Behind the Scenes at the Real Downton Abbey

‘At Home at Highclere’ by the Countess of Carnavon, newly published by Rizzoli, is an exciting new book for ‘Downton Abbey’ fans. It focuses on entertaining as well as history, recipes, architecture, and behind the scenes at the 'real' Downton Abbey.

If like me you have been obsessed with the fictional ‘abbey’ interiors shown in great detail in the show over the last few years, you will love this insider look at the grand and historic castle where the show is filmed.

The Carnavons at home at Highclere. The library will be very familiar to ‘Downton’ fans. It has been the scene of so many dramatic moments in the series.

In fourteen beautifully illustrated chapters, the book invites readers to breakfast, dinner, lunch, cocktails, and a wonderful taste of afternoon tea, along with traditional English fish and shellfish dishes, cakes, puddings, and regional and seasonal vegetables soups and savouries.

Best of all, there are recipes for those who also want to cook and dine, a la Highclere.

The book is also detailed with the history, architecture, interiors, scandals, royal visits, families, décor, music, famous guests and everything an Anglophile could desire. And the book will be perfect reading as we all wait for the ‘Downton Abbey’ movie, which is now in production.

Seventeenth-century Highclere Castle, in the Jacobean/ Elizabethan style, is now, thanks to millions of viewers of ‘Downton Abbey’, one of the most famous historic houses in the world. The 5,000-acre estate is located in Hampshire, England, about 5 miles south of Newbury, Berkshire.

Throughout the centuries, Highclere has welcomed royalty, statesmen, Egyptologists, ancestors, and pioneers of technology along with men and women from the worlds of music, literature, art and letters. There have been fascinating guests upstairs, and cooks and housekeepers downstairs keeping everything running smoothly.

Chapters of this book detail the library and the writers who visited, along with a chat with the gamekeeper, a visit from the Prince of Wales, dining traditions, even the long tradition of keeping bees.

The etiquette of the invitation, the balance of guests at a weekend house party, their placement at dinners, and the entertainment of friends, as well as the domestic management required to execute the perfect occasion, have all preoccupied successive generations of châtelaines. Readers learn all of the lore, the rules, the subtle cues, and the country style.

In ‘At Home at Highclere: Entertaining at the Real Downton Abbey’ Lady Fiona Carnavon, the 8th Countess of Carnarvon, entices readers to enjoy five real weekends at Highclere, mid-19th century to the present day.

Benjamin Disraeli’s reform cabinet in 1866, a literary weekend with Henry James in 1886, a visit from the Prince of Wales in 1895, a musical Easter with Malcolm Sargent in1935 and the vivid and outdoorsy life in the weekend of Highclere today.

Lady Carnarvon tells the stories of the great and the good, the art of hosting through the ages, and, most critically, the delicious recipes to suit every occasion and guest, from the crowd- pleasing Highclere Loin of Venison for a weekend treat or Summer Pudding, a favorite of Lord Carnarvon and his cricket team. 

At Home At Highclere is a richly detailed compendium of historical reports, vivid stories and delicious recipes from a stately residence that is not just a castle but also a home. 

No surprise, in the 300 pages, the author takes readers ‘downstairs’ to meet housekeepers and cooks and staff with specialized talents for taking care of antiques and art.

The Countess of Carnarvon in the library. Photo copyright Adam Hillier Photography.

About the Author

Fiona, 8th Countess of Carnarvon, is the wife of Geordie, 8th Earl of Carnarvon.

She is an alumna of St Andrews University, a former auditor for Coopers & Lybrand accountants and she created her own clothes brand in the 1990s.

She and her husband and son live ‘quietly’ with seven dogs, many beloved horses, a brood of chickens, a pet rabbit and a sheep, as well as a number of beehives. Together, they manage a range of businesses at Highflier Castle, home of the television drama Downtown Abbey. And they host the actors and production staff when ‘Downtown’ is being film in the castle, in the grounds, and all over the estate.

Fascinated by the history of the people as well as the Castle at Highclere, Lady Carnarvon has written two New York Times bestsellers: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere (2011) and Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey (2013).

CREDITS:

AT HOME AT HIGHCLERE: Entertaining at The Real Downton Abbey
by the Countess of Carnarvon
300 color photographs.
Published by Rizzoli New York
www.rizzoliusa.com

Bravo, Brian — and Eight Years of The Style Saloniste

I founded THE STYLE SALONISTE as an online style magazine in Summer 2009. And in the months before the launch I searched for an art director for the blog. I was fortunate to be introduced to Brian Dittmar. Our mutual friend, Lisa Boquiren, told me that Brian, an accomplished interior designer, had extensive previous training as a graphic designer / art director.

Brian and I first set to work to design the logo…which has remained the same crisp Bodoni typeface from the time THE STYLE SALONISTE went live.

This week as we celebrate eight years of THE STYLE SALONISTE, I want to express my gratitude to thousands of readers in 149 countries around the world. I’ve made so many blog friends since we went live. I know many readers…and many many international readers have become very dear and appreciated friends.

And this week I would like to express my deep gratitude to Brian Dittmar who has been the outstanding and truly wonderful art director of THE STYLE SALONISTE for all these years. Brian Dittmar is both an accomplished and acclaimed San Francisco-based interior designer — and he is also a very talented art director and graphic designer. 

I love Brian’s design and art direction—and it is always thrilling to see his polished and elegant work. We are a great team of two!  

I plan and research and write all text and select and plan all images. Brian…a brilliant tech person as well…presents and gives all images and text their best concept and design. I love the polish and clarity of his design. Thank you — and bravo, Brian. I’m grateful and honored to work with you for many happy years. It has been a pleasure.

Exclusively this week on THE STYLE SALONISTE we are presenting Brian’s San Francisco apartment. It’s perched on a tree-framed hill in the center of the city. And I had a lively conversation with Brian, speaking of design, travel, ideas, design trends…and living with (and designing around) a beloved dog.

Pour a cup of tea or a glass of rosé, and come with us for a visit — and meet Freddie, his delightful 6-year-old pug.

Brian’s apartment, near Buena Vista Park, is in a very beautiful area of San Francisco. Brian acquired the apartment 14 years ago, and has added his favorite art, a handsome John Dickinson table, his clock collection, beautiful rugs, delicious textiles, and a sense of comfort and ease.

“I love mixing styles throughout this apartment. More traditional rugs paired with more modern furniture. Traditional architectural paneling details contrast with transitional metal light fixtures. Antique items alongside contemporary pieces. It is similar to my reaction to the architecture in London — a fabulous mix of old and new side-by-side and juxtaposed, creating a very interesting urban fabric.” — Brian Dittmar

In Conversation with Brian Dittmar

TSS: What design trends on the horizon are you excited about?

BD: In Europe recently I was captivated by window displays featuring blush and dusty pink clothing and accessories — it creates such a soft, ethereal and warm vibe. Now I see those soft neutral rose-colored tones in interior design world ‘trend reports’ and I love it. I’ve already included some similar pink and copper tones in our living room, so I guess now I’m ‘on trend.’ 

I’ve also been noticing interesting bronze mirrored furniture pieces that pair very well with matte brass/gold metal trend we’ve been seeing over the last few years. Very warm and very rich — and certainly not the garish polished brass of the 80s.

Freddie the pug holding court on a swivel chair upholstered in a Barbara Barry gray wool. Behind him is a 1940s Swedish Art Moderne credenza from the Scandinavian vintage collection of Björk Studio in Atlanta.

TSS: Everyone in San Francisco lives with a beloved dog. How have you as a designer adapted your apartment/ décor/ living to welcome your dear Freddie?

BD: Years ago someone told me that pugs don’t shed — clearly they never lived with a pug. They shed — a lot! Freddie and our late pug, Moe, both have had the full run of our house and that’s how my partner, Thomas, and I want it. But it has certainly created some design challenges to work around.

Fabrics and rugs with texture and pattern can be your best defense with a dog, as they both hide a million sins. The sofa fabric has proved to be indestructible. It’s deep taupe textured chenille velvet from Romo’s Villa Nova line (through De Sousa Hughes) that looks almost as good today as it did when it was new. Sadly, it’s been discontinued, so I am in search of the next best thing for when it comes time to reupholster!

Indoor/outdoor fabrics now have options that are perfect for a sofa or chair in the living room of a residence with a dog. Sunbrella is probably the most widely known brand, but Perennials has become one of my favorite lines with many very interesting textures and weaves. They even have outdoor velvets.

And then, of course, washable items are smart choices when decorating around a pet. The Matouk coverlet on our bed is cream and it’s washable. 

In 2010, Brian debuted at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase with his room "Poetry in Time" that highlighted his long-time interest in clocks. Above are three from his collection: The Bavarian cuckoo clock was a wedding gift to his great-grandparents; an 1860s bronze French Empire mantle clock; and a custom-made industrial clock by metal artist Paul Benson — created especially for the showcase room.

A vintage wooden cog and gear from Ohmega Salvage in Berkeley becomes a perch for a stack of favorite design books.

TSS: In your apartment, you’ve used lots of neutral tones and the effect is, at the same time, very rich.

BD: When I launched my interior business after years as a graphic designer, I wanted to see color, color and more color. But as time has gone by, in my personal space — as well as in my other projects — I want less bold color, fewer patterns and a calmer overall environment.

I am always a huge fan of blues, greens and teals, so they are the primary accent colors I have used throughout. The Turkish-style rug in the living room has accents of persimmon, oyster, pale blue and navy, which play well with all the other neutrals in the space. The striped pillows on the sofa are in a Barbara Barry's ‘cinnabar' fabric, along with the other solid pillows in fabrics from Threads by Lee Jofa (cream) and Kirkby Design (teal). 

Across the room, the matte white John Dickinson 'African Table' reissued by Sutherland nestles up to a vintage Hollywood Regency tufted chair, which I inherited from my grandmother. When she had it, it was upholstered in a lime green, powder pink and white stripe fabric — certainly very on-trend in the late 60s.  Now it's recovered in camel toned velvet with a cream contrast welt. 

In the dining room, vintage Milo Baughman chairs from 1stDibs were recovered in Pollack speckled 'tidal pool' velvet, which I absolutely love. They sit around a vintage 1960s walnut table from Brown Saltman and underneath a birdcage-style chandelier by Avrett, a custom lighting studio in Charleston, South Carolina. Some people may recognize that fixture from my 2012 San Francisco Decorator Showcase room…the benefit of doing showcase rooms is that some items eventually find their way into designers’ own homes!

The bedroom conveys a restful, feeling. The carpet, from Mark Nelson Designs, is pale blue and cream woven wool, which is very flat but also very soft. The walls are covered in a Kneedler|Fauchère linen wallpaper, which is subtle in tone, but adds a great dimension and texture.

The bedroom lamps are by Avrett; nightstands by Vanguard; oversized houndstooth pillow fabric by Kravet and teal green velvet by Pollack.

A grouping of art adorns the bedroom wall, including a 60s vintage abstract painting; a framed abstract drawing by one of the youth members of San Francisco's Creativity Explored; and an Op Art-inspired painting by Bay Area artist Mel Prest.

Rustic flowers in a vintage cream ceramic container sit in front of a black and white photo by San Francisco artist Durwood Zedd.

To finish off the bedroom, the ceiling is painted in a smokey blue color which helps to bring the ceiling down and the room into proportion — as the space is as wide as it is tall. Many people assume you must paint the ceiling white, but I strongly disagree and often paint ceilings interesting colors or even wallpaper them. Ceilings are the “fifth wall" after all.

The large abstract painting on the wall of the den is by Brian Dittmar. A collection of ceramic foo dog statues are interspersed throughout the bookcase. Blue and cream woven wool carpet is from Mark Nelson Designs.

The study is the smallest room in the apartment so I went bolder with color and wallpapered the walls in a wonderful textured blue grasscloth — 'Broadway Blues' by Phillip Jeffries. It’s one of my favorite elements in the entire apartment and contrasts well against the white bookcases. On the loveseat, covered in a pale gold Glant fabric, multi-color patterned pillows in a watercolor motif fabric by Thomas O’Brien for Lee Jofa accompany an orange felt pillow. 

A 1950s teak bar cabinet was a special find at Stuff, the vintage collection in San Francisco's Mission district.

TSS: Secret design sources you can share with us?

BD: I’m very exited to be able to share news of a forthcoming design showroom that I know will become a go-to source for many designers — as well as the general public. Design Theory Hardware, a new decorative hardware showroom, will be opening in early 2018 near the San Francisco Design Center. Brett Rogers and Marc Waisanen, of Hayes Valley’s Plantation Design have teamed up with Selena Fong, who brings over a decade of decorative, architectural hardware experience, to launch the new showroom. Decorative hardware is like jewelry and can make a kitchen, bathroom or piece of furniture really sing.  I cannot wait for Design Theory Hardware’s grand opening!

For lighting, I’ve become fond of the products from Cedar & Moss, a Portland-based artisanal studio specializing in modernist and mid-century fixtures. Their products showed up quite a bit in this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase, which was great to see. I have loved the fixtures from Brooklyn-based Apparatus Studio for quite some time as well. Their 'Cloud 37’ chandelier was the focal point of a great room I designed several years ago.

Recently, I’ve been following several friends on Instagram and their interest in Shibori, the Japanese dyeing technique which produces organic patterns on fabric. It’s beautiful and resonates with me and where my interest in design is going. Shibori has a natural hand-made quality that I love. It’s simple, graphic and rich.

For the best in vintage finds, Palm Springs has become widely known for treasuring and advancing appreciation for mid-century design. I always relish popping into the many galleries along Palm Canyon Drive in the Uptown Design district — including the Palm Canyon Galleria and Towne in The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five — to see what is on display. But many other fabulous treasures can be found several miles east at the Perez Art & Design Center along Perez Road in Cathedral City.

Definitely off the beaten path and in a nondescript warehouse district, this little gem is headlined by HEDGE (not to be confused with Hedge Gallery in San Francisco) and Spaces, a gallery comprised of multiple dealers specializing in mid-century modern, modernist, Brutalist, and Hollywood Regency furniture and decor.

The kitchen backsplash is a custom mosaic tile from Pratt & Larsen that features a mix of all the neutral tones in the apartment; honed quartz countertops by Caesarstone; taupe limestone floor tile by Ann Sacks.

TSS: Where are you traveling next?

BD: My partner and I always try to make it down to Palm Springs several times a year. It is definitely my “happy place” — a one-hour flight from San Francisco, but a world away...from the desert landscape and mountains to the weather and the wide array of vintage design shops.

We are heading to Italy soon and this trip includes time at a villa in Tuscany with friends and then quick stops in Venice, Cinque Terre, Lake Como and Milan.

Milan is one of the most underrated cities of Europe. While it may not have as much to offer as Paris or London, it has a great energy and wonderful design all around. Window-shopping along the Via Montenapoleone is always a pleasure. The Duomo in Milan is a Gothic fantasy — and climbing around the top of it is great fun, with spectacular views.

In Milan, I especially enjoy some of the newest architecture in the Porta Nuova district, including Cesar Pelli’s spire-topped, glass semi-circular Unicredit Tower (the tallest building in Italy) and the pair of residential towers called “Bosco Verticale” (translation: vertical forest) by Boeri Studio which all 20+ floors are virtually covered in living trees and other plants. 

Cesar Pelli's Unicredit Tower next to Bosco Verticale in Milan's Porta Nuova district. Photo from Wikipedia by Thomas Ledl.

TSS:  Thank you, Brian. I wish you many more years of success, great clients and design.

Originally built as St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1926, the Mediterranean Revival building Brian lives in was converted to condominiums in 1986. It was designed by Arthur Brown, Jr. of the architecture firm, Bakewell & Brown — better known for designing such landmarks as San Francisco City Hall, the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, Coit Tower and several buildings on the campus of Stanford University. The façade of the building was cast as the sanatorium in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film, Vertigo.

It sits on the southern edge of Buena Vista Park and overlooks the Castro district, Corona Heights, Dolores Park and the Bay beyond. 

A West Elm chevron pattern bone inlay lamp and a rock crystal votive holder sit atop a 1950s teak bar cabinet — the view out the window overlooks Corona Heights park.

Bronze and brass wall sconces by Hudson Valley Lighting adorn the paneled structural columns separating the living room from the dining room.

Thank You — We Love Our Readers

I am so honored to have the best and most talented members and subscribers and followers. THE STYLE SALONISTE has an international retinue of pals — as well as thousands of Facebook friends and Pinterest pinners and Instagram followers and friends, along with Tweeters and emailers, and message-writers and readers all over the world.

Hundreds of thousands of unique visitors each month. Millions of unique visits. Most exciting. This is a niche blog, very specialized and focused, and my goal is to delight, inspire, inform, and amuse and entertain my readers each week.

After more than eight years, THE STYLE SALONISTE has a worldwide audience of curious, passionate, stylish, talented, philanthropic, creative and excited readers.

Thank you to all the photographers, interior designers, architects, artists, storeowners, creative talents, inspirations, writer, art dealers, authors, artists, gallery directors, and so many fantastically super-bright and enthusiastic creators I’ve written about and published.

Cheers and cheers. I send my gratitude.

The small plaster tile is a 3D topographical map called "San Francisco Terrain" by the late antique dealer Connor Fennessy.

CREDITS:

Photography:
Brian Dittmar


Brian's favorite design sources in his apartment:

Art above the sofa:

Cassandria Blackmore

www.cassandriablackmore.com

John Dickinson table:

Sutherland Furniture

www.sutherlandfurniture.com

Chandelier and bedside lamps:

Avrett

www.avrett.com

Carpet in bedroom and study:

Mark Nelson Designs

www.marknelsondesigns.com

Grasscloth wallpaper in study:

Phillip Jeffries Ltd. 

www.phillipjeffries.com

Linen wallpaper in bedroom:

Kneedler|Fauchère

www.kneedlerfauchere.com

Vintage Scandinavian credenza:

Björk Studio

www.bjorkstudio.com

Custom metal clock and aluminum drink table:

Paul Benson

www.paulbenson.us

Pillows and window treatments:

Ewing & Ball Custom Fine Sewing

www.ewingandball.com

Wallpaper installation:

Aesthète

www.aesthetepainting.com

Photo by David Duncan Livingston.

About Brian Dittmar Design

Brian’s design aesthetic and approach to the process are influenced by his long-time passion for the graphic arts and architecture. He honed his interest in classical furniture and furnishings — by exploring the interiors and collections of the Wintherthur Museum, near his childhood home in Wilmington, Delaware. 

Brian has appeared on HGTV and his work has been featured in local and national magazines. Also a former graphic designer, he has worked for clients including Stanford University, Chronicle Books and Lincoln Center. He lives in San Francisco with his partner, Thomas Carragher, a merchandising executive at Gap Inc., and their pug Freddie.


BRIAN DITTMAR DESIGN, INC.

www.briandittmardesign.com

Phone: 415.235.0529
Fax: 415.558.9693
Email: info@briandittmardesign.com


And I know we have many dog and pug lovers among our readers — be sure to follow the adventures of Freddie the pug on Instagram: @freddiethepuginsf

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New Fun Reads — Global Style with Wit!

Fun and Frisky: New International Style and Design Books for Ideas, Inspiration and Surprise
I’ve selected eight lively, stylish and opinionated new style books to add to your library and reference.

At the top of the list is the colorful and witty ‘Daily Life’ by Gert Voorjans, the designer of the ultra-chic international Dries van Noten boutiqes.

‘Explorers’ Sketchbooks’ is a fantastic new favorite—rich with travel inspiration, wild explorers and adventurers, men and women. Chic!

‘Travels with Chufy’ by Argentinian style-setter Sofia Sanchez de Betak, and ‘The Art of the White Shirt’ by Libby Vanderploeg made the list.

And I love ‘The New Paris The People, Places and Ideas Fueling a Movement’ by Lindsay Tramuta. It’s a very focused and detailed and provocative new food/restaurant/shopping/style guide. And we take a quick look at Vestoj (pronounced vest-toy) the vibrant compendium and academic report on fashion ideas and issues. Oh…and a book about black cats. I’d say it’s a lucky find. Come and see it.

I’ve taken some quick snaps of covers and pages and found fun books to delight and amuse. Come with me for a literary check-up.

Gert the Great

Gert Voorjans is one of the most brilliant and iconoclastic style-setters and creators centered in Antwerp. He designs store interiors for Dries van Noten. Have you swooned in the Dries boutiques in Paris and wanted to move it? That’s Gert’s work…full of quirky antiques, luscious and sensual fabrics and a ‘vie de chateau’ feeling. His approach is carefree, sometimes maximal, and always pure charm. His book is published with great verve and originality by Lannoo, a Belgian publisher I admire greatly.

I shot the cover of ‘Daily Life’ by Gert Voorhans (by Belgian publisher Lannoo). It’s large and has a vibrant introduction by the great Hamish Bowles.

The book covers a wide range of styles and international work. I love this book—which has spirit and soul and is lots of fun.

Chronicle Books, based in San Francisco and owned by Nion McEvoy, acquired my first book, and of course is one of my favorite publishers.

New in the Summer Chronicle Books catalog is the exciting and very original ‘Explorers’ Sketchbooks: The Art of Discovery and Adventure’ by Huw Lewis-Jones and Kari Herbert. It’s a highly original and inspiring compendium of 70 international explorers, botanists, adventurers, artists, fearless wanderers—and their notebooks, art, drawings, maps, imagery and vivid reporting. Notebooks and sketchbooks and logs are shown, as well as superb mapping, anthropological drawings, and daring adventures.

The pages cover women and women who, from the 1600s, roamed and discovered and painted and drew…and found forests and coastlines (New Zealand!) and the Himalayas, Africa, and King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

I’m especially happy to see the paintings of Margaret Mee, who voyaged alone up the Amazon in the fifties and sixties in search of rare orchids to paint. There’s Adela Breton who braved the jungles of Africa to record Mayan Runs, and there are vibrant paintings of tribes and creatures and costumes and even Angkor Wat, India and deserts and frozen arctic scenes.

It’s highly original…and inspiring for bold travelers.

‘The New Paris The People, Places and Ideas Fueling a Movement’ by Lindsey Tramuta (Abrams) takes a fresh and very current look at Paris food and dining, sweets, libations, shopping and crafts, talents, ideas, places, distilleries, natural wine bars, artists, illustrators. Would it be useful as a guide? Perhaps…yes.

I propose read it cover to cover…and then plan a trip to Paris based on your passions, and love of patisserie. It’s a new look…not at all touristy and no clichés.

Love it. 

‘Travels with Chufy’ by Sofia Sanchez de Betak, who grew up in Argentina, has a vivid international life as a fashion designer, blogger, trend-spotter and consultant, and model.

I love her personal approach, very independent and witty. She’s chosen 24 hotels/camps/inns/hideaways/adventures,all of a very private, personal style.

Sofia takes readers to Naples, Kyoto, Iceland, Positano, Patmos, Mendoza, Marrakech, Patagonia…and beyond…and finds secret rooms, cabins, tents, ryokans, beach-side cottages and gardens. It’s published by Assouline.

For experienced travelers looking for new experiences—or for novices wanting rare and unsual explorations, Chufy takes you by the hand. She’s joyful, stylish, fearless and I trust her eye and style.

‘The Art of the White Shirt’ illustrated by Libby Vanderploeg (published by Hardy Grant Books) has great charm and ideas. Libby’s drawings are chic and crisp. She has 30 inventive looks and included style icons like Patti Smith, Carolina Herrera, Janelle Monae, Diane Keaton and Isabella Rossellini.

She wardrobes the look with total outfits. It’s all very fresh, observant, and simple. Stylish.

It’s a neat book to drop in your bag, to read on the bus or train or plane or beach. Useful and compact, the book has witty text.

‘Alvedon’s Paris: Old Wold New Look’ by Robert M. Rubin and Marianne Le Galliard (Abrams) is a great find. It’s a collection of the work of Richard Avedon in France—centering on his film projects with Audrey Hepburn (“Funny Face’ was based on his life) as well as his fashion shoots for Vogue (Suzy Parker) and his love of French photographers.

Chapters include his portraits (Nureyev) and his great love of Lartigue, as well as his portraiture for Egoieste magazine.

The format is small and the book is about 4-5 inches thick and a great read.

I love Avedon’s quotes, his work and his sheer love of France. It must have been the best part of his life…creative, chic, discovery, great people and style.

VESTOJ magazine, The Journal of Sartorial Matters, was until now simply a scholarly, academic pursuit with a global following.

Vestoj hit the news recently when the editor-n-chief/ publisher Anja Aronowsky-Cronberg published an explosive interview with Lucinda Chambers, a British Vogue editor who had just been given the boot after 35 years with the magazine. Lucinda’s revelations, criticisms, complaints and insider dirt/cynicism/sarcasm were a bombshell in the sotto voce fashion world.

Lawyers quickly forced Vestoj to modify the report but the damage was done—and Vestoj gained world-wide publicity.

Vestoj (the magazine’s name is the Esperanto word for clothes, and it is pronounced vest-toy)…is hard to find in the US (or anywhere) but I tracked two copies last weekend at Reliquary style shop on Hayes Street in San Francisco. (See their card with the photo). 

I particularly like Issue No 6 on Failure…on wardrobe malfunctions, mercantile liaisons, and the failure of the fashion police, and some unexpected views on clothes and fashion ideas. This is not Vogue. It’s the anti-Vogue…provocative, fearless and droll. There’s a terrific interview/feature on ‘What’s Wrong with the Fashion Industry’ in Issue 6…and Issue 5, smaller, goes off on a tangent on slowness.

For readers of Suitcase, Cereal and Kinfolk and other small independent publications, Vestoj is a discovery.

‘All Black Cats are Not Alike’ by Amy Goldwasser and Peter Arkle is a delightfully original and charming little book…to place on your work desk or keep close for a laugh and moments of escape.

The premise—Amy is an editor and Peter is Scottish, an illustrator.

The book…great concept with witty premise…was partially funded by Kickstarter, and they rounded up forty black cats (all with great names and personalities) to draw and describe and offer anecdotes. I’ll leave it to you to discover. I…well, yes, laughed out loud. I think you might. It would be a fantastic gift for the owner of a black cat. It’s published by Chronicle Books.


Wishing you happy and joyful and inspiring reading...