Viola Lahger

Viola Lahger is the only corset maker in Sweden, and she is good at it too! After being in the business for many years now, she knows how to make a corset that both shapes your body into the perfect hourglass form and is comfortable at the same time.

Last Thursday I had been invited to Miss Lahger's (pictured above) shop in Stockholm, for an evening of bubble drinking, corset trying, glamour learning, and mingling with a whole bunch of lovely ladies...and one man...

She gave us a short lesson in corsets, and demonstrated how to tie one on the best way by lacing up Elle, who's waist shrunk to a great extent, while her boobs seemed to grow - the perks about a well fitting underbust corset!

The fabulous Mrs Murphy was there to give us a lecture in how to bring some glamour into our everyday lives - something we should all try to do now and then to feel good about ourselves. Did you for example know that scientists have proven that the perfect heel-hight in shoes is 2.8'' (7 cm)? When you walk in high heels you wiggle your hips more - whether you think about it or not - and this wiggling actually produces the feel-good substance endorphins in our bodies. It is also the best exercise for the punani muscles! F**k kegels and put on a pair of high heels instead!

Mrs Murphy's bunny slippers. Want!

Viola Lahger makes both ready-made corsets in different sizes - which can still be altered to fit the customer's body perfectly - and figure-sewn corsets made to the client's own measurements and specific ideas and needs.

She also sells beautiful accessories, perfect for both weddings and glamorous parties. Her corsets are worn by both everyday people, brides, and burlesque stars!

Who wants to get married?

Of course we all had to try on a few corsets! Here is Fanny in a black piece that fitted her body perfectly!

Except for all her own corsets, Miss Lahger also sells a few ones from other brands. Like this one for example. I love it, and I want it!...

...And look! It gave me boobs!!!

This was one of my favorites though. Very antique-looking. Feel like doing a shoot in it...

I had a lovely evening - that resulted in quite a few glasses of Freixenet. So before I left I had to go to the ladies room to powder my nose. When I entered the restroom, I was met by this vision. A perfect ending to a perfect night!

Viola Lahger's website can be found here. And of course she exists on Facebook too!

Fabergé Friday

It's FRIDAY!!! And I guess we all know what that means by now...FABERGÉ!!! No jewelry this week though. But a lovely little box, created sometime between 1899 and 1903 by Fabergé's head workmaster Mikhail Perkhin!

This little box - 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter - is made of pearl white enamel over a guilloché ground. The border around the opening is crafted in two-colored gold.

The thumb piece is set with a cabochon ruby and two diamonds...

...and underneath the box is a star decoration.

The gold flower on top of the lid is set with two rubies, an emerald, three brilliant and three rose-cut diamonds.

Even on the inside you can see what an amazing piece of art this is.

Mikhail Perkhin made a considerable fortune working for Fabergé. He never really got an opportunity to enjoy it though. According to a biography written by Fabergé's chief-designer Franz Birbaum, Perkhin died in a mental asylum...

All pictures are from Romanov Russia.

Van Cleef & Arpels

In 1896 Alfred Van Cleef and his uncle Salomon Arpels founded the company Van Cleef & Arpels. Ten years later they opened their first boutique at 22 Place Vendôme in Paris. Ever since then, Van Cleef & Arpels have been creating beautiful jewelry, watches and perfume, and has received a long list of prominent commissions from royal and imperial courts, financiers and industrial magnates. The company's "High Jewelry" takes inspiration from fairytales, travels to distant countries, and all sorts of imaginary scenarios. Here are a few of these little works of wonder, to sparkle up your day a bit!

Midsummer Night's Dream

Caresse d'Eole Fairy clip

Flying Butterfly necklace

Pivoine ring

Amour en cage clip

Souffle de printemps necklace

Bals de Légende

Fleurs Mystérieuses necklace

Diamond dancer decor clip

Black & White colored earrings

Diamond dancer decor clip

Les Jardins

Jardin Secret earrings

Jardin Secret necklace

Le Nôtre necklace

Rêverie clip

Pégase clip

L'Atlantide

Tourmaline ring

Chevaux de Neptune bracelet

Spinel néréide clip

Une Journée à Paris

Entrée en scène necklace

Ballerina Mélisandre clip

Feu d'Artifice necklace

All pictures are taken from Van Cleef & Arpels' web site!

Red Valentino Spring 2013

While looking through the Ready-To-Wear collections for Spring 2013, I saw one collection I though deserved a whole post of its own - Red Valentino! It's full of the cutest dresses, that would make anyone look like a doll!

You can see the whole collection here!

Early 20th Century Color Photos

Part of looking at old photograph and feeling they're old, is that they are back and white, and sometimes a bit blurry. As soon as you see color photographies, they seem so much more modern, even if they were taken the same year as the ones in black and white. Vanessa - a friend of mine - sent me a link to a page full of color photos from early 20th century Paris. When looking through them I got the feeling this time wasn't so long ago, and that less than we think has actually changed...

The photos were taken using Autochrome Lumière technology. This method was invented in 1903 by Auguste and Louis Lumière (the Lumière Brothers).

Picture source.