jla

YSL manifesto s/s '09

2009-02-10T13:28:00.004+01:00

gorgeous claudia schiffer is the new face of YSL's s/s '09 ad campaign and can be found on the pages of stefano pilati's manifesto which will be distributed to the first 2000 passers by in london, paris, new york, milan, tokyo and hong kong this saturday, february 14th. this extra-special compilation of photographs will also be handed out with a usb key in the shape of a heart (awwh! how cute!! just for VD!) along with a canvas bag. if you have nothing else to do in paris this saturday, head to the streets to pick up your ysl swag bag. from past experience, hang out around colette and you should be a lucky recipient! happy valentines day....

valentino haute couture s/s '09

2009-01-30T18:26:00.005+01:00

the first collection designed by alessandra fanchinetti's replacements was exquisite and highly endorsed by the retired mr. valentino himself. i don't think there was a dress in the entire collection that wasn't absolutely stunning. my favorite is the long red dress above - i can see anne hathaway wearing it to the oscars!

dior haute couture s/s '09

2009-01-30T15:05:00.005+01:00

i think that john galliano said it best - 'there's a credit crunch - not a creative credit crunch"....his collection was beautiful - the colors he used were straight out of vermeer's 'girl with a pearl earring' and the ball gowns were like delft teacups! over the top, gorgeous. can't wait to see how some of his dresses will be re-worked on the red carpet....and the shoes - insane!!

chanel haute couture s/s '09

2009-01-30T14:42:00.005+01:00

white and black, black and white - camilla flowers galore - chanel had their haute couture show close to their flagship store on rue cambon. all the models exited down a beautiful white staircase into a room filled with guests. each headpiece worn by the models was a unique creation - karl summoned a japanese artiste named kamo to assist with the design of the floral pieces. he started with a clean slate but that didn't mean that each silhouette was either black or white - on the contrary, each dress was sparkling with paillettes or camilla flowers and precision-cut jackets and dresses. just exquisite and classic chanel.

la semaine de la haute couture....

2009-01-30T13:32:00.003+01:00

busy week here in paris - the men's shows finished on the heels of the women's haute couture s/s '09! the big news about the shows this year is that the number of designers decreased from 23 down to 20 over a period of three days. nevertheless, the most popular ones - valentino, armani prive, chanel, dior, elie saab had amazing collections! i'll post some pics of my favorites.

another exciting tid bit - hermes announced its famous 'private sale' when last year's s/s '08 collection goes on sale...up to 70% off on pret a porter, shoes, jewelry, bags (sadly, no birkins) and other accessories and 50% off their beautiful silk scarves. it used to be that hermes had their private sale upstairs at their faubourg-st.honore store in several rooms. i remember my first hermes sale - i left work early, stood in line to get in (the line started over at the side entrance on boissy d'anglas and wrapped around the store front on fbg st honore) and once inside, was ushered upstairs and walked into a room filled with women grabbing at scarves. the sales associates would take any random scarf and float it up in the air so everyone could see it whilst shouting the name of the scarf and if you liked it all you had to do was grab it. it really helped to become familiar with all of the scarves in the collection so once you heard a name you could go for it, or just politely ask for it. it was such fantastic parisienne experience - one that i will never forget! i think i walked away with four scarves that day. i still wear them!

their sale continues through tomorrow at the porte maillot, palais des congres in the hall neuilly. just isn't quite the same experience though! but worth standing in line if you like the scarves as you'll come away with a bargain!!

some scoop from paris.....

2009-01-20T17:42:00.004+01:00

here is some fashion scoop for you on this happy inauguration day!

*cartier is said to be laying off some of their employees.....not a surprise considering the economy! if you didn't know already, chanel recently laid off 200 of their employees....

*men's fashion 'week' starts in paris this thursday, january 22nd, with 46 shows in four days...gareth pugh and rick owens are said to be the hot tickets....

*louis vuitton has announced that they will no longer be selling their products on eluxury.com as of june 2009. i believe that exlury.com is planning on changing their website and LVMH will instead pursue selling their goods on their own website. makes sense?!

paris - recession? 'non!'

2009-01-16T14:38:00.006+01:00

an interesting article in the ny times about the recession hitting the fashion capital of the world.

trend spotting

2009-01-16T13:40:00.008+01:00

at the fendi show this paast october,all the models walked down the runway with their handbags open:

i couldn't quite figure that out, but i assumed it was just karl lagerfeld being his usual 'avant garde' self and he designed the bag on purpose to hang like that (however, i think that the interior of some of the bags are lizard or other exotic skins so perhaps he wanted to showcase the inside?).

then i received february vogue paris, and, lo and behold, there is a four page photo spread of opened handbags with the style-masters telling us that "our first lesson of the new year is to leave your handbags open, under ANY circumstances!" voila:

i can see it being a trend in paris and will be on the look-out for any "open bags". i can also see many handbags being pick-pocketed! we'll see how long this trend lasts....

karl lagerfeld...for dior?

2009-01-16T13:32:00.003+01:00

karl lagerfeld does it again - this time for dior homme's spring/summer ad campaign. he is the talent behind the black and white photographs: check it out on the dior homme website.

vintage YSL goes to auction at Druout

2009-01-14T13:55:00.003+01:00

vintage YSL couture dating from 1962 (his first year designing the label) will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at paris auction house Druout on february 26 and 27. prices will start from 50 - 5000 euros. included in the auction will be 800 items from various collections: haute couture, pieces from the RTW collections, furs, jewelry and accessories all created by Yves St. Laurent himself. i wonder if the auction will be standing room only?? i anticipate some furious paddle waving! (photo is from Yves Saint Laurent, Haute Couture, Hiver 2001)

back from a break....

2009-01-13T14:50:00.003+01:00

so i'm back in paris after a wonderful holiday in the states. being back there made me realize just how much i do miss it and how much people in the states take things for granted. life is really so much easier over there! when i say easy, i mean, everything is more convenient and easier to access. in paris, sometimes even the smallest things can be a challenge (even going to the grocery store can be difficult)! with that said - it does also make me appreciate the 'old world charm' that paris and europe offer as well. i get the best of both worlds - i'm a lucky girl...

i did manage to do some of the sales while i was there but didn't go too crazy b/c of luggage! my husband got me a beautiful pair of balenciaga shoes - black patent pumps, this season for 60% off the original price. bought a lot of stuff at target as well - we love target - and of course the usual rounds as saks and nordstroms and neimans. my husband bought a beautiful new pair of shoes at neimans that were on sale and then an additional 40% off. i couldn't believe all of the designer handbags - marni, YSL, alexander mcqueen - to name a few - that were just lying on tables, marked down with an additional 40% off. i saw a beautiful muse 2 handbag that would have been under $1000. bargains galore!! i could have bought a steemer trunk back to paris...

christmas lights

2008-12-01T13:12:00.003+01:00

i took the (blurry) photos the evening that the champs elysees was officially lit, the wednesday before thanksgiving. workers have been fixing the lights onto the trees that line the champs elysees since early october. the end result is magic - perfectly structured lights on the poplar trees that glitter between place de concorde and place d'etoile. many of the lights in the little neighborhoods are being lit one by one as well - paris is just beautiful at night during christmas!

a favorite thing from s/s '09....

2008-11-06T10:40:00.004+01:00

there are many favorite things from the spring/summer shows but i still keep coming back to these balmain shoes - LOUCHE!! they are just incredible and oh-la-la-licious in every sense of the word (ok, i just made that up) but these shoes are gorge!!! too bad the photo isn't better quality then you'd really be able to see the details - the supple black leather, the diamante studs around the ankles and crystals across straps over the foot - absolutely divine. in fact, looking back at his collection i have to say it was my favorite. it was just so perfect and 'now' in every way. christophe decarnin nailed it! he'll have the fashionistas running to balmain before you can say birkin bag. anyway - i really do love these shoes!!! j'adore...

yes we can!

2008-11-05T12:01:00.006+01:00

amercians agree we are ready for a change.....

christian tortu returns!

2008-11-04T11:29:00.003+01:00

i used to L-O-V-E going to the christian tortu boutique in st. germaine at the carrefour d'odeon. i would bulk buy his candles - foret was my favorite. i also enjoyed his floral creations and got to know one of his protegees, who now has become one of my best mates in paris! but alas, christian's boutique has closed and he now only works high-level events. with that said, i've just read that he'll be designing 14 new candle scents as well as 6 new scents for the home AND he'll also be creating an eau de cologne for the first time ever! very exciting.....below is a pic of my favorite candle. stay tuned for where to buy in paris!!

lee miller exhibition at the jeu de paume

2008-11-02T18:23:00.004+01:00

surrealist, portratist (she photographed picasso!), muse to man ray, fashion model for vogue and WWII photographer. lee miller's prints will be on display at the jeu de paume from october 21 - january 4.

after recently seeing and thoroughly enjoying the demarchelier exhibition at the petit palais, lee miller's works of art at the jeu de paume are definitely on my agenda...

h & m hearts comme des garcons

2008-11-02T17:53:00.005+01:00

h & m does it again with another couturier designing an affordable collection for the masses. this time it's rei kawakubu for 'comme des garcons' who designed the collection (in case you're unaware - comme des garcons is an avant garde japanese brand).

the collection will premiere in tokyo at the beginning of november and will be available in stores world-wide from the 13th of november.

fancy a birkin or a kelly bag?

2008-11-02T17:37:00.004+01:00

this friday, november 7th, 'artcurial' will be auctioning off various vintage hermes pieces. if you're in the market for a vintage kelly or birkin bag then check out the website www.artcurial.fr. the vintage collection has everything from hermes scarves, bracelets, ties and clothing to diary covers, cuff links and even some bling! the most expensive birkin i saw starts at 20,000 euros (exotic skin) but i also saw some kelly bags starting below 1,000 euros and even some birkins starting below 1,600 euros! you can bid on line and follow the auction if you're not in paris.

the auction begins at 10:30 am at the hotel marcel dassault, 7 rond-point des champs-elysees in the 8th.

the above pics are two birkins and a kelly that i really liked and that are in pristine condition.

i really love the blue jean color birkin!!

bonjour stella....

2008-11-02T16:26:00.007+01:00

stella mccartney is setting up shop in the city of light - she is planning on opening up a boutique (sometime in the middle of november) in the galerie valois, the heart of the palais-royal. she will join other designers who already have boutiques in the palais- royal, like: marc jacobs, rick owens, pierre hardy, corto moltedo and perfumier serge lutens (to name a few of the shops). this area of the palais royale is quickly becoming the new avenue montiagne.

i'm sure her shop will be uber chic and similar to her 'environmentally friendly' shops already established in london and nyc.

j'adore stella!!

top shop = top flop

2008-11-02T12:13:00.005+01:00

i realize that top shop is an english establishment, but i just have to blog about my experience ordering a pair of trousers online at topshop.

i've been waiting for months and months for top shop to finally be able to ship to france - previously you could only order online if you were in the UK (or even the US!). i found a cool pair of trousers that i wanted to wear to several occasions this fall:

cute, no? i thought so too, so I ordered them on line on september 18th. their website said 5 day delivery so after two weeks of no delivery, i called them. their response was that they were backed up and i should continue to wait. i did - i waited another week.

after 3 weeks, i called them again. i should also mention at this point that i tried using their 'contact us' page on their website regarding my order and didn't hear back from them (twice i did this to no avail). i should also mention at this point that i called them at my expense as their 0800 number was 'out of order'. so getting back to my point, they've now had my money since the 18th of september and i still don't have my trousers! i got someone on the phone and they said that there was nothing that they could do at the moment and i needed to wait A FULL MONTH and then CALL THEM AGAIN if i still hadn't received the package and only at that point would they begin an "investigation". still no confirmation of a refund on my credit card after all of this.

you would think that a multi-billion dollar company such as top shop would have the customer service down to a science - being able to refund a customer for goods never received shouldn't have to take over a month! i should have been refunded right away and an "investigation" should have taken place the first time that i called!! instead, i have to pay for an international phone call and notify them multiple times (including emails) that i never received my trousers. does this not seem wrong to you????

so - the upshot at the moment is that i've already been refunded the money by good old american express, but top shop is conducting an investigation and they still haven't refunded my credit card.

i've asked for a name of someone i could write to about my situation but all i got was an address of their headquarters in london. i'm not finished with top shop yet! i think this is totally unacceptable and will do my utmost to let them have a piece of my mind.

top shop = top flop

new magazine on the city of lights

2008-10-10T11:25:00.006+02:00

'paris select' is the name of the new magazine about the luxe life in paris. the great thing about this mag is that it's both in english and french - a smart marketing move considering all of the english-speaking tourists in paris. the magazine promises to deliver the best shopping addresses, restaurants, salons and expos - all luxury, natch.

i love the cover of their first issue - recognize anyone??

in stands now at 4,50 euros.

would you accept these for free?

2008-10-09T16:31:00.003+02:00

apparently, after the louis vuitton show, marc jacobs handed out these shoes to his fashion editor b.f.f.'s. the idea behind this is intelligent, but come on, couldn't he have picked better swag than this? is mr. jacobs really that naive to think that just because he's giving out free footwear, his fashion editors will mark these as the next 'it' shoe?? pffffft! (that's a french mouth fart) seriously, if people are going 'ga-ga' over shoes like these, they're not from this planet! i doubt very much that i'll see anyone wearing these shoes come spring in paris.

karl lagerfeld documentary

2008-10-07T15:57:00.003+02:00

if you live in france, or if you're visiting france, check out this documentary on karl lagerfeld: france 5

an in-depth look at his life, his views, his habits, his loves and his work. he even takes off his glasses (for a nano-second) and explains his 'tenu'.

great excerpts from interviews with mademoiselle as well.

p.s. the doco is 'en francais' (bien sur), so unless you understand french....

sunday: miu miu

2008-10-07T13:57:00.003+02:00

paris fashion week came to a close with miucca prada's miu miu collection on sunday night, saving the best for last, some may say. i'm a HUGE fan of miu miu and really loved her s/s collection - i thought that her grafitti/tie dye silk dresses were so unique and just beautiful. and her heels that she designed to go along with the collection were gorgeous! funny enough - there have been several stories this past week about models wiping out on the runways due to the towering heights of some of the shoes. i heard that one of the models took a spill on her way back down the runway concluding the miu miu show on sunday night. talk about fashion road kill...

sunday: lanvin

2008-10-07T13:52:00.005+02:00

alber elbaz designs some pretty amazing couture for lanvin, bien sur, but his shoes -- in my opinion -- even better. take a look at what he's done for s/s '09 - loads of multicolored jewels on high heels made of duchesse satin in a variety of styles. forget about the 'it bag' ladies, it's now all about the 'it shoe'!

saturday: hermes

2008-10-06T13:27:00.005+02:00

jean paul gaultier's designs were beautiful for hermes: a ride 'em cowboy collection complete with hermes' version of fringe and cowboy hats. naomi campbell and stephanie seymour even took part in the defile and were the first ones down the catwalk. while the clothes were great - the thing that really grabbed my attention about this collection were the accessories: the clutches, the gloves, the bangles and cuffs, the hand bags (!!!) and bien sur - the shoes. i really loved the suede boots! many of the designers showcased a slouchy boot with their outfits for s/s '09. my favorite pair of shoes were the gladiator sandals as seen above.

chanel part deux (details!)

2008-10-06T13:23:00.007+02:00

more details from the chanel show - the bottines: little CC details on the bows....the camilla flower necklace over a shell pink tweed suit.....an evening dress complete with camilla flowers and a beautiful chain going from front to back....karl with his models.

friday: chanel

2008-10-06T12:46:00.005+02:00

tweed jacket? check.

camilla flowers? check.

chains? check.

chanel guitar? what?? ok - yes, check.

karl largerfeld's designs for chanel were beautiful - a version of every other chanel collection, in a way, but updated. the colors were monochromatic (natch), the details were: camilla flowers on dresses, camilla flower neclaces, bows, beautiful accessories (see next entry for shoes) and karl's version of bo-bo: chanel bolero jackets, tiered skirts with a chanel guitar as an accessory. i'm sure lenny kravitz will be running straight down to 31 cambon for that item!

the defile was at the grand palais and the scene was 31 cambon - all the models came out of 'chanel' and walked down the runway to a crowd of 1500. tres chic, et tres chanel.

thursday: giambattista valli

2008-10-03T11:57:00.007+02:00

taking a look at GBV's new collection seemed to bring me back to the 50's but with a modern twist. uber tight waists and bodices showcased by heavily tulled skirts. even tiny details like little bows down the front of one dress made me think of samantha in betwitched or even mrs. cleaver - but not in a bad way: quite the opposite. there's something very sexy about how feminine these dresses are. i especially loved the hydrangea and floral details he typically uses in a collection. in a word - gorgeous!

boutique openings in paris...

2008-10-03T11:15:00.004+02:00

tara jarmon - will inaugurate her flagship store in march 2009 on rue du fauboug st. honore. stay tuned for address info....

ralph lauren - opened a beautiful parisian boutique at the end of september. the store is 600 m2 of luxury in an old hotel particulier on 52, avenue montaigne.

wednesday: givenchy CHIC

2008-10-02T12:51:00.005+02:00

i'll take that dress and those shoes and that dress and those pants and that jacket....and one of everything, please! everything in ricardo tisci's collection for givenchy s/s was superb - just exquisite. from the bandage/bondage type dresses with the cut out details to the leather chaps and thigh high boots and the beautiful jewels he added to some of the pieces. so haute, so beautiful. and the shoes - OMG. to. die. for. tres chic....

it's 'balenciaga tuesday'

2008-10-01T16:51:00.009+02:00

i'm a huge fan of nicolas ghesquiere but am a bit disappointed at the wearability of his s/s collection. maybe it's how he dressed the models - all body parts hidden by one huge body sock? or maybe it was a bit too 'sci-fi'? the photos above (i thought) were the most 'wearable' out of everything - perhaps you could wear the first dress with some nude gladiators and not the full body sock as shown on the runway. the futuristic jodpurs are great with maybe a black t-shirt but with the full on ensemble - to me, it's too much. the last dress is beautiful - love the sparkles and even love the design of the dress but again with the body sock i'm not feeling the look. wonder if any of the fashionistas will be dressed from this collection this spring? my all time favorite balenciaga collection was a/w 2008 - this collection just doesn't compare!

monday: j'adore dior

2008-10-01T13:38:00.010+02:00

john galliano put on quite a show this past monday - all the models were wearing the same design of dress - uber short, cinched at the waist in a myriad of colors: golds, pinks, greys, prints, nudes and black with sky-high platform gladiators. although dior is typically known for their classic designs - timeless suits and dresses, perfectly tailored for the sophisticated woman - this collection was very young, modern and almost trendy. i can't imagine any ambassador's wife wearing any of the above to a state dinner hosted by the sarkozys...

now check out the shoes that were showcased in the collection. i'm loving the new take on the gladiator for s/s....and the first photo of shoes is a close up of the little totem pole as the heel - fierce! j'adore dior....

sunday: balmain

2008-09-30T16:20:00.008+02:00

everything in balmain's collection was exquisite! totally rock-chic with diamante and crystal details - even the shoes were to die for. i'll have one of everything, s'il vous plait. the above two are my faves.

the tents are up

2008-09-29T19:08:00.006+02:00

we drove by the place de la concorde on saturday and i pointed out to my husband where most of the shows would be taking place during paris fashion week! everyone is here from celebs and fashion editors to see be seen and paris provided some gorgeous weather. during the weekend there were shows: a.f. vandevorst, hash, balmain, bruno pieters, gareth puch, kris van assche, nini ricci and rick owens. there was also a big party for suzy menkes, fashion editor of iht at the palais galliera celebrating her 20 years with the paper. there's more to come and it's sure to be an exciting week - hopefully the weather will hold out although the forecast isn't looking so hot over the next few days...stay tuned!

encore....

2008-09-29T16:32:00.007+02:00

milan: dolce & gabbana. the boys do the s/s '09 version of their corset dress. they can't go wrong with this classic. it makes you look so feminine and sexy.

...most of their collection was typical - but then there were these pyjamas/kimono outfits that were totally untypical! don't know how much we'll see of that come s/s but nevertheless i'd say it was interesting:

milan: versace. loved all of her dresses which are sure to be seen on the red carpet this s/s. loved the embellished cocktail dresses with the three dimensional roses on them. fabulous!

milan: moschino. if i had to pick one collection that i could wear every single piece - it would be moschino. i loved their playful oversized bow details, the structure of their cocktail dresses: short, sexy, belted and i loved their color palette. perfect for day wear and plenty of choices for the evening.

the fashion weeks: from my bed to yours

2008-09-29T15:07:00.008+02:00

bed blogging is a drag! but thank god for the internet. here a few picks that i've decided are my favorites from the various fashion weeks.

nyc: oscar de la renta. if i were a famous actress, this would be my dress to wear to the oscars. it's so gorgeous and just classic.

nyc: diane von furstenburg. diane gets the maxi dress right! i love the plum color and the material looks like it clings in all the appropriate places. a perfect summer look.

london: issa. london's fashion week didn't seem to have quite as many shows as nyc and milan. maybe it's because everyone still thinks that milan/nyc/paris are still the fashion meccas of the world. in any event, i really loved issa's collection for s/s. here is one of my favorite looks. love the silky materials and the color. another huge trend at the shows: chunky jewelry worn on the outside of your jackets/sweaters. tres chic.

milan: bottega venetta. while their rtw collection was beautiful, i'm a big fan of their accessories. the shoes were amazing! another season of gladiators awaits....

milan: burburry prorsum. burburry was all about the ombre trench/trouser/sweater. loved that they paired their trenches with the chunky accessory on the outside of the garment:

where have i been?

2008-09-29T15:03:00.005+02:00

amsterdam: young woman run down and knocked unconscious (ow!!) with a concussion. hospitalized for two days....prognosis: still in process of recovering. now in bed with the flu and an ear ache! stay tuned....

la parisienne

2008-09-08T22:00:00.003+02:00

the hard work paid off! i really enjoyed sunday - there were 13,000 women convened in the name of breast cancer that ran the 6.3k road race yesterday. it was a semi-nice fall day and the rain thankfully held out although it was a little windy! the winner finished in about 22 minutes - i came in about 10 minutes after her so i felt pretty good about myself!

after meeting some friends for coffee we went over to the marche st. honore to grab brunch. this is a great area - not at all infiltrated by tourists. after gorging ourselves on coffee and cake, eggs, fries, cheese burger (my hubby) and some chilled chardonnay we topped off the feast with some cheesecake and apple crumble! what a yummy way to gain back all the calories i just burned - ahhhh!!!

overall - a fantastic sunday. i'm already looking forward to next year's parisienne.

scoop du jour: phoebe philo returns...

2008-09-05T14:26:00.005+02:00

....to the fashion world as creative director at celine! philo left the fashion world in 2006 after working as creative director at chloe since 2001. while she was at chloe, she reinvented the rtw and accessories collections and made her mark in the fashion world: the 'paddington bag' practically became a household name. i think that celine is trying to establish itself as a younger brand and by bringing in philo, they will do just that. i cannot wait to see what kind of magic she'll unveil this spring.

ready, set: manifesto!

2008-09-05T13:58:00.006+02:00

ok - enough on givenchy - time to give ysl some love. tomorrow, september 6th 5000 copies of stefano pilati's 'manifesto' will be distributed on the streets of paris (as well as london, nyc, tokyo, milan and hong kong). this manifesto is essentially guerrilla marketing at it's best - it features naomi campbell modeling ysl's a/w collection (2007's manifesto featured kate moss). this will surely be a coveted item especially with the passing of yves st. laurent this year. i've read that copies will be distributed starting around 13h00 in the st. germaine, rue st. honore (where ysl's stores are located) as well as bastille areas. not only will the first 5000 people get their hands on the book but also a canvas bag designed by pilati himself. bon courage!

loving riccardo tisci

2008-09-05T13:14:00.010+02:00

a/w 2008 givenchy: i am LOVING riccardo tisci's designs for givenchy. he started with the house in march 2005 and has since brought so much creativity and modernism back into the rtw and accessories lines. this season, thanks to riccardo - expect to see lots of leather/black/goth mega-accessories. already - h&m and top shop have knocked off the multi-chain necklace as seen above. in this past week's grazia, the magazine the editors were talking about a d.i.y. version of this necklace - their fashion fix was going down to their local hardware store to load up on chains to achieve the look! think i'll get mine at h&m/top shop, thank you very much...

givenchy had some amazing shoes this past summer: specifically the gladiator - both in flat version and of course platform. i'm still struggling to decide about what kind of goth/givenchy-esque winter shoe i will invest in. i came across these beauties below:

i love the 'shoot' (shoe/boot) and the fact that they are slightly gladiator-ish and can be worn now in the warm months with 7/8ths pants/rolled up jeans or with tights in the dead of winter. either way - a statement will be made when you wear these shoes.

hubert de givenchy is still around in paris - i've run into him at the cafe de flore when i was living here in '96-'98....did you know that he was very close friends with audrey hepburn and designed the l.b.d. for her in breakfast at tiffany's? she became his ambassador and muse - their friendship lasted nearly 40 years...

givenchy recently opened a new store on rue st. honore - they moved from their george-v location. it's a beautiful store - totally open and modern. think i'll head over there this weekend and take a look at their shoes while seeking out ysl's 'manifesto' that's due out tomorrow...

le must: givenchy's phenomen'eyes

2008-09-01T13:44:00.008+02:00

i've always struggled with my mascaras until this one: givenchy's 'phenomen'eyes'. where has this been all my life? i rushed out to sephora to buy some today - french vogue did a review on it two months ago and it only hit stores recently in paris so i've been chomping at the bit! what makes this unique is the wand: it's a small ball-like tip which allows to you start at the roots and brush out to the ends of your lashes creating a really full, fan-like effect on your lashes. not only is the end result nearly perfect - it's so much easier to use! no more awkward positions required when applying to the opposite eye and best of all - no more clumps. it's brilliant!! i'm sure other cosmetics companies will start producing their versions once the reviews are out. in any event - my review is in and i'm LOVING it.

obsession du jour: ruby slippers in NYC (sadly not in paris)

2008-08-29T13:23:00.012+02:00

this is THE movie that launched a thousand dreams....my obsession as a little girl! every time is see these ruby slippers i smile because they bring back such happy memories. i loved 'the wizard of oz' as a kid and actually still do. i love it so much i had to share the love with my husband and made him watch it with me (his love doesn't run as deep as mine as he got up to get his laptop 15 min into the movie). nevertheless, these shoes were perhaps my demise - or inspiration? - to seek out fabulous footwear.

to celebrate the 70th anniversary of 'the wizard of oz' movie, the ruby slippers are being recreated by 19 designers (blahnik, louboutin, gwen stefani, jimmy choo to name a few) and will be displayed in the windows at saks 5th ave in nyc during fashion week. after nyc, the shoes will be going on tour throughout the us (sadly, not coming to paris!) and will eventually be auctioned off at the end of the tour, all proceeds benefitting the elisabeth glaser pediatric AIDS foundation.

check out some of the designs:
designed by botkier

check out the choos!

dorothy would be proud! not sure how long she would last on the yellow brick road in a pair of 5 " heels, though!!

'a girl should be two things: classy and fabulous'

2008-08-28T17:08:00.008+02:00

one of my favorite quotes from gabrielle 'coco' chanel....did you know that they're making a movie about her life? the film will star audrey tautou and karl lagerfeld will be supervising the wardrobe. filming begins in paris on september 15th. guess i'll be stalking the ritz and rue cambon areas to try and catch a glimpse of the action! stay tuned... in the meantime, here are a few more of my favorite quotes from the mademoiselle:

.....'a woman has the age she deserves' (try and remember that before you go for your next botox injection)
.....'as long as you know that men are like children, you know everything!' (LOVE that one...)
.....'luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.'
.....'how many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.'

must. get. to. gym.

2008-08-27T16:40:00.007+02:00

setting little goals for one's self can provide motivation. for example: there is a road race on september 7th in paris called la parisienne. it's only a 6k, but - hey! it's providing me with inspiration for the moment to go to my gym.

speaking of my gym - it's really fantastic! it's called the 'ken club' but the frenchies call it 'le ken'. it has a eucalyptus hammam (steam room), a spa for any treatment under the sun, a cardio room, a class room for yoga/pilates/ab/butt/thighs/kickboxing classes, valet parking at no extra charge, a pool with an outdoor deck and a restaurant (bien sur - we are in paris, after all!). i love this gym - it's helped me get through many days in paris on my own. the clients are mostly all parisian - a lot of them work in the fashion industry - many of them are models. the instructors are all fully trained/licensed professionals and are very good. i really enjoy the classes there - one of my instructors looks like a beefed up adrian brody. now if that isn't inspiration.....

there's a myth that the french don't work out - on the contrary, they do - and some of them are quite serious about it. with that said, there are some ladies that aren't so serious, as after they finish their class, they go and have an espresso and a smoke. only in france would you see something like that. the other funny thing that i've observed is that everyone says 'bonjour' to you - doesn't matter if you're sweating up a storm with your ipod on and are giving a look like you don't want to be disturbed. i've had someone come up to me and insist on giving me bisous while i was 45 minutes into a workout. now who in their right mind would want to give bisous to ANY sweaty, smelly person is simply beyond me. the french like to mix their work outs with their important social skills by showing that they can continue to be polite in all varieties of situations. they want their social skills to be able to transcend on all levels - sweaty or not! it's taken some getting used to for me but i've come to 'appreciate' their way at 'le ken'.

karl lagerfeld hearts steiff

2008-08-27T12:34:00.006+02:00

as a kid, my parents used to bring us back steiff animals from germany....we have a nice little collection somewhere at my parents house. but THIS steiff teddy bear is not one my parents would have brought back to us kids: karl lagerfelf has designed a look-y likey of himself for steiff. quite a resemblance, eh? apparently, there will only be 2500 produced in the world and they will be available at colette (bien sur) and at neiman marcus in the fall. pricing on the other hand -- a mere 1500 US$ to get your hands on this designer stuffed animal.

brand new colette

2008-08-27T11:49:00.006+02:00

as if the old colette wasn't chic enough - they just re-opened their flagship store on st. honore after an entire summer of renovations by famous japanese architect masamichi katayama. the store is still grouped by items - as seen above - their t shirts are showcased in a glass box in the middle of the store and their infamous trainers are encased in floating glass boxes to the side. the womens and mens collections are still on the first floor with the ever present mannequins displaying the latest in fashion couture, accessories and shoes. the restaurant on the basement level has also gotten a face lift! this is a true concept store that is worth visiting not only from a design perspective but also for the latest in one of a kind items found only in this store.

victoria beckham - dress designer?

2008-08-27T11:36:00.006+02:00

posh spice gets a lot of attention from the media and she also gets a lot of flack. i personally admire her for everything that she's been able to accomplish with her life. not only is she a mother of three, she's also a jet setter, jeans and sun glasses designer, book writer, singer and full time fashionista (i'm sure i've forgotten something in there...). i bought her book and really enjoyed reading it because she was spot -on with most of her observations and gave really straightforward advice. she was also very self-deprecating in her book. the girl knows how to make fun of herself which is essential for someone in her position. i mean - she owns something like 20 birkin bags!? anyway - i was just reading that she is now going to try her hand at dress designing. i can only imagine how chic and sophisticated her line will look. the pricing on the other hand is rumored to be around 800+ euros (think i'll wait till they go on sale). so, victoria - brava for your new venture. i'm looking forward to seeing your dresses.

it's hereeeeee....

2008-08-26T14:30:00.009+02:00

forgot to mention yesterday in my 'rentree' blog that the rentree signifies the arrival of THE fashion magazine issue that we've all been waiting for: the september issue of french vogue. 426 glossy pages of new trends, fabulous photo shoots, fashion and beauty news. i had to flip thru 32 double-paged ads before getting to the first table of contents!

my favorite part of the magazine is 'mode and beauty news' - where they give the latest and greatest on who's who and what's what in paris. on this month's beauty news, they profiled a hair stylist. i'm always on the look-out for a good recommend in paris for highlights as some of my experiences here have been less than positive. "eric romain" is the name of the place and the stylist's name is nicholas. interestingly enough, as i frequent other blogs - one of my favorites is the sartorialist - and on one of his pages he has profiled four parisians (one of them being carine roitfeld, editor in chief of french vogue) and their favorite places/recommends for: alterations, hair salon, dry cleaner, shoe repair, nail salon and body treatment. carine roitfeld has listed 'romain' as her preferred hair salon. as i was saying, interestingly enough, in this month's beauty news, there's her guy! wish i had checked him out before she decided to make him famous in her magazine! if you're lucky enough to get into see him now that he's been published in vogue - expect to pay around 200 - 240 euros.

another favorite section of the magazine is when the fashion editors pick their favorites and put them together in a photo shoot of sorts - giving places to buy the items and costs. they are always spot on with the latest trends, of course. i keep seeing the stiletto from balenciaga (go to page 16 on link) which appeared in a photo shoot from last month's french vogue....this shoe is fierce! it's got a metal heel, leather and patent toe and a small platform. very modern looking. love it!

besides the shoes and handbags, leather and furs - one common piece of jewelry that two of the fashion editors can't live without is a [louis vuitton] signet ring! WTF? are they coming back? i thought that was most interesting....

ok - that's it for now on september vogue. i'll still be reading it a month later, guaranteed!

la rentrée

2008-08-25T15:16:00.004+02:00

time to return to paris along with everyone else! we did the smart thing and left the south of france on saturday about 7pm - it took us 8 hours to drive back and there wasn't any traffic. i'm so glad that we decided to do it that way because it would be been hellish on saturday and sunday during the day.

anyway - la rentree in paris is signified every year by the mass exodus from the french month long holidays and back to reality - think of it as re-entering reality: work/school/routine/autumn, etc. the french consider la rentree period from the last week of august to the first week or so of september. it's also a time when a lot of new principles are made: get that extra 10 pounds off you put on during holidays; start a new diet; start exercising, etc. think i'll adopt the principle of losing the extra gelato/rose/pasta weight that i put on!

cannes can

2008-08-25T14:42:00.004+02:00

during the august holiday we had the opportunity to get out of our village and stay at some friends' apartment right on the croisette in cannes. it was a brilliant location - as you can see - just in front of the beach and stepping distance from shopping and many great restaurants and clubs.

a view from the flat

the beach in cannes

like juan les pins, cannes is filled with many cool beach clubs - this one had a live dj and he was playing some good tunes so we stopped down for a drink and watched the sun set.

the sun set on the beach in cannes...

this is a photo for my brother in law - not quite sure what kind of car this is, but the owner was driving it up and down the croisette all night. funny thing is that there was no shortage of ferraris, lamborghinis, bentleys, rolls, mercedes maclarens (sp??) and so on, all night long. it becomes quite obnoxious at a certain point because all they do is cruise up and down rev their engines at every stop light (which is about every 20 feet or so). if they're the first one at the light they can peel out and probably get up to about 40 mph at which point they must stop for either pedestrians or another light!! what's the point??? anyway - it's kind of ironic and yet pathetic. on another note - it was also interesting to see all of the russian license plates and arab license plates on these vehicles. cannes was filled with russians and arabs.....

french health and beauty aids

2008-08-05T12:07:00.005+02:00

i just had to mention these fabulous products that i've been using for the past few months. the first one is aknorm, good for clearing up any problem breakouts that you may have; the second one is by mene et moy and it's a day vitamin c treatment - good for clearing up brown spots and giving an even skin tone; the silver bottle is the night version of that - a bit more intense (**the best thing about these vitamin c treatments is that they do NOT stain your sheets like some other products out there can). i've been using these two since the middle of july and really notice a difference. we'll see what the dermatologist says in september; the second to last bottle is roche posay 50 SPF for your face. this is a brilliant product if you have combination skin - it goes on light and absorbs quickly into the skin. i've been wearing it daily on our holiday and it's been doing the trick! the final product is also roche posay - the pharmacist gave me this to try and i do like it - it's after sun cream which also quickly absorbs into the skin and leaves it feeling moisturized and soft. no smell with this one or any of the products for that matter!

grass is always greener

2008-08-04T22:00:00.005+02:00

why is it that i always feel like whatever i have on for the evening, i always have envy over what someone else is wearing? the maxi dress from the other night is the perfect example - i looked perfectly fine in my outfit - but then felt so outdone when i saw the girl in her maxi dress which i immediately coveted! a maxi dress has been on my list of items to buy for the summer, but admittedly, i've been waiting to find the perfect one. so now i've found it - i'm sure i'll wear it out and then see someone else with something amazing on and i'll immediately be put to shame. with me, 'the grass is always greener on the other side'. my husband says that i'm never satisfied - i think he's right. but -- is it that i'm never satisfied, or is it that i'm constantly striving to improve myself, my appearance, my way of life? perhaps a bit of both. for the moment, i'm going to try and enjoy my new purchases and wear them without looking for something else....must. try.

maxi score

2008-08-04T17:12:00.005+02:00

a couple of photos from yesterday's maxi dress hunt - i ended up with two dresses - the purple batik one on the right and another grey and black floral print dress. i found a strapless purple tank top as well - all perfect for riviera wear and day into night.

the maxis....

vieux antibes

2008-08-04T14:12:00.008+02:00

last night we ended up in 'vieux antibes' for some dinner. we walked out of the restaurant behind the marche provencal and found an american swing band playing! how ironic. we stopped and listened to them for a little while then left to go back to our village and meet up with some friends for a night cap.

cap d'antibes

2008-08-04T14:00:00.008+02:00

after hanging out in juan les pins all afternoon, we decided we wanted to try and find the famous 'hotel du cap eden roc' which is located in beautiful cap d'antibes. we had heard from some friends that just next to the hotel is a beach club called 'beach plage'. after driving around for 20 minutes and getting very annoyed with our gps, we finally found eden roc - gorgeous!!! massive poplar trees and olive trees - centuries old - and massive gates at the entry to the exclusive hotel. we weren't dressed to go in so went down to beach plage to watch the boats. cap d'antibes is located at the very tip of the med so the coast has very rugged cliffs and rocks at this particular location. from what i can tell, the beach plage was built into the cliffs (see above pic) and then they built several decks for the sun worshippers. the place is definitely an eden!!

the restaurant deck at beach plage....

more yachts. the little yacht in front of the larger one - it's actually huge! we saw another boat come off of the little one to take some passengers into land.

juan les pins

2008-08-04T13:32:00.011+02:00

juan les pins is a nice little town on the riviera in between antibes and cannes....loads of boutiques, cafes, restaurants and plenty of beach clubs. it was so hot yesterday so after walking around the town of juan les pins and having a very successful shop (2 maxi dresses and one top!!), we went for a walk on the 'bord de mer' and sat at a cafe had drinks and just watched the world walk by. a perfect far niente day on the riviera!

juan les pins beaches filled with parasols!

check out the yachts on the med....

and our little cafe!

maxi dress hunt

2008-08-03T13:51:00.006+02:00

we're off in a minute to juan-les-pins to go wandering and exploring and also to go to a boutique that was recommended to me last night: 'tarzan et jane'. we went to a dinner party last night and this girl had on the most amazing maxi dress - if i could pick or design a maxi dress this would be the perfect one. it's strapless, and purple with a batik type of design. it looked like it may be long enough as well as it was a bit longish on her and she is about 4 inches shorter than me. i've been dreaming about the dress last night and we're off in a few minutes to hunt it down! i'm loving the fact that the boutique is also open on a sunday. will post pics later today....a bientot.

a lovely view.....or not?

2008-08-02T12:31:00.005+02:00

a view from our 'terrasse' in the south of france. you can't see it, but just below the roof in the photo is another terrasse on which our neighbors like to prance around naked. i don't think that they have any clue that we can see them otherwise they may put their clothes back on. actually i should explain about our naked neighbors - initially, it was just a naked man strutting around on the terrasse. his partner was just naked from the waist up. i guess that he finally convinced her by the end of the week to strip it all off. last night we ate dinner on our terrasse and didn't get up to look over the ledge for fear of seeing 'naked man' (and woman) and promptly getting indigestion. it would help the situation if these two people had knock out bods, but they're old and saggy!!! i'm going to try and get a photo of them in action....stay tuned.

the eiffel tower's blue...

2008-07-29T19:22:00.006+02:00

the eiffel tower is blue - in honor of france's rotating presidency of the eu. on the northwest facing side of the eiffel tower are 12 gold stars representing the eu....in addition to being blue until the end of summer, the eiffel tower is still sparkling every hour for 10 minutes. another must see if you're in paris this summer. i nearly forgot to snap a photo of it before leaving for holiday - this was taken from our back bedroom. we adore the eiffel tower!!

fall preview: leather, lace and fur

2008-07-25T10:39:00.009+02:00

french vogue did a spread on leather and lace and fur in their august issue....it seems like a strange combination, but the three together make for a stunning outfit. however elegant and glamorous fur looks, i still think it's a bit controversial to wear something like that in today's society. but how can you tell the difference between real and fake fur? i know if you're wearing the coat you can tell just by feeling the fur, so how can people still judge someone if they don't know it's real or fake?

so enough on the fur....

french vogue were really pimping the prada lace ensembles - i'm already tired of seeing those ads. BUT i can't wait to see what the high street stores will knock off from muiccia's designs....i can already see zara putting together some lace skirts and dresses. we are lucky to have copy cat couture at the zaras and h&ms of the world. i've also noticed that once a collection sells out at zara they don't replace it, which is a good thing because there are only so many times one wants to the same dress/shirt/skirt on someone else!!

another trend i noticed was long, up to your elbow leather gloves - very sexy (and very warm!) i'll definitely be investing in a pair of those and will be wearing them even after i've taken my coat off. too chic...they remind me of audrey hepburn in breakfast at tiffanys.

i know it's still summer and it's too hot to be thinking about leather and fur, but i can't resist thinking about fall's new trends!

what to do in paris this summer

2008-07-24T16:13:00.009+02:00

visit: expose of 40 photographs by karl lagerfeld currently showing at chateau versailles- thru 7 september

see: kiraz exhibit at musee carnavalet thru 21 september - totally worth seeing - i'm sure you've seen his work: he is famous for creating the cartoon-like 'les parisiennes' - the long legged mademoiselles who flirted their way thru life in paris.

see: valentino exhibit at musee des arts decoratifs - thru september 21: over 200 of his sketches and dresses on display

taste: go to laduree and indulge in their new flavors for the summer: noix de coco (coconut), menthe glaciale (glacial mint) and grenadine

enjoy....

au revoir bouchara

2008-07-24T09:42:00.007+02:00

have just learned that the only remaining bouchara in paris, located across from galaries lafayette since 1936, has sold its space to h&m. one of my favorite stores in paris, bouchara was a place that sold everything from tablecloths and napkin sets, ready made curtains and pillows, bed linens, table lamps, seasonal decor and tableware as well as plenty of materials for redecorating your furniture. i used to go to the bouchara in passy, and was sad to discover they closed that store over a year ago. with the closing of the haussmann location, the only store left in france will be in cannes! a sign of the times.....thankfully, h&m will effort to keep most of the staff at bouchara, who's average age is 45 (!). bouchara is sure to have a liquidation sale so make sure you visit this store before they close. adieu bouchara...

the spartiate (or in english) the GLADIATOR

2008-07-23T18:16:00.014+02:00

have you jumped on the gladiator bandwagon yet? it's THE sandal of the summer/fall. in french the word is 'spartiate' - it reminds me of spartacus - like something he'd wear back in the roman times. i'm currently lusting after: the dior gladiator (as most recently seen in SATC on 'carrie' throughout the movie), the balenciaga gladiator (but the shorter, sexier version, not the one that goes up to your knee) and the new jimmy choo 'glenys' sandal in green python is to die for. also quite keen on pierre hardy's version of the gladiator.... but - the more roman/traditional/practical version (if you're not into 5 inch platforms or stilettos) are by k. jacques - famous tropezian designer since 1933. her boutique in the marais is fab!

bonjour

2008-07-23T16:15:00.017+02:00

i know you're thinking: what is 39.5? is that her age? and is she italian? well, no - i'm actually an american living in paris, and 39.5, italian is actually my shoe size. my blog is about life in paris: the fashion, the food, the streets, the scene and occasionally a rant or two about the frenchies. i chose the name because i'm slightly obsessed with shoes (what girl isn't??) so you'll probably find one or two entries about shoes along the way....

p.s i chose greys and blues for the blog to try and match the colors in the [recently] renovated christian dior boutique on avenue montaigne.

bienvenue

jla

YSL manifesto s/s '09

valentino haute couture s/s '09

dior haute couture s/s '09

chanel haute couture s/s '09

la semaine de la haute couture....

some scoop from paris.....

paris - recession? 'non!'

trend spotting

karl lagerfeld...for dior?

vintage YSL goes to auction at Druout

back from a break....

christmas lights

a favorite thing from s/s '09....

yes we can!

christian tortu returns!

lee miller exhibition at the jeu de paume

h & m *hearts* comme des garcons

fancy a birkin or a kelly bag?

bonjour stella....

top shop = top flop

new magazine on the city of lights

would you accept these for free?

karl lagerfeld documentary

sunday: miu miu

sunday: lanvin

saturday: hermes

chanel part deux (details!)

friday: chanel

thursday: giambattista valli

boutique openings in paris...

wednesday: givenchy CHIC

it's 'balenciaga tuesday'

monday: j'adore dior

sunday: balmain

the tents are up

encore....

the fashion weeks: from my bed to yours

where have i been?

la parisienne

scoop du jour: phoebe philo returns...

ready, set: manifesto!

loving riccardo tisci

le must: givenchy's phenomen'eyes

obsession du jour: ruby slippers in NYC (sadly not in paris)

'a girl should be two things: classy and fabulous'

must. get. to. gym.

karl lagerfeld *hearts* steiff

brand new colette

victoria beckham - dress designer?

it's hereeeeee....

la rentrée

cannes can

french health and beauty aids

grass is always greener

maxi score

vieux antibes

cap d'antibes

juan les pins

maxi dress hunt

a lovely view.....or not?

the eiffel tower's blue...

fall preview: leather, lace and fur

what to do in paris this summer

au revoir bouchara

the spartiate (or in english) the GLADIATOR

bonjour

h & m hearts comme des garcons

karl lagerfeld hearts steiff