On the Docket: Half the Sky
02/10/2012 § 1 Comment
Tonight, I definitely recommend you watch the second part of the Half the Sky documentary on PBS at 9pm. Half the Sky, a transmedia project dedicated to transforming oppression into opportunity for women worldwide, turns its eye on 10 countries around the globe and confronts the issues of sex trafficking, forced prostitution, gender-based violence and discrimination and maternal morality with scalable solutions in the forms of health care, education and economic empowerment. Part one aired last night, but you can stream it on the PBS website here, through October 8.
Stemming from the book by the same name written by journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, the documentary shares the heart-breaking and inspiring stories of remarkable individuals around the world who persevere against daunting socioeconomic obstacles to better the lives of women and girls. I personally learned of the project via Olivia Wilde, who is a celebrity advocate for Half the Sky and was an emcee at the Global Citizen Festival that I attended in Central Park over the weekend, where I had the opportunity to see documentary stars Edna Adan and Urmi Basu speak in person about their amazing work. It is an important, thoughtful movement and I urge you to find a way to get involved.
To learn more please visit Half the Sky.
Autumn is Calling || Veronica Beard F/W 2012
02/10/2012 § Leave a comment
When two talented sisters-in-law, both inexplicably named Veronica Beard, launched their eponymous collection in fall of 2010 it was with a single, well-tailored blazer: “The Jacket.” In the seasons since, the line has blossomed into a full ready-to-wear collection — recently debuting their S/S 2013 at New York Fashion Week — with a strong foundation in familiar, iconic pieces.
I’m not sure how this line escaped me for almost two years, but upon first glance, I knew we would be fast friends — and when I read that the designers strive to create a “uniform” for the modern women, I upgraded that to very best friends. Classic, yet also very contemporary, the Veronica Beard woman is effortlessly chic in clothes that are made to be lived in. She’s a tailored city girl who highly values style, fit and comfort.
Before we get too lost in what’s to come for S/S 2013, I wanted to take a moment to share the F/W 2012 lookbook with you. I only have one tiny complaint, and it has nothing to do with the clothes. I’m not too terribly fond of those grey platform boots, but adore every single other thing. The jackets and outerwear still stand apart as their very best work — the silk lapels on that blazer below? The those luxurious fur collars? The colors and textiles you can sink your teeth into? Gorgeous, simply gorgeous. And the best part?
You can get it right now.
All images via Veronica Beard.
Desired Destination: Morocco
01/10/2012 § 2 Comments
When the weather turns cooler, my wanderlust for warmer climates always picks up. I’ve frequently forgone the usual trip home for Thanksgiving in favor of a long international journey somewhere warm. Last year it was Argentina, two years before that I went to Egypt, and lately my mind has returned to North Africa. Morocco has officially made its way to the very top of my Desired Destination shortlist somehow, fueled at least in part by the images and inspiration I have been collecting on Pinterest.
My trip to the Maghreb probably isn’t all that far off with flights hovering around $1,000 and no annoying visa procedure for US citizens, but until that day comes, you can find me wandering among my pictures, wistfully wishing for the smell of fragrantly perfumed tobacco, oranges and coriander, the taste of mint tea and dates, the feel of crisp linen against my body and cool tiled floors beneath my feet, and the sound of the call to prayer at dawn and the souk at dusk.
The harbor town of Essaouira.
Dying to stay at L’Heure Bleue hotel in Essaouira…gorgeous!
Marrakech, the Ochre City.
YSL in Morocco.
YSL at home in Marrakech, what is now known as the Majorelle Garden.
Casablanca
All images via Pinterest.
Quite Continental Desired Destinations
~*~Travel Charmingly~*~
NYFW Recap: Samantha Pleet S/S 2013
26/09/2012 § Leave a comment
Loving the S/S 2013 Samantha Pleet collection! Called the “Sands of Time” and drawing inspiration from the ancient civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and the 19th century adventurers who discovered them, Pleet’s collection is whimsically detailed and utilizes some very gorgeous prints. And I quite obviously lost my mind at the sight of the shorts suit above — amazing! The presentation was held at the gorgeous Wolverine Company Store that has been popped up in Nolita, against a backdrop that echoed the stratified landscape of ancient Mesopotamia.
I was also excited to get a sneak peek at the new S/S Samantha Pleet for Wolverine 1000 Mile collaboration that includes sandals, boots and oxfords. I can already tell those turquoise lovelies are poised to be quite a hit — mark my words!
View the entire Samantha Pleet S/S 2013 lookbook here.
New York City by André Kertész
26/09/2012 § 2 Comments
“I write with light.”
— André Kertész
How I adore The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of
André Kertész photographs taken in New York.
QC Archives || Grandma’s Hands
25/09/2012 § 3 Comments
A trip home to Los Angeles is never complete without a wander through my grandmother’s photo albums, now kept by my mother. While not exactly a scrapbooker per se, my Grandma did like to make collages with her pictures over the years — sometimes organized chronologically, sometimes completely nonsensical, sometimes accompanied by scribbled entries identifying who people are and where they might be, sometimes not. The purist in me instinctively wishes that she hadn’t cut up so many of the pictures, but I always take it back when I think about her lovingly laboring over her creation. I know how lucky I am to be able to hold in my hands something that she made with hers.
I took a few pictures (yes, of pictures) so I could share them with you.
Definitely click on them for a closer look.
My grandparents are the ones wearing sunglasses. Obviously they are the coolest.
With friends on Chesapeake Bay, 1946.
And can we please talk about what the women are wearing? Can. We. Talk.
My mother and grandmother, 1950.
My grandmother and uncle (at right), 1940s.
My grandmother and uncle, 1947.
My grandmother and mother (at right) on Easter, 1950s.
Grandmother and uncle (at right), 1940s.
My grandparents and mother (at left) at her 6th birthday party, 1955.
Louis Vuitton City Guides 2013: New York City
18/09/2012 § 1 Comment
It’s always a favorite time of year for me when details about the annual Louis Vuitton City Guides — and their accompanying video clips — start to emerge from the ether, but when the House of Vuitton decides to feature New York City first, it’s a double win. In its fourteenth year of publication, the Guides offer the discerning traveller expert advice on a select group of cities in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Kicking off the 2013 guides in a perfect marriage of travel and cocktailing,* we find ourselves in hot pursuit of a perfect Manhattan in Manhattan — a shaken cocktail that has shown remarkable staying power since its invention at the Manhattan Club in 1870 — we visit Jimmy at the James Hotel, Le Bain at the The Standard Hotel, The Summit Bar on the Lower East Side and Amor y Amargo in the East Village.
I don’t know about you, but my watch definitely just hit cocktail o’ clock.
*probably not a word, but should be.
NYFW Recap: Nonoo S/S 2013
14/09/2012 § 1 Comment
To kick off my coverage of New York Fashion Week,
one of my very favorite collections: Nonoo.
Designer Misha Nonoo and Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo.
As I stepped into the Nonoo presentation at Milk, I was pleasantly surprised to hear tropical music. Peeking around a throng of fans that included Olivia Palermo, Linda Fargo of Bergdorf Goodman, Jamie Beck and Leandra Medine, I discovered designer Misha Nonoo’s amazing Spring Summer 2013 collection — and promptly fell in love. Drawing inspiration from the faded beauty of Cuba, the collection deftly balances elegance with whimsy amidst a richly saturated palette and some very gorgeous prints. The lace! The flamingos! The Supergas!
Smartly tailored, vintage inspired, and more than a bit Wallis Simpson in the Bahamas, Nonoo Spring/Summer 2013 is glamorous and casually refined. Perfect for a weekend jaunt to the Caribbean…or just kicking around the West Village.
I’ll take it all, thanks.
Be sure to pop by Nonoo.
New York Fashiongram
13/09/2012 § Leave a comment
Full posts to follow, but I just wanted to share a few of my
favorite New York Fashion Week moments, captured via Instagram:
Bill Cunningham at Suno
The rush at Monika Chiang
Lovely linen at Samantha Pleet
Misha Nonoo and Olivia Palermo at Nonoo
Lani en route to Fashion’s Night Out
The opening of Michael Bastian
Refreshments at Cafe Gitane
School Spirited: The Vassar-Yale Bike Race, 1952
11/09/2012 § 1 Comment
The first crisp post-Labor Day weather has arrived in New York City and I was pleased to slip into a bit of tweed today — after roundly debating for a good three precious morning minutes on whether this would turn out to be a premature move, natch. Happy to say that it was a perfectly sunny, briskly breezy transitional day and it put me in a proper “back to school” mood. I almost felt like buying a new pencil box.
Completely apropos of the weather, my school spirit and my tweed, are these great photos from the 1952 Vassar-Yale Bike Race from the Life Archive. A bit of astute Googling revealed that the lovely author Rebecca C. Tuite has written a great post for Ivy Style about the short-lived race, which began as a drunken wager, evolved into drunken debacle and was eventually shut down by school authorities for the greater good. Thankfully, Life Magazine photographer Yael Joel was there to capture the shenanigans so that we might enjoy them today. I don’t know about you, but my need for a new pair of Weejuns for the fall has definitely been intensified.
Photos by Yael Joel, taken April 1952, via the Life Archive.
Quite Continental 