all the different names for the same thing

J

i just want to be this girl right now. i want to snap my fingers and be in europe, if even just for a day.

instead i will take in this photograph, in the same way the subject is taking in the view, and in the same way garance was taking in her view as the photographer.

as mentioned image by garance, title from death cab

magdalyn, what do you want for christmas?

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the honest answer is that i so badly want an olympia le tan book clutch, but its oh so pricey! i mean, at that point arent i just buying a flight to europe? but i looooovvvee itttttt!

image jak&jil

writing is the certainty that you have no audience

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sometimes there is nothing better than feeling at home in a city. after being away from toronto so much in the last 2.5 years, the familiarity of the city experience is fascinating me.

i took the subway downtown early this morning and went to the raptors/hawks game this afternoon (courtside!). it was perfectly cold and i wore fur.

title today is a quote from joan juliet buck as quoted in the gentlewoman magazine (i might talk about this mag more soon). i thought it was quite interesting - i realized that i get the most positive feedback on posts that are more personal because im not thinking that anyone is reading. this is why bloggers like garance are so successful and charming. photograph was taken by my friend esther from a porter plane.

taking my hat from the chandelier, i followed

i sometimes have moments when it becomes very clear to me that i am a grownup. like when i spend an evening with good friends chez mosha having wine, cheese, and crackers- an evening that ends

at 11pm because we all have to be up early.

i had to include the photograph of moshas fantastic shoe collection. all photographs via chic du chic, title quoted from the great gatsby

J

down time downtown

whenever i have a weekday off i go downtown and try to change up the areas i see. sometimes i have to push myself to do it, but i never regret it. i thought this image from garance looked like such a day off gallivanting outfit, and of course shes wearing my favorite repettos with the short square heel. any day off habits/clothing choices to share?

c'est l'angoisse du temps qui passe qui nous fait tant parler du temps qu'il fait

in honour of first snowfalls on lazy sundays, i thought i would post this creation entitled le lit, designed by linda topic. she collaborated with artist antonin bachet on this piece for descamps 150 year anniversary design competition. see more here.

via ilovebelgium and marnie! title from le fabuleux destin d'amélie poulain

a moveable feast

although i have referred to it many times, this time im not talking about hemingway. aritzia just launched a new line that was named a moveable feast because the designer was inspired by the writers memoirs. with a palette of mainly black, this line is the most avant garde (and yes, french in aesthetic) of the companys brands.

i was happy to see that the line was reflective of its name, for both the name and the aesthetic speak to a niche audience. (it seems that there has been some negative feedback re: the name. to which i say 1: arent we being a bit dramatic? fashion is constantly fighting the stereotype that it isnt intelligent, and when a brand references a great writer we still condemn it? hmm.. and 2: time to read a book. hemingway is a lovely place to start)

i wish i was that bird and i could just fly away

proenza schouler presents act da fool by harmony korine. you need to watch this

participatory art / identity

what is it about leaving our marks on things that is so exciting? when i was in europe i did this twice. once was in a restaurant bathroom in montmartre - there was writing, photographs, papers, all over the walls of this pseudo-underground place with live piano music - where i wrote my initials and the year, MPA 2010.

the photograph above is from my visit to the stedelijk museum in amsterdam. this was an entire white room with the first names and dates of visitors written in permanent marker. the reason they are crowded together horizonatally is because the museum attendants would write your information at your height. im somewhere in the top left. going back to my saatchi musings, perhaps participatory art is another way we can bring people to art, since being included feels like being accepted.. hmm..

spreading the word/love

i dislike that i am updating so infrequently. i must say, working for a living is no fun sometimes. anyway, i was somewhat recently tagged by en voyage as one of her ten noteworthy blogs (of which i am very grateful :) anyway this tag comes with a brief questionaire that i pass on to my ten favs. so here it is!

why did you create the blog? when i was doing my masters i needed to take breaks from writing to think about other things that i like. and since i didnt often have the time to actually go out and do anything, i thought a blog could be a nice idea. what kind of blogs do you follow? mostly fashion and culture. favorite makeup brand? dior and nars favorite clothing brand? favorite star in the sky...? some current frontrunners are celine, balenciaga, miu miu, the row.... but the brand that seems to overpower my closet is wilfred and its affiliate, wilfred free
your indispensable makeup product: dior tinted moisturizer your favorite colour: black your perfume: i rotate bois d'argent and champaca absolute your favorite film: for the dreamer in me, amelie and before sunset. and at the moment i am enamoured with wes anderson what country would you like to visit and why? there are also many right answers to this question so i will choose one - india because i have always been interested in the art and i wou ld love to immerse myself in a culture that contrasts my own significantly
make the last question and answer to yourself: currently reading? if you have to cry go outside by kelly cutrone :P
i give the prize to these 10 blogs.. meh im doing 11- isavirtue, ma vie privee, dejeuner sur l'herbe, chic du chic, dead fleurette, grey, her ribbons and her bows, miss moll cherie, palais royal, tatwamasi, i heart paish

image reblogged from ma vie privee

habitudes françaises

"if a french girl has to go out, she is going to start by dressing up, then at the last minute, she's going to grab the old jeans that she was wearing all day and say, "fuck it! I feel more like this."
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i read this quote from isabel marant the other day on dead fleurette. saying i relate to would be a great understatement. this summarizes me every time i go out in the evenings.

i will go through a million looks that are perfectly lovely but end up wearing the same thing ive been wearing all day.. except with heels.. and maybe lipstick.the labels 'casual' and 'fancy' dont really fit into my life. like dead fleurette, i like the idea of keeping things somewhere in the middle at all times. my mood is never too high or too low, nor are my outfits.

pulling at my soulstrings

im not going to lie. i miss paris already. i'll tell you something else - i didnt think i was going to for a while. im not sure why that is. but anyway, i miss the air, the streets, the art, the people, the fashion... oh the fashion. and i miss the way i approach life when im there. it makes me realize that we should all be more adventurous and open in the cities we live in

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ok, but a while back, i got some requests for the contents of my moleskine notes re: what girls were wearing during paris fashion week. i mentioned some, like how white (quite large) mens shirts were being worn by women buttoned up all the way (usually with pleated pants or long skirts), and the way they really have perfected the super-high bun. i noticed some recurring trends, like harem pants in bold patterns (think dries van noten fall '10 meets pjs) and oh so many oxfords and loafers. and some trends sneaking onto the scene, like the knit maxi dress as observed by missy.

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overall obsevations of womens street style- wear your clothes loose girls. it seemed that every girl had the perfect pleated pant and the perfect knit to wear with it.. and naturally the most effortlessly tied scarf. i saw a lot more denim than expected, and even that was relaxed, most often with blazers.. actually a lot more basic blazers than expected- hip length and tailored.
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the difference between this and the fashion week crowd, was the presence of avant garde silhouettes. everything was still loose, but you would for example see a more cropped pleated pant to wear with rick owens ankle boots with the loose leather fold, a skinny silhouette with the comme des garcons twisted padded jacket, your everyday look with a showpiece... most often high high shoes. nothing was ever too much- the french have a way of using fashion as a foil to themselves. nothing is worn unless it works with them, and then they work it.

dont look to the approval of others for your mental stability

its going to be a furry winter for me. having spent the last two winters in mild and rainy victoria, i am looking forward to a dry, bright, snowy (and yes, painfully long) toronto winter.

fur collection thus far: short vintage mink, e&j rabbit vest, vintage mink scarf. next stop, throw blanket? i love the richness it adds to the room above.
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title from karl lagerfeld. image reblogged from ma vie privée