Reading material

Stepping aside from fashion for a minute and looking at the glorious world of books, I have been intrigued by the growth of e-readers for a while. No longer the business traveler I once was, there is very little justification in my life for £200 Kindle nor the new exciting £400-600 iPad to read books as I jet across the world: a paperback does the job on my Ryanair flights!

As highlighted by Alasdair Llyod-Jones in his Lowleveljetstream blog, a positive outcome of the iPad's arrival is the creative advertising response from its competition.  Here are the Kindle ads spotted by Alasdair created by photographers Angela Kohler and Ithyle Griffiths - very cool! Ad 1 stars actress Annie Little with song "Fly Me Away" written and performed by her.  Ad 2 stars Annie Little and model Ryan Curry with original song "Stole Your Heart" written and performed by Marcus Ashley.


Read more from Alasdair's: http://lowleveljetstream.com/

Elle's big girls

The latest issue of Elle magazine to land on my doormat proudly announces a whole dossier on "Les Rondes" ie Big girls and features Tara Lynn, a 27 year old American "+size" model on its cover. Whilst we are all aware of the tokenish value of such stories in a magazine which normally promotes fashion's usual love story with thinness, I think Elle should be commended for their effort.  Bigger women are as absent from the fashion pages as are older women and it is refreshing to see them looking beautiful and elegant.

The article also shows blogger Stephanie Zwicky (French size 52 - UK size 22 - US size 20):

Model Johanna Dray (French size 48 - UK size 20 - US size 18):

Singer Juliette Katz (French size 48 - UK size 20 - US size 18):

Read the whole story in Elle magazine: http://www.elle.fr/elle/Mode/Dossiers-mode/Si-rondes-si-chics
Follow Stephanie Zwicky's blog: http://www.leblogdebigbeauty.com/

Crowdsourced clothing.

With the explosion of online user generated content - Youtube videos, Facebook groups, and of course blogs, we are now witnessing the development of the "YouDesign" movement. The two areas where such "crowdsourcing" seems particular active are T-shirts and shoes.

Threadless started in Chicago with a T-shirt contest. From an initial $500 investment in 2000 it is now a multi-million dollar business ($6.2 millions in 2005). Aspiring designers can submit a design and earn $2500 if their design is chosen for print, then another $500 per reprints. The resulting T-shirts are priced between $15 and $25 clearly seem suitable to a youthful rather than mature audience. In any event, I love the unconventional looking models.

Another outlet for creative minds is Ryz from Portland, Oregon which runs a weekly contest to choose the best design for slip-on shoes. "Ryz" stands for "rise to the challenge". Again, the target audience strikes me as students rather than 40+ women although the shoes sell for $59.99, not cheap for canvas shoes and I can't say I'd want to be seen in them.

For more feminine shoes, try Canadian web company Dreamheels. Designs are chosen in monthly online contests and printed on white high-heeled pumps. The website lets you see the shoes from different angles and vote for your favourite, which is quite fun. Despite my best efforts, I could not figure out how to buy the shoes nor see how much they cost. Also, there was no indication of what the shoes are made of - can printed pumps be made of leather? Past winners include "Sunflower" and "Koifish" that I find quite beautiful:

French company Walking Resistance gives you a number of options for customised shoes. You can buy one of their designs (€70), create your own (€100) or send in leather shoes that you want customised.

The shoes remind me of French shoe designer Freelance's Nighties style, shiny and colourful but not necessarily something I would wear these days.  However, I like their men's shoes very much:

For more information or if you fancy designing your own T-shirt or shoes:
http://www.threadless.com/
http://www.ryz.com/
http://www.dreamheels.com/
http://walkingresistance.com/
I am indebted for this article to the NY Times which whetted my appetite for crowdsourced design: http://www.nytimes.com/

The joys of the (older) mother!

The older mums amongst us might recognise the situation pictured by Charlotte Renon in her delightful Charlotte du Jour picture blog, reproduced here with her permission.

To see more of Charlotte's work: http://www.charlottedujour.com/

Lingerie: Louise Feuillere

I made another welcome discovery during my short family visit in Paris.  A small shop, off the beaten track in the aptly named rue des Dames, proudly displays the credentials of its owner: "Meilleur ouvrier de France". That title is no mean achievement and inspires respect! The prestigious award goes to craftsmen who have achieved a "masterpiece" in the full sense of the word. Spending years perfecting their crafts, the "Meilleurs ouvriers de France" show technical ability as well as artistic flair in a master piece that will encapsulate their art and skills.

Only in her mid-thirties, Louise Feuillere, who started working in the field in 1992,  is a recent recipient of the award (2007) which recognised her exceptional use of colours, lace and esthetics.  She trained with a "corsetiere" in her sixties, who continues to share with her a lifetime of expertise and has helped her perfect her craft. I must confess that I am a complete sucker for skilled craftspeople. I am in awe of the patience, application and dedication required to fully master a craft. Such excellence, combined with lingerie, one of the most intimate and delicate of crafts was bound to appeal to me.

The old-fashioned shop-window and bossy sign specifying that callers would only be seen by appointment, intrigued me. Reading through Ms Feuillere biography, I learned that her first client was an 82 year old woman who wanted to have "a flat tummy" and look good for a man who had finally mustered up the courage to declare his love.

Talking with her on the phone, it soon became clear that Louise Feuillere takes a philosophical approach to her craft.  Her technical mastery is only a small part of what she does: "work and reflection" allow her to enter into a relationship with her clients and answer their needs and desires.

Those needs are varied and often require her to address pain. Pain as the result of a mastectomy and the need to create an "amazon's bra". Pain suffered by women whose skin is hypersensitive and find commercially available lingerie unbearable.  Pain caused to violated bodies that need succour from beauty. Whilst some clients only want a technical solution to a specific problem or an usual shape not found in shops, she finds the need for beauty is greatest in women who want to address ugliness or even horror in their lives.  She sums up her approach as : "To love and to give, to receive, to make".  In that context, her unusual list of inspirations makes sense: her mother, Hildegard von Bingen and ... the Virgin Mary, that she sees as mystical and spiritual creators. Bringing mysticism into lingerie places Louise Feuillere's creations to a very different level!

Louise Feuillere's clientele is aged between 30 and 90 years old. The made-to-measure process requires around 4 fittings. At the first appointment, she works with the client to determine her needs and desires, advising on suitable materials and shapes and provides a cost estimate. The resulting lingerie will be built according to the "corsetiere" techniques, finished to perfection and incorporating all the tricks of the trade such as tiny pleats that can be released to allow for slight variations in body shape. The following sessions will ensure a perfect fit and the bra, bathing suit or underslip will be delivered 3 weeks later.

She would not be pushed to give prices due to wild variations reflecting the materials used and the time spent... but made it clear that they belong to the couture world. When I threw numbers at her, from €500 to €3000, she confirmed that €3000 was way off. The idea of perfectly fitting underwear or bathing suits makes me dream  - I hope not to have to wait until I'm 82! Her ready to wear line ranges from €180 to €350 - a more affordable way to start. 

Louise Feuillere sees clients from Tuesday to Friday for the made-to-measure business and her shop is opened on Saturdays for her ready-to-wear line. She also teaches a course and seems to derive great pleasure in communicating her love for lingerie to creative women.
To learn more: http://www.louisefeuillere.com/ 
Pictures from Louise Feuillere's website published with her agreement.

Paris discoveries - Mouton chic

A short visit in Paris yielded unexpected discoveries. Staying at my father's flat in the Western suburb of Boulogne Billancourt, Mutton stumbled across the appropriately named Mouton Chic.

Run by a dynamic (and patient) young woman whose previous career was in PR, the shop has only been opened a few months. Aiming at the well-heeled but not overly spendthrift nor adventurous local clientele, she stocks new designers Virginie Castaway or Gat Rimon, well-established Bruuns Bazaar as well as luxury Piazza Sempione. The unusual name for the shop has no other meaning than, precisely, its unusual and catchy nature.

From Virginie Castaway, a cute take on denim and Spring prints in a linen jacket (€190) and trousers (€130):

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Elegant blouses from Gat Rimon in grey, black or white chiffon priced €78:

Piazza Sempione trousers were beautifully cut. At around €200-250,  they clearly were not in the impulse buy category but more a wardrobe investment.  The capri pants with a side zip are available in stretch wool and cotton at Liberty of London for £180-185.

In the shop window, I liked Alec Dore's organic cotton hand-printed pochettes but I thought their price tag was a bit steep at €25: an expensive peace sign!

To buy Piazza Sempione from Liberty on line:
http://www.liberty.co.uk

Mouton Chic is located at 32 Boulevard Jean Jaures, 92100 Boulogne Billancourt.
Tel/Fax: +33146040234 email: lemoutonchic@gmail.com

Happy Coats!

Blessed with film star looks and armed with solid fashion credentials - studies in fashion design management in Milan and a family background in fashion retail, Tilla Lindig has just opened shop in Notting Hill.

She had been distributing her Happy Coats on line since November 2006 and took the plunge on a good space next to luxury glass and ceramics shop/gallery Vessel at 116 Kensington Park road, moments away from Paul Smith. I liked the shop which has a lovely cosy feel, its white walls enlivened by the coats bright colours. Tilla very kindly answered my questions but would not have me photograph the shop nor the coats as she is in the process of decorating, so I am using pictures from her website.

Tilla Lindig design coats and jackets mainly for women but also provides a small men's collection and an expending children's collection. The clothes are all made of Italian wool, Pura Lana and are produced in Germany. Whilst the collection is not  certified Fairtrade, Tilla was keen to insist on her Fairtrade approach. She controls the whole production chain, with fair wages and the certainty that no child labour will be employed. She has been in touch with Dutch certification body Made By which allocates its Blue Button to the companies it certifies.

She defines her style as : "timeless, fashionable." "A slim fit with flattering proportions, suitable for all ages: for an 18 year old or for the 45 year old mother who cares about her looks." I agree with her description as I felt very comfortable in the clothes at my advanced age!

She clearly loves colours and chooses beautiful shades from natural tones to brights - the type of colours that give you a good feeling for the day.

A comfortable or even a comforting fit is what she is after. She wants to make clothes that become your body shape and stay with you forever. As she said: "I feel naked in a super new dress!" She likes lived-in clothes that act as a protective blanket and described her coats as "the new pashmina". The wool fabric is unlined and intended to keep your body temperature - maybe not in blizzard conditions, though!

I saw the red jacket above in the shop in a grey and black version with a blue or pink cord to tie at the waist. It looked very elegant with a flattering slim bodice and flared hip line, a great Spring jacket.

Prices range from £280 to £350 for women's coats and jackets. Men's jackets retail at £350 and children's coats and jackets are a shade below £100.

The shop is located at:
116 Kensington Park Road
London W11 2PW
Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7229 0848

To shop online: http://www.happycoat.com/_catalog_42985/Happycoat_Collections