scrunchie givenchy feather chain cuff

The other day - yesterday, actually - I asked the Universe to identify the cuff in Nia's friend's bracelet (also friends with the girl in the Sunshine post) because it was driving me bonkers. My sweet virtual friend, Maya, from Soviet Georgia, now a wife and soccer mom in Hendersonville, Tennessee (Soccer Mom Style), came up with the goods. It's GIVENCHY. And it costs $738.50, on StyleBistro.

Which, to my mind, means it's just SCREAMING OUT to be DIY'd.




Now, I'm not a very good DIYer. I should be - my mom was the best nursery school teacher, and she was always trying out these crafty projects on my sister and I at home (my favourite - mom if you're reading this, do you remember we wrapped balloons in string dipped in glue and when it dried, we popped the balloons? Why??? Don't tell me: another phantom memory that never really happened).



Anyway.. (and don't you love her shorts btw? I love faded studded denim shorts with long sleeved black tops - I just love that look). I thought, hey, I've got chains, and I've got feathers - I bring them home for the cat, who eats them whole, so I hide them in drawers.. and then I realised - pack rat that I am.. I also have SCRUNCHIES! Remember in Sex and the City, when Carrie says she doesn't want to eat at a restaurant that serves people who wear scrunchies?

So for your viewing pleasure: Polka Dot's DIY Tip of the Week: the Scrunchie Givenchy Feather Chain Cuff!

bobby

It wasn't just the stories of the clothes at the recent auction of Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe that fascinated me: each person I met had an interesting story, a connection, a reason they showed up that morning. Two people, male and female, flew in from Ireland for the day just for the exhibit (& didn't know each other). And I've just received the most beautifully written letter from Alex, who works for Kerry Taylor (which I'll post soon). AND from the woman from Ireland: fascinating story.



Or Bobby, shown here, who works nearby for the British Council (he's also in a band) and just felt drawn to the exhibition. It was kind of like Close Encounters of the Third Kind: all of us, seemingly so different, yet we felt compelled to show up.



He told me that his girlfriend, Imogen, love sixties style, and she & sells vintage sixties clothes. He then pointed to this dress and said 'she has a dress just like this one, in fact.'



Then later that day, he sent me this shot, which I remember seeing posted on a blog. I knew he looked familiar. Can't wait to meet Imogen & do a little shoot with the two of them.



I didn't realise we could ask to inspect the clothes, in this case, the Givenchy haute couture herring-bone tweed jacket, worn in 'How to Steal a Million', 1966.



Okay, that's probably enough Audrey style for one day. Well, just one more: A Givenchy 'haute couture silver and white brocatelle evening coat and bodice, probably Autumn-Winter 1966'. No story for this one, apart from Audrey's own memories. We'll just have to use our imagination.

on the street where you live

This is so out of character for me. I am so not the 'fan' type (did you know that the word 'fan' is actually shortened from 'fanatic'? That explains a lot). But I've always felt a strong affinity for Audrey Hepburn, even as a child. Especially as a child. My childhood images of how a beautiful woman should look and act and BE are based around her films, especially, My Fair Lady (where I managed to develop quite a successful Mockney accent, if I do say so myself).

And, as unPC as this is to admit, altho my parents' marriage was nothing like that film, I can now see that there's a bit of Henry Higgins in Mr. Dot's manner. In fact, as we speak, he's shouting at me to fetch his slippers! ; ) Well, not exactly, but almost.



So yesterday morning, when the skies cleared up and Picadilly looked all shiny and bright and new, I walked down Regent's Street, where I caught this shot, to Pall Mall, to document her dresses before the auction started. As I walked in, (and the space isn't large at all), 'On the Street Where you Live' - the soundtrack to My Fair Lady- was playing, and there were all these large iconic photos of Audrey everywhere, and her signature, and the dresses on stands. And to my surprise, I burst into tears.



The turquoise silk Givenchy cocktail 'gown' (actually, cocktail dress), in my favourite colour, was the 2nd highest seller, at £18,000. But to me it was so much more than the money, or even the clothes. It was the story behind the clothes. The collection belongs to a woman, Tanja Star Busmann, who was a child, family friend and neighbour when Audrey Hepburn was starting out. Audrey only had a son, and this girl was clearly a kind of surrogate daughter for her. Her letters to her were to be included as provenance with the dresses.



This Givenchy dress, by the way, was what Audrey wore to promote perhaps one of her least famous films, but my all time favourite. Any fashionista worth her salt, no matter she's 14 or 94, has no excuse in this day and age of Amazon.com, not to have seen Two for the Road: it sets the bar for style.

Over the next few days (or possibly weeks) I will scatter more posts of photos with stories. But first, I will leave you with this song, from my heart, to yours: