I can’t find the provenance of the book plate, though I know that I tore it liberally from one of those old gallery print catalogues one finds in Argosy Bookstore on 59th street. The purple ribbon was one of two lengths of ribbon, my very first purchase in the City of Light. It set me back a good few euros! It is a true silk-woven-moire, double-sided, grosgrain ribbon; hot pink and lavender shot on one side; hot pink and celadon shot on the other. The printed cards are Minakani and Sisters Gulassa; both exceptional textile design studios. Lastly, the photographic postcard was purchased in an old favorite of a cafe, Sejuiced, which looks out on Bronte beach. It’s a beautiful shot of Clovelly beach, by a local photographer named Daniel.
This year has seen a long fixation with shells; not a new one for me, as I’ve had shell collections since I can remember. In primary school I had emptied all my clothes out of dresser drawers for the purposes of turning that particular piece of furniture into a petit musée. It was a vast shell collection and needed to be properly cataloged and displayed. It had been largely amassed whilst traipsing along coastlines in and around Sydney, and the waters of Lake Macquarie.
