Fashion, designers and I

Let’s be honest, I am a girl, probably a bit of a tomboy, but I am a girl ! So, yes, I do like fashion, clothing, makeup, hairdressers and jewels (well, mainly silver and not grandiose. I hate diamonds, by the way, if someone is ever interested into offer me an engagement ring !).

So, as for makeup or perfumes, my first introduction to fashion and clothing was my grandmothers, mother, aunts and older cousins. My grandmothers were from another century (early 20’s) and they were used to wear classic dresses, skirts and blouses. I seldom saw them in trousers apart from one when she was in the garden… But even gardening, she was wearing a blouse or a dress.

My mother was a bit of exception in clothing, because she didn’t care about getting fashionable clothing but she rose up in the 60’s and was wearing Mary QUANT’s kind of skirt. I have some photos of her wearing tiny skirts, short hairdo and high heels. She looked fantastic. She was quite fashionable without thinking about being it. One of my aunts loved colored clothing and was used to wear eccentric pieces, large hats, colored large skirts, etc. ; A bit of LACROIX in her choice, if you need to imagine her.

Accordingly, I’ve been a fashionable little girl, wearing lovely coats, sweet shoes, woolen scarves, eccentric dresses, and nice curly hair ! Moreover, one of my grandmothers had worked as a furrier in the early 30’s. Fur was a very important material at that time and she enjoyed creating coats and extras for people. Most of her family, both sides, were involved in clothing : furrier, tailor, designer, etc. So, it might be in my genes. Hence, my cousins and I love fashion.

One of my cousins is extremely gifted when it comes to sew a dress or mix the tendencies. She has her own style and she is trendy !

When I really got into fashion and clothing, I started to read any fashion magazine I could get at home and sketched a few dresses. The magazines I was reading were ELLE, L’Officiel, Vogue Paris and Jour de France (a very old magazine). I read and learnt. I did enjoy all the photos but some fashion designers were more attractive to me than others. The very first were Paul POIRET, Madame GRES, Madame CARVEN, Coco CHANEL and Yves SAINT LAURENT.

My own principle of fashion still goes to GRES and CARVEN and I am delighted to see CARVEN back to the top thanks to tremendous designer Guillaume HENRY.

I admire deeply those creators because they have a unique vision of the future and demand the best for women in general. Somehow, some pieces of clothing are not possible to wear but it is art, isn’t it ?

Years later, I’ve discovered Christian LACROIX creations and I was stunned. I am a woman in black type. I love this color (due to my admiration for Pierre SOULAGES ?) and I think this is elegant, classy and tiimeless. So, having a look at LACROIX’s clothing was a color stock. It was tremendously gorgeous. It was faultless and shimmering !

Then, came a brilliant and divine British citizen, Alexander Lee Mc QUEEN, from Central Saint Martin School (one of the most significant art school), who revolutionized the “fashion planet”. Well, basically, my fashion planet. I was again dazzled by such easiness of sketching, making dresses and his skills.

UK gave two more fashion designers I love : Christopher BAILEY and Christopher KANE. Those two stylists imposed fluid lines, elegant materials and a simplicity that capture my heart.

As well as France gave two more for the future of fashion : Guillaume HENRY, whom I worship, and Maxime SIMOENS, whom has been the It-designer lately.

As far as I’m concerned, and even though SIMOENS is extremely talented, I prefer the vision and the atmosphere of HENRY for CARVEN. I guess that the influence of Madame CARVEN might have been a help for him but he shall be the next YSL very soon. HENRY is just another “little Prince” in the fashion world. The more I watch his creations, the happier I am.

Talking about fashion without mentioning Coco CHANEL, Yves SAINT LAURENT and Christian DIOR (Monsieur DIOR) will be neither elegant nor truthful. They influenced and modernized the fashion and liberated woman’s body. Each of them imposed their views and their independence for women’s happiness. Without them, life would have been quite standardized and mind-numbing.

That is why I love fashion and sketching clothing. I like sewing my own creation and photographing them. Last thing I’ve done was for the June 2011 shooting about “Ode to Buster Keaton – Seven Chances” when I sewed four veils and a few weddings pieces. I really loved the time I spent on those veils (8 to 10 hours each). They were basic veils, but I was very proud to realize those without taking any classes. I learnt from aunts, books and my own ability to do so.

Apart from dreaming to be a forensic doctor when I was 10, I dreamt to be a fashion designer too. I am not but the admiration for fashion and clothing is still inside me. 

Fashion, Makeup, Lipstick and a new blog !

This paper won’t mean a damn thing to boys (or to a few, indeed), but whenever you talk about beauty, makeup and hair with a girl, you will understand what I mean here : obsession of beauty.

When you still are a little girl, thinking that “mom is the most gorgeous woman in the world” (or your aunt, your grandma, your older cousin, etc.), you just want to be alike. You need to borrow her high heels, her lipstick, her perfume (which is too perfumed for you !) and her creams. You just try out to look like her and you put lipstick, walk around like a princess with too large heels !

So, your very first experience of makeup is definitely a moment a girl remembers. I do.

My experience was with perfume and lipstick. My grandmother on my father’s side was used to put red lipstick every day. I admired her to be so classy with only lipstick on. She didn’t make up her eyes, her eyebrows, her cheeks, etc., only her lips. Her lipstick was from Rouge Baiser and it was a RED RED RED one. So classy, so distinguee, so feminine, so sexy !
On one simple afternoon, after a lunch with my grandfather, I put her lipstick on my lips and went to Junior High School. I was 13. Apart from my girls friends whom envied me (or giggled at me), I felt like a woman the whole afternoon. What I hadn’t imagined was the look from men. I am not talking about the pupils, but also from teachers and men in the street.

I noticed that a red lipstick drew attention the men on your face and their looks were full of envy. Amazing feeling when you are only 13 to experience envy and desire from men. Of course, my male mates were a bit dump and acted like stupid and laughed at me. It wasn’t that outrageous but I stopped wearing red lipstick the morning after. Anyhow, I kept on that way a few months later after a comment from a boy I fancied whom told me “you were so lovely with your red lips”. Until then, I didn’t stop putting make up in my face : mainly mascara, and lipstick.

And believe me or not, wearing a red lipstick is always a sign for men. Whatever you look like (model or not), put red lipstick on and you would experiment lovely looks and some nice comments !

Through the years, I had access to many brands and products and some became my true favorites. Here are the brands I love : Caudalie, Chanel, Rimmel, Marc Jacobs, Burberry & Mavala.

Caudalie has become recently my main source of creams (night & day) & cleaner. I was used to buy Nuxe, but the smell did change a bit and I could not bear it anymore.

Chanel still makes the best nail polishes for me along with Mavala (cheaper version !). My top of the tops from Chanel are : 505 (Particulière) and Black Satin ; Mavala’s : London, Las Vegas, New York  & Liverpool (amazingly, 2 of “my cities” ! ). I just noticed that 505 is also one of favorite songs (Arctic Monkeys)… I am glued to this number !

Chanel is great for lipsticks too and the Rouge Coco is one of my top priorities.

Rimmel is this British brand, quite famous having Kate Moss gracing the adverts. I love any product from them : mascara, eyeliners, powder, lipsticks, concealer, foundation (even though I don't wear one), etc. !

As for perfumes, I am a bit addictive to three  : “Burberry for men” – Burberry  (yes, I borrowed this bottle to my boyfriend !), “Kingdom’ – McQueen  & especially “Daisy” – Marc Jacobs.

My first perfume was the one my grandmothers used to put : “L’air du Temps” – Nina Ricci. My mother puts that too, but she prefers “Opium” – YSL. At 15, I was offered “First” – Van Cleef & Arpels. I kept that one for about 5 or 6 years and it was just delicious. Then, I discovered CK One – Calvin Klein (again, a boyfriend’s perfume) and decided to change. Now, I even can’t think of a single day without perfume and especially without “Daisy” or “Burberry for men”. Moreover the “Daisy” packaging is absolutely divine.

I must admit that I am not a total beauty freak. I don’t buy anything new and I don’t care about “updated” products, but I have my own and I am stuck with them. If I had to choose one product, it would be lipstick : a red one of course !

You can go out without mascara, concealer, foundation or blush, but not without a lipstick on. Whatever color the lipstick is, you look like beautiful with something on your lips. That is.

Here is a new blog about beauty : http://www.cosmeticshunter.com/ ; I know the blogger and did some shootings with her lately. She is overwhelming : stylish, bright, girlie & beautiful.

A little plus : whenever my lips hurt, I just put Carmex (an external analgesic for cold sores) on. Sometimes, it’s just Elizabeth Arden’s lip cream or a Rimmel Gloss.