Paris

I definitely will not be able to post while I am on Paris. However, these days Haute Couture houses are showing the new collections and as soon as I come back home, I will post pics of people like : Giovanna Battaglia, Vanessa Traina or Barbara Martelo.

Definitivamente, no voy a poder postear estos semanas mientras me encuentre en Paris. Pero debo decir que estos dias, se esta celebrando la Alta Costura y he ido a algunos desfiles por lo que a mi vuelta podre ensenharos fotos de gente como Giovanna Battaglia, Vanessa Traina o Barbara Martelo.

Short hiatus

I don't know what's going on with my internet connection but it is not working. Until I fix it, I'm afraid I won't be able to post. I'm also leaving for Paris this sunday for three weeks, but I'll try to keep publishing. You can send me your suggestions regarding shops, restaurantes, cafes, flee markets, etc...to silkandlame@hotmail.com or just leave a comment.

No sé que le pasa a mi conexión a internet que no funciona y hasta que lo arregle me temo que no podré postear. Además me marcho tres semanas a París éste domingo, pero intentaré seguir publicando desde allí. Si alguien tiene alguna sugerencia sobre tiendas, restaurantes, cafeterías, mercadillos, etc...puede dejar un comment o mandarme un correo a silkandlame@hotmail.com

Einstein on economic crisis

"Let's not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things. A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress.

Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born form the dark night. It's in crisis that inventiveness is born, as well as discoveries made and big strategies. He who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome. He who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent and is more interested in problems than in solutions.

Incompetence is the true crisis.

The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they attempt to find the solutions to their problems. There's no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony. There’s no merit without crisis. It's in the crisis where we can show the very best in us. Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch.

To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism.

Let us work hard instead.Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it."

Silk velvet

It was Christopher Kane a few seasons ago who brought it back. Then Olivier Theyskens used it for his gorgeous winter collection. And now I seem to see silk velvet garments everywhere; from dresses to capes . Precautions: Non romantics/bohemians, avoid this trend for your own safety.

Fue Christopher Kane quien lo recuperó unas cuantas temporadas atrás. Después Olivier Theyskens lo usó para su preciosa colección de invierno. Y ahora me parece ver prendas de terciopelo de seda por todos los sitios; desde vestidos hasta capas. Precauciones: los no bohemios/románticos absténgase por su propia seguridad.

Sarah Seven

Etsy is one of my favourite places to shop online. The site is a gold mine, I even prefer it to ebay. I always find what I was looking for and it surprises me every single day. This time it was the Portland, Oregon-based designer Sarah Seven who left me in awe.

Etsy es uno de mis lugares favoritos para comprar en internet. El sitio es una mina de oro, hasta el punto que ya lo prefiero a ebay. Siempre encuentro lo que busco y es raro el día que no me sorprende algo nuevo. Esta vez ha sido Sarah Seven con base en Portland, Oregon la que me ha dejado con la boca abierta.

She creates ethereal and romantic dresses that seem to come out of a fairy tale book. It is true that her prices are higher than what we're used to see on etsy but they seem worthy.

Crea vestidos vaporosos y etéreos que parecen sacados de un cuento de hadas. Es cierto que los precios son más altos de lo que suele verse en Etsy, pero parece que merecen la pena.

Sarah Hermans

All credit to Sarah Hermans

Thoughts on a picture

This outfit is perfection in my eyes:

It has the right dose of classicism and modernity.

It is simple but not boring.

I am partial to brogues and I would buy a pair of Church's if I knew they'd get enough wear.

Este look es la perfección en mis ojos:

Tiene la dosis adecuada de clasicismo y modernidad.

Es sencillo pero no aburrido.

Me encantan los brogues, y me compraría unos Church's si estuviese segura de que les iba a sacar suficiente partido.

Coco

The footnote reads: Gabrielle Chanel in 1909, with no pearls and lace. Underneath his pongee silk dress, a discreet embroidered gown typical of a convent educated girl, only adorned with a braid.

El pie de página lee así: "Gabrielle Chanel en 1909, sin perlas ni encajes. Bajo su vestido de pongis de seda, un camisolín bordado- lo que se llamaba entonces una "modestia"-, discretísimo, una prenda propia de niña educada en un convento, sólo que adornada por una trencilla."

These days I'm hooked on Gabrielle Chanel's biography -I haven't seen the biopic yet but it didn't get good critics here- and this photo was undoubtedly one of my biggest surprises. The image shocks not only for its simplicity, but also for its modernity. And this was, and still remains, the greatest success of Coco who revolutionized the fashion industry with her timeless simplicity.

Estos días estoy enganchada a la biografía de Gabrielle Chanel -aún no he visto la película, aunque no he oído muy buenas críticas- y ésta foto fue sin duda una de las mayores sorpresas. La imagen choca no solo por su simplicidad, sino también por su modernidad. Y éste fue, y sigue siendo, el gran éxito de Coco que revolucionó la moda con su sencillez atemporal.

Source/Fuente:Charles-Roux, Edmonde (2004, pg.62 y 63). El siglo de Chanel. Herce Editores

Take a Bow

One of my favourite e-bay stores, Bows & Bandits, has recently launched its on-line store. Tha advantages are many: the navigation is easier, there are more photos, a zoom tool that allows to approach the garment and see the smallest details, and you can even create your own wishlist.

Una de mis tiendas de e-bay favoritas, Bows & Bandits, ha abierto su propia tienda on-line. Las ventajas son muchas ya que ahora la navegación es más sencilla, hay más fotos, una herramienta de zoom que nos permite acercarnos a la prenda para aprecia hasta el último detalle e incluso uno puede crear su propio wishlist.

Bows&Bandits' line is still the same. Its proposal for summer is very feminine; light floral dresses, full skirts combined with knitted cardigans, a great range of traditional Austrian jackets and tons of accessories ready to revamp our wardrobes.

La linea de Bows&Bandits sigue siendo muy parecida. Su propuesta para este verano es muy femenina; sencillos vestidos florales, faldas de vuelo combinadas con cardigans de punto, una gran variedad de chaquetas tradicionales austriacas y un montón de accesorios con los que renovar nuestro armario.

Girls with Allure: Madelene

For this new issue of Girls with Allure I had the pleasure to interview Madelene of Le Portillon, whose style and words I've admired since I started reading her old blog in 2006. I hope you enjoy and learn from this interview as much as I did.

Define your style.
Simple, eclectic, dreamy and all through a manifest of my persona.

You'd never be caught in...
Anything that isn't 'me': I detest feeling like I'm not entirely being myself, or not loyal to my own style and sensibilities.

You can't live without...
My special pharmacy lipbalm, only available in Sweden. I panic a little if I forget it.

Your passion is...
Writing. I've always had a soft spot for words, composing and creating.

Which is, in your opinion, the best piece of clothing ever designed?
Whoever came up with the black wool coat (think doublebreasted, kneelength and supersoft) was a fashion genius.

Who are your favorite designer(s)?
Alber Elbaz, Charles Anastase, Karen Walker, Yves Saint Laurent, Vanessa Bruno, among others.

A book, a film and a song.
'Lolita' by Nabokov for the most beautiful use of language; 'Une Femme est Une Femme' by Godard because it never fails to make me smile; 'It seems so long ago Nancy' by Leonard Cohen because I find his voice comforting, lyrics divine.

What are your wardrobe staples?
Repetto flats, opaque Wolford tights, cashmere pullovers en masse, silk dresses, Superfine jeans and well-cut wool coats with all kinds of quirky details.

A fetish.
Edwardian era dresses and blouses. The handmade details found in these pieces are stunning and incomparable to most present day clothing. They have great personality.

Name three of your favourite beauty products.
Elizabeth Arden's Eight hour cream, I use a tiny bit on my lips instead of lipgloss; Neutrogena's night cream does wonders for my face; Chanel's poudre universelle libre has been my powder of choice for years.

What kind of things inspire you while getting dressed?
Most of my inspiration to dress is the result of me being an avid daydreamer, with a lively fantasy and an undying love for beauty.

What does style mean to you?
Style to me is a compulsive part of life, inescapable but it should only ever come naturally; when it is forced it loses all importance. Style is as essential to pleasure as any good book, song or lover. It is intelligent and completely enthralling.

New sunglasses

I am so sorry for the lack of posts lately. My finals will start next week and I still have a lot of work to do.

Siento mucho la escasez de posts que está habiendo últimamente. Empiezo con exámenes la semana que viene y aún tengo mucho por estudiar.

In other news, I finally bought a new pair of sunglasses. At first I couldn't decide but I finally got a pair of Ray-Ban, the same ones -colour and everything- the woman in the pic is wearing.

Entre otras cosas, finalmente compré un nuevo par de gafas de sol. Me costó mucho decidirme pero al final fueron unas Ray-Ban, las mismas -color y todo- que lleva la chica de la foto.

Julie Pike

Check out Julie Pike's photography. I personally love it. Her work has been published by Let them eat cake, Oyster, Neon Magazine...

Echadle un vistazo a la fotografía de Julie Pike. A mi, personalmente, me encanta. Ha publicado para revistas como Let them eat cake, Oyster, Neon Magazine...

R.I.P.

After several weeks of rain this morning the day dawned clear, so I decided to take out of the drawer my sunglasses. I opened it and they weren't there.

I looked for them in all of my bags and nothing.
I turned my room upside down with no luck.
Muuuuum, have you seen my sunglasses? No.
In short, I lost my beloved Ray-Ban aviators snif, snif.

The bright side of it is that I have a good excuse to buy a new pair of sunglasses, and here are the possibilites...

Después de varias semanas de lluvia hoy el día amaneció despejado, así que decidí que era hora de sacar mis gafas de sol del cajón. Lo abro y no están.

Busco en todos mis bolsos y tampoco.

Pongo la habitación patas y arriba y nada.

Mamáaaaaaaaaa, ¿viste mis gafas de sol? No.

Resumiendo, he perdido mis Ray-Ban aviators snif, snif.

Mirándolo por el lado positivo, ahora ya tengo una buena excusa para comprarme otras gafas, y he aquí mis posibilidades...

Persol

New Wayfarer

A.P.C.

Karen Walker

Which ones do you prefer? / ¿Cuáles os gustan más?

BB

I don't know what it is, but there's something so captivating in Brigitte Bardot, even knowing that there are many things to hate in the way she thinks. I have tons of her photos saved in my inspiration folder and they are so helpful when I seem to lose my style mojo.

No sé que tiene Brigitte Bardot que me cautiva incluso a sabiendas de que hay muchas cosas que odio en su forma de pensar. Tengo muchísimas fotos guardadas de ella y son realmente útiles cuando por momentos pierdo la inspiración.

I haven't come to wish you an unhappy birthday

The man is turning 50 today and my love for him "is still devout."

Morrissey cumple 50 tacos hoy y mi amor por él "sigue siendo devoto."

Deep In Vogue

The beautiful Vera from Deep In Vogue has agreed to answer some questions I made her about her designs (for sale on etsy) and her future brand. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

La preciosa Vera de Deep in Vogue, ha aceptado a responder unas preguntas que le he hecho sobre sus diseños (a la venta en etsy) y su futuro como diseñadora. Espero que disfruteís la entrevista tanto como yo.

How did you become so deeply interested in fashion?

Looking back, I think it was a source of escapism. I won't go into a detailed account of the grievances in my country in the first years after communism, but you can probably imagine how fascinating the polished models in their dazzling clothing seemed. I remember watching FashionTv on bootlegged reception and being mesmerized by what the fashions I saw represented - a better, uncomplicated and yet sophisticated way of life.

What kind of things inspire you?

The concept of freedom. A sort of unconstraint way of being and uninhibited state of mind where sky is the limit and there is nothing holding you back. So when it comes to fashion, it is no surprise that I am very attracted to anything that represents air and light. Sheer and delicate fabrics always stop me in my track.

Which garment are you most proud of?

I'm barely getting started, but my favorite piece so far would have to be the Mummy dress. It's a body-con dress that is wrapped in tulle. The dress incorporates two of my favorite things - a form-fitting silhouette, sheer fabric and a feel of lightness.

What's on your summer wishlist?

An irresistible pair of sandals and lots of ethereal dresses and tops.

What are you looking forward to do in the future? Any projects you'd like to talk about?

Change has been the only constant in my life so far, so I don't have the habit of planning long-term. In the next couple of months I'd like to register a brand name and slowly start building it from there. Right now I am working on some dresses for myself, friends and my Etsy store.

En el salon de los pasos perdidos

Pasatiempo

"Cuando éramos niños
los viejos tenían como treinta
un charco era un océano
la muerte lisa y llana
no existía.

Luego cuando muchachos
los viejos eran gente de cuarenta
un estanque un océano
la muerte solamente
una palabra.

Ya cuando nos casamos
los ancianos estaban en cincuenta
un lago era un océano
la muerte era la muerte
de los otros.

Ahora veteranos
ya le dimos alcance a la verdad
el océano es por fin el océano
pero la muerte empieza a ser
la nuestra."

Mario Benedetti

Pastime

"When we were very young
old people were thirty
a puddle was an ocean
death, smooth and plain
didn’t exist.

Later as children
old people were forty
a pond was an ocean
death but a word.

Already when we married
the elderly were fifty
a lake was an ocean
and death was the death
of others.

Now as old hands
we are within reach of the truth
the ocean is finally the ocean
but death has started to resemble
our own."

Mario Benedetti

Translated by John Hemingway

Keep or return?

Yesterday, among the mail was this red dress from Topshop. The moment I saw it, I knew it had to be mine. However, it doesn't live up to my -high- expectations. Overall is the colour what I don't seem to like but the silhouette looks great on me. So I don't know whether to keep it or return it. What would you do?

Entre el correo de ayer estaba este vestido rojo de Topshop. En el momento en que lo vi supe que tenía que ser mío. Sin embargo, no está a la altura de mis grandes expectativas. Es sobre todo el color lo que no termina de convencerme porque la silueta sienta de maravilla. Así que no sé que hacer si devolverlo o quedarmelo. ¿Qué haríais?

Slow fashion

I don't know if you had the chance to read the post about Slow Fashion that I wrote for the Nissan Cube blog, so I'm copying it here.

No sé si tuvisteis la oportunidad de leer el post sobre Slow Fashion que escribí para el blog Nissan Cube, así que os lo pongo aquí por si acaso.

All misfortune has its bright side and the current economic climate is no exception because it is forcing us to rethink many concepts that we have taken for granted. So far high levels of consumption seemed reasonable because, -among other things- it was one of the legs that held western economies. However, for some time now, slow movements are emerging suggesting a change in our unstoppable spending pace.

Fashion is probably the best reflection of our consumerist excesses. Nowadays we do not buy based on the quality and utility of the things we can get, but on quantity and the amount of social status it will provide.

Being more aware of the way we shop is easy if we make the effort, and there are two tips that always work: not buying impulsively and making lists by eliminating those things that we deem unnecessary. Also, be selective with your wardrobe; worshiping each of the pieces it contains is more satisfying, making the ritual of wearing something much more simple and fun.

The resources of the Earth and the human race are not infinite, therefore sensible spending is vital to ensure the continuity of the planet. We must change our mentality being aware of this fact: consuming more does not necessarily mean a better life.

Si algo bueno tiene el panorama económica actual es que nos está obligando a replantearnos muchos conceptos que ya dábamos por hecho. Hasta ahora un elevado ritmo de consumo parecía algo razonable porque –entre otras cosas- era una de las patas que sostenía las economías occidentales. Sin embargo, desde hace algún tiempo están surgiendo movimientos slow que proponen cambiar ese ritmo imparable de consumo.

La moda probablemente sea el mejor reflejo de nuestros excesos consumistas. Ahora compramos no en función de la calidad y la utilidad que podamos obtener de las cosas, sino de la cantidad y del status social que nos vayan a proporcionar.

Ser más consciente del consumo que realizamos es fácil si nos lo proponemos, y hay dos consejos que funcionan siempre: no comprar de forma impulsiva y hacer una lista eliminando aquellas cosas que consideremos innecesarias. Además, ser selectivo con tu armario adorando cada una de las piezas que contiene es más gratificante, haciendo del ritual de vestirse algo mucho más sencillo y divertido.

Los recursos de la Tierra y del ser humano no son infinitos, por eso realizar un consumo más responsable es imprescindible para garantizar la continuidad de la especie y del planeta. Debemos cambiar nuestra mentalidad siendo conscientes de que consumir más no implica necesariamente una vida mejor.

Speed of sound

By Jack Bradley

Harold Whittles shows his astonishment after hearing the world for the first time thanks to a hearing aid.

Harold Whittles muestra su asombro tras escuchar por primera vez el mundo gracias a un audífono.