The first pair of designer shoes I ever bought were cream with red piping and a kitten heel so small that they were almost flats. I think I was just as excited about the felt shoe bag as I was the shoes. Marc Jacobs. I wore them everywhere, and with everything. Skinny jeans, check. Tea dresses, check. To the cinema, out to dinner, in the grass. I have no idea where they are now. Did I give them away? Throw them away? Are they in my mother-in-law’s North York basement with all the other sartorial relics? What I loved most about the shoe is that it exposed the perfect amount of toe cleavage, not too much, not too little, and that the leather softened with every party and every mad dash for the 22 bus. The 22 bus that took me straight home. These pink leather beauties (with a point like my MJ’s ) are from the 1800s. Fashion is cyclical. So is life.
Fashion
forever in blue jeans
January 31, 2023
There was a time that I owned more pairs of jeans than socks; Dad jeans, Mom jeans, ludicrously low slung jeans. Distressed, shredded, stone-washed and tie-dyed –– I had them all. There were the Marc Jacobs flares, wide enough to place me alongside Abba at the Eurovision song contest. And a pair of jet black jeggings so tight someone had to peel them off me. There were my Sevens –– the OG of premium denim –– that I’d customized with tiny Swarovski crystals, and my trusty Chip and Pepper’s worn with vertiginous heels and sparkly tops to every party I ever went to. Over the years, I’ve outgrown them all (in size and/or style) and I’m now left with two pairs of the same jean. They’re smart enough to wear out to dinner, and comfortable enough to do a downward dog in. I’m not sure I’ll ever wear another style. That is unless I find a replica of my earliest denim memory. 1987, blue like the sky, soft as clouds, baggy, pleated, perfection.
heart of mine
December 7, 2022
Surreal, magical, otherworldly, Azumi Sakata’s brooches are modern heirlooms, to be treasured alongside your grandmother’s wedding ring. Her moths, skulls and human hearts are all handmade in Japan using the finest gold threads, velvets and beads. “I think that in the past, many women had few creative outlets other than embroidery or cooking,” writes Sakata. “I think that the repetitive stitching motion of embroidery was therapeutic, and the choice of colours and techniques allowed them to express themselves. Like these women, I want to use embroidery to strengthen my own heart.”
piece of my heart
October 13, 2022
There are a few contemporary art blogs that I check in with almost daily. As I scroll through square upon square of murals, lino cuts, stone carvings and papier-mâché, I am in awe of the sheer magnitude of art that’s being made by human hands all over the world. It might not all be my taste, a lot of it isn’t, but with every brushstroke, and every stitch, every click of the shutter button, these artists are sharing something of themselves with the world and that deserves our respect. Have a look, if you feel like it, at this beautifully curated Tumblr that I visit daily, packed full of rich and eclectic art. There’s an artist who paints seashells with a fine tipped blue Sharpie, a ceramicist on a quest for the perfect iridescent glaze, and a felter who makes hats worthy of a post code. Each and every one of them is sharing a small piece of their heart with us, some more than a small piece, and how gutsy is that?
à la main
September 27, 2022
Inspired by domestic handicrafts –– quilting, embroidery, needlework, china painting, and sewing –– Sea’s latest ready-to-wear collection pays homage to the hand. “During the pandemic,” says Sea’s co-designer, Monica Paolini “we studied craft and what women did when they were at home. I just kept looking at Etsy and hand-work and different ways that women occupied their time, like crochet or needlepoint. It’s so touching and [something] I’m personally super-attracted to. I always want [our designs] to be like little treasures and to bring optimism and happiness to people.” From the quilted pieces to the hand-crocheted details, there isn’t a single look I’m not drawn to. And if I was as taking something home, it would be this dress; cutouts and puffed sleeves –– what’s not to love?
adorn
August 26, 2022
It’s this pink sapphire waterfall that caught my eye. It’s striking, and yet everyday wearable. Alexa de la Cruz designs jewellery for women who appreciate the art of the subtle statement. Enter the Tulip ring. Or the Arcoíris Eternity Band, made up of Cabochon Australian opals in pastel hues. I love the watermelon tourmalines in these floral earrings. I wear hardly any jewellery these days, but de la Cruz’s pieces seem like they could quite quickly become part of one’s skin.
around and around
July 19, 2022
Rebecca Sammon’s mythical, magical figures.
A mural by artist, Zhang Enli adorns the facade of a rural, Italian chapel.
Printed summer dresses by Oslo based, Cathrine Hammel.
Francisco Matto’s couple, crafted from marble and wood.
Smithsonian miscellaneous shell collections.
The walls at Osteria dei Meriavigliati
only pink
July 18, 2022
I think about colour combinations the way my foodie friends think about parings of flavour. I get as excited about turquoise and terracotta as they do about ginger and yuzu. A bad colour combination is as hard on the eyes as a peanut butter and onion sandwich is on the stomach. I understand, taste is subjective, but some things are not meant to be partnered. Puce and acid green, please leave the room. I will always come back to pink. Pink is my safe place. Everything, and I mean everything, looks good with pink. Chartreuse, check. Mustard, check. Cornsilk, check. Tangerine, double check. From a fleshy, Renoir pink to the hottest Schiaparelli, pink is the winning hue. It’s my pantry staple. Pink is my pepper.
around and around
June 28, 2022
around and around
June 16, 2022
Scott Bergey’s muted pallet and whimsical style.
Carol Russell’s charming wooden spoons.
An Inuit woman and child giving each other a kunik.