Swiss holidays...

The thought of Switzerland may evoque many things.... Snowy mountain tops, delicious chiocolat, evil pharmaceutical companies... Or, for the ones of us with a soft spot for small things with big values, it might be more along the lines of Rolex, Omega or Patek philippe...  To attend my brother's graduation, I flew out to Lausanne last week-end in a short break away from the city. After a quick stop at the fabulous Nespresso shop (what else?), I wondered a little around the city.

Classic Uniqlo coat with a bright red scarf- perfect for a beautiful autumn day! 

In the evening, a reception and diner was organized at The Beau-rivage hotel. A sumptuous art-deco building just off the Lac Leman, it is often a choice of retreat for jet-setter of all kinds. It hosted Empress Elizabeth of Austria - a childhood idle of mine, magnificently embodied in  Romy Schneider - in her visit  to the city a few days before her assassination.

The evening was delightful - not to mention otherwordly glamourous.

Above my little black dress I am wearing a long Comptoir Des Cotonniers coat. I love it when the dress is shorter than the coat and remains unseen - a small touch of audace. The Christian Louboutin hills are easy to reconcile with anything - charming, they are an item worth to invest in! No wonder their creator is subject to fashion adoration! (and for those interested, check out the new Christian Louboutin photography book: gorgeous!).

 Champagne was refielled non stop - a temptation to which I easily succombed to.

Jewels at the ROH

I have wanted to see this Balanchine's masterpiece ever since I've first heard of it years ago. Where else can i find such an exquisite combination of two of my favourite things- ballet and jewels? So, after a coffe and a maccaron a la rose in the recently opened La Durée in Covent Garden, I made my way to the opera house- a dive into gilded times. The ballet, composed of three acts, begins with emeralds, followed by rubies in a continuous crescendo towards...well... A girls best friend. The refined and slightly overglossed costumes reminded me of the latest color tendencies of the seasons: gems tonalities seem to be a must have.

Today I am just enjoying the - alas so rare - sunlight. Feeling low profile, I wore a pastel iBlues long sleaves T-shirt with jeans (sometimes less is more). An ASPESI gilet to complete the look - and immediately making it  a touch more Italian.

Wondering...

Walking in the streets of London is one of my many pleasures.  Nietzsche used to say that all truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.  I don't really think I conceive so many of them, but I do see a certain amount of extraordinary things. People to begin with. From bohemian to rock'n'rollers, passing by bourlesque and witty, the etiquette here is just so different from what I am used to. There is an article in Vogue British this month entirelly dedicated to the British style- therefore long and full of adjectives such as "free spirit", "rebels" and "sense of fun".
"We were made to look at one another, weren't we?" Said Degas. True, and if you find yourself in this big city, you will not get bored! (Note about Degas: I just went to an exhibition dedicated to the painter at the Royal Academy of Art. Absolutely fabulous, it encompasses paintings from private collections that had never been seen in exhibitions before - I particularly loved a bluish ballerina from the Pushkin museum of Moscow. Magnifique!)

As for me: Autumn colors today. Therefore warm(ish): long camel Mango jumper and suede Motor Shoes boots.

The hat was added last minute: stepping outside this morning, I realized it was not quite as warm as I had anticipated by the presence of the sun. 

Back to London life

My first impression being back: cold. It struck me as soon as I came down of the airplane to take the bus to the terminal. Chris picked me up at the airport and, after a few comments about my not much improved English accent - even after 2 years in London, the first thing I always get asked is "where are you from?"- he drove through the core of the Big Bad City. Still vibrant from the recently finished fashion week, I got reminded why I love it so much: it combines a  restless and ceaseless  pursuit of the new  with an unmovable respect for tradition. There is always something going on.  When we passed in front of the V&A museum, which was overflowing with people in evening gown, I had a glimpse at the Timber Wavn instalation for the design festival. Yes, it is good to be back!

Massimo Dutti jumper-dress with a MaxMara belt for a city style look. 

Large Furla bag... another one of my many loves. Having bought it for my birthday several years ago, it is still as good as new and just as charming as the first day. In my hand, a critical accessory: my daily dose of caffeine. 

On the Road

It is time to go back to London, even though I am not sure I am quite ready to face the city's delights - and the end of my long lasting holidays - quite yet. For my last morning at home, my mum took me to an esquisite little restaurant close to a stable. We ate on the terrace, with view on the lakes and mountains, a glass of brachetto in hand. Simply perfect. And then we were off to the airport. Large Mulberry tote in hand, I had that annoying feeling of having left an essential component behind that always accompanies me before a trip. Well...hopefully I will be back soon.

The scarf - fairly old and digged out of my wardrobe - is Marina Bravin. It has un je ne sais quoi, somehow beeing so wrong it is right - especially if you keep the rest of the outfit simple. A blameless embelishment to the Petit Bateau polo shirt, it breaks away from the sport-chic etiquette. The Furla bag is in perfect harmony with the charming Tod's shoes - possibly my favourite, and I was delighted to see that they are out again this year in 3 different colours.

Bye Bye Baby

Why does everything good need to end? Here it is: the cold wind blowing away the holidays. And nothing marks the end of summer as much as the unimpressed look on the face of a waiter when you ask for a sex on the beach cocktail. So run to get your last ice-cream and prepare yourself for a long season of soup and hot chocolate. It is time to put away the moccassins and summery ballerinas and to get out the boots and coats.

In this coldish autumn day, I feel in an equestrian mood. The very coutry-side Massimo Dutti does the trick. Underneath it, a simple black GoldenPoint body. The green belt- also Massimo Dutti is a brand new aquisition: I love it's dark emerald colour - so popular in this season's collections. Combine it with bordeaux, and it is just charming!

Hunting down the perfect bottines is not an easy job. But after months of research, I finally managed at the end of last winter. Here they are: my well-beloved Tod's leather and suede bottines. Except from being absolutely gorgeous, they are also extremely comfortable. And - as an additional bonus - they complement perfectly charming Mulberry bag!

Once Upon a Tie

Tie hunting in Milan. I spent the day in Milan looking for a tie to give to my brother for his graduation. I found the city invaded by elephants - art works supporting the Asian Elephant Foundation that have already been a success in London and other cities- and frenetic shoppers. Finally having an opportunity to explore men's store- I secretly love men clothing- I went into every shop on Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga that might have what I was looking for- and, as Italian men love to dress just as much as women, there are plenty!

I am wearing a delicate- and slightly transparent- intimissimi top with edgy Abercrombie jeans- to give a little bit of contrast. I knew I was going to walk a lot, so went for my comfortable moccassins.