Voyage...

Beautiful Photographys by Geoff Barrenger, you can see the serie here...

Inspiration...

"Love me in a cloud dress"

Detail from a back, Between Heaven & Earth

" An evening at l'Opéra Garnier"

"Touches of color"

"Mille-Feuilles"

all pictures from my "Between Heaven & Earth" collection

Inspiration is a complicated thing... Especially when you can't afford your Imagination...

That's why I always work on my collection one or two month before the deadline otherwise I would get too depressed knowing that I would want to take my ideas further then the limitations of my sewing skills and what I can afford to buy in material... this is frustrating, people think that fashion designers are always in a creative mood and that life is a walk on roses, it's not, I have so many ideas and so litle time to work on things add to that my limitations in sewing and draping plus my poor economy and you have what I call " La mort de l'inspiration" the death of inspiration...

For all of you BAD designers out there with time, money and a staff you should be ashamed of what you're doing to the lovely fabrics you can afford and the priceless workmanship your money can allow you to abuse of...

For my Between Heaven and Earth collection I maneged to keep the inspiration alive even though the deadline and the economy was eating me up alive... After Christmas I am supposed to create a new collection for my pressagent... I hope I'll be able to afford it and that I can finish it on time...

I am sick and tiered of working under those sircumstanses, creating is supposed to be fun... But I would rather die then give upp cause far to many untalented designers are abusing of the catwalk and it would be ashame to let them rule in peace...

I'm bringing poetry back.... count on that...

Tonight I'm an angry designer, but for my next collection I'll be a proud one...

Drawing...

I am looking for new inspiration for my uppcoming collection... I just realised that I love drawing but I hardly ever draw, why is it so that we never take time to do the things we like to do??? Carpe Diem...

I Want To See

I just saw " Je veux voir " a road movie with Catherine Deneuve and a Lebanese actor Rabih Mroué, I don't know if I like or disslike the movie, I feel that the two directors ( Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige ) were lost somewhere between Intelectual beauty and the lack of opinion... as a director one should always give a personal point of view on things, only in this movie there is no point of view... Again, it is maybe intresting to leave it to that, to just leave it to " I want to see"  but I doubt it....

I loved the passage where actually neither Cathrine or Rabih were acting, where you only see the rests of the houses beeing burried in the ocean... and Rabihs voice in lebanese saying, we don't recognize the bedroom from the living room anymore... It's like they want uss to forget this city...

I liked the artistic "flou" of the image, but I just wish it could be less flou from time to time to leave place for a more perfect view on "reality"

I also loved the passage where Rabih is looking for his grandmothers house under the ruins and Catherine is following him around, uncomfertable, not knowing how to reacte, and Rabih with a strange look on his face, a look that every Lebanese has had one day facing the reality of violence on our memories and lifes...

I didn't like the music at all, what a shame.... it could have been much more intresting with a better choise of sound... especially when I know for a fact that we have great musicians in Lebanon....

I don't know, there are things I liked, things I dissliked... but that is typical Lebanese isn't it, the eternal contradictions... I was wondering where are all the people in Lebanon??? why can't we see them, are they less important then the two actors in the center of this documentary / movie, this "meeting"??? Lebanon without Lebanese is just a ruin, the Lebanese is the heart, the essence the existence of this place, without their courage and their love for this land there could be no more hope, no more reconstruction no more life....

Why aren't the actors moved??? why doesn't a story begin??? Lebanon is a place where feelings are multiplied by thousand, and here in this movie it was plain...

In the same time I'm thinking, it is good to show the ruines burried in the sea, it is good to see a star like Catherine Deneuve with that last look in her eyes in the end of the movie, searching for rabih and finding him... she gives a clein d'oeil of hope of understanding, she tells us that she went and saw.... and that is the most important thing... she won't forget.
Maybe this movie is a good movie after all and it is only my Lebanese heart feeling empty and angry wondering now what??? NOW WHAT??? Reconstruction again and again and again.... 

I leave you to djudge, go and see it please, our opinion is not important, but it is important so see... The title of the movie couldn't be better, "I want to see" every one should want to see... maybe you others, non Lebanese can be more positiv then me, maybe you can see hope where I am hopeless, maybe you can see heroes where I see fatigue... maybe there is still hope for the peace of heaven called "Lebanon" one thing is for sure, no one is allowed to look away or to forget...

The Duchess

Usually, I am not a big fan of Kiera Knightly, but I couldn't resist this movie I had to see it cause I knew I would be satisfied with at least the costumes and the déco... I was not dissapointed, "en plus" it's not a bad movie, the story is not original but I enjoyed every minut of it, Giorgiana The Duchess ( Kiera ) was just an amazing woman, in the trailer they compared her to Lady D, but that is another story... The Duc of Devonshire ( Ralph Fiennes ) was so good in beeing a bad husband that I parted from the big screan liking him more... 

My romantic side left the movie with a sad heart, knowing that women all over the world rich or poor are still some of them facing the desteny of The Duchess...

If you love "les costumes de l'époque" and you are a passionate romantic  you have to see this movie...

Old Scent...

Bijou de Parfum....

Taking inspiration from ancient portable pomanders, Les Néréides has imagined this ajouré locket that is like a cage holding a terracotta marble that one can scent with the perfume that comes with it... One can never stop loving the old things... 

Poetry...

irregular flow from 4khz on Vimeo.

You don't need words...

Purpule Rain

Can't love these colors enough, powerful and poetic...

Using them in layers is just as intresting as using them all alone... 

I want a purpule dress for Christmas ...

The Exchange for a change...

Finally a good movie, I don't know how to describe this new Clint Eastwood as close to perfection as possible movie... exept by saying that it was great for a change...

The Exchange...

From the first minute we feel something is going to go completly wrong and that it's gonna be hopelessly tragic and sad... And usually those are the ingrediences that I love, when I also know that it's gonna be orcestrated by THE Master... 

Angelina Jolie was just perfect in this role, not only was she "très jolie" in her 20th look ( great simple 20th looks for the fashion addicts ) but she was Christine Collins and she wanted uss to find her son, we didn't doubt that a single second in this movie.

This Great movie leaves us with a big question mark and we can't help wondering are those who protect uss really protecting uss? and is the law always doing what's fair? at the same time this human feeling of hope of fear of what might come, of what human beeings are capable of, the good ones and the bad ones in extreme situations... this mother strong, fragile, soft and sharp, fighting against all odds to find the only person she loves, her son, also brings upp another issue in this movie, how often women are "victims" of mens egos...

This movie is a must MUST SEE..... Go now you won't be dissapointed....

Clint Eastwood ROCKS...

Angelina Jolie is a godess...

This morning I found this beautiful picture in my computer, it is a picture that my husband found on internet... I don't know where, but I think it is perfect, and "oui BB t'as raison...", when I looked at it I couldn't help adding it to my blogg... so Tu gagnes :)

Love don't always end with a ring, and when it does it doesn't always end like a poem, but if it ever ends with a ring and a poem one can, and should feel extremly thankful, so am I, THANKFULL, and I am glad that it's not the END....

Words are sometimes not enough, a picture is sometimes more then enough...

Couleur Fétiche...

Spring 09

Resort 09

Spring 08

fall 07

J'adore Lanvin, anyone who understands anything about fashion must agree, IT ROCKS.... 

Lanvin is great, Alber Elbaz is genious, people who work with him are not afraid of braking the

habit of following trends...

They create their own trend, the Lanvin Trend...

I love those easy going dresses that any women can pull off, the details are always "très raffinés" never too much, the allure is "décontractée" and the colors if it's not black it's always warm and sexy, this beautiful pink is deffinitly my favorit and the house keep bringing it upp never quiet the same but always equally appreciated... my personal favorits are the look spring 09 and fall 07... Lanvin likes "La Vie En Rose" and so do I... That's why Lanvin will always be my personal "Couleur Fétiche"

Beautiful Rain, Beautiful Hope...

CRISIS IN BURMA from Scott Denton on Vimeo.

I found this video on vimeo, it's by Scott Denton, it has a beautiful message... Unfortunatly for as long as there is hatred in our world we will need this kind of positive reminder, and in our days we really need it, just watch it, Enjoy it, but most important understand it...

Why does it always rain the week-end???

Not purpule rain but Pink Rain...

Ok, I know it's not always true, but when it's raining on a saturday I just feel that the God of weather is angry with me and it's unfair cause I don't know the guy and i don't understand how I could annoy him...

Maybe today it's raining cause yesterday I spent the entire evening listening to Duffys new single, but even though I did I still think it's unfair...

Anyway, I was looking for rain pictures to illustrate my pain and I couldn't find anything "beautifully ugly" instade I found this amazing shot, and all of the sudden it doesen't matter if it's raining outside, actually I'm happy, what is more romantic then a "balade dans Paris" with my love on a day like this... so we're going out, I hope it'll keep raining at least for a while till we had our shower and got dressed to go out and enjoy it...

So I guess if it rains the week-end it's because I'm in a romantic mood..

Always see half the cup full...

Duffys Rain..

Ultra Sexy Duffy, finally her new single is on youtube, Rain On Your Parade.... 

The single is true to her style, her voice is absolutly perfect, I love it, so retro... the clip is very original and simple, she's wearing only a suit jacket witch makes her even more sexy then she already is... a touch of 007 style I would say, but that's just me, with male dancers all around her... it's in color but the only colors we actually see exept the black and white of the dancers suits and the black and white ambience is Duffys blue eyes and beautiful red lips, and I think it's enough isn't it??? I love the light effect that gives it a grafic feeling and leaves all the attention to Duffy...

Love it, can't wait till the album comes out....

A great Illustrater....

Angeline Mélin is a great fashion illustrater, she's young talented and extremly motivated, I like her style and her sense of humor, these drawings she made for my exhibition in Stockholm in august 2008, they added a fresh and fun feeling to the exhibition, thank you Angéline....

she is for me Parisian coquetterie and if you like her drawings too you should check her site ....

Miss Tina.....

Tina on the set...

Paris and a Girl...

Mon Ballon et Moi

Tina Tarpinian is a beautiful girl inside out, we met on a job mission in the horrible world of fashion, and in the midle of this crazy place usually called a Parisian Fashion House ( I like to call it "Hell" ) I met this incredible Girly Lady, we became friends, she helped me to make a short movie for my last collection Between Heaven & Earth and today we're more then friends, the camera loves her face and even though she's neither an actress or a model she pulled it off with grace... Go Tina... you can see her in action on my website, enjoy...

Paris will always be PARIS

View of "The Tower" Concorde

I love this city, even when I'm locked up in my appartement and doing nothing I like the feeling of belonging to this magical city, "Ville Lumière" I love you...

Jeff Koons & Versailles

Last weekend I went to Versailles all exhited and happy, I love Versailles and the gardens, it's like entering an old picture that transforms you to that time and place, everything is so extravagant and rich, I love it, maybe more for the small details then anything else... I mean after a while you just get dizzy with all the gold and the paintings.... so I often find myself looking at a litle ball of crystall in a huge chandelier then on the actuall chandelier... You get it, Versailles for me is about the details...

I honestly didn't know anything about Jeff Koons exept a beautiful add about this particular exhibition I only knew his high chromisum stainless steel Ballon Dog from his Celebration Artwork and I liked it so I thaught it's gonna be a great visit, full of even more details...

I am sad to admit that I didn't enjoy it that much, I mean Versaille is always a pleasure to experience but honestly exept all his "ballon" work wich is breath taking and so beautiful cause the stainless steel surface reflects the enviroment surrounding it in such a beautiful and poetic way...The rest was pretty boring and ugly actually...

His Chainlink from his Popeye artwork was just hideous in that beautiful rich room, when I later read that the project focuses on the close relationship between each work and the space surrounding it I honestly wanted to kill myself cause it's so full of bull... the real tourists were completly lost.... and me, I didn't know what to think...

It's not the artwork in itself that I didn't like but lets just say that some pieces didn't belong to those royal surroundings... I think "Le Roi Soleil" will agree with me...

Meanwhile you can always check it out and get your own point of view, I'm sure that Jeff Koons liked to chock oldfashioned romantics as myself, but I'm not so sure if Versailles will ever have a contemporary artist exhibiting under it's roof again... and that is a shame cause if we like it or not is not the point...

First Thaught...

My Private Garden Collection Photo Erik Lernestål

I'm wondering....

why did I decide to become a fashion designer???

No one in my family has ever had anything to do with art, no one even plays a musical instrument...

I am born in Lebanon during the civil war, I grew up in a catholique school, I was the only girl playing with boys in my building, I had more toy cars then any other boy in the neighbourhood, I made them play "theatre" and " beit biout" ( mum, dad, children, house ) I was alway the beautiful wife :) I loved poetry and my teacher at school told my parents once that I'm gonna become a great journalist or a famous poet one day ...I was ten.... but then one day a bomb explosed just were I was sitting on the balcony a second ago, my father decieded we should leave Lebanon, and before I knew it I had to say BYE to my friends, my father, I cryied my eyes out and I found myself in a strange cold country were everyone was blond and no one spoke Lebanese...

Years later I left Stockholm, I hit it for Paris, I discovered beauty, art, Place des Tertres and Saint Germain ... I realized I could never become a good painter or artist of any art form, not when you realize at 21 that you don't want to become a journalist nor a lawyer, Lebanese ussually want their children to study some serious stuff, drawing, painting, playing music is not a priorety when it's raining bombs....and I decieded to try fashion for a while, after all I loved it... well I guess my teacher in Lebanon was right, I became a journalist and a poet somehow, fashion is about expressing yourself, telling a story, a memory, expressing your "air du temps"only here you use no words, your hands shape a volume, your heart decides a coulor and your eyes guides you all the way to your dream.

I love it, it's hard but it's a piece of my heart and I can't see myself doing anything else then what my teacher suggested...

To my teacher at Notre Dame in Lebanon... Thank you, I miss you, I miss Lebanon...