The Last of the Winter Snow?

The Snow is fading away in my part of the world and I have adopted a pose of melancholy in retaliation, partly out of bitterness and partly out of a strong desire to be contrary (I do not like the wet and the cold when there are no breath-taking fields of pure white to make up for it. Vivement le Printemps!) I have taken up, with great affectation, the reading of Thomas Hardy's 'The Return of the Native' and have spent days in my darkened room listening to Brahms rather too much. Do not misunderstand and choose to believe that I do not like Thomas Hardy and Brahms anyway, but consider it a sort of cumulation of mildly depressing yet intellectually stimulating diversions and maybe a form of cerebral snobbery, since I was not going to spend a couple of weeks listening to angsty teenage 'emo' music... Brahms and Thomas Hardy fool people into thinking I am cultured.

This post is another rather lazy one - simply a few pictures from an old editorial I decided to share. These were taken by Ellen von Unwerth for Vogue Italia in October 2002. The model is Natalia Vodianova and she looks wonderfully Russian is this series of photos. Fur and Ice abounding as she plays the part of a Fairytale Princess trapped in a beautiful, frozen ice (not to mention some beautiful outfits you would be mad not to wish to be trapped into)

These photos are very atmospheric and reflect my mood. Ten years after they were taken, it is the perfect time to share them, n'est ce pas?

It is worth noting that those books are in remarkably good shape for having been left on a shelf covered with snow. I once accidentally dropped a book of the poems of Robert Frost from my bag into the snow when I was getting out of the car. Having not noticed, I left it there. When I found it the next day, it was more than a little waterlogged. Physics. Snow is water. Books do not like water (at least mine do not, but then again, I am not a magical Russian Princess)



Natalia Vodianova gazes wistfully out of the window. Either that or she is silently fuming at someone or other.
 

I cannot say I am not worried about some water damage if that fires stays lit for much longer. It cannot be good for the walls and floors of this beautiful room for all the snow to melt away too quickly after having been there for so long. On the other hand, I must say, an admirable job was done in preventing the painting from getting frozen over. It is the only item in the room which is not!

 

 

 

PS: This is a (Relatively, though not really) new song by Kimbra, who I think, in terms of pop singers of this generation, is rather underrated. Not only do I rather like the song, which is mildly secondary to me when it comes to anything but classical and jazz, I love the dress she wears coupled with her cute hairstyle and make-up.

 

Latest Song Crush: Come into my Head / Kimbra

 

 

 

 

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An Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2013 Rainbow

Salutations to all! Today is Thursday 24th of January, I do not have a hat for the costume party I am going to tomorrow and I am finally making the slow, staggering crawl out of mental and physical hibernation. This post hails the beginning of an oncoming storm of interesting posts, plus some narcissistic ones because, for some unexplainable reason, I get more followers posting photos of myself than trying to make an analysis of catwalks or introduce you all to something new, or maybe that impression is a false one... I don't really know! Anywho (Oh, how I have missed this wonderful made-up word which is a slight staple of my blog, if you look for it) I am sure I could not have been the only one who was literally in raptures of excitement mingled with a light cynicism at the prospect of seeing all of the Spring/Summer 2013 Haute Couture Collection. It is always an event for me because there is nothing in the world quite like it. Every item is the height of luxury, every collection, discounting Versace, a pillar of elegance and even fantasy. Of course, pret-a-porter is always important in that what we see coming down the runway there will influence high street trends and fashions, but Haute Couture is nothing short of Art. A sometimes elusive, grandiose and nonsensical art which people often misunderstand as simply clothes for rich fashion victims. Oh-so-not the case. For those of us who do not have the money, what is the difference between a £2000 dress and a £20,000 gown? We cannot afford them either way, but their is more entertainment value in Haute Couture, for Aficionados and Cynics alike. The Aficionado can rave about the artistry, the Cynic about the extortionate price and capitalist, commercialist corruption, or something of the genre. Somehow, though it is always a pleasure, Pret-a-Porter is merely a toned down version of the big event. 

IN RED: Armani and Valentino.







IN ORANGE: Dior and Armani

IN YELLOW: Alexis Mabille and Dior




 IN GREEN: Ulyana Sergeenko (This Green Dress is so lovely. Sergeenko's theatricality might not be to everybody's taste but it certainly is to mine) and Jean Paul Gaultier

IN BLUE: Chanel and Elie Saab











IN PURPLE: Jean Paul Gaultier and Bouchra Jarrar

IN PINK: Giambattista Valli and Alexis Mabille


Thank you for reading and I hope you loved these beautiful photos. This was a post based on colour but in a couple of days, I intend to do another one in the genre based on sheer I-would-kill-for-this factor.

Do comment and please follow!

Happy New Year!

Well, hello there. I am back (and posting this six days later than I intended - do forgive me) only to state that I will start intense blogging again this month and hopefully you can understand the reasons for my absence.

So, after all this time, this is not really a post. More a look-what-I-have-found which I am going to share, with proper posting beginning in a couple of days. Possibly this will also prove a lighter piece between two posts that turn out to highlight the fickle nature of human existence.

I have noted recently that people send less and less Christmas cards, either in favour of not politely asking how everyone in a family you haven't seen in a decade is, or in favour of simply wishing them merry Christmas and a happy new year on their facebook wall or, lastly, in favour of sending e-cards instead. Now... e-cards are something I do not truly mind if added at the end of an email as long as it is not an attachment which takes ages to load and just ends with sparkles everywhere. Those are a no-no and most irritating. Do not send them.
Designers, on the other hand, have a different way of dispelling greetings. The video! Here are a few I have chosen to share with you, all with different approaches.

 

Quintessential

Jean Paul Gaultier

 

Paper cut

 

 

Keeping it Simple

 

 

 

Colourful Bonanza

 

 

Hermes

 

 

 

The Gamble

 

 

Past New Year's videos by Margiela

 

 

 

 

Remembering that they have a Product to Sell 

 

 

Countdown - Highlights of the Year

 

Party! (The Crazy, Perfect-looking Family) - Recycled

 

 

Anyway, straight from the offset, I did not promise you a proper post - I hope you enjoyed in anyway. Thank you for reading, do comment and please follow.

 

Oh, and a belated HAPPY NEW YEAR!