Friday, February 17, 2006


LONDON/TRADITION
The Mall. Major General Sebastian Roberts, General Officer Commanding and Major General Commanding The Household Division's trousers and coat are made by warranted uniform makers Kashket and Partners Ltd. Please note that the red stripes running down the trousers of the Irish Guards Officer's uniform are wider than non guards. Boots are made by New and Lingwood, who are also the official outfitters to Eton College.
Kashket and Partners - 35 Hoxton Square - London N1 6NN - tel. +44 (0) 20 7739 3737
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LONDON/ FASHION
At the V & A. The Daily Telegraph's award-winning fashion director, Hilary Alexander is one of my favorite journalist. The other you can well guess, as I have just mentioned her, and they are both British! I love Hilary's funky, towards ethnic way of dressing. She is also brilliant on television especially when she is being interviewed on CNN. Trendy property tycoon and gallery owner, Sir Oliver Rothschild has had a number of voluntary roles in various charities and is a reckless sportsman, he is also a member of the Cresta Club and the Dangerous Sports Club and a keen poker player.
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LONDON/FASHION
At The V & A - The photographers. Photographer and interior designer Manfredi Bellati's latest book of mysterious black and white photographs which illustrate the "noir" short stories of Alberto Tosi Fei in the book "Misterie della Laguna e Racconti di Streghe", of which the English version is due out soon. And, old time pal, portrait and fashion photographer Barry Lategan compare cameras and enjoy a photo "shoot" together!
http://www.vam.ac.uk/
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Thursday, February 16, 2006


LONDON/FASHION
At the V & A - The Art Directors. Luca Stoppini, talented art director of Italian Vogue and designer of Anna Piaggi's Double Page spreads, has with Anna, created a dramatic work for the exhibition. Barney Wan is the legendary art director of English Vogue, he now spends most of his time designing "coffee table" photography books, such as; African Ark:People and Ancient Cultures of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa by Carol Beckwith, and Angela Fisher.
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LONDON/TRADITION
The Metropolitan Mounted Police. It was the first time I saw a woman mounted police officer on duty. Horse and rider are so elegant, dignified and impeccably groomed. The Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch fulfill a tradition of service that goes back to the eighteenth century - to the very roots of police work in London.
http://www.met.police.uk/mountedbranch
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LONDON/FASHION
At the V & A - The de Villeneuves. Photographer, Justin de Villeneuve has collaborated with Anna Piaggi for Italian Vogue. He is a man of many masks, he has also been a boxer, a villain, a hairdresser (under the grandiose name of Christian St Forget), interior decorator, manager, and poet! He is best known for launching Twiggy as the World's first supermodel. His wife, model and actress Jan de Villeneuve and their daughter Daisy de Villneuve, a talented illustrator and designer pose with Nicky Butler of Butler and Wilson fame, designers of fashion jewellery.
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Monday, February 13, 2006


LONDON/FASHION
At the V & A - The Designers.
The anti-establishment fashion doyenne, Vivienne Westwood, OBE seems to have calmed down in her way of dressing since the days of punk thirty years ago. Wearing a very "conventional" tweed coat (one of her favorite fabrics), she is beginning to look everyday more like Margaret Thacher. Pollini's creative director Rifat Ozbek designed the Union Flag Cape for Anna Piaggi's debut at the V & A, a tribute to the England that Anna loves so much. Bella, Bella Freud is a talented fashion designer in her own right. She is know for her kitsch and colorful knitwear. She is the daughter of painter Lucian Freud and great-granddaughter of the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
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LONDON/FASHION
At The V & A. Manolo Blahnik is Anna Piaggi's favorite shoe designer. His shoes are universally known as 'Manolos' and are synonymous with glamour and sex appeal and have become as famous as the women who wear them. Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex And The City had her priorities clear in one episode she pleaded with a mugger: "You can take my Fendi baguette, you can take my ring and my watch, but don't take my Manolo Blahniks." Madonna once described his shoes as "better than sex" and then added "what's more, they last longer." Anna Piaggi is wearing a Union Flag Top Hat by Stephen Jones a Union Flag cape by Rifat Ozbek, Blue marabou boa and earrings by Christian Dior, shocking pink fingerless gloves by Missoni Uomo, she is holding a child's walking stick by Alexandra Sojfer, Paris and a sequined Union Flag bag by Anteprima.
Manolo Blahnik - 49-51 Old Church Street - London SW3 5BS - tel: 0044 (0) 207 352 8622 www.vam.ac.uk


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LONDON/TRADITION
Changing of the guard. The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment band lead the Irish Guards from St. James' Palace to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard. This ancient ceremony takes place every forty-eight hours in winter and every twenty-four hours in summer. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions and over 5,000 people regularly witness the changing of the Guard, both Summer and winter.
www.army.mod.uk/wfr/index http://www.changing-the-guard.com/history.htm Pin It

LONDON/FASHION
At the V & A. The exhibition Popaganda: The Fashion and style of JC de Castelbajac (until 1 May 2006) runs alongside Anna Piaggi Fashion-ology. A Campbell's soup can dress, a 'fur coat' made of teddy bears which was worn by Madonna, a giant Snoopy t-shirts and inflatable ponchos - these are a few of the witty and flamboyant designs of French fashion maverick Jean Charles de Castelbajac photographed here with Rosita Missoni. Anna has been writing the press releases for her dear friends the Missonis for ages ".........and from the 1980's I have jealously collected and kept as keys or clues to the avant-garde, as a visionary attitude to presenting a collection."writes New York based Conde' Nast's special project editor, Grazia D'Annunzio in the catalogue.
www.jc-de-castelbajac.com www.vam.ac.uk www.missoni.it Pin It

LONDON/FASHION
RULE BRITANNIA, Anna rules the V & A.......
we have come over to London especially for the opening at The Victoria and Albert Museum of the exhibition entitled Fashion-ology (until 23 April 2006), dedicated to the life and works of Anna Piaggi our friend of more than thirty years. Anna is unique and eccentric. She is a fashion reporter, editor, divinor of trends, designers' muse and self-styled icon. She is also an extremely nice person and a very good cook. 'Fashion-ology' refers to her idiosyncratic way of looking at clothes. With her own take on scientific precision, an attitude rather than a method, she has for decades told the new stories about fashion. The -ology suffix which transforms the word fashion in the title is an attempt to capture her world of contradictions, or illogical logic as she calls it as well as reveal systems of frivolity, patterns, angles in her work. The layout of the exhibition is a series of intersecting A's and upside down A's that become V's: Anna and Vogue, Anna and Vanity, Anna and her late husband Alfa, and her late friend, Vern Lambert and the V&A. Karl Lagerfeld who sketched her in more than 200 drawings and collected them in the book A Fashion Journal says of her "Dressing is her means of communication. It is an ephemeral act which has constantly to be started over again. There are no rules. Spontaneity is the only law and the occasion is her inspiration...she may wear the same garment often but never in the same context." Anna has had a long relationship with Italian Vogue starting in 1969 and since 1988 to the present day creates her famous Doppie Pagine. These double page spreads were the subject of the book Fashion Algebra, published in 1998 to celebrate their first ten years in Italian Vogue. They have always been inspiration to fashion and graphic designers as well as students. There couldn't be a better place for a show in her honor, as Anna has always been an anglofile and has a big following in London.
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photograph by Manfredi Bellati
LONDON/TRADITION
SUNDAY LUNCH. I just have enough time to unpack while I wait for my husband who is flying in from Venice and be off for a late Sunday lunch with author and Christie's Magazine editor in chief, Meredith Etherington Smith and her divine husband Jeremy and their dogs Algy a Chelsea Terrier and Byngo (above) a Norfolk Terrier. After a few very spicy Bloody Mary's, lunch is served. It is good to be back in England and I'm so looking forward to (and so is Byngo) a delicious Sunday lunch. Meredith is a wonderful cook, she always uses the best meats, the freshest vegetables and the most simple ingredients are instantly turned into a feast: A rolled rib of beef with perfect roast potatoes, carrots and leeks are served with the best horseradish sauce we have ever tasted. And, to finish a Kouign Amann, an apple cake invented in 1865, in Bretagne. Heavenly!
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Friday, February 10, 2006


LONDON or MARRAKECH???
Where are we? So engrossed in the papers that when I look out the window, just before arriving at Waterloo, I wonder if I'm back in Marrakech. This brick building and the blue skies so remind me of the Red City. It is Actually the Christie's "Fort Knox" warehouse or CFASS, Christie's Fine Art Security Services Ltd. Built in1985 to provide the most flexible and comprehensive storage solutions for fine art and antiques from around the world. So, now you know where collectors, museums, art dealers and national governments store their precious art and antiques.
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Thursday, February 09, 2006


PARIS/LONDON
Gare du Nord-Eurostar. My less than forty eight hours in Paris are over. Just one day at the Maison & Objet fair and one day en ville and I'm off again this time to London on the Eurostar from the Gare du Nord to Waterloo. It is the first time I take the train under the English Channel. Luckily it's Sunday and there is no traffic, everything is running smoothly. I am impressed by the efficientcy at the station, by the Premier Business lounge with WI-FI and the fast track check-in. I am so engrossed in the fantastic British Sunday papers, that I don't even notice when the train entered the tunnel and am also a little upset when only two hours and thirty-five minutes later we have already arrived in London and I still haven't finished the papers! The International Herald Tribune's fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, told Style.com "What I love about London is the Eurostar; it gets me to and from Paris with speed and in style."
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PARIS
After a disappointing Lunch in the "great" Paris Bistro Brasserie Balzar we took a taxi and strolled around the arcades of Le Jardin du Palais-Royal the highlight of which was the fabulous new, very new Marc Jacobs Boutique - did you know that he is also creative director for Louis Vuitton? Next stop, Colette, the very crowded hip Parisian boutique in Rue St-Honore where style, fashion, design, art and food reign supreme. Our favorite item was the exclusive handbag by Anya Hindmarch called The Bespoke Ebury, which is custom made, embossed inside is a secret personalized message in your own handwriting, as well as, the owner's name and a unique number, the waiting list is three months! Next stop, we stumbled upon a fashion shoot: "A lady in white with a whip listens to her lover's plea. " The 17th century buildings are the backdrop for this fantasy fashion shoot in Place Vendome which is mostly famous for its jewelers or "les Diamantaires". This unique address is among the world's most prestigious and is also the home to The Ritz Hotel where we were bound for tea in The Bar Vendome. This was just what we needed to warm us up from the Siberian weather. It was so cozy to sit in the red velvet armchairs, look out onto the garden and try and imagine what the other guests, in very causal attire, did or came from, that it was difficult to move on from the comfort and the elegance and go out again. We took the indoor passageway to the rue Cambon, the "short cut", that for thirty years was the route that Coco Chanel took everyday on her way home to the Ritz, but, unfortunately now the entrance is closed. So out into the cold again and the long way round until we finally arrived, frozen, at the original Chanel boutique at 31 rue Cambon. This was the second disappointment of the day as sadly the decor is exactly like London, New York and Milan and the only tell tale sign that we are in Paris is the wrought iron staircase. Please note that - I hate global shopping, as there is nothing new to discover!
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PARIS
Muriel Grateau. Refined French designer, Muriel Grateau's name has been buzzing in the air for quite a while now, on both sides of the Atlantic. Muriel and I have been friends since she was designing clothes for Complice in Milan. But, over the years we have lost touch and therefore when I contacted her again, her first words were "Where did you spring up from?" She is now famous for her tabletop collections, these come in an astonishingly wide range of colors. Catherine Deneuve and Calvin Klein are amongst her fans. It was therefore a surprise when she recently launched the Precious Collections which are black, nearly black, black brown and almost black jewels and leather accessories. The Black Jewels and in particular, the rings shown above, are beautiful big black onyx figuratively carved stones topped by smoky carbochon quartzes surrounded by cognac diamonds. So If you can't make it to Paris, don't fret as they will be available in New York at Bergdolf Goodman from April 3rd.
Muriel Grateau - 37 rue de Beaune - 75007 Paris - tel:+33 01 40 20 42 82 - info@murielgrateau.com
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PARIS
Au Nom De La Rose is a chain store of French florists that offers only one variety of flowers, the rose. I usually don't like chain stores, but I found this one exceptional, very refined, simple and unpretentious. They offer in their bouquets what the French are so well know for, elegance and simplicity. I loved the fresh and very chic and unfussy round bouquets in a variety of colors in pretty vases. And, wanted to take home all the other rose related products like the rose-hip jams and marmalades, scented soaps, candles and rose water-based perfumes. The packaging was very beautiful too, on top of the roses they scatter rose petals and tie the bag with a fresh rose! C'est manificque, n'est pas?
Contessanally says "Don't forget your rose etiquette: Roses are to be given in odd numbers for simple reasons of elegance and harmony of the bouquet. This is not because of any numbering system. Sophisticated people know that they should never give flowers heads down. For a dinner, they should be delivered in the afternoon."
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Wednesday, February 08, 2006


PARIS
Le Prince Jardinier and Deyrolle. To get out of the cold and pretend that we were in "Africa" we went into Deyrolle which is situated on the first floor of Le Prince Jardinier at 46 rue du Bac. "Preserve, understand, observe and listen in order to transmit." is the motto of Prince Louis Albert de Broglie, better know as the gardening prince. It is the Prince who in 2001 saved and restored the Deyrolle fabulous collection of curiosities and the impressive collections of insects, shells and naturalized stuffed animals. It's unique, unexpected and very eccentric rather than an ordinary shop. We couldn't leave Le Prince Jardinier without buying their sturdy gardening aprons embroidered with their "tongue in cheek" coat of arms inspired by Prince Louis Albert de Broglie's own: a straw hat replaces the ducal crown which surmounts a miniature garden fork and a shovel replaces the Saint Andrew cross. We were also tempted by the gardening tools, watering cans and natural fiber country clothes and accessories.
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PARIS
I love Paris 2006 says the Hermes shopping bag in the window and so do I though it was far too long since I'd been there. Unfortunately, it was -6C when we got off the plane, cold winds blowing down from Russia. I went with my friend, Relais & Chateau Hotel Villa Abbazia owner, Ivana Zanon, who was going to buy at the Maison & Objet trade fair for the hotel shop, La Volta. This is one of the best gift fairs in the world and Ivana went on a spending spree, especially from the Belgium companies, who have the most interesting products right now. And, according to the New York Times "Color and texture reigned in the textile area". It was really too cold to walk around town, but, the next day we did manage a little bit of shopping. Here are a few of the places we went to.
http://www.hotelabbazia.it www.maison-objet.com www.hermes.com www.nytimes.com Pin It

Wednesday, January 25, 2006


FIRENZE
Italian Furniture scholar and art consultant Fausto Calderai is the most elegant man I know! He loves fabrics and these are the starting point or inspiration when he goes to his tailors. Yes, tailors, plural, because Fausto has more than one. His favorite is Florentine, Armando Di Preta. Whereas in London he patronizes 'bespoke Saville Row couturier' Ozwald Boateng - who's client list also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Keanu Reeves and Mick Jagger. Though Fausto's style is rather classic and traditional it doesn't lack for sense of humor. The linings of his suits and coats are made from Emilio Pucci's tie silk. He was an avid cuff link collector and his collection boast hundreds of pieces. A bit bored now, friends who go over for dinner are invited to "take their pick" and go home with a small "souvenir bag" of cuff links. Photographed above are a silicon pair of dolphins by Spanish sculpture Joaquin Blanco. "Men, unlike women can only wear silicon on their cuff." Fausto jokes. And, the Swatch watch is a collectors piece made for the Athens Olympic Games. Other unusual cuff links in his collection are Vivien Westwood's penis and pussy set a gift from the designer herself or Milanese artist, Giorgio Vigna's gold nugget set. His favorites are a pair of gold coins that belonged to the last Czar and were found in Aleppo, Syria. I am surprised that fellow Florentine and New York Times Style magazine editor, Stefano Tonchi hasn't snapped him up yet for the ongoing series "The Orignals"- portraits of interesting men.
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FIRENZE
Look out for the "enfant terrible" of Indian fashion!
I'm sooooooooo excited. In a little corner of one of the most appreciated fashion boutiques in the world, Luisa Via Roma in Florence I found a new and exciting Indian fashion designer, called Manish Arora. It's not everyday that this happens and I have to "take off my hat" to the owner Andrea Panconesi as yet again, he has discovered and selected another authentic product from the collections of the leading stylists of the world. Delhi-based Manish Arora clothes are in the stores in Europe now after his first fashion show in London last Autumn as the special guest of the British Fashion Council. His clothes scream funk and attitude and loads of fun. "My clothes are all about colour. I don't believe in greys, and black and whites." "Fashion should be free, without boundaries, unfettered," he gesticulates. "At the same time, fashion should be rooted in the culture you come from. That's why pinks and purples and sea greens find such a huge place in my work". He designs clothes for pop star Daler Mehndi, VJs like Meghana Reddy, Sophiya Haque and Javed Jafrey. That's where they get their weird style from. It's Bollywood translated into Western fashion without "loosing it" along the way...... Fantastic!!!!
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FIRENZE
GEE Italian Toy Tour
These designer, one of a kind, 16 inch Qee (pronounced KEY) are "marching off" to Ebay to be auctioned one per week for the TeleThon Foundation. The artist, Felice Limosani organized the Italian Toy Tour (until 14th June, 2006) creating a union between toy-art and fashion. This 15 limited edition designed exclusively for Toys on Stage.com by the some of the best fashion designers like Dolce e Gabbana, Missoni, Roberto Cavalli and Anne Demeulemeester will be exposed in the most prestigous fashion locations of Italy during important events. Starting in Florence at Luisa Via Roma Boutique during Pitti Uomo, moving on to Turin during the Winter Olympics, and then to Milan during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.
But what exactly are Qees? They are a popular series of 2.5 inch key-chain collectible mini figures from Hong Kong that condense multiple concepts into a tiny, irresistible package that has taken the world by storm. Designer Toy/Lifestyles company Toy2r introduced Qees in 2001. They are usually sold in 'blind' boxes so that their identities are concealed. You don't know what figure you will get! This just adds to the excitement and the fun and if you get a duplicate the idea is to trade it. The Art-Qee phenomenon also caught the imagination of art lovers and collectors and it has already hit many immensely successful gallery tours world-wide. How many Qees do you have?
http://www.toysonstage.com/ http://www.ebay.it/ http://www.toys2r.com/ http://www.luisaviaroma.com/
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Monday, January 23, 2006


VENEZIA
Let's start this 2006 blog edition of Contessanally with this heavenly "firework display" of unusual sculpture-jewelry from Gualti's tiny boutique/atelier just off the trendy Campo Santa Margherita. "My creations are unique, with fluid movements like an organic poem. The reflections and the vibrations of the resins mixed with a central piece of glass give light and a taste of eternity, where time vanishes....." Gualti explains. These bijoux evoke intense emotions and a brooch or an Elizabethan inspired ruffled collar/necklace will dress up any little black dress or jacket. They are extremely chic as the grand dames who wear them, like Dodi Rosekrans, who is famous for her masked balls in Palazzo Brandolini. In fact it is by "word of mouth" in a palazzo or a salotto that one discovers these divine surreal pieces. I suggest that if you are not bold or confident enough to wear one of these pieces, that you go and also look at the cloth wrap-around-wraps mounted on steel wires that recall the waves of the lagoon or the felt "octopus" inspired "scarves". For sure, Peggy Guggenheim would have taken Gualti under her wing, bought out the whole collection and dedicated a show to this talented artist.
Rio Tera' Canal 3111 - Tel +39041 5201731 - www.gualti.it
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Friday, December 16, 2005


photograph courtesy Manfredi Bellati
HAPPY HOLIDAYS Pin It

Thursday, December 08, 2005


photograph by moris moreno courtesy Aponwao Design Inc.
FLORIDA/VENETO
"ART" # 4. Am I seeing double was my first thought when I opened the NY Times the other day? As I live "right around the corner" from the real La Rotonda by Palladio near Vicenza, my second thought was, what is it doing in the center of Biscayne Bay! This Fabulous Floating Villa was a five days only, inflatable installation, during Art Basel Miami Beach week. Designed by Luis Pons the Miami-based, Venezuelan-born architect in response to the current real estate boom in Miami where architectural fantasy has given way to non-style architecture. "The culture of Miami , the architecture, the people tends to be superficial. I've made my objects inflatable and plastic in order to reflect this idea of non-substance," Pons says. May I suggest to Architetto Pons that he follows in the "footsteps" of Simon Starling, the 2005 winner of the prestigious British Arts Turner Prize, whose work Shedboatshed: He dismantled a wooden shack, transformed it into a boat, sailed it down the Rhine and rebuilt it into a shack in Basel! That, Pons should transport to Italy The Fabulous Floating Villa and re-inflate it next September in the basin of San Marco during the Venice Architectural Biennale and hopefully win the Leone d'Oro for best model in the classical style of architecture after Palladio!!!
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005


MILANO/NEW YORK
or when NYC comes to Milano.
Maily Zegna hosted a trunk show of Laudomia Piccolomini's jewelry in her beautiful apartment in the center of Milan. Maily has as much style as the surname she bears and is often called upon by her friends to decorate their Christmas trees, arrange flowers or help with anything that is creative. Laudomia's story begins about four or five Christmases ago when she wanted to give her mother a very, very special present. She found some magnificent stones and made a necklace, but when her mother put the necklace on all the stones fell to the floor. Discouraged, she puts them away for six months and then had the idea of stringing them back together with copper wire, replaced today by 18 karat gold wire. This is the beginning of her one of a kind, precious and semi-precious stone jewelry collection which is sold at all the Barney stores as well as to celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Mary Jane Blige. It is her love for color and her good eye for taste and proportion that makes her jewelry unique.
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MILANO
Art # 3 - Galleria Salvatore+Caroline Ala. This spetacular retrospective show of eighty six year old artist, Emilo Vedova (till February 25th, 2006) at the Salvatore and Caroline Ala Gallery in Brera must not be missed. The exhibition includes fifty historic pieces including sculpture, paintings on canvas, paper and steel. The pieces de resistance are surely these three tondi (photographed above) realized in the 1980's as well as the "Plurimo Binario" a stunning freestanding sculpture/painting made in the 1970's of wood and metal. A catalogue will be published by Charta early next year, it will illustrate works from all four one-man shows held at the Galleria Salvatore Ala since 1986. I can't wait to have one!
Galleria Salvatore+Caroline Ala - via Monte di Pieta 1 - tel: +39028900901 -galleria.ala@iol.it
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Tuesday, December 06, 2005


MILANO
ART # 2.
Watercolorist, Francesca Brandolini d'Adda showed her work last week in a "pop-up space" in Palazzo Saporiti on the elegant Corso Venezia of Milan. Though she is Venetian and has lived in Tuscany, she now resides in the beautiful countryside of the Prosecco grapes in Follina. Fascinated by the technique of the English and Neapolitan schools of watercolorists she has taught herself the art, at the beginning, more as a challenge to overcome the difficulty of the execution "If you go wrong, you have to throw it all away, you can't erase anything when you paint with water colors." she explains. Today she has her own personal style, which differs from most classic watercolors, because it is more "precise" and detailed. She is much in demand for all sorts of commissions, like the wine labels photographed above or postcards of private residences, plates for restaurants as well as interiors, landscapes, portraits of children and dogs. La Contessa's most famous collector was Pope John Paul II, who owned a beautiful watercolor of the church of Santa Maria del Carmine.
Francesca Brandolini d'Adda - Via Pallade - Follina (Treviso) - Italy
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Tuesday, November 29, 2005


CHRISTMAS CARDS
I have just finished the "tedious job" of writing one hundred plus Christmas cards, though I must say I do enjoy thinking about my friend as I write, especially the ones who don't have email and who I stay in touch with only at Christmas time. But let me tell you my snobbish Christmas card etiquette. First and foremost the cards HAVE to be CHARITY cards, otherwise what is the point, if you don't do a little bit of good, especially during the holiday season. So beware, should you send me a card that isn't a charity one, you will slide down the ladder in my opinion of you! Need I say more?
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MILANO
ART # 1. Nowhere Gallery. Being Art Basel Miami Beach week, I want to concentrate a little on local talent over here. Orio Vergani is the founder and director of the Nowhere gallery right bang in the heart of Milan. This young man has a "heavy load" to carry as he comes from one of the oldest and most respected families of Italian journalists. His father, Guido, like his grandfather before him, who had the same name - Orio Vergani - were very famous and Orio senior was said to be ".....a curious person. Curious of everything. He possessed the curiosity, vice and virtue characteristic of journalists, who love first to know and then to go deeper, that is to analyze, dissect, understand." And it is after his grandfather that young Orio takes after, though his chosen field is art and not journalism. His gallery is called Nowhere, because at the beginning he didn't have an exhibition space and would show his artists in galleries belonging to friends. Orio has a good eye for talent regardless of style and, as you can image his artists are nearly all young and unknown until he launches them and - wait for it - next year he will be showing the works of Alessandro Rolandi at the 3rd annual China International Gallery Exposition (CIGE) in Beijing. Watch out, because there are no boundaries for Orio, he is certainly going places.
Nowhere Gallery - Via della Moscova 15 - 02 6552822 www.nowhere-gallery.com
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Saturday, November 19, 2005


VENICE
Peggy Guggenheim Collection. This photo from the series "The Walls of Venice" by Manfredi Bellati really stood out at the exhibition "Il Diaframma" of Lanfranco Colombo, Masters of Photography (till January 8, 2006), because it was the only unpredictable and abstract photo in the whole exhibition. But, who is Lanfranco Colombo??? He is the man who opened in 1967 Il Diaframma (The Aperture) in Milan, the worlds' first private gallery to focus exclusively on photography. The gallery has shown Italian and International photographers, such as Giovanni Gastel, Mario De Biasi, Gianni Berengo Gardin, Oliviero Toscani who were well-established artists in their own right, while others such as Gabriele Basilico and Giuseppe Pino, made their debut within the exhibition space of Il Diaframma. The images presented in this exhibition range between works of reportage, portraiture, naturalistic photography, fashion and still life. And to conclude, Manfredi says "I would have loved for Peggy Guggenheim to have seen my abstract photographs, she would have been intrigued by them, as she promoted abstract expressionism and launched Jackson Pollock's first solo show in 1943."

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Friday, November 11, 2005


MILANO
From luxury shopping to pop-up retailing. Ape Malandra is a mobile clothing store that sells classic and stylish clothes in beautiful fabrics for women and children designed by Valeria Ferlini on the street. The changing room is improvised with a hula-hoop and two curtains, and the cashmere sweaters are made by the prisoners of San Vittore in Milan. The store has three wheels: it's housed in an Ape Piaggio, made by the same family as the Vespa. You can also spot an Ape or "bee" in the streets of Rome and Florence or in the chic resorts of Cortina in the wintertime and Forte dei Marmi in the summertime. Beware, because the Ape is sure to "sting" your wallet!
Ape Malandra - tel +39 340 4011558 or evatroppan@hotmail.com
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ROMAGNANO SESIA
Dear Friends, this is one of the most precious addresses I can give you! Though it looks like a boutique hotel lobby it is, in fact, the entrance to the Loro Piana outlet. Unless, you didn't know, Loro Piana is the largest quality cashmere manufacturer and the biggest single purchaser of the world's finest wools. And, anybody can go to stock up on their famous cashmere goods for men, women and children, along with fabrics, home furnishing, accessories, and gifts. Open 24/7 this luxury outlet is very well organized and the abundant sales staff very efficient, there is also an area with the current collection and a coffee shop. Though the prices are not exactly cheap, it is well worth a visit. I am told that some of their most sophisticated and demanding clients arrive by plane at nearby Malpensa Airport where a chauffeur driven car is waiting to accompany them to this outlet!

LORO PIANA - Punto Vendita Aziendale - Via per Novara 482 - Romagnano Sesia (Novara) - tel +39 0163 826875 - retailing@loropiana.it - www.loropiana.com Pin It

MILANO
Premio "Il Ponte" 2005 - is the bridge between business and non-profit organizations. This year this prestigious prize, initiated two years ago by Carla Venosta in memory of her husband Guido Venosta was appropriately awarded, in the international year of microcredit, to Professor Muhammad Yunus for his work to overcome poverty. Know as "banker to the poor", Professor Yunus started the Grameen Bank which Provides credit to the poorest of the poor in rural Bangladesh without any collateral.
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Friday, November 04, 2005


NYC NOVEMBER - TUESDAY
The Rubin Museum of Art. I wanted to leave New York (and you) with a beautiful image and here is the Red Wolf-Headed Mistress of Dakinis (Tibet 19th C.) painting from The Rubin Musuem of Art. I had forty-five minutes before lunch and before going to the airport, so I dashed across the street and walked into the old Barney's building in Chelsea where the six-story spiral staircase, which Andree Putman originally designed, centers the exhibition space. The collection consists of paintings, sculptures, and textiles that range in date over two millennia, most reflect major periods and schools of Himalayan art from the 12th century onward. The exhibitions are organized with particular care to assist viewers who are new to Himalayan art. Wall texts and interpretive panels supply aesthetic, social, and historical perspectives to both scholars and casual viewers. As I zipped through the museum I realized that I have to come back and spend a few hours and maybe have lunch in the cafe', because it's so interesting and the art is beautiful...I think it might, just, become my favorite museum in NEW YORK CITY?
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NYC NOVEMBER - TUESDAY
Shopping on the streets of NYC. It's time to go home, back to Italy ....No, this is not our mode of transport to the airport, but it would have come in handy with all the luggage. The Caravan shop changes location every day - uptown, downtown, east side, west side, this traveling clothes store, brings mostly independent, designer labels to wherever the shopper may be. It is equipped with all the mod cons, like air conditioning, changing area, video screens showing runway shows and more, an armoire is filled with vintage pieces as well as the sexy film star and rock star inspired merchandise. "It's like a sleek sophisticated department store without the attitude." says Claudine Gumbel, who developed the concept with her husband Brian. Have you seen it yet on the corner of your street? If not log on to the caravan locator to see when the Caravan Shop will be next near you.
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Thursday, November 03, 2005


photograph courtesy Tiffany & Co.
NYC OCTOBER - MONDAY
Hulaween #2. The Divine Bette Midler co-celebrated her 60th birthday with the 10th Anniversary of the New York Restoration Project - a group that she founded to clean and green NYC -The festivities took place during the annual "Hulaween" (she is from Hawaii) fundraiser for NYRP at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. At the gala, Sting and Trudie Styler were honored for their environmental work, Sir Elton John performed and Martin Short served as auctioneer for the "live" celebrity auction lots. Miss Midler is the founding icon of the Restoration Project and her latest achievement is The Family Garden, sponsored by the Tiffany & Co Foundation, it's the transformation of a forlorn tract of land on 114th Street to the north of Jefferson Park into an alluring garden. Seen here with her at the opening ceremony are Robert De Niro, who cut the ribbon with a gigantic pair of sissors, Glen Close who recited the poem Spring by Gertrude Jekyll and Tiffany's design director, John Loring - THE JACK of all trades that are esthetic - who landscaped the garden and designed it's furniture. Mr. Loring took his inspiration from the Thomas Jefferson Park which is just across the street. He has created a beautiful garden by replicating the Jefferson head that is on the nickel on the backs of the steel chairs and has reproduced some of the landscape of Monticello. It is really worth a visit.
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Tuesday, November 01, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - TUESDAY
Halloween #1. I'm not very fond of Halloween, because I didn't grow up with it and also I'm not very keen on dressing up in costume. So, my contribution to Halloween is a recipe for gnocchi that I had the other evening at my friend and cook book author, Susan Simon's apartment. The delicious meal was cooked by Ron Suhanosky owner of the best Italian restaurant, Sfoglia, on Nantucket, who, with his wife Colleen will be opening another restaurant in NYC on the upper east side. Naturally, pumpkin being one of the "icons" of Halloween, this Gnocchi di Zucca recipe is very appropriate. Here is my vague interpretation: make gnocchi (look up the recipe) use about 1/3 of cooked mashed pumpkin with about 2/3 mashed potatoes - dice a lot of extra pumpkin and saute in a pan with a bit of butter and crushed sage, then add lots of poppy seeds - seperately boil the gnocchi until they float up to the top, mix them in the pan with the sauteed pumpkins, adjust seasoning and serve - delicious!
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Monday, October 31, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - MONDAY
A very private, private view. I was lucky enough to have a very private view of International artist, Peter Rittmaster's latest, slick and elegant "pop sculptures". His tongue and cheek humor reflects in his art, which is, in part, inspired by flea market finds or by abandoned pieces he picks up on the streets of NYC, these he then transforms, mostly into resin molds to create, just to name a couple, The Briefcase Series: "The Deluxe Portable Serial Killers Starter Kit" or "The Deluxe Portable Cloning Kit" and The Barbie Bashing Series: "The Bulimic Barbie" or "Weapons of Minor Destruction". Apparently disguised as fun art objects, these intelligent social "comments" makes us reflect on the world we live in!
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NYC OCTOBER - SUNDAY
St. Mark's Bookshop. This little jewel of a bookshop in the East Village was recommended to me by a beautiful, jewelry designer friend of mine. St. Mark's Bookshop specializes in Cultural Theory, Graphic Design, Poetry & Small Press Publishers as well a great selection of fiction and a wide range of literary journals, fashion and hard to find magazines. One of the unique features of this store is that they accept, on consignment, self publishing books by local authors, like the short stories, Lost Positives by John Cotrona or The Evasion English Dictionary by Maggie Balistreri which was subsequently picked up by Melville House Publishing. They are very helpful and welcoming and their website is interesting to browse, especially the store's bestsellers or the new arrivals sections. Is there a better way to spend a few hours?
St. Mark's Bookstore - 31 Third Avenue - tel. 212 260 7853 - www.stmarksbookshop.com
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Saturday, October 29, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - SATURDAY
MET
- Rara Avis (meaning rare bird) is the title of this fabulous exhibition (until January 22nd) at The Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A selection of the stylish, taste-making octogenarian, Iris Barrel Apfel's collection. An American original in the truest sense, she is one of the most vivacious personalities in the worlds of fashion, textiles, and interior design and has cultivated a personal style, starting with her owlish "trademark" round eye glasses a la Groucho Marx. Her style is both witty and extravagant and it's originality is typically revealed in her mixing of high and low fashion: Dior haute couture (designed by Gianfranco Ferre) with flea market finds or Dolce & Gabbana striped leather trousers with a Zuni belt. Her wildly eccentric tastes in clothing and accessories project a boldly graphic modernity, which I can truly relate to.
And, while you are at the museum you must also see the remarkable exhibition of Vincent van Gogh: The Drawings (until December 31st)."Drawing is the root of everything." van Gogh wrote to his brother and though at first I found the drawings rather gloomy and conventional, as I went from room to room, it was not until the early 1888's (two years before his suicide) that the van Gogh we know of emerges. The first sign is in Three Cottages: Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (1888), reed pen, brush and ink graphite "The energy that had charged his stroke became channeled in blunt swipes of the brush. The bold contrast of black and white were recreated in clashing hues." reads the caption. Is it partially thanks to the reeds plucked from marshes and sharpened with a knife that Vincent developed his style? I give this exhibition a five star rating - a must!
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NYC OCTOBER - SATURDAY
MOMA - It was my first visit to the new The Museum of Modern Art. Dare I say that I found the architecture rather "boring" - the best view - is looking out the giant windows through the Sculpture Garden, onto Manhattan. And, also the layout is a bit confusing. I really don't want to be negative, because I so enjoyed the art and was sorry I had so little time. A video caught my attention, in The Yoshiko and Akio Morita Gallery on the second floor, it is one of Sam Taylor-Wood's media installations that deal with stillness. Called David (2004) it is an intimate portrait of the dishy English soccer icon David Beckham, shot in a single 66-minute take while he was sleeping. It was commissioned by - wait for it - The National Portrait Gallery, which is my favorite museum in London. Wouldn't it be divine to have this installation hanging in the bedroom?
PS Have you been keeping count? This is the fifth Brit. in NY I have mentioned so far......!
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Friday, October 28, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - FRIDAY
Seen at the Briggs Robinson Gallery. Here are a couple of the beautiful young people I saw last night at the Keith Haring Coloring Book Drawing exhibition at the Briggs Robinson Gallery. Painters, Myles Emery and Shelby Voice describe their work as "Lucid dreaming under water", reverse painting on Plexiglas: Their gallery/studio is called The Green House - 75 Greene Street - SOHO. They defined the Keith Haring exhibition as "The best coloring book in the world." and "Each drawing like a little joke." I'm dying to go and check them out!
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NYC OCTOBER - FRIDAY
Keith Haring at the Briggs Robinson Gallery. Now this was a fun and lively opening, full of beautiful young people and artists. And, the gallery owners are two young Brits, Nick Robinson and Josh Briggs photographed in front of the ultimate Keith Haring drawing of the radiant baby at the opening, last night of Keith Haring - The 1982 Coloring Book Drawings (until December 18th). On November 19th there will also be the launch of a new catalogue of the works in this exhibition. Produced by the gallery, in an object quality, limited edition of 2,000 with a new essay by David Shapiro. While Josh Briggs was working on the book at home his twenty month old baby daughter, Beatrix, drew over and scattered the prints and proofs all over the apartment! She certainly knows a good coloring book when she sees one, will she be following daddy's footsteps?
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NYC OCTOBER - FRIDAY
Rebecca Horn at the Sean Kelly Gallery. German born Redhead Rebecca Horn "I'm never photographed in front of my art." asked instead to be photographed with her best friend and fellow painter, Pat Steir. Twilight Transit is the title of her major exhibition at the Sean Kelly Gallery (until December 3rd). The exhibition is comprised of two sculptural installations and a group of new large-scale drawings. Concurrent with the exhibition is the launch of an important new monograph, Rebecca Horn, Moon Mirror. Site-specific Installations 1982-2005. She is without question one of the seminal artists of our time.
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Thursday, October 27, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - THURSDAY
Oih Target!!! When I come to New York City for such a short period of time, I never ever go out of Manhattan - however - I "begged" my cook book author friend, Susan Simon to take me in her Volvo to Brooklyn to have a look at Target. I have been curious about this store since it opened and their ads always look so young and fresh and what about the designers, that is really what I wanted to see and maybe buy. I was expecting an American version of Ikea and what do you get...... a very boring main street America shopping mall. And, the designers, where are they???? The Isaac Mizrahi clothes were practically non existent, just a little rack with a few leftovers and the Michael Graves objects....????? I went through the home department twice and could not find one....and, I repeat one piece designed by him.....so are the designers names just a publicity stunt??? Most disappointing.... However, we not could leave Target without buying something and the best buys were the best selection of dog toys. Pixel and Jay peg will be happy with their American toys and so was Allegra, who patiently waited in the car while we did our "shopping" for her treat.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - WEDNESDAY
The Empire State Building on a rainy day. Yesterday was so wet, cold, miserable, windy and damp that I was not inspired for my blog. It was a day to go to the movies or read a good book. So, the best I can do is to lazily "send" you a photo of the Empire State Building, taken from our window, with the mast up in the clouds. The mast, high up at 1,454 feet is now a TV tower, originally it was a mooring for dirigibles, or airships, which in the 1930s were considered to be the future of air travel. And, talking of movies, here is a list of a few of the many films shot on location at this famous New York landmark, how many do you remember? An Affair to Remember - Annie Hall -Auntie Mame - Bright Lights, Big City - Champion - Charlie Chan of Broadway -Daddy Long Legs - Detective Story - Easter Parade - FBI Story - French Connection I - Funny Face - Guys & Dolls - Independence Day - King Kong - Klute - Kramer vs. Kramer - New York Confidential - New York, New York - New York Stories - North By Northwest - On the Waterfront - Serpico - Shaft - Superman II- Taxi Driver - When Harry Met Sally.
PS. The sun is shining today......
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Tuesday, October 25, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - TUESDAY
Elle Deco 2005 Design Awards at Christie's. The two Brits are also handsome and attractive - Christopher Sharp of The Rug Company - best Floor Covering design company - and - Allegra Hicks - best Wall Covering designer. Christopher commissions bold and colorful rugs from fashion designers, such as Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Diane Von Furstenberg as well as decorators and furniture designers. He Believes that "....if we make something interesting and beautiful, enough people will appreciate it." Allegra Hicks is an international luxury lifestyle brand featuring a ready to wear and beach wear collection, home ware, interior textiles and an interior design service. Chosen for her wallpapers, Allegra says that "I wanted them to be a good background for paintings and anything else you want on walls."
You can see and read all about these and the other winners in the November issue of Elle Decor on the newstands now!
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NYC OCTOBER - TUESDAY
Elle Deco 2005 Design Awards at Christie's. Elle Decor honored the U.S. winners of the Elle Deco International Design Awards at a cocktail party at Christie's last night. Surrounded by the beautiful paintings for the Orientalist Art auction to be held on October 26th the ten winners were toasted with Bombay Sapphire cocktails. Elle's editor in chief, Margaret Russell is flanked by tall dark and handsome John Robshaw - best Bedding designer - "Bedding is fun. I think of it as a big canvas that you can fold up and put away." - and tall blond and equally handsome, John Derian - best Tabletop designer - "I'm inspired by the original prints, and the hunt for them."
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Monday, October 24, 2005


NYC OCTOBER - MONDAY
Great Illy Coffee. New Yorkers are certainly going to miss the Galleria Illy in SOHO. It's such a great and interesting space to enjoy a truely good espresso or cappuccino prepared all' Italiana by trained baristas and paired with desserts and chocolates created by celebrated chefs. Or sit and relax and read from a library of a wide selection of books published by Charta. Or admire the beautiful b/w photos by Michael James O'Brien of the world's top chefs, 1989-2005 taken for Food Arts Magazine. Or take part in coffee-centric discussions and events and even premiering original theatrical productions. Or view a new James Rosenquist. Or celebrate neo expressionist pioneer Julian Schnabel's birthday at a private party introducing the artist's creation for the Illy collection of porcelain cups, one for every day of the week, starring Chuck, a recurring Schnabel character. or, or, or.............but, be quick the Galleria Illy closes on December15thh...che peccato!
Galleria Illy - 382 West Broadway - between Broome and Spring - www.illyusa.com/galleria




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