Week 15: Downton Abbey. Pastiche of Lady Mary Crawley in the 1920s

Love her or hate her, Lady Mary is one of the strongest female characters in the Downton Abbey TV series and possibly in the entire history of British TV shows. While watching the show I tried to figure out with which character I associate myself with the most, and even though at the end I had to admit to myself (not without a little annoyance!) that I am more of a Lady Rose kind of girl– spontaneous, reckless, romantic and sometimes too emotional, I wish I was more like Lady Mary.

Lady Mary has a strong head on her shoulders and does not easily give into her emotions (especially after the scandal with the GORGEOUS Mr. Pamuk). But both, Lady Rose and Lady Mary have something in common– an amazing sense of fashion. I created a pastiche of Lady Mary Crawley with a hint of Rose Aldridge's flirty flapper girl style, but as always with a modern twist.

For the shoot I opted for this embellished Walter Baker dress, a lace choker and my Art-Deco inspired Christian Louboutin heels. Please check out the outfit details and similar finds at the end of the post.

The photographs were taken by my husband Ben at Fort Tryon and The Cloisters Museum, which was built to resemble a real medieval castle with authentic medieval gardens. The museum and Fort Tryon park are located in Upper Manhattan and are definitely worth a visit!

Week 14: Park City. Best Places to Visit

Park City is a small town in Utah, but it's quickly becoming a more popular destination. The world knows Park City for its luxury ski resorts and the largest independent film festival in the United States, the Sundance Film Festival. Park City is also  home to the US Ski Team, it hosted the skiing and snowboarding events during the 2002 Winter Olympics, and it is one of the hottest real estate spots in America among celebrities and millionaires. Michael Jordan, Will Smith, Katherine Heigl and many other famous people own gorgeous mansions in Park City. 

I have been spending so much time in Utah, both in winter and summer, that I have decided to share my favourite places in Park City.

TOP 7 Places to Visit in Park City:

1. Main Street

The Egyptian Theatre in Park City was part of a national and worldwide fascination with the contemporary discovery of the tomb of King Tut in Egypt.

The Sundance Film Festival has used The Egyptian Theatre as a cinematic house for almost as long as the festival has existed; one of its oldest and most recognizable venues.

Banksy on Main Street.

One of the art galleries on Main Street.

Main Steet is the first street you will likely want to explore in Park City. Main Street to Park City is like Oxford Street to London and Broadway to New York. Rumour has it that there are more restaurants per capita in Park City than in any other American city, and they all serve delicious food. You should also check out all the little boutiques and galleries. Be sure to go to Dolly's Bookstore, where they not only have a great selection of books and gifts, but the store is also home to a few friendly cats. And of course do take tons of pictures of the beautiful, colourful houses that easily compete with the rainbow coloured ones in Notting Hill, London.

The cutest soft toys made from alpaca fur.

Throwback to my first visit to Park City in August 2015.

2. Park City Museum

I love visiting museums and will never miss a chance to wander around interesting artifacts and expand my knowledge base. Usually small towns have modest museums featuring exhibits that aren’t very engaging, however the Park City Museum pleasantly surprised me with its various interactive exhibits, displays, videos and even little attractions.

This huge interactive book describing criminals from Park City's Wild West history was really fun to "read." I was not surprised to find out that the Park City Museum has recently undergone a $9 million dollar renovation. It really shows! The museum is located at 528 Main Street and it is a great family friendly place.

3. Ski Resort in winter/FUNICULAR to St.Regis in SUMMER

Skiing with my husband Ben.

The majority of tourists come to Park City in the winter to ski. I only just  learned how to ski last year, but my husband is a former professional skier, so I trust him when he says it is the best town for skiing in the USA. If you plan to ski, plan for at least a few days since it is cheaper to get multi-day or weekly passes rather than to pay daily.

If you visit in the summer, take the funicular to St. Regis hotel and enjoy the breathtaking view. The bar at St. Regis is beautiful and I recommend you order their signature spicy Bloody Mary or a delightfully sweet Pineapple Mojito. 

Gorgeous view Park City

4. Nature love

Everyone in Park City hikes, or so it seems. There are hundreds of trails and beautiful spots... at least according to every person who lives in Utah. I am personally not a big fan of hiking and cannot recommend any specific trails (I am more of a theatre and museum kind of girl!), but I can appreciate the nature and wildlife of Park City. Even if you just take a drive instead of wandering around the woods, you will probably spot a graceful deer or a fluffy rabbit somewhere alongside the road.

I personally love the White Barn/ McPolin Barn and its surroundings. It is a perfect spot for taking pictures or having a little picnic, plus it has a parking spot on the opposite side of the road. I will post a photoshoot from next to the McPolin Barn later!

5. Handle Restaurant and Flanagan's

Handle is a rustic-chic eatery with a very delicious and original menu. It is located at 136 Heber Avenue. It is probably one of my favourite places to eat at in Park City, along with Flanagan's. But I love Flanagan's mostly for their mouthwatering beignets. 

6. Atticus Coffee  

Forget about Starbucks! Atticus coffee has an impressive range of hot and ice coffees and teas, free wifi, and a very cozy atmosphere. Whenever I am visiting Park City, I go there to blog or read.

7. Silver Lake Drive

If you want to see more luxury houses (because, to be frank, they are everywhere in Park City), drive up Silver Lake Drive. The designs of some of the houses will make you reconsider buying that new pair of shoes you wanted and inspire you to start saving for a beautiful house of your own.

Hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions about Park City, and I will gladly guide you further :)

Week 13: Grace Kelly. Manus X Machina. Fashion in an Age of Technology.

Do you remember the latest MET Gala? The MET Galas are traditionally held to celebrate and support fabulous new exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum. This year’s celebrated exhibit is Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology. The exhibition explores the marriage between technology and fashion, showcasing astonishing creations by the most famous fashion designers which illustrate the perfect symbiosis of complicated handmade pieces with machine work.

The exhibition is open at the Met Fifth Avenue through August 14, and I strongly recommend you see it. From the moment you step in you will feel a grandness and sacredness of the place, the kind that you experience in lavish medieval cathedrals or mosques.  The circular exhibition space beckons us to look into its numerous alcoves with couture creations which are placed on pedestals like sculptures of Saints. The dimly lit museum wing is haunted by beautiful soul-reaching melodies. Only the fashion artifacts are magically lit, attracting your gaze.

Despite the spellbound crowd with their iPhones glued in hand, the experience is almost mystical and pilgrimatic. Find all hope - You Who Enter Here should be written before the entrance, because Manus x Machina will leave you inspired.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is this exquisite Chanel gown created by Karl Lagerfeld. 

This dress's meters-long train sparkles like a gilded altarpiece.

This dress— made of a synthetic fabric called scuba knit— was hand-molded, machine-sewn, and then hand-finished, with intricate embroidery in pearls and gemstones forming a glittering baroque pattern.

Why have I decided to include this exhibit in my Grace Kelly Week? Because I believe some of these gorgeous pieces could have easily been worn by Grace. 50s silhouettes are definitely my favourite!

If the Devil wears Prada, Demons certainly wear Alexander McQueen.

Fabulous handmade Chanel gown from Fall/Winter 2005 Haute Couture collection.

I call these the hedgehog-dresses.

The famous Yves Saint Laurent dress known as "Sardine" is even more stunning in real life. The photograph cannot reflect how brilliantly the "fish skin effect" was created. It is mesmerising.

I hope you enjoyed the post! Let me know if you would like to see more exhibition reviews or want me to attend and photograph a certain event/show for you.