Monday, January 19, 2009

i HEART the selby















if...it were possible to be in-love with a virtual space, then i would be head over heels for the selby....i must say, it was LOVE at first sight...pureGENIUS LuV....

creative spaces + innovative faces...

-- STYLE NOMAD 02/04/09.

PHOTO CREDITS: All by the selby


Friday, January 16, 2009

something borrowed, something blue...




every girl's dream... is to have delicate, precious light reflecting off of ear lobes & wrists especially on her wedding day. I came across the truly luscious Bijoux Odalisque jewelry line recently and thought the gorgeous but quite expensive accent pieces would be perfect for a bride-to-be. A once-in-a-lifetime occasion would be the right time to splurge on these semi-precious wonders. A lot of independent jewelry designs keep copy catting each other till nothing independent seems fresh anymore. Enter Bijoux Odalisque...lovely and luxe over at Etsy. -- STYLE NOMAD 01/16/09

ALL PHOTOS by Bijoux Odalisque.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

the tao of nao...







nao... branding by Figtree for Jumeirah Hotels. Targeting young professionals seeking out a new and different kind of luxury experience, the UK agency was asked to identify and create a proposition centering around a modern, zen-luxe experience where quality, service, and knowledge take precedence over the staid, out-of-fashion baroque and pop-art hotel experience offered by many boutique and chain hotels the world over.  Redefining luxury for the next generation, the nao hotel was set to open in San Francisco but its launch date continues to be undetermined. -- STYLE NOMAD 01/15/09

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

lyrical beauty...

youth is delicate... it waits for no one. And yet those days wrapped up in carefree idleness and free-spirited adventure leaves us with distant memories that linger like a sweet after taste of something we knew so long ago. Sally Mann captured these nuances of youth and childhood...those fleeting moments of almost inperceptible growth as we shift-shape and change from children into budding teenagers. Many of the portraits are of her own children. My favorite - Night Blooming Cereus, which I find breath-taking, is what lead me to her work... - STYLE NOMAD 1/13/09

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Tokyo Milk, please...



Rare..
.is it that I find a product whose design *and* scents sound unique and enticing. It seems like everyone keeps doing the same thing ad nausem. I came across wicked pretty Tokyo Milk months ago (I have an archive of cool finds - am posting as much as I can here one at a time). while it is a bit reminiscent of Lollia, the skulls and 18th century-like doll heads give Tokyo Milk a bit more edge. I love anything unisex, so there's Dead Sexy. A deep vanilla, exotic woods, white orchid, & ebony scent that's "crushed and distilled to perfection" - the perfect Feb. 14th gift for the X or Y-dominant chromosome set in your life. There's also Let Them Eat Cake -  Sugar cane, coconut milk, vanilla orchid, & white musk; Kabuki - Sugared grapefruit, lychee & sweet jasmine; and Ex Libris - Fig leaf, magnolia, bronzed musk & cardamom. 

Branching out into lovely soaps and lip balms, it's a simple treat for your bathroom or yourself. I think it'd be cool to send one, carefully chosen treat for each of your girlfriends to remind them that with or without "that special someone" they're loved this V-day. I've got my eye on the Rose Water lip balm...for lips sugared sweet, tasting just like roses...-- STYLE NOMAD 01/11/09

Friday, January 09, 2009

an imperfect duchess for the new world...


spring... is still a long way off but I'm dreaming of it, surrounded by winter-wonderland temperatures so cold I'm a human popsicle dipped in hot chocolate & wrapped up in fuschia, papaya, & citron cashmere finery (thank you J. Crew!). I am in love with the past few seasons J. Crew has done. Apparently they hired new CDs (Creative Directors) in recent years that are très talented. Talk about reviving a brand. Luscious colors and elegant, hip designs and prints have been taking this brand to a whole new level. You can't call J.Crew preppy anymore cause it's turned into something entirely new...very urban cool if you ask me.

Or perhaps I am already dreaming of warmer weather that leads us to tea parties Marie-Antoinette style because sometimes creating little joys or integrating small bursts of color into our lives are easy and simple ways to brighten our moods and our hopes during difficult times.

What's been inspiring me as of late is this kind of imperfect duchess style for the new millenia. Think floods of color like in the movie "Marie Antoinette" by Sofia Coppola. But think of it as if that same Marie Antoinette was lying on a second-hand seatte she got for free from a friend and covered it in luxe silk she got on sale at an obscure fabric store...
PHOTOS by the very talented: Jimmy Backius

Given our fragile times, I think we all need something happy. Something bright. Something that reminds us to still live well and keep our chins up because happiness gives strength, balance & energy through the storm. The television reflects gloom and doom which probably makes people so nervous we support our economy even less. I think everyone needs to be smart, serious, and take the appropriate measures to have safety nets and do what they can. But just giving yourself a warm meal, treating yourself to a single flower put in an empty soda bottle, or even just staring up at the sky for awhile and breathing in fresh air is modern luxury - redefined. Luxury should not be about $ but about taking good care of yourself. Treating yourself in simple, non-extravagent ways.  

There's a place for beauty and it's right now. Beauty can come from window shopping, drinking a cup of hot tea, trying an exotic fruit, or treating yourself to a new scarf. Even a luxurious bubble bath. Anything that draws a little joy or beauty into your life has deep meaning and purpose. Now more than ever.
The idea of being an imperfect duchess is finding luxury in treating yourself well, not in spending money.  Often when the world is chaotic, we deprive ourselves when we really should be taking care of ourselves and the quality of our lives & what we have now, not later. A little goes a long way to nourish our hearts, minds and spirits.
To see how beauty & color have their place in serious times, look at the La Fete de la Coleur ("The Festival of Color") organized this past Nov. 20th for UNICEF's Day of International Children's Rights. People were encouraged to participate by making donations, joining rallies, or painting themselves and loved ones in campaign colors of pink & orange. L'Express magazine joined forces with MAC Cosmetics to create special edition pink & orange make-up sets that were available at MAC kiosques around Paris. People were encouraged to place rose and tangerine palettes on their cheeks, hands, or have friends place them on each other...arms, noses...anywhere...in joint participation & support for children around the world. Just what I mean. Exactly. Design and beauty have their place in this world. To inspire, to brighten, to bring hope and joy...and even to help.

So be an imperfect duchess. Don't feel guilty to buy a can of paint and finally paint your living room pink. Do what you can with what you have. Treating yourself will give you energy and warmth beyond measure during this wintery, cold, uncertain season. And that is something that money can't buy. -- STYLE NOMAD 01/10/2009