For Fashion Month: SKIRTS

                                                                 SKIRTS
                         
 

         
                             FOR SPRING


   Louis the XIV declared that "Fashion is the mirror of history." I think his observation was on the   money, speaking of which, fashion today is really a business. I've become nonchalant to the business of fashion along with the flamboyant evolution of its self promotion. The artistry still remains out of the public eye, but in the imaginations and craftsmanship of the atelier. 
  Skirts are a personal favorite. The earliest skirts observed were specifically to cover and protect the genitals from insects, the swishing motion was a deterrant to keep the harrasment in check. The  haute designs of  skirts today have metamorphosized from long, bouffant, hoops and bustles to hobbled, maxi, midi, mini, a-line, bell, pouf, dirndle, straight, pencil, slit, pleated, circle,  full, tailored and statement. Wow! Quite a selection...
  Here are a few favorite skirts for Spring:

                                      MARNIE (cotton/silk organdy circle skirt) Amazing

               

                                   CLEMENTS RIBERIO (washed silk) I bought this one! 
                                                                           Perfect for summer

                                ALBERTA FERRETTI  (silk and lace) I love the look of lingerie.

          

                                       MARY KATRANTZOU (silk/satin) My favorite, the pencil.
                                                                                 I cannot have enough of the fabulous 
                                                                                  prints this season.

                                     VERSACE                                                                  ETRO



                                                            

                                                 

                                             FAITH CONNECTION (metallic stretch leather)
                                             I wear this with a black cashmere sweater and pumps.      

                    BOY BAND OF OUTSIDERS (leather)                           TIBI (techy mesh)

                                      MARNIE   (cotton blend) This is sooo 80's! I had to show the shirt, MARNIE                                                                                    is iconoclastic and fresh as a daisy.

                                       

                                              MARC JACOBS (striped twill)  Great striped skirt with or without the 
                                                                                                   jacket, my next spring buy, perfect for 
                                                                                                   travel and the city. NYC STYLE!  
                                                                                                   
                                      
                                                                            

                                                                IRRESISTIBLE DOLCE

                      DOLCE AND GABBANA (rose print crepe)     DOLCE AND GABANNA (high-
                                                                                                                            waisted black lace)
                                                                                


                                                       

                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                         Beautiful!

                                                MALENE BIRGER (lace over
                                                                                      twill)
                                                   Gorgeous color!  I might have to
                                                    order this one.

                                                                 

                                    LANVIN (pique' scuba -jersey) Yikes! This skirt is fantastic.                        

 

 Wondering what to wear under these gems?  I would not advise going

commando. Remember what happened to Hathaway?  Check these panties by Stella McCartney:

I used to wear panties like these when I was a kid.

KNICKERS OF THE WEEK

 I ordered them in Black and Pale Pink, love, love, love these!       

All the fashion above is from NET-A-PORTER  SUPER SITE!  My favorite online shop.
The greatest and latest selections from every season. It's like having a personal shopper and stylist, fun and easy!  Looking forward to Spring. Enjoy!

 

DIY Valentine Cards

I had some fun today.  I made some potato cut prints. I cut out a heart shape and printed it onto cards.

Valentines Day is a charming holiday, a day to tell your loved ones you love them. In school when we were children I remember we would have a special day to make Valentine cards for our mothers, the cards would have cut out hearts in paper that would pop out in cards, or stencils in heart shapes... all kinds of ways to make a mark on a card.

Potato cuts is one of the easiest and fun ways to print. I couldn't resist looking at the bag of potatoes I was going to use to make soup.

Like a recipe, these are the items needed:

A potato
knife
plate
red paint
pens, pencils for embellishment
card, any size.

Start with your potato and cut in half, then draw a heart on the cut piece.

You have 2 potato halves, on one I cut around the heart, on the other I cut out the inside of the heart. Oh my god, that sounds heartless, but it is just a potato. When you have cut out the shapes, just blot them on a piece of paper towel.

 Put some paint on your plate. It can be any color, pink, green, blue, any color, white on a black card would look very chic, then draw a red line around it... thousands of ideas.

Then print:

This is so much fun with children, they can bring them to school for their friends, give one to all you love. So much nicer than a bought card or an e-card but just as nice as chocolates and wine.

A Very Early Pinterest

The vintage Christmas card I found last week came out of this old scrapbook. Before I put this on eBay, I had to share with you what marveled me and how we are still doing this with Pinterest.
The collector of these prints from old copies of The Studio Magazine had a passion for striking and attractive images, cut them out and pasted them in this scrapbook. They are not arranged in by any genre, style or theme.

The images are varied, some landscape, some illustrations, some are graphic, some portraits. And it is not a scrapbook of a family or mementos. I don't know who this belonged to or what was their need to collect the visual ideas. It could have been an early editor, or an artist who collected these images of prints, drawings and and sketches for ideas. The Studio first published in 1893 was an illustrated fine arts and decorative magazine. It had an influence on the tastes and culture of the period.

A novel of the 20's So Disdained, captures the nature of the magazine and the influence it had on British people at the time:

"Lord Arner had in his library all the bound volumes of Studio since the beginning. When he was worried or upset over anything he used to go in there and sit down beside the fire, and turn these volumes over slowly. When he came to a picture that he liked he would sit staring at it for a long time without moving. He liked water-colour reproductions best, I think, and especially garden sketches, water colours of herbaceous borders, and paintings with delicate, bright colours. Sometimes he would pass the heavy volume across when he found a drawing that he particularly admired."

Doesn't that sound like us with Pinterest? except it is not heavy volumes, it is sharing across blogs.

A Vintage Christmas Card

This is a Christmas card made in 1944. It is a lino cut, printed with 2 colors, yellow ochre and indigo. It is 2 angels one singing the other playing the harp.

I found this in an old scrap book. A very old scrap book, the kind that is bound paper and has cuttings of images from newspapers, magazines and books. A very early Pinterest.

We recently had a lot of old stuff taken out of storage. A lot has gone on eBay and a lot more will go. But as my husband and I are going through this stuff, I keep finding treasures, like this handmade lino cut. He doesn't like it. I marveled at it. It was most probably done by a student at an old art school when they used to teach these methods of drawing, making and printing and use of color: look how the layering of yellow and blue in the bottom left corner blend to green.

I marveled at the drawing and the vigorous cuts into the lino. There is a dark angel and a light angel singing and playing music. And doesn't it have the style and spirit of that period.

There is a message inside, handwritten: "With all good wishes for Christmas and the New Year" signed by Audrey.