The Luxe Chronicles

Ten Things to Look Forward To in 2010

As 2009 draws to an end and we prepare to greet 2010, I thought I would share with you a few things that I'm particularly looking forward to in the new year.

Book Review: "David Hicks: A Life of Design" by Ashley Hicks

So few design books are worth reading attentively (if at all). We purchase them primarily for the images of beautiful interiors that inspire us to dream. Every so often however, someone comes along and breaks that rule. I'm happy to say that Ashley Hicks, son of David Hicks and designer in his own right, has done precisely that. David Hicks: A Life of Design (Rizzoli, 2009) is a poignant and loving tribute to his late father's life-long commitment to elegant design and pursuit of beauty.

Blogs: Mrs. O Blog and the FTC's Double Standards

Isn't it ironic that under the new FTC disclosure rules, the bloggers who receive a review copy of Mary Tomer's book Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy (Hachette) have to disclose it but Mary Tomer who received funding for her blog from her employer Bartle Bogle Hegarty has no such requirement? Shouldn't blogs with close ties to corporate interests be required to disclose this upfront?

On Navigating the French Workplace With Aplomb

I just came across a review of a French book on office etiquette entitled Le Carnet du Savoir-Vivre au Bureau by author Laurence Caracalla that pricked my curiosity. Having worked in Paris for a number of years, I do recall experiencing a certain sense of culture shock that lasted roughly the first two years of my Parisian sojourn. The review reminded me of the deeply entrenched hierarchy of the French workplace and the significant inequities I witnessed between men and women that shocked my North American sensibilities and often left me flabbergasted. I could so have used her book.

Book Review: Norman Parkinson - A Very British Glamour

It would be difficult to over-estimate the impact of British fashion photographer Norman Parkinson on post-WWII portraiture and fashion photography both in Britain and beyond. A new book by Louis Baring, Norman Parkinson:A Very British Glamour (Rizzoli), celebrates his work and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Book Review: The Sartorialist's Hits & Misses

Like so many followers of fashion, I'm a big fan of Scott Schuman's photography and his unique "eye" for style. I was therefore quite excited to receive my copy of his new book last week. There is definitely something to be said for culling his beautiful photographs and assembling them together in this format. I also appreciate the book's compact size which makes it easy to carry and handle - a nice change from the typical fashion book format.

Fashion: American Fashion Bloggers Breath New Life into "Merci Karl"

Karl Lagerfeld must be cursing the Internet just about now. Back in 2007, he had all but succeeded in snuffing out any coverage of a "tell all" book written by a former assistant, Arnaud Maillard, thanks to the cosy relationship his employers (Chanel and LVMH) cultivate with the fashion press. Now, thanks to a few plucky U.S. based fashion bloggers, the book is now the subject of much chatter throughout the English-speaking blogosphere.

Of Film & Fashion: Is It Any Wonder It Caught On?

Paris is all a twitter over the banning of the upcoming Coco Avant Chanel movie poster by Métrobus, the advertising arm of the RATP (France's public transportation commission) because it features the film's star, Audrey Tautou, smoking a cigarette. The ban was issued under the terms of the loi Evin, a law adopted in the early 1990's that seeks to ban advertisements which directly or indirectly promote smoking or drinking.

Travel: An Ode to New York City

The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

As many of my regular readers already know, I've lead a rather peripatetic life. For this, I am and will always be immensely grateful. My life/career has lead me to settle (for a time at least) in some of the world's most vibrant and culturally rich cities and each one has left an imprint. The essence of one of those cities, New York City, has been captured in a brief documentary by urban anthropologists Carolyn and Andy London entitled "The Lost Tribes of New York City" which I've posted above.

Of Film and Fashion: Are We Ready for Another SATC Movie?

The cat's out of the bag. The next Sex and the City movie is scheduled for release on May 28, 2010. Are you as unexcited as I am? Given how thoroughly disappointed I was with Michael-Patrick King's first foray onto the big screen, I'm not sure what to think about the sequel.