My name is Catherine aka Comrade Von Pussycat, this blog is a cheeky homage to all of the Bond girls I grew up watching on screen and aspiring to be like. I am a California girl who fell in love, and married a Macedonian boy. We have a cat named Samson who we rescued from the snowy winter streets and who now repays me by humping my leg incessantly...such a creep! Oh, and I also happen to love the 1940's and 1950's, so stay tuned if you love vintage too!
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Showing posts with label Swedish Hasbeens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swedish Hasbeens. Show all posts
As sumptuous and delicate as a bite of Courtesan au Chocolat itself, this beautiful 1940's pale rose crepe rayon dress featuring dainty raspberry coloured floral buttons is the perfect way to channel the sweet innocence of Agatha from The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wear with Creme Anglaise coloured clogs, the sheerest nude fully fashioned stockings, and a slick of rose lip creme.
"During the 80's the style and fashion was infused with humor, equality
and colors. This collection is inspired by the powerful and individual
women of the second wave of feminism in the 1980s.The edgy style of Grace Jones, the fearless style of Debbie Harry, the
post punk gothic style of Vivienne Westwood and the strong women in
Helmut Newton's photos. To help banish the overtly sexualized images of
women, particularly in advertising, we want to show women as we truly
are – Natural.We take the natural approach to our shoes as well. Our shoes are all
unique since they are hand-made by skilled artisans using lime tree wood
and natural vegetable tanned leather in old and happy clog factories in
Sweden, Italy and in the EU.
Let's go natural!"
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I absolutely adore this new campaign by Swedish Hasbeens for so many reasons. No thigh gaps. Full bush. No Spray tans. No implants. No shiny, photoshopped fake derriere. No duck lips. In a world where a woman is "supposed" to be tall, thin, hairless, and unrealistically well-endowed, it is nice to see a slightly different image projected. I mean, yes, these are still models, obviously - but I appreciate the direction that Swedish Hasbeens has taken.
Autumnal prints & muted colors - cozy pumpkin spice and warmcreme brulee sweater separates make it easy to mix and matchfor a laid backand elegant Autumn look.
Mixing textures and patterns - creamy cappuccino angora sweaters pair perfectly with rich chocolate colored pencil skirts and mocha plaid wool circle skirts!
Swedish Hasbeens "Singoalla" Peeptoes - the cutesy cutout details and low wood heel make these darling shoes perfect for everyday wear. My favorite thing about the natural leather? Olive oil and sunlight make them darker with age, turning them into a delicious creme caramel color!
Miniature sweet treats - I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so when I find little desserts that are as beautiful as these macarons, it takes me to a happy place. Favorite flavors: Persian Rose, Pumpkin Spice, Amaretto, and Red Velvet!
George the Cat - after losing my beloved Samson in Macedonia, I swore that I would never get another cat. Well, George just showed up at our front door one day, and that was that. Someone up there definitely has a sense of humor.
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.
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