Morgan May

Tag: Travel

  • Le Meridien Rooftop – Nice, France

    Living the dream

  • Dreaming of…

    In front of a small incongruous store front in the Marais on any given afternoon there is a somewhat orderly (hey, this isn’t England after all) queue of of Parisians and a stream of visiting Americans standing in line to buy éclairs at 5 euros each. Journalists photograph the pastry case, and fans ask the chef to autograph the pastry box.
    The macaron ‘wars’ have been raging for several years now – we have all stood in line for Pierre Hermé, Laduree etc. .. but now there is a ‘new’ kid on the block. I had heard rumours of the éclair trying to take on the macaroon and thought it was .. ambitious. But once I stood in front of that window with the rows and rows of éclairs glistening like jewels with blingy glossy finishes and powdered silver and gold leaf, I swear I have never looked back.
    Christophe Adam has injected (literally – the inside is as amazing as the outside) excitement into the éclair. He covers éclairs in Pop art colors and their flavor profiles are a party in your mouth with  ingredients like yuzu, fresh strawberries, popcorn, and salted caramel. Adam has also engineered the éclairs to be lighter in texture and reduced the sugar content of the icing.
    The man responsible for this ‘disruptive dessert’: Christophe Adam.  Still fresh out of school, he made his lines in the pastry Legrand in Quimper, in his native Cornwall. Two years later, he was off to London in the studio of renowned Gavroche, the first institution outside French borders to boast 3 Michelin stars. He developed a taste for creativity and absolute perfection in  gastronomy.
    Then he made pastry with the Roux brothers. We lost him to Paris for good when he resurfaced at Fauchon, alongside Sébastien Gaudard and Philip Frost and just before the departure of Pierre Hermé. The energy of Christophe and incredible boost he gave the pastry house allowed him to become a legitimate Pastry Chef in 2001. Fauchon pastry became the benchmark of contemporary luxury pastry with its creations combining taste, beauty and design – the epitome chic snacking. Christophe left Fauchon to work on major projects and allow his creativity to express itself in new fields – bespoke creations and consulting for large houses and now he brings us L’éclair de Genie.
    Honestly, don’t think about it, don’t worry about the weight, just go. Buy as many as you can. Sell your cat if you need to.
    x

     

     

  • Minimilism and Paris

    Isabel Marant, Martin Grant, Vanessa Bruno and Dior have shown beautiful collections in Paris this weekend which have pre-empted Celine and Ms Philo herself with a sublime minimalistic offering

    White and Black and Grey continues to be a trend, with splashes of Navy, and as shown at Vanessa Bruno amongst others.

    Vanessa Bruno really delivered. The photos below are some of my favourite looks, but it was hard to narrow it down, she did a great sexy school girl slash grown up office woman without it being theme-ey. Love the suiting, so sophisticated.

    Dior, showing it’s second season by Raf Simons, also showed permutations of this straight laced woman with an edge – mid-length hour glass shaped dresses and suiting, waistcoats. The Dior woman is a more serene version of the Dolce woman we met a few days ago. Is Carine R the inspiration for everyone at the moment?!?!?

    Martin Grant showed the ultimate in simple elegance. These dresses made me want to be that woman and of course I want to go somewhere that calls for a dress as elegant as these.

    And finally, what is fast becoming the juggernaut that is Isabel Marant. Get me a thigh master because these white tights are not going to be forgiving. Aside from that, Ms Marant seems to just want to be comfortable next Fall while still looking chic and glamourous. I want all the layers of knits and I want to drape myself in the coats and scarves and slouch into a smokey cafe with my french boyfriend and discuss art.