the palace to go to the trianons of Marie Antoinette's domain. It was stunning in person and I'd wish I had a picnic with me, but of course it can't compare to the structures and the lavish rooms of the palaces, or the gardens, in photos. I could have edited heavily and got into it quicker, but I'm showing all of the angles for those who haven't been and want a feel for what's it really like to be there.

The Bassin de Neptune took over a century to complete (and you thought condos were scandalously behind schedule) and features in Versailles' spectacular fountain show. I did not see this spectacular fountain show. But it's just as well, I seriously could not take in any more beauty than I already had, it was gorgeousness overload and all I wanted to do at the end of the day was drop to the ground and sleep. I don't recommend that, however, there are a lot of dogs about.

I hope you like green.

   
 
 

 

     

 

 

The trees have been sculpted to look like giant hedges. How do they do it? And how often to maintain the sharpness of the edges? I can't find an answer, so if you know, please tell us in the comments!

 

This is the tree-lined path to Marie Antoinette's domain - a long, serene walk with horses and sheep providing the periferal scenery. This little lamb likes to walk around with his tongue sticking out, as so many of us do:

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

'In Fashion': Alice Hawkins at Showstudio

God I love this woman. In lieu of this week's Pretty column (maybe it counts because the subject is pretty?! Give me that, thanks) I'm linking to an interview that Showstudio's Alex Fury did with photographer Alice Hawkins in February and have just released. I've been so looking forward to this; until now I'd only read interviews and saw her work, my favourite being her relatively recent fashion film The Good Life which I embarrassingly gushed all over. And I almost just did it again. 

The glamour-obsessed yet throughly down to earth Hawkins loves to transform her subjects in way that is superficial and rooted in humanity all at once. What does that mean? Click the image to find out.

 

PARISIENNE PLEASURES AND TREASURES: INTRODUCING JOURNALIST RICHARD GILLES

Around 2001 I moved from LA to that majestic masterpiece of a city, Paris. I called home a large fab apartment on a small street, which at the closer end had the bustling market street Rue Montorgueil and at the other end, the also bustling - but for very different reasons - Rue St Denis. There the ladies of the day and night competed for customers wearing some pretty outrageous and provocative outfits. On one occasion a group of ladies commented on my look with a resounding "c'est jolie " and from that day I started to get a faint nod of recognition as I passed regularly on my way to purchase fabrics or notions . If you want to discreetly glimpse at some amazing PVC and latex numbers, pop along the little side street Rue Blondel.

I worked constantly on my eponymous fashion line and my clothing went down a treat in Japan. Buyers would come to my apartment that converted into a convincing showroom during Fashion Week. It was a time of change for the better, away from the boundaries of the less adventurous LA, and I found myself becoming more experimental - inspiration was everywhere.

I would buy my fabrics in the maze of streets at the foot of the Sacre Coeur known as Marche Saint Pierre. If I recall correctly, the five floor store Dreyfus (selling everything from bargain basement fabrics to designer, and a fine range of basic cloth that suited me) was a regular haunt, but other less known gems were hidden along side streets. On the way home if I wasnt laden with goods I would pop into Tati, the shop with the pink and white gingham awnings. There you never knew what you might find from kitsch to useful or downright tacky and useless. It was plain old good fun shopping, cheap and cheerful (Metro Barbes Rochechouart). Then off back down the Rue Faubourg St Denis, passing my fave Passage Brady, a small covered passageway that was wall to wall Indian restaurants and food and trinket shops, simply yummy (Metro Chateau d'Eau). Then home to work.

Here are some pieces from my 2002 collections as styled for various Paris magazines:

 

This was my first time in Paris in the 70s, just minutes before a pastry hit me in the head!

 

From this wonderful melting pot of cultures and the most incredibly beautiful and exciting city hails my dear friend, journalist Richard Gilles. From next month he will become for Denise The Swelle Life's Paris eyes and ears and will report monthly from that grand city. Richard has that effortless chic that the French are renowned for. He is a well travelled, incredibly knowledgeable and cultured man and doesnt miss a trick. Perfect for Denise, living and working in the city she also adores. I asked Richard to give us a few tips on places to see which he has, and to my surprise has included a vivid funny account of how we met all those years back, the rascal.  Ahhh memories... à bientôt, J

*The couture coat I am wearing this week in my style photo was purchased in a "swap shop" for a mere 25 pence. The deal was you took in clothes you no longer wore, they gave you a price and you spent it in the shop.  I got £9.75 for my bits n bobs and nonchalantly asked for the coat in the window that I had spotted the day before when they were closed. I didn't sleep that night in anticipation - it's a "Lacroix, Darling"!

And now on to Richard Gilles

MADEMOISELLE FRANKLAND AND MOI…

 I vividly remember the first night Judith and I became firm friends: it was in Levita House – a rather derelict council building in the infamous Somerstown, where every single flat was squatted by either students, artists, or musicians but also a couple of Hell’s angels and drug dealers to add spice to the atmosphere - on the landing of the 5^th floor. Judith was dressed to the nines, but no one to go out with her! So I gently obliged… And we lived out of each other’s pocket for the following two years, when she left with her newly wed Italian husband for a Californian honeymoon - the charms of Disneyland, Snow White and the seven dwarves… But that’s another story La Frankland will be happy to tell you in her monthly diaries! May I add that I was Judith’s “bridesmaid” at her wedding, which took place in Chelsea Town Hall in the winter of 2006 and that, to Judith’s father’s bemusement, I was wearing a red kilt… Mind you, Judith was wearing a white leather cap found in a gay sex shop and was sporting more chains than Mister T around her neck. So much for the blushing bride! For some reason, there are hardly any pictures of Judith and I together, except for those taken in Italy (Milan and Venice) in 1990…

Three days ago – just before MY BIRTHDAY! - Judith Darling asked me to concoct a quick shopping guide in Paris.  So I decided to concentrate on the area where I live, typically Parisian and tourist free most of the time. Welcome to the Faubourg Saint Antoine!

In a sense, the Faubourg Saint Antoine is famous all over the world as La Bastille was located there. In the fifteenth century, the faubourg became the principal working-class quartier of Paris, cradle of revolutions and mother of street fighters… the rest is history! From its beginnings, the principal trade associated with it has been furniture making, and this was where the classic styles of French furniture – Louis Quatorze, Louis Quinze, Second Empire – were developed. Many furniture workshops, as well as related trades such as inlayers, stainers and polishers, still inhabit the maze of interconnecting yards and passages that run off the faubourg.

But enough of that, I will take you shopping now…

 

It’s about time to jazz up your little black dress, and Metal pointu's  bold jewelry will accomplish the expected miracle. The pieces are pure forms of daring, strong and bold metal.

Métal pointu’s, 9 rue de Charonne, 75009 Paris. Tel: +33 1 47 00 81 60

www.metal-pointus.com

 

 

 

You want to feel like a true Parisienne? Cleo Ferin Mercury was brought up in the colourful and multicultural area of La Goutte d’or, at the bottom of Montmartre. Her beautiful printed silk scarves will add a “je ne sais quoi” to any outfit. For her latest collection, Cleo took inspiration from her childhood icons: a youthful Brigitte Bardot, Dame Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, Wanda Jackson, and Grace Jones.

Discover Cleo’s world at www.cleoferinmercury.co.uk

 

You love couture and exquisite ready-to-wear but you don’t want to break open the piggy bank? Le Dressing d’Eva is definitely worth a visit: one-off pieces by Pucci, Leonard, Ungaro, Yves Saint Laurent, Missoni, and Mugler, custom jewelry and accessories by Chanel, Vuitton, Ferragamo, Valentino, and Fendi.

Le Dressing d’Eva, 18 rue Jules Vallès, 75011 Paris. Tel: +33 1 44 93 70 81

www.ledressingdeva.com

 

Around the corner, Anna Colore customizes and transforms industrial furniture and objects, giving them a bold, personal, feminine touch.

Anna Colore Industriale, 7 rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, +33 1 43 79 41 62

www.anna-colore-industriale.com

 

 

Another curiosity is Petites Demoiselles, a temple dedicated to Blythe and Pullip dolls and their extensive, deluxe wardrobe.

Petites demoiselles, 16 rue des Boulets, 75011 Paris

petitesdemoiselles.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

Feeling peckish? Time to discover true Oriental delights. La Bague de Kenza is the ideal venue: sweets and pastries filled with almonds, pistachios, walnuts, figs, or dates, and flavored with honey, rose water, orange blossom water, mint, citrus, or vanilla are beautifully arranged on numerous trays.

La Bague de Kenza, 173, Rue du faubourg St-Antoine, 75011 Paris.

labaguede.kenza.free.fr

The shopping experience has been exhausting? Time for the French Coiffeur experience thanks to Matt, who will know how to make you feel that extra special. 

Living Room, 22 rue des Taillandiers, 75011 Paris. + 33 1 43 55 66 81

www.livingroomparis.com

 

 

 

 

 

Craving for pampering? In the heart of a bustling city, Maison Dr Hauschka is a secret, peaceful haven dedicated to beauty and relaxation pleasantly located in a courtyard full of flowers.

La Maison Dr.Hauschka, 39 rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris. Tél :  +33 1 43 55 40 55

http://www.drhauschka.fr/

 

 

 

 

- Richard Gilles

Richard will be bringing his fantastic roundup of what's on in Paris and around the world as a regular feature - aren't we 'chanceux'!

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

Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty

This original content post features a sponsored link   

Fashion, particularly haute couture, hasn't been the same since Christian Lacroix closed his house as we knew it. Lacroix was my favourite couturier, his over-the-top, opulent way of arranging colour, texture and print an aesthetic I had to grow into, and when I did there was no one else who brought such joy. 

So when I heard that Lacroix had collaborated with Camilla Morton on a fashion fairytale that she rewrote and he illustrated, I made a noise that drew all of the neighbourhood stray dogs to my front door. Lacroix's first love, and as he seems to indicate in interviews on subject, his one true love, fashion illustration (that's right!?) could soon be heavy in my own two hands.

I ordered Christian Lacroix and the Tale of Sleeping Beauty straight away - you can check Amazon.com coupons for deals before going to the site - and was supremely excited to read it to my daughter, it's 'our' special book. (I love that at five years-old she can pronounce 'Lacroix' perfectly. That is very important, you know.)

It's an extraordinary book; Morton retells the fairytale classic as delicious fashion fiction - though firmly rooted in the bitchy reality of the industry, particularly that of fashion editors - working Lacroix in as a central character alongside Beauty, a fantastical biography of sorts. I was going to describe my favourite details but that would spoil it - if you haven't yet read it I wouldn't want to steal those sweet moments of discovery away from you. 

The next in the Camilla Morton fashion fairytale series - thank you for these, Ms. Morton! - is Manolo Blahnik and the Tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker, available in November. And apparently there are more in the works, though I have to say I feel satiated with the first in the series!

The hardcover without the sleeve, which I prefer

I admit I was taken aback by the dark, sometimes grotesque (see below) drawings that make up some of the pictures. I guess I expected 100% beauty from Lacroix, all colour and whimsical loveliness, but he is a true illustrator, portraying the ugly parts of the story as they really are. There is nothing beautiful about a woman so tragically self-obsessed that she sentences a baby to die on her 16th birthday - all because a party began on time despite her lateness! Still, in true Lacroix form, the details are exquisite. 

Like Lacroix haute couture, the pages are a glorious mix of things - contrasting fonts and colours playing with the electric illustrations.

  One of Christian Lacroix's many self-portraits

Interiors & Exteriors: Saltburn-by-the-Sea

  

Now I love our beach, the aptly named Longsands that spans Tynemouth to Cullercoats, and the neighbouring idyllic King Edwards Bay with the Priory Castle overlooking the North Sea from its beautiful, craggy cliff. But last weekend I really fell hard for the beach and seaside community of Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire. We were visiting our lovely friends in their new home in Yarm for the first time and they spoiled us in all kinds of ways, and one of them was taking us to their local beach to share the beauty.

Not only was the beach gorgeous and expansive with an impressive look-out pier, there were all kinds of charming little shops, restaurants and ice cream stands, and of course anything one needed to surf (no, I didn't, that would look ridiculous).  It was a clear, sunny day and people from all over had come to pretend it was spring. I have never seen a queue so long for fish and chips, and in England that's saying a lot.  (It was worth the wait!)

This post  is for this week's Interiors & Exteriors feature and it's long enough sticking to the theme, so I'll post the beach shots separately. Are you craving fish and chips now? I am.

In the town, just a quick uphill walk from the beach, there were some great shops. I was already lagging behind and we needed to eat lunch so I didn't go in, but I wanted some photos of the wonderful window displays of Northern Lights Interiors

As I was snapping away I saw a woman smiling from inside - you can see her below! and I smiled and waved. As I headed down the road she came out after me and asked if I'd take photos of the storefront, they'd been having trouble getting them without cars in the way and I was happy to oblige. I even had a man ham it up for me!

 

We passed a random rusted-out door that appeared to lead to nowhere with a keypad right in the middle. I'll bet if you pushed the right numbers it would transport you to another dimension. Prove me wrong!

  This photo would have been so much cooler if I'd waited just 10 more seconds...

 

On display at Arts Bank were lamps and tables in vibrant patchwork by Jane Atkinson and a metal sculpture by Ray Lonsdale. Each contains a 'secret meaning' in the form of an object placed in the head. Now, if I'd read the brief beside this life-size contemplative man instead of taking a photo and reading at home, I would have looked and been able to tell you what was in his head! 

 
   

Photos by Denise Grayson

LFW: Bora Aksu's Exquisitely Structured Textures and Knits

I LOVED this show. Turkish born and London-based Bora Aksu spoiled us with all kinds of delicous details worked into his highly structured pieces.  It was one of those shows where I found myself making audible 'ooh and ah' sounds as I snapped away. And that's how it should be!

In a predominantly black, silver and grey palette with pops of emerald green every few looks, there were intricate and bold knits; lace and panels of sheer chiffon and leather - the latter which at times resembled a breast plate, like a glam Joan of Arc, and was seen plain as well as embossed, outlined with large stitch holes; jackets and shirts with reconstructed tuxedo elements; harness belts; flirty skirts; and a clear plastic-y material that showed up in sleeves, panels and skirts for a more structured transparency than the chiffon could offer.

As you can see, in many of his outfits Aksu used all of these elements to create complex, highly textured garments to stunning effect.  You want to take them in your hands and have a good look and feel at everything that's going on - front, sides and back. The collection is a perfect balance of hard and soft, the silks and knits tempering the rigidness of the leather to make it something wearable.

 
 
  

  

 
  
 

 

Photos by Denise Grayson

LFW: Orla Kiely's Enchanted Forest

   

I so look forward to Orla Kiely's presentation at each London Fashion Week. She transforms the Portico Rooms at Somerset House and it's like stepping into another, very beautiful, world. This season the setting was a forest, complete with birds perched in trees and in wooden birdhouses, and two cabins showing her collection film. Unfortunately I only had a few minutes this time and had to run off without sitting down to watch it, but from what I saw the way it was shot reminded me a bit of Un Chien Andalou!

Oh yes, and the clothes! There is so much to engage the senses that you almost forget about models and clothes until you see what felt like omnipresent beings. Very nicely dressed ones. Everywhere you looked there was the same platinum-haired model in a different outfit of course, superimposed on the walls and peering out from behind the barren tree branches. The colours were all very muted, as if they were meant to blend in with the scenery, bar a nice shock of tangerine.

I included this very blurry photo of Orla because it captured a sweet moment. I was taking a photo of the film from outside the cabin when she walked out, realised she was in my shot and made a very humble 'oops, sorry!' expression. It's ok, Ms. Kiely, you can step into my shot any time! She's awesome.

And have you seen the Orla Kiely cars? The microsite for the Citroen DS3 by Orla Kiely is a pretty neat interactive catalogue of the range. Click the image to see it.

 
   
 
 
 

 

Photos by The Swelle Life

  Judith Frankland wears a top, skirt and earrings of her own design. The perfect transition outfit for busting out of the convent.

BALENCIAGA HEARS THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Act 1

That was the description given to my graduation collection by a very generous journalist  back in 1980. My name in the same breath as the Spanish genius Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) and my beloved "I want to be a nun when I grow up" film The Sound of Music - how fabulous! I accepted the comparison and compliment with delight - after all, I'm only human! My graduation show at The Cafe Royale in London was attended by some of the most glamourous faces from the Blitz and the Head honcho himself, Steve Strange. Thanks to them it was received with an enthusiastic cheer! I was told years later that Vivienne Westwood was there, this was before the McClaren-Westwood Worlds End collection had been unleashed on an awestruck London.

My small collection was predominantly black and white taffeta, brocade, velvet and satin.The black and white striped satin had embossed polka dots in turquoise and yellow in two different sizes and widths; it also came with a tale or perhaps a tall story . The delighted salesman who brought the bolts up from the basement of the shop in London "especially for me" proceeded to tell me that this fabric had been created for the Rolling Stones some years back for a tour and this was the last remaining yardage. With glee I didn't hesitate to say "I'll take it all" and the story, to this day I don't know the truth, but then again I still believe in Father Christmas!

THE VEIL AND STEPHEN JONES

 On the day of the show, my Mum who had travelled down from the Lake District with her friend was backstage with me while I nervously put the finishing touches to the frocks. Today, at 81 years old, she still recalls seeing a rather unusual looking young man coming towards us. He was wearing a suit complete with knickerbockers and ballet style shoes with bows, carrying what turned out to be the crowning glory of my ultimate piece, the black Wedding Dress. This gracious and polite young man was Stephen Jones who had kindly created this architectural wonder for me. This veil headdress was made of stiffened lace on a metal frame and was simply amazing. Who would have thought at that moment that a few years later he would be hailed as one of the world's greatest milliners? Hmm...actually anyone who came into contact with him or his work knew, it was so obvious. The dress and veil was to be worn by the beautiful statuesque model Sheila Ming, possibly best remembered now for her role in the Duran Duran video for Hungry like the Wolf.

After the show, Steve Strange contacted me and bought the dress and veil along with a couple of other pieces. One was a medieval-style taffeta jacket he later wore on the cover of the Visage single Fade to Grey. One of Steve's friends Vivienne Jagger bought the opera coat with striped polka dot lining and a huge stand up collar.

THE BLITZ, DAVID BOWIE AND ASHES TO ASHES

The icing on the cake however was the night David Bowie came to The Blitz searching for extras for his new single which would be named Ashes to Ashes. In a wonderful twist of fate, Steve was resplendent in the wedding outfit that night and was chosen straight away. He was also asked to select people he felt could be right. I believe designer Stephen Linard had been asked but due to pressing circumstances was unable to partake. I was invited as was Darla Jane Gilroy over to the table where David Bowie and his P.A. Coco were sitting and offered a glass of champagne. Darla and I were both dressed in a similar ecclesiastic style and were also asked to take part for what at that time was a decent sum of money for penniless, decadent students. We were told Coco would call us the following day with the details. I awoke with a jolt, seriously wondering if this had all been a dream. I chose to believe not and sat at the door of the "palatial" bedsit for hours waiting for the communal upstairs phone to ring so that I could sprint up in time to catch it. When the call finally came, I was instructed to be outside The Hilton the next day at some ungodly hour, fully dressed and made up the same way I had been at The Blitz, and to get the coach to a secret location.

  That wedding dress from Judith's graduate collection with the veil made by Stephen Jones

 

Judith performed in David Bowie's iconic Ashes to Ashes video along with three of her Blitz friends, including Steve Strange who wore her wedding dress and veil in some of the scenes. Judith is on the far right in the first screen cap.

When we arrived at the beach near Hastings, the crew was set up and David Bowie greeted us dressed in the Lindsay Kemp outfit he would wear that day. He coached us for a few minutes on the words we were to mime and then the day was spent in sinking sand and mud. We had "done well" we were told at the end of the day and asked to come to the studios in Wandsworth to shoot another scene. May I add that at the studios David Bowie had lunch with us mere mortals in the canteen. Yummy. The scene we were to do at the studio involved an explosion and I was at the back. In fact if you look at the video you can see my crucifix swing in. We were told to duck out and run after we had mimed our piece or we could be hurt. This was difficult in a hobble dress, so I hoisted it up as high as I could and got ready to run. Quite a sight for the superstar sat behind me. It took about three takes and we were done and told we could stay to watch the rest of the filming and that we should tell no one about the details of the video. It was all very hush hush.

The night it aired on Top of the Pops I was working at Hell (another Steve and Rusty club - more about that next week). As I had to get there early I would take the tube alone, a daunting affair. However, this particular Thursday I was wearing the outfit I had worn in the video, totally unintentionally. I was recognised by some people who had seen Top of the Pops and ridiculed by others, as usual. But it was worth it. To this day that video still interests and intrigues lots of folk. It was at the time the most expensive video ever made and the song went to Number 1, perhaps we should have bartered for more money. The mileage I got out of that collection had only just begun and I was an established New Romantic.

Adieu for now from this Old Romantic who will never be a nun.

Judith, who was known as Judi back then, had pieces from her graduated collection featured in Viz magazine where it was described as '"Balenciaga hears the Sound of Music'"

Special thanks from Judith to David Johnson for "reviving the mucky 30-year-old slides and bringing them back to life." The photographer who shot them was Niall McInerney.

Header photo of Judith by Denise Grayson.

Come back next Tuesday for Act. 2 - with more delightful (and some bitchy) surprises!

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

 Judith in her wonderful living room. When we shot, she felt the decor may not be 'enough'! Skirt and tie by Judith Frankland; jacket, shirt, and shoes are charity shop finds. Photo: Denise Grayson

Style guru, self appointed expert, critic, preacher? No way! I'm an upstart and a woman like many who loves - and in my case 'lives' - fashion and the world that lurks around it, a world I have stepped in and out of all my life living in London, Vancouver, Milan, Los Angeles and my beloved Paris. I have an excitable, excruciatingly inquisitive mind; I never stop thinking, plotting and some would say talking!

I am not a lover of the term "On trend"; I like to say "On form". Micro mini to maxi. If it feels right on the day I'll wear it - no sheep mentality for me. The only thing I follow is the weather - a hard job in Olde England. I, like zillions of others, love to wear clothes, dress up and be noticed, and I shall be incorporating a weekly look alongside my banter. I mix bargain buys, charity shop finds and my own creations. I'll be begging a hairstylist friend once in a while to do me a 'do as I'm not good with tongs unless provoked.

When Denise offered me this weekly spot on The Swelle Life I was so flattered and jumped at the chance to let off some creative steam and share my experiences, past and present. And we'll have a good old romp through my ever-expanding wardrobe, so come join me every Tuesdsay as I throw myself back into the lion's den to launch a new collection later this year.

Judith in one of her fantastic creations, a two-tiered skirt in a bubble of 'school boy' fabric over plaid ruffles in pink and purple.  Photos: Denise Grayson

A Brief History

My life so far has been full of surprises and more than my share of drama, which I seem to attract! My roots - well, the ones on my head are grey now - but the ones from my past were very colourful, from punk to New Romantic and a lot more along the way. Now you may think "Aha - trends!" but at the time they were fresh. I was in the right place at the right time at the right age. These were groundbreaking times, full of self expression and the desire to have a unique look. Often peoples' perception of punk is different from mine. In the early days, the look was bright, not just black, ripped and safety pinned. One of my outfits was an orange lurex two-piece, purple tights, odd dayglo socks, pink kitten heels. Bows all over my head, a plastic mac with small kids' toys attached (ok, with safety pins). That was one way I would troll up on Bromley high street on my way to college. I loathed college, and it wasnt keen on me either, at least the boring head honchos weren't. We would buy boiler suits and dye them bright colours, all very DIY and inexpensive. As my mood darkened mainly due to my dislike of that dreaded place, I started to embrace the all-black and tartan style and a bit of a bad attitude that was to become the punk stereotype.

 Judith in the mid-80s with friend and artist Tim Southall. Photo: Richard Sawdon Smith

The Blitz

Then the Blitz and Steve Strange came hurtling into my life where weekly we paraded around proud as peacocks. It was out and out glamour as we danced to the brilliant DJ Rusty Egan. Steve and Rusty started this night in the small wine bar in Holborn that held around 250 people. Lucky fashion plates, it changed the course of my life and gave chances to many others. I had met Steve through my degree show which was later labelled New Romantic and he bought several pieces from this collection.

Every week in the (less than) palatial South Kensington bedsit I shared with my friend, designer Richard Ostell, we would spend hours coming up with what to wear. Poor Richard had the labourious task of using a can of Elnette and a lot of elbow grease to create a bouffant for me without a hair extension in sight; in fact I'm not sure they existed then. We were optimistic, fame hungry, party animals with a fondness for cocktails and the fine things in life, but booted back to reality when the bank statement came as the majority of us were students. Apart from that it was a fantastic time!

At the Blitz you would rub shoulders with luminaries from the world of art, music, fashion, journalism and photography: Gilbert and George, Brian Clarke, model Marie Helvin, even John Lydon AKA Johnny Rotten, and many others. But not Mick Jagger. Steve Strange famously denied him entry one night - his look didn't pass! And then of course there were the stars of the near future strutting their stuff: Sade, Spandau Ballet, George (later to become Boy), and Midge Ure to name a few.

I had my "15 minutes" when I was handpicked to appear in David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes video. I followed this with a video for Visage's Mind of a Toy single, designing and making the costumes - more on both in a future post. The site Shapers of the 80s gives a very accurate look into this era with some great pictures. A few colourful if somewhat chaotic fashion shows were next and then off I was on my travels.

 

Milan and Onward

After a few moves I settled into running clubs in Milan and one-nighters throughout Italy. We brought from London the fabulous Gerlinde Costiff and hubby Michael with the "girls" and DJs from their legendary club, Kinky Gerlinky. Leigh Bowery hosted a night sporting two pairs of shoes at once and a toilet seat around his neck for starters. Showcases followed for Seal, Right Said Fred, Dee-Lite, Ru Paul, Lahoma van Zandt and super DJ Larry Tee from New York. Fashion shows, parties for MTV, the list is long. It was a crazy, fast time.

After some years in Milan I flew the nest to LA where I started a clothing label selling in various shops around the city. Next it was Paris where I happily started to export to Japan. A busy, satisfying life with lots of work and all rather glam in the way only Paris can be.

These days I'm treating my mind and body with respect, and as a friend brilliantly put it after his abstinence over the holidays, "My liver loves me." I'm channelling all my energy and my retirement from the wilder side of life into creativity. I have many frocks to make, places to see, people to meet, and things to learn - writing well being one of them. Be gentle with me, please! I'm full of surprises and hope you can be lured back even just to look at the pictures!

Join us next Tuesday for Balenciaga Hears the Sound of Music - how a journalist described Judith's graduate collection. She'll share photos of her fantastic creations and tell the story of that fateful night when David Bowie came into the Blitz and chose her, three friends and the fabulous black lace wedding dress from her collection to appear in the Ashes to Ashes video. A great story all around - and as promised, there will be surprises!

Dior's Illustrative Haute Couture

Haute couture week has begun and it's just what we need in a dismal January. So far, Giorgio Armani has ignored what his loyal ladies like from their Privé and indulged wholeheartedly in hi-tech fabrics that resembled liquid metal. The collection may require Armani's clients to stretch their minds more than they're willing but the story goes that he doesn't really care! These extraordinary fabrics in clean and shapely silhouettes are begging to be touched, the curiosity as to whether the disturbance would cause a ripple effect being too much to resist:

John Galliano tapped the glory days of haute couture for Dior with gestural references to René Gruau, the illustrator whose work for Christian Dior in the forties and fifties created the house's most iconic imagery, according to Tim Blanks. Zigs and squiggles and painterly details that could have been lifted directly from a Gruau illustration adorned many of the outfits, instantly distinguishing the collection from Galliano's previous incarnations of the hyper-glam 1940s skirt and jacket and opulent ball gowns.

Galliano balanced the waist-centric staples with voluminous, blousey shapes that aren't likely to appeal to the socialites, but showcased those divine silks and sublime textural embellishment which is the most delicioius thing about haute couture in my opinion.

FYI - speaking of Dior and the house's history with fashion illustration, I've interviewed Bil Donovan, Dior Beauty's first in-house fashion illustrator and renowned artist, which I'll be running in February. It was a privilege and a thrill to speak with Bil and I can't wait to bring it to you!

 

Pat McGrath's beauty look for this show is the ultimate in gorgeous glamour makeup:

But the Pièce de résistance has to be John Galliano's new hair:

He is the gift that keeps on giving in every way possible.

Photos: Style.com

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!

The Charm of the Handwritten Letter

 

Even self-confessed freaks for Facebook must admit that there is no charm to be found in a keystroked message electronically delivered to their computer, even if it's from your dream babe whose profile photo is a winsome gaze into the sunset and he ends it with at least one X. Fill your special keepsake box with printouts and it could easily be mistaken for the recycling.

Yet as long as paper and pen are available, those of us who lament the slow death of the handwritten, hand delivered message can still indulge in the romantic tradition of letter-writing. (If us keyboard jockeys can still write - does anyone else find your fingers are like rubber when you go to sign a form? I actually have to practice to keep my once prided penmanship!)

One kindred spirit is the lovely Jem of Beautiful Clutter, a English blog of beautiful things and like this girl, is all about the details. It's a real treat to look at and read, full of loveliness and most likely you'll learn something, too. One day Jem was having a conversation with a reader in the comments about the diminishing tradition of postcard sending, so I piped in and asked if she wanted to revive it. Soon I received this really beautiful postcard, just before Christmas, and it was just the sweetest thing - mission perfectly accomplished!

 

The printed writing on the back is in several languages so I'm not sure where it's from, but it's a special card with its soft, dusty shades and delicate gold detailing the image.

 

Jem wisely didn't want to risk the postcard being damaged so she put it into an envelope. That frees up space to write as well! As you can see Jem is not suffering from rubber fingers, she writes beautifully. I can't say what I sent her as it's on its way but it's something from where I live. Hopefully we'll continue the tradition. How about you?