Elsie x 2

.

Sir Charles Mendl and  ELSIE

  take a look at this cosmic decorating time warp.

I do!

 the pair assembled at the British Embassy in Paris

to say their vows of undying? love?
(note the beloved Blu Blu attends the ceremony)

Passing the Elsie test

 ah! the gifts- one can only imagine the loot Elsie collected-

& banished if it did not meet her de Wolfe aesthetic.

"I believe in plenty of optimism and white paint." EdW
 (some things One can not paint over.)

Blu-Blu

the couple selecting rings

(note Blu Blu's french high chair)

Holland Taylor recreates the one and only Elsie de Wolfe, and of course,that is, indeed- Mario Buatta posing as Sir Charles Mendl. Elsie was the blushing bride at age 57! or more. (Yes there's HOPE.)  The groom was 55, Elsie purported to be a young 57, (at least) according to sources.

Love Match

After All

Elsie with Blu Blu

(and Mendl propping up the fireplace)

"He looks so wonderful against the fireplace." EdW

Holland Taylor studied de Wolfe as all good actresses would and came up with these observations: 'Elsie de Wolfe hated her Looks, so her face is quite guarded.'

Keeping it loose

"In my struggle to lift myself out of the rut of ugliness and mediocrity, 

I did everything I could to keep fit."

(this mantra- at age 10, little Elsie swore off candy for life)

Taylor again- "And it's obvious that Elsie really didn't like her hands either. When she wasn't wearing little white gloves, she curled them into the oddest shapes, which only made them look like claws."

always with something up Her sleeve

like little ways to make money

 "Entertaining for Elsie was both an art and a business-" Elsa Maxwell

Mainbocher would give Elsie a tidy dividend for mentioning that-

SHE was wearing Him. 

She also decorated the Chicago born couturier's Paris salon.

~

always concerned with keeping up with clients (the Fricks)

Elsie could make deals with a restaurants-

hotels, antique dealers- reaping services for those rendered.

Photographs from the NYTimes Style and Entertaining Magazine* story conceived by Brigitte Lamcombe, photographer, Barbara Turk, stylist and Mitchell Owens writer- AT LONG LAST LOVE here .*
a MUST READ.

resting on her laurels

 

according to The Power of Style authors, Tapert and Elkins,

Elsie devised the cushiony upholstered bed rest with arms-

(casually known as a husband- I doubt if Elsie came up with that one!)

The Mendl's left Paris, fleeing to the States (Beverly Hills) to sit out World War II. Elsie created a fantasy stage set of a house called After All. She admitted to its impermanence, its temporary chic, knowing Villa Trianon, her dazzling Versailles creation was waiting. She returned and restored the Villa's damages sustained during the War.

Finally giving up her vital lifestyle- for repose, Elsie embarked on her final performance. Cecil Beaton said of Elsie, who held court in bed propped up- wearing evening jackets, organdy, white gloves and diamond bracelets-

  " Elsie is certainly prettier- prettier than she has ever been before.

(at long last-After All)

SOURCES:
Spring 2001 issue New York Times Magazine Style and Entertaining
The Power of Style- Annette Tapert and Diana Edkins.

*NOTE: I have not seen these images or story out and about on the internet, if USED-please give the creators proper credit-
.

planning The Country House

.
the color- feu de bois


must have turning stair- window optional.




Though the color palette is not right for me- the inspiration is all right here-see the slide show from the New York Times "Farmhouse Palette." It is one of the most creative new interiors I've seen in some time. I am sold.

My favorite- the old ledger paper on the walls in the Bedroom. I am collecting as of this moment.


From a tony upcoming auction at Christie's I found these - a pair of Louis XV Style Grey-Painted Canapes. The blue & white stripe ticking slip covers caught my eye. I have a sofa and a chair covered in mohair that will look perfect done up like this.




& Wing Armchairs in the same. I have about a half dozen of this type thing on hand, around about. They are so comfortable. Really.


as they occur-more plans to come

.

where Magazines go to die

.

"A magazine is like a best friend.
One always keeps Learning from them &
One Loves them more with Age."

I am a magazine hoarder. It is something I admit with a certain sort of Pride-though when dusting across the bookshelves-I say that in hushed tones. It's hard to toss them, always has been.

What would I do without them?
I never thought I'd have to really answer that question. I will never go without, as my stash goes back more years than I will admit. I honestly find many back issues more inspiring than the current issues I see staring back at me on a bench in my sitting room. Why?

What will the landscape of the magazine be in say-ten years, twenty, thirty?
The future looks bleak...

from my prized possession of all the now defunct NEST magazine issues
One of THE Absolute BEST EVER Magazines of its kind
(it was too good for this cruel world)

NEST issues Archives

Magazines are emotional. No one NEEDS a magazine, (No, You really don't), but there is something about the beautifully laid out articles, the gloss, the text and the photography that a blog page can not do." As one veteran editor once explained to me, the best magazines make you feel like tearing open the plastic wrap the second that they arrive in your mailbox and curling up on the couch with them, ignoring whatever plans you had for the evening." (quote from Gabriel Sherman's article The Magazine Isn't Dying) This couldn't be more true- however less and less do I find a magazine that lures me in this way. Why?



What does the our style and design blogging community bring to the table?
Can it fill the gaps that the loss of magazines such as HOUSE & GARDEN, DOMINO, SOUTHERN ACCENTS ? These my dears represent only a tiny bite from the apple. I miss them- but there are so many more defunct reads-check out the site- Magazine Death Pool- sadly, but aptly named, chronicling the magazines demise. It is Truly astounding.



Domino- for me was the substitute magazine sent to fulfill my subscription when HG passed on to the Conde Nast scrap heap.I was angry with Domino for inserting itself into my post box- when I didn't ask for it I was missed my House and Garden. It was like losing a dear old companion-cat and immediately dropping a crazy little kitten at my door. It was darling,but I just wasn't ready. Out of Magazine LOVE, I grew quite fond of Domino though- and then what happens? Domino- does just that- it folds.

So what is next for design Magazines & Blogs ?
With still standing favorites, Elle Decor, World of Interiors- I find myself heading to the middle or back of the issue to read the content. I will admit- I always "read" them that way. Later I will go through the entire magazine and read regular features and columns, quickly skipping over the ADs- and therein lies the conundrum. Advertisers drive the magazine-It's why we continue to get these rare birds in the post.The magazine world has been glutted for a few years now with offspring- Vogue> Teen Vogue> Men's Vogue> Vogue Living. (Personally I think Vogue had something with Vogue Living but-). Booming economy & business, More advertising. Economic decline-advertisers pull ADs from magazines that do not have viable subscriber numbers. According to a number of online sources- This is the key to a particular magazine's demise.



What I love seeing- is an unstyled, lived in home. I love reading interviews with actual quotes from designers. I recently remember a blog post about designer ELIZABETH MARTIN from Lana Burroughs at Topsy Turvy. The post was an interview elaborating on the Elle Decor cover story about Ali Wentworth's home. The house was also featured in The Washington Post too. For me, the story came to life with the designer's interview from Lana Burroughs. The Elle Decor and the Post story emphasized the owner- front and center as decorator, the Topsy Turvy story focused on the designer. Why the print stories focus attention on much of the work as Wentworth's - I do not kn0w, But that is certainly another story? This example for the most part is a beautiful blending of three sources about one home. The photographs from the Post and Elle did not overlap- the content was unique in them all. (I've linked these three stories in this text).
If magazine articles are what drive a blog's content- extending the story should be a prerequisite when deciding to post magazine photographs lifted from its pages. Light content loaded with images does little to elevate an original story taken from any magazine. I ALSO enjoy the NYSD posts about Designers- it is an interview format with unstyled photographs. The NYTimes- T MAGAZINE is one top notch publication in every way. The most some of the most original content, perspective and photography anywhere. The MOMENT blog dovetails with it seamlessly.


What next? Interestingly enough- as I thought about this post and sought comments from respected friends- few responded. Maybe it is the unanswerable question. It is new territory for everyone.
One of my friends in the business did say this:

"Quite honestly I enjoy blogging (reading them) as much actual magazines, however, I can't imagine blogs replacing magazines entirely. I find that blogs are easier to get through in short amounts of time and you get a much broader array of opinions/outlooks. The one thing that I do especially enjoy is being able to rip out magazine pages to add to my ever growing files." Alex

I agree Alex. I do find magazines exciting, let's face it -It is THE original. Certainly every blogger aspires to write for one of the magazine's left on the stands today- Don't they?

..in a SWIDE interview Blogger Liberty London Girl gave her take on Print v. Web

"Although I get most of my news online, & think most front of book pages have been made pretty much redundant by the web, I still prefer to look at fashion editorial in print. There’s something about the smell & the tactile quality of paper, the saturation of the colour and the size of the pages. I do think we will see dramatic changes in the print world in the next five years as advertising revenues decline and audiences become more sophisticated."

SO the Question to pose is- "As the pool of magazines gets smaller and smaller, it will inevitably mean the interiors available to cover will become more competitively sought after. How many people who read style blogs would be willing to read about a full house online rather than in the pages of a magazine?"

Will the future of your favourite be ONLINE- ? or on your shelves labeled "Magazine Death Pool?"
What do you think?

Read More at the following sites:
Ad Age
Mr Magazine "New Launches"
Blog List from the MOMENT NYTIMES

 .

...and the winner is

MY OSCAR PICKS

Best Actor- Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler

from the NY Times Magazine- photograph by Paolo Pellegrin

Peta ad

a young Rourke

Rourke and Andie McDowell- Vanity Fair cover

What you might not know about Mickey Rourke? "Sometimes, when a man is alone, that's all you got is your dog. And they've meant the world to me," Rourke's dog, Loki (in photograph above) just died February 19th.

Best Actress- Kate Winslet in The Reader

From NY Times Magazine's Great Performers- stunning photographs by Paolo Pellegrin

Winslet in the movie "Hideous Kinky"

Photographs by Steven Meisel

Winslet in 1996 photographed by Vince Bucci

Kate Winslet at the Golden Globes 2009

What you might not know? Winslet has been rumored to be playing Vivienne Westwood in a biopic about the fashion designer's life. We'll have to wait and see.

Kate wearing a dress designed by Westwood at the 2008 BAFTA's