Hatter

I take my hat off to all who wear hats for no other reason but fashion. A hat can completely change the personality of the wearer, make them stand differently and walk differently. A hat can make that person feel interesting. People think sometimes that people who wear hats want to show off. But human beings, since the beginning of time, have always wanted to embellish themselves. It’s a human thing to want to dress every part.

When I think of a wonderful wearer of hats, I think of no other than the late Isabella Blow. She was the fashion's nutty Aunty, adored by those who adore the world's more eccentric side, always dressed perfectly in an outrageous hat, couture clothing, the highest of stiletto heels; her lips were always fuchsia, scarlet or aubergine.

Isabella served as muse to and champion of some of the greatest talents: the late Alexander McQueen drew inspiration from Blow's extravagant, jolie laide persona, and Philip Treacy, London's top milliner, long designed with Blow in mind. Her personal life was famously rocky: She was painfully disinherited from her father's estate and was open about the difficulties she and her similarly stylish husband, Detmar, faced when trying to conceive. But, above all else, she loved fashion. She'll always be missed for that, for her flair, her wit, her generosity of spirit, her style.



Philip Treacy

Isabella Blow had been Philip Treacy’s friend and inspiration. Many of Treacy’s most surreal and sculptural hats have been made especially for Blow.

How well do you know where you live?

It is easy for one to think that you know the city you live in like the back of your hand. But do you really? Every single suburb?

A lady who has lived in Sydney for over 30 years, but felt she had never really set foot in most of its 600 plus suburbs found she had an intense curiosity. This lead her to explore a suburb a week and document her finds by way of photography and blogging. Visiting one suburb a week for a whole year, she found the best way to discover suburban secrets was to just wonder around. Walking at a slow pace rather than just driving through, means you see it with new eyes.

Having lived in Sydney myself for many, many years I found Louise's blog a truly fascinating read and visual delight. The way she marries two photographs together creates a story. Take a moment to relish in her finds.

www.52suburbs.com

Once I have gained permission from Louise, I will post a couple of her photographs here to show an example of her great photography.

Music

Erik Mongrain performing some of his amazing guitar tapping

Fashion

Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2010

Collette Dinnigan
Collette Dinnigan is back with a vengeance against all that is frumpy, and ugly in women’s wear. She has created an intriguing collection of feminine silhouettes that are championed by laces, draping, crystal, embroideries and perkiness.

Away from the excitement of the crystal and sexiness, Dinnigan adds much more subtle pieces into the collection with gowns which are long, pinched here and there to recreate shape, draping and open backs. The most compelling look of the collection is perhaps her long black skirt with subtle vertical stripes, worn with a button-down, sleeveless top in lace.

Fashion

Spring/Summer Haute Couture 2010
Here are two of my favourites from the Spring/Summer Haute Couture 2010 Collections.

Stephane Rolland



Stephane Rolland is undoubtedly a Genius.

His collection for Spring/Summer 2010 has again set even higher standards of modern day haute couture.

For this season, he has created beautiful dresses and suits with luscious draping around the shoulders and the shoulder blades. The Rolland look is definitely present in the collection with his voluminous fabrics that fall and form mini capes that drop just below the waist. It takes on a graphic look at times with added on embellishments on the shoulder of his cream gown or his white dresses. These pieces are used to encircle the shoulder or to open up dresses at their splits above the knees.

Rolland definitely has a love for silk chiffon. He uses it to create large, yet soft structures on one gown. When you see this, you understand what it truly means to be a part of the world of haute couture.


Chanel






"an electronic flash in my head at five o'clock one morning Silver and pastel,"said Karl Largerfeld to style.com. "It's the first time in my whole career I've done a collection without black or navy. There's not one gold button."

From the heart-shaped cartoonish hair to the horizontal bands of mille-feuille chiffon frills, minutely frayed at the edges, his collection is a soft romantic paradise for any girl looking for her feminine side.

The collection gives a sense of a 1950's night gown with more sophisticated femininity.

Overall I adore the collection, as always Largerfeld captured the classic Coco Chanel designs while creating something new and beautiful.

Quotes I Love

Coco Chanel
“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”

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

“Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.”

"A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future."

"As long as you know men are like children, you know everything!"

"Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door."

"Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress."



"Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future."

"Elegance is refusal."

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."

"Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions."

"Fashion is made to become unfashionable."

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."

"Great loves too must be endured."

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone."

"I don't know why women want any of the things men have when one the things that women have is men."

"I invented my life by taking for granted that everything I did not like would have an opposite, which I would like."

"I never wanted to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird."

"Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress."

"Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury."

"Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them."

"Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity."

"There are people who have money and people who are rich."

"There have been several Duchesses of Westminster but there is only one Chanel!"

"There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time!"

"Those who create are rare; those who cannot are numerous. Therefore, the latter are stronger."

"I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny."

Imelda Marcos
"I do not have 3000 pairs of shoes, I have one thousand and sixty!"


Winston Churchill
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.

Destiny is what I believe in. Destiny commands. We must obey.

The Start

Why blog? It can perhaps make for some interesting reading for someone out there, it can help me stay on track, it will be fun for me to do. My dreams may be cliche, though I enjoy reading other peoples blogs who have similar interests and dreams etc., so perhaps someone out there will enjoy reading mine.

Blogging to share my loves, my drama, my questions and my finds.