the highlow

Tag: Art Deco

  • Alessandra Facchinetti: A Perfect Marriage of Fashion & Design

    Andy Warhol had Edie Sedgwick.  Picasso had Marie-Therese.  And now I have Alessandra Facchinetti.  (Sorry, guys, for grouping you in with me like that but it had a nice ring to it.)  

    For those of you unfamiliar with Ms. Facchinetti, she is the newly appointed creative director of Tod’s…and her style, quite frankly, rules…both on the catwalk and in her interior design choices.  

    Take one look at her office:

    Blye scan 1- 2013.12.18_cropped

    And one of her recent collection:

     Tod's 6

    And a shot of the woman herself:

    Tod's 7

    And you’ll know what I mean.  

    It’s all so seamless but in both she manages to capture a sophisticated elegance that ever so gently reminds you that it can be a tiny bit rebellious when it wants to.  Dare I say Audrey Hepburn with a pinch of Marlene Dietrich?  

    Apparently she took her own words to heart that “a Tod’s woman…is as stylish in her home as she is out in the world” when designing the space that housed her inaugural show at Milan Fashion Week this fall.  Guests were ushered into a home-like setting created by architect Barbara Ghidoni featuring art by Lucio Fontana, and furniture by Gio Ponti and Dimore Studio:

    Tod's 8

    And those gathering at the catwalk were treated to a glamorous stage that combined elements of Art Deco and a polished, contemporary Italian vibe.  

    Tod's 9

    Tods, Ready to Wear, Spring Summer 2014, Milan

    In fact, I think if there ever was an obvious case of fashion inspiring design, I may have cracked this one wide open?  Or wait, maybe it’s the other way around?!  Frankly my dear (that would be me), who gives a damn when the result is THIS: 

    Blog Collage 12.18.13

    Sublime to the hilt in every respect.  Sigh.

    And on this note, here’s wishing everyone a very Happy Holiday…and a New Year chalk full of more Alessandra, per favore!

    Pictures from here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  

    P.S.  If anyone is craving more on Dimore Studio, you can check out my Pinterest collection showcasing some of my favorites from their portfolio. 

  • Having It All at the Connaught Bar

    Someone recently asked me if I had to identify my perfect space, what would it be?  Sooooftball.  Snooze.  Answer for $200:  the Connaught Bar (housed in its namesake hotel in Mayfair, London).

    Connaught Bar DesignMyNight

    Inspired by English Cubist and Irish 1920s art, the late lion of interior design, David Collins (d. July 2013), produced a space so alive you could swear it beats to its own pulse.  Simply step inside and the room whisks you to another place and time entirely of its own creation where for a brief slice of eternity you can leave your identity at the door and lend yourself to this glittering otherworld of ultimate sophistication.  It is no wonder that Collins (The Wolseley, Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road, Jimmy Choo, Alexander McQueen and The London, among others) described this project as the one being nearest and dearest to his heart.

    So how can we mere mortals seek to scratch the surface of Collins’ genius, you ask?  Why, just stare at your empty canvas and repeat to yourself this quote from Collins – “I never know what it’s going to look like but I know what it’s going to feel like.”  And then you might come up with your own little version of this:

    Connaught Bar DesignMyNight 2

    Don’t you just feel like you belong in this perfect world (and daresay deserve it)?  With this glittering prop at your aid, you can almost believe that you are today’s Marlene Dietrich or Grace Kelley…or really anyone or anything that you dare to conjure for your brief stay in this modern fairytale.  (Have I butchered your vision, Mr. Collins?!) 

    Okay, so even if you don’t buy my madcap musings on feeling, there is no denying the exquisite attention to detail throughout.

    Take a look at these walls for example:   

     london-connaught-bar-fw1210-xl

    If you pay close enough attention and look beyond the platinum silver leaf (overlaid with dusty pink, pistachio and lilac), you might realize that all the patterns come together to form a map of Connacht, Ireland (don’t worry, I was one of the “99.9%” who missed it prior to stealing the answer key). 

    And…shhhh…these chairs have a secret of their own as well. 

    Connaught chairs

    You wouldn’t know it, but the undersides of all the tables, chairs, and banquettes are lined with baize to absorb the sound (but just enough so as to not deprive you entirely of the Music Concierge compiled playlist piping a sexy soundtrack into your evening). 

    Then there is the famous Martini trolley, an accessory to match all accessories. 

    Connaught Martini Trolley

    Sublime. 

    Really, what else could you ask for? 

    Oh, that reminds me. 

    There’s of course the ambrosia-like creations of head mixologist Agostino Perrone. 

    The sleek uniforms of the bar staff designed by No Uniform. 

    And canapes that spring from the mind of Hélène Darroze, the French chef behind the eponymous Michelin starred restaurant in the hotel. 

    In other words…they’ve left no sense unturned and created a room that truly “has it all.”  (A feat to take note of no matter what your purse strings might bear.) 

    What’s spaces have it all for you?  Please do tell! 

    Photos from here, here, here, and here.