17 year old Rosalind Jana won the Vogue Talent Contest for writing in 2011.  She lives in the rolling hills of rural England, has a love for beautiful vintage clothes and rummaging in charity shops and is an inspiring young feminist. Her blog, Clothes Cameras and Coffee predominantly features original photography, styling and articles.
Rosalind is now a student and part-time freelance journalist, with a love of reading, theatre and excellent coffee.”

What constitutes an inspiring woman?

It’s perhaps an unhelpfully broad question. Inspiration is in the eye (or mind, or heart or responses) of the individual. There is no defined scale or quality, no absolute measure to rank one above another. That’s what makes finding someone inspiring for a very specific set of reasons so special.

For me, both the draw to and appreciation of photographer Ida Kar (1908 -1974) stems from the great capacity she had to frame characters, fix them in a shot, provide a quick glimpse into someone else’s life or vocation. Born in Russia to Armenian parents, with time spent in Cairo and Paris before she moved to London aged 37 in 1945, her early work focused on surrealism and experimentation. She forged connections in the arts world in the late 40s and many of her most accomplished photographs were taken during the 50s and 60s.

From Bertrand Russell to Marc Chagall, Man Ray and Doris Lessing below,

Ida Kar photographed plenty of the most innovative artists, thinkers and writers of the time.

Her photos have a deep, almost inky depth to them as light and shadow converge or contrast. Subjects are often pictured in situ, rooted in the paraphernalia of a studio, gallery or home environment. There is always a sense of context. Paintbrushes, canvases, sculpted heads, wire mesh. These are the frames surrounding her subjects.

Bridget Riley left stares up from a background of geometric lines; TS Eliot sits surrounded by shelves and stacks of books; a pensive Maggie Smith leans against the back of a chair.

Two words that often attach themselves to photography are ‘capture’ and ‘preserve’. Faces are captured by the lens and sensor, preserved on a strip of film or blown up in a print. The moment of taking is fleeting but the image often outlasts both the creator and her subject.

Perhaps part of the process of portrait photography is not only to document the sitter as they outwardly appear (which Kar so skillfully achieved), but also to catch something of the inner self – manifested in an expression, the placing of hands, a particular stance. 

Kar’s careful balance between internal and external gives her work an intriguing depth. There is both a curiosity and vivacity in her photos. They are utterly alive.

It’s this sense of life that I love the most. An hour spent poring over her work makes me want to put down the book, pick up my camera and seek out intriguing people. It reinforces my interest in the world’s richness, and potential. 

It’s so easy to get caught up in the camera-flash pace of twitter, blog views, Facebook debates and breaking news,

that it can be revitalizing to be reminded of the slower satisfaction of craft – be it painting, writing, sculpting, making or taking photographs.

Kar’s work not only stirs me to be more creative myself, but to be interested in others and what they do. There is so much out there to see and learn, so many to meet and make connections with. What a dazzling prospect that is.

Helena Ruboinstein below

Follow Rosalind on twitter HERE

Photographer & traveller Susannah Baker Smith lived in Damascus for a couple of months before the present trouble in Syria began. Her love of Syria and its people makes her the ideal ambassador to spread the word for Hands Up For Syria, an event in Shoreditch, London on the 25th April in aid of Syria Relief. I asked Susannah to write about her personal experience of Syria and allow me to share her beautiful photographs.

“The first time I visited Syria I fell in love at once.

The second time I stayed for 2 months, and while my love never wavered I began to realise all was not well, but never did I suspect the tragedy that would overwhelm this beautiful country.  Even the most cynical traveller goes glassy eyed when they remember the streets of Damascus, the scent so heady that the perfumers at Diptych attempted to bottle it. 

Every morning I would wander the narrow streets as they were waking up, the same streets that bustled 2000 years ago,  sip hot sweet coffee at Nofara by the Umayyad mosque, eat fresh pastries stuffed with bitter orange, and continue towards the souk where the smell of coffee would be mixed with cardamon, roses, and an earthy sweet smell that came from the city itself.

Being female in Damascus is to be in a paradise, a thousand scented oils, brightly painted hammam slippers, endless scrubbing options, and the sexiest lingerie in the world; stuffed birds, lights, hidden recording devices,  and sequins.  An ice cream at Bakdash would inevitably follow to catch up with gossip over the  deafening sound of ice cream being pounded with a huge wooden club.  My attempts to learn Arabic were first greeted with hysterical laughter then evolved into intense arguments about the subtle nuance of each word; even a simple request for the word for ‘table’ in a crowded restaurant  resulted in an endless discussion among waiters and diners, and I never did get the word- all Syrians are poets. 

Above the city soar flocks of pigeons in formation,  the pride of their owners who encourage them in cunning tricks to lure their neighbours’ birds to their own, a sport Damascus is famed for.

When I had to leave it seemed everyone I ever met had a present for me, the waiters at El Khawali gave me a cross, while Maha, a dear friend I met in Bakdash gave me a Koran. What impresses all visitors to Syria is an interweaving of cultures and religions which is unparalleled, for centuries people have come to Syria, some to conquer, others to find safe haven; politics rage but the people survive.  I believe with all my heart that this sense of its ancient past will ultimately save Syria from attempts to promote sectarian violence and preserve the spirit of this extraordinary place, even among the rubble of its glorious cities.

 That this most wondrous of places has been brought to its knees by the brutality of civil war is a tragedy for us all.

For its people the future looks hopeless, 3 million refugees are struggling to survive.

On 25th April there will be an event called ‘Hands Up For Syria’ celebrating the strength of the Syrian people and raising money for the relief effort, we promise it will be a wild night, a breath of the Arabian Nights in East London.

We will have Syrian street food, delicious and potent cocktails specially created for the evening from pomegranates, apricots and roses, music, dancing, secret entertainments, inspiring speakers and of course the opportunity to win and bid for fabulous prizes… Hope you can join us to show your solidarity.”
All the money raised will go directly to supporting a range of aid organisations working on the ground, specifically two projects run by UK registered charity Syria Relief.

All photographs by Susannah Baker Smith. Illustrations By George Butler.

TICKETS can be bought online HERE

Donations can be made online or by cheque HERE

FOLLOW Hands Up For Syria on twitter HERE

Visit Susannah Baker Smith’s beautiful website to see more of her photography HERE

See+read more about George Butler’s illustrations HERE

Follow Susannah on instagram @susannahkbs

Further information about the Hands Up For Syria event….

Hands up for Syria? It may be that Syria has crept into your conscience of late. Perhaps you see it out of the corner of your eye on page 2 of the newspapers. This is a country with a living history so vibrant you can reach out and touch it. Yet the crisis there gets worse by the day. People are hungry, people are homeless and people are dying, no matter which side or where on the fence they sit. The route for aid into Syria is not an easy one, while the need for it is desperate.
Thankfully, there are organisations doing their utmost to get aid into Syria. With the money raised from Hands Up for Syria, we are proud to be supporting a range of aid organisations working on the ground and specifically two projects run by UK registered charity Syria Relief:
Field Hospital: Syria Relief has been sponsoring several field hospitals established in northern Syria. A typical field hospital is run by a team of seven people; 3 Doctors, 2 Nurses/Technicians and 2 Porters. With £20,400 of the money we aim to raise, we will be able to fund this team for a year. Not only will this provide immediate care for the injured, but looking to the future, however uncertain, it will also give qualified Syrian professionals a means of feeding their own families and a reason to stay in the country. Rebuilding may seem like a far-off reality but if it starts now the chance for stability improves by the minute.
Bread: Working inside northern Syria on a Bread project, Syria Relief has been purchasing flour in Turkey, transporting it to bakeries in the province of Idlib (north-western Syria) and ensuring that bread is freely distributed to those who need it. This area has seen almost continuous conflict for the past two years. It is estimated that 100,000 people, in Idlib alone, are now totally reliant on aid to survive. With the remaining money raised we will be able to provide a month’s supply of bread to almost 3000 people. That’s £20 to feed a family of 6 with bread for a month.
On Thursday 25th April in London, Hands Up For Syria will be a chance to bring a little bit of Syria to those of you who know it and some who don’t.
We are asking you to put your hand up for Syria and support a wonderful cause. We are looking for auction lots or donations to reach our goal of £30,000. Anything that you can offer will make a huge difference.

I met, watched and most valuably heard Eve Ensler at The Cafe De Paris in London last week but I first came across Eve Ensler after reading about The Vagina Monologues.  It’s been running in theatres globally since 1996 and comprises of monologues dealing with different aspects of the female experience. In particular the important physical ones that rarely get discussed in the open and rarely in the same sentence; sex, rape, menstruation, female genital mutilation, masturbation, birth, orgasm plus the many names that are given to a ‘vagina’. In my eyes she’s like a conduit, opening our eyes and ears to what was staring and shouting at us all along but is so ‘normalised’ in our society that to our detriment, we grow up with it’s white noise and only add to the collusion with the Elephant in the room.

All that is, happens to, and is part of our bodies needs to be felt, acknowledged and discussed in order for us to be in control of our own physical selves and in order to have societies that respect and protect it’s girls and women..

Enough from me, read what Eve says below.

Attacking the Silence 

“This February 14 2013, V-Day will be 15 years old. It was never our intention to be around that long. Our mission was to end violence against women and girls, and so we planned to be out of business years ago.

We have had enormous victories in these years. We have broken taboos, spoken the word “vagina” in 50 languages in 140 countries, called up stories and truths about violence against women, breaking the silence, supported amazing activists across the planet who have created and changed laws. But we have not fulfilled our mission to end violence against women and girls. In fact the UN says that one out of three women on the planet will be beaten or raped in her lifetime. That is one billion women plus. That is simply insane and unacceptable.

So this V-Day we knew we had to go further; we knew we had to escalate our efforts to break through the patriarchal wall of oppression and denial, to transform the mindset that has normalised this violence, to bring women survivors into their bodies, their strength, their determination, their energy and power and to dance up the will of the world to finally make violence against women unacceptable.

So less than a year ago, we announced One Billion Rising, a call for the one billion women and all the men who love them to walk out of their jobs, schools, offices, homes on Feb 14, 2013 and strike, rise and dance!

Nothing we have ever done has spread so fast and happened so easily. Our motto was “not branding but expanding”: a global action to be carried out locally. Every city, town, village, person would determine what they were rising for – to end FGM, to remember their daughter’s rape, to stop sex slavery, to educate young boys and girls about non-violence sexual relations.

One Billion Rising is happening big time, one Billion size. It is happening in 205 countries. It is happening where women will risk their lives to dance and where women have never danced before. It is happening in all 7,000 islands of the Philippines and in over 50 cities in Turkey. There are 100 risings in Italy, 135 risings in UK and thousands in North America. We are expecting 25 million to rise in Bangladesh, and it’s hard to imagine the numbers in India but they will be massive.

It has brought together coalitions of groups and individuals that have never worked together before, galvanised new people and groups and associations and masses of men who were not engaged before but now see violence as their issue – and all of this putting violence against women to the centre of the global discussion.

One Billion Rising has also shown that violence against women is not a national, tribal, ethnic, religious issue but a global phenomena, and the rising will give survivors the confidence of knowing that violence is not their fault or their country’s fault or their families fault.” Sourced from The Guardian

I believe ‘Eve’ should be taught at school.

Watch and share this powerful TedTalk & share with you friends, daughters, sisters, mothers, sons, brothers, partners, husbands.

See the VDay website here

Follow Eve on twitter here

Firstly I love anything and anyone that unites people and this most certainly applies to Oscar & Bafta nominee Jennifer Lawrence. Clearly men love her, but interestingly, if I may use twitter rather than Mintel upon which to base my research, women (even my male gay friends) seem to absolutely fancy the pants off her.

Secondly, we all know too well how women are weight-shamed constantly and -shame on you ladies- it is almost entirely coming from us. So just stoppit for starters- divide and rule, look it up.

Women are too thin, too fat, too paraded for us all to body-comment-on period. I love Jennifer because she doesn’t do what I did as a similarly normally curvy 22 year old and apologise for not being model-thin. No Sir-y, it’s a never-ending supply of sassy one-liners that shut that shit up right there.

She has fallen from the sky to rescue us ladies and young girls with bodies that we were meant to have and love- from insidious lollipop head syndrome (a socio-physical illness caused by intense media spotlight and a good dose of weight shaming onto girls/women who may already have a degree of sensitivity or low self-esteem like most of us.  L.H.S. compromises physical and mental health but often works wonders for the fashionista/actress career in the short term before unphotogenic side effects kick in such as premature ageing, thinning hair, weak bones. Symptoms can include a bad temper, listlessness, edginess, loss of humour, not being invited to fashion parties anymore, being a pain in the ass). I wouldn’t recommend it. Besides we’ve got Jennifer now who represents a body you can be kind to.

This is why everyone fancies Jennifer Lawrence. Oh yes, this was supposed to be a make-up get-the-look! Whoopsie! Here it is.

I applied a very light veil of MyFace MyMix Foundation (available online at or in London at BeautyMart in Harvey Nichols) in Med 01 mixed with Eve Lom’s Hydrating Facial Serum to make it really transparent. Jennifer has the MOST incredible skin, it would be a crime to cover it. I brightened the under eye area with Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in 02 (No1 in the getting away with smokey eyes dept). Then I mixed Smashbox Highlighting Wand with Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Calypso Coral on her cheekbones to accentuate her striking face shape and give sweetness to the rock-starlet eyes.

Jurlique Loose Rose Silk Finishing Powder was used on the T Zone (NEVER mattify  cheekbones!) and under the eyes to make everything stay put and soften the high wattage flashes of the Paps ‘reveal’ on the next days front pages.

I warmed the edges and contours of Jennifer’s face with the brilliant Highlighting Powder in Ambient from Hourglass which has a beautiful, soft glow.

EYES

Jennifer looks great with her eyes ‘widened’ and tilting upwards with lots of blending.

I began this look by applying Pixi Lid Last Shadow in a wide smudge under her eyes and as a starter for the shape extending up and outward slightly, and softening in with my fingertips. Next up was Top Shop’s Black Eye Pencil applied in a wide line all along the top lid- comes in a waterproof version too.

KM Rule: Always make the top lid darker than the bottom, it’s just as dramatic, but way more flattering, not so ‘dragged down’ looking).

Blend in the the pencil with a stubby brush and apply Lhasa by Nars over the eyelid and Bobbi Brown’s Eyeshadow in Steel into the socket line and outer corners. Blending is both the trickiest and most important bit. It took me years of practice and it’ll never be a doddle. Even armed with a militia of great brushes, you just have to blend until it looks right, there’s no other way around it besides, what looks good on Jennifer’s shaped eyes, yours, and mine is totally different. So have fun, practice and experiment.

I added extra depth to the outer corners with Glow in the bottom right of the Aerin Holiday Style Palette which doubled up as a fabulously glam mirror for Jen to use when curling her eyelashes with my new favourite Eyelash Curler by Tarte.

LASHES are a big thing for Jennifer, she absolutely loves them and I’ve always used individuals on her, even when I give her a ‘natural’ look (left, at the Weisntein/Silver Linings Playbook dinner in London). For maximum drama I used the blackest mascara I have, Black Magic Mascara by Eyeko, I stood above her and brushed on from root to tip and underneath her top lashes to ensure thorough coverage with separated lashes- no black stalks on my watch.

Then I applied lots of Medium Flare individuals (Eyelure do good ones) changing to short towards her inner corner.

I subtly filled in her brows but to stop this look being too ‘Kardashian’ and old fashioned, it’s best to keep eyebrows soft, brushed, natural and lighter than the eyes. Jennifer is only 22 and I wanted her to stay looking that way. Hard eyebrows are a little ageing I find, but mostly it’s a style thing, unless it’s Audrey or Edie, I just find painted on eyebrows very dated and not very pretty.

LIPS

Like most of us this time of year (central heating) Jennifer’s lips were dry from perpetual long distance flights so as soon as she was in hair I put the highly emollient Aerin Rose Lip Conditioner on her lips, making her red carpet ready for the final touch of MyFace Cosmetics Lipstick in Vintage Pink applied ‘straight from the bullet’.

Slicked back Bafta Hair by Johnnie Sapong

Watch out for Jennifer’s Dior campaign-coming soon.

Below, Jennifer (I gave her Monica Vitti eyes) going home in Stella Mc Cartney after her Asprey dinner, Feb 2013 London. Viva La Jen xXx

“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work. And the belief that things will grow out of the activity itself and that you will — through work — bump into other possibilities that kick open other doors you would never have dreamed of if you were just sitting around looking for a great ‘art idea.’ The belief that process, in a sense, is liberating- you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every day. At least for a certain period of time you can just work. If you hang in there, you will get somewhere.”

First of all yes I know, I’m late, it’s officially NOT New Year anymore.

Inspiration is the mother of everything. I’d love to be like artist Chuck Close (above), showing up to work and ‘just doing it’ but I have to be honest, ‘New Year’ didn’t start with a bang,  it started with a rusty cough, perpetual sneezing and a nose that could never be truly blown. That’s right, me and my feverishly hot and cold bed-mate Bronchitis were inseparable from Boxing Day, my birthday on the 28th and right through into New Year so pardon me if ’2012 me’ wanted to tell ’2013 me’ to bugger off to the land of goop and let me lie in a bed of fermented yesterdays.

Indulge me for a minute. There’s just so much pressure to be positive, Bronchitis and I gazed incredulously over all the processed promises of new beginnings, new bodies, new skin- the pressure for a whole new you to emerge from the sofa or bed-bound wreckage of festive living- who are these people who write these things really?

WAIT- before you click away from my ‘failure to launch 2013′ sadfest, I am merely reaching out to other imperfect souls who would also like to believe in new beginnings but know deep down that happiness lies in accepting what you can’t change and having the courage to change what you can…. And that this is just perfect.

So fellow imperfect ones, I’m not going to try and encourage you to re invent yourself and ‘go-goop’ but rather, just tell you about things that have made my skin look a bit better, my body feel revived and share some stuff that’s helped me feel like getting out of the funk of cynicism and start enjoying again. And, erhm, working.

The outside

SKIN

The most common issue I see regarding skin at this time of year is dehydration from central heating,  and dead skin, often confused with dry skin.. Solution? Exfoliation followed by layering hydrating serums with hydrating creams (as opposed to simply rich/thick/oil-rich creams)

Daytime. I like to keep my ph balance so I simply rinse my face with warm water and apply a light moisturiser like Creme De La Mer’s Soft Cream or Skinceauticals Daily Moisturiser.

Nightime: I’ve been alternating between using mild foaming cleanser with a Clarisonic or Karin Herzog’s Mild Scrub (available online) which has been a favourite for at least 15 years- I’ve never come across anything close to this wonder product. Whilst my skin is still a little damp, I add the Eve Lom Hydrating Serum followed immediately afterwards with a hydrating cream like Creme De La Mer’s Soft Cream but this is pricey. However, brands such as Weleda are inexpensive and don’t carry the cheap carrier oils (mineral oil/petroleum) that ‘value’ brands always do. Ren and Nude Skincare are also a favourite for the same reason- no petrochemicals. I love to give my skin a boost once a week with my favourite facialist Sarah Chapman’s Overnight Facial.

The Senses

I’m a sucker for scents, bring on life’s simple pleasures that’s what I say although I wouldn’t go as far as Coco Chanel who said rather vociferously in a doc I saw ‘A woman without perfume is rien’. Fragrance to me is an olfactory morning cuppa and I ain’t leaving the house without one of those.

I have a working day good girl one; Fragonard Fleur D’Orange (available at M&S Your Beauty depts) and a wishful thinking naughty night one; Tom Ford Cafe Rose.

The inside

I’ve already banged on about how crappy I felt at the beginning of the year so now I’ll share what helped me recover plus what I’ve been doing to boost my overall health.

Juicing.

The number one issue is being too lazy to clean the damn thing and although I wouldn’t get as goopy as to say ‘it’s  a dream to clean’, my new Phillips juicer is not tedious enough to deter us mere civilians. Because I travel and like most people, don’t have a P.A. (or even better-A WIFE) I find that where there should be fresh Spinach/Kale/other perfect foods, I often find in it’s place a sad and derelict fridge. Therefore I always make sure I have some powerful powdered greens with enzymes added to help absorption. Right is my usual organic concoction; 2 carrots, I apple, loads of spinach and a lemon with an optional tblsn Green powder/Coconut Water. TIP: Using a whole lemon including the rind totally disguises any taste of sewage I promise.

I love Dr Udo’s Beyond Greens, Amazing Grass Green Superfood or Pukka’s Clean Greens or Vitalise as they come in sachets too which are great to carry in your handbag whenever you’re stuck in downtown stodge city with no sign of green life.

Like so many by Christmas, my immune system was staggering to a halt and even after bed-rest on a pre-bedsore level, my bronchitis insisted on being a particularly virulent hanger on. I did my best to kick the unwanted bugger out with Bee Prepared Max Strength Immune Support, Equinacea drops and EmergenC (available from good healthfood stores). Sambucol Black Elderberry Extract is also excellent.

Many women are on the spectrum of mild anaemia, the official diagnostic levels are very broad (if you experience inability to be able to concentrate, moderate-to intense fatigue despite plenty of rest, this could be you) plus Iron is reknowned for it’s difficulty to absorb. That’s why I love SpaTone (available at large Boots Chemists) , it is naturally sourced and unlike traditional Iron supplements, will not cause constipation. Take with Vitamin C for maximum absorption. For stress I also take Higher Nature True B Complex as the Vitamin B comes in a form most recognized by the body.

Move.

Before you zone out, let’s be very realistic here. Exercise is essential but it has to be incorporated into your life, it has to be something you enjoy, and it has to make you feel good or the whole point of it is lost. Personally, I’ve placed way too much pressure on myself in this regard, so speaking as an ex-over-exerciser, find something you enjoy but most of all-keep moving because keeping active makes you happy plus it’s free. I also find it’s best to mix it up or it becomes a routine you ‘have’ to do and no one needs more of that. I either speed walk my dog around Hyde Pk, use the a combo of the cardio equipment, weights or classes at Equinox Gym or Jivamukti Yoga London. I even invested in a cross trainer at home for when I’m stuck with a week of early starts in a studio (the most challenging time to keep on the straight & narrow!) as the combination of lack of sleep and sitting around (as many in offices know too well) makes you feel exhausted and sluggish and you are more likely to crave starch and sugar, thus encouraging the glycaemic spiral downhill.. If any of this is an issue for you and you’d like to change it, try to learn your personal triggers (and how certain foodstuffs can affect your mood and eating patterns) and create solutions that work for you.

Mind

I try to be as in sync as much as possible, and by that I mean having a healthy mind is like a having a healthy body, it doesn’t ‘just happen’, it requires intention and is quite literally ‘what you put into it’.

I was very inspired by Brene Brown’s TEDTalk on vulnerability a few years ago, I also saw and heard her talk at The School Of Life in London last year. I’ve been reading her book ‘The Gifts Of Imperfection-Let Go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are‘ during a January that began with illness and seemed to continue with a daily, grey dose of mundane must-do-right-nows (whoops I’m moaning again).

I’m as ‘British’ as the next British person regarding books that fall into the ‘self-help’ section but fortunately, a life spent in & out of the USA taught me to that there is pragmatism in being open, change cannot happen without it. Brene is a brilliant academic with a progressive heart and I, for one, can learn from her.

If, like nutrition and exercise we are what we put into it  then what about our minds, can we have intentions about what we choose to put into that?  Naturally we all have different tastes and interests, but surely we’re happier when we are truly inspired than when we’re mindlessly being entertained by the shortcomings of others and commune in our ability to judge them? I see the echo of this on my twitter feed and I often wonder how conscious people are of buying into entertainment via humiliation.  It’s such an easy thing to slide into, it’s what everyone else is doing, it’s an actual community. And we all want to belong but in this regard, I’d say laughs had at the expense of someone’s humiliation is….well I know how it makes me feel.

I truly love watching telly but I’ve not watched anything terrestrial (except for Obama’s inauguration and the Olympics OBVS) for 4 years. I-Tunes and Apple TV means we can all cherry pick our favourite dramas, films and documentaries minus the stuff that for me is Kulturally Korrosive and becomes ‘normal’ if you keep digesting it- just as the Stocks (above) did once upon a time. This way I can remain horrified (haha) and avoid the crass flogging from processed food corporations and other misleads.

Click this link to TEDTALKS! The cleverest people in the world with brilliant ideas about changing the world and everything, all in accessible language.

I’m not high brow, I loove Greys Anatomy, When Harry Met Sally is probably my favourite film and I like listening to Foreigner and Chicago in the car whilst singing along so there.

Though I do see it all as a type of consumption, some of it makes you feel good, some doesn’t because it isn’t really feeding you at all… There are so many wonderful things to absorb in life: good company, good food, art and environment-  just for the heck of it- why not absorb the best you can and see what happens? Okay I’m rambling to myself. Now I’m ready 2013.

 There are links on most of the above if stockist is not mentioned.

Chuck Close quote taken from an article by Maria Popova on her excellent site BrainPickings twitter @brainpickings

All art images Chuck Close

             An extract from the diary of Lieutenant Colonel Mervin Willett Gonin DSO who was among the first British soldiers to liberate Bergen-Belsen in 1945.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“I can give no adequate description of the Horror Camp in which my men and myself were to spend the next month of our lives. It was just a barren wilderness, as bare as a chicken run.

Corpses lay everywhere, some in huge piles, sometimes they lay singly or in pairs where they had fallen. It took a little time to get used to seeing men women and children collapse as you walked by them and to restrain oneself from going to their assistance.

One had to get used early to the idea that the individual just did not count. One knew that five hundred a day were dying and that five hundred a day were going on dying for weeks before anything we could do would have the slightest effect.

It was, however, not easy to watch a child choking to death from diptheria when you knew a tracheotomy and nursing would save it, one saw women drowning in their own vomit because they were too weak to turn over, and men eating worms as they clutched a half loaf of bread purely because they had to eat worms to live and now could scarcely tell the difference.

Piles of corpses, naked and obscene, with a woman too weak to stand propping herself against them as she cooked the food we had given her over an open fire; men and women crouching down just anywhere in the open relieving themselves of the dysentery which was scouring their bowels, a woman standing stark naked washing herself with some issue soap in water from a tank in which the remains of a child floated.

It was shortly after the British Red Cross arrived, though it may have no connection, that a very large quantity of lipstick arrived. This was not at all what we men wanted, we were screaming for hundreds and thousands of other things and I don’t know who asked for lipstick.

I wish so much that I could discover who did it, it was the action of genius, sheer unadulterated brilliance. I believe nothing did more for these internees than the lipstick.

Women lay in bed with no sheets and no nightie but with scarlet red lips, you saw them wandering about with nothing but a blanket over their shoulders, but with scarlet red lips. I saw a woman dead on the post mortem table and clutched in her hand was a piece of lipstick. At last someone had done something to make them individuals again, they were someone, no longer merely the number tattooed on the arm. At last they could take an interest in their appearance.

That lipstick started to give them back their humanity.”  

Source: Imperial War museum

“Vintage should make up at least 15-20% of a modern woman’s wardrobe. ” Wilma Mae Basta

Having had a lifelong love of vintage clothes beginning as a teenager hanging out on London’s Portobello Road, I never tire of finding another one-off and am forever in search of ‘the perfect dress’.

Which perhaps I did when I stumbled upon new vintage boutique The Gathering Goddess in Notting Hill the other day.

I got chatting to the owner, Wilma Mae Basta whose knowledge of vintage clothing rolled off the tongue and as my purse strings willingly loosened inside her treasure trove of timeless womenswear,  I wondered what inspired her.

 Where were you born?

I was born outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in a university town called Villanova. I moved to the UK 22 years ago to study English common law with the intention of returning to the US to become an entertainment lawyer. I ended up staying because I fell in love, got married and had two kids. I never pursued law and instead worked in entertainment, consumer and technology PR for more than 12 years.

 When did your fascination with clothes begin?

I was fascinated with clothes since I was about 11 years old. While most of my school friends were reading teen magazines, I would often be seen on my own reading Vogue, W, or WWD, playing a game with myself where I’d take a quick look at the page and without looking at the credits guess which designer had designed the outfit. This was my idea of fun – not partying like my friends. A bit sad really. One whole wall of my room was filled years worth of subscriptions of every high fashion magazine on the market. I threw none of them away. I wanted them just in case I needed to find out about a designer and understand their style.

 What were your first images you can remember of ‘style’?

My first real sense of style came from the film Auntie Mame, with Rosalind Russell. This was a woman who was so unique and individual. Whether she was rich or poor, she never kowtowed and always looked amazing. I remember knowing for the first time what it meant to wear the clothes and not allow them to wear you. Her outfits and home décor was epic! The story line was also dear to my heart. She knew how to teach important lessons without preaching. This is still my all time favourite film.

Did you grow up around a lot of stylish people? 

Yes, my parents were stylish. My mother (Shakmah aka Anna Branche) was an important spiritual teacher and despite being overweight and very short, she always looked regal and carried herself as if she was a petite ballerina. The way she wore her clothes immediately commanded respect. She taught me what it is to be a true goddess – a true woman.  My father (Stanley Branche Sr.) too was also incredibly stylish. He was a prominent civil rights leader in the 60’s but after the movement died down in the 70’s he somehow morphed into being involved with the Italian Mafia – go figure! So I only ever saw my father in beautifully tailored suits with all the appropriate bling. Imagine John Gotti and that pretty much summed up my father.  And yes it is odd to have a black man in the mafia! One of his saying was “Class never goes out of Style”.  I live by that rule today.

 Tell me a bit about your style growing up; I had some pretty wild phases- did you?

In the 80’s I wanted to rebel against suburban style. Where I grew up most girls wore turtlenecks with hearts on them and wide whaler corduroy pants and jeans. They carried corduroy handbags with wooden handles. This bored me and I saw it as being part of the herd. I wanted to wear designers like Norma Kamali and Kenzo. I loved the military look at the time and would go to army surplus stores and wear berets with brushed cotton parkas and Marithe Et Francois Girbaud cargo pants. At 14, I got my first job so I could save to buy my favourite designers. I was also totally fascinated with makeup and would spend a good hour every morning applying my war paint for the day – well it was the 80’s! Electric blue mascara and heavy Lancôme foundation was de riguer.  In my high school yearbook, this description given to me: “Wilma will be the only bag lady in Philadelphia with a Gucci handbag”. In addition to being fashion mad the bag lady was a good description- I literally carried almost everything with me at all times. Part of my hoarding issue I guess.

 Who are your style icons and why?

Auntie Mame. The woman throws out a blistering one liner and would be both vulnerable and strong whilst looking incredibly stylish wherever she was.Cher. She has been successful in every decade since the 60’s. She was outrageous before Gaga and Madonna, she has had a string of music hits and won an Oscar. She is outspoken, individual and compassionate. She is a woman of substance.

Catherine Deneuve. Have always felt she exuded class and sexiness without being tarty. Loved her role in Belle de Jour and of course she was the muse of YSL.

Iman. She continues to look amazing after almost 40 years in the business. She embodies elegance and class and is married to one of my musical heroes, David Bowie.

Grace Jones. I think it goes without saying that she is a true goddess. She has lived the life and is still standing strong and kickin’ it out!

Doris Day. I secretly wanted to be her growing up. So vanilla, so ‘perfect’.

Grace Kelly. What intrigues me about her was that there was always a hint of something more, something darker underneath that clean cut, gentrified exterior. She also comes from the Main Line of Philadelphia, which is where I grew up.

Lauren Hutton. Her beauty was unconventional and she seemed tough to me. I like tough women.

 Why do you think vintage has taken off in such a big way in the last 10 years?

It is true that vintage is having a moment. I think this has been driven by the fact that high profile celebrities are often seen on the red carpet wearing vintage and shopping in vintage boutiques. Many of today’s designers and high street brands are also producing ‘vintage inspired’ collections. Hell, many of them trawl around my shop looking for inspiration! This has fed the vintage fashion boom as well. Of course it is helped by the spate of period TV dramas and films but I think it is more a celebrity-led trend. It is important however to make sure that vintage stays relevant moving forward and continue to stay part of the fashion mix. In my opinion, vintage should make up at least 15-20% of a modern woman’s wardrobe. It is the vintage, which gives the stylish woman her fashion edge and uniqueness.

 Being an American, how do you find the London vintage scene different to, say, NY or LA?

I don’t spend much time in the US these days. I love NYC but LA is one of my least favourite places. I do my thing to the best of my ability and look after my customers, hoping they come back because they know us and can trust us. Having done this for over a decade, I’m good at knowing how to find some of the best pieces, whether they are couture, designer or just plain beautiful. I’m so busy doing this that there is no time to focus on what other vintage sellers are doing plus it all changes so quickly. The good thing about vintage is that it transcends trends. It is timeless. It is up to the individual how they make it work in their wardrobe and that is it’s undeniable charm and allure.

Tell me about some vintage designer names, and why you like them.

Lilli Ann. Started by Adolf Schuman in the 40’s, Lilli Ann was a brand, which was inspired by Parisian couture designs. The outfits were always made to a high quality and were aimed at the middle class American woman who couldn’t afford couture but could afford to pay for something similar. The pieces from the 40’s trade at high prices these days and are real collectibles. I have been collecting Lilli Ann for years. Not worth collection after the 60’s though.

Paganne – Dubbed ’The Poor Man’s Pucci’, this brand, started by Gene Berk, is one of my favourites. Fashion label that was formed in the late 1960s with Gene Berk as it’s head designer who had previously designed for Oleg Cassini. He designed unique and bold prints, which were printed in Italy. Designs were often in soft jersey fabrics cut into maxi and shift dresses. Paganne is of the same era as Pucci but his quirky printed garments were more affordable.

Malcolm Starr. The go-to designer for the jet set in Florida and California. Known for their super glam evening and cocktail wear, this is a highly collectible brand. Some of their resident designers were more prominent than others

Jonathan Logan . Aimed towards the younger lady, Logan was a large manufacturer, creating designs that always resembled classics cuts. They continually grew in popularity from the 50’s through to the 70’s. Logan often used original yet timeless prints that even look modern today. His celebrated, effortless dresses were designed to be worn for more than one season.

Branell. This New York fashion house designed pieces of couture quality and only sold in upscale boutiques. Branell was known for its classic American, feminine silhouettes and fine tailoring, dressing the high society of New York and American actresses. Most notably he designed the belted shirtwaist dress worn by Grace Kelly to announce her engagement to Prince Rainier in 1956.

Goldworm. A knitwear manufacturer, which was started in the early part of the 20^th century but didn’t really gain prominence until one of the sons took over in the 60’s. They were an early day Missoni with vibrant punchy designs. The company no longer exists and their best pieces are collectibles. I buy them in whenever I can get my hands on them.

Emma Domb. This dressmaking brand, which started in the late 30’s by two sisters. They specialized in making party and prom dresses, which are now highly collectible today. They went out of business in the 70’s but the years to collect are the 50’s and 60s’ if you can get your hands on them.

Alfred Shaheen (right) designed and manufactured fabrics  and clothing for over 40 years, his pieces are among the most prized in vintage fashion collections. His textile designs, produced by his own textile factory were inspired by Hawaii, the South Pacific and Asia. His most common designs were in the form of shift dresses, aloha shirts and swimsuits.

Werle. Daniel Werlé is widely regarded as America’s ‘first couture designer’. He designed and produced the wardrobe for Loretta Young on The Loretta Young Show, which aired between 1953-1961. His pieces were very unique and glamorous, often incorporating metallic thread and large button detail. They were sold at his boutique in Beverly Hills but today are rare to find and highly collectable pieces.

Teal Traina (& Gino Charles). Upmarket fashion label Teal Traina was known for classic and feminine designs. One of New York’s most famous fashion designer’s from that era-Geoffrey Beene- designed under the label. Beene was most known for creating effortless yet dressy women’s wear such as clingy silhouettes cut on the bias. Clients of Teal Traina included Nancy Regan and Pat Nixon. Gino Charles was a line established in 1966 by designers Teal Gino Traina and Malcolm Charles Starr and designed by Alan Phillips.  The line was started to make American styles available in markets around the world and the cut of the garment was altered to fit the typical body type in each market. It is very difficult to find this brand but they are stunning. We have one Gino Charles in our collection. It is stunning.

 I love how affectionately you feel about vintage clothes, it’s as though they are living. Tell me a few stories about certain pieces, your favourite stories about them and the homes they went to.

Often, our customers are so happy with their vintage buys that they come back into the shop to show us how they wear it. One proud moment was when I saw the broadcaster and columnist, Emma Freud dashing across the street and rushed into our shop to show us how her new Dellil bag was going to be featured in her new pics for her Tatler column. She even tweeted that she was so in love with her bag she wanted to marry it!

Just the other day we had another style of Dellil bag come in. This bag was one of the popular 60’s/70’s clutch bag which looks like a rolled up magazine. You can still find them around and about but it is super difficult to find the Grazia Magazine version. Well I found one. I thought the other day that it would be great if the editor of Grazia had one so I emailed her and she fell in love with it immediately and asked to buy it! She also tweeted about it to her 23K followers. Now I have had loads of requests for these bags. I doubt I will find the Grazia edition anytime soon but I am looking.

 Are there any designers you hold in the same regard today?

There seem to be so many new designers every year that it is hard to keep track of them. If you held a gun to my head I would go with Jonathan Saunders and Mary Katrantzou, I love bold design and colour.

Tell me the main difference between designer clothes today and vintage designers in terms of ability to cut, the lining, detail and quality.

It is no secret that the quality of vintage clothing is almost always better than what you find today. Many of today’s high-end fashion pieces sometimes lack the attention to detail and fabric quality that you find in even mid-priced vintage garments from the 60’s and before. There was much more generous use of fabric in the 50’s. The great thing about these dresses is that if I need to alter them, there is almost always some extra fabric to make alterations to fit our clients perfectly. Today’s garments don’t allow for much extra fabric, which I am sure, keeps the manufacturer’s costs down.

 Which unusual vintage pieces would you love to have more of in your shop?

I am currently lusting after the 60’s paper dresses. They were originally a marketing initiative by the Scott paper company and not expected to be very popular but they were wrong.

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Eventually, even Andy Warhol designed a paper dress with the print of his famous Campbell Soup cans.   I am currently hoping to get one with Nixon written all over it.

What vintage designers or pieces are the most highly sought after now?

That really depends. My high-end collectors pieces almost never sell in the boutique. I have to sell those privately to collectors. Pieces like Bill Gibb, Thea Porter, Zandra Rhodes. These sell well but have to be sold privately. I rarely allow them onto the shop floor because they are too delicate to have people trying them on all the time. People ask for Ossie Clark, Pucci, Vivienne Westwood and McQueen. We don’t focus so much on them because there are other vintage sellers who do it well. For me, it is not that exciting. Our in store collection is all about beautiful stunning garments that have stood the test of time and can still work in a modern context. We are really good on dresses to wear to special occasions as well as work wear.

What are your most treasured vintage items, and what would your dream ‘find’ be for yourself?

I have an absolutely beautiful gown, which was made for Ava Gardner by the in-house design team at Bergdorf Goodman in 1955. The gown is beyond amazing and when we display it, it always pulls the crowds in. I have had the dress for 10 years and while I love it, I would like to sell it but recent offers have been too low. I am happy to hang on to it. I think it would be too difficult for me to pinpoint my ‘dream’ find to one designer or garment. I don’t think it is possible for me to do that. I love too many. I am a bit of a tart really.

You have such a wealth of knowledge with regards vintage clothing, what else would you like to do with that knowledge?

I’d like my own TV show! I’m working on it.

Thank you Wilma.

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Although our style of clothes and make-up may modify somewhat over the years, I think that our innate style references stem from those who inspired our formative selves.

To my 12 year-old mind that was model Jerry Hall. 

It’s no surprise that an only child left in the vicinity of seductive 80’s fashion magazines was going to embed this ‘leggy Texan blonde who rock stars bedded’ into my subconscious so I’m merely ghostwriting this post on behalf of my little self.

She had what I assumed was a decadent, alluring edge on all men, putting them under a sexy woman spell with her high octane tresses and siren model poses. Jerry was the sassy, clubbing, bad girl young auntie I never had, with a talented and naughty gay best friend (Antonio Lopez) who took a lot of hot snaps. 

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………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………       Moving swiftly past the fact that my hair was more like Starsky (as in Hutch) because my Mum insisted on keeping my curly brown hair short, bubbut fr)

Jerry became my ‘person I wanted to be when I grew up’.                    

Left, Antonio Lopez  with Grace Jones and a 16 year old Jerry

gggggggggggggggg 

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It was only a matter of time, dedicated make-up application, the correct electrical tools and I too would be hanging out at Studio 54 with Warhol, Jerry, Margeaux, Michael and Brooke, finding my spot- right on the floor, and dancing to Le Freak by Chic..

……………………………..It lot of w

…knowledge of which was all enticingly supplied on a monthly drip-feed from my favourite glossies, Vogue, Tatler and Cosmopolitan, which I’d find within the stacks of housewife magazines in doctors waiting rooms, dentists and other grown up side tables.

What mesmerised me then, and what I appreciate so much now, was the incredible skill that the hair and make-up artists had…. Below photo, HIRO

There may have been retouching of sorts, but there was not the kind of pore-less, manipulated digital modifying that un-named retouchers (with what is often a distinct lack of anatomical knowledge) use to change your work- and people’s faces, without consent.

Make-up artists such as Way Bandy and Barbara Daly blended strong pigment with a finesse worthy of fine artists, creating a canvas of airbrushed-by-hand contours that shall forever inform my approach, going as far as to say that I found the perfection hypnotic. 

Even my favourite recording artists had this make-up aesthetic, Chic, Debbie Harry, Sister Sedge, Donna Summer and a little later Anabella Luwin (BowWowWow) all wore beautifully blended make-up-with-attitude.

 Spellbound, I’d gaze into Jerry’s face, soaking my little mind in ‘glamour’ and use my Mary Quant duos to attempt the ‘half-moon’ eye shape (left) of the late 70′s, early 80’s which I’d call a glam-NY-post-punk, ‘Halston woman’ take on Hollywood’s Golden Age. This era deserves way more than nutshells.

 This multi-shaded, heavily contoured aspect of 80’s make-up gave birth to the ‘super-make-up-palette’ and brands like Pupa came in multi-layers of cosmetic possibility and the idea that you at home, could be a pro-make-up artist-come-cover-girl. Or in my case, immensely enjoy pretending to- instead of doing my Math’s homework.

 More was more in the 80’s, full-on foundation, powder, blusher eye make-up and lips were the norm, a m-up look that’s only published with a large dose of irony today.

Make-up may be just as bright at times, but today formulas are far more sheer and wearable, so unlike the days of disco, you don’t have to be an experienced artist to enjoy an element or two of late 70′s/early 80′s m-up decadence. Palettes are great to create the multi-dimensional blending mastered in the pre-photoshop era.

Contour and blusher has also come a long way since the exaggerated stripes of 80’s cheekbones but remember; good blending relies on good brushes and they are well-worth the investment. My staples are Mac, Chanel, Charles Fox and Screen Face brushes.

Contouring may be a word you’ve heard bandied about but don’t worry, there’s no 80′s new wave trend pressure coming any time soon, just subtle shaping. Tom Ford’s Contouring Cream has superb ‘blend-ability’ but alas, it is very pricey.  The best powder versions, similarly pricey, are by Kevyn Aucoin and the limited edition Chanel contour powder in ‘Notorius‘, used to great effect at the A/W12 show.  As with all industry faves, however, it won’t be long before the affordable lines follow. In the meantime, experiment on loose powdered skin (for a smooth application) with a matte compact mineral powder in a tone one or two shades darker than your skin.

 As for blusher, I love the easy-to-apply, natural finish of cream blush like Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge; it is a staple in my kit and is suitable for all ages and most skin types (unless you have very oily skin on the cheek area). Apply with a brush, sponge or fingers but if you are using  powder contour, I’d suggest using a rose or peach powder blush as powder and cream don’t blend together.

Jerry always had eyebrows to die for. As shown in these iconic Warhol Polaroids, they’re natural, wide, groomed and suggestively arched,

          rather like Grace Kelly, another ‘eyebrow icon’ of mine.

It’s the Antonio Lopez and Warhol Jerry for me, so I have to include the perfectly painted pout-

how about trying the new Rouge Allure shades by Chanel..?

And of course, LASHES. The sootiest mascara on the market is Eyeko’s Black Magic Mascara

Here is Jerry being HOT in Leopardskin..at 1.55

Here is Jerry Hall demonstrating hair modelling as art form in this Flex Shampoo ad from1984

A version of this piece was filed for getthegloss.com

Last summer I got together with Nina and Max from the innovative, British eye make-up brand Eyeko to create a short make-up film. We were fortunate to collaborate with photographer and filmaker Chris Floyd and we persuaded Jessica Pain (who Chris had just shot for Agent Provocateur) to be our star.

I’ve got a large, light, airy house so we thought we’d shoot the whole thing there (plus Chris lives down the road) and like all of my favourite jobs, it had a school project vibe, the make-it-up-as-you-go-along freestyle, trusting in the osmosis of a lifetime of iconic films and beauty icons in the forefront of our nerdy minds to guide us..

For me, when it comes to eyelash icons, it’s ALL about Twiggy, Marisa Berenson, Jean Shrimpton and Jane Birkin…

And of course, the original eyelash queen- Peggy Moffitt, screen-grabbed here from William Klein’s ‘What’s up with You Polly Magoo?’

Chris liked my bedroom and decided to shoot the whole film in bed. A blonde. In bed. Wearing eyeliner. Well there’s Brigitte Bardot, seen here fully made up on bed… But in the end, it was Marilyn who got the gig as MUSE.

Marilyn Monroe here in her favorite photograph of herself, taken by Cecil Beaton at the Ambassador Hotel, New York City, 1956  
Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy the movie!

See the wonderful world of EYEKO on their website (and buy the SKINNY LINER I used above and below!) HERE                                      

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Bestselling Author of ‘How To Walk In High Heels’ & the ‘Fashion Fairytales’ series with Christian Lacroix & Manolo Blahnik. Her next is on Diane Von Furstenburg, released on Nov 13th.

as all the best fairytales begin, a little girl began to dream… She read about Princesses, glass slippers, magical dresses and dancing till midnight.  Yes.  This was what she wanted to do when she grew up.

  Anyone born in England will most probably have read at least one Ladybird book, and if not you must.  It was the Well-loved Tales, retold by Vera Southgate, and illustrated by Eric Winter, that decided this little girl’s future…

Who wouldn’t want to be like these heroines? In Sleeping Beauty she slept for a hundred years yet woke up flawless, soft blush to her cheek, breath like that of fresh peppermint, and not a hair out of place.  No wonder the Prince, 100 years her junior, sealed it with a kiss. 

 In Cinderella as that magic wand swept through the air and cast its spell, no one gave  The Fairy Godmother credit for performing such a marvelous hair and make-up job. That would’ve been hours on an editorial shoot and she would’ve missed the ball (or had to at least start around lunchtime).

No.  This was the magic. Fairytales were, and remain, flawless.  Eyes were wide-eyed, subtly laced with mascara, and skin stayed dewy and forever fresh, only Ugly Sisters plastered it on with a trowel.  Never mind if, like the Princess and the Pea,…     you were caught in a downpour, or, like Cinderella, you were sobbing your heart out having lost a shoe – you were flawless, and ready to be kissed at all times.  Yes the outfits were sumptuous, but the beauty was true the magic to the tales.

 In none of these tales would Rapunzel have snapped that ‘she had a terrible migraine’ while some clod-footed Prince was heaving himself up her tower using her hair.  And does Snow White ever get time to freshen up after toiling away doing the housework for seven dwarves? No – but she still looks perfect, and that lovely nature is rewarded with lovely beauty.  In fairytales the rule of thumb is thus: whatever hardship the heroine must go through there will be no pimples or breakouts to make things any worse.

And so time passed…

 Ladybird Books issued new editions, Eric Winter’s illustrations were replaced, and Vera Southgate – the story and lady – disappeared.  Ms. Southgate, who inspired so many children’s innocent dreams, like a Fairy Godmother simply vanished. To this day even her publisher cannot say where.

 Stories came and went…..

Disney feature-length cartoons, fashion shows, the internet, but still it was those original tales that lingered in the little girl’s dreams…

The little girl grew up.  Her blonde curls fell out but she kept her Well-Loved Tales and wanted to find a grown-up way to be part of this magical world. 

 But, finding no Fairy Godmother to train under, she started to work in fashion – Cinderella-to-the-fashion-cupboard. She called in the samples, wrapped couture gowns in tissue, ran to get Supermodel’s tea

… while alas all the Prince Charmings were gay…

 The little girl, who was not so little anymore, remembered the tales that had so inspired her journey and realized what she must do…

  She wrote to her friend, Mr. Lacroix, and they met to talk about ‘Happily Ever Afters’ at a time when the famed couturier very much needed one as his fairytale couture house was closing.  The not-so-little-girl didn’t have a magic wand, so she wrote, and twisted his tale with Sleeping Beauty and then Mr. Lacroix, hero of this tale, drew all the illustrations himself for their magical creation.

Next she wrote to her very own Fashion-Fairy-Godfather – Manolo Blahnik – surely this was the person a Cinderella would have turned to? He laughed at the idea, but he was a kind gentleman and saw that she was in earnest.  He rather adored this blue-eyed bubble that insisted on writing him letters when the rest of the world had turned to emails.  She held her breath.  He agreed – ‘The Elves and The Shoemaker’ it would be – with his infectious enthusiasm dancing across the page he illustrated this book with a confetti of heels and happy ideals.

Last, but not least, the little-blonde wanted an inspiring lady to tell a story, after all it was a lady (Ms. Southgate) who had started her on her journey…

She thought long and hard.  Then realized – there was only one designer who could inspire her next tale  - and, in that same flash of inspiration she realized there was only one tale she could transform… You will have heard of the Emperor’s New Clothes, well this is the story of his daughter – The Empress – and her love of fashion. 

 Alas, this tale begins with sadness.  The Empress’s mother has died so she has reluctantly taken to the throne as her poor father is so heart broken he won’t leave his tower.   While the country mourns the young girl thinks fashion might be the answer to get them to notice her.  So, her outfits get wilder and wilder.Soon she is the talk of the realm, though not for the reasons she had hoped…         Everyone wonders what she will wear next – and it attracts trouble.  Two such swindlers see an opportunity – you know the type: cruel, wannabe, dangerous. But they manage to arrive at court with such a flourish everyone assumes they must be the next big thing…

 Will the Empress expose herself and her insecurities – or will someone come to the rescue?

 Luckily there is a heroine in mind.

 There are few women as influential in fashion as Diane von Furstenberg, and she is the designer to come to the rescue of the Empress, and indeed to this tale.DVF’s iconic print and own story wrap with that of the Empress and add a bold new layer to the power of fashion….

To be continued…

 So you see you don’t need to grow up and put all your dreams aside.  I was the little girl who wanted to live in a fairytale world.  And I do.  It is called Fashion.

 Love from, Camilla Morton

  Camilla’s next Fairy Tale ‘Diane Von Furstenburg and the tale of The Empress’s New Clothes’ is out on November 13th

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