Belle Terre
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Transcript of Belle Terre
22
Though I often looked for the one, I finally
had to admit that there is no cure for
Paula Mclain, The Paris Wife
Photography by Jordana Louise-Smith
Illustration and Text by Charlotte Manchester
One of the greatest fashion cities of
the world (in my opinion the best),
Paris has all to offer in terms of the
latest styles and fashion masterpieces.
Whether you have the money to spend
on the latest Chanel and Dior
creations, or whether you only have
enough to go sightseeing on foot,
you w ill leave feeling fulfilled
and rejuvenated.
The atmosphere in Paris at the
beginning of March 2014...preparations
were being made for the famous Paris
Fashion Week. As I walked through
the streets, there were visions of Rolls
Royce’s pulling up outside the most
renowned hotels in the city, models
strutting down the street in clothes and
shoes to die for and the latest guests
arriving for the eagerly awaited
catwalk shows.
On every major street in the city
shops oozed class and sophistication,
each store carefully selecting the best
products to advertise (after all Paris is
the birth place of Haute Couture).
The feeling of the need to succeed in
order to purchase the likes of Dolce and
Gabanna and Chanel was overwhelming.
Watching passersby gazing at the
items they craved showed the impact
Paris advertisements and merchandise
had on people from all parts of the
world; no matter what their culture or
personal tastes may have been, there
was something for everyone.
The weather was great, which made
the atmosphere and experience of
shopping all the more worthwhile.
From the big name couture stores, to
the smaller, lesser-known businesses,
Paris was packed w ith tourists and
locals eager to buy exclusive products
instead of waiting for the rest
of the world to catch up. This,
combined w ith the amazing, world
famous landmark s of Paris, such as
the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame
Cathedral, ensured that shopping in
Paris was like nowhere else on Earth.
Illustration by Charlotte Manchester
www.raphaellehlimi.com
Paris born designer Raphaelle H’limi debuted in 2011 w ith her collection
“ Coming soon” which captured the attention of the press, pushing her on to create a second collection and w in awards for design.
2 years on and the designer is still capturing the attantion of the fashion
world w ith her amazing but minimal fashion, which she describes as
“fashion that is for a confident girl that doesn’t obsess over her flaws but
think s that maybe - just maybe, they actually add to her unique beauty”
'
40
Photography by Jordana-Louise Smith
Text by Mary Vasey
WHEN A MAN IS TIRED OF
HE IS TIRED OF LIFE,FOR THERE IS IN
LONDON ALL THAT LIFE CAN AFFORD
SAMUEL JOHNSON
London, England: City of
culture, city of history, and city of
fashion. It truly is one of the most fast-
paced moving cities in the world. No
wonder it attracts thousands of tourists
each year. With countless activities
to do there is no chance to claim
boredom. It’s not just the activities that
attracts tourists, the Royals are a major
factor w ith Buckingham Palace only a
few minutes’ walk from South Bank... it’s
a site not to miss!
I have often viewed it as a place full
of class and flock s of celebrities
walking down the street, a complete
misconception, as it is a rarity to bump
into a high profile celeb casually. In
fact I have been visiting London from
the young age of 5 and it was only
last summer, whilst working at a local
bar and restaurant in Richmond, that
I saw two stars – Trevor McDonald,
arguably his time has come and gone,
and Catherine Tate, attended a comedy
night held at the bar. At first I did not
recognise her, I simply thought it was
another customer waiting to be served
– she was dressed in jeans, black boots,
a khaki green coat and a navy blue hat
(practically covering her face), hence
the reason I did not realise who I was
serving until she wondered downstairs
to the comedy event.
I guess the classiness has come from
the fact that it is common knowledge
there are numerous bars and
restaurants covering the streets, all
oozing character and sophistication,
with top notch service and the most
exquisite drink s. Of course this all
comes w ith a meaty bill but it is nice
to treat oneself and feel like royalty for a day… or five? With the introduction
of ‘Made in Chelsea’ to our screens it
only makes us as viewer’s desire the
life they lead – I mean what is so bad
about going out in the best designer
clothes w ith your posh totty friends
to the hottest party in town full of
London’s aristocrats. But London is so much more than
its ‘posh’ crowd; the city is full of
spectacular historic and modern
landmark s that look quite picturesque
during sunset. On my latest visit I have
created the top 5 must see sites.
#5 The London Eye is a fairly new
asset to the city, which was built for
the millennium, offers tourists a 360
degree view of a vast 25mile radius
of the city. It takes up to half-an-hour
for the wheel to finish allowing ample
time to gaze at the city’s wonders.
#4 The gothic castle-like Tower
Bridge, built in the 19th – century,
is very much not hard to miss as it
stands proudly over the river Thames,
awaiting a boat to pass through it’s
blue gates. The bridge also mark s the
end of the famous London Marathon
that has taken place each Spring
since 1981, attracting hundreds of
participants from all over the world to
run for charity.
#3 St. Pauls Cathedral, created by
Christopher Wren, is one of the city’s
most beautiful pieces of architecture.
It’s fantastic to visit on a warm
summers day, as all flowers are in
bloom and the grass is full of lushness
and life.
#2 The Shard has been in
construction since 2003 and only
recently finished in 2012. The
87-storey glass skyscraper is an
incredible sight and can be seen from
miles away. Inside offers a range of restaurants that offer spectacular
views, a viewing gallery – which is said
to be better than the London Eye, a
Law firm, and in May of this year hotel
Shangri-La w ill be opening!
#1 Big Ben has to be first on my list, as
it look s simply spectacular at any time
of the day. However I cannot stress the
beauty of it when lit up at night and
it’s reflection on the river Thames –
breath-taking.
42
Big Ben by Charlotte Manchester
The London Eye by Charlotte Manchester
48
As devoted fashion followers w ill
know, Isabella Blow was one of the
most inspirational people within the
fashion world during the late 20th and
early 21st centuries.
Starting as an assistant at US Vogue,
Isabella made her way into the heart
of the fashion world, due to her
incredible talent spotting skills of new
and upcoming designers. As can be seen
by the success experienced by young
designers such as Alexander McQueen
and Philip Treacy, who she catapulted
into the limelight, she played an
essential role in building up their
success and giving them
a reputable name.
Her natural sense of style made her
a fashion icon in her own right, for
example, becoming a muse for Philip
Treacy and his many extravagant hat
designs. Due to her unique ways and
strong personality, Isabella was able to
make her way into the centre of the
social scene in the London fashion
industry and is still largely admired by
fashion followers.
However, despite this w idespread
success w ithin the fashion industry,
Isabella herself struggled to understand
how she fitted into this industry. This,
amongst personal issues, led to her
becoming very depressed, attempting
a number of suicidal acts, which
eventually led to her premature death,
aged only 48 years.
This season, Somerset House, London,
is celebrating the life and success of
this intriguing fashion icon. In a one-off
exhibition, it features a large variety
of Blow's many unique, eye-catching
outfits along w ith magnificent pieces
from exceptionally talented designers
she discovered including Alexander McQueen, Julian McDonald and
Philip Treacy. Through clothes, film,
photographs and quotes, Isabella's life
story is told in a way never seen before,
hearing from those who were closest to
her w ithin the industry and showcasing
collections by Alexander McQueen
and Philip Treacy in particular.
This amazing fashion galore is an
opportunity in a lifetime to explore and
understand Blow's life and work and is
not to be missed.