What could be more chic or fun than spending a Baba-esque S/S 2013?
The Parisian concept store Nouvelle Affaire is rendering homage to stylist Catherine Baba, a colorful figure in the fashion world. A native Australian who’s lived in Paris for 20 years, Catherine Baba has put the rest of the fashion universe at her feet; her collaborations with internationally renowned magazines and design houses like Vanity Fair, Vogue Japan, Chanel, and Moschino are too numerous to count. A fan of the 20s, this haute couture enthusiast seems like she could be straight out of the Golden Age of Hollywood herself. Her age is a bit more of a mystery; she claims to be 72 years old, but this is only a reference to the age she herself would like to be.
The pieces in the “Essensuals” collection are all made in her timeless image. There’s a melting pot of styles to be found, from baroque to urban to eccentric. This is what Babaist style is all about, where the real gives way to the imaginary, and absurd becomes a synonym for ordinary. This eccentric turban-clad lady’s philosophy is to be your own muse. Pascal Humbert and Catherine Traoré, creators of the boutique located at 5 Rue Debelleyme, have shrewdly gathered inspiration from this extravagant stylist at a time where creating one’s own style has become increasingly more important than simply following trends.
The clothes themselves, a subtle nod to the designer’s favorite pieces from her turn as costumer for the Eva Ionesco film “My Little Princess”, include kimonos, turbans, braided earrings, and bathrobes among others. The primarily silk and satin materials are just as pleasant to look at as to wear. And just to capture Baba’s personality to a T, American illustrator Gordon Flores has come up with a print specially dedicated to her, where her silhouette is superimposed with favorite words of hers like “devotion”, “fantasia”, and of course, “darling” and “jadooor”!
What if flippancy, craziness, and being a little off your rocker were actually the pinnacle of elegance?
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