2011

Chateau Hotel de Saint Paterne, Alencon, France

21st June 2011

21st June 2011 The onset of summer reminds me of this wonderful French chateau I stayed in this time last year. And I can’t resist featuring it here, and am hopeful I will soon get a chance to go back. It is just off the motorway which many travellers use to go from Normandy to South West France…and it’s everything you might want from a luxury stopover with a very intimate atmosphere that makes you feel like you turned up at a friend’s house – although it’s a very large rambling place with stunning furnishings, a mix of French country house, bohemian elegance with some lovely eccentric touches.

We arrived as a family after 6 hours driving on the motorway; my boys went straight for the pool and enjoyed their early supper in the garden. They were particularly intrigued by their wood panelled room – adjacent to our room, the Chambre des Canards and the very ancient bathroom (with modern fittings of course). This place should be kept a secret, it’s the perfect chateau for unwinding, and the unpretentious hosts make you feel extremely welcome. I have stayed in many other chambres d’hotes and chateaux in France and this is the very best I can recommend. There is very little doubt that you could feel anything but delighted to visit this wonderful hotel and well-loved family home! www.chateau-saintpaterne.com CN

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Arts + travel

Yohji Yamamoto – Victoria and Albert Museum

8th June 2011

Designer Retrospective in London, England

Iconic Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto can always be relied upon to deliver the unexpected in his creations. His visionary approach to clothing overlaps art, fashion and celebrity, and he blends strong hints of his native culture with modernity. This retrospective at the V&A, also includes his revolutionary menswear. Yamamoto loves fabrics that flow, and then he uses his fertile imagination to create unanticipated cuts, drapes, folds, pleats and sculpture, to captivate the wearer. He challenges the fabric to do what he demands. His other accomplishments include costumes for Richard Wagner’s Tristan & Isolde, performed at the Bayreuth Festival, plus he achieved a law degree before embarking on his fashion career, and he is advanced in karate. Truly a Renaissance Man. This exhibition features stunning examples of Yamamoto’s work,and is an exciting celebration of an idiosyncratic and skillful fashion creator. At the Victoria & Albert Museum through 10 July 2011. www.vam.ac.uk JG

Design + Inspiration

Bubble London, the kid’s fashion show

7th June 2011

Children’s fashion and design from every corner of the world

This is a great show for kid’s fashion, inspiring and always very friendly. The mix of fashion, accessories and design and homeware includes some of the most interesting international and home-grown labels for infants and children. I have put together a few of the beautiful things that caught my eye, and some of the labels have provided me with some wonderful images to share with you. First, and pictured above, is Folk & Flora stationary by Norwegian label Darling Clementine, which of course I had to bring up, for its little spectacle motif; I love the 50s illustrative mood of this design and i’ve seen they do a print of it too (available at www.darlingclementine.no).Other products include pretty notebooks, cushions and tea trays.

Eyestylist favourite Zoobug exhibited at the show for the first time, with its main collection (boy wearing wayfarer in black below) and new Official London 2012 sunglass collection for 0-12s (produced under licence), featuring models which promise to be iconic must-have accessories for the London Olympics. www.zoobug.com

Kid’s fashion labels that set the mood for 2012 included Jessie and James, a label that underlines high quality British manufacturing. I liked the nautical dresses and their eye-catching imagery, also on show at www.jessieandjames.co.uk

JessieJames_by_giovannimartins 1 — Jessie and James

At very cute label Tootsa MacGinty, the emphasis was on colourful, hard-wearing unisex clothing – I was really impressed by the practicality and long-lasting qualities of these cleverly designed clothes which can be passed down to siblings or friends, both the girls and the boys!

Another favourite for me was Zee & Zo, a swimwear label from the Netherlands. Their girls’ collection brims with pretty colours and super teeny-tiny prints and their boys surfer shorts are everything a boy of 6 or 7 plus would consider cool and fun to wear. www.zee-zo.com

General trends in kid’s clothing such as ‘green’ or recycled fabrics, vintage design inspirations, cute motifs and vibrant colour and fabric combinations are looking exciting for next S/S, judging by this show. I have just mentioned a few favourites in passing, I hope to find out more about some of the great collections for little ones that exhibit annually at Bubble, in the weeks and months ahead. CN

www.bubblelondon.com

Design + Inspiration

Inspired by nature

7th June 2011

Shwood Sunglasses

22 June 2011 Shwood Sunglasses are handmade in Oregon, using a manufacturing process which merges precision technology with traditional craftsmanship. This week I have tried one of their sunglass designs on for the first time; I am much more familiar with the European brands producing wood frames so this was a fun exercise. The style I have is chunky and you get an immediate feel for the lovely natural texture and pattern of the wood from which it is made. The frames are treated with organic waxes and oils to protect them, but are unpolished so they look as unprocessed as possible. The wood used comes from sustainably harvested resources and include Cherry, East India Rosewood and Zebrawood.

If you’ve considered a wood sunglass style then this is definitely a brand to look at. Wood is a very stylist material in eyewear this year and we expect this popularity to grow. Shwood does a nice job of layering the sheets of wood (2-ply for temples and 3 for the fronts) and this gives a practical flexibility to the sunglasses. Details such as the Carl Zeiss lenses with 100% UVA/UVB protection and attractive soft pouch in tweed and leather add to the overall effect of quality and quirky creativity. More coming up soon on the best wood frames and where to buy them. www.shwoodshop.com CN

Design + Inspiration

Emma by Pierre Eyewear

7th June 2011

French magistrate and European Parliament member Eva Joly, is as well known for the distinctive red frames perched on her nose, as she is for her strong support of Europe’s ecology issues. The Norwegian born politician is a fan of the small, round frame with a horseshoe nosepiece by Pierre Cariven, designer and founder of Pierre Eyewear. His handcrafted designs are recognised for their quirky, fun approach to eyewear. Bright red acetate forms the front of Emma, and the sides are in tortoise acetate. Pierre Eyewear is available in Paris at Optique des Entrepreneurs, 39 rue Entrepreneurs 75015, Paris. www.pierre-eyewear.com JG