Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Number One-Hundred-Thirty-Two

Dial Tones
Enamelists of the Swiss watch industry grope for a future.
by James Malcolmson, for Arts & Antiques Magazine

In some ways Dominique Baron seems much like the other artisans who practice the traditional craft of enameling in the French-Swiss Jura Mountains. Working from her home atelier in the town of Les Rousses just over the border in France, Baron is the master of a variety of techniques that she plies in the service of the internationally known Swiss watch brands who commission elaborate enamel dials. During the 18th and 19th centuries, such watches were important status symbols for aristocrats in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Van Cleef & Arpels’ “Lady Arpels Centenary” watch presents a simplified, modernized enamel painting technique on a rotating disk.

Today, Baron and a handful of fellow craftspeople are the last of a once-flourishing profession that has dwindled due to changing tastes and its own failure to train young apprentices. But unlike her peers, many of whom are elderly and in the twilight of their careers, Baron is in her mid-30s and something of a revolutionary in enameling circles. In cooperation with some of her watchmaking clients she is changing time-honored techniques to make them more responsive to modern tastes and, she hopes, to enable them to survive for years to come.

All the traditional enamel techniques (among which are grand feu, cloisonné and miniature painting) share the same basic properties. Powdered glass tinged with metal oxides for color is applied to a surface—in this case a watch dial—and then fired in an oven until it emerges with an intense translucence. The process is repeated many times to give depth and form an image, but doing so carries risk. Any given firing may crack the piece and ruin it altogether.

Grand feu uses extremely high temperature to achieve colors of exceptional color and quality. The pictorial art of cloisonné, on the other hand, uses a thin gold wire to create cells in which different enamel colors are laid, creating a mosaic-like effect. The most exalted art of enamel is undoubtedly miniature painting, which shares many characteristics with both oil and watercolor painting. Color is applied with a brush, but it must be applied in a strict order and riskily fired many times during the process.

Miniature painting on watches evolved from miniature enamel portraiture during the 17th century, especially in France. One early master, Jean Petitot, became famous for adapting vivid English watercolor techniques to enamels, working on both sides of the Channel. The genre soon became a highly prestigious form of vanity art throughout the courts of Europe, but as many of the artisans were Protestants, a large contingent sought refuge in Geneva after the religious persecutions of Louis XIV. There, they turned their attention to watches, perfecting their skills on beautiful enameled timepieces decades before watchmakers were able to achieve consistent accuracy. Their work is the overlooked basis for Switzerland’s reputation as a center for luxury watchmaking.

Miniature painting at the scale of a watch dial takes precision.

Considering their place in history, it is not surprising that the old enamel techniques are held in such reverence in Switzerland, even as they have faded into commercial irrelevance. Today, miniature painting in the Geneva style, the most traditional and prestigious form of the craft, is practiced by a small handful of mostly aging artists who may spend weeks or months on a single dial. They hoard their pigments, many of which were made by companies that closed decades ago. Customers can wait years for watches from companies like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin, which take commissions mostly for reproductions of well-known 19th-century Romanticist and realist paintings. The wait is so long because of the manpower shortage; few young artists get the chance to learn the techniques. Baron experienced this first-hand. “The masters are reluctant to share their skills,” she says. “Sometimes they take apprentices but don’t show them everything.”

Baron herself managed to become a master of miniature painting, but she had to learn circuitously, in the process working with some of the companies that had begun to break with the enamel tradition. After graduating from art school, she accepted a job at Jaeger-LeCoultre under enamelist Miklos Merczel, who established his own style in the 1980s. Merczel is best known for his Art Nouveau-style reproductions of the work of Alphonse Mucha, which are often placed on the case back of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso model. These pieces feature brilliant coloration and fine detail, but are not true Geneva enamel, as they receive only half as many firings as in the traditional technique.

After leaving Jaeger-LeCoultre, Baron worked for a time at Roger Dubuis in Geneva, but her work on various subjects, some of it erotic, very much reflected the personal vision of the firm’s president, Carlos Diaz. Baron really hit her artistic stride when she took a position at the boutique Geneva watchmaker Delaneau, whose president, Christina Thevanez, is as obsessed with preserving traditional enamel techniques as she is with redefining women’s watch designs. Under Thevanez’s guidance, Baron was able to flourish as an artist capable of capturing a fine level of detail and expression, from the subtle coloration of a butterfly’s wings to the whiskers on a tiger.

While she still performs Geneva-style enamel for Delaneau, much of Baron’s time is now spent as a consultant for Stern Creations, a dial-making company through which she is bringing enamel to new audiences.

Dial design from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s latest enamel series, Reverso à Éclipses.

One of its clients, Van Cleef & Arpels, released some of this work last year in its “Lady Arpels Centenary” watch, which features a hand-painted enamel disk, only a part of which can be seen as it slowly rotates once per year. These pieces, like the work of Merczel, are fired less than the Geneva process, and are abstract, an area the traditional painters rarely touch.

Perfectionists like Thevanez, whose company, Delaneau, manufactures pieces in much more limited series, are quick to point out the difference. “True Geneva enamel should be perfectly smooth on the surface with no rough spots,” she explains. “You can easily tell the difference if you look carefully.”

Pieces like the “Lady Arpels Centenary” and its newer variants can made in much larger series at a more affordable price, because they do not require so many firings and can be executed by Stern Creation’s larger staff of young artisans. They have also achieved a level of commercial success that still eludes traditional pieces, particularly in the United States, where large series of branded pieces can be marketed much more easily than exquisite one-of-a-kind creations. In so doing, they offer the possibility of further life for all the techniques and for future enamelists to learn the craft.

“It was so hard for me to learn what I know,” Baron says. “It has been wonderful to be able to pass it along.”

James Malcolmson has been writing about the Swiss watch industry for more than 10 years. A frequent contributor to Robb Report, Chicago Social, Angeleno, Celebrated Living and several others, he visits the factories and workshops in Switzerland several times annually.

* * * * *
Luxury Erotic Watches For Just Over $100k
From TrendHunter

They say you reach the classification of ‘Super Rich’ when you earn more interest that you can spend.  I think you reach that point when spend over $100k on an erotic watch.

However, if you have the spare cash flow, why search for free porn on the net when you can buy a $160,000 watch with customized porn?  Blancpain, an extremely high end watch company, has introduced its new line of Erotica Watches.  Flip the classic watch over, and on the back, you’ll see a mechanically animated source of erotica.

“The two-sided nature of the erotic watch is aptly illustrated by Blancpain, one of the most stolidly conservative Swiss manufacturers and also one of the leading makers of the traditional erotic automaton watch. For $160,000, you can purchase a classic Villeret minute repeater with your choice of erotic scene underneath the sapphire caseback.” – Robb Report

If this is your style, but you don’t have the $160,000, you may want to check out Erotica Watches, who offers an array of automation watches for those of you looking to spend closer to $150. 

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Erotic Watches through Time
From WatchLuxus

A (very) short history of erotica is achieveable by an attentive look at the collections of luxury watch brands.

In tribute to the couple that started it all: Corum’s Golden Bridge Adam et Eve.  The handpainted miniature images required 36 hours of painting artistry and 15 hours to dry in various stages in an oven.  Great time was involved to also delicately engrave the bridges and mainplate by hand, then expertly assemble some 137 components and encase them within four specially shaped and cut sapphire crystals.  In the words of Corum: ‘Such a beautiful creation could only be a labour of love’.

Next, the period of Romanticism when greater importance was given to the emotions and the imagination.  Depicted with Angular Momentum’s ‘Eglomise Romanticism’; sapphire crystal reverse painted by an artist.  In the words of Angular Momentum: ‘A perfect fusion of elegance and technology, Angular Momentum watches catch the spirit of the time’.

Finally, Fortis Art Editions - a collection of watches designed by contemporary artists which ‘set different standards in the watch industry’.  Pictured is a piece from the Charles Wilp collection which represents Wilps’ new strategy of product-advertising: sexy American Pin-Up-Girls from the American artist Mel Ramos and respectable brands.

* * * * *

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Monday, October 08, 2007

Number One-Hundred-Nineteen

XXX Family Values
Sunny Lane’s Parents Say She’s ‘the Girl Next Door, Turned Hard Core’
From ABC News Internet Ventures

Sunny Lane is a porn star whose parents help manage her career.

As a girl, Sunny Lane wanted to be a professional ice skater.

Her mother, Shelby, decorated her glittery competition costumes, and her dad, Mike, cheered for his only child from the sidelines.

Years later, they’re still at it—only now they’re helping their daughter chase her dreams of becoming a porn star.

“I like to be in front of the camera,” Sunny said. “I like to show my talent. I have many, many talents in a lot of different areas, and I want to show them.”

But it’s more than just showing off the physical assets and the innocent pouts that have earned her the nickname the “Shirley Temple of Porn,” because she looks much younger than she is. Sunny will only say that she’s in her 20s.

“It would totally mess the fantasy up for my fans,” she said about her reluctance to reveal her age. “I look very young, which I’m very grateful [for].”

Sunny sees more than the opportunity to show off her talents; she also sees dollar signs in an industry that made almost $13 billion last year, and she demands hands-on control of her career.

“I’m a businesswoman,” she said. “I have an empire, and I have a massive team backing me.”

Lawyers, a publicist and image consultants are on call for Sunny, but the foundation for her team is still in the Lane apartment, where Sunny lives with her parents.

Sunny Lane is her stage name, and her parents also go by the same last name. For the last year and a half, life in the apartment has revolved around the business of selling Sunny, whom they market as “The Girl Next Door Turned Hard Core.”

On a recent afternoon, Shelby answered the phone while Mike sat nearby in the living room. Upstairs, Sunny packed a suitcase for an evening full of appearances and outfit changes. Shelby helped, filling small plastic bags with costumes, makeup and music.

Once Sunny has worn an outfit, Shelby puts it—unwashed, of course—back in a small plastic bags to one day auction off on their Web site. Sunny’s underwear can bring in a lot of cash.

“They’ll pay $50 to $100 for panties,” her mother said.

‘Dreams Do Come True’

“We’re not kinky parents,” Mike said.

Married for 29 years, he and Shelby say that their own secret to staying monogamous was watching porn movies. For them, Sunny’s co-stars are her “dates,” and they say they’d rather her have sex on a porn set than with a “civilian” who might eventually break her heart.

“She does her thing, safely, in a good environment, and I don’t worry about that. When she comes back home, I just ask her how her date was,” Mike said.

Mike and Shelby are proud of Sunny’s success. Mike said that when he first saw Sunny on the Playboy channel, his reaction was, “Well, dreams do come true, I guess.”

“To me, it’s all entertainment. I see it all as entertainment,” said Shelby.

Mike and Shelby say they fast-forward through the sex scenes in their daughter’s movies, despite having made a cameo appearance in one of her early films. If she has a good scene, Mike relies on her fans to let him know whether it was good or bad.

“And if it’s good, that means the movie’s going to be good, her scene’s going to be good, and everybody’s going to make a lot of money hopefully,” he said.

To keep making all that money, Sunny promotes herself relentlessly—giggling, bouncing and blowing kisses at red carpet events and private parties.

“I’m a product,” she said, “And I know that, and I’m a dang good product.”

Promoting the Product

At the adult video convention in Las Vegas in January, Sunny was there to market herself, and her parents were right there beside her. But Shelby and Mike seem to have taken their support to a whole new level. While at the conference, they looked into getting life-size, anatomically correct sex dolls molded of their daughter.

“I do want to have a doll that looks exactly like me,” said Sunny. “[My parents] support anything that I have to do with my business, and it’s my decision. And if I want a doll, I want a doll.”

But what does the industry think of her parents? Mike says he and Shelby are involved in Sunny’s career to look after those people who want to use her. He sees himself as the porn equivalent of Jessica and Ashlee Simpson’s father, Joe.

“Some of the industry has accepted us very, very well, and some of the industry don’t understand any of it,” Mike said.

But Sunny is adamant that her parents are only there for support.

“They do not make money off of me. If anything, I pay them. I pay them in return for everything that they have loved and supported me after all these years.”

‘Why Am I Doing This?’

A few miles away in the San Fernando Valley, another young woman who achieved early success as a porn star made the difficult decision to leave this industry.

Unlike Sunny, Sophia Lynn entered her career in pornography alone, with no family support. After only being in the business for a few months, she already seemed to be an experienced pro. The blonde glamour girl says she comes from a devout Christian family and only got into porn to make some extra money. She had gone through a divorce and had a young child to help support.

“When you have bill collectors calling you every five minutes, you start to feel hopeless,” she said.

She started out modeling and was encouraged to give porn a try.

“I kept thinking, ‘Why am I doing this?’ But then I reminded [myself] [that] my car payment was due.”

These days, many girls look up to porn stars like Jenna Jameson, who’s had a best-selling autobiography and recently sold her own adult entertainment company, Club Jenna, to Playboy for millions.

A Contract Girl

Today, there are more girls clamoring to enter the business than 10 years ago. Like any business, more product means less profit, so girls are often asked to do more degrading acts for fewer dollars than they used to.

“Would I want to be a young woman getting into the adult [business] right now? Perfectly honestly, no,” said porn legend Taylor Wane.

When she got into the business in 1989, Wane said it was more about women exploring their sexuality. Nowadays, she said, it’s about pushing the envelope to extremes.

Newcomer Lynn was lucky to escape that path. Within a few weeks of leaving her child with her ex and arriving in Los Angeles, Lynn was on the path toward becoming a new Jenna Jameson. She signed on as a contract girl with Adam & Eve, something only a tiny fraction of girls in the business get offered.

As a contract girl, she had the potential to make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, but only needed to film a few days each month. She was able to make more female-friendly and couple-friendly films, rather than the gonzo videos that try to outgross each other.

For the first time in Lynn’s life, she was making real money. She was being told every day that she was beautiful, meeting celebrities, boosting her confidence. Still, she missed her daughter, and she chain-smoked and drank sugary drinks to deal with nerves.

“You have a million people tell you you’re beautiful every single day, a million—and not one of them really give a s--t about you,” she said.

‘I Let a Lot of My Morals Go’

Between her own red carpet appearances, movie sets and how-to sex books, Lynn appeared to be going through the motions. She was distracted, tired and often disoriented.

“I made a very, very large risk in coming out here,” she said, “by being away from my child so much. I’ve gone through some pretty good times and pretty bad times here. The hardest point is when I realized that I let a lot of my morals that I thought I had go.”

While Lynn ultimately decided to leave the industry, she said there was no guarantee she could stay out.

“There’s never, ever any certainties in life. … I don’t know exactly what my future holds,” she said. 

* * * * *

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Number Ninety-Three

COUPLES VOTE SEX HOTEL A HIT
by Patrick Barkham, The Guardian

Upstairs, Gina Walker toys with the black straps hanging from the ceiling. “You sit here, your arms go in there and your legs are spread out there. The big ladies, they have a whale of a time swinging all over the place. Oooh, it’s a fab club.”

Downstairs, surrounded by smoked-glass mirrors in a softly lit bar, thirtysomething couples in smart casuals sip champagne cocktails on leather sofas. The Ricky Martin song She Bangs plays on the sound system. 

The Liberty Hotel squats in the Leicestershire countryside on the edge of the A5, a convenient 10 minutes from the M1 and the M6. BMWs and Mondeos line up in the car park. It looks a comfortable stop for a sales rep. 

But at weekends Liberty becomes Liberation, a high-class club for swingers that is set to transform the seedy image of swinging and the staid hotel industry. What once seemed an outré lifestyle is fast becoming a common secret for an estimated 500,000 couples in middle England. 

Such has been the hotel’s success since it opened on Valentine’s Day that a 140-bedroom branch is proposed outside London. Other Liberation franchises are likely to be established near Leeds, Carlisle and across the UK. 

Lone perverts are out; jazz, spa baths and fluffy white bathrobes are in. As couples enter the bar, paying £25 on the door and a £30 annual membership fee, there is little to indicate anything other than an ordinary country club. Beyond a discreet glass cabinet displaying a “cordless micro-pleasurer” and a “vibrating finger vibe”, lies the “playroom”. 

Ms Walker, 37, a guide and “door supervisor”, shows guests the voyeurs’ room, and a series of other rooms in dark red decor, with double beds, mirrors, lava lamps, and various contraptions, including stocks and “the swings”. In the corner are wet wipes, bowls of condoms and piles of clean towels. 

The club is the brainchild of former KPMG accountant Neil Armstrong-Nash, 37, and his wife, Lianne, 35. They tried several swinging clubs but were put off by what Mr Armstrong-Nash calls “the shag and go” concept: sleazy dives with drinks in plastic tumblers, where couples are plagued by that habitual irritant of the swingers’ scene - the single bloke who has paid to get in and feels entitled to sex. 

Liberation is “couple centred” - 90% of its 1,000 members are heterosexual couples. It has strict rules - no cameras or mobile phones; a closed door means a couple don’t want to be disturbed; staff never join in - and an emphasis on people only doing what they are comfortable with. 

No professions are barred, but single men and women are vetted. “We have one 25-year-old single guy who comes here,” said Ms Walker. “It’s his recreation. He’s really good-looking and the women just love him.”

Friday night is “new swingers” night. Eight visibly nervous couples are greeted by Mr and Mrs Armstrong-Nash, who give them an introductory speech, champagne and dinner. 

“Swinging is a very positive step so long as you are in a stable, long-term relationship; it is not something you should do to fix your relationship,” said Mr Armstrong-Nash. 

In the bar, more experienced swingers, including Lindsey, 37, and Craig, 33, arrive. Preferring to go under assumed names, the couple, a company director and an operations manager who live in the Midlands, say that swinging must remain “the biggest secret you have” because of the misconceptions. They have been coming to the hotel for seven months, finding it “more sophisticated”, with better “etiquette” and a nicer class of cliental than traditional swinging clubs. 

“The one thing about swinging is that everyone respects boundaries,” said Craig. “It’s not about putting your car keys in a bowl and swapping partners. There are no people running around naked. There are no mass orgies. It is all a choice. Nothing is a foregone conclusion.” But, he conceded: “Once you have been here a few times the boundaries will move.”

Craig added: “It’s a liberating feeling coming to a club like this. During your working day it gives you more confidence. If I’m honest, the reason I come here is because it’s so naughty.”

* * * * *

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Number Eighty-Six

Introduction to Champagne Pol Roger - Excellence and Independence

Established in 1849, Champagne Pol Roger remains family-owned and proudly independent to this day. The history and spirit of the company mirrors that of the family who bear the same name: a respect for nature, a devotion to quality and a certain joie de vivre.

As one of the smaller houses, Champagne Pol Roger owns 87 hectares of vineyards on prime sites in the Vallée d’Epernay and the Côte des Blancs, drawing the remainder of their supplies from individual growers, many of whom have supplied Pol Roger for generations. Its cellars, extending to 7 km, lie on three levels in the chalk below the streets of Epernay and are among the deepest and coolest cellars in the region: contributing to the slow maturation and creation of fine, persistent bubbles which are the hallmark of all Pol Roger champagnes.

The History of the Family

Foundation

Champagne Pol Roger is one of the very few remaining houses still owned and run by the founding family, who remain responsible for the winemaking and selection of the cuvées each year.

Pol Roger was born on 24th December 1831 in the village of Aÿ. He elected not to follow his father’s footsteps by entering the law, but received his support when he showed a determined interest in the wine trade. Pol set up in Aÿ as a négociant or wholesaler at the age of 17, drawing initial business from his family’s contacts and clients of his father.

The following year, 1849, saw the birth of the new champagne house as Pol Roger began to create his own cuvées (for release from 1853) rather than bring in wines solely from other houses. His sales for the first six months of operation were 3,769 bottles and 825 half-bottles. Today that has grown to around 1.5 million bottles per annum.

Establishing the brand

Historical events for Pol Roger champagnes in England began in the second half of the 19th century, which saw the rapid development of the business, in what was a golden era for champagne. In 1876 Conrad Reuss of Reuss, Lauteren & Co. of Crutched Friars, Mark Lane in the City of London was appointed as the first UK agent for Pol Roger, selling in to the top end of the hotel trade, prestigious clubs – and the following year to the Royal Household.

In 1887 Maurice Pol-Roger, the son of Pol who with his brother Georges had changed their surname by deed poll to Pol-Roger, paid his first visit to England to learn the business here, starting a close relationship between the family and this country that has been maintained ever since. By 1888 HRH The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Gladstone were amongst those enjoying the pleasures of Pol Roger.

The second generation

On the death of Pol Roger, his two sons took over the stewardship of the company. Then in 1900 tragedy struck when the major part of the cellars in Epernay collapsed destroying 1.5 million bottles, much of it destined for England. Other champagne houses and agents rallied round to support Pol Roger and help the company maintain its export business.

In 1908 Winston Churchill, then in the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade, became a customer for the first time, beginning a lifelong association with the brand.

The Royal Warrant was awarded to Pol Roger in 1911 and Pol Roger was served at the Guildhall luncheon held on George V’s Coronation Day, 30th June.

The War Years

During the First World War hostilities affected Epernay (occupied by the Germans during the month of September 1914) and champagne production and exporting, since the front line remained just over 20 miles away for most of the duration of the war. In the interwar years, sales of champagne in England only picked up slowly, but were strong again by 1923 in large part due to the outstanding quality of the 1914 vintage.

In 1934 Champagne Pol Roger opened their new celliers at 34 Avenue de Champagne, still a landmark building in the town. In the same year King George V held a reception for 800 guests on the occasion of the marriage of his son the Duke of Kent to Princess Louise, serving Pol Roger.

Germany’s invasion of France in May 1940 and aerial attacks on Epernay led to the suspension of shipments to England. Nothing was heard from the Pol-Roger family until France was liberated by the Allies in 1944.

Modern Times

The post-war years saw only a gradual restoration of exports to England as military and domestic market requirements in France restricted supply. In the 1950’s the poor harvest of 1951 and the growth of local co-operatives led to the Pol-Roger family purchasing vineyards and developing existing land to control a fully owned area of 87 hectares to produce nearly half of their grape requirements and thus assure quality and supply.

In 1955 the introduction of ‘White Foil’ Non-Vintage (now Brut Réserve NV) helped to rebuild sales in England. An agent was employed in Scotland, Dick Yorke, who became the brand’s ambassador there.

In 1966 the English agency arrangements changed, with the purchase of the Reuss business by H.P. Bulmer of cider fame.

In the 1970’s worldwide sales of champagne topped 100 million bottles for the first time, but fluctuating harvest and the oil crisis of 1974 affected sales dramatically. The beginnings of the 1980’s saw two poor vintages and very high grapes prices, and a second energy crisis. By the middle of the decade, with a high proportion of wholly-owned vineyards, sales recovered and the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill was launched in June 1984.

Following three excellent vintages, in 1989 the opportunity came to change the company’s sales representation in Great Britain, and Bill Gunn M.W, who had been responsible for the brand at Dent & Reuss, was appointed in 1990 Managing Director of a new company, majority-owned by Pol Roger in the UK – Pol Roger Ltd, with offices in Ledbury, Herefordshire. The company progressively took on the agencies for a number of independent, family-owned businesses producing premium wines and spirits. In 1993 Pol Roger Ltd assumed the agency for Scotland from RMR Yorke & Co. Pol Roger Ltd moved to Hereford, its present location in 1998. 

Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill had a lifelong ‘attachment’ to Pol Roger champagne and insisted on enjoying the wine at the most dangerous and dark periods of wartime. He famously borrowed a slogan of Napoleon’s to describe his passion for this supremely invigorating champagne: “In defeat I need it, in victory I deserve it”.

Winston Churchill was born in 1874, the same year from which an outstanding Pol Roger vintage was created – a cuvée which was to provide the foundation for the brand’s reputation in England.

Winston became a customer of Pol Roger for the first time when a Cabinet Minister and President of the Board of Trade. He ordered a supply of the 1895 vintage.

By 1914 Pol Roger had become the champagne of people of prominence, and the 1906 vintage sealed this position, being consumed at many royal functions. Winston Churchill, as First Lord of the Admiralty, retained his loyalty to the brand.

During the Second World War, Churchill maintained a stock of Pol Roger always at hand, even having a case loaded onto flights into foreign war zones, as both defeats and victories ‘justified’ its consumption. (Allied troops, after the liberation of Epernay and France in 1944 had special stocks of Pol Roger labeled and reserved for their use).

In 1944, Churchill attended an informal luncheon held by the British Ambassador in Paris, Duff Cooper and his wife, where he was introduced to Odette Pol-Roger and a lifelong friendship developed. Odette was one of the renowned ‘Wallace Collection’ – the three beautiful daughters of French Major General Wallace. The coming together with Odette was described as ‘a beautiful December – May relationship, quite harmless and smiled on by Mrs Churchill, who much admired Odette – who personified the best in France’. Every year on Winston’s birthday, November 30th, Odette would send a case of Churchill’s favourite vintage while stocks lasted – the 1928.

Churchill described Odette’s home at 44, Avenue de Champagne, in Epernay as ‘the world’s most drinkable address’ but sadly was unable to complete his promise to tread the grapes with ‘my bare feet’. Instead he sent her a signed copy of his memoirs with the inscription ‘Mise en bouteille à Château Chartwell’. In 1949, he was still attached to the 1928 vintage, insisting that it be the only champagne served in his lodgings in Strasbourg for the Council of Europe meeting.

In January 1965 Churchill died. As a tribute to their most loyal client, through whose cellar it is estimated more than 500 cases of Pol Roger had passed in the last ten years of his life, a black border was added to the labels of all bottles of ‘White Foil’ sold in the United Kingdom.

Then in 1984 Pol Roger introduced the Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, the launch taking place at Blenheim Palace, his birthplace. In 2006 the Cuvée was re-released in a new livery with lively shades of marine blue and red recalling the resplendent uniform worn by Sir Winston during his tenure of the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports.

The champagne reflects the rich, mature, full-bodied style of Pol Roger champagne made before the Second World War, the style that Churchill preferred. Christian Pol-Roger explains: ‘The composition is not disclosed – Winston Churchill never asked about the exact composition of our cuvées – but Pinot Noir dominates, blended with Chardonnay. The grapes are from Grand Cru vineyards under vine in Churchill’s lifetime.

In 1990 the black band of mourning on ‘White Foil’ was lightened to navy blue, recalling Winston Churchill’s ‘loyalties to the Senior Service’ as a former First Lord of the Admiralty.

* * * * *

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Number Eighty-Four

Sexy Little Gifts from Anthropologie

satu eau de parfum
Meaning “fairytale” in Finnish, Satu fragrances each tell a distinct story of crisp fruits, heady spices and warm florals. An Anthropologie exclusive.

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Gerber Daisy (Yellow): an airy floral blend with hints of clementine and blond wood

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Field of Freesia (Green): a smooth and clean combination of evergreen, osmanthus and freesia

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Plum Nectar (Red): plum, musk and blackberry patchouli make for a heady, sensual brew

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Vanilla Infusion (Blue): black calla lily blends with lush layers of fruit and spice for a touch of the exotic

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Anthropologie was founded in 1992 by a small group of people with a love for making things that inspire the imagination. To our delight, over the past decade we have traveled the globe, broken new ground with our catalog and web design, and most significantly of all, found customers who are our soulmates on this wondrous journey.

We carefully design and select our products with an eye for craftsmanship, the smallest details, and that certain something special that makes each item you find in our stores and website more than novelty but a personal discovery.

Our clothing, jewelry, and objects for home are always in flux. So is our world. Our hope at Anthropologie is to share with you in the breathtaking possibility of it all.

* * * * *

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Number Eighty-Three

StockinGirl designs most of the exclusive stockings and hosiery you see in their store. You will find lots to choose from....silky fully fashioned stockings, modern printed stockings, fishnet pantyhose, thigh highs, glitter stockings, luxurious 100% silk stockings and silk lace top thigh highs, sandalfoot stockings, color RHT stockings, ultra sheer reinforced heel and toe stockings and pantyhose, whatever your hosiery desires are we probably have it in our boutique. Their store has RHT ultra sheer stockings in four different levels of sheerness from the most ultra sheer 7 denier, and up to 10 denier, 12 denier and 15 denier Nylon, depending on the degree of sheerness you are looking for. We have sheer stockings, opaque stockings, opaque tights, thigh highs and fully fashioned (seamed) hosiery in sixteen different colors!

Their fully fashioned seamed stockings are knit on original vintage hosiery machines in Europe. There are only a few machines left in the world making extraordinary quality retro style seamed stockings, they are wonderful additions to their boutique. We have classic retro seamed styles and they also have modern variations with colors like royal blue, tangerine, yellow, pink and purple.

Nylon pantyhose boutique. From seamed pantyhose to reinforced heel and toe pantyhose, otherwise known as RHT, sandalfoot pantyhose, glitter fishnet pantyhose to modern pantyhose and tights with wild prints, they have a beautiful and totally unique collection to browse through.

Wool tights, wool leggings, and cotton cable knit tights.  Fabulously warm and fashionable natural fiber tights for the colder months, both cable knit and ribbed tights available. 

Fashion leggings are all the rage in fashion magazines!  They have a variety of footless tights and printed leggings available.

Be sure to browse their lingerie department where they have silk garter belts, four strap garter belts and six strap suspender belts...you probably need something beautiful to hold up your new stockings!  They also have exquisite silk slips, bras and panties.

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Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Number Seventy-Six

Sensualle Lingerie.  Brazilian Sexy.  Brazilian Hot.

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Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Number Seventy-Five

Lola Luna.  “Brevity is the soul of lingerie.” ~ Dorothy Parker

In Provence France, the Lola Luna lingerie company manufactures the most sexy and luxurious mini & micro thongs & G-strings in very small and limited quantities.  Lola Luna lingerie is very exclusive and is hand-made from Calais lace & the finest embroidered tulles.  It makes some of the most decadent crotchless micro thongs anywhere & many of its G-strings are decorated with Swarovski crystals & real pearl accents.

Lola Luna makes the ultimate & possibly the most expensive micro G-string on the planet: the very special Shakti is hand-made to order and is decorated with a Garnet jewel, 18-carat yellow gold & chains made of white gold (3.2 grams of gold total), and is presented in a luxury gift box with a certificate of authenticity. 

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Here are some enticements.

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Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Friday, June 22, 2007

Number Sixty-Eight

LaRare Fetish Footwear
An interview with Nathalie Elharrar by Jason Campbell, JC Report.

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Last season when former Thierry Mugler and Lagerfeld Gallery shoe designer Nathalie Elharrar told us in confidence that she was developing a line around the fetish lifestyle, we gave her two thumbs up and demanded an exclusive on the story. We’re all for anything with a sexual angling done up chicly, and that’s Ellharrar’s specialty. Six months later, she has executed her clear-cut concept (slightly watered down in its debut to ease in the audience), and the resulting shoes are sublime, coming close to what Eric Stanton envisioned in his bondage illustrations. It’s haute luxury, titillating, and right on time for a shoe market that’s taking giant steps forward creatively. We met up with Ellharrar during Paris Fashion Week, where she showed her line at Michel Klein’s showroom, to find out the source of her wicked new steps, LaRare.

JC Report:  At what point do fetish and fashion meet, and why did you decide to marry these two disciplines?

Nathalie Elharrar:  Fetish and fashion have been deeply linked for a long time. It’s a part of the culture I got into when I was working for Thierry Mugler and Lagerfeld. We were already taking inspiration from this concept for shoes. I love the works of Araki, Stanton, John Willie (inventor of the first fetish heroine, Gwendoline, and publisher of fetish magazine, Bizarre) and from comics authors like the Italian Guido, Crepax, and her heroine Valentine. I also like the fact that the most respectable people can be so fascinated with high heels. And since I create shoes, I meet people for whom shoes are a part of their intimate dreams — they even have shoe dreams they confide to you.

High-heeled shoes drive you to have an attitude which confronts the question of power, control, and seduction. When you wear a 13cm heel, even with platform, you have to be in control of yourself in a very interesting way, which gives you more insurance, and it’s a constraint exactly like a corset sometimes (but my shoes are a bit more comfortable than corsets).

JCR:  LaRare. Tell us of the double entendre meaning of the brand name.

NE:  My family name is Elharrar. No one is ever able to pronounce it correctly the first time, and I wanted to create a very exclusive luxury brand of shoes, so LARARE came very fast in choosing the brand name.

JCR:  Love the logo, tell us about the mix of woman and saddle.

NE:  I wanted something with a bit of humor, glamour, and provocation. It’s a mix between my love of medieval blazon and an illustration by John Willie showing three women playing a pony story, which then appear in my logo as a horse-like silhouette with sexy female legs. It has been made in collaboration with Alex Gautier, who is the artistic director of Citizen K. To get him started, I sent him a few personal sketches of a double female centaur.

JCR:  Describe the styles in this concise first presentation.

NE:  The short card of colors: flesh, red, purple, and black, with a touch of pale pink gold, and metallic ultraviolet. High boots and “cuissardes” with geometric cut-outs or with eyelets and “lacets” in the back held by a leather garter belt. The whole story is in stretchy leathers (patent or suede), on a round last with double platform, mix of black, nickel, or metal finish and leather. Some pumps and boots come with ankle belts and metal locker with chain, on a short pointy last on a “virgule” shaped 12 cm high heel and platform made of recovered wood. This whole group has a ring of metal screwed under the sole just in the arch of the feet, and in the shoe box you will find a little pretty chain with snap clasp.

JCR:  Is it just for women with an interest in a subversive fetish lifestyle?

NE:  No, it’s not only for that. It’s for women who want a seductive and powerful attitude on high heels, for girls who love sexy chic shoes.

JCR:  How do you envision the collection growing?

NE:  Keeping strong codes as cuissardes in leather stretch, undersoles rings, and boots very [Eric] Stanton, and developing the collection step by step. Expanding the choices of leather to incorporate more exotic skins. Mulling ideas and concepts of a black box with a very private mini-collection...lot of ideas. For the moment, just keeping my feet on the ground to do each thing based in the reality.

JCR:  Do you design for any other brands?

NE:  Yes, I just finished designing the Paule Ka shoes collection and I’ve also designed the last two seasons of Michel Klein’s shoe collection.

JCR:  Who are your dream retailers?

NE:  In Paris, L’eclaireur, Maria Luisa, Bon Marché and Biondini (the most incredible choice of sexy high heels), Bergdorf Goodman, Browns, and of course kinky luxury shops like CoCo De Mer in London and Kiki de Montparnasse in New York.

This interview was conducted by Jason Campbell

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Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Monday, May 07, 2007

Number Sixty

The Erotic Print Society.  Adult Books for Grown-Ups.

For men & women who appreciate the best in erotic books, art, photography and literature.  Established in 1994, EPS is now firmly established as the leading source of collectible erotica worldwide - from sexy pocket-sized paperbacks to beautifully bound limited editions.

HISTORY

The Erotic Print Society was founded in 1994; nine years previously, the Maclean Gallery in London’s West End had hosted the first exhibition of historic and contemporary erotic art ever held in this country, entitled “Forbidden Images”

The most popular items at this show were erotic prints. Hence Jamie Maclean’s idea to set up a publishing company specialising in the production of facsimile erotic prints that were too rare or expensive for the average collector to purchase.

Although initially successful, it soon became clear that the sale of print portfolios alone would not be enough to sustain this fledging business. At the same time they realised there were no publishers committed to the erotic works of contemporary artists and writers. The Society published its first book, with a good deal of amateur cut-and paste-work, in 1996. Now it produces around twenty titles a year with an erotic theme - more than any other publisher in the world.

Here’s a sampling of the EPS collection.

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SEx: The Magazine

Ever since the ‘vicars ’n tarts’ days of the News of the World, the media’s ‘moral’ position on sex has been a cynical awareness that a prurient piece on the evils of prostitution sells better than treating the subject seriously. More recently, the general sex lives of celebrities from any list are reported as explicitly as hypocrisy allows. The lifestyle gurus are earnest and patronising and the advertising professionals trade on the prevalent lack of sexual sophistication.

SEx changes all that, by giving sex the appreciation that it deserves. It aims high and takes an approach that’s different. It’s the Journal of the Erotic Print Society, which brings out more original books on sex every year than any other publisher. It doesn’t need a licence or a sanctioned context. It won’t be approved by WH Smith’s. It is as irreverent, informative, outspoken and witty as is necessary for intelligent readers.

SEx collects a broad range of established and new writers sympathetic to the theme. Some explore its social dynamic, others contribute fiction, while others look at the arts, the media, the adult entertainment industry, the law and politics.

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Twenty 2

TWENTY 2 is the brilliant new erotic graphic novel from the talented artist of the “Janice Trilogy” and “Twenty, Volume 1”. .

Twenty’s innocent young cousin, Sally, has a problem: in a sexually liberated society, she still has inhibitions to lose. In an erotic roller-coaster of a book, positively heaving with orgies, sado-masochistic thrills and ingenious sexual novelty, she achieves her goal to everyone’s satisfaction - especially her own! In that strange, twilight world of von Götha eroticism that seems to hover between extravagant fantasy and cheeky fact, Sally’s very physical education is a delightful mix of pleasure and pain, dream and reality. Von Götha fans will not be disappointed...Erich von Götha is the artist behind many bestselling erotic graphic novels.

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Some photography & artwork

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Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Number Forty-Seven

Naughty Janet.  Are You Good Enough?

“Sheherazade” & “Arabesque”

The companion site for lingerie and nightwear is Janet Reger’s Classic & New Collections.

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Number Thirty-Nine

Shopping

Wicked Tickles has an exquisite range of tantalising toys that provide hours of Bliss, Buzz, Oooh la la & ooh la ouch, and Literal Stimulation.  They have a unique selection which includes Anna Span videos, chocolate body paints, toys & boudoir accessories.

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Blowfish sets the fun standard for shopping experiences with one of the largest selections available.  Good Products for Great Sex. A few select items include DVDs like “The Crash Pad” & “Way of the Dragon”, and erotic Tarot cards from the Casanova and Milo Manara collections.  And be sure to check out the Blowfish Blog too.

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Monday, February 19, 2007

Number Thirty-Seven

Eternal Spirits.  Exquisite Corsetry and Boudoir Accessories.

Award-winning Eternal Spirits is one of the UK’s most talked about corsetry specialists, offering a unique range of traditionally made, handcrafted corsetry, lingerie, and bridal wear.  Established in January 2002, our exquisite range of corsetry and boudoir wear is beautiful enough to be worn in and out of the bedroom and is the ultimate in sexy & seductive lingerie while our corsets are perfect for a special night out teamed with a pencil skirt or pair of skinny jeans.  As our corsetry is made-to-order using traditional techniques, they are designed to take the waist in by 2 to 4 inches so you can really have your cake and eat it.

Susi, the designers’ love for the corset stems from the irony the corset projects, as nothing tickles us good folk more than a bit of irony.  That not even 100 years ago the corset was the bain of every woman’s life.  A garment that was seen to restrict and oppress, and create an un-natural shape, even during pregnancy and childhood - is now the single most erotic and attractive piece of clothing a woman can buy.  That today, the corset displays ultimate sexuality and freedom brings poetic justice to all those years of corset-wearing oppression.  Each corset is created individually and handcrafted and finished to traditional corsetry methods.  Made in England, the Eternal Spirits team create each order to perfection before sending each item beautifully gift wrapped in a corset box to the customer.

Selected Corsets (from the Agnes, Audrey, Burlesque, Dita, Grace, Lilly, Sherbert, Striptease, Trixi, Victoriana, & Violet collections)

Selected Accessories (Candy Floss Clear necklace, Iced Fire choker, Italian Leather Arm Cuffs, Starburst Montana Blue necklace).

And...Eternal Spirits Issue No. 1 of Spirit Magazine is available.

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Number Twenty-Nine

Documento Sin Titulo...two places to find your dirty books for the New Year.

Olympia Press is renowned for it’s Ebook reproductions from that golden age of Parisian decadence and especially its’ Traveller’s Companion Series including “The Romance of Lust” (Volumes 1-4), “The World of Sex”, and “Sex Without Intercourse”. 

Salon featured Olympia Press in its article, “Lust in the Dust Jacket”, and paid it a heady compliment, “. . . .The Olympia Press has earned an honorable, demented place in literary history. It published some of the great books of the century when no one else would, and in the process helped smash down the last barriers of censorship. . . .”.

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The Erotic Book Shop has some interesting reading selections along with some toys & games.

Black Lace Book of Women’s Sexual Fantasies.  The Black Lace brand name is synonymous with quality erotica written by and for women. When the book was originally published in 1999 it was the first collection of British women’s fantasies to appear on the market.  The editor had unique access to the Black Lace readers’ most private opinions and spent a year and half interviewing and corresponding with the contributors.  The results are fascinating and clearly divided into themed sections dealing with the many-faceted nature of female sexuality. With thought-provoking analytical essays before each chapter, the reader can follow the history of modern sexual behaviour and see how popular culture and even fairy stories have influenced our erotic imaginations.

“The Society of Sin” was conceived on a hot and sticky summer’s evening inside a mansion house on a large country estate when, after an opium-fuelled night of passion, Lady P and her close friend Samantha Powerstock succumbed to desires they had both repressed for years. Now, a year later, they have invited a select few to join their exclusive association. But only genuine hedonists need apply; prospective members are interrogated over a sumptuous dinner then given an ‘assignment’ which they must fulfil. Failure to do so results in instant expulsion and the prospect of being ‘named and shamed’ in the exclusive circles they currently frequent. However, successful completion of the task opens for them a Pandora’s box of pain and pleasure.

Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©

Monday, October 09, 2006

Number Eighteen

“By nature I have always been quite a controversial character - I have always been into ‘really filthy’, ‘really dirty’, and attracted by things that other people are uncomfortable with.” - Sam Roddick, owner of Coco de Mer (Handbag interview).

It’s here.  Coco de Mer’s grand opening for their first US store is today at 8618 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90069.  Contact information can be found on their website here.

Hint Magazine calls it ”Coitus Couture”.  Another calls it a ”sophisticated idea of sexuality”.  Stop by the store and see what all the buzz is about.  You’ll find everything from nipple covers and clitoris creams to Swarovski-encrusted merkins by J. Maskrey and feather-tailed molten crystal vibrators by Shiri Zinn, or you can be tied up with a pair of leather bondage gauntlets designed exclusively by artisan extraordinaire Paul Seville. 

Oh, and be sure to watch the new film “Honey and Bunny” on their website...you will be enlightened.  A game of catch anyone? 

A couple of interviews with Sam Roddick can be found here and here.

These are a few goodies you’ll find when you visit the store.

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Sincerely.
Eve and JW3 and Mélisande
Dirty Girl Things ©
Unrepentant.  Unpretentious.  Unconventional. ©