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| He truly had the loveliest, warmest and most authentic smile in the business. Oscar de la Renta (1932-2014), Polaroid taken by Andy Warhol (1928-1987). © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./CHRISTIE’S Images Ltd. 2014 |
One of the most inspired exhibitions we’ve seen so far this fall is Dance & Fashion at the FIT Museum, quite superbly curated. It was lovely to see at close range costumes from some our favorite ballets, those of very recent years and also those from as far back as the early 19th century. It was also fantastic to learn of the work of designers I had no idea designed for dance such as Gianni Versace and quite thrilling to see iconic costumes like those worn by Martha Graham and Judith Jamieson. And it was such a treat to watch once more David Michalek’s Slow Dancing film featuring his wife Wendy Whelan that was part of the Dries Van Noten exhibition in Paris earlier this year. The catalog is well worth your time, and I imagine the two-day Dance & Fashion symposium on October 23 and 24 will be too.
Dance & Fashion will be on view through January 3
www.fitnyc.edu/museum.asp
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| I recently came across this family photograph taken, I believe, in my uncle’s apartment in Manhattan sometime in the 1950s (it could also be late 1940s or even into the 1960s). I was immediately struck by the Chemex coffeemaker on the stove. Developed in 1941 in Western Massachusetts, the Chemex coffeemaker, made of borosilicate glass with a wood collar and tie, is perfectly functional in its clean, modern design that has remained virtually the same these last 70 years. It is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and, it makes quite a fine cup of coffee. www.chemexcoffeemaker.com |
I’m not really a watcher of television, but on the occasion that I am, it is generally of the BBC variety (Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Mr. Selfridge, you get the picture). However, the tremendously compelling ad for the new Showtime drama, The Affair, has been EVERYWHERE. And we just happened to be in Montauk, where The Affair is set, over this past weekend when it premiered. It was calling. I must say, it is very smart and very intriguing, told from two distinct points of view (male and female) and in a way, not wholly about the affair for which it has been titled. I quite earnestly await the next episode.
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| Photograph www.goodreads.com |
Every now and again I like to read a novella. It feels like a break from my regularly scheduled reading — that which is either for work or pleasure. A vacation from the vacation. I love the word novella. And I find the notion of the novella somehow romantic and nostalgic. Some of my favorites include The Light in the Piazza (1960) by Elizabeth Spencer, Gigi (1944) by Colette and The Diamond as Big as the Ritz (1922) by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I’ve just finished reading Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris (1958) by Paul Gallico, an incredibly prolific writer probably best known for The Snow Goose (1941) and The Poseidon Adventure (1969). Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris, apparently quite popular in its day, tells the story of London charwoman Mrs. Ada Harris who dreams of traveling to Paris to the House of Dior. Completely charming, just as I suspected.
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| Henri Matisse (1869-1954), Blue Nude II (Nu bleu II), spring 1952, Gouache on paper, cut and pasted, on paper, mounted on canvas. Musée national d’art moderne/Centre de création industrielle, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. Purchase, 1984. |
Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs has finally arrived at the Museum of Modern Art, from its first stop in London, at the Tate Modern. This show is monumental and quite significant, focusing solely on the last decade or so of Matisse’s life, spanning the 1940s and 50s. The large scale of many of these works is striking, as are the tremendous color relationships. Not to mention the genius technique itself. I’m still thinking about those pieces on view that retain the original pins or tacks placed by the artist himself or according to his direction. I also loved seeing The Swimming Pool (La Piscine) again, this time after a meticulous six-year conservation that actually initiated the idea for this exhibition. This massive work, nearly 54 feet in total length, was originally placed in Matisse’s dining room in Nice and has not been on view for more than 20 years.
Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs is on view through February 8, 2015
www.moma.org
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| Coco Chanel’s original “Maltese Cross” cuffs designed by Duke Fulco di Verdura circa 1930 |
A wonderfully special exhibition opened today, The Power of Style: Verdura at 75. This retrospective of master jeweler Duke Fulco di Verdura (1898-1978) features over 150 jewels designed and created by Verdura himself as well as his objets d’art, photographs, gouache jewelry designs and archival materials. Curated by Carolina and Reinaldo Herrera, who were personal friends of the jeweler, and their daughter Patricia Lansing, The Power of Style celebrates the 75th anniversary of Verdura on Fifth Avenue. Duke Fulco di Verdura, an Italian aristocrat, began his career at Chanel in 1927 after being introduced to the fashion designer by mutual friends Linda and Cole Porter. In 1934, Verdura left Chanel for Hollywood and later New York where he established his own brand in 1939. Over the course of his nearly fifty-year career, he built a notable clientele that included Diana Vreeland, Joan Fontaine, Babe Paley, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Millicent Rogers and Greta Garbo, and became one of the most important and influential jewelers of the 20th century.
The Power of Style: Verdura at 75 is on view through December 23 at 745 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor, in gallery space adjacent to the Verdura flagship store
www.verdura.com/power-of-style
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| Traveling Lady, Jessica Mitrani and Rossy de Palma, a multimedia performance piece that “explores and explodes feminine archetypes and stereotypes.” Traveling Lady will have its world premiere Friday, October 10 and Saturday, October 11 at French Institute Alliance Française Florence Gould Hall, as part of FIAF’s annual Crossing the Line Festival. www.fiaf.org |
Looking ahead to next week, we are really excited about Dwell on Design New York. Hosted and curated by Dwell Magazine, Dwell on Design New York is not only the coolest trade show but three days of lectures, panel discussions, presentations and conversations about modern design. And on the final day, October 11, tours of modern residences in Manhattan. So great! This is the first year Dwell on Design will be in New York, joining the annual Dwell on Design Los Angeles, the largest design event in the country, happening in May. The good news is, you can still register!
www.dwellondesign.com
In great anticipation of Gabrielle Hamilton’s new (and first) cookbook Prune, I was happily reminded to read her New York Times Bestselling memoir, Blood, Bones & Butter (Random House, 2011). I can’t believe I waited so long. Really. It is seriously well-written and completely engaging, and is, at once, raw and fearlessly honest, poetic and quite beautiful. One of the best books I’ve read in a while. And if you’ve not been to Prune, Hamilton’s 15-year-old gem on East 1st Street, you must go. Hands down one of our favorites.
Prune (Random House, 2014) by Gabrielle Hamilton is due to be released on November 4
www.prunerestaurant.com