voici mon secret

Jens Laugesen

voici mon secret — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:32:22 +0000

London based designer, Jens Laugesen, really caught my eye last season. Prior to viewing his Spring Summer RTW collection I had never even heard of the self-named label. Admittedly it has only been around since 2003. But it is a name that has been embedded in my memory since, mainly for his amazing androgenous tuxedo looks. Sharp, tailored, sexy. So I was excited to see what Jens Laugesen would bring me this season… and I discovered winter-ized versions of last season’s tuxedo which were brilliant finds among some less impressive long flowy dresses. (not his forte in my opinion). Anyway here are some of my picks from the last two seasons:

Tim Falle

voici mon secret — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:09:48 +0000

I am terribly bad for abandoning this blog of mine after only a few posts! I suppose I was a little bit discouraged, as I’ve had many bursts of inspiration in the meantime! It’s just finding the motivation to convert them into deserving posts! But I’m getting back on the band wagon…and hopefully I last a little bit longer than unrefridgerated milk!

Anyway a while ago I came across Tim Falle‘s photography on Flickr whose eye for detail is really striking! I love the artful clutter of his home decorations. My eyes are particularly drawn to his lovely polar bear figurine…how quirky and impossibly cute!

Ashley Olsen

voici mon secret — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:00:07 +0000

This girl can do no wrong in my opinion. I would definitely count in her in my personal top 5 style icons. Whilst I admire some of Mary-Kate’s curious concoctions, things can get a little too curious. I much prefer Ashley’s understated, sophisticated and glamorous style. Features of Ashley’s style that I love include her monochrome colour scheme, dark sunglasses, leather miniskirts, cropped blazers and that black Birkin carryall…need I go on!

Erin Petson

voici mon secret — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:13:22 +0000

Erin Petson is an artist from the UK who combines pencil, watercolour and a variety of other media textures effortlessly. I love all the beautiful soft colours and her fashion-based images are wonderful, but I do love the Turkish village below. I think it captures the flavour of everyday village life beautifully! Turkey would be a very interesting place to visit.

A Fascinating Individual: La Marchesa Casati

voici mon secret — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:55:24 +0000

I came across Marchesa Casati late last year while ‘googling’ Marchesa, the clothing label. I quickly forgot my original search and became instantly fascinated by this Italian woman. She proclaimed, ‘I want to be a living work of art’ and she certainly lived up to her legend. She was famed for her dramatic appearance, described as ‘macabre beauty’. Her skin was chalky with death-white powder, and her height and thinness lent her an androgynous look as she draped herself in lace Venetian gowns with tightly cinched waists. Another Marchesa signature was an extraordinary necklace of pearls that dropped almost to the floor. But her most striking feature were her startling green eyes, which she diluted with eyedrops and ringed with kohl from eyebrows to cheekbones.

As Gabriele D’Annunzio wrote: “She was akin to the great creatures of Michelangelo…Her gowns lived with her body as ashes live with the embers…She demonstrated how true it is that all enchantment is a madness induced with art”.

But the drama did not end at her appearance, it translated into her conduct and everyday life – which was nothing less than extraordinary. “More than one report details Luisa’s unusual nocturnal promenades: her spectral form, totally nude within the folds of a voluminous fur cloak, leading her pet cheetahs by the jeweled leashes about the Piazza San Marco”. She often used nudity as an attention-grabbing tool, and once showed up to the ballet in a feather gown that malted throughout the night leaving her nearly naked by the end.

La Marchesa squandered unimaginable amounts of currency to achieve her visions and throw some of the most magnificent parties in history with no regard to compromise. You must read ‘Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of Marchesa Casati’ in order to truly understand how extravagant these parties were. It is a truly fascinating insight into her life and extravagant obsessions.

A Beginning.

voici mon secret — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:19:00 +0000

I’ve been motivated by the recent blogging phenomenon to have my own little corner of the web. So this is it! It’s not much now, but it will grow and hopefully I’ll have some readers along for the ride! I want to be an intelligent, interesting fashion-based blog. I find so much inspiration in fashion, art, music and design…culture in general. I feel enriched as I learn from other creative people of the present and past, and I’m totally excited to have a platform to share my findings with you!

So, to a beginning!

Stef.