côte d'azur - le reve

 

"It could be argued that it has become a cliché. But that would be to dismiss the luxuriance of what is still, even now, a heaven on earth. There are few places which have continued for more than a century and a half to captivate painters and writers, to attract billionaires and the simply curious, and to appeal equally to the French and to foreigners - dubbed 'estrangers' by the novelist Colette. Visitors have always been drawn by the light, the ideal climate and the beauty of the headlands and bays, but it was at the end of the 19th century that the history of the Côte d'Azur truly began, 1886 to be exact, when Stephen Liégeard discovered Hyéres and then travelled along the entire coast to Nice. His was book was entitled Côte d'Azur 1886 - the title taking its lead from the Côte d'Or, as his native Burgundy and its vineyards were known. It retraces his journey, but most of all records his sense of wonder at this 'heaven on earth'."

-Coralie Tilot, Côte d'Azur The Dream published by Lido

Dreamy photos of Brigitte Bardot in countryside France from my new book Côte d'Azur The Dream. Speaking of dreams, my first ever Celine purchase, what more could a girl ask for? Also a few little goodies that made their way back from Paris including an Isabel Marant feather choker, Lanvin cards and a Byredo candle and the most delicate ring from Catbird in NY (thanks Hannah!). Why do holidays ever have to end?

1, 2 & 4. Photos of my Celine tri-pochette and the SS12 lookbook by me, 3. Collage by me staring a resort 12 look from Celine and a watercolour swatch by me, other images, source unknown, 5 & 6. Côte d'Azur The Dream photographed by me and watercolour illustration, 7-10. Photographs by me.

blue

Interior mood no.3

Photos from our trip!

1.Goose at Artis Zoo in Amsterdam; 2.Lightwell of Casa Batllo in Barcelona; 3.The Billards Room in the Petit Trianon; 4.Butterfly at Artis Zoo; 5.Games Room at the Petit Trianon; 6.Statuettes in the Louvre.

I once had a pet goose who had eyes like the one up top. His name was Abba.

24 hours

 

"One of my wildest obsessions has been the fact that we see ancient sculptures without their original multi-coloured appearance. Our idea of classic artworks is inevitably linked to the whiteness of the marble. It's as if Calvin Klein had washed out all the colour from the history of Roman and Greek sculpture. On the contrary, the Pantheon was painted, those sculptures we admire at the Louvre had colours and gold leaf and faceted stones. So I thought: let's bring some colour back!"

-Francesco Vezzoli

I couldn't believe our luck when Hannah told us about the 24 Hours Prada Museum. We would be in Paris on that day, had no plans and were only a few metro stops away from the Palais d’Iéna.

The museum which opened for 24 hours only on Tuesday 24th January was kicked off with an invite-only dinner the night before and then an exclusive after party which all took place in the central metal cage formed by grills of neon lights. The next morning the museum was open from 7am - 12pm and then again from 2 - 4pm to the public. The closing event was from 6.30 - 8.30pm by which time the musuem closed forever.

It was a pretty sensational experience to see such a grand installation, Rohan and I stayed for quite a while enjoying the complimentary mini breakfast, coffee and juice while admiring the artwork. The three sections, titled historic, contemporary and forgotten showcased the artist Francesco Vezzoli's 'tribute to the eternal allure of femininity'. "They are my icons turned into sculptures and placed onto marble pedestals" he explained, the inspiration coming from sculptures on display at the Louvre, propoganda material, a cubed room filled with neon lights at The Berlin Biennale 2010 and the Salon des Refusés at Versailles.

All photos taken by Rohan and I.

favourites

Lagarconne Spring 12 ensembles.

when in paris, just say...

And we're back! Rohan and I had such an amazing time in Europe, we were overwhelmed by the beauty and history of the cities and inspired by so many of the museums and galleries we visited.

And in some pretty exciting news, we're engaged! Rohan proposed during lunch at Jules Verne, one of the most amazing dining experiences of my life. I was so surprised when we were presented with our desserts complete with a candle and happy anniversary written around the plate. The ring is by one of my favourite jewellery designers, Satomi Kawakita. I have been wanting a ring of hers for so long and this little gem is so beautiful I can't take my eyes off it! One of my best friends Hannah also happens to be in New York and did a studio visit with Satomi who is every bit as lovely as her designs.

In the spirit of saying yes I also picked up the Dior 'oui' ring I have been wanting forever (remember this illustration?) and a few lovely pieces from COS. I will be paying for my yeses for months to come but for right now I couldn't be happier.

1. Watercolour by me, 2. My Satomi Kawakita engagment ring and Dior oui ring, 3. Snowball flowers in our living room, 4. Dessert at Jules Verne, 5. The view from the table at Jules Verne overlooking the Trocadéro, 6. COS lace bra,  7. Images from Russh magazine Feb/March 12 via TFS with watercolour hearts by me, 8. My Satomi Kawakita engagment ring and Dior oui ring.