Ask people what glamour is and nine times out of ten, glitz and gold will slide off their tongue in the same sentence as glamour - because that's what it means to most these days- all things glitzy, sparkly, unnecessarily and insanely expensive - all to behold with a longing gaze and admire from afar, knowing it's there for a lucky few.
But true origins of word 'glamour' lie in being enveloped in an aura of enchantment and mystique - (note - nothing to do with glitz or gold) - but more to do with entrapment that draws us, allures us into a world of sophistication and charm, that is pleasing to the eye and utterly, beautifully lifting to our souls - and that's what I look for in glamorous people and glamorous interiors - that understated, charming, captivating quality that holds your gaze and makes your heart skip a beat and fills you with wonder.
I must confess, I do get slightly annoyed by all the snapshots of celebrities in garish, over the top makeup and revealing clothes being branded as glamorous in magazines, or over decorated, dripping with expensive accessories rooms being advertised as glamorous living -that's not glamour that's a person with more money than sense - and to be honest any amount of money cannot make you or your home glamorous, far from it. It is a quality that is not that inaccessible after all, although you need to know how to pull it off - and it's what you don't put out as much as what you do -if you know what I mean, after all mystique is a product of holding back as much as revealing....
Sir Cecil Beaton was one photographer who knew how to capture true glamour - his portraits of celebrities epitomise the charming, alluring quality he brought out in them - it never was the clothes, the hair or the makeup, it was always the person in the portrait that was the mystery - the one we wanted to know more about.
In design, pulling off a glamorous interior is an art only a handful of designers know how to execute perfectly - my favourites are +Barbara Barry, +Muriel Brandolini, and +Jean-Louis Deniot. All have their own very distinctive styles but they all share a love for finesse, quality, classic and quirky old pieces mixed in with new, and most importantly measured restraint. Their designs undeniably ooze understated glamour - but at the same time have that 'I-am-more-than-you-behold' quality that makes you want to look deeper trying to figure out the secret of their success. Now that's what I call true glamour - understated, serene and confidant in its power over you!
But true origins of word 'glamour' lie in being enveloped in an aura of enchantment and mystique - (note - nothing to do with glitz or gold) - but more to do with entrapment that draws us, allures us into a world of sophistication and charm, that is pleasing to the eye and utterly, beautifully lifting to our souls - and that's what I look for in glamorous people and glamorous interiors - that understated, charming, captivating quality that holds your gaze and makes your heart skip a beat and fills you with wonder.
Sir Cecil Beaton was one photographer who knew how to capture true glamour - his portraits of celebrities epitomise the charming, alluring quality he brought out in them - it never was the clothes, the hair or the makeup, it was always the person in the portrait that was the mystery - the one we wanted to know more about.
In design, pulling off a glamorous interior is an art only a handful of designers know how to execute perfectly - my favourites are +Barbara Barry, +Muriel Brandolini, and +Jean-Louis Deniot. All have their own very distinctive styles but they all share a love for finesse, quality, classic and quirky old pieces mixed in with new, and most importantly measured restraint. Their designs undeniably ooze understated glamour - but at the same time have that 'I-am-more-than-you-behold' quality that makes you want to look deeper trying to figure out the secret of their success. Now that's what I call true glamour - understated, serene and confidant in its power over you!
