Diario ABC - Spain...

Summer has begun...

Once again, as every year, with the same enthusiasm, we drove all the way to José Ignacio to the traditional December 27th Lacoste Party. It's become so famous it's mentioned in certain circles of New York, Paris, Madrid or Milano.

I've been going for 10 years now, maybe more.

I guess some day I'll stop going, but for now it's great fun chosing the dress and accesories, take my surprised guests and, once there, greet and kiss so many friends (yesterday, at least 40). 

There are no great conversations (too much noise), no politics or economy and, less still, literature or philosophy. But… who's cares?

You see who's there, find out how many (private) dinners are being organized and which foreign friends have arrived. As in Babel's tower, you get to hear many languages. I can instantly say from where they come. Blue blazers in men accuse a Newyorker or a Milanese. Glittery minis, Argentine girls. Flat sandals, French women of course.

Some say this year the season will be a disaster, that everything is so expensive…

I don't know. We'll see...

Roberto Cavalli dress, Kirat Young bracelets.

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel! Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale!

My best wishes from Punta del Este! Cheers!

A photo by María Teresa Alvarez...

From New York...

Cartier: "La Style et l'Histoire"

Thanks to Francoise Dumas and Anne Roustang, who had the kindness of inviting me (and who are the best organisers in Paris), tonight I was able to enter the magical world of Cartier.

Only four hundred guests. from all corners of the world: Mónica Bellucci, Joely Richardson (stunning in an Alexander McQueen), Kristin Scott Thomas, Albert de Monaco, Juliette Binoche, the dukes of Cadaval, Hubert de Givenchy (still so good looking), former President of France Valerie Giscard d'Estaing, ambassadors and also Nick Taylor, from Duran Duran. All of them, and many more, were chosen to do a first tour around this incredible exhibition of the best and most iconic pieces of the legendary French jewellers.

My eyes could not stand such overwhelming beauty… The tiaras that belonged to queens and princesas, the necklaces specially done to the Maharaja of Patiala, Liz Taylor's pieces and those from the Duchess of Windsor (the flamingo brooch!!!). I had to return several times to the cabinets to appreciate the details and the magnificent work of craftmanship. 

The organization of the Gala was also excellent. Two very long tables, for two-hundred guests each and a menu designed by star-chef Jean-Pierre Vigato.

Everything was impeccable. I was happy to bump into Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and her daughter Cosima, who was wearing an incredible red dress designed by her mother. 

As gift, we received the catalog of the exhibit, which will be open till February 16th (totally worth it) and a beautiful foulard which I'll use to wrap my loyal computer when travelling…

PS. I wore the Oscar de la Renta dress I've previously used for Foundaleu's Gala in Buenos Aires.

Magical Marrakech...

Dear Readers,
As I'm in Marrakech right now, I'll take the opportunity to share with you a piece I wrote some time ago about this city that moves me so much...

The magic begins the moment the plane flies over Gibraltar, that particular place where Africa stretches its finger over Europe… That image has always reminded me of one of the masterpieces of the Sixtine Chapel, where Adan touches the finger of his Creator…

We fly over Tangier and we reach the desert. Less than an hour later, we land in the red soil, so red it feels like a wound in the middle of the dunes. Palm trees, camels, flocks of sheep prove that we are in a different world. Here, in Marrakech, we enter the 1001 Nights. I'll try not to become Sherazade….

To Marrakech I usually come invited by some friends who own a legendary riad, where Marlon Brando and Winston Churchill and, specially, the fascinating Talitha Getty once lived in. For 15 years now it has belong to my friends and they are amazing hosts.

It must be said that hosting is part of the Moroccan culture and all the foreigners with houses here adapt to local habits and serve exquisite food. That's why spending a couple of days in Marrakech means entering to a new world, so different in more senses than one to the Western world. And it's from the Palace of Zahia (the name of the riad, «Zahia», means «joy» in Arab), that I venture out to see this mysterious town and its many secrets. I'll begin with the Jemaa el-Fna square, the heart of Marrakech. From there you enter the souks…

Walking around the great souk, a closed market that feels like Ali Baba's cave, is a sensory experience to the eyes, marvelled by the many colours; for the smell, charmed by the spices, the perfumes, the rassoul; for the taste, which enjoy the flavour of the "loukoums"; and for the ears, surprised by the sounds of the "gnawas." Totally worth it. The souk is divided in areas. You have the spices and dried fruit sections, which are extraordinary for their colours and smells, so strong and unique. But also the perfumes' and black soaps' sector. The Arabs give much importance to caring their body (being clean is one of the five commandments of Islam), a ritual that begins with the hamman, where you must use a special glove for scrubbing and the famous black soap, which is sold by weight. After the hamman, some have a special gommage with the rassoul, which is a special clay to cleanse the skin. Finally, a massage using argan oil, which results from the fruit of the Arganier tree, only growing in Morocco. Argan oil has many virtues: high levels of vitamin E and Omega 6 and visibly improves dry skin. There's also a version of argan oil for cooking. 

All this wonders can be found at the souk. Millions of people walk through it daily and you can find almost everything. Important: you must know how to bargain! They'll take it as an insult if you don't! Bargaining is a social skill in the Arab world. At the souk you can get amazing embroidered djellabas, shawls, fabrics, bags. Exquisite crafts.

When I spend some days in Marrakech, it's usually the 5-am call for praying that the muezzin makes what wakes me up. The first time I heard it, I was shocked. Then, of course, I got used to it and now I can easily fall back asleep. Then breakfast arrives with its Moroccan delights: tea, "les cornes des gazelles" (almond filled pastry) and pita bread with honey.

I am very passionate for the food of this country, specially because I can easily remove meat from the menu (as you know, I'm a vegetarian). I eat vegetable couscous, cooked and spiced eggplant salad, tomato jam with sesame seeds, tajines, cumin zucchinis.  And teas, lots of teas: mint, jasmine, verbena.

There are excellent restaurants in Marrakech. I love Dar Yakout, on a small street of the Medina, with the musicians sitting on the floor and the terraces that offer a magnificent view of the city and the gardens of the Koutoubia. Another great one is the restaurant of the Royal Mansour Hotel, opened two years ago (it is said the King is the owner). Five hundred employees come and go through underground tunnels to attend only 50 guests.

However, the most famous and classic one is the legendary Mamounia which has received celebrities and important personalities. Impossible to resist entering at least to visit the gardens, the tennis courts and the mythical pool. After a long restoration, it has been reopened for the sake of all those visitors who felt "homeless". Since 1923, when it first opened its doors, a never-ending number of personalities have stayed in this palace, from Winston Churchill or Josephine Baker, who spent the entire winter, to the Rolling Stones. Books have been written in its rooms, and movies were also shot in its halls. Kings and queens, presidents and artists have all been guests at the Mamounia.

Marrakech is all this and much more. It's the crafts, the colours, the smells, the fashion… Its charm is so unique it is one of the most visited places in the world (the Jamaa el-Fna square has been chosen World Heritage by the UNESCO).

Yves Saint Laurent loved Marrakech, where he would find inspiration for his collections. His love for Morocco was such that his remains rest forever there… 

And the winner is...

… message number 64, belonging to Vanesa Protti, whose e-mail address begins with vanesaprotti@...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Vanesa, Carla (my producer) will send you an e-mail shortly to reach you so we can give you the prize. 

To you all, thank you very much for participating!!

(Giveaway!)

We'll announce the winner of Isabel Marant's giveaway on Monday.
The delay is due to the holiday, because Carla is in the country with no internet connection!
We are very sorry...

Giveaway: Isabel Marant for H&M...

The prize? An echarpe from Isabel Marant's collection for H&M.

What you have to do? As usual, just leave a comment with your name and e-mail address so we can contact you.

You have time till Friday November 22th inclusive. The following day we'll announce the winner in a post in this blog.

(We'll be using the services of www.random.org to withdraw the winner. Each comment will be assigned a number according to the order of arrival...)

And when I return to Buenos Aires, I'll be taking the prize to you with me (shopping bag and all).

Good luck!!

It was so difficult to get! I've never seen such fashion-obsessed women! I'll tell you about it soon…

Isabel Marant pour H&M...

I've received the invitation… and I'll be there!!

You can check out the collection by clicking here.

Dear Montepulciano…

My readers always ask me about Montepulciano… I wrote this piece about my home town for Revista Mustique and, as it is now in newstaands, I can share it with you. I invite you to travel there for a few minutes. I hope you enjoy it!

It is said that, in life, to know where we are going, we must know from where we come… For me it's crystal clear: I was born in a small and glorious town in the heart of Tuscany, called Montepulciano. And that small town is like no other.

The beauty is more beautiful, the light is more luminous, cipresses are taller and churches (the true treasures of Italy) are more mystical than others. The first thing I learned in Montepulciano (and never forgot) is walking. In fact, its streets are so narrow, steep and difficult for cars that, since childhood, I had to walk and climb up slopes. Constructed on a hill 605 meters over the sea level, everything goes up and down. The Italian say that the polizianas (that's how they call the women of Montepulciano) have great legs and butts. The term «Polizianos» comes from the great poet and Humanist Angelo Ambrogini, known as Poliziano, who was born in Montepulciano in 1454.

Montepulciano has global popularity because of its wine. If Bacus or the Greek god Dionysus returned to Earth, they would certainly live there. Our wine is known as «Vino Nobile» and that is quite a statement. Documents from 1350 already mention commerce condition for exporting the wine produced in Montepulciano and, by 1685, poet Francesco Redi writes an ode dedicated to praise its many qualities (Montepulciano is king of every wine).

In 1669 English traders came to Tuscany searching for that marvellous wine, reserved only for the "lords". Our richness and tradition lies in the wine cellars which, in every corner, rival in quality, character and texture.  

When I was little, tourism was scarce in Montepulciano. We looked surprised at the few visitors that arrived in Summer (Winters are very cold) stunned by such beauty. 

Today, Montepulciano is «the place» to visit in Tuscany. The small streets are now always crowded. This has increased the number of restaurants and memorabilia stores. 

The poliziani are secret and mysterious people, and tremendously proud of their roots. They don't like to be compared to the people of nearby towns, less still with those from the province of Arrezzo. The only city they feel a certain brotherhood is Siena.

It's very difficult to befriend a local, although things have changed in the past years. It has to do with the history of the town, marked for so many centuries of poverty because of the constant wars between Siena and Firenze.

Of those times still remain what we know as "poor cuisine": little meat, lots of vegetables and dishes than include bread, an invention of the peasants to use old bread. That was the origin of the mythical «panzanella», a cold salad made of bread crumb and crust, seasoned with basil, tomatoes, cucumbers, tuna and onions. A delicious dish. Another typical Tuscan recipe is the minestra of bread and vegetables.

The best restaurant in Montepulciano is «La Grotta», in front of the Tempio di San Biagio. In Summer, you can eat in the small garden. In Winter, by the fireplace.

But the most typical one is dal Pulcino, a fattoria where everything is homegrown and homemade. The wine, the bread, the cantucci, the pici (long pasta) and the pecorino cheese are all made by the many members of the Ercolani family: sons and grandsons of the capofamilia, known as Pulcino.

My sister and I went to school with Pulcino's daughters and I even had my communion with two of them. 

With time, the range of Pulcinio's products have grown, including now honey soaps, lavender perfums, potpourri and much more. Even in Montepulciano he has another restaurant, called «La Porta di Bacco»

But not everything is food and, of course, the best part in town is its architecture. The famous Piazza Grande is a jewel of Renaissance. The Cathedral (il Duomo) is a masterpiece and inside it holds treasures as the Tríptico de l’Assunta by Taddeo di Bartolo, the altar by Andrea della Robbia, the Madonna Piccolomini di Benedetto di Maiano, among others.

The Palazzo Contucci, the Tarugi and, above all, the Palazzo Comunale (which ressembles the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence) encircle the main square, which has also served as setting for movies such “New Moon” and «Under the Tuscan sun».

There are many churches in Montepulciano: Santa Lucia's, Sant’Agostino's, Santa Maria's. One better and more beautiful than the other, but similar to many of those you can find in other Italian towns. 

However, the biggest, unique, one of a kind church is the Tempio di San Biagio and it's worth going to Montepulciano just to visit it. It is definitely breathtaking. Work of the architect Antonio da Sangallo (the Elder), his construction began in 1518 and was completed in 1580. 

Every human being need a safe place in the world. Mine is in Montepulciano…

Hola Mexico!

Thank you Hola México for publishing my interview!

Tomorrow, in newsstands...

Chantecler...

I love tango with passion. And I don't know how to dance it. I've never tried either, because I'm sure I couldn't do it... 

But every time there's a good tango show, specially in Paris, I never miss it!

That's why I happily went to the première of "Chantecler Tango", a musical by Mora Godoy, who will be performing at the Theatre Châtelet in Paris till November 3rd.

With a troupe of 23 proffesionals and an outstanding choreography, Mora proves to be the best Argentine tango dancer. She is so good she even allows herself to play Rita Hayworth in Gilda.

Among the audience were many Argentines, journalists and TV crews, plus the staff of the Argentine Embassy.

I enjoyed it a lot and, of course I felt really moved, as I usually do when I'm in contact with the "Argentinity" but in another country.

We then went behind the scenes to greet Mora and all the dancers.

Given the applauses and general enthusiasm, this will be a huge success... 

Fundaleu...

Once again this year, as for the past 10, I went to the charity dinner organised by Fundaleu (Foundation fighting Leukemia), which has the Famosos por la Vida working as Celebrity Waiters.

As usual, the party was fun and joyful. The tenacious celebrities were able to sell all 500 goodie-bags, and together with the giveaways, funds were raised to buy new medical equipment. 

(Me, in my Oscar de la Renta dress)

As black tie was mandatory, everyone looked extremely elegant. And the halls of the Hotel Alvear were all decorated to much such elegance.

Lanvin...

As usual, Fashion Week is a hectic time in Paris: traffic, full restaurants, and lots of women using the latest trends.

This season I decided to attend only two events (I had to return to Buenos Aires for a few days): the  Alaïa exhibition at the Musée Galliera and Lanvin's runway show.

Alber Elbaz from Lanvin, as everybody knows, is one of my favourite designers, and his shows are always a big event.

It's a rule of courtesy and gesture of admiration to attend a show wearing something by the designer in question. In this opportunity, many took the massage-necklaces that have become the IT items of the season: Love, Help, Happy, Cool, Beyond, Lanvin. I've been using my "Happy" for a couple of months now and I love it. It's a nice, positive word. So there we went, my sister and I, both wearing Lanvin and our necklaces.

The collection was shocking, with extremely shinny fabrics, almost metallic. Some pants and jackets, very 80s (which for me was the worst decade in fashion).

Skirts under the knees, wonderful accessories (the work of the brilliant Elie Top), bags that looked as garbage bags (????) and much more...

These are the three looks I liked best. I'll have to wait to see how they look at the boutique.

Of course, we then went to congratulate dear Alber and madame Wang (the main stockholder of the brand). As usual, a great pleasure.

Emmys 2013: my TOP-FIVE looks...

( 1 )

Sofía Vergara, with a custom Vera Wang.

And the amazing emeralds of my friend Lorraine Schwartz...

( 2 )

Heidi Klum, in an Atelier Versace.

( 3 )

Claire Danes, by Armani Privé, with husband Hugh Dancy.

( 4 )

Robin Wright by Ralph Lauren

( 5 )

Padma Lakshmi, with a white Kaufmanfranco and Robert Lee Morris jewels.

Désirs et Volupté

Fall in Paris is usually the time for many exhibition openings... This week I had the Gala Dinner organized by Culturespaces at the Musée Jacquemart-André, which is quite near from home and it's one of my favourite locations. Challenging the early rains of these past days, I accepted the invitation to discover the English artists of the Victorian Era, who celebrated beauty above all things: Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Sir Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, the fabulous Dante Gabriel Rossetti, among others.

Les Roses d'Heliogabale, by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. An emblematic painting of the time.

Venus Verticordia, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

I know the paintings might look a bit kitsch or baroque, so different to the works by the Impressionists who, in those years, ruled in France; but they are the result of their time and icons of British art. Although forgotten for many years, it is now that these artists are beginning to be valued by critics and artlovers.

The exhibition will be shown also in Rome, on February 2014, at the Chiostro de Bramante, and will then travel to Madrid, to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (June - October 2014).

It's worth visiting and use the oportunity to spend some time in this small museum, a true jewel of French architecture of the 19th Century...

Happy in New York...

As I had to return to Paris, I arranged everything to make a quick stop in New York and be able to attend Oscar de la Renta's show, who, as you all know, is one of my favourite designers.

I used to watch the collections online or at the trunk shows at Bergdorf, but this is the second time I can personally attend his show and it's been a true pleasure.

Chatting with Linda Fargo from Bergdorf Goodman, 
before the show.

What can I say of his Spring/Summer 2014 collection?

As usual, elegant, refined, so colorful. All models (among them, Karlie Kloss, stunning, 1.85 mts without shoes!) looked amazing and the music (a mix of  George Harrison's songs) sounded great. It all happened so fast: 52 looks in 15 minutes (I wish all did the same!).

Such a pleasure to see Oscar looking so well and happy...