#select models london

[sgiandubh]

S on BBC 4's Saturday Live: 'anything but a quiet life'

As you all know, S was today on BBC Four's Saturday Live radio talk show, sharing the scene with people like super male model David Gandy, Catrin Finch - a Welsh harpist of international repute and the ever fascinating Lucy Worsley, a strong contender (along with Mary Beard) for the title of personal favorite (living) historian.

You can listen (as I dutifully did twice) to it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001t96r. I don't know how to embed it on this page, but that shouldn't be a problem.

The show is always interesting and I strongly suggest to let it play along and not rely only on my summing up & comments. I particularly enjoyed Lucy Worsley's Medieval and Baroque musical selection (flawless!) - but enough said, we're here for S, who was live on show from BBC's London studios.

As usually, I am going to transcript it as much as I can, primarily for those reading this post and using Google Translate (@bat-cat-reader, you are served!). So, you will kindly excuse the length, thank you.

At the 07:40 mark, a half jocular mention when prompted by the host: not a cricketer and not a harpist either (you can say many things about S, but not that he's got no humor - always a big plus in my book). But then things quickly get emotional, when he immediately mentions his mother (the question generally asked was 'what did your parents sacrifice for you?'), who 'sacrificed a lot (...) [as] a single parent, (...) she gave us everything, I think'. And then he quickly gets emotional, mentioning Chrissie H. again:

'(...) can I give my mom a shoutout, it's her birthday, on Monday [Nikki Bedi, presenter: 'aww, of course you can!'], so happy birthday, Chrissie, and thank you so much and I wish... I'm glad you never got me a harp, because I would have never dedicated myself. I think that's why I became an actor, because I didn't have to work too hard at one thing.'

It's then David Gandy's turn to talk about his own rural childhood in Billericay (Essex), his close knit family and his parents' endeavor of building a business and the now incomprehensible need to use faxes, something he has now to 'explain to the younger ones'. Then Nikki Bedi turns to S (13:08): 'Sam's laughing at that. Do you remember faxes?' Answer: 'I do.. I mean, I remember faxes getting scripts through or couriers bringing you know, scripts to your door, it..it's just a completely different world, now, and I am sure the fashion world is completely different now, isn't it, David, I mean it's changed so much'.

Onwards to more questions asked by Mrs. Bedi. This one was interesting (19:16): 'Sam, do you fear that each job you do is an act that could be your last? Is that always in the back or front of your mind?' Answer: 'Yeah, I think.. David, I mean...um... earnestly, everything you're saying there kinda rings true for my career as well... I am sure for Catrin being, you know, being a musician, I think it's, you know [Nikki Bedi: is it true, Catrin? CF: yes, absolutely, yeah, many things David said... it's the same (...)'].

Huw Stevens mentions alternatives to 'gigs', the need to plan for the future and the fact 'you always have to remain busy', mentioning S's whisky. Gandy also mentions S ('you've got quite a few businesses [...] a man after my own heart, we'll then gonna have to go out'), immediately cued in by Nikki Bedi ('whisky, tequila, gin').

Just after Lucy Worsley's superb intervention (easily my favorite of the whole program!), cue in to the kilt on a glacier part of S's chit-chat I am sure we all dutifully 🙄, by now. I noted the slight hesitation in his voice, while mentioning 'my...my friend, Graham McTavish', so I will not - yeah, sue me-, I repeat: I will not transcript this verbatim, simply because it doesn't really bring anything new or important to what we all know, already. Sitting on a glacier 'in a kilt, in commando, yes, it's my claim to fame'. Disgruntled Tumblrettes, beware - he poked fun at himself (shall I sign this to you, or are you able to read my lips?) and that is something only very intelligent people are able to do without sounding pathetic. Another interesting thing is the way Nikki Bedi presented S ('the actor, award-winning liquor maker and writer'- 36:00), roughly midway of the whole broadcast.

His dedicated segment begins at the 49:10 mark and lasts until the end, about 10 minutes in all. He was introduced by Huw Stevens: "Sam Heughan, it seems, would like anything but a quiet life", plus some cursory bio elements, mentioning his mother's influence on his own creativity, his breakthrough as JAMMF, but also TCND (Nikki Bedi watches it and 'apparently the third episode is the most steamy' 🤦‍♀️). 'He is also a philanthropist, businessman and thrill seeker, and of course, as mentioned earlier, has his own whisky and is a best-selling author'. Mentions his 'parents, characterful people, hippies, in the Seventies, with a love for Tolkien'. S: 'my mum would probably kill me if I called her a hippie' - also, 'she is not the best singer, but there was always music around'. Stevens mentions the Gandalf's Garden Soho hippie community both his parents were a part of before he was born, but S doesn't develop it. The rest (difficult childhood, loner, using his imagination sparked his creativity, etc) we know from Waypoints. The very Scottish concept of 'stravaigin'' comes along in the conversation, which is not exactly a drifter and a bit more than a wanderer (if I understood correctly) - perhaps a good title for a second personal memoir, S? I'll leave this idea float in here for free, heh. OL comes along then, and by far the most interesting thing he mentioned about it is that "it is my life, it's taken over my life', hoping it would sparkle at least some conversation in the comments' thread. OL 'has also been hugely beneficial for Scotland, increased tourism by 200% in some locations (...), and it's all down to the magic of Scotland'.

Next projects: exciting not to really know what is next, but 'I am also saying no to a lot, because I am in a place now where I think the next decision is really important (...). I enjoy being in control now (....), producing my own shows and you know, my own products. (...) once you take control of that creativity (....) there's a lot of freedom and yeah, we shall see'.

And then Huw Stevens makes a joke - but was it really a joke? it's the BBC, after all - and says that all four of the guests could contribute something to what 'could be the next generation of Bond', (S: 'the finest British production'). Cue in an anecdote about S being invited to present an event to Buckingham Palace and taking a cab to a pub, right afterwards. MPC and tomorrow's book signing at Saint Pancras station wrap off the show.

Quickly, my 50 cents on it: way, way better than expected and S always delivers when they ask no weird questions about his private life (hallelujah, maybe they listen to us, after all?). The question about the fear of each job being the last reminded me of one of his answers in a very early interview: 'your biggest fear? getting the sack'. This time, his answer, whatever he intended to say, got lost in the brouhaha, but I suspect not much has changed, essentially, even if the 'after OL' part of the show strives to tell a more optimistic story.

But the thing that impressed me the most and in a very good way is the attention he got from all the other people invited in that studio. Unlike the social nobodies of Tumblr, they did not find bizarre the fact that he created his own spirits business and is actively promoting it. They were far from judging him: in fact, I even think he made a new friend of David Gandy, who had quite positive and nice and honest things to say about him. S was articulate and graceful and very moving every single time he mentioned Chrissie. And I am also sure he would have loved to share more things, especially when David was lovingly talking about his wife and daughters. But he couldn't. And that is a shame. But this too, shall pass - The Boy is slowly learning to say no to a lot of things, as he just let us know. Probably the best news we've got from him in a good while.

And now, onwards to a particularly venomous Anon I am still pondering the answer to.

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Lamborghini LM 002, 1991. The London Concours this week included a display that celebrated 60 years of Lamborghini with a selection of models including this V12 powered SUV that was made between 1986 and 1993

#Lamborghini #Lamborghini LM 002 #SUV #V12 #London Concours #60th anniversary #1991 #4x4

[canonicallyobserving911]

WIP Wednesday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 22 will be posted this week.

It's time for the marriage ceremony!

Currently 21 chapters completed: 797.4K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

[#1 Previous snippet from Several Sentences Sunday]

[#2 Previous snippet from WIP Wednesday]

[#3 Previous snippet from Several Sentences Sunday]

[#4 Previous snippet from WIP Wednesday]

____________

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 22 because there's less than one day remaining until Buck and Eddie get married.

For anyone who hasn't read Chapter 21, here's a brief overview: Buck and Eddie finalized everything before the three of them left L.A. on Friday, December 15th. On December 10th, Buck agreed to meet with his biological father and Eddie and Chris will be present with him when they meet at 12 noon at the restaurant Edward selected. Buck still doesn't know Chris is going to ask him to adopt him on Christmas morning and neither Buck nor Chris knows anything about the gift Eddie bought to commemorate the special moment. Also, Eddie's planning several big surprises for Buck on their wedding day and for a week later when they arrive in London but Eddie doesn't know Chris and Buck are planning a surprise for him too. The three of them are speaking Italian more frequently and finally, Maddie, the 118 and Athena are still planning to throw them an engagement party because they don't know they're getting married which means New Year's Eve at Maddie's and Chimney's is going to be interesting 😉.

Buck and Eddie will tie the knot before Christmas 2023 but they are NOT getting married in the U.S. and they won't have a wedding ceremony until May 2024. They've revealed their relationship, their engagement and the fact that they're going to Europe to their found family during the 118's Thanksgiving dinner (Chapter 17), to Eddie's parents, his sisters, his abuela and Tia Pepa (Chapter 18) and Buck told the Buckley parents he's getting married and that he has a son (Chapter 19). Only three people know they're getting married and they are Chris, Carla and Malone. They told Carla and Malone (Chapter 19) because they asked them to be their witnesses at the Italian Consulate and they told Chris (Chapter 20) that evening after they got the "Atto Notorio" (Declaration) signed but no one else knows. In Chapter 21, Buck, Eddie and Chris arrived in Rome, Italy and they immediately started preparing for the big day.

___________

Here's a snippet from Chapter 22 of one of The Diaz Family's conversations.

___________

‍Armando opens the back passenger’s side door first, so Buck and Chris can exit the black 2024 Mercedes-Benz G-Class.  Once they’re standing outside in front of the marriage hall, he closes the door then he walks to the back driver’s side door and opens it.  Eddie exits and walks around the back of the vehicle to meet his family.

Once he steps onto the curb, he looks at them and he smiles so big his cheeks hurt but he doesn’t care. His family looks so handsome in their matching navy-blue "Giorgio Armani" tuxedos and their black "Christian Louboutin" dress shoes. They're wearing their family's signature color and he believes they all look like fashion models.

Leonardo and Riccardo are already waiting on the steps and as soon as the three of them are standing together, Leonardo immediately starts recording video and Riccardo starts taking their pictures.

Buck and Eddie have a quick silent conversation then they look at their son who’s standing in front of them.

Buck’s signature Christopher smile graces his lips and he asks, “Testimone… siamo pronti?”  [“Best man… are we ready?”]

With a big smile, Chris replies, “Sono pronto e siamo arrivati in tempo con qualche minute libero”.  [“I’m ready and we made it on time with a few minutes to spare”.]

All three of them chuckle and after they finish, Buck and Eddie look up and meet each other’s eyes at the same time. They’ve been preparing for this day for the past eight weeks and it’s finally here.  The folder in Eddie’s right hand contains all the documents they need and now everyone and everything is in place.

Eddie winks at him, then he extends his left hand and asks, “Sie pronto, amore mio?”  [“Are you ready, my love?”]

Without hesitation, he puts his right hand in his, laces their fingers together and replies, “Sì!  Piccola, sposiamoci”.  [“Yes!  Babe, let’s get married”.]

It's time for Buck's and Eddie's marriage ceremony! 💕💒

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-21 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 22 will be posted this week.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #the buckley diaz family #buckley diaz family #The Diaz Family #buddie fanfic #ao3 fanfic #911 fanfic #911 on abc #911 abc #Fanonwriter2023 on AO3 #Hiatus Reading #Married Buddie #“I'm still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!” #This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

[gogandmagog]

Someone perfectly lovely, called Paul Hendricks, put together this thoughtful map of the Four Winds community. His website, where this map was obtained, is HERE. What follows below the cut are Paul’s own words, detailing how he went about putting this together this map, complete with thorough book citations and explanations of inconsistencies!

“This is the rough map I've put together, based in the clues mentioned below, which are taken from various of the Anne books. (See note on the format of the references.)

The map uses a 'browser-safe' palette, so you should see roughly the same colours that I do. The orange/brown lines are roads. The dark-green areas are woods. The light blue is, of course, the sea.

Reconstructing the setting for the four books based on Four Winds and Ingleside has proved much more difficult than for Avonlea. Beginning with the premise that Four Winds is about 60 miles from Avonlea (AHoD, ch 1, 10th page), I tried a layout based on the area around Sturgeon, Gaspereaux and Georgetown, in the south-east part of the Island. Eventually it proved impossible to put together a consistent map on this basis. What is more, I realised that there was no evidence in LMM's diaries that she had ever been to that part of the Island.

I then tried a construction based on the area around New London, as there were many similarities of detail, and the area was well known to LMM. This fits in reasonably well with the descriptions of Four Winds in AHoD. There are some difficulties and inconsistencies noted below, but alternatives (such as putting the House of Dreams and the Lighthouse on the East side of the bay) have turned out to be unworkable. I have also managed to reconstruct the area around Ingleside, on the assumption that it is in the position occupied by Clifton/New London. Given the basic framework of roads that results, the result is more convincing than I had hoped, and seems to fit in quite well with the text of AoI, RV and RoI.

House of Dreams 'looks to the sunset and has harbour before it'. Dining room looks out on the harbour (AHoD, ch 2, 4th page). Living room windows and front door look towards the lighthouse (AHoD, ch 2, 5th page). There is a brook going through the corner of the garden.

The entrance of the harbour is between a bar of sand dunes and a sandstone cliff. The fishing village is where the sand bar meets the harbour shore (AHoD, ch 5, 1st page).

It is dusk, but there is no mention of seeing the setting sun. This suggests that going from Glen St Mary towards the house they are facing north or east. This is consistent if Glen St Mary is south, and the house is on the west side of the harbour (AHoD, ch 5, 1st page).

There is a chapel on the far side of the bay. The lighthouse is to the north, as they approach the house from the Glen. The house is 2 miles from the Glen, and 1 mile from the lighthouse. Miss Cornelia's house is between the House of Dreams and the Glen (AHoD, ch 5, 2nd page).

Poplars line the lane from road to house; fir trees between house and sea (confirms that the sea is to the 'back' of the house (AHoD, ch 5, 4th page).

Leslie's house is further up the brook, 'among the willows' (AHoD, ch 6, 4th page). The lane of Leslie's house opens onto the 'upper road' (AHoD, ch 9, 2nd page). Miss Cornelia's house is half a mile from the house of dreams (AHoD, ch 6, 5th page).

'From the deceit of the McAllisters...' (AHoD, ch 6, 5th page) is a paraphrase of an actual saying referring to LMM's relations, the Simpsons, the McNeils and the Clarkes, see also page xv of introduction to volume one of selected journals. Confirms the view that the families referred to in the 'over-harbour' area are modelled on LMM's own family in Clifton, Cavendish, etc.

As Anne and Gilbert are walking towards the lighthouse, the house 'up the brook' is to their right (AHoD, ch 9, 2nd page). There is some difficulty in fitting this in with my map. We might perhaps conceive an arrangement where the house by the brook was to the right hand side of the road to the lighthouse, though the road would have to be not so close to the shore as the modern road.

The distinction (AHoD, ch 10, 1st page) between the 'harbour shore', the 'sand shore' and the 'rock shore' is consistent with New London Bay - corresponding respectively to the shore inside the bay, the shore on the north side of the bar, and the shore to the north of the lighthouse.

'North shore' presumably means 'North shore of PEI' (AHoD, ch 14, 1st page). It was this which first alerted me to the possible inconsistency with my original presumption about the location of Four Winds.

'North-western sky' (AHoD, ch 18, 1st page), implies that the lighthouse is north-west of the house of dreams.

The Fishing Cove (AHoD, ch 27, 1st page) must be on the shore by the sand bar (therefore the same place as the fishing village). Anne and Gilbert go there via the lighthouse because intending to row over to avoid the long drive round by road which would otherwise be necessary.”

— Paul Hendricks

#well done Paul #this is wildly helpful #and interesting #SO VERY interesting #four winds #harbour head #glen st mary #lucy maud montgomery #anne’s house of dreams #anne of ingleside #the blythes are quoted #rilla of ingleside

[tilynation]

The Alcott

Taylor’s feature on The National’s “The Alcott” was released on April 28, 2023.

The Song is About Two Lovers Reconnecting

The Lyrics Were Painted on the Sidewalk in Select Spots in NYC as Part of Promo for the Song

In late May 2023, fans began noticing the lyrics to the song in select spots in NYC. The four known locations are very interesting - outside Taylor’s old Cornelia Street townhouse, Electric Lady Studios (where Taylor has recorded many songs, including several songs on Reputation and Lover), Washington Square Park (a popular park near Cornelia Street), and Katz’s Deli in the East Village.

Are these the places the lovers returned to (metaphorically or physically) trying to relive a moment in time?

Cornelia Street

The Cornelia Street townhouse was a big part of the Tily Autumn of 2016.

Collage credit to @periwinkle-musings

Katz’s Deli

Why Katz’s Deli? It’s one of Lily’s favorite places and only a few blocks from her Avenue B East Village apartment.

“Golden Notebook” and “Golden Thinking”

Matt wrote a vocal and Taylor rewrote the lyrics, according to Aaron Dessner’s interview with Vulture. Matt seemed to imply to Apple Music that he wrote the verses and Taylor wrote the chorus. Either way, both agree Taylor played a big part in the lyrics. Which leads to, who came up with all the “golden” references in the song? It’s certainly interesting considering the “Dress” lyrics, Lily’s wrist tattoo of the word “golden” in Latin, and the golden tattoo both Tily girls wore during the Tily Autumn of 2016 when the “London lover” came into existence.

Coney Island

The other song Taylor did with The National is “Coney Island,” with its references to “Delicate” (where Taylor wore the golden tattoo in the “Making of a Song” video, with its “Dive bar on the East side, where you at?” lyrics (from the same interview Lily mentioned Katz’s Deli above - link), and where Taylor famously spread her legs on the Cadillac Fleetwood in the music video - all Lily connections to me), lyrical reference to the Bowery Hotel (“Were you waiting at our old spot, in the tree line by the gold clock” - also mentioned in Lily’s interview above and where Taylor and Lily were papped leaving in October 2016), and the person who Taylor did not make her centerfold (a model reference).

Credit to @fleur-de-puissance for giving me this tip about The Alcott!

#gaylor #gaylor swift #lily donaldson #tily #the national #the alcott

[thewales]

The Telegraph:

Homewards advocates footballer Tyrone Mings, broadcaster Gail Porter, Street Soccer Scotland founder David Duke and Sabrina Cohen-Hatton have experienced homelessness at some point during their lives and will join the Prince William at various stops on his UK tour.

The six chosen areas, which includes one in London, were selected after a bidding process and their findings will be used to create models that can be adopted by other parts of the UK.

Among those already on board are 16 leading charities as well as supporters from beyond the sector – landowners and local housing associations to major retailers.

Each location will be responsible for devising a housing plan tweaked to its individual needs. They will join forces to source funding and to develop “bespoke” action plans to get people out of temporary accommodation and ensure that everyone has a “safe and secure” home.

#the prince of wales #prince william #homelessness initiative #homewards

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 16, 2024

Signatures of cross-modal alignment in children’s early concepts. Aho, K., Roads, B. D., & Love, B. C. (2023). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(42), e2309688120.

Competing neural representations of choice shape evidence accumulation in humans. Bond, K., Rasero, J., Madan, R., Bahuguna, J., Rubin, J., & Verstynen, T. (2023). eLife, 12, e85223.

Initial conditions combine with sensory evidence to induce decision-related dynamics in premotor cortex. Boucher, P. O., Wang, T., Carceroni, L., Kane, G., Shenoy, K. V., & Chandrasekaran, C. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 6510.

A large-scale neurocomputational model of spatial cognition integrating memory with vision. Burkhardt, M., Bergelt, J., Gönner, L., Dinkelbach, H. Ü., Beuth, F., Schwarz, A., … Hamker, F. H. (2023). Neural Networks, 167, 473–488.

Human thalamic low-frequency oscillations correlate with expected value and outcomes during reinforcement learning. Collomb-Clerc, A., Gueguen, M. C. M., Minotti, L., Kahane, P., Navarro, V., Bartolomei, F., … Bastin, J. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 6534.

Large-scale recording of neuronal activity in freely-moving mice at cellular resolution. Das, A., Holden, S., Borovicka, J., Icardi, J., O’Niel, A., Chaklai, A., … Dana, H. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 6399.

Top-down control of exogenous attentional selection is mediated by beta coherence in prefrontal cortex. Dubey, A., Markowitz, D. A., & Pesaran, B. (2023). Neuron, 111(20), 3321-3334.e5.

The priming effect of rewarding brain stimulation in rats depends on both the cost and strength of reward but survives blockade of D2‐like dopamine receptors. Evangelista, C., Mehrez, N., Boisvert, E. E., Brake, W. G., & Shizgal, P. (2023). European Journal of Neuroscience, 58(8), 3751–3784.

Different roles of response covariability and its attentional modulation in the sensory cortex and posterior parietal cortex. Jiang, Y., He, S., & Zhang, J. (2023). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(42), e2216942120.

Input-specific synaptic depression shapes temporal integration in mouse visual cortex. Li, J. Y., & Glickfeld, L. L. (2023). Neuron, 111(20), 3255-3269.e6.

Dynamic emotional states shape the episodic structure of memory. McClay, M., Sachs, M. E., & Clewett, D. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 6533.

Trajectories through semantic spaces in schizophrenia and the relationship to ripple bursts. Nour, M. M., McNamee, D. C., Liu, Y., & Dolan, R. J. (2023). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(42), e2305290120.

Contribution of dorsal versus ventral hippocampus to the hierarchical modulation of goal‐directed actions in rats. Piquet, R., Faugère, A., & Parkes, S. L. (2023). European Journal of Neuroscience, 58(8), 3737–3750.

Neural dynamics underlying successful auditory short‐term memory performance. Pomper, U., Curetti, L. Z., & Chait, M. (2023). European Journal of Neuroscience, 58(8), 3859–3878.

Temporal disparity of action potentials triggered in axon initial segments and distal axons in the neocortex. Rózsa, M., Tóth, M., Oláh, G., Baka, J., Lákovics, R., Barzó, P., & Tamás, G. (2023). Science Advances, 9(41).

Working memory and attention in choice. Rustichini, A., Domenech, P., Civai, C., & DeYoung, C. G. (2023). PLOS ONE, 18(10), e0284127.

Acting on belief functions. Smith, N. J. J. (2023). Theory and Decision, 95(4), 575–621.

Thalamic nucleus reuniens coordinates prefrontal-hippocampal synchrony to suppress extinguished fear. Totty, M. S., Tuna, T., Ramanathan, K. R., Jin, J., Peters, S. E., & Maren, S. (2023). Nature Communications, 14, 6565.

Single basolateral amygdala neurons in macaques exhibit distinct connectional motifs with frontal cortex. Zeisler, Z. R., London, L., Janssen, W. G., Fredericks, J. M., Elorette, C., Fujimoto, A., … Rudebeck, P. H. (2023). Neuron, 111(20), 3307-3320.e5.

Predicting the attention of others. Ziman, K., Kimmel, S. C., Farrell, K. T., & Graziano, M. S. A. (2023). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(42), e2307584120.

#neuroscience #science #research #brain science #scientific publications #cognitive science #neurobiology #cognition #psychophysics #neurons #neural computation #neural networks #computational neuroscience

[pwlanier]

Balthus (1908-2001), Thérèse sur une banquette, signed and dated 'Balthus 1939' (lower left),

oil on board

Note: In late 1935 Balthus met Thérèse Blanchard, who lived several blocks from Balthus’s studio at 3, cour de Rohan. Thérèse’s appearance was unconventional, but she “had the grave and moody look that appealed to [Balthus],” writes Sabine Rewald, who selected the present work for the cover of the catalogue of the 2013 “Cats and Girls” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In his first portrait of Thérèse, painted in 1936 (Monnier and Clair, no. P 95), Balthus concentrated on her “serious mien” (exh. cat., op. cit., 2013, pp. 8 and 68). He similarly depicted her two years later (P 118; illustrated here). Thérèse sur une banquette, which dates from 1939, is the culminant image in what would be regarded as the most brilliant series of Balthus’s career, considered by Rewald to be “among his finest works” (ibid., pp. 7-8). “The paintings of Thérèse show Balthus at the apogee of his strength,” Nicholas Fox Weber has stated (Balthus, New York, 1999, pp. 388-389). Of Balthus’s ten portraits of Thérèse, five are acknowledged masterpieces, four of which are in museums. Thérèse sur une banquette is the fifth.

A sibling or school-mate posed with Thérèse for Frère et soeur in 1936 (Monnier and Clair, no. P 94). Her brother Hubert, two years older, appears with her in Les enfants Blanchard, 1937 (no. P 100); both their names are recorded on the reverse of the canvas. Picasso, by then the world’s most famous living artist, purchased the latter painting from the dealer Pierre Colle in 1941. “You’re the only painter of your generation who interests me,” Balthus recalls Picasso having told him. “The others try to make Picassos. You never do” (quoted in Vanished Spendors: A Memoir, New York, 2001, pp. 9-10).

Balthus last portrayed Thérèse in the present painting, seated on the banquette in which she appears in two earlier full-figure portraits (Monnier and Clair, nos. P 101 and P 112). At one time he envisioned a larger composition—perhaps on the scale of Les enfants Blanchard or even larger—the conception of which is known only from a loosely brushed study on a medium-sized board, painted earlier in 1939, Trois personnages dans un intérieur (no. P 122; sold, Sotheby’s London, 25 June 2009, lot 240). The three figures in the high-ceilinged interior—likely set in Balthus’s cour de Rohan studio—are Thérèse leaning back on the bench seat (as seen in the present painting), Hubert standing, his knee propped on a chair, gazing out the window, and their mother, Madame Blanchard, viewed from the side, resting in an armchair placed before a table. Three of four known preparatory drawings for this interior scene focus on Hubert.

Partly reclining on the banquette and turned to her left, Thérèsein the present painting dangles a string from her raised hand. In the smaller, three-figure essay, this string is attached to a ball. A kitten—not shown here—rears up and attempts to grasp the ball. In dispensing with the ball and cat in this picture, Balthus avoided the anecdotal distraction of the creature captured in stop-motion, as one might enjoy in a sentimental genre scene. The figure of the girl alone instead evokes a deeper sense of myth. Thérèse becomes an exemplar of l’éternel féminin, one of the ancient fates, said to measure and determine man’s thread of life.

In Thérèse sur une banquette, Balthus attended to the primarily professional, compositional concerns he had in mind—he aimed to depict the figure of his model in a novel, unique posture, one with neither a familiar nor apparent precedent. He moreover sought to evoke the inner world of her reality with a sense of presence that was outwardly and convincingly grounded in the mechanics of movement, while exalting the architecture of the figure. “The portrait of Thérèse on a Bench is caught in the sort of delicate balance that cannot last for more than a moment,” Jean Clair has written (V. Monnier and J. Clair, op. cit., 1999, p. 38).

Indeed, Thérèse displays the acrobatic ease and grace of the young girl saltimbanque in Picasso’s Rose period Acrobate à la boule, 1905 (Zervos, vol. 1, no. 290; Pushkin State Museum of Fine Art, Moscow). Balthus’s treatment of Thérèse recalls the gentle poetry of Picasso’s Rose period, even if rendered in a technique more like that of the 19th-century masters Courbet and Corot. A token of the rose tonality is here in evidence; “no reproduction can convey the unusual color of Thérèse’s sweater,” Rewald has commented, “which mingles red with shades of pumpkin and orange” (exh. cat., op. cit., 2013, p. 88).

Picasso surely appreciated Balthus’s mastery of the unusual pose, which lends Les enfants Blanchard, the painting he chose for his own collection, its visual novelty and charm, qualities that Thérèse sur une banquette shares with the earlier picture. Her poses in both pictures comprise a trapezoidal shape, which forms the base for a classic, Renaissance conception of a pyramidal composition. The pinnacle of this pyramid in the present painting is Thérèse’s upraised hand; in the room with her brother, his head in profile at the top center edge of the canvas. The artist also incorporates as a constructive means the diagonal emphasis characteristic of Baroque painting. Balthus invested the figures in both compositions with carefully plotted contrapposto, while also employing contrasts of bodily form with the geometry of furniture, and reiterations of formal elements, such as the arching of elbows and knees. From such imbalance and asymmetry Balthus created a configuration of parts that is sprawling and dynamic—yet stable, harmonized and whole.

Courtesy Alain Truong

#balthus

[scotianostra]

April 25th saw the birth in 1710 of James Ferguson in Core Of Mayen Rothiemay Huntly.

Ferguson was a bit of a polymath, basically a bit of an all rounder, he made his name in astronomy but he was also an instrument maker, lecturer, natural and experimental philosopher.

His father was a cottar and too poor to provide him with any formal education but nevertheless his aptitude for learning soon became apparent. At seven, he learned to read by listening to his father teach the catechism to his elder brother. At ten, to earn his keep, he was sent to tend sheep for a neighbouring farmer, and what little spare time he then had was devoted to his developing interest in astronomy, making maps of the stars using beads and thread.

As a young man he first earned a living by cleaning clocks and repairing domestic machinery. In his spare time he constructed a wooden clock and watch with wooden wheels and whalebone springs. This mechanical talent would later assist in his construction of astronomical models. Showing artistic talent too, he made his way as a portrait painter in Edinburgh in 1734 and in Inverness in 1736. While in Inverness, Ferguson had returned to his earlier interest in the stars and prepared an astronomical table which was published in the 1740s, and in 1742 he constructed an orrery which is a clockwork model of the solar system.

In 1743 he was in London, again painting portraits but also continuing his astronomical research. Some papers were written, one of which - On the phenomena of Venus, represented in an orrery - was presented before the Royal Society in March 1746. In 1748, Ferguson began a career as a science teacher and lecturer, delivering courses on astronomy and a wide range of experimental science. In 1752-1753 he was lecturing on the reform of the calendar and the lunar eclipse of 1753. Although he had become very well known through his popularisation of science, he was far from well off, but by 1760 he was able to stop portrait-painting for a living.

In 1763 he presented to the Royal Society a projection of the partial solar eclipse of 1 April 1764 showing its times and phases at Greenwich. In 1767, back in Scotland, Ferguson introduced a lecture on electricity into his courses. His publications include Astronomy explained on Sir Isaac Newton’s principles, Lectures on select subjects in mechanics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, and optics, Introduction to electricity, Select mechanical exercises, and The art of drawing in perspective made easy to those who have no previous knowledge of the mathematics.

James Ferguson died in London on 16 November 1776.

#scotland #scottish #history #polymath #astronomer

[st4rdom-if]

Gracie Liu

Wikipedia states: “Gracie Liu is a British-Chinese model. She is one of the only British models of Chinese descent. An ex k-pop trainee from INDIGO Entertainment, Liu returned to London to continue her modeling career at the age of 20 years old.”

Age: 22

Job: Model

Interests: Modeling, finding cafes and hidden gems, singing (although she would never say so), volunteer work, traveling, reading

Backstory: Thirteen year old Gracie Liu moved from her home in London to attend a k-pop trainee program in Seoul under INDIGO Entertainment. Gracie was in the trainee program for seven years before she eventually quit, leaving the company and many of her friends on bad terms, and left Seoul permanently. She has finally found her place as a successful model in London, and she appears to be happy...

Face claim: Janice Wu

In-game description: Gracie was someone you knew during the trainee program. You became close friends as you had always admired her ability to walk on a stage with confidence and stride. When you had been selected as one of the members for ST4RDOM, Gracie suddenly turned away from you, treating you with hostility until you left. You heard she was kicked out of the program and returned to London, where she now makes a living of strutting down the walkway. Gracie has grown her hair, lost weight, and looks every bit the perfect model. She likely still hates you, but you hear she has a show coming up soon in Paris. Maybe it’s time to stop by and amend what was broken.

Song recommendation: ONLY - LeeHi

#st4rdom #ch: gracie #ex-trainees #character info

[longlistshort]

Sarah Meyohas, “Interference #19”, 2023, Holograms, mirrored black glass, aluminum

Georgia O’Keeffe, “Poppy”, 1927, Oil on canvas

Francis Picabia “The Church of Montigny, Effect of Sunlight” 1908, Oil on canvas (left); Christian Sampson “Projection Painting”, 2023, Acrylic and films with LED light; and Claude Monet “The Houses of Parliament, Effect of Fog, London” 1904, Oil on canvas (right)

The Nature of Art exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg merges art from the museum’s collection with loaned works to explore- “art’s crucial role in our evolving quest to understand our relationship with nature and our place in the cosmos”.

One of the benefits of an encyclopedic museum is that visitors have the opportunity to experience art throughout history, and to revisit works that resonate with them. For the section titled Artist as Curator, Sarah Meyohas and Christian Sampson chose pieces from the museum’s collection to pair with their own work.

From the museum-

At first glance, perhaps, these may seem like unusual combinations, but upon deeper contemplation, their selections reveal complementary artistic intents. For instance, Meyohas and Georgia O’Keeffe share an interest in close looking, particularly in finding new ways to examine underappreciated aspects of the natural world. Sampson, influenced by the California Light and Space Movement, is interested in current scholarship that suggests the hazy fog found in Claude Monet’s work is an early depiction of air pollution, offering an entirely new perspective on the artist’s representations of light.

Sampson also created the four-part installation, Tempus volat, hora fugit, on view until 2025 at the museum.

Below are some of the works from additional sections of the exhibition.

Postcommodity, “kinaypikowiyâs”, 2021, Four 30.5-metre industrial debris booms

Postcommodity is an interdisciplinary art collective comprised of Cristóbal Martínez (Genizaro, Manito, Xicano), and Kade L. Twist (Cherokee).

About Postcommodity’s work, kinaypikowiyâs, (seen above) from the museum-

This work is composed of debris booms, used to catch and hold environmental contaminants such as garbage, oil, and chemicals. The colors of the booms correspond to different types of threats— red (flammable), yellow (radioactive), blue (dangerous), and white (poisonous)-in the labeling system for hazardous materials. To indigenous peoples, these are shared medicine colors that carry knowledge, purpose and meaning throughout the Western Hemisphere. Suspended like hung meat, the booms represent a snake that has been chopped into four parts. Each part represents an area of the colonial map of the Western Hemisphere: South America, Central America, North America, and all of the surrounding islands. The title, kinaypikowiyâs, is a Plains Cree word, meaning snake meat. Divided by borders, Postcommodity asserts that all people living in the Americas are riding on the back of this snake.

James Casebere, “Landscape with Houses (Dutchess County, NY), 2009, Archival pigment print mounted to Dibond

James Casebere creates architecturally based models for the large scale photographs seen above.

Duke Riley's Reclaimed ocean plastic sculptures and “Tidal Fool” wallpaper

Duke Riley’s work, which was previously shown at Brooklyn Museum, addresses issues of environmental pollution by using discarded plastics found in the ocean and other waterways to create new work inspired by the past. You can hear him discuss his work in this video.

From the museum-

Inspired by the maritime museum displays he saw while a child growing up in New England, Riley’s scrimshaw series is a cutting observation of capitalist economies-historic and today-that endanger sea life. The sculptures were created for the fictional Poly S. Tyrene Memorial Maritime Museum, and are contemporary versions of sailors’ scrimshaw, or delicately ink-etched whale teeth and bone. Riley first thought about using plastic as an ode to scrimshaw when he saw what he thought was a whale bone washed up on the beach in Rhode Island; it turned out to be the white handle of a deck brush. Riley regularly removes trash from beaches and waterways, and often uses this refuse in his work.

Riley collaborated with Brooklyn-based Flavor Paper to create these two custom wallpapers for his solo exhibition DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash at the Brooklyn Museum. Tidal Fool exhibits Riley’s trademark humor in the face of devastating water pollution; notice the Colt 45-guzzling mermaid. Wall Bait vibrantly references Riley’s meticulous fishing lures, which he crafts from refuse found in the waters around New York City.

Daniel Lind-Ramos,"Centinelas de la luna nueva (Sentinels of the New Moon)", 2022-2023, Mixed media

From the museum about this work-

In Centinelas de la luna nueva, he evokes the elders of the mangroves, spiritual beings who watch over and ensure the health of this essential coastal tree. Mangroves are the basis for a complex ecosystem that shelters sea life and serves as the first line of defense in the tropical storms that batter the sub-tropics -including Florida.

Lind-Ramos's practice reflects the vibrant culture of his native Loíza, Puerto Rico, by honoring local agriculture, fishing, cooking, and masquerade. His sculptures also evoke Hurricane Maria (2017), the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing environmental degradation. Lind-Ramos is committed to the survival and sustenance of Afro-Taíno traditions and people of the Puerto Rican archipelago. However, his art engages the global community through shared emotions, parallel histories, and the commonality of human experience.

The next post will discuss two other artists in the exhibition, Brookhart Jonquil and Janaina Tschäpe.

#Art #Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg #The Nature of Art #St. Pete Art Shows #Art Shows #Sarah Meyohas #James Casebere #Christian Sampson #Kade L. Twist #Christóbal Martínez #Postcommodity #Claude Monet #Daniel Lind-Ramos #Duke Riley #Georgia O'Keeffe #Environmental Art #Flavor Paper #Florida Art Show #Florida Art Shows #Francis Picabia #Holograms #Brooklyn Museum #Light and Space #Mixed Media Art #Models #Painting #Photography #Plastic #Recycled Art #Janaina Tschäpe

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Schuppan 962CR P1, 1991. Selected as Best in Show at the London Concours. The Schuppan is based on a Porsche 962, the project was to use a Reynard carbonfibre chassis with bodywork styled by Mike Simcoe. The plan didn't work out, and just six cars (including 2 LM models and 2 CRs) were built. This example was the project's prototype and development car, and based on a racing machine that had competed at Le Mans in 1990. It would later enter private ownership, spending some time in France before being brought back to the UK, where it has since been fully refurbished and retrimmed.

#Schuppan #Schuppan 962CR P1 #prototype #1991 #flat 6 #Porsche 962 #twin turbo #Mike Simcoe #dead brands #best in show #Lodon Concours

[mr-styles]

Harry is now a member of the 2022 Business of Fashion (BoF) 500 class. The editors have selected 103 new members to add to this influential global community based on their leadership, creativity, innovation and impact. 

The BoF 500 Class of 2022 is our most diverse and global cohort to date, with members representing 43 different nationalities and based in 31 countries across 8 categories: Designers, Executives, Media, Retailers, Entrepreneurs, Creative Class, Models & Muses and more Catalysts than ever before pushing the industry forward to address our greatest challenges. They are based in London, New York, Paris and Milan, but also Kuala Lumpur, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Dakar and more. 51 percent are women, 47 percent are men, and 1 percent are non-binary (with the remaining 1 percent preferring not to say).

No other industry has a cast of characters as unique, passionate and diverse as those who animate the business of fashion, from business titans to creative upstarts, but what’s projected in the popular media is typically only a thin and often superficial slice of this captivating group. As always, we wanted to collect this talented community of people together, connect them with each other and share their stories of personal and professional growth in an honest and inspiring way.

As the name suggests, the BoF 500 first began as an index with the 500 most influential people in the global fashion industry in September 2013. Since then, we have regularly added new names to this inspiring, ever-growing group which now includes 1,193 people representing more than 70 nationalities, based in more than 45 countries.

You can learn more about the BOF 500 here.

#harry styles

[brian-in-finance]

Ed Sheeran and Caitriona Balfe lead the line-up for this week's Late Late Show

Ed Sheeran is joined by Caitriona Balfe and Philly McMahon as the star guests of this week's Late Late Show.

It's the final month with presenter Ryan Tubridy at the helm of the show. After 14 years in the hot seat, the Dubliner turns his attention to other projects.

On the release day of his latest album Subtract, UK superstar Ed Sheeran joins Ryan for an exclusive chat where the star opens up about the death of his late friend Jamal Edwards and his tough 2022 when wife Cherry was diagnosed with cancer.

Ed Sheeran will chat to Ryan about the highs and lows of 2022, where he lost his best pal Jamal Edwards, and his wife Cherry was diagnosed with cancer. Pic: JMEnternational/Getty Images

Ed will also discuss the Irish influences on his music career and life, and as well as an acoustic performance of his hit single Perfect, the singer also has a surprise for Ryan which leaves him speechless.

Outlander star and Monaghan native Caitriona Balfe will be in the studio to chat about the enduring success of the Prime Series which is now in its seventh season.

The 43-year-old will detail how she missed the infamous Oscars slap from 2021 when she attended the awards for her hit movie Belfast.

The stars of the new RTÉ One show Gaelic in the Joy will also pop in for a chat about the upcoming TV show which airs on May 17 on RTÉ One.

Outlander star and Monaghan native Caitriona Balfe will be in the studio to chat about the enduring success of the Prime Series which is now in its seventh season. Pic: Stuart Wallace/REX/Shutterstock

Dublin GAA star Philly McMahon, comic Rory O'Connor (Rory Stories) and Mountjoy Prison governor Edward Mullins will discuss how they took a group of prisoners participating in a rehabilitation programme and prepared them for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play at Croke Park.

Five models will showcase the amazing designs of some of the youngsters who are competing in Junk Kouture, the largest sustainable fashion competition in the world.

The winning designs selected by a panel of judges will compete against 50 other teams from Abu Dhabi, London, Paris, Milan and New York to become the second-ever World Designer of the Year.

It's the final month with presenter Ryan Tubridy at the helm of the show. After 14 years in the hot seat the Dubliner turns his attention to other projects. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

Celebrations are in store also, as Ryan chats to former players in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ireland Women's National Team.

The women will discuss the dedication and determination it took for them to become the first women to represent the country at senior level.

Music and entertainment will be provided by singer Rachel Mae Hannon who sings her new song The Boys for her debut on the show.

The Late Late Show airs at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

Extra

Brian’s Note: episode airs Friday, 5 May 2023, 9:35 p.m. GMT+1

Remember when she appeared on The Late Late Show two sleeps before the 2023 IFTA Awards?

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #Extra #4 May 2023 #The Late Late Show #RTÉ #Late Late #Host #Ryan Tubridy #5 May 2023 #Dublin #Thanks fatchance123

[blackswaneuroparedux]

“Muse” est un mot qui me fait rigoler, parce que personne ne sait ce qu’il signifie. C’est l’influence d’une attitude, je suppose, mais le mot est complètement faux, il ne semble pas faire partie de la vie réelle. Alors que, bien au contraire, mon influence sur Yves relève entièrement de la vie réelle, l’amie qui travaille avec lui et qui, de temps en temps, lui dit: “Ne sois pas aussi bête, Yves.”

- LouLou de la Falaise

Loulou de la Falaise was model, designer, and more well known as Yves Saint Laurent’s long-running muse for his fashion designs.

Cecil Beaton famously said she was the only English woman he knew who could be “really chic in really hideous clothes” - de la Falaise was part of high society. But she was also always a hard worker that became a fashion icon. She became the quintessential Rive Gauche haute bohémienne.

Born on 4 May 1948 in England, Louise Vava Lucia Henriette de la Falaise had an Irish mother, Maxime Birley, Elsa Schiaparelli's favourite model, and a French father, Alain de la Falaise. She was the granddaughter of the artist Oswald Birley, official painter to the Royal Court. From the age of 7, Loulou de La Falaise studied at a boarding school in England, then in Switzerland. She spent her teenage years in London, then the capital of pop culture, and then became a fashion editor before following her mother to New York in the 1960s. She then posed for fashion photos and designed prints for Halston. In New York she was firm friends with Andy Warhol and immersed herself in the fashion scene there.

She didn’t have much luck in relationships. She was first married at 18 years old to an Irish aristocrat, Desmond Fitzgerald, from whom she soon separated. In 1977, Loulou de la Falaise married Thadée Klossowski de Rola, son of the painter Balthus, a marriage organised by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé on a small island in the Bois de Boulogne. She has a daughter, Anna, born in 1986, of whom Yves Saint Laurent was godfather.

Yves Saint Laurent once said of his muse, “Loulou de la Falaise's real talent, apart from her undeniable professional qualities, was her charm. She had the strange power of the gift of lightness, mixed with an irreproachable acuity of her look on fashion. Intuitive, innate, unique.” Loulou de la Falaise met him in 1968, at a tea party given by his stylist friend, Fernando Sanchez. She joined Yves Saint Laurent in 1972 at the designer's request and quickly became one of his closest collaborators. Loulou de La Falaise, who had a passion for colour and a gift for eccentricity, remained at his side for 30 years, creating jewellery and hats for the haute couture house.

While many consider her Yves’s ‘muse’, she was much more than that, and became head designer for accessories. She was literally his taste check, someone he could depend on to brainstorm concepts with, finalise colour  selections. She said once, "Accessories have an important role in our stressful lives. If you go out to dinner and you don't have time to go home and change, you can take off your jacket and put on a piece of jewellery," She loved rare woods and brightly coloured stones, giant enamel flowers and had hearts fashioned from rock crystal, her lucky material. "The important thing is to invent yourself," she used to say.

After Yves Saint Laurent’s death in 2002, Loulou de la Falaise launched her own brand and collaborated with different groups by creating jewellery lines. In 2011, she created a line of jewellery exclusively for the Majorelle garden boutique in Marrakech, the garden that also housed Yves Saint Laurent's ashes. Loulou de la Falaise passed away 2011.

Photo: Loulou de la Falaise and Yves Saint Laurent at a party, 1978.

#loulou de la falaise #de la falaise #quote #french #english #yves saint laurent #fashion #style #elegance #muse #femme #beauty #haute couture #paris #culture #artist #france

[demonsanddemogorgons]

Sunny in Philadelphia - A Joseph Quinn Story (Chapter 6)

Chapter 6 - Cheers, Darling

The car pulled over to the sidewalk and came to a stop, signaling that you had arrived. The driver got out of the car and came around to your door, opening it for you. You climbed out, Joe following close behind. He gently placed his hand on the middle of your back as he walked alongside you, escorting you inside. It was a small, quiet place. The hostess asked for a reservation name and Joe gave her his. She immediately escorted the two of you upstairs to the rooftop for a more private setting, something Joe must have requested beforehand. Once seated, you thanked the hostess as she walked away. Joe opened the wine list and began looking through it.

"Get whatever you want, love. Is there a certain wine you prefer?"

You looked through your copy of the menu. Most of them you had never heard of, apart from a select few types that were common.

"I don't really know what any of these are," you said back with a giggle. "But I like sweet wine."

"Sweet it is. I'll pick something for us then, yeah?" He smiled at you as you nodded in approval.

"Sorry, I'm not really used to places like this. I am from an area where the fanciest place around is Olive Garden," you laughed.

"That's alright," he chuckled back. "Where are you from?"

"I live about 4 hours away from here in the middle of Pennsylvania, in a small town that has one stop light. No one has ever heard of it."

"What's that like? Much different from here or London, I'm sure."

"It's quiet, much calmer. I'm not used to city traffic, noise. I visit places like this for concerts and different things, but I am glad I don't live in the city. It can be too much for me."

"I can see how it would be overwhelming."

"Yeah, it's much different in the middle of nowhere, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Maybe someday I can show you, if you're up for a visit."

"That sounds lovely."

"When you need an escape from the hustle and bustle, you call me," you said, smiling and looking in his eyes with a wink. They glistened a little brighter when they caught sight of your smile. If only you knew how smitten he was over you at that moment. He didn't need a model or a rich actress. He was already perfectly content with unique, ordinary, small-town you. He found it intriguing that you were different. He had been with plenty of city girls in the past. All they wanted to do was go to parties and pubs. He enjoyed those things but was beginning to grow tired of the same type of night life all the time. It would be nice for him to experience something different in his free time.

"You're something else, you know that?" he said, putting his hand on top of yours across the table. You smiled at him, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear with your free hand.

The waitress came by and Joe ordered a bottle of wine for the two of you to share, and some bread for himself. You chuckled at this, knowing from his guest appearance on a podcast how much he liked it.

"What's so funny?" he said, confused.

"You and your bread," you laughed. "With salty butter," you added in a mocking British accent, teasing him.

"It's heaven, there's nothing better," he replied with a smile, going along with your joke. "So, you seem to know a lot about me," he smirked. "I suppose tonight is about me getting to know you better, then."

"Okay. What else do you want to know, Mr. Quinn? I'm an open book."

"Mmmm, I like when you call me that," he said a bit seductively, his teeth sinking down on his lower lip briefly, earning a teasing smirk from you. "Well, you start. What do you think I should know?"

"Well, I'm 27. Capricorn," you said jokingly with a snicker. "I'm kidding, I don't know the first thing about horoscope stuff. I know I'm a Capricorn, and that's about it." He laughed at your goofiness.

"So you were born in January? Me too."

"Yes, the 17th."

"Okay, so future joint birthday parties, good to know," he joked.

"That's not a bad idea!" you laughed together.

"Hmm, what else?" he asked, placing his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his fist in interest. "What about work? What do you do?"

"I am a sonographer – I do ultrasounds. I work night shift in a hospital."

"That is amazing, love! Are babies fun?"

"They can be," you chuckle, "but it's a lot more than just those."

"Really? Like what?"

"Livers, gallbladders, thyroids, scrotums..." you trail off with a joking smile.

"Oh, yuck," he laughed.

"Yeah, those aren't my favorite," you respond, shaking your head with a witty exhale.

The waitress then comes back with the wine bottle and two glasses. Joe takes the bottle and pours into your glass first, and then his own.

"Cheers, darling," he smiled, clinking his glass into yours and then taking a sip.

The two of you talked as the bottle of wine grew emptier and emptier, and you had quickly forgotten about the sensitive topic that you had accidentally started the night with in the car. Joe made it easy for you to forget. He made you feel like the only girl in the world and like nothing else mattered to him in that moment, and nothing did. Next thing you knew, it was 11:00 and the waitress came by with the check, which Joe grabbed before you had a chance to. Three hours were spent just indulging in each other and mindlessly flirting, hand touching, blushing, smiling. The evening was pure bliss. You had forgotten what the real world felt like, and you didn't want to remember.

"Well, it's getting late, love. Are you ready to go?"

"Do we have to?" you laughed.

"I could stay here all night with you if that's what you want," he smiled, taking your hand. You smiled at his words, but the smile slowly faded off your face.

"As much as I would love that, I have to leave in the morning, so I should probably get some sleep." Joe could feel the sadness radiating from you.

"Darling, it may feel like it, but this isn't the last time we will be seeing each other. I would love to see you again, if you'll have me."

You smiled at his politeness. He knew what you both felt for each other already, but the gentleman in him was still allowing the decision to be yours.

"I would love to, Joe. More than you know."

He led you outside to the car waiting along the sidewalk. The driver opened the back passenger side door and the two of you climbed in. The ride back to your hotel was quiet, but a peaceful quiet. The two of you were just letting the night you had together sink in as you held hands, fingers intertwined. The car pulls up outside the main entrance of the hotel and the driver comes around to open the door for you.

"Come on, love. I'll walk you in," Joe says, guiding you to get out of the car.

You climbed out, Joe following, and started inside. You got in the elevator and pushed the button for your floor. Joe stood beside you, still holding your hand, and smiled at you as the doors closed.

"I hope your friend didn't mind me stealing you for the evening."

"No, she said she was just enjoying a night in. Besides, she is dating my brother, so she probably spent hours on the phone with him. She was entertained in her own way," you laughed. Joe chuckled in response. The elevator doors opened on your floor and Joe stretched out his arm, politely signaling for you to exit before him.

"Ladies first."

You smirked at him and took his hand, pulling him along behind you. You made it to your room door and started to dig through your crossbody bag for your room key.

"Ugh, where did I put it?" you said, continuing to dig in your bag. Before you could find it, Joe grabbed your forearm and gently pulled it out of your bag, his hand sliding down your arm to grasp yours. He wrapped his other arm around the small of your back and pulled you closer. You looked up from your bag to meet his eyes as he did this, your heart fluttering at the sudden decreased proximity between the two of you. He slowly leaned in and gently placed his lips on yours. Your brain could have went to mush right then. You felt your knees going weak at his touch, your lips melting and moving together like they were matching puzzle pieces. You kissed each other slowly and tenderly, until your head felt like it was in the clouds and you could hardly stand it any longer. You pulled away from him slowly and he placed his forehead to yours.

"I've been wanting to do that since the moment I saw you," he said quietly, tenderly rubbing his thumb on your cheek.

"It was so worth the wait," you said with a smile. He pulled you into a hug, your cheek settling on his chest as his hand gently held your head against him. When he pulled away, you looked up at him with glistening eyes. "Joe, when will I see you again?"

"I don't know, darling. Hopefully soon. I have to be in Texas next weekend for another convention. Then I'll have a little bit of time off before Gladiator 2 starts filming in Morocco."

"I work this week and then I have a week of vacation time off the next week."

"Looks like I may be cashing in that hustle and bustle escape sooner than I expected," he said, smiling as he gently rubbed your forearms with his thumbs. Your eyes widened at his words.

"Really? You'd come and see me?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

You pulled him in for another hug, squeezing around his waist tightly.

"Thank you, Joe. Really. You're amazing."

"Only what you deserve," he responded with a small smile and a wink, quoting what he had said to you on the phone earlier that day. He leaned down and kissed your cheek. "Now go rest up, darling. Have a safe trip home."

Story Master List

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