The Joyful Heart Aching Walk: The 40 years’ YLS Retrospective, Paris
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I like to Thank to Kelly for arranging our tickets to be rushed to our Hotel, So we could watch YSL Retrospective just in time! The door opens at 10:00 am and I highly recommend you to purchase the ticket before you get there due to the popularity of the show you may end up standing for a long time in the line to buy the ticket.
God, I felt so Nervous waiting and getting one step closer to Petit Palais’ Grand Entrance and the exhibition. Just like when I was 5 years old, the Santa came to our daycare. I remember my 2 sweaty little palms rubbing over my little pleated skirt. I was about to go say hi to him!
Entering and My heart beating fast!
The initial of the First room: Yves Saint Laurent 1936-2008. There are total 15 rooms through out the exhibition housing 300 haute couture models with a selection of pictures, drawings and films. This Retrospective was made possible under the patronage of Madam Carla Bruni-Sarkozy: The ex-super model who worked closely with Yves Saint Laurent and the current first lady of France.
His general approach to Fashion and Leading ahead provoked me to think about what I do and what I contribute as a designer and also as a simple human being. How much Do I Push Myself to loose fear in general and pour my guts and soul out in creative way? A big question.
Room 2: Dior Years.
The Modern shapes: Cynthia and I were talking about how modern these looked. The head wrap and tunic, You can put these on and step right out today and will look so chick.
The boxy cropped boy cut with sexy drapy blouse. Quite beautiful. The over sized pockets are fabulous!
Saint Laurent was a leader. He initiated brand new things. He gave answers to need. He drove the fashion world and a new life style: “Pants” for Women, New Tuxedo= the Smoking, City Safari and so much more. He said, ” Fashions come and go , style is eternal”
The room 6: Catherine Denevue, Respect and admiration at First sight. Quote from the walking guide. ” In 1965 she walks into the boutique on rue Spontini with a model cut out of “Elle”. The actress is 22 years old and already a symbol of French womanhood. Two years later Yves Saint Laurent will create her wardrobe for the film she makes with Bunuel. ” She has a marvellous heart” he used to say. This room was set up to remind her closet. Small and intimate. No Mannequins. I loved it.
Room 11: Imaginary Journeys. There are total 44 models inspired by his traveling through Spain, Russia, India, China, Japan and Africa, especially Morocco. As all of us know Morocco has been his love of Life. Morocco was a only country he visited repeatedly. He ended up purchasing a house called Villa Mabrouka, or House of Luck in 1998 with his partner Pierre Berge. Yves Saint Laurent later said about his Russian collection was a very important break through for him as a designer. The Russian collection really brought him his best creativity to work through the entire collection working with every single colors from the paintings and experience and emotions he had from Russia.
The room 12, Through The Looking -Glass of Art: This room really struck me. It took my breath away. It was the moment to witness Yves Saint Laurent enlightening his work to another level by attributing his masterful Haute Couture to his well respected Artists as Mondrian( the first Art actually he owned), Matisse, Bonard, Pablo Picasso, Tom Wesselman, Jean Cocteau, Georges Braque, Vincent Van Gough, Serge Poliakoff and Bambara Art…
My heart started moving in pieces and my eyes became teary…
A tribute to Georges Braque, also you can find this photo on the page 325 of the Hard cover book published with the Exhibition: Yves Saint Laurent
The Tribute to Mondrian and Tom Wesselman.
Knitted Wool Wedding Dress, 1965: It reminds me of Russian doll. You can find much better photo on page 250. the dress in the exhibition led the public to the Room 13, The Last Ball room and Room 14 or i rather call ‘The Smoking Wall”.
The room 13, The Last Ball Room : Puccini in my year, Yves Saint Laurent at my heart. I just broke down. I was deep into this unbelievable beauty and style created by one and only Yves Saint Laurent and the Era I never have been. The room also offered lovely velvet covered bench along the wall so you can sit down and enjoy the grand view of this room.
In year 2002, The Last Runway show of Yves Saint Laurent himself: The Retrospective. The Exhibition is featuring every piece from this runway. And right outside of the entrance to the first room had videos running for the public.
His Last Bow. 2002
Walking out of the Exhibition, I felt like Julia Roberts in the film, “Pretty Woman” where the Scene she breaks out in tears watching La Traviata by Verdi in the box, opera house…. It was unbelievable feeling to have.
Break your piggy bank. Skip your bag of the season. This YSL Retrospective is one enough Single reason to be in Paris. The show runs till August 29 this year.
And I pay a huge credit and respect to Petit Palais who executed this beautiful exhibition with all the right lighting, well thought out innovative layout, different and exiting dynamic from the room to room. I can’t just imagine seeing this exhibition in any other place!
The court yard of Petit Palais
Like a little girl in front of a candy shop.
Study of New Shape: KIMONO
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Speaking of and working with “NEW SHAPES” with my dear designers these days, this book came across just in right time for me. God, my last Thursday horoscope (Leo) just nailed it by me visiting the Barnes and Noble’s on 5th Avenue, NYC. Quoting from my memory from Horoscope.com on Thursday: An object from a different culture will arouse feeling of getting inspired …then something something… goes on. Then I thought “What are they talking about ..?” but I think now that it meant I would find this book on that night…? Anyway…
My shy and shallow knowledge of Kimono I had was completely challenged by this simple yet down to core of what Kimono means in terms of structure foundation, shape and cultural relationship to where Kimono stood then and stands now. Origami and Kimono completely crosses over I believe after this book and now I have a fun project to share with Gael studying his “Origami airplane book” we always play with in depth. We will be soon making Origami Kimono. A million shapes you can create simply by folding and flipping a piece of paper. A Book, “Kimonos” by Sophie Millenovich. Hopefully You can have a glimpse of what this book contains and is talking about through below photos.
Where the wild things Are: Spike Jonze at MOMA( October 8-18)
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Of course Gael has this book. Maurice Sendak’s timeless medieval-ish beautifully illustrated million lines of pure wonder and adventure. Gael already had had heart aching moments balling his eyes out watching never ending stories( all of them). I only mention “Never ending story” because I think the film version of “Where the wild things are” would be somewhat like it. Or I may say this too early. We are just about to take Gael to the theater. I am quite excite about this. It seems like perfect for the timing wise with beautiful autumn crosses with Halloween coming up.
MOMA has been always the one of the best sources of the best movies for classics and independents. And I love their savviness about knowing and connecting themselves with what’s going on out there. MOMa will be running their first-ever Spike Jonze retrospective celebrating his work as a director, producer, cinematographer, writer, actor and choreographer. What is so cool about Jonze is that he’s somewhat beloved by people of all areas like down town band as “Yeah Yeah Yeah’s” or the children’s book author like Sendak for this movie or the legendary skate boarders or beauty like Michelle Williams.
MOMa will be kicking off the first day, the 8th with a few short films about Maurice Sendak, the author of the book, Where the wild thing are including 5 minute of clips from the Movie. Then there will be Adaptation ( remember?), Jonze’s award winning Music Videos and short films, Being John Malkovich, Heavy metal in Baghdad and more. So check it out! www.moma.org
Meet Me At The Center Of The Earth by Nick Cave
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VINtaGe RoCK T-ShiRtS
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I just ordered this book “Vintage Rock T -shirts” by Johan Kugelberg” on line. T shirts in this book were not really produced to be commercially retailed. They were made for rock stars or they were made by rock stars for the fans to be given away.
I can’t wait to see them!
Other books I ordered: T shirt factory, How to print.
I’m thinking to make some interesting tees for Lacasapark soon.
Faking it!
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Kenneth Jay Lane was first a shoe designer for Delman and Christian Dior. He used his free time to create fun and flash baubles. Kenneth had designed many original pieces for Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland and Audrey Hepburn.
His pieces are always fun and bold. I absolutely adore all of his animal creatures. They are not so serious but each piece he created has superb execution of essences of each animal that we are familiar with.
What is so cool about his work is that Kenneth shattered the stigma of Wearing jewelry created to mimic precious estate pieces wasn’t a point of pride. Kenneth made faux forever fabulous.
Wrist Cuff. 2 Ram heads facing each others. Kenneth Jay Lane. Collectible. See Park page for more detail.
Work of Kiyotaka Hatanaka
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I just had picked up this portrait book called ” Columbia Road Flower Market” by a Photographer, Kiyotaka Hatanaka.
Soft natural lighting and Sepia like neutral colored photos of different everyday people holding their flowers and plants they may have bought from the market. In a way nothing special but also very compelling I find.
Nothing shocking or challenging and it does just feel good and comforting. Here, I’m attaching the artist’s site for you to check out. You can take a look at a few pages of the book under his “project” section.
I find his portraits are very strong.
Columbia Road Flower Market by Kiyotaka Hatanaka
A boy holiding maybe Peonies…? It’s marked as March 2005.
This book was given to me by my boss and a friend, Iheoma, with a note inside the cover. ” Jaehee, to scratch the itch.” How perfect timing! Right after another trip to Tulum and another confession about feeling for the place.
The book celebrates the spirit, vision and courage of Gypsetters. The people who have gypsy like free spirit and jet setter like mobility. I may not be financially lucky as many gypsetters in this book, but I dig and relate to their heart, soul and courage to experiment their life in a different way. I feel rush of blood into my head when I dream about what I can do or what we can do as family to have a bit richer and more creative life.
There are some fancy photos in this book but it’s more about the chapters of real people in this book give me butterflies in my stomach. Hemingway, Damien Hirst, Sean Gullette and many others and their eccentric friends and partners to do it together. Everything just remind me of Emiliano and Gael. The ones I love. Ones I share everything with.
Nicolas Malleville in this book, a model who’s based in a small sleepy town, Valladolid, by the way we have visited the town twice and its only about a hour drive from Tulum, Mexico, is the actual one who opened the B&B called Coqui Coqui on the beach front of Tulum and he also has a cafe’ and a perfumery in Valladolid and he lives in a two-room apartment above his perfumery with his girlfriend. We may even have passed by the place when we were in Valladolid. Again, it’s his vision to turn a rough into a diamond and it’s his courage to put his vision into an action and the most of all, it’s his spirit, the core of everything to initiate truly inspires us.
GYPSET STYLE by Julia Chaplin
