We noticed this fantastic and super stylish short film from Justin Kern and Stephanie Danan of the clothing line Co on Style.com over the weekend. This is the third film they have created, one each season, to pair with their newest collection. Written and directed by Stuart Blumberg and starring Marisa Tomei, Élodie Bouchez, Aubrey Parks and David Wain, it is really kind of perfect. We just had to share it.
www.style.com, www.co-collections.com
Our pick for Best Costume Design at this Sunday’s Oscars is undoubtedly Anna Karenina. The gowns, the jewelry, the headpieces, the fur and even the uniforms are simply breathtaking. Added to backdrops of opulent opera houses, falling snow and railroad steam these costumes completely embody the romance, passion and tragedy that is Anna Karenina. Each piece was created by award-winning British costume designer Jacqueline Durran. This is her second collaboration with director Joe Wright and actress Keira Knightly, both of whom she worked with on Atonement in 2007. And right now, a selection of these costumes is on exhibition in England through April 4 at Ham House, one of the key locations where this gorgeous film was shot.
We are loving the new ad campaign from Hermès — A Sporting Life! What we would give, right now deep in this season, for some warm weather, this gorgeous view and badminton — our spring and summer lawn game of choice!
I have two items in my wardrobe that, literally every time I wear them, people (strangers) ask me where I got them. They are my silver and gold wingtip brogues from Venice and my Warby Parker glasses. If you don’t already know Warby Parker, you most definitely should. They are a web-based prescription eyewear company with twelve showrooms and one mobile showroom in a retrofitted school bus currently traveling the U.S. If you can’t make it to one of these locations you can order up to five pairs of glasses, free of charge including shipping and return shipping, to try on at home. Its just so smart!
In their own words, “Warby Parker has updated and refreshed classic vintage eyewear styles.” They have. My particular pair, similar to what is pictured above, is the Huxley in Crystal — a limited-edition style/color combination no longer available. All of the glasses are just $95.00 or $125.00 for those of us needing high index lenses. You can even buy a monocle! But the best part of Warby Parker has to be that for every pair of glasses you buy, they give a pair to someone in need. Watch this great video about this great program.
www.warbyparker.com
As avid fans of Downtown Abbey we were thrilled when Matthew proposed to Lady Mary at the end of Season 2. We watched nervously on Sunday night to find out if the wedding was going to take place and happily it did! Our favorite moment was when Mary steps down the stairs and turns so that we see her dress for the first time. We loved the drive to the church in the convertible with the perfect white banners strung up and the townspeople cheering along the way- how festive! We only wish that they had invited us to the reception to celebrate.
We just noticed that at the end of this month the New York City Ballet will once again be performing Bal de Couture — last fall’s much anticipated ballet choreographed by Peter Martins to music by Tschaikovsky and costumes by Valentino. Perhaps most interesting about this work is the fact that Martins indeed choreographed this piece AFTER Valentino’s costumes.
The idea of fashion houses designing for the ballet is certainly not new, but remains as romantic and intriguing as ever. Coco Chanel designed ballet costumes as early as the 1920s and Karl Lagerfeld continued this Chanel tradition in 2009 with his Dying Swan costume for the English National Ballet. New York City Ballet commissioned Stella McCartney to create costumes for Ocean’s Kingdom, a ballet also choreographed by Martins to a beautiful score by her father Sir Paul. But our favorite intersection of fashion and ballet is without question Rodarte’s costumes for Benjamin Millepied’s 2012 ballet Two Hearts, hauntingly scored by Nico Muhly — simply sublime.
We love this photograph of Valentino from VOGUE last year and this video about his collaboration with NYCB.
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.
FINISH THIS SENTENCE. MY AGE IS…………….
A woman never tells!
WHAT’S FOR DINNER TONIGHT?
China Spice… “smile and dial” as they say!
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
