Tuesday 23 October 2012

Let Life Unfold

I would love to just write every day but keeping this blog advertising free and remaining editorially independent requires my own financial investment.  Without wanting to sound like Jerry Maguire, this could be possible if all of you who visit this blog would contribute with the suggested donation. 



Mary Katrantzou and Etro, Spring/Summer 2013
The power of metamorphosis symbolised by the butterfly on the catwalk.
Mary Katrantzou and Etro, Spring/Summer 2013 (photos: edited from vogue.it)


But this is not the case and London is a very expensive city to live so with my redundancy money long gone and my savings running out, I have joined the 'savvy Londoners' holding down more than one job.

Challenging times unearth creative solutions and many of us cannot give up striving for what we love, even if it means getting another job to pay the bills.  The only people in the world who still believe you can only do what you have done before are recruiters, so I went back to luxury retail as opportunities in media are very difficult to get. 



Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton by Tim Walker for British Vogue 2008
Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton by Tim Walker for British Vogue 2008
(photo: timwalkerphotography.com)


The point is, it won't be possible to update my blog as much as before but I will definitely continue to write, so please keep coming back! And now, let's catch up with what has been happening in fashion. There is a great exhibition at Somerset House featuring the amazing work of Tim Walker.

"Sometimes when you're taking a picture an extraordinary sense of luck and chance takes over and propels you to make pictures that you couldn't in your wildest dreams have imagined. This is the magic of photography." Tim Walker



Tim Walker for Harpers Bazaar, 2009
Tim Walker for Harpers Bazaar, 2009
(photo: timwalkerphotography.com)


His pictures take us on a fantasy realm inhabited by wonderfully weird characters, never easy to read but always inspiring. Tim Walker is indeed a story teller and his unique viewpoint brings back to memory a distant naivety full of childhood dreams.




Charlotte Casiraghi at the opening of The Art of Cartier
Charlotte Casiraghi at the opening of The Art of Cartier
(photo: image.net)


If you love jewellery and will be in Spain in the foreseeable future, Cartier is exhibiting a wide range of historic pieces, from the early 20th century to Art Deco and one-off commissions for iconic women such as Grace Kelly and Coco Chanel at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.  

Online, it's worth watching Lady Dior web documentaries with Marion Cotillard embodying beautifully French Couture. The days of theatrical shows and visually daring clothes are gone and with the new tailoring direction by Raf Simmons Dior focuses also on its unique heritage.





    

"When like me one reaches the age of 50, one feels the onset of middle-age and one begins to feel a bit old hat. I am referring here to one's outward form because inside I don't feel like that at all. I am beginning my collection with the same enthusiasm I would have had if it was the first." Christian Dior

Fashion continues to seduce many designers such as Annelie Augustin and Odély Teboul. They definitely gave a step in the right direction after wining the Dorchester Collection Fashion prize with their label, Augustin Teboul. They were presented with €30,000 along with an engraved Baccarat crystal trophy.




Augustin Teboul
Augustin Teboul


I leave you with another follow-up on a previous blog post about James Bond, one of your top ten. If you enjoyed the fantastic exhibition at the Barbican, you will definitely treasure the book about the most famous detective in the world published by Taschen - The James Bond Archives

When circumstances push us to the edge, it's important to be like 007 and always come up with a new trick up one's sleeve. The power of metamorphosis  symbolised by the butterfly means that we can always adjust and let life unfold.



The James Bond Archives published by Taschen



Other related blog posts: 
Fashion Prize Cocktails
Designing 007 - Bond Style
Dior Couture by Demarchelier