No Way Back

The genius of Stefano Pilati of YSL . . . the creative director of a super-brand that is able to draw inspiration and his own vision from Mark Mahoney and his tattoo institution The Shamrock Social Club in LA. Ari Marcopoulos is amazing - as usual - he gets down beneath the skin of it (literally) . . . love Mark Mahoney's natural style and grace and I bet that's YSL's s/s 2011 he's rocking. Thank goodness for a return to some kind of authenticity . . . if the boys rock that waspy/Ivy League boarding school look again next summer, I think I will run away to Los Angeles. . .




and get a tattoo at the Shamrock Social Club.

Uncle Boonmee comes home . . .

to Thailand that is . . . not yet to Esarn but for now to SFX cinema at The Emporium to satisfy the thirst of those living in the Kingdom to have a taste of the Palme D'or, or specifically a chance to watch Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives at a movie theatre near them.

I had a chance to watch it at the premiere on Friday where two theatres simultaneously screened the movie. A little intro was made by P'Joei to the effect that, "this is the magic of the Palme d'Or that Thailand is the 3rd country in the world to have the movie screened" and "there was once a lady, called Lada, at the Ministry of Culture, she said that NOBODY wants to watch my films . . . well, the fact that tonight there are 2 packed theatres with my friends and supporters, perhaps she is wrong and I am so happy that there is SOMEBODY out there that wants to watch an Apichatpong film" . . ."please don't think too much and let yourself be hypnotised and taken on a journey".

To take us on a journey he certainly did, into a world where spirits and Monkey Ghosts are perfectly normal, where fish talk and can make love to a princess. It was surreal, beautiful and at once, totally normal that caves glisten with diamonds and spirits come to dinner . . . To over analyse and think too much about how it all relates choronogically and on what plane is the movie functioning would require a PhD thesis. What is evident though is that P'Joei does disrupt the plane in which time is assumed to function, yet,ironically, time is linear in real life as the movie runs its 2 hour course but these 2 hours are spent immersed in a world where the past, the present and the future blur, mingle and interact, creating a 4th dimension. And he was able to do this with humour, the funny moments were charming and the nostalgic ones evoked memories of my own childhood of Star Wars, old TV sitcoms and that princess in pink in a carriage that every little girl wants to be. A suspension of time and space, making us dig deep into our pool of memories and beliefs, yet is also his own personal homage to cinema. My father was perplexed and intrigued and I think it reminded him of elements of his childhood growing up in the North East. The guy on my right probably thought I was something of a drama queen as he had to listen to me gasp, cry and laugh (I am probably a rather annoying person to watch a film with) as I was totally carried away by this rather strange magical journey.

Dad, myself, Boonmee cupcakes and P'Joei

From the packed theatres where the Thai cultural pack (for lack of a better description) emerged after being spellbound there was then a reception in the foyer with green bottled beer and Uncle Boonmee shirts sold. Jelly Jan made me a dozen sticky date cupcakes that spelt perfectly UNCLE BOONMEE which Lee's assistant had to guard with her life. I then went along with Lee for a late night supper to an establishment called 55 Pochana (I was informed by former that there is a song written about this place), to the longest table ever.

long table

A rather long table on the street with a backdrop of the glistening Sukhumvit Road after the rain, with the cast and crew of Uncle Boonmee, how surreal it was to sit across from Boonsong, the Monkey Ghost as a human . . . especially now that they are real in the movie too.

Boonsong

For three days thereafter, I have dreamt of having a pet Monkey Ghost with red eyes, sitting at dinner with spirits and lastly that catfish.

Bon Voyage. . .

said Grey Goose Vodka to me for I recently won this trp which is part of their World's Best Journeys campaign. Many have wondered how on earth I won this 7 day extraganza - well, I simply registered after the last party they had which was this big black tie thing. A couple months later, on the morning that I returned from Coachella. . . I received a phone call from P'Moe, the Senior Brand Manager of Grey Goose who said "congratulations" and at that point I was yet able to put together that I had won this trip. The trip is a 7 day extravaganza which Quintessentially would facilitate which includes a stay at the Plaza Athenee, a private tour of the Louvre, chef's table at Alain Ducasse, dinner at Nomiya, a stay at the La Prairie spa, a visit to the Chanel No. 5 factory in Grasse, a little cruise on the French Riviera before returning back to bkk (and hopefully some time to spend with my peeps seeing as it is Couture week after all) - I am told these are just highlights. I was actually on skype with Lynn when I received the phone call so I really could not get away with not taking her with me - then again, she is also like my little sister.

What is even more intersting is after speaking to P'Moe, it became apparent that she is keen to do get something started . . . seeing as this will be all about art, fashion, a certain lifestyle that very much takes seriously the New Order . . .let's see what we will be able to do together. The other night was a start, Grey Goose threw me a rather large Winner's Party, big certainly as it was at Falla Bella. What was fabulous and well, really made it rather a special night were all my friends who showed up and really stayed and suffered the next day or the other friends who have long retired from going out and made special appearances (you know who you are). Thank you! (will post proper pics of us somewhere soon in cyberspace).

Albert and I

They made me a special cocktail called Femme Fatale which had lychee and strawberries and of course vodka, fuschia in colour and the first to go. I LOVED how Maft Sai brought something different to Falla Bella, especially that he put on Sylvia Striplin - Can't Turn me . Then we moved our friends inside to Monkey bar. . . that's when Lynn took over . . .

Grey Goose love

Lynn and I

Especialy loved how there was nowhere I could look once we entered Monkey Bar where it it was not a friend :) . . .

Jeed

Aom, Ed, Me

Ploi and Eddy

Of course the Disaya crew were there in full force, my ex assistant is now designing at there with Aom or Disaya. She is a genius (they both are). My 1940's dress with the hair was courtesy of her, and the contrasting Hope Graf bracelet. I love. I also want to look like that always but that would take far too much work ;)

high lights were Joe Le Taxi and Surfin' USA, it also be Vudi's bday and Pette's performance on the pool table.

Lee and I

To think and this is only the beginning. . .

Uncle Boonmee Celebrations

Our hero, Apichatpong, finally returned home, to a chocka-blocked schedule and a hero's welcome which included a visit with the PM, a celebatory dinner hosted by the ambassador of France and his ravishing wife and a big party at the Thai Film Archives hosted by the Thai Film Foundation and Jim Thompson. It was definitely an Apichatpong-a-rama of a weekend.

I actually interviewed P'Joei on Friday for the profile I am writing on him for Tatler, it was a lovely chat we had at the Kick the Machine office. He answered my questions about space and time and the suspension of it. The piece will be in Tatler next month.

On Saturday, my father and I were invited to dinner at the Residence of the French ambassador, it is beautiful, like going back intio a time long gone. I adored the speech Monsieur Le Lidec delivered.

P'Joei and the cast of Uncle Boonmee with the Palme D'or

It was a wonderful evening that made one feel very close to the Palme D'Or (eeks!) but then again it was for P'Joei and his warm, wonderful and very talented cast and crew. I touched a Palme d'Or. It is weighty, beautiful and precious,to me representing the hard work and passion that goes into filmmaking to win one of these.

P'Joei and Monsieur Le Lidec

P'Joei, his Palme d'Or and me

The next day was more celebrations and off to Nakorn Pathom we went to the nostalgic Thai Film Archives which played host to a temple party called San De Jai (= soo happy) where the tent covered food from roti to phad Thai and drinks were traditional Thai concoctions with the addition of a Grey Goose bar and their customised Tropical Malady and other worldly cocktails. The theatre was packed during the seesion with P'Joei and the very sharp, totally poignant and knowledgeable film critic/writer Kong Rithdee, so we hung outside in front of the TV watching the interview what took place in the theatre and sneaking in photo ops from the scenic set up.

There was a bald little boy that was like a magical golden child, his enery was totally other worldly.

Golden child on the red carpet with P'Joei and P'Piak cut-outs

Lynn and I

The hand printing session was very charming, the actors and actresses from Boonmee are so wonderful, Pa Jane and Sakda are two of the regulars in P'Joei's movies.

Pa Jane making her print

Sakda

The evening was time for an outdoor screening of the Uncle Boonmee trailer, some excerpts and something which I have not seen before was the music video done with Moderndog as part of the Primitive installation and the second time I saw Letters to Uncle Boonmee. It was definitely a bonus sitting with the film editor watching the clips :) .

Then the real magic started and it came with the rain, not only can they act but the entire cast of Uncle Boonmee can sing and sing really really well, lukthung and Molam - like what you see in the movies, P'Joei's movies but in real life, in the middle of nowhere to celebrate a little golden palm. It was magical.

A must surreal weekend and one which would be very fitting to a visionary whose work which was being celebrated was described as like " a strange floating dream like nothing one has seen before" - Tim Burton.

Uncle Boonmee and me

Cannot wait to see the film, especially now that the people who have made it and are in it have become so real - are real.

Baby I'm Yours

Gotta thank my little baby sister Lynn for sharing this incredibly charming very very cute music video (the song is cute too) of Baby I'm Yours by Breakbot featuring Irfane from the one and only Ed Banger Records . . . The video is by IRINA DAKEVA @ WIZZ It is composed of approx 2000 images watercolor painted one after another, quoting Ed Banger "we say Aquarelle in french, way more sexy" C'est vrai.

Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours (feat. Irfane) from Ed Banger Records on Vimeo.

Yet another super hit by Pedro Winters' crew . . .I totally wanna be one of the aquarelle girls in the video right about NOW. Looove.

The Journey of a Wardrobe and Oliver Clegg

Another genuis feat by Louis Vuitton where art is fused with commerce in such a way that in my opinion embraces the reality that the two cannot exist too long without one another.

In this case, it is The Journey of a Wardrobe series which Louis Vuitton Malletier commisioned Todd Selby to do that is so true to the spirt of travel which is totally Louis Vuitton and also that of adventure and discovery in hidden corners in Paris, London, NY, Tokyo and Shanghai that is so charming and engaging. The Journey of a Wardrobe is a visual dialogue between Todd and certain individuals, be it designer/actor Waris and hotelier/man of great vision Andre Balazs in NY or an artist/good friend of mine :)Oliver Clegg in London.

Todd has managed to capture Ollie at his natural, cheeky yet intense best - you get to see Ollie as an artist, his work and his inspirations.

At the same time, Vuitton is selling the wardrobe and luggage that the clothes should come in. Wonderfully effective, and visually very pleasing - not just Todd's photographs but the drawings and the whole website. And to think, this is a little travel guide and a look book . . .

It certainly is a Journey of a Wardrobe, a lovely journey and how lucky it is for that Wardrobe to be in the hands of Todd Selby.


http://press.louisvuitton.com/TheJourneyOfaWardrobe/

Photos by The Selby courtesy of Oliver Clegg

Breathless

50 years old and is as relevant, if not more now than ever . . . to fall in love with Belmondo without understanding why, to want to be Jean Seberg . . .to want to walk down the Champs selling International Herald Tribune.

No boundaries, no rules . . . the tribute to its 50th year and its re-release is indisputably necessary . . . I love this film.

R.I.P. Louise Bourgeois

Madame, in your very long life, you inspired, provoked and led the way for so many younger artists who were able to do what they do following in your footsteps. Your work was yours and yours alone. Thank you for the inspiration.

R.I.P Louise Bourgeois