Simplicity

In school we're always being pressured to be orignial and have some kind of wild concept for everything. I constantly have to remind myself of the exquisite beauty of simplicity. 



 For example, I love these curtains tied back with ribbon in the film Amélie.  It reminds me of my first apartment where I hung an old lace tablecloth from the window in the kitchen using two nails.  Utterly simple and the loveliest thing in the world.

1stDibs-ing

 

Gustave Tassell taffeta cocktail dress, 1950s





Satin halter dress, 1950s





Pauline Trigere silk day dress, 1960s




Mark Walsh Leslie Chin poured glass cuff




Lanvin embroidered velvet dress, 1960s

Lanvin silk scarf, 1950s-60s





Chanel velvet clutch

 

Henry Dunay melted amber & gold bead necklace, 1970s



Yves Saint Laurent silk blouse, 1970s (sold)

Sandor crystal necklace and earrings, 1950s





Countess Alexander cocktail dress, 1960s

Cartier 18k gold sunglasses with 188 diamonds (!)

  



 

Honouring Winter with Spring

We are SNOWED IN here.  It's magnificent.  If you're in the middle of a winter storm too and want to feel especially fancy, you should try this: Take public transit to the nearest DIPTYQUE retailer and get a sample of Ofrésia (peppery-earthy freesia by Olivia Giacobetti).
Ride home. Once you're nice and warm, spray some of this liquid springtime on your sleeve.

It makes for a curiously glorious juxtaposition.

Capes

The Internet, as we all know, is a magical place where you can over the course of 30 minutes end up far, far away from where you started without knowing how you got there.

In one such instance, I ended up on this blog, where I read:

“Son, if you want people to think you believe in yourself, walk like you’ve got a cape on.”

Which I thought would be interesting to try.  Next morning, on my way to work, I pretended I was wearing a cape.  And it works.
In a Dog Whisperer kind of way. 

Just as I was feeling mighty invincible (and sort of like Larry David) I got on the subway and took a seat across from a woman wearing a leopard print cape. A real, honest to goodness cape.  Which somehow ruined the whole experiment.

Mystery revealed

Harry Belafonte and Nat King Cole!

This explains why our forebears went nuts over Harry Belafonte.  My god.

Genius

Dior Spring 2011 couture show: Galliano referenced René Gruau, the great fashion illustrator of the 1940s-1980s and created a masterpiece.  A fitting homage and a genuine tour de force.

Photo: Style.com (via a glamorous little side project)

Could this be more beautiful?  The answer is no, it could not.  Makeup: Pat McGrath.  Hair: Orlando Pita. Millinery: Stephen Jones.

News

This afternoon as I was wearily making my way home on the subway, two adorable girls with cameras asked if they could take my photo for a street-style fashion blog.  I must have looked absolutely ramshackly - I certainly felt it after a long, long day at the Toronto Interior Design show (I was foolishly wearing heels which is an utterly stupid thing to do when you're going to be spending hours mingling and ogling shower stalls and carpets and patio furniture).  So who knows what historical trends will be sparked by this serendipitous event.
Just remember what happened the last time someone took my photo.

And, seriously, at next year's design show they should really have waiters circulating with refreshments: hors-d'oeuvres and champagne cocktails.  I'm just saying.



Outdoor suspended chair made out of Corian for DuPont