Wearing the Sky: Blue, A Wardrobe Icon
“Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the deity to be a source of delight”. John Ruskin Blue is undeniably the world’s uniting color. We are enveloped in blue by our common sky and the blue of our waterways that cover 71% of the earth’s surface.* Blue is consistently voted the favorite color around the world […]
Here Fashion Blooms: Visiting Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris Legacy
“Elegance is not standing out but being remembered.” YSL Before leaving Paris for Morocco, I planned a visit to the Yves Saint Laurent museum with my friend Kathy (visiting from Atlanta) and my Parisian friend, Eugénie. Kathy and I planned to visit the Majorelle Gardens and Saint Laurent’s private home, Villa Oasis, while in Marrakesh, […]
Threads of Morocco: Inside Jalal’s World of Fabric and Tradition
“ To visit Morocco is still like turning the pages of some illuminated Persian manuscript all embroidered with bright shapes and subtle lines.” Edith Wharton The above quote, though written in 1920, is still today an apt description of Morocco and especially, Marrakech. I return as often as possible to experience the seduction of this […]
The Italian Renaissance of Artistic Style: Couture Fashion Masterpieces by Dolce and Gabbana
“Fashion is art, it’s a form of self expression that transcends boundaries.” Stefano Gabbana The Dolce and Gabba Exposition (held in the Grand Palais and just ended April 2, 2025) is aptly named: “From the heart to the Hands” It is a spectacular tour de force that showcases the extraordinary vision of two creative minds […]
Lutetia :The Soul of Paris Etched in Stone and Style
Rarely has the soul of a place been engraved for eternity with its christening name. Beyond the palace, with all it carries of luxury and comfort, beyond thethe “grand hotel…” the Lutetia is Paris.” Pierre Assouline “Fluctuat Nec Mergitur” The Hotel Lutetia opened its doors on December 28, 1910 and has been an important and […]
A Journey in Gold: Guo Pei’s Fantastical World of Myth, Nature and Couture
“Beauty attracts us men, but if it is pointed, besides, with gold or silver, it attracts with ten fold power” Jean Paul Gaultier Gold, found worldwide for millennia, has always been treasured for its gleaming luster, soft malleability, its rarity and permanence – it does not corrode or tarnish. Fashioned into idols, jewelry, coins, utensils and all […]
Topped with Imagination: Stephen Jones at the Palais Galliera
“You can wear a hat and be yourself, or you can wear a hat and be a version of yourself” John Galliano Stephan Jones is a British couture hat designer (“modiste”) whose Exposition at the Palais Galleriera ended March 16, 2025. The first hat exposition at the Galleriera in forty years, it celebrates the cross […]
Fun with Fashion Foundations
“A dyslexic man walks into a bra” Tommy Cooper It seems women’s breasts have always been a focal point of fascination. With the exception of the 1920’s flapper style and the 1970’s Twiggy uber thin aesthetic, the preference has been for abundance. So, what to do when one’s cup overflows? Ironically, the first modern bra […]
From Stilettos to Virgule Heels: The Legacy of Roger Vivier
“To wear dreams on one’s feet is to begin to give reality to one’s dreams” Roger Vivier One of the more charming affairs during fashion week is the Roger Vivier cocktail party/open house, held at the Paraguayan Ambassador’s house. It is a rather relaxed presentation of the new collection for the coming fall/ winter season. A long […]
The Beauty of Elegance: Why Elie Saab Continues to Inspire
“ Fashion is an expression of the times. Elegance is something else again”. Elie Saab A last minute postponement of the Ann Demeulemeester show offered an opportunity to attend the Élie Saab show held at the Palais du Tokyo in Trocadéro. I was excited about this change of plans because I love his work and […]