Ode to the Bohemian Muse

Isa inspires me in everyway- from her love of wine to her fringe and paisley print addictions to her beautiful, wavy locks. She is my modern hippie idol, my personal version of Sienna Miller: the girl who encourages fashion to stay on the bohemian side. Her love of theatre, cigarettes and literature literally makes her my soulmate: I cannot wait for the day we meet for wine and can idly ramble about fashion in Hamburg. Until then our conversations and lovely emails will have to be suffice. Here is to you Isa.

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How long has Bohemian Musings been alive in the blogger sphere and what motivated you to start a blog?
haha, I actually had to look up how long the musings exist and here´s the fact: Bohemian Musings started in december 2007. I had a blog before so there wasn´t one exact starting point in the blogosphere. well, why I started it was part personal exhibitionism, part my anxiety for inspiration. it started out more as a scrapbook where I collected all sorts of things for myself. then, as I realized that the blogs that inspired me most where all bursting with pictures, I started working with a camera myself.

Favourite Designer? Favourite Fashion icon?
favourite designer.. humhum. I´m not too consistent there which I think is a hard thing anyway because the inspiration one has can change the whole look of a label. I have to say marc jacobs is a genius, I always adore stelly maccartney´s shows for their freshness (although I actually do wear leather and fur, cough), chloé and of course I fell in love with gucci and balmain lately. random person I am.
as for the fashion icon I have to say I still loved sienna miller in her boho days. I know she might not be an icon as this is classified as someone who did something big and would ideally come from another era but I simply admired that whole air that was around her like in 2004. she looked like more than fashion.
of course as a complete devotee to the sixties and seventies I have to mention anita pallenberg, marianne faithfull, edie sedgwick and francoise hardy. free spirits all the way.

Ideal way to spend a day?

Waking up in the late morning hours. a shower (I love the feeling and smell of fresh hair!). going out to have breakfast in a café. coffee, orange juice and bagels and a stack of magazines. grabbing another coffee to browse some vintage shops. ideally making an amazing purchase like a 70s dress. coming home in the afternoon. going through my mails and making plans for the evening. opening a bottle of rosé wine. putting on some loud music that will fill the apartment while I´ll take another shower and dance around the apartment in underwear untill I have decided what to wear (most probably the new 70s dress). putting on some gladiator heels and going out.

Favourite accessory?

flowers in my hair and gladiator heels

If you were a type of shoe, what kind would you be? Why?
haha, again a gladiator because it is full of facets: sexy, not too fancy, versatile and fun.

What does the term "bohemian spirit" mean to you?

to me a bohemian first of all is a true free spirit. this will reflect in (his/) her style, looks, and way of living. I see a bohemian as a person that will passionably commit herself to a certain way of living. a bohemian is a very affective being following her heart which might lead to the well-known idea of an unconventional (and chaotic) lifestyle. with this inner passion and drive it is natural for a bohemian to have a great affinity to the world of arts.

Your style essentials are...
tights, cutoff jeans, killer shoes, necklaces and bangles. 70s dresses.

What inspires you?
literature, music, arts and beauty.

Favourite Book, Favourite Magazine?
books: "playing with the grown-ups"/dahl & "the unbearable lightness of being"/kundera. magazine: Vogue

Plans for the future? Aspirations? Ambitions?
as I have a great love for the stage and for theatre I definitely want to do something there. although I love acting I kind of veered away from the idea of becoming an actress and am moving towards becoming a stage director or a dramatic advisor. 11. Where do you buy the majority of your clothes? vintage shops, h&m and the wonderland that is ebay.

Most-loved fashion haven?

"vintage and rags" in hamburg. so many clothes, atmosphere and located right next to "balzac coffee".

Tell us about the fashionable-side of Hamburg?
Hamburg is actually know for its "understated cool chic". there are a lot of wealthy people so you see loads of designers bags and shoes but mostly not those with huge logos on them. straight hair. cool colours like black white and grey. a good amount of ladies in fur.
then again, hamburg is very cosmopolitan with an international influence so you´ll see the hippie girl, the artsy type and the preppy one as well.

Pick one: leather/lace - paisley/flowers - coffee/tea-heels/flats -blazers/cardigans - black/white - kate moss/erin wasson -

Descibe a typical day in the life of Isa:

-waking up at 7AM with a certain disbelief that it´s already the next day (after coming home from a drink a 2AM), taking a shower and brewing coffee. throwing together an outfit and rushing out of the house. getting another coffee on the way to the theatre. doing rehearsals while having more coffee and apple bars. taking a lunch snack in a restaurant or a coffee shop. continuing theatre work. coming home in the evening, spending an hour on the sofa with a magazine and having something random for dinner like rice or a soup ( I only have the muse to actuallycook when it´s with the boyfriend). putting on some heels to get ready to go out for a glass of wine. or two.

Finally, what is your most-loved posession?
I can´t quite come up with one, am I a poor girl or just not materialistic? so: my moleskin planner (life-saver), my fur gilet and books.

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Read Isa's Blog (and see my feature)

Here

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Crochet+ Acid Wash

What was going to be a quiet night of studying swiftly turned into a rather rambunctious night out. I wore lycra leggings with my american apparel bandeau dress- all the layers kept me warm, which kind of effaced the fact that my feet were in agony. Hysterical laughter culminated into eating salmon cream cheese bagels at 3 am. Wholly satisfied I crawled into bed only to wake up to a mountains of clothes covering my bedroom floor.

Yesterday, between reading and notes- I decided to quickly look at the new spring/summer collections that my favourite online stores are stocking up on. However, what was initially a casual endeavour quickly developed into unzipping the wallet and pulling out the credit card. Take a look at these acid-wash, denim leggings I purchased on asos.com: from the moment I saw them, all I could think was "Erin Wasson" and ofcourse, felt obligated to press "add to cart".

Who Doesn't Love This?

This perfect ensemble is from Topshop- anyone who doesn't appreciate this slashed, frayed black top really should go look at a photos of Erin Wasson for some persuasion. Personally, I wouldn't want anything else: this oufit satisfies all my fashion lustings and it is my upmost mission to somehow acquire this top. I am already picturing my summer in Spain- this top, some gladiators, aviators, cut-offs and maybe some iced tea at the beach. Right now, there is actually nothing I want more .

A Day's Collection

A Day's collection of thoughts contained in these photos. Excuse the brevity of the post- my efforts and energies have been far from depleted from studying and the gym. I just want to go to bed, but instead face another note-taking session in the library that sadly will not end until the clock strikes twelve.

I overlooked my "out of proportion" skinny ankle and huge feet combination and wore this outfit anyway. It wasn't very warm but I must admit, I like the way it all looks combined.

My evenings are filled with essentially the themes of this photo: candles and literature. Somehow the mellow light of the flame makes my tiny room look far less claustrophobic than it actually is, not to mention, makes me feel right in tune with the likes of the Romantic poets who all inscribed their brilliance by candle-light.

I wear so little of this stuff these days, so I thought I'd share an attempt at an artsy photo that I snapped in a particularly bored moment. Personally, it reminds me of one of those quirky, eye-catching shots ALLURE Magazine include in their issues every now and again.

The outfit that made my day: Gala always inspires me but this time I think she has really outdone herself. The fur, the miniature monkeys covering her quirky skirt and the lovely leather shoes. I just cannot get enough. Get a better look: here

On a final note, I took part in a photography shoot yesterday- I styled the girl's outfits- which in essence meant I took some of my own favourite pieces and paired them together for the photos. It was a fun experience and hopefully I will have some photos to display at a later date. To finish the evening off- The Sequined beauty that inhabits the middle ground between the blazer and the cardigan- 2 fashion essentials I adore. In response to this photo (courtesy of elle magazine), all I can say is "I want".

Happy Monday Evening!

Craving Spring

The winter blues still linger and I have spent the week hiding behind books in the library. My social life has melted into the cold air and it seems all I want to do is drink tea and study, which sounds a lot more pathetic than it actually is. Apart from fashion interventions, (currently obsessing over spring/summercollections: I am pining for warm weather), my obsessive compulsive disorder has kicked in, turning me into a full-fledged workaholic. It seems I need to take a little inspiration from Isa and blissfully lose myself in a bottle of rose wine.

These three gems from the Spring Summer Collections did perk me up though- the Elizabeth and James Jazz Dress reminds me of something a contemporary Elizabeth Bennet's would wear while the gold clutch and feather-necklace feed my bohemian cravings in the most indulgent of ways. (images courtesy of style.com)

Rainy Evenings

Life has been a little hectic and dull these last couple of days: cold weather, dark skies and mountains of paper piling up in my tiny room. I am back at University: and to be honest, I am far from happy about being back- maybe its the winter blues or the fact that I crave the city...all I know is that the remedy lies in the Topshop Heels I gazed at lovingly yesterday.

The ABOVE is an outfit I wore in Durham and while lace is rather winter-orientated, it certainly doesnt keep one warm. And not to worry, I took the tag off the shoes before leaving the house.

Right now I am living on tea and blueberries and reading copious amounts of literature, which I love-however the fresh stack of magazines on my desk is becoming increasingly tempting. I have a feeling I might crawl into bed with some green tea and embark on a sartorial binge. Have a good evening!

Paris Musings

"Ajoutez deux lettres à Paris : c'est le paradis. "- Jules

Paris involved two days of pure designer sensation, not to mention culinary-induced experiences and an abundance of photography. I bought my Balenciaga; after a slight side-tracking involving an on-sale Chloe Padlock bag- (it was a strange shiny beige colour, and although it was appealing- it just wouldnt have matched with my general everyday wardrobe choices)- I decided to stick with the classic Balenciaga. It is black, beautiful, slouchy and smells divine: expensive leather is a very RICH smell.

Additional purchases include a Faux Fur Coat that I bought in this cavern-like shop in the Latin Quarter. An array of French Magazines and a couple of winter pieces here and there, including a very glamourous leather clutch. I drank copious amounts of tea, especially in Les Deux Magots: which overlooks the chic chaos of Saint Germain but additionally the cafe where Simone De Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre and Hemingway spent a great deal of time (probably why I adore it so much).

I finally, yet very casually came across Colette (3rd photo in the group below) on Saint-Honore: the only way I can describe it is: the retail-version of a museum. Filled to the brim with quirky books, gadgets, cosmetics and clothes: its the perfect way to wile away a Sunday afternoon with a friend and a Starbucks coffee. No wonder it is one of Karl Lagerfeld's favourite places to shop in Paris.

As I've said before I much prefer the left bank to the right: all the cosy bars, the authenticity of the narrow streets and the general bohemian-artist vibes floating across the streets and through the people is very inspiring.

Where do you get your Kicks?

I got my kicks from this quote by Manolo Blahnik that I came across in British VOGUE yesterday:

"For me, fantasy is the privilege of being able to let your mind run free and create scenarios or objects that are unattainable in real life; it allows you to be frivolous as you want to be, and without limits- the most joyful way to work is without restriction. Fantasy feeds the imagination, enabling it to transcend the mundane and the ordinary and become, well, estraordinary."

Another way I got my kicks yesterday was a conversation I had with Monika from Monikapolitan, where we established that an "American Apparel Skank" is most certainly the best way to be skanky. (chuckle) Wouldn't you agree? ALSO, the lucky girl got to meet Shwayze- for those of you who were singing "Corona and Lime" all summer long- please, please go look at her blog!

Ok, I admit it- I am addicted to cut-offs. I will stop enforcing this addiction onto my readers: as from my next post- I will vary my outfits a little and leave the cut-offs to have a much needed rest in my wardrobe. I promise. On another note, Frassy Rags is approaching- I am excited..and I hope you are too.

Anyway, I am off to PARIS this afternoon- and like always, I will be staying on the left bank, off St Germain. And like always, I will waste copious amounts of time reading and drinking tea in cosy Parisian cafes. Shopping and Photo Snapping are two other pursuits that will be wholly enjoyed. My only wish is that it snows- Paris in the snow is probably my ultimate idea of heaven.

I will return on Friday with lovely photography and anecdotes to share with you all- until then, here is someone lovely to stare at:

Look at her smiling amongst all that messy blonde hair and the excessive but effective sunglasses. I love the casual air that surrounds this outfit- its so simple yet she looks painfully chic. How does Ritchie do it? HOW? And are those moccassins I spot on her feet? Oh YES.....

Au Revoir: until Friday, love to you all

xox

Fresh

I'm up early, gulping tea and listening to Radio 1. I have alot to do today, but its going to be a good Monday. The above outfit is something I just haphazardly threw on for lunch and sales shopping on Saturday. I've been to Zara 4 times in the last week and everytime I go, I find a couple "must-have" items: including a pea-coat with a fur collar, its up Carrie Bradshaw's fashion alley and I am so excited to wear it.

Soon, I am having to start packing for heading back to University in Durham: and I will once again battle with my long-term enemy: the 20 kilo weight limit. With all the clothes and shoes I have been buying- not to mention all my books, papers and magazines that I need to surround myself with everyday of every week: it is not going to be a pleasant endeavour.

Oh and readers: Frassy Rags is actually materialized and opening soon-- Now you can buy all these quirky, bohemian-styled t-shirts you see me wearing in my Posts. Keep your style eyes peeled for the LINK....and then browse and buy FRASSY.

Look at The Muses:

My Dog & Me

This is me and my dog outside...I look a little moody because it was freezing and wanted to get back inside; where I can parade around in cut-offs and pretend its summer.

The weather has gotten so unbelievably cold, and whats worse is my internet is acting up; which means not only am I cold, I am also bored without my daily blog reads. I have been very busy these last couple of days, what with Paris next week and then Semester 2 of University starting soon, I am literally cramming my days full of things I have to get done. I have some very good news regarding my upcoming online store: Frassy Rags, which I will share with you...tomorrow.

Until then, I'm hitting the caffeine and making sure I make all these various deadlines I have for different fashion websites. Have a Good Friday!

Take a Leaf out of the Frassy Book...

I got up extra early today, ate far too many fruit muffins, gulped down about three litres of earl grey tea and did hours upon hours of literature. I celebrated by hitting the mall for a couple hours: gazed at dozens of beautiful dresses, shoes and bags. I wish my credit-card had a limitless balance...oh well.

Here a couple new pages from my ongoing and forever growing scrapbook vol. 4:
The photograph of Lindsay Lohan embodies the perfect bohemian in my eyes, while Sevigny as a Cat has always been a treasured photograph and even more so these days because it reminds me of my beautiful blogger bff Isa at Bohemian Musings.



Pendants are my weapon of choice when it comes to accessories. I absolutely ADORE them and wear them with everything and anything- even things that probably would look better with an alternative type of jewellery. Need pendant inspiration? Take a gander at Alexa Chung: she is a fellow pendant-addict, and I love it! Anyway, enough rambling, look at my new additions to my pendant collection:

Style Eyes Peeled

Feast your eyes on this inspiration. My absolute favourite is Sevigny; that frayed, muscle-tee and those shades make me swoon. The messy, toppling-over bun is right up my fashion alley as well. Currently in love with MK's scarf and Kiera Knightley's outfit is pretty much exactly what I wear when I'm hidden behind a stack of books in the library. And finally, some verbal lustings over Peaches' headband: YUMMMMMM!

And...an outfit I'd love to wear, but its too damn cold. Sun, please come back?

Fashion: Tearing Up my Bank Account

I wore the above outfit for meeting a friend in the evening, where we lounged about in a cafe and chatted. The lace leggings are the perfect medium between tights and leggings and I love the way they look with heels; was a little hesistant to buy them at first (20 pounds for a pair of leggings seemed steep) but in retrospect, they were a wise buy.

OVERALL....today has been a good day: lunch out, sunny clouds and the gym: although I have indulged in my creative side, I have yet to dedicate any hours today to my degree. Shelley is beckoning, yet...designing T-shirts is just so much more appealing! I still think I should've studied Fashion instead of English, but oh well....

I believe that every bohemian should own a pair of moccassins...and I finally bought my perfect pair today. They are by Marc Jacobs, I found them on yoox.com last night- subsequently had a dream about them, woke up and added them to my shopping cart pronto. My bank balance is now looking a little bleak, but I am a die-hard believer in Carrie Bradshaw's mantra; "I like my money right where I can see it...hanging in my closet". Fashion is much prettier than money, right?

Look:

My first giveaway of 2009: First Five Frassy Readers to provide a Coco Chanel quote in the comment box will be sent the following. Take a stare below and get quoting!

Frassy Loves Goofy

Sunday Morning: I wake up and its raining: that slow kind of drizzle you know will last all day. Tea, Magazines and candles to start the day off....Gym...and now I must embark on an afternoon of studying Shelley and Toni Morrison. Happy Sunday! It's the first of oh-nine so make it good!

Here are some photos a friend of mine took for me. Embrace the goofiness of them, as beauty is certainly and definetely lacking! I am, by nature, a huge goof- I am always falling, tripping, dropping things, I laugh really loudly (too loudly) and my dancing is seriously the most laughable endeavour ever. Oh well, its far better than taking yourself too seriously.


*Wink*


*Tigerrrr?*


*Strange Hand Moves*


*And finally, in the spirit of the lazy Sunday...ZEN*

My day is dull....what has everyone else planned for this Sunday? Hangovers? Walks? Coffee Dates? Fill out that Comment Box, please!

Another Day, Another Outfit.

Pulled this vintage, very tight lyrca top out from the back of my wardrobe today and decided to experiment. It was a little small in the chest area, so my bandeau bra from AA (Can't live without it!) strapped me in. Despite the cloudy weather, I do have sunglasses on- but only because I didn't feel like putting any make-up on my tired, tired face.

My LookBook Inspiration of the day:

These days I am sucker for 1)oxford shoes of any kind 2)asymetrical or off-the-shoulder tops. Therefore this wonderful outfit appeals to me in all kinds of ways- def. trying something like this next time I decide to go out.

Dressed to the Nines: 2009

I had the most sensational New Years to date; crazy fun with friends, repeats of my favourite song "Show Me Love" and a lot of laughter, its one of those nights you could do over and over again and still find the thrill in it all. When the clock struck twelve, I was shaking plastic maracas and laughing my heart out. It was the perfect way to enter a new year. I didn't collapse into bed until early morning, at which point I fell asleep, blissfully excited for the new zero -nine.



To start the year off, I snapped some photos "a la Selby" of my room at home (it is considerably larger than my room in the Durham house). I especially enjoy how the ceiling is slanted, giving my room an attic feel. I love having all the candles lit on my window-sill, lounging on the floor amongst a pile of magazines while listening to Usher or Ne-yo. The walls are literally covered, floor to ceiling, in vogue clippings. I like all my clothes and jewellery on display, as if they form part of my interior decorating, which is why my room looks unbelievably cluttered. I hate sparse rooms, white walls terrify me: I like rooms that speak personality and I believe mine does just that.