THE CROSSING

LA TRAVERSEE

Mr. Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic ocean on this floating device...

...so that many many years later I could cross it on this.

For that alone I thank him.

Have a great Columbus Day.

au revoir.

BLUE WITH GRAY

LE BLEU avec du  GRIS

I keep going on and on about how much I love gray with orange, I know. But these days I am also leaning towards blue with gray. 

Leaning only. 

Why?

Because even though I love all shades of blue in fashion- dark navy pants and a pale blue sweater and a vibrant Touareg scarf: fabulous!- I am not much of a blue person in decorating. With the possible exception of bright Klein blue and deep indigo, I tend to go for almost every other shade than blue. I never use light blues unless they are very "grisés- gray-ish- and I don't think I have ever opted for turquoise unless specifically asked by a client. And even then, I put up a good fight. 

Sorry Florida...

images via pinterest

au revoir.

FAUX REAL= REAL FAUX?

LE FAUX VRAI= UN VRAI FAUX?

via rare vintage

ebay

Now, THIS is what I call a fake that's confident enough to be really fake. 

And so practical.

And so economical.

And so whimsical.

au revoir

THE CULT WINE

LE VIN "CULTE"

I am not a wine "connaisseur", not in any real sense of the term, far from it. I don't swirl my glass, I don't sniff the cork knowingly, I don't make comments about a balance and complexity and all of that. I could not start a conversation about the body or the finish etc. with anything resembling a straight face; except maybe when it comes to nose since that's what I use, that and my loyal taste buds. And don't ask me anything about this note and that note; I may guess a bit of licorice here or something else there, maybe, but that's about all. What I CAN tell when I taste a good wine or even a great wine and maybe an exceptional wine, is that I like it and that I am very happy when my glass is refilled. My taste buds give me all the information I need.

Having confessed to all this at the risk of being qualified as totally unpolished at best, I must tell the tale of a wine we had in Montreal when I went up there 2 weeks ago.

A guest of my sister's was kind enough to bring a "cult wine" to dinner. (Sorry all you California wine lovers and all my compatriots from Bordeaux or else where, I had never heard the term). Our delightful guest has the privilege of owning a few bottles of a certain cult wine, it seems, and was generous enough to come bearing a bottle of Araujo Syrha that was DELICIOUS!!! My taste buds do not lie. My sister the connaisseur was "oohing" and "aahing", as was I, to the delight of our adorable guest, of course.

Despite it's 40 acres, the vineyard, in the Napa Valley of California, produces only 300 to 400 cases of this exceptional Syrha a year. Hence the rarity. Hence its qualifying as a Cult Wine: 

California Cult Wines

California cult wines refer to any of the California wines "typically but not exclusively Napa Valley Cabernets" for which collectors, investors and highly enthusiastic consumers will pay very high prices. The producers of such wines include Araujo (...)

These wines are generally very expensive and are limited production (often fewer than 600 cases per year) and and command several times their "release price" upon release." -wikipedia


So there you have it . I learned something new in Canada.
Oh, and the main dish was a SUPERB Poulet Basquaise à la Joëlle, my sister, who adds a few squares of chocolate to the sauce!
I'd call it a ...Cult Dish.

au revoir.

 COUP D'OEIL

Just something that caught my eye.

The soft richness of patterns and colors, the nod to the exotic mood of the French colonies of days gone by, the coziness of a red bed nook, the haphazard choice of furnishings and accessories, the patina of a space all the better for wear.

au revoir.

JAMMED!

Coincé!

I had planned to regal you with my weekend trip down the East River in New York City on a beautiful sail boat but my Blackberry phone is jammed and won't let me upload my photos... technology puts one's patience to the test once in a while and always seems to win...in my case anyway. So, I will go to the tech gods today and let them figure it all out some way and get back to you.

image via flickr

au revoir.

MONTREAL NATURE

MONTREAL: NATURE

When you drive north to Montreal from our house, in the suburbs of NYC, the road is basically straight all the way. Put the car in cruise control and enjoy the view. Well, watch out for road kill...

Highway 87 is absolutely beautiful once you hit the mountains (remember Lake Placid and the Olympics?) The Lake George area is worth the long drive alone and the beginning of the fall colors made for a spectacular journey. The perfect postcard day didn't hurt either.

I took a photo of a rest area building where I stopped for tea. Who ever thought this up deserves a medal...pure North American architecture.

I could tell I was getting close to Canada.

For a big change in pace from our very urban stay in Montreal, my sister and I decided to join two very nature-loving Canadian friends on a day of cycling in the Laurentians just North of Montreal. They are both IN SHAPE! one of the girls takes spinning classes every Saturday! 

We survived the ride thanks to a great picnic complete with great wine and shrimp wraps faits à la maison. 

You bike on a railroad track turned cycling path that runs for miles along a small river in the middle of fall colored trees. Breathtaking! in every sense of the word...

bon weekend. 

MONTREAL COUTURE: GAULTIER CORSETS, CLASSICS, AND DETAILS

MONTREAL COUTURE: GAULTIER

LES CORSETS, lES CLASSICS, LES DETAILS

Much is said here and there in the exhibit about Gaultier's fascination with underwear especially corsets and he let his limitless imagination fly with that particular garment.

Wheat

The finest of laces

(notice it is worn over a stocking like body suit that is itself embroidered with a million beads mimicking lace.

A metal like cubist version

The few classics on display were totally wearable including the exquisite scarf

This navy jacket with a draped shawl-like top over cream pants would be perfect right now! I'd even wear the beret.

The details

A green leather hand bag made to look like a palm leaf. BEAUTIFUL!

Wool crochet and embroidery on a tulle dress.

Typical Moroccan detail on a grey sweat suit... a la Gaultier

An Eskimo silhouette with colorful detailing

A woven raffia bolero and skirt top.

I am so delighted I managed to see this unique show. Who knows when it will come our way. 

Bravo Mr.Gaultier! comme toujours.




au revoir.

MONTREAL COUTURE: GAULTIER STRIPES, BEADS AND FEATHERS

MONTREAL COUTURE

GAULTIER:

STRIPES 

The stripe story was surprising in this sense that the simple "pull matelot"- sailor sweater- was declined in a number of materials, all very un-sailor like...

BEADING

Lace like beading

This dress is ENTIRELY covered in beads.

This dress blew my mind! I thought it was a very stunning leopard skin on a maroon skirt apron style.

It was. 

BUT, the leopard skin is in fact embroidered in tiny beads (detail below).

FEATHERS

The parrot as sleeve ornamnet

The pheasant as boot

The Apache warrior as bride

Just another detail that made the exhibit so unique: the moving images of people talking,smiling and even winking projected on mannequin faces, including Jean Paul Gaultier! 

 Slightly "creepy" at first, but extraordinary.

 au revoir.

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND...

POUR DES TAS DE RAISONS...

I cannot post in any proper way today... just a hint of what is to come:

au revoir.

WHEN A DESIGNER...

QUAND UN CREATEUR ...

When a designer can create this

and that

but also this 

When he can smoothly go from this 

to this

when he can just as happily send his collection down the runway on this silhouette

and this one

we know we have been blessed with the genius of an extraordinary one-of-a-kind design GOD!

I had the great pleasure of meeting Jean Paul Gaultier years ago during a few business meetings when I was the designer buyer for the Paris department store Le Printemps. He was already quite a fashion icon and yet there was not an ounce of haughtiness or self importance in him. Quite the contrary. He was charming and enthusiastic and attentive to everyone. 

I saw him a few weeks later in a restaurant and smiled more out of admiration and respect rather than any wish to seem more familiar to him than I was and though he surely had not a clue who on earth I was and where he could have seen me before, he smiled very warmly back at me. Now, there is elegance and tact. 

I am off to Montreal today and will have an opportunity to go to the mind-blowing Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit (mind-blowing, so I hear from my sister who will be going there for the second time!) The show, a retrospective of J. P. Gaultier's work spanning the last 35 years, is being held at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

I just can't wait!

I'll report on Monday. It will be a very busy 4 days, too full of day appointments and night activities to have time to produce anything worth while, I am afraid. So with apologies...

à lundi.

A WONDERFUL SHOP IN PARIS

LA JOLIE BOUTIQUE A PARIS

On my last trip to Paris it was suggested that I visit a small shop at 11 Rue Coetlogon in the 6th arrondissement called La Maison Des Rêves.

It is a modern store, with the most stunning lightning: a fine web of wire with tiny white low voltage bulbs cover the shop window; the same idea has been translated into a wonderful shade (image above) sold inside.

The assortment in the two room space is a mixture of very modern lighting and glassware, some Moroccan linens, bags and rugs, the most luxurious cashmere scarves and throws and much more.

If ever you are in the area, do pay them a visit. You will not be disappointed.

I also strongly suggest that you visit their website, www.maisondesreves.com. 

You will be surprised to learn that they also have 3 hotels-one in Brazil, one in Portugal and one in southern Morocco- plus a desert "camp", that are all breath taking!

au revoir.

THE DAY SEQUINS AND HOW TO WEAR THEM

LES SEQUINS DE JOUR ET COMMENT LES PORTER

The London based company Ashish covered enlarged tartan prints in clear sequins.

Prada covered their skirts in giant geometric ones

Those example of sequins as day wear will probably be adorning the svelte silhouettes of edgy celebrities and cool "fashionistas" this winter. 

But if, like me, you don't mind your everyday wear with a small dose of shine and sparkle once in a while, there are more easy versions of the look.

Sequin tank top on a long sleeve wool tee, in a subtle gray colorway.

A gold tanktop under a very sporty shirt and a wild fur vest

A simple boat neck on a very skinny pair of pants - for long legs...

All three options are understated and low "impact" more like a necklace or a scarf.

A relaxed mini skirt/striped tee combination. For that occasion when jeans take the day off.

A very classic choice can be made much more hip with the addition of a little stardust.

images elle, jcrew, vince, mulberry, kaboodle, 

au revoir.