lu·mi·nos·i·ty (l m -n s -t ). n. pl. lu·mi·nos·i·ties.
a : the quality or state of being luminous
b : something luminous
2
a : the relative quantity of light
b : relative brightness of something
3
: the relative quantity of radiation emitted by a celestial source (as a star)
We have a screening tonight in Leicester Square - Roman Coppola's short films, and I know nothing more than that (I like to go into things - films, especially - with no preconceived expectations) - and a little cocktail party first. And I was thinking (not too hard, mind you) about what I'd be wearing. And today - perhaps because it's been so grey, cold, wet lately - I"m in the mood for something luminous.
Yesterday, for example, I wore a three seasons old Topshop sequin motorcycle jacket over layers of fine grey tees, white jeans, lots of chains and things, and dressed it down with brown Chelsea boots. Tonight will probably be variations of the same.
Speaking of stars, this is Julia Restoin Roitfeld - Carinne's daughter - and I was seeing her a lot at fashion weeks, back when I was going (I'm on a break, you might have noticed). She's lovely, a nice girl with a lot of class and not a competitive bone in her body - why should she compete? - and we became quite friendly. If that's possible, during that circus. I think she sensed that we both feel the same about it all. Like we'd rather be home, alone or with our men, with a cup of tea and a nice book.
Took these shots within minutes of each other, at Waterloo Station for the Topshop Uniqlo show.. wow, must have been a year and a half ago now. But these kind of subtle colours, and metallics and, well, haha, LUMINOSITY, are the other look I'm craving at the moment. Like when there was all that 'nude is the new black' hysteria a few seasons back, I still love the subtleness of greys and beiges together - I can't bear grey with black, but pair it with neutral tones, and the greys start to feel blue and the beiges start going all peachy..
Those definitions of luminosity are fine - and Julia's, I suppose, a star, although probably in the scheme of things, a minor one - but I kind of like this definition best:
Luminous quality. The intrinsic brightness of a celestial object (as distinct from its apparent brightness diminished by distance).
It's about, I feel, that trick of the light: the appearance of something that is reflecting back light, but appears to be glowing from within.
I don't have a wish list. I'm not a wish list kind of woman: my cup is more than half full. My cup runneth over. But if my Fairy Godmother put a gun to my head and said 'you've got to wish for something, Punkin', I'd probably wish for luminescent grey green or violet blue eyes. Something I know I'm not gonna be getting. Not in this life.
Saturday turned suddenly cold, after this heat wave in the UK, and I was stuck in traffic and rushing through the Oxford Street Saturday shopping circus, afraid I'd be late for my interview with Orla Kiely. When I arrived at Uniqlo I was greeted by posies. Pockets of posies at the entrance: sweet smiling spring flowers, like kisses. Then I rushed upstairs to meet her and her lovely team. Impressions of light, sparkling water, fresh strawberries and grapes. Simplicity and calm. Green and red against the neutral white, colours and patterns like her clothing downstairs, in the shop, being consumed like a fish feeding frenzy.
The first thing I notice about Orla Kiely are her eyes: palest blue, irridescent, knowing, wise, and kind. And then her smile. She's got the most amazing smile: it's that kind of Julia Roberts, beaming from ear to ear smile. And then I'm in Orla Kiely world, and the sun is shining.
We chatted at first about her collaboration with Uniqlo, in celebration of UT's 10 year anniversary. It is a perfect marriage of ideologies: she has two sons, and she's always shopped for them at Uniqlo. She spoke of the value for money, simplicity, quality, which is what struck me about my tee from the collection: it is so fine. Mighty fine. It feels.. well, it feels expensive.
And I was thinking.. Uniqlo is Japanese, and in some ways Orla's work feels Japanese to me. I can't explain. It also feels Scandinavian.. but while I was editing these photos, I found myself listening to Joni Mitchell, especially California, so I'm illustrating this piece for you with music that feels like what her designs sound like to me. But it also feels like London: King's Road, late Sixties.. Chelsea. Chelsea Morning.
Because I kept finding myself referencing music, during our chat. I see Orla like an artist, but also, what she creates.. it's like music. And then, uncannily, after, when we went downstairs and Orla was meeting her fans (something she is so modest about - and yet, clearly happily pleased), and freak serendipity: there was my wonderful friend Adrienne Johnson, huge Orla Kiely fan, who was drawn in by the flowers, shopping the collection! And she was talking to Orla, too, about music, about how we are drawn to people, designs, ideas, as if with our cellular memory.
And that's what hit me. That's it: cellular memory. That thing that draws us in: to a song. To a place. To Uniqlo, on a cold Saturday. To sunshine.
That's what I connect with about Orla Kiely. I don't even know the first time I heard of her, first saw her designs - we arrived in London in 1997, she started in 1995 - but her vision has been with her all her life. She is Irish, and as she was explaining, Ireland is an island. And it's hard to imagine the world we grew up in, but without internet, eBay.. the clothes she wanted, the things, patterns she saw.. she couldn't just press a few buttons and get things delivered to her world. That had to come later, when she created it. The Orla Kiely world.
It feels like a garden to me: the source, the well, from which her vision springs. Now of course she has a team, hand picked like the posies, surrounding herself with like minded, generous souls. Beautiful people, in every sense. This springs from a family that gave her great support, inspiration, love: talented people, not from the fashion world, but intellectuals, academics: they taught her that anything was possible. She remembered their kitchen, ground-breaking in the sixties, designed by an architect, olive green with an orange ceiling. It brought back memories of our kitchen in the seventies, how we excited we were to renovate it in graphic shades of 'pumpkin' and 'avocado'. As befitting a brilliant colourist, she thinks in colour. Memories of her grandmother driving a green mini: a prolific craftswoman, always making things with her hands. Showing her, not just in words, but by example, that women can make things. Make things happen. And that's when it hit me: she's not striving to be an artist, I don't believe. Not trying to shock and cause controversy, like a Damien Hirst, like an Alexander McQueen, or John Galiano. What Orla Kiely seems to be is a craftsperson. She could just as easily, as happily, be making clay pots. Or bread. Endless possibilities, being busy with her hands. Like her Gran.
And always, at core, the marriage. Because Orla's husband is her business partner. And the secret to their success is they have built this business organically, letting it grow without selling out to outside investors. Which means Orla owns her own name, as she should. They clearly work in harmony, with separate but equally vital roles. As she said, with the same simplicity and clarity as her designs: 'without him, none of this would be possible.'
I've been looking through not just the Uniglo collection, but the ORLA KIELY site itself. And it's not just pattern on pattern. A lot is solid, clean: navy and white, for spring as per look number eight.. oh, I'll shut up now, because this is the longest post I've ever done. I want everything.
As I fell asleep Saturday night, I was picturing my pretty posy on our coffee table, beautiful and alive for just a brief time, but that's the nature of spring, and then I started seeing patterns. Orla Kiely patterns, lulling me to sleep, like little sheep.
Just in case anyone's reading this in time: I'm heading to Oxford Street to meet Orla Kiely at UNIQLO for an exclusive interview. I'm the only blogger doing this apparently - got friends in from California, trying to keep things simple while juggling everyone's schedules - it's all good.
Typing this in haste but I wanted to give you a head's up: you can meet her from 12:30 - 1:00, UNIQLO, flagship shop, 311 Oxford Street: customers will receive a posy of flowers when they buy two items from the collection. Which comes packaged in limited edition Orla Kiely tote bags. I can't wait: I'm a huge fan.
I caught this shot of her the first time I met her - LFW Sept 2009. Enough chit chat, sorry, must dash.
Mr. Dot took the day off - I cancelled the first part of a dental situation that had me in agony for months (root canal - now I need a new crown) - which means I'll be on holiday with the temporary crown - so that we could swim, outside, in Surrey today.
I love the saying, if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.
As I write this, there is a huge thunderstorm rumbling outside. I can't even do my little photo shoot with my new tee shirt from Uniqlo, so I'll just post these shots and tell you about it, instead. Because, while I'm being, in the scheme of things, only very mildly inconvenienced, I am no less aware - or grateful - for all I do have. When the rain threatened to come in the window next to me and the sleeping cat, I simply closed it.
For other people, that day the tsunami hit, it wasn't that easy.
And for many people, right now, in Japan, their lives will never be the same. But we can do something to help.
There is a campaign going on, right now, at Uniqlo: the Uniqlo UT Save Japan tee shirt collection: working with Conde Nast Japan, and Vogue, they've produced a limited edition set of tee shirts, designed by ten celebrities: Alber Elbaz, Charlize Theron, Cindi Lauper, Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga, Karl Lagerfeld, Blake Lively, Gwyneth Paltrow, Orlando Bloom, and Nicole Kidman.
It's ironic that they chose, for me, Charlize Theron, out of the ten. I love what she wrote. It is the core of my beliefs.
This also has a very personal connection- which makes it all the more uncanny, how random it was that I got her shirt. At the most difficult time in my life, just as I was at that 'jumping off' moment, I was in a Cafe Nero, and just happened to be reading an interview with her. She had been through an unbelievable ordeal, and when asked how she did it, she modestly said something quite similar to what she wrote for the shirt. That day, Charlize Theron saved me.
Not to mention, Mr. Dot, when he saw it, remarked that it is 'very high quality.' I'm wearing it, as we speak. Warm and cosy and comfortable and safe from harm's way.
Click here: WWW.UNIQLO.COM, or go to any of the Uniqlo shops. I'll do a self style shoot with it - if it ever stops raining.
(Thank you also to Savoir Flair for inadvertently letting me steal their photo of Charlize Theron).
More from yesterday's +J Launch (and one year birthday) of Jil Sander's A/W 2010 collection @ Uniqlo on Oxford Street (it's all available online, pets, btw: all 150 pieces).
It was fascinating for me to see such a range of women - and men - who would fit the 'Jil Sander' style. There literally is something for everyone, as seemingly simple as her clothes are (and just to let you know: Jil Sanders is not designing the Jil Sanders line: it's a long story. But basically, after not creating anything for a while, she is designing exclusively for Uniqlo, and hats off to them for giving her this opportunity).
Maybe it's because we share the same name: although I've not met this woman, I like how she thinks. I feel like changing my blog name to +Jc, as an homage. What do you think?
What fascinated me as I ran around snapping for about a half hour, was how style savvy people are. Yes it looked like they were having fun - it felt like an intense little mini fashion week - but I also saw images of people scrutinising the clothes, then trying stuff on - most didn't even bother queuing, they were literally trying stuff on right out in the open - and really appraising themselves, how a cut or colour complimented their own, UNIQUE image. I like, for example, how Tyler found herself the perfect hat, in the men's section.
I feel like I learned something new yesterday about how we style ourselves: if you think about it, we're the only species that has that choice, and it probably has something to do with 'opposable thumbs' - but I can't quite put it into words.
File it under G (for 'Oh for Goodness Sake'), or F, for What the F?
Or, where the real blame lies: under N for Nude, this season's must have colour. If you're in the States, this news is probably as old as yesterday's fish and chips wrapper, but I just read in the Telegraph that Michelle Obama's 'nude' dress by Naeem Khan, has offended some people because - catch this - it's not HER shade of nude. AND to pour salt on the wound, the designer himself, of Indian nationality and born in Mumbai has had the affront to call his own dress 'streling-silver sequin, abstract floral, NUDE strapless gown.' (the context being, he's not 'nude' coloured, either): article here.
It reminded me of a running commentary Pearl and I have held over the true 'griege' (beige and grey) which has emerged this spring via Chanel, but which I first read about as a colour Jackie Kennedy was partial to while in the White House (which, come to think of it: is the White House really, technically, white? I mean, is anything White White anymore. Or, these days, is it a bit more.. cream? Off-white? Magnolia?)
I shot this at Uniqlo's Press Day not that long ago. I especially loved a new line commissioned from the creative duo from NY, COSTELLO TAGLIAPIETRA. The company is named after their grandmother's surnames: both women taught them tailoring, and worked for Norman Norell in the 1960s.
I love this stuff. I mean, look at this gorgeous, drapey number in palest lilac. (sorry: I mean lavender. Or do I mean heather? Or is it more of a greyish pink?)
My theory about the Nude thing is, peach is so passe,. As a colour word, I mean. (As a fruit, ripe in the summer, it's divine, especially with yogurt, or in a pie. Except of course in England, where peaches are always disappointing.)
Besides, real peaches are too orange, too bright to describe the colour nude. It's not quite 'ballet pink'. Seashell pink, perhaps, but real sea shells are anywhere from dirty white to the blue black of mussels, and rarely pink. And beige is so.. beige. I don't know why the word Nude has captured our imagination, but maybe it's because the 'underwear as outerwear' trend is so potent right now. (And I know Mr. Dot is so tired of hearing me say this, but every time I see those three words in print, I wish I was getting royalties because I'm sure I've coined the phrase, and will cling to that belief til the day I die: hopefully, clad in elegant lingerie, in the open air, so they can say in my obituary 'she was wearing underwear as..')
Anyway, doncha just love this pretty blue dress? It's kind of a steel grey blue.. a bit indigo, actually. You couldn't call it sky blue. Well, you could... it's the blue of a summer sky just before a tropical storm. It's the colour of the sea on a choppy day. Not a tranquil, Carribean sea, which is really more like aqua, or turquoise. Or, in Chanel-speak, VAGUE. Ironic, as the colour is anything but.
Richard E. Grant did a great show recently for the BBC, on the history of the safari, in his continent of birth, Africa. He was talking with a group of Massai, who had a beautiful safari lodge, about how they felt when their first White guests came to visit. Apparently it upset the staff at first: they were a bit afraid of the 'Pink People'.
I don't know what colour I am: I swim so much, that in warm weather, I'm kind of latte coloured. Double shot, that is. Between holidays, my skin has a slightly olive hue. So I guess you could call me Green. As my dad would say, 'You can call me anything you want, just don't call me late for dinner.'
Loathe to post anything on top of yesterday's shots of Roz. But that's the nature of a blog: time must move on, and if you want to see them, you'll just have to scroll down. It's worth the effort. I can't take any credit for the beauty of that post: shooting Roz is like shooting fish.
RoadTrip23 is the natural evolution from StreetStyle London, which is still here, and has been since 2009. Because there's more to the world than fashion, and there's more to the world than London. Lovely as London is.
I'll still be posting street style, if something really grabs me, but have expanded into other areas of interest, primarily travel, the arts, culture. Whatever I feel is beautiful or interesting: either man made, or a natural wonder.
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