FRIDAY MUSINGS: TINY HOUSES

 

78A3DA77-25DD-4D42-A9E0-35F0ABFA4DD9No this post isn’t about tiny Coalport, Meissen or other small collectibles (I can do that later) but rather actual tiny houses!!!! Yes, ones you live in. Full disclosure, I already live in a tiny house…what you say, “I thought you live in a high rise condo”, true but it is 700 square feet…so I am qualified to discuss the subject…just saying!  As a child I adored my doll house and, of course, spent many hours making many log cabins with my Lincoln Logs with Daddy.

At this point in time in my life should I be rethinking my living arrangements and perhaps see if any of my land owning friends will let me “park” myself on their property…I don’t drive so it would either be a permanent structure or mobile, with a hired driver when needed

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I am obsessed with watching ALL the programming on tiny homes on HGTV and DIY, but then I’m obsessed with most of their programming.  It seems many of them are either metal frames or wood cabin looking…neither would be what I would want, so mine would have to be designed to my specs, of course it would, and here are some looks that appeal to me.  Most with either a Victorian shabby chic or bohemian feeling, definitely my style, or a bit of modern….maybe!

Too cookie cutter for me…

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More my taste…

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A more mid-century look perhaps……

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Even George Bernard Shaw enjoy a tiny house, it rotated with the sun, for his studio.F3FF65EA-F576-4F3C-9678-0BBCCDAA2808But I envision something more Pygmalion or actually Beaton’s My Fair Lady decor…  CE5BDD98-7536-4041-9B8F-8724E1A424E4If truth were told I would love to retrofit a Vintage Airstream….some thoughts…FC2D018A-809D-4BEE-9214-C4F510AA78382B7BDC28-5CE0-4F31-B977-A762E7CEFD007D5E98B0-F319-4202-932D-597E512FC552C3A6A03B-46A8-424A-87DD-ED687AA3C2AB055E7C4C-6324-43C8-8A48-8E0F19A0C8B7

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Okay full confession, how I really want to live is in a English gypsy caravan.  Ruthy, my Mother, loved to tell of the gypsies and their caravans that would camp on her Father’s land outside Joplin, Missouri.  Each year they would come and my Grandfather gave them permission to use the land. As children, Mom and her siblings would visit the camp to hear wonderful stories and play with the children. Mom didn’t look like her brothers and sisters and I teased her that she must have been left as a baby by the gypsies to be taken care of by my grandparents…she rather liked the idea of a Bohemian lifestyle and found it a romantic notion (she was, of course, a legitimate child of my grandparents, birth certificates and Bible entry as proof!!!!!) In any instance, fairy tales aside, I find gypsy caravans right up my alley…in fact my current dwelling resembles one.

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How I want my home to look….walls and pillows are pretty similar now, would love to do either wallpaper or dark lacquer green, very glossy, paint.

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BC59AEA5-267B-4C40-ABCA-93043A8FF33BHow I see my caravan in its pastoral setting….I can dream can’t I…..

All images found on Pinterest photo credits unknown.

FASHION NOW: PARIS HAUTE COUTURE 3 GUO PEI

 

71CEFBE2-F208-45F7-A67F-DABD6F6A3471I wanted to talk about a designer I’m sure isn’t familiar to many of you, unless, of course you obsessed over the exquisite gown Rihanna wore to the 2015 Met Gala, China: Through The Looking Glass…that designer is GUO PEI.  Based in China, her Haute Couture collections in Paris are always beyond spectacular.  Often compared to Alexander McQueen and John Galliano she shows pieces that are, in my opinion, works of art.

B7343817-BFC5-437C-9124-84DB0D70B260In the Met exhibition, China: Through The Looking Glass.

Pieces from the recent Fall 2018 Haute Couture Collection inspired by the current Met Fashion exhibition Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.

 

Pieces from past collections….beyond description..

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If you love blue and white porcelain…how about this…

Guo Pei : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Spring Summer 2017
PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 25: Carmen Dell’Orefice walks the runway during the Guo Pei Spring Summer 2017 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 25, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)
2010 China Fashion Week - 'Rosestudio' Guo Pei High Class Fashion Show
BEIJING, CHINA – NOVEMBER 6: (CHINA OUT) Model Carmen Dell’ Orefice walks the runway in the ‘Rosestudio’ Guo Pei High Class Fashion Show 2010 during China Fashion Week on November 6, 2009 in Beijing, China. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

Known for dressing China’s elite, her first collection “One Thousand and Two Nights”  in November 2009 featured Carmel Dell’ Orefice, seen in the photo above, wearing the show stopping Costume with its train carrying attendants, a design star was born  In addition, she has designed for the Chinese cinema to award winning reviews.

A book, you bet….

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A movie, sure….the documentary coming soon….

72466B09-D35E-4649-BC0B-9CDB57851A8F9BA7C405-21BF-4658-ADDE-518134759605The designer in her Salon.  I suggest we all keep our eyes out for what is next for GUO PEI!  I personally can’t wait!!!!

All photos from Pinterest photo credits unknown unless indicated.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: ANOTHER SIDE OF PARADISE

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I happen to be a big fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald and, as you know, I am also a big fan of fiction based on reality….so, of course, I was drawn to this novel.  I was not disappointed.  Truly an enjoyable read. The author, Sally Koslow, has used our protagonist, gossip columnist, Sheilah Graham’s, diaries, memoirs, interviews and letters to tell this story of their love affair.

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The beginning of the book explores Graham’s childhood (reads like a Dickens novel, but worse) her time in England, her journey to the States and her transformation into a writer. Fascinating stuff, to say the least. She was a rival to Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, all competing to get the scoop on the newest who was “seen with whom”!  Her meeting with Fitzgerald, whose writing career wasin decline and who is trying to eke out a living writing scripts for movies in the ‘30’s, not to much success, is Kismet. His alcoholism is definitely a contributing factor to his writing slump. This affliction also contributes to the ups, major, and downs, also major, of this star crossed affair. While Sheilah (Fitzgerald always misspells her name, Shielah, similar to a gentleman friend of mine, Nina…done to annoy, or just don’t know or care, I wonder….).

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Of course, Zelda and Scottie are always a huge part of the scenario, divorce is not in the picture and Scottie is at Vassar so not a frequent visitor. The love between Fitzgerald and Graham is intense, heaven when he is sober, tragic when he is drunk. He writes his last, unfinished, some consider his best work, The Last Tycoon, 1940 just before his death based on his Hollywood years and his time with Sheilah.

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I must admit I want to reread all his work as well as hers, especially Beloved Infidel, 1959, which I read when it was first published.

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I think you will enjoy their story, I know I did.  As usual, I recommend you support your local bookseller, mine is The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois

                  This post is generously supported by an anonymous sponsor. 

PROFILE: STUART DYER MESIRES

E0E5384D-11DA-4FD7-B6D8-E82D6E5E9FFAPhoto by Rachel McGinn taken in Philadelphia

Bringing back my Profile series and I am beyond excited to restart with a friend through the Costume Council of the Chicago History Museum, Stuart Dyer Mesires.  Her talent for and love of all things vintage has given us a mutual interest as well as great conversations about the history of fashion, a passion we both share.  I know you will enjoy a glimpse into Stuart’s beginnings in the industry as well as a peek into her business Ladybug Vintage

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB
My first job in the fashion industry was working in New York City for a vintage textile swatch library. It was a library filled with swatches of vintage fabrics – prints, jacquards, yarn dyes, knits, etc. Designers would make an appointment to come to the design library at the beginning of each season to buy vintage swatches of fabric which they would then use to help them come up with color palates, design inspiration and actual fabrics that they would develop for their lines that season.
BRIEFLY DESCRIBE YOUR MOST RECENT OCCUPATION
In 2009, I decided to turn my passion for collecting vintage into a business and created, Ladybug Vintage – a collection of vintage costume jewelry, clothing and accessories focused primarily on the international glamour and country club chic eras of the 1960’s and 1970’s. I love the whimsy, insouciance, bold prints and statement jewelry from this time period – all of which can be found in the Ladybug Vintage Collection. Inspiration comes from fashion icons such as Lee Radziwell, Jane Birkin, Bianca Jagger and Ali McGraw – women with an innate sense of glamour and daring who could take one special piece – a scarf, a lariat, a gorgeous set of cuff bracelets – and create a completely effortless and individual look. I personally select each piece in the collection with this focus in mind. This is what sets Ladybug Vintage apart as it is not just a collection of random vintage pieces but a collection with a focused point of view.

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Stuart at the Chicago Botanic Garden when she did their Antique and Garden Show

 

Some of Stuart’s extensive collections.

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WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION OF YOUR TALENT
I started collecting vintage when I was in grade school. My mother is an avid collector of antiques and I would often accompany her to flea markets, thrift shops and antique shows when she was hunting for treasures. I wanted to collect something too so I would look for things that I could afford. Vintage clothing and costume jewelry were items that no one really wanted at the time and the pieces were inexpensive – thus my collection began. I loved the fact that what I collected could be worn not just put on a shelf to be admired. By the time I was in high school I had a closet full of amazing vintage clothing and accessories.

0464EA25-8B9A-4530-BB7F-76AC6A52BE65Looking for vintage pieces at the Madison Bouckville Antique Show in Bouckville, New York.

WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD “MADE IT” EXPLAIN
When I was working as a swimsuit designer for Tommy Hilfiger, I felt that I had made it when one of the suits that I had designed was featured in the the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue being worn by Heidi Klum, 2001.

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Another of Stuart’s designers for Hilfiger in Sports Illustrated, 2002.

A piece in the 1998 Japan Marie Claire on Stuart’s favorite beauty products.

HOW DID YOUR ORIGINAL PASSION BRING YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW As I mentioned above, I have had a passion for collecting vintage from a young age. After graduating from a liberal arts college in upstate, New York, I moved to New York City to work for PolyGram Records. My passion, however, was for fashion so I started working for a vintage textile design company and taking night classes at Parson’s School of Design. I then embarked on an over 15 year career in fashion design which included working as a clothing designer for such companies as Tommy Hilfiger and Lilly Pulitzer. While working as a designer, my love of vintage continued and I often used vintage pieces as design inspiration. Nine years ago, I decided to turn my love for collecting vintage into a business.

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WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR ALTERNATE CHOICE AS A CAREER….WAS THERE ONE An Archeologist.
YOUR FAVORITES:
BOOK: The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
MOVIE:  The Wizard of Oz
THEATER:  Hamilton
TYPE OF MUSIC YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO: Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks, Led Zeppelin, Spoon, Cage the Elephant and the Foo Fighters
LOCAL RESTAURANT: I love to try new restaurants but a constant, reliable favorite is Mon Ami Gabi.
HOBBIES: Drawing, painting, antiquing
HOME: Mixture of mid-century modern and antiques
WHO WOULD YOU HAVE AT YOUR FANTASY DINNER AND WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE: Andy Cohen, Derek Blasberg, Mick Jagger, Virgil Abloh, Pablo Picasso, Kate Spade, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Altchul, Lilly Pulitzer, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda and Miuccia Prada
I’m not a great cook so I would invite, Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) to cater.
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT VISITED AND/OR ON YOUR GO TO LIST:  I love to discover new places. And wherever I find myself, I love to find places to shop for vintage. I just back from a trip to Grimaud, France – a small town outside of St. Tropez. I had never been to Grimaud before but I went there to stay with a friend.  It is a gorgeous Cote d’Azur hillside town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and the port of St. Tropez. One of the most fun things for me was finding a flea market in Grimaud that was filled with vintage treasures.

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With her son, Xander in St. Tropez in June 2018

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In Saint Jean Cap Ferrat

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Visiting Heyward House, Bluffton, South Carolina.

FAVORITE WORK OF CHICAGO PUBLIC ART:  My favorite work of Chicago Public art is a statue called, The Alarm. I have always been drawn to it. It is the oldest sculpture on Chicago Park District property. It was commissioned in 1880 and dedicated on May 17, 1884. When I did a little research on it, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the artist, John J. Boyle while from New York, had actually studied in Philadelphia (my hometown) at the Franklin Institute and at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and married a woman from there. Several of his statues are located throughout Fairmount Park in Philadelphia as well as throughout the city of Philadelphia.

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HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED:As having been kind.

A FAVORITE RECIPE:
I love to make desserts (the best part of a meal!). Below is a simple recipe for one of my favorites:
Fudge Brownies.
INGREDIENTS
5 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate 3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
HEAT oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13” x 9” pan.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in a large microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 2 minutes or until the butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Spread into prepared pan.    BAKE approximately 22 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares.

STUART’S FAVORITE LINKS/BLOGS/INSTAGRAM/WEBSITES

http://www.ladybugvintage.com/
https://www.1stdibs.com/dealers/ladybug-vintage/

La Double J, Tory Daily, @suzymenkesvogue, @tinaleung, @amandacbrooks, @ericapelosini, @martinamondadori, @kateschelter

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Above photo taken by Rachel McGinn. All photos from Stuart’s scrapbooks.

 

FASHION NOW: DOLCE & GABBANA ALTA MODA FALL 2018

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Designers who always know how to produce the most extravagant fashion shows… Dolce & Gabbana, didn’t disappoint with their Fall 2018 Alta Moda (high fashion) presentation at Lake Como, Italy. Drama was in abbondanza!  Here are a few of the many looks, filled with the expected floral prints, exquisite accessories and diverse mix of models. Over the top creativity presented in lush surroundings with an operatic soundtrack to create an even more ”Alta Moda” atmosphere!  Designers who don’t shy away from drama in their creations nor controversy in their opinions, lived up to all expectations.

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6982FCBA-BE77-49EF-96B4-C1074C5E1C8CA portion of the finale.

All photos found on Pinterest credits unknown.

FASHION NOW: FALL 2018 HAUTE COUTURE PART 2

Maison Margiela by John Galliano….no, not strange nor laughable…look closely at ALL the detail, the use of accessories, the color mixing, layering. Shoes with tech devices attached.  Are we painting our faces in bold foundation colors, no but to me the statement is color completing a look and we DO paint our faces! One can debate whether Galliano is either a genius or marching to his own inner voice…I am in the genius camp, well maybe both!!!!!

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Perhaps one of the most covered collections, Valentino by Pierpaolo Piccioli, brought a tear to Valentino’s eye as he lead the standing ovation at the finale. Exquisitely crafted gowns in bold solid colors as well as brocades, lames, the perfect black gown, and the “fabric” of the collections, feathers. Head coverings of real flowers in the same bold palettes of the glorious fashions. I am in awe of the extreme bouffant hair, taking us back to Avedon’s “Swans”! A Valentino collection to remember without question.

A refined neutral palette formed the Dior collection as interpreted by Maria Grazia Chiuri.  Saying she wanted to celebrate the House’s heritage, she definitely defined the elegance that is Dior.  The day pieces reflected the essence of the House.  Loved the cape, so useful in Chicago, the sheer tulle in the perfectly constructed youthful  gowns and…feathers. Again may I call your attention to the accessories especially the charming side tilted “beanie”.

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In my opinion, which, after all, is what nenasnotes is all about….my opinion, the resurrection of the House of Schiaparelli just gets better now under the direction of Bertrand Guyon.  The signature Shocking Pink, trompe l’oeil details, a fluff of the obligatory feathers…the excitement that is fashion. Fun, unexpectd twists = a la mode!

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Giambattista Valli one of my favs doesn’t disappoint.  Great day pieces, but he excels with his dramatic gowns, although let’s start rethinking the “high-low” lengths…we’ve seen it, but still….gorgeous! Feathers, you bet, even for shoes.

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What House and Artistic Director could be more in the news than Givenchy and Clare Waight Keller, no one I can think of. All it takes is a major star whether that is M. Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn or Claire Waight Keller and the new Duchess of Sussex. Again a current designer delving into the archives of a master creator….how wrong can you go…..you can’t.

 

Giorgio Armani Prive Couture Fall 2018
Giorgio Armani Prive Couture Fall 2018

Does Giorgio Armani ever go off brand….no, never. Armani Prive has it all.  I really need to find a new word for classic, translates to boring in my current modern minds eye, but until I can replace it let’s use it….perhaps modern classic = always a perfect wardrobe addition. The Fall 2018 Collection is a stunner.  Particularly like the  coat as jacket, I look I have long embraced.

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Haute Couture must always push us, bring us new technologies, fabrications, techniques, the FUTURE, why not….who does it best, Iris van Herpen, her innovations stretch us to see clothing in new ways…that is what it is all about.

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Of course, some of our most creative talents continue to make us think, give us fun, beautifully crafted garments with a bit of tongue in cheek, no one does that better than the dynamic duo Viktor & Rolf!

And there you have it….the glory, that is my edited edition, of Paris Haute Couture Fall 2018. Next up the marathon fashion weeks beginning in New York in September. A good time to read your nenasnotes The Fashion Book August 28th selection NORELL: Master of American Fashion so you will be prepared for our discussion….what you say, you haven’t signed up for the monthly meetings….contact me for all the details and join our fascinating group.

                          All photos from Pinterest photo credits not available. 

FASHION NOW: HAUTE COUTURE FALL 2018 PART 1 CHANEL

115327D8-F63D-4583-8891-C3AADFB0AA08By now you know I am obsessed with Haute Couture, especially the Fall collections which are shown the beginning of July.  I’m totally a Fall fashion season gal, always have been so that isn’t a surprise  I have told you I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend the Haute Couture collections in 2006. It was my 50th Anniversary present from Saks Fifth Avenue and an experience I shall always treasure.  At some point in time I will share that trip with you…have to gather all my photos, scan them, dig out the memorabilia, review the diary I kept (the one and only time I have kept a journal), etc.  I promise I will do it.

Now on to Haute Couture Fall 2018.  I usually do trends I see in each seasons collections whether Haute Couture or Ready-To-Wear….Haute Couture, in my opinion, is the Mothership from which all other fashion evolves. I’ll do my thoughts on the rest of the Collections in subsequent posts.  Today is all about Chanel.  Do we look to Chanel for inspiration, of course we do it is inevitable.  And no one stages a show like Karl Lagerfeld.  There are other unbelievable stagings, over the top creations….but we always want to see what Kaiser Karl has in store for us…he didn’t disappoint  What do you think?!  Here a sampling of some of the pieces that caught my eye

“For Fall 2018, Chanel’s production masterminds recreated the banks of the Seine — even though the real deal is fewer than 200m away from the Grand Palais — complete with newsstands and a replica of the Académie Française. One stand, staffed by two young boys wearing “Institut Chanel” sweatshirts, was packed with books, magazines, records and keepsake photographs all featuring Coco Chanel herself.” Quote and all photos from Fashionista.

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Stunningly beautiful. Notice the shoes, hair, lots and lots of black and grey.  What am I seeing that I see in other collections….hot pink and brown…stay tuned….

 

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: THE LOST FOR WORDS BOOKSHOP

 

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Today’s Books Books Books post is generously sponsored by an anonymous donor who is also a voracious reader!

There is nothing I love more than reading, but you already know that…too many books to read and not enough time to do so. And you know what I love to read most of all…books about books and bookstores.  The one I am discussing with you today, is a charmer that I think you will enjoy and if you are involved in a Book Club one you might suggest to your group our author, Stephanie Butland, has a Book Club guide at the back of the book for you. (More about the nenasnotes The Fashion Book Club at the end of this post!)

It has been a very long time since a book has brought me to tears, this one did just that….a good thing or not, perhaps the mood I’m in, perhaps some of the story is hitting too close to home for me (not in a literal sense, well just a bit, just parts of it such as special people leaving one’s life, but that is getting a bit too personal, so let’s get to the story), I’ll leave it up to you how it touches you in your reading of this story, it is a good one.

We meet our narrator, Loveday, in her natural habitat, her home, yes, she does have a flat, but the bookshop Lost For Words where she has worked since she was 18, she is now 22, is her true home.  We meet the owner, her kind, caring protector Archie, who is friends to everyone he meets and has been many things in his day, who allows her to set up the shelves in her very controlled way while sheltering her.  We meet the varied customers, men and women who enter her extremely closed off existence. It isn’t easy for her to interact with others particularly outside her”space”. She meets a poet (who is also a magician!) who talks her into attending a poetry slam, which she finds, much to her surprise, interests her, as does he!

The story switches from Loveday’s present back to her wonderful childhood, her closeness to both her Mum and Dad, until it isn’t idyllic any longer. It is a very touching story and focuses on how a young child can perceive reality and how wrong they can be. She has major problems with letting anyone get close to her, with the exception of Archie with whom she feels secure.

I felt the beginning took awhile to get going, or perhaps I fell into the trap that she thought everyone did, I didn’t like her very much. As I continued reading I found myself wanting to know more about our heroine, (who by the way, has the first sentences of favorite books tattooed all over her body, a nose ring and ombré hair, for someone who wants to live in the shadows???!!!), what made her such a reclusive and see if love, romantic, or just friendship, can win her over….again, I’ll leave that to you dear reader, no spoliers here….oh, and did I mention a bit of poetry thrown into the mix, that is where the tears came to my eyes.  A Nena’s Note to self, when did I stop enjoying poetry, need to rethink!!??

Would I suggest you read it, yes, of course, you know I don’t review anything I don’t think you would enjoy and this one was a bit off my norm, but still set in the U.K., that seems to be a pattern with me.  An intellengently written novel, it’s protganist is most definitely a feminist, another theme in my recent reads or am I more aware because of the “Me Too” Movement, maybe.

The Book Stall  is supplying the books for nenasnotes The Fashion Book Club, please support Independant Booksellers. If you want more information on my monthly The Fashion Book please let me know in the comment section, I’d love to have you join us. Next up, in August, NORELL by Jeffrey Banks, lively conversation, goodie bags, bubbles to drink and goodies to nibble and perhaps, just perhaps some surprises!

 

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MONDAY FASHION SPECIAL: FASHION FILMS PREVIEW

I can’t remember a period of time when so many documentaries on fashion icons have happened at the same time…WOW, how very exciting. In Chicago, all the above are showing this month at the Gene Siskel Film Center,  also this month at AMC, the much anticipated, McQueen….and at The Music Box,the punk goddess herself Vivenne Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist. For my non-Chicago area readers, please check your local theaters to see when these films are showing in your area.

Let’s take a look at what to expect, so you can plan your schedule, and then I will do my review when I have seen each of them….beyond exciting….I’m going to need lots of wine with my popcorn!!!!!

0D3FC20B-94EA-48A2-9070-E480D49DE362You will have to move quickly, Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story, is playing through July 5.  THE genius creator of make-up is brought back to life in this documentary. He was the first “celebrity” make-up artist to earn a CFDA award and deservingly so.  He died much too young (1962-2002) but fortunately left a legacy through his work, his books, YouTube pieces, a documentary “Kevyn Aucoin Beauty and the Beast, shown on Logo cable September 2017, and now this new documentary. Aucoin is the only personality I worked with, in this super star group, when he launched two of his books, Art of Makeup in 1996 and Making Faces in 1999.  While we had done many, many mega beauty stars throughout my tenure at Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago, we didn’t have any idea what to expect with his book signings….all I can say is BLOCKBUSTER is an understatement!  Lines literally around the block, several people wide, very orderly and all wanting his books, of course, his autograph and just to be able to say hello. Pity it was long before selfies!  I can’t even imagine what it would be like today with all our Social Media technology.  He was very humble, (I can say that about many of the talented fashion personalities I had the pleasure of working with through the years), beyond talented…a true one of a kind artist who adored enhancing his clients and to help them become the best they could be. I’m hurrying in before July 5th, hope you will as well.

2DB30844-D661-43F1-836B-A7554C2DDFDDI can say, without hesitation, there is no one I am more obsessed with than Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)!  Could there be anyone who had a fuller life in the 20th Century, iconic photographer, (of his decades), of people, the Royals, the stars of the time, fashion, war, gardens, interiors and on and on and on…diarist, author, scrapbook keeper, brilliant raconteur, chronicler of everything and anything that caught his mind’s eye and always with uniqueness and panache!  In a word, unsurpassed!  I have taken it upon myself to collect as many (read…all!) of his books as possible, both written and edited by him as well as the huge amount written about him, don’t forget Greta and Cecil, about his relationship with Greta Garbo. I reviewed a glorious book on nenasnotes on November 1, 2016 Cecil Beaton At Home: An Intimate Life by Andrew Ginger, a truly extraordinary look at Beaton.  Of course, we all think of his glorious costumes and design for the movies (and stage productions) for My Fair Lady and Gigi….,in my opinion, two of the best!  A quote from Beaton “The truly fashionable are unfashionable”!  Gene Siskel Film Center, July 6 through July 12.

047D40F2-A692-4E13-A663-7EF10A971D19The Queen of Punk. I was totally overwhelmed by the fashion exhibition, Punk,  New Romantic & Beyond mounted by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2014.   Showcased exquisitely in many rooms, some only holding one gown, due to size.  Every plaque I read, at least it seemed that way, read from “the Vivienne Westwood Archives”. Amazing. The first room one entered was wall to wall, floor to ceiling museum archival glass cases filled with her beginning successes, VERY suggestive t-shirts. I had never seen one in person, up close and personal only in books or video. Another woman, about my age, British, was standing next to me in the gallery, we were the only two studying the items. I turned to her and said “In their day they (the t-shirts) were quite shocking!”  Her reply, “My dear, they still are”!  I have read that Dame Vivianne does not approve of the Documentary, let’s see for ourselves…opens at The Music Box on July 13th for a limited run.

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This film has been playing in Chicagoland for awhile will be opening at the Gene Siskel Film Center on July 20 through 26.  Talley began his rise to fame working with Diana Vreeland at the world renowned Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, became a contributing editor at Vogue and the rest, as they say, is fashion history.  He has curated many exhibitions including the recent Oscar de la Renta retrospectives. His outspoken views have delighted audiences worldwide.  His autobiographies,  A.L.T and A.L.T. 365+  are must reads. If you have seen the film here is your opportunity to see it again or you can enjoy it for the first. Promises to be superb.

64F27656-4392-4A81-AA1B-2661A1F9CE6CLast and most certanly not least…I can hardly wait to see McQueen, the Lee Alexander McQueen documentary. Long awaited, long overdue. All the books about McQueen as well as the, never to be matched, Metropolitan Museum exhibition Savage Beauty and its companion book give a brief glimpse into the mind of a creative genius no matter how fragile that genius was. A once in a generation talent. I must add Sarah Burton has carried the House on to new heights and we also must think of the extraordinary brilliance of John Galliano along with his fall from grace and resurrection, as a totally unique talent. There are many more, of course, but those two contemporaries definitely stand out from the crowd!  Talk about a once in a lifetime exhibit, but then every collection McQueen produced was an exhibition to be worn and the garments were  provocative, stunning, groundbreaking, totally unlike anything else.  His suiside in 2010 (1969-2010) was as stunning as his life and creativity. How fortunate we are that this once in a lifetime genius shared his brilliant talent with the world and now we can see his story unfold even more on film. AMC Theaters beginning July 20th.

Be sure to check the theaters to confirm dates and showctimes as well as the AMC for locations.