Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion & Architecture

Luxury and art are two closely linked subjects. Most major luxury houses associate themselves with contemporary art through sponsorships, commissions, or foundations, and these points of exchange only nourish the relationships between fashion, art and design.

Louis Vuitton is one of the luxury brands that maintains some of the richest and most varied associations with the art world. Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion & Architecture, a new book coming out on 22 September, 2009 by Rizzoli, spotlights some of Louis Vuitton’s most important and most visible collaborations with artists, architects, designers and photographers. The book also includes essays examining Louis Vuitton’s support under the guidance of Artistic Director Marc Jacobs during one of the most blossoming periods of contemporary art and design.

Under the artistic direction of Camille Scherrer, watch the book come to life here.

Chic Totes

My friend Marisa clued me into these perfect beach/walking around/shopping bags. These chic, large totes from Ballard Designs are only $25 including your monogram. I love the sand/beige colour and the red style would still look great for fall. I'll be stuffing my beach-appropriate book club book into one of these on vacation next week. Purchase them here.

The Museum at FIT’s Annual Couture Council Summer Party

With her true southern hospitality, Charlotte Moss was gracious enough to open her Upper East Side home this past Wednesday, August 5, 2009 for this year’s Museum at FIT’s Annual Couture Council Summer Party- and I was invited! Her beautiful four-story brownstone on New York’s Upper East Side was the perfect setting for a summer cocktail party. The lovely Couture Council Chairs hosted the event, including Yaz Hernandez, Liz Peek, Sarah Wolfe and Dr. Valerie Steele.

The Summer Party kicked off the fundraising drive as a prelude to the September luncheon at Cipriani celebrating the 2009 Award for Artistry of Fashion. This year, bellini toasts will be in order as the award will be presented to the talented Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, who will make a rare appearance here in New York. Previous recipients include Ralph Rucci in 2006, Alber Elbaz of Lanvin in 2007 and Isabel Toledo in 2008 (before Michelle Obama wore her on Inauguration Day!).

I was  incredibly honored to have been invited to the event and to have met some of the most talented figures in fashion and interior design including Glenda Bailey of BAZAAR Magazine (and her beautiful Christian Lacroix jewelery), Ralph Rucci, Christian Cota, Victor de Souza, Thakoon Panichgul, David Chu, Nanette Lepore and of course, Charlotte Moss! Yaz Hernandez and her fellow chair members were such welcoming hosts and I hope to have the pleasure of meeting them again.

Glenda Bailey of BAZAAR was especially personable as she spoke about her upcoming October issue and the perhaps not-so-looming economy hitting the fashion world, “I got a call today that October will be ten pages larger than we thought. You can smell the positivity!” Bailey also noted that the best purchase (and her favorite look) for this upcoming fall season is the classic tie-waste camel trench coat from Max Mara.

After the well-dressed crowd began to leave the back garden and finish their vodka-lemonade with basil cocktails (the drink of the night), I finally got my opportunity to speak with Charlotte Moss one-on-one. She gave some great advice on stepping into the world of interior design and she spoke about her future endeavors, including writing more for Veranda Magazine. I asked about Max Sinsteden, an impressive intern of hers, and mentioned how I recently wrote about the two of them. She was ecstatic to hear what I knew about him and explained that they just got back from London together (see my previous post on Max’s dorm room here).

Moss' signature design philosophy of “couture living” personifies elegant spaces in which one is meant to live and entertain in. She draws her inspiration from her extensive travels, reading and native southern heritage- and all of this is apparent in her understated yet luxurious home.

I was pleasantly surprised about how open and welcoming everyone at the event was to talk about what they were working on- and how they were equally interested in what I was doing! It was a night I won’t soon forget!

Currently on exhibit at The Museum at FIT is Isabel Toledo: Fashion From The Inside Out, displaying seventy iconic looks from the mid-1980s to the present, including the ensemble worn by Michelle Obama on Inauguration Day. Read more on the exhibit at The Museum at FIT’s site here.

Charlotte Moss' home, the back garden

Dr. Valerie Steele, Yaz Hernandez

All photography credit to Patrick McMullan and Shaun Mader.

Luxury for Charity

Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, the couple behind the luxury and impeccably designed children’s clothing brand Bonpoint, introduced their newest Parisian venture this past March when they opened Merci. This light-filled, 1,500-square-meter designer mecca in Le Marais houses vintage and designer pieces over three stories created specifically for the store by the likes of YSL, Stella McCartney and Marni at a 30-40 percent discount.

The Cohen’s spent three years bringing together designer names and unknown artists that were willing to sell their products at a lower cost to Merci, or to donate a percentage of their wholesale price to Merci's charity that helps children in Madagascar. For the Cohen’s, Merci was their way to combine their love of quality products with a desire to give back. "I cracked open my little black book and starting calling everyone I knew," said Marie-France Cohen.

The ground floor houses the floral boutique, a used book café and a perfume bar. Fragrances by Annick Goutal, a relative to the Cohen’s, are poured into generic bottles and sold. Since the brand does not make a profit on the sales, the scents are sold at a lower cost. The two upper levels are where you can find the irresistable children’s Bonpoint clothing line, in-house collections, vintage furniture and cutting-edge product design.

This oversized toy cabinet filled with an eclectic mix of curiosities is one those finds that will keep you coming back for more!

Pure and Simple Wins the Race

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream launched in the spring of 2008 by Ben Van Leeuwen, wife Laura O’Neill and brother Pete Van Leeuwen. They have a simple method that makes their ice cream undeniably delicious: using only local, hormone and antibiotic-free milk and cream and other preservative-free ingredients from around the globe.

Their method seems to be working. The eighteen percent butterfat ice cream sweetened with cane sugar instead of corn syrup? Check. The pistachio nuts harvested from a slow-food farm in Sicily and the hazelnuts from Piedmont? Done and done. Even all of their toppings are homemade and organic. The result is a dense and creamy treat (you must try the vanilla). It’s no wonder they can be found in specialty food stores, including Whole Foods, all over New York only a year after their start-up date.

The Van Leeuwen’s are as insistent on fresh, pure and simple ingredients as they are on their low-impact on the environment. All of their cups, napkins and spoons are made from sugar cane or corn husks and are biodegradable. One percent of all profits go to Wildlife Direct, a grassroots org that aims to protect endangered species in the Congo.

The charming Van Leeuwen trucks can be found at the following locations:

Greene and Prince Streets, 12-7 P.M.

University and East 12th, 8-11 P.M.

Read more about them here and in true New York City street-food fashion, you can also follow them on twitter to make sure you get the scoop.

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