nor custom stale her infinite variety."
shakespeare's antony and cleopatra
it's so easy anymore to succumb to norms and sacrifice yourself for the sake of fitting in. i'll be the first to admit i've done it, hence the lime green, fur-trimmed coat hanging in my closet since sophomore year of high school. and the collection of black eyed peas on my ipod. and that time i pierced my fingernail and put a little charm on it (sadly, yes, such things really exist. luckily there is no photographic evidence, so don't even try to blackmail me with that one).
anyways, it's because of this that i think i've become so fascinated with anyone who is a true individual. my borderline unhealthy obsession with marie antoinette, for example, stems from this. and if you know any of my best friends, you know they say anything they want, wear whatever they please, and run around like they rule the world. so when i started this whole blogging thing, i really wanted to relinquish anything that would stifle my opinions and tastes and choose a title to represent that. and so i give you luisa casati.
an italian marchesa, she was a socialite in the early 20th century known for her artistic temperment, employing her boa constrictor as jewelry, and walking her pet cheetahs along the grand canal of venice wearing a fur coat and nothing else. she counted isadora duncan, colette, and jean cocteau as friends and guests at her infamous dinner parties, and is known to have been inspiration to ezra pound, jack kerouac, and georgina chapman (founder and designer of marchesa, named in casati's honor). john galliano for christian dior, karl lagerfeld for chanel, and alexander mcqueen have all based couture collections off of her life and her many portraits. in short, the woman was a wackjob, but she is also the ultimate muse for those seeking the pure, the original, and the statement.
the above quote is found on her headstone, and i think it perfectly depicts how everyone should try to approach life. i'm a firm believer in the fact that everyone is a bit of a weirdo, and that the best people to surround yourself with are those that aren't afraid to let their freak flags fly. to do the typical and expected all the time is to be a blob of beige in a world with so many vibrant colors to choose from. so break out the fur! throw some sparkles on everything! dye your hair purple and shave off your eyebrows! do whatever you please, as long as it's authentic.
anyways, it's because of this that i think i've become so fascinated with anyone who is a true individual. my borderline unhealthy obsession with marie antoinette, for example, stems from this. and if you know any of my best friends, you know they say anything they want, wear whatever they please, and run around like they rule the world. so when i started this whole blogging thing, i really wanted to relinquish anything that would stifle my opinions and tastes and choose a title to represent that. and so i give you luisa casati.
an italian marchesa, she was a socialite in the early 20th century known for her artistic temperment, employing her boa constrictor as jewelry, and walking her pet cheetahs along the grand canal of venice wearing a fur coat and nothing else. she counted isadora duncan, colette, and jean cocteau as friends and guests at her infamous dinner parties, and is known to have been inspiration to ezra pound, jack kerouac, and georgina chapman (founder and designer of marchesa, named in casati's honor). john galliano for christian dior, karl lagerfeld for chanel, and alexander mcqueen have all based couture collections off of her life and her many portraits. in short, the woman was a wackjob, but she is also the ultimate muse for those seeking the pure, the original, and the statement.
the above quote is found on her headstone, and i think it perfectly depicts how everyone should try to approach life. i'm a firm believer in the fact that everyone is a bit of a weirdo, and that the best people to surround yourself with are those that aren't afraid to let their freak flags fly. to do the typical and expected all the time is to be a blob of beige in a world with so many vibrant colors to choose from. so break out the fur! throw some sparkles on everything! dye your hair purple and shave off your eyebrows! do whatever you please, as long as it's authentic.
amen.
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