tommy terrific: paris fashion week

 

i'm feeling incredibly inspired by these images of AW11 paris fashion week street style, captured by tommy ton. this first image reminds me of some wonderful vogue knitting patterns from the 80s.

 

this ode to schiaparelli's brilliant glove hat could be DIYed with leopard intarsia and some soft, fine-gauge mohair silk. cocktail ring optional.

 

and speaking of mohair silk, how about a form-fitting pullover knit up in kidsilk haze? covers two trends in one--the midriff and the sheer--and little else!

 

of course, knitters have been onto the kitty ears trend since blue sky was an alpaca. still, this is a super cute version of the trend and would be a piece of catnip pie to whip up a couple of pom-pom ears and duplicate stitch a simple black cap.

 

for once, i'm not looking at anna della russo. instead, check out the dude. he abides in a lebowski-worthy pullover that even anna's pink boa can't shock.

 

i am in love with this particular shade of green at the moment. a violet blouse and leopard spots, takes this simple knit pullover to a whole 'nother level. cascade's ultra pima in "spearmint" would be a minty fresh choice.

 

i love everything about the styling here. the bright pink cap, red lips, and lady di bobble knit pullover paired with denim workshirt. the uber-straight blonde locks are the perfect finishing touch.

 

go boho glam with a vintage fur, suede fringe bag, wide belt and slouchy knit cap.

i've never been a fan of sock knitting, but i'd take up the dpns again to create this homage to the dorothy's ruby-slippers-with-blue-anklets look. 

all images by tommy ton for style.com

sue me, but i've long been an advocate of the return of eyelash. and now, i find myself advocating for the equally abhorrent "fur." but seriously, it would be perfect for this. knit up in a tawny orange and punctuated with a neutral belt, it looks fresh and modern. lang angel comes in great colors and would be a great choice.

mad about brad

via

more spring green (and pink and coral) is on the scene chez brad, the new blog of rachel zoe's former boy toy brad goreski. the rad brad styled this shoot with liya kebede featuring the amazing technicolor SS11 jil sanders collection. simple, elegant and a big ol' slice of fresh. so much about this InStyle spread makes me happy: color plus volume plus a white tee. and brad's new blog is sure to make us all smile.

sonia rykiel: la jeune fille en vert

the rush of green and the pop of a voluptuous red lip. this look from saturday's sonia rykiel AW11 collection put me immediately in mind of my favorite tamara de lempicka painting. how about you?

parisian epiphany du jour: i now know how to say "i was robbed" in french. i also know how to say "my dog was up all night vomiting" and "do you have one of those syringe thingies that gets the wax out of your ears." i have decided that adding the words "in paris" to the end of any of these activities makes them instantly chic and glamorous.

dear french pickpocket:

 

i can handle the fact that you snatched my louis vuitton clutch. i will accept that my credit cards and mobile phone are now gonzo. but one thing i absolutely cannot abide is the fact that you took my iPhone...along with the snaps i shot while stalking the scene outside the ann demeulemeester show the other day. i had some amazing pix of this model and her friend smoking outside, their hair clipped up like the plumage on some exotic goth bird. for now, no time for cameras. i'll use my eyes instead. bon journee. and don't even think about trying that move again. i may be american, but i'm not stupid.

bisous,

kate

p.s. speaking of hair, this just reminded me  that i also wanted to post about some hair i saw while i was lurking outside the demeulemeester show. a woman had long black locks, dip-dyed to look like a rainbow cascading across her shoulders. who needs a knit cape when you have hair like that?

where's your moses now?

via

red gown. red lips. red carpet. forget the red sea. who else but miss hathaway could cut a swath through THIS MUCH RED without completely drowning? the epitome of elegance and effervescence! do you agree? (it's okay if you don't. i'll still love you.)

en vogue: faves from the SS11 issue

VK SS11

dolce & gabbana SS11

just checked out the vogue knitting SS11 preview. a nice showing of several key trends for the coming season: lace, sheer and stripes. let's start with the lace. the poncho-ish top above reminds me of this dolce & gabbana mini caftan. and the styling with the ethnic beads is spot-on. the heft and punch of color keeps the lace from going too girly.

VK SS11

celine SS11

the top above is a cute take on the sheer trend. it would have been cool to see a sheer skirt among the VK designs, a la the amazing nude celine skirt above. new york times' fashion gadabout bill cunningham had a brilliant take on sheer recently, through the lens of the maxi skirt. pairing sheer with an unexpected undergarment takes it to a whole 'nother level, as la zoe would say. for example, in cunningham's "on the street," one woman wore her sheer maxi over skinny jeans. for your own take on the trend, why not knit the VK top above in a soft, nude yarn and then sport it over a gorgeous strapless bra in a neon-bright color.

VK SS11

prada SS11

VK's striped tee above is a safe bet for prada's bold, graphic approach. for added sartorial flair, try the random stripe generator in your own mix of prada's palette of orange, black, electric blue, bright pink, green and white. then, take a cue from miu-miu and pair the striped tee with a slim black skirt with a ruffled hem and strappy sandals.

and you? what are your faves? and even more important, how will you wear them? do tell.

from the archives: amazing lace

what: twinkle sweater

when: april 2008

why i still heart it: i've spotted this sort of loose T all over paris. and it's right in line with S/S11's lacy looks.

how i'd wear it now: with a pair of slouchy cuffed wool shorts, tucked just in the front so the rest is kind of loose and swingy in the back. add grey sheer or opaque tights, some red ballet flats and a black leather biker jacket. accessorize with a long necklace that hits just at the top of the ribcage or a scarf looped around your neck and you're ready to rock the boulevard st. germain in style!

p.s. as my friend siga, of the lovely juicy knits, points out, if you knit the twinkle lacy T, be sure to lengthen it by an inch or so, to make it long enough to tuck in. siga adds that this T is her all-time fave and most wearable knit! seems like it would be cozy, light, drapey, and spring-like knit in a soft alpaca silk...i wish i had my blue sky alpaca stash over here in france!

andree putman: the coco chanel of interior design

back in the early 90s, an ad agency i worked for did a campaign featuring prominent architects and interior designers. one of them was the inimitable designer and stylist andree putman. in my mind's eye, i can still see the portrait that was used in the ad. it showed putman from behind, wearing a sharp-shouldered gold suit and smoking a cigarette. i remember the art director on the shoot saying that andree was a formidable subject. In the end, she had loved the image.

and why wouldn't she? the camera loves her. in addition to being french interior design's ambassadrice, she is also frequently referred to as its coco chanel. even in her 80s, she remains the epitome of french chic, with her signature asymmetrical bob, impeccably tailored suits and bright red lips, always the bright red lips.

putman's ball foot tub design

today, i rented a velib bike for the first time and took a ride over to the l'hotel de ville to check out the free exhibition of her life's work.

as the song goes, there was no time for cameras; i used my eyes instead. the exhibit was in french, so i found myself mostly staring at the images. it was easier than trying to puzzle through the idioms and conjugations with my limited language skills.

there was a photograph of putman as a young girl sitting on some stone steps. another image showed her as a young woman, lounging on a beach towel. she grew up in the same neighborhood we're living in now: st. germain. there was a wonderful abstract portrait of her painted by one of her many artist friends. one of my favorite things was a pop-art collage the artist jean tinguely sent in a letter to her in the 70s. there was also a beautifully crafted model of a private residence in tangiers, which was made mostly from a corrugated cardboard box. and i wish i could find a picture to show you of the steamer bag she designed for louis vuitton. it featured her trademark black-and-white checkerboard fading into the bag's signature LV's and fleur-de-lis.

putman was friends with artists jean tinguely and niki de saint phalle

among a display case of textiles, carpet swatches, and other detritus from putman's studio, there was an unassuming spiral bound notebook. it was open to reveal some of putman's musings on a hotel project she had undertaken (morgan's, perhaps?).  i was delighted to see that it was written in english:

it is startling (? this word was a little illegible) to start a work with a list of things i dislike most in different hotels i have lived in. it probably means that i invest too much passion in the way i look at things and fury when the thoughts behind the look are appalling...

and she goes on to illuminate the things she "dislikes the most"

huge lobbies
oversized flower arrangements
pompous staff
fake louis IV
fake dignity
questions about your departure before going to your room
patterns on the walls
flowers on fabric
sad plants
hidden tv in a pretentious field of furniture
horrendous lamps
chipped sink
hair in the tub (i nearly left when i found it)
printed signs on desk about hairdressers, etc.
small closet
too few hangers...i hate when they are tied to the rack
a hotel fragilises you...never enough care or fun to feel good. the amount of enjoyable things to steal.

it's a simple list, but one that would enlighten even the brightest of 5-star hoteliers. and  another example of how putman manages to shed light into even bright corners just as she makes sure they are never dull. it is why her most successful projects become "the perfect balance between discipline and revolt." much like the lady herself.

simple pleasures

 i've been working on purlbee's simple pleasures hat for a couple of months. yes, months. i knit a round and put it down for a week or so. knit a round and put it down. and so it goes. finding time to work on this has been no simple feat.

but it does seem perfectly apropos that i'd find time to work on it again while enjoying one of the innumerable simple pleasures at my disposal here in paris: knitting on the train.

another simple pleasure is the fact that our flat is across the street from a cinema that screens classic hollywood films. on deck for this week are two of my favorites: dial M for murder and now, voyager. i love this still from the latter featuring the divine miss D engaging in her own simple pleasure: knitting on a cruise.

there's no crying in paris

apparently picasso was unaware of the no-cry rule: la femme qui pleure, was painted during the master's stint in the city of light.

tom hanks said, "there's no crying in baseball." but he didn't say anything about an outdoor flower market, which is where i was just reduced to tears in front of bunches of roses, tulips, and snickering parisian shop girls.

of course, they had no idea my emotions had little to do with being scolded in french for "allowing" my dog to pee on a bucket of tulips. it was simply the breaking point of many seemingly insignificant  setbacks, the most recent of which was fretting over my husband's leaving at 4 am today to fly to barcelona by way of amsterdam, subsequently getting lost while driving to his hotel, then calling me from god knows where to act as his GPS, and in one final insult, the poor guy having his rental car transmission go kaput in the middle of nowhere. this, on the heels of being scolded by and harrumphed at by a nasty french taxi driver for committing the crime of reaching into my suitcase in the way back of his vehicle. this on the heels of being chided by a cashier for not knowing the precise way to queue up for a magazine purchase. and i've already told you about my attack on the serge lutens counter at le bon marche. and so it goes.

please understand. i intend no gay-paree bashing. au contraire. i make every attempt to ply my high-school french; to be polite and unobtrusive; to fit in as best i can. and aside from these minor annoyances, we've been treated with respect and charm, especially by our one and only French (and European, for that matter) friend, Jean-Louis, who has been an absolute delight. it is my fervent desire to meet many more like him.

i'm chalking this up to gaining experience, empathy, and perspective in a way i never could at home. it's not easy being green. it's even harder being verte. but i'll keep trying. and i'm sure i'll keep learning.

in the meantime, i'll stop and smell the roses, not pee on them. and while i'm at it, i'll follow a fellow expat's 3 P's of getting by in a foreign country: patience, perserverance, personality. and to those, i will add one more: pinot grigio!

à votre santé!

guess who wore this: "manic panic wig, alexander mcqueen top from browns, thrifted long sleeve, structured target skirt, we love colors tights, pierre hardy x gap platforms."

animal magnetism

i love this vintage knit pullover on ashley olsen via whowhatwear. the combo of the relaxed pullover and slouchy, rolled-up army pants is super casual but not cutesy, thanks to the fierce balenciaga mary janes. the turquoise pumps are the perfect foil to the terracotta-ish fox (or is it a bear?).

i hype stripe

summer may be a long way off. but it's never too early to start dreaming in color. bold, graphic, stripey color. prada's S/S11 stripes reminded me of my gum-smacking youth.

it's easy to get horizontal with biscuit & jam's genius random stripe generator.  i borrowed some color inspiration from the look above and generated this dr.-seuss-on-steroids pattern.

i'm also cuckoo for coco stripes, despite their ubiquitous presence over the past few seasons.

look at tuscon-by-way-of-paris artist valerie galloway's charming french stripe ladies.

i shot this picture because of the amazing graffiti on the storefront. but now that i look at it again, i'm also struck by the stripes on the street...and in the shutters...and even on the sign.

and i love the green & white awning stripe against the bright pop of color in the produce. (that's my husband jim trying out his best "je ne sais quoi" in front of our paris "wegmans.")

those parisians and their stripes!

celine S/S11
via

and, of course, no collection would be jammin' without this stripe, mon.

bonjour paris!

we arrived in paris on tuesday morning.

we've been busy acclimating: checking out our new apartment, finding shops and services in our new neighborhood in st. germain, and meeting jim's european colleagues. yesterday, i took time out to wander into paris shopping mecca, le bon marche. the spectacular escalators were designed by the legendary andree putman. i hit up the serge lutens counter to try on some fragrance and managed to knock over an entire table of eau de parfum. (desolee 'bout that.)

walking back along rue du bac, i noticed some fine specimens of knitwear. not a great photo, but this is a sweater salvadore dali could appreciate, with its multiple neck openings as if so many sweaters were knitted into one. (p.s. my friend olga tells me it is japanese for sure. hmmm, yohji or isse is that you?)

doesn't this heap of cashmere look good enough to eat? and, come to think of it, that stitch is reminiscent of andree's criss-cross escalator design, n'est-ce pas? in paris, savoir flair eez everywhere!

i'm not sure if this was actually a scarf or a window treatment...either way, i love the way it drapes.

today, i'm making my maiden solo voyage on the metro. my plan is to visit the lovely aimee of l'oisivethe in the 13th arrondissement.

oh mon dieu

fab supermodel of the 50s dovima and BFF at cafe deux magots

we are moving to paris! it's a temporary relocation for my husband's job. we just got confirmation last week and it looks like we'll be headed over around february 1-ish. more details to come! in the meantime, if anyone has any good paris stories or tips, i'd love to hear them!

holly go glovely: it's all in the wrist

with winter's holiday parties in full swing, i think it's time to talk to the hand. the opera-gloved hand, that is.

check out these fine knit specimens from anthro, which always has the most lovely knit items when the weather turns colder. these would be pretty paired with a vintage sheared beaver or camel coat. i'd even consider wearing them with a strapless shimmery cream dress. the play of a soft, cozy knit against party sparkles would be an eyecatching and unexpected combo.




































inspired by a killer pair of opera-length missoni gloves i spied in a boutique in saratoga springs, i created my own version, the ms. oni opera glove (pattern available upon request).

long knit gloves like this look amazing worn with a coat with three-quarter length sleeves. i have a short black cape that i like to rock these with.

but there is even more to a pair of opera gloves than meets the eye. pull on a pair and make a statement without saying a word. according to victorian glove etiquette, the opera glove puts an entire repertoire of coquettery at your fingertips. next time you're out with your friends sipping a champagne cocktail, try one of these victorian flirtation signals. you never know where it might lead.

twirl your gloves around your fingers = we are being watched.

hold the tips of the gloves downward = i would like to meet you.

gently smooth the gloves = i wish i were with you.

hold gloves loosely in your left hand = i am happy

strike your gloves over your hand = i am not happy

drop one of your gloves = yes

drop both of them = i love you

turning the wrong side of your glove outward = i hate you