Intoxicated

My first memory of this perfume dates from many years ago. While in Paris, sitting on the terrace of Café de Flor, I got intoxicated by a sensual smell of tuberose, comming from the woman sitting at the table next to me. The smell was seductive, feminin, carnal, elegant...and so was she. When I asked her what it was she smiled and told me; "Fracas". So for me this fragrance is La Parisienne in a bottle. There and then my quest for a bottle of Fracas started and it was a long one. The fragrance was created in 1948, and dispite his succes, not to be found on the market for many many years, then reissued in the late 90's in small quantities and only sold in the US, so only a happy few still could get their hands on it... Untill the talented Isabelle Hupert named Fracas as her parfum absolu during an interview. This was enough for the company to collaborate with the famous French actress to launch a limited edition of the famous French perfume. And that's how recently my quest finaly ended...
It's an exuberant blend of flowers, very particular and exclusive so not for everyone, but perfect for me!

Window shopping

 





While you're stroling in Antwerp make sure to strole by these beautiful windows, they really invite you inside...

Coccodrillo

 

 

 

 

Modepaleis

Wouters & Hendrix

 

Bazaar Bizar

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

News

Hello everyone,

I'm excited to let you know that, from this month on, my blog will feature "THE CHAT". A series of my interviews with people I admire. Through Q&A's I will portrait each one, give you a glimps of what they do, what they like and love, how they dress, how they live etc. So stay tuned cause "THE CHAT °1" will be posted soon...

Love,
Anny

Au revoir Nicolas Ghesquière

Nicolas Ghesquière and Balenciaga are parting ways! His departure, at the end of the month, was just announced.

What, why, how can this be?

Nicolas Ghesquière was the creative director at the House sinds 1997. What he did at Balenciaga was amazing! He worked his magic by creating innovative, persuasive, powerful, and highly anticipated collections, season after season. Ghesquière remade Balenciaga one of Paris' iconic Fashion Houses, and one of my personal favorites. To many he was synonymous with The House of Balenciaga, and yes, even good things come to an end.

I'm sad but it's just an au revoir, so I'm looking forward to see what Nicolas Ghesquière will do next. Meanwhile I'll start saving for some gorgious pieces of his S/S2013 master collection.

White shoes

Let's talk about white shoes cause now that they've been spotted on the feets of celebs like SJP, Gwyneth Paltrow, even Kate Middleton, among others, they're no longer considered a fashion faux pas. Isn't that typical? For so many years people are going: "Oh no, you can't wear this or that. Why? It's trashy, it's tacky. Why? Because". Of course because means no one else is wearing it.
Me, I never play by that rule! I've always been heartened by white shoes and I've been wearing them sinds I was a little girl. I can't recall how many pairs I've owned sinds then, but I've owned some very pretty ones during all those years. There were Mary Janes, ballet flats, sandals, and oh a pair of Dries Van Noten cut out sandals that I wore to dead, my heart ached when I had to throw them away, and my heart got broken when my Alaïa gladiators that got stolen. I'm a shoe lover, of course I am, but I must say that for me white shoes do what no other shoes can't do. Especially white pumps, walking around in a pair of white pumps makes me feel a certain way. They are so complementary in comparison to any other pumps and just because of that they can complement my outfit in this particular way. An article in British Vogue said that they're not for summer but for fall. Well, for me they're for all season, that's the advantage of a black skin. Yes, I love white leather shoes, and I don't need anyone, any trend or any fashion, as much as I Love Fashion, to allow me to wear them. I just do cause for me they're part of my personal style!

Celine white leather wedge-pump, my favorite this season
 

 

Out of the Hat

Styling by Anny Ongena
Photography by Melanie Mrakovcic

Brad Pitt for Chanel

There you are - clip by Chanel



Brad Pitt for N°5...
Sure we are in a new area, sure things change and evolve, but this is N°5 we're talking about! And from where I'm looking Mr Pitt has trouble getting in touch with his feminin side. Even being the damn good actor he is, it's impossible to incarnate the seductive femal spirit of N°5. Sure he is very charismatic, no argument about that, but the N°5 lineage is made of female icons such as mademoiselle Chanel herself, Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet etc. So, sorry Mr Pitt, it takes a woman to do this job, cause N°5 was, is and will always be inévitable a woman's thing!

image by Chanel

Dear readers, what do you think of this? Tell me by leaving your comments, you can write in NL, ENG or FR. I'm looking forward ... Love, Anny

On my radar

This pair of utterly elegant, sexy Bottega Veneta Mary Janes ...

Here's a little something you may not know: Although Mary Janes are thé feminine shoes by excellence, they have also been worn by males throughout history!

Anny Ongena for Dominique Models

Styling : Anny Ongena
Model : Charlotte Stepman @ Dominique Models

Fendi's Baguettemania

Fendi fêtes the 15th anniversary of their iconic Baguette, created by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997. Of course there already was a very fashionable party, a fashionable book, pop-ups in the leading concept stores and now an online pop-up boutique.

For those who are not familiar with the Baguette, here's a little clue: We all remember the SATC scene in which Carrie Bradshaw gets mugged. When the mugger demands her to hand over her bag, she goes "It's not a bag, it's a baguette!" (SATC episode 47, season 3). And just like that miss Bradsaw created a Fashion Frenzy for the Fendi Baguette.

See the Baguettemania at 10 Corso Como

Well, your Baguette is only a clic away, start clicking...
Online shop

Expo: Cristóbal Balenciaga + Rei Kawakubo

Culture and expositions are always on my agenda, so I was happy to see this one on two of thé biggest, influential people in Fashion; Cristóbal Balenciaga and Rei Kawakubo.
The exposition is part of the program Hors les Murs, by the Galleira Museum of Paris. It's small but nevertheless interesting.

Cristóbal Balenciaga, Collectioneur de modes
Payes homage to the magnificent Cristóbal Balenciaga (Januari 21, 1895 - March 23, 1972), shows pieces donated to the museum Galeira by the couturier's family and is curated in collaboration with The House of Balenciaga. Exquisite items and clothes dating from the 18th, 19th and 20st century plus Haute Couture from 1937-1968.

here's a glimpse

COMME des GARCONS, White Drama

Is an installation, installed by Rei Kawakubo herself, showing the complete COMME des GARCONS Spring 2012 runway collection. White drama captures four stages in life; birth, marriage, death, transcendance. A glimpse of Rei Kawakubo's Universe, dramatic but spiritual.

here's a glimpse



Ladies & gents, if you are in Paris or you will be in Paris this weekend, I give you three good reasons to go see the work of these two masters:
1. If you know fashion then you know why
2. If you don't know fashion then you get to see that these are not just clothes
3. the exposition ends this Sunday Oct. 7, 2012
And the museum is located on the boarder of the Seine, that's a free bonus.

Les Docks - Cité de la Mode et du Design
34, quai d'Austerlitz
75013 Paris
métro: Gare d'Austerlitz, Quai de la gare, Gare de Lyon

Saint Laurent

One of the highly anticipated shows during this Paris Fashion Week was Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane. At the helm of the house he started by re-naming the brand Saint Laurent. So, for shure we did not expact he would stop there, no! Hedi Slimane took original YvesSaintLaurent ingredients like; le smoking, la saharienne, the caftan, mousseline, bows, mixed these up into his own recipe and the result is a dark, edgy, rock & roll collection. So it's sure that Hedi Slimane will be dressing a new Saint Laurent woman; younger, cooler, androgynous. I've always been a YvesSaintLaurent devotee, so for my personal wardrobe I'll keep on stroling for vintage and pieces from former YSL collections.

images from Style.com

Fashion meets Art @ Louis Vuitton

When designer Marc Jacobs and artist Daniël Buren collaborates, this is what sprouds from it.
 

LV Damier

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Les Deux Plateaux by Daniël Buren

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 images from Style.com

The models really look like Buren sculptures in Jacobs' clothes. A perfect example of Fashion meets Art. Superb!



Seen @ Chanel

Now that's a big bag!!!

images from Style.com

What Haider Ackermann gave me

...a 'coup de coeur'!!!

image from style.com

The splendour of Raf Simons at Christian Dior

It is clear that Raf Simons knows damn well how to channel the spirit of monsieur Dior! Being a modern time man mr. Simons knows exactly what la femme Dior anno 2013 needs and turns her into a style maverick, without depriving her of the Christian Dior DNA. And from my perspective, he does it with splendour! Hmm, if I get to pick three outfits for myself, I would pick...what? A girl can dream, can't she?...Well, let me show you my picks:

all images from Style.com

No worries, I can count till three, I just got four favorits...

My love affair with Dries

What can I say, I just LOVE Dries' collections; the clothes, the shoes, the accessories...everything is elegant but exuberant, his clothes don't restrict you, they let you move and breath, you can really live in them and that's just great! Well, that's how I feel when wearing one of his beautiful pieces. And looking at the images of the collection he showed today, once again I want to be a Dries Van Noten woman. Yes, my love affair with Dries continues.

                                      
                                     
                                     

all images from Style.com