Joan Didion

It has become quite obvious for me that the people whose style I feel drawned to are always those whose personalities I find interesting. As Jean Cocteau would put it, “style is a simple way of saying complicated things”. According to this theory, Joan Didion must be a fascinating women. It hasn't been long since I know who she is and I am already willing to read "The year of magical thinking" or any of her books, to get to know her world.

Girls with Allure: La Mignonette

Define your style.

I would like to define my style as a mixture between discrete rock n’ roll tomboy meets 1960s easy chic.

When and why did you become interested in fashion?

My mother was definitely a big influence: she used to buy a lot of fashion magazines back when I was little and she always wore cool, beautiful clothes. Ever since I was a little girl, I had a big interest in fashion. 

Who/what influences your style the most?

Obscure 1960s garage rock bands, ye-ye girls (like singer Françoise Hardy or actresses such as Anna Karina and Mia Farrow), 1960s simplicity and minimalism, Sofia Coppola’s quiet imagery, French movies, Mick Jagger circa 1967, romantic movies like “Picnic at the Hanging Rock”, French  easy chic, architecture, movies, fashion magazines, books, and people on the street. Almost anything can supply a source of inspiration if we take a close look at it, but rock’n’roll ‘s visual culture is always a good supply of inspiration.

You'd never be caught in...

American Apparel latex leggings, loud colors, über sexy clothes and bad fabrics like polyester.

You can't live without... Perfume. And a nice face cream.

Your passion is...  Definitely fashion.

Which is, in your opinion, the best piece of clothing ever designed?

I believe Yves Saint Laurent take on tuxedo -Le Smoking-, marked a moment in fashion history when it comes to contemporary/utilitarian women’s wear design: it’s functional, sexy, timeless and chic.

Who are your favorite designers?

Phoebe Philo, Marc Jacobs, Isabel Marant, A.P.C., Chloé, Charles Anastase, Sonia Rykiel, Margaret Howell, Dries van Noten, Jil Sander, Joseph, Proenza Schouler (and Luella was pretty good too).

A book, a film and a song.

A book…"Christian Dior" by Françoise Giroud

A film…”Marie Antoinette”. Because it’s a visual treat. And because after its release, girls all over were wearing pink rosy cheeks like the Dauphine herself!

A song…The Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the devil"

What are your wardrobe staples?

An Isabel Marant blazer, black Repetto flats, black ankle boots, skinny black jeans, black opaque tights.

A fetish 

Currently vintage shoes, especially strappy ones; I’ve been looking for them on Etsy and on Ebay.

What does style means to you?

This question is quite deep and interesting if we take time to analyze it. Style represents a huge part of life: it’s a way to communicate with the outer world without resorting to words.It involves a process of combining all your influences and references (aesthetic, visual, artistic, musical, etc.) into one single mutable entity, resorting to clothes and accessories as elements of communication. 


Source: La Mignonette

Sandie Shaw

Sandie Shaw had been off my radar until a few days ago, when a biography of The Smiths made me rediscover her figure. The fact that Morrissey has always been a fan of "the barefoot princess" awoke my curiosity (Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Know pays homage to Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now). While googling her I discovered pictures like the ones that illustrate this post and I couldn't resist sharing them here.

Sandie Shaw había permanecido fuera de mi radar hasta que hace unos días, una biografía de The Smiths se encargó de recordármela. El hecho de que Morrissey siempre se haya confesado admirador de la cantante de los pies descalzos despertó mi curiosidad (Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now fue un homenaje a su Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now). Buscando más, descubrí fotos como las que ilustran esta entrada y no me pude resistir a compartirlas aquí.

Source

BB

I don't know what it is, but there's something so captivating in Brigitte Bardot, even knowing that there are many things to hate in the way she thinks. I have tons of her photos saved in my inspiration folder and they are so helpful when I seem to lose my style mojo.

No sé que tiene Brigitte Bardot que me cautiva incluso a sabiendas de que hay muchas cosas que odio en su forma de pensar. Tengo muchísimas fotos guardadas de ella y son realmente útiles cuando por momentos pierdo la inspiración.

Anita Pallenberg

Back to the subject of style icons, I'd like to talk about one of my all time favourites: Anita Pallenberg. She became popular thanks to her relationships with Brian Jones and Keith Richards. The Sixth Stone -as she was known- played an important role in the band from the late 60's throughout the 70's.

It's not just the clothes, but her attitude towards fashion what makes me like her so much. The way she dresses is a direct consequence of her personality. Pallenberg is the female version of the Renaissance Man: she does lots of thing and excels in all of them. During the nineties she studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins.

Song: Sympathy for the devil - The Rolling Stone