The bubble and fly series by photographer Melvin Sokolsky from a series he did in 1963 sums up my short disappearance. I will be leaving you for a few weeks while I am traveling.
"Concept is important. Talent is important... The tools, the hammers and saws, and if they got a zillion megapixel camera, that's not going to help you. What is going to help you is a good idea."
Based on the concept of "the bubble" can you guess where I am ? The lifestyle: high tech meets high culture. A world like no other ~ it "inhales the past and exhales the thrill of the present." I'll be in port towns and cultured cities, I'll be walking gritty streets and dry deserts.
I cannot blog along the way, so I am going to repost some oldies but goodies for your reading pleasure.
I promise upon return, I will not make you sift through all my vacation pictures (just the relevant ones) : )
Olympia Le Tan loves books, so much so, she creates a line of embroidered clutches based on the classics she grew up with. Books must be in her blood; her father is noted French illustrator Pierre Le Tan. Each bag is a beautifully embroidered limited edition. I have been fascinated by them since seeing them on Net-a-Porter.Liberty silk prints line the inside of the clutch.
“I was thinking there were all these beautiful books around and they were being forgotten with everybody on the Internet, so I made it so that you can carry them around” ~ Olympia Le Tan
I may not be as intellectual as I would like, but I can look like it. I always say, "smoke and mirrors!"
To Die By Your Side or Mourir auprès de toi is a beautiful little video made by friends Spike Jonze and Olympia Le Tan. This is what can happen when 2 creative minds get together for lunch one day and one of them has scraps of felt.
I had the privilege of hearing Iris Apfel speak at fall market. Iris and her husband Carl founded Old World Weavers, a textile company in 1950. The two of them ran it until it was purchased by Stark in 1992.
I am smitten with Isis, as was everyone in the room. Her wisdom and one liners were enchanting.
She is an inspiring role model.
When asked if she thought style was dead, Iris deadpanned, "No, but it's on life support!" Her advice to women: "Don't look too styled, you'll end up looking fake; there always needs to be something slightly off. Don't try to look like anyone else, or fit into anyone else's mold!"
Iris' grandparents settled on the lower east side of Manhattan; she moved to Queens (which at the time was considered the country). Being exposed to so much diversity at an early age informed Iris' sense of style.
"More is more and less is a bore"
Iris and Carl are lovers of textiles. They are travelers, adventurers, and philanthropists. The two of them are quick witted, and finding it funny that at this stage in their lives, they are busier than ever. Iris is a cover girl, runway model, and the face of MAC cosmetics. She has a line of accessories for HSN and Bendel's coming out, as well as many speaking engagements. All have made her a "geriatric starlet."
She reminds me a little of my grandmother. Nettie loved fashion and always bought the best she could afford. A simple black dress, cashmere sweater, Manolo Blahnik classic black heels, and a bag could be transformed in a myriad of ways with accessories.
