In Memory of the Baron

This is a sneak preview of a shoot I did with Firenze Magazine an Italian design, fashion and lifestyle magazine a couple of weeks ago in Tuscany. The Baron has long departed from his magnicent 15th century 6000 sqm villa that sits on a Tuscan hill just out of Prato. His ghosts live on. Each room is work of art, it's faded beauty an echo of the past. The stylist, make-up artist, model and myself all dreamed of each having one of the rooms for ourselves. Giant spacious rooms some frescoed, others panelled but all with a sense of space of another time. I would plonk a beautiful bed in the middle of my room and not touch a thing. A place too beautiful for words..

Jacques Villeglè at the Centre Pompidou

Since the 1950's Artist Jacques Villeglè has been walking the streets of Paris with a giant knife cutting deep into pasted urban posters to create his masterpieces of collage. Currently showing at the Centre Pompidou the giant colourful posters of Villeglè are exhibited in colours, fonts and images and are spectacular. Don't miss this exhibition if you are in Paris.

The Ultimate Boudoir ... Versailles

Any excuse to jump on the train to Versailles and last weekend I had three !! I had just finished Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette which I loved, Jeff Koon's exhibition had just opened and my aunty and uncle were in town and were dying to go. Before we arrived at the Koons exhibition we started in the Dauphin's apartments and that of Madame Pompadour. Girly madness, white panelled rooms with chandeliers studded with ceramic roses. Rosy cheeked girls stare back at you in every room and everything is dusted in gold. Marie Antoinette's bedroom just behind the Hall of Mirrors was decked in gold but the king's was almost more frivolous gold and hot pink. Koon's was fab, I will post some of those pics soon. We ended the day in the garden. The most perfect of French gardens.... I will leave you with a note from Antonia Fraser's Marie Antoinette, The Journey !

"Born in 1755, the tiny arch-duchess of Austria was sent to France at 14 to marry the sulky dauphin. She was childless for eight years, for Louis preferred select ladies of the night, hunting and boozing. The little girl grew into first a beauty with a weakness for gambling and later, when Louis XVI had at last done his duty, a loving mother who "preferred domesticity to diamonds". But she was only too aware that she was sitting on a powder keg of popular resentment at the French aristocracy. Nor did she ever tell the people to eat cake – that "lethal phase" was first uttered by Maria Theresa, wife of Louis XIV. Fraser brings the times to life with wonderful details.

Patrick Demarchelier at Le Petit Palais

Gorgeous day today in Paris. The sun was shining and I had a friend visiting from London. We managed to squeeze into a busy day the Patrick Demarchelier exhibition at Le Petit Palais. Hung amongst the permanent exhibition was his stunning mostly black and white photos. Cleverly curated to fit with the existing art. Photos of supermodels beautifully lit with HMI cinema lights and exquisite natural light, portraits of Lady Di (hung next to a religious Madonna them)celebrities and elegant nudes. We glimpsed the master himself and even managed to have our exhibition catalogues of his work signed by him. Perfect fashion 'Sex in the City' inspired day in Paris...........

Loving and missing Paul Newman

Ten reasons why I love and will miss Paul Newman who died this week.

1. He was so bloody gorgeous
2. Was a wonderful philanthropist, donating over 100 million dollars to charity with the sale of Paul Newman's products.
3. In a world obsessed with celebrity he managed to live a discreet life.
4. Was married to the lovely Joanne Woodward for over 40 years.
5. Started a childrens charity camp for under-priviledged children that was inspired by Butch and the sundance kid.
6. Never went the plastic surgery road.
7. Gave back... worked at the Actors studio in New York for years.
8. Was humble... what a wonderful attribute.
9. He was a great actor.
10. And above all, a class act....