Eye Break: Timeless French Hotties

Bonjour, bonbon babies!

It's P. here from What Possessed Me. So pleased and honored to be kicking off the week's guest posts with a little visual inspiration while Deb is knockin' 'em dead in Paris.

Deb asked us to post a little something with a French theme for this fine internet publication. Somehow in the past year, I overdosed on striped t-shirts and macarons (especially the macarons. Which is why I can no longer wear horizontal stripes). But I never grow tired of these classic French beauties - I come back to them again and again when I need an eye break, a nudge, a reminder. They seem to represent so much of what I admire about French women.

Catherine Deneuve. The freshness of a black scarf tied around the hair. The sassiness of a bow. The return of charm. The allure of a sidelong glance. The utility of a cashmere sweater. The sexiness of the demure.

(I have no idea what to say about the dog. But it's cute, non?)

Brigitte Bardot. Cigarettes as diet aides (effective, but ill-advised). That black scarf again - this time dangerous, capable, and rugged. Again, the sidelong glance - this time saying, "Your face is mace, Jean-Louis" (but in French). The badassery of kohl-rimmed eyes. The collar askew, the hair tousled - the perfection of imperfection.

Charlotte Gainsbourg. The aura of intelligence. The surprise of shyness. The coolness of menswear. The awesomeness of not caring - and still being beautiful.

Whose look inspires you?

ANDDDDD, the Bonbon Oiseau Giveaway Winner is...

Lily at BigBang Studio! Chosen via random sequence generator! Thanks so much everyone for playing!
Ok, I can put it off no longer: I'm packing for Paris now. See you over there and look out for some incroyable guests while I'm gone.
Bisous!

Monday's Inspiration: Thank you P

Here are just a few glimpses from the new Spring '10 Collection, Gâteau Fourré (Layer Cake) coming to Paris tomorrow! The line was inspired by a photograph taken by P back in June at her engagement party. I loved the feel of that photo so much, I printed it and put it up on the wall of the studio. In a last minute push of producing this show from across the ocean energy, I texted P at 10 pm last night and asked if I could use it for my graphics--posters and lookbook cover etc. and she immediately sent over a high-res pic before 11. Wow.
P* is not only an inspiration but also an incredible friend. Thank you dear P.

Here is the formal description of the collection:
Gâteau Fourré: Bonbon Oiseau Spring/Summer 2010 Collection
"Inspired by ideas of layering and building, girlish fantasy and fables, tribal adornment & the gorgeous colors we saw in the souks of Morocco and the patisseries of Paris last Spring, we desired to create statement pieces that merged these inspirations while remaining bohemian yet elegant, playful yet thought-provoking for the wearer. Made with very old antique french & american glass & crystal beads, recycled glass beads from Ghana, brass rivets from India, and old collection of precious gemstones taken from old jewelry with hand-wrought sterling silver, each piece is unique and made by hand in Brooklyn, New York."

(*P's blog What Possessed Me is one of my favorites and I stalked her enough until she became my real life friend. So watch out people with excellent blogs! Also, look for P's guest post right here while I'm gone!)

time out

my pretty red fleurs

alice in wonderland

pretty nasturtium

early fall evening light

bright pink cuts

so many expensive mushrooms

last of the soft white goat

first apples

Last night in the garden and this morning at the market I remembered myself a little and it felt good, even though the work's not quite done, it felt good.

DOn't forget: The Giveaway

Don't forget about The Bonbon Oiseau Cirque aux Papillon Sale. We decided to extend sale AND giveaway until 9am Monday, the 28th after which I will get on an airplane and go to Paris. It just seemed right.
mwah.

A Little fashion

All about lines (literally and figuratively).

thom browne's lineup and white jacket via jak and jil blog, all others via via ffffound

Monday Dose of Inspiration: an admission and a wish

all photos by Ellen Silverman
represented by Marilyn Cadenbach

I was alternately brimming with inspiration this weekend working in the new studio of my friend and teacher and completely overwhelmed when I came back to my own studio and saw all the work ahead of me, not helped in the least by my studio, which is, by the way, still unfinished aka, half done (hence no refurbishing updates (yet).

I'm trying to do a lot of new things, and am late with producing the event that exhibiting in Paris is each season. The truth is, I wasn't going to go. I just wanted to concentrate on working on the new space, gathering some new skills, revamping all that is Bonbon, just doing things a little differently. I was very late to decide I COULD NOT SKIP PARIS!! Now I am out of breath and whining.

This was a roundabout way to say how happy I was to visit Asya at Gleena late last night---there's a quiet to her aesthetic choices I don't possess right now. She wrote about the photographer Ellen Silverman and it was like a gift. It slowed me down, lifted me up from the soup and made me realize I'm moving way too fast in a sea of buttery clutter. I love my friends.
(The Gleena-Bonbon collaboration will be available to all of you very soon...)

Countdown to Paris

I leave the Tuesday after next. And my to do list is as long as the Eiffel Tower is high. At least that's how it feels. But I am getting things done!

This morning I scanned my favorite turkey feather and worked on a quick design for a silkscreen for some little canvas bags I bought. The bags are tiny, just big enough for a...jewelry box. I thought they'd be fun to give to buyers and assorted other customers. I really need a real graphic designer.

Next up: I work on displays and some new photos since our shoot last week fell through. Please send luck or come over and help me.

Bonbon's First Fall Giveaway

How about this for spreading a little Fall love in the form of...A GIVEAWAY!!!? I want one of you to win this piece from our newest Fleuri d'Hiver Collection, the Petite Branche en Camellia necklace.

All you have to do is spread the word on your blog, your twitter or your facebook page about the Unbelievable Bonbon Oiseau One-Week Only Fall Sale--30% off on the entire Le Cirque aux Papillon and Prairie Collections, now until next midnight Friday, September 25th*. Let me and the world know about this über sale. Then all you have to do is include the link to your post in the comments section below and I'll enter you into this pretty fantabulous giveaway!
But wait there's more: If you steal that little box up there on my sidebar and put it on your blog's sidebar until next Friday, I'll enter you twice and give little ole' wonderful you 20% off anything else you'd like on the whole wide site until October 1st! (Not a bad way to stock up for the holidays eh-oh?).

Don't blog, tweet, facebook, create iphone apps or watch tv? Leave me a comment on how you spread the word your own way and you're entered. I'll pick a winner randomly next Friday the 25th*. Good luck blog babies...

*We decided to extend the sale and the giveaway until Monday, September 28th...sweet!

fall-ing

I am confused. And out of it a little. It's fall-ing out there.

Bonbon's Inspiration Boards on a Saturday

It's raining here in Brooklyn so sorry to say, we bailed out of the Brooklyn Flea today. Instead Vanessa came here and we are working working on our Spring line to be debuted in 2 weeks in New York and then Paris. I am a little late, out galavanting and absorbing all Summer and last Spring. Sometimes I feel that all my absorbing renders me a little weak by the time I sit down to design, and since it automatically seems to get funneled into my work, I lose focus if I don't make inspiration boards to rein me in. We are going to town for next Spring--big and fun-think Berber Tibetan meets Candyland. Can you find the Bonbons in these pictures?

Thank you, all my favorite blogs, you know who you are, for filling in my inspiration blanks this year...Oh and wait for the photoshoot Monday (see...I really am behind)--our location is KILLER.

Makool Loves Us

Makool blog seduced me but good. Even before I read about this giveaway, I lifted these pictures off of it to tell you how much I love these bits. They feed right into my superbag AND fancy superheroin underpants addictions. Want want want want want want want want want. Hurry. Winner chosen tomorrow. Me me me me me me me.

Paris

I am happy to be going to Paris again for the shows. And busy getting prepared for it. I am thinking how nice it will be to have a few extra days to use Pia's book which I bought the moment it came out. I am endlessly inspired by her and each beautiful choice she makes...

Today in Numbers

image from moonmilk

Today has been a sad day for nine years now. Each year I think about the year before and the year before that and how life has gone on here in this city and my life has gone on in this city and how other people's lives go on.

Last night I walked out to get toilet paper from the corner store and I could see across the river like it was right in front me, the two beams of light that represented where the World Trade Center had been. They were shining deep into the sky through clouds that diffused and spread their light outwards. It was like little light messages being sent by the millions.

And this morning, the winds are blowing with force and I am sitting and drinking a cup of tea before I head into the studio and start this busy day of planning for Paris, and orders to fill and making a hundred "important" decisions about this and that. I am watching the rain force down perfectly straight and hard at exactly 9:11 a.m. and think about how hard it is sometimes to take the next moment and move on.

OK...it's here...

The New Fall Collection is up...and to celebrate? Take 20% off anything and everything from the Spring "Cirque aux Papillon" Collections...Let me know what you think...