"But in its scale, and in its play with surprise elements, the Imperial Hotel is completely Japanese. Wright was apparently so struck by the smallest of Japanese things that he made everything in the Imperial Hotel tiny...There were little terraces and little courts, infinitely narrow passages suddenly opening into large two- or three-storey spaces;...And there were many different levels, both inside the rooms and outside the buildings, including connecting bridges between the two long, parallel wings of guest-rooms. Finally, Wright achieved something almost unheard of in hotel design: in this most standardized of all fields of cubicle architecture he succeeded in making almost every guest-room different from every other." 
Testament to Wright’s style and engineering the hotel remained virtually unscathed during the 1923 earthquake which destroyed most of Tokyo and Yokohama.
.jpg)
Unfortunately demolished in 1968 to make way for the new Imperial Hotel in 2005 the hotel in collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation opened a suite in his honour. The suite utilises original design motifs as well as replicas of his furniture. It is the world's only suite to combine the unique architectural plans of the Wright Hotel with interior designs created by Wright for private residencies during the same era. The hotel has also incorporated elements of Wright’s style throughout the hotel such as the magnificent entrance below.
Luckily the facade and pool were moved to The Museum Meiji Mura, a collection of buildings (mostly from the Meiji Era) in Inuyama, near Nagoya.
So for some architectural savoir faire this is the only way to go!
Her early designs featured hand painted art deco designs in bold colours that were in tune with period and very similar to Clarrice Cliff’s, she eventually moved on to create some of the most beautiful and contemporary designs of the 20th century in fine china, most notably for Wedgwood. Throughout her career her designs constantly changed to reflect the period. Designs evolved from the bold colours and designs of the 20’s to subtle surrealism of the 30’s to the soft florals of the 50’s , to the refined modern geometrics of the 60’s and 70’s.
Susie worked with Wedgwood through the 1960's and 70's during which time distinct patterns like "Carnaby Daisy," a bright harlequin set based on a simple daisy design, and the vibrant red "Cornpoppy" pattern were amongst her successes.
I love the Cornpoppy” design for its vivid use of colour on the white background. The almost singular motif is one of fluid simplicity, that pairs down the concept of the botanical print, and updates it in a modern form. her rendering of the poppy captures the spirit of the times perfectly. This is immediately at home with today’s design aesthetic. Just as iconic today as it was when it was first created in the 1970’s this is a true classic!
Courtesy of Fiona Campbell-Walter wearing Schiaparelli 1952. Those were the days!
If you cannot make it across the Atlantic, you can order on line.
First we can douse ourselves in Caron’s Royal Bain de Caron. Originally launched in the early 20’s as Royal Bain de Champagne, the story goes that it was created for a Californian millionaire who ordered it so that it could be used as a substitute for the real champagne that he liked to pour in his bath. This order which could have been motivated by the excessive strictures of Prohibition is so Gatsbyesque that it reeks of savoir faire. So, if you would like to relive a Fitzgeraldean moment, pour some in your bath! One source mentions that William Randolph Hearst is the millionaire in question and that it was meant to be used by "his wife" whatever that might mean concretely (Millicent Hearst or Marion Davies?).
If you want to indulge and celebrate in another way this Lollipop is the ultimate extravagance, for those who have everything. It is made by hand with genuine 24 carat Californian gold flakes and flavoured with…. You guessed it! Champagne!
Feeling creative?? The Champagne Chair Contest run by Design Within Reach in Washington DC is an annual event to make the best miniature chair using only the foil, label, cage and cork from no more than two Champagne bottles. Displayed in little plexiglass cubes, the champagne chairs display some pretty impressive craftsmanship.
" Fashion is what you adopt when you dont know who you are"
Earlier on I did a post on that wonderful arbiter of savoir faire, Paul Poiret, however where would Poiret be without Jacques Doucet. Doucet was practically a mentor to a young Poiret, and influenced him for the rest of his life, from his design aesthetic to what art he should purchase. Poiret had done ‘time’ with Doucet and remained a lifelong friend even after opening on his own.
Born in 1853, he was renowned for his elegant dresses of diaphanous, translucent materials in superimposing pastel colours. An enthusiastic collector of eighteenth-century furniture, objets d'art, paintings and sculptures, many of his gowns were strongly influenced by this opulent era. A designer of taste and discrimination, Doucet valued dignity and luxury above novelty and practicality and therefore gradually went out of popularity during the 1920s. By far his most original designs were those he created for actresses of the time. Cecile Sorel, Rejane and Sarah Bernhardt. All often wore his outfits, both on and off the stage.
Dubrujeaud Comode also owned by Doucet
Although in the 1920s he was aging and his couture house merged with another lesser firm, and eventually closed, he never lost touch with foreseeing the needs of the French luxury goods market.