A Sister Trip to London, January 2024: Part 1

 The Markel Sisters Descend on London Town

It was my idea to fly to London to see the Chanel show at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Word got out to the other Markel sisters, Susan and Jeanne, and the three of us decided it would be a fine adventure to do a London trip together. The exhibit, "Gabrielle Chanel, Fashion Manifesto" was sold out, but the V&A offers entry to members at any time so we signed up.

We stayed in the Kensington area within walking distance of the V&A and a handy underground station, Earl's Court, as a jumping off point for exploring London. We were lucky with the weather. It was cold, but sunny, and no rain at all except for a brief shower while we were enjoying silver coupes of ice cream at The Ivy.

Jeanne and I flew Virgin Atlantic. The flight attendants wear spiffy red uniforms.

We had Upper Class cabins on our flight from JFK. Susan flew from Miami on British Airways. We met her at Heathrow.

Susan and I standing in front of the grand entrance to the V&A, founded in 1899 by Queen Victoria. Its collections span over 5,000 years of human creativity in every medium.

 

Jeanne wears a version of a Chanel classic look: the Little Black Suit with a white collar.

In 1885 when Gabrielle Chanel was 12, her mother died. Her impoverished father left her and her two sisters at an orphanage run by nuns. There she stayed until she was 18. She learned to sew and absorbed the images of the severe ecclesiastical aesthetic of the nuns' habits. Here are some of my favorite garments.

A 1920s silk floral dress.

Gowns from a 1930's era collection.

An array of gowns on a mirrored staircase like the one

in her showroom at The House of Chanel, 31 rue Cambon.

An uncharacteristic multi-colored gown caught my eye.

Diva at the V&A

A bonus exhibit at the V&A was the exciting "Diva"

showcasing the power and creativity of iconic performers from

opera, stage, pop music and film.

We wore headsets and when you approached each vitrine, the 

appropriate music of the performer would play.

A costume worn by Mary Pickford.

The Red Feather costume worn by Cher and designed by Bob Mackie.

The Prince Display

Diva Jeanne at Harrods, our stop after the V&A. She did not buy the glasses, but she did buy some fake snow that the charming salesman demonstrated in the toy department.

Susan salutes the Harrods' doorman, made entirely of Legos.

Cherrio!

If I'm out to dinner, I"ll  have a Negroni. On our first night in London, we dined at The Shed, a "farm to fork" restaurant in Notting Hill. The chef brought out an amuse-bouche of Marmite and mushroom eclairs. Hmmm... were we "amused"?

More to come....

A Bientôt!

A Beautiful Evening at My 80th Birthday Party

 A Magical Birthday Party. I am 80.

It was as if the guests were poured into flutes and

 fizzled up in gay camaraderie...

On a Saturday evening in January, my sister, Jeanne Markel, threw me a party for my 80th birthday. The consummate hostess, it was sublime. Guests traveled by train one hour north of Manhattan to the charming village of Katonah. There, Jeanne and her husband, Chris, live in a converted barn on a hill with a giant illuminated peace sign emblazoned under the rooftop. 

The party room was festooned with colorful crepe paper streamers, and the table alit with candles shining on vases of red tulips. Guests were greeted with flutes of bubbly. There was a frisson in the room as family mingled with friends from all corners of my life.

L-R. Jeanne, my brother, David, and me. I am wearing a party hat of my own design.

My step-daughter, Dianna, created this Barbie Birthday Card.

Jeanne compiled a History of Fashion from 1944 to 2024 in a book.

My nephew, Jack, painted a card for me.

Not to be outdone, our littlest artist, my great niece, Zephyr, made this card.

With my friend, Jean Stone, of The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas.

Jeanne and I with Inge Brouard Brown, artist, weaver, designer and founder of The Katonah Museum of Art.

The cake from L'Anjou Patisserie Française was both beautiful and yummy. As everyone sang Happy Birthday, I blew out all the candles in one breath.

Thank you to Jeanne, my family and friends, and to

Dianna and Michael who came all the way from

Chicago to celebrate with me.

       A Bientôt!