[I] never carry an umbrella. [I] prepare to walk in eternal sunshine. ~ Alfred E. Smith (edited)

...But I just may be willing to change considering these chic, avant-garde beauties.

All available at Takashimaya NY.

I'm not sure why all the umbrellas are listed underneath "men's" however.
Unless of course, it is subliminally implying that the man should always hold the umbrella (for the lady.) In which case, carry on daarhling (said to imaginary lover holding the red tandem umbrella over my pretty little head.) *Contented sigh*









Wet kisses.

a little indiscretion. oh, is that my bum you see??

Believe it or not, I found a pair of knee-length or short leggings at my Euro-chic haven SevenNY.¹ Yikes!!

When leggings resurfaced as the bane of many a woman's unfashionable existence two summers ago, I vowed never to give into the sartorial ''hip"pyness of it all. Of course, I convinced myself that Ghesquière's gold-plated 3-D gladiator leggings for Balenciaga weren't just leggings, and Peter Pilotto's Techno hologram leggings were a wearable metaphor for the glowing transparency of one's soul, so I allowed myself to admire these extraordinary pieces from a distance.

Last week, I went a step further than my singular permissible mistake of a pair, which I'd gotten on sale for barely twenty bucks and actually got another pair!! (And more than twenty bucks too!!)² These short leggings by German designer Doreen Schulz's c-neeon are a rarity and I love 'em!! They are a relatively moderate pair, and yet spectacular; especially if you don't mind flashing a bit of bum to the world, no?? Okay, so I have no idea when or why exactly I'll wear this, but I'm just so happy about it. Yes, I've done a mental check over and over again; my neurons and synapses seem to be making the proper connections, so I'm not completely berserk!! Besides, I am writing this piece coherently, aren't I?? When I do adorn this enticing piece of clothing, I'll take a pic, perhaps. H.A.!! Oh the joyous hilarity I will bring to any- and everyone around me, but I guarantee it'll be chic nontheless.

Sugar frosted kisses and truffles.


Footnotes:
1. I can't tell you how much I love this store!! Where else can you find pieces from Preen and J.C. de Castelbajac?!! Seven is possibly the hippest fashion store in NY (which makes that all of America). It's the only place where I can get my very Euro-chic fashion fix, you see; I always come up with pieces that make me feel exceptionally pleased with myself as I tread the very delicate balance between avant-garde art and fashion, trendy chic and style. Ah, the pleasures of the fashionably shallow mind...
2. A pair of leggings should not cost more than twenty bucks!! In 99.99% of the cases in which it is worn (I'll get back to you on the dev points on that), the sordid piece could very well not have been worn. And it is not lingerie, either!! Since I'm such a doll, I'm willing to hear any justifications for this wretched piece of clothing (other than I didn't shave my hairy legs, or le Tour de France has been moved to the middle February!!) And sorry, cashmere leggings with their laughable price tags do not make a difference to me.

chic simplicity life lesson #308: look at me - Oscar de la Renta Tweed Pump

Thursday, three-something a.m...
Brilliant (ahem!)¹ light bulb moment: a "look at me" installment for my fashion memoirs. The seeming brilliance of this idea is as much from the delightful pleasure (in myself) that I'm humming (rightly or wrongly, I can't be sure) this three word phrase — look at me — the hook/chorus from a rap song;² as it is from the sheer gladness of finding a simple way to share some of the most delicious pieces in which I maniacally, but gladly, tumble head over heels in love.

So, here...
When one puts on this pair of decadent pumps,³ one is saying,
*Look at me*:

"I'm a manifestation of posh chic simplicity — like you've never seen — without even trying. I'm not wearing just any old pump, but I'm not wearing the two-notches-away-from-over-the-top LV French Riveria Pump either. And 'tis in the very elegant effortlessness of it all that you get a charmingly subtle hint at the complexity of my being. If they were an inch higher, you'd be aching to f*ck my complex brains out in the ladies room down the hall. And yet, notwithstanding, you are aching to..."

*Blush, bows head* [A lady in the streets but...]⁴








Chic simplicity kisses and butterflies.



Footnotes:
1. At three in the morning, everything seems clearer, more reassuring that all is right in the universe. Little ideas exhibit themselves as grand propositions.
2. And with the clarity that comes only at this time of the morning, I realize that this rap song — albeit elusive because I still do not know the genius behind it — was made especially for me to document a new segment in my memoirs and its author will go on to be held in high esteem amongst the extraordinary league of unconventional poetic orthographers... Like e.e. cummings perhaps.
3. Just in case you didn't know, Oscar de la Renta is my adopted oh-so-beyond-cool Grand-uncle. (Or, I wish he were.) And yes, I'm getting these pumps. They're at Neiman's!!
4. Wait, wha.. wha.. what?? Another rap reference?!! Why yes, I'm so proud of myself :). The powers that be have not given up on the sadness that is my non-existent pop culture life, even if it's vintage rap!!

les parisiennes

An older post from the archives' dungeon: I'm particularly thrilled about it because I discovered a wonderful artist in Kiraz!! :)

Kiraz "Les Parisiennes" (dailymotion.com)

"The Parisennes are the Parisennes, light and timeless, and I wish their future husbands all the best." ~ Carla Bruni.

A true Parisienne knows what to say, when to say it and definitely knows where to go. Her icons range from a young Simone de Beauvoir to Brigette Bardot and today, Charlotte Gainsbourg. She is free, brave and full of life, and she's in the know, under the radar and always on the move. Most of all, the modern Parisenne has achieved the prowess of being everything wrapped up into one: sparkling, bright, ambitious, pretty, dreamy, motherly, sporty ultra-fashionable and confident...

Paris's Musée Carnavalet is holding an ongoing exhibition of illustrator Edmond Kiraz titled Les Parisennes de Kiraz (until Sept 21). I can't even begin to explain the empty shell of a life I must have been leading prior to learning about Mr. Kiraz and his irresistibly chic (cartoon) depictions and cheeky captions of über-leggy, twinkle-eyed and equally chic Parisian mademoiselles. He's watched them come and go, capturing them in a time snap of their everyday lives. Surveying and drawing the fairer sex de l'arrondissement, Kiraz has managed to illustrate the whimsies of French women — from young Brigette Bardot missies to self-assured elegant madames — with a distinct and decadent flair.
Kiraz's illustrations have appeared in international publications and French ads since the fifties; these (sarticial) drawings, as well as his edgier representations published for Playboy since 1970 (and held in a separate room of le Musée) give us lesser mortal women a scintillating glimpse into the indescribable je ne sais quoi of French women. I can't help but fall in love with these women. Of course, my "international woman of mystery" persona is coming along just beautifully; but oh to be regarded as la Parisienne authentique.

In one of his more famous collected illustrations, "Les Parisennes se marient" (courtesy my fave coffee table publishing Assouline, 1994) Carla Bruni, French First Lady, actually writes the preface!! The book is now a collector's item as it's gone out of print. I even checked the French Ebay (and I detest Ebay!!)Captions:
L: It's a feminine voice who's very surprised to hear another feminine voice.
R: It's [a good thing] my husband's birthday falls during the sales.







French kisses.

a casa loro, a casa mia

Speaking of pretty places and spaces, I just spent an inordinate amount of time on Viktor & Rolf's new webbie. You need to go on there so see exactly what I mean, but haven't even hinted at!! I am now convinced that I'm supposed to go practice my Italian especially in their Milan store. It just makes perfect sense!! I've been ogling these pics of the boutique forever (explains why this set of images are larger than those now available on the redesigned site.) Maybe the ornate neoclassic upsidedown-ness of it all will confuse my senses, maybe not; it's all very seamless. Either way, I just really need to be a part della casa Viktor-Rolf, if only for a few hours!!

Chic kisses.

chic habitat

Before I dropped everything on Sunday in favor of a period of revered, albeit pleasurable, homage to Monsieur Laurent's works, my lover/ex-roomie and I had been on about Dubai. Well she was telling, I was listening.

Sitting in a pair of YSL pumps,¹ I silently cursed the Archean rock I'd be living underneath heretofore. But even more gush-worthy — at least in my fashion-obsessive mind — I came across a related article: Dubai to build first Fashion Island (part of The World archipelago). It's called Isla Moda and would combine a fashion resort, themed residential villas, haute couture boutiques and luxury hospitality facilities. I get the pesky feeling that one's supposed to visit and then leave. I mean living on a resort island may get a wee bit old after some time. But you see, in my grand delusions, I'd have a winter home/suite on the island. How completely out of this world would that be?? Or not. Just gorgeous bliss!!









Sun-kissed kisses.



Footnotes:
1. It was only appropriate.

a tribute

Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent: August 1, 1936 – June 1, 2008
'Following Chanel, Balenciaga and Dior, Saint Laurent had emerged as fashion’s "fourth force."' (WWD)
With personal loss, I am — we are — likely drawn into a vortex of a more intimate pain or sadness. Today, it's more a revered awe (selfish) as I think that this last force of (French) fashion has passed in my time, in my burgeoning foray into the fashion industry. My mom even called to mention it (from Nigeria). I'm appreciatively aware (and still learning) of his radical innovations and immense contributions to women's fashion — he was absolutely amazing, what made him tick??!! Proust was reportedly St. Laurent's author. Remarkably, about two weeks ago, I'd put down the first volume (of which there are six!!) of Proust's¹ translated "À la recherche du temps perdu": "In search of Lost Time" to read Micheal Tonello's "Bringing home the Birkin."²

In continuing homage to Mr. Laurent, I figure a pair of Tribute sandals is only appropriate. Really :). I do so love these shoes though I've kept my distance because I'm afraid everyone's buying them; especially the cognac and red ones!! (Need I say I never want what everyone has??!!) Still, at my furtive vantage point, I've been eyeing these two in particular (haute!!)... (I'll go try them on at the end of the week. *cheshire grin*)

Le Smoking (the powersuit):
It debuted on YSL's runway in fall 1966, and has been especially recreated every season since.
Just the way I like it: refined, severe; the silk chiffon underneath — a touch of knowing elegance.

St Laurent thought it fitting — a transfer of power. A balance. The world agreed, and followed. In his own words: "For a woman, le smoking is an indispensable garment with which she finds herself continually in fashion, because it is about style, not fashion. Fashions come and go, but style is forever." Oozing a powerful sex appeal, no?? (Pic: Helmut Newton)







L: YSL closing the door on a historic career (2002). R: Running exposition ad of YSL's life and works that ended in January.









Elegant kisses.



Footnotes:
1. I can't even say why I started reading Proust?!! I need a life!!
2. Review of the latter: eh. Tell you more later. (My Hermès curiosity/obsession continues though.)