GLAMOUR wedding on CAPRI

Where was I?

For a wifi-needy person like me, a holiday in Italy is not as relaxing as it should be. Yes, yes, yes, the food is better than anywhere, the coffee as it should be and the charm is ‘dappertutto’, but it is also a country where fax machines still lurk on desks. The country where I need to wait for fifteen minutes to pay for my magazines because the lady with three stamps, two girls making seven copies and the person scanning their drivers license all need to be helped first, oh and not forgetting the boy paying for ten balloons. Clear. That country. We are renting a substantial house with a matching price, but Internet? Oh no, it’s not part of the Italian daily essentials.

This morning I tried to used my dongle (been attempting to surf the net with this medieval device), first at the owner’s office and then in sheer desperation (was I shaking? I think a little) at their private home, where finally my willing and able Macbook connected to their Internet. Quickly surfed to Amayzine.com, Elle.nl (saw that the first edition under editor-in chief Hilmar was out for sale) and then to WWD.com and found out that Louis Leeman got married.

One handshake

I can hear you thinking. Louis who? Louis Leeman. Italian royalty from Dutch blood. Close friends with Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl and Edgardo Osario, designer and founder of Aquazurra, the hottest shoes of the moment. Edgardo, my ticket to this star-studded ultra luxurious Capri wedding that took place this weekend.

Cocktails in The Carlton

I had a cocktail with Edgardo and his love Eduardo (I’m not making it up) during the last New York Fashion Week, in the piano bar at the Carlton. Outside was a sloppy 20 degrees, inside steamy and fun with the Amayzine editors, our publisher, Edgardo, Eduardo and Erica. More Italian than Erica does not exist. Intensely slim, gorgeous hair and chatting busily. In this case about her marriage. “Aii tinke aii wiell ask Roberto (Cavalli that is) to desaign mai dressuh. That wayy ai can keep ituh.”

sjampaignuh!

A few days later, Liesbeth had dinner at Indochine. A former hotspot in New York and obviously still a place where the who-knows-who gather during Fashion Week. Erica was there, shimmering. Jet and Liesbeth were invited by Erica and her darling Louis to dinner in London. No shabby hole, as I am sure you can imagine. Afterwards they went for a drink. It was a private London club, with the red carpet rolled out for Erica and Louis. Jet and Liesbeth seized the moment for a return offer. A round of drinks. However, as you know, London is three times more expensive than New York, and that was a bit of a moment for the girls. Especially when Erica ordered ‘sjampaignuh’ and Louis and the rest of the company ordered great big cocktails. They took the order, breathed in deeply and brought out their credit cards. “It’s open bar, girls!” the waiter said. Talk about luck.

Barneys and Madison Avenue

It was the evening that Jet and Liesbeth met Erica’s husband to be, Louis. Louis turned out to be a Dutch shoe designer, who had studied fashion in Florence. He is now sold in Barneys and has opened a flagship store on Madison Avenue. I too was silenced. Erica had done the same study (where the spark was ignited), went on to work for Vogue Japan and then through herself into mens shoes with Louis. Take a look at their website. Tim Walker-ian type images. I don’t like to use the term ‘un-dutch’, but it seems more than appropriate at this moment.

Where were we?

The big moment was this weekend. It began with Erica being driven around Capri on a float. Her dress was nice and short to show off those gorgeous legs and (Aquazurra?) shoes. The guests (including Olivia, Johannes and our friends Edgardo and Eduardo) all received espadrilles as gifts, specially made by Louis for the big day. With their initials on the sole. How fabulous. Then a dinner with tables reaching to the horizon and bridesmaids in Mary Katranzou. Everything, absolutely everything was perfect. The question remains. Where were we? Erica? We go way back. Must be that damned Italian Internet. The mail with the invitations obviously didn’t get through.