The second I stepped into the dilapidated old opera house where Sasha Kanevski was holding what needs to be called a pre-show party, I couldn’t escape the feeling of having fallen through a rip in the space-time continuum that had thrown me straight back into my under-age trips to late 90s Berlin and its party scene.
The Gaïté Lyrique and its ARRRGH! fashionable monsters have found their master in the person of Jean-Paul Lespagnard. In the manner of another famous Jean-Paul who happens to be right around the corner – looking at you, JPG – Lespagnard turned out a collection that sounded like the crazy premises for one of those Nordic films we don’t understand but are completly gaga about. If you share a passion for maatjes, motorcross and fashion with Jean-Paul Lespagnard’s Fall 2013 woman, then you are in luck, as his beautifully embellished helmet is now up for grabs on his pop-up store, still up for the next 30 hours – and not a minute more. Pedal to the metal.
Masha Ma’s elegant snowdrifters are a perfect match for the weather in Kiev today.
And Fall 2013 is a wrap in Paris as Lie Sang Bong opens a new window on his creativity.
» Read my review on NOWFASHION
When I grow up, I want to live in Tsumori Chisato’s mind. There are lobsters. That’s how she lobster-rolls.
What would happen if Pina Bausch was put in charge of the script of The Ring, redux? A.F. Vandevorst’s Fall 2013, that’s what.
We may be the new resistance and have to fight for everything these days, if Kuho Jung is to be believed. But most dangerous is his fall 2013 shoe and its articulated sole. Resistance is futile.
Vampish and sharp, Roland Mouret’s woman of Fall 2013 is a Parisienne incarnate. But do we really love the primal colors of the animal print?
« It’s all about home » said Marc Jacobs to André Leon Talley in the last « Mondays with André » that I watched in the run-up to Paris Fashion Week. And if the sudden onslaught of luxurious loungewear cropping up everywhere is any indication, not to mention the epic Louis Vuitton « hotel » show, the zeitgeist is definitely to just go Home already! And that reminded me of the India Mahdavi book sitting on my coffee table since Christmas, begging for more attention.
Released early last winter in French and to be released in April in English, India Mahdavi’s latest tome « Home » (the French edition is co-written with Soline Delos) on interior embellishment will set things right for those who need a little bit of encouragement to experiment to turn a set of rooms into a home. Hers is a maximalist vision of the interior, where charming little objects become the stars of rooms rewritten along her Do’s and Don’t rules for anything from color to placement.
Witty, sharply observed, her advice is a great starter for anyone looking to dabble. Throughout the book, a few of Mahdavi’s time tested rules have been shared along with stunning visuals of projects that made her name a much sought-after addition to new developments in Paris. Now that Andrée Putman is no longer, Mahdavi is a contender for the title of queen of Parisian design. Of course, her Home will not appeal to everyone, as it hinges on visually intensive accumulations. As the pages go along, it’s easy to forget that many of the images feature pieces designed by Mahdavi herself, so diverse do they feel in their accumulation. These are eye-catching, sometimes creating beauty through clashes, even if they can feel at times a tad too much for daily perusal.
No…
- Lighted perfumed candles in the dining room, because they’re not going to match the delicious aromas of home cooking
- An ugly plastic bin in the kitchen. Pick a metal one to take as much care with the decor as with recycling.
Yes!
- A carpet in the kitchen to hide ugly tiles.
- Having heated towel racks, a wonderful must have for any season, not just winter.
Bursting with ideas, some of them going against the grain of what we’ve been told was the be-all and end-all of design (read: minimalism), the Anglo-Persian designer sing-songs through the house, sprinkling advice like condiment to liven up the blandest of interiors. The book ends with a curated list of places to shop around the world, opportunities to explore places to expand one’s collection… or start one, particularly if visiting her latest address at 19 rue Las Cases in Paris’ 7th arrondissement, aptly named « Petits Objets ».
Pick up: if you need to make the most of a « jolie laide » space.
Give up: if minimalism is your credo, or if you’re on a de-cluttering binge.
Home
, India Mahdavi & Soline Delos, French edition, Flammarion
Home Chic: Decorating with Style
, India Mahdavi & Soline Delos, English edition, Flammarion
, India Mahdavi & Soline Delos, French edition, FlammarionHome Chic: Decorating with Style
, India Mahdavi & Soline Delos, English edition, Flammarion
Un vernis à toute heure? Je dis OUI à Nailmatic (vu au Who’s Next en janvier)!
