the age of discretion

These past few weeks have been so busy, I can't believe March is almost over already. Last week I celebrated my birthday and I just enjoyed the final part of my present from Rohan. This afternoon we went and saw This Is Our Youth, a play starring Michael Cera and Kieran culkin at the Sydney Opera House. I haven't been to the theatre in years and this was such an incredible performance, thankyou Ro! I also got a very lovely set of lingerie from one of my favourite New York designers, Araks.

Another highlight was seeing Jane Birkin sing Serge Gainsbourg at the City Recital Hall last friday. She performed a few favourites and some songs I had never heard before, my friends and I were all mesmerised by how charming and just generally amazing she was in real life. She spoke in both French and English, wore a simple white shirt with black trousers and even made her her way through the hall so she could hi-five, blow kisses and sing to the audience. What struck me most was when she received a beautiful bouquet at the end of the performance and proceeded to immediately pull it apart so she could give flowers to the other members of her group. These incredibly talented Japanese musicians, all famous in their own right, have taken a year off to travel with Jane on this tour and I'm so happy that they did.

1. My new PetiteGrand necklace, 2. Dahlia's in my bedroom, 3. Acrylic swatches in my sketchbook, 4. Araks Olga bra and little note from Ro, 5. Film photos taken on the roof of Casa Milà, Barcelona, 6. Dahlia's in my bedroom, 7. Paris, Portrait of a City by Taschen, a gift from my parents, 8. Opening up my Araks set from Ro, 9. Acrylic swatches in my sketchbook, 10. A polaroid taken in St. Germain, Paris and my new PetiteGrand necklace.

breakfast, lunch, tea

 

One of our places in Paris was Rose Bakery in Le Marais. Only a 10 minute walk from our apartment and just around the corner from the Isabel Marant store (a fantastic yet dangerous combination) we went back a few times so we could try as much as possible.

First up was the famous carrot cake which we ate hours after landing, we then went back for lunch (all delicious) and their banana smoothie was one of my favourites. The feeling of finally being in Le Marais, eating at the cafe I have dreamed of since 2006 and seeing all the boutiques and creperies along the cobblestone streets is something I will never forget.

Make sure you go on the weekend to experience the full brunch menu - the pancakes were a treat!

Rose Bakery Marais

30 Rue Debelleyme, 75003 

All photos by Rohan and I

tu as de beaux yeux, tu sais

"you have beautiful eyes, you know"

Film still and quote from Port of Shadows (Le quai des brumes, 1938)

it must be love

Experimenting with acrylics for my painting class and finally catching up on the FW 12 shows.

CHLOE - you're the one!

1. Watercolour by me, photo from self service, 2. Illustration by me, 3-5. Photos from style.com,  

6. Paint swatch by me, photo from self service.

jardin

 

 

    

“The beauty of this garden would always reassure me,” she said. 

“Paris has a way of restoring your faith.” 

-Sofia Coppola on the Jardin du Luxembourg, New York Times

The gardens in Paris are really something else. As Sofia describes there is something so soothing and peaceful about being there as if all your problems suddenly drift away. Even with a grey cast over the sky and freezing temperatures I enjoyed just sitting in those perfect green chairs, eating a marron crepe with my cafe au lait in hand and thinking, maybe I have found somewhere else I could call home?

1. Jardin des Tuileries, 2. Jardin du Luxembourg, 3. Park essentials; Lanvin and Merci notebooks, Celine sunglasses and M&J by Vanessa Paradis, 4. Outside the Louvre, 5. Jardin des Tuileries, 6. A little parting gift from the Carven store (thanks Carven!), 7. Jardin du Palais Royal, 8. The Jardin du Carrousel‎, 9. Reading The Woman Destroyed by Simone de Beauvoir and Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin, 10. Jardins du château de Versailles.  All photographs by Rohan and I.

effortless

I just started my Bachelor of Fine Arts this week and am having the best time looking through course options and picking all my future electives. I remembered reading in The Gentlewoman about Gaia Repossi and her BFA majors, archaeology and anthropology and wishing I could do something like that. It's exciting to be able to study other subject areas and take up some very specific electives after three years of set timetables studying fashion business and graphic design.

While I was in Paris I came across the Repossi store in Place Vendôme and stood transfixed admiring those Berbère Rings in the window. Rohan wasn't familiar with Repossi and I had to tell him how she not only designs amazing jewellery and gives a great interview but also has the most incredible wardrobe. I think these photos from The Coveteur say it all. 

All photos from The Coveteur

acne

  

Interior mood no. 4

The new Acne Paris store in Le Marais was on my must visit list for shops. Located conveniently around the corner from Merci, the converted garage space has a industrial feel; exposed concrete, metal sheeting and dropped beam lights which are complemented by Acne's modern-scandanavian aesthetic.

The overall neutral colour scheme is accented with bright yellow perspex and soft pink marble (that staircase!) and upon entering the highly conceptual store you are greeted by recent Acne collaborator, Daniel Silver's, marble sculpture.
I visited a few Acne stores in my travels and this one was a clear favourite, even the flowers were colour relevant. Definitely worth a visit if you're ever in Paris.

Acne Studios
3 Rue de Froissart, Le Marais 3rd

All photos by me