Busy weekend

I am not a competitive person. I hate losing, and what's more, I hate winning - I always feel pity for the person who loses. And I don't like that feeling. I know, it's peculiar, but it's been like that for as long as I can remember. I hated competition at school and during my studies, I hated competitive sports (I mean, I can watch tennis on tv, but I wouldn't be able to play it) and I hate competition at work.
But there is one thing I AM for sure - I am an ambitious animal. I can compete with myself till death. I would push myself to the limits just to achieve the goal I've set for myself.

Does that explain why I came up with this brilliant idea of making a jacket?
Maybe not, but anyway, here it is, the yet-unfinished jacket and the best model in the world - Euphoria, a birthday present from my beloved husband.

I think she looks damn cool in this jacket. I would leave the jacket as it is now if I were not dying of curiosity to see how it looks finished.

The headphones belong to my husband, but apparently, these days, only Euphoria knows how to make them work.

Trying on mum's heels

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend a couple of fashion shows, and did so with great pleasure. Watching designers at work is a bit like trying on mum's high heels.

It was an interesting experience from various perspectives.

Firstly, it's a hell of a job to take a good picture at a fashion show. If you think about it, an average fashion show's setting would be like this: a dark room with spotlights (very often frequently changing along with the music) and models walking very fast. If you add to that inexperienced young models, who are usually too shy to pose for the cameras, you end up with quite a challenge for a photographer.


I must admit, the longer I play with our camera, the more I admire photographers like Scott Schuman, Garance Dore or Nast.

Secondly, I managed to meet some of the young aspiring designers from Birmingham and contrast their point of view with my in many ways naive understanding of the fashion world. I had never thought how difficult it is to find a job in industry, not to mention the difficulty of promoting your own name/brand as s designer. Even after watching all possible episodes, all possible seasons, all possible editions of Project Runway (Project Catwalk included) I wouldn't necessarily think that a very talented designer may end-up sorting clothes at H&M.

And finally, seeing all the amazing clothes on the runway was really inspiring, but also taught me a lesson - I should keep sewing more and more, even random stuff (like pajamas*) otherwise I will never progress.

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* Actually, I made some and I think it's a perfect niche. It is so difficult to buy comfy sleepwear that would not just look tacky - or like your boyfriend's old tee and old gym trousers.


Anyway. Enough for today. Enjoy the photos I took at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design's Fashion Show 09, on 17th June 2009:

For more photos follow this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11197687@N02/sets/72157620976059477/

The party

It was about ten-thirty when the little yellow-sashed Mexican orchestra got tired of playing a low-voiced prettied-up rhumba that nobody was dancing to. (...) The room had been a ballroom once and Eddie Mars had changed it only as much as his business compelled him.


He started sensing an intrigue here. That guy was an obvious target.

He shrugged. "There would be the implication that the coin was illegally acquired."


She looked unconscious of what was going on, but she didn't have the pose of unconsciousness. She had a pose as if she was doing something very important and making a lot of it.



I nodded and smiled at her. Marlowe, one smile, cheerful.

'Who's he?' I put a cigarette in my mouth and stared at her. She looked a little pale and strained, but she looked like a girl who could function under a strain.

We were sitting in a room at the Berglund. I was on the side of the bed (...). It was my room. Rain beat very hard against the window.
Her head was against an ivory satin cushion.

The girl and I stood looking at each other. She tried to keep a cute smile on her face but her face was too tired to be bothered. It kept going black on her. the smile would wash off like like water off sand and her pale skin had a harsh granular under the stunned and stupid blackness of her eyes.



She shrugged. She said negligently: "He didn't know the right people. That's all a police record means in this rotten crime-ridden country."

Her stockings were just as sheer as the day before, but she wasn't showing as much of her legs.

She laughed suddenly and sharply and went half-way through the door, then turned her head to say cooly: 'You're as cold-blooded a beast as I ever met, Marlowe. Or can I call you Phil?'

The door at the back opened with a bang and Moose Malloy came through it with a smooth heavy lunge and stopped dead, his feet planted and a wide pale grin on his face. A Colt Army.45 looked like a toy pistol in his hand.

It was a good punch. The shoulder dropped and the body swung behind it (...). He threw him clear across the room, spinning and staggering and flailing with his arms.

She fooled me. She laughed in my face. "So my husband hired you to spy on me," she said. "I might have known the whole thing was an act."

She flashed here eyes down, shivered, and put the gun back in her bag. She drank half the drink without stopping, put the glass down hard and picked the card up. "I don't give many people that liquor", I said. "I can't afford to". Her lips curled. "I supposed you would want money."

The door opened with a jerk and Finlayson and Sebold came in. Sebold looked as spruce and nasty as ever, but Finlayson looked older, more worn, mousier. "Guys like you get in a lot of trouble", Finlayson said sourly. "Trouble is my business", I said. "How else would I make a nickel?"


The two guns swiveled and the hard gray eyes were looking at me now. Madder went a little way towards Sype and pointed his Smith & Wesson at Sype's chest. The girl smiled, not a nice smile. "Bright boy, eh? You sure stick your neck out all the time, don't you?"


For more in technicolor: http://www.flickr.com/photos/veryveryquiet/sets/72157619132921809/


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All quotations from:
Trouble is my business, R. Chandler; Farewell, My Love, R. Chandler; The Big Sleep, R. Chandler; Killer in the Rain, R. Chandler.

The day before the Noir Party

And there it came, the long expected celebration of various anniversaries and many birthdays in 40s style.

The first thing I wanted to show you is the poster made by my husband for the party. It think it's great, and it perfectly set the scene for everything that came later:



Where to start? I won't tell you about preparatory stages for the party i.e. deciding on the venue and the movie, but you have to believe me it was great fun from the very first second.
My outfit for the party?
The story of my outfit is rather complicated. It starts from the fact that for the last two months I was working hard on my corset and at the end I didn't wear it. Funnily enough it wasn't the corset's fault. It fits perfectly well, and as for a first corset, it's pretty impressive (be patient, I will show you the end result when I decide on the photo session idea). So, even though I was very happy about the final result, I realised my corset featuring outfit was more of a Victorian style meeting Dita von Teese half way through. Not a bad match at all, but not necessarily for the Noir theme. Hence, a week before the party, I changed my mind and decided to wear an old dress I got from my mum-in-law ages ago (she was shocked when I confessed I still have this dress). I will let you judge whether it was a good decision or not, but I felt I got the effect I was aiming at.

Before I show you the pictures from the party, I think I have something you may find somehow interesting - backstage photos taken during the last minute shopping in both vintage stores in Digbeth.

On Friday, the day before the party, our first guests arrived and we all agreed shopping was on the top of our list of priorities, right after raspberry muffins (!)

It was hilarious to see the girls getting all crazy about every single detail of their outfits: Dorota emerging from the changing room in all sorts of dresses and not being able to take the decision on which to buy; Marta desperately trying to decide between two bags out of which one being more useful for daily purposes and the other one perfectly matching her black dress with pearls (eh, dilemmas); Ola, as always, taking fully professional decision in 5 seconds; Elettra having trouble with almost everything; and Barbara shyly presenting her dress which I totally loved when I saw it on her the next day.

Bags, too many bags!

I've got enough of bags, let's go to shoes, it will be way easier, right?

Try that one as well, and that one, and...

That one, without any doubts!

One more second, it's only 20 dresses left:

It was a long day. At midnight the clock stroke Marta's birthday and we officially started the Noir party. This was one of the most hilarious moments on that day. I don't think I'm allowed to say why, but believe me, we had great fun.

All photos taken by Bohdan

Lady Noir

or a story of a bag

Paris

I didn't post these pictures before, but I think they are quite relevant now, as you can understand that even in Paris we were already in a vintage mood:

Searching for vintage treasures at Porte de Vanves Flea Market:




I didn't buy anything but I kinda regret I didn't go for this hat.

Hats are great. The more I wear them, the more I like the way they change my entire look. I can change from an ordinary and a very simple outfit into something special simply by adding a hat.

Nice, isn't it?
This is how I gonna look like in 30 years time when I will be selling all vintage treasures I am gathering now.

myvintagevogue

Nothing to add here, just enjoy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintagevogue/

That should certainly keep me busy for the rest of the weekend, how about you?

40s

The big Film Noir party is near, and everybody is asking about some outfit suggestions. I could go on with my inspirations forever, especially, that I keep watching Noir movies almost every day now :)

How about this one:

Or this one:

For more inspirations, check out this website:

http://www.moviemaidens.com/
It's great, although it could be more trustworthy. Some actresses suspiciously change their faces, i.e. if you look at Joan Collins, you will see a variety of 'her' faces! Some much nicer than others ;) BTW do you have the same problem with her? She's so much 'Dynasty' for me that even her older pictures seem like a part of the same story.
Anyway...
Speaking of 40s, I am a great fan of this silhouette. And I promised myself to make and wear more of this style dresses and skirts.

Here are some of my favourites to come:

Jaroszewska's collection inspired by 40s

Dior

Karen Elson wearing Marni skirt:

And, of course, Dita:

Love that hat!

And the last picture, slightly different style, same silhouette:


taken from this website: http://www.art-dept.com/artists/afanador/
I'm out of words for his work.



Watch this space, as I am all crazy about 40s now. And it's gonna be more of them from now on :)

Purple challenge, part 2

I am sorry for not posting lately. I was busy changing the first digit of my age quantifier. We celebrated this big day in Paris doing lots of fun things, among others cycling all over the city. I think I'm gonna dedicate a separate post to this cycling experience, because it was totally awesome.

But now, the promised finale of the big purple challenge.

To refresh your memories, the purple top in a different setting - a more formal and work compatible version:




And finally, I have the pleasure to present my new purple dress (formerly the bottom of the big purple dress). Hope you like it.



I must admit, I love it. It catches people's attention wherever I go. I got a flower once from a guy on the street who said that he had to give me the flower to match the dress :)
And the most important thing - it's soooo comfy that I have to stop myself from wearing it every day.