FROM L.A.

Hayley Starr is a very good friend, who has a very nice atelier/shop in Los Angeles, where she sells very, very cute dresses. From time to time she also creates partnerships with very nice people, for very important reasons. The last one was this: she created the Battalstar project, a collaboration between labels Battalion and Hayley Starr, to produce beautifull scarfs adorned with luckycharms in order to raise financial help to the Opportunity International organization (www.opportunity.org).
Have a look (than email her to buy online: h@hayleystarr.com).


***
And if you ever happen to be in L.A. these days, don't miss the sample sale of Monique Lhuillier. You can find really nice dresses for 40%-90% off the original prices.
Days 5th and 6th december, 10am-6pm.
708 N La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
www.moniquelhuillier.com

KING PELE

I met Pelé! Was having lunch at Ciprianni, London, with some friends, and at some point Pastore stood up, walked away and came back with and "old friend", nobody but the king. The King! The biggest King ever, sat down in our table! He was very kind, talked to everyone, signed autographs - and of course, a few minutes later the whole restaurant were around him. I told Pelé that Paulo Machado de Carvalho was my granduncle and he said they used to call each-other dad and son. Just imagine: "Go there and do your job well, my son", my grand used to say to the king before the matches. Well well, I had my day.
By the way, Pelé is in town for the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Schefield FC, the oldest football club. And last week, the N. 10 shirt worn by him in Brazil's 4-1 defeat of Italy in the 1970 World Cup final, fetched $128.000 at a Christie's sale in town.

ROMEO & JULIET

Just came back to London to see a ballet at the Royal Opera House (appointment my uncle had booked to us 6 months ago). Beautiful! We saw Romeo & Juliet performed by the dancers Carlos Acosta (cuban) and Tamara Rojo (spanish) - they are considered the best dancers from actuality. Worth seeing it twice, anywhere, anytime. Beautiful! Than I came back home and watch the Zeffirelli version on TV, once again, just to make it all last a bit longer.

ON THE ROAD

I'm in New York for a couple of days, and yesterday I visited this great exhibition about Jack Kerouac's work at The NY Public Library. Among many textes and pictures, there is on view this original scroll (a full size facsimile) from the On The Road, with a big image of a road by Robert Frank in the end of it. Just great. The Beats were the beginning of everything for my writing, back in 1995, when I was living in San Francisco and decided to become a journalist. I love their style.


"Beatific Soul", NY Public Library, until 16th march 2008. (www.lypl.org)

IN VOGUE

About London Fashion Week spring-summer 2008, at Vogue Brazil, here it is, my new colum:



Oh, and by the way, sorry for the absence - was working hard and for real.