There is a shop in the Pompidou Centre that reminds me of a childhood obsession of mine and an odd one at that! I adored pencil easers, so named “rubbers” although that has a different connotation now. I especially loved the Japanese variety, brightly coloured and distinctly perfumed. The Cetre Pompidou shop is like stepping into a fantasy world of trinkets and fripperies - none of them needed but all desired (like the pencil eraser fantasy shop of my youth!) I was drawn to these Origami necklaces by Claire Naa and Arnaud Soulignac. They are so delicate and yet decadent, born of a love of the Japanese art. I do not NEED another necklace but my compulsion is such that I may HAVE to have one! See all the shapes and colours on offer here and step into my fantasy at the Pompidou on your next visit to Paris.

Paris était formidable…comme toujours! The city draws me in, as always. It was expensive (more so as the Euro becomes stronger than the British pound,) it was busy and hectic but still something about the city gives me an inner serenity that I don’t find elsewhere. Big cities have a very obvious appeal for the tourist but the longer I spend in Paris and the more I get to know the city, I wonder if it could ever be a “home.” Am I deluding myself? Am I seduced by the appeal of big-city life, as seen by a visitor? I used to live in London and after a year I did become disillusioned and frankly lonely in a city of millions. Would that be the case in Paris….I will keep you posted.

This is my favourite part of the style year…watching as the Spring Summer looks we were treated to last year filter down to the high street. It’s a worrying time for me, when some SERIOUS spending could occur, snapping up multiple imitation items, instead of  one luxury designer piece.  I keep reading in magazines that the current trend is extremely juxtaposed to my personal pattern - saving to buy one stand-out, authentic piece as opposed to lots of High Street equivalents.

(A tangent tale - I speak and teach French and was mildly shocked to find there is no one word or phrase that conveys the English meaning of High Street. High Street to us means affordable and on-trend clothing. “La Rue Principale” just means the main street in a town. The nearest equivalent I could think of was, “Des vêtements à bon marché et à la mode achetés des magasins d’une chaîne” cheap and fashionable clothing bought from a chain-store. Let me know if there is a better equivalent! TANGENT OVER)

Each item on my wish list is catered for best by a different High Street store. Richard Nicoll’s catwalk colour block dresses are beyond my means but a maxi-dress from his Topshop fusion range is within my reach. Chloé’s pastels are definitely 3 price brackets too far but Cheap Monday’s skinny lemon jeans are a bargain at £50. I could go on and on… So which tribe do you divide into - save for a single item splurge or multiple spend for less? Let me know. Also I had little response to my multi-lingual posting; if you’d like me to continue, drop me a line.

The ubiquitous legging. Lindsay Lohan sells them, everyone seems to own some and some have more kudos than others. Some have gained fame, namely the Black Rats legging by Sass & Bide. I now face a moral dilemma, of the spending kind - buy these almost £100 pair of leggings or ignore their existence and acknowledge the ridonculous price tag? Any thoughts? See or buy at Net-a-Porter. (I know that if I do ignore…just a little longer, they’ll be sold out and my dilemma will be solved, to be replaced by incessant yearning!) Para español, clique aqui. Pour lire en français, cliquez ici.
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Sometimes in the world of fashion I forget that fashion can be art. New York Fashion Week left me with an overall feeling of boredom. Let me elaborate, as perhaps boredom is a little harsh. To me New York style has always represented slickness, clean lines and congruity; on the whole, New York Fashion Week delivered exactly that. London Fashion Week represents English eccentricity and the eclectic nature of the city and already it holds great promise. The Central Saint Martins’ show offers a glimpse into the future of fashion and this year’s MA graduates have offered an exciting platter of styles. From bold colour choices, to innovative nude palettes, the elements of interesting form and shape ran throughout the show. See for yourself on Style.com and decide which city’s Fashion Week inspires you the most.

I felt slightly winded on seeing Christopher Kane’s new collection through the minimal display feature of Net-a-Porter. Maybe it’s because I have a frozen shoulder or perhaps it’s their overwhelming beauty (combined with an equally immense price-tag!) They dazzled on the catwalk but their singular beauty is more emphatic when framed by the stark white of Net-a-Porter. They are transformed into pieces of art as opposed to mere items of clothing (although as I cut around the scalloped detail dress, far right, it did start to shape itself like a Darlek!) So on days like this, I do wish that my bank account was an ocean and £3,000 a tiny drop within it…but as that’s not the case, I can look and drool and wish my architectural sewing skills existed! See all Christopher’s masterpieces on Net-a-Porter.

In the same way that a face can sell a cover (as mentioned in my previous post) it can sell a collection. Zara’s Spring/Summer offering is fronted by the ubiquitous model du jour, Lara Stone. The shoes and colour combinations seem more fashion-forward when presented by Miss. Stone. Zara’s only downside for me, is their lack of online purchase feature. I often find that one elusive purchase, usually touted by EVERY fashion magazine, evades me, no matter how many branches I pop into. See the making of their campaign and the catalogue on Zara’s website.

Covers sell - a fact, universally acknowledged in the world of fashion. I become more aware of it each time I peruse the magazine rack. There is a British magazine that I would never consider buying on a regular basis but the alluring face of a celebrity in an editorial style photograph seems to draw me in. Maybe it’s the possibility of seeing the celeb in a different, more cutting edge light or just my nosey nature…but whatever it is, I hate it! The magazine’s power of persuasion and power of celebrity have achieved their goal! A magazine that I do like and would buy anyway, has lured me in further with their Liv Tyler cover. Wonderland’s cover is graced by her cool beauty, adding extra appeal to the purchase. Celebrity isn’t the only required element - an unknown, styled well, with interesting features and a colourful edgy font is enough for me. However it works both ways - if a cover is graced by a “pseudo-celeb” that I have no respect for, I am far less likely to part with any cash. See what else Wonderland has to offer and decide for yourself what criteria entices you to buy.

I have succumbed to the delights of Twitter and its associated vocabulary! (Follow my ramblings here) I “tweeted” about the lack of allure real fur has for me. I was vintage rummaging last week and the amount of furs startled me; each one felt silky like my cat but obviously cold and very un-alive. It was all a little disconcerting and it made me question my thoughts on all animal bi-products. Why was I so repulsed by fur when the feel of leather has no effect on me? I find myself daydreaming about Lot 78’s leather jackets. Browns is also loving Lot 78 and they’re focusing on the brand this month, with some very effective photography. So now I’m left to muse - leather vs. fur…is there really a difference?