Claris The Chicest Mouse in Paris | Megan Hess #PictureBook

Every time I see these very chic, very elegant picture books, I want to say Cla-reece. I have an acquaintance called Cla-reece. However to read these stories, I have to make a huge mental effort to say 'Paris-Claris' in my head a few times to find the rhyme.

I've been saving this post for today, the very first day of July, to help me get Paris in July off to most graceful, glamorous start possible! If you're not sure what I'm talking about (where have you been darling?) then pop over to Tamara's Thyme for Tea blog to check out the coins et recoins.

2020 is the tenth anniversary of Paris in July. To celebrate this year's theme of élégance, I've invited Claris and Megan Hess to the party. Hess is an international fashion illustration with an expanding range of fashion design picture-books-for-adults on her catwalk, including one all about Coco Chanel, (which may explain my unexpected fascination in such girly, frilly books to those who know my ongoing intrigue with Coco). Other books include Paris Through a Fashion Eye, The Dress, Iconic and Elegance.

Claris The Chicest Mouse in Paris, Hess' first picture book for children, was published in August 2018. From the gorgeous end papers littered with pink dresses and pink & gold bling you know that this foray into the world of fashion will be as girly-girl and frilly as you can get!

I always experience a weird conflict when I read these books. My younger self was a tomboy with a capital T. From about age 8, I hated wearing dresses or anything resembling pink. It has taken marriage and a family of boys to help me embrace pretty clothes and the colour pink. As I read these picture books I move between eye rolling tomboy exasperation to gushing girly awww's as I make my way through all the intense, non-stop cuteness that defines and decorates each page.

Claris is a Vanity Fair reading, éclair eating country mouse who dreams of the big city and fashion and frills. She also ‘longed for an elegant friend of her own.’ A chance meeting with two stylish frogs, ‘one in a beret’,and she is whisked her away in a hot air balloon and on her way to Paris!

However, Paris and dreams come true, not easy. 

Claris has to find herself a new maison in which to live, only to find herself at the mercy of snotty, snitchy daughter and a grey cat! Instead of allowing fear to rule her life, Claris takes a chance, a big risk, in fact, to save the grey cat...from the snotty daughter and sartorial disaster!

Naturally Claris and Monsieur Montage become fast and best friends. He helps Claris with discarded dolls house furniture so she can furnish her new apartment in the attic. And he gathers together all the old doll's clothes rejected by the snooty daughter. Claris gets to work, turning them into works of art for herself and her friend. Her motto is ‘you should always be brave and help someone in need.’

Some of the rhymes are not as elegant as the illustrations, which makes reading this book aloud a bit de trop. But I suspect you're turning the pages in this book for the fashion and bling, the charm and the colour, and for the glimpses of Paris life, not the rhyme.

                                                       

Claris and the Fashion Show Fiasco was published in 2019. The end papers are adorned with yellow dresses and pink & yellow bling. 

It is now springtime in Paris and life is tres belle. This is the season of the fashion show! 

A mishap at the breakfast table means that Claris' family leave without their fashion show invite. Claris, with the help of Monsieur Montage, is determined to save the day. Together, they embark on an adventurous, stylish and iconic journey across Paris on their way to the Chanel show. 

The adventure comes with a map and includes the reappearance of the two stylish frogs from book one. We also meet more animal friends, all enthralled by fashion week in Paris.

Once again, adventure, bravery and friendship are the dominant themes, while kindness, chic and savoir faire are the main flavours.

Claris, Bonjour Riviera is Hess' latest worked published earlier this year. This time our end papers feature blue dresses and blue themed fashion bling. 

Summer has arrived in Paris and the très chic thing to do is holiday on the Riviera, at the Hotel du Cap, no less! The two stylish frogs, plus all the other animal friends from the fashion show, arrive in the hot air balloon for a ‘fabulous soiree.’

Naturally, Claris finds an adventure and another opportunity to practice being brave and helpful. This time she rescues a song bird whose wing gets stuck in a thorn. Valerie from Antibes is a bit of a diva, but spectaculaire nonetheless.

Teamwork and bravery is it's own reward of course, but Claris also enjoys the excitement of a new friendship and the pleasures of brie and camembert!

Each book features a fashion spread with six images of Claris dressed in Chanel, Dior, Hermes, Pucci etc. This is where Hess excels. Her love and enthusiasm for the fashion world spills over into every design for Claris.

The final page of each book reveals Hess in one of the dresses she loves so much, surrounded by her illustrations.

I hope you agree, that this has been a truly elegant, truly Parisienne way to begin our #ParisinJuly 2020 tour. 

Bonne nuit and bonne lecture!

Iconic:The Masters of Italian Fashion by Megan Hess

By all accounts Megan Hess' books about fashion should not be my thing at all. I'm not into fashion, haute couture or otherwise. I don't give a fig about luxury brands or prestigious designers. But Coco Chanel has always fascinated me - it's her rags and riches story that intrigues me more than her fashion label. Chanel's early fashion ideas stemmed from strong feelings she had about women, freedom of movement and independence - higher dress lengths, removing corsets, simple, elegant, easy to wear designs - are all hallmarks of her label designed to give women liberty and style.

Which is how Hess first came to my attention.

Coco Chanel: The Illustrated Life of a Fashion Icon (2015) appealed instantly with its illustrated picture-book-for-adults feel. It was fun, whimsical and a stylish gift book. Although I can't but help think that Chanel's ideal of freedom of movement would be seriously challenged by the dress featured on the front cover of Hess' latest book, Iconic: The Masters of Italian Fashion!

The book is divided into four pages of text per designer/label followed by 10-12 generous pages of dress designs. I started off feeling sceptical, but Hess' brief bio's on each designer turned out to be rather fascinating, even though they were placed on unadorned white pages with lots of space around the text. It was a curious choice for a book so obviously designed to be aesthetically pleasing in every other regard.

I learnt that Armani initially trained as a medical student, until WWII & compulsory military service put paid to that idea. His modus operandi on the catwalk stemmed from his early years studying medicine, "the body was truly his canvass".

Dolce & Gabbana love to create bespoke shows - in an apartment with a bedsheet curtain and burger-shaped invites to a fast food restaurant venue for instance.

The Fendi sisters decided to 'inject new blood' into their business in 1965 by employing an up and coming German as their head designer. Karl Lagerfeld & Fendi have never looked back!

Missoni changed how we viewed and wore knitwear.

During the 1948 Olympics, the Italian team wore 'comfortable and stylish' knitted uniforms designed by Missoni. Often combining up to 20 different materials & textiles, their 'signature zigzag pattern' became a 'defining brand of the 1970's'.

Their philosophy is that 'a woman should wear (a piece of clothing) because she loves it, not just because it's practical.'

'You don't buy Prada; you invest in Prada, because a Prada item will hang in your wardrobe for decades.' It's 'minimalism for maximalists'.

Miu Miu is the youngest of the Italian designers featured in this book, 'the label has an air of nonchalance that cannot be imitated.'

Named after Miuccia Prada, it was launched in 1993. 'Where Prada is restrained, Miu Miu is rebellious...;where Prada is classic, Miu Miu is experimental.'

Gucci created luxurious 'timeless pieces' that embrace all things Italian.

He started work at the Savoy Hotel in London in the early 1900's where he realised that a 'suitcase could be more than just a suitcase; it could be a symbol of status.' Gucci's first workshop made saddles before moving onto luxury suitcases. WWII leather shortages found him experimenting with hemp fabric bags.

Pucci represented Italy in the 1932 Winter Olympics as a skier - he also designed the teams ski wear.

After WWII he became know for 'sports chic' and 'designed luxury resort wear for women accustomed to the jetsetter lifestyle.'

When he moved to Capri, his designs 'embraced island life'.

Throughout the book, Hess also revealed snippets of personal information in most of the bio's mostly to do with her various jobs within the fashion industry as well as some personal memories of her first prestigious brand name purchases.

A lovely mini gift book for that budding designer or artist in your life or for anyone in need of a splash of glamour and luxury!

#AustralianWomenWriters

#NonFicNov

For Audrey With Love: Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy by Philip Hopman

Over the years I have developed a rather strong love and admiration for both famous Hepburn's. Katharine for her fierce independence and uncompromising approach to life and love...as well as her wonderful, eclectic movie choices. And Audrey for her style, her big heart and her amazing cast of leading men!

Therefore For Audrey With Love was always going to attract my attention.

Philip Hopman is a Dutch author/illustrator who briefly studied fashion design before switching to illustration. His colourful pen and ink drawings capture Audrey's style and elegance perfectly.

The first few pages are a little difficult to follow as the narrative runs two parallel stories until Audrey and Givenchy meet for the first time. The language is a bit stilted and dare I say, inane. The translation was done by Ann de Clercq-Foley, so not sure if the problem lies with her or with the original.

However, it's the drawings that make this picture book so appealing. They're fun and oozing panache. It's a visual feast of fashion rather than a strict factual story; a loving tribute rather than a faithful biography; a pictorial version of fictionalised fiction.

One of the curious spreads was the one above, where the top row depicts other famous women who also enjoyed wearing Givenchy designs, but the bottom row shows Audrey experimenting with other styles, "but everything she tried was stupid".
Stupid?

I'm not sure if Audrey ever had the need or the opportunity to wear a Dorothy outfit, or Marilyn's revealing white dress or even Maria's convent dress from The Sound of Music. Audrey's My Fair Lady costume was a costume and it suited the purposes of the movie, so I wouldn't call it stupid either. It was an odd choice of word that sucked some of the intended humour out of the drawings.

The gorgeous double page spread showing off Audrey's Breakfast at Tiffany's outfit is stunning, but sideways!

Whereas the Funny Face sequence was a celebration of diversity and normal, everyday style with normal, everyday people. 

The friendship between the Audrey and Givenchy was something I didn't know much about...which caused me to google it...as you do!

From UK Vogue 2011:

Givenchy first met his iconic muse, Audrey Hepburn, in 1953, in a romantic twist of fate that rivals any of her films. He had in fact been expecting Katharine as the Mademoiselle Hepburn he was to dress for the forthcoming picture Sabrina. Audrey is said to have arrived in a tied-up T-shirt, tight trousers, sandals and a gondolier's hat on the day that sparked the beginning of a 40-year friendship. 

Givenchy went on to design the actress' personal ensembles, as well as those made famous by her in timeless films such as Funny Face, Sabrina, and of course Breakfast
at Tiffany's."The little black dress is the hardest thing to realise," he told the Independent in an interview in 2010, "because you must keep it simple." In the words of Hepburn,
Givenchy to her was more than a couturier, and indeed she to him far more than a muse. Theirs was a relationship not only of professional advantages, as they propelled one another into the royalty of their respective worlds, but one of deep and long-lasting affection, that would continue for more than forty years.

Wikipedia had this to say about their collaboration:

In addition to Sabrina, Givenchy designed her costumes for Love in the Afternoon (1957), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Funny Face (1957), Charade(1963), Paris When It Sizzles (1964) and How to Steal a Million (1966), as well as clothed her off screen.  

According to Moseley, fashion plays an unusually central role in many of Hepburn's films, stating that "the costume is not tied to the character, functioning 'silently' in the mise-en-scène, but as 'fashion' becomes an attraction in the aesthetic in its own right". Hepburn herself stated that Givenchy "gave me a look, a kind, a silhouette. He has always been the best and he stayed the best. Because he kept the spare style that I love. What is more beautiful than a simple sheath made an extraordinary way in a special fabric, and just two earrings?"  

She also became the face of Givenchy's first perfume, L'Interdit, in 1957. 

In addition to her partnership with Givenchy, Hepburn was credited with boosting the sales of Burberry trench coats when she wore one in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and was associated with Italian footwear brand Tod's.

I was unable to find an image source for the above photograph - it was all over the interweb - but a lovely tribute to their friendship was in the Harper Bazaar earlier this year and it featured this photo as well.

For Audrey With Love is a lovely picture book about fashion and friendship. But it is Audrey's classic beauty, style and grace that shines from every page.

#ParisinJuly Week 3 update @Thyme For Tea