The Art of Not Trying Too Hard (at Christmas)

Elaine Molinar creates for her own personal collection and does not sell her work. I know! Let’s try to convince her otherwise.

A poetic still-life brought to life in papier-mâché. Handmade in France, mounted on an antique wooden stand with a patinated brass support and accompanied by a slice revealing its richly sculpted ruby interior.

Still haven't found a fabulous frock or the dress of the year to ring in the New Year? It's probably because the Met Museum is hoarding all of the most incredible vintage dresses in their archives. From unknown designers of the early 1900s to the house of Dior, here are some of my favourites...

Pass the vinaigrette! No, not the salad dressing – we’re talking about the vinaigre de toilette. You’re forgiven for the confusion, being born in the wrong century and all. Let’s rewind about 150 years when a vinaigrette once commonly referred to a small container for smelling salts or aromatic vinegar that were used to cover unpleasant smells. But more than just being a practical tool, vinaigrettes were fashionable little objects to flaunt one’s taste in luxurious perfumes and fine craftsmanship. They came in all shapes and very small sizes, so prepare to be seduced by our collector’s item du jour.

Around Christmas these days, I feel like I see more into the living rooms and family lives of other people than at any other time of year, thanks to Instagram and Facebook. I'm invited to admire the twinkly Christmas tree, marvel at the amount of the presents under it and approve of how nice the fam

Hop over to Italy with me for a minute will you? In the countryside province of Parma (yeah, that place where the ham comes from), an unusual and one-of-a-kind museum awaits ...

Pillowcases made in Paris by Atelier Joume

Tod Papageorge was not your average lingering Studio 54 paparazzi, in fact, he spent three decades as a Masters professor and director of photography at Yale. Time magazine calls his photographs of bleary-eyed disco queens as "something akin to poetry".

During his lifetime, Congolese sculptor Bodys Isek Kingelez, did not have a commercial art dealer to represent his work. The self-taught visionary reimagined glittering global capitals for a post-colonial Africa, and made hundreds of “extreme” miniature architectural models throughout his career, which was cut short in 2015 following his battle with cancer. A few years later in 2018, one of the largest and most influential art museums in the world gave him a posthumous exhibition, making it the first solo retrospect MoMa has ever organized for a Black African artist to date. In case you missed it, here’s another chance to get to know the work of Bodys Isek Kingelez…

With Christmas being so close you can almost taste the eggnog, I thought I'd better step up my Yuletide game here at MessyNessyChic. So let's hop on our sleigh and travel back in time to 1961 Albion, New York, and take a tour inside Santa School ... (it's basically better than Lapland).

A timeless, unisex pyjama for those who believe inspiration strikes hardest at 2AM, ideal for “working on your manuscript” or dramatically sighing at your blank notebook, these pyjamas are worthy of a Left Bank literary salon — if salons were hosted in bed.

As a Parisian, I’ve learned a lot about the second time the German army occupied the French capital during the Nazi invasion of WWII. But what about the first time the Germans took hold of the city of Paris? One forgets they managed it twice. The winter of 1870-1871 was a traumatic time for Parisians, an ordeal that saw the city sustain more damage over just a few months than in any other conflict in history. And yet, it’s one that seems to have almost vanished from collective memory– perhaps for a few very good reasons… (anyone ever tried “elephant soup”?)

50 Wild Cards to Discover Paris more Playfully A brand new product from the Messy Nessy HQ. Travel playfully using these wild card discovery prompts from the best-selling Don't be a Tourist in Paris book. Turn date night into a scavenger hunt or leave your weekend in Paris to chance.