The Unstoppable : " Miss Ashida"

I have always had a soft spot for Japanese designers: I was a complete Kansai Yamamoto follower back in the 80’s and then upgraded to the minimalistic genius of Yohji Yamamoto, followed by the beautifully structured Issey Miyake, adding a few whimsical pieces from Comme des Garcons. It was during my Kansai love affair in 1980, that I met the lovely Tae Ashida in Switzerland during our two scholastic years together. 30 years later and my love affair has extended its arms to the gorgeous designs by my dear friend: “Miss Ashida”.

 
Tae is the daughter of the much lauded Japanese designer Jun Ashida, upon leaving high school in Switzerland she was awarded the Nicole Miller scholarship for having designed “the most beautiful dress” and went on to assist her in New York in 1987. She also twiced interned at Christian Lacroix Haute Couture in 84 and 87, after Tae graduated from RISD with a BFA. (There was a connection with Mr. Lacroix since he had been an "assistant" for her father for 10 years before he set up his Maison de Haute Couture in Paris,1987.... Tae was backstage at the opening show.)
She then entered her father’s company :Jun Ashida Co, as a designer. Having proven her mettle, Tae launched Miss Ashida in 1991, marking her debut as an independent designer.And the rest is fashion history ...You just have to look at her collection to see what an accomplished artist and designer she is in her own right, with many collaborations and accolades under her belt.


After the horrors of the earthquake last March, many decisions had to be made as to whether Tae could go ahead or cancel the showing of her Autumn/Winter 2011/12 collection during Tokyo fashion week.The decision was taken out of her hands when most of the models that had flown in from Paris and Milan left Tokyo immediately upon hearing about the nuclear incidents in  Fukushima. Instead of giving up and giving in,Tae came up with the idea to film their show in a studio with a handful of willing models and a strong support system around her. Amidst aftershocks and blackouts they stood strong in the face of adversity, everyone making it their mission to see this project through.


Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you a taste of : “MISS ASHIDA” AUTUMN/WINTER 2011/12...a collection that fought to be seen.

 

 

 
For more please visit :http://www.jun-ashida.co.jp
 
Then ,when you have made your choice, hop on down to the boutiques in Japan or closer yet,  Paris at: Jun Ashida, 34 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, 75008 PARIS.
 
 Many thanks to Tae, her PR Ms Kumai and the two years we shared in Switzerland.

Im Yours Jason Mraz (Ukelele - Little Asian Kid Singing + Playing It)

Whenever I feel that the world is no longer my oyster because the oyster I ate made me sick...this little gem just makes me smile and chases the nausea away.
Jason Mraz never sounded this good....

From Cannes to Morocco via the 1970's...

Monday 9th May,2011:
Location: La Croisette, Cannes...on the corner of Hermes and expensive.

...I spied my pal Amine, who used to be my "Paris Pret a Porter" stomping ground buddy back in my days at Pashion. I haven't seen him since and was so utterly surprised to see him in Cannes amidst the pre Film Festival mayhem .
 He was here for "Marie Claire Arabia" to attend what has to be one of the most coveted affairs : the Chanel Cruise show at the Eden Roc. I caught him one hour before the show shopping at Hermes?  He was dressed in his indomitable style, encapsulating both chic and tongue in cheek and the hug he gave me made up for all the lost time and gave me pause to remember...

*Photo courtesy of Amine Jreissaty: AJ and the incomparable K.L*

Spotted: the gorgeous Blake Lively, Face of Chanel, in Cannes for the show.Obviously her presence would be required ...I only wish mine was too...but hey, you can't have everything . I adore the lovely Blake Lively, in my eyes she can do no wrong but when she messed with her hair....I saw red. Blake don't mess with the locks, orangutan is not your colour.
Gossip girl xoxo

Everyone's favourite butterfly Diva Mariah Carey gave birth to twins and proceeded to ruin the best years of their lives : the girl is called Monroe after Marilyn , an homage to the late great star  and the boy is called Moroccan... an homage to the Moroccan room Mariah and Nick have in their NYC  apartment.  I just hope these kids are going to be home schooled.... for their own sakes.
So I guess Alicia Silverstone naming her son Bear Blu will barely make a ripple in the ocean of  utterly bonkers names....

Elle Macpherson seems to have utterly embraced the 70s look.... to such an extent that she appears in full Charlies Angels regalia on her school run...wow...that hairstyle alone must take forever to get just on the right side of poofy without coming across as vulgar or Farah Fawcett...now if she shows up in a red bathing suit with nipples standing to attention ... grab your kids and RUN!

Actually, upon further investigation, she looks like one of those giant Royal Poodles.....Talk about taking a fad too far....Is that a camel toe I spy? Never a good look no matter who you are.

NB: Is it just me and my sister but....doesn't David Beckham look like Ricky Gervais in William and Kate's wedding photos ?... Who would have thought I would one day be making that comparison...Then again Ricky should be proud.

Easy Like Sunday Mornin'....

Easin' into the first of May.....
....Cannes style....
aaahhhh.....

La Croisette heading towards the beach.....

Yeah baby! Toes in the sand...unadulterated view of the sea...no screaming kids....and super chilled beer....

"Easy like Sunday,mor..o..o..or..ninnnnn...."

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Dress by McQueen: tick
Tiara (Queen mother's) by Cartier: tick
Handsome Prince House of Windsor : tick tick tick

Someone posted on Twitter that he was able to lip read Prince William as he leaned over to  to Kate's father:
"...We were supposed to have a small family affair..."
Priceless.

        A happy couple , a happy occasion .

Princess Diana was the People's Princess, today Kate was William's Princess ... a new member of the Royal family beamed .

Aix marks the spot

And that would be the: Restaurant Pierre Reboul in the heart of Aix en Provence. This is a shout out for all you foodies out there.... You will be in for a treat,I guarantee it.

 Before I get to the divine menu served in the restaurant at present (the menu is changed every month and 1/2) let me tell you a little about this quiet genius: chef Pierre Reboul . He calls his cuisine "creative" but also concedes to the fact that it is by and large "molecular gastronomy". And it is molecular gastronomy at it's best and most playful:Reboul revisits the old french cuisine classics and not only gives them a twist,but turns them on their head. Call it topsy turvy cuisine that is so lighthearted and playful you feel like a child in a candy shop. Your taste buds are titillated, your mind will be blown and sensory confusion will set in , eg:  a "rocket/arugula" lollipop with all the flavours you would find in that flavoursome dish had it been served to you in a conventional manner....I had to close my eyes in order to enjoy and appreciate the subtle flavour and divine joyfulness of it.....

".....and there is far more yet to come" as the delightful sommelier Sebastien Lelouch will tell you...and as sommelier's go, he is the bomb! Lyrical and poetic this wonderful gentleman enhances the adventure tenfold.

Pierre Reboul may be Aix's answer to Heston Blumenthal....but with less aggressiveness and weirdness...I have of yet to eat at a Blumenthal eatery and await the opening at the Mandarin Oriental in London...but the idea of Snail Porridge leaves me not only cold but positively freezing.  Reboul is a positive initiation and one that will have you coming back for more...and more....and more.

This is the Amateurs menu we chose on Saturday and you get to share the experience visually .

FYI :The menu comes in 3 categories: L'initiation 39€ , Les Amateurs 81€ and finally Les Experts 138€.

Enjoy.

 *Bib alert...you may be subject to severe drooling*



Step 1 :  Transparent ravioli filled with Pertuis green asparagus in asparagus jus served with langoustine and shards of raw asparagus .

Step 2: Mini organic carrot from Provence done 3ways: sorbet,froth and with an orange coconut twist.

Step 3 : Roasted fillet of John Dory with its microcress salad in a miniature garden.

Step 4 : Carbonara 2011.....divine.

Step 5 : Parmesan cheese espuma....with rocket lollipop.

Step 6 : Strawberry from Chateau de Virant done 2 ways :with its caramel swirl , in a macaroon with a touch of basil served  alongside a "cream" of olive oil in its "pipette".

Step 7: The Chef's grandfather's egg and full cream flan served with the chef's favourite childhood caramel.

NB: There were custard cream lollipops served with it but they were eaten before I remembered to photograph them!

...And just when you think you can't handle any more food let alone dessert...Step 8 comes along: Grand Marnier mini cones with crispy pistachio cigarettes and.....bubble gum marshmallows.

Aaaah, coffee..... and not another morsel more....the chocolate came and left intact.


So there you have it and for all the info on the chef,the restaurant and the glorious menus please visit the website:
http://www.restaurant-pierre-reboul.com/

                                                                                             Plunk plunk fizz fizz...Oh! What a relief it is....

I LOVE PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME!

SAT.16-MON 18 APRIL 2011:

Paris was sparkling in the April sunshine like the jewel that it is and we shone like the sun as we ambled from street to boulevard,lost in it's beauty.
My friend Joumana, who lives in Paris, warned me that the temperatures had drastically cooled down from the heatwave they had the week before and that I shouldn't bother with sandals,my biker boots would do...lucky I packed my ballerina shoes. My feet were expanding within my biker boots with each step I took and they were screaming to be set free before they burst on to the pavement. Yes,folks the temperature was soaring as our spirits but my dogs were miserable! Enter ballet pumps for rest of the stay but the damage was done: my swollen feet resembled individual portions of camembert pouring out of my delicate pumps + the redening of the sun....camembert fresh from the oven...Didn't spoil my stay, no siree ! I soldiered on like a trouper.

We stayed at this delightful hotel in St.Germain , just off the Blvd Raspail which is a lively area full of people and bars and restaurants including the well known chic eatery : La Coupole.
The Hotel des Academies et des Arts is luxurious boutique hotel which first opened its doors in 2007. It is listed as a 3* but it is 4* all the way. There is no restaurant or bar just a lovely breakfast/tea room "Chez Charlotte's" which serves the most exquisite macaroons and tea from the Palais des Thes between the hours of 2.30pm and 6pm...we missed the time slot on both days!
You will see silhouettes known as the "white Figures" everywhere inside the hotel and rooms as a wink to the arts and the famous artists that were drawn to this area back in the twenties, such as Picasso, Modigliani and Fujita. They ad such a whimsical touch and almost seem to guide you from room to hall,from elevator to lounge and usher you out into the street to enjoy the pleasures of Paris while they silently await your return.
The hotel also boasts a "wellness spa"which we didn't visit but a menu of the treatments offered was at our disposal in the room and massages were on the list. A cosmopolitan selection of guests were seen and heard but never a hindrance... well other than the overly merry woman who was shouting "Wake up,wake up" in the wee hours of Sunday morning outside our room and persisted in being a wee pain in my ass. 
Thankfully the reception area is small and cosy, tasteful and chic...more like a comfy sitting room in a country manor and smells so delicious thanks to the divine candels burning all day and night. They are thankfully sold at a mere snip of 24€, a lovely souvenir or gift you'll be hard pressed to be parted with,believe me.
Let me not forget the staff who were extremely friendly and helpful ,the likes of which one rarely gets in big and busy hotels.We got in mid morning and since check in wasn't before 3pm the receptionist kindly juggled things around and gave us a room straight away,that sold it for us.

We will return,this hotel is perfect in every way, check their website for more details, I give it 2 thumbs up. Must mention breakfast,it is fab french fayre that even my BF who is a hearty eater, especially at breakfast,had his fill. There is no menu,they just put everything before you and you start salivating, trust me...if you don't like warm chewy croissants,hot baguettes...you are screwed and will just have to eat the fruit and yoghurt. Breakfast:16€
http://www.hoteldesacademies.com/

*The stairwell*



*Cosy lounge area*

*It is all in the detail and this hotel has it in spades*

*Breakfast room*

*wall outside room#34 window*



 Pictures speak for themselves and I will let our stay in Paris shine through the photos I took..you can add your own thoughts and words.

Abercrombie and Fitch yet to open on the Champs Elyssees

                                         Old fashioned tricycle chained to railling...I kid you not.

                                                  *Paul Smith: hole puncher gone wild...*

Magical Pont des Arts with all the padlocks everywhere...lovers locking their hearts to the railing of Paris's famous bridge..they are all over the railing! Amazing. *My dad would be in hog's heaven...he has always had a thing for padlocks!* See the Dad Hatter*

I loath posting pictures of myself...but this is apt : Lovers on Pont des Arts..and more padlocks behind us!

Paris would mean nothing without our dear friends Philippe and Marc both modelling the Toby Peace bracelet @ Les Petits Carreaux Restaurant in Montorgueil.

Love you guys.

                                But love my boo more..Dregs of Tea by The...still a great stop.

                 *Last lunch under the fabulous dome of Mega dept.store le Printemps,blvd Haussman*

Well,there you have it....our weekend away in Paris: less words and more pictures.
Thank you Marc,Philippe, Joumana and her lovely girls for their company and Fabulosity.

FOR THE FOODIES:
Saturday lunch at "Noura" for lebanese,delish but horribly expensive.
Dinner Saturday night in the Marais" Des Gars dans la cuisine": cosy,great vibe but soon became quite rowdy which overshadowed the good food and even better company.
Quick tea break at Tea by The, off rue du Rivoli...perfect.
Sunny Sunday lunch at "Les Petits Carreaux" on rue des carreaux and Montorgueil:fine french food, great steak au poivre and wonderful rose: Mont Redon.
Dessert:The best gelato known to man or myself at"Pozzetto Gelato Cafe"in the Marais.Very small list of homemade ice cream.Try the fig...I died and went to heaven...DIVINE. 
Sunday dinner,home cooking at Joumana's:fabulous spaghetti al forno...and no,she doesn't take reservations.
Monday lunch at Le Printemps:" La Coupole":Carpaccio with a poached egg and heavenly french fries swallowed down with chilled Cotes de Provence rose...don't say I didn't share!
Orly airport,departure lounge: a diet Coke and a stick of gum....all fooded out!