haute fidelite et haute couture

[A three-day old post]
[Even older posts said to make appearances soon]
It's Paris fashion week¹ and I'm thoroughly tickled by most things French. Or should that be "people"?? Not only is the French air of superiority deeply amusing and terribly akin to my own well-honed "I'm sorry, and you are who what??" expression; but you just can't help admiring a culture which exists for two main purposes: to eat and to fuck faire l'amour. Talk about superior creatures!! At least, they practise said arts to perfection with such intriguing style and panache, one can't help a begrudging admiration.

The usually high-minded citoyen de France have been abuzz with the goings-on of the inner chambers at l'Elysee Palace. C'est spécialement intéressant when you realize that every French president is considered lower than dirt and not worthy of conversation. Ever!!
So very sad.
So it's certainly about the new Mrs Sarkozy, we all know. There she is on the French Elle January cover.

"Man trap, serial heart-wrecker, rocker arm candy, photogenic cipher, arrogant heiress, polling gimmick — the woman who appears likely to become the first lady of France has been called a lot of things lately. The last thing anyone would have thought of is that she’s a catch..."

This starts off Guy Trebay's report in both the NYTimes & IHT last month. And while I'm quite certain Mr Trebay was only meticulously transcribing his narrative account; I'd politely request a few changes in this descriptive analysis. I'd cross out "man trap" and replace it with "femme fatale" — presupposes a more charming quality, wouldn't you say?? — same with "serial heart-wrecker", I'd go with "lover of men". "Arrogant" would be "confident" and all that talk about "gimmicking" would never do, I'd prefer "genius."

I mean how else would you explain the report goes further to point out,

Just three months after meeting the French president at a dinner party, the woman [Carla Bruni] who told a French magazine that she indeed was “a cat” and a tamer of men was seen wearing a pink diamond engagement ring made for her by Victoire de Castellane, the Dior jewelry designer, and had already transformed an Élysée Palace salon into what the French press referred to quaintly as a “pop music room.”

Dearest Mr. Trebay, I call it "Genius."

And certainly, having witnesses that include Nicolas Bazire, a senior figure in the LVMH luxury goods group, and Mathilde Agostinelli, an executive from the Prada House just proves that we really ought take our French (fashion) lessons more seriously!! A lovely idea is blossoming in my head: Every lady that's part of my bridal train will adorn clothing from a different designer. Perhaps before my wedding I'll be a tad famous and can have some of those designers or their representatives especially design a dress for each of my ladies-in-waiting :). Love it gyrls!! I'm sending out a pretty little message to see what you think :)
No, I don't know exactly when my wedding will be.
Yes, it is because my hubby is still in hiding (=he doesn't exist yet). Or as I like to think of it, concentrating on his work, which includes charming the pants off someone at Leviev or Graff, so he'll be ready when I'm ready to pick out my engagement ring. Delusions of grandeur...
But seriously, every one of my bridesmaids will be paying hommage to a different designer and will come prepared to strut down a crackled gilt and white-rose-petal-strewn walkway... Genius I tell you!!

And while we're on the subject of impossibly French French women, Carine Roitfeld, editrix of French Vogue, whom I still adore (despite our differences, which span from her refusal to wax her mini-forest eyebrows — pardonnez moi — to a few basic philosophical differences) has a few words over at NYMag. The article begins, "Carine Roitfeld is full of respect for the powerful fashion editors on the other side of the Atlantic. “They are very, how you say, slick,” she says. But all that money and success are so... American." I suggest we accept that statement as a "full" compliment.
French accent: Erm, so how you say... NOT?!!





Bizoux-Bizoux.


Footnotes:
1. Still owe you the best of all the fashion weeks. Working on it. Love you!!

AWOL: how dare I??

I haven't written a single entry in ten. whole. days.

I've been actively searching for my life. Really. And I've so much to tell you. I'm going to be on my computer for ages without so much as an indulgent ciggie break. If I smoked.

While you determine my fate, enjoy my rediscovered love, Craig David!! I can't help thinking his newly bulked-up — What?? Steroids?? Never!! — bod is très hot!! And perhaps, the delicious thickness of his neck and arms parallels the thicknesses of his lower longitudinal appendages (ahem). *Blush* Since I got back from Christmas break (in Nigeria), I've been on a mini-quest to find Mr. David on TV even though I don't watch much music videos. It's so sad American MTV and its sister channels don't have him on rotation. Besides, you'd think I'd also get MTV Euro or UK given all the useless channels to which I'm subscribed already. Seriously, what is that about??!!
Anyway, enjoy!! And be gentle with me :)

Big Sugar Kisses
(from Madeleine and I)

love you. love oscar de la renta's dresses.

I love you. Not just today. Always.
My new avatar P.A. alter ego loves you too. You can hear her welcome you to my page when it loads (if your volume's turned on :)). And you can click on her anytime to hear her oh so sultry voice. Hahaha. Today, she feels like being called Madeleine!!
Madeleine loves Oscar de la Renta dresses almost as much as I do... She'd no sooner be wearing these gorgeously decadent and timeless pieces — before I could afford a silken thread of any of it — if she were real and could also slip her feet into my new rawkus-causing Lacroix jewel sandals!!
Enjoy our fave American classic!!
Spring 2008 RTW:

Fall 2008 RTW:Pics courtesy Style.com







Deep decadent kisses.

Live. Love. Love some more. [I don't know any better way to promote my love for absolutely divine dresses and my constant heart-wrenching desire to alleviate human suffering.]

matching separates

In other news, here's an entry I just decided on...
A reader, Shop.in.chic — who must be decidedly fashionable — pointed out that she loved Kai Milla's burnt orange pants from my last post. I do indeed love it too. Very much. It's a divinely sophisticated color. Refined. Cosmopolitan. It's got a certain je ne sais quoi.

Serendipity!! — I came across this men's jacket by Alessandro Dell'Acqua (Fall 2008) in an almost similar color and it's man-haute!! I'd love to watch a man as he pulls the jacket sleeves up his arms: the tracing ripple movements of his biceps beneath his shirt; adorning the jacket on his frame: the orange color (smack!!) extending a warm delight to skin, his eyes... It's just such an absolutely charming color. And the pants are divine as well; although I wouldn't suggest the high-water length except you're pretty tall. *Giggle* If the colors were exactly the same, I'd even go as far as to advocate the matching couple spectacle. You know, woman in Milla's pants and man in the Dell'Acqua. How utterly Posh and Becks and ridiculously cute??!! No?? I know you love it ;) I love it!!

Sappy. Sappy!!
It's the pathetic valentine's day bug going around. I love love. But perhaps, we going about it rather robot-like. Sermon: Love should be celebrated everyday!! And no, do NOT go out wearing red because people say you should!! How sad would you be stepping into the clichéd restaurant and everyone's wearing the same sordid color. You'd sooner end up with three other women in the same dress as yourself. Now, that would be heart-wrenching!! Love out the window!! (Sorry didn't mean to shatter your plans, but do think of the thousands of color possibilities out there :))









Sugar patchouli scents, truffles and butterfly kisses.

featuring kai milla

In celebrating Black History Month, we generally look back with admiration at past pioneers in all industries of life. However, I'd like to draw inspiration from le beau monde of the present, people excelling in their chosen fields (specifically fashion, natch).

Kai Milla is making a name for herself as an astute fashion designer. While the D.C. native, and wife of acclaimed musician Stevie Wonder, did not launch her clothing label until 2005, Milla has an extensive background in arts and design, and even more importantly, a great love for clothes and style. Milla realized her love for art at an early age. She sold her first painting at eight, and was stitching her first dress at thirteen; of course, the next logical step was to design her own prom dress in high school!! Brilliance!!

Milla turned her attention to fashion after she sat in on a season of couture shows in Paris. Yes, Ms. Milla, I'd love so sit in on some Paris shows myself, I'd surely find my calling was to wear each beautiful runway piece. Her designs are for the confident and sophisticated, yet fun-loving woman. This woman is ageless and elegant; and provocative at the same time, the designer reveals. Her design expertise is easily visible in her clothes: a simple striking elegance that's easily functional and beautifully wearable. And indeed, it's her design philosophy I love, a continuous desire for wearable style. I'd read that she admired the techniques of Charles James, an architect and fashion designer who studied under the revered Paul Poiret and whose construction details are taught at FIT. Small wonder, I say.

While I'm still in love with the effortless elegance of the pieces from her last resort collection held at the Cove Atlantis Resort (Keisha Whitaker, Forest Whitaker's wife — aren't they just beyond divine as a couple??!! — modeled a dress for which I'm just dying), I'm all gaga over her Spring collection as well!! Her pieces are available at one of my fave style havens — Vivre.

Spring 2008 Collection:

Resort Collection:There's my dress on the right!! ;)
Fashion week reviews will continue. NY remains one of my true loves.
Happy LFW!!








Big Sugar kisses.

chic fashion: NY fashion week mid-week review

An attempt to review a tenth of all that's going on for NY fash week:

To put it mildly, I'll be Max Azria's b*tch!! Have you glimpsed his amazing pieces for the newly revived and renowned Hervé Léger label?? Two words: Quintessential chic!! The classic banding style of the Hervé Léger dress is updated with the simplest of touches — flower and squiggle appliques, feathers, cashmere, caviar beading, beautifully arched bands in contrasting colors (against the main bodice of the dress) transforming the classic pieces into true works of art. I love it all. The question now is, "How will I lay my hands on two or three pieces if possible??" An H. L. dress does cost a pretty penny that'd kill my budget if I truly had one.

I've also been thoroughly impressed by Mses. von Furstenberg's and Reese's collections. In her show titled "Foreign Affair," Diane von Furstenberg presents beautifully cut pices in a mix of patterns; jackets/sweaters/coats feature prominently, showing up with almost every outfit; each ensemble affair is elegantly secured with a thin waist belt. Contemporary Glam!!
Ms Reese captures me with her water color palette. With much subduedness turning up on the runways — a deemed reflection of our current economy — the designer's swirls of colors is certainly uplifting and projects a deliciously fluttering repose, which manages to exude a diametrically animated revival, in much the same way that we seek relief from our currently depressed state. Other pieces in her collection show the usual greys, blacks and browns of fall, but with a glorious sheen that's anything but bleak. These two collections have previously been more in my budget — and yours — so I'm terribly excited!!
Just a few hours ago, I was fortunate to be able to sneak (seriously!!) into Monique Lhuillier's show, and I'll say the economy be damned!! Pardonnez-moi l'expression. Ms. Lhuillier's dress collection of decidedly sumptuous fabrics, sparkling embellishments and feathers, paired evenly with the clean lines for which she is so well recognized was simply breath-taking!! I could feel my heart beats as each model strutted the runway in the dresses, each seeming more intricately glorious than the previous. I doubt that I was able to take it all in, and I almost cried from the utter decadence of it all.
About an hour later, in a more intimate gathering at Stephen Burrows' showroom down in the Fabric district, I relived a beautiful appreciation for the female form. Standing only a few feet from the models as they showed off Burrows' new line Mo Lajé of simple, yet very French chic pieces adorned chain and hinted beaded garnishes, the elegant manner of the clothes was enhanced even more by the form of the model's bodies. Certainly, a testament to the acclaimed designer's practical knowledge of fluidity, the clothes had an easy movement that grazed the body ever so softly. He opened with a hammered satin shearling coat and these was a collective gasp of pleasure throughout the room. His collection fused the elements of water and earth, matte (jersey) and shiny; and a knowing sexiness and body consciousness.Fashion photos courtesy style.com
Simply chic clothing, chic fashion all around!!
At the end of the show, I plucked up some courage and went to talk to the casting director for the show Ms. Bethann Hardison, celebrated model in the sixties and seventies, and later model agent. Perhaps, almost single-handedly, Ms. Hardison has been responsible for pushing forward black models. Although she shut down her a decade ago, Ms. Hardison has recently revived her efforts to advance black representation — especially of models — within the fashion industry. Last year, she begun an ongoing series of discussions to tackle this glaring omission of color within the industry, and it can be assumed that designers are 'attempting' to take note. The fashion circle is a very slow moving one, but there's been a sprinkling of black (and Asian) models on the catwalk.

P.S. Did I mention Bethann Hardison is this famous actor's mom. I didn't. Oh oops!! We all had a crush on him back then, some of us still do. ...Back in a different world.
Mother and son :)

I'll keep you posted. Soo t..i..r.ed!!







Celery sticks (no peanut butter or dressing!!) and air kisses.

New York!! New York!!

I certainly don't do celebrity reports or picture reels, but this is one. (Typical!! Preface: "I usually don't..." then, do.) But seriously, I may be the only fashion-loving saddo who doesn't really bother with what so-called famous people do or wear. Sure it's fun on occasion, but the truth is I couldn't care less if I tried.

But here:
Following Friday morning's drencher, NY Fash Week kicked off with a decidedly charming splash!! Notably, the Heart Truth campaign managed to commission American Heart Month (February) and National Wear Red Day (1st of February, which coincided with the start of the fabulous week) with a decadent stagecraft from the one and only Liza Minnelli!! This year, the campaign marks its sixth year in partnership with NY Fashion Week bringing the Red Dress to life in the effort to raise awareness about the heart disease epidemic in women. Twenty celebrated women in Entertainment adorned one-of-a-kind red dresses created by (twenty of) America's influential designers (from Badgley Mischka to Carolina Herrera to Tracy Reese) to celebrate women's heart health. The Red Dress is the National Symbol for women and heart disease awareness; and it was fashioned to recognize that women — especially from the age of forty — are at risk for heart disease, and motivate them to take action to reduce their risk. Even more wrenching, the disease affects African American women disproportionately. To the right, is also my fave picture (nicked) of the evening.

This is certainly very inspiring, and I would never mean to diminish the utmost importance of it all... But I did mention Liza Minnelli, didn't I?? Excuse all the crazy anecdotes you may have heard about Ms Liza, but starring as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, she established herself as a phenomenon. If the big brown eyes looking up from those amazing lashes still don't make you want to kiss her a deep searching kiss,¹ then you need to get a therapist.
Like yesterday!!
I'm serious.
As a matter of fact, I'll refer you to one.
And let's not forget the perfect beauty spot beneath her left eye.

As a child, I adored Ms. Liza. While, I had only a naive inkling as to Sally's character, I was thoroughly captivated by her. I even dreamt of sporting her short inverted bob at some point. I haven't mustered enough courage yet; but I certainly have taken the v-plunge neckline sans bra to chest heart. [Profile Pic *wink*] And while she may have lost some of her marbles — she still walks the carpet in her rather scuzzy ensembles — I love this woman!! And I'm sharing my love with you :)
Liza Minnelli!!

P.S.: (Role Play)
Brian Roberts (or You): You're American.
Sally Bowles (Me): Oh God, how depressing! YOU'RE MEANT TO THINK I'M AN INTERNATIONAL WOMAN OF MYSTERY. I'm working on it like mad.

...The minute you walked in the joint, I could see you were a man of distinction,
A real Big Spender,
Good looking, so refined:
Say, wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind??
So let me get right to the point, I don't pop my cork for every guy I see.
Hey Big Spender, spend a little time with me...
...How about it palzy??

...[And] of course, I may bring a boyfriend home occasionally, but only occasionally, because I do think that one ought to go to the man's room if one can. I mean, it doesn't look so much as if one expected it, does it??







Deep kisses and divine decadence daahlings!!


Footnotes:
1. No, I'm not lesbian, but still...