It's the holiday season with invitations to all manner of events, some formal, some not so much. What to wear that looks sufficiently festive and can the outfit(s) be worn to more than one event? These are the questions I ponder as I look through my closet. The very good news is that the sales have begun and most things from the Fall/Winter season are now on sale. Looking through the clothing lines of some of the designers, one that I feel strikes just the right note is from Diane Von Furstenberg.
Art Basel, held in Miami Beach for the 13th year, December 4th - 7th received an estimated 75,000 attendees. It's an event that draws people from all over the world and is as much about socializing and connecting as it is about the art. Art Basel, the main fair, is held in the Convention Center and Design Miami sits across the way. Eighteen satellite fairs are scattered throughout Miami Beach and Wynwood in downtown Miami.
Today we visited Design Miami at Art Basel. This year it seems to be all about lighting and world famous architect and my old boss, Peter Marino. Here's what caught my eye...
As mentioned in earlier posts, I could happily live in a hotel. The best hotel rooms are furnished for comfort, relaxation and indulgence. To attain a similar level of style and comfort at home, a bedroom with a queen or king bed should include a pair of table lamps to read by comfortably, a pair of nightstands with a surface large enough to hold a book or two, reading glasses, a tray for jewelry/change/pillbox/water-glass. On the bed a pair of pillows that are decorative and a pair that are functional.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving and today the countdown to the other big holiday - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa begins! I'm a big believer of good things in small beautifully wrapped packages. Here are some holiday gift ideas to fit most, if not all pocket-books...
I am frequently in Miami and always enjoy my time there. Miami has many wonderful restaurants and my husband, Philippe and I have tried a few and over time have decided on our particular favorites. One is Zuma, located in downtown Miami - where the food has been consistently excellent. Although I have a real appreciation for good food, the setting is equally important, which I'm sure comes as no surprise. Zuma's menu is a modern take on Japanese cuisine, an informal style known as Izakaya, which means dishes are meant for sharing or eaten individually. With an atmosphere that is vibrant and fun, drawing a stylish crowd, making Zuma the perfect place to people watch.
Christophe Lemaire's Fall/Winter 2014 collection for Hermes was a look of seemingly effortless luxury. To quote Tim Blanks from Style.com, "stealth wealth, indeed." The styles were consistently strong, graceful, urban and elegant with lush knitwear, slouchy jackets, pants and coats. As with Bottega Veneta the hem is mid-calf, not my favorite length, but it looks so sophisticated in both collections I'm willing to try it again. Although prints were at a minimum, there was an abundance of luxurious textures - cashmere, silk, velvet, leather and mink.
For me, there were two exceptional collections for this Fall/Winter - one being Tomas Maier of Bottega Veneta. There were no jackets or pants, just fabulous dresses, skirts, sweaters and coats. On the face of it the clothes looked very simple, but it was all in the details of exceptional cut, fit and fabric. The length was below the knee and hems gave a lovely swish when moving, without an excess of volume. The graphic patterns and color combinations kept the looks fresh, yet very elegant. Take a look...
Michele Oka Doner, the artist best known for her beautiful artwork A Walk on the Beach and its extension A Walk on the Beach: Tropical Gardens, exhibited in the Miami International Airport. Composed of over 9000 bronzes embedded in terrazzo with mother-of-pearl, it's one of the largest public artworks in the world. Michele's apartment in Miami Beach is a study in minimalism, with the interior design consisting of white marble floors, a white sectional that wraps around the outer edges of the living area, framing the windows overlooking the ocean. The space is constantly updated with new artwork made mostly from natural materials. Her perfect world...
As I mentioned earlier this week, I'm very much focused at the moment on art and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce my good friend, Sylvanus Shaw. Sylvanus' site specific solo exhibition "Give Me Liberty" is currently on view at Fraunces Tavern. These most recent works, invoke imagery of early American statehood in media ranging from oil on panel to collaged holograms, security envelopes and other mediums. "Give Me Liberty" will be on view through March 16, 2015.
The Turkish decorator, Serdar Gulgun has made his home in a former pasha's hunting lodge in the middle of Istanbul. The lodge is decorated in classic Ottoman-style, with Murano-glass chandeliers, French fauteuils, Chinese porcelain, luxurious Oushaks and colorful suzanis. I met with Serdar in his home a couple of years ago and was dazzled by both the elegance and opulence of his interior design aesthetic. A new book chronicling this beautiful home, Ottoman Chic (Assouline, $75)contains enough decorating ideas to keep the most avid decorating enthusiast and interior design professional alike engrossed.
I love staying in hotels and in my perfect world could happily live in a hotel. It seems I am not alone in this notion as I read in T Magazine, "A Hotel Room of One's Own" by Andrew O'Hagan. Should that dream ever come true, my hotel of choice would likely be one from the Firmdale Group. Kit & Tim Kemp have over the last 30 years transformed the London boutique hotel scene, placing their very individual stamp on an ever growing group of hotels in London, including The Knightsbridge, Charlotte Street, Number 16, Haymarket and most recently Ham Yard. In 2010 they opened in New York with Crosby Street, Soho and another hotel is currently being built in mid-town.
Recently my focus has been on the art world. I’ve just returned from New Orleans for “Prospect 3: Notes for Now”, the International Contemporary Art Biennial, first held in 2008. This third Biennial is spread throughout 15 indoor and outdoor venues, showcasing 61 leading and emerging contemporary artists from around the world, including artists local to New Orleans. The exhibition opened October 25 and will continue through January 25, 2015.
Yesterday morning I woke up to the very sad news that one of my favorite fashion designers, Oscar de la Renta, died yesterday with complications from cancer at his home in Connecticut at the age of 82.
