Monday, February 28, 2011

academy awards 2011

a little delayed but nonetheless....

i'm sad to say that aside from natalie portman, colin firth and christian bale winning oscars, i was not impressed by the ceremony or a lot of the fashion coming down that red carpet sunday night...yikes! i was so looking forward to a fabulous show with two younger hosts but i think a lot of people would agree with me that anne and james fell flat right from the beginning...i was debating not doing a post about the fashion, but there were 5 (and practically ONLY 5) looks that i did think were really beautiful.

calvin klein (you can never go wrong)

elie saab haute couture

rodarte (an ode to the mulleavy sisters for the black swan costumes?!)

gucci

chanel

two other runners-up: mandy moore looked fantastic in her delicate monique lhuillier gown (which actually came all the way up to her neck) while hailee steinfeld once again rocked the red carpet in an age appropriate marchesa number that she had a hand in designing! these two looks are actually quite similar in style, and it was interesting to see mandy's more elegant and timeless look in contrast with hailee's younger and more fun take on hand-stitched beading and tulle.



Saturday, February 26, 2011

ETOS nyc

yesterday i spent most of the day out and about in the city for appointments at various showrooms, and one of the places i was so excited to visit was ETOS. i have long admired mercedes' & alberto's shop, but for whatever reason hadn't gotten a chance to get down there, until yesterday when i went to check out a few things for some projects. it totally brightened the rainy, chilly day! walking into their space i was completely mesmerized by every piece, with the vignettes of furniture upholstered in a neutral palette paired with eclectic accessories. these two designers have fused the old with the new to create a sleek and luxurious shop that i will definitely be frequenting...




sidenote: the two owners first met at the new york school of interior design! so inspiring to hear the success stories of past NYSID students.

xx

Thursday, February 24, 2011

thursday styles.

just a quick post for the thursday styles section before the clock strokes 12...today turned into a whirlwind towards the afternoon!

since my parents are heading down to south america tomorrow and THEN to the bahamas for a bit, all i've heard about lately is packing. i thought i'd throw together a super easy (and easily packable) warm-weather outfit, one that could become my new summer uniform...i'm sad to say that i'm not sure i'll be joining my family down in the bahamas on this trip, but i am VERY happy to say that that is because i have taken on a new project which i am quite excited about. i suppose this outfit will have to wait a bit longer to be purchased/packed/worn....




sam edelman (i love the name of these: ginger whiskey, perfect!)




sleep tight!!

xx

Photo: #1 via Polarn Per, others as noted.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

vibe trays.

i can't even stand how cool kelly wearstler's vibe trays are. i know that i recently posted about her magnificent interiors at the viceroy anguilla, but this is definitely worthy of posting about her again.

i have always loved presenting ideas to clients without just throwing fabrics and paint swatches at them...and this idea is beyond genius. not to mention uber-chic. she and her team will pull fabrics, color swatches, trims, even objects that inspire the "vibe" they are going for in the proposed space. it's such an innovative way to give clients a better feel for the future room, you can bet i will be using my own version of "vibe trays" in the future...






p.s. how amazing is her studio space? i'd love to be a fly on the wall there...look at that counter top chock-full of her trays!! be sure to check out her new blog MyVibeMyLife for more of kelly's never-ending inspiration.

xx

Photos: MyVibeMyLife

carlton v














upon walking into the D&D building last week, i stopped dead in my tracks when i saw this window done by carlton v. the always classic and preppy-chic showroom has been doing the most amazing windows lately, it's such a nice surprise to be greeted with! they are like mini movie-sets or art installations. this window in particular instantly transported me to a summer day in the 60's; twenty-something dancing around her ever-so-chic dressing room. i wanted to jump through the glass and dab on some chanel no.5, some bright red lipstick and dash off to the drive-in.

not sure if i would necessarily put all of these elements together in one space, but the vanity, chippendale chair and wallpaper are spectacular. i have always thought that it would be such a fun project to do window installations or better yet, movie sets! you can get so creative and run with your imagination. the detail here is spot-on, down to the lipstick note on the mirror...genius!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

(almost) le weekend.


it's thursday, which means tomorrow is friday and i for one have had a whirlwind week. i'll be getting out of dodge tomorrow for the long weekend, and where i'm headed the only service i'll have is on the paddle court, so i have added a few posts today to tide you over...

hope you all have lovely weekends!

xo

carolina irving.

yesterday i attended a photo shoot that was happening at a client's apartment and it was so much fun to be around all of that creativity again. it was especially fun to meet carolina irving, who was styling the shoot and is, in my opinion, the epitome of chic. her style, creative eye and graceful presence is simply an inspiration to be around. i have always admired her work, she has such an ability to use a variety of patterns, colors, textures etc to achieve such an eclectic, lived-in look. it was amazing to watch her work her magic! ironically, i was planning to do a post soon about her amazing textile collection and one later on her fabulous new york apartment, but it seems fitting to combine them into one post here...







i LOVE this green velvet headboard




[for those who aren't familiar with her work, carolina was an editor at house & garden and vogue living. on top of that she started her textile company (carolina irving textiles) as well as a clothing line, with another fabulous textile designer, lisa fine (irving & fine.) all of this AND she's currently a stylist for various design publications...talk about accomplished!]

Photos: 1. all the best blog (francois halard for vogue) 2. stylebeat 3. wall street journal


thursday styles.

my earlier post on alexander wang's new flagship could have counted as my thursday styles section, but i felt like that was cheating since it's mainly about the interior design...plus these looks from michael kors' spring 2011 collection have me swooning...







michael's collections epitomize that classic american-chic look down to the last drop. his clothes will always stand the test of time which, to me, is the mark of a true genius designer. i'm excited to check out his fall/winter 2011 collection, it is sure to dazzle!


Photos: style.com

hot off the press.

a darling friend sent along some images of the new alexander wang store opening on grand street today and i was floored when i saw them. literally over the floor. look at that creamy marble! and then pair it with that luscious fur hammock, it's a great mix of warm and cool elements which make it totally sleek and clean yet rich and luxurious. and did i mention the racks of clothes....



this space will be for highlighting special collections/collaborations etc.

the design was done by robin kramer of kramer design group, whose amazingly talented team has worked wonders for lots of other retail spaces & fashion/home/lifestyle brands. i don't know too much about the design group (yet), but i do know that this is the team you bring your brand to for wildly successful results.

i can't wait to get down there to check out this space in person, it seems to epitomize mr. wang's fashion sense; simple and functional with that added punch of the unexpected.

xo

thanks to M.O for passing along these photos!! you can also check out an article about the space here. congrats to alex on his store opening and fabulous fall 2011 collection!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

more x's and o's...

i know valentine's day has come and gone, but i just couldn't resist posting some more cards that i discovered and MUST have. sorry for the repeat post, i have an obsession with stationery... more interesting posts to come, i promise.














Photos: (not in order) Etsy, Dempsey & Carroll, Jack Cards, Sesame Letterpress