Oh James Dean.

I think it’s safe to say that few if any men look better in a black sweater, with a camera, in glasses, leaning up against a wall, with a cigarette dangling carelessly between their lips, in a leather jacket or simply wearing a look of angst. Yes, James Dean is the one and only, the original rebel without a cause, the eternal boy who will always make the hearts of young girls and boys flutter with desire.

We love you.

Who else could become the style icon of effortless, thrown together chic. Do you think he spent hours mussing his hair in the mirror, turning up his collar just so or putting a crease in his pants or a cuff in his jeans? Maybe sometimes, but then again probably never. I picture James Dean rolling out of bed, bare feet slapping the hardwood floor, hair perfectly sexy, throwing on a sweater from a pile lying on the floor next to the bed, smelling slightly of cigarettes, grabbing his camera, then walking out the door kissing his smokes.

James Dean was born in Marion, Indiana on February 8th 1931, then moved to Santa Monica when his father decided to give up farming to become a dental technician.  James, who was never close with his father, was devastated when his mother died. He was nine years old. After her death, James’ father Winton sent James to live on a farm with Winton’s sister in Indiana.

James came back to L.A. in 1949 after graduating high school and discovered acting. He moved to New York in 1951. Although he appeared on many television shows, he was only in three movies: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, which came out after his death. He was great in all three.

On September 30 1955, James was 24 years old and heading to a race track in Salinas, CA. He drove his brand new Porsche 550 Spyder and the wind caressed his hair. He was sure that the  black-and-white Ford Tudor coupe, driven from the opposite direction by 23-year-old  Donald Turnupseed, who had moved to take the fork onto State Route 41 and crossed into Dean’s lane, would stop. It did not. They had a head on collision and 10 minutes later James Dean was dead.

He had a romantically tortured and brilliant life, an unclear sexuality, a love of cars, leather jackets and cigarettes and was everything a legend should be. He looked good in everything he wore without trying and his style has been imitated by thousands. But he remains forever alone, unsurpassed, the epitome of tragic cool. James Dean, a style icon.

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Here is what I’ve been pining for. Oh Santa, I’ve been a good girl this year! I swear!

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When you are a food and fashion blogger, it is rare that an event comes your way that spans both passions. This is why we got so excited when we heard about Le Dîner à San Francisco—a glamorous, flash mob picnic for 2000, requiring that all participants dress in all white. The tradition began in Paris in 1988 when a stylish Parisian decided he wanted to celebrate his birthday by picnicking in the Bois de Boulogne. So that he and his friends would be able to spot each other in the dark of the wood, he requested they all wear white. The dinner was so much fun that he decided to do it again the following year and then again and again. Each year more people came until it became an event for thousands, held in prominent Parisian locales such as in front of the Notre Dame. It has since grown globally and been held in several European cities and Canada. 2011 marks the first year Le Dîner came to both New York and San Francisco.

Vicky, Liza and Billy

I first heard about the picnic in July (in an email from Urban Daddy). Luckily, it was within hours of the event’s announcement and I was able to RSVP and snag a table. There was only room for 250 RSVPs although the party ended up growing. I was told when the picnic would take place (Friday, October 14th), but did not learn of the secret location until 3pm the day of. After weeks of planning and anticipation the date finally arrived and at 3pm I checked my email with a 12-year old’s Christmas morning excitement. I learned that the picnic would be taking place in Golden Gate Park’s Music Concourse, a gorgeous area with fountains and the breath-taking De Young as backdrop. This was impressive but what impressed me most was the weather; it was a balmy 80 degree day which turned into an incredible 70 degree evening without the usual San Francisco wind chill or fog. The weekend before it had rained and I was worried the event would be characteristically bone-shivering, but the warm evening (a San Francisco rarity) was a true gift.

Kimberly Ovitz dress

We arrived well prepared and had no trouble finding a table facing one of the fountains. I was in charge of the food and my friend Billy, the tableware, ensuring that we had one of the most luxurious and in my opinion glamorous tables there. The rules of the picnic are simple-everyone dresses in white, brings a white tablecloth and a sumptuous meal. Only one bottle of alcohol is allowed per person and there is to be no open flame. Everyone arrives at more or less the same time, sets up, eats, drinks, makes merry and then cleans up and vanishes as if no picnic ever took place.

Setting Up

The Ever Glamorous Billy

Billy did not disappoint and brought white linens, vintage Limoges china, real silverware and gorgeous thoughtful accents like a champagne bucket, salt and pepper dish, tea cups and saucers and hot tea for the end of the meal. All this was lovingly packed in bubble wrap and brought in several vintage suitcases. Dinner consisted of pates and cheeses, spaghetti bolognese, corn salad, tiramisu and enough champagne to keep us from getting thirsty.

Sugar Bowl

Salt and Pepper Style

Being among several thousand people dressed in white made us feel like we were on the set of a movie and the whole evening was both magical and as glamorous as we hoped for. Everyone behaved and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the incredibly rare warm San Francisco night, gorgeous setting, lovely company and an event that we all hope we will be attending year after year after year.Thank you to the people that helped put on an evening of pure elegance and fun for no other reason than the pleasure of enjoying life.

Kate and Billy

Hope to see everyone at the next Le Dîner à San Francisco!

Movie Set White

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Here is the evening in iphone photos:

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A timeless Parisian look.

One of my all time favorite accent colors-red.

Another timeless fashion look incorporating my two faves-stripes and red shoes.

Skinny jeans, heels and chunky knit sweaters-this can be anyone's go to outfit!

Maxi skirt and leather moto jacket-a perfect mix of masculine and feminine.

Love this vintage inspired long dress made sexy by its sheer quality.

Red shoes and masculine oversized jacket, hot!

Another masculine look, but made uber sexy by her miles long legs and sexy heels.

Love the balance of oversized shapes and layers governing this look.

I can always appreciate a splash of bright color.

That dress is just too gorgeous for words.

Perfect example of Parisian effortless chic!

Any girl who can walk in those boots is a rock star in my book!

Purple maxi and a cropped mohair sweater-so cute!

Channeling Annie Hall.

Who knew a dress like that would work with a top hat!

Here it is again - the leather moto jacket and the maxi skirt play nice together.

Another stunning dress. Go pleats!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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A very stylish Marc Jacobs

It’s barely even warm out and summer’s only theoretically here, yet it’s time to turn our attention to the runway collections of Fall 2011. One of the first collections I tend to look at is Marc Jacobs, but as much as I love polka dots and although there were a few individual pieces that were lovely, with the exception of this dress, I found little to make my heart speed up its rhythm.

A gorgeous dress I could see myself wearing from the Marc Jacobs collection

I’ve always had a soft spot for Marc Jacobs. Maybe it has something to do with having worked next door to the store for many years. It was both dangerous and decadently delicious, but my bank account is much better off now that I work from home. As far as Louis Vuitton goes, I have to say I’ve never been a big fan of the purses. I don’t like logos and am not crazy about most of the shapes of the bags, but I do love their clothes and shoes. The materials used are of the highest quality and the cuts tend to be sophisticated, original and something you can actually wear. I am happy to say that Marc did not disappoint me after all. His Fall 2011 collection for Louis Vuitton is stunning.

Don’t get me wrong, I love fashion for the spectacle and theater of it, but at the end of the day my practical side takes over. The clothes that really take my breath away are ones I can see myself taking out of my closet and wearing, maybe not every day, but some day. For that reason, I adore Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2011 line. The clothes have enough of an edge to turn heads among the usual drabness of street wear, yet are wearable enough to be a wardrobe-go-to as opposed to something pretty just collecting expensive dust.

Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton

Stunning!

Gorgeous!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Elizabeth Taylor

It’s sad to lose a legend, and Elizabeth Taylor’s death this year severed us from one of the remaining links to Hollywood’s golden age. While Audrey Hepburn had kindness, grace and incredible class, Elizabeth had purring sex appeal. No one would have deemed her sweet or innocent. This woman was a born dramatic actress. Her first film, “There’s One Born Every Minute”, was released when she was 10, but audiences truly fell in love with her two years later when she starred in “National Velvet”  with a horse for a costar. She had a natural born sensuality and when she starred in the first film where she played an adult  the director was amazed. After watching the 17-year old (who was supposed to be 21 onscreen) seduce a grown man, (it was part of the script) a local columnist allowed to watch the filming came up to the young actress and asked, “Elizabeth, where on earth did you ever learn how to make love like that?” The answer is that it just came naturally. Is it surprising that Elizabeth Taylor was married 8 times in rapid succession? Perhaps not and technically she was only married seven times because twice it was to the same man, Richard Burton, arguably the love of her life, to whom she was married a cumulative 12 years.

In addition to steamy romance, this queen of drama had a love for extravagant jewelery, although it seems that  what she loved was to receive and not to keep. Some of the pieces she owned included the 33-carat “Krupp Diamond”, the Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch, the Grand Duchess of Russia emeralds, the “La Peregina Pearl” (which was a Valentine present to her from Richard Burton), and the famous pear-shaped 69-carat “Burton-Cartier Diamond” Burton gave her in 1969 (subsequently renamed the “Burton-Taylor Diamond.”). To her credit, a lot of the more magnificent pieces went to charity, establishing much-needed public works projects in various countries.

Elizabeth in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Elizabeth Taylor was born with a genetic mutation-double eyelashes. And maybe if scientists studied carefully, they would discover that it is in eyelashes that our sensuality lies and she was simply born with a double dose. It was interesting that there are not many photographs of Elizabeth in actual outfits. Most photos found online focus on her beautiful face, with the exception of the famous negligee-clad photo from “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” which can technically be called an outfit. Maybe Elizabeth was better known for her eyes, cleavage, diamonds and sex appeal than for her actual fashion sense, but she is still without a doubt a style icon.

Cleopatra!

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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Apple Ring by Undercover

True we have many obsessions—fashion, food, sometimes even tablecloths, but jewelry and rings in particular is something that we never stop loving. Constantly on the lookout for new things, we stumble upon dangerous websites which we then have a love/hate relationship with. One we recently discovered is Farfetch.com, in particular their rings section.

Oversized rings are well…huge right now. They can be seen on celebrities and fashionable people all over and can take any outfit to the next level. An oversized ring has a rock and roll quality to it and can instantly add dimension or attitude to an outfit that would otherwise just be girly or sweet.

Orbit gunmetal logo by Vivienne Westwood

Chain & Lock silver ring by Ann Demeulemeester

Imagine the silver chain and lock ring worn with a pair of cropped leather pants, black wedge booties, and a textured silver or cream sweater with a wide neck—so chic!

Another constant obsession is anything with skulls thanks to Alexander McQueen, and although I do not own the iconic scarf, I do have shoes with skulls on them, and two pairs of fabulous skull earrings, one of them a present from Vicky. I have actually been on the lookout for an amazing skull ring and loved the large skull ring as well as the more delicate one. Farfetch.com is a cool site and has a jewelery section worth taking a guilty peek at.

'Mourning' ring by Gisele Ganne

Large skull ring by Ugo Cacciatori

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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I know it’s not particularly original to talk about Audrey Hepburn as a style icon, but since the title of this blog has chocolate in it, I feel it’s only right that it should be full of little bite sized candy treats, and Audrey in my opinion is one of the most beautiful women in the world and no matter how many times I see her photos I never get tired of looking at them. So here it is your Audrey treat.

I won’t bore you with the usual details so crucial to a bio, but here are the important facts. Audrey was a Taurus, born on May 4th 1929—among other things this woman could look equally stunning in anything from a custom-made couture ball gown to a simple pair of cigarette pants with ballet flats. She could wear all black like no one else and practically invented the little black dress. She studied ballet, which perhaps accounts for her grace of movement, was born in Brussels, Belgium, but educated in England after living through horrors and privation during WWII in Holland. In addition to English, Audrey was fluent in Spanish, French, Dutch/Flemish and Italian. She was married twice once to American actor Mel Ferrer with whom she had a son and later to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti, with whom she also had a son at the age of 41. Audrey was married to Dotti for 13 years although he repeatedly cheated on her, yet she stayed with him until she considered their son old enough to handle a divorce. Her own father left them when she was six and she referred to it as the most traumatic event of her life. In 1993, at the still young age of 64, she died of appendiceal cancer.

Audrey Hepburn was 5’6 and her measurement were rumored to be 34A-20-34. It is also rumored that she made a personal promise never to weigh more than 103 pounds, except when pregnant, a vow that she reportedly kept. This is perhaps the only thing linking her to today’s appearance-crazy starlets, but then again she never thought of herself as even attractive and said “I think sex is overrated. I don’t have sex appeal and I know it. As a matter of fact, I think I’m rather funny looking. My teeth are funny, for one thing, and I have none of the attributes usually required for a movie queen, including the shapeliness.” But she was so wrong. Her first Hollywood film was Roman Holiday (1953), for which she won an Oscar, but she only made 14 movies because she took a break from the industry in the late 60s to spend more time with her two sons, then spent most of the 80s doing humanitarian work for UNICEF.  In addition to being absolutely gorgeous, she was warm, caring and human in the best sense. When asked why she did so much for others she said “It’s that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so ‘don’t fuss, dear; get on with it.” No botoxed, starved and boob jobbed Hollywood star of today even comes close to her natural elegance and grace. So here she is in all her glory—Audrey Hepburn.

“For me, the only things of interest are those linked to the heart.” -Audrey Hepburn.

©2012 couture au chocolat: A Food and Fashion Blog. All Rights Reserved.

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