My Fair Gent

A few weeks ago I roped my friend LB (you don't really have to rope her though, she's up for almost anything) into to seeing an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York.  I knew I would enjoy the exhibit, Cecil Beaton, the New York Years, but I didn't know what to expect from the museum.  It's a beautiful landmark building undergoing an $85 million expansion on 103rd street, a gem.  The Beaton exhibit is big enough to spend time at each photo and illustration, reading about the fabulous life of this accomplished, photographer/designer, but not too big that you just can't take it all in.

I think most of us know that Beaton was the designer behind the costumes in both the movie and stage version of My Fair Lady.  He started his career in fashion photography for all the big New York mags, chronicling the most popular designers of the 30s, Mainbocher, Schiaparelli.  His shots were very theatrical and staged, a technique that is actually getting more popular today.  Beaton then turned his focus toward design; interiors, costumes, sets.  He lived in and redesigned suites at posh New York City hotels, including the Pierre and the Sherry Netherland.

This exhibit flew in the face of all those well meaning career advisors that encourage creative people to pick just one thing, and do only that, and that is what I liked about it best!   Now through February 20th.

Circle Back to the Real Stuff

The results of Liz Tailor’s estate sale were staggering.  I went to the preview exhibit and was stunned by the massive quantity of things one person could acquire over the course of a lifetime–purely for adornment. Rooms and floors of stuff, stuff, stuff! Former husbands and friends seemed to interpret Liz’s taste differently.  Jackson’s gifts were slightly ridiculous, Todd’s, fairy princess, Burton, serious duchess, and Liz’s own designs were oversized and exotic, like she raided an Egyptian tomb.  

I bet scores of designers are getting out their jewel colored pencils as an ode to Liz.  I’m already reaching for more serious, smaller jewelry, the real stuff, not that I have much!  But I predict that’s a trend waiting to happen.  Hopefully we won’t see jewel studded bolero jackets on the runway for fall 12, but I wouldn’t be surprised, perhaps minus the shoulder pads and riot of colors. As for caftans, bring them on!  Then you can eat your fill of guacamole and margaritas and still look poolside chic. Oh but wait, Liz did get sort of fat… but you can always fit into jewelry…

See the World on Broome Street

East Broome Street in NYC was our quick world tour as my friend Brigitte and I took in Swiss artist Regis Colombo’s exciting imagery at sohotel – Art Space Gallery.  Each work is dedicated to a city captured in a collage of nuance both subtle and bold. Entitled “Transparencies” Colombo works his magic with camera and mouse crafting layer upon layer of images that dance together in vibrant color and black and white. Now through December 18^th the show is mounted in a raw, yet inviting street space of the sohotel.

A perfect compliment to the show is a drink next door at Bar Coffee, The Randolph at Broome.  Here, layer upon layer of booze and bitters make a tasty, colorful work of art you can drink! 

La Dolce Vita at Eataly

If you’re looking for sweets, Italian sweets, sweet living, then and now… Go to Eataly, NYC.  There, you’ll find the sweet life, “La Dolce Vita” in every direction. Eataly is the perfect stage to play out almost any Italian fantasy, especially with regard to food and wine, but it also celebrates La Dolce Vita–love, life, energy, joy. It hums.  Be sure to look up.  Hanging from bars suspended from the ceiling is this wonderful exhibition curated by Marco Panella.  Stars at play and work in Italy during this glamorous decade are on display in a captivating black and white pictorial.  Toast to the likes of Tyrone Power, Mamie Van Doren and, no surprise, Sophia Loren.

Don't miss it. 

Rachel Moore, Sugar to Plum

Executive Director of American Ballet Theater Rachel Moore came up to the Greenwich Carlisle / per se Showroom not too long ago to check out the fall lines.  I knew the brand would be a great fit for her. When I asked her what her M.O. was in terms of her style and wardrobe choices she said, “I always want to straddle being polished and professional, but not boring.” And because she represents a world-class ballet, she’s got to be slightly “arty” without being too funky or “downtown.”  Imagine, in any given day Rachel might go from meeting with bankers, to a donor’s luncheon to a gala performance.

How does she do it?  She has no apologies about having to change clothes!  Better to be dressed exactly right than having to hodge-podge something together that isn’t perfect for the day or the evening function. This definitely flies in the face of the day-to-evening how-to dressing every fashion journalist has written about (including me!).

If you’re a former ballet dancer, you’re a friend to practice and preparation. Rachel’s packing regime sounds like trying to synchronize the intricate choreography of the four cygnets dance in Swan Lake! She explained, “I’ve given up the goal of traveling light.  I know my schedule before I begin to pack and I literally plot out every outfit before I leave.”  She creates a spreadsheet of what to wear from event to event, including evening bags, shoes–the works. Perhaps she could economize in her packing a bit, but there is no way she’s going with just a carry-on and besides that, as she said, “I want my stuff!”  Who can’t relate to that!

About dressing and the execute man, both Rachel and I agree; they’ve got it easy.  A nice suit takes a guy from boardroom to cocktail party and it’s all good. According to Rachel, “Men are not terribly judgmental of other men, but they are really judgmental of women.  They know when a woman definitely “gets it,” when she’s making a statement that is polished and professional.  Think of Diane Sawyer, she’s feminine, but their is no phony baloney.”  

Shown here is one selection Rachel made at the Greenwich Showroom.  She fit beautifully into everything and it was difficult for us to narrow down the choices into a few outfits.  I think you’ll agree it’s arty without being too funky and it says I mean business, no phony baloney.

Mr. Client Needs New Suits

Mr. Client wanted me to meet him at my.suit in the city (NYC) to see how his new custom suit looked and fit. I was intrigued by my.suit's website and Mr. Client had said he was reasonably pleased with the fabric and design choices offered. I was given a quick tour of the store before Mr. Client arrived by Product Coordinator Shao Yang. She explained that there are two tiers of fabrics, both in quality and price points. The mills for my.suit are in Mexico and the suits are made there as well. Mexico's fabric pedigree is rather "quarter horse," not exactly thoroughbred. BUT I liked the fabrics, the hand was very good, the choices great! And the prices were pleasing enough to get me over my fabric snobbery, not Italian, not French, sniff.

The big test came when Mr. Client put on his suit. It was nice, a two button, double vented jacket with flat front pants. Mr. Client had chosen a bright orange lining, sweet! The pants needed tweaking, although not much.

We then collectively, with strong opinions from me, chose three more suits. I was giddy with the freedom to actually design the suits. One has full rein to make an abundance of choices, even down to what thread color you'd like on a button hole. Mr. Client's profession doesn't beg for green seersucker or a navy jacket with orange piping. He's not a JT or GC (guess), but he had found the right place to get something perfectly "suited" (forgive me) for him.

L'Amour Fou

I saw the Yves movie the other night at the Pelham Picture House. Unfortunately they were playing the movie in their classroom space, which I’m sorry to say, is not a good place to watch any movie. Even a great movie is painful to watch in folding chairs, okay they were padded, but still we had to get up and stretch at one point. The screen is too close and too high and frankly the space just felt odd. I was excited to get Tom to the Picture House (finally) and I was apoplectic about seeing L’Amour Fou, so imagine our disappointment when we found ourselves alone in the “classroom.” Perhaps we could have done more with this circumstance... but well, we didn’t.

As for L’Amour Fou, sorry gals, it’s a rental. There isn’t much fashion in it, however the interiors are deliciously drippy, I thought so anyway, Tom found them to be “High Frog Clutter.” The story surrounding Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge’s art collection and relationship is significant and understanding the life and creative process of yet another “tortured” artist never seems to tire. However there were lots of cliche shots– Berge looking out a window at an ocean view with a worried, longing face... Geez.

While you’re waiting for it to come out on disc, do see the Bill Cunningham movie and Valentino darlings, both grand.