We have just recently celebrated Nuit Blanche here in Toronto an all night festival of art and culture. The Nuit Blanche concept is not a new one as with cities all over the world from Tel Aviv to Lima having similar festivals, with one of the best being Paris.
There has been a lot of confusion over the origins of Nuit Blanche which literally translated means White Night, All-Nighter or Sleepless Night in French. Several cities have disputed the origins of the festival. St Petersburg being one of the world's most northerly cities features the celebrated natural phenomenon of long summer days broken only by a brief period of twilight from mid-May to mid-July, known as the white nights. Which in turn led to the annual celebrations known as the White Nights Festival.
Whatever the origins, long ago I had read of a different explanation (I forget where) of the term Nuit Blanche. After the Russian Revolution in 1917 there was a large influx of white Russian émigrés into the major capitals of Paris, and among these many members of the aristocracy, including numerous Grand dukes and Princes.
Invariably whether hell bent on hedonism or choosing to forget these, Grand Dukes and Princes would no doubt spend all night hitting the Paris hot spots squandering their fortunes and could be seen stumbling home the next morning impeccably attired in evening clothes as they couldn’t afford a taxi, and hence the term white night or Nuit Blanche.
There has been a lot of confusion over the origins of Nuit Blanche which literally translated means White Night, All-Nighter or Sleepless Night in French. Several cities have disputed the origins of the festival. St Petersburg being one of the world's most northerly cities features the celebrated natural phenomenon of long summer days broken only by a brief period of twilight from mid-May to mid-July, known as the white nights. Which in turn led to the annual celebrations known as the White Nights Festival.
Whatever the origins, long ago I had read of a different explanation (I forget where) of the term Nuit Blanche. After the Russian Revolution in 1917 there was a large influx of white Russian émigrés into the major capitals of Paris, and among these many members of the aristocracy, including numerous Grand dukes and Princes.
Invariably whether hell bent on hedonism or choosing to forget these, Grand Dukes and Princes would no doubt spend all night hitting the Paris hot spots squandering their fortunes and could be seen stumbling home the next morning impeccably attired in evening clothes as they couldn’t afford a taxi, and hence the term white night or Nuit Blanche.
So gentleman, now it is your turn to have a Nuit Blanche with savoir faire!First check into a white hotel such as The White Hotel in Brussels.
Or the ultimate the Carlton in Cannes!
Start the day off in casual white suits such as the examples below from Zegna or Cavalli.
In preparation for the evening ahead head off to the White Shirt Bar at Thomas Pink in London for the perfect white dinner shirt.
Take in a showing of the Great Gatsby with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. If anyone knew how to wear white it was these two. No wonder the movie was inspiration for a whole trend of twenties inspired fashion for men and women in the seventies as this is timeless elegance at its best and whitest!
Flower shopping for white flowers for yourself or loved one has never been easier when gardenias and tuberoses’ are around. Two of my favorites’!
No matter what white tuxedos only looked good on Sean Connery aka James bond, so steer clear of this one and go for the perfect white, classic dinner shirt and black dinner suit from Hardy Amies Bespoke.
Splash on Some White Suede courtesy of Tom Ford
Head off to the Establishment Hotel in Sydney for an aperitif 
Before dining at either one of three white choices.
Just around the corner from the Establishment is The Summit Restaurant in Sydney revolving 50 floors above ground level for the most spectacular views.
Or the Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires, for sophisticated elegance
Or the King George Hotel in Athens
No Nuit Blanche would be complete with out a bit of culture at the Sydney Opera House, whose iconic white sails have become a symbol of Sydney and Australia!
Or you can forsake all the above and hire your own white jet spend some time in white desert of Antarctica!
It is up to you!
Just around the corner from the Establishment is The Summit Restaurant in Sydney revolving 50 floors above ground level for the most spectacular views.
Or the Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires, for sophisticated elegance
Or the King George Hotel in Athens
No Nuit Blanche would be complete with out a bit of culture at the Sydney Opera House, whose iconic white sails have become a symbol of Sydney and Australia!
Or you can forsake all the above and hire your own white jet spend some time in white desert of Antarctica!
It is up to you!
I like the way you write...beautiful images...really savoir faire...
ReplyDeletegreetings from Germany
unfortunately i'm too pasty to wear much white myself. A white shirt I can sometimes pull off -haha.
ReplyDeleteYou won the giveaway on my blog, not sure how to reach you via email. If you could email me your address I'll get your Madame X book off to you in the mail!
Hi David, I did not know the meaning of the white nights, even that was a tradition as old ... is great, as your choice of white images, really delicious, well done! it's a great post!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! You can take the white desert, I'll take a white desert at the Carlton in Cannes!
ReplyDeletesensational post david! i'd never say no to nuit blanche with RR from TGG, gardenias wafting in the air, water lapping against the yachts at Cannes...ok that's enough!!
ReplyDeleteDesign Elements, thankyou for your comments and visiting my blog
ReplyDeleteJules, yep you have me there also!
Belle, I think i would rather the Carlton as well.
Elena, glad That you learned something new!