Yup, this is a post about Calaveras y Diablitos (skeletons and little devils)
following on my ‘When I am Dead My Dearest’ post. Now, don’t worry, I’m
not plotting my own death or becoming a goth. I am simply cashing in on
the fact that skeletons -and death- are trendy. And will be even more
trendy come Fall.

They are all over the haute couture catwalks, seen at Gaultier and Givenchy
with even burlesque star Dita von Teese playing the lovely bones, like you
can see here in my post for The Wam Bam Blog.

You’ve been warned, so expect plenty of calaveras (skeletons) running
around town way before Halloween.

Calaveras remind me of Frida Kahlo, Riccardo Tisci’s inspiration for Givenchy’s
fab haute couture collection – you can see it here in my review of Paris Couture
Fashion Week for The Model Management Blog.

One of Tisci’s dresses looks exactly like this Frida painting here, which is one
of my favourite of hers, called: ‘The Broken Column’:

I was working at The Tate Modern gallery in London when they had a major
retrospective exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s work. It was really cool cause I learnt
all about her then and had the chance to see a large number of her paintings
which were brought in for the exhibit -including one which is owned by Madonna-
who is also a fan of Frida’s work.

If you don’t know much about Frida, you can catch up in this fascinating documentary
about her life and her art here or watch the movie, where Salma Hayek plays a tres
sexy Frida, check out the trailer:

Another couple of paintings of Frida which I love are:

‘The Suicide of Dorothy Hale’

This painting is very Magritte in a way and the dress that poor Dorothy wears
would look stunning reworked as a couture piece inspired in that painting.
I would have it made from the most beautiful dark-ash gray, in pure silk and the
the white detail would be bones, of course (animal bones). Don’t worry, I am
not that gory to walk around dressed in someone elses bones, no matter how
trendy.

I like this Frida piece because the painting looks very unique and very different
from the rest of Frida’s paintings. Dorothy looks so beautiful, (and beautifully
painted) as opposed to the almost amateur looking and cartoonish self portraits
of Frida herself. It kind of makes you realize that she painted herself like that
for a reason.

-’Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair’

I love the colours in this painting and the fact that she is clad in menswear.

And ‘What The Water Gave Me’:

I always remember this painting when I am alone in the bath – Erm, duh! did
I just say alone? Ahem! – but yeah, I do think about it when I am in the
bath. Especially when I have my toe nails painted red and I can see my footsies
hanging at the other end of the tub.

Aren’t these calavera figurines of Frida and Diego lovely?

Now here are some fab skeleton fashion pics…

Calaveras y Diablitos is also the title of a song by an Argentinian band called:
‘Los Fabulosos Cadillacs’, lead by the fantastic Vicentico.

Here they are playing you this song which is very close to my heart bones and goes kind of like:

“No quiero morir sin antes haber amado, pero tampoco quiero morir de amor…”
“I don’t want to live without having loved but neither do I want to die of love…”

Love and bones,

xoxo
Nonita

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PLAY!

When I am dead, my dearest…

Sing no sad songs for me;

Plant thou no roses at my head,

Nor shady cypress tree:

Be the green grass above me

With showers and dewdrops wet;

And if thou wilt, remember,

And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,

I shall not feel the rain;

I shall not hear the nightingale

Sing on, as if in pain:

And dreaming through the twilight

That doth not rise nor set,

Haply I may remember,

And haply may forget.

xoxo
Nonita

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Being a girl who prefers vintage over contemporary clobber,
my wardrobe is filled mostly with one off vintage pieces.
The reason why I love vintage clothes is not only because
they are unique pieces but also because they always have
a story to tell.

So I always chose to splash my cash in vintage rather than
designer clothes, with a few exceptions. One of them, is my
favourite dress in my wardrobe. My Alice dress.

It is an electric blue, pure silk and beautifully pleated dress
with a vintage feel – even though it was made in 2007 – and
it reminds me a lot of the dress that Alice in Wonderland wears.
One of the reasons why I bought it. Well… a grown up Alice.

My dad named me Alice -as my middle name- because he
loved Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. He would
always read me that book, it was our favourite.

As soon as I saw the dress on the model just hit the store of the
luxury retailer that I used to work for back then, I though OMG that
is my Alice dress! but I knew full well that it was going to fly off the
shelves immediately and that there would be no way on earth that
I could afford the price tag: 850.00 GBP

So I tried looking away and my little heart broke each time that I had
to talk to one of my clients about it. As I wanted it so much, I was ever
so enthusiastic whilst selling it on the phone. Once I had lady say to me:
Gosh dear you sound like you really want that dress. I said, of course I
do, who wouldn’t? it is the loveliest dress in the world. I love it, it is my
favourite. Then perhaps you should buy it. Said the lady kindly. Oh no
darling, I don’t have the money for it. You have it. I said and the lady
bought it.

That was it, the stocks were sold out and my dreams of having my Alice
dress evaporated like rain drops on a hot summer day. In the back of my
mind though, I still thought about it every day, as I imagined it hanging in
my wardrobe.

3 months went by and the store went on seasonal sales. I was going
throught the sales page, desperately looking for a black dress that one
of my clients really wanted and she said she had seen on the sale section.
So there, among a discounted sea of Oscar de la Renta’s, Burberry’s,
Stella McCartney’s and Celine’s, I found it… My Alice dress!!!

I knew right then that that was my Alice dress and I could not believe
my eyes. It must be a large size. I thought. Checked the sizing and stock
and yup, there was one dress left, in a UK size 8!!! – How rare is that!?
Most sale items end up being a size one million- if that size exists-but no,
it was a UK size 8 (my size) and it was on sale, for 30% off its original retail
price. I could not believe it as the dress had been really popular. I thought
that perhaps it might have been a stock discrepancy or a returned item and
I went off to check it and it was not either. There it was, brand new, immaculate,
in its lovely designer bag.

Ok, so still it was not cheap, but it was not ridiculously out of my reach this
time, so I didn’t think twice and I bought it. My very first brand new designer
dress, which also reminded me of my favourite book read to me by my Dad
every night, when I was little. It was worth its price and more!

I didn’t even try it on, I just bought it, got home and hung it in my wardrobe,
exactly where I had been dreaming that one day it would be.

I love, love, love my Alice dress and whenever I wear it, I am in wonderland.

I only wear it to places where my Dad and I would have loved to go together,
like to the Royal Opera House or The National Theatre.

I wore it once to ‘The Yvy’ -one of the poshest restaurants in London-
where a date once took me for dinner, in a bid to impress. I thought
that it would be a nice place to wear my dress to, but it turned out to
be just a place full of tacky celebrities and greasy pub food. Ew.

So now I only stick to the ballet and the theatre, if Alice is to go out.

Here it is in full swing, on Alice Temperley’s Fall 2007 collection- one of my
fave Temperley collections ever, love the music by Prokofiev, The dance of
the Knights- My dress is the one that the 4rth model wears…

Isn’t it beautiful? I love it so much and I will treasure it forever!
Thank you so much for designing it Alice Temperley!!! It is my
favourite dress in the world!

Now here is another one of my favourite Alices… Alice by Jan Svankmajer:

The lovely Alice under water images are by the fab photographer: Elena Kalis.

Love,
xoxo
Nonita

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… London

I absolutely loved this video of London that Alex Silver made and the
lovely girls over at Yes Brian You Look Terrific! posted. It makes me
weep with pure love for the city that stole my heart.

I was on the bus one day and felt so inspired by the views of London,
that I wrote this poem, you can read it HERE.

I always thought that cities are sleeping giants, Gods that once lived
on earth…

For me, London is a man.
Barcelona is a woman.
Frankfurt is a woman.
And Prague is also a woman.

Not sure about Paris yet. Will have to find out soon.

Don’t miss the coolest vintage jumble that the Brian girls organize monthly,
you can read all about it HERE.

Apparently Michael J Fox is a fan! I am dying to join them at the next Jumble
this 18th July. Come along!

xoxo
Nonita

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Image via showmeyourwardrobe.com

So exciting, just published a fab exclusive interview with the super cool and super
stylish Buyer and Designer of TOPSHOP, the gorgeous Rachael Proud.

I am so in love with her skeleton tracksuit, I want one!!! She also chooses her
favourite SMV vintage pieces in the interview, I love Rachael’s style!

You can catch the whole interview over at The Model Management Blog [Click here to read]

xoxo
Nonita

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A Peter Breen film, starring the fabulous Scarlett Etienne?  TOO HOT!

Catch the interview HERE  if you missed it.

Oh and you can download free the fab mix that Scarlett Etienne made
for us called ‘Songs for The Act of Coitus’ . You can get it HERE.

xoxo
Nonita

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Hey peeps! I am oh-so-excited to be also writing for the Blog of some of the
most fantastic, beautiful and talented performance artists; the fabulous troupe
called The Wam Bam Club, a terrific London burlesque show – lead by the
fabulous Lady Alex.

The Wam Bam Club is the best Burlesque and comedy show in London and it
is housed  in one of the most iconic, decadent and historic venues in London:
Cafe de Paris

The gorgeous Lady Alex invited me to see the show and I was totally blown away,
I had the best night ever! Never had the words dinner and cabaret in london sounded
more appealing to me!

You can read my review of the show here: http://bit.ly/d656mn

Bookmark The Wam Bam Blog too and catch my weekly posts on the fabulous art
of  Burlesque! – There’s going to be a whole lotta fashion, art and naughtyness
involved, d’ya know?

Join us on Facebook  to keep up with the news!

xoxo
Nonita

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I went to check out the fashion at the lovely ‘Enchanted Palace’ exhibition over at
Kensington Palace the other day, to write about it for The Model Management Blog.
[You can read my review and see all the fashion in the show HERE]

After seeing this fab exhibition, I was not only totally blown away by the amazing
work that the curators and artists who took part in this project did but also, by the
effort that all museums are making by pushing their creativity to curate shows that
appeal to all publics.

Having gone there after the fashion, it came to me rather as a mysterious and perhaps
slightly scary surprise- that after seeing the exhibition, I found myself totally intrigued
and obsessed with the life of Princess Victoria – who came to be Queen Victoria, the
longest reigning monarch in Britain!

She was the princess who used to sleep in a high bed, piled up with matresses
to prevent her from sleepwalking at night. (Just like in the fairy-tales!)

The way in which the exhibition is laid out is great, as it is all a quest where
you go through exploring, room by room, without really knowing which princess’
room is which. Adding to the thrill of finding out and discovering more as you
go along, are the fantastic fairy tales written by the fabulous Mercedes Kemp
-writer of Wildworks. You can listen to some of them HERE , they are so lovely.

I was having a great time going through each room, reading up on Mercedes poems
about each princess, until I stepped inside the room of the sleeping princess…
My hair stood on end immediately, as if I was entering another dimention and my
soul was painted blue with pain and sadness and I didn’t know why. 

It was so strange, inside it all looked so incredibly familiar,  it was a really strange
feeling of sorrow, of having been there before. It was the weirdest thing that’s ever
happenned to me. Everything about that room made me weep, the little ballet
shoes, the embroidered cushions, the books, the beautiful bird wallpaper… it was
a sense of stepping back into the past and looking at your life when you are not
there anymore. It was so strange. I don’t know how else to describe it.

As I got to the last room of the exhibition, where all the names and the portarits
of the princesses are finally revealed -  again! – The one whose portrait made me
weep as a mad woman, as soon as I stepped in front of it was hers… Queen Victoria’s. 
Recongnizing the tears and the feeling of sorrow – exactly the same ones that I had
felt over at The Sleeping Princess’ room, I wondered if the room where I had felt the
same sadness was hers, and to my shock and disbelief, it was…

To add to the strangeness of it all, I walked out straight into the shop and I looked
for a souvenir – a postcard of Queen Victoria obviously to remember the experience-
and as I picked it up in my hand and turned it, I saw that it read on the back: ‘Queen
Victoria’s Coronation, 28 June 1838′. I then felt a cold chill again, as I rushed to check
the date on my Blackberry and it was, indeed, the 28 of June, 2010. :S

I then became totally obsessed about finding out everything about the life of
Queen Victoria and I found out that she was actually born there and christened
in the very same hall where I stood, staring at the painted ceiling and at the
dresses that hung over it, unknowingly…

She also met the love of her life – Prince Albert - there too and they used to go for
walks in the very same garden, where I sat contemplating her portrait.

The life of Queen Victoria is fascinating! I bought the book ‘Becoming Queen’
by Kate Williams, which I am reading at the moment…

and I have just watched the film ‘Young Victoria’, where Emily Blunt plays
a delightful young princess Victoria and she is brilliant in it!

I really liked this movie, as it shows you another side to the life of Queen Victoria,
her young years as a princess, her coronation, the politics around her and how she
met her Prince Charming, Prince Albert, (hence the Victoria and Albert Museum in
London) and how they fell in love. Her happy years, all before Prince Albert died at
the very young age of 42 and she became the sad looking Queen dressed in black,
who never re-married and mourned the death of her husband for the rest of her life.

Now here are some lovely pics of Queen Victoria’s inspired fashion, featuring some fab
models in Dior dresses, Emily Blunt for Vanity Fair and some lovely stills from the
movie ‘Young Victoria’.

This is the song that played in the last room of the Enchanted Palace Exhibition
at Kensington Palace, where the names of the 7 princesses are finally revealed.
Still gives me the creeps when I hear it.

“Save A Prayer”

You saw me standing by the old
Corner of the main street
And the lights are flashing on your window sill
All alone ain’t much fun
So you’re looking for the thrill
And you know just what it takes and where to go

Don’t say a prayer for me now
Save it ’til the morning after
No, don’t say a prayer for me now
Save it ’til the morning after

Feel the breeze deep on the inside
Look you down into your well
If you can, you’ll see the world in all his fire
Take a chance
Like all dreamers can’t find another way
You don’t have to dream it all, just live a day

Don’t say a prayer for me now,
Save it ’til the morning after
No, don’t say a prayer for me now
Save it ’til the morning after
Save it ’til the morning after
Save it till the morning after

Pretty looking road,
Try to hold the rising floods that fill my skin
Don’t ask me why I’ll keep my promise
Melt the ice
And you wanted to dance so I asked you to dance
But fear is in your soul
Some people call it a one night stand
But we can call it paradise

Don’t say a prayer for me now,
Save it ’til the morning after
No, don’t say a prayer for me now,
Save it ’til the morning after
Save it ’til the morning after
Save it ’til the morning after
Save it ’til the morning after
Save it ’til the morning after

Save a prayer ’til the morning after

xoxox
Nonita

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If you like my blog, you can now show your support with the Cosmopolitan Magazine
Blog Awards!

Voting couldn’t be easier:

Step 1: Go to http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/your-life/cosmo-blog-awards/special
Step 2: Select Category -> of your choice.
Step 3: Paste this http://www.smvblog.com/nonita/
Step 4: Give Cosmopolitan a good reason to select us! =)

THANKS!!!

Now here’s the lovely Flo:

xoxo
Nonita

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ZIAD GHANEM COUTURE - Fall 10/11 “Bal des Têtes”.

Don’t miss the fabulous new couture collection by London’s cult couturier: Ziad Ghanem
over at The Model Management Blog [click here to see] and don’t miss the special notes on his couture that he kindly sent me too.

I love Ziad, his work is so exquisite, unique, modern and so true to his roots. It’s so
London and so Lebanese at the same time too, I love it. His dresses are as beautiful
and deep as the verses of my favourite Lebanese poet, writer and artist: Kahlil Gibran.

If you missed the interview with Ziad you can also read it here: [click this and it will take ya there]

“All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind” – Kahlil Gibran.

Lots of love,
xoxo
Nonita

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