November 2009 Archives

Irish artist, Orla O'Brien created this collection of magical, unique "lassies" by combining wire, wool, clay, vintage paper, pain, hair, and a variety of textiles. She hand dyed, molded, coiled, hand embroidered, distressed, and manipulated various materials to create different personality for each of her "friends." Their papier mache faces express their individuality, while the stance of their string wrapped bodies and limbs show their strength and gumption!!! In addition, each doll is accompanied by their own "passport," ..... listing their name, nationality, and date of birth .... making them ready for a quick jaunt around the world.....starting at Mint, Lina Kanafani's fantastic store in London, where they were found!!! 

"In creating my own collection of dolls, I have attempted to recapture my magical childlike state of mind. From my treasured memories I have crafted tangible figures which tell the viewer a story about the written past and my present self. Each doll was designed by establishing the characters of unique and individual people involved in my world. In developing the doll characters I focused on giving each figure a personality while reinforcing an identity by creating a passport for each doll." Orla O'Brien

I am enamored by Orla's natural instinct for creating art from reclaimed "bits and pieces." The dolls are reminiscent of the simplicity of another era. Their good "vibrations" are wonderful "accessorations" for all of us!!!!!!

This is the 2010 Fornasetti Calendar Plate, available from my friends Allison and Louis at Maison 24, in Bridgehampton. Piero Fiornasetti began creating and producing calendar plates in 1968, and Barnaba Fornasetti has continue the tradition since 1989. The theme of the years plate is snakes, taken from the Fornasetti archives. The black, white, and gold porcelain plate retails at $210 and will be available for shipment in December. I would suggest you order early as the the plate is a limited edition of 700 and bound to be a sell out!!!!

    

My friend, NY Times writer Penelope Green,  wrote an article several months ago about the latest design trend .... The New Antiquarians. Revolving around a revival of interest in anti-modern or fantasy vintage furniture and accessories  ..... or as Penelope says "the accouterments of the turn-of-the-19th-century leisure class," a number of 20-&-30-somethings are creating spaces that are designed to resemble parlors of the Edwardian Era. Over-stuffed rooms are often filled with ancestor portraits; antlers from a variety of species; taxidermy animals and birds; medical cabinets filled with potions, petrified bone, skulls, and other small trinkets; old tufted leather seating; candlesticks and candelabras; and a variety of other ephemera of that age ...... all in all, a look worth thinking about!!!!

One night last week, I was in a taxi going down Chrystie Street, and as I was passing Sammy's Roumanian Restaurant (thinking of chicken fat & my old friend Bernie Ozer), I noticed an unusual and intriguing store next door!!! I went back several days later and learned that it was owned by Ryan Matthew, one of "The New Antiquarians" that Penelope had written about!!! Ryan, a silversmith, is transfixed by this "new vintage" and his  apartment in Brooklyn is accessorized with "mummified hunting dogs, wax figures and Black Forest taxidermy"!!!  Several weeks ago, he opened Against Nature on Chrystie Street, as an "homage" to this new visual.  The men's store is stocked with tailored and be-spoke suits by Doyle Mueser, custom denim by Simon Jacobs and a selection of jewelry and leather accessories by Ryan. I find the interior design of the store and its "fantastical" antique furniture and accessories fabulous!!! The furniture includes vintage cabinets, a divine blood-red tufted leather sofa, turn-legged tables, and antique showcases. The accessories are true "period," including mummified skulls under glass, a pair of taxidermy albino peacocks, vintage leather bound books, silver candelabras. The concept, from store design to clothing, is a feast for the eye, it appears to have been on Chrystie Street since the 19th Century!!!!!

Against Nature is an "inspirational must see"!!!!! Whoever says there is "nothing new under the sun" hasn't taken a trip to Chrystie Street ....... everything old looks new here!!!!

This is probably the most innovative and creative "bookcase" design I have ever seen!!! Walking along Orchard Street Friday, I crossed the street to look at this trendy "lifestyle" store Reed Space. It was filled with "cool" clothing that was wonderful, but .......  all I could see were these fabulous "bookcase" of baby desk chairs!!!! Hanging next to each other on simple hooks, these chairs make the most stunning wall sculpture ...... such a simple idea ..... reclaiming kids desk chairs in a functional way!!!!!! Sooooooo green!!!!

Dutch designer Lotty Lindeman's limited edition installation, "Tasenkast," is being launched by Gallerie Priveekollektie next week at Design Miami. Blurring the line between practical design and furniture, these "suitcases" can be used in their traditional role for travel or with the addition of interior shelves, they can be collected on the wall as a series of cabinets or shelving units. The cases are made of quilted padded fabric, that is wrapped around two wooden sides. The wall installation is hung from a wooden bar using fabric straps with fastenings that match those on the bag. 

"Interiors nowadays are presented like still, but in fact there is a lot of mobility of objects, moving around by human needs. Tassenkast plays on the edge of what we perceive as a fashion item and what we perceive as an interior product." Lotty Lindeman

This unique concept for a "moveable" shelving system is so captivating   .... I would love to have it as a "sculpture" on my wall!!!

This is a brilliant, creative, and insightful installation, "dinning table politics", from my friend, English artist, Karen Ryan!!! We all have tooooo much "everything" and need to rethink our priorities ...... but, still be interesting, innovative, & tasty!!! 

This is my birthday month (yep, Scorpio!!!) ...... and I got one of the most incredible gifts I have ever, ever been give!!!!! It is from my dear, dear friend TDL and I can't even think of an appropriate way to say thank you ......... That's how fabulous, gorgeous, divine, and over the top it is ....... And how perfect it is for me!!!

An edition of 20 ..... but, my portfolio is #1 of 5 editions that have been hand colored by the artist!!! It was hand delivered by publisher Michael Neff, who gave me this wonderful explanation!!! It doesn't get much better than this "treasure" ......... thank you, thank you, thank you, this is an amazing "accesoration"!!!!

Standing in front of Barneys windows yesterday, as the last bit of "fluffing up" took place, it was Bill Cunningham and "moi"!!!!!! Oh yes .... just the two of us taking pictures of the Christmas 2009 Windows ........ 35 Years of SNL!!!!!!! And here's the first view ........ mine are up before Bill's!!!!! YIPPEEEEEE for "the accessorator" and thank goodness for computers!!!!

I have to be honest and tell you that the Saturday Night Live windows aren't my most favorite of all times .... But, I was "cracked me up" by the Cone Heads.... remember them???? ........they were the best!!!! I also loved the papier mache ornament-heads of all of the great old characters from the last 35 years ..... Roseanne Roseannadanna, I loved her!!! Pat.... was he he or was he she????  The Killer Beeeeezzzzzzzzz!!  And my personal favorite SNL line ..... "CHEESEBURGER, CHEESEBURGER, CHEESEBURGER"!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

When I think back.......the "Queen's" windows on Seventh Avenue and 17 Street were fabulous .......... and remember the "Doggies"........pretty great!! But no matter what, Barneys always has an incredible Christmas and Simon Doonan always has the hippest, chicest, and tastiest ideas!!!! So..... Ho, Ho, Ho....Santa's on his way!!!!!

Last week, my friend Jennifer Parry visited NYC and she asked me to take her to Norfolk Street in the Lower East Side, to this amazing store she had heard about ....... I drove around for one hour, made a number of phone calls for directions, and finally found this eclectic and innovative "design project," that is Maryam Nassir Zadeh, a store that is so special .... it was worth every minute of the hour to find!!!

Owned by Maryam Zadeh, and her fiance Udsay Kak, this well curated, modern space is both open and intimate. The front has large glass windows, interior walls are white painted brick, the floor is grey concrete, and original wooden floor-to-ceiling beams support the ceiling. The store is non-traditionally fixtured with a variety of handmade wooden tables and benchs, flea markets finds, and organic elements found by the owners. The clothing, shoes, jewelry, and accessories featured in the store are by innovative, independent designers, with a touch of vintage ...... reflecting the same "old and new" aesthetic as the interior.

For "the accessorator", the most important element is the composition of the store and the artist's works that have been selected by Maryam and Udsay. The stunning oversized necklace wall-hanging, in neutral yarns and ropes of ivory, grey and peach tones with silver, is by a collective known as Confetti Systems. There are divine handmade bows and arrows by Fredricks & Mae, that would be wonderful color accents for any room. Sitting next to the arrows is a black felt sculpture by artist A'Detache. Hanging over the back counter is a wonderful Calder-like mobile, that includes a stack of paper plates, by artist and jewelry designer Samma. In addition, there are several black rubber sculptures on the floor that are made from bicycle tires by Italian artist Paolo Bertocchi. Not to be missed in the back corner are several long beaded pieces hanging from the ceiling by jewelry designer Lauren Manoogian. This eclectic, fresh mix of art is a wonderful accent to the apparel and is all for sale. 

"We wanted to express our aesthetic in a very personal way. It's not about the labels but more about the mix of unusual things coming together." Maryam Zadeh

There is no question that Maryam and Udsay have achieved their goal ..... the spirit and energy that surrounds this store is what real "merchandising" is about. If we want to give our customers a reason to shop we should take a look at the environment that has been created here, as well as the wonderful off-beat mix of innovative and interesting merchandise!!!!

AND YOU CAN CALL ME FOR GOOD DIRECTIONS!!!!!!

London design studio Doshi Levien has designed this charming loveseat for the Italian furniture company Moroso. It is part of the  Beautiful Backside Collection, inspired by this picture from the book The Garden of Life by Naveen Patnaik. Designers Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien have been combining their sensibilities since 2000. The mixing of Nipa's Indian visual and cultural influence, and Jonathan's industrial design ..... result in this sofa, reminiscent of a One Thousand and One Nights. Inspired by this "miniature painting of a Maharani sitting on the floor of her palace, surrounded and supported by multipled of pebble shaped cushions" .....  the sofa is a collection of thin mats, placed next to each other or on top of one another, covered by various fabrics, creating a graphic style. The divan is available in several sizes, with different pillow shapes, and in a variety of fabric and color combinations.

This collection of furniture is the perfect example of the collaboration of ethnic and contemporary design. It is stunningly modern, with a classic Indian influence.

The Wreath Project 2009 was inspired by the Polish tradition of hanging a wreath on the top of a building as a sign of completion of the project, as well as a symbol of joy and feast. These handmade wreaths are created by knotting 120 silk ribbons on a wire spiral, and they are to be hung upon completion of the interior design of a home. These imaginative fixtures are available in a variety of color combinations and lengths, to be chosen by the user.

"I wish that my Wreath would be an inexpensive gift for all of those who finished redecoration- symbol of joy and good luck. Depending on needs and imagination of its owner Wreath can change color and length. It is possible to hang small decorations or other objects on it. Design invites interaction." Agnieszka Lasota

 

Leave it to the French to come up with an amazing way to say "thank you," and create a wonderful shopping experience as well!!!! Marie-France & Bernard Cohen, founders of the French cult children's brand Bonpoint, opened Merci this past spring in the Marais district of Paris, "combining fashion with philanthropy, vintage with contemporary design and bespoke creations with mainstream brands." Housed in a 16,000 sq. foot former wallpaper factory, this industrial space features an innovative and interesting treasure trove of "everything" from fashion to furnishing!!!!  Merci, created by the Cohen's as their personal "thank you," donates 100% of its profits to a charity that helps deprived children in India and Madagascar. Having traveled extensively in that area of the world, Madame Cohen was extremely touched by the lack of education for these children and she made herself promise to help them. To achieve this goal, the Cohen's used their retail talents and vision to create this unique shopping experience. "Merci is accessible to anyone with an eye for the unusual and the bespoke."

This extraordinary philanthropic endeavor has gotten an incredible response from the designers, artists, musicians, actors, authors, stylists, and famous friends that the Cohen's went to for help. In addition to donations and the specially designed merchandise that is found only at the store, there is a continuously changing selection of eclectic, well designed product from French companies and various interesting flea market finds. Joining the Cohen's in their generosity, many of the designers and companies involved are also forgoing their profits, resulting in the price of the merchandise being 30% below traditional retail. In addition to gifts, clothing, accessories, and furnishing...... there is "Merci Fleur,'' a flower shop featuring florist Christian Tortu and the "Used Book Cafe" with a 130 foot rolling book wall of donated second hand books. Another wonderful feature is a selection of six scents from perfumeur Annick Goutal (Annick is Mdme. Cohen's late sister)  that are being sold in simple glass or aluminum containers like those used by perfumemakers in Grasse, rather than their classical decorative flasks, and aptly called "Merci Annick."

"Christmas at Merci" features a well curated holiday collection of accessories and apparel; as well as gifts from international designers such as Tom Dixon, Patricia Urquiola, Atelier, and Droog; plus a wide selection of one-off pieces, vintage items, and unique holiday creations designed exclusively for the store. An intriguing  selection of vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations completes the eclectic holiday assortment. 

I do believe that New York City is really a village and that everyone is connected......and here's more proof!!! 

I always enjoy the various illustrations that are designed for the Op-Ed pages of the Sunday edition of The New York Times; saving & filing them for reference, but never thinking about who designed them. In addition, I collect the work of artist Corin Hewitt and supported his  show at The Whitney Museum, as well as the book that catalogued the show.

Shopping at John Derian's eponymous store always results in finding deliciously unusual accessories and last week was no disappointment ..... I found these wonderful  wooden "book sculptures," created by artist Leanne Shapton!!!! Leanne is an illustrator, painter, textile designer, author, and publisher. She has designed book jackets, magazines, DVD's, and film titles ..... and she is the art director of The NY Times Op-Ed pages!!! I assume Leanne has no interest in free time ...... because, in addition, she is also co-founder of the non-profit publishing company J&L  Books!!! This well respected imprint, specializing in publishing books about the work of young contemporary artists, published the book cataloguing Corin's work at The Whitney!!!! Small world!!!