Life à la Française

As the rain hammers down on the misty Velux windows of my new loft appartement, I reflect on the vast changes that have been wrought on my life since I last updated my blog. The past four months have past by in a blur of sun-baked London streets, whirring office air-con and the dappled, blustery loveliness of a Cornish summer by the sea. And now this: the tiny, rainy cobbled streets and cafes and restaurants of Liege, the somewhat unknown Belgian city that is to be my home for the next nine months.

This summer has seen me run at speed between internships, exam results and my year abroad, with snatched moments of summer bliss amid my hectic schedule. If you’ve been following my Twitter feed, you will know that my summer months have been marked out by three stark events: two dream internships and a looming, potentially life-changing move away from the family and friends that are so dear to me. Somewhat paradoxically, although I had two what-dreams-are-made-of internships as a fashion writer at both The Times and ELLE magazine, chances to update this blog and embark on personal projects have been few and far between; apart from a ridiculously exciting interview for SID Magazine that will be coming out in the Autumn, this keyboard has never been so inactive.

It seems obvious, but never before had I thought that change could be so inspiring. I have blog posts and article ideas coming out of my ears! There’s so much to say and describe about my electric summer, before it gets lost amidst the freezing boulevards and sudden showers of this autumnal city. And also, I have so much to say about Liege, about Belgium, and my hopes, fears and dreams for this year. There will be travelling, no doubt, and new places and faces and languages to explore. A year spent straddling the Channel, with feet firmly placed on both English and European soil, will have all sorts of adventures to look forward to, at home and abroad. À la prochaine! 

Best Dressed at the Cannes Film Festival 2013

Last week I wrote a piece for my university's weekly newspaper on top five best dressed at the Cannes Film Festival. I enjoyed writing the piece, but in hindsight I recognize that I was writing more for the paper's target audience of fellow students than of my own, slightly left-of-field, taste. You can read the original article here, but below I have compiled my very own top five from Cannes.

1)

French ingénue Marion Cotillard was all things modern in her pre- Spring/ Summer 2014 Dior dress at the Blood Ties premiere. Modern not only because the collection had debuted only four days previously, but also because the Rust & Bone actress wore Chopard jewels designed alongside Livia Firth's Green Carpet Challenge project, the eco-friendly enterprise that have been gaining ground and print columns in the last year or so. All highly commendable, but what really interests me is the Memphis- style colour blocking that complements and extends the elegant, fluid lines of her Dior dress. The 60's beehive looks great too, although it could possibly be given a modern update by allowing it a bit of movement and freedom from its structural confines; a few wisps of hair around the face would do it. Plus, Marion's make up is arguably rather heavy for her delicate Gallic features; a lighter hand with the bronzer and eyeshadow would have been ideal. 8.5/ 10

2)

When I grow up, I want to be as awesome as Kristen Scott Thomas. As one of my favourite actresses, francophile Kristen Scott Thomas never disappoints when it comes to film roles, talent or just plain exquisite coolness. Thirty-odd years in the French and English film industries has given her a presence that rises above the starlets who flock to Cannes, and here she trails fledgling pretenders to her throne in her glittering, sequinned wake. 9/10 

3)

Marion Cotillard's second mention in this piece is indicative of two things. Firstly, that I have a huge girl-crush Marion Cotillard and all her frenchy-ness. Secondly, that these walking adverts for the Dior pre-Spring/ Summer '14 collection indicate that Raf Simons is well and truly hitting his stride as the house's frontman and successor to John Galliano. The first couple of seasons of his time at the helm were quietly respectable, wearable and interesting- somewhat loose complements to a brilliant designer such as Simons is. However, the pre- collection that debuted during Cannes depicts a star and a talent that is on the rise, as the designer finds his feet and his confidence at his new post. 9/10 

3)

There's just something about a spangled gold trouser and jumper combo. However, that 'something', or 'je ne sais quoi' as they would say in Cannes, obviously has many determiners. The first is that this is a gold sparkly jumpsuit made by the Antwerp- educated French/ Colombian designer Haider Ackermann, and not something you'd pick up on a whim in Primark. The second is that it is worn by the icily cool Tilda Swinton, who with her bleached quiff and red lips is a definite contender for Kristen Scott Thomas' throne of coolness. Maybe they could share it. Simplicity is the key to this statement outfit: Tilda does not weigh herself down with a frou-frou clutch or an excesse of make up. Moreover, somehow she does not let the gold outfit outshine her- she owns it completely, with a smile that says that she does not take it, or herself, or the entire Cannes circus, too seriously. 10/ 10

5)

I realise that I have already claimed that when I grow up I want to be Kristen Scott Thomas. Well, I also want to be Tilda Swinton and Laeticia Casta in a weird amalgamation of squished up film stars and supermodels. Anyway. Talking about weird amalgamations, here Laeticia puts an outfit together so wrong that it's also completely right. A Dior dress that is cut a little too high for crotch comfort, and plastered with Barbie- pink flowers? Check. Golden wings as a totally unnecessary yet amazing cover under the Cannes sun? Check. What appears to be slightly dodgy sparkly gold platforms which match those wings? Check and check. The only thing troubling about this so-wrong-it's-right get up is Laeticia's slightly aging, brown make-up; I did a double take for all the wrong reasons when I looked up her age. This outfit, a breath of fresh couture air amidst the familiar parade of yawn-worthy gowns, needs a softer, rosier palette, which would let the supermodel's youth and undoubted beauty shine through. 7.5/ 10

All photos: vogue.co.uk

Jennifer Lawrence: Dior's Perfect Woman?

      

         You just can’t escape Jennifer Lawrence at the moment. Following in the footsteps of model of the moment Cara Delavigne, who is simply, J-Law is most definitely the actress du jour.

    Following on from her Cinderella-esque tumble at the Oscars, and her endearingly normal, self-deprecating persona in front of the world’s press, the first shots of the actress for her latest role as the face of  Miss Dior handbags, the chic little sister of the Lady Dior bag, have firmly established J-Law as fashion and film's current First Lady.

           Ushering in a new era of a Raf Simons-headed Dior, the adverts are a departure from thedays when John Galliano headed the French fashion house. Sleek, simplified and structural,the recently released photos mirror Simons take on the extensive Dior archives:paring back the excessiveness of Galliano to reveal the true essence of Dior.The architectural, silken lines of the black blazer that Jennifer Lawrence has been photographed in is reminiscent of Dior’s decisive ‘New Look’, whilst alsoechoing the minimalism of designers such as Jil Sander, and even Yves Saint Laurent’s eponymous ‘Le Smoking’ tuxedo. The net veil strongly speaks of Simons' current collaboration of the old and the new, the classic and the innovational,with the 50’s shape juxtaposing the more recent avant-garde headwear ofdesigners such Gareth Pugh and Martin Margiela.  

        JenniferLawrence could be described as the ideal figurehead of Dior under Raf Simons. The ultimate modern woman, she has the curves of a 50’s icon and a character so assured and self-confident that she, apparently, directed one of her entourage to fetch a McDonalds for her during the Oscars. Who better to spearhead the inimitable brand’s new ‘New Look’?

Images from: Vogue and US Magazine 

Chanel, Scotland and Tilda Swinton: A Story of Craftsmanship

          Tilda Swinton has today been named the face of Chanel’s Metiers d’Art Paris-Edinburgh collection, which debuted spectacularly in the misty ruins of a Scottish castle last December. 

          Set in the secluded Linlithgow Palace, with a guest list so exclusive that many bloggers and minor editors were left out in the cold, the collection was a celebration of Scottish heritage, craftsmanship and the longstanding intimate relationship between Scotland and Chanel. Described as a ‘truly exceptional show’ by British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, the collection was a classic Karl interpretation of traditional Scottish dress:  well-structured and precisely edited, the collection highlighted both the talent of the head designer, and the exceptional skill of the legion of craftsmen which support him.

          In this collection, fabric was not in short supply: tweed was layered, draped and folded against the Scottish chill, showcased in a variety of bright plaids and chunky Fair Isle knits. The classic Chanel bouclé jacket was lined, unusually (Chanel originally celebrated unlined garments to give an ease of movement) with traditional Scottish plaid. The Chanel chains were transformed from bag handles to embellish hats and sporrans, and the strings of pearl semiotic of the house were developed into the chunky collars and drop earrings reminiscent of the jewellery that would have, once upon a time, been worn in Linlithgow Palace.  Nods to Mary Queen of Scots can be found in the sumptuous shirts, ruffs, Tudor-style jackets and layered bell skirts all embellished with heavy lines of pearls and gemstones. 

     So why the sudden focus on tweed, plaid, leather and everything else that Scotland has got to offer through its long manufacturing history? The Metiers d’Art (pre-A/W ’13, in other words) was designed as an annual celebration of the craftsmen, ateliers and specialists who are both the driving force of Chanel and provide the many, many hours that go into crafting both the Prêt-a-Porter and Couture collections.

       The collaboration between Chanel and Swinton is perhaps unsurprising choice; Tilda has for years been the face of Scottish knitwear label Pringle and has been described as ‘a modern woman, a timeless icon of elegance’ by Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld.In my simple opinion, her ethereal, unusual beauty conjures up the mysticism of Scotland. 

      Chanel as a label and as a person has had a long standing history with Scottish tweed. Chanel, who used to visit Scotland regularly in the 1920s to stay in the Duke of Westminster’s rugged pile, sourced her original bouclé tweeds from Scotland, introducing it as one of the house’s defining fabrics in 1927. In 2012 the fashion house acquired the specialist factory Barrie Knitwear, which has made luxury tweeds for them for the past 25 years. 

Images and quotes from: www.vogue.co.uk