Now a nutritional therapist and naturopath, Rosemary’s career path has taken quite a turn – less about the parties than it is about green juices, these days. A mother of three, she lives in the English countryside with her husband the artist Jake Chapman and her three daughters, pursuing a life that, on the face of it, seems far away from those catwalk days. What we love about Rosemary, however, is her fresh and upfront approach – be that to the lifestyle she leads or to her own personal style. Refreshingly honest the realities of healthy living, she’s a firm believer in the 80% good, 80% of the time school of thinking – still as up for kicking her heels up with her friends as she is for the wholesome country life. For her, living a life in balance, one that celebrates the finer things whilst still allowing time and room for a bit of looking after oneself, is the way to go – and we’re inclined to agree with her. Factor in the sort of easygoing attitude to fashion we at KOTUR love to celebrate (though it helps when you look that good in jeans and a T-shirt,) and you have an all round lovely lady to look to for all sorts and kinds of advice. Here, she answers our questions.

Rosemary’s book Juice is available on Amazon.

Q: What’s in your make-up bag?
Charlotte Tilbury mascara, Sisley lip balm, Laura Mercier blush, Shu Umura eyelash curlers and La Roche-Posay Factor 50 Suncscreen – I wear sun protection every day.  

Q: Do you have a beauty secret?
I use Aromatherapy Associates oils because they are wonderful for giving your skin that lovely glow, and I try to help my skin from the inside out by kicking off the day with one of my skin juices, like my Fresh Faced Green Juice. Food wise, anything orange is also really good for the skin because it tends to contain lots of antioxidants and beta-carotene, so that’s things like carrots, papaya and sweet potato.

Q: What would be your desert island essentials?
My phone, plenty of avocados and my little dachshund. I’d be so happy with that. I should probably say my husband and my kids, too though!

Q: What do you wear on a fat day?
I’ve got quite a lot of long, jersey tops that I wear over jeans – they’re pretty good at covering it all up when you want to.

Q: How would your female friends describe your style?
Pretty lazy! I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, I like to keep it simple. Girly doesn’t really suit me because I’m tall. There are occasions when I’ll put a dress on, but they’re getting more and more rare.

Q: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
At the moment, it’s some silk kimono dresses my friend made because they’re going to be great for summer.  I’ve also got a Versace dress from Gianni’s last collection that I treasure and two dresses from Lee McQueen’s last collection that I love and will always look after.

Q: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
The Ugg boots should probably go, but I live in the countryside and sometimes you just do need to wear slippers outside.

Q: What do you never leave home without?
I try not to leave without my wallet and keys, but that doesn’t always happen! And I normally take my perfume with me, too. At the moment I’m wearing Bella Freud’s signature scent. I also love a bit of Prada, Iris for summer.

Q: Hot date night, what do you wear?
My jeans, but I’ll jazz them up with high heels, a scarf by Rockins, something like one of Kate’s great shirts for Equipment and a bit of eyeliner.

Q: When home alone, what do you wear?
I’ve got some pretty slinky silk pajamas from Equipment that I wear with a simple vest top.

Q: What do you wear to bed?
I love a little cotton babydoll nightie.

Q: You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Padded push-up bras. Not a fan.  Not for me!

Q: Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
I’m sure I have, but I’ve probably blocked it out of my memory. Oh, I did wear a very silly hat to my brother’s wedding. I was trying to be grown up and sophisticated and when I look at the photos I just cringe. Never again.

Q: How high is too high a heel?
I’m not great in super high heels. A bit of a platform always helps, though.

Q: How old is too old for jeans?
I definitely haven’t got there yet – I’m going to be wearing them for a very long time.

Q: If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
Probably the 1970’s

Q: What is your most recent purchase?
Some bikinis for the summer from Melissa Odabash

Q: Can you judge a book by its cover?
No, I don’t think you can. Because I can think of many times when we can all be a little bit judgmental, and not always in the best way.  

Q: What are your bad habits?
I’m always late, and always in a rush – I annoy myself with it. And I probably drink a little too much.

Q: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Holidays. I do love a holiday!

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?
Crisps from time to time! And ice cream. I really do love it. I’ve got to stop buying it.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Just the other day, I was having a flap about something and someone said, “Stop looking at the top of the escalator. Just look at your feet and take one step at a time.” I think that’s pretty sound advice.

Q: What’s your favorite smell?
I love the smell of fresh cut grass in the English countryside I get in my garden. And I love the smell of the sea and the heat that you only get on holiday when it’s really, really hot.

Q: What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Being by the beach, somewhere I can swim in the sea everyday, with my girls. That’s what I love.

Q: What are you most proud of?
My kids, I think. I’m proud of them and quite amazed by them a lot of the time.

Q: What are you least proud of?
To be honest, I try not to beat myself up; it’s such a negative thing to do.  Its not useful and it doesn’t help.

Q: What is your pure bliss?
A lazy duvet day with the kids at home, all cozy on the sofa together, is my idea of heaven.

Q: Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
My little dog Ruby Red has the nicest life.

Q: What would you eat for your last supper?
A piece of buckwheat toast with avocado, crushed garlic, tomato, salt and pepper. I could literally eat that forever.

Q: If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
I’d love to be in a room with Lee McQueen again. Just because we had such a great time, and I wish I’d paid more attention. You take things for granted, and then they’re gone.

Q: Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
At the moment, no. But in ten years, who knows. Why not?

Q: Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
The classic Balenciaga motorcycle bag. I’ve had mine for ages, it’s all beaten up now and I still use it all the time.

Q: Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
Your raffia Morley would be great on holiday.

Q: On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?\
Oh wow. Lets go for seven!

Q: How would you like to be remembered?
It would be amazing if anyone remembered me full stop!

We first came across Marcelle as a client of KOTUR. She was one of our first customers to purchase KOTUR shoes (see KOTUR’s Gilda and Guzels on window display in her other retail store, D&Me), and we were delighted to meet her in person. With her couture like approach, taking beautiful and unique pieces and reworking them into something entirely new, hers is fashion that exists for women who want to stand out from the crowd and clothes for those who appreciate the beauty of true artisanship. For these reasons and so many others, we at KOTUR love what she does. We are not alone. Worn by everyone from Kate Moss to Poppy Delevingne, Thandie Newton to Courtney Love, One Vintage has become a mecca for those seeking something truly special. Here, Marcelle talks us through how it all began, along with some of her most special items:

Marcelle Symons: I started One Vintage with a vision of a confident, individually styled, ageless woman in mind.  In my experience, confidence in fashion often comes most from ladies who don’t like to follow trends, who don’t want to turn up to a party in the same dress as someone else. They would rather have a unique piece that carries a story.

Since I can remember I have collected beading, embroideries and inspiring relics. I used to sell inspiration samples to designers, then I decided to create garments that were made only from original antique textiles, taking items like vintage dresses, kimonos and Victorian tops and breathing new life into them by imagining them in a completely new way. One of the main reasons for One Vintage’s success is that it suits ladies who would rather spend their money on a one off exclusive piece. Many of my clients wouldn’t wear pure Vintage, but I believe OV has changed that perception because they value the aspect of what we do that transcends “ fashion.” This is about timeless pieces with an element of couture. For me, someone who is mostly in denim all day, juggling work, kids and staff, I think wearing a truly unique piece is something to look forward to. We rely on these nuggets to shine and feel good. Here are some of my very favorites.

 Lucia Tait Tolani

Lucia was a dream client. She came to the store looking for something to wear to her pre wedding party and zoomed in on this piece instantly. It was a 19^th century silk kimono I had reworked into a long dress with slits on the side and a plunging neckline.  It suited her tall, slim figure, and had amazing golden dragons embroidered on it showing an extraordinary workmanship that you just don’t get today. For Lucia, I think the history behind it appealed, as did the fact that it was totally unique. She finished it off with KOTUR’s birdcage bag. Done!

Poppy Delevingne

Poppy chose one of a series I did of deconstructed Victorian dresses to wear to her pre wedding party in Morocco. I took the soft white cotton silhouettes and reimagined them into modern shapes, adding old, faded Rajasthani trims around the neckline and waist. The appeal of these dresses is that you can wear them with flats on a sunny day or high heels at night. They are really very versatile, perfect for a wedding or a party.

Thandie Newton

Thandie is one of my most cherished clients. She is an intelligent actress who makes choices based on a personal agenda and loves things that are unusual and different. She chose this cocktail dress for a dinner given by Alexandra Schulman of Vogue in London. Originally, the asymmetric top was part of a long dress that was falling apart and the bottom was a heavily beaded Emperor’s kimono. I joined them together to make a dress that she fell in love with. Thandie really appreciates things different from your every day; she’s a champion of anything artisan made.

Sera Hersham Loftus

An interior designer with a very luxurious aesthetic, Sera is a woman whose own approach to design is quite similar to my own. Her approach is sumptuous and sexy, with an eye for unusual fabrics – and that’s what she looks to us for, too. She has worn one of our Kimono dresses with lace sleeves several times, both in a photo-shoot and barefoot at her own party. It’s flowy and it suits her personality and it shows that no two people look the same in something as unique as this. These are clothes that are all about individuality and one’s own spin on things.

Kate Moss

Kate Moss’s white Victorian top was actually originally a skirt. She bought a whole series of these to wear to festivals one summer, and one of the reasons they work so well is because they are actually so versatile. You can chuck them on over a bikini or a pair of leather trousers. The quality and feel of that vintage cotton just speaks for itself, and they can be styled in so many different ways.

Courtney Love

Courtney contacted me a few months ago to say how much she loved my pieces and that she would love to wear some of them on stage. I love how bold she is, I admire her spirit and how liberal she is in the way she wears things. She has worn two of our kimonos, a full length one with lamé detailing on it to a premiere in Toronto and then a short version on stage. She makes them look utterly Rock and Roll.

Photo courtesy of whowhatwear.com, onevintagedesigns.com, life.com, facebook.com

Whether the image of a woman resplendent in a kaftan conjures up Vreeland herself, reclining in her red sitting room, Elizabeth Taylor decked out in her brocade versions complete with jewels, Kate Moss cruising up the gangplank to Club 55 in Saint Tropez for lunch, Talitha Getty, beautiful on a Moroccan rooftop or even Auntie Mame, there is an air of nonchalance and spirit of eccentricity inherent in this way of dressing that we adore. It suggests a love of adventure, a fuss free approach that leaves plenty of room for good times and a relaxed sort of fabulousness you just can’t bottle. Kaftan wearers are invariably the most fun women at the party – most likely, equal parts glamorous and eccentric. They also look fantastic. Dripping in print or embroidery, clad in wonderful colour, swathed in luxurious fabrics – and then paired with some simple flats – this is a look that never dates and never ceases to make the best sort of statement.

In our designs at KOTUR, the idea is always to deliver just this sort of glamour.  It’s the kind that wears as well with jeans as it does with cocktail dresses, that takes you somewhere in your imagination, somewhere exotic and indulgent, without ever seeming forced. Gyspet style speaks to the kaftan wearer in all of us. Look to our designs, and you’ll see that they do, too.

Click through our gallery above to see some of our very favorite examples of wonderful kaftan wearers. Brilliantly bohemian, inordinately glamorous and effortlessly fabulous, these are women dressing with just a little bit of decadence, and we love them for it. Because too much of a good thing really can be wonderful.

Photo Courtesy:

1. Talitha Getty, Patrick Lichfield, Vogue, January 15, 1970
2. Elizabeth Taylor, That’s Entertainment (1974)
3. Diana Vreeland, photo by Horst p Horst in her ‘Garden from Hell’ 1979
4. Rosalind Russell in the role of Auntie Mame (1958)
5. Donna Marella Agnelli, photo by Horst P. Horst featured in Horst Interiors by Barbara Plumb, 1993
6. Catherline Deneuve, Vogue, 1966
7. Lee Radziwill in an Ottoman style Kaftan, Cecil Beaton
8. Grace Kelly, Getty Images
9.  Diane Von Fuerstenberg, 1970s
10. Marisa Berenson in gold caftan by Tina Leser with rings by Gripoix, Photo by Henry Clarke 1968
11. Ashley Oslen in vintage caftan by Neilson Barnard/ Getty Images
12. Kate Moss cruising up the gangplank to Club 55 in Saint Tropez by fameflynet.uk.com
13.  Margherita Missoni by Vittorio Zunino Celotto
14. Jerry Hall, 1975
15. Nicole Richie by Jeffrey Mayer
16.  Sheikha Mozah of Qatar in Chanel Spring 2011 Haute Couture

Brought to you by the brilliant Firmdale Group, this boutique hotel is all comfortable yet modern interiors. An oasis in the cool chaos of Soho, it’s central, cosy and extremely chic.

The Pub: The Cow

Situated on Westbourne Park Road, in the heart of Notting Hill, this old fashioned Brit style boozer serves up Guinness and oysters, fresh crab and delicious pates along with the odd celebrity or two.

The Bar: The Martini Bar at Dukes Hotel

Nestled in a tiny corner off bustling Picadilly, just round the corner from the Ritz, this tiny boutique hotel has a tiny Martini bar that serves up some of the best you’ll find anywhere. So strong they’ll only let you have two, here’s where you go for that quick sharpener.  Legend has it that it’s here where Ian Fleming coined the catchphrase “shaken, not stirred” for his James Bond character

The Restaurant: La Bodega Negra

This cooler than cool Mexican joint feels more like a nightclub than a restaurant. All about the atmosphere, it’s tequilas, tacos and bad behavior all round in this place. A brilliant start to a night out on the tiles.

The Club: 5 Hertford Street

With it’s Rifat Ozbek interiors, this super plush, super intimate members club in Mayfair is a must visit spot on the London trail right now. Whether its downstairs to the nightclub Lou Lou’s or upstairs for a power breakfast, it’s cool crowd and super chic interiors have made it the place everyone wants to be.

The Shops

When you count Kate Moss as a fan, you know you’re doing something right as a vintage shop. Rellik, in Notting Hill, is one such place. Known for it’s selection of vintage Alaia, it’s a must do for the fashion magpie (http://www.relliklondon.co.uk). For interiors, we love to head to Talisman London, a treasure trove of Art Deco finds from sculptures to coffee tables to fountains (www.talismanlondon.com) and for books, a stroll around Daunt on the Marylebone Road makes a perfect Saturday morning. (www.dauntbooks.co.uk)

The Market: Borough Market

This food market south of the Thames is full of the most delicious fare. From wholesale fruit and veg to delicious meals courtesy of the likes of Roast, a restaurant perched above the hustle and bustle of the covered market, it’s mix of stalls and eateries is a must. From chorizo baguettes from the Spanish deli Brindisa to paella on tap, Duck confit sandwiches from La Marche du Quartier to amazing cheeses, here’s a different kind of shopping to whet your appetite.

The Secret Spots: The Serpentine Gallery and Petersham Nurseries

For a slice of London life that feels more like the beautiful country, Petersham Nurseries is the ultimate urban escape. Located in Richmond, this chicer than chic garden centre has a Michelin starred cafe serving locally sourced food, all presented in a giant, shabby chic greenhouse. Delicious. For a weekend stroll, take time winding your way from Notting Hill gate through Kensington Gardens to the Serpentine, where this tiny contemporary art gallery almost always has a show on worth seeing. It’s the perfect morning mix of culture and outdoors.

1. Print Extravaganza: As seen on Beyonce, the modern way to make a St Tropez statement is by going all out in a print cacophony. Pair tiny shorts with a clashing shirt and plenty of bling for the full on look – or switch your printed top for a simple safari shirt for an easier take on the look. Either way, here’s the Diva’s way to do St Tropez. Pictures: Beyonce on the pier of Club 55, printed silk shorts, neon pink shorts, navy and green printed shorts and gold tassel necklace all from J.Crew, denim safari style shirt by MIH jeans, african printed shorts and dual print shirt from TopShop and KOTUR Margo Minaudiere in Batik print

2. Brigitte Bardot Chic: As synonymous with St Tropez as yachts and rose, Bardot was and still is the poster girl for a particularly Riviera friendly take on vintage chic. Work the daytime look with a simple fitted, corset style top and capri pants for the easiest way to be like Bardot this summer. Pictures: Brigitte Bardot in St Tropez, peach, printed and white cropped trousers, camisoles and blue top all from TopShop, sunglasses by Prism and gold hoops by Herve Van der Straten from Net-a-porter, ballet pumps by J Crew and KOTUR Luna Raffia clutch

3. Call in the Kaftans: As demonstrated by Kate Moss, snapped here en route to lunch at Club 55, it doesn’t get much chicer than a kaftan when you’re after an easy, relaxed beachside look. Pair yours with simple gladiator sandals and a summer clutch and you’re set. Pictures: Kate Moss at Club 55, white broderie anglais kaftan by Vix, Emamo pastel asymetric kaftan and Kenneth Jay Lane earrings all from Net-a-porter, gold sandals by St Tropez’s own K Jacques, Lem Lem striped tunics at jcrew.com and KOTUR Breen Minaudiere

1. The Dramatic Bride: As seen on Lauren Santo Domingo, nothing does drama like a wedding gown. She wore custom Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci, you can find the same wow factor from these designers here. Pictures: Lauren Santo Domingo on her wedding day from Vogue Weddings, taffeta dress by Rochas, strapless Lanvin dress and tiered column dress by Giambatista Vialli all available at www.net-a-porter.com. Shoes by Rupert Sanderson, vintage diamante earrings from Susan Caplan Vintage, tulle cape by Lanvin, Louis Mariette tiara from Browns Bride and Kotur For Operation Smile available here.

2. Romantic Bride When it comes to quintessential English romance, you need to look no further than the wedding of Kate Moss for inspiration. Her custom made Galliano gown, the perfect Cotswolds setting and her bevvy of Bonpoint dressed bridemaids all made for a wedding fit for the rosiest of English roses. Pictures: Kate Moss on her wedding day from Vogue Weddings, dresses by Matthew Williamson, Temperley and Nina Ricci all from www.net-a-porter.com, Jimmy Choo shoes, veil by Lanvin, Deepa Gurnani headband, St Erasmus hair slides and Louis Mariette headpiece all from Browns Bride and Kotur lace Margo available here.

3. Relaxed Bride For a destination wedding and a relaxed, beachy feel, Cindy Crawford’s nuptials lead the way in barefoot chic. Wearing nothing but a simple neglige style shift, beach hair and a tan, the Supermodel looked divine. For a similiar (though perhaps slightly less purist look,) here’s how to work the look. Pictures: Cindy Crawford on her wedding day from Vogue Weddings, dresses by Jay Ahr, Anna Sui and Nina Ricci, Rosantica Mia earring, Gucci gold sandals and Rene Caovilla pink sandals all from www.net-a-porter.com, wishbone necklace by Jennifer Meyer and lace Margo in pink available here.

Key to Annabel’s fame has always been its completely unique and entirely recognisable style. From Mabel the coat attendant to the famously brilliant barmen, from the art adorned walls to the old school menu, from the cut glass held cocktails to the cavernous, sofa filled nooks and crannies, the club in all its perfect glory was the vision incarnate of its founder – the inimitable Mark Birley.

Mr Birley sadly died last year, aged 77 and after selling Annabel’s and his other concerns (he founded the equally famous and chic London eateries Marks Club and George,) to the restaurant magnate Richard Caring in 2007. But, no matter that the places he founded had once hosted his current customers’ grandparents, no matter that his mantra had been to preserve the old fashioned way things had always been done, no matter that his empire had been sold before his death, right up until the end, Birley was a man whose name was totally synonymous with a particularly British sense of style.

That style is now on show, as Sotheby’s prepare to auction off the contents of his London home in a sale that takes in everything from his art to his nick nacks, his furniture to barware – each one, you guessed it, brilliantly chosen, perfectly kept and inimitably, old world chic. From David Hockney prints to a collection of cocktail shakers, small ornaments to cosy chairs, if you want a glimpse of how they used to do it, in a time when martinis were the perfect pre lunch aperitif, playing Backgammon, a valid career, and chic, the only way to go, it would well be worth taking a look.

Mark Birley: Private Collection goes on sale at Sotheby’s March 21st http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2013/mark-birley-collection/overview.html

Pictures:

The interior at Annabel’s

Mark Birley shot by Jonathan Becker for Vanity Fair

The interior at Annabel’s

Neisha Crosland fabric on the sofas at Annabel’s from mydeco.com

A Brazilian party at Annabels photographed by Norman Parkinson

Interiors at Annabel’s

The Entrance to Annabel’s

So it’s with huge excitement that we’ve seen we can apply that eagle eye of hers to homewares now, too. To raise funds for Aid for Aids, Candy has created an edited selection of truly individual, statement making and utterly stylish furniture, art and artefacts from Vintage and Modern (another one of our style crushes.) Be it a Kate Moss print, a pair of Jansen armchairs or a late 19th Century French birdcage, hers is a unique and super stylish pick of unexpected pieces that would ooze cool in any home. One would simply expect nothing less.

Shop Candy Pratts Price for Vintage and Modern here http://designintell.vandm.com/2013/01/candy-pratts-price/

All images from Vintage and Modern.

Luckily, it’s been a standout year for just such books. The worlds of fashion, photography, travel and design have all had light thrown onto them in a series of newly published titles we can’t wait to get our hands on.  With visuals designed to enrapture and subjects that range from Amazonian jungles to the Amalfi coast, steely beauties to starlets, perfect houses to fantasy fashion sets, here’s our roundup of the best books to give, should you wish to help transport someone away from their sofa and to another world this Christmas.  Should one also happen to end up under our tree, we’d have no problem with that, whatsoever.

Jonathan Becker – 30 Years at Vanity Fair

Via stints as both a taxi driver and a backgammon player, Becker, one of the Vanity Fair’s lead photographers, has been shooting for the magazine for three decades. Since his first picture was published in their prototype relaunch issue in 1982, the magazine has sent him everywhere from the Amazon to Aspen, via Buckingham palace. Famous for his portraits, on his journeys he has shot everyone from Andy Warhol to Robert Mapplethorpe, Arthur Miller to Gwyneth Paltrow, Jocelyn Wildenstein to Nancy Reagan. This book doesn’t just document that life, it takes you behind the scenes of both Becker’s shoots and his subjects’ worlds, shedding light on some of the most famous faces of the past 30 years. More than a book of portraits, it’s a romp through decades of our culture, a snapshot of it’s icons from the man whose job it was to really see them. Whether it’s escapism or insight you’re after, here’s your man.

Slim Aarons – La Dolce Vita

If you wanted to bottle the good life and then pour it into the pages of a book, here’s an example of how to do it. During a decades long love affair with Italy, the late photographer Slim Aarons shot the good, the bad and the glam of Italy living it large in the country’s most fabulous spots. From Sicily to Capri, bronzed bodies to boats, Ursula Andress to to the Amalfi, here’s a book that will take you far, far away from a wintry day at home.

Kate: The Kate Moss Book

She’s been THE face for decades, is THE supermodel still standing, and has looked good dressed in everything from nothing to gold paint. In a collection of photographs (some never seen before) shot by the great and good of fashion photography, here are the many faces of Kate Moss, plus proof of the power of quirky beauty.

Tim Walker – Storyteller

If fashion is about fantasy, then Tim Walker is a man who makes that magic appear. The British photographer known for his elaborate sets has had Lily Donaldson crash landing a Spitfire in a country house, Karlie Kloss clambering over Humpty Dumpty and even recreated the world of Alice in Wonderland, all in the name of fashion. In this, his latest book, his sets and portraits (all 175 of them) are conceived to take you on a journey somewhere otherworldly. They work.