Nov

27

New Sugar and Spice Style

Filed Under New Obsession | 1 Comment

Sugar and Spice

Seriously, I have nowhere to put this thing, am not sure how often I would use it, and would most likely be annoyed to have to flip through each book to search for a recipe. However. THAT IS THE POINT!

Don’t believe me? Just ask Philippe Starck. Sometimes form is the function, and sometimes that function is just about being so cool! Especially in a postmodern era, like now. (Don’t get me started. That’s another blog post all together.)

To continue. Sugar and Spice is a novelty cake-gift box, containing sixteen small books filled with dessert recipes. Each book contains twenty recipes accompanied by vivid, colour photographs; with two titles on both sides to every cover, such as, “Lemon,” “Lime,” “Chocolate,” “Vanilla.”

Recipes can be browsed by theme, via titles, or researched through a 5″ x 7″ size-ish loose card, which comes with the cake box, indexing all the recipes of the sixteen books. (You know who would be the first to lose this pragmatic piece of paper!)

I must admit. The index seems like a bit of restraint on the publisher’s behalf, who got sold on cool, and then somewhere down the line, considered to help the buyer out. The publishing spoon-feeding, if you will, merits many a cliché (how many can you count in this post?) including, too little, too late; go big or go home. It relegates the fantastic book-packaging design into a box of books instead of an interesting piece of design.

Don’t believe me? Just ask Philippe Starck. His Juicy Salif lemon squeezer doesn’t come with instructions. That’s because Stark knows, in this day and age, it’s not about squeezing the cool out of you, it’s about squeezing it into you. One lemon, one lime; one chocolate, one vanilla at a time.

Nov

24

Meet the Flushers

Filed Under Product Whore | 1 Comment

Fruity Blush

No woman can deny the allure of packaging when shopping for cosmetics. The makeup mainstays (I’m not talking about Dior Mascara Flash for hair here; oh dear God, no) come in a variety of compacts and boxes, which in some cases, become keepsakes and collectibles. Some women are attracted to the sleek minimalism of NARS eyeshadow palettes. Other women love the lab look of Prescriptives foundations. The all-things-French of T. LeClerc powders. The art nouveau stylings of Lipstick Queen lip sheers. Even the utilitarian chic of Carmex balm.

Me, I tend to love anything that’s bold and graphic. Type and colour. Simple and seductive. Far from gimmick and girly-girl. Just plain glamorous.

The blushes from U.K.-based line, Aura Cosmetics entirely addresses my sense and sensibility. The blushes are contained in black boxes with pink, red, and yellow cherries illustrated as silhouettes. A justified sans-serif font frames the cherry pictorail, top to bottom. A small cutout window displays the colour of the blush, set in a clear-blue compact. (A pool of powder perfection!)

As if to reinforce the graphic minimalism of the packaging, Aura Cosmetic founder Rebbeca Merrifield, has only launched the Line with three blush colours; from top to bottom, Peach Fizz, Pink Apple Blossom, and Cherry Bombe. The blushes are a precise range of pinks complimentary to every skin tone. Exemplary basics evident by the striking package design.

Information about the designer responsible for the branding of Aura Cosmetics can be found on the website in the “Links” Section. It is a must see! (JCCI features the work of graphic designer Jenny Campbell-Colquhoun. A diverse portfolio showcases projects in print where logos are eclipsed by strong photography art direction and whimsical type studies.)

In Canada, a closer look however can be had at Pir Cosmetics–a mainstay for flushed women of every taste–where the Aura range is sold and cosmetic packaging of all kind, is available to behold.

Nov

21

The Medium is the Lesage

Filed Under Vogue Rogue | Leave a Comment

Lesage logomark

Couture is dead. So, would be the case without Atelier Lesage.

The famous Atelier is responsible for some of the most sacrosanct embroidery on ready-to-wear and haute couture items for Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, and in the past, Elsa Schiaparelli, Madame Vionnet, and many others.

The fine needlework techniques employed by the Atelier date back more than 125 years, when the establishment was bought by Albert Lesage from Charles Worth, later inherited by Albert’s son, François Lesage.

François built the Atelier into an empire, which to this day, remains in France. (Jean Paul Gautier has relegated some of his more intricate stitchery and beading to workers in India.) However, François’s vision for his inherited institution has come at a price.

In 2002, Karl Lagerfeld purchased the Atelier along with other smiths in France, now known as the Chanel satellites, which continue to influence what the couture price tag has certainly become about: craft and craftsmanship.

The corporate backing by the compassionate client is ideal for the Atelier that also runs a School for a new generation of petites mains to learn about embroidery! Classes include butterfly making, sculpted roses, and constellation cell phone pouches.

Incredible!

Living in France, learning something new, and being surrounded by fashion. Could there be anything better?

Further convincing can be established from Lesage, an engaging profile of the Atelier and the history of the embroidery arts, by Lydia Kamitsis. Embellished pieces photographed in the book not to be missed are the wedding bolero for Christian Lacroix, the Van Gogh Irises jacket detail , and the fish-scaled sequined dress, both for Yves Saint Laurent.

The select examples of garments made in the past decade attests, couture, is alive and well, sparkling and celebrated. As it always, necessarily, should be.

IMAGE | Atelier Lesage | Lesage logo | Atelier Lesage images.

Nov

18

Librissime DFG

Filed Under I'm a Bookie | Leave a Comment

Librissime

Everybody was so Young by Amanda Vail is a great biography about American artist Gerald Murphy and his wife Sara; a wealthy couple ensconced in the height of visual and literary arts in 1920s Paris.

Gerald’s legacy and artistry, fascinates. Gerald’s father, Patrick Murphy bought Mark Cross company when harness-maker, Mark W. Cross, died without heirs. Also, Gerald’s foothold in the history of American Modern Art was achieved with only about a dozen canvasses throughout his artistic career.

During their lifetime, the Murphys’ were an axis to many rising stars; Hemingway, Picasso, and Fitzgerald, to name a few. Sara took on her hosting duties, assiduously. She designated social affairs as DFG, Dinner-Flowers-Gala, from a “notation made of a ship’s menu of a captain’s dinner.”

In reading Vail’s book, Sara’s nomenclature for her soirées affected me. There is an understood elevation of class inherent to a social occasion classified as “DFG.” A kind of distinction and luxury I couldn’t imagine the equivalent of in 2008 (short of an all-white party hosted by P. Diddy). That is, until I had the great pleasure of visiting librairie Librissime in Old Montreal. Read more

Nov

13

Lacanic Room

Filed Under Art Fart | Leave a Comment

Liza Lou Security Fence

I first discovered artist Liza Lou in 1999, Grand Central Station, New York. A beaded oasis amongst the bustle of businessmen and little brown bags just after rush hour. I will never forget it.

Backyard, was a massive installation in Vanderbilt Hall. Lou, and a team of volunteers, had beaded a human-scale tableau of a yard with tiny, colourful glass beads. The result was an extraordinary artwork completed by hand.

The brilliance of Backyard grows out from the centred picnic scene, which unlike the rest of the installation, appeared to have been recently disturbed. Lou included many markers (signifiers) to indicate an outdoor get-together, unfulfilled. Objects successful in supporting the idea included crushed cans of Bud, salad servers at the ready for scooping salad, and a laundry basket filled with dishtowels. (The ultimate glorification; beaded rags!) Others, not so successful, were cobs of corn imitating cheap Pier 1 imports relics, and flowers that stood so tall and straight as embellished stand-ins of the plastic floral pinwheels people erect in their gardens.

Lou’s colourful Backyard concoction stresses the absence of things. It serves as an index to the missing human element the tableau permits, almost as a dare to the common accepted idea of nature: man’s intervention is beauty’s demise. It’s as though Lou’s version of the adage suggests a variant to be true: man’s intervention brings beauty to life. The irony of Lou’s utilization of a very tactile, man-made technique, only challenges the viewer further to consider this unpopular point of view. Read more

Nov

10

WHAM! From Toys to Boys.

Filed Under Life Slice | 2 Comments

Teen mag

I absolutely love to go antiquing. I haven’t graduated to full-blown cottage country kind of excursions, but I will try and get to the shows circulating in the city. Two shows I try not to miss are the Toronto Postcard Club Annual Postcard Show and the other is the Heritage Antique Market–a market which circulates within the shopping malls of the GTA.

My love of art and design usually pulls me toward paper ephemera, which so far, is the only thing my budget can accommodate. (The Sherman brooches and the Raymond Peynet Rosenthal will have to wait.) Postcards, photographs, book plates and recipe cards are my weakness. (I know, I know.) But on my last trip however, I diverged and bought a magazine (a big no-no in my world, since I indulge in mags like I would in potato chips) because I couldn’t think of leaving the May 1963 issue of ’Teen (pictured above) behind. Read more

Nov

6

Learning your ABCs: Armagnac, Brunch, Célestin

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Célestin card

Just wanted to remind fellow readers that again, this resto review was written years ago, and so much has changed at Célestin since. The comptoir is now a separate entity of the café, bought out from Chef Pascal of Célestin, by his Master Baker, Marc Thobor. There is a petite outdoor patio to enjoy in the warmer weather. The menu has been revamped, and has been raised in price, but not alarmingly, and still incredible value for your meal.

All the finishing touches of the décor remain the same. The atmosphere is still French without pretension, elegant, and inviting. Perfect for families, socialites, and of course, ladies lunching.

This is my go-to place in Toronto. Many-a-friend has been dragged here at one point in their lives. Read about a more recent orchestrated brunch bullying invitation at Culinary Seductions. Bon Appétit!

Célestin | 623 Mount Pleasant Road | 416 544-9035 | Lunch Tu–Sa 8:30–2:30, Dinner Tu–Sa 6–10

Sometimes the best places in Toronto are the ones that least resemble the city, which is probably why, Célestin and Le Comptoir de Célestin is truly special in that it brings all things French to the table. Ladies who Lunch were escorted to one that seats for two close to a window where the sunlight was breaking through without being blinding. Already Ladies were feeling bright and insouciant as they poured over the brunch menu. (Now let me interrupt by saying that it’s only prudent of a lady to share what she knows with others. Sharing is what makes life meaningful. In this case, Ladies would like to inform potential patrons that Célestin offers a poorly publicized brunch menu consisting of light fare, but the same sumptuous wine list, at an excellent price in the early afternoon.) Ladies were fortunate that they arrived at the later part of brunch and almost had the entire place to themselves, which allowed the Ladies to walk freely to the Comptoir (skip the apricot loaf and go for the fig) to inspect the sweets. (Ladies had originally asked the hostess for her recommendation but it was her first day at the bistro. Ladies were extremely forgiving as they were taken away with her French accent and soft spoken manner, not to mention fantastic gray top that looked like a Marie Saint Pierre.) The lady attendant at the Comptoir immediately smelled Ladies’ recently done mani and pedi as they eyed dessert. Ladies were slightly embarrassed about the strong odor, which they had completely missed, but the attendant assured them that she was merely whiffed and not miffed by it all. Ladies picked their favourites and quickly returned to their seats least to offend the gracious attendant further. Read more

Nov

4

Shepherding the vote

Filed Under Told You So | 1 Comment

Goated

Look. If it wasn’t for this person, the American election wouldn’t be on the high-low course it’s been on for the past few months. Make no mistake. This person has been the pawn in the politics since the Republican-Democrat race got real interesting. Real interesting. I’m not going to argue here whether said person knew about being taken advantage of from the onset or not. All I know is, no matter what happens today, there’s going to be some blame, and guess who’s going to get it?

IMAGE | ANS | Goated | 2008 | Adobe Illustrator, a lot of anger, and the American way–interpreted by a Canadian who wishes she was a legal U.S. resident living in New York.