je t'aime brian atwood shoes & saks fifth avenue

saks fith avenue presents brian atwood via {here}

hello my darlings!  am so happy to report that i have just returned home from the most lovely event for the brian atwood shoe collection lauch at saks.  so many amazing fashion bloggers were present {as they have been all of fashion week in nyc! amazing}.  have you heard of brian atwood?  he is possibly the most gorgeous designer with amazingly parfait shoes for both day & evening.  i was so thrilled to try on his chunky animal print heels this evening & am lusting over his pony hair boots & charming heeled booties in every color, merging classic & statement.  oohhh je t'aime brian atwood.  it was also lovely sipping cocktails & nibbling hors d'oeuvres with fellow bloggers, representatives from the line, &, of course, saks employees.  shoes + party + blogging = bliss. do please enjoy! {and buy here.}  xx hillary

b brian atwood video campaign via {here}

 p.s. items referred to above (& image) via {here}

fur, lace, leopard, redvalentio & fashion's night out

pumps via {here}, furs via {here}, lace print dress via {here}

at fashion's night out yesterday in nyc, it was clear: fall 2011 is all about leopard print, fur & lace.  and i am over the moon.  the three, particularly when the leopard print is combined with soft-as-satin calf-hair, represent luxury, glamour, romance & femininity.  at the saks party last night, i also discovered my ideal line: red valentino.  full of bows & frills, this new line gives a modern twist & gorgeous embellishments to classic pieces.  a few phrases from their blog seem to evoke my ideal personal style: 

"romanticism with a girly yet feminine twist ... bows and tailoring"

"playful mix of lace, ribbons & prints: basic meets romantic"

"fairy military: from military to fairy tales.  victorian inspirations for an unusual mix of fairy like shapes & military hues and details"

"pure and clean silhouettes mix together with romantic and funny printed bows for a swinging bold attitude."

". . . the fairy tale continues . . ."

red valentino images via {here}

the brand seems to be focused on fun pop-up stores, on the french riviera, for example, but is also always available at saks.  & although the prices are still steep, they are nothing like true valentino couture & with some serious spending discipline, are within a fashionista's reach.  

so lovelies, did you attend any fashion's night out festivities?  my nyc fno was possibly not as enjoyable as last year's london experience, which included a vast quantity of free drinks & hors d'oeuvres, the best of which were at burberry for certain, but this year i was most impressed by the sheer quantity of people who turned out for the event {the streets were swarming!}, tiffany's 60's/70's inspired disco, including live models visible through a small opening in the storefront windows, dripping in gold & also the michael kors rockefeller center party, where my roommate & i found so so many things that we liked, including an affordable fur muff, a great dj & flutes of dry champagne. mmm bliss.  

i successfully completed my very first work week, as i have fridays off, but for the rest of you, weekend is only hours away.  the sun is finally shining on the northeast & i hope that your friday is just perfect. what are you up to tonight? bon week-end. xx hillary.  

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vintage glam: behind the scenes kate spade fall

: behind the scenes with bryce dallas howard for the ksny fall 2011 campiagn :

video via {katespadenewyork youtube}

bonjour mes amies!  i was so thrilled when kate spade tweeted this behind-the-scenes video from their fall photo shoot. the star is bryce dallas howard, who plays villainous hilly holbrook in the help {you've seen, yes?}.  i've heard that she is just about the opposite of her character in real life, but she is stunning in the 50's/60's inspired clothing nonetheless.  perfect for kate spade this season.  goodness do i wish mad men was returning to the air this fall.  but here, i am in love with the vintage glamour and the fun vibe {dance if you wanna}.  are beehives really back?  only time will tell!  i hope that your day is off to a perfect start.  weekend is coming coming. xx hillary 

p.s. kate spade's mantra this season is "understated is overrated." no wonder why i'm so enamored.

autumn inspiration: russian ballet & j.crew

images via {j.crew blog}

combining my loves for j.crew & ballet & an exotic destination was simply not fair.  and this ballet is not avant-garde ballet russe, but classicist, perfection swan lake & romeo + juliet {swoon. now.} how am i possibly supposed to resist the urge to buy everything in the new j.crew catalog, which greeted me upon returning home {along with the new bon appetit, joy!} today was in boston, chatting & long lunch {bin 26 in beacon hill} & frozen yogurt & paper source for new marigold thank-you notes & a petite present {could this day get any better?} with friend & former co-worker & mastermind of halcyon style, so wrapped up in chatter that we failed to notice the east-coast earthquake.

but how striking & delicate these photos are.  for me, the ballet infuses j.crew's new season with elegance & grace & romance, and the st. petersburg location dons an old world exoticism that is simultaneously fresh & clean & open.  i do long to jet off to st. petersburg, for the winter palace & a glimpse into the world of fused european & eastern extravagance.  the photos also make me strangely excited to bring my turtleneck sweaters & leather boots & wool skirts & my perfect belted trench out of storage. perhaps i can translate this russian glamour & suffuse lighting to my very own autumn in new york.  any thoughts on j.crew fall?  xx hillary 

p.s. j.crew used real ballerinas from the st. petersburg ballet for studio models. lucky lucky.  

images via {j.crew blog}

p.p.s. merci beaucoup & enchantée to lots of new readers aujourd'hui!

links & little things

farm photos via {eat boutique} : banana ice cream via pinterest :
paris wife via {here} : cupcake via {this is glamorous} : kate spade via {here}

happy wednesday mes chéries!  today a few things to share:

• photos of my farm dinner unaccessible for now due to camera malfunction (trés triste), but another blogger who did a similar dinner justice.
• have you read the paris wife?: the story of ernest hemingway's first wife, a glorious second course to a moveable feast {what a classic.  read immédiatement!}
• kate spade fall: 50s inspired glamour à la mad men {my favorite show, by the way, yours too?}
• my next party will definitely.include.these: gilded cupcake toppers.  i feel as if the early nineteenth century aristocrats consuming my life at the moment {via dissertation} would approve. so chic.
• you.must.try easiest non-fat bliss: freeze peeled bananas, then whiz away in blender with some skim milk.  same texture as ice cream.  trés trés délicieux!  

do enjoy!  what a beautiful day.  now to take my reading outside.  have the most lovely afternoon.  xx hillary 

summer style: flowing neutrals

hello darlings!  is it just me {this very well could be the case} or can you not get away from silky dresses in neutral tones this summer?  my wardrobe seems to have been taken over by soft frocks, a hint of lace here, or ruffle there, which require only a belt and a bangle to achieve that easy-chic so synonymous with summer.  my tan and off-white dresses pair perfectly with the currently oh-so-fashionable nude shoes, in flat, wedge, or heels, and go from day-time casual to elegant evening simply with a change of jewelry, bag, and hair.  my suitcase for nyc this weekend will include at least six of these neutrals {not at all necessary, but they weigh but an ounce!}: camel with black dots and gathered waste, flowing camel with brown belt, palest pink with ruffled neckline and shoulders, a grecian-inspired number with bubble skirt in cream, off-white, draped, with lace shoulders, and this {above}, most recent purchased for only $58 at 344.  

beautifully detailed in swirling flowers, with thousands of little chiffon petals, the body hits just above the knee and cinches at the waist, matching sheer fabric creating an alluring but conservative top, gathered together in the reverse by a sweet bow.  add sky-high nude heels, a clutch in the same, long pearls, and a rose-gold bangle, contrasted by chestnut brown locks and bright red lipstick, and say hello to saturday night in new york. {others will be parfait for journey down, friday evening drinks, wandering the met, picnic in the park, and farewell brunch.}  although not farewell for long because i start in the city in just over a month!  but what if i were heading to the coast instead?  strappy sandals in gold, of course, and a basket-style bag in straw large enough to hold my sweater, prepared for the evening's cool beach breeze.  oh and swap the necklace for more dramatic earrings. 

more neutral beauties:

 wherever you're heading, a neutral frock will keep you cool & comfortable, with elegant composure, and a touch of romance this weekend.  {oh, and pair with a boyish blazer, and the look will last you long into september.} what are your weekend plans?  it is nearly here ...  for now, enjoying sun on my skin & perfect weather by the pool.  xx hillary

oh and one more {for good luck}

images via pinterest

color du jour: mint green

hello mes chéries!  just a quick post to let you in on my {mild} obsession with mint green.  for interiors, clothing, accessories, and everyday objects alike, mint green lends its combination of sweet and refreshing everywhere it lands {not unlike it's namesake ice cream, my favorite, mint chocolate chip}.  i think it whispers an air of not-too-sweet, sometimes sophisticated, sometimes vintage charm.  it lends romance to a lightweight, flowing gown, or makes sun-kissed skin pop in bolder looks.  i know lilac/lavender is popular this season, but at the moment i prefer refreshing mint to these soothing purple hues, and it shall be the color of my first mani/pedi back in the us {less than one week!}.  do you have a current color obsession?  or thoughts on mint green?  and how darling is the mint green footed tub? pour moi, bliss!

all images via pinterest

i hope that you have come to adore mint green, too!  and that you have the most lovely day.  only hours until le week-end.. xx hillary 

ethereal fashion: valentino haute couture fall 2011

images via {here}

if you regularly read fashion or design blogs, you have probably come across the behind-the-scenes photos from mr. valentino's fall 2011 haute couture show, published in V magazine, but i just could not resist.  the sheer, light-as-air pastel fabrics, crowns of blossoms, braided belts, hand-beaded gowns of perfection, the models transformed into to fairies or wood nymphs by his sublime creations, the designer conjuring a glimpse of an imaginary acadian world. 

i am very lucky to have been in mr. valentino's immediate proximity twice.  on the second occasion, i {running very late} dramatically stormed past him, without realizing this magician was in the building.  he absolutely {did not} notice.  and on both occasions he was looking oh so orange.  ohhh valentino.  

happy monday!  bienvenue to the clean slate of a new week.  more links to come later.  xx hillary 

enchanted cannes: tender is the night

after a dear friend informed me that she was soon to jetting off to cannes for a five day holiday in the sun, i could not get the glamour of the french riviera off my mind.  my first thought was of one of my very favorite novels, tender is the night, by f. scott fitzgerald.

the famous author's final completed novel, about a an attractive, wealthy couple and their friends, it epitomizes the mindset of the 'lost' generation: american ex-pats in europe during the inter-war years.  filled with parties of opulence and exoticism, and provocative, yet mysterious, tremendously complex characters, and beautifully evoked scenes of the mediterranean coast that are most like hemingway's, infidelity and drama of the idle rich, and an important mix of psychological calm and chaos, all narrated by fitztgerland's near-poetic prose at its height.   

"so green and cool that the leaves and petals were curled with tender damp."

"there was some element of loneliness involved- so easy to be loved- so hard to love."

but cannes is more than this literature: it is old hollywood and films of bardot and grace kelly and the most gorgeous people sipping bellinis on the beach and yachts in sailor-stripped or breezy whites under the most chic umbrella-ed terrace.  

all images via pinterest

happy weekend.  hope yours is filled with romance and rest and, perhaps, a delightful dose of fitzgerald.

xx hillary