Two for the Road

The Gucci canvas with navy trim handbag and the Jil Sander black clutch are polished pieces. I have the Gucci bag in both brown and black and I’m very happy with them.

A Silver Lining

Just when I thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse, we got whomped by hurricane Isaias. The entire town lost power; the postal workers sorted mail by flashlight. Basically, we’ve been camping at home. And, with barely any service, I’ve had lots of time to think.

My older daughter left Brooklyn in early March to quarantine with us. She hadn’t lived at home since she went off to boarding school 10 years ago. I often joke that I was a better editor than mother, especially to her. But, this strange time together has brought us closer — we now understand each other as adults and are more forgiving of one another. This never would have happened pre-covid, our lives were so busy it was easier to believe that all was well. So, just maybe, not all of 2020 has been dreadful.

#VogueHope

All 26 editions of Vogue have united around the theme of hope. The collective aim is to celebrate hope and engender a worldwide positive vision of the future. Each Editor in Chief chose an image from their new issue and stated why it inspires hope for them. Anna Wintour said about the project “Hope may be hard to find at a moment of crisis, but it also feels more essential than ever. It’s part of our shared humanity, a source of delight and inspiration, and keeps us focused on a brighter future.”  Hear, hear.

Vogue Paris, Emmanuelle Alt

“In these difficult times, I am glad and honoured to be part of this incredible initiative, to unite the 26 worldwide editions of Vogue in one unique, strong voice. At Vogue Paris, we decided to highlight more than ever youth, diversity, inclusivity and awareness, which are to us the epitome of hope today.”

Vogue Germany, Christiane Arp

“In my eyes, professor and doctor Marylyn Addo embodies all our hope that sooner or later there will be a ‘normal’ again — a new normal, where nothing will be as it was before. As one of the worldwide-leading scientists in infectiology and virology, she is confident that there will be a vaccine against Covid-19 available soon. Her optimistic belief in global scientific teamwork without borders emphasises my hope for a world without any borders in our minds and hearts.”

Vogue Spain, Eugenia de la Torriente

“The Edge of the Sea is an original artwork by Coco Capitán that perfectly sums up what most of our country has dreamt about during the last months: the freedom of the sea and the hope that the storm has passed. Coco is a brilliant Spanish artist that lensed this carefree picture when she was 18 years old in Mallorca. Almost 10 years later, her unique handwriting updates the image in a new world with a completely different meaning.”

Show Some Love

“It’s not about having what you want. It’s wanting what you’ve got…” This Sheryl Crow lyric from her song “Soak Up The Sun” is my credo. Today is August 1, and this month I vow to wear beloved items that I haven’t reached for in a while — even if just around the house…

Holiday Boileau dress, K. Jacques sandals.

The Trench Skirt

If a trench skirt is a trend, count me in. The Proenza Schouler PF20 skirt on the right is in the kic shop, left is Rokh Resort.

PS skirt also here and here.

‘My Future’ by Billie Eilish

Leave it to the musical phenom Billie Eilish to put out an amazing song during lockdown. Released last night, ‘My Future’ is sophisticated and beautiful. Please give it a listen.

I 💛 Yellow

Even though it’s not my best color, I love pale yellow — it’s cheerful and I consider it a neutral. The WSJ weighed in on the love/hate debate over this sunny color.

Louis Vuitton Resort 2021 boots and Marc Jacobs FW20 look. Image right courtesy Vogue Japan.

Culture Shock

I read, cooked, and watched a lot these past few months, but I’ve been missing a different type of cultural experience. Helmut Lang has an exhibition of his work at MOCA Westport and there is a new documentary on the photographer Helmut Newton — I cast for both Helmuts — wonderful, yet very different experiences. Marilyn Chase, author of the newly released Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa did a talk about the artist with the Black Mountain College Museum Arts Center. And, on 8/13 you can buy Ruth Asawa postage stamps. In 1971, conceptual artist Bernadette Mayer embarked on an experiment where for one month she shot a roll of 35mm film each day and kept a journal. Memory is a compilation of these photographs.  We are deep into a house renovation and Home Stories: 100 Years, 20 Visionary Interiors is timely.

‘Au Vrai Chic Parisien’

Can’t go wrong with classic jewelry, especially from Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier above. Like these August Vogue Paris images, I’ve been riding out the heatwave in oversized shirts and some beloved everyday pieces.

Photography by Claudia Knoepfel  Styling by Virginie Benarroch

Roll Up Your Sleeves

I always roll up my shirt sleeves. The short-sleeved shirtdress on Iselin, from a 2013 issue of Self Service, is my ideal length. When the Alex Mill shirt arrived, the sleeves were rolled Italian style, a style I quite like and forget to do.

Diagram courtesy Marie Claire