WORD NERD

Today's Word: Ephemera

Dictionary.com defines ephemera as: "Anything short-lived...or items designed to be useful or important for only a short time."


I prefer my ephemera to be of the marine variety, which is why I was so excited to see images of seahorses, shells and coral grace the pages of many a fashion magazine this past March.

The fact that ephemera- with it's choppy/silky syllables (who can't resist whispering them aloud?)- represents the notion of impermanence rightly helped set the stage for the fleeting underwater fantasy worlds recently brought to life- with evidently pain-staking detail- by Chanel and Alexander McQueen.  

Courtesy of IMAXtree.com and Matteo Volta

(elle.com)

Elle magazine's coverage of Chanel's "silicone-and-leather handbag" illustrated the level of detail that went into creating some of these pieces. Each uniquely sized bauble hanging from the bag's delicate outer net-like structure had the undulation and texture of a precious coral branch. Perhaps the creators even went so far as to construct a fabric replica of the creature living inside the mock outer-casing? If that were true, what a wonderful surprise for us, but a torturous task for the seamstress!

The sea-maiden dresses practically shellacked onto the models at Alexander McQueen's Spring/Summer 2012 show made them appear to have just arisen from beneath the sea foam; their skin having acted as some kind of magnet drawing the minutest of shells to form a glistening exoskeleton. Ariel would have most certainly ditched Prince Eric to don one of these dresses as Queen of the merpeople- screw the chance to walk!

But sea ephemera is not just a Spring 2012 fashion trend; look back to Real Simple magazine from May 2011 and you will find a down-to-earth interiors spread emphasizing muted furniture and walls as the ideal backdrop for colorful pops of dessicated sea life. In this case, the ephemera needn't have   to be so fleeting; it fit perfectly inside an office nook as a permanent display.

Matthew Williams (realsimple.com)

There's a reason why we covet things that are meant to be temporary: Their impermanence makes them seem that much more special. So whether the ephemera is a collection of sea shells, or a stack of move tickets, they should be proudly displayed, emphasized and celebrated because eventually they will turn to dust, fade or shrink into nothingness just as their name implies- plus they're fun to look at!