This past summer we had the pleasure of planning an incredible wedding that began with getting ready at The Pierre, a ceremony at St. Bart’s, followed by a black tie reception at the Central Park Zoo. During the planning Christian Oth was asked by Canon to capture a wedding using their newly launched EOS-1D X and EOS 5D Mark III cameras and their Speedlite system. We were thrilled that our wedding was chosen for this national and international ad campaign!
“The photos were shot in real time and truly represented the honest moments of the day and made the final campaign a joy to be a part of.” -Christian Oth
HAVE YOU ALWAYS LOVED JEWELRY OR IS IT A PASSION THAT HAS DEVELOPED OVER TIME?
I have always loved jewelry and all things that sparkle! My grandmother had a tradition with her granddaughters that when we turned 13 we could pick out what we wanted from a special jewelry box designated for just this. I loved everything I chose, mostly because of the sentimentality. It was then that I learned about Regard Rings, a type of ring whose gemstones spell the word “regard”. I would later come to discover that acrostic jewelry originated in the Georgian period. Certainly my passion for jewelry has developed with time and continues to develop on a daily basis!
WE STUDIED ART HISTORY TOGETHER IN GRADUATE SCHOOL. HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND AND SCHOLARSHIP IN ART INSPIRED AND INFORMED LARKSPUR & HAWK? ARE YOU STILL DEALING IN ANTIQUE JEWELRY OR ARE YOU FOCUSING SOLELY ON YOUR NEW COLLECTION NOW?
My studies and work in the history of decorative arts and material culture have played a huge role in my professional life. While I never formally studied jewelry and jewelry design, my exposure to and education in antiques taught me how to approach, evaluate and research objects. My foray into jewelry was as an antique jewelry dealer which came very naturally to me because each piece I sold had a story to tell and I loved teaching and revealing each tale! Just as the antiques reveal the past, my new designs also do so in a special way. The entire modern collection employs an 18th Century jewelry making technique of foiling gemstones, a labor-intensive art that plays with color and light. Sharing and, as such, reviving this very special craftsmanship with my clients continues to connect me to antique jewelry. As a result, the modern collection has superseded my longing to sell antique jewelry.
THE JEWELRY YOU DESIGN FOR LARKSPUR & HAWK IS TRULY BREATHTAKING. I AM ESPECIALLY INTRIGUED BY THE PIECES THAT ARE FOIL-BACKED — A VERY OLD PROCESS YOU HAVE REVIVED — BECAUSE OF THE EXQUISITE COLORS YOU ARE ABLE TO ACHIEVE. WHY IS THIS PROCESS SO APPEALING TO YOU AND ARE YOU STILL SURPRISED BY THE RESULTS WITH EACH NEW PIECE?
For me, it was love at first sight, long ago, with Georgian foiled jewelry. I adored the duplicity that colored foils offered a gemstone. There is a unique and specific play of color and light that comes with placing faceted gemstones over metallic foils and I had the urge to experiment with this myself. Each piece of jewelry is literally transformed by its foil and it is endlessly fun and rewarding to see which colors look best with certain pieces. I never tire of foiled jewelry!!
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
My husband, boys and cats!
COMB OR BRUSH?
Fingers.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
I love my name and always have. My middle name is Jane and I feel that I truly am an Emily Jane.
We had the pleasure to meet Deb Perelman at her book signing on Tuesday night. She was just as warm as we imagined she would be from reading her blog. Her new cookbook is a collection of all the delicious creations for all of us obsessive home cooks! The Smitten Kitchen, in Deb’s words, is a place where you’ll see a lot of comfort foods and lovely side dishes that take less than five minutes to make. We have images of the Pear-Cranberry and Gingersnap Crumble dancing in our heads! www.smittenkitchen.com
Numerology is the study of the special relationship between a number and a coinciding event. Every year holds a date that becomes THE date to get married on, providing of course that it falls on the weekend. In 2010 it just so happened that 10-10-10 fell on a Sunday. How lovely the invitations looked with all the numbers lining up so neatly! Today we have THE day of days to get married, unfortunately 12-12-12 is on an anti-climactic Wednesday. Moral of this story – the date is only a number, we create the magic behind it. My wedding date, July 26th, happened on Mick Jagger’s birthday and has proved lucky for over 9 years!
Rococo Chocolates is one of our favorite shops in London. Their handmade chocolate is absolutely exquisite, some of which is organic and fair trade originating from their own cocoa farm in Grenada — Grococo. Rococo’s confections range from truffles to drinking chocolate, Italian nougat to crystalized flower petals, and on and on. Our personal weaknesses, however, are the artisan bars and bee bars — in such flavors as Basil and Persian Lime Dark Chocolate, Orange and Geranium Dark Chocolate and seasonal offerings like Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Dark Chocolate. Almost too lovely to imagine. And then there is the packaging! Rococo’s owner, Chantal Coady, studied and trained in textile design. The motifs on her packaging come from antique chocolate mold catalogs and are artfully combined with gorgeous calligraphy and printed on beautiful, heavy paper. Her shops are just as delightful. Rococo Chocolates does not ship outside the UK but take a look at their website for a taste of this old world yet distinctly modern vibe and for planning a visit on your next trip to London. Rococo Chocolates www.rococochocolates.com
YOU WERE ASKED BY OPENING CEREMONY TO CREATE THE NEW STORE MIX. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT AND WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION?
When my DJ partner Johnny Cocco (his real birthname) and I were working on a mix two summers ago, we had this captivating 30 minute chunk of all-girl alternative music from the 80’s and 90’s. We were like “why don’t we do an entire mix that is just female artists?” That mix turned into a one year-long journey of curating over 150 female artists for 4, 1 hour long mixes, each with their own vibe.
My inspiration also came from living in the room next to my older sister. My father ran a radio station in the 80’s and early 90’s so she always had the radio on or records, tapes and CD’s, blasting the current hits, many of them from the divas of the day.
After hearing the first 2 mixes, Opening Ceremony asked us to come up with a mix especially for them. We still had a 3rd mix to create for our site, so we saved the best diva jams for their mix, and its been trending pretty well in the fashion community.
WE MET YOU AT A RECENT EVENT ON THE ROOF AT THE GRAMERCY PARK HOTEL. WHERE CAN ONE MOST OFTEN FIND YOU AND WHERE DO YOU MOST WANT TO BE FOUND?
I often do special events all around the city, and often times outside. I have DJed Andre Balazs daughter’s prom party at his upstate estate. It was in such a remote location, that the GPS stopped working. I have DJed at numerous clubs and bars around the city, including Avenue, Cipriani’s Wall Street, Bowery Hotel, The Montauk Club, Anchor Bar, Santos Party House, 200 Orchard to name a few. I also work as an experiential producer for Barbarian Group, so I generally prefer special events over DJing at a club until 4:30 in the morning.
DO YOU USUALLY WORK ALONE OR DO YOU LIKE COLLABORATION?
When I DJ out I generally do it alone, although it is nice to spin with a partner, allows you to get food, meet new people and it always makes bathroom breaks less of a juggling act. However for the Chicks with Hits Mix series, I worked very closely with Johnny Cocco. We spent many many hours/days/weeks on the mix,going through dozens of iterations. Sometimes laying the groundwork for large sections of the mix only to tear it up and start all over again. Ears can often hear things differently depending on ones mood/mental state. Cocco and I recently played the mix out live at La Esquina in Williamsburg. We have also been approached to DJ the mixes across Canada. We’ll see how that unfolds.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
Joy for me is a hot bath, a jazz record from the early 70’s and a pepper turkey sandwich. Perhaps also a plate of Glidden Point, Maine, oysters, but in no particular order.
Joy in a more abstract sense, is having people enjoy my mixes and music. I also produce music as well.
COMB OR BRUSH?
I generally go with the comb. When I travel I like to pack as light as possible.
DO YOU LIKE YOUR NAME?
Yes I do. Winslow Turner Porter III is a pretty uncommon name. Only 3 of us so far, ha! A few people have already named their boys Winslow, after hearing my name, and it seems as though there are a few more considering it. People don’t always get it right. One place where I DJ one of the bartenders calls me Winston and the other calls me Wilson. I have learned to accept that not everyone can remember it.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE: MY AGE IS…………….
A funny thing. 31 is just around the corner, but I remember when I was 9, like it was yesterday. I got my first tape cassette, Jane Child.
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
Great question. Why are you making something good?
I will probably go to Maison Premier for their oyster happy hour and then head to the Meatball Shop on Bedford Ave, for some of their season lamb meatballs with a side of pesto. Pretty amazing.
Always on the hunt for the perfect gift we were thrilled when the search was ended by one of our favorite brides this past October. Each of her lucky bridesmaids received this beautiful Clare Vivier clutch with their monograms. We agree completely that this designer has managed to marry French glamour with minimalist LA cool to produce a line of handbags that are as chic as they are utilitarian. www.clarevivier.com
Masala Farm by Suvir Saran — think Dévi in Manhattan — is one of the best cookbook reads we have had this year. And we really mean READ. Full of wonderful, seasonally and locally inspired recipes, Masala Farm is also a chronicle of Saran’s life on the upstate New York organic and sustainable farm he shares with his partner Charlie Burd — American Masala Farm. Rightly presented within the context of the four seasons, it is peppered with stories about the farm and its inhabitants (both two and four-legged), Saran and Burd’s upstate community rich in fellow farmers and makers of some of the best food in the state if not the United States, and the joys of country life for these long-time city dwellers. Ben Fink’s photographs are gorgeous, Saran’s words are captivating and personal and remind us that food is about so much more than just sustenance. Masala Farm is a feast for the eyes, the stomach and the soul — its such a pleasure to have this peek into their world. Masala Farm (Chronicle Books, 2011) www.masalafarm.com
