With the Queen’s Jubilee celebration coming up, I feel I should write a blog about a somewhat random association with one of my scarves. It will also give me the excuse to get out the magic carpet and take a quick flight over the Channel to Paris. Let us hover over no.36 Avenue des Champs Elysees and imagine the excitement of a young designer opening her couture house in 1929. Her Belgian parents were already well connected in the couture world dressing Austrian/Hungarian royalty. The young 33 year old opened under the name of Maggy Rouff and would enjoy a successful career, including costume designing for twelve films. In 1938 she was given the commission to design two dresses and a set of handkerchiefs as a gift from ‘The Children of France’ to……Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret! This must have been the year following my first glimpse of the princesses as they left Glamis Castle, near my home town of Brechin in Scotland. I was perched on my father’s shoulders as I peered through the royal car window. The young Elizabeth would comment later in her hand-written thank you letter to her grannie how surprised she was to see so many people at the castle gates. I wrote about this in Series 1 under the title BALMORAL. I wonder if the young Princesses enjoyed their French dresses? Indeed, are they still stored in the Royal Collection?
I also question whether HM has a Maggy Rouff scarf? She certainly has many Hermes!
I will wear my vintage scarf today as I visit the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park. The scarf’s pink, white and green Nature colours will fit in perfectly with the azaleas and rhododendrons in their woodland setting. I already visited last weekend and I loved it so much I want to share the experience again with other members of my family. My scarf is a geometric design and easy to wear, in heavy twill silk with immaculate hems!
It is a scarf I will associate with celebration. The first time I wore it was to a fortieth birthday party. I think I now have one tiny droplet stain of my host’s bubbly from his South African vineyard on my scarf to remind me of that happy evening. Thinking of birthdays, the last time I was in Paris was to celebrate my own 80th so I will now guide my magic carpet to the railway station, Gare de Lyon, and remember lunch at the up-market restaurant Le Train Bleu. It was a crazy day trip, a birthday gift, travelling by Eurostar. I have written about it before. Little wonder, I have so many great French silk scarves to choose from and so many memories.
Yes, my Maggy Rouff will be my birthday scarf for the coming months. I have just received an invitation to a 60th party on the Queen’s Jubilee weekend, so it will be the perfect choice. The birthday gentleman lived and worked in Paris for many years. I believe they also dined at Le Train Bleu. Now, do I own the right outfit to go with the scarf? I know I have pink quartz earrings!
It is going to be hard deciding which two scarves to choose for my final blogs. Perhaps I should have kept a favourite Hermes for the last one, no. 199. I have until the 29th May to find the perfect one…or one to find me!!! My scarf boxes are not yet empty!
Busy Bee, Scarf Face!
Series 2, Blog 97.