Paul & Joe is feeling lovey-dovey with their fall 2012 collection called Love Story. "Your beautiful love affair with Paul & Joe began 10 years ago. Let's celebrate with these gorgeous new products! Love story is a sweet, tender, and sometimes passionate assortment of original new colors, textures and products that celebrate love and romance."
The Collection Sparkles lineup consists of three blushes, each bearing a unique print and two kissing parakeets imprinted into the powder.
I also enjoyed the updated brush. The brushes that come with Paul & Joe products used to have the Paul & Joe name on it, but these have the initials in a fancy scripted font. I'm not sure whether this is just for the fall 2012 collection and they'll go back to the old brush style with future collections or whether they'll keep the initials, but I like it.
First up is Les Tourtereaux (079):
With flash:
The same print appeared on a dress for the fall 2012 collection.
(image from paulandjoe.com)
Next is True Love (080):
With flash:
Finally we have Inseparables (081):
With flash:
This delightful pelican pattern appeared on both a dress and a top for the fall 2012 collection. I must say I never thought pelicans would work for clothes, but Sophie Albou really knows what she's doing when it comes to prints!
(images from paulandjoe.com)
Looking at these made me think of the work of bird-watching king John James Audubon and his amazing book The Birds of America, containing literally hundreds of bird prints and drawings. In honor of the creatures used in the Paul & Joe collection, here is a Carolina parrakeet (now extinct, sadly), and the American white pelican. Audubon also provided detailed descriptions for each bird and their behavior (and addressed the reader – seems very quaint!)
"Doubtless, kind reader, you will say, while looking at the figures of
Parakeets represented in the plate, that I spared not my labour. I never do, so
anxious am I to promote your pleasure…The flight of the Parakeet is rapid, straight, and continued through the
forests, or over fields and rivers, and is accompanied by inclinations of the
body which enable the observer to see alternately their upper and under parts.
They deviate from a direct course only when impediments occur, such as the
trunks of trees or houses, in which case they glance aside in a very graceful
manner, merely as much as may be necessary…" (You can read the full description here).
(image from grahamarader.blogspot.com)
For the American white pelican, Audubon noted, "I feel great pleasure, good reader, in assuring you, that our White
Pelican, which has hitherto been considered the same as that found in Europe, is
quite different. In consequence of this discovery, I have honoured it with the
name of my beloved country, over the mighty streams of which, may this splendid
bird wander free and unmolested to the most distant times, as it has already
done from the misty ages of unknown antiquity…the birds experience the cravings of
hunger, and to satisfy them they must now labour. Clumsily do they rise on
their columnar legs, and heavily waddle to the water. But now, how changed do
they seem! Lightly do they float, as they marshal themselves, and extend their
line, and now their broad paddle-like feet propel them onwards…Thousands there are, all gay, and the very manner of their mirth, causing the
waters to sparkle, invites their foes to advance toward the shoal. And now the
Pelicans, aware of the faculties of their scaly prey, at once spread out their
broad wings, press closely forward with powerful strokes of their feet, drive
the little fishes toward the shallow shore, and then, with their enormous
pouches spread like so many bag-nets, scoop them out and devour them in
thousands."
(image from fineartamerica.com)
"Gay" and "Mirth"? I guess using a pelican as a cheerful print was a very good choice.
So, what do you think of the Paul & Joe Collection Sparkles? Which one is your favorite? And do you bird-watch?
Stay tuned for the rest of Paul & Joe fall 2012. 🙂