Parisian Chic part deux

Parisian chic depicts the essence of ultimate style, immaculate tailoring and natural beauty. The gallery below shows Parisian chic during Paris fashion week put together by Harper's Bazaar Australia.  Be inspired by the fashion and get your wardrobe ready for L'Heure du The Melbourne!  For further detailed information on Parisian chic, visit Paris Escapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Images: Harper's Bazaar, Paris Fashion Week 2011

Parisian Chic, a style guide

 

In the book’s first section, Dress Like a Parisian, Inès de la Fressange lists her “Magnificent Seven” wardrobe basics: a man’s blazer, trench coat, navy sweater, tank top, little black dress, jeans and leather jacket. She also suggests affordable shopping alternatives—including Monoprix and Gap—for those of us whose budgets don’t run to a Burberry trench or YSL tuxedo jacket. The beauty who’s photographed wearing these basics is not the author, but her lovely 17-year-old daughter, Nine d’Urso. (A budding style icon in her own right, d’Urso was recently chosen as the international face of Bottega Veneta’s inaugural fragrance, which will debut in September.) 

Fressange is generous with her “don’ts”. Shoes? “Nothing looks worse than a girl tottering about on unmanageable heels! So she wants to look sexy? The key to sex appeal is a feline walk, not a precarious wobble.” Jewelry?  “Never wear a necklace and earrings at the same time—too much!” 

 

 

Dressing children? “Avoid mixing too many loud prints. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean you should dress them like clowns.”  And her do’s are just as much fun to read: “Stepping boldly into boutiques that don’t appear to be for you—the essence of Parisian style!” Or “Be passionate about a man, a project, a house. It’s an instant facelift.”

 

 

 

These photos shows perfect Parisian Chic which you can wear to the cafes, meeting up with friends, shopping and enjoying the day, Parisian style.  I will be on the look out for the best dressed at Le Style's upcoming event, L'Heure du Thé, a lavish French High Tea which also supports the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  I am very sure it will be a great competition amongst fashionable Melbournians. xoxo

Images: Inès de la Fressange / Lanvin / Chanel / Sonia Rykiel / The Selby

Featured book: Parisian Chic - A New Style Guide From Inès de la Fressange

 

Celebrity model Inès de la Fressange shares the well-kept secrets of how Parisian women maintain effortless glamour and a timeless allure through her book, Parisian Chic. Inès de la Fressange—France’s icon of chic—shares her personal tips for living with style and charm, gleaned from decades in the fashion industry.

She offers specific pointers on how to dress like a Parisian, including how to mix affordable basics with high-fashion touches, and how to accessorize. Her step-by-step do’s and don’ts are accompanied by fashion photography, and the book is personalized with her charming drawings. Inès also shares how to bring Parisian chic into your home, and how to insert your signature style into any space—even the office.

The ultrachic volume is wrapped with a three-quarter-height removable jacket and features offset aquarelle paper and a ribbon page marker. Complete with her favorite addresses for finding the ultimate fashion and decorating items, this is a must-have for any woman who wants to add a touch of Paris to her own style. 

 

Image: Tablettalk

Guest Blogeuse: Seductively French - Kirsty Mitchell Photography, Still Wallowing in a Wonderland

 

There is one piece of advise I hear every single time I ask the question, “what is your secret to success?” The answer each person in his or her own way explains is always to follow your passion. Apparently, the basis of the drive to succeed is that passion that pushes you towards it. It is that feeling that you cannot stop until you have achieved it for yourself. 

This is what I see in UK based photographer Kirsty Mitchell, with whom I had the pleasure to become acquainted with recently and wanted to share with others her auspicious story. Clearly seated in the driver side racing down the path of success, Mitchell labors tirelessly over the artistic projects and creations from the heart that have casted her off beaming into the stars of success. 

I don’t want to sound melodramatic, however viewing the photos take you to another world. My favorite collection as an example of this, still two years in the making, is Wonderland. 

Mitchell explains, “I wanted to convey the fact that this would be a place where anything could happen…the notion of a girl’s escapism through stories.” Well executed, Wonderland is a fantasy with elaborate costumes and expressive colors. A favorite of Mitchell’s, she tells me of this series, “it has been an enormous labour of love and I am trying my hardest to make the final images the very best I can.”

Mitchell goes to great lengths to achieve the look and scene she envisions for each photo, scouting out the perfect local. Some scenes required a twelve-month wait to capture the blooming seasonal flowers that are then around only for a two-week period. The characters are created, but the natural scenery they are set in are all real. 

Mitchell explains that although her characters are make-believe, the locations are not. The strong use of color in the Wonderland series was one of the most important factors as Mitchell states, “it can transport our mood and emotions to a better place and this was my intension.”

Mitchell has climbed that ladder of success from the ground up with no formal photographic training and no budget to begin with. Working full time as a fashion designer, Mitchell started the Wonderland series literally out of scraps. “We made things out of old bits of wire, stolen flowers from parks, and anything we could find. Some of the dresses the models wear are just fabric I pinned around them on the location!” Mitchell is now obviously able to devote all into the extravagant costume designs entirely hand made by Mitchell herself.

What’s next for Mitchell after the completion of Wonderland series for her exhibition and book ends up being something we cannot disclose publicly yet. “Its hard to say right now as there are some very exciting things slowly happening which could lead my work into a whole new world I’d never really imagined before now. I can’t comment on who or what the project is yet, but I’m honored to have been approached by these people.” 

This all seems to have become a butterfly effect for Mitchell who continues to be induced by passion. “I’m extremely interested in film and music too as they hold great emotional relevance to me and how I work. The idea of layering this with the visuals I produce really excites me. So I guess its just how everything develops. I’m meeting more and more interesting creative people every day who are inspiring me in so many ways – I feel like this has opened a door to the world I’ve always wanted to be a part of.”

Mitchell’s wish list of people with whom she desires to collaborate with she describes as pretty much endless, however include Tim Burton, Cirque Du Soleil (already linked with), and Alexander McQueen. Interestingly, Mitchell had interned with the late Alexander McQueen during her studies in fashion design in London and still remains an influence in her photography.

Lovely is she, Kirsty Mitchell, photographer extraordinaire. Her work takes my breath away, as does her path to her accomplishments. “Determination is key,” Mitchell advises. “Don’t give up. Don’t compare yourself to others and try to find your own identity and passion. If you can visualize it, you will get there, somehow.  Just push your boundaries and never give up.”

Guest Blogeuse: Seductively French, author Slavica Monczka

Mode du jour - Sandra Freij

Wedding veils in French style

A beautiful and elegant French wedding dress and veil.  Set in a beautiful part of the world.  Unpretentious, just naturally beautiful in every way.  Comfortable in your own skin, and having the best day of your life with your other half.  That's a beautiful wedding, in French style.

 

Beautiful dress and veil: Delphine Manivet / Photography: Amy Punky Photography / Cake: Cupcakes and co.

Cake Toppers

 

 

The old days of plastic figurines of a bride and groom miniatures on top of wedding cakes are long gone.  Jazz it up with your creativity and what's available out there.  Symbols, miniature animals or anything that symbolizes your relationship or how you first met, can create that magical cake toppers.  

 

 Images:  Heather Boyd / Carrie Klein / You Clever / Wedding Collectibles / Vintage Twee