people we love: jessica de lotz

Jess is such a star.

Jess (Jessica de Lotz) is an effervescent, pixie of a girl with great style, who is a really jewelry designer.

Jess is also my friend Gwyneth's friend. And in an absolutely bizarre twist of fate, a month or so ago, I was meeting Gwyneth for lunch and I just happened to mention how I had 'let the lights dictate' and stumbled upon the most amazing show tied in with the Royal Wedding, at Smythson, and she looked at me in surprise and said 'That's my friend Jess!' (She had been telling me about her and how we had to meet).



And so, we did. It was the day before the Royal Wedding, when I was with Adrian shooting on the Mall, and I've been hoarding the shots ever since, because - like Jess, I'm a bit of a magpie. Her jewelry, which she creates out of crests that she designs with her brother, a graphic designer, is then made into stamps which she stamps into wax, and she casts I believe 18k gold and silver jewelry.. see, I'm so afraid I'm getting this wrong. Which is part of the reason I've been putting this post off so long. That, and there are just too many shots I want to show you. So I'll do it in stages. This is the first. Must run: to meet Gwyneth, actually!



Don't you just love her shoes? She customised the bits of fur. This is what I mean about her. I just can't do justice to her in one post. Check out her website. Everything - not just the jewelry, but all the little bits she finds and love - it's all such an extension of her unique style. OH! and she just got married to the cutest man. But that's another story.

all that glitters is not lame

Funny old world.. Sabine (Psynopsis), my lovely friend, commented recently that she's 'a little afraid of yellow' and I know what she means: that hard, fully saturated yellow is one of the most difficult colours, mainly because it's almost impossible to go head to toe without anything black, and if you do, you're veering dangerously close to bumblebee territory. Or NY taxicab.

But pale, lemon yellow.. and gold.. ooh la la!





And it's uncanny, how.. visionary Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Cosmetics for Chanel, is with capturing our collective imagination. It's like a chicken/egg thing: I honestly don't know if I'm in the mood for a certain colour because Monsieur Philips decided six or eight months ago that I would, or if he is able to instinctively tap into our dream state - where I believe all creativity is born, like some kind of Eden-like pool - and just know that right now, what we want to wear, with all our white and shades of cream, is pale yellow, and nails tipped as if with molten gold.

Actually you can see how truly charming he is in a video on Nowness: Beautiful Dreamer.

I had a bottle of gold nail polish just like this, and I"ve looked in my nail polish shoe box and can't find it. Rather than get on the Chanel waiting list, I'll just keep my eye out for someone else's version. Probably, no doubt, a pale imitation, but still.



From top: someone at the Converse party, in lemon midi pleated skirt and sneakers; Stephen Jones' creation as part of the Smythson tribute on display at the Bond Street flagshop store (see previous post: Smitten with Smythson), and, above, just a sneak preview of Jessica de Lotz's work, also part of the Smythson series. We have an absolutely darling mutual friend, Gwyneth Harrison, and if all goes according to plan, I'll meet Jessica at Smythson's tomorrow and she can tell me more about her work, which is mainly jewelry, but really unique, quirky, creative, charming. Actually.. if you'll be in the neighbourhood, pop on down to the Bond Street shop from 5:00 PM (they're open late tomorrow), see the collection and meet her yourself!

we are all stars

I've seen this girl around - fashion week, press days - and meant to ask to shoot her, at the Converse party, but we were all having such fun I didn't get around to it. She's always got the trends spot on: just the simplicity of bright green trousers, seemingly carelessly cuffed, slouchy white tee, but that great jacket channelling Chanel (perhaps it is).* Red lips, nails.. effortlessly chic.

*(Actually, it's not. It looks like IRO - on sale @ Net-a-Porter - so big thank you to Fi @FashionMusicEquals for figuring that one out - and she's got a great blog).





The Converse All Stars (in aqua) were part of the installation/exhibit, which is hard to describe: HQ is so vast, they did such a brilliant job with it, like being at the Tate Modern. I'll have to show you in segments. And last but not least: a cool green notebook- pretty much exactly the colour of the girl's trousers in real life - from Smythson, in jade, the day I let the lights dictate (previous post).

It's been THE most glorious unexpectedly brilliant weekend: swam every single day, got tan (well, I did: He got burnt), saw friends, had fun, and we didn't have to go thru security, show a passport, pay someone to feed the cat, or give up our water bottles. I'm all for staycations if they can be like this one. Happy Easter everyone. Hope all's lovely where you are. Oh and speaking of stars, Tina Fey kills me. Her last answer for the Vanity Fair Proust Questionaire (your motto): 'Stop reaching for the stars!'