Love Letters of Great Men.

Napoleon Bonaparte
1769-1821

(Amazing jacket detailing ps.)

Napoleon the humble soldier from Corsica who became a great general and Emperor of France married Josephine de Beauharnais in March 1796.She was an impoverished Creole aristocrat from the French colony of Martinique with two children from an earlier marriage.

The first three letters here were written shortly after their wedding, when Napoleon had become commander of the french forces in Italy; the fourth dates from the Austrian war of 1805. in these letters,Napoleon casts himself as the supplicant, at the mercy of his beautiful and hard-hearted wife, who sometimes even insists on using the formal vous instead of the effectionate tu; there is something touching and almost comical about his anxious pursuit of Josephine all over Italy while conducting the military campaign that would make his name It became clear to both later on in their marriage that neither had remained faithful, and Josephine’s extravagance was a constant source of friction between them, but it seems from these early letters that Napoleon was very much in love with his wife.

Napoleon divorced Josephine in 1810 to marry Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, in order to gain an heir and secure the succession.Josephine continued to live near Paris, and remain on good terms with her former husband until she died in 1814.

After his defeat by the British, Napoleon was exiled to the island of St Helena in 1815, where he died six years later.

To Josephine at Milan,
Sent from Verona, 13 November 1796

I do not love thee anymore; on the contrary, I detest thee. thou art horrid, very awkward, very stupid, a very cinderella.Thou dost not write me at all, thou dost not love thy husband; thou knowest the pleasure that thy letters afford him, and thou dost not write him six lines of even haphazard scribble. What do you do then all day, Madame? What matter of such importance isit that takes up your time from writing to your verry good lover? What effection stifles and pushes on one side the love, the tender and constant love, which you which you have promised him? Who can be this marvellous, this new lover who absorbs all your instants, tyrannises your entire days, and prevents you from being solicitous about your husband? Josephine, beware one fine night the doors will open and i will be there. In truth, I am anxious, my good amie, at not receiving your news; write me quickly four pages, and say those amible things which fill my heart with sentiment and pleasure. i hope before long to press you in my arms and shall shower on you a million burning kisses as under the Equator. Bonapart

Quote of the day....

"The Hermes scarf - bold, colourful, luxurious, ebullient - is something of a fashion banner"
- The New York Times 1985

Prada Fall 2009 RTW

Nothing disco about this collection, boiled wool, forties style coats and suits, complemented by the violently frizzed hair of the models. It has a bizarre take on utility even Prada found hard to explain. "I didn't want to do anything about the city," she said, "more something about sport and the outdoors in general—freedom and nature. But in the end, I realized I liked coats and suits. It was serious, in a way. It was about a need for feminine empowerment."

It hints a sense of war, loss and isolation. I found the tone quite relevant to my collection. The seriousness of the suits reveals a subdued elegance and kind of sexiness. A suit of strength made to last, and I particularly love the shorts....

Old Parliament House Gardens

Want a delicate meal, in the heart of a beautiful garden, a scene fit for a King....you dont have to go all the way to "Les Jardins du Chateau de Versaille".... I recently visited Canberra and was blown away by the beauty of the Old Parliament House Gardens, after taking as many photos as possible of the range of 400 roses I couldnt help myself, in the heart of the garden was a cafe with the best pizza, tapas and coffee I have come across in a while....

Quote of the day....

"I never think about whether the skirt is wide enough to walk in, however the wearer will look getting into and out of a taxi...i consider the beauty and artistic value of a fashion, not its utility." Hubert de Givenchy.

The Power of the Coat

With a bit of back ground on the dissertation, it is then from this dissertation that a collection must be born......
There was one image that inspired it all....

Winter Collection 1940. Designer Robert Piguet.

Although still in the design process my 12 look collection titled "Atelier de 1939" (studio of 1939) is a winter collection heavily based on the idea and symbolism of the coat, its strength, durability and thickness, reformed and restructured.

Torn between the pain of war and the love for ones country saw the 1940’s Parisian woman in a struggle to survive during the second world war. Women in mourning, with their large coats and army boots, assisted the armies in defending their country, living off food and clothing coupons, some of many sacrifices made. Paranoia and anxiety filled the dark and sombre air as women prepared for war, whilst the excess of high society adorned in rich textiles, attended the extravagant fashion shows fulfilling their duty of elegance.

The signature army coat that defined and protected from the harsh surroundings will be deconstructed and reformed. A focus on classic couture pieces, collectibles and heirlooms cherished due to the shortages, with large coats embellished and adorned as masterpieces. Protection meets presentation and identity.

With a simplistic military aesthetic this collection explores the relationship and distinction between the classes of Parisians and celebrates the fashion worn by both, featuring the rationed blanket coats of the lower class combined with the embellished couture of the upper class. Tailored, sharp lines, play on volume and shape, a dark and heavy collection, a hint of bright shades and accents that pop; desire and reality are in conflict.

Dissertation "Wearing the War - Fashioning La Parisienne during the Second World War" By Karima-Chloe Hazim

May be wondering what all the French fuss is about......
I am currently in my final year of Fashion design and for my major collection I have embarked on uncovering the history of fashion and dress in Paris during the Second World War....
My dissertation (writing) explored the fashions worn by the Parisian society which was distinctly split in two when the war broke out. The rich continued their lavish couture spending and the poor had to make do with the rationing and shortages. I came to the conclusion throughout my essay that France survived the war through Fashion, and the way the society dressed depicted the survival of the country.

Extract from "Wearing the War - Fashioning La Parisienne during the Second World War"
By Karima-Chloe Hazim.

Tricolor chiffon evening dresses trimmed with red, white and blue ribbon, a military style coat heavily beaded with pearls and gold metal chains, and a peasant style gypsy dress with a tartan skirt and lace apron, one could observe that this was quite an assortment for a collection. However while seemingly confused Chanel’s spring/summer ensembles of 1939 revealed the dual nature of the society in Paris at the time. Fashion historian Dominique Veillon suggests a way to understand this collection when she writes;
“Fashion is an expression of every aspect of life; it is a way of
existing and behaving, and is, in fact an observation point from
which to view the political, economic and cultural environment
of an historical period.” (Veillon, 2002, p vii)

As Veillon addresses, fashion is a benchmark and reference of the context and social standing of an era in history. Through the dress demonstrated on the street, in the media and collections presented at the time, fashion transcends simple dressing - the adornment and concealment of the body, and offers the historian a field of study. In order to generate an understanding of a particular era, as designers it is crucial to comprehend the motivations behind the clothing fashioned by the existing society.
The harrowing years from 1939 to 1945 in European history offer pivotal details for carrying out this sort of research. These years cover a brief yet eventful period of time and provide an opportunity to explore the relationship between, as Veillon details ‘the phenomenon of fashion’ (Veillon, 2002, p vii) and the social situation of a fashionable society, ways of dressing and the adoption of attitudes.
This study will closely investigate the ramifications of the Second World War upon Paris as a city, and the methods employed to outlive the severe conditions and restrictions placed on a fashion driven society. It will reveal how Paris fashion was utilized both on the streets and in the collections, as a communication device to instill messages of strength and resilience to both Parisian and occupier and reinforce the ideals that have shaped the city throughout history.