LHR: L’ Amour Fou

Last night (or more like a month a go, based on the fact I’m just posting today), I was fortunate enough to attend  a TEST event (showing of  L’ Amour Fou) at the Town Hall Hotel in Bethnal Green.

I believe YYZ and I went to the bar in the Town Hall back in May. So, she can attest to its total coolness. I love EVERYTHING about it. This hotel/restaurant/event space was once the old town hall of the area, and the interior is Art-Deco speckled with intriguing art curiousities (check out their photo gallery and virtual tours to understand the goodness). The event took place in the council chambers.

The Council Room

The Screening Room. We sat on the right hand side.

Yummy, yummy drinks to be enjoyed while watching the wonders of YSL.

Before I get in to the main event – L’Amour Fou (Yves St. Laurent Doc) – here are some shots of this gorgeous space.

Town Hall Lobby

clock in lobby

Old dentist chair with tailor’s closet

Enjoying the dentist chair

And, on to the main event – the film. L’Amour Fou is a documentary about Yves St. Laurent as recounted through his business and life partner, Pierre Bergé. Yves’ story, designs, life, inspiration is told by Pierre as he prepares to sell their mutual collection of art and furniture. Christie’s auction house would host one of the century’s biggest sale. Here’s a trailer for the fillm. Watch it.

The Christie’s Auction was an art installation in itself. The sheer number of lots and the excitement from the art and fashion communities was immense.  Add in investors who felt it was best to put their money in art rather than the wobbly stock market, the auction was probably the sale of the century. Check out this section to see which of Yves and Pierre’s prized possessions were sold. The entire collection fetched  $483 million. I also think seeing what YSL surrounded himself with helps to show where he got some of his inspiration.

The film  itself (not surprisingly) reminded me how incredibly talented Yves St. Laurent was and how early he achieved so much. His collections for the House of Dior were all incredible – every single piece I would love to own and put on Judy even if it didn’t suit me. (yes, YYZ, Judy one day will come home)

Later on, under his own label, he really proved to be a pioneer in fashion from the styles/designs to the idea of couture houses becoming accessible (and ultimately relevant) via ready to wear collections. Brilliant.

This film is beautiful. I loved every minute of it. Seeing snippets of YSL’s collections from years gone by and seeing how his life and the world around him influenced the collections. His love and time in  Morocco can be seen clearly in his collections. It also reminded me that I had the privilege of visiting his garden in Morocco.

Seeing the connections between his life and his designs made me appreciate the detail, the fabrics and the styles even more. Designs which were a mystery to me in the past, were put in to perspective understanding the stages of  his own life, the world around him and how one fed in to the other.  All I can say is I would be mighty impressed if a designer could create one dress/outfit on the level of YSL, but 200 in a collection – year after year. That’s sheer brillance and art.

Seeing this film brought back the memories and the feelings I experienced as I walked through the YSL retrospective at the de Young gallery in San Francisco. I was so incredibly lucky to see such a collection of his work in person. I remember wanting to gaze at the pieces for hours and hours. I wanted to be the person who could create such amazing pieces.

Alas.

I sell business cards 🙂 Oh well. We each have our paths. If you have the chance, find a way to see L’Amour Fou if nothing to be lost in his brilliance and see YSL’s designs and the art  that he chose to surround himself with. (warning: it’s sad too – obviously – but that adds to what makes the film so captivating. It’s real life – ups and downs)

PS I’m forever thankful for YSL and the trapeze dress which hide’s a multitude of sins.

PSS YYZ, I know this is filled with poor english and grammar – feel free to edit. Too tired, but had to post and now to Christmas shop on Regent street (really looking forward to the champagne at the end of the day in Liberty’s)

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LHR: A Vintage Affair

A few weeks back, J’s mother was visiting us in our humble abode in Dalston. So, not only did we get the excitement of a week in Dalston Abbey, but on Anne’s request we visited the Dalston vintage fair. Yay!

This was the second time I had visited this particular fair and the Dalston Boy’s Club (where it took place). The first time was in the midst of the summer. In fact I took a few photos the last time I visited knowing I might post about it one day. Here’s some snapshot from that day.

Gorgeous Whites from Another Time

Lovely Lime

Beach Blanket Babylon

Swanky Swimwear

Bits and Bobs

At the summer fair, we were also treated to some beach-inspired burlesque. Sadly, my photos are a bit blurry, but you can imagine how wonderful the atmosphere was.

Burlesque Bathing Beauty

Now, back to our most recent visit… like my visit in the summer, I find I can’t leave one of these fairs empty handed (yes I bought something in the summer and once again last week). There were so many lovely things to choose from. In fact, I was just about to purchase a dress (which was probably not a good idea anyway) when I tried on a glass slipper. It wasn’t actually a glass slipper, but it was a pair of shoes that actually FIT! That’s right they fit and they were in good condition. So, it was kind of like a glass slipper.

Today, I wore them. The outfit was just a basic ensemble, but allowed my shoes to be the stars. Fun eh?

My new old shoes

Perhaps jeans don't really work with these babies, but I like them anyway.

I'm missing a stone.

Whistle While You Work ...

What I wore:
Shoes: Vintage Clark’s bought at the Dalston Vintage Fair. By the way, they’re called Connie.
Jeans: Uniqlo
Shirt: Preloved, Toronto
Brooch: can not remember, YYZ?

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YYZ: Fashion

More evidence to support my devotion to Lanvin with Alber Elbaz at the design helm.
(His cameo at the end is delicious.)

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LHR: Better Late than Never

It’s Saturday morning here in London. It is ANOTHER gorgeous day (no I’m not being sarcastic – it really is) and I want to hit the London streets. However, I also wanted to post something for fear of being fired from this high-paying blogging gig. Yet, I wasn’t sure what I would blog.

While I did get dressed for work this week and in some case rather nice ensembles, I didn’t capture them. So, I looked on my blackberry to see what I’ve been randomly capturing for this blog over the last few months. I found a few pics.

Here they are… random fashion-related items.

• The Melonia Shoe: This is a prototype shoe that was on show at the London Design Museum, Designs of the Year Show. These shoes were rapid prototyped using a 3-D printing machine. In the future we may all be able to get our own shoes printed to fit our feet exactly. It sounds very sci-fi. In any case, these shoes were rather cool and a nice evolution from skulls.

 

Melonia Shoe at the Design Museum, London

Designed by Naim Josefi and Souzan Youssouf

• D&G Summer Dress: I saw this form-fitting number in a mag on one of my long-haul flights earlier this year. It caught my eye with its crazy colours and graphic appeal. I’m glad it did as I’ve just spend the best 20 minutes lapping up some of the recent D&Gsummer line-up. Who knew I liked this label?
  

  Bold Graphic Colours

I love this outfit on the model, but know I would hate the florals next to my face

I'm always a sucker for a baby doll style dress. Don't worry YYZ, I know I'm too old.

• London Love: The good thing about living in a place like London is that on any random work day, you have the chance to see some really inspirational clothing. Either on the hipsters of Shoreditch, the west end girls in King’s Road or on the mannequins in the windows of Mayfair. Here are a few pieces that caught my eye as I waited for a meeting.

Love the Sculptured Look NOT the colour

The hat I chose for Kate & Wills Wedding ... alas no invite.

And finally, here’s the secret to why I don’t have time to take photos of my daily *what I wore*. I just don’t have time after this …

A. my sister-in-law and friend gave me this magnet. Yeah, I would say she knows me.

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YYZ: Black or White

This is not what we are wearing today.
(Even though we both own a pair of shoes very similar to those black and white Oxfords!)
If I run across those polka-dot shabooties, however, I will certainly make them mine.
(Once I sell a kidney…)

Image source.

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YYZ: Pussyfootin’

LHR and I are off to trek the Dorset coast over the next week, on a talking walking tour.  We will not be stylish, though I promise a royal wedding post once I get back to my computer the following week. I have set up a few posts to keep you entertained/disgusted/bored while we are away.

Today, my mum and I are heading across the pond. You know I would be wearing these if I could.
(Nightmare at security–imagine getting these off and on again in a hurry!)

You can get yourself a pair here.
(Or, if you are M, you can get ME a pair. Size 7, Honey.)

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YYZ: Shoe Lust

Yes, please.

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YYZ: River Deep, Mountain High

Gentle Reader, what follows is the text of a desperate plea for help I sent earlier today to YVR, triathlete(!), sporty girl, owner of clothing with the word “performance” in its description, my friend of 24 years.
(I realize that the first three descriptors in that list make the last one seem a bit out of place, but she is also Silly, Dance-y, and thinks Brunch is a sport, so we have quite a bit in common, really!)

I am searching (fruitlessly) for something similar to LHR's groovy jacket, which you see me sporting here.

It is your turn to be Expert Advice Giver, please. 🙂

I have spent several FRUSTRATING hours trying to buy a jacket that will be appropriate for the coastal walk/hike LHR and I are doing at the end of April. We are walking the Jurassic (Dorset) Coast of southern England, about 10-13 “moderate/strenuous” miles a day, with temperatures around 13 degrees C on average.  It may rain.

I got shoes (it took FOREVER, as I was terrified of making the dreaded Wrong Choice and ending up with Hamburger Feet– cross your fingers that the Very Ugly ones I finally chose are the right ones!),but the coat thing just bested me.

So, any advice?

I need a hood, I think– it’s England, and even though last April was the sunniest month of the year in that part of the country, I figure I can’t count on that.
I need the coat to be lightweight, but also waterproof  or maybe just water-resistant.
What is UP with this “breathable” polyester crap that I see in MEC and elsewhere?
That shit FEELS like plastic and, as an-already-mighty-sweaty chick, I just don’t see a plastic coat and “moderate/strenuous” hiking as a good combo.
IS it “breathable”?
HOW breathable?– like, “you are gonna be sweaty for sure, but what do you care as you are an outdoorsy type and probably get off on being sweaty anyway?”  Or more along the lines of, “this is truly a miracle fabric, Grasshopper– have faith that it can be both plasticky AND breathable; this is the year 2011, after all”?
I just feel mighty leery of anything that is both rubberized and polyester and still claims to be “breathable.”

The people who work in MEC are no help at all (largely because they are more interested in socializing with their friends who have dropped by than in helping customers– seriously, can EVERY SINGLE staffer have a posse of fellow climbers/paddlers all drop in to chat about crampons AT THE SAME TIME on a Monday morning???).

The guy at Europe Bound was GREAT with shoes and socks, but clearly just found my disbelief about the allegedly miraculous properties of the jacket fabrics to be sad and pathetic– how could I doubt the label?

Didn’t I understand that the pores in the fabric are “microscopic”?

Um, okay, but when I put on one of these coats and bound around the store in it (heck, even if I just stand there, stock still), it seems a bit overly toasty and as though I am about to get all damp down my back and, god forbid, in my armpits……

Also, said coat should not be black– what if it IS sunny and I am roasting b/c I am wearing black?

Also, why do all the not-black colours have to be pea-green? Ew.

 

A colour I can only describe as "mud blue" is the other not-black colour available in most styles.

 

Are there any of these things that are not cut so as to maximize the boxy shape of my short-waisted torso?
Even the ones that purport to be cut for women make me look distinctly like I have pulled a cardboard box over my head.

And why do I need a drawstring ON MY HEAD???
AT THE TOP OF my hood???
Where it hits me on the back of the head and drives me mental… Why?
Is it so I can be tied to the winch when I am in distress and need to be saved by the SAR folks in their helicopter?

Finally, I found a few lovely ones– they all cost $695 CAD.

Um, NO.
I was thinking in the “well-under-$200” range would be about right.

Can you help me, O Mighty Goddess of All That Is Sporty?

I will keep you posted, Gentle Reader.
I have faith that YVR will come through with Expert Advice!

P.S. Sorry about the weird spacing of paragraphs in this post– WordPress is being VERY naughty!

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YYZ: These Vagabond Shoes

…are longing to stray.

So that I can see this exhibit.

Now that my #1 favourite designer has disgraced himself in truly horrific fashion (which does not negate his genius in any way, nor that of the insanely talented artists who work in the ateliers– and on whom the venerable and elegant House of Dior wisely chose to focus its show last Friday), I need some consolation and my #2 favourite designer, Dame Viv, is just the ticket!

My head is on the verge of exploding at the very thought of this exhibit, and also at the thought that it is most unlikely that I will get to see it.* Which is why I am beyond grateful to FIT for their gobsmackingly fantastic website.

Fr’instance, check out THIS page!
(Seriously, YVR, if you do not click on the preceding link, your life will be all the emptier for it and you will regret it forever. Just sayin’.)

*Because we would NEVER have such a cool exhibit come here– but that’s a tirade for a different day…

 

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YYZ: All I Have To Do Is Dream

Oh, boy!
The site/shop where I bought this earlier in the fall, has THIS available at the moment:

Pleated front with waist-cinching structure? Done!

It is a bit big, but their seamstress can alter things if you just send along your measurements.

Trailing sash-y item? Yes, PLEASE!

I may have sent the link, along with my measurements, to Santa immediately prior to writing this post.
Cross your fingers, Interweb!

Click here to be able to scroll over the dress and see the incredible details more clearly.
(I’ll let you uncross your fingers in order to do so–it’s totally worth it! 😉 )

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