And I’m not talking about myself or diet plans for 2019…Gladys ‘Fatso’ Bentley was the gender nonconforming lesbian superstar of the Harlem renaissance born 100 years ahead of her time we have never heard of.  She was outrageous – even at at a time when Harlem was legendary for its nightlife.  She’s also credited with wearing the first tuxedo in public – so you can add style icon to the list of her attributes.  Her later life was not without drama – she took on the persona of a straight life due to the McCarthy era witch hunt against gays in the 1950s, a visual example of how scary that time must’ve been.

 

Because one of the joys of the Christmas period, to hibernate against the cold and the dark, reading, looking, thinking, researching and just plain vegging: we need to do more of this, discover more things, be proactive rather than passive.

 

 

Another guilty pleasure was watching back to back episodes of Project Runway on Netflix: How much do I love the  ‘ skip intro’ button? Only a smidgeon less than the ‘skip recap’.  Being submerged in couture gown making, talent and taste making it was therefore a bit of a shock to see Heidi Klum’s dress for the Golden globes.  What happened?? It’s a cross between Gwyneth Paltrow’s 2002 Oscar dress and a primary school project..

 

And then there was Timothee Chalamet – robbed last year for an Oscar for ‘Call me by your name’ (fab, fab film) he at least stepped out of the male uniform and I for one loved it.  Looking back, ‘Call me by your name’ written by Andre Aciman was also one of my favourite books of the year – rare that both genres are knockout.  The other stand out book was ‘Educated’ by Tara Westover – powerful, poignant and unforgettable: This year has a lot to live up too..

 

Wishing all a very happy 2019!

Laters, Kate x