11 September. Tea time at Bristol with Blumarine. The Tyranny of Beauty by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac.

I spent lovely tea time afternoon at Hotel Bristol at Private Fashion Show of Blumarine. It was not a pre-collection or official fashion show – it was little private event for Parisian friends of this brand before fashion show to remind about last Fall Winter 2010-2011 collection.
Blumarine – well known brand created by Anna Molinari proposes the new contemporary version of a strong and cosmopolitan look for women.
Pattern Remix - Sparkling Vibe - Street Deluxe, are the key words of the Blumarine lifestyle for women who possess a strong personality.
Sophisticated elegance and dramatic silhouettes is Anna Molinari’s world. It's world of seduction and charm, great vitality and a spontaneous sense of fun.
The blond designer created clothes considered true cult items, such as the t-shirts with logo in Swarovski crystals or the famous Blu-Vi, the small cardigan in cashmere with a mink collar, photographed on the greatest Hollywood stars: Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova, Helena Christensen, Carla Bruni, Carré Otis and Monica Bellucci.
For Anna Molinari fashion is a world of modern, sexy and feminine woman.
I deeply enjoyed elegance of leopards, wild birds and pythons. Personally I liked very much long black dress – typical classic elegance. I guess I'm different kind of blond :-) but I so much appreciated the collection and sexy elegance.
All photos for this show are copyright protected. Photographer Laurent Benhamou.




























After tea time at Bristol I went to the opening of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac “The Tyranny of Beauty”.
Indeed like all shows of Castelbajac Jean-Charles de Castelbajac is a famous fashion designer. His creations, including a coat of teddy bears worn by pop star Madonna and by supermodel Helena Christensen in the film Prêt-à-Porter, are so famous by their extraordinary mix between classic and modern art, bringing in all his shows the kitsch in best of it - an imitation of art of recognized value and giving new sense by implanting lovable personages from animations, showing the real nature of romance and naive view of life. I certainly believe that it's not the bad thing to say “kitsch” - it's what it is. But the great meaning of it – the mixture of the old and modern values, matters, meanings of love and life, feelings of beauty, using reworks and appropriations to create kind of emotional world like Snow White syndrome in a series of Flanders tapestries. He always combines the images of famous art historical works with recognizable graphics from our contemporary culture in fashion and in art.







By the way everything what Castelbajac does – he calls it show “fashion show”, “art show” etc. After the installation on the Pont Neuf in Paris for Henri IV 400 years celebration (I went there with my friends and blogging about), Jean-Charles de Castelbajac now brings new show “The Tyranny of Beauty” at La B.A.N.K Gallery.
The tyranny in question is that of an insatiable need to please, of youth's domination, of a quest for immortality and of the denial of time past. Castelbajac adds trait, logo, sign or brand obliteration to classic master paintings. As if creams, capsules or other artifices could open up a path to eternal youth and stamp their radiant faces with indelible copyrights.
Recently I noticed while we were talking that Jean-Charles was checking me if I'm fitting well enough with his 3 busts of Marie Antoinette :-). He said "Apparently - yes" :-). Anyway I left exhibition with nostalgic feelings about Venues and romantic love story with Prince Charming, true love's first kiss and all courtesy of the romantic world.
The wonderful place to visit for real Princess. Exhibition will be open until 23 October 2010.
La B.A.N.K, 42, rue Volta, 75003, Paris.

7 September. Vogue Fashion Celebration Night.

Summer is finished. Would we fancy bubbly on Avenue Montaigne? Oh, yes, please ! :-). The first fancy big gathering before fashion week is Vogue Celebrating night.
Celebration of Vogue fashion night is taking all four corners of the planet.
From Paris to New York, from Milan to Beijing, from Moscow to Delhi, the international editors of Vogue magazine will hold special evening in main shopping streets of all big cities.
In France, Vogue magazine with the support of Montaigne Committee, was celebrating the event in the boutiques of Paris's golden triangle: Avenue Montaigne, Rue François 1er and Avenue George V. And it was splendid indeed.
All Paris was there – more then 10 000 people on 3 little streets came to enjoy chic shopping that night, performances, concerts, champagne.
Indeed it was not easy to meet friends but it was much easy to meet Karl Lagerfeld or Chantal Thomass – designer of very fancy and luxury line of lingerie visiting Ralph Lauren boutique and enjoying champagne with many admirers.
Sixty shops giving fancy entertainment and champagne for all fashion lovers. Even teenagers who are dreaming about being in fashion were welcome.
That day I was reporting for Mode Life Style TV (US, Florida). What can I say? At first I called it "Blond TV" to keep my team together :-).

(All photos in this article copyright protected, forbidden to use without authorization. Photographer Laurent Benhamou)










I was amazed about how many people came this year for the Vogue Celebration. Of course it was not enough time to visit all stores but still I was enjoying talk and looking at the collections in Blumarine boutique, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli and Nina Ricci stores.
Blumarine’s Fall 2010 collection is full of sexy pieces. It's printed in "Love for animal": zebra, leopard, cheetah and snake skin heavily fringed for the leather jackets, the skirts, the blouses and bags.






Indeed I enjoyed so much the all atmosphere in Ralph Lauren boutique. American jazz, flowers, ruffles and lines – philosophy and internal being of blooming life and being in love. Elegance in simple forms – sign of American stability and class. The ultimate luxury in rugby, polo, tennis – solid and elegant forms, strength of moves, romantic feelings and force. Bohemian gypsy dress is a purl of this collection was a little more unexpected, but there were definite strains - romantic floral ornaments.
No wonder why Chantal Thomas – the most famous for her glamorous lingerie spent her time there.













Collection of Roberto Cavalli is ultra-sexy glamorous - what he's famous for, and with some masculine elements for more unexpected turn of femininity. The collections is a hymn to a simple lifestyle, layered with floral-print sack dresses and elements borrowed from the boys: boxy jackets and trousers that exposed the waistbands of boxer shorts. Wedding dress - is always sign of thirties - glamorous and fluffy with heavy colorful jewelry.



Collection in Nina Ricci boutique is a storm of elegance: flap of a dramatic cotton trench did double duty as a ruffled collar cinched with a fur scarf, and the delicate chiffon revers that cascaded down the front of the jacket of a sky blue skirtsuit – the strength of femininity.




I couldn't see all – it was physically impossible and specially if many people blocked the street just in front of Chanel waiting for mysterious Karl Lagerfeld. And here he is in front of thousands people and cameras in all his glory...












Popular now in Paris collections of Manoush – gypsy and circus people amused public with clown performances at the end of the night.




End of the street, garden and dance at the end of Avenue Montaigne – boutique of Paul and Joe on the comer. Romantic end of the wonderful fashion evening which Paris is famous for.