Simplicité sophistiquée

It appears Italian jewelry heiress & artistic director Gaia Repossi might just have my dream wardrobe. Not only does she have an endless supply of Repossi rings at her disposal (an item I can only stare longingly at in the confines of Colette) but an enviable collection of clothing which includes pieces from Céline, vintage Yves Saint Laurent and Isabel Marant amongst others. However, what most caught my eye when I saw Vogue Paris's feature on her was the fact that her look is so accessible. If you ignore the fact that all her pieces are high end, her look is that laid back, relaxed style that us mere mortals can easily recreate with a savvy mix of Cos and Zara with the odd ebay-ed Isabel Marant piece thrown in for good measure. Her classic, tomboy silhouette is both covetable and wearable. The perfect hybrid of Italian elegance & French effortlessness.

(Photographs from Vogue.fr)

Kunstkammer

On Sunday I visited the Fondation Pierre Bergé to see it's Saint Laurent rive gauche: La révolution de la mode exhibition. What struck me, aside from the vast array of impeccably crafted garments dating from 1966-1978, was the notion of collecting. The exhibition relies heavily on the private collections of Loulou de la Falaise, former Chanel model and Saint Laurent's muse Betty Catroux, and the man who is allegedly responsible for starting the 'vintage' craze, Didier Ludot. The 'collector' is nowadays revered as someone who exhibits qualities of both perseverance and passion. Indeed, the famed Anna Della Russo has an entire flat dedicated to housing her impressive clothing archive. The only thing I intentionally collect is Vogue UK, much to my mother's chagrin, as they are stacked on top of one another resulting in a sort of makeshift bedside table, the rest neatly arranged in date order in bookshelves concealed in my wardrobe. I started collecting in 2002 and have continued with each yearly subscription. I imagine they are worth very little but I prefer to see my collection more as a tangible outlet for my love of fashion; it gives me such pleasure to see an inspiring fashion photograph in the knowledge that I can go and look up the rest of the editorial in my own little archive. However, undoubtedly there is money to be made in collecting, I constantly regret not jumping on the Lula bandwagon earlier, with issues 1 to 4 going for as much as £130 on eBay. My collection starts at #5, and it is my life's aim to acquire the full set! Sadly my bank balance does not allow for this at the present moment! For drastic times such as this, there's always The Fashion Spot which holds a vast archive of every magazine you could possibly dream of. I've recently been reminiscing with editorials from Carine Roitfeld's reign at Paris Vogue here. But for me digital will never be an adequate substitute for print, so if anyone has a copy lying around of the June 2005 issue of UK Vogue, then please let me know, it's the only one missing from my collection!

(photograph: the Selby, title: 'kunstkammer' or 'Cabinets of Curiosities' were popular amongst collectors in 1750-1800)

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

Caroline Issa, market editor of Tank and editor in chief of Because magazine is my new style crush. Edgy without sacrificing elegance and grace, she is a perfect style icon for our time. Her outfits are an endless lesson in paired down chic. Who's style have you been stalking this fashion month?

(Photographs: Caroline Issa fashionspot, quotation: Coco Chanel)

“I prefer to call it ‘pure’ — minimal can be very empty"

These two looks from the Jil Sander RTW Autumn/Winter show were just too good not to be posted. The cocoon silhouettes and ski pants combo remind me of Audrey Hepburn in the opening of Charade. Simple, and elegant. What did you think to the show? And what are your stand out shows of the season so far?

(photographs: style.it, title: quote from Jil Sander)

ps. Jil Sander was interviewed by Suzy Menkes here, well worth a read.

"A mille-feuille of colour"

As I am writing this, my hair is scraped back into a neat ballerina bun, my face bare all but for the swipe of bright pink lipstick which adorns my lips. Very Carrie Bradshaw-esque you might think but in fact I have been revisiting Jil Sander's spring 2011 RTW show... slightly incongruous for a self-proclaimed colour-neophyte. I really can't fault this show - the striking colour palette coupled with Raf Simons' signature tailoring culminates in a collection which readily translates into everyday wear despite the couture-like craftsmanship. I can't wait to see what he produces this Milan Fashion Week.

I am always impressed with a woman who chooses less and is serene. - Raf Simons.

(photographs: jak&jil & vogue.com; title: Raf Simons as quoted in a review by Tim Blanks)

The Céline Effect

I have been known to wax lyrical about Yasmin Sewell's style before but I couldn't help but do another post on her having seen these recent images taken of her on day four of New York Fashion Week. The much coveted Céline clutch is the perfect foil for her crisp white shirt and vintage Chanel coat. And that necklace. Definitely my favourite look of fashion month so far.

(Photographs from streetsfn, all the pretty birds & Tommy Ton for style.com)

Thought for the Day

I rarely wear skirts. My daughter is just the same. I’ll try to convince her to wear a skirt, or a dress, and she’ll look at me say, ‘Why? You don’t.’ - Emmanuelle Alt

Recently, all my outfits have been based around the trousers I'm wearing. Navy chords with ankle zips and leather detailing, snapped up in the Cos sale for a mere €45. It's got me thinking, are you a more of a trousers girl or a skirt kind of girl?