Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs

Hi all,

So here is the promise look at the Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs book from the exhibition at Les Musée de arts in Paris....

I loved this version of the classic LV speedy bag. The roses look like they have literally just been painted onto the material.

Louis Vuitton was, by trade a professional packer, then maker of trunks. This is one of the trunks which had an additional purpose! It contained a pop up camp bed. 

Image: Dressing session in the Second Empire; positioning of the dress over the crinoline and petticoats c.1855
That is one extreme skirt, I can imagine getting through doorways would have been ... interesting!

All of these miniature fashion pieces were displayed at the exhibition. I loved the detail in them, even though they are very small.
Image: Doll trousseau and trunk, c.1865. 

Town dress, from 1863

Dinner gown from 1861

Ballgown from 1863

Bring on Marc Jacobs...

Spring-Summer 2011 runway show, looks 10,8,11,9 and 12

Runway show, Autumn-Winter 2011-12, looks 9, 10 and 27

Sping-Summer 2012 runway show set

Hope you enjoyed this quick peak at this book. I still have a lot of reading to do, as it is a fairly big book!

xox Niamh xox

A portrait of Zoe

Hi all,

So, I now have a brand new cousin called Zoe. My auntie has made me her godmother, which I am very excited about. The past weeks I have been in Ireland helping out here and there where needed. She is so cute and the perfect baby. She sleeps practically all the time, and I never heard her cry in the whole 2 weeks that I was there.
As I am her godmother I wanted to get her something special, but I couldn't find anything that I thought was perfect. So I decided to draw a picture of her. The picture I drew was taken on the day she was born. I framed it and she can keep it forever :)

xox Niamh xox

Paris (part 4 - Angelina Tearoom)

Hi again,

Part 4.. This was on my actual birthday. We went to the Angelina Tearoom, which is on the Rue de Rivoli, basically a short walk from the Louvre and Les arts Decoratifs. If you every get the chance.. GO HERE!!! I had their famous hot chocolate, which was heavenly.. divine.. it was like drinking the elixir of life :) We all had a sweet aswell. My mum had a yummy looking pan au raisin, my dad had a strawberry and rhubarb tart (again yummy) and I had a raspberry/cream/custard/pastry thing, which was really good, except I was very full from the hot chocolate.
I took a few pictures, and we also bought some of the hot chocolate to bring home and enjoy on special occasions.

xox Niamh xox

Paris (Part 3 - Les arts Decoratif)

Hi all,

Part 3... I went to the museum Les arts Decoratifs, which is near the Louvre. We decided not to go into the Louvre because the crowds were so huge, and the weather outside was so lovely. It would have taken us a week to go around the whole thing! However in Les arts Decoratifs there was an exhibition on that we went to which was Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs. It looked at the label from the start in the 1800's, the trunks he used to make (amazing, I wish people travelled with them nowadays) up to Marc Jacobs collections for the label. Unfortunately no photos allowed, but I have ordered the book on amazon (so much cheaper than in the museum shop) so when that arrives I can give you a sneak peak :)

We wandered around the rest of the museum (which was so quiet) and I took a few photos here and there...

This was in the jewelary section. I loved the contrast between the flower and the purple gems.

This is the handle of a vase, I am pretty sure that they are flowers dipped in wax. So pretty!

Here is one of the many amazing examples of french style furniture. I love this wardrobe, its so ornate.

Another wardrobe, this one was pretty spectacular as well with the pattern on the surface of the wood.

Hermes circa 1952. It was just like the details had been painted onto the fabric.

Similar to before (can't remember whose design this is..) there was beading on this one as well.

Similar to before, this time knitted!

This very ornate corset is a design by madame Rompard circa 1900

Various hats adorned with flowers. Ascot anyone???

This one had my eyes going funny :) by Lanvin 1970

This is a bed and a half! Love it.

How beautiful is this art deco stain glass window.

xox Niamh xox

Paris (Part 2 - Arc de Triomphe, Dior and Macaroons)

Hi all,

Part 2 of the Paris blog. We visited the arc de Triomphe which was quite amazing. The cars were going every which way around it, I was convinced that they were going to crash. Also on my list of things that I wanted to do was to go to Ladurée for tea. They do amazing macaroons there (which I had with Sophie in London) Unfortunately the restaurant was closed :( they were refurbishing it (oh well, I will just have to go back again) They still had the shop open selling macaroons and other lovely scrummy things. We got 6 macaroons in a really pretty box (which I have kept). We munched through them later on.
Walking down the Champs Elysees we came to Avenue Montaigne. Number 30 avenue Montaigne is where Christian Dior had his couture house. This was my pilgrimage spot!!! I was so excited about seeing it as Dior is a hero of mine. Of course I had to have my picture taken outside it. Inside I was like a kid in a sweet shop :)

The famous Ladurée shop/restaurant. Shame it was being refurbished :(

The Ladurée macaroons (from left to right) chocolate, strawberry marshmallow, rose petal, lemon, coffee, vanilla

xox Niamh xox