WES ANDERSON

I wouldn't say that I'm particularly bothered or obsessed with detail.

Wes Anderson 

Don't you love a quote that utterly contradicts the entire signature of a famous artist?

Wes Anderson's films are made of the most delicious details. The apparently unnecessary details and nervous tics that end up BEING the story.

Margot Tenenbaum is a great example. Will we ever find out why she only wears an old Lacoste tennis dress and a dank mink coat with too much black eyeliner? No, of course not. Her clothes are her character and she is meant to be an enigma.

Then there is the little cotton dress worn by the teen heroine in Moonrise Kingdom. It's a dress that is too elegant for a child and too small for an adult, so it's impossibly beautiful.

I even like the yellow brunch dress worn by Mrs.Fox in the fantastic Mister Fox. It's as if Wes imagined Catherine Deneuve in fox form and got her 1968 hem length just right.

It makes good sense that Prada chose Anderson to make some short films for their fragrance CANDY. He has that way of fusing luxury with whimsy that is just his. Maybe he is the only director on earth who makes you want to wear a particular starchy dress, or tennis socks or an ironed tuxedo shirt right now. But I'm not completely sure about old mink the colour

GOING GOURMET CRAZY

                

 There are everyday things we all buy and it feels like a treadmill: milk, butter, eggs, milk, butter, bread, milk, butter….And then there is sexy shopping that feels like you are in the lingerie department of food.

This week I indulged at the newly opened Gourmet Life on Edgecliff Road and stocked up on the sort of condiments that make every day pantry staples go zing. In some ways I like to tell myself it’s a very luxe form of house keeping (and vicarious travel), as I can take a bag of basmati or plain pasta and make something kinky, posh or simply a bit more sophisticated for 'drop of the hat entertaining'.

On my maiden voyage to Josh Rea’s exotic food emporium I chose the blue Persian salt, chilli angel hair, some truffle oil, a bottle of black currant vinegar, some very curious kamut pasta, some black hawaiian salt, and a smattering of caviar. The shop also stocks lovely oddities like Rome’s oldest coffee, the best European Porcini mushrooms and summer truffles from Tuscanny. I am already planning my next visit to buy the lavender infused olive oil, kiwi fruit jam and a special honey…. amazing. 

      

http://gourmetlife.com.au

I WANT TO WAKE UP IN A CITY THAT DOESN'T SLEEP....

http://xperigryn.deviantart.com/art/New-York-City-251245758
Sourced from Pinterest - Font artist is unknown and overlayed on a pinterest board
 http://pinterest.com/pin/238479742739136788/ 

  

I have to share some big news. My husband Nick has accepted the position of BBC correspondent for the United Nations in New York so, in turn, I am going with him for the adventure, setting up an office for my label in New York and jumping feet first into all the things I love about the big apple.

We are in a tumult of planning right now and I am designing a winter collection but one thought is to settle in Brooklyn. I am so looking forward to exploring nearby places such as Mexico, Cuba and South America and letting all that bring a new spice of life to my lines and our family life. Our Sydney studio continues to blossom as I begin to mobilise and yes I will be running two offices. It's not that unusual for a fashion label.

The change is a bit BIG, but It's a nice thought that we will be travelling into another summer and that the children will have a major three dimensional geography lesson. Manhattan is mad. But there is tranquility too. Expect future blogs from obscure Brooklyn tea rooms, the community gardens in the heart of the city and the courtyard at MOMA, my favorite place in New York by far...so far.

THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER

There are no fixed rituals for the changing of the seasons and in Australia seasons often bleed into each other, even if the changes are very very subtle.

Autumn light is sharp and crisp. In the wind we feel a delicate chill. At dusk we carry cardigans. Rainstorms and wind seem more extreme. When rain falls it is like a curtain between one season and the next. Act 2: Leaves fall on a steaming street.

But of course the end of summer is a melancholy day even if it is marked by an arbitrary date and why not hail it decline with a celebrative ritual all your own?

Here are seven ways to celebrate this very special day, a small homage to transition, movement and that relentless invention we call time:

1. Decorate a freshly made bed with fallen summer flowers, frangipanis are ideal.
2. Fill a custard tart with all the sliced fresh fruits of summer…strawberries are all but gone now.
3. Make any excuse you can to cut work early and go jump into the ocean.
4. Make a list of everything beautiful that happened this summer (ask your children to join in).
5. Make a compilation of all your favourite summer songs (they can span back decades).
6. Take your favourite summer dress and gently hand wash it and hang in the sun to dry. Do not iron it!
7. Wear perfume behind your knees. Vanilla essence is fine.

Summer Music

What have you been listening to this summer? We’ve had a few new tunes on high rotation in the studio this month, a great mix of blues, chillout, and some cool Frenchies (I love Mélanie Pain).

I wanted to share them with you so that you can add them to your playlist, too…

FLOWERS BLOOM/ HIGH HIGHS

SAY THAT / TORO Y MOI

MY NUMBER/ FOALS

7 OU 8 FOIS/ MELANIE PAIN

SERPENTINE (FEAT.RAP LISA) WOLF + LAMB

LOST / FRANK OCEAN

SPILL THE WINE / ERIC BURDON

LES YEUX JAUNES/ LEONARD ARI

CRUCIFY YOUR MIND / RODRIGUEZ

THE AIR THAT I BREATHE/ ALBERT HAMMOND

Click through below to listen to:

LOST / FRANK OCEAN

7 OU 8 FOIS/ MELANIE PAIN

SAY THAT / TORO Y MOI

Will you be our Valentine

My bondi top 10

Summer is slowly drawing to a close, but there’s still time to indulge in your favorite pastimes before the chill sets in. I love to head to Bondi and its surrounding beaches when I get a chance to relax on the weekend.

Here is my Bondi Top 10 – what would be on yours?

Sean’s Panaroma

One of my favourite restaurants in Sydney, Sean’s is the perfect place to take in the view and savour Sean Moran’s delicious fare over a lazy Sunday lunch. The produce is the best available and the menu changes according to what’s fresh. In summer people still come straight from the beach with a sarong over their swimmers.

270 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach; (02) 9365 4924

Ice-cream

The simple things in life are having a comeback – one of mine is enjoying a Gaytime ice-cream while sitting and looking at the waves crash against the rocks at North Bondi.

Coffee break

Another treat at the north end of Bondi Beach is a coffee at Porch and Parlor– the best in the area and the perfect way to kick off a Saturday morning.

Market fresh

Once I’ve had a coffee, a stroll around the growers’ markets on a Saturday morning is relaxing and it means I can stock up the fridge for the week ahead.

Bondi Beach Primary School, Campbell Pde

 In the swim

North Bondi is my favourite place for a swim in the early morning or late afternoon. My dog Skip loves to come, too, especially if I give him some free time off his lead – naughty, but he loves it.

Bondi to Bronte walk

The Bondi to Bronte walk is one of the best walking routes in Sydney, right along the coastline, winding around huge sandstone outcrops and with incredible views over the ocean. You can take a leisurely pace, but expect to be overtaken by the exercise posse.

Iggy’s bread

Iggy’s Bread Down Under (the original is from Boston) supplies some of Sydney’s best restaurants, and you can queue up for a loaf of chewy sourdough at the bakery, but get in early.

49 Belgrave St, Bronte; (02) 9369 1650

Fish & Chips

Of course, what would a visit to the beach be without fish & chips straight from the wrapping paper? Bondi Best has the best battered fish and the fattest chips – delicious!

North Bondi Italian

If I’m heading to dinner in Bondi, North Bondi Italian is one of my favourite places. The antipasti alone has a great selection of tasty Italian morsels. Again, it’s best to get in early, this one’s super busy in summer.

118 Ramsgate Rd, North Bondi; (02) 9300 4400

10. ???