Everything I loved in June!

I skipped May for good reasons!

Hi everyone!

I know it’s been a very long time since the last newsletter went out, but I have a laundry list of valid excuses. It takes me so little energy to start new proects, and an immense amount of effort to take them to full completion. Finally, I was able to finish quite a few. Ghia has been busyyyyy - we launched in 700 Target stores and will be launching a new product at the end of the summer I can’t wait to tell you more about. It feels like the company, which just turned 4 in June (I can’t believe I birthed a Gemini), has reached a new inflexion point and everything feels both a little easier but also scarier and higher stakes. I’m holding on!

Outside of that, I moved houses in LA, finished (!!!) my apartment in Paris (more to come on that, too!) and edited and submitted my cookbook proposal, which is now in the hands of my agent. 

Happy in Paris! All the outfit details are here if you need.

All in all, I’m sensing a very welcome softening ahead. I’m not slowing down but I hope to be able to have a bit more time for me and the things that fuel me creatively without needing to be productive. (Writing about shoes and random Etsy searches). 

As my lovely friend Sean Feeney (of the just as lovely Fini Pizza!) says, “Everyday is a good day, but none are easy.” Here are a few of the things I loved these past few months that made my days really good. 

1. Everything John Pawson

Some of my friends went to a wedding in Bavaria, and what caught my eye more than the funny-fashion of a wedding in Bavaria, was the John Pawson designed St Moritz Church (not to be confused with the swanky ski station in Italy). 

Now, John Pawson has forever been my favorite architect - THE master of minimalist architecture. Maybe this is a response to my parents being hoarders, but I really admire the way his spaces are stripped down of anything superfluous, yet still feel peaceful and comfortable. I love the way he sometimes responds to haters’ comments on IG, and the fact that he isn’t technically an architect, but just went on to be one of the most respected ones of our time, spanning multiple disciplines, too. It gives me hope that there is a chapter II in my life in which I can be an artist.

My claim to fame? He follows me on instagram (or used to. If he stopped, please don’t tell me, it will ruin my day). Some of my favorite projects of his to get lost into are below, and I even love all the words he uses on his website to describe his projects:

St Moritz Church, Augsburg, Germany

See more here

Jil Sander Omotesando, Tokyo, Japan

This was my first stop in Tokyo straight off the plane! You cannot take pictures in the store, but even years after opening I can confirm it feels just as peaceful as these images.

See more here. This vintage Braun sound system is on my vision board, too!

Lake Crossing, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, England

See more here

His Home, The Cotswolds, England

Well documented here but nowhere better than on his own instagram.

From his website: “Over the course of more than thirty years, a body of work has accumulated based on the objective of making simple spaces, with just what is required and nothing more, where the eye feels as comfortable as the body. At the heart of everything has been the idea of refining by removing, meticulously paring away until what is left cannot be improved by further reduction: sensual space, where the primary experience is of the quality of light, materials and proportions.During these three decades, every project has represented a manifesto of the thinking, but nowhere is this truer than at Home Farm in Oxfordshire, where architect and client are one.”

2. Fancy Flip Flops

I was gonna have a jelly shoes summer, but then my beloved The Row Mara broke (they refunded me immediately, and I decided to not be an idiot twice and just move on). I’m leaning into fancy flip flops for the rest of the summer!

1. Havaianas Slim Square Flip Flops ($34), 2. Reformation Jessie Thong Sandal ($128), 3. Jeffrey Campbell Kierra Flip Flop ($65), 4. TKEES Lily Clears ($65), 5. Ancient Greek Saionara Jelly ($185), 6. Gucci Minorca Horsebit-embellished Rubber flip flops ($550)

3. Soon-to-be-old Dries:

I happened to be in Paris during Men’s Fashion Week - it’s way more relaxed and a lot more fun than woman’s, and also happens to coincide with Fete de La Musique, a night where everybody in France dances on the Street to celebrate the solstice. Dries has always understood women and femininity without forcing a specific idea of sexiness, and his departure really does feel like the end of something important. His clothes are inimitable and transcend generations - it’s not about a particular piece that can be recreated, but a silhouette, colorful patterns as neutrals, and even a certain air of confidence. His clothes make me feel grown up while remaining playful.

High praise, but I believe the Dries Store is the best store in LA - it contains an archive section classified by year. The Paris Stores (men / woman / fragrance) are my favorite stores in Paris, too!

There’s a lot of great Dries pieces available on sale right now, so I got the purple clutch below because I work hard and how often can you buy a piece of history at a discount?

Red sheer turtleneck ($390 $191), Printed silk-crepon mini skirt ($895 $537), Embellished clutch ($1,060 $742), Crewneck sweater ($443 $282), Raffia sandals ($1085 $651), Gold gem detail earrings ($385 $239), Wool pants ($895 $626)

4. Books!

It’s a miracle if I have the time to finish a book, so I’m proud I made it through two recently. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Both were fun, escapist reads, but I’m still chasing the high of reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow last year. 

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Grabrielle Zevin

Nothing has come close! If you have any summer reading recommendations, please let me know in the comments.

I’m off to Athens and Sifnos for July 4th for some really needed rest, and plan on tuning off and reading much! Promise I’ll share all the recs :).

Xx
Melanie