Why Not Check Out Some Killer Collabs and Life Lessons from a 98-Year Old Female Architect?

Ideas pour toi...

I wrote a deep dive on the self-taught architect/designer Eileen Gray that was super illuminating for many reasons for Eyeswoon. One of them is that she didn’t gain true acclaim until she was in her 90s, a fact she blames on simply not advocating for herself enough in the Modernist world ruled by men. Note: don’t do that. Another lesson was on the Japanese process of lacquer. It is SUPER intensive. It’s actually amazing that anyone kept doing it. Gray fell in love with it when she saw some pieces at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and began training under a few different mentors between there and Paris. This is such a beautiful example of someone taking an interest in something for no real rhyme or reason and then following that path just to see where it takes them and happening to find the perfect teachers along the way. When you begin delving into something you don’t need to know why, you just need to follow where you’re being led. Gray’s lacquer pieces remain some of her most famous. It is what originally caught the eye of some influential figures early on in her career. None of this was planned, she simply took a liking to it and went with it. Anyway, I’d love an Eileen Gray lacquer screen if anyone wants to buy me one (I’ve actually posted about them on here before without knowing the full background), but in the meantime, I have my eye on lacquer jewelry, and this Elsa Peretti for Tiffany necklace in particular. Something also tells me this kind of bold bangle bracelet is going to have a moment again soon as well. Please credit me when this happens by next summer.

All Lacquered Up

Elsa Peretti for Tiffany necklace

The J. Crew Collab Heard ‘Round the Fashion Internet

There wasn’t a lot of build up to this one, but here it is and it’s really nice. I’m speaking of course of the Maryam Nassir Zadeh and J.Crew clash of the titans (even if one of the titans is sort of a niche yet beloved New York label). I’ll be picking up this red skirt because I love a drop waist and something a bit sheer and I don’t own a red skirt. And I’m considering the matching little bag because she’s cute. I’ll wear the skirt into fall with cream cashmere sweaters and flat boots.

Making the Case for Poplin Pants

Obviously it helps when The Row gets behind a look and does so perfectly, but the truth is I’ve been wearing my poplin pj pants as regular old day pants since I got a crisp set from Domi last spring. But I’m upping the ante with the Chan Lu pair that just arrived and I am in love with them. I recently styled them with a neutral blazer but they’ll also double as beach pants when they come with me to St. Barth’s next week. Also, how good with a fisherman sweater in Indian summer?

The Bag

We are not dupe people over here. This Elleme bag is a great bag in its own right. Is it nice that it reminds us of this also very good (but still different) Bottega Veneta bag? And that its price tag is far less for very high quality. Maybe! But I love both and I will be living in my Elleme bag, it’s gorgeously made and already in heavy rotation.

Clear as Glass

I underwent a mini kitchen reno in the fall, which included new Fire and Clay tile, this island from Marketplace, new stools, painting everything and sanding and staining the floors—but nothing structural. And I kept the appliances. I’m still surprised by how impactful these changes were. The piece de restistance were these smoke glass pendants, hand blown by the artisans at Hennepin Made, a glass company founded by Jackson Schwartz that has the most special pieces. I also own a table lamp by the company, and I love everything they do. Just a little shout because I love supporting craft companies like this and the prices are approachable, especially for such special pieces.

Pour Bébe

Lest you need any reminding on the transience of life, I went to link to a very fun interview and shoot that I did with the designers of Sea New York in 2013 for BAZAAR and all of the images have been lost to the internet or Hearst or whatever. The point was, I’m a longtime fan of designers Sean Monahan and Monica Paolini so I was excited to see that they did a fun little collab with Zara Kids, launching today. I got this set for Lila but everything is so cute, very in the modern Bohemian vibe of Sea New York, and not like everything else out there.

Almost French

Between Call My Agent on Netflix and Becoming Karl on Hulu, I’m fairly convinced I’ll be fluent in French by August. D’Accord! I really did pick up that word tbh. But the Karl show is SO very good (apparently you all watched Call My Agent during lock down and didn’t tell me). Becoming Karl really is like a villain origin story, it gives a lot of background to set us up to give empathy to a man who was a genius but was not always very kind. Hurt people hurt people. But also the cinematography and clothes are stunning.