I was introduced to Flora in late 2004 when they brought the pattern out of the archives for shoes, bags, scarves etc. etc. for Cruise Collection '05 and Spring/Summer '05.
I bought these shoes! I know they are ugly in a way, but they are also unexpected - and whenever I wear them I get a least one compliment from a stranger! One time someone actually took a picture of them... seriously! I think it's time to bring them out... it's feeling like Spring finally...
Right now Gucci isn't doing too much with the Flora pattern. They do have a few scarves in the Spring/Summer '10 collection available. Here is the classic one, white background 35" square silk. Flora Foulard, $355.
Here is the background on Flora from the Gucci website:
Flora, one of the most loved Gucci icons, was born as a special commission for Princess Grace of Monaco in 1966. The princess had paid a visit to the Gucci store in Milan with Prince Ranier. Having bought a green "bamboo bag" Rodolfo Gucci insisted she selected a gift. When she relented she asked for a scarf. Rodolfo was distressed: he felt Gucci lacked one special enough for his distinguished guest. He immediately contacted the renowned illustrator Vittorio Accornero, to design the most beautiful floral scarf he could create. The next day Accornero returned with his painting: it was the "Flora", a multicolored flowered template that was destined for an unimaginably extended future.
Flora kindled such long-lasting affection among European women that they passed it onto their daughters. One was Caroline of Monaco, who wore a blouse in her "mother's" scarf-print as a teenager; another, the much younger Frida Giannini, whose own mother loved the print as a girl in Rome. Re-connecting with that feeling, Giannini's revived Flora on printed canvas bags for summer 2005, was met with overwhelming demand. Other Flora variations, re-scaled, re-coloured and abstracted, made it onto Forties/Seventies inspired print dresses for summer 2006, into jewelry and on evening bags. They were all hits: living proof of the power of a Gucci icon 40 years after it was first imagined.
Today I'm almost wearing this outfit from the J. Crew catalog...
I ordered the striped tissue tee way back in December and it finally arrived! So if you want one, you better order now before they run out again. (Classic Stripe Tissue Tee, $32.50) The jeans are the Ankle Stretch Toothpick Jean in Twilight Wash, $125. They are not really "ankle" on me though, so they look a little bit different.
For jacket - I'm wearing a wonderful old Theory jacket. I'm not sure if they still make it... it's that stretch fabric they used to use for everything. Now they do most things in the Tailor stretch wool, which is also great...
Shoes - Marc by Marc Jacobs round toe black pumps. I got these Fall of 06 if you can believe it and I still LOVE them.
Bracelet - I am wearing one of J. Crew's chunky pearl bracelets. It's not online, though is similar to the one below. It seems like a cheap version of the one below, as if it were made for the J. Crew outlet, but I didn't get it at an outlet... I got it at J. Crew Princeton NJ. I wonder if they ever put outlet items at the stores?
Earrings - Blue Nile 18k Hoops (yikes, they're $195 now! I'm glad a got mine a few years ago before gold went up!) These are totally classic earrings that everyone should have in their jewelry wardrobe.
And an 18k gold snake chain that I've had for a while with a key pendant that I got in Kusadasi, Turkey! I got my key before Tiffany came out with their keys, so I'm not a copier! You can get a nice key pendant from Blue Nile now (yes, they copied) for much less than the Tiffany gold version... check it out here.
I'm not really a St. Patrick's Day person (sorry, no green beer for me, no beer at all for that matter!) ... but it does make you think about green things... like EMERALDS!
Remember Angelina's amazing (and huge) emerald earrings at the Oscars last year? Wow! But they must have hurt her ears, you can't wear earrings that heavy for too long...
Here are some from Blue Nile with diamonds that us mere mortals have a chance of being able to afford: Pear-Shaped Emerald and Diamond Drop Earrings, $1,210.
I have long been interested in luxury goods and country of origin... (thus my rants about Longchamps sourcing from China) Here is an interesting quote from the Wall Street Journal's interview with Miuccia Prada and her husband and business partner Patrizio Bertelli.
"While the Prada brand is 98 percent made in Italy, about half of Miu Miu handbags are made in Turkey and Romania, and 70 percent of the sporty Linea Rossa shoes are produced in Vietnam. Bertelli's roots lie deep in one of Italy's artisanal heartlands, and Prada runs 13 factories with 3,500 workers in the country. But Bertelli is unapologetic about his decision to make some products abroad--as long as there are quality controls. He believes firmly that consumers should learn to trust a brand name, regardless of where it's made, and that "made by Prada" should be just as trustworthy a label as "made in Italy."
Read the full article here: "Miuccia and Me" by Alessandra Galloni, Wall Street Journal
Lace has been popular with the designers over the last couple of years. Remember Prada's gorgeous lace for Fall '08?
Here's Charlize wearing one of Prada's lace dresses, Aug. '08.
Well, it's still going strong. Kelly Ripa just wore Stella McCartney's beautiful lace dress to a Letterman appearance. (Stella herself wore the jumpsuit version ($4,815) in black to the Met's Costume Institute Ball last year)
Here's the beautiful dress similar to Kelly's at Net-a-porter. ($1,825)
Here's a Philip Lim take on the same idea. ($750)
Okay, so it's not nearly as detailed or quite as beautiful as the other examples, but Zara has a little lace dress for only $59.50!
French fashion house Céline is quickly shedding its reputation as one of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA's most troubled brands.
After struggling for years to forge an identity and a following, the label is finding influential retailers including Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman are clamoring to carry its collection, even as they cut back their portfolios to focus on best sellers.
Credit for the resurgence of the brand--which LVMH bought in 1996 for €412 million ($562 million at current rates)--goes to British designer Phoebe Philo and a decision to make a sharp break with the past.
Céline recruited Ms. Philo 18 months ago. To start fresh, the company destroyed all of the inventory left in the stores prior to her first collection, a move that contributed to the €98 million in restructuring charges LVMH took last year.
Excerpt from LVMH Wipes Céline Slate Clean, Opening Way for 'Phoebe Effect' , Wall Street Journal
I saw this Yves Saint Laurent blush in March Allure... (YSL Palette Y-Mail, $65)
It comes in the absolute cutest mini-bag pouch that features the Y-mail design that YSL uses on various bags and clutches.
The darker of the two colors is already sold out on YSL's website though!
If you happen to want to spend $1000 to get a matching real bag, Bluefly has this one on sale now (20% off). Yves Saint Laurent Y-Mail Tote, $956.
It is in a black/bronze textured patent leather, lined in fabric and has a zippered pocket and cell phone pocket. Tres chic, n' est pas? Even at $956... eek! That's still expensive.