Although we were headed nearer to Seville, we flew into Malaga because it meant my sister could get a direct flight home to NYC at the end of the trip. We didn’t have high expectations for Malaga (its pretty industrial at first glance), but we were landing at midnight and the next day would be my daughter Coco’s 11th birthday, so I figured we had to do something fun before we headed off on a three hour drive to Trasierra, our real destination...
As you know, I always have a style icon lurking in my head. Whether real or fictional, alive or dead, man or woman, having someone to inspire me always makes getting dressed more fun. Lately I’ve been obsessing over women with classic American style, particularly from the 70’s. The simplicity of casual sportswear with a bit of grooviness like oversized sunglasses, flared jeans or muted colors make American style look sexier than it has in other decades. My latest discovery in this vein is Ricky Lauren. I have seen some of these pictures before, but never have they spoken to me so clearly.
We made it to England all in one piece! The last 24 hours in New York were never-ending. You know that feeling when every bone in your body is telling you to stop what you are doing and lie down to get some sleep, and you aren’t even close to being finished? That’s how it was. We packed, made lists, copied keys, labeled the dog crate and cleaned out closets right until the very last minute. I think we got everything done...
I love seeing how iconic designer clothes integrate themselves into everyday life. I’m not talking about party pictures or photo shoots – I’m talking real life. How they get worn at home or on vacation, how they get mixed together with things you already own or adapted to work in your particular lifestyle. The below photo I took of my friend Lulu Anderson in the south of France in the late 90’s. She was fashion editor at the London Telegraph at the time and was so delighted to get her hands on this Tom Ford for Gucci dress from his famous hippie collection...
I can’t tell you how excited I am to go to Spain this summer. I’ve never been. We’re going to fly to Malaga and drive around Andalusia for the first three days, just finding a place to stay as we go. My husband and I have always done this, and we love it – we find that over-planning for trips just leads to disappointment when you realize that you can’t fit everything in. So at least for part of our holiday, we like to feel young and free by following our instincts and seeing where the day takes us. After roughing it a bit, we’ll reward ourselves with 4 days/nights at Trasierra, a charming twenty-room home/hotel run by English beauty Charlotte Scott. This place is so up my alley. It’s exceedingly stylish, but in the most laid back way. I am not a fancy hotel kind girl – I could care less if I have a flat screen TV (or any TV for that matter) in my room or if the bathroom appliances are state-of-the-art. But I do like style, and this place has it in spades. Equally inspiring have been my daydreams about what I am going to wear in Spain, and I have been planning for months. First I flipped through Caroline Milbank’s “Resort Fashion” for inspiration – she has an amazing eye. And in the last few weeks I’ve started to lay out relevant things on the bench in my closet – two Isabel Marant peasant dresses, Castañer for JCrew espadrilles, a vintage YSL ruffled peasant blouse, and my mini-collection of minimalist Eres one pieces, all in black. Now I just need the abs for all the crop tops I’m into, and I’ll be ready to go!
Ever since I cut my long hair to shoulder length, it’s been a total crapshoot as to how it dries naturally. The simple summer solution I’ve found is to wrap a headscarf around it while it’s drying – it keeps the roots nice and flat and amps up the waves at the bottom. So just this past weekend, I walked out of my bedroom with my Chanel camellia print scarf tied in a do-rag on my head, when my tweenage daughter with much disdain in her voice said, “Ugh Mom, if you’re going to wear that again at least let me make it look less nerdy.”..
Hi there. I’m back!
So, recently my family and I made the decision to spend a year on our farm in Oxfordshire, England. I am calling it my “creative sabbatical.” First on my agenda? To get my blog and up and running again. I also have ambitious writing plans for the next year, and you all will be the first to know about them as they unfold. In the meantime, here is a look at my future dwelling, all about which I will share when I arrive there at the end of June...
