Tuesday 30 July 2013

Week 27: Moulin Rouge


Moulin Rouge

Well, I couldn't put it off any longer, this week I felt it was time to combine one of my favourite parts of Paris with one of my favourite films of all time to give you… the Moulin Rouge shoot!

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

That's right folks, for week 27 (on the 27th of the month – clever huh?) I donned my flounciest petticoat and sashayed on over to the world-famous cabaret with this week's photographer (AND make-up artist) Very Talented Cousin.

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

The Moulin Rouge ("Red Windmill") was founded in 1889 by dynamic duo Charles Zidler and Jospeh Oller. These gifted businessmen had an acute understanding of the public's tastes and new exactly how to turn their dance-hall into a money-making miracle.

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red poster

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red poster

Nestled at the foot of the Butte de Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge aimed to provide a fabulous escape where the rich and powerful could slum it with bohemian artists and flirty dancers in one of the most fashionable districts in town.

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red bike

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red bike

Taking its name from the multitude of windmills which graced the top of the Montmartre hill from the late 17th century, the cabaret is probably most famous for being the "spiritual birthplace" of the cancan. Although the dance had been around since the 1830s it reached high fame at the Moulin Rouge where famous dancers –such as La Goulue – made it raunchier than ever.

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red Chanel tattoo

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red Chanel tattoo

La Goulue – or The Glutton – was one of cabaret's main attractions. Although also known as "the Queen of Montmartre", she got her principal stage name from her habit of downing customers' glasses as she danced by their tables. A close friend of Auguste Renoir, the posed for many of the quartier's artists and was painted many times by Toulouse-Lautrec. She was well-loved for her amiable nature and readiness to shock and one of my favourite stories of her tells of the time –in 1890 – when the future King Edward VII (then The Prince of Wales) was on a private trip to Paris, and visited the Moulin Rouge to see what all the fuss was about. Apparently  La Goulue recognised him in the audience and- mid-dance, with her leg in the air- decided to call out "Hey, Wales – the champagne's on you!". I really hope that's true.

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

Nowadays, if you go to a show there, you will see the dance troupe the "Doriss Girls" named after Doris Haug who formed the troupe in 1957. One small difference has been made, however: where once there were 4 girls… now you get 60. Makes sense that one of the nicknames for the cabaret was "The First Palace of Women"…

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red
VTC made me do this pose...

There's so much to say about this wonderful place, I'd be here for weeks if I tried to tell you about all of it, but my favourite thing that I learnt while doing my research was… there used to be an ELEPHANT in the garden. A giant, life-sized elephant that was built for the Universal Exposition in 1889. This elephant not only looked hella cool, but also –apparently – housed an opium den and belly dancers which you could go and enjoy for the very reasonable price of one French franc. But only if you were a man. Harumph. Guess no one told Nicole that….

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red The Doll

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red The Doll

That reference will have seemed a tad bizarre if you haven't seen Baz Luhrman's 2001 masterpiece. If this is the case… well… I’m sorry – and I include a clip to put you out of your misery. Unless of course you hate musicals, glitter and ridiculously dramatic romances. In which case, you may want to give it a miss…

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red The Doll

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red The Doll

ANYWAY, this week's outfit is pretty much solely inspired by the cancan dancers' costumes in the films, with me putting my own 1950s flamenco dancer spin on it. Too many references? Maybe… Mint green and red seemed like an initially dubious combination to me, but I think they worked surprisingly well. So well, in fact, that some poor Spanish tourists mistook me for someone ACTUALLY affiliated with the establishment, and asked if I'd get a picture taken with their child. Sorry about that…

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red Tourist photo
Me with the Spanish tourist child...

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red Tourist photo

VTC was in charge of all the make-up (also inspired by the film) and OH MY GOODNESS HOW COOL ARE THE DIAMANTE THINGS?! Although they did make it look as if I was crying glitter… which is pretty much how I feel whenever I watch the film actually, so it all works out quite well. To keep in with the slightly risqué nature of the place, we went for a couple of cheeky Chanel tattoo transfers on the lower thigh. Which I think are hilarious fun… apologies for anyone now feeling scandalised… I do try to make this as family friendly as possible… just ask the Spanish tourists!

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red diamante eye makeup

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red Chanel tattoos

Right, that's enough glamour for one day – back to Metro-Boulot-Dodo for me. See you all soon!

Moulin Rouge Cancan dancer petticoat mint and red
Top - New Look
Skirt - Marina Retro
Petticoat - Lindy Bop
Shoes - New Look
Earrings - H+M
Tattoo transfer on thigh - Chanel
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Wednesday 24 July 2013

Week 26: Parc de Bagatelle

Parc de Bagatelle Paris

Now, I know I said I wouldn't talk about the weather anymore, but it feels necessary to make some mention of the heatwave which seems to have been sweeping the globe for the last couple of weeks. This is mostly necessary because it played a large part in deciding where this week's shoot should be!

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges leaves

This week, delightful boyfriend and I headed to the Parc de Bagatelle. So chosen because it was outside – and being inside is not an option in this heat – and a little bit off the beaten track so less likely to have been mobbed with tourists. For those of you who (are lucky and) don't know me – I'm a complete treasure, a TREASURE I TELL YOU… unless I am too tired/hungry/hot or need the loo. Then I can be the grumpiest being you ever did see. (Yes, just like a baby…) This means that it is a good strategy to keep me away from large groups of people who have a marked predilection for walking slowly, pausing suddenly, and taking photos often. 

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges

Anyway, less about my foibles, more about the foliage. The Parc de Bagatelle is situated outside of central Paris, in the 16th arrondissement's Bois de Boulogne. It forms the extensive gardens belonging to the Chateau de Bagatelle, an ex-hunting lodge which was transformed into a neoclassical playground for the aristocracy in the 18th century. The grounds passed to the Comte d'Artois in 1775 and, following a bet with his sister-in-law (Marie-Antoinette – you might have heard of her) the chateau and its gardens were completed in under 3 months (63 days to be precise).

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges Statue Hebe

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges statue Hebe

The name comes from the Italian word "bagattella" meaning "a trifle" or a little pretty thing. For any linguaphiles out there, the word "bagatelle" in French has now come to mean "philandering/nooky/rumpy-pumpy" as well. So now you know.
Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges tree

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges tree

A chateau it may be, but it was considered very small at the time, as is reflected in the Horace quote which stands over the porch to the main entrance; "Parvus sed aptus", which means "small, but able". Incidentally, I'm thinking of using that as my new way to introduce myself, you know: "Hi, I'm Fran, parvus sed aptus", followed by a wink and a cheeky grin. Thoughts?
Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges chateau

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges chateau

The gardens are enormous, were designed by Scotsman (woo) Thomas Blaikie, and include a pagoda, an obelisk, several waterfalls, and all sorts of fake ruins and grottoes. There is also an orangery and a rose garden and in June every year the gardens host an international competition for new breeds of rose.

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges roses

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges roses

In 1842 the 4th Marquess of Hertford inherited the chateau from his father and used it to house his extensive collection of French art. Upon his death in 1870 both the chateau and the collection, along with a house in London, were passed on to his illegitimate son Sir Richard Wallace. In 1897 the art was brought over, installed in the house in London, and the Wallace Collection was born.

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges cave

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges cave

Due to the Anglo-Chinese style of the gardens and – to be frank, more importantly – because of the ridiculous heat, this week I opted for this simple floral dress from Apricot. I've said it before – floral dresses are not my fave. They are too simple, leave me very little to play with or embellish. However, it was 36/37 degrees this weekend. 36! I'm not sure if you know but Scots aren't really built for heat, we're not used to it. As a result, if I'm subjected to temperatures above a balmy 30° Celsius, my brain melts to a liquid not dissimilar to a fine French bouillon, and trickles out my ears.

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges cave waterfall

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges tree

Disgusting metaphors aside, it was too hot to be creative. Plus I love the fabric of this dress- the thick cotton makes it sturdy enough to not blow up in the breeze, but the cut means that it is held away from the body and doesn't cling. It's much shorter than I would normally go for but needs must in this heat, and I figured the slightly oriental style of the flowers would go quite well with the Chinese parts of the garden.

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress barefoot grass

Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress barefoot grass
Dress - Apricot for New Look
Blue flats - Marks+Spencer
Wedges - New Look
Earrings - Present

I paired it with floral wedges initially, to try and invest some flair with an overload of patterns, but gave up halfway through and retreated to my faithful M+S flats. A girl's got to know her limitations. That's all for this week folks! Hope you're all enjoying the heat and the sunshine where you are and, if there isn't any chez vous at the moment, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN DAYS.


Parc de Bagatelle Paris floral dress wedges peacock

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Wednesday 17 July 2013

Week 25: Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe

Hello all! For those of you who are French, I hope you had a wonderful Fête de la Bastille. For those of you who aren't, I hope you had a lovely…Sunday. The 14th of July is a French national holiday which takes place on the same day as the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789. On a weekend geared towards celebrating general French greatness, I thought it fitting to head to a monument of just that: the Arc de Triomphe.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos railings

The Arc de Triomphe (or "Triumphal Arch", though I'm sure you clever lot could have got there on your own…) is a huge Neoclassical monument, based on the Arch of Titus, commemorating all those who fought and died for France in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos Eiffel Tower

Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned it in 1806, though it wasn't finished until 1836, the very foundations taking a whole 2 years to build. I guess triumph is a gradual business.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos corner

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos wall

It sits at the centre of the Place Charles De Gaulle, at the head of the Champs Elysées and act as the middle point between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Défense.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos wall SUNGLASSES

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos wall

Underneath the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – a touching monument to all the unidentified dead from the First and Second World Wars. On this tomb burns an eternal flame, which was lit in 1921 and was, apparently, the first eternal flame to be lit in Europe, since that of the Vestal Virgins went out in the 4th century. Every year on the 11th of November, a memorial service is held there.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses

Arc de Triomphe Eiffel Tower

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses

That's looking down, looking up is an incredible structure standing at 50 metres tall (which meant it was the largest triumphal arch in the world until 1982 when the Arch of Triumph was built in Pyongyang. “Take that, Europe” says North Korea...) Still, the second largest in the world isn't bad – and Charles Godefroy still managed to fly a biplane under it in 1919, so I reckon it's something to be proud of.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings

The sculptures covering the edifice were done by several different sculptors and show "The Departure of 1792" (also known as "La Marsaillaise"), "The Triumph of 1810", "The Resistance of 1814" and "The Peace of 1815". Rumour has it that the sword held by the figure of the Republic in the "Marsaillaise" relief broke off on the day the Battle of Verdun started in 1916. (For those of you who don't know or who, like me, had forgotten most of their GCSE History – the Battle of Verdun was a WW1 battle fought between the French and the Germans. It resulted in a tactical victory for the French, but was arduous, bloody, and took nearly a year.) The swordless Republic was immediately covered with a tarpaulin, in case any civilians took it as a bad omen.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings

When doing some research in preparation for the shoot, I read somewhere that there is a lift to take you to the top of the monument. Wonderful, I thought, no climbing up 200-odd steps for Fran then. Wherever it was that I read that was mistaken. And there are 234 steps. (If you're disabled, however, there IS a lift so for anyone desperate to visit the arc who has a deep-seated phobia of stairs or exercise, I don't know, maybe break your leg first). Still, it wasn't too bad and the view from the top is utterly stunning. Unfortunately you can't see it too well in the pictures, because the killjoys of the tourist office were obviously all like "bla bla bla, safety, bla bla bla, 50-metres, bla bla  bla, fall off and DIE" so there's a high metal railing all the way around.

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings
Neck to Ankle - H+M
Shoes - Marks and Spencer
Earrings - Vintage
Sunglasses - ...H+M...

For this week's shoot I decided to go for pale, neutral colours to match the arch itself and then injected some life with the gold embroidery on the top and the gold jewellery. (Gold being the colour of Triumph, obvs.) It's a pretty rare thing to see me wearing trousers (Ones that AREN'T made of lace, that is) because I have complexes about my legs because of society, etc etc. HOWEVER, having examined Andrew GN's Pre-Fall 2013 collection, I felt drawn to the idea of giving tight cropped trousers a go. The brocading on the top was fortuitously reminiscent of the embroidery in his Resort 2014 collection as well. Have I mentioned my love of plans coming together?

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings

Arc de Triomphe white and gold peplum chinos sunglasses railings

A big thank you to Best Friend Recently Back From Africa for stepping in as photographer extraordinaire for this shoot and I hope the rest of you lovely people enjoy what's left of this week.


View from top of Arc de Triomphe Paris


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