"Something wicked this way comes..."

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"When the hurly-burly's done,When the battle's lost and won."

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble."

The Three Witches from Shakespeare’s Macbeth by Daniel Gardner 1775.

sculptor Anne Seymour Damer

 Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, 

Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne

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PURE Perry Ellis

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Yes, Perry Ellis is BACK. Better- is that Possible?
Yes, in that the new PERRY ELLIS book is breathing PURE style-back into fashion.
It's smart, street-wise, Stylish-Classic-yet with no trumped up frills & fripperies.
It's PERRY ELLIS style.
 

 

This Summer I told you about the book-it's out now- PERRY ELLIS. The book launched with a star studded book signing at Parsons last week. Luckily, I have friends in high places-and he sent along these fantastic photographs of the collection of Perry Ellis's designs. According to this highly placed friend, it was "an incredible collection of 70 outfits that spanned the period of 1978 to 1985." From the photographs that publisher Rizzoli shared on their Facebook page-it was also a mad crush!

& from my first hand source, and practically the best, I'd say, here's a little background on his Perry Ellis Story.

"I first met PE in 1979 when he was looking for someone to launch his menswear business.  I walked into the interview with long hair (like him!) and wearing cowboy boots.  I spoke with a southern drawl, and we immediately connected.

As President, I built his men's biz.  After a year of success I was asked to become CEO of both men's and women's.  I was the brand architect for the segmentation of the brand. Later I became Managing Director of PE International and stayed through many illnesses and deaths. 

The party: it was a wonderful event at Parsons on Seventh Ave.   PE's two main assistants, Jed Krascella and Patricia Pastor, curated an incredible collection of 70 outfits that spanned the period of 1978 to 1985.  Their "Ex Animo" letter to Perry in the front of the book is both hilarious and heart breaking.  Many of the original team and crew were in attendance including former design assistants William Frawley, Richard Haines and Isaac Mizrahi."

I adore the Joy in these clothes-and How right they are today! Perry Ellis influences are in the streets of fashion every day. 

 I had several Perry pieces-as I mentioned-and for the things I didn't have-I remember working on my wardrobe to get the Perry Ellis Look. 

 (all photographs above are from Edward Jones III-with thanks)

There are young Perry Ellis women out there today. I'm thinking of those two Hovey Sisters-they seem to embody what Perry was-and still is-it's what PERRY ELLIS An American Original is all about. Authentic-
an over the shoulder glance at the past-
dashing through the city traffic-and very of the moment...

(the Hoveys- Porter & Hollister pictured above,at left, wrote the book Heirloom Modern, published by Rizzoli this Spring)

you can find the PERRY ELLIS An American Original  here.
and the Hovey's hang out here.

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the World of Turbeville

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“I’ve always had at the back of my mind some longing for a world culture that doesn’t exist anymore. Technology has brought in benefits but it’s reduced the attention span people have and their awareness of certain things. - Deborah Turbeville

The Turbeville vision lives on in her carnally infused-fantastical world of women & men suspended in abandoned rooms, mist infused landscapes. Trapped in the Turbeville lens, yet consenting... and yielding.

  requiescat in pace-Deborah Turbeville

1938-2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Something Wicked This Way Comes

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“They are given to all kinds of marvellous beliefs;

 are subject to trances and visions;

 and frequently see strange sights,

 and hear music and voices in the air.” 

Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

 

Skeleton Riders, Halloween c.1920

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well, I ask You

HOW could I resist a party with this inspired cake?

Yesterday was my Name Day, Birthday, what have you. I am always LOW KEY, that is the habit, and pleasantly so-of my family. As a child, I did have a number of cousin parties- there were lots of US. There were several party-parties, and a slumber party where I abandoned my guests for my bed to get some sleep-but that's another story.

This FANTASTIC CAKE arrived from IVAN, So I am celebrating!

I'm charmed, thankful, 
and MY WISH?

isn't that suppose to be a Secret?


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2

to know

Joke Frima & Paule Marrot

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Fifth Avenue Style

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...Bergdorfs as only Howard Slatkin can do it.

 FIFTH AVENUE STYLE by Howard Slatkin, 

special boxed edition available at Bergdorf Goodman in October 2013

Howard Slatkin's much anticipated book FIFTH AVENUE STYLE premiered at Bergdorf Goodman's-in the window, and on the Seventh Floor of Bergdorfs Thursday night,October 17th. Though I couldn't join his stellar hosts-Deborah Needleman & Deeda Blair, Howard sent me these fantastic photographs of "How FIFTH AVENUE STYLE Looks"-on Fifth Avenue.

I'll share more about the book in the coming weeks-a special signed copy of the book for some lucky reader, a story about the book, and an interview with Howard.

FIFTH AVENUE STREET STYLE

 Just imagine-this is what Howard & his team started with at left-

The window is as smashing-as the book, and Howard tells me the work and design of this small window is much involved. It's obvious-but this is the same detail you'll find in the book. Howard credits the success of the finished window to artist Alexander "Sasha" Solodukho-whose work is also seen in the book.



FIFTH AVENUE STYLE IS AVAILABLE NOW

the Prince's Book

of Perfect.

A book-A treasure-make that treasury of Mr Buatta's Wonderful World of Rooms.

It's biblical in proportions and oh so wise in words. Thanks to a perfect pairing of Mario Buatta and the incomparable Emily Evans Eerdmans, the book called MARIO BUATTA, Fifty Years of American Decoration- should be placed atop your book stack-never another to be placed above it... you get the picture. What a divine book to have right now-when many of the rooms I see in magazines seem to be published in black and white- and not the Good black and white. I long to toss a comfortable pillow made in a print-or two or three of them-even better! The warmth of rooms is missing in most-but Let Us Pray for the return of some Joy in rooms-like the rooms of Mr. Buatta.
Of course-my true motto is Live and Let Live-but Come On- Live A Little!

The decorator Mario Buatta agrees. You must remember- I -as a college graduate novice designer (the current preferential title) grew up revering the Prince's rooms, but for me and Mario-we prefer to be called decorator. It is what I love to do best- make rooms beautiful. "Designers" have created some mighty chilly rooms-sterile even. If it must be chilly -make it a room full of chintz, books, magazines, dogs (always), sweaters, a fire and a hot toddy.
Sweet Dreams!

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Altschul Residence, Centre Island, NY—living room. 

© Gordon Beall / Architectural Digest © Conde Nast Publications

It would be so easy to tuck in to a Buatta sofa with a good book, how about MARIO BUATTA... and doze off with visions of the English countryside dancing in our heads. Better yet-I'd love to sleep for days, years, I'm thinking Fairy Tale Princesses-the Princess and the Pea, Snow White, in a Mario Buatta bed...Once Upon a Time, there was A Prince who Loved Chintz... so that song has already been written, really and truly- there is a song-(lyrics in the book).

Former Residence of Mario Buatta, New York, NY—bedroom. © Richard Champion

Mr. Buatta's Bedrooms: dressed beds-as in days of yore, for a feeling of warmth-even if the heat is on, saturated color, bamboo shades, 

period appropriate curtains, English antiques-Chinoiserie please and something warm underfoot to step out on in the morning.

Painting of Mario’s 1984 Kips Bay show-house room. © 1984 Jeremiah Goodman

The venerated Nancy Lancaster, from Virginia, brought the English country house style to England and Mr. Buatta brought it back to the States...and they lived happily ever after. I love a story that credits history, one that revers the greats. Mr. Buatta's story-along with Nancy Lancaster (a fairy godmother perhaps?) includes the characters, John Fowler (the Sage), Sister Parish (no relation), and Rose Cumming (La Folle de Chaillot) - all contributed to the Prince's Fifty Years of Interior Decoration.
The story is told with beautiful narration in over 490 pages of Buatta's work. It's Big-its Bold-its Beautiful.

Mario Buatta in front of  painting. © Jason Schmidt and Nest magazine/ Background painting. © Sander Witlin

Born into the jazzy interiors of Art Deco-his father was a bandleader-Mario heard a different drum-something like Strass's 1896 Also sprach Zarathustra opening "Sunrise, (that's Kubrich's 2001 A Space Odyssey's opening theme to your modern ears). His aunt Mary was a chic Auntie Mame type and supportive of his elegant dreaming scheming ways- taking him on her decorating trips and encouraging his aesthetic. He started collecting in earnest at the wise old age of 11.

Today-it might be said he is forever young and seeing his work in this full bodied book it looks fresh and Joyous! Not a Mario Buatta Revival-heavens no-but an  Ah Ha Moment, & Of the Moment. Yes- that's it and that's Right- because Mr. Buatta never left the building.

Thank you to Rizzoli for an advance copy of this fantastic book-you can find it everywhere this fall!

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