Ah, the French

This photograph taken at the Chanel couture show in Paris is a great example of American beauty in contrast with the French.  Leighton Meester and Clemence Poesy were both front row guests at Karl's show and to me Clemence captures the radiance, simplicity and self containment of French beauty.  She is dressed beautifully and simply in an elegant, feminine dress.  Make-up is minimal and her hair is au natural...I love this look!  On the other hand, her American counterpart looks overdone in every way...almost craving camera attention (which she probably is).
I admit I have always been a fan of Clemence Poesy. .I first noticed her in the movie"In Bruges" which I highly recommend.  In that film she was beautiful and natural with a dancer's grace.  She is always dressed simply but with an air of elegance. I love best that one can easily see that she is comfortable being herself....that is the essence of true beauty.

Miriam Haskell jewelry

In the heat and humidity of yesterday, I ventured out to the library and took out a beautiful book about Miriam Haskell and her jewelry company.  She founded the company in 1926 in NYC and it still exists today because it makes the finest costume jewelry.
Shortly after opening her company, Frank Hess, a window dresser from Macy's, joined her and provided the company with artistic flair...he was a great colorist!  Most credit Miriam with the business savy and Frank  with the creative talent.  Frank was a very private man who maintained tight control over his designs and work.  He showed up for work everyday in a top hat with a silver tipped cane (I would have hired him for that alone). He even approved the way that the employees dressed in the showroom....I guess Abercrombie & Fitch took note.
It was very interesting to read about the craft of jewelry making as well as how an excellent company survives during hard times such as World War II when they could not use metal.  Another designer for the company who made outstanding jewelry was Richard Clark.

I must admit that I am quite surprised at how large most of the pieces are..some might find them garish but some are truly beautiful.  The company produced an A line, B line and C line....rather like the stocking of  retail stores today.  As a jewelry company, it has a fascinating history and it also provides a great business model. Its legacy is that the best quality and adept business skills allows a company to produce a treasure trove of magnificent jewelry.  Miriam Haskell's health started to fail during the late 1940's and she sold  her company to her brother in 1950.
The large, opulent pieces the company was famous for seem to be having a resurgence today. Bib necklaces, multi-layered chains, bold bracelets, huge cocktail rings....they are all the rage today.  I wonder if in difficult financial times the sheer weight of jewelry makes one feel a tad more secure. Women in many cultures collected jewels as a way to measure their worth.  Chanel's motto was dress simply but wear lots of jewelry.  We all want to feel beautiful, secure and perhaps even regal.  In trying financial times...jewelry provides us with the power to transport ourselves on a magic carpet through the mundane.

An Introduction

I'm Lexi.  I've known Colleen for quite some time, but we've recently gotten connected again (thanks of course to the ever-growing internet community).  So, quickly, a little about myself:
Next fall I'll be attending SUNY Oswego as a French major.  The language is my everything, mon raison d'être.  Photography is my passion, and I shoot for bands, families, and myself.  I believe in really using our eyes to not only see, but to understand the world around us; allowing them to define what we like and don't like or how we interpret something.  This, I think, is the reason that fashion has become so appealing to me in the last year or so.  Fabrics, detailing, and most importantly the coexistence of pieces of clothing tells a person's story.  It can be so much more.

Lexi

I've invited a young friend to help me with my blog.  Lexi and I met years ago and we share a love of fashion, France, fabric, art, music and poetry.  She is sensitive, insightful and artistic and I think she will bring a dynamic perspective to our blog.  Lexi is Springtime and I'm Autumn.

My Ideal Summer Outfit

my summer dress.... by Colleen Geary featuring Alexander McQueen dresses

Flower Hmong

Who could be born more fashionable than Flower Hmong babies. In this Vietnamese culture, babies are decorated in beautiful, embroidered garments to be disguised as flowers. They believe that the disguise will keep evil spirits away and that the wearing of hats will prevents one spirit from being distracted and leaving the body. A beautiful book about this culture is "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" which details the life of an epileptic Hmong girl and her family whose culture clashes with that of California.
Hmong women are the best embroiderers in the world and will often being sought by suitors for their sewing skills..highly prized in their culture. Their word for baby is also used for flower...what could be more beautiful than flowers and babies. All cultures love babies but how magical is it to live in a culture that decorates babies as flowers with hours of needlework and love.