in memory: steve jobs, 1955-2011

Like my friend Toni, of the Fashion Cloud, 'for reasons I don’t know how to explain', I am holding off on what I had planned to post today, because, like her, I am saddened and affected by the death of someone I have never met.




When my husband told me this morning that Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, has died, of cancer, at the age of 56.. I don't know how to say what I want to say. My father was first diagnosed with prostate cancer before he was 60. While he went on to live another 15 years, I know how hard it was, at times, for him, for my family, for me, to come to terms with the helpless feeling of how cruel, how unfair, life could be.



We all have such a short time in this life, in this world. The question is, what we do with our time. Each minute that I squander - that I occupy my mind with anger, or resentment, or feeling victimised - each minute that I am not creating either something beautiful, of use to others, or spreading some sense of hope, love, or joy - is a minute that I am wasting on this earth.

Without Steve Jobs' vision, I would not have the means for my voice to be heard. So, from the moment that I click 'publish post', I will rise, take my beautiful MacBook Pro with me, out into the sunshine. And I will write. And I will do it with gratitude to a man I've never met, who has changed my world, for the better.



Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs. But I have a feeling you won't be resting at all: you'll continue to have the vision, and the spirit, to keep on creating for us mortals, here on Earth.

a cinderella story

This post has taken me forever to do, because I want to do it right, and because there are so many photos I want to show you, and because I'm such a freakin' perfectionist sometime.

It's a fairy tale, actually. It started with a man named Adam. I'm like the last person to start tweeting, but when I did, somehow I found him and we became twitter friends. Even tho we have yet to actually meet in reality - which is part of the magic of this fairy tale.



There was also a girl named Rosalind, who lived in the English countryside with her mum and her dad and her kid brother. She had a dream of going someday to the Ball - specifically, Somerset House for fashion week, and even more specifically, to the Jaeger show. Being such a fan and all.

Well I had done my best to get Roz a ticket, and the PR people were working on it, but the day of the show, the tickets had still not arrived. So all I could do was to go to the show (not shown here- that's why this is so complex a story) but Roz and her mum, who had come down from the idyllic English countryside, were, alas, not able to attend the ball.





But Lo! This is where the Man named Adam appeared. I like to call him my Fashion Fairy Godfather, altho I get the sense he is not, you know, an actual Fairy in that sense. But he private tweet messaged me did I want tickets to some shows, and then he put me in touch with the most wonderful woman, Amy of Vodafone, and next thing I knew, Amy waved her magic fashion wand and there was a separate, PRIVATE JAEGER SHOW for special VIP Vodafone customers. And Roz and Polly, her mum (and my friend) and I sat in the front row, and everyone lived happily ever after. And she did a lovely post about it, and called it Homage to Jaeger.





What I loved about the VIP Vodafone show, vs the one I saw the previous day, is they showed the collection from last September. It was more like what fashion shows were originally intended for: people could then click and buy, instead of waiting six months for the season to start. It's the first time, to my knowledge, that London has done that for a fashion show, and it's a lovely idea. And in true Cinderella fashion, I also loved how for the 'Boutique' collection - more informal, lovely light frocks, really good, affordable stuff I could WEAR - the models wore bare legs and white sneakers. Such a refreshing change.





We even were guests at an excellent private dinner after, at Tom's (in Somerset House) and met such cool, creative people: Poppy, and Elle, and a great photographer named Nick.. oh and here's the weird thing: the bane of my existence is I had this Bad Blackberry which kept breaking and ATE ITS OWN TEXT FOLDER (people would send me texts and then unfriend me because I didn't reply but I didn't know!) and I couldn't get it fixed because the company I had signed with - not mentioning their name - had screwed me up and not put my address book on my simm card.. anyway, the REAL happily ever after part of the story for me is I now have a new phone, I'm free of my old, bad contract, and will be switching to Vodafone.


At which point I shall truly live happily ever after. And if you, too, want to live happily ever after, simply click your ruby slippers twice, then click on VIP.VODAFONE.CO.UK, and say out loud: 'there's no place like Vodafone.'

dutch masters

One of the lovely press events I went to this week was Jaeger, and there's more that I saw that I want to show you but this post is focused on a specific detached HOOD that I loved from the catwalk show in September. It was great to see and touch the actual stuff, and besides obviously the black, cream and camel tones that are so classic and to me, so iconically Jaeger, what I especially loved was the colours that had so inspired me this summer in the Dominican Republic ('let's do lunch') which they got so perfectly, I felt ('jaeger sings the blues'). Mustards, navy, purples, forest green, bit of jewel like ruby.. Kit got it so right yesterday (photos coming, haven't uploaded yet, lazy cow, which is because...)

Yesterday I was the only one of us not wearing a hoodie or a snood. This is a case where FASHION DOES MATTER because I popped out in my leopard coat, gloves, got everything right except the weather report. It rained. I thought I wasn't chilled but woke with that same damn sore throat. Drinking copious amounts of my homemade remedy of sliced fresh ginger root steeped in boiling water with lemon and honey.

Which leads me to the purpose of this post: at Jaeger's press day, looked around for The Hood I loved and couldn't find it. Asked Tomasina, in the Buying Department (great job or WHAT!) and she said they're only selling six this season. Six? As in less than seven, more than five? WHY??? Anyway she went and found me one and I made her pose next to the catwalk shot and doesn't she look like that Dutch painting? The Girl with the Pearl Earring?

Sabine asked a great post recently, The Cinderella Complex, which pair of shoes you'd marry. I could never commit to one pair of shoes. BUT, I'd marry this hoodie, if it would have me. (Since there are only six, my chances are slim). It's cute, flexible, durable, soft yet strong, reliable, dependable, and it would keep me safe, warm, and healthy. I could travel with it, in fact I could take it anywhere: it would be there when I needed it, yet seems really low maintenance. And, I assume, it's not cheap. Yet it's certainly cheerful. What more could one ask in a husband?

jaeger sings the blues

Deep greens and blues are the colours I choose at the moment. And so, apparently, does Jaeger. (And rose. And black and white, but I'll save those for a future post). It was thrilling actually to be at the show and see the exact colours I've had in my head since a magic day on holiday in the Dominican Republic when it rained during lunch at the beach and I thought: this is the palette I want to wear right now. Jewel like blues and greens and indigos and some ochre and forest green. And they've channeled that exactly!




And I"m so wanting this rain hood: it's like the old classic yellow 'slickers' - I mean, how lovely would it be to go out on a rainy day with a lovely trench and instead of an umbrella, just bung this thing like a waterproof snood on your head and when it's sunny, just carry it around, rolled up in your bag. Just in case.

It's just so gosh darn practical.

I just simply don't know where to begin with posting: I am flooded with a sea of images - memories - that I want to share with you. But the sun is out and as Mr. Dot pointed out, I'd absolutely kick myself if I didn't scoot over to Somerset House HQ one last time.



Btw: anyone have a clue who this girl is? Must run, but after today we've got all the time in the world, you and I, to catch up. How are you all doing today? Hope you're all well & rested & feeling good, wherever in the world you are.

before jaeger

Before the Jaeger show, London Fashion Week, Day 4 (Monday), at Somerset House. I love the looks on the lucky ducks going into the show, including my new BFF, Erin. ; ) (See 'erin o'connor waved @ me', yesterday).

There's such a buzz before a show, some shows more than others, and Jaeger had that buzz this year. In keeping with the 'it's good manners to pay homage to your designer' theme, notice how there is a lot of black & white going on (and going in, to the show). I love how this venerable old brand, like Burberry, is moving in such a cool direction. It's Jaeger, with a twist. Click here and scroll thru. My favourite is the black swimsuit with a belt and a white open short sleeved shirt, and what look like possibly Wellies with an impossibly high wedge heel.

Which is your favourite look?