10.30.2010

Death In Venice {In Style}





Some inspiration for all you little fashion creatures of the night, skull jewelry by the venerable luxury Venetian jewelry house, Codognato! Famously known for their intricately rendered vanitas themed jewels, skulls have become the trademark motif of the house. The subject of vanitas or "vanities" was popularized by 16th century Dutch painters, who meant the skulls to represent the vanity of living.


A cautionary tale for the viewer about the transient nature of wealth and pleasures of the flesh, the skull and and other symbolic objects, such as snuffed out candles, dead flowers and rotting fruit, were meant to remind us of the certainty of death.

Images courtesy of Elle, Quintessentially, NotesPrecieuses, Paula Stenberg.

10.26.2010

Nice Ice Baby!

Sweet as sugar, with none of the calories! My new Sugar Cube Necklace is a unique holiday gift, at a great price. Created with hammered rock crystal and sterling silver, the surface texture of the crystal cube resembles a tasty hunk of rock candy. Yum. While you're at it, soothe that sugar rush, with a Crystal Calm Bracelet, or earrings, and the natural healing energy of pure rock crystal.

Cynthia Rybakoff sterling silver and rock crystal Sugar Cube Necklace, $28.00, Crystal Calm Bracelet, $68.00, and Crystal Calm Earrings, $18.00, available at CynthiaRybakoff and Supermarket.

10.22.2010

Treasures & Pleasures




The name Treasures & Pleasures is well suited to describe George Yzquierdo’s fabulous curated collection of vintage and antique jewelry. Besides supplying what appears to be most of New York with pretty baubles each week, George happens to be extremely knowledgeable as to the provenance of his wares. A definite must when buying vintage! You can find him chatting with customers streaming through his booth each weekend at The Hester Street Fair. Be sure to check out his website, for even more glorious fashion finds.

Gorgeous photomontages courtesy of Rafael Medrano.

10.20.2010

Table Talk


What does your coffee table say about you? Modern coffee tables are more than just accent pieces for your living space. They are the focal point in a seating arrangement, so it's wise to consider all your needs before taking the plunge!

Are you an uber modern sophisticated type? My father was, which is why he purchased the Knoll Platner table back in the late 60's. Growing up, I was both in awe and somewhat horrified by my father's taste in furnishings. Particularly, the pink-red-orange geometric jacquard couch, and hideous cork and glass bead curtain that separated our living room from the dining room.


Are you confident in your mix of color? I prefer to keep things neutral, yet I can't help but love the laser cut birds taking flight across the Orange 22 Botanist Flight cocktail table. The bright pop of color reminds me of a NYC couple that decorated a deceptively traditional looking East Hampton summer cottage, with orange modular shelving, parson tables and Hellerware dishes. Ah, the 70's.


Do you demand form with function? In our apartment, the coffee table is a work horse. We chose a minimalist glass and steel table table, with a bottom shelf and casters, so we could re-arrange our space instantaneously. We eat on it, pile books and magazines, and use it for our design work. I love the functionality and mod Scandinavian bent wood design of the Function Works Tre table. And it's perfect for small spaces, where the furniture needs to multitask.

Post sponsored by All Coffee Tables.com.

Sicaria In The City



Last week I had a surprise visit from Khushbu Sikaria, of the sicaria, at Madison Square Market, where I was promoting my holiday collection for IndieShop.com. Khushbu, who is also the founder of sicaria.com, a luxury fashion e-tailer launching soon, was visiting designers in NYC + enjoying herself in the Big Apple! She suggested a video presentation of my holiday collection might be fun for her blog, so I did my best not to sound too silly.

Video courtesy of the sicaria.

10.16.2010

Boo!


Meet Numbskull Van Dyke Brown No. 256, a modern vintage photographic print by Matt Shapoff for Handmade On Peconic Bay. A proponent of sustainable design, Matt uses solar radiation to expose his Van Dyke brown prints outdoors, while the sun is shining. Combining a 19th century photographic printing process with 21st century digital design, each print is a unique exposure, with a brush mark signature of the photochemistry applied to 100% cotton rag fine art paper.

Numbskull is a perfectly creepy yet memorable hostess gift for that Halloween bash you're attending. He's also ready for framing in something dusty, dark and old, for that year round Gothic touch!

Image courtesy of Supermarket.

Dead White




Move over Martha. Here's a spooky chic take on DYI Halloween decorating tips, from the talented and crafty new team at Sweet Paul. In their second issue I found winter white knitted skulls, white washed pumpkins, and vintage glass bottles labeled with icky contents and white coral stoppers, cool enough to display as year round curiosities. Take their advice and don't follow the rules this year. A white Halloween looks pretty sweet to me! Read on for more DIY white Halloween projects here.

Images courtesy of Sweet Paul Magazine.

10.05.2010

Cavalry Couture





Ralph Lauren called out the cavalry for Spring 2011. Was someone watching old re-runs of F Troop? Of course, Ralph is in his comfort zone when channeling the Wild West, but nobody does it better.

This season's menswear heavy theme had a distinct military flair, with great accessories like shoulder slung carpet bags, over sized longhorn belt buckles, feminine beaded earrings, and two-tone metallic silver motorcycle boots. Also notable were the luxurious details like crafty lace, and plenty of fringe.

My fave look could be a modern day Annie Hall, in sharp white trousers with suspenders, a bowler hat and owl rim glasses. La-di-da. La-dee-da.

Images courtesy of
The Spirit of the Old West, Style.com.
 
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