Monday, February 15, 2010

1,2,3,...

1.
Going to a restaurant on Valentine's day is rather like driving on the motorway on Christmas day. Full of people who don't do it very often, aren't quite sure how to and aren't really doing it because they want to. Ha. I also went to see Breakfast at Tiffany's yesterday, which my local cinema had kindly screened (there are advantages to the day after all) and it was lovely to see it on the big screen. I noticed so many details I usually miss, such as the pink of Audrey's toenail varnish, or the Japanese paper screens in her bathroom.

My local wine shop celebrated by putting up these record covers and by hanging up a bandage covered heart with cheesy romance paperbacks hanging off it speared with butcher's hooks. I like their style.

2.
I know I've been rather absent from here lately - the usual February lack of oomph I suppose. Having a blog is quite useful in that way - you can look back over the years and note that February is often the sparsest month. And I haven't even told you about Paris yet.

3.
I don't quite know what to say about Alexander McQueen. Everyone seems to have said something, somewhere, though the news media doesn't seem to have thrown much light on anything. I used to help backstage at his shows for the first few years when he started out, dressing models and stuff. It was always a mixture of intense energy, stress, excitement, fear, some kind of backstage catastrophe involving fire or snow - and then the pure wonder of the audience at the spectacle of it all, when it made them feel something. The atmosphere was definitely not for the faint hearted, but now more than ever I'm glad I experienced that up close. All I can think now is of the people who worked closely with him, who were loyal for years and how they must feel; if those who knew him slightly or not at all, feel such loss.

8 comments:

Rose said...

does Audrey have pink toe nails! I have never noticed either- what kind of pink?

must have been a great experience if not always the most stress free backstage at LA McQueen's shows. I feel sad but obviously didn't know him at all- it's not just that I thought some of his work was sublime though I genuinely did- not all though of course- but it's just an artist at the top or near top of their game and with money and all those things you think people need and actually I guess it wasn't what he needed I guess. Or something.

Claire said...

Rose - yes, in the scene where she opens the door wearing a dinner shirt as a nightdress near the beginning - she has sort of summery coral/rose pink toes - similar to the lipstick colour she has...

erica said...

paris? what, what? i gorged myself on japanese pastries and watched tv in bed. that's how we like to do valentine's day.

NewYorkChique said...

Ah, love that movie =D!

audrey was really beautiful

Unknown said...

oh it must have been nice to see it on the big screen...i never have.

never thought of joe dassin and st. valentines' day...good kitsch i suppose...

wow!! helping back stage at the early mcqueen shows..must have been electric!
did you meet him?

...oh you said it so well...i am quite surprised how upset i am about his passing...and i have never met him...let alone those who were close to him.

Claire said...

erica - I went to Paris the weekend before Valentine's and actually had Japanese pastries there too!

If Jane - it's great on the big screen - you see so much more, especially if you've seen it loads of times before. And yes, course I met him silly! he was very hands on...

Siru said...

I can't believe what a great experience it must have been. I feel guilty to say but I am jealous for it.

juliet xxx

Bexy said...

the first date i went on with my current beau was to the aldwych hotel where they have a small 12 (or so...) seater cinema, a yummy dinner follwed by my favorite film on the big screen... he had me at audrey!