The perfect bag for Glastonbury

I'm still a bit confused about the horrible news concerning Alexander McQueen, I'm just starting to realize what his death will mean to the fashion industry... But life goes on, doesn't it?
This is the subject I was going to post when I heard the news the other day. Kate cancelled all the presentations and publicity appointments of her range for Longchamp, which were due on thursday night. She was close friends with McQueen.
Anyway, Kate has still a reason to be happy: the great work she has done alongside the Longchamp team. The first time I saw these bags I thought they were some of the most amazing, chic, perfect bags I had ever seen. I love the way they are simple, kind of classic and practical yet they have the details that make the difference (the zebra lining and the foulards attached to them are simply genius). Plus they cost around 500 euros, which is far from the rent-like prices of many (not very chic and not very well crafted) it-bags. Miss Moss said she really liked the fact that some of the bags were perfect for a weekend away, and some of them were "the perfect bag for Glastonbury": comfortable, easy to wear, rock-style bags with undeniable flair. The range truly brings together the best of an old-school brand like Longchamp and a modern-day style icon like Kate. It makes me think of that other lovely range Sofia Coppola designed for Louis Vuitton. It had the same understated chic I adore.
A good bag is probably one of the best investments you can make. One of the favourite items in my dressing room is a black leather bag with a black crêpe silk lining and metallic handles my grandmother bought in Milan in the 70's. The leather has the most amazing quality and the bag has a classic shape yet there is a punk spirit to it. I wouldn't change it for anything! So, if you are looking for the perfect bag, the one that will look uber chic now as well as in 50 years, you won't find any better than Kate Moss for Longchamp.

♥ Alexander McQueen

Fashion will change. As will trends, young designers, fashion shows and the sense of drama. The consequences of Alexander McQueen's tragic death in the industry will be bigger than we expect. But right now, I can only feel sad for the people around him, who have lost a friend.
I was lucky enough to be a guest to his last show. After it was over, my friend Vanni turned to me and said "what can he do next, now that he has reached perfection?" It all sounds very ironic now.
I can only hope an industry that constantly moves fast forward will really remember his work, his efforts and his sacrifices. Personally, I am grateful to him for having brought sensitivity and vulnerability to an often implacable and dictatorial world.
Thank you Alexander McQueen.

Award!

This morning I woke up to discover the lovely Dyan from Whimsy Being had offered me an award (these awards have been all around the blogosphere during the last few days). So now it's my turn to share 7 things about myself, posting a song and several things that make me happy and tagging 7 other bloggers. So here we go:

1. Before going into fashion, I was thinking of doing a PhD in philosophy. I still sometimes wonder why I didn't do it.

2. I have been absolutely faithful to my perfume Stella by Stella McCartney ever since it came out. That was almost 10 years ago.
3. Kids used to laugh at me at school. That was definitely not cool.
4. I eat tomatoes every single day.
5. My favourite book ever is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
6. I dislike clowns.
7. I once bought a trilby hat with Pete Doherty in London. Long story.

I'm completely fascinated by Tom Waits. He is my favourite musician and my hero. Here's "Hold On", a song by him.

These things make me happy:
Drinking Coca-Cola and eating seafood at the beach back home in Spain.

Classic Hollywood films.

Waking up in the morning, going to the bakery to buy croissants and flowers and sharing them with my boyfriend.

Sleeping.

Reuniting with my 9 girl cousins. I never laugh with anyone like I do when I'm with them.

Sharing clementines with my dog.

And, finally, here are some of the blogs I love and I would like to award!

1. A Daisy Chain Dream
2. Fleur de Lys
3. My Wonderland
4. Prettyneons
5. Tahti Syrjala
6. The Swelle Life
7. Cheap Thrills

Peek-a-boo

I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day. I think it's most of all a big party for department stores (they probably make an obscene amount of money selling diamond rings and heart-shaped chocolate boxes and horrid pink king-size teddy bears) and it's just so cliched (Meeting the boy, having champagne and eating what is known as "romantic dinner", which consists of candlelit lobster or oysters or any other "aphrodisiac" kind of food). I think when you're in a relatioship every day should be a celebration. And if you're single you should celebrate the good side of it just as well (and there are many good things about being single).
Anyway, I can see everyone around me is warming up right now, so I figured I could post some Jeanloup Sieff pictures and let him give us a priceless lesson on sexyness. I think Sieff's work is one of the sexiest around (if not the sexiest). He is in the antipodes of Terry Richardson. He suggests but he doesn't show. I love his slow rythm and the way something is about to happen in his pictures but you don't quite exactly know what. I also love his fascination with women's backs, bottoms and legs... They all look uber perfect!
This is great inspiration for Valentine's Day, isn't it? So if you have planned a hot date, forget about Glamour Magazine "romantic" menus and chocolate boxes. Instead think chiaroscuro and self-assurance. 100% guaranteed to work.

Sunday Girl

I've had Blondie on my mind today...
I wanna be at CBGB with Joey Ramone, Johnny Thunders and Debbie Harry. There never was, is or will be someone like her!
Did you have a nice weekend?

Treasure Island

I'm not the "diamonds are a girl's best friend" type. I generally think dogs make better friends than inanimated objects... But I can't help getting greedy like Blackbeard would have when exposed to jewellery like this. "Le coffret de Victoire" is one of Victoire de Castellane's latest fantasies for Dior Joaillerie, inspired by pirates and sea life. And, like the sea, it's messy, mysterious and fascinating.
I have been a longtime fan of Mme de Castellane. The first time I saw one of her Diorette rings, a whole new world opened up for me: Could it really be possible to create colours and shapes like those with metal and stones? Could really haute joaillerie be fun? As a matter of fact, I still think the same with every single new Dior Joaillerie collection.

I've totally fallen in love with "le Coffret de Victoire" (after all, I come from the seaside, and years ago, before I decided to live "superexciting fashion adventures", my life ambition was to become as wicked a pirate as could be), but the truth is each one of the jewels designed by de Castellane is a little treasure. I love her naïveté, and the way her excessive designs and luscious materials are in the verge of trashy design but manage to always stay incredibly elegant...Victoire de Castellane is a girl's best friend!

P.S: I am currently looking for talented writers for 160grams magazine. I need skilled, original people who can write in perfect English. It will be a fun and fascinating adventure (not like being a pirate, but still fun), so if you are interested please feel free to contact me on my e-mail (marta.represa@yahoo.es).

I must paint you! I simply must! You are representative of an entire epoch!

I am in love with Otto Dix's portrait of journalist and poet Sylvia Von Harden. So obscure. So ambiguous. So 20's. So German. I can almost hear Marlene Dietrich singing Kurt Weil's cabaret music, and Bertolt Brecht telling tales...

Rendez-vous Galant

When I was 19, I came to Paris for my Erasmus year. You know how Erasmus is: you find yourself with lots of spare time, hardly any classes in your schedule and even less classes worth going to. So I decided to do something useful with my time, and, since I was in the capital of haute couture, why not try fashion. Lovely Lydia Kamitsis said she thought I would like to do an internship for a young but very promising Italian designer: Maurizio Galante. I ended up doing 7 months of internship for him. But something else happened. I ended up working in fashion because of him.

Maurizio was my first real contact with fashion. I had heard people in fashion were cruel, superficial and self-absorbed, and I found out Maurizio was sensitive, cultivated, gentle and, above all, gifted. You just have to see his work to realise that: there is such a delicate concept of femininity, almost fragile, but so strong and unique. Layers of beautiful organzas and duchess satins shape up in a sort of futuristic fairytale, a beautiful and poetic hommage to women.

When, in August of that year, I left Paris, I thought if there were people like that in fashion it was worth working in that industry. And here I am, several years later.

And now Maurizio is one of the very few members of the Haute Couture board. Right next to Chanel, Dior and Gaultier. He owes that only to his talent and his hard work. And during the last couture week, which revealed big weaknesses in many designers, he presented the most beautiful of shows (in which opera singer June Anderson changed clothes as she sang live), different, elegant, fun, unpretentious and fantastic. Pure Maurizio Galante.

A good girl came from outer space

Two good news today: I just finished 12 days of exhausting (but very fun and interesting) work at Yves Saint Laurent, which means from tonight on I will be able to sleep and actually have some time for myself. Also, the new issue of 160grams is out today! I'm senior editor of the magazine, so I'm really proud of it, and of Eric Sposito, its wonderful editor-in-chief! All these pictures are from the February issue (the Bionic Issue). On the website, you can also see my choice of futuristic icons and the cultural agenda for this month, also written by me. Tell me what you think about it!

And now, for the first time in two weeks, I'm really going to relax. Have a lovely evening darlings!