When the Grammy’s, the Paris Couture runways and a full moon all fall within the week -you know the cosmic forces are aligned to shower us with some fashion talk.
At Grammy night, Lady GaGa’s celestial, spiral Armani dress most definitely set the tone, but it left me wondering if GaGa herself had text-ed everyone that wrapping was in since so many stars seemed to follow suit by either showing up wrapped in at least one band of metallic or simply wrapped tight in a (surprise) lady-like evening gown. Usually Grammy fashion tends to be lots of ‘head scratchers’, I actually thought this year many looked really pretty-out there, yes-but pretty.
When I heard this week that gray hair was suddenly the height of high fashion I happily toss my box of Nice & Easy to the curb. If Kate Moss and wispy models from Christian Dior and Chanel could embrace and face the facts-that those pesky grays are indeed beautiful, then gosh darn it so could I. Read more..
I was lucky enough to celebrate New Year’s in my new favorite city, New Orleans. I’ve been a fan of the crescent city for years but it wasn’t until this trip that I truly felt it was MY New Orleans. A BFF now lives here, so I had a home base in the French Quarter to freely explore the city.
I simply cannot get enough of the balconies, wrought iron, or colorful facades.
How cool are these still working gas lights?
Of course I went to Marie Laveau’s grave (google it) where I left an offering (in sets of 3s) , placed my hand on the stone, and made a wish. But while walking in the cemetery, I found the most wonderful shadows. Below are some of my favorite scenes. Read more..
That was the question du jour on the morning after President Obama’s State of the Union address so I wasn’t surprised when Georgea Kovanis of the Detroit Free Press called me to get a bit of expert insight.
Did the color send a message at the State of the Union address?
“Color sends a message,’” says Kate Smith, a color expert who works as a corporate color consultant. “There’s some message on our mind, whether it’s conscious or unconscious.”
So, what does purple mean when it comes to politics? Read more..
This past Monday was a rainy, miserable day of a day here in NY. So of course with tons of busy work needing to get done, I ended up spending most of the morning perusing images of Spring 2010 fashion week – as a way to avoid doing it.
After all, what are rainy Monday mornings for anyway?
I noted a few trends- right off the bat that I like.
Here are the first 5.
I have always loved Tomato Red. I used to call it “Folk Art Red” because it reminds me of that reddish-orange that you see often times combined with deep blues, greens and muddy neutrals in rustic art and crafts. It’s a jolt of a color!
There will be plenty of red dresses in designer’s collections come spring. I think the boldness of the color makes it more feminine than the deeper “powerhouse” reds of seasons before.
Awesome for a bathing suit (like this one from Badgley Mischka) or as the perfect beauty accessory. The lips at Prada (as seen above) and Gucci were outrageously intense. My favorite way it was used on the runway: a simple red (extra long) barrette that appeared at 3.1 Phillip Lim on many of his models- so simple, so unexpected, so chic!!!! Read more..
We are “tres Enthousiaste” to let you know that LIFC will have our very own roving reporter at this years Maison & Objet!
The astoundingly beautiful Katherine is en route to the City of Lights- with her Chanel flats packed and her trusty digital camera charged and ready to go.
eat your heart out Audrey Tautou
As she sends us her photo diary each day- we’ll be posting as quickly as we can. So pull up a bistro chair, pour yourself a glass of house wine and sit back and enjoy the sights…
Ahh. Paris–even only being there vicariously through someone younger and much prettier than myself- -I still J’te adore ya…
First up: Katherine takes a colorful spin through the Dedar Showroom.
Then she’s off to visit Creations Metaphores during DECO Off.
Day 1 of a 3 day photo series. Starting with a glimpse of the new textile collections for Dedar and Creations Metaphores. Both reveal a 2010 trend for large scale prints, bold color pairings, denim blue, and neutrals that shimmer shimmer shimmer.
First I started off at the Dedar Showroom located at 20 Rue Bonaparte, just south of the Louvre.
Bold colors and prints jumped off the walls… these particular curtains were created to replicate a digital print. Look closely at the right curtain. Read more..
Day 1 of a 3 day photo series. Starting with a glimpse of the new textile collections for Dedar and Creations Metaphores. Both reveal a 2010 trend for large scale prints, bold color pairings, denim blue, and neutrals that shimmer shimmer shimmer.
I found myself smack dab in the middle of Deco Off, a first ever to hit the lively and chic city of Paris.
Located not far from Dedar is the Creations Metaphores showroom, a subsidiary of the textile holding of Hermes. Located on 5 rue Fuerstenberg, the company houses three distinct and unique collections within: Le Crin, Metaphores, and Verel de Belval.
A peak through the doorway into the only quiet time had by this quaint showroom. Read more..
I just read that something like 20% of Americans say that they suffer from feelings of depression during the winter months.
If you polled my own family that figure would probably shoot up to around 75%- cause I’m sure that not a day goes by from January to March that you won’t catch someone in my house uttering an exasperated “I haaaate winter”!
Since we know that looking at bright colors can give one an instant boost and help to uplift droopy spirits- it would only make sense to surround ourselves with these colors, right?
Think about it.
If you suddenly found yourself compelled to curl up in a ball and sulk over an impending ice storm- wouldn’t you feel less-like doing so, if you walked into your bedroom and saw this:
or if a snowstorm forces you to work from your home office, while you’d much rather be outside playing hooky, building snowmen with the kids…wouldn’t you be happy to be chained to the desk, at least for a little while- if it were this desk: Read more..
If you’ve been tuned in here or on our Facebook fans page you know that I had a blast sharing my New Year’s resolution to ‘Learn More‘ as one of the experts participating in Ten Design Days hosted by Sonu Mathew of Living In Color With Sonu and Kathy Barlow of HomeWorkshop.
With a resolution like ‘Learn More‘ you can be sure I didn’t pass up the opportunity to tune in each day as my fellow experts shared their resolutions and tips. Are you curious about what I learned from ten experts in ten days when I turned the table and became the student rather than the teacher?
Here are my top ‘take aways’ — one from each expert:
Day One: Have Fun ~ Jamie Drake, Interior Designer to Michael Bloomberg and Madonna
When I saw ‘Have Fun’ and Jamie Drake in the same sentence I knew I was in for a treat. Jamie delivered and before I even finished listening to the interview and reading his tips my mind was sparking with new ideas. The one that I want to put into action immediately is this tip but with my own little tweak: Read more..
All of us here at Sensational Color, along with the world, mourn the extreme loss of life for the people of Haiti. We talk about how color can change one’s life…so this week we ask you to please pay very close attention to the healing powers of red and blue.
Two trusted sites are also represented by red and blue. Read more..
