The Quest for the Custo Grail

FRIENDLY grail :: Ben Watts // Big Up // No flashWhen in Barcelona, it is obligatory to at least attempt to buy something from Custo Barcelona. However, I have never been a fan, finding the clothing just too gaudy for my taste. I did wander into a couple of boutiques, but I found myself marching out fairly quickly each time. Until I got to the airport.

In a desperate effort to spend just a few more euros, and attracted by the colourful merchandising, I stepped into yet another boutique. There I finally found my Custo Grail: a little racer-back tank wildly printed in pink, orange, blue and green with a graffiti design, and entirely plastered over with clear sequins. It reminds me more of Gaudí’s work than any other souvenir I could find. It was about €45 (half the price they’d charge in Australia), and I bought it. So un-French* of me, n’est pas?

*Referring to Ines de la Fressange’s decree that one must forever repudiate sequins (see preceding post)

Boiled sweets :: Ben Watts // Big Up // No flashInsouciant blue :: Ben Watts // Big Up // No flash

Parisians Might Be Chic But Sequins Are Forever

Ines de la FressangeI’ve written a few stories about Parisian chic in the past as the subject rather intrigues me. I am not the only one: such search terms as ‘Parisiennes’, ‘French chic’ and ‘French elegance’ are popular, and they feature regularly in my website stats. So I was interested to pick up the ‘little red book’ as Ines de la Fressange herself dubs her Parisian Chic – A Style Guide, co-authored with Sophie Gachet. Ines de la Fressange is one of France’s icons of chic, a model and muse to Karl Lagerfeld, a consultant to Jean-Paul Gaultier and Roger Vivier, and a designer with decades of experience in the fashion industry.

The Look of the Book

I totally judge books by a cover, because that is usually what attracts me to pick it up in the first place. The cover, faux red leather embossed in gold, is immediately imbued with history, tradition and wisdom. (Leather-bound books are to be revered; one opens the bindings in wonder, ready to be spellbound by the fascinating engravings and funny old typefaces inside.)

This book is, rather, utterly fresh, like a summer breeze blowing from the south of France (Ines herself is from Saint-Tropez in the south). The pages are designed like a notebook, complete with grid paper, doodled drawings (Ines’s own), hand-writing, pins, sticky-notes and sticky-tape. The lovely photos by Benoît Peverelli are of her daughter Nine D’Urso, effortlessly modelling Parisian style.

Click on images for larger versions

The Words

Half the book is devoted to revealing the secret ingredients of Parisian style – the other half, where to purchase them (no trip to Paris planned in my near future, phooey!). The text is written in bite-size morsels, easy to digest and entertaining too.

In her introduction, Ines states:

You don’t need to be born in Paris to have Parisian style … Parisian style is an attitude, a state of mind. Between rocker and ho-hum bourgeois, a Parisian is always first, never second. A Parisian steps lightly around the fashion traps of the day. Her secret? She breathes the air du temps and puts it to good use, her way, and always with the same aim: fashion should be fun. The Parisian follows a few golden rules, but she likes to transgress, too. It’s part of her style …

 

Fashion Faux Pas

I particularly love Chapter 6, Fashion Faux Pas! I chuckled my way through most of this: Never wear a necklace and earrings at the same time – too much! The same goes for rings on every finger. As for accumulating bracelet(s) + ring(s) + watch + earrings + necklace: Non, non, non, non, non. Even at Christmas…; Thongs with ultra-low hipster jeans – one of fashion’s great mysteries; Nightgowns printed with favourite children’s characters – I have never met a man who was seduced by a Hello Kitty nightie!; etc.

How often have I seen young girls with rings on every finger (and probably bells on their toes) and could only sigh, shake my head, and hope they would have their fashion epiphany as I once did?

In a Nutshell

The most important lesson is that the chic Parisian woman’s wardrobe is made of basics gussied up with accessories. (I don’t think Ines uses the word ‘gussied’; that’s my Aussie coming out.)

There are seven important items every woman should have in her wardrobe, Ines declares: a blazer, a trench, a navy sweater, the tank, a little black dress, a leather jacket, and the perfect jeans.

I concur (although I refuse to wear a blazer because it reminds me of high school, nor do I at this moment happen to own a trench coat – although I am now considering hunting down a vintage one). But accessories: absolutely. You can make or break an outfit with accessories.

Basically, Parisian chic is a form of minimalism; the art of restraint. I agree on the whole, but I think there should be room for some fun on special occasions. As much as the author insists Parisian women like to break the rules and have fun with fashion, there is a pervading sense of uniformity; that fashion is really a serious business; and there seems not to be much room for eccentricity. Ines says we must resist such things as sequinned dresses and flouncy petticoats, the ‘Sirens of the fashion world’, but I must confess I find sequins almost irresistible myself. Perhaps that’s my flamboyant Slavic side?

If you want more, I recommend you buy your own copy. You can also click and watch a promotional video here. 

Love All

In celebration of the final night of the Australian Open, I bring you these highly impractical and light-hearted Thirties-inspired tennis outfits. They might not make you go faster on the court, but they sure do look good.

Torn from the pages of a vintage 90s Italian Vogue, I can see no photographer credited, or perhaps I have lost them when I trimmed the edges. I can only guess that it is Arthur Elgort, although a couple of those black and white shots put me in mind of Ellen von Unwerth. Both photographers are favourites of mine, so it’s a clear case of love all. 

Click on images for larger versions.

National Barbecue Day

I racked my brain for an idea for a story to celebrate Australia Day today. I googled ‘Australia Day’ and saw lots of horrible photos of people either draped in flags or bearing flag-painted faces. Not SNAP-like, I decided.

What do Aussies do on Australia Day? I asked myself. The answer was simple: they have a barbecue. I was in fact heading out to Frankie’s in Canterbury for a backyard cookout. In yesteryear we chucked a snag (a sausage) on the barbie; today we are more likely to be a little more fancy, a bit of marinated goat or ’roo (shrimp’s a bit dated) and maybe a veggie burger or two for the veggos.

But despite all our new-fangled culinary ways, I decided nothing would be more fitting than to pose for you vintage style with the good ol’ snag in a slice of white bread with tomato sauce – and a beer of course. (Note the Hills Hoist clothesline and Frankie’s Flymo lawnmower in the background.)

Hope you all had a lovely Australia Day, didn’t get sunburned and didn’t mix your drinks – because after all, it’s a school night.

Check out a couple more piccies in the Out-takes & Extras gallery.
* Many thanks to Lulue for taking the photos. 

The Good Luck Girl

Inspired by my vintage Chinese advertising poster of the Club Cosmetics girl, I bring you the Good Luck Girl. For how else to celebrate Chinese New Year than all decked out in red?

In the Chinese culture, red corresponds to fire, and symbolises good fortune and joy. And, according to Wikipedia, courage, loyalty, honour, success, passion, fertility and summer. No wonder brides traditionally wear red.

And in this Year of the Water Dragon, aptly my red jade bangle is carved with a dragon, goldfish and lotus blossoms. The ring is also red jade, carved with swirls and curlicues. My necklace is an oriental fan, carved from cinnabar, and my gloriously red paper umbrella was bought at last year’s Chinese New Year festival for just $2. The silk dress is an old favourite, by Pepe Jeans.

Good fortune and joy, from your favourite Good Luck Girl!