Cinema with Style First Edition: TO CATCH A THIEF

One of my favorite pastimes is watching movies. Whether classic films at home or new movies on the big screen, I love movies and learning everything about what comprises a great film (from the history behind the story to the costumes, set design & soundtracks). As a result, I have developed a love of biographies written about old movie stars as well. This new series is about the films I cannot live without & what they mean to me.

First up, TO CATCH A THIEF:

The 1955 classic Hitchcock film, based on the novel by David Dodge,  is somewhat eerie in that the winding French Riviera roads where Francie Stevens (Grace Kelly) recklessly drives a convertible with a frightened John Robie (Cary Grant) in the passenger seat are the same roads where Grace Kelly also veered off the road & lost her life in 1982.

However, the movie itself is uplifting in its beauty, attention to detail & thrillingly suspenseful story (a tale you can literally watch over & over again & still be on the edge of your seat). Edith Head does the costumes and the mix between Grecian Goddess & princess of the Riviera that she achieves may well be a career highlight for a costume designer whose career was a series of costuming successes. Grace Kelly's own granddaughter, Princess Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, already a fashion icon in her own right, recently paid tribute to her grandmother's costuming by wearing a blue dress to part of her Uncle's wedding celebrations that was reminiscent of the gown Francie Stevens is wearing the first time we are formally introduced to her in the film (we see her briefly on the beach prior to that introduction when she watches John Robie swim ashore on the beach outside the beach club at Cannes).

Costume Designer Edith Head

Grace Kelly as Francie Stevens in Blue Dress

Charlotte Casiraghi Channeling her Grandmother in To Catch a Thief in Giambattista Valli at her Uncle, Prince Albert's Wedding Celebrations 

To Catch a Thief Barbie

The white dress Francie Stevens wears to a room service dinner where the dinner conversation is dripping with sexual innuendo far more seductive than the explicit sexuality typical of 21st century films is a dress that reflects the tone of the conversation. She is all in white,a regal gown that reaches the floor but the dress is strapless & reveals the diamond necklace (fake) that she hopes will lure John Robie into admitting his true identity & the fact that he has met his match. I often think that the dress in this scene has as much of an influence on contemporary wedding fashion (see every subpar strapless white gown flooding the market) as Grace Kelly's actual wedding dress (see Duchess of Cambridge/Ivanka Trump).

The White Dress

Seducing John Robie aka "The Cat" into..."Watching Fireworks"

Grace Kelly Real Life Wedding Dress (also "on location" in the South of France)

Ivanka Trump in Grace Kelly-Inspired Wedding Dress

Duchess of Cambridge in a Grace Kelly-Inspired Wedding Dress

Noticing a Theme?

I am often inspired to give a modern spin to my favorite To Catch a Thief costumes:

Francie Meeting John for a Swim in the Mediterranean

Later Inspired:

Francie Watching the Fireworks with John

Later Inspired:

and the following as well:

Francie Walks Down the Hall Determined to Kiss John for the First Time

Later Inspired:

 One of the best scenes in the movie is a picnic scene in Francie Stevens's convertible. Francie & John look out on the beauty of the Riviera but they have eyes only for one another & their verbal exchange reveals their mutual attraction for one another & the sizzling chemistry between Grant & Kelly (contrast with Audrey Hepburn & Grant in CHARADE, another amazing movie but one that reveals a more paternal love between Hepburn & Grant so they could address the age difference that perturbed Grant when signing on to the film).

 Above: The View of the Riviera for Francie & John's Picnic Lunch

Below: Two Movies & Two Separate Lessons in Chemistry

The Beach Club at Cannes is in fact the real life Carlton Hotel in Cannes, a location I happily visited two years ago on a day trip from my hostel in Nice. My traveling companions literally had to chase me down as I sprinted towards the scene of one of my top three favorite movies. Unfortunately, photographing the interior of the hotel is not permitted if you are a non-guest so I only have these pictures of the exterior until I can afford to upgrade from hostel to a hotel fit for a princess.

The Real Life Beach Club at Cannes: The Carlton Hotel in Cannes

Me in Front of the Carlton Hotel

More elements inspired by TO CATCH A THIEF:

KAFUMANFRANCO Gown Looks Similar to the Metallic of Francie's Costume at the Costume Ball with the Draping of the Blue Grecian Gown:

Saint James Unisex Nautical Tee

Looks Similar to John Robie's "I'm Just Your Average Retired Frenchman/Horticulturist" Look:

Swarovski Necklace

Looks similar to Francie's "You can have me and the necklace, have you ever had a better deal" look:

Victorias Secret Swimsuit

Karen Walker Tortoise Frames

Hermes Scarf

Looks Similar to Francie's "Why are mysterious men who swim ashore from boats driven by teenage french girls the most intriguing type of man" look:

Signing off for now but surely the inspiration from My Favorite Jewel Thief/American Heiress love story will continue in later posts.

I leave you with one of my favorite images:

A Look to Look Into: Blinding Brights

The blinding neon colors of the 1980s have returned in full force, a fact that is particularly evident by the fact that on my walk to work up fifth avenue I see at least twenty pairs of neon-colored jeans & skinny pants each day.

Although I love slim-legged pants in all forms as a general rule (see the Minnie pants I am wearing today). I cannot bring myself to make the leap to neon brights combined with slim or stretchy fabrics. For that reason, I was particularly drawn to this outfit worn by Elle Macpherson (as seen in the Huffington Post). She has kept the cigarette pant & the neon trend but avoided the dreaded neon thigh look, opting instead for brightly colored pumps. Well done, Elle! A look I will certainly be looking into to...

Reflections on Father's Day

I could not go home for Father's Day yesterday because I have a new job, few days off and limited funds for airfare.

I know I am somewhat biased but I have a fantastic father. He has worked hard to give all four of his children what he never had in life, both the material and the emotional (he lost his own father at the age of seventeen).

He was always our champion: he coached the sports teams, judged our debate tournaments, excitedly prepared for family vacations & never missed an opportunity to eat dinner with us, spend a weekend with us or simply have a conversation with us on the phone.

His life has been career & family with family always taking precedence.

Happy Father's Day, dad & thank you.

Bold Colors for the Bathroom

The traditional rule for paint color is small space, light color. Light colors are one of the tricks recommended to expand your otherwise tiny space.

I generally follow this rule (hence, my BM Pale Smoke Living area and BM Silvery Blue Kitchen) but I am considering going bold when it comes to my petite bathroom.

SYMPHONY BLUE is the color I am contemplating. The color was featured on a Domino magazine cover with Zooey Deschanel as well as in a Lonny magazine spread. Granted, in both places the color was used in a somewhat larger space than my bathroom but it is so cheerful and I think with some black and white vanity fair portraits, my white marble tile and possibly a white (or gold or brushed nickel or floating wood...another element to obsess over!) mirror, the color would end up really being an accent and not engulfing the room.

Thoughts?

Alternatively, I could go the safe route and paint it all cliffside gray/marilyn's dress (*both Benjamin Moore as well!)

 Cliffside Gray

  Marilyn's Dress

Oscar Nominations

Surprises?

Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids for Supporting Actress.

Gary Oldham in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (the Academy officially hates Leonardo DiCaprio).

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close a contender in a few categories.

Note:

I want Jean Dujardin to win best actor, not George Clooney!

So looking forward to the Oscars!

More than a Rebound: How I Got Over Being Dumped by Domino

I will never forget the day that I learned Domino magazine was canceled.

I received a letter in the mail that the magazine was no longer going to be coming to my house each month and that in its place I would be receiving Martha Stewart. I still cannot look at a Martha Stewart magazine on a newsstand without feeling the injustice: that magazine survived  white collar prosecution and public persecution of the woman behind the brand and Domino magazine closed without fanfare, breaking the news to me in a form letter.

An assistant at Domino named Michelle Adams decided that the format that gave Domino a loyal following was not a losing formula but one that simply needed to be reinvented for the digital age. The result? Lonny Magazine. The best part? I finally got over when Domino dumped me and left me with a stack of gardening editorials and craft templates.

Get to know Michelle Adams

Get to know Lonny Magazine

And the Oscar Goes to...

Tomorrow morning the 2012 Oscar nominations will be announced with The Artist as this year's frontrunner for best picture (with The Descendants at a close second). I also cannot help but root a little for one of my personal favorites from this year: Midnight in Paris from director Woody Allen. With TEN spaces for potential best picture nominees there may be plenty of other films receiving nods (Hugo, Tree of Life) but these three are the frontrunners in my mind.

I am also excited to see whether Elizabeth Olsen will garner a nomination for her role in Martha Marcy May Marlene although the best actress race will almost certainly be between Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady (who took home the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama), Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn (who took home the Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy/musical) and Viola Davis in The Help (a movie I watched for the second time last night and that never fails to make me cry).

A champagne toast to the fact that the Oscar countdown will finally begin tomorrow morning!