A Preppy Twist

Preacher Dress

Map Dress

Martha Dress

Chilmark Dress

Tartan Top, Cigarette Tux Pant

Campus Top

Hunting Cape

Tea Party Shift

Created by designer Sheree Commerford, Woodford & Co is a women’s lifestyle brand that is built around the idea that classic and well-crafted fashions will withstand the test of time. The classic look of this line lends itself to the Ralph Lauren-esque styling based on country and coastal living, men’s tailoring for women, and of course, a well-tailored preppy aesthetic.

From what I gather on their site, it seems that they have only had four collections thus far and the line is not yet available outside of Australia (gasp!). Although I did find some pieces on Ebay, we need a stockist here in New York!

Above you can see some of her 2009 Summer and 2009 Winter lines. Scope out all of Commerford’s designs here.

The September Issue

I was lucky enough to see a prescreening of The September Issue today, the documentary coming out 28 August 2009 about Anna Wintour and Vogue magazine.

The documentary gives an inside look into the development of the September 2007 issue of Vogue- the issue that weighed nearly five pounds and was the single largest magazine issue ever published. The film, directed by R.J. Cutler, gives a glimpse into the legendary Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and her passionate team of editor’s work.

The September Issue definitely sheds some light on the enigmatic Wintour. As she is quite demanding of her team, the dynamic between her and Grace Coddington (Vogue’s Creative Director) is what really makes the film, well, funny.

Coddington began her fashion career as a model, went on to work for British Vogue and has been at American Vogue for twenty years. As the very deliberate, dry and absolutely hilarious counterpart to Wintour, she actually comes across as the more inspired of the two. The differences between the two women are nearly inconsequential, as Wintour describes Coddington as “remarkable” and “genius”, acknowledging that nobody else can do what she does.

In Wintour’s last words of the film, “What’s next?”

Leaving His Mark

The Upper East Side’s newly renovated The Mark Hotel reopened its exquisitely detailed doors this past spring with the help of world-renowned designer Jacques Grange. As the designer to clients like Yves Saint Laurent and Aerin Lauder, Grange takes a step away from his traditional French design and adds a touch of playfulness to the copper-topped building that once held private residences.

The Mark has an upscale and understated tone with a touch of humour. Grange’s personal philosophy of balancing the elements of grandeur, intimacy, colour and art are realised in this Manhattan landmark.

In an effort to bring downtown uptown, Grange collaborated with Ron Arad and Vladimir Kagan for furniture design and even asked his friend Karl Lagerfeld to donate his photography to hang on the walls. ‘‘I adore Karl and would love to work on one of his spaces, but he does everything himself,’’ says Grange, whose drink of choice at Bar Mark is a caipirinha.

Grange’s meticulous detail shines through everything- down to the lobby elevators, the black and white striped marble floors, the tailored Boffi kitchens and the handpicked fabrics and linens. Many of the rooms have terraces that either overlook Madison Avenue, the courtyard, or 77th Street. The French-American Mark’s Restaurant has both a Master Sommelier and a Tea Master. There are 118 rooms on 15 floors, not including the private residences upstairs.

Take a peek into Grange’s Parisian apartment at The Selby.

‘‘Interior design is a great chance for me to do what I want, how I want.’’ –JG

Elle Decor on Aerin Lauder

Kitchen; light fixture by Ann-Morris Antiques, stools are vintage Frances Elkins and lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly

Poolhouse; retractable awning to shade the terrace

Study; designed by Jacques Grange, paintings by Yves Klein and Lucio Fontana

Dressing Room; chandelier by Baguès, wall covering by Gracie and desk by Gabriella Crespi

Aerin Lauder is now on the cover of Elle Décor’s July/August issue showcasing her weekend and holiday home in the Hamptons. She inherited the home ten years ago from her legendary grandmother, Estée Lauder, founder of the beauty company where Aerin currently serves as senior vice president and creative director.

Lauder worked with Victoria Borus of B Five Studio to update several of the rooms that she described as “heritage with a twist.” She noted that she kept all of the blue and white Chinese porcelain from her grandmother in the main living areas. Lauder added, “My grandmother loved blue and white. You can see it in everything, from the way she decorated to her Porthault linens to the packaging of her perfume and cosmetics.”

A New Yorker can really appreciate the spaciousness of her home- and the gold accents in the dressing room are to die for.

Rain, Rain...

Although I've been waiting for a rainy, lazy day here in New York, one of these would have been helpful today!

The Sartorialist

Scott Schuman announced today that he will be releasing his first book in the U.S. on 12 August 2009, based on his incredible fashion photography site The Sartorialist.

The Sartorialist began when Scott Schuman felt a growing disconnect between what he saw on the runways, in magazines and what real people were wearing. It was an attempt to bring back the balance. From the streets of New York to Italy and from Moscow to Paris, the book is an anthology of his favourite images from his travels, accompanied by his insightful commentary. It includes photographs of well-known fashion figures alongside people on the street whose personal style demand a closer look.

Schuman was named one of Time Magazine’s top 100 design influencers. The paperback and Bespoke Edition can be pre-ordered here.

In Good Time

I really love this watch by Maurice de Mauriac, the Chronograph Modern L. It's a men's style, but I love the look of a masculine watch on a delicately dressed woman. As an alternative, there's always this military-style Timex from J.Crew. Read more below:

Maurice de Mauriac

J.Crew

The Oslo Opera House

Dressed in snow-white marble and blue-tinted glass, The Oslo Opera House is the largest cultural construction in Norway since the construction of the Nidarosdomen Cathedral in the 14th century. It is home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and is the national opera theatre in Norway. Designed by the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, The Opera House won the Culture Award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in October of 2008.

The Opera House took five years to build and consists of 19,000 square metres of marble. The building's exterior is covered with more than 33,000 individual marble stones. This extraordinary building has a slanted roof surface that rises from beneath the waters of the Oslo fjord that is open for visitors to walk on. The space also features a chandelier in the main concert hall that consists of 17,000 glass units and beautiful wooden ramps created by traditional Norwegian boat architects.

Tangled Up In Blue

On any given day, I can usually be found wearing blue and white- which is why I love these free-flowing frocks by Calypso. Christiane Celle’s dresses always make summer-chic look effortless. Shop Calypso here. 

Vail International Dance Festival

The Vail International Dance Festival is an annual event in the Rocky Mountains. This year, the program will run from 27 July – 11 August 2009 in the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheatre at the Vilar Performing Arts Center under the artistic director Damian Woetzel. Woetzel was a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet for 19 years, at which time he earned a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School. He is most notably known now for breathing life into every performance he directs.

The gorgeous background of the mountains makes for breathtaking performances. Some noteworthy shows this summer include the new work from Christopher Wheeldon’s company, Morphoses, and dancer Savion Glover with the Miami Ballet.

Eataly, 2010

Arguably the top Italian market in the world, Eataly signed a lease on location this week in Manhattan for a store opening next year. The 32,000 square foot space, rumoured to be around the corner from Madison Square Park, will feature artisanal Italian foods, wines, liquors and beers. It will also have educational events and tastings, eight restaurants, two cafés and a gelato stand. The first Eataly opened in Turin in northwestern Italy in January 2007. There are also stores in Milan, Bologna and Tokyo.

Eataly is associated with the Slow Food movement, which according to their site is a “non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.” This store is sure to be the darling of every Manhattan foodie.

New Art

Mimi&Meg by Meg Biram is one of my favourite daily blog reads. She recently had an art giveaway and I was the winner! The acrylic on canvas piece above is called "Ice 7" by Kaylie Abela and is one out of a series of ten. Her work is sold on Ugallery, which is a great site for emerging artists.

Check out their sites here:
Mimi&Meg
Ugallery