Rochas 2010: In the Mood for Love

The new collection by Rochas is so beautifully nostalgic, yet so quirky, that I can't quite wrap my mind around it. Here are the elements that I love about the collection:

• Ladylike sheer blouses with vintage-inspired brassieres peeking through.
• Floral belt accessories.
• Adorable, summery boater hats.
• Bright brocade.
• Rich shades of mustard and spice.
• Retro cat-eye shades!

Here are the elements that kind of have me freaked out {i.e. would look horrible on me}

• Flat sandals with ankle socks...yikes.
• Straight, shapeless dresses -- not great for curves.
• Knit swimsuit/onesies?
• Baggy, potato sack pants...again, bad for curves.

What do you think of the collection, dear readers?? Does it remind you a bit of the lovely Chinese film "In the Mood for Love"? The ensembles have a very 1960's Hong Kong vibe...

:See more Rochas 2010 images here.

::I might have to snap up these Rochas sunnies on Ebay!

A War to Remember?

Until recently, I always found war re-enactors to be a bit...well, strange. They confounded my sense of living for the moment: why would you want to pretend to live through something horrible and traumatic from the past? After coming across artist Jim Naughten's moving portrait series of WWI and WWII re-enactors, I now feel I can relate a bit more sympathetically. These men and women step out of their daily lives to briefly become characters from a time long gone -- people who committed brave deeds and became a part of history in a tangible way. They give great attention to the details and nuances of costume and character. In a way, this is not so very different from what I do every day: it is the job of people who study and teach literature to keep the characters of the past alive. I guess I am more like a war re-enactor than I initially would have admitted!

And on the topic of fascinating characters {or real-life people with novel-worthy lives}, I was completely overwhelmed with pride and inspiration after watching the story of the WWII women fighter pilots {WASPS} on the national news last night. President Obama signed a bill to award them the gold medal of honor this week -- more than a decade after their service. It's about time!! I have officially decided that if I ever have a chance to participate in a WWII re-enactment, I will definitely be invoking the spirit of the classy, sassy dames from the U.S. Army Air Forces. See their amazing stories here.

The Blogger Manifesto Project.

Manifesto #2

Manifesting Darkness
By Seraph + Splendor / Chintz of Darkness

{Virgin with Corona by Odilon Redon 1898}

Ok, dear readers, we know that we are guests here so we will try to be on our best behavior. We will wipe our feet on the doormat upon arriving and turn off the lights when we leave. We will refrain from sharpening our claws on the sofa and promise not to root through Tara’s sock drawer or peak into her diary…With that stated, we must take up the glove and accept the challenge, which is to simply vindicate darkness itself…

We believe in darkness in all of its many forms. Darkness is to wear the cool night upon your skin, to shun the sunlight, to crave the illumination of the stars. It is to drown ones senses in languid pools of indulgence, to drift upon velvet seas and feel the sting of satin…

{Inferno by Franz von Stuck 1908}

Darkness is the language of crows and ghosts. It slithers through one’s mind whispering of forgotten realms and lords of old. One must listen for its eloquence in ice and stone and the rustle of wings, for darkness is fey and wild and belongs not to the land of now…

We enfold ourselves in shades of darkness and paint it upon our being. It is the shadow that accompanies us on our daily tasks. Darkness is the color that covers our walls and drapes our doorways. It is the obsidian stain that drenches our carpets and chairs in a swathe of inky blackness. It is an altar to decadence and a shrine to beauty…

{Death at the Ball by Felicien Rops 1875}

{The Derelict by John Pryde}

Above all, darkness is the taste of freedom, of turning way from society’s norms, to embark on the path less taken. Fear not the dark, dear ones, and take to heart the words of Albert Camus… “There is no sun without shadow, and it is essential to know the night.”

::I want to thank S+S for being kind enough {and brave enough} to tackle the first guest manifesto. I am so thrilled to finally get things underway, and what better way to start than with their unique blend of the dark, strange, and surreal!? If you would like to learn more about this project, you can read about it here and here. If you would like to participate, please don't hesitate to contact me. I look forward to the upcoming manifestos!

Spring Wishlist 2010: Better in the Nude

{click image for full details}.

I'm tired of denying it: spring is totally on my mind! I'm completely smitten with all variations of nude right now: pinky, peachy, beige-ish nudes. Here are a few items I wouldn't mind calling my own...

1. A fresh floral perfume-- the new Chloe fragrance is gorgeous!

2. A flowy dress that feels more like a nightgown.

3. A gorgeous nude leather satchel.

4. A wear-everywhere sandal -- soft, suede and strappy.

5. The perfect combination: black sequins and light pink chiffon.

6. A moody floral in a sexy tight pant.

7. A bright pinkish coral to make my lips pop.

8. A classic wedge with great buckle details.

9. The wear-everywhere tee: soft and slouchy.

What are your wishlist items for spring??

To-Do Lists: Works of Genius?

A detailed, color-illustrated packing list?? If I could draw worth a damn, I'm pretty sure this is the direction my obsessive list-making habit would be headed. For all of us who who understand the cathartic and relaxing effects of a good list, the new exhibit entitled"To Do" at The Archives of American Art in Washington is a revelation! Apparently we are in good company: Picasso is just one among a number of artists who were avid list-makers. Dare I say list-mania is a sign of brilliance? Despite the fact that some psychologists believe list-making is an illusory and pointless attempt to control our chaotic lives, I prefer to believe the words of the American abstract artist, Charles Green Shaw: "Real happiness consists in not what we actually accomplish, but what we think we accomplish {via}." I think I can accomplish a lot! Just let me live in this illusion for a while...

Blog it Forward: What Inspires Me?

French fashion bloggers! Pandora and The Cherry Blossom Girl use fashion as an expression of their love of history, art, and their beautiful city -- Paris.

It's time for the "Blog it Foward Mashup." This project was started by the talented San Francisco Girl by the Bay as a way for bloggers to share what inspires them. It's a bit like a chain letter for blogs, and today it's my turn. Check out the links at the end of this post to see who is coming up next...I'm pretty sure you'll be addicted {like I am!}. Or, you can find your favorite bloggers on the full schedule here.

Traveling to strange, out-of-the-way destinations. I've visited some bizarre places, like the Surrealist Folly Gardens in Xilitla, Mexico, and the desert art communes in Marfa, Texas, but there are so many unusual spots I'm dying to explore: the Absinthe Museum in New Orleans and the Seti satellites in Puerto Rico are at the top of my list.

Strong, eccentric women with a flare for the dramatic. Tilda Swinton is always unflinchingly original {left, dressed as the Marchessa Casati}, and Anais Nin lived a life more fascinating than even her books reveal.

Art, both new and old. The brilliant Hayv Kahraman is a recent discovery {left} and decadent artist Aubrey Beardsley is an obsession that will never fade...

Books that move, challenge, disgust, and inspire in equal parts... these are two books that changed my perception of literature forever.

Eating...and cooking: the ultimate creative act. It inspires and nourishes. Since discovering my love for cooking, I have come to realize that making food can be as fulfilling {and filling} as making art...corny but true. {Images via Canelle et Vanille}.

Vintage magazines and vintage advertising. I would wallpaper my apartment with vintage ads if I could! I think vintage ad designers are truly forgotten artistic geniuses...

What inspires you, dear readers??

And coming up in the Blog it Forward Mash-up:

• not your average ordinary 3/3 • occupation housewife 3/4 • oh hello! 3/5

• oh, hey great 3/8 • oh, mishka 3/9 • oh so beautiful paper 3/10

• old sweet song 3/11

A Beautiful Mourning.

A dose of mid-week mourning seems like a major downer now that I consider it. Oh well, I'm going with the theme anyway...

A short absence in the blog world seems like the equivalent of an entire year somehow, doesn't it? I've been so busy. I took on a freelance photo editing project last week for a book on medical forensics {a random assignment...not an area of expertise by any means}, and I had no time to pay attention to my beloved blog. I hope she {and you} will forgive me. Needless to say, I was up to my eyeballs in photos of decapitations, bullet wounds, and diseased organs. Yes, a bit yuck. But also fascinating. Needless to say, this got me thinking a lot about death: not in a depressing, teen-angsty kind of way, but in a morbidly romantic kind of way. And who was more morbidly romantic than the Victorians? I sort of wish we hadn't forgotten how to make death a beautiful ritual...

::Check out Chrissy Piper's lovely Victorian mourning photostream on flickr / Learn about Victorian mourning rituals here / Have a look around this fun site that features Victorian low-brow art and objects, including Memento Mori...more goodies for my curiosity cabinet!

Artist: Maissa Toulet

I recently discovered French artist Maissa Toulet's work, and I'm fascinated by her collections of trifles, reliquaries, and curiosities. Toulet assembles bits and pieces she finds in junk shops and antique fairs into mesmerizing displays. According to Toulet, placing these collections inside frames and in cases makes her feel free -- she needs the boundaries and limitations to express herself. The displays evoke a sense of the sacred, yet they also have an eerie quality about them, as if put together by a clever sorcerer with sinister intentions...

::If you live in Paris {or, lucky you, are going to be visiting}, you should check out Maissa's show at Gallery Marassa Trois, going on now until March 6.

P.S. These really inspire me to continue my quest to make my own cabinet of curiosities. I have collected a few things here and there over the years: stones, bones, feathers, strange little sculptures. Now I just need to figure out how to get my parents to part with one of their old glass apothecary cabinets!!!!

The Crisis Magazine

Just thought I'd share a bit about a new project we are starting at my other-other-other job at the Modernist Journals Project: we have begun digitizing early issues of The Crisis magazine, which was published in association with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People {starting in 1910}. The magazine was edited by the brilliant W.E.B. DuBois, author of the The Souls of Black Folk. Du Bois campaigned against racism, lynching, and segregation in the U.S., and the magazine takes up these topics, as well as addressing women's rights, democratic ideals, and fair access to education. For me, the visual elements are always as interesting {if not more} than the writing, so I thought I would share some of the early covers with you...the ones from the 20's are incredible, and you can really see the African/Egyptian influences on the art from that period. I'm looking forward to browsing some of the earlier issues, as well -- most of which have been hidden away in archives for decades!

::P.S. The Crisis Magazine is still being published today -- more than 100 years after it began! Check it out here.