In the midst of this deep and snowy winter, the Swedish film Force Majeure, which I loved, continues to come to mind. It rather brilliantly walks the line between comedy and drama, and the characters are simply outstanding. And if you’re longing for the French Alps right about now, the scenery is transporting.
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| www.pittimmagine.com |
Wishing I was in Florence right this minute and LOVING the entire menswear collection presented on Thursday by Marni as guest designer of Pitti Uomo.
Inspired by the glorious snow last week, I watched Downhill Racer for the very first time. Filmed entirely in Switzerland, France and Austria, it is so stylish, so raw and so completely of the moment — 1969. And young Robert Redford in the Alps… I loved it.
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| Photograph www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr |
The Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris’s newest museum of contemporary art, finally opened yesterday to the public. Designed by Frank Gehry and over 12 years in the making, the Fondation Louis Vuitton resides at the edge of the Jardin d’Acclimation in the Bois de Boulogne. Assuming the form of a massive vessel, the structure is made of 3,600 glass panels creating 12 sails. And although the design is fully of this century, the tremendous use of glass is a very intentional nod to late 19th-century garden architecture (think Grand Palais). The glass is also, quite clearly, in reverence for the natural beauty that surrounds it. Its inaugural event was rightly Nicolas Ghesquière’s presentation of the Louis Vuitton Spring 2015 collection during Paris Fashion Week. Opening programs include an exhibition of Gehry’s designs (sketches, models) for the Fondation and the construction of the building itself, a selection of works from the FLV collection, and a stellar series of concerts and live performance. Fingers crossed I’ll get there in 2015…
I’m not really a watcher of television, but on the occasion that I am, it is generally of the BBC variety (Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Mr. Selfridge, you get the picture). However, the tremendously compelling ad for the new Showtime drama, The Affair, has been EVERYWHERE. And we just happened to be in Montauk, where The Affair is set, over this past weekend when it premiered. It was calling. I must say, it is very smart and very intriguing, told from two distinct points of view (male and female) and in a way, not wholly about the affair for which it has been titled. I quite earnestly await the next episode.
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| Photograph Pierre Antoine |
If I was in Paris right now I would be heading straight to the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, to see The 50s: Fashion in France, 1947-1957. These are my absolute favorite years in fashion history, with Christian Dior leading the charge in France with the New Look, and Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, Jacques Fath and so on. I swoon..
The 50s: Fashion in France, 1947-1957 runs through November 2. Be sure to take a look at the exhibition video here!
www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr
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| Saratoga Race Course, July 2014 Photograph Electric City Pictures Blog www.electriccitypictures.blogspot.com |
One of the most resonating markers of the end of summer in Saratoga Springs is the conclusion of the racing season, this weekend, at the Saratoga Race Course. Now in its 151st year, this fantastic, historic track is the second oldest in the country. In the art and literary world, the Saratoga Race Course has been the setting in more than one work of fiction, and the artist Matthew Barney actually filmed part of Cremaster 3 at the track in 2002. We especially love to visit in the early morning, before the track opens, to watch the horses train. Really lovely. Until next summer…
Another favorite blog here at THE BATON is Mimi Thorisson’s Manger. If you love food (yes), all things French (indeed), and stunning photography (of course), you too should be reading Manger. I think it is best described as one big, gorgeous, glorious feast. Thorisson’s new book A Kitchen in France, A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse is due out on October 28 — no doubt just as splendid as the blog that inspired it.
A Kitchen in France, A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse by Mimi Thorisson (Clarkson Potter, 2014)
LOVING our new GoPro! Here is a glimpse from its unforgettable maiden voyage this week.
At the beach in North Carolina this week we discovered the totally old school Corolla Village Bar-B-Que. The seating is entirely out-of-doors, set under trees with roaming chickens. Exactly right. And the menu, seriously straightforward. Yum!
Corolla Village Bar-B-Que, Historic Corolla Village, 1129 Corolla Village Road, Corolla, NC