THE SMELL OF SPRING

This weekend I'm going to Somerset, a destination not affected by the paranoid swine flu frenzy!
I like the intimate narrative and snapshot quality of this picture my husband took of me a while ago. It reminds me a little bit of Nan Goldin’s work.

FLYING THE GREEN FLAG

I had decided to stop talking about the countryside. The original idea was to devote this post to Mark Borthwick (Elizabeth, my book only arrived last week) but for reasons that need not detain us here I have found myself contemplating pictures I took in France last week. It gives me a tingle of pleasure to think of the textures and colours of Normandy. A wholesome life. The sun, sea, endless verdant fields, apple trees, brocantes* in every village and horses. A slow pace which is already eluding me in London with its electrifying reality.

*Brocantes are sales of heirlooms, jumble or antiques great for hardcore bargain hunters.

Back to fashion tomorrow!

All picture are mine and were taken in Normandie (the region of Le Perche), Mont St Michel and Thoiry. Wearing my Barbour, J Brand jeans, Mulberry bag.

LIVING IN THE CITY

Although I thrive in the city with its hard documentary realism and its fast paced rhythm, I think I’m a closet green.
I laugh at the ridiculously small electricity powered cars (my sister knows where all the parking metre looking charging stations are in London, but don’t ask me why, she doesn't even own an "environmentally friendly vehicle"), I sometimes forget to recycle my papers and endless Diet Coke cans, I didn't turn off everything for Earth Hour last Saturday, I love driving my big polluting German car and I like navigating the sometimes brutal and chaotic streets of London. I feel at home in the densely, richly populated city with its raw beauty and diversity. But occasionally, living among the drama and freedom of London, I will find myself wanting to get a tangible glimpse into another world: the countryside with its playground of gardens, wild animals and fresh air. As I grow older, I have come to understand that life can only be enriched by regular contact with the spirits and powers of nature. And even if I felt a little bit like an émigré when wandering through the acres of trees and lakes in Somerset a couple of weekends ago, I hope that one day I’ll be able to reconcile the interests of the city with those of the land (preferably a combination of the South of France and London)! When you’re a girl like me, exploring deserted rural regions are a remarkable and exciting privilege… And I won’t be spending Easter in London!
I guess this is my first non-fashion post of the year!

All pictures are mine

GOING GREEN

Happiness last week was buying a selection of good magazines, the latest Alexander McCall Smith’s book “Tea Time for the Traditionally Built” and spending my weekend lying on the grass in the Cotswolds was the perfect way to enjoy them. I love waking up on a sunny morning knowing that my day will include spending quality time with my boy, books, magazines, good food and the countryside. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be warm and outside at the same time! We took the lazy option and decided to avoid injecting strenuous activity into our three days at Cowley Manor: no vigorous sweaty aerobic workout in the hotel gym or 55 acres of private land surrounding us. No. Not for us. The task of negotiating our way through self-indulgent treats ranging from a massage to excessive consumption of sweets while watching films seemed much more appealing.
Here’s a closer look at the surroundings and a few images of what I wore.

A lot of my friends have ridiculed Twitter recently. Why the intense dislike? My own personal attempt has been minor but I can certainly see the advantages of using this 140 characters long news update service, notably when used by organizations. While a lot of people will feel the need to reflect their daily life as it is lived (quite often tedious but at least mercifully brief) others will use these updates to provide potent news coverage or simply professional bulletins. Real time nuggets of information during the New York, Milan, London and Paris fashion weeks created a real buzz.
Are you using Twitter?

All pictures taken by me or M

A ROCK N' ROLL VISION

In the hierarchy of impulsive investments, buying vintage rock tee shirts is pretty high up on the list. A deeply engrossing activity which clearly started when I met my music loving husband 12 years ago! The continuous revival and disappearance of rock band tour tee shirts presents issues and objections for the serious collector: designers and high street chains have been accused of regurgitating bad imitations, stimulated by a whirlpool of vintage rock band tee shirt wearing LA girls and unfavourable talentless semi celebrities (associations gone incredibly wrong, from trendy to tragic in just a few months). The pursuit of the perfect rock tour shirt can be a very long and arduous road. Finding the right tee, the right band, the right year and the right proportions can be a memorable adventure resulting in a lethal and unique aesthetic for fashion and music aficionados alike. It might not be cool now but there will always be girls who effortlessly create a good look, masterfully mixing their vintage rock shirts with other pieces more rooted in the moment. Girls who can create a buzz wearing something which is supposedly redundant, creating their own exclusive reality. Over the past ten years, my collection has changed from a modest display to a ridiculously huge assortment in need of its own storage space!

Here are a few examples. The original concept was to model every single piece but I got extremely bored after the first three and rapidly gave up on the idea…

Prince, Fleetwood Mac, ACDC, Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band, Hank Williams mixed with a Gap stripy tee and Chloe mini skull print grey tee.

Amazing blue Jewish rosary made in Brooklyn by the lovely and hilarious Carlen Altman

SHOWING OFF

For the past few months I have received numerous emails from readers asking about my style and demanding pictures of the clothes I wear. A seemingly small request for a girl like me but I wondered whether street style inspired images would truly translate my choices. I'm reluctant to have my attires scrutinized, my blog is not about appealing to everyone, this is an impossible and out of reach task. However, I am curious to see if this is an experience I will find easy and what results it will produce.
I guess some of the comments left by several bloggers made me realize that there might be a slight paradox between writing about fashion extensively yet not showing how these elements I talk about translate into real life. My life. This thought surfaced over the past couple of months and stayed on my mind. As a result, I decided to create my very own "window dressing" space. I will try to convey my style accurately and give the best possible sense of clarity to my displays but the excellence of this task might not be on the same level as the pros (Sea of Shoes, LeeseLooks, Fashion Toast, Inside Am-Lul's closet and Lulu and your mum).
This new little feature is essentially designed to bring a special insight into my world and to see my fashion opinions in a different light. Another form of discussion to fulfil the desire of some of my readers for more information.
I will attempt to post images of my favourite outfits once or twice a month but I do not intend to create a catalogue of images or a look-book. You can easily find that kind of thing elsewhere. The Internet already provides a triumphant riot of style blogs and communities.
So, that's the plan: a fashion reality challenge!
Let me know what you all think ...

Practical Saturday

Functional and super comfortable ACNE jeans belonging to the boy/husband

Frilly light blue shirt, vintage, bought in Paris for 5 euros

Old Miu Miu belt

Louboutin platforms (bought for my wedding two years ago)

Stella McCartney old men's cardigan

Faux leather clutch, vintage, bought in Brussels last summer

COLD SNAP

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas break!
I left the icy streets of Paris in the middle of a rare snowstorm (even the Eiffel Tower had to be closed after the entire city found itself covered in a thick white blanket). Our taxi driver complained about the deep winter chill from the 4th all the way to Gare du Nord while his old Mercedes skidded slowly in the snow. It was difficult to ignore his energetic monologue as he kept moving both his hands away from the steering wheel with vigorous and theatrical movements. I silently cursed and insulted him while the boy laughed. The delight of seeing Paris in so much snow was spoilt by this Frenchman exercising his tongue incessantly. But I know better than challenging the views of an irate Parisian taxi driver ...
And so, after trying to do as little as possible during my holiday, I am back in London with new ideas for July Stars and hopefully more extensive blogging!

Wearing my trusted Barbour, Etro scarf and Mulberry Bayswater tan bag

My boy and I

Portraits/collages of me made by my boy

Shake it like a Polaroid picture

Polaroid recently announced plans to axe film production, blaming competition from digital cameras. With the end of instant film next year, the miracle will be discontinued. The glossy square on which an image gradually and magically appeared is doomed. I adore the Polaroid moment: the colors and textures, the washed-out quality and the clean white borders, the easy, fun and instant pleasure, the sentimentality and old-fashioned image. The result is never as perfect as digital but offers more emotion. It is less sterile and definitely more amusing! A Polaroid camera is an instant myth-maker, a bit like Andy Warhol, and it always makes people look good ... I love to see the pictures develop right before my eyes and I have always admired the medium's rich glow and tints of the quickly captured instant. My boy and I have accumulated a collection of 6 Polaroid cameras over the years which I plan to cherish and keep knowing that they represent a little bit of photographic history.
Anyway, Polaroid apparently has enough stock to continue selling through 2009 and I intend to get my hands on a lot of film before the end of a legend.
My favorite childhood photos are Polaroids and here are a few of me and my sister!