Tamara Cincik

Coco Chanel

In 2001 Walter Van Beirondonck curated Fashion 2001 Landed/Geland in Antwerp, which to date still stands as the best exhibition (actually a series of events and exhibitions, which took over the whole city) I have ever been to.  Stephen Jones and his partner the lovely Craig took me under their wing and together we went to museums, shows and supper.  One event called 2women celebrated  two women who have indeed changed the course of 20th century womenswear: Coco Chanel who liberated us from frills, corsets and hobble skirts and Rei Kawakubo whose Japanese ultra-modernity redefined what it is to be glamorous without overt sexual display.  One evening a Comme Des Garcons show was presented to an eager audience filled with the Antwerp Six and their coterie, who I observed all quite happy to sit together, unruffled by rivalry and show their admiration for Rei’s remarkable designs.  That afternoon an 18th Century house in the city had been taken over for an exhibition to celebrate all things Chanel.  From a room laid out with bottles of No. 5 in a huge 5 pattern, to an enclosed room filled with black and white images of her monochromatic universe; it really was an extraordinary day, celebrating two extraordinary women.

This Wednesday I am very excited that my local bookshop Daunt Books is hosting an event to celebrate, discuss and challenge assumptions about Chanel with another iconic woman from the 20th Century, Wallis Simpson at Keat’s House.

Wallis Simpson

Both known for their personal taste and unorthodox lives, I love the idea of placing them together, since both in their ways  were utterly radical, breaking through convention, class system strictures, albeit with a constant veneer of stark style where noone was either too rich, or too thin.

If you are free this Wednesday, I would utterly urge you to join me, my dear friend Lizzie from Mishka Vintage and others paying homage at the talk by Justine Picardie and Anne Sebba, authors of Coco Chanel, A Portrait and That Woman, the story of Wallis Simpson.  I can’t wait to hear them in conversation, having just finished Picardie’s biography last week.  Keat’s House is a ridiculously gorgeous venue at the bottom of a beautiful lane of houses close to Hampstead Heath: part of the reason why I love North London.  £5 including wine.

Sometimes I forget why I love clothes, why I persist in wearing heels and a hat when it really is far faster in flats, I lose sight of my truth: that style has its story and its power potency.  After this talk, I am sure I will remember and revel in the reasons why I love shoes, chiffon and sequins quite so much.  I expect to be re-enchanted.

Keat's House

To book online, please go to:-

http://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/events.asp

For more information regarding Landed/Geland:-

http://www.contemporaryfashion.net/index.php/none/none/104/uk/exhibition.html

Meg

Worst Witch

Morticia

Morgana Le Fey

Kate Bush Channelling Cathy

Mata Hari

Vampiros Lesbos

Magdalena

Happy Halloween!

Photos from the darkside at Mishka Halloween Night, all courtesy of the uber-talented Karolina, for more of her work please go to: www.karolinaurbaniak.com

The Duke as Count Dukula and I Ready To Style Up a Storm At Mishka Vintage

Last night I hosted a Halloween Styling Night at my favourite North London vintage emporium Mishka.

Spooks, witches, children of the night braved the cold wet wilds of N8 to shop: channelling their inner divas of darkness purchasing looks perfect for the twilight hours and start of party season as Halloween leads to Bonfire Night, leads to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve…  aka a fabulous bunch of excuses for a cocktail dress, Ossie Clark maxi dress, bias cut lace beauties, or any number of retro treats.  As treats become the new tricks!  Boom….

Sherene From My London Agency and Friends. VERY happy with their purchases.

Lizzie and Miles from Mishka with Kirsty a Local Luminary.

Amazing!

Admiration.

Felicity Knows Her Bags! Formerly PR for Angel Jackson: She Was Delighted With This Retro Lovely.

The lovely Nadia Jones whose has designed the best in high street womenswear (from Oasis to Mary Portas), fell in love with a 30s webtastic long dress, perfect for an awards ceremony she is attending next month; while my bridesmaid, the stylist and some might say living Barbie ‘Dolly’ Anna Trevelyan, rocking a fluro pink wig (sadly I wasn’t with my camera to capture the moment) swooped on an 80′s black and lurex long, sleek cardigan.

If you didn’t get the chance to join us last night, I suggest you do soon!

The Duke and I at Frieze Art Fair.

Every year the lovely art world maverick Pablo De La Barra and I go to Frieze Art Fair’s opening afternoon.  It has become both a ritual annual date and a chance to catch up: both with him and his jetset gypsy art-world ways and also with myself as I notice the difference each year marks.  Last year I was bursting to tell everyone I was pregnant; this year Dukey was our plus one.  Dukey loved it: checking out the art, the lights, the people.  He seemed particularly taken with a projector and it’s noises: more so than the film, fascinating to watch his reactions to all that art…

L.O.V.E. I couldn't understand why the fashion bloggers weren't out in force mythologising these amazing artsy looks.

Though I loved some of the art: in particular a piece called ‘The Universe’: with Dukey in-tow, it was more of an excuse than ever to people watch, observe him observing for the first time enjoying the art fair.  The art became as much as the hours spent watching them, watching him, watching it all integrated into an overall sensation of something new: another layer of experience for my baby to explore in his no doubt brilliant imagination!…

Cosmo meets the Universe.

Dukey contemplates the art at Frieze.

Indulge Me: My Own Personal Mobile Art Installation...

I Found the Frieze Cleaners' Reactions to the Art Just as Valid: We all Deserve a Voice.

Colour Blocking in a Sea of Monochrome.

Designed by Margot Bowman: the invite to the Halloween Soiree

Hope you can make it to Mishka Vintage and join us for a spot of of styling up for Halloween.

My Mother and Baby Last Week at My Allotment.

Browsing the Nowness website last week, I chanced upon the blog and work of New Yorker Ari Seth Cohen.  He has spent the past few years photographing, partying and celebrating those more foxy than silver, more Iris Apfel than shrinking violet; more likely to dye their hair violet than give up their love of sartorial charm and swagger.  Given I have been raised by my own hot rocker mother, a woman whose mantra is ‘darling never give up’, and whose pilates-flexed limbs mean like her mind she is forever young, I too celebrate all that is wise, yet fun, fabulous, yet proud of the lessons learnt by these charming stylistas.

Most of whom are a generation+ older than my mother, yet never forget that more is more and a dash of lipstick, a pair of red trousers or a quirky felt fedora add colour, passion and texture to everyone’s day.  I like the feeling that the best is yet to come and we can all still have fun and play with fashion: sometimes we are told it all stops at 30, taking a look at these portraits and knowing my mother and the woman she is yet to become, I can only say, ‘oh really?’

Iris Apfel: 80+ and still upholding the more is more mantra.

We have Mary Portas revitalising the high street and Channel 4 with her new shop (and the tv programme Mary Queen of Shops tie-in) for the 40+ woman at House of Fraser, proudly defying women to be in their power and purchase what really works for them.  At the Paris Fashion Week shows this week, it really struck me as I gazed covetously at the Chloe catwalk, that these were the kind of clothes I would love to wear, without worrying something or too much was hanging out, while yet feeling I was in the room with enough of a fabulous quota for me to feel stylish enough that I could hold my head a little higher, my shoulders a little straighter: as I do when I feel good…

Kinga walking the Chloe Catwalk SS12

‘Young woman you’re going to be an old woman some day; don’t worry about it, don’t sweat it, everything adds character’…  Ari Seth Cohen’s book is due out next Spring.  Amazon are already offering advance order reservations: and who said past 50 women are invisible?..

She's Amazing: I styled this lady for Sunday Times Style in emeralds and YSL: over 80, she had been modelling for 60 years and somehow was the most beautiful woman in the room.

Going through my own archive I found this shot from a story for Sunday Times Style with Kim Andreolli.  Bedecked in emeralds and YSL, this mother of all models, who had been in the game for more than a lifetime, said that her daily dose of yoga kept her young, flexible and alert.  I celebrate both her beauty and the hope that with a little yogic discipline we all can aim to reach so high for so long…

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/

http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/3/23/1382/advanced-style-age-and-beauty

http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Style-Ari-Seth-Cohen/dp/157687592X

http://www.maryportas.com/