Catherine Baba : Idiosyncratic Genius

Aka my favorite person ever...

Hi Guys! Sorry I haven't posted in FOREVER! I was chillin' in the wilds of Canada on a family vacation, and there was pretty much zero internet. There were however, bears. Everywhere. I guess that's an acceptable tradeoff. Anyways, I'm back now, and I brought my gameface. My goal right now is just to (of course) blog, but I'm really trying to do this as regularly as possible. I'm aiming for AT LEAST every 3 days. We'll see how that turns out. Also, I'm trying to really boost readership/traffic, and just spread the wallpaper pants "brand" (god, that sounds so pretentious), which has officially been christened with a shiny new domain name, www.wallpaperpants.com (but, duh, you're already here). I'm very proud of all the elaborate and complicated blogging tools I've taught myself to use, such as dns and html (jk I still suck html). Anyways, enough about me and how amazing I am, onto someone much more amazing and then I!

So, the other day, I was just clicking through one of my favorite street style blogs, Street Peeper, when I saw the above photo.

There are so many things right about this picture it hurts. First of all, just look at her legs. Look how toned they are, they're too perfect. I'm beyond jealous. Not to mention she's biking in a pretty sizable pair of heels! And that turban! That dress! The sunglasses! The look of absolute and crippling chicness!  That bag! The bike itself! Okay, I think I've used enough exclamation points to have made my point. Anyways, I was absolutely stunned by the perfection of this picture. I had to know who this woman was. So, I went to visit "my hookup down at the station" (google) and typed in "Catherine Baba". Once again, google has introduced me to my newest idol. 

So, everybody, meet Catherine Baba. Madame Baba is an australian stylist living in Paris, and a bit of an enigma. Her history and birthdate are mirky, as she lists her birth-year as 1936, a tribute to the year she would have like to have been born in. Miss Baba exudes old hollywood glamour, bringing to mind a mysterious, glamorous 30s starlet. This is not to say, however, that she is in any way old fashioned. Baba is a frequent attendee of parties, and legend has it that one particular evening, she removed a chandelier from it's home on the ceiling, put it on her head, and wore her particularly unstable hat all night, while simultaneously DJing a party. Her style is constant, but consistent. She is not one to be a slave to trends, but rather creates her own look, which does not change. This look often includes a turban, sunglasses, heels, her bicycle, and whatever uniquely glamorous ensemble she has for the day. As with many of her fans, her uniqueness, and the fact that she has created such a persona for herself, are what fascinate me. Baba has her own way of greeting people (mainly be screaming DAAARLING), her own method of transportation (biking around in heels), her own way of dressing, and her own way of seeing the world. This quote of hers is one of my favorites, "Since I am an insomniac, darling, I decided to live & watch rather than get back to my bed".

On top of all this sartorial awesomeness, Baba just happens to be a stylist-extraordinaire. She has worked with Chanel, Balmain, Givenchy, Vanity Fair, and even Vogue. Here are some examples of her work:

And lastly, exhibit C, a video interview of her, by Diane Pernet. So you can all enjoy the magic of her exuberance, and her over the top personality. Enjoy!

So, yeah. That has been my girl crush of the day. I hope her spirit and individuality inspire you all, and have a beautiful weekend!

XOXO,

H