Friday before last in Paris (how time flies!) we visited the Musée du quai Branly to take in the architecture*, but I found the collection of art from non-western backgrounds much more interesting.

The exhibits were vital and exciting. Unsettling too. There were short films by anthropologists as recent as the seventies, capturing some of the costume and objects in use. I had forgotten the French’s fascination for ‘primitive’. Walking around I saw Picasso here, Gaugin and Rousseau there, JP Goude and Gaultier too.  Indigenous life in their colonies seemed to infiltrate art and visual culture from the very beginning. Seeing the ‘bambara’ collection at the YSL exhibition in the afternoon just cemented the connections…

*Jean Nouvel’s architecture wasn’t as great. I loved the colours, I loved Patrick Blanc’s plant wall and the landscaping and planting. The museum itself seemed to have so much circulation space - the walk from entry to the exhibits was about ten minutes! My architect buddies felt it was badly detailed, but fortunately I don’t notice - I’m a broad brush stroke girl.

My favorite shots from this Flickr set. Which was taken the week that Yves Saint Laurent made his debut at Dior. So timely!

I want coral nails.

I’m so excited to find out that a trip to Paris I am taking for work coincides with the YSL retrospective at the Le Petit Palais!

The exhibition will cover Yves Saint Laurent’s entire career: from his beginnings at Dior’s atelier (just around the corner from the museum) to his Le Smoking, his designs for many theatrical productions and of course for his great muse Catherine Deneuve.

I think I better book my ticket now.

Chinos and stern expression on the left bank. Yeah…

Michelle Jank has always made me want to dye my hair.

I did also think about wearing one of her pieces when Mr G and I hitched it last year, with a very plain fitted jersey and a very voluminous (like folds and folds and folds) textured satin skirt, with the whole thing being all different shades of milky creamy white and red lips and ruddy hair. Probably looks better in my head than on the page. I did actually try to contact her via Iqons as I couldn’t find any details of her except that her jewellery had an outlet via Browns.

Paris innit. On the Rue St Honore…

Hélène Cixous. Paris 2004 by Olivier Roller.

I hope we can make the Gainsbourg exhibition in Paris this winter! Thanks to Pam for wording us up!

21 October 2008 - 1 March 2009, Cité de la musique.

And just because she’s so sublime…

Vali Myers came to Europe from Australia at 19 and took up residence in Paris, where she was one of Ed van der Elsken’s subjects for Love on the Left Bank. She later divided her time between a valley in near Porofino in Italy, New York and Melbourne, where she died in 2003.

Her lover has written a memoir, but I would love a copy of van der Elsken’s documentation of Beatnik Paris.

How to wear your light denim shirt in the wintery snow.

Paris sous la neige, Garance Doré.

First day back at work for 2009…

I love the way Jak & Jil capture women striding out… ok shoes striding out….