lavender. grey & cometes : Karl's Chanel

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Kristen McMenamy looking like a Bourbon from a Nattier portrait

Sophie de France

Madame Victoire of France 

painted by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard

Why there will always be Chanel-at this point, one must admit it is the vision of Karl Lagerfeld. He is a magician pulling beautiful rabbits out of  a Chanel boater. His Resort collection was staged at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden Roc in Antibes on the French Riviera  this week.
 

I love the stars -part of  Chanel haute joallerie pieces- diamonds brooches pinned on vests, & featured as motifs in fabrics-

"Do not you believe, madam, said I, 

that the clearness of this Night exceeds the Glory of the brightest day?

I confess, said she, the Day must yield to such a Night. "

Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, from Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds

 "I wanted to cover women with constellations! 

With stars! 

Stars of all sizes!"

CHANEL

"I confess, said she, the Day must yield to such a Night.

 I love the Stars, and could be heartily angry with the Sun for taking them from my sight."

Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, from Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds

 

Chanel Fine Jewelry here
Chanel.com here
Vogue.com here
Comet images here



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Atelier Swarovski by Mary Katrantzou

Inspired by perfume bottles, artisan brown glass and eighteenth century society paintings, British designer Mary Katrantzou's fashion collections revolve around icons of luxury. Her Atelier Swarovski accessories for A/W 2011 complement her imaginative design aesthetic with a collection of exquisite jewelry pieces.

Necklaces and pendants feature iconic talisman shapes made with crystal mesh, scattered with pendants and strung on luxurious cord fastenings. Earrings, rings and bangles are crowned with chromatic clusters of crystal beads, from fuchsia to emerald, amethyst and sapphire interspersed with silver shade and aurora borealis pendants.

Fashion designer Mary Katrantzou have incorporated the Swarovski crystals into some of her A/W 2011 collection pieces.

" It's great to be able to work with Swarovski. It allows me to add depth and a sense of luxury to the collection. There are unlimited ways to apply the Swarovski Elements. It's fantastic to have all that at our disposal."

Courtesy Atelier Swarovski

Mary Katrantzou

The precious and poetic world of Sylvie Corbelin

Sylvie Corbelin began her career as a Paris antiques dealer and quickly earned the title of "expert" in this field. Immersed in a world of strange and beautiful objects from ages past, she developed a trained eye and a love for the rare and unusual piece. Sylvie also became fascinated with gems, and pursued this passion by embarking upon studies that would lead her to become a state-cerified Gemologist.

Combining her love for unique and exquisite objects and her knowledge of extraordinary gems, Sylvie began to design, and Sylvie Corbelin's jewelry line was born. Her jewels are made with only the finest materials such as gold or patinated silver, precious cabochons, coral, turquoise, baroque pearls and diamonds. Her work has been featured in W, French and Italian Vogue, L'Officiel, and Elle Magazine.

Sylvie Corbelin's collection pieces were on exhibit at Pavillon des Arts and Design, Paris.

"I see a stone, a sapphire for example, and I have to make something. I start with the material, then I dream."

Rose d'Ambre ring in sculpted amber and emeralds

The Lilith Collection

Lucky Lucane Ring, limited edition of six

Double Adamante Ring, inspired by designs of the middle ages

The Jardin Collection

The Initiee Collection

The Imperator Collection

Andaluz Cuff, Hand beaten silver gilt, 18K gold with amethysts and diamonds

Pavlova hoop earrings in gold, silver, rubies, pink sapphires, diamonds and rose cut diamonds

Images courtesy Sylvie Corbelin

To view the full collection go to Sylvie Corbelin

Via Trouvaillesdujour

old blue eyes

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Maximilian von Österreich

 by Winterhalter

born 1832- executed 1867

His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Imperial . Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Prince of Hungary & Bohemia

love child

traveller

lover

botanist

Commander-in-Chief of the Austrian Navy 

progressive

Viceroy of Lombardy - Venetia

Milanese liberal

adventurer

Emperor of Mexico

executed by a firing squad

last words VIVA MEXICO

&

lover of emeralds

His Own

the 21carat, Maximilian Emerald

legend says the emerald belonged to Cuauhtemoc -last Aztec King
Cartier set the Emerald with diamonds for Marjorie Merriewaether Post
(Smithsonian image)

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Victoire de Castellane and her fabulous "Fleurs d'exces"

The fringed bangs, fashioned before she was five years old, the improbably high heels, the flared black skirts: Victoire de Castellane's silhouette is a poem in itself. A Parisienne, de Castellane grew up in an aristocratic family whose originis can be traced back to the 10th century. Her grandmother Sylvia Hennessy along with her friend Barbara Hutton were champions of both enormous and extravagant jewelry. Victoire de Castellane accomplished her first feat of jewelry-making at the age of five: she dismantled a priceless charm-bracelet to make a pair of earrings. At age twelve, she created her first ring. Indifferent to convention though passionate about history and technical challenge, de Castellane's ideas are driven by an exuberant imagination, deriving from mixed sources such as the synthetic wonders of Technicolor; the Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney; Hollywood screen idols and manga characters.

In 1998, Victoire de Castellane joined Dior as the first Creative Director of their new jewelry department, a role she continues to this day. Her highly original collections for Dior have redefined and revivified haute joaillerie for a new generation. With "Fleurs d'exces" Flowers of excess, she has gone further to create unique works that recall the jeweled obsessions of times past, such as the mechanical nightingale of Hans Christian Andersen's children's tale, Faberge eggs, and the fabulous bestiaries of animals real and mythic. De Castellane's flowers are intoxicating, but also dangerous because of the poisons that they secrete.

Amanita Satana Diabolus

Acidae Lili Pervertus

Opium Velourosa Purpa

Crystalucinea Metha Agressiva

Extasium Ethero Coitus

Quo Cainus Magic Disco

Exhibition Victoire de Castellane: Fleurs d'exces at Gagosian Gallery Paris
March 2 - March 22, 2011
Courtesy Gagosian Gallery Paris

This post is also featured on The Huffington Post

Hutton Wilkinson on Lavender

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"I Love Lavender, but I tend to deal in jewel colors... So We call it AMETHYST. I am CRAZY about it...especially using it with silver gilt. All the ceilings on the main floor of my new house are painted a PALE AMETHYST... So, I guess I'm Really Crazy about it!!! " Hutton Wilkinson

amethyst and diamond brooch from Tony Duquette here

Hutton Wilkinson designer of interiors, jewelry for Tony Duquette and for his own line.
my post on Hutton's trip to Capitol here
Hutton Wilkinson  here
Tony Duquette here
Hutton Wilkinson here 

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