A stylish couple on Camber Sands
I have been spending the last few weeks in a dark windowless studio, hence my not posting for a while, apologies! This has had me day dreaming about sunshine and holidays, I do that a lot.
I’ve been missing the beach so much, that last Saturday I embarked on a day trip to the south coast of England, Camber Sands, just to get that beachy feel… and I got it!
The beach there is just breathtaking, the sand dunes are almost theatrical and the white sand goes on forever, the views are flawless. All in all amazing until you realize that you’re ears are about to fall off due to a freezing wind and you can’t feel your feet. You suddenly realize that the windowless studio with a fan machine is actually preferable to shooting on Camber Sands in a bikini!
In order to shake off the shivers my day dreaming turned instead to luxury hotels and relaxation (oh relaxation, a word from another planet). Hotels, those beautiful and cleverly designed places that give you the best rest possible with genius mattresses and millions of pillows to choose from. However, it’s the interior design that always inspires me the most…
I am wearing my own designed & made leather skirt and top with Isabel Marant heels.
I am especially proud of the skirt as it was the first time I worked with and sewed with leather, the bloody fingers were worth it though!
The second picture is at the end of the evening obviously, I had lots of fun…
There’s no way that in a few words I can describe what this place means to me, but let me try…
I know, ‘it’s just a coffee place’, you’re thinking, but wait, not to me. To me it’s my living room, especially when I first found it, my first NYC apartment had no living room, just a bed and a fridge! It’s also my meditation space, my contemplation center, my research hub and my latte fix. Tarallucci and I have a lot of history…
Of my last five years in NYC, I have probably spent four of them in this place! I was here on my best days, on some shitty days and on some very regular days. I have read volumes of ‘National Geographic’ magazines, many wonderful novels and I’ve done research for all my adventures with the help of my faithful ‘Lonely Planet’ guides. I met some amazing people here (you know who you are) and developed my latte addiction.
I am so proud to introduce you to my first ever piece from the Zimmerman collection, AT LAST!
I admire this Aussie brand so much.
The duo of sisters behind this successful label, Nicky and Simone Zimmermann, offer amazingly well groomed pieces. I love the perfectly balanced combination of flowery printed fabric with geometrical cuts and patterns. The delicately printed silk chiffon, together with thicker fabrics and precisely cut lines, make beautiful, yet modern designs.
Their swimwear collection manages to stay sexy and cool even while using flowery prints, sometimes with ruffles! They do not make it overly girly, but still pretty and beautiful. Zimmerman has a recipe for simple, carefree and yet sexy pieces!
Funnily enough though, Zimmermann was always hard to come across outside Australia, but not anymore! Eight weeks ago, to my absolute delight, their first New York store opened in Soho, I was ecstatic! It’s their second one in the US, LA being the first, which opened about a year ago. They also just launched their US online store, so my obsession can have a happy continuum…
There are definitely more Zimmermann pieces coming into my closet, I’ve got my eye on their amazing eyelet lace pieces now, I’ll keep you posted!
Santa Monica Beach
I thought I would introduce you to my favorite places to shop one by one, I’ll start with NYC but try and cover London, Paris and other cities.
Some of the best shops are hidden away in little side streets and shopping in them feels like being in a friends house. They’re full of lovely smells, inspiring designs and the friendliest staff who will chat with you about art, fashion and even offer you ‘Mast Brothers Chocolate‘. What’s going on with Mast Brothers Chocolate by the way? I used to have to resist them in every cafe in NYC, but now even in the fashion shops? I am not sure I can handle it!
These great clothes shops will always inspire you and sometimes even let you design your own pieces. They usually do not make it into the travel guide books, so I thought I’d try and help:
The first place I wanted to talk to you about is the amazing Castor & Pollux.
Kerrilynn Pamer, the owner of this lovely West Village store, has a great eye for amazing pieces you’ll want to keep in your closet forever. You’ll find Rachel Comey, Ter et Bantine, Gary Graham, Acne and even Brooklyn made ‘Saipua’ soaps.
