Week 15: Downton Abbey. Pastiche of Lady Mary Crawley in the 1920s

Love her or hate her, Lady Mary is one of the strongest female characters in the Downton Abbey TV series and possibly in the entire history of British TV shows. While watching the show I tried to figure out with which character I associate myself with the most, and even though at the end I had to admit to myself (not without a little annoyance!) that I am more of a Lady Rose kind of girl– spontaneous, reckless, romantic and sometimes too emotional, I wish I was more like Lady Mary.

Lady Mary has a strong head on her shoulders and does not easily give into her emotions (especially after the scandal with the GORGEOUS Mr. Pamuk). But both, Lady Rose and Lady Mary have something in common– an amazing sense of fashion. I created a pastiche of Lady Mary Crawley with a hint of Rose Aldridge's flirty flapper girl style, but as always with a modern twist.

For the shoot I opted for this embellished Walter Baker dress, a lace choker and my Art-Deco inspired Christian Louboutin heels. Please check out the outfit details and similar finds at the end of the post.

The photographs were taken by my husband Ben at Fort Tryon and The Cloisters Museum, which was built to resemble a real medieval castle with authentic medieval gardens. The museum and Fort Tryon park are located in Upper Manhattan and are definitely worth a visit!

Week 15: Downton Abbey. How to steal Crawley sisters' style?

I was thinking of having a Downton Abbey themed week ever since I first launched Pastiche.today, and today it is finally here with an early Friday start. This brilliant British period drama about the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian era has captured my heart. The storyline in all 6 seasons of Downton Abbey is great, the acting is phenomenal and, of course, the fashion... Oh, the fashion! The Crawley sisters' outfits are utterly gorgeous, interesting to look at and are quite historically accurate (although my favourite blogging ladies from Frock Flicks write about it in more detail).

Today I am sharing my pastiche of 20s' era daytime attire inspired by the ladies in Downton Abbey and adapted for 2016. I am particularly excited about the cloche hat that my husband bought for me at the Michael Arenella's 11th Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party in June. I wore the hat with this beautiful light print dress by Walter Baker (his designs are always so amazing!), my all-time favourite Louis Vuitton bag and the most comfortable heels of the summer, Slithur shoes by Steve Madden.

The outfit turned out to be very modern and classy, but with a very distinguishable 20s twist. I never thought I would say this, but I think every woman should have at least one cloche hat. I am looking forward to getting a warm wool one for winter as well :)  

The pictures were taken by my friend Julia at the MET museum. I specifically wanted photos for my 20s look to be taken with these insanely beautiful ART DECO stained glass windows exhibited in the museum. We also took photographs on 5th Avenue.

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Week 14: Park City. Zara Dress, Sunflowers and the White Barn

Today I am sharing a perfect summertime look with you that was shot next to the famous White Barn in Park City. I bought this dress and hat from Zara a few weeks ago (how amazing is their new summer collection?!) and I think they go together perfectly. Hats have become my new obsession and I have purchased at least 6 new headpieces in the last two months, so be prepared to see much more new looks with hats soon :)

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Week 14: Park City. 4th of July Wild West Outfit!

Happy 4th of July!

Since July 4th is one of the most beloved US holidays, I have decided to dedicate this week to a very traditional, beautiful American town: Park City, Utah.

My husband spent a number of his teenage years in Park City (before living in Amsterdam and London) and his parents still live in there, hence, we visit Utah very often. I have grown to love this beautiful ski resort town with its magnificent, picturesque mountains, breathtaking sunsets and colourful, neat houses.

This week I am going to share a bit of Park City's history, my favourite places to visit (both in summer and winter), the best restaurants, and of course a few outfit photoshoots taken in this incredibly photogenic city.

This is my third 4th of July in the US. I celebrated the first one in 2014 in in NYC. Last year Ben organised a very romantic surprise getaway to Disneyworld in Florida (it was our first roadtrip!). The July 4th fireworks in Disneyworld were amazing and we made so many happy memories. And this year I am spending the 4th of July in Park City, where they hold a beautiful parade every year. I will add photos from today's celebration later!

The outfit I have posted below is not the traditional red, white, and blue you might have expected, but it has a Wild West feel to it which I love. I think the Stetson really suits me, what do you think? :)

My Outfit:

Stetson Cowboy Hat, White off the shoulder top (similar here and here), Denim shorts (similar here and here), Adidas sneakers.

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Week 13: Grace Kelly. Manus X Machina. Fashion in an Age of Technology.

Do you remember the latest MET Gala? The MET Galas are traditionally held to celebrate and support fabulous new exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum. This year’s celebrated exhibit is Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. The exhibition explores the marriage between technology and fashion, showcasing astonishing creations by the most famous fashion designers which illustrate the perfect symbiosis of complicated handmade pieces with machine work.

The exhibition is open at the Met Fifth Avenue through August 14, and I strongly recommend you see it. From the moment you step in you will feel a grandness and sacredness of the place, the kind that you experience in lavish medieval cathedrals or mosques.  The circular exhibition space beckons us to look into its numerous alcoves with couture creations which are placed on pedestals like sculptures of Saints. The dimly lit museum wing is haunted by beautiful soul-reaching melodies. Only the fashion artifacts are magically lit, attracting your gaze.

Despite the spellbound crowd with their iPhones glued in hand, the experience is almost mystical and pilgrimatic. Find all hope - You Who Enter Here should be written before the entrance, because Manus x Machina will leave you inspired.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is this exquisite Chanel gown created by Karl Lagerfeld. 

This dress's meters-long train sparkles like a gilded altarpiece.

This dress— made of a synthetic fabric called scuba knit— was hand-molded, machine-sewn, and then hand-finished, with intricate embroidery in pearls and gemstones forming a glittering baroque pattern.

Why have I decided to include this exhibit in my Grace Kelly Week? Because I believe some of these gorgeous pieces could have easily been worn by Grace. 50s silhouettes are definitely my favourite!

If the Devil wears Prada, Demons certainly wear Alexander McQueen.

Fabulous handmade Chanel gown from Fall/Winter 2005 Haute Couture collection.

I call these the hedgehog-dresses.

The famous Yves Saint Laurent dress known as "Sardine" is even more stunning in real life. The photograph cannot reflect how brilliantly the "fish skin effect" was created. It is mesmerising.

I hope you enjoyed the post! Let me know if you would like to see more exhibition reviews or want me to attend and photograph a certain event/show for you.