Mary Katrantzou floral prints or how to welcome the (still misbehaving) summer

Mary Katrantzou on sale in Bon Marché Rive Gauche 

IM + H&M Collaboration

The announcement this month of Isabel Marant collaboration with the swedish retail giant H&M has been an important piece of news for a long-time Marant lover like me. Her creations have been part of my daily life for many years and I have to admit that the vertiginous international success of the brand provokes contradictory feelings in me. Well, I am obviously happy to see how she has succeeded in a less than a decade to develop the brand and make her insouciant style become a staple of parisian boho chic. But the resultant loss of the brand's exclusivity makes me regret the good old times when we were few and feeling almost privileged to own Isabel's creations.

Coming back to her collection for H&M, the funny thing is that a few months ago (last November, to be precise, while shopping for Margiela capsule collection) I started fantasizing about Marant signature pieces that she would release if it came to such a collaboration and how that would eventually influence the brand's image and so on. Premonition probably :)

And while waiting for images of the items that will be part of this collection, I am taking out   some of her iconic pieces that have only become more desirable and cherished with years. An embellished jacket, a dyed fur vest, a lurex mini skirt, a pair of wedge sneakers.. Easy and effortlessly chic, that is what Marant style is all about!

Isabel Marant embellished Flana jacket, Rag & Bone Jeans, Isabel Marant Grant linen t shirt,  Gianvito Rossi pumps, Alexander Wang Brenda bag

     Isabel Marant raccoon vest, Iro t shirt, Faith Connexion jeans, Isabel Marant pony sneakers Fall 2013

Isabel Marant Hanoi Blazer, Isabel Marant Gigi top, Isabel Marant lurex skirt, Isabel Marant Cluster boots, Isabel Marant necklace scarf, Alexander Wang Brenda bag
Photos by Ernesto Engadin

A stroll in the Palais Royal gardens # 2

Tara Jarmon Coat, Isabel Marant Dayton Top or here, Current/Elliott Jeans Legging or here, Isabel Marant Baltimore Sneakers, Celine Luggage Bag, Bulgari Sunglasses, H Stern Earrings

Photos by Ernesto Engadin

Resort 2014 Coups de foudre

 

 Cheerleader leather skirt by Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang, an unusual presence of pink

Balenciaga, timelessly elegant

 Carven's ladylike silhouette paired with flats 

Matthew Williamson's revisited boho chic

Trousers, which have become Claire Waight Keller's signature, are the centre of the Chloé resort collection

Photos from style.com

Oh les beaux jours!

The spring has not been particularly clement this year, far from that, and I wonder if it is not the general lack in vitamin D that transforms any stroll in (rarely) sunny Paris into a magnificent experience, more enjoyable than ever. At least these were my last weekend impressions in Palais Royal and its gardens. Love this magic and quiet place right in the heart of the city. Boutiques under the arcades have some kind of confidential aura around them and among designer stores you can find Rick Owens, Stella McCartney and Serge Lutens here. 

Another reason I am fascinated by this area at the moment is that I have been reading (discovering or rediscovering) Colette's novels for a couple of months now and Palais Royal is the "village in the city" where she spent around 20 years of her life. Apart from being a bulldog lover (which obviously transforms her into a particularly sympathetic figure!), Colette was a talented writer and music-hall performer. Her novels, sometimes autobiographical, are a perfect reflection of the tumultuous life she had left. Although often focused on solitude and futility of love, they create an enchanting and somewhat elegant atmosphere of Paris during la belle époque and that leaves us eager for more. Luckily, she was a pretty fecund author and there are still some hundreds of pages to explore. 

Isabel Marant Bertille Skirt or here, Vanessa Bruno blouse, Charlotte Olympia Melody wedges or similar here, Gerard Darel Syracuse Bag, Isabel Marant Okura necklace

Photos by Ernesto Engadin

In the mood for studs

In the beginning of the summer collection I said to myself that I would pass on Elvis inspired accessories and shoes by Isabel Marant. Too studded, too statement.. And then something happened and the reasonable me changed her mind. Was it the off-white color and the vintage aspect of the leather that made the difference? Probably. Those are obviously to wear one at a time and the simpler the outfit, the better.  Pity that the Carol sandals are not as comfortable as they seem, especially taking into consideration the height and the width of the heel.

Isabel Marant Capu Belt here, Isabel Marant Carol studded sandals here