Chocolate

Chocolate is my favourite sweet in the whole wide world! But not just any chocolate, like in the pictures above, I do have a criteria to follow when it comes to cocoa testing! Fauchon in Paris have a great selection of chocolates to make your mouth watering. Fiat tiny choco blocks  by Majani in Bologna, makes the most delightful bites and Ladurée in Paris, have the Anna Sui´s 85% chocolate macaroon to make my whole day a lot sweeter. If you also like bittersweet chocolate then you would also dreamt to have won the Gold ticket to Willy Wonka´s chocolate factory...Didn´t you?

Rachel Feinstein

At 35 and with eight solo exhibits, she is one of my favourite contemporary artists. Born and raised in Miami, she has climbed into the art world masterfully thanks to her vision and sense of humour. Married to another artist, John Currin(another of my faves!) and based in New York she is a usual in the party scene and a muse to the fashion world, but that is all mere frivolities compared to her art. Sculptress supreme and a painter delight, she combines abstract with a naive vision, all under a palpable influence of the Barroque period. Her sculpture `Bridge to dreamland´ or her decay portraits of Edwardian English ladies are a constant pleasure to look at. Her sense of colour is flawless, like her pale skin, and her use of media colossal, like her height. She will soon exhibit in Paris and Oslo, so it is your time now to book a plane ticket for a good artsy ride!

Absolutely Fabulous

It is my favourite TV show without a doubt, and if there is a duo out there that I will go partying with, they will be Edwina Monsoon and Patsy Stone. The ingredients to a BBC broadcast succes are:

Mocking English manners, non politically correct speechs and  drugs or alcoholic tendencies. Adding sweetie and darling to almost every line on the script. Dressing up in Lacroix, Lagerfeld or Gaultier, but always in the most unelegant and taky way. Using pygmees and eskimos as a comparison to society. Traumatizing your teen daughter and teach her how to roll a joint properly. Spending more time having lunches than working hours in your office. Not being invited to any cool event or party...

If you are not familiar with these series, I will recomend you to tune in as soon as you can, because obviously you are missing out a lot, and it is enough with Christian Lacroix declaring for bankcruptcy!

Horses

Horses are my favourite creatures on earth. When I was little, I did not play with dolls, like every other child, instead I collected horses and waited all week long for a weekend at the stables, where I could brushed them and observed them. They have such poised and grace that it is only normal that the most fantastic and mystical creatures like unicorns or pegasus are embodied as horses. Even carrousel horses are very dignified, adorned with beautyful bouquets and various ribbons, making it a ride to remember!

Diana Vreeland

With genius personal statements like: "Fuchsia is the navy blue of India"; "People who eat white bread has no hopes or ambition"; "Japanese are gifted with style"; "What do I think about the way most people dress? Most people are not something one thinks about!"; and  an innate elegance and confidence, is not a mystery that Mrs. Vreeland is one of the people I aspire to become one day. Against all odds (her beauty was usually compared with her younger sister and traumatising comments from her mother were a must while growing up) this rare bird of paradise with bony complexion and savoire faire became the dictator of fashion during the late Fifties and Sixties. She morphed from socialite to columnist of Harper´s Bazaar (her `why don´t yous´ became a must read every month!) to editor in chief of American Vogue to finally curator of Fashion and Textiles at the MET. She had an eye for new talent, giving Richard Avedon his first big shot and Verushka the chance to be the face of a decade. Before la Wintour, they mock her in films such as Funny face, where a fashion magazine editor (a clear wink to Diana herself) went into a Pink comma, creating chaos to those around her. She was also stylist to the late first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, suggesting American fashion designers to come to her rescue, such as Oleg Cassini. But what I most loved about D.V is her constant romance with red and her hidden passion for maximalist and over the top interiors, a clear reflection of her flamboyant innerself!

Belle de Jour

Sevérine is a frigid bourgeoise who sleeps in a separate bed from his gorgeous husband and works from 14:00 till 17:00 at Chez Madame Anaïs to overcome her stiffness and supply the severe and cold relationship that she needs in bed. If this is not enough to attract your attention to one of my favourite films, then it is my duty to inform you of the fabulous wardrobe of Catherine Deneuve in the movie, a compilation from Pierre Cardin to Yves Saint Laurent... And those infamous Roger Vivier `Belle´shoes! Also pay attention to the massive L´air de temps parfum bottle kept in her bathroom, or the great chignon she manages to fix in 30 seconds...Luis Buñuel accomplished to saturate with impressive images a film with not such a happy ending where carriage bells add just enough soundtrack to a dramatic opening and finale!

Long hair

Once upon a time I had long and gorgeous hair, but I decided to cut it short, like Mia Farrow in `Rosemary´s baby´ making a faux pass on something I have always loved and another of my favourite things, great, long and healthy hair! Besides, everywhere I turn, I am surrounded by it; My best friend Emma has a fab wig, my lovely pal Juan sports a medium length, my work colleagues all have great hair and people I admire, like Nico, also owned luscious and luster locks. Now I am trying to grow it out, but it seems like a long and tough road ahead, but that is the prize you must pay to become a modern day Rapunzel!

Balenciaga Automne Hiver 2002-03

For me, is without a doubt the most innovative collection of his for the house of Balenciaga, and it has been my favourite collection in several seasons. That Nicolas Ghesquiére is a genius is no surprise, but who could imagine that mixing the Yeti with Vasili Kandinsky´s work will turn out to be such a refreshing take on the world of ready to wear. I remembered I had the pleasure to go to this fashion show in New York, while I was living there. It was held nearby his avant-garde Chelsea boutique on twentysecond street between ninth and tenth Avenues. The crowd was anxious  and the collection impeccable, giving me goosebumps throughout the eighteen minutes long of the show. When I came out of there I realize that it would be very difficult to witness such a brilliant brainstormed collection for some time... I was right, nothing has left me knocked out the way this one did!

Le Petit Prince

The classic tale of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is one of my favourite books ever. Most people think is a children`s book, but the truth is that it displays with sarcasm and witt the horror of becoming an adult and how we loose our brilliance and creative point of view as we walk the right path to adulthood. Who hasn´t dreamt of owning a planet like Asteroid B-612 or being able to visit all the planets around you with the help of migrant birds, or rock a jacket with oversized epaulettes and star buttons, like he did. The truth is that this book is a masterpiece with cult followers and huge worldly reclaim, but this is all secondary, because as the little prince´s friend the fox said: "Only with the heart you can see clearly. The essential is invisible to the eyes".

Matryoshkas

Ever since my parents brought me as a souvenir two Matryoshkas in their first trip to Russia, back in 1986, I have been collecting them, counting a number of five hundred and fifty gorgeous and unique Russian dolls(some of them pictured above). I adore the idea of several women hidden inside a big and strong female figure adorned with flowers or scenes of  Zharine times in Russia. I have also become quite an expert on the matter, being able to identify the rarest and most distinguished figures. If you are looking for a special one, look no further than the little shop Petterhoff, located at Saint Germain des Pres in Paris, their selection is the most bizarre I have ever seen, stocking very old style Matronas and Babooshkas. I know that for some people they are considered tacky, but for me they are very nostalgic and stunning!

Wild Beasts

"How the prayer rubs the rosary. How the make up make her face pretty. Oh! How we have an underbelly, bitten by brutality. How there´s guts fried up. How lothario leers at slut. Oh! How we have an underbelly, bitten by brutality." From Wild Beast´s `Underbelly´ from the album `Two Dancers´.

With lyrics like the one shown above, is no surprise that this Indie Brit band won me over with their explosive wittiness and their unusual sound. It was a major discovery for me back in 2002, and trust me, their latest album(Two Dancers) is a real treasure, filled with gems such as `We still got the taste dancing in our tongues´ or `Two Dancers Part I and II´. For those of you that are not familiar with the band, think of the perfect mixture of Bee Gees and the Communers with a hint of Anthony and the Johnsons or The Dears(another favourite of mine!) on their sound. For more information on them, check their website:

http://www.wild-beasts.co.uk/

Anna dello Russo

One of my favourite characters in the world of fashion! She is as skinny as Anna Wintour and as extravagant as Anna Piaggi, but this Anna is more human and charming than the other Annas in the universe of fashion. With her passion, strong Italian accent and her daring extravaganza, Anna dello Russo has soon become a usual on blogs all over the world. Her carrer has also changed drastically, trading menswear glossy magazines(L´Uomo Vogue) for a beacon on Asian womenswear (Vogue Japan), so it is only normal that she has updated her closet with ultra femenine pieces like, off the shoulder Lanvin shifts or peek a boo gliterry Balmain party dresses. Also her opulent way of accessorizing herself sets her apart from the rest of fashionistas. She mixes her antique precious jewellery with hardcore and oversize bijoux from Prada or Lanvin, unlike a minimal Emmanuelle Alt or a noire Carine Roitfield. It doesn´t matter if she is not gorgeous looking, but to be honest, who else can pull off gold nail varnish and Ford era YSL cherry heels?

My heart goes to you too, Miss dello Russo!

Weird black shoes

Shoes in general are something that I am obsessed with. But with black shoes I tend to be a little bit more over the top, maybe because I think is such a wearable and commercial color I choose the funniest styles of a designer collection. With time I accumulated a vast number of them, including the ones on the picture above. I know some of them are way too much, and trust me they are pretty much as difficult to wear, but they are so good to look at, they are so pretty and well made that is a pleasure owning them. To those of you,shoe lovers, you will probably understand me better than anyone else...

On the picture: 1-Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers; 2-Maison Martin Margiela; 3-Miu Miu; 4-Prada; 5-Vintage Scottish dance shoes bought at Rokkit London; 6-Made to measure meduses handmade in Firenze; 7-Yves Saint Laurent; 8-Christian Louboutin; 9-Carol Christian Poell.

Louis Garrel

Well...What can I say?! He is so good looking and intense that is only normal that I feature him as one of my favourite things... But shallowness apart he is a really good actor, which is only normal coming from such a long tradition of great actors and directors running in his family. He hitted the jackpot with Bertolucci´s film The Dreamers, alongside Michael Pitt and Eva Green, where he proved that he is not intimidated by difficult roles or scenes involving nudity. He makes a perfect impression of a grumpy French lad, cause I believe he really is like that in real life. Some other films where he plays are the ones directed by Christophe Honoré like Ma mére, Dans Paris or Chansons d´amour... The first one showcased a fragile Louis being in love with his mother (Isabelle Huppert) and being raped by her mum´s best friend (Joanna Preiss) in other words, a twisted tale set in the Canary Islands... He won the Cesar for new upcoming actor thanks to Les amants réguliers in 2006, but he won my heart ever since I lay eyes on him! If you cannot get enough of him, check his web-site:
http://www.louis-garrel.com/

You will thank me for life...