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February 22 2024 / Letter 435
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With this gloomy weather, I don’t know about you, but all I want to do is stay cosy at home reading some good books… So to stock up on good reading, I’m recommending you a bookshop that I love (admittedly, it still requires putting your nose outside) and two remarkable books. And since one of these books is about fashion, I’ll also give you a good tip for keeping your pretty shoes in shape.
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I’ve mentioned it before, but although it’s a place that I love, I never think of going there. And yet, it’s a top
bookstore with plenty of books in English, even for children, and a host of foreign magazines that you’ll only find there. On the first floor, a tea room with three different rooms is quite unique too. Cherry on the cake, lots of British grocery products as well as ‘Crunchie’ chocolate bars, a kind of crunchy orange sponge wrapped in chocolate (a kind of drug for me to turn my veins into pure sugar). But the best of the best is the souvenir section, which will save you from taking the Eurostar, where you’ll find lovely metal boxes bearing the image of Lady Diana, King Charles or the late Mummy, and here I guarantee you a triumph by bringing this to the next dinner you will be invited to rather than a scented candle. Well, Olivier, my keen reader, you are too chic to be sensitive to this kind of slightly cheesy object so I advise you to go next door to Hilditch & Key to buy a shirt or a scarf, but I definitely crazy about it ! |
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Remarkable books
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Children’s corner
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Mummy’s souvenir
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Much better than a bouquet !
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A detail of the tea room
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My English drug
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If you have a father-in-law, I’ve got just the gift you need : Natasha Fraser’s book
Harold !
is a little gem. Well, your father-in-law may not be a Nobel Prize winner and you may not have a father-in-law, but in any case this is a magnificent portrait of a man who was exceptional in his work as well as in his private life. Natasha recalls all the famous people she’s met thanks to Harold Pinter (oh yes, I forgot to mention the genius !) and the whole world of English and American theatre and cinema. The description of London’s high society and the father-in-law’s working-class background is true, tender, intelligent and we are seduced by the atmosphere of this family in the ’70s and ’80s. It could be a novel, it’s Natasha Fraser’s life, who remains modest, discreet and incredibly elegant. Well, you know that book reviews aren’t my thing, but at Grasset it is ! |
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A real gem |
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To complete my description |
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An exceptional man |
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My first is a profession defined by an organ.
My second only exists in France.
My third is a first.
My whole is a wonderful behind-the-scenes account of a totally unique setting.
Did you guess ? It’s Colette Maciet’s book, Haute Couture published by Michel Lafon, the book of a really great ‘première d’atelier’(head seamstress), after having been a ‘petite main’ (trainee seamstress), who worked with Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint-Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier, but also Hubert de Givenchy. She tells us about her career, her joys, her difficult moments and we discover what it is like to be a ‘première d’atelier’, which is fascinating for neophytes and fashionistas alike. We understand that talent goes hand in hand with personal elegance, and Colette combines these qualities. The preface is also amazing (I wrote it ! 😂). |
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Colette, couture granddaughter
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Find out more
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Colette gets down to it !
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Première d’atelier is a title
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From sketch to dress...
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An essential accomplice
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If you love shoes, you absolutely need wooden shoe trees. It’s an everyday little joy to see them regain a pretty shape after wearing them. It also helps to widen shoes that are sometimes a little too narrow. Surprisingly, we more often put these wooden things in men’s shoes, but no, they come in small sizes and you’ll soon find out that your shoe cupboard or your dressing room will also instantly become more beautiful and tidier. |
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Very satisfying gadgets |
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Getting back into shape |
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and a little flexibility |
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OK, it’s not good for your health but if you smoke you must hate cigarette packets that remind you of it. Here’s a solution : pretty cases covered in Smocking jacket fabric, a kind of ostrich-like approach but cheerful and refined. It can also be a gift for an intoxicated friend. There are also lovely matchboxes to leave lying around the house. |
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Funny, right ? |
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For the matches |
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My new collection |
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In the February box set, you’ll find lovely notebook published by Gallimard inspired by their Collection Blanche or their Collection Poésie. I’ve been telling you so much about them, it seemed logical that one day they should be in the box set. Well, here they are ! And then I added a lovely necklace from By Garance, very simple that can be worn alone or mixed with other long necklaces. Finally, also a lip oil from Le Rouge Français which is organic, vegan, made in France and which smells of roses - a perfect care all in all !
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The February box |
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The William Blake Notebook |
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Sweet, isn't it? |
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The perfect oil |
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So next week, I have no idea what I’ll be telling you about, but by then, I’ll definitely find out. In the meantime, and since the weather is lousy, you can go and try the new Pathé Premium cinemas … a fantastic experience ! These are large rooms with big screens, but above all large, ultra-comfortable armchairs that recline completely, so you’re almost lying down. Actually, the seats in the front row are real beds. I tested one of the cinemas in Montparnasse (but there are several in France) and frankly, it’s excellent! Plus you can book in advance and arrive at the last minute. Believe me, it’s worth it and much better than watching a film at home on a small computer screen !
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© La lettre d'Ines 2024 | Se désinscrire | CGU
3-9 avenue André Malraux, 92300 Levallois
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