August thoughts...

Hello, dear reader.  Catching up now with thoughts from August.  I have been elsewhere (both literally and figuratively) this past month, and have missed my little virtual home.

Thanks to Alethea for sharing her vision with us---what an evening we had!  (Research shows: Mint Juleps are very popular.)   And congratulations are in order!  Following in the footsteps of "chelliswilson." darlings Sara & Kellen, Alethea will be spending the month of March in residence at Gas Design Center in Alabama!  Perhaps a tradition's been started?

A huge and humble "Thank you!" for this generous nod----it brought so many amazing people our way.

Pondering.....

the definition of the perfect home.  Mine has this spirit, this staircase, and this chair (!).

Set design and retail spaces.  I'd like one of these giant roses, please.

Marani winter 2010

Dining here.

A distinguished and manly shopping experience...

And most obsessively....

....the extraordinary, operatic genius of Anselm Kiefer.

love these ladies...

I like being a fan.  Not much feels better than being able to genuinely, enthusiastically admire someone.  These three are not only talented and insightful but also generous and encouraging in return.  Two need no introduction to readers of this blog.  The third, is the force behind our upcoming First Friday fete.  (an introduction and an invitation!)  So here's my news.....

Congratulations to our dear Maria!  Her book, Sundays Are For Lovers, is now being carried by this perfect bookshop/gallery in Paris.  Merveilleux!  

It's no secret how much I love Imke Klee's stunning work.  If you haven't thoroughly browsed her website, do so immediately.  It's lyrical.  Sight Unseen blog thinks so, too.  8 Things.

And I'm so very pleased to announce our August art offering, The Particulars of Persistent Reverie: an experiment in fashioning the lost and looming..." an installation and performance conceived and executed by artist Alethea Norene. She contacted me about doing project at "chelliswilson." because she loved the space and the concept.  Once I discovered she'd recently been in residence at Mildred's Lane, the 92 acre compound that serves as " a collaboration between Mark Dion, J. Morgan Puett, and their associates", I was fascinated.  Southerner by birth, vagabond by choice, Alethea Norene holds a BFA cum laude in photography from the Watkins College of Art & Design in Nashville, TN and an MFA from MECA.  She has been an assistant to acclaimed artist J. Morgan Puett and collaborated with Puett and others on the 2010 exhibition Workstyles, presented at Alexander Gray Associates in New York.  Whether utilizing photography, printed matter, or performance/collaboration, Alethea's work is at once challenging and seductive.  The work she's presenting here on Friday evening she refers to as an "experimental hosting", "a late summer party for dreamers and the well-dressed".  A "southern apparition" featuring dixie music, scandalous luxury, and beverages for both ladies and gentlemen.  Deliciously difficult to describe, our evening is sure to be a sincere sensation.  Think Bellinis. Mint Juleps. A live model in a bathtub. Victorian linens. Live jazz. 

And all your smoldering desires....

I gasp, I swoon...

This elegant object came in the mail the other day and now all I want to do is sit in a serene space and create something beautiful.  I was fortunate enough to find some fabric from this collection....what shall I make? 

More books featuring swoon-worthy Mina Perhonen textiles can be found here.  So lovely...

embody this...

And that's just the opening salvo....     This is the EVER Manifesto.  Go here to find their modus operandi, thoughtful interviews, and details of many thought-provoking projects.  Of course, I love everything the EVER Manifesto represents about the possibilities of seeing fashion (and the commerce inherent therein...) from an entirely different angle.   When we operate according to these principles, so much that's been lost is returned to us.  Beauty. Craftsmanship. Trust. The inestimable value of honest exchange.  A quote from Norwegian designer Siri Johansen distills these values perfectly:

When purchasing a garment, you are not only investing in a piece to treasure for years, you are investing in the integrity of the process it took to make that garment.

This is how I feel about every piece (garments as well as other treasures...) at "chelliswilson."  And the spirit of the work comes from each designer's commitment to aesthetics and process.  I've just updated the online shop with new treasures---clothing for women and girls, reading material, a gorgeous necklace, and two magical handmade dolls.  It's my hope that all the lovely people who read this blog and have been so supportive from afar will feel that the shop is available to them.....like being around the (virtual) corner!

other snippets of loveliness...

pure poetry.  "memory clothing" by Aurore Thibout

Above exquisite pillow slip is a prop from this glorious film created by a master embroidery designer.

Find someone who makes you feel tongue-tied and silly.

 

Lastly, here's my new fantasy hideaway.  From Mady, who feeds my dreams.

What I was doing last Saturday....

...when, perhaps, I should have been working.  This was Miss Margaret's requested birthday activity.  As you will see, my girl has very good taste. We sailed out of Camden Harbor with the crew of the Schooner Olad far out into breathtaking Penobscot Bay.  We saw eagles, seals, and a porpoise!  Yes, this is why people fall in love with Maine.

And after all that...we had an incredible birthday dinner here.  Just about perfect...

new inspiration board...

 What can you find?

views from here and random thoughts...

 
No verbosity here today. Instead,  I've opted for pictorial and brief.  This may be largely due to my current immersion in the memoir of masterful wordsmith, Christopher Hitchens. It's a rare thrill to encounter such a thorough command of language.  That fellow is bracing.  I am humbled. I defer.

Pleasing me in the shop (creative, not administrative...)

a non sequitur or two...

extravagant color.  the future of newspapers.  no expiration date.

seduced by maine....in nature.  in the house.

perfectly charming and french.  words.  pictures.  les enfants.

and.....watch for new pieces here soon!