Quest for Fire

Along with September invariably comes a certain disregard for our cannibalistic consumerism society. This recurrent feeling comes, I believe, from some memorable and brilliantly crafted short stories by Italo Calvino studied during my italian classes in Year 12 : 'Marcovaldo'.

Marcovaldo is a antihero who struggles against the caprices of fate and the irrational abuses of capitalism and technological society.

In a story near the end of the collection, 'Marcovaldo at the supermarket', Marcovaldo and his family visit with empty pockets, a 'self-service supermarket', ostensibly to shop, but in reality to gawk at the consumer goods. Initially each member of the family pushes a cart through the supermarket, simply looking longingly at the goods lining the shelves. Then, Marcovaldo, having instructed his wife and children not to touch anything, makes a rapid turn at one of the intersections to elude his family. Once out of sight, he places goods in his cart: he wants to experience the pleasure of satisfying his desires if only for ten minutes. Like Marcolvado, his wife and children peel off down different aisles, collecting their desirables.

What a better way to confront my demons than a forced trip to the famous 'do it yourself' scandinavian home shop? I was able to rub shoulders with hundreds of ghosts Marcovaldos obsessed with blind consumerism...  (A.D) 

skirt : Zara (shop here) | feather cape : Topshop (shop here) | silk cream blouse :  Ted Baker | shoes : Zara

Jaffa Knock Out

 All my friends know that if I could play tennis with my heels I would. But….it’s not possible, and finding a proper and elegant way to dress for sport can be really challenging.

A lot of designers try hard to create the perfect silhouette for yoga or tennis; but to ally new technology, perfect breathable fabric and elegance can be tricky . 

But we might be saved thanks to net-a-sporter !!! Xxx S.D.

Top : H&M (current shop here ) | skirt : Topshop (current in shops) | shoes : Topshop | ring : Zara

hottest yet attractive

The FIFA world cup in Brazil is finally drawing to an end and I must say that during those past four weeks, I have mastered some delightful yet nerve breaking tricks to play on my husband. I can not resist to share some of them with you, because, guess what... there is still a FINAL to be played this week-end!

- hide the television remote control and fake a painful sea elephant face when your partner starts tiring apart  the sofa and then turning the whole house upside down in search for the new Grail.
- every now and then burst into the TV room, and ask questions with a genuine tone such as :'why is the guy dressed in black and standing on the line agitating a flag, which team is he supporting?
- rehearse in advance some powerful dialogues to disrupt the concentrated husband : "who's playing tonight?"... "oh, and what is the score?"... "0-0…who is winning then?"
- seriously inquire when Arsenal or le Paris St Germain will play or if the teams playing tonight aren't the same as the ones playing last night. It should turn your partner's hair white in five seconds!
- make loud comments about how hot and attractive are Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerard Pique, Ricardo Kaka or even Robin Van Persie. Make sure to call your friends (from the TV room) to elect who is the most striking and spunky football player…
- scream and sheer when the team your partner is clearly not supporting scores a goal
- share your concern about the nature of the family drama that could drive two brothers to play in different national team : Ronaldo the brazilian and  Ronaldo the portuguese.

I am counting on you to make the 2014 football world cup final a memorable moment for you friends and partners!

It is also time for us to wish you a wonderful and enjoyable summer. Sophie and I will be back with more visuals and stories the first week of September. Thank you for your growing and continued support. Aude D

t-shirt : Sainsbury's | skirt : Milly | shoes : Zara | necklace : Sainsbury's

mad scramble

It seems obvious that our trip to the famous Kempton Park Racecourse was planned the wrong day… instead of racing horses, all we have cheered for was the dangerous frenzied race of a frightened red fox.
Lead by a frantic panic to avoid us and an atavistic fear to be trapped in the upper stands, he conducted a desperate attempt to regain freedom by making several high jumps to try and reach a 'closed' window. He ended up making a bad fall on the stairs and was probably left badly injured. He then retrieved into a hole and stopped moving. Calling the RSPCA was the inevitable move after a final attempt, lead by a charming old lady to open a dialogue with the injured victim, brought us to nowhere :
- "Are you all right darling?" and "Are you injured sweety ?" but the rebel remained silent….

My fellow friend probably shares the common belief that foxes have a far better use when their beautiful fur wrap a lady's collar and that banning fox hunting in 2006 was a huge mistake as they have reached a preoccupying number. But I would argue that they are being nature's pest controllers when it comes to rats and feral pigeons. Who knows what London's rodent problem would be like without the ten thousand urban foxes patrolling the streets. (A.D)

dress : H&M | shoes : Zara | necklace : Zara