vroom vroom

No- cars don't do it for me either. I try to maintain at least a faint interest in them (particularly cream Minis and red Saabs), as my younger brother holds vehicles in much the same regard as I hold Coco Chanel (with extreme reverance), and we must have something to talk about besides the Australian weather. But, this is the first time in recent memory that our separate worlds of fashion and motors have collided... the House of Versace & Automobili Lamborghini together designed a Donatella-mobile couture car which they just unveiled in Milan for Fashion Week. It comes complete with luggage, driving gloves(!), and shoes(!!). Of more interest to me are the names of these fancy cars: the white model is called 'Isis', and the black is 'Aldebaran'. I wish there was a red one called Lucifer.

gnash of tooth, pink of foot

Walking through a park today after work, [on my way to see the glorious Nigella Lawson, who I will blog about later...] there was a guy in front of me wearing a black tuxedo jacket that had a white stencil print of a chandelier on the back. The pearl chain from which this printed chandelier 'hung' started at the nape of his neck, stretched across his shoulderblades in swirly, candle adorned bobeches and ended around the middle of his back with an elaborate centerpiece. Very cool. I was kicking myself that I still don't have a digital camera... Anyway, what should I happen to come across during my night-time ritual of obsessively clicking through the sidebar? Well, the facehunter found a femme in Paris today who, like my chandelier guy, chose to use her back as a canvas for unique art. Luckily, fh had a camera on him and captured this wonderful abstract creature with gnashing teeth and batman ears for us to see too. Of course, the pink shoes are a vital component of her look, though I would love to see this coat worn with high heels. A couple inches- chunky or spikey- would make her appear less cute and more fierce. Oooo. Rockus extremus.

pondering prada

I'm in a quandry over Miuccia Prada's latest collection. On one hand, MP is considered by many to be the "master", "grandmistress", "visionary"- take your pick. Her designs are hugely influential and it is often safe to hypothesize that whatever she created last season will be echoed in the work of designers next year. So, I took a day to ponder this latest collection, because my immediate reaction was similar to Piv's (Sasha Pivovarova):

"Omg, I'm wearing a Pocahontas dress and a turban. I know it is supposed to be 'fashion forward', but maybe Miuccia won't notice if I change really quickly..."


But perhaps that is rash? I appreciate that Miuccia's designs are sometimes more artistic than salable... certainly, I hope that shiny turbans, nylon backpacks, bare bums and fringed sandals don't make it into the haute mainstream. The jewel toned satin was beautiful, and [if worn with pants] I can imagine the duchesse tunics will be popular next spring...

But despite the 'Rosie the Riveter' magnet on my fridge, those turbans are not doing it for me- what do you think of them?

je veux

Chocolate bars by Sonia Rykiel, queen of Parisian knitwear.

source: l'embrouillamini

mise en scène

I was very, very happy last Sunday night when, upon picking up the enormously thick NY Times newspaper bought earlier in the day, out slid the T travel magazine with Sofia Coppola's face on the cover, pink plastic eiffel towers dangling from her ears, and the word 'Paris' in Gothic script below. The article inside (Sofia Coppola's Paris) was predictably dreamy and transportive, particularly if you enjoy Ladurée pastries, strolls along the Seine, market shopping, and personal fittings for apparel by Alaïa and YSL... But besides all that, something jumped out at me that I didn't known before- SC interned at Chanel as a teenager. Mon dieu- is it possible for me to be more jealous? No, I think not.

don't be dead!

The instructional notice that greeted models as they prepared to step onto the runway for Erin Fetherston at NY Fashion Week:

This is going to be my mantra tomorrow.

*fashionologie posted another EF runway sign.

rarefied readers...

Please forgive my absence over the past week. I am in Toronto, global meandering temporarily at a pause as I replenish my "Airfare and Boots" fund (i.e. life savings) through daytime work, and hold on to my uni scholarship by attending classes at night. It is always torturous when my travel and blogging time is restricted- more torturous even than the pointy toed T-straps that I bought in Paris a few years ago and attempted to wear to my mother's birthday party on Saturday night (needless to say, I opted for knee high boots instead)- but I will be back in full force on Wednesday.
Merci de votre patience.

Bisous, A

where are the legwarmers?

It is not often that a pink jumper paired with pink plastic earrings could come off as anthing but tacky to me. Less often still when said ensemble is accompanied by a zebra print tote. So why am I in love with this femme's 80s style? Is it her gorgeous smile?, the Sarto's photographic expertise? Whatever the reason, she looks fabulous.

*I'm kidding about the legwarmers. Obviously.

blotted down under

La Femme (aka 'Ms. Tyson') is quoted in an article entitled "Cool hunting on the web" that was published in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age (pg. 3). The eurobrat was also featured in Canada's National Post earlier in September.

In case you are in Australia, and bought one, or both of these papers last Thursday, could you possibly send me a scan? Thanks!

nb. The articles say I am Paris based, which is [woefully] not the case.

start lining up...

The collection is confirmed.

sheisser!

Das ist hot! I saw crimson tights all over London and NY, but I think Nadja Auermann -in fall Gucci at the Berlin premiere of Das Parfum- takes the cake.

bloom, baby, bloom

Marchesa (designed by Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig) pulled a Thumbelina too, but this time it worked. Their flower femmes were like the sexy older sisters of Erin Fetherston's frou-frou fairies. Maybe it is just the red soled Louboutin pumps and wild mirrored runway, but ay carumba, I had not previously imagined that frothy dresses spilling over with silk roses could look so fierce.

I foresee much Marchesa on the red carpets next year.

graffiti girl

Another scribble dress sighting!


This time in Singapore. East Asian femmes are taking the look by storm.

flower children

Erin Fetherston's clothing should only be attempted if your name is Thumbelina and you live in a walnut shell. 'Twinkle, twinkle little star' even played in the background for a collection that was inspired by the idea that Fetherstonites are like flowers "sprouting from a sidewalk in an urban environment".


Sweet idea, but her designs had too many petals, puffs and general frou-frou for my taste.

What I did like:

Those heart necklaces- their size and glossy smoothness remind me of worrystones.

The laser cut flowers- though they would perhaps look better on a cherry blossom mobile hanging above someone's bed than on the bottom of a dress.

And... the general eschewance of self tanner. What can I say, Dita von Teese is my style icon of the week!


photo source.

blotted!

The National Post included La Femme in an article about the world of fashion blogging! Many thanks to Danielle of final fashion (highlighted in yellow) for the scan. The "La Femme" content is marked out in pink.

sari gueron

I read an article before Sari Gueron's show that mentioned her passion for surfing, and how that, and wearing clothes in a "chill" way would be the theme of her collection. For me, this mood came through in the best possible sense. From the first look, the models seemed like they belonged on a sandy beach, waves washing over their tanned ankles. The show opened with Lisa Cant in a simple white shift dress that featured a corsage detail at the neck... this was followed by breezy dresses that fell either above the knee or to the floor, and a few short-and-shirt ensembles. If I had to pick one to take on a beach getaway, it would be the [lined] version of this:


I love how simple and fluid this piece is- it reminds me of the muslin corset covers worn in the Victorian era. The birkenstocks have got to go, though. I understand that they contribute to the laid back atmosphere, but they completely spoil my beach fantasy.

sass and bide pt.1

The black, white and grey collection felt equal parts futuristic and Grecian, with a lot of nautical and graphic details thrown in. If this collection takes off, then it appears that 'boulette' skirts could be the new Sienna skinny jean. Haven't made up my mind as to whether this is a good or bad thing.

Suspenders:


A little Barbarella:

**check out the backs of the dresses- the back detail is usually my favourite part of Sass and Bide clothing.

Roped Waists:

sass and bide pt.2

The dress on the left, and one other skirt from the Sass and Bide collection reminded me of this bustle gown worn by Christina Ricci in Sleepy Hollow.

I love how the skirts on both have been cut and sewn to voluminous effect, but the stripes on each panel of fabric are carefully connected to produce graphic angles. Sharpness counteracting volume. Stunning. When Sleepy Hollow came out in '99, I dreamt about CR's wardrobe for ages- tonight I predict I'm going to be dreaming about this S&B dress.

photos- chrstina ricci: depp impact, the rest: ny mag and coutorture

impressions at bcbg

Ack, that is a whole lot of tablecloths...

being...

used...

as...

dresses.

and unfortunately, not a whole lot else. The pilgrim flats weren't working for me either. But if you're into the crocheted kaftan look, this is a great opportunity for DIY.

au secours!

Do any of you style addicts know who created these noir wedges?
I love them. I love them so much that I very nearly went up and asked this femme about their origins, but that would have been rather gauche, so I refrained and have been racking my fashion memory ever since. But to no avail! They are suede and have a gold chain detail at the toe. Please share your wedge knowledge!

la di da

My NY Fashion Week is made. I sat five feet away from Pat Field at the tents today. For this femme, the only thing that can top that is high tea with La Reine Carine. I have a discreetly taken cell phone pic which this computer has helpfully decided not to upload. No matter- I will persevere, giddy with the excitement that can only come with being in the presence of fashion greatness.
*ah, super grainy pic has uploaded at last- As you can see, PF was very magenta (including the reading glasses perched on her head) while her assitant/colleague/friend was completely monochrome. Fantabulous boots.

truth and lies

A survey of 100 models working NYFW...

I love surveys like this, but please, none of these 14 year old stick insects are having "coffee and doughnuts", "strudel", or "oreo cereal" for breakfast. "Paracetamol tablets", however, I do believe.

Favourite books: “anything by Dostoevsky”... Russians anyone?

found a moment, and an internet connection...

Sunday night- I'm lying in my tiny artsy hotel room, surrounded by a mass of books, shopping bags from 4 countries, clothing, and fashion week freebies (how I love The Daily and WWD!). Genuinely cringeworthy karaoke "music" is filtering in through the open window from the bar across the street. It reminds me of that scene in Bridget Jones Diary where she is sloshed at an office Xmas party and gets carried away with the karaoke machine.

So... I will take this moment to reflect on my first two days of New York Fashion Week.

Friday was a wild buzz. Press registration, followed by hours scoping out the tents, media room, shows, and masses of well dressed people. Bryant Park is beautiful... an elevated space elegantly landscaped with terrace stones, trees, chairs for peoplewatching or reading in, and an outdoor cafe reminiscent of Paris. There are a few celebrities at the main entrance (where a crowd of people is always waiting to see who steps out of the black limos) and then later in the tents. They stand out only because tens of sweating camera men and fashion reporters surround them, taking photos and asking redundant questions. Much more interesting are the models, and lucky for me they are everywhere. Obviously straight off the plane from another part of the world, they zip around with a black portfolio under one arm, and oversized tote on the other.

Most of the attendees seem to be socialites and magazine staff. There is the odd "ingenue", some of whom I am sure will be gracing the pages of upcoming fashion magazines as 'trendsetter for fall'. They wear imminently covetable ensembles that seem to fall into two categories... Sweet: slip dress, small Chanel or Marni shoulder bag, Chloe footwear, and long hair that is either tucked back with one bobby pin or flies around (a la Carine) in their face. The alternative is a little edgier: black tunic type top, stirrup stockings or tights, and black pumps or wedges by YSL/Balenciaga/Lanvin. There was one Valentine Fillol-Cordier look alike who wore wide leg, high waisted overalls over a tight stripey T. She also had the requisite quilted clutch.

The MJ "bodybag" tote is a big hit here too. The women who carry it look like they could crawl comfortably inside of it for a kip between shows. Fan of oversized totes though I am, these remind me too much of the real body bags I saw while observing at the Toronto morgue. Can't quite envision carrying my dailies around in them...

In the late afternoon, I took off to see the Garment District (walking behind Caroline Trentini part of the way) and lower Fifth Avenue, and then collapsed into my little room, falling asleep to the honking of car horns and squabbling Spanish couple next door.

Saturday- I took the day off from the tents and met up with a friend, T, to explore the galleries of wearable art on Fifth Avenue (Saks, Bergdorf Goodman et al). We circled the floors, quietly oohing and aahing over each exquisite piece we came across. I won't even discuss the shoe floor... the fall boots are in, and needless to say, it was torturous to leave without a pair of black Pradas, or purple Pedro Garcia booties. One day!

I did manage to find a silk dress on sale from favourite contemporary label theory, and T considered a long cashmere sweater by Karoo that she has long been lusting after.

Shopping (or worshipping really!) was followed by sushi, and then we trekked down to Central Station for T to catch her train... all in all, a day fashionably spent!

shallow side note

Um... male models. It is difficult to be even vaguely articulate about this topic- I will just say that it is a sin for guys this gorgeous to exist, let alone be wandering around distracting all the fashionettes who are hard at work. [Obviously] I'm not referring to Hedi Slimane's brigade of prepubescent anorexics. I'm talking about the impossibly tall, tanned and toned Slavic creatures that are walking around Bryant Park right now. If you speak Russian, then you are in luck, because they certainly don't speak English. But speech is overrated anyway- particularly if you are hanging with "Sven" :)

tech note

Bizarrely, it is very difficult to get internet access in or around Bryant Park, and nearly impossible to upload photos. I don't know why this is- my bets are either that style.com has purposely jammed the wifi channels, or there is simply too much electronic equipment in use for everything to work. Either way, there are dozens of us sitting cross legged on the floor of the little media room, screaming in frustration at our computers in about as many languages. The trio perched on stools to my left sound like a Spanish soap opera, a video blogger from Milan is gesticulating wildly to my right, and an American girl across from me is threatening suicide if she can't connect to the internet soon. Just to keep things lively, I'm using the only Finnish swear word I know (c/o my grandmother). Hopefully no one from the Hel Looks team is around, because I'm not actually sure what my delightful sounding invective really means...

In summary, sorry I'm not able to update quite as often as I would like. Just know that me and my miu mius are here in the midst of many Manolos, thinking of you and collecting thoughts and scraps in a notebook to be put on La Femme as soon as possible.

xx

tent terminology

chicqual = equal
(self explanatory)

miucciamal = minimal
(for Miuccia Prada, bien sûr)

boulette = bubble skirt
(sounds adorable in english, but this literally translates to 'meatball', so perhaps the term won't take off during Paris Fashion Week...)

**************************************************

My favourite quote of NYFW thus far came from Simon Doonan, window dresser extraordinaire for Barneys NY:

"I'm obsessed with mannequins. I frequently dream about them. I'm usually carrying them down Fifth Avenue and whimpering."

Gotta love a man devoted to his work.

marc bouwer

Julie from Coutorture lent me her digicam to get a few shots at Marc Bouwer yesterday... gaining entrance to the show was quite funny- the ticket I had was only supposed to get me into the queue of students etc destined to stand in the backrow, however, Patrick MacDonald happened to be right next to me as I headed for said "lowly lineup", and in a squealing effort to get first dibs on Mr. MacDonald ('PATRICK, how ARE you?!'), one of the meet and greeters knocked me sideways into the VIP line she had been guarding.... and right next to Ivana Trump!

So, the show.... many swimsuits with attached capes, tails etc. Looks quite "Empress of the Beach" if you are a leggy blonde model, but not so attractive if you are a mere human.

I was completely enthralled with the woman sitting in the bottom left hand corner of this next photo. She was fabulous- black bustier, rhinestones galore, and a giant Queen Amidala type hair piece attached to the back of her head. Like a goth Patsy from Ab Fab.

Ajuma (below) was incredible striking in person. As you know, I love my Eastern Europeans, but the ones on the runway were so thin that their hipbones seemed to slice through the fabric that covered them- they looked as though a decent gust of wind could blow them away. In comparison, A looked powerful- as if she was ready to run a marathon after the show.



After a lot of shiny spandex that could only work on a Brazilian Beach, or Roberto Cavalli's yacht, there were a few bright jersey dresses, and then the mood semed to shift to Imperial Russia(?!), as evidenced by the next photo. Beautiful. It seemed a little out of place for a spring/summer collection, but being a Siberiette, I have no compaints...

Va va voom. I love the combination of purple and volume. And Catriona Balfe of course.

For those of you who are fans of Mexican cinema, that is the back of Gael Garcia-Bernal's head in the front row (wearing the white shirt- to the left of the model in blue).

Many more FW pictures -including the rest from this show- can be seen here.