Category: Design
Rachel Comey. Homie.
Rachel Comey stirs the spirit, lifts the soul and happily shakes it.
Take her Ready to Wear 2017 collection which she staged, in celebration of 15 years in the business, on the streets of NY in reference to her very first catwalk show.
How apt: The source of inspiration part of the realism.
With garments in different shapes and sizes reflecting reality.
Modelled by real people of all genders, age, figure type yet still sewn together with a signature style.
It’s a gauntlet.
Laters, Kate x
Pretty and Pink x
The rollercoaster of fashion steams on, morphing, re-inventing, disappearing and then back with a bang. Each time the story is different, responding to design needs, changing faces and context, which is what makes it all so fascinating.
Take the shoulder pad: Nemesis of the 80s, spawn of the 40s..and ripe for a re-birth.
But now less cut-out character from Disney, more cutting edge with balance.
I don’t know much – but I know I want some.
Laters, Kate x
One, Two, Three, Floor x
Before I go any further, can I just say how much I love my parquet floors – they’re warm, characterful and if they were a food they’d be a perfectly cooked, melt in the mouth steak. But there is another type of floor I would happily embrace, particularly in bathrooms: Terrazzo – A centuries old technique of mixing up marble, granite or quartz chippings with a cementitious binder, which is then polished to a fine shine.
The advantage of this technique is the ability to make anything from the mixture – it’s like the architectural version of play doh. Imagination (and possibly good taste) are the only limits to it’s capabilities.
It can be big and brash, laden with special effects: patterns, glittery bits and brass inlays.
Or it can be discreet, quietly accepting the continual pounding of life with extreme confidence, forever remaining constant. Qualities to value.
It also (and I speak from confidence here – this was the floor in my Grandparents house in Greece for many years) never shows the dirt.
Effectively it’s floor rock n roll.
Laters, Kate x
Sunday Shopping x
You now what you’re meant to do at the start of each season: Gatecrash the party and scoff all the canapes. But somehow it never happens like that. Take Sunday afternoon with it’s languid air of relaxation when sofas become blankets and fingers lazily skim across tablets. And light upon the dream dress. OMG!! That’s it!!..
It’s just like that dress that’s been lying in my great dresses folder in Pinterest for 2 years. OK..not exactly the same..the pockets are missing..the pockets are fab..pockets can always be added. I love the white, but there’s only the option of blue, red or black. Red could work. But it’s a summer dress. You need autumn clothes. But I’ll need summer clothes next year and WHAT?! Just £45?? It’s in the basket….and do they have any more bits of heaven?
Oooh Palazzo pants..THEY could be transitional combined with all the shirt dresses purchased this summer…
(All pictures and purchases from SilkFred)
And talking about shirt dresses – Oh my! It’s pure lust. The credit card doesn’t stand a chance.
And not a jumper in sight. Sigh.
Laters, Kate x
New Weave x
The summer has broken here with a bang; I think we’re having the full whack of autumn rains today. We walked into school, avoiding some of the puddles and laughing at everyone gridlocked in their cars, all nicely showered but still afraid of water! It was chaos.
It’s brought fall dressing to a head though, and there’s nowhere better for browsing transitional classics than Toast. This group of clothes is from their OAS range, which stands for Ordinary Attire Studio and are also the three letters at the heart of Toast.
The design aesthetic of simplicity, durability and wearability at it’s core.
It’s workwear reinterpreted for easy workday wear in the modern world.
It’s everything you want in your wardrobe really.
Laters, Kate x
Pod luck..
This is more of a dream than a reality, but it’s something The Husband and I keep talking about..converting our slowly decaying shed into a state of the art office pod.
Given we live in London, it’s never going to be very big. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be well designed.
Nows the space to make a list of all the features that appeal, just in case the green light happens – like noting the slatted wall on the left for future reference.
Not practical for a garden, but the shelf-desk across the large window ticks the boxes.
As do these simple modular seating cushions.
(All pictures Pinterest. Somewhere!)
And black. It must be black..
Laters, Kate x
Bags of love x
It was on Wednesday when the realisation struck that I was already down to one pair of school socks between the two of them. I high-tailed it to Oxford street, partly because I wanted speed…partly because I had an ulterior motive: A few weeks ago, after years of drought, I’d spotted that the stalls selling the touristy type of tat usually avoided had started selling designer rip-offs again. I’m not a great fan of faking it make it..except if you want to do something a bit radical.
I’ve been wanting to cover a recognisable designer bag in junk for sometime (sort of inspired by Anya Hindmarch, but also by an earlier random street style photo of someone carrying a battered Louis Vuitton bag covered in sewn on patches). This is just the start – the idea is to cover as much of the bag as possible.
Except maybe the back.
Laters, Kate x
Dodo Bar Or
In London we’re still breathing clear blue skies and warm rays. It’s so nice to be able to still look at light, cotton clothes without thinking goosebumps. This label – Dodo Bar Or, headed by actress turned fashion designer Dorit ‘Dodo’ Bar Or is one that unashamedly flaunts all things summer and features on my wish list radar.
Sigh. There’s what I’m doing in my present. What I want to do in the future. And all the dreams inbetween.
Laters, Kate x
September..
The school term has begun which should be heralded with joy and relief except for me there’s always an element of wormwood and ashes: The early mornings, the sense of cramming round pegs into square holes, all the boxes to tick plus the tiredness, the flagging stamina interestingly mixed up with hockey socks, mouth guards, rugby boots, new shoes and never knowing exactly where to pick the kids up from each day. The start was also a deadline for me..and I’m sort of there – I wanted the house to be running as smoothly as possible to give me free reign on another creative project – generally if I hand over my head to creative challenges the house collapses under the strain of chaos and constant trip-ups..this time I’m trying to learn the lesson and do my best to pre-empt them..hoho.
It’s not finished (when is a house ever??) but the study is sorted and everything filed away, there is now a runner made of kilims on the main stair, which I fitted in the same way as the cellar stairs here. Plus a bright newly painted yellow mirror right at the top of the stairs.
The sitting room is almost back to normal, painted a very chilled green (a few bits of skirting and one small bit of wall to go)
And the vintage media unit is hung..it just needs a few books and bits to bring it to life, but because it hangs rather than hogs, it really works.
The footstool went pink..it said pale pink on the packet..hmmmmmm..more like taramasalata..I’m thinking how to turn it down – maybe put it back in the washing machine with a packet of colour run??
And so it starts..
Laters, Kate x
Frankly it’s fringe..
Some would say it’s an affliction, others a disease…all I know is I’m in love with everything fringe.
Particularly the type you find at the bottom of an inviting sofa: There’s an echo of the past, a touch of glamour..a sense of time standing still. A cat at play..
(All pictures from Pinterest)
The painting in the sitting room is finished. All it needs now are a few finishing touches. Where’s my needle..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 