Crêpes Suzette, Paris, by Barbara Redmond

As millions of elementary school children in America eagerly wait for the groundhog to come out to find his shadow, the French celebrate Chandeleur, also known as Le Jour des Crêpes. What do waiting for a furry woodland creature and eating delicious sugar filled pancakes have in common? They both are derivations of the Christian holiday Candlemas.

Candlemas celebrates the presentation of Jesus at Temple. After giving birth to Jesus, Mary had to perform a ritual purification. From there, I’m not sure how weather predicting groundhogs or crêpes got involved, but somewhere along the line, these associations appeared. Even my host dad, a practicing Catholic, couldn’t tell me.

During my stay in Montpellier, France, I had the opportunity to celebrate Chandeleur with my host family. That morning, my host mom made a batch of crêpe batter and let it repose in the fridge during the day. After my host dad got home from work, the fun began. Tradition dictates that while flipping a crêpe during Chandeleur, you must hold a piece of money in one hand and flip the crêpe in the pan with the other. If you succeed, you will have good luck for the rest of the year. If not, better luck next year. I think we probably should have buttered the pan a bit better because none of us were able to flip our crêpes. Despite being cursed, the meal was still delicious. The first round was crêpes aux champignons and for dessert, we had a variety of fillings ranging from simple butter and sugar to my new found favorite spread, Crème de Châtaigne (Chestnut Jam). The recipe my host mom uses comes from the cookbook “Je Sais Cuisiner” by Ginette Mathiot. There is also an English version of the book titled “I Know How to Cook”. It is pretty easy and featured below. For those who need a little more guidance, you can check out French chef Pierre Dominique Cécillon do a demonstration (in French). If you’re an Anglophone, Julia Child features these little delights on her TV show, The French Chef. Perhaps this year while waiting for the groundhog to come out and bring news of winter or spring, you can do it, crêpe in hand.

For crêpes in Minneapolis, I used Ginette Mathiot’s recipe from Je Sais Cuisiner.

Je Sais Cuisiner, by Ginette Mathiot. Recipe for crêpes.

Ingredients:

500 g flour (4 cups and two extra tablespoons)
1 liter milk
4 eggs
2 tablespoon of oil
2 pinches of salt (for dessert crepes also add 2t sugar)
Optional: vanilla, fleur d’oranger, rum, etc.

Directions:

- Sieve flour into a mixing bowl.
- Create a little hole in the flour for the eggs.
- Add oil, salt, and a bit of milk.
- Whisk together.
- Gradually add in the milk, stirring to combine.
- Add the flavoring.
- Let it sit for at least an hour.
- Before cooking, add a little bit of milk to the batter and whisk it gently.
- Heat a crêpe pan over medium heat.
- Oil or butter a crepe pan/frying pan.
- Pour or scoop a little bit of the batter onto the pan.
- Swirl until batter forms a thin coat.
- Grab your piece of money, jiggle, flip, and hope for the best.

We’ve launched a new look and feel, and now “French Impressions,” featuring interviews with practitioners in fields such as style and fashion, cuisine and wine, the arts, literature, film and culture; and “French Lessons,” pairings of whimsical ideas to add to the joy of life.

We are a place where the love of personal style and knowledge go hand in hand.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™

Welcome to our new online store!

Give a gift that’s Paris and every day after! Featuring high-quality cases for Apple iPhone, iTouch and iPad. Choose from six watercolor paintings of Parisian scenes by Barbara Redmond. Currencies and shipping worldwide.

Give the up-and-coming Madelines in their preteen and teen years whimsical art cases of famous places in Paris.

Nourish your creativity and parade your memories of Paris. Impress your friends and pique their interest with Paris-themed accessories worn your way.

Infuse your everyday life with the spirit of France!

Fine art paintings of Paris

Fine art prints of paintings by Barbara Redmond of famous streets and places and gardens of Paris. Printed on archival 100% cotton paper, each print is signed and dated. Visit http://www.awomansparis.com. Or email Barbara at barbara@awomansparis.com or call toll free 855.339.3861. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Unless you would prefer to stop for a glass of wine at my place.

Text copyright ©2012 Michelle Hum
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

For a fashion house that’s been embroiled in scandal and plagued by lackluster reviews as of late, Dior’s haute couture show this past week absolutely blew me away. Perhaps it’s my romantic sensibility, but I loved how it paid homage to its ladylike New Look roots without being stodgy or overly costume-y. I’m sure some of the die-hard fashionistas will dismiss this collection for playing it too safe, or being too predictable, but when you’re sans head designer and you come out with a line this fabulous, I think it should be celebrated. We’re certain to see a few Dior ball gowns at the upcoming Oscars – just look for shades of black, white, and gray. For snapshots of the show, click here.

Photo credits: Pascal Le Segretain – Getty Images (January 23, 2012)

You may also enjoy A Woman’s Paris™ blog, Fashion Crashing: Paris Haute-Couture, about French couture designer, Maxime Simoëns’ first haute couture collection, “This, Madame, is Versailles!” for Summer 2011.

Slipping through a crack between the ancient blue doors came five willow-thin, lithe young women, their makeup the color of bisque figurines. They huddled closely together with their backs to the gathering crowd. Wearing thin filmy slips under their vintage bomber jackets and old cloth coats, and Repetto flats (and one girl wearing what appeared to be very old Frye boots), they all smoked one last cigarette. As quickly as they had come they were gone.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™.

We’ve launched a new look and feel, and now “French Impressions,” featuring interviews with practitioners in fields such as style and fashion, cuisine and wine, the arts, literature, film and culture; and “French Lessons,” pairings of whimsical ideas to add to the joy of life.

We are a place where the love of personal style and knowledge go hand in hand.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™

Welcome to our new online store!

Give a gift that’s Paris and every day after! Featuring high-quality cases for Apple iPhone, iTouch and iPad. Choose from six watercolor paintings of Parisian scenes by Barbara Redmond. Currencies and shipping worldwide.

Give the up-and-coming Madelines in their preteen and teen years whimsical art cases of famous places in Paris.

Nourish your creativity and parade your memories of Paris. Impress your friends and pique their interest with Paris-themed accessories worn your way.

Infuse your everyday life with the spirit of France!

Fine art paintings of Paris

Fine art prints of paintings by Barbara Redmond of famous streets and places and gardens of Paris. Printed on archival 100% cotton paper, each print is signed and dated. Visit http://www.awomansparis.com. Or email Barbara at barbara@awomansparis.com or call toll free 855.339.3861. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Unless you would prefer to stop for a glass of wine at my place.

Text copyright ©2012 Kristin Wood
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

Isabelle Burdel, Master Perfumer, Salon Privé, Cannes, France

INSPIRATION:

AWP: Name the books and movies, works of art and music, fashion or cuisine that have inspired you.

IB: I’ve always been fascinated by Gabrielle Chanel.

AWP: Do you have any role models?

IB: No, I am always my own inspiration.

AWP: What is the last book you read?

IB: A book on astrophysics. I read scientific journals in general or fashion magazines in large quantities.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

AWP: What is the best (or worst) advice you’ve ever given or received?

IB: “It is never better served than by yourself!”

AWP: What handed-down wisdom did you receive from your mother or father?

IB: Clairvoyance.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES:

AWP: What childhood experience has served you many times?

IB: Listening.

AWP: In your youth, what did you imagine your adult life would hold? What influenced this vision?

IB: I have no recollection as a child projecting myself as an adult. Even today, I do not project to a later age. I remain very flexible in my future!

AWP: In your early teens, what formed your romantic fantasies of adventure and love?

IB: Movies, music.

AWP: What were your favorite childhood things to do?

IB: Dream.

CREATIVITY:

AWP: What nourishes your passions?

IB: Everything around me that is in quotidian, occuring everyday. The landscapes of Provence are inexhaustible sensations, each day offers different colors and scents. The windows of the designers are also a great source of inspiration; colors, cuts, materials, every detail of print and finishing, buttons, and movements of matter. The spirit of things.

AWP: How did you get your foot in the door at the beginning of your career?

IB: Only because of my motivation — I did not choose this profession. I discovered my vocation at sixteen years, it became obvious, it is always obvious.

PERSONAL STYLE:

AWP: Was being stylish important to you growing up in your teens? Is it now?

IB: I’ve always had a very specific view of what I wanted to wear, even when I was very young, and what I wear everyday is still as important.

AWP: How do you define style or fashion?

IB: Style is something that you have within yourself; each in his or her own style. It is best illustrated when you know yourself. Style is to be in perfect harmony with yourself and in the eyes of others. Style is the name of each projection. Fashion complements the style and proposes to follow and adapt current ideas in one’s own style, in my opinion.

CUISINE:

AWP: Tell me about your cooking and eating habits and traditions.

IB: I cook every day and I really like it. Through these actions, it’s a bit obvious what we offer. I have a penchant for cooking traditional French stew (especially veal stew in the winter), grilled fish and aromatic salads in summer, and all year round mixed vegetables — always very fresh ingredients and lots of flavors. I personally like Japanese and Thai cuisine.

AWP: What was your most memorable meal to date?

IB: Dinner at the Pyramid in Vienna (3 Michelin stars).

AWP: What is in your refrigerator right now?

IB: Fresh vegetables, fresh organic eggs, Figatelli from Corsica, very fresh goat cheese for an appetizer, pesto (basil sauce), and carrot juice.

ART OF LIVING:

AWP: What do you live for? What do you love above all?

IB: To live simply, that’s what I love above all.

AWP: What natural gift would you most like to possess? What talent are you most thankful for?

IB: I wish I had the sense of direction. But, I am lucky to have the five other senses — and very sharp!

A Woman’s Paris™ Discovering French elegance and personal style

We are captivated by women and men, like you, who use their discipline, wit and resourcefulness to make their own way and who excel at what the French call joie de vivre or “the art of living.” We stand in awe of what you fill into your lives. Free spirits who inspire both admiration and confidence.

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. — Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971) French fashion designer whose pursuit of simplicity made her an important 20th century figure in fashion and founder of the brand, Chanel.

Text copyright ©2012 Isabelle Burdel
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

“Simplify, simplify, simplify.”

It’s a phrase attributed to Henry David Thoreau, the famous American author and philosopher who eschewed material excess and extravagance in favor of living an ascetic lifestyle in a tiny cabin on Walden Pond.

Woman with handbag, Paris by Barbara Redmond

Perhaps paradoxically, it’s a phrase that is also gaining currency in today’s style and fashion worlds. As the Paris Pre-Fall shows commence today, I’ll be looking for evidence of two of 2012’s predicted trends: the “undone” makeup look, and the “de-blinging” of luxury items. And what better place to introduce these two trends on a grand scale than Paris?

One of the things I’ve always loved about the quintessential Parisienne is her apparent insouciance: she wears little to no makeup; she never wears anything overly fussy or complicated; one piece is a bit askew – an unevenly tied scarf, maybe, or a few errant strands of hair. But somehow, her imperfection still looks perfect.

Going out sans maquillage is, of course, nothing new for French woman (the “le no makeup” makeup look) is something that has long been part of the Parisian mystique. But I love the intrigue associated with 2012’s “undone” makeup. It starts with the storied “le bare face,” with its dewy skin and one mascara coat, but adds smudged eyeliner and leftovers of loud lip color. One expert says it’s more “coming home from the party” than “going out to the party.” Passers-by wonder where she was, what she was doing, whom she was with. Her understated makeup tells a story of its own, but it’s not overdone or precious. It’s a subtle seduction.

If “restraint” really is the buzzword for beauty in 2012, as New York Times columnist Stephanie Rosenbloom suggests, then “simplify” could be fashion’s. LVMH fashion magnate Antoine Arnault’s recently predicted the “deblinging” of luxury, saying that “in a world in economic crisis, you don’t want to be seen with evidently expensive products. Just something that is beautiful.” We’ll discover just how far designers take this prognostication to heart during Paris Fashion Week. The Parisienne loves her Chanel ballet flats, her Hermès scarves, and her Chloé bag, but it’s not just because of the name emblazoned on the product – it’s about the quality and the fit. Conspicuous consumption, like conspicuous makeup, is not de rigueur. There is, naturally, a time and a place for statement pieces and status bags, but for now, like my favorite Madelines, I’m more than happy to simplify, simplify, simplify.

You may also enjoy A Woman’s Paris™ blog, What is a French Woman?, about discovering Paris through its women.

What is a French Woman? Good question. We have a vague undefined notion of Frenchness, which at the very least is empatically not English or North American, but beyond that, generalizations break down. So it is not about appearances. Skin colour, body shape, clothing…much as we may like to imagine that Frenchwomen look a certain way. And yet…Frenchwomen are still different from us. First, of course…

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™.

We’ve launched a new look and feel, and now “French Impressions,” featuring interviews with practitioners in fields such as style and fashion, cuisine and wine, the arts, literature, film and culture; and “French Lessons,” pairings of whimsical ideas to add to the joy of life.

We are a place where the love of personal style and knowledge go hand in hand.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™

Welcome to our new online store!

Give a gift that’s Paris and every day after! Featuring high-quality cases for Apple iPhone, iTouch and iPad. Choose from six watercolor paintings of Parisian scenes by Barbara Redmond. Currencies and shipping worldwide.

Give the up-and-coming Madelines in their preteen and teen years whimsical art cases of famous places in Paris.

Nourish your creativity and parade your memories of Paris. Impress your friends and pique their interest with Paris-themed accessories worn your way.

Infuse your everyday life with the spirit of France!

Fine art paintings of Paris

Fine art prints of paintings by Barbara Redmond of famous streets and places and gardens of Paris. Printed on archival 100% cotton paper, each print is signed and dated. Visit http://www.awomansparis.com. Or email Barbara at barbara@awomansparis.com or call toll free 855.339.3861. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Unless you would prefer to stop for a glass of wine at my place.

Text copyright ©2012 Kristin Wood
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

I’m already looking forward to the excitement of Paris Fashion Week, which takes place next week (January 23-26) in various locations across the City of Light. Although I won’t physically be in attendance, I’ll certainly be keeping tabs on every show.

One of my favorite jewelry designers, Lizzie Fortunato (of Lizzie Fortunato Jewels) will be showcasing her pre-fall collection at the Valery Demure Showroom (24 Rue Rene Boulanger, Paris). Each of Lizzie’s collections is distinctive, as each season is inspired by a unique character and adventure, and they are all strikingly cosmopolitan. I love envisioning her pieces for each Parisian woman:

Pour la branchée of the Left Bank, those trendy women who will attend the airy Christophe Josse and zany Maurizio Galante shows:

[Lizzie Fortunato Jewels Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test Necklace]

Pour la look intello who will fit in shows like Elie Saab between classes at the Sorbonne:

[Lizzie Fortunato Jewels Le Smoking Necklace]

Pour l’avant garde, who wouldn’t dare miss Adeline André, nor a jewelry or accessories show like Dior Joaillerie:

[Lizzie Fortunato Jewels Midnight Waltz Pin]

Pour la BCBG (bon chic bon genre), whose day will undoubtedly revolve around Chanel‘s show:

[Lizzie Fortunato Jewels Bombas Necklace]

American readers can find retailers of Lizzie Fortunato Jewels here. International readers can find retailers of Lizzie Fortunato Jewels here.

You may also enjoy A Woman’s Paris™ blog, French Empress Eugénie and her diamonds, about Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III, who lusted after diamonds.

She was a compulsive bejeweled clotheshorse and known as the most stylish woman of her day. In 1885, when the Empress wore the new cage crinolines, European fashion followed suite. When persuaded by her legendary couturier, Charles Worth, to abandon the huge skirts nearly twenty-five years later, the silhouette of womens’ dresses adopted her style.

Or French Crown Jewels: Empress Eugénie, about the collapse of the Second Empire in 1870 and what became of the disposed Empress’ many pieces from the French Crown Jewels and her private jewelry collection, including her favorite the “Eugénie diamond.”

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™.

We’ve launched a new look and feel, and now “French Impressions,” featuring interviews with practitioners in fields such as style and fashion, cuisine and wine, the arts, literature, film and culture; and “French Lessons,” pairings of whimsical ideas to add to the joy of life.

We are a place where the love of personal style and knowledge go hand in hand.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™

Welcome to our new online store!

Give a gift that’s Paris and every day after! Featuring high-quality cases for Apple iPhone, iTouch and iPad. Choose from six watercolor paintings of Parisian scenes by Barbara Redmond. Currencies and shipping worldwide.

Give the up-and-coming Madelines in their preteen and teen years whimsical art cases of famous places in Paris.

Nourish your creativity and parade your memories of Paris. Impress your friends and pique their interest with Paris-themed accessories worn your way.

Infuse your everyday life with the spirit of France!

Fine art paintings of Paris

Fine art prints of paintings by Barbara Redmond of famous streets and places and gardens of Paris. Printed on archival 100% cotton paper, each print is signed and dated. Visit http://www.awomansparis.com. Or email Barbara at barbara@awomansparis.com or call toll free 855.339.3861. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Unless you would prefer to stop for a glass of wine at my place.

Text copyright ©2012 Kristin Wood
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

Jack Edwards, Costume and fashion designer, Orono, MN USA

INSPIRATION:

AWP: Name the books and movies, works of art and music, fashion or cuisine that have inspired you.

JE: “Death in Venice,” Balenciaga, Cecil Beaton, “The Tales of Hoffman” at the Paris Opera, Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, Joan Seifter, Mrs. Maler, The Opera, The Ballet.

AWP: Do you have any role models?

JE: Sir Cecil Beaton, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Laurence Olivier.

AWP: What is the last book you read?

JE: “Oscar Wilde,” by Frank Harris.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

AWP: What is the best (or worst) advice you’ve ever given or received?

JE: Be yourself. Don’t be afraid of bad taste — you have to get through it until you get to your own.

AWP: What handed-down wisdom did you receive from your mother or father?

JE: From my mother: Go for it — anything you want is possible.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES:

AWP: What childhood experience has served you many times?

JE: Keep moving.

AWP: In your youth, what did you imagine your adult life would hold? What influenced this vision?

JE: Glamorous! I didn’t like the life I had as a child and thought I didn’t fit. I wanted glamour from an early age.

AWP: In your early teens, what formed your romantic fantasies of adventure and love?

JE: Travel.

AWP: What were your favorite childhood things to do?

JE: Make believe.

CREATIVITY:

AWP: What nourishes your passions?

JE: Observation and experience. I never regretted what I had done only what I had not.

AWP: How did you get your foot in the door at the beginning of your career?

JE: Persistence and trying the impossible.

PERSONAL STYLE:

AWP: Was being stylish important to you growing up in your teens? Is it now?

JE: Most definitely. There is no way to separate it from my “being.”

AWP: How do you define style or fashion?

JE: Being authentic and original.

CUISINE:

AWP: Tell me about your cooking and eating habits and traditions.

JE: Parties for friends. Healthy food but also to eat much like the French. A little of everything, never too much.

AWP: What was your most memorable meal to date?

JE: Lunch at Le Grand Vefour.

AWP: What is in your refrigerator right now?

JE: 4 bottles of Champagne, cheese, fruit, vegetables, organic lean meat, and organic juices.

ART OF LIVING:

AWP: What do you live for? What do you love above all?

JE: Experience and learning. Above all, beauty!

AWP: What natural gift would you most like to possess? What talent are you most thankful for?

JE: I would LOVE to play the piano. I’m thankful for the artistic nature of my being I have been given and the ability to find the good in all situations.

AWP: What question are you tired of being asked?

JE: I never tire from questions — If I am asked, they must want to know and I would always rather the answer come from me and not someone else or from the chatter of gossip.

A Woman’s Paris™ Discovering French elegance and personal style

We are captivated by women and men, like you, who use their discipline, wit and resourcefulness to make their own way and who excel at what the French call joie de vivre or “the art of living.” We stand in awe of what you fill into your lives. Free spirits who inspire both admiration and confidence.

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. — Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971) French fashion designer whose pursuit of simplicity made her an important 20th century figure in fashion and founder of the brand, Chanel.

Text copyright ©2012 Jack Edwards
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

Place de la Bastille, Paris by Barbara Redmond

Wellies. Gummies. Barn boots.

For mucking about the roses or following the riders astride a horse, who trail the hounds that chase the fox.

My dashing old Hunters, a radish-ing pair, — flamboyant with images of peas, carrots, cabbages and radishes, — wait for me at my daughter’s home where I prune the roses, walk through the barn, or follow the fox hunt.

Muckboots indeed, but Wellingtons on the streets of Paris?

Must be girls from England or Boston’s North Shore, I thought.

A familiar and fashionable sight with the horsey set in New England and Northern regions, mid-calf boots worn when walking on wet or muddy ground, often made of rubber, generally just below the knee or shorter with low cut heels. These “green Wellies,” introduced by Hunter in 1955, had become abbreviations for the “country life,” or for those of us who wanted to be considered country denizens. Rubber boots worn by fisherman and those clamming for steamers on the fine sandy shores of the Atlantic.

In Paris, could they be Australians in their Blücher boots, New Zealanders in gummies, or Canadian girls who wear their billy boots to school or take them to summer camp?

Last January, during Paris Fashion Week’s 2011 Spring/Summer Haute-Couture Collections, I saw one young woman on the stone slab sidewalk, invitation in hand, waiting to enter French fashion designer Maxime Simoëns’ catwalk show. She was wearing Wellies, mid-calf in lavender plaid. Her rubber country boots out of context in Paris, but worn among the trendy la branchée of the Left Bank, adhering to le look intello (intellectual); the cutting-edge look found in the trendiest clubs — l’avant garde — with their daring hair colors and attention-getting accessories; and la BCBG, (bon chic bon genre) the woman of the Right Bank, Neuilly, the sixteenth arrondissement; and everything outrageous from around the world in between. I loved it!

Once inside Maxime’s show, I seized a slot near the swarm of photographers and noticed a second young woman in green Wellies searching for a spot in my direction. I whisked to a fresh page in my red leather sketchbook scribbled with notes and marked: Note to self:  barn boots, Hunter’s. Sketch 1. Sketch 2. Green. Lavender, plaid.

Rule of Five:

I was chasing the fox, in Paris, that is. Two noted. (Three Wellies to go if I’m spot-on.)

The day after Maxime’s show, I walked boulevard Beaumarchais, the hip street near Le Marais in the third arrondissement, to get a café at a favorite stop. Like most Januarys in Paris, it was cold, wet and damp. Backtracking on Beaumarchais on my way to the train station, Gare de Lyon, I glanced across the puddly boulevard at a well-dressed woman clothed in a pair of glossy-black rubber country boots. Hunters? Unmistakable! I yanked open my little red book and scrawled: Three Wellies.

Waiting on a bench in Gare de Lyon, the sixth largest railway terminal in Paris, I saw a college girl in polka dot Wellies reading a text. Soon after, as I walked to my track, I passed another girl in more plaid Wellies at the far end of the station. Rule of Five…

On extended stays in Paris, I’ve seen trends take hold. French sailor jerseys: waves of blue and white stripes shifting in the Paris breeze; each wave like a cat-paw on the surface of the ocean, now dark, now light, now gone. Iconic frames: Ray-Ban Wayfarer from the mid-1950s; and Shuron’s RonSir, worn by Malcom X and JFK, an authentic original piece from the 1960s restored by RetroSpecs & Co., and available back in Minneapolis at Specs Optical.

When I returned to Paris ten days later, Hunter boots were infiltrating through the streets in every color and print imaginable. Still, the Parisienne never tried to fit in. Daring, carrying herself confidently, with her own inbred style, she moved quickly through the city, hardly disturbing its surface, with a slight breeze that riffled through her hair. La Parisienne in Wellies; as sexy and seductive as ever.

Rule of Five: Street trends

We have our Rule of Five, my two daughters and I. Street trends.

“Mother, flip-flops in Grand Central Terminal this morning on the train ride in to work. Five. Businesswomen – no fresh pedicures… Gotta go.”

“Mother, vintage rhinestone broaches. Five. Today on ‘The T,’ Boylston Street and in ‘The Common.’ Do we have Great Grandma’s costume jewelry? Send it, please!”

The Rule of Five is our take from the Times Style column, “On the Street,” by Bill Cunningham, a photojournalist who chronicles fashion and humanity on the streets of New York for The New York Times. A regular contributor to the Times since the 1980s, Bill has seen it all. We adore his work! (“On the Street,” Cunningham’s video column, can be viewed on The New York Times website.)

January 20^th I will attend the fashion exhibit, Character in Costume: A Jack Edwards Retrospective, running January 21 – May 20 at the Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota. The exhibit features highlights from Edwards’ remarkable fifty-year career from Minneapolis, to New York City, to Los Angeles and Santa Fe. I will hold in my mind’s-eye our Rule of Five, and discreetly scribble on my cocktail napkin what catches my eye.

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. — Coco Chanel (1883-1971) French fashion designer whose pursuit of simplicity made her an important 20^th-century figure in fashion and founder of the brand, Chanel.

Paris Fashion Week: Haute-Couture 2012 Spring/Summer runway shows are January 23-26, 2012.

You may also enjoy A Woman’s Paris™ blog post, Fashion crashing: Paris Haute-Couture, about my experience crashing Maxime Simoëns haute-couture catwalk show during Paris Fashion Week for the 2011 Spring/Summer Collections. (I expect to be back in July, for Maxime’s 2012-2013 Autumn/Winter Haute-Couture Collection.)

Don’t think. Just maneuver toward the cameras. Dodge the celebrities and reporters, I told myself. Don’t Stop! I had January 26 in Paris, but no invitation, to pull all sorts of strings and do whatever I could to get into a collection. I’ve never even crashed a wedding, let alone an haute-couture show. “Go for it!” said my friend Sally.

A Woman’s Paris™ recommends: Fashion picks

Francis Klein, Opticien Créateur, Paris. A small shop on rue Bonaparte, where the family-run business offers bespoke eyeglass frames of unparalleled quality and originality. A special product in limited quantities.

Specs Optical, Minneapolis, MN, USA. A small shop offering eyewear products they love and trust. Whose customers have a passion for style, architecture and commitment to their vision.

Le Chameau USA / Nordstrom. Established in France in 1927. Boots are handcrafted with the highest quality materials available. Worn by the Brits and a staple of the Royals. We adore the Vierzon Lady.

AIGLE Boots. Established in France in 1853 by the American Hiram Hutchinson stands for uncompromising quality combined with superb design and craftsmanship.

Hunter Boots USA. Hunter has moved from being a Scottish company with a predominantly British clientele to being a truly global brand. Hunter has receive The Royal Warrants of Appointment as suppliers of waterproof footwear to HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Lightbox.time.com. Featuring Bill Cunningham New York.

Street-Fashion.net Street style photos, listings and news and generally awesome street fashion culture.

Street Peeper.com  Global street fashion and street style photo site featuring the best street styles from around the globe. Street fashion from cities like New York, Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo, and more.

Street Style – Street Fashion – Street Chic on Elle.com At Elle.com you can see the hottest street styles from around the globe. Get a look at street chic fashion from New York to London.

Character in Costume: A Jack Edwards Retrospective. January 21 – May 20, 2012 Goldstein Museum of Design, College of Design, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

“This exhibition will feature dozens of refined costume sketches, photographs, press clippings, playbills, reviews, and 30 actual costumes designed by Edwards. In a diverse 50-year career that included New York City, Santa Fe, Hollywood, and Minneapolis, Edwards (a master costume designer) designed memorable costumes for solo performers, opera, Broadway plays, television, Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater, Hollidazzle Parade, and Dayton’s holiday events. In the hands of a designer such as Edwards, a performer’s stage identity is made visible through costume, hair, and accessories, so that the character he or she portrays is understood by the audience.” — The Goldstein Museum of Design

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™.

We’ve launched a new look and feel, and now “French Impressions,” featuring interviews with practitioners in fields such as style and fashion, cuisine and wine, the arts, literature, film and culture; and “French Lessons,” pairings of whimsical ideas to add to the joy of life.

We are a place where the love of personal style and knowledge go hand in hand.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™

Welcome to our new online store!

Give a gift that’s Paris and every day after! Featuring high-quality cases for Apple iPhone, iTouch and iPad. Choose from six watercolor paintings of Parisian scenes by Barbara Redmond. Currencies and shipping worldwide.

Give the up-and-coming Madelines in their preteen and teen years whimsical art cases of famous places in Paris.

Nourish your creativity and parade your memories of Paris. Impress your friends and pique their interest with Paris-themed accessories worn your way.

Infuse your everyday life with the spirit of France!

Fine art paintings of Paris

Fine art prints of paintings by Barbara Redmond of famous streets and places and gardens of Paris. Printed on archival 100% cotton paper, each print is signed and dated. Visit http://www.awomansparis.com. Or email Barbara at barbara@awomansparis.com or call toll free 855.339.3861. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Unless you would prefer to stop for a glass of wine at my place.

Text copyright ©2012 Barbara Redmond
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

Dewey Markham, JR., Wine Scholar and Author, Mérignac, France

INSPIRATION:

AWP: Name the books and movies, works of art and music, fashion or cuisine that have inspired you.

DMJ: Since I got into wine through cooking, it’s a book on cuisine, which really got me fired up on gastronomy: Great Chefs of France by Anthony Blake and Quentin Crewe.

AWP: Do you have any role models?

DMJ: None, really. I tried using role models when I was involved in film and I found that it only led to limitations and frustration. When it came to what I do now it was just a matter of taking whatever opportunities seemed most interesting and which would enable me to achieve my eventual goal of living and working in France.

AWP: What is the last book you read?

DMJ: À l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs; I’m currently reading the first part of Le Côté de Guermantes. You’ve caught me in the middle of my “Proust project”: I have long said that I’d know I had a good grasp on French when I could read À la recherché du temps perdu in the original. (I read the English translation back in 1977 and figured that the time had come when I could probably handle it in French.) The other standard I’ve set for achieving a good level of French is to understand the songs of Boby Lapointe.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

AWP: What is the best (or worst) advice you’ve ever given or received?

DMJ: Not so much advice, but an injunction from my father: “Don’t ever let me hear the policeman call your name.”

AWP: What handed-down wisdom did you receive from your mother or father?

DMJ: Never be ashamed of talking to yourself; you converse with a better class of person that way.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES:

AWP: In your youth, what did you imagine your adult life would hold? What influenced this vision?

DMJ: I wanted to be the first man on the moon. (It was a time when we were in the space race with the Russians.)

AWP: In your early teens, what formed your romantic fantasies of adventure and love?

DMJ: There were no romantic fantasies; I just lived my life, not someone else’s.

AWP: What were your favorite childhood things to do?

DMJ: Reading.

CREATIVITY:

AWP: How did you get your foot in the door at the beginning of your career?

DMJ: It started with knocking on doors all over Manhattan to get a job as a dishwasher. I had no experience in a professional kitchen, so the idea was that I could work my way up to applying heat to food and put in the requisite time to apply to the Culinary Institute of America.

PERSONAL STYLE:

AWP: Was being stylish important to you growing up in your teens? Is it now?

DMJ: Yes, and it still is although no longer being a footloose young man without a wife or children has put a crimp in actively pursuing this.

AWP: How do you define style or fashion?

DMJ: Something transitory, which comes and goes; what you want to strive for is style. It’s like the difference between weather and climate.

CUISINE:

AWP: Tell me about your cooking and eating habits and traditions.

DMJ: Given my geographical situation, it’s French.

AWP: What was your most memorable meal to date?

DMJ: Honestly, I forget. (Not that there have been so many of them…)

AWP: What is in your refrigerator right now?

DMJ: Although not strictly the answer to your question, there is always a bottle of Champagne and in my cellar there are always Mason jars of duck confit. (Each February I prepare 100 legs and thighs to eat throughout the coming year.)

ART OF LIVING:

AWP: What do you live for? What do you love above all?

DMJ: To maintain what has turned out to be a pretty good life. My children.

AWP: What natural gift would you most like to possess? What talent are you most thankful for?

DMJ: Natural gift? Never really thought about it; now “supernatural gift” is a whole other thing… Talent? Not burning the food so much. (I certainly put enough time and energy into acquiring it…)

AWP: What question are you tired of being asked?

DMJ: Daddy (or Cheri), where is the…? (I once worked with a dishwasher who would say, “Look with your eyes, not with your mouth.”)

A Woman’s Paris™ Discovering French elegance and personal style

We are captivated by women and men, like you, who use their discipline, wit and resourcefulness to make their own way and who excel at what the French call joie de vivre or “the art of living.” We stand in awe of what you fill into your lives. Free spirits who inspire both admiration and confidence.

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. — Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971) French fashion designer whose pursuit of simplicity made her an important 20th century figure in fashion and founder of the brand, Chanel.

Text copyright ©2012 Dewey Markham, Jr.
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com

French Onion Soup by Barbara Redmond

Ten minutes into making dinner in my Minneapolis apartment, I was fighting to hold back tears. Admittedly, these were mostly a result of the small mountain of onions I had just chopped. However, part of me was reminiscing about the last time I had this meal. On a chilly May afternoon, I was enjoying the sweet aroma of French onion soup inside a café in Paris.

After a whirlwind tour of Europe over spring break, my friends and I parted ways and I found myself alone in Paris waiting for my train to take me to my French home in Montpellier. With four hours to kill, I decided to wander around the Gare de Lyon for somewhere to pass the time and possibly get something to eat, having missed breakfast that morning. After passing several pricey brasseries, I finally settled on a nice little café nestled in one of the many side streets surrounding the train station.

Inside away from the cool spring air, I settled in with a book and ordered a cup of soupe à l’oignon. The wooden benches and natural lighting made the restaurant feel especially cozy. Sitting across from the windows looking out to the street, I occasionally glanced up from my book to admire the Parisians starting to come out for their lunch hour.

When the waitress, clad in all black, delivered my soup to the table, the cheese atop of the toasted bread was still bubbling. Before even lifting a spoonful of the warm soup to my lips, I could smell the sweet, caramelized onions, dry wine, and rich broth carried with the steam rising from my bowl. With the first taste — serendipity.

Although French onion soup may be an iconic French dish in the minds of many Americans, we can actually thank the American chef Julia Child for its popularity. Through her show and cookbooks, Julia brought this dish into the kitchens of Americans everywhere.

Food often has a way of transporting us to a special place or special moment. Although French Onion soup may only be an American creation of French elegance, I will always have the memory of sitting in a Parisian café eating my French Onion Soup on that cold May afternoon.

For dinner in Minneapolis, I used Julia Child’s recipe from The Way to Cook.

The Way to Cook, by Julia Child. Recipe for French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter
1 tbsp olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock
1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy
1 cup dry white wine
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere

Directions:

Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning

Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

You may also enjoy A Woman’s Paris™ blog, French women chefs: les mères à lyonnaises, about French women chefs and their food.

Simple, straightforward French cuisine that has come from the kitchens of these exceptional women chefs. They have influenced generations of great French men and women chefs with “recettes,” recipes such as “Salade Niçoise,” “Pissaladière” (famous onion-like pizza), “Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée” (onion soup), “Poulet au vin blanc” (chicken in white wine sauce), “Canard aux olives,” (roasted duck with olives), and “Gratin dauphinois” (potato gratin, usually made with gruyere cheese). A Woman’s Paris™category: French Food & Cuisine.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™.

We’ve launched a new look and feel, and now “French Impressions,” featuring interviews with practitioners in fields such as style and fashion, cuisine and wine, the arts, literature, film and culture; and “French Lessons,” pairings of whimsical ideas to add to the joy of life.

We are a place where the love of personal style and knowledge go hand in hand.

Welcome to A Woman’s Paris™

Welcome to our new online store!

Give a gift that’s Paris and every day after! Featuring high-quality cases for Apple iPhone, iTouch and iPad. Choose from six watercolor paintings of Parisian scenes by Barbara Redmond. Currencies and shipping worldwide.

Give the up-and-coming Madelines in their preteen and teen years whimsical art cases of famous places in Paris.

Nourish your creativity and parade your memories of Paris. Impress your friends and pique their interest with Paris-themed accessories worn your way.

Infuse your everyday life with the spirit of France!

Fine art paintings of Paris

Fine art prints of paintings by Barbara Redmond of famous streets and places and gardens of Paris. Printed on archival 100% cotton paper, each print is signed and dated. Visit http://www.awomansparis.com. Or email Barbara at barbara@awomansparis.com or call toll free 855.339.3861. Free shipping in the continental U.S. Unless you would prefer to stop for a glass of wine at my place.

Text copyright ©2011 Michelle Hum
Illustrations copyright ©Barbara Redmond
All rights reserved.
barbara@awomansparis.com