A beautiful jacket

Today I have found another outfit of Christy Turlington that I have immediately appreciated because it is very refined. I find this jacket wonderful! In general black trousers, a white top and a sophisticated jacket are a simple but effective solution for many occasions.
 

Christy Turlington at the Vanity Fair party during the 9th Annual Tribeca Film Festival 

at the New York Supreme Court in New York City, NY, April 20, 2010.

Source of the photo: Zimbio

The camel color is back

A revival of the camel coat was seen worn by the trend-setter guests of the latest fashion shows of February and March, so the camel coat  will undoubtedly rule the next seasons. For long time Carla Bruni has been wearing the beige as one of the few and rare variations from her usual black, grey and blue. Queen Rania of Jordan, fond of fashion and of the latest trends, has worn a camel overcoat on this week, during the promotion of her children's book "The Sandwich Swap" (a picture book based on her childhood experiences). Very nice the combining with the brown&white bag and with the blue shirt.

Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan goes to visit 
the "Good Morning America" studios
in New York., April 27, 2010.

Source of the photo: Zimbio

Grey once again

An other sighting of a grey outfit during this spring. After Caroline of Monaco, Gwyneth Paltrow also wore something grey: a sheath dress of the S/S 2010 collection of Victoria Beckham. She looks very nice because this sheath dress is close-fitting (it gives her a sinuous shape) and because this delicate grey is perfect for her blond hair.

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow poses during 
Paramount Pictures & Marvel Entertainment's 'Iron Man 2' photo call 
held at the Four Seasons Hotel on April 23, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

Victoria Beckham Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

Source of the photo: Zimbio, Style.it

Yellow, black and asymmetry

I like this look of Christy Turlington in a yellow and black asymmetric dress and with a minimal makeup.

Model Christy Turlington attends Heineken's Nice Guy Johnny premiere after-party 

during Tribeca Film Festival at City Hall Restaurant on April 23, 2010 in New York City.

Source of the photo: Zimbio

A bit of grey in spring is eternally in fashion

During her latest public going out, Princess Caroline showed her usual elegance in a grey dress and in a necklace with coordinated stones. So simply elegant!

Princess Caroline of Hanover visits the 43e Concours International de Bouquets 
and the 13th Reveries sur les Jardins Show at the Casino Terraces 
on April 24, 2010 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.

Source of the photo: Zimbio

How may I dress for this summer?

Having a look at the catwalks of this Spring/Summer 2010, which inspirations might we find out? Let's see! The brands are relative, what really matters is the essence behind those creations.

Très chic in the city       

Alviero Martini


Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti

 Comfortable during a travel


Alviero Martini

Businesswoman


Blugirl


Alviero Martini


Alviero Martini

Romantic girl


Blugirl


Blugirl

Bon ton girl


Blugirl



Blugirl

 The classic dilemma: sea or countryside?


Stella McCartney

 A Midsummer Night's Dream


Alviero Martini

Source of the photo: Elle.it 

Some considerations about elegance and style

Fashion changes, style remains. 
Coco Chanel

The neologism "fashion victim", term coined by Oscar de la Renta, identifies persons who are unable to recognize the common boundaries of style. These persons are victims of faddishness and materialism, two of the widely well-known excesses of the fashion system. According to Versace, a woman becomes a fashion victim when she alters her look too much from season to season. On the contrary, there is the dressy woman, who has a basic wardrobe periodically integrated with some new items. An elegant lady knows what suits to her, has a personal elegance and doesn't change style with a new season, at most completes it with some fashion details. This woman distinguishes herself not for what she wears, but for her charm. Nevertheless style and elegance don't reside only in the clothes. An authentic lady has a gentle or even aristocratic bearing and is gifted of a good politeness.

From my point of view this kind of woman follows for sure some bon-ton rules, like:

• General

She always takes care of her personal hygiene in all its aspects. Concerning the bearing, she keeps the back straight and, once seated, maintains the legs always closed and never crossed-legged wearing a skirt (and wearing the trousers too). She perfectly uses fork and knife during the meals (also when she eats alone) and doesn't speak loudly. She avoids excesses and ostentation, which go against the universal rules of style.

French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy poses during UK State Visit 
in London on March 26, 2008. She has no crossed-legged. 

• Make-up

The make-up should not change too much a face and, once removed, a woman should recognize herself and appreciates also her natural version. Carla Bruni says that women over 25, 28 at the latest, should stop wearing make-up because it ages them. In general a good make-up embellishes an average beauty, but reduces the level of a wonderful beauty, which is more emphasized by the absence of  it Concerning the hair, she doesn't dye her hair with a colour farther than 2 or 3 tones, because she respects her natural appearance.

Model Natalia Vodianova attends Etam Spring/Summer 2010 Collection Launch 
  by Natalia Vodianova at Hotel Ritz on January 25, 2010 in Paris, France. 
She doesn't like to use too much make-up out of the catwalks and so her beauty results emphasized.

• Jewellery

Not everything at the same time. Gold, pearls, diamonds, not all together. Only one big jewel at a time.

• Neckline and heel

No necklines below bra line during the day. Only for few special occasions in the evening or at the beach. Only medium or low heel during the day.

• Accessorizes

They are necessary to personalize a style, but watch out the gaudy ones. No visible brand name (bag, foulard, shoes, jewels); the ostentation is boor.

The elegance is boring, never garish nor loud. If I am attracted by something too much garish, I ask to my self what my mother, my grandmother (this kind of ladies are always rarer!) and my few style-icons would think about that. Would they look at me disgusted or would they appreciate? And it works!


Sources of the photos: Getty Images, Zimbio

Don't use the straw bag in summer

Munich (Germany) is for sure a very elegant city, this should be said. Walking through its streets, I observed the latest common tendencies for this spring among the stylish girls. That's a kind of trendy uniform which can be summarized in this way:

- Beige or cream trench;
- Longchamp bag Le Pliage: shoulder bag for the free time, handbag for the office;
- Tiffany bracelet and pendant of the collection Return to Tiffany.
This basic outfit is usually completed with denim and moccasins or with leggings and flats shoes. Very cool, I love this look!

But that's not all! I have seen many straw bags strictly used no later than March together with (camel) coats... too banal to use them in summer! This last particular is too fashion and so snob!

Beige trench (Aquascutum)
 

Cream trench (Herno)


Longchamp Le Pliage handbag


Heart tag charm bracelet, Return to Tiffany


Heart tag pendant, Return to Tiffany


Straw bag (Dolce & Gabbana)


Straw bag (Chanel)

Source of the photos: Leiweb

Gwyneth Paltrow wrote me an email

It has been very relaxing spending the last part of this Sunday an email from Gwyneth Paltrow. In fact some days ago I signed up on her website (goop.com) for the weekly newsletter. The philosophy behind this initiative is to give cues of reflection to nourish the own inner aspect. Gwyneth shares recipes, personal travel notes, advices that she gets and follows, etc.

The categories in which the subjects of the newsletters are divided are the following:

MAKE
In this section there are nice food recipes (the most of them written and sometimes on videos).
GO

In general the places she visited. For the moment she has talked about Nashwille, London, Marrakesh, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Paris, New York and her favourite restaurants all over the world.

GET
It's mainly about fashion, but not only. She tests new outfits and shares some fashion tips.
DO
Various themes, mainly sport, fitness, health, beauty and meditation.
BE
This section might be defined the most psychological one, dealing about various topics, e.g. friendship, family, relationship, addictions.
SEE

This section is very dynamic, ranging from books to websites, from movies to current exhibitions.

The email of this week talks about wine and it belongs to the GET section. The first part is a short introduction that always ends with the standard formula "Love, Gwyneth" (the signature is handwritten). The second part is the more detailed one; in this case it contains interviews to people involved in the wine sector.
After having read some of her articles, I have understood that she has a lot of interests and hobbies that she cultivates with passion and enthusiasm. I think this is a good model: being curious and being eclectic make days richer.

Gwyneth Paltrow leaves Cipriani restaurant in London, March 11, 2009.

Princess Rosario of Bulgaria and Gwyneth Paltrow attend the Frieze Art Fair
private view at Regent's Park in London, October 15, 2009.

Sources of the photos: Zimbio, Noblesse & Royauté

Rouge Coco, the colours of a legend

The lipstick is the female makeup par excellence and indeed it is my favourite one. I have got completely hooked on the special names of the new Chanel lipstick, Rouge Coco, and they have really caught my curiosity. They have legendary names, as special as the colours they indicate, related to the life of Mademoiselle Chanel and else.
Where do these names come from?

I - BEIGES

Perlé
Her emblematic jewel: long strings of pearls over a little black dress.
Secret
The secret world that each woman has.
Égérie
Egeria was a water nymph in Roman mythology. Here it refers to her personality, smitten with freedom and modernity, during a turbolent era.
La Pausa
Her villa La Pausa in Roquebrune on the French Riviera, facing the sea in the midst of a iris garden.
Beige Félin
Beige is the colour of the first jersey tailleurs, symbol of a new elegance.
Cashmere
The soft and light knit of everyday sweaters and cardigans.
Téhèran
The capital of Iran, lively like the bohemian spirit.
Sari Doré
The sari is the traditional female garment used in India, usually with garish colours.

Coco Chanel with her loved pearls and black dress.

Roquebrune, French Riviera

II - PINKS
Mademoiselle

Her nickname used in the lounges of Rue Cambon.

Légende

Her extraordinary life, with a style that invented new codes of femininity.

Satin

Satin originated in the Middle Ages as a term for the more lustrous types of the heavy and luxurious silk fabric. The name satin came from the Chinese port where Middle-Eastern traders obtained it, Zaitun (now Quanzhou) in Fujian province.

Cambon

The historic building of the House of Chanel, located at 31 Rue Cambon.

Muse

She was the muse of princes, poets and of a cosmopolitan Paris of the Roaring Twenties.

Taffetas rose
The radiance of a precious fabric on a skirt suit with pure lines.
Organdi Rose

An airy and romantic fabric in the day or precious silk of an evening gown.

Rose Comète
It refers to the Comète jewelery line based on diamonds.
Ruban Rose

Eternally fresh ribbons sewn onto a prim and proper dress, interlaced in the chain of a belt or tied into a bow on satin shoes.

Camélia

Her favorite flower, the emblem of a spontaneous femininity without frills.

Orchidée
Ornament used in the lounges of Rue Cambon.
Gardénia

An imaginary creation, an intense floral fragrance launched in 1925.

Rouge Orange

An intense darkened pink, dynamic and full of fantasy.

Camellia
 

Orchid

Gardenia

III - REDS
Gabrielle
Her first name.
Ballet Russe
Supporter of the arts, she admired and aided the work of Diaghilev.
Rivoli

Steps away from the Cambon lounges, Rue the Rivoli incarnates the eternal and lively Paris.

Vendôme

Famous Parisian square where Chanel is located at No. 18, among the most illustrious jewelers.

Paris

The capital of elegant women and the birthplace of Haute Couture.

Bel Respiro

Her home in Garches (a commune in the western suburbs of Paris), meeting place of the Grand Duke Dmitri, Cocteau and Stravinsky.

Byzantin

The byzantin art inspired her costume jewelry collections, uniting Byzantine crosses, baroque pearls and fine stones, such as amethyst, citrine or garnet.

Rouge Noir

A colour that takes inspiration from the Gothic. An intense darkened plum, the rigor on an inimitable classic.

Talisman

Her favorite ring. A sentimental gift in gold and topaz that never left her.

Lune Rousse

It's an astronomical phenomenon, during a lunar eclipse, for which the moon appears red. A coppery darkened brown, a perfect harmony of warm tones.

Rue the Rivoli, Paris

IV - BROWNS
Bois des Îles
Her first woody feminine fragrance, created at the height of the Art Deco movement.
Venise
Her favourite city, thanks to its soul, mysteries, Byzantine treasures and intangible colours.
Baroque

The decoration of her apartment: a mixture of crystal, gilding, Chinese folding screens and a thousand treasures.

Sycomore
A woody fragrance, a luxurious vetiver subtly strewn with spices.

Venice
 

Sycamore Maple leaves

Souces of the photos: DonnaModerna, Getty Images, Wikipedia

Fendi and Stella McCartney in Milan

Yesterday there were two interesting events in Milan, Italy, in occasion of the event Salone del Mobile, one of the biggest exhibition of design in the world. One of these events was for the project "Design Vertigo" in collaboration with Fendi and Design Miami. The other one was the Stella McCartney flagship store opening party followed by the Stella McCartney And Established & Sons Dinner.
 

• Fendi And Design Miami's ''Design Vertigo''

Director of Design Miami Ambra Medda and socialite Matilde Borromeo attend 
 Fendi And Design Miami's ''Design Vertigo'' at Spazio Fendi on April 14, 2010 in Milan, Italy.

Brown moccasins, green jacket, jeans, light make-up and natural hair... Matilde's style is close to the Agnelli-Elkann-Borromeo style, a very simple (apparently) look but well-groomed on the whole.

Matilde Borromeo attends Fendi And Design Miami's ''Design Vertigo'' 
at Spazio Fendi on April 14, 2010 in Milan, Italy.

Ambra Medda, co-organizer of the event, shows, as usual, a personal and topical look at the same time.

Ambra Medda attends Fendi And Design Miami's ''Design Vertigo'' 
at Spazio Fendi on April 14, 2010 in Milan, Italy.

• Stella McCartney flagship store opening party

Isabella Borromeo, Stella McCartney and Matilde Borromeo attend 
the Stella McCartney flagship store opening party on April 14, 2010 in Milan, Italy.


View of the Stella McCartney shop in Milan.


The editor in chief of Vogue Italia Franca Sozzani and Stella McCartney attend  
the Stella McCartney And Established & Sons Dinner on April 14, 2010 in Milan, Italy.


Ambra Medda attends the Stella McCartney And Established & Sons Dinner 
on April 14, 2010 in Milan, Italy.

General atmosphere during the Stella McCartney And Established & Sons Dinner.

Source of the photos: Getty Images

Spending a day in Paris like Miss Dior Chérie

Every time I see the advertisement of the perfume Miss Dior Chérie, I am at once in a good mood. Here you are some information about the locations of this spot, shot in Paris by Sofia Coppola, with the Belorussian model Maryna Linchuk and with the song "Moi, Je Joue" of Brigitte Bardot as background melody.

Model Maryna Linchuk interprets Miss Dior Chérie.


The director of the spot, Sofia Coppola, during the shooting.

Miss Dior Chérie starts her bubbly day with a touristic car ride. She passes in front of Place de La Concorde, then she continues her tour by foot.
She strolls along the Seine river, on the Rive Gauche ("gauce" means left in French, referring to the left side of the Seine). The Rive Gauche represents the artistic side of Paris, being the landmark of artists, writers, philosophers, etc. Universally renowned are its districts of Montparnasse and Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Miss Dior Chérie arrives, by foot, to a flower shop, Moulié Fleur, in Place du Palais Bourbon. This is not just any flower shop: it is adored by celebrities and private élite clientele all over the world. Moulié is also the flower supplier to the fashion houses like Marc Jacobs, Lanvin, Balenciaga, Chanel, Louis Vuitton. Moulié has, like the fashion system, different collections of flowers for every season. Last summer the favorite pieces were Garden Roses and Sweet Peas.
Later on, the lovely Miss Dior Chérie goes to the Maison Dior in Avenue Montaigne to try a dress. Avenue Monrtaigne is located in the so called “golden triangle”, between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine river bank. It is the Parisian fanciest fashion avenue, with a lot of stores of the most famous luxury brands (like Bulgari, Vuitton, Ungaro, Chanel, Valentino, Versace, Prada, Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, etc...).
Then she has fun walking along tree-lined avenues and she rides also the bicycle. After all this movement, she gets hungry, so, what's better than a pâtisserie? She has a break at Stohrer in rue Montorgueil, a famous bakery opened since 1730.
After a so lively day, she goes to the hotel to have a little rest and to wait for the date with her fiancé. Waiting for her love, she reads Vogue and tries some vintage sunglasses.

Time flies quickly and it's again time to go out. To be ready it is enough a spray of perfume and then once more toward another adventure. A romantic kiss with her darling, the perfect fulfillment of a so amazing day, lets her flying toward the blue Parisian sky, lifted by colorful balloons...

Place de la Concorde, Paris.

Moulié Fleur, Place du Palais Bourbon, Paris.


Miss Dior Chérie at the Maison Dior.

Miss Dior Chérie with vintage sunglasses.

Sources of the photos: Zimbio, Leiweb, Wikipedia, Vogue.it