Natural Fashion

Showing posts with label Charlotte Moss. Show all posts

Charlotte Moss- On Style

and substance.

Ralph Rucci and Charlotte Moss -stylishly Classic & classically styled in all things. Both seem to have a love for the Pagoda- Charlotte uses it as her trademark . The pagoda's function as a refuge for relics and sacred writings makes it a most fitting for symbol for Charlotte Moss's design business - one encompasses jewelry, textiles, china, rugs, candles, books and of course elegant and classic interiors. Her new book CHARLOTTE MOSS DECORATES will surely add another dimension to that idea- along with a new reverence for one's own home and its ambiance.

Just before we had our tete-a-tete, Charlotte had been to see the Anne Bonfoey Taylor Collection at The Phoenix Art Museum.

She talked about women that really lived.

One of the things she said that struck me- and I have come back to time and time again is this:

"The clothes were parenthetical. "
Charlotte Moss

Meaning- women were not just dressing up for the sake of Fashion, they had places to go and things to do. They were creating, working, discovering. I believe this idea should be talked about by women today. It isn’t just about looking stylish, chic, or whatever words we use to define that certain thing about someone that draws our attention, attracts our eye, gains our admiration .

"It is living a Life beyond Fashion."

Charlotte Moss

If anyone adheres to this belief it’s Charlotte Moss. She is a woman of substance-& style. I can’t wait to share our in depth conversation-but while I am putting the finishing touches on several stories about Charlotte and her beautiful new book CHARLOTTE MOSS DECORATES, I had to ask-

(Having seen some of the clothes Charlotte wears- of course.)
What are some of your recent fashion choices ?

She shops at a friend’s-

Ralph Rucci no less. His tailoring is exquisite, his work is classic, sculptural - his is where Art and Fashion touch and magic is made.

These are three of Rucci's designs that Charlotte selected from his fall 2011 collection.

about his Fall Collection Rucci said:

"I show a variety because that's what style is."

"This is not fashion; it's Style." RR

(- if I didn't know better-I think Charlotte had said it!, it's no wonder they are friends.)

& what is on his mood board at the moment?
Pauline de Rothschild, & you can bet it has been on Charlotte's as well. Her book will attest to that.

Ralph Rucci images on style.com here
RR on 1st dibs here

.

Charlotte Moss: muses on Lavender

.

" Lavender

A color often misunderstood."

"The fluttering chiffon-like petals of a single iris

Placed on the mantle of one Pauline de Rothschild."

Tuileries Iris photograph by Charlotte Moss

Tuileries Irises photograph by Charlotte Moss

Pauline de Rothschild's London Flat photographed by Derry Moore

"The beautiful sculpted soaps in a bowl in my grandmother’s bathroom"

"The inside of a chocolate violet crème – from deBauve in Paris"

Pauline de Rothschild Balenciaga dress

image from the Met

"Often a grey hair-color rinse gone wrong – or right – depends on which way you look at it!”

Elsie de Wolfe

a lavander

"A sultry color. where few dare to venture--"

Givenchy Fall 2011-detail

image from Vogue

Charlotte Moss Shares

wrapping up the holidays at Tete A Tete

Charlotte's blog

Charlotte Moss has lots going on-in the Fall of this year the Royal Oak Foundation presented her with the Timeless Design Award, in recognition of her work in design, historical preservation and philanthropy. Well deserved- and that single accolade tells the tale. It means seven books to her credit, with her eight in the upcoming year, a fabric collection launching in 2011 through Fabricut, as well as designing china, carpet, decorative accessories and home fragrances. Her board work is extensive- The Thomas Jefferson Foundation- Monticello, the Bone Marrow Foundation, as well as serving as co-chair for the UNICEF Snowflake Gala for the past five years, helping to raise millions for the worlds’ neediest children. She adds publishing a blog- Tete-A-Tete, to her stack of activities- and is a contributing editor to the Wall Street Journal magazine...

Charlotte Moss photographed at the UNICEF Snowflake Gala, 2007

& She is here to share some of her thoughts about the fast approaching holidays.

What is on your Christmas List this year?

CM: AS for Christmas.....one could sit and list wants all day long.....I do not

need a thing. If I had to list anything it would be experiences, travel and

TIME:
Putting together a Great trip with a group of girlfriends to tour houses and gardens....

Going to work with children through UNICEF, OPERATION SMILE, .....learning,
contributing AND. Learning from that.

in the spirit of giving Charlotte's blog takes time out to remind her readers:

Charlotte's leitmotif

from Halcyon Days
the Charlotte Moss bracelet with a beautiful woven basket motif & daisy
the Nantucket Collection

the designer-Charlotte Moss

a beautiful old caned chair in one of Charlotte Moss' own spaces

Charlotte Moss Style
a Spring table setting with woven basket chargers,
woven vessels & woven wrapped glasses

the Nancy pattern designed for Pickard by Charlotte Moss-
inspired by Nancy Lancaster, fellow Virginian

a graceful motif of bamboo style fretwork
Nancy
in the tradition of tastemaker Nancy Lancaster

from Pickard: Nancy

the Nantucket baskets

"We drew simplicity from Jackie Kennedy. She had a very complex life but a very simple, refined aesthetic, from her shift dresses to her Nantucket baskets and daisies, which are simple flowers but were her favorite. We took the Nantucket basket and the daisies and crafted them together to make something that was very feminine."
(from Charlotte Moss)

stylish and in sunny yellow

Jacqueline Kennedy

Nancy spill vase, what is wonderful about it besides
the basket weave pattern?
I never tire of-Its' diminutive size,
(3 1/2 inches)

The Muse Collection by Charlotte Moss. Redecorating the White House, hosting state dinners and picnics in Nantucket… Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire us today. The Nantucket Collection is decorated on cocoa beige and white enamel with delicate hand painted daisy chains and intricate shading on the basket weave.(from the Halcyon Days site)

more of Charlotte Moss's collection of Nantucket here
be inspired on the Charlotte Moss blog "tete e tete" here, & her "c'est inspire" here

reprise Irving & Fine: I SPY

.
on Elle Decor's facebook site-(Yes they are diving in to All the social networking sites and have an irresistible revamped website- )

I Spy- a Favorite On a Favorite:

CHARLOTTE MOSS in IRVING & FINE'S KUTCH COAT

Charlotte Moss with fellow blogger Heather Clawson, Habitually Chic

at Elle Decor's A List Party at McGuire

Photograph by Patrick Butler

It's really something-
fabulous.

my post on the Irving and Fine Kutch coat here
ELLE Decor on Facebook here
Charlotte Moss tete a tete blog here
ELLE Decor's Design Registry here
.

Moss book envy

don't you?

VOGUE from the Library of Charlotte Moss

the Magnificent 7

One of the pleasures of this pursuit- getting a little pat on the back-in this venue it actually says-Someone IS reading all this stuff and appreciates it.
Very Nice.
Thank You Very Much.
&
So many thanks to a new blog I have been enjoying recently- MADEMOISELLE POIROT
Her profile says "Originally from Paris and now trying to find my feet in London I have set up this blog to collect everything that inspires me" & herraison d'etre for establishing her blog is "For lack of attention a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day" & she also has a sweet tooth-

this little gem is the PROLIFIC BLOGGER AWARD.

"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive,

keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content."

After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs.
the MAGNIFICENT 7.

BEST of all those bloggers can suggest several blogs they find worthy of a daily read.

They do not have to tell us things like:

I xo chocolate,

:( rainy days,

:) rainbows after a storm

Happiness is a warm puppy.
(charlie brown)

You may well say-shameless self promotion! little augury-
Do Remember I have been a practicing decorator, designer for going on 30 years. It would not be possible to have avoided such temptations to do that before.

I ask You-
Think about the BIG self promoters in the Home Design and Lifestyle business-Living and Not.. Don't you like them, in spite of what you may say?
& Yes,
I also sold furniture-some of the good stuff. This is when I learned "How to Sell." Why? I worked on commission most of those years. (the trenches)

There is one thing you learn and I believe (if you don't -you are doomed in this business of interior design):

Believe in your knowledge and believe you will be paid for it. A recommendation to a client is a Your Gift. They should and do appreciate it. Something like-Madame X- You should absolutely -Go to the little dump of a dry cleaners in the little dump of a shopping center, next to the dump of a service station. They are the experts in how to keep a paillette from melting. These are the things that make other matters-like insuring Madame X that the $20,000 sofa is worth every penny. It really is.

Now for the little assemblage of the sparkling paillettes that make up my 7 Prolific Bloggers- that I read daily and you should give them a go as well-

MY DOG EARED PAGES

REGGIE DARLING

THE DOWN EAST DILETTANTE

THE MODERN TRADITIONALIST

IT'S ABOUT TIME

VICTORIA THORNE

PORCELAINS AND PEACOCKS

the catch-

These 7 darlings have also been AWARDED

the

BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD

Christina Lindsay of Fashion's Most Wanted graciously bestowed this award upon little augury. I found FASHION through the HOUSE OF BEAUTY AND CULTURE. Superb both! Christina shares her take on fashion, beauty and gives us the occasional glimpse into her London life.

She says,

"Whether it's the latest thing or something from a bygone age, if I like it I'll write about it

NOW-

In tradition of that BEAUTY- I must tell seven things you may not know about me. Could it be possible there are actually 7 things I have not blabbed about on this thing ?

I actually DO xo chocolate,

I DO Love rainy days,

& I firmly believe
Happiness IS a warm puppy.

(charlie brown)

I am a big animal lover-

not to the degree that I love them better than people-

Just Some.

I love cutting flowers-

Peonies, Heirloom Roses, Iris.

I am pleased that the wonderful

Charlotte Moss

at tete a tete has Little Augury on her blog links.

I read too many Blogs!
(YOU?)

all the photographs are of Elsie de Wolfe- the first BIG SELF PROMOTER. What about a blog exclusively about Elsie? I have considered a second BLOG devoted to ONE of interest Woman in the World of Design. She is a possible, Suggestions?
.
.

the List~ in the tradition of Nancy Lancaster

tis the season, visions of plum pudding, decking the ballroom, etc. etc....

Nancy Lancaster is legend- it took this Virginian to create the English Country House style. Though Nancy Lancaster never considered herself a designer, she simply had the most innate sense of style. Notables were drawn to the lady's sensibility, her warmth and unselfconscious elan.

In reading through articles,revisiting books in working on several posts about Nancy Lancaster- I came across the reminiscences of her grandnieces Jane Churchill and Melissa Wyndham, both designers, who spent much time in her decorated rooms. "Everything was wonderful at Haseley Court. One Christmas there were many guests my sister and I slept in what was probably the worst bedroom, at the top of the house. Most people's worst bedrooms are bleak, but Aunt Nancy's was very, very pretty, with red-and -white-checked curtains and painted Regency furniture." Churchill said , "I can still smell her house today, recall the wonderful foods, things you didn't get anywhere else."

In her address book the elegant purveyors- Asprey, Smythson of Bond Street, Lobb, Fortnum & Mason, Floris and Ardens are noted as favourites. Her bookstore was G. Heywood Hill, 10 Curzon Street- still there- selling books. Another insight from Churchill."Nancy wouldn't buy a painting because it had a big name, more likely it was because the woman had a pretty dress- like her Elizabethan portraits with those great ruffs." Signatures of the Lancaster style- painted furniture,mixed woods, masses of flowers, luxe curtains, marbleized baseboards, needlework, period antiques & "Pairs- She loved pairs" (Trudi Ballard of Colefax and Fowler). Nancy Lancaster would add these essential ingredients for her interiors- "a wood fire, candlelight, and cut flowers."

What would Nancy see in today's stylish world of art, design, style & fashion that would strike her?

Follow along in the famed Lancaster English Country House style- Here is your list.

for the house

"A gentle mixture of furniture expresses life and continuity but it must be a judicious mixture that flows and mixes well. It is a bit like mixing a salade. (I am better at room than salads)."NL

for the desk

for the breakfast room

"I never think that sticking slavishly to one period is successful, a touch of nostalgia adds charm. One needs light and shade because if every piece is perfect the room becomes a museum and lifeless." NL

for the tea tray

for the card table

for every room

for scent

for the dog

"[I like] to preserve simplicity rather than over-polishing. Fashions are changeable. Taste is in realizing the essence of a place" NL

for the wardrobe

for reading

"I've always liked a formal layout and informal planting," she explained. "First get the structure right, like the bones in a face, then plant it like a crowded shoe. If you have a strong layout, you can let the plants seed themselves all over the place. Haphazard, unexpected... I like to be surprised by a garden."NL

for the garden

for wrapping it ALL

SOURCES
All ANTIQUES for IN THE HOUSE available at 1st Dibs, All leather goods for THE DESK available at Smythson and at Asprey, All antiques IN THE BREAKFAST ROOM available at Colefax and Fowler, china from Charlotte Moss & Pickard, "Nancy" pattern, for THE TEA TRAY, tea set from 1st dibs, tea,preserves from Fortnum and Mason, for THE CARD TABLE, Hermes cards from 1st dibs, for EVERY ROOM, Cire trudon, diptyque, Agraria Charlotte Moss(Virginia). for SCENT, Floris, for THE DOG- all items MUNGO & MAUD, except the wicker dog bed from Hound Hill Design, for the WARDROBE train case-Asprey, all clothes-net a porter, for READING, tomfolio.com, amazon.com, for THE GARDEN,roses from Heirloom Roses, for WRAPPING IT ALL, ELUM

for more reading: