Miu Miu Miuuu Presents

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

So the highlight of my day today was watching the screening of Miu Miu's short movie titled, "The Women's Tales". The movie isn't actually a movie per se, but a collection of four silent short films, each by a different female director, and their reflections on the Miu Miu universe. That said, their points of view are bold, and that's putting it mildly.

"The Powder Room", directed by Zoe Cassavetes, is the first installment in the series. As Cassavetes herself puts it in a recent interview with Miu Miu, "The Powder Room" is a visualization of the rituals that take place inside these rooms. It's about the time women have away from men. It's about female - to - female dynamics. It's about transformation. It's about re - glamourazation. It's about mystery.

The viewing time is 25 minutes, which is roughly the total length of a fashion show. I have to interject here that, as much as I like watching fashion shows, I prefer clothes being presented in a set context like this. In other words, I want more of it.

"The Women's Tales" is up in its entirety on Miu Miu's website. If you'd like to own the DVD, along with a director's book of film stills, write a few lines on why you like Miu Miu, and send to info@madifonbyfashion.com by September 18. I have one copy to give away.

Make haste. And have fun!

L'Amore È Bello

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

Simone Belli of L’Oréal Paris has unveiled a striking collection titled "Cinematic Glamour" for Venice Biennale. The makeup line draws inspiration from bold colour blocking, centred around a vivid fuchsia palette, confident, modern, and unmistakably statement making.

The irony?

I arrived in Italy armed with nothing but blue and gold toned nail polishes. Where was telepathy when I needed it? As it stands, my nails are currently a soft baby blue, entirely out of sync with the moment.

Thankfully, L’Oréal came to the rescue with a generously curated gift bag featuring cosmetics in what feels like "Fifty shades of red,," a slight exaggeration, there are three. It seems I’ll be embracing rouge tomorrow, and for several days thereafter.

Tears Of A Clown

Photographed By Ellinor Forje

These Cut Out Leather shoes by Minimarket arrived the other day. And guess what, they're a tad too tight in their last size. I sent them back right after I'd threw a massive tantrum fit on my bathroom floor (no, I'm not ashamed to admit it).

That said, I still want, correction, NEED, a pair of two tone shoes. I've been searching online like a possessed trying to find the ultimate oxfords. To no avail so far. I did spot "a candy-colored take on the ever-classic" shoe at Saks Fifth Avenue though. They're by Cole Haan. I also like the Bass Maebird, designed by Rachel Antonoff, that Susanna Lau has been known to rock off the charts. Although in the end, I think I'll probably go with something more old school. Like a classic black and white.

Memoirs Of A Geisha

Illustration By Katarina Ringman

Before I proceed, doesn't Robert Cavalli's flower print silk chiffon kaftan dress, worn by Rumi Neely of Fashiontoast bear a striking resemblance to the kimono in the above illustration? Yes? Yes!

Okay. Here we go. Confession: I haven't read the book this movie is based on, so I can't offer any critic on the literature. But the movie, the movie, I can talk about.

Set in both pre -, and post World War II, Japan, "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005) tells the story of Sakamoto Chiyo (Suzuka Ohgo), a young girl who, is sold into servitude along with her sister, by her family. She ends up in an okiya in Kyoto, a school where girls are trained to become geishas. Her sister, considered the lesser attractive of the two, ends up at a brothel.

In the geisha - house, Chiyo adopts the name Sayuri (as an adult she's played by Ziyi Zhang) and becomes the protege of Mameha (Michelle Yeoh) who teaches Sayuri the ways of the geisha. These "ways" are by no means comparable to the "ways" instructed at the Heidi Fleiss' School of Performing Arts. The difference; the geisha strives to make art her life. And with the risk of upsetting a few hardcore feminists out there; I can earnestly say that I'd attend a geisha school in a heartbeat.

I'm digressing. Sorry.

Sayuri eventually becomes one of the most celebrated and desired geisha in Japan, and enters an society of wealth, romance and Machiavellian intrigue. "After all, these are not the memoirs of an empress, nor of a queen. These are memoirs of another kind."

"Memoirs of a Geisha" is an epic drama and a visual delight. I don't want to ruin your experience by giving away too much of the Cinderella - like (love) story. But, I'll give away that the film is atmospheric and contains some of the best scenography and costume design in film history. Likewise, I have to give props to the film score by John Williams, which reminds me that I forgot to give credit, where credits due, to Ennio Morricone who provides the eerie and hauntingly beautiful music in "Lolita", in my review of "Lolita". Additionally, and I'm digressing again - I'm sorry, I recently discovered that there's an audio book of "Lolita" with Jeremy Irons as the reader. Sing hallelujah. It's like my birthday came twice this year. There's also a six degree of separation between Irons and "Memoirs of a Geisha" as Irons plays a geisha (a melodramatic morbid geisha, but a geisha still) in the movie's - "M Butterfly" (1993)- final scene.