Belle de Jour

I recently finally got around to watching Luis Buñuel's haunting 1967 film Belle de Jour, starring Catherine Deneuve. Spaniard Luis's Surrealist sensibilities are certainly evident in the film, with it's dream sequences and eery soundtrack (one of the most famous Surrealist films of all time is his Un Chien Andalou, & his unsettling The Exterminating Angel haunted me for a long time afterward!) Belle de Jour tells the tale of Séverin, a frigid housewife married to the stereotypical ideal man, yet remains distant and unhappy. She then decides to take on a job in a brothel during the afternoons - as you do! Deneuve was dressed by Yves Saint Laurent (below) and the clothes play as much of a part as the actors and the narrative.
Deneuve's Séverin is a cool Hitchcockian blonde, a 'buttoned-up' housewife - literally - in a series of double-breasted coats, long coat dresses and cardies buttoned up to the neck, matched with sensible YSL -designed Roger Viviers 'Pligrim' pumps. "Catherine Deneuve and Yves Saint Laurent did more than create the most scandalous, erotic film of the day. Belle de Jour gave a double life to luxury clothes so powerful that designers have been fantasizing about it ever since." New York Times. The movie inspired me to go out and buy a classic trench! (leopard print lining, of course). Do check it out - my version was unfortunately dubbed over with cheesy somewhat mismatched English. I'd go for the original French sub-titled version.

Pink Hair 2011

There seems to be a lot of pink hair about at the moment. New model of the moment Charlotte Free (below) has appeared on Vivienne Westwood and Richard Chai's catwalks with her pastel pink dipped locks, and two fash mag covers are currently featured pink haired models - Yen Magazine, and Gaga's on Harper's Bazaar (and also previously on Vogue US and Flare mag covers).

I love pink hair. I had my own pink moment in 2002 (Fudge Paintbox Raspberry Beret - as witnessed in my avatar). From fairy-floss pale to hot fuschia, I love it all! Here are my faves.

Sasha Pivovarov, Vogue US 2010

Charlotte Free
Yen Magazine, Winter 2011Gaga, Harper's Bazaar, 2011

The Room, 2010

Abbey Lee in Vogue Australia, 2010

Gwen, 2000
Kate, POP magazine, 2008
Kate, Jurgen Teller, 1998
Kate, Versace 1998.
Lily Allen circa 2009

ELLE Mexico, June 2011.

Low Luv

Low Luv by Erin Wasson is now available at Superette! I love Erin Wasson - check out her gorgeous editorial featured in my last Blog. This Texan model's style of cowboy boots, tees and cut-offs with cool jewelery inspired Alexander Wang -they met in the elevator of the East Village and she became a stylist for him. This surfer-chick grew up a tomboy and calls her laid back look "frumpy sexiness."
She launched her jewellery collection Low Luv in 2008 and it has some great pieces, street-style with a dash of rock-chick and native America thrown in for good measure. Past collections have been inspired (among other things) by the Southwest desert, Mexico, Egypt, the Middle East and the Aztecs.

Fab Abodes

I came across this shoot of Daphne Guinness' gorgeous New York apartment - absolutely stunning, I love the crimson walls matched to Daphne's custom scarlet nail-polish, mirrored panels and beautiful Damian Hirst painting. Inspired by Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Daphne worked with architect Daniel Romualdez on the design. “Daniel got all my references immediately,” she says. “I told him I wanted the shine of Metropolis, the modernity that should have happened, with the lush flora of Suddenly, Last Summer. But I didn’t want it to tip into English decadence. It had to be contained, controlled—intelligent decadence. What I wanted was sort of a savage modernism.”
Gucci's Creative Director Frida Giannini has a stunning home in Rome, having recently relocated her Gucci office from Florence to the nine-storey, 16th-century Palazzo Alberini. I think the headiness of Rome suits a Gucci designer more, somehow. “Rome has more of a culture of going out. There are always concerts, vintage shops, outdoor markets and places to have a drink after work,” she says. “I have a great respect for Florentine life, but ... when my team and I relocated to Rome, it was a breath of fresh air.” With it's Art Deco style, fabulous location,black 1940s Murano glass chandelier, and Modiglianis, I'd move in tomorrow!

(For more 'dogs inside', check out my sister's Tumblr, here!)

Sharon & Ozzie's beautiful Marie Antoinette style dining room and bathroom. I adore the colours, the chandeliers and the Orchids. Not a bat in sight!
I have long lusted after the minimalist chic of Calvin Klein's Creative Director Francisco Costa's gorgeous Midtown apartment. Like me, he loves horses (and shares his apartment with horse trainer and manager John De Stefan), so there are equine flourishes here and there. Love the smoke grays and sea-green palette, and the tapa cloth screen too.

I also love Wheels & Dollbaby founder & designer Melanie Greensmith's Perth house inspired by French Art Deco - velvet, leopard print, chaise lounges and chandeliers galore.

Another fab abode is Dita Von Teese's from in Style magazine. Love the pink kitchen!

More fab houses can be found in Architectural Digest.