Trip to St Petersburg

Last weekend I went to visit a friend in St Petersburg. I have been to this beautiful city before, but every time it seems and feels different. I see a new side of the city every time I'm there. It's always fascinating and always enchanting, but never quite the same.

I love St Petersburg in the summer; the sunshine streaming through the green leaves. It's very different from Moscow - it feels like in St Petersburg there are tress and water everywhere.     

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

There are probably a lot of discussion about which building represents St Petersburg. Some say it's the Winter Palace, others prefer one of the bridges, and still others who put the picture of Peter the Great's bronze statue on commemorative plates and mugs. I think that the building that represents St Petersburg is the one above - the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. It represent the blood and gore of the Tsarist regime and the Revolution that followed, the revival and romantization of the ancient Rus' past, of the meeting of the East and the West.   

I love cast iron - it makes me think of metallic lace. And I do love lace. This piece of railing surrounds the Mikhailovsky Palace. It was originally from the Winter Palace, but after the Revolution it was dismantled and different pieces were used all over town for railing and other Revolutionary purposes.  

Russian Museum

Mikhailovsky Palace, also known as the Russian Museum, houses the largest collection of Russian art in the world. That is, of course, not surprising, since it is in Russia. Pretty much every great Russian painting is housed in this building (unless it's at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow).

I'll share some more really beautiful pictures from the trip in the next couple of days.   

Dress of the Week: Tea Gown

It is rather unfortunate, but I got sick this week, which confined me to my house for the time being. But when a lady feels like she has to lounge around the house for a while, she can still do it in style if she has the right gown to wear.

Tea Gown, 1885, Britain, Met Museum 

Tea Gown, 1885, Britain, side view, Met Museum

Tea Gown, 1885, Britain, back view Met Museum

Date: 1885
Culture: British
Medium: silk
Dimensions: Length at CB: 57 1/2 in. (146.1 cm)

This elegant peach-colored silk tea gown is perfect for a lazy afternoon at home. It reminds me very much of the light Chemise a la Reine gowns popular in the late 18th century. But most of all I love the little daisy details embroidered on the skirt and along the lace. It's such a whimsical barely-there element.

Tea gowns were usually made out of light fabrics and were much less restrictive than the formal fashions of the day. A 'tea gown' is somewhat of a misnomer. It seems to imply that you would wear this dress to tea. But, as a matter of fact, these dresses were meant for at-home wear only. While appropriate for morning sitting rooms and breakfasts with the family and maybe a few bosom friends, no lady would be seen in one of these by the wider public.      

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Snow White and the Huntsman Costume Featurettes

Most films don't spoil us with costume related featurettes. But Snow White and the Huntsman has at least FOUR!

This video is really great. Colleen Atwood describes all the characters she had to work with and tells about her creative process for each of them.



And here are three more featurettes where she shows the costumes and tells a bit more about each of them.







I can't wait to see this movie!  

Dress of the Week: Blue Robe à l'Anglaise

This week I was looking for something warm, but airy and just a little coquettish. And nothing suits my mood better than this blue silk robe à l'anglaise.

Robe à l'Anglaise, 1770s, British, Met Museum

Robe à l'Anglaise, back, 1770s, British, Met Museum

Robe à l'Anglaise, back detail, 1770s, British, Met Museum

Dress (Robe à l'Anglaise)
Date: 1770–75
Culture: British
Medium: silk, metal
Dimensions: Length at CB: 53 in. (134.6 cm)

The robe à l'anglaise became very popular between 1720 and 1780. It was inspired by English fashions, especially tailoring that was catching on as the epitome of good taste. The funnel-shaped bust ends with a large rectangular skirt, with the fabric beautifully embroidered with metal thread. The skirt is open in the front and is just begging for a lovely whitework underskirt. I really love the color. As I am planning to take a little boat trip this weekend, this blue would match the sky and the sea perfectly. All I can wish for now is fair weather.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Snow White and the Huntsman Costumes

What is it about Snow White? Why do we keep making films, TV shows, and music videos about a heroine whose only claim to fame is her incredibly pale skin and proclivity for harmful fruit? I will certainly think about answers to this question as I watch Snow White and the Huntsman when I go see it.

The costumes for this, what feels like the umpteenth version of Snow White this year, were created by the brilliant Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland, Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha). And they are dark, moody and atmospheric, just like the film (or at least the film's trailer).



I'm not a huge fan of faux-medieval chic, but a lot of it looks pretty cool.

 

Snow White's costume is very practical, if a little dull. I like how it illustrates the character's journey from an imprisoned princess to a strong and self-sufficient warrior. It starts out as your ordinary long dress, but as the story progresses, it gets torn and tattered and turns into a tunic that she improves with some leather boots, leggins and arm-guards. Really love those puffy sleeves.

The huntsman's costume is very basic. Everything looks like it was made by a guy who lives in a forest. Most of the elements were sewn by hand to give it that DIY look. It's leather on leather with more leather.

But it's the Evil Queen's costumes that are really worth a look. They are absolutely gorgeous and very creative.

  
Ravenna's feather cloak was the first costume that Colleen designed. There are over a thousand feathers hand-trimmed and sewn together.And it looks stunning. It reminds me of Prospera's magic cloak from the recent Tempest film. The dress underneath has this weird embroidery that almost looks like scars tissue.

Ravenna's wedding gown is incredible. It's beautiful and menacing at the same time. Some elements are delicate, like the soft fabric and the intricate embroidery along the bodice, but then there are the strips of leather attached to the skirt to create the contrasting pleats and the exoskeleton sleeves (which I absolutely adore!)

This is the Queen's "battle dress". It's essentially a chainmail with every metal plate attached by hand. It must have taken ages to construct. It does give the dress a very reptilian look, especially when she is walking with every single element moving. The collar is made of burnt and twisted leather. It does not look comfortable at all.

This dress is my absolute favorite. It reminds me of the legendary Lady Macbeth costume worn by Ellen Terry. If you're wondering, yes, those green 'spikes' are actually jewel beetle wings. The skirt and the sleeves look like they're made of cobwebs. there is a general sense of decaying greatness in this costume.

While the plot may be flimsy and the script cheesy, I will definitely go see this film, if only for the costumes.