America's Couturier

American fashion can sometimes be a bit of a conundrum. Always caught between the casual and chic and elegant, nothing really defines it like the glamour that is Paris or the style that is London.

There have really been few great American designers who have reached the lofty heights of sheer drop dead glamour. Mainbocher, James and Halston are up there, and so is Norman Norell. Now the name on people’s lips since First Lady Michelle Obama wore vintage Norell to a Washington Christmas Party in 2010, Norell is hot! Her choice is proving that great American fashion can be timeless.

Somewhat forgotten since his death in 1972, this in itself is telling in the negligence that coincides with the decline of the fashion industry in America. Known for his pret a porter which bordered on couture, Norell bought quality, taste and sophistication to a public that were yearning for this sort of cachet.

Receiving his initial training in New York at Parsons, he continued a strong relationship with the school right up until his death serving on the school’s advisory board and the Board of Trustees.

Norell was a central figure in the development of the American fashion industry from the 1940s through the early 1970s. His simple but stylish clothing was lauded for its glamour, timelessness, and high-quality construction. Considered the first American fashion designer to compete successfully with French couturiers a niche was carved out for the client who wanted to be dressed in the height of fashion.

Gaining prominence during WWII because of the lack of communication that was available between France and America at the time, magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar began to feature more American designers and Norell was one of them.

Norell's aesthetic is known for its precision tailoring, simplicity, and elegant femininity. . Innovative techniques and designs associated with him include the “Mermaid Dress”, a formfitting sequined evening sheath; evening and feminine variations on the pea coat; blouses and dresses with floppy bows tied under the chin, jeweled or contrasting buttons that added punch to an otherwise impeccably restrained ensemble; warm and rich looking fur and coat weight wool pants.

His “Subway Coat” which from the outside looked like a well cut conservative wool overcoat but when opened revealed a glorious sequined lining, perfect for riding on the subway en-route to a cocktail party or nightclub.

The designer’s talent was recognized in 1943 when he received the first Coty American Fashion Critics Award ever presented. He was to be awarded four more such awards, and in 1956, he was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame.

America, needs more designers like this.

Chez Dior

Recently as Savoir Faire followers will recall I featured the country retreat of the famed couturier Christian Dior. The mill which Dior had renovated was an exerecise in country living at its most refined and simplicity.

In stark contrast to this idyllic country retreat, Dior’s Paris apartment was an essay in high Napoleonic style and Parisian chic.

As Dior’s success gained momentum in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Dior had two friends decorate his Paris apartment in a style that was befitting his new status amongst Paris’ elite.

Georges Geffroy did the “public” rooms where Dior would hold receptions and dinners, while his other friend Victor H. Grandpierre did his private rooms.
One aspect of these rooms that strikes us is that they are virtually timeless in their appeal and execution. Today the colour pallet might be on a more muted tone, however I could see many designers using these rooms as a basis for designs today.

Watermelon Cocktails at Schiaparelli

If you thought watermelon was only a fruit and are bemoaning the fact that summer is nearly over and that you will not be able to enjoy this luscious fruit until next year, well think again! Have some longing glances at these wonderful “watermelon” stones from Schiaparelli.

“Watermelon” rhinestones are multi-hued rhinestone called 'watermelon' because the stones resemble the natural watermelon tourmaline. Green around the edges and bright pink at the center.

Schiaparelli along with her arch nemesis Chanel promoted the use of cocktail jewellery also known as costume jewellery. Production of fine estate style jewellery was halted in the Second World War and America became the leader in designing attractive costume jewellery pieces using advanced technical methods of production making a market that was dynamic, inventive and affordable.

Whereas Chanel’s style harked back to baroque splendour imitating real jewellery (perhaps due to insecurity re her humble beginnings), Schiaparelli’s style reflected her aristocratic background and her never ending quest for the avant-garde and new.

Watermelon stones were among the most recognised and favoured of Schiaparelli’s jewellery. Set in anything from antique silver plate scrolls to rococo gold, these pieces are bold and showy, complimenting her signature shocking pink perfectly. Reflecting light like the colour of rainbows or opals the settings showcased these fakes wonderfully!

Watermelon has never looked so good!

150 Grams of Happiness!

No I am not talking something illegal here but of Leonard!

“Cut out a square of silk, a big square, a metre thirty by a metre thirty. On the silk, place an orchid, pose it. Draw it, paint it, recreate the precise graduation of colours, the blush on the bloom. There are over thirty shades in your work, requiring over thirty passes through the printing press. You can pose a wave in the same way, or a fish, whatever your dreams of the Far-East inspire. The only condition is that it should be beautiful, that the composition holds. Nothing weak, nothing insipid; you are Leonard.

Unfurl the square; float the silk, fluttering and weightless, sending ripples through the image, the colours. Some bright, some darker, like life. Within the square, or two if necessary, outline a dress, a blouse, trousers, a tie... Or choose not to; outline nothing, let the square exist simply as a scarf. Adorn this printed silk with the body of a woman: that's Leonard.”

The story of Leonard stretches back half a century and follows closely the trajectory of Pucci. Conceived in the same era and worn by the same members of the jet-set, Leonard quietly steers a course through fashion and style without the hype that has surrounded Pucci in the last couple of years.

Although similar in style and look Pucci is full of the abstract while Leonard concentrated on floral and romantic with a touch of orientalism thrown in. If one were to look at a Leonard dress without looking at the label, without hesitation one would assume they were Pucci.

However one has to fine tune one’s eye to notice the differences. Their exuberant prints with Asian inspired floral motifs are a lot more refined than Pucci. . A signature style of weightless silk and colorful prints has become the foundation of the house, with their first caption being, “150 grams of happiness”

Their silks being so divine they were the first non-Japanese house to create a collection of Kimonos for the Japanese market in over 2000 years.

Under the artistic direction of Veronique Leroy, Belgian fashion designer the Asian influence is still strong for this season, however there is a new sensuality with prints that are more abstract and graphic than romantic. This collection seems poised to propel Leonard into a next generation of wearers. Designs have an entirely new character and attitude that is oozing modernity, with references to past collections. The traditional printed orchids and peonies have now been mixed with printed python's skin in geometrical forms, to bring a charismatic side to femininity, not seen for a long time.

“And Leonard is also a family. My two daughters, Nathalie and Virginie, work by my side, along with a dedicated team, all of us together enshrining the creative past and future of our House, artists, painters, stylists, seamstresses... We may be long-established, but we have young talent, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than discovering new treasures created by our novices.

Except perhaps one thing, which gives me even greater pleasure: in the course of an evening, on the street, on the beach, to see Leonard silk worn elegantly by an attractive woman, to see the Leonard orchid, fuchsia, lavender, lemon, golds, mauves and greens alive in a subtle harmony of movement. Subtle and light, as life should be. As it is, with Leonard.”
Daniel Tribouillard, President and Founder.

Medusa a la Shrimpton

The great jean Shrimpton as Medusa! Just because!

Hooked on Hicks in Paris

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of David Hicks. As most of you know there has seen a resurgence in the Hicks style, and his electric colours and bold interiors are making a comeback. The revival in part can be attributed to Christophe Aboville the brand’s artistic director.

The David Hicks France boutique opened in 1973 on Rue de Tourmon, just across the street from the first Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche boutique. Recently (well in 2010) the boutique underwent a renovation. Gone was the fashionable neutral palette of the safe 90’s, to be replaced with the David Hicks' signature hot pink, bright orange and brilliant red colorations. The boutique’s interior, coming straight from the psychedelic combines colors, geometric shapes, antique furniture and contemporary style. Chic while different from the conformist standards the Hicks style reigns supreme.

Thanks to Aboville, the David Hicks line of carpeting, wallpaper, furniture and objects are lovingly edited and recreated, from the original and are now available at the boutique.

A recent commission in Paris is the below apartment. It's unusual to see this amount of color in a Boulevard Haussmann apartment, which is most often a study in muted tones, however it works brilliantly.

”My greatest contribution as an interior designer has been to show people how to use bold color mixtures, how to use patterned carpets, how to light rooms and how to mix old with new,” –David Hicks on Living — with Taste (1968)

Byzantine Chic at the Airport

Turkish airlines recently unveiled their new First Class/Business class lounge at Istanbul’s International Airport. Sometimes one shudders at the banality of airports and airport lounges around the world. Very few airlines get it right and passengers are met with bland lounges that cannot escape the fact that one is in an airport waiting for the departure of a flight.

Given Turkey’s rich artistic heritage the airline has hit the nail on the head, in a lounge that just oozes an ambience of Byzantine Chic, with a 21st century jet set edge. The airline has used curved arches which reflect Turkey’s Ottoman roots and heritage to give a modern and fresh take on travel and to alleviate the boredom one associates with waiting in an airport.

What is truly remarkable is the atmosphere created by the juxtaposition of startlingly modern architectural elements with the appearance of classical dome representing thousands of years of culture in the Ottoman Empire. The illusion of depth created by the use of mirrors makes the new lounge incredibly light and spacious. As a result of this superb architectural solution the lounge offers at once a quiet oasis for those who want to rest, a fashionable restaurant for those who want to enjoy the pleasure of eating and drinking, and a tranquil cafe with soft piano music for those who want to read a good book.

The lounge which features a 150-year old olive tree is able to accommodate 2,000 passengers per day. The lounge is divided into several sections, among which are a billiard hall and library, a TV wall, business centre, and a play room for children. The lounge also includes private relaxation rooms, showers with special toiletry kits, and a private infant room.

Now I cannot afford to travel at the pointy end of the plane so I cannot see myself ever gracing the threshold of this wonderful lounge. The only thing that mars this for me is picturing the actual business class traveler occupying this space. Whenever I am trudging my way to the back of the plane or exiting, the business class cabin always seems to be occupied by the less than glamorous. On exit the business class cabin always looks as if a bomb has hit it. Will they appreciate this fabulous interior and all its services?