28 février 2011

22 février 2011

In the Air: London Fashion Week A/W 2011











Gentle Reader -

London is determined to gain ground in the global fashion arena - at least for Fall 2011. Technical ability and real artistry that came through quite a few of the collections shown in recent days - a freshness of silhouette.

Could it be that London designers actually had clients in mind, and not merely store buyers?

- AP

08 février 2011

Ghosts of Fragrances Past

















Gentle Reader -

While looking at the collection of fragrance classics, the following question seemed to come from nowhere:

- Louis XV's winter morning scent?
- Venetian favorites of the 16th century?
- Nefertiti's most prized unguent?

Proof that fragrances do indeed fade with time.

- AP

01 février 2011

Cairofashion














Gentle Reader -

The photo above is not the Cairo of recent days. I was on a project four years ago ("Cairofashion: Egyptian Style and the Millennium") when I made the following observation:

Egypt of the A and B classes want styles that reflect their yearnings: streamlined clothes and dwellings with well-made, affordable furniture that is lightweight and of sleek design in harmony with the climate and the culture

It was indeed another time.

- AP