reads #20: december 2013

It (Alexa Chung, 2013)

For someone who expressed her disdain for blogs, Alexa Chung's book certainly reads like one. She takes us through the evolution of her style with a collage of personal pictures, photos of musicians and films and anecdotes of horse-riding and discovering the Spice Girls. Clothes, hair, make-up, she analyses all the aspects of her signature look we've come to know and love.

She also gives music recs and tips on how to take a selfie, improve your karaoke skills or what to pack for a festival. I enjoyed this visual diary but I think my favourite part was when she lets her 'British guard' down for a bit and writes about heartbreaks (not surprising as she wrote this while recovering from her break-up with Alex Turner).

I feel like you should get acquainted with the character before delving into It as her infamous self-deprecating humour can sometimes leave you confused as to what she's trying to convey. One passage in particular kind of rubbed me the wrong way where she rants at social networks while confessing uncontrollably indulging in them. She seems to try to hide her fondness for them behind some sociological platitudes like she doesn't know what to actually think or is worried about looking uncool?

But I guess that makes her more relatable in a way. If you enjoy reading blogs full of inspiration and moodboards, I've no doubt you will enjoy It. 

Favourite quote: I have googled 'how long does heartbreak last?' The result more popular than that was 'how long does heartburn last?' This implies people suffer from heartburn more than they do heartbreak which is a good thing because heartbreak sucks way fucking more than acid reflux ever could.

Goodreads profile

Pictured: Ikea candle, Dior Lipstick in 476 Plaza, Dior nail polish dior in Incognito, Topshop Evil Eye and Triangle rings (old), jade ring from Morocco, Moonchild necklace from Nina Mantra, vintage plate)

editorial #18: Zeitsprung (Vogue GE March 2013)

source: the fashion spot

Magazine: Vogue Germany March 2013
Photographer: Sebastian Kim
Stylist: Katie Mossman
Model: Edie Campbell
Make-up: Maud Laceppe
Hair: Taun Ahn Tran
Nails: Nettie Davis

editorial #17: Dance With A Stranger (Love #8)

 source: fashion slop (found via hjartesmil)

Magazine: Love #8
Photographers: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Stylist: Katie Grand
Models: Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Rob James Collier, Sophie McShera, Amy Nuttall, Justus Eisfeld, Oliver Grenali, Konan Hanbury, Eddie Klint, Jason Morgan & Alex Shantz

editorial #16: Private Dancer (Vogue UK Apr 2010)

This editorial from Vogue UK is the one that got me into a spiralling magazine addiction. Quite late actually, as in Belgium, I always felt underwhelmed looking at the magazine racks, they all seemed to be about diets, relationship-tips, recipes or boring editorials. When I moved to Ireland, I discovered a whole new world on glossy paper. 

In this editorial, the fairy lights, the sort of chic downtown Mexican flat, the mint bathroom and the Miu Miu spring 2010 collection got my heart racing.

Like any addict, I've kept buying magazines to experience this feeling again, but nothing is ever the same as the first time.

source

Magazine: Vogue UK April 2010

Photograph: Javier Vallhonrat

Model: Guinevere Van Steenus

editorial #15: Mod Girls (Vogue China Nov 2012)

source

Magazine: Vogue China November 2012

Photography: Camilla Akrans

Styling: Ludivine Poiblanc

Models: Ming Xi, Xiao Wen Ju, So Young Kang

editorial #14: On a throne in the sky (Lula 15)

source: the fashion spot

Magazine: Lula 15

Photographer: Ellen von Unwerth

Stylist: Leith Clark

Model: Zanna Van Vorstenbosch

happy autumn!

Here are the little somethings that I will love this autumn:

Something pretty 

L-R: Leighton Denny in Supermodel, Dior in 257 Incognito, Chanel in 559 Frenzy, Topshop in Rainy Day, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in 330 Grey Area, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in 48 Mocha Mix and Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 660 Pat on the Black

At the start of a season, I love picking the nail polishes from my collection that I'm going to wear (not that I always stick to it) and I'm especially excited by all these amazing neutral colours.

Something to watch

I've been infatuated with Diana Vreeland la magnifique for quite a while now.  It all started when I read Edie Sedgwick's biography. The ex-Vogue editor was the one who saw her potential and organised a feature about her in the magazine. I remember my curiousity being piqued by this seemingly visionnary woman. But I really became obsessed while reading Cecil Beaton's diary. Cecil and her had a profound friendship and I was always happy to see her name popping up on the pages because she had the most flamboyant behaviour and that made for an exciting read. Claire (from the blog Lola is Beauty)'s rubric Ask D.V. definitely sealed my love for this woman. I got my hand on her biography, D.V., and delighted in her witticisms and style. You can imagine how happy I was when I discovered that this month, a biopic on Mrs. Vreeland got released. I realised while watching the trailer that I had never heard her voice but it sounds precisely how I imagined it in my head. In Dublin, The Eye Has To Travel is being shown at the Lighthouse Cinema until the 4th of October 2012.

(image source)

Something to drink 

Autumn is especially exciting when it comes to tea because it means my local shop is now going to stock Christmas tea again.

I'll have it with loads of milk and 3 spoonful of sugar please!

Something to listen to

This month, Patrick wolf is releasing a compilation for his tenth anniversary in music years. He chose 16 songs from all his creations that he re-recorded and re-arranged for this special double album. He wanted to get to the core of the songs and took the parti-pris to use 3 instruments maximum. The first extract is Overture (from the album The Magic Position) which is one of my favourite songs of his. Favourite song period. It's painfully beautiful, listen.

Something to remember

The new season of Downton Abbey is on ITV at 9pm every Sunday!

Best...scene...ever

Something creative

Nothing screams autumn more than stitching. At least to me. I am sure I could stitch faster and better if I had a fireplace, a rocking chair and a cat.

Something to eat

Let's put it plainly, I can't cook but when the colder months come, one of my great passions is to make and eat soup. My favourite ones are either pumpkin or courgette+broccoli. But a tomato soup is quite lovely too. 

Something to read

Well I enjoy reading all year round really but doing so buried under duvets in bed and with the electric blanket on when it's chilly outside is otherwordly. I set myself the goal to read 5 more books by the end of 2012, here are the ones I picked: Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote), Gribiche (Colette), Life of Pi (Yann Martel), The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers) and Wise Children (Angela Carter).

Something to visit

Tim Walker for Vogue Italia January 2012

An exhibition about the whimsical (fashion) photographer Tim Walker opens its doors in London from the 18th of October to the 27th of January. A collection of Walker's photographs will be shown as well as giant props he used for fashion shoots (among them, the one in the above picture, if I'm not mistaken). It will also be occasion for Tim Walker to share with visitors, films that inspired his famous vision (The Red Shoes, La Belle et La Bête or A Matter of Life and Death) and his own short movie, The Lost Explorer.

More information here, free admission.

Something to keep me entertained

still from The Red Shoes (1948)

I love making lists of old films to watch when the nights get longer and colder (so I'm not sheepishly tempted to watch some crap on TV). I recently watched The Red Shoes and A Matter of Life And Death (inspired by Tim Walker's upcoming exhibition) and realised that on Youtube, you can watch films that have fallen into public domain. Pretty awesome I think.

Next on my list are Badlands, Metropolis and Paris, Texas.

Something to wear

Crew-neck jumpers are one of my favourite things to wear. Unfortunately, good ones are hard to come by, may it be because of their knit (they might loosen quickly), their shape or their colour.

Benetton, Topshop and Cos

Something cheeky

I always forget my gloves so I can dig my hands in his coat pocket.