Кажи Нешто Драга...

As Autumn quickly approaches, I find myself relieved to experience a fresh season. When I was a girlchild of eleven and twelve, I perpetually pined for summer. Now, however, my brooding poet soul finds solace in the less (annoyingly) sanguine seasons.

I remember my first Autumn in Bulgaria like it was yesterday. I can still smell the thick smoke of roasted red peppers in the crisp Autumn air. I can still hear the brittle crunch of dark plum, burnt ochre and bright flame colored leaves under my little fur lined winter boots (leather and fur was so inexpensive in Bulgaria in those days!). There are also some relatively unpleasant memories I have of village life - I remember that for the entire month of October there would be blood trickling down the dirt gutters due to the pig slaughtering parties that the men of each family would hold. In the deep chill of the dark blue velvet nights, you could hear the blood curdling squeals, and the slurred words and melodies of Bulgarian folk songs. My father, who attended such an event out of sheer politesse, told us the next morning at breakfast that an abundance of rakija (moonshine) and a dull butcher knife makes for a slow, agonizing death. This was village life.

It is memories like these that fuel my longing for the dramatic...and sometimes, even the provincial. I find that my wardrobe has become a sanctuary and a mythical place where I can indulge my inner raconteur. I truly feel that stories aren't merely conveyed with words, but that storytelling can be performed through  many different mediums. The use of textiles, fashion if you will, can bring to life living, breathing characters that otherwise would have been confined to the darkest corners of your imagination. I say, why not unchain these ghosts that haunt your dreams and give them breath? I suppose it is considered strange to be so philosophical about fashion. We are often told that fashion is superficial...frivolous...vain. I believe in the creation of art, for it is the greatest expression of being human. You create art through your words - I create art through my love of textiles- but we all create art with our hands.

Now on to a more lighthearted discussion!

Above are things that are on my wishlist for this coming Autumn and Winter - I will be visiting Macedonia with my dear husband in April (still very much Winter!) so I have decided that I need to invest in a few more cold weather classics. Although the dress above is made out of cotton, I felt that it had the possibility of being very versatile in terms of layering - a beautiful eyelet petticoat in Creme Anglaise, thick wool stockings in a charcoal grey or bittersweet chocolate (or maybe nude stockings with a dark coffee seam?), a lofty cashmere sweater from the 1950's adorned with creamy pearls (if those voluminous sleeves will fit! I absolutely ADORE the sleeves!), and for the piece de resistance...a cozy yet glamorous wool coat in a rich pumpkin spice topped off with a whipped cream colored fur collar. I also need to go lipstick shopping - I need a moodier red. I hope you enjoyed this post, and please, never be afraid to indulge your imagination!

And now for a few photographs and some classic Balkan folk songs to inspire you!

Easter Sunday - Romania

My ideal outfit!

Romania - what a cute photograph! That astrakhan coat is absolutely gorgeous...

Moscow market - USSR

I am completely in love with this photograph...the sheer pathos of it all. The battle weary soldier. The poverty stricken babushka's. The changing times of the USSR.

Comrade Von Pussycat