HANK VIRGONA

When I moved into 41 Union Square West thirteen years ago and started my interior design business I met an artist named Hank Virgona that has inspired me ever since.  At eighty four years young and still painting daily next door to my office, he astounds me with the amount of drawing and creativity that comes from his hands. Focusing now mostly on still life and some portraiture, Hank is a force to be reckoned with whilst constantly taping beautiful sketches at holidays on my door or quietly documenting my daily attire as well as any of the other tenants on the 11th floor of our light-filled building. Known for it’s north facing studios with angled skylights framed in metal, the building has long been a favorite of artists, photographers, architects and designers and I feel lucky to have discovered the building and made it my atelier and to have Hank as my neighbor.

Hank Virgona was born in 1929 to Sicilian parents in Brooklyn on the eve of the Great Depression. Early on in his career, Virgona chose photography instead of painting and remained a professional photographer throughout his service in the army which ended in 1952. In the beginning of his artistic career he chose illustration and had many works in Fortune, Harpers, Argosy as well as the New York Times and received the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators among many other accolades.

Hank Virgona working in his light-filled studio at union square west

Multiple works by the artist displayed above his daybed

A closer look at some of the works

A watercolor of several buildings looking north from Virgona’s skylight

In 1999 Adam Shanker filmed a thirty minute video ‘The Art of Hank Virgona: Bottles Boxes & Notes From the Underground‘ interviewing art critics, artists and celebrities that admired and collected his work. Virgona described growing up in Bushwick, Brooklyn and sitting on the stoop of his childhood home with the sun beating down on him and looking at the 150 coats of paint on the door and how all of those layers coming through really began to inspire the way he sees color and line. Both his figurative studies and satirical work capture character in the simplest gesture of sharp or blurred line bringing the person or object to life.

He does the same with his still life’s giving character to things as mundane as a collection of bottles or a paper bag and elevates them to another level. There is no set formula to his work but it is always filled with personality. Hank cites Degas, Goya, Picasso and Giorgio Morandias influences but one quote by Joaquin Torres Garcia he says sums up how he views art and his work best. “Art is not manufactured, it comes from the understanding of a profound harmony, and from living in accordance with it”.

A more colorful mixed media collage work

An etching of bottles in my collection that was a gift from Virgona several years ago

When I approached Hank about writing a post on his career and work he initially asked “what is a blog”? I explained to him that I would be writing an online journal about his life and work and sharing images he would like to share with me to try and gain a new audience for him. He was intrigued since he does not have access to a computer in his studio and is entirely engaged in painting, etching, engraving and creating more work daily than I or any of my colleagues do on average.

He then asked why is it called “The Gilded Owl”? I showed him a picture of the owl that I owned and that I had collected owls over many years and hence the namesake of my blog. I then gave him a picture of the gilded owl which is a real barn owl that has been gold gilded and a few days later Hank gave me twenty four different owls that he had drawn and painted on a variety of colored paper. Following are some of the fantastic drawings and the envelope that accompanied them.

Special delivery from Hank Virgona with personalized postage for the gilded owl

Four owls by Hank Virgona

A couple more on blue grey paper

Virgona’s work is in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of the City of New York, The New York City Public Library, The Smithsonian and over twenty more important permanent collections and he has had over two dozen one-man gallery shows. The awards Hank has received over the years are too many to mention but highly esteemed and respected. I am honored to know this remarkable artist whose eye for detail has taught me to look at the world a little more thoughtfully.

Etched name plate on Virgonas’ studio door

Following are links and further video on the work of Hank Virgona.

www.noelfineart.com

video link below by Andrew French

www.theoldprintshop.com

www.pinterest.com

MICHAEL ABRAMS

In 2001 as one of my first projects was nearing completion, looking for art for the living room I discovered Michael Abrams work at Sears Peyton Gallery.  My clients and I were drawn to the mysterious and luminous quality of the works that bridged the gap between Hudson River School painting and new contemporary landscape painting.  We were looking for something linear and panoramic and Abrams’ work was the perfect feeling for the room, a large open loft-like space with wrap around windows facing south.  The colors in the room were mostly neutrals with silvery gray moire drapery, vintage Italian glass and some walnut to add warmth to the mostly cool palette. Michael’s painting grounded the room and was the perfect contrast to the much more modern elements.

Michael Abrams studio in Vermont

Thursday Michael’s show “A Gathered Calm” opens at Sears Peyton Gallery and the new paintings continue his studies of color, light, water, clouds and sky evoking nostalgic feelings for the past.  Michael gave me a statement from the current show “these paintings are envisioned to manifest fresh responses to touchstone experiences with nature.  And what makes us nostalgic for the past?  Which past are we conjuring up to tug us backward and at the same time push us forward.  As if coming out of memory’s storm, awaking out of reverie, we forge fresh ways of seeing what is here now.  Before us now, approaching a gathered calm.”  Following are images from his beautiful new show.

All the earth and air, 2013. oil on canvas. 48″ x 72″

Scattered Yellow, 2013. oil on canvas. 68″ x 74″

A Humbled World, 2013. oil on canvas. 43″ x 96″

Night Break, 2013. oil on canvas. 68″ x 74″

Growing up in the Hudson River Valley in Rensselaer County, Abrams’ childhood home overlooked the sprawling green landscapes and illuminated skies that now inspire his work.  And while nature informs his work he is painting in a way that revisits master landscape paintings but propels the technique into the future.  Abrams’ paintings feel otherworldly and evoke memories and familiar sensory experiences but they feel modern and new.  The layers of semi transparent and opaque glazes used to create the works gives them a depth that feels distant but has a glowing undersurface to the canvas.  After maintaining a studio in New York City for many years, after visiting the Green Mountain region of southern Vermont Abrams decided to make it his home permanently.

Deerfield River Light, 2012. oil on canvas. 18″ x 18″

The Louring Sky, 2013. oil on canvas. 48″ x 72″

Sumerset Lake, 2012. oil on panel. 11″ x 14″

Michael Abrams current show “A Gathered Calm” is on view at Sears Peyton Gallery September 12 through October 12, 2013.  210 Eleventh Avenue Suite 802 New York, NY 10001.  Tel 212-966-7469.

www.searspeyton.com

THE GILDED SHOES (FOR HER) BY ERIN HAZELTON

Ever since the moment I laid eyes on Dorothy’s ruby slippers I’ve had an obsession with “fancy” shoes.  As a three and four year old kid, I wore one pair of red shoes with everything.  It’s true:  red shoes go with everything.  I had other shoes, but those were the only ones I’d wear.  Around age six, I forced my mother to buy me a pair of turquoise loafers that looked like something Madonna would wear.  I wore those until the soles came unstitched.  At nineteen, I bought my first pair of Manolo Blahnik sandals.  They were gold.  It’s been downhill from there.  When it comes to shoes, I don’t discriminate, but I really, really have a soft spot for gilded shoes.  I don’t know what it is about gold shoes in particular, but when you wear them, you feel sexy, elegant…..I don’t know, like you are walking on gold?  They make you feel special.  And they definitely grab attention.  And yes, they can also be tacky….but that’s part of the fun.  This season Midas touched a lot of shoes….they are opulent and expensive.  Not for the weak of heart….here are a few of my favorites.

Caged crystal bootie by Sergio Rossi

Caged crystal bootie by Sergio Rossi (also seen above)

These Golden Butterflies by artist/design icon/sculptress Gabriella Crespi for Sergio Rossi are beyond beautiful!

Gabriella Crespi for Sergio Rossi

I don’t think there is a woman who has tried on this incredibly flattering shoe and hasn’t bought it.  Three women were wearing different versions of it at my friend Erin Fetherston’s wedding a few months ago….including the bride!  Jimmy Choo Lance Wavy Strap Sandal at Bergdorf Goodman

Jimmy Choo Lance Wavy Strap Sandal

Elegant and simple with just a little flash:  Chaos by Manolo Blahnik at Barney’s New York

Manolo Blahnik Chaos

And sometimes it’s all in the details:  Suede Ruffle Pump by Nicholas Kirkwood at Kirna Zabete

Nicholas Kirkwood’s suede ruffle pump

 Erin Hazelton also at www.thepeopleilike.com

FROMENTAL

I first discovered Fromental in 2006 when I was working on a house in Alabama and wanted something special and unusual for a powder room.  We were looking at different plaster finishes and hand troweled surfaces but once we saw the intricately embroidered wallpaper called Peace Blossom from Fromental we were sold.  I was in the George Smith showroom and thought that I had exhausted all the wallpaper lines trying to find something that was both beautifully crafted and had an Eastern influence but needed to be decidedly modern for this particular installation.  The wallpaper worked perfectly and gave the space a different dimension and depth with the embroidered blossoms floating on a hand painted tree that was custom designed to wrap the bath.  I’ve been a fan ever since and had the opportunity to meet with Tim Butcher, who founded the company with his partner Lizzie Deshayes and Melissa Mittag, the US director of Sales and Marketing in my office recently to see the new collection.  Following is a preview of some of the exquisite new designs.

Brock hand painted and layered wallpaper by Fromental

Fantasy marble hand painted wallpaper by Fromental

Borgeas hand painted on silk by Fromental

Fromental was founded in 2005 by Tim Butcher and Lizzie Deshayes.  Tim spent a couple of years in tailoring, producing silks for designers including Paul Smith, Timothy Everest, Duchamp and Ralph Lauren after graduating in textile design as a weaver.  During his seven years as Creative Director at chinoiserie house de Gournay, his creative focus was as much on the technology and process as the visuals of design.  He established new production abilities and launched a fabric and fashion business for the wallpaper house, including collaborations with Matthew Williamson, Oscar de la Renta and Christina Kim (dosa).  Butcher’s focus began to shift from fashion to interiors and he worked with several leading players in the London interior design scene creating unique custom installations for many private and public spaces.  Lizzie also studied textile design and began her career creating prints for silk neckwear prior to becoming a personal designer for Anthony Little of Osborne and Little.  Deshayes then ventured into freelance work as a decorative artist for de Gournay, Fortnum and Mason, dosa, handbag designer Alessandra Ferreira and Clarence House.  Together with Butcher, she established the handmade interiors house Fromental primarily working as the Design Director displaying strong draughtsmanship skills which often help complete the complex installations of their stunning wallpapers.  Butcher serves as the company’s Creative Director as the company has gone from strength to strength continually breaking boundaries in the field of bespoke wallpaper design.  Below is inspiration and a larger sample panel of Doro, one of my favorite new patterns inspired by a bed designed by Osvaldo Borsani and Arnaldo Pomodoro in 1960 for Tecno.  The bed images were taken from a recent auction at Wright in Chicago and the drawings intricately capture the sheen of the brass frame and the multicolored fire enameled brass onto hand painted silk.

Osvaldo Borsani and Arnaldo Pomodoro bed design, 1960 from a recent wright auction in Chicago

Osvaldo Borsani and Arnaldo Pomodoro bed detail

Original image from L’arredamento Moderno, settima serie, aloi courtesy of wright auctions in Chicago

Doro hand painted silk panel by Fromental

Doro installation at Dragonette in Los Angeles for design week

In addition to these incredible new designs that bridge traditional and modern design, Fromental is also introducing two new hand painted patterns Lalo and Marquise both inspired by Lalique crystal.  Lalo feels like bubbles floating in space and form stunning new patterns with their fluid composition and Marquise, a faceted crystal rays shine on fields of ebony, silver and champagne colored silk with delicate ivory and gold.  I caught up with Tim Butcher and asked more about the genesis of these two sparkling new compositions.  “Marquise is inspired by cut glass door panels from the 20’s, Lizzie and I developed the sketch for Lalo some time ago as just recently it feels its time had come. In fact the original swept curve and texture came from a detail of a cast bronze sculpture. The original was deep brown with bright green verdigris. A colourway that will be included as we roll out the design.”

Lalo drawing by Fromental

Lalo colorways by Fromental

Lalo installation at Dragonette in Los Angeles for design week

Marquise colorways by Fromental

Fromental is also expanding their Chinoiserie line and experimenting with embossing and gold highlighted relief patterns with birds and florals.  There is a breathtaking embroidered pattern of pampas grass blowing in dunes that I hope to use in an upcoming project.  The colors are so soft and still have the hand painted feeling of some of their most delicate designs but the gold embroidered fronds of grass have the same timeless appeal of the Chinese influenced works.

Embroidered and hand painted pampas grass by Fromental

Antique chinoiserie by Fromental

Mishima embossed detail by Fromental

www.fromental.co.uk

DANIEL SEAN MURPHY

Recently I had the great fortune of meeting Daniel Sean Murphy, a brilliant artist but that’s not really an accurate description of his talent.  Daniel, an SVA graduate who studied drawing, painting and in his 3rd year began using paper sculpting as his primary medium is a magician with paper and it’s 3D transformation.  It takes more than just visual talent to calculate and engineer some of the incredibly intricate pieces he has produced but it’s the likeness to reality and being able to trick the eye that is so fascinating to me.  Inspired by Charles LeDray, another sculptor represented by Sperone Westwater in New York, Murphy did an independent study with the artist and the results of his mentoring focused him on pushing the medium of paper to another level.

An apple peel 2.5 feet long made from strathmore paper & acrylic paint.

Oversized Louis Vuitton handbag approx. 16″ high x 26″ wide for “off duty” cover for the wall street journal.

An oversize Chanel bag in the series made from cut paper, metallic foil and foamcore.

And a Dior Bag with quilted detail and metallic accents

Murphy grew up in New Jersey, his father working in architecture and construction and his mother a teacher.  Those genes certainly shone through as Daniel has a masterful understanding of complex 3D objects and translating them spatially and understanding how to manipulate shadow and light.  What’s so interesting is using his painting and drawing skills and then building up layers of paper he works almost like an architect would to create a topographical map of a landscape.  But this technique has been used to create Cartier watches for the Wall Street Journal, Jack Spade and J. Crew store window displays and endless sets for editorial magazine shoots.  Daniel and I recently sat down in my office to discuss what makes him tick.

From a series of 6 paper watches from the wall street journal magazine

Another from the series of watches for the WSJ magazine

And finally, the amazing detail of the Cartier watch for the WSJ magazine

His favorite things to construct so far “oversize Jack Spade clothing and bags and his large scale Hermes bags that is almost 3 times the original size”.  Although in print form in magazines they don’t appear to be so large the actual sculptures size allows him to capture much more detail than would be possible if it were actual size.  The Cartier watches that he produced for the Wall Street Journal have been as large as 36″ tall and he delicately constructed 365 butterflies for the monarch piece at life size.  In addition to editorial set design, styling and visual merchandising work he has created a seductive series of black and white pieces and film stills. The shadows and light quality transform paper to such dramatic effect that it has new dimension and depth.

Blackflower 3 made from black paper and wire

From a larger series of full size pieces a telescope made of black paper and foam core

Film still from “How was your day at school” 2012

Murphy’s most recent mind-bogglingly precise work is in the current September issue of Elle magazine.  He was commissioned to do the sets for a black and white story highlighting the fall seasons best black and white shoes and accessories and the shadows and architectural elements elevate the pieces in an elegant and almost theatrical way.  When we discussed future projects I asked him if set design for theater was something he aspired to and he replied “it’s a natural progression of taking the medium to a larger scale”.  And Daniel Sean Murphy’s stunning paper masterpieces are on the way to much grander stages!

“Opposite Day” photographed by Lacey in the september issue of Elle magazine

Another black and white image from the Elle editorial

Tod’s, Armani and Bionda Castana enhanced by Murphy’s black and white 3d paper set

www.danielseanmurphy.com

www.danielseanmurphy.blogspot.com 

KNOLL / OLIVARES CHAIR

Every once in a while a chair comes along that is destined to become a classic and Jonathan Olivares’ new indoor/outdoor chair for Knoll is just that!  Although the end result is an ergonomic and organic streamlined chair that looks quite simple, the process and research that went into creating the piece required meticulous exploration and innovation. After nearly four years of development and experiments with hydro-forming, stamping and multiple means of manipulating metal Olivares’ studio was able to cast the chair out of a single piece of sculpted aluminum.  Working in die cast aluminum enabled the seat portion of the chair to be as slim and elegant as possible.  My personal interest in the design of the chair stems from finding out that Olivares’ inspiration for the design, weight and visual lightness came from three of furniture’s great chair design masters Harry Bertoia and the team of Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper.  Bertoia’s wire chairs are now iconic in Knoll’s collection and Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper designed the square faceted counterpart to Olivares’ rounded form in their handsome Lambda chair of which I am the proud owner.  The chair is part of both the Vitra Design Museum and MoMA’s permanent design collections.  Designed in 1959 this chair places high in my personal collection and the construction of the aluminum shell seat and connection to the legs is very similar to the further developments Olivares’ studio made to his new design for Knoll.

Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper lambda chair from my collection

Prototype models of the Olivares chair in development

Prior to designing the new chair, Olivares researched the design, evolution and function of chairs in his book A Taxonomy of Office Chairs published in 2011.  The book is a thoughtful and astute look at the way we live with chairs and posed the questions that made him strive to design the perfect indoor/outdoor chair for today.  Weight was a critical concern and the Olivares’ chair clocks in at just under 15 lbs. making it not too heavy and but just heavy enough for both applications.  The way that the chair legs in extruded aluminum connect to the wavy seat is almost seamless and beautifully crafted.  Knoll’s design team and engineering experts partnering with Olivares’ studio have launched a chair that is both visually arresting, comfortable but certainly packs a powerful punch with color!

Pages from a Taxonomy of office chairs studying chair bases in wood, aluminum and plastic from 1885-1984.

Pop colors of the Olivares chair

David Hockney’s paintings as well as Italian futurist artist Ennio Morlotti’s works inspired the color palette Benjamin Pardo helped develop.  They are vibrant, explosive colors that truly feel like light shooting through a prism as well as black, white and grey.  The chair can also be painted in a two tone finish with interior shell and outer portion of varying tones.  And finally because the chair is meant for both indoor and outdoor use the single hole placed in the center of the seat breaks up the surface of the chair and functionally allows for drainage.  But most importantly, it shows the thin gauge of the elegantly cast aluminum and how much time went into getting it “just right”!

Detail of underside of seat with Knoll stamp

Thank you to Caroline Mattar and Ryan Jacobs at Knoll!

www.knoll.com

www.jonathanolivares.com

THE GILDED SHOES

For the Fall / Winter 2013 collections embellishment and high tech materials that shine were on overdrive and fashion design took some key elements from interior design and architecture.  Alexandre Mattiussi of Ami combined green suede, black nylon, white mesh and a stripe of metallic blue patent leather to create one of the coolest sneakers of the season.  Carven laser cut black leather to create a new version of the classic lace up wingtip.  Acne channelled Tony Duquette and marbleized fall with a painterly wash of blues and greens.  Marsell transferred art even further onto their lace up shoe with laser cut embossed black leather.  And finally Sergio Rossi previewed their Spring / Summer collection with a gold and black knockout that relates to their Gabriella Crespi collaboration (more on that with Erin Hazelton). Here are some of the favorites that combine cutting edge materials, technology and innovation in men’s footwear and a peek into Spring/Summer 2014.

Ami suede and metallic leather sneaker

Carven laced laser cut black leather shoe

ACNE marble printed sneaker

Marsell laser processed abstract painted laced shoe

Sergio Rossi gold metallic and black leather lace up

http://www.sergiorossi.com/

http://www.amiparis.fr/

http://carven.fr/

http://www.acnestudios.com/

http://www.marsell.it/

JAMES TURRELL / ATEN REIGN

Aten Reign, the new James Turrell light sculpture opened Friday night at the Guggenheim and I was there to get a first look at this incredible new work.  The rotunda of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic architectural landmark has been transformed many times and in very different ways but Turrell’s installation reshapes the round volume into an other worldly ellipse combining artificial and natural light from the sky above.  Referencing his most famous work of 1979 Roden Crater Project he has once again created a mind boggling achievement in the Guggenheim.  All of the open areas between the bullnosed concrete hand rails and ceiling typically open to view work across the rotunda have been completely enclosed allowing the work to be viewed only from below.  The ramps have been confined to foot traffic only so that the volume is one soaring space with extraordinary depth looking up to the skylight above.  Following are the images I was able to capture of part of this beautiful cycle of light and color.  Don’t miss this masterpiece of art, design, light and architecture!  Aten Reign remains on view at the Guggenheim through September 25th.

James Turrell photo by Scott Rudd for the Guggenheim

www.guggenheim.org

GIO PONTI VIVERE ALLA PONTI

Recently the Italian Cultural Institute of New York exhibited the houses inhabited by Gio Ponti and the furniture he designed out of experiments in domestic life and architecture for both working and living.  As a collector of Gio Ponti’s furniture, fabrics and over twenty five books on his architecture and design, I can truly say he is one of the main sources of inspiration in my work.  Last year on a trip to Milan I had the good fortune of meeting his grandson Salvatore Licitra at Ponti’s studio on via Dezza.  After being buzzed into the gate in the same building where Ponti lived, Salvatore shared with me more of Ponti’s work and archive and it was one of the most thrilling experiences I have ever had.  To be in the space he worked in with the irregular geometric multi-colored marble floor and see some of his furnishings and drafting tables all preserved immaculately was really quite surreal.  So when I heard last year that Molteni&C were working with the Ponti family and archives to reissue 6 pieces this year in Milan I was more than excited and the first in line to see the newly produced work.  Following is an excerpt from the show at the Italian Cultural Institute and the reasoning behind why this collection is so relevant now, almost sixty years later.

Gio Ponti with his family at home

“Living alla Ponti was born from an impossible encounter with Gio Ponti:  the architect, the man that we would have liked to interview, look into his eyes, and see at work.  This encounter took place thanks to Lisa, Letizia, Giulio, Salvatore and Paolo, his children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews but also through drawings, photographs, family albums, letters, and words that Gio Ponti scattered in over 50 year of work.  He bears witness to his time, aware the worth of his work.  The reason for this encounter was the reissue of Gio Ponti’s furnishings which Molteni&C started two years ago.  This piqued curiosity about reconstructing the historical and cultural setting where those furnishings were born, understanding the professional needs and the technical solutions, interviewing the collaborators, and writing the history of the design with the evidence, traces and clues found in the Gio Ponti Archives and CSAC – Study Centre and Communication Archive in Parma.  Some of these many documents appear in this small traveling exhibition.”

The Gio Ponti collection for Molteni displayed at the Italian Cultural Institute

This research approach revealed an unknown Ponti, a more intimate, less official one.  Inside his homes, the Milanese homes of the Ponti family on Via Randaccio, via Brin, and then via Dezza, but even inside the Ponti Studio among drafting tables and editors of Domus and friends like Bruno Munari who measured the floor with a yardstick, we collected threads of history.  Then we made a trip to the country house in Civate, along with architects Figini and Pollini and family.  We gathered fragments of life, and rewove the threads of stories.  Finally, we concluded with his first designs for the workplace, among the desks of the Montecatini Building, the better known Pirelli offices, and in the company of the young ladies of the 1950’s at the Vembi-Burroughs company.  These places were thought out for the people who live them, for the happiness of children, the comfort of office workers, and the efficiency of work.  These are places where architecture, interiors, and furnishings harmoniously come together, designed to Live all Ponti.”

Molteni&C d.655.1 chest of drawers by Gio Ponti 1952-1955

Detail of chest in elm and mahogany woods and white lacquer with brass feet

Original drawings of the chest of drawers and details of the materials used

The new Molteni&C collection consists of seven pieces designed by Gio Ponti between 1935 and 1955.  The oldest piece in the collection is the Montecatini chair designed for the rst. Palazzo Montecatini in Milan in 1935.  Made entirely of polished aluminum the structure seat and back of the chair fabricated in extruded folded aluminum and the glossy finish created by mechanical brushing and polishing.  There are two sizes of the chest of drawers originally executed from 1952-1955 in different variations featuring applied wooden handles in elm, Italian walnut, mahogany and rosewood over a white lacquer wooden frame with satin brass splayed feet, one of Pont’s design trademarks.  The bookcase was originally designed for the Casa Ponti on via Dezza in 1956-1957 and is made of multi-layer elm wood and white lacquered wood.  The pony skin rug, designed in 1954 is made up of several different cattle hide pony skin colors with a linen blend under layer.  The coffee table made of painted metal in red, black, gray and white with a clear crystal top was also designed in 1954-1955 again for Ponti’s house in via Dezza.  The armchair designed in 1953 comes in a blue and white leather combination with satin brass legs and armrests as well as a limited edition version in a reintroduced velvet by Rubelli.  And lastly there are a series of mirrored frames designed in 1954 in white hand painted wood.

Polished aluminum Montecatini chair

Bookcase designed in 1956-1957 in elm and white lacquer

Pony skin rug in black, two natural shades and white designed in 1954

Ponti reclining in the armchair at home

The collection is now available at Molteni&C www.molteni.it

KHOURI GUZMAN BUNCE LIMITED

Rarely does furniture design strike me as so beautiful and the details so thoughtful that I’m jealous I didn’t think of it myself.  As a contant seeker of the best new design I am always looking for innovative ways of thinking but what usually grabs my attention is design that takes the best cues from past masters and pushes it into the future.  That’s exactly how I feel about KGB Limited, the stunning showroom in Chelsea combining the talents of architects David Khouri and Roberto Guzman with Christiaan Bunce’s furniture and art expertise.

Khouri Guzman Bunce Gallery in Chelsea with Duran coffee table and Mayweather sofa in foreground

Detail of Duran coffee table combining silicon bronze and rippling pyrex glass

I met David Khouri and Roberto Guzman over 15 years ago and always admired their architecture knowledge and expertise with materials.  David and Roberto both hold Bachelor and Master degrees from Columbia in architecture and founded Comma in 1998.  Their architecture work has been widely published in the US, Europe and Japan.  Christiaan Bunce studied Fine Arts at the University of Washington and founded Girth Design in 1999 focusing on furniture design.  He expanded the business in 2004 to include interior design as well.  Christiaan has also taught sculpture and furniture design at Pratt since 2001.  In 2010 they joined forces and created the stellar furniture design company Khouri Guzman Bunce Limited in a beautiful sparklingly white gallery space in Chelsea on West 25th Street.  The floor gleams with I don’t know how many coats of an epoxy white resin, but I’ll say with a couple more you’ll probably be able to see your reflection and the details on the bases of the exquisite furniture designs on display.

Famechon sofa in mustard yellow leather and Zaragosa coffee table combining calacatta marble and walnut with box joint detail

Baer table

Baer table silicon bronze hairpin leg detail

Baer table top detail combining bronze and solid lengths of rift cut fumed oak, marquetry of a different kind

In addition to the details of some of the pieces like the Gavilan barstool and Duran and Frazier tables -with their flush mount screws connecting elegant, slender warm silicon bronze legs together in such a beautiful way- there is in integrity and timelessness to the materials used in every piece they design.  Sure, I see Italian masters Gio Ponti, Ico and Luisa Parisi as well as American sculptor Scott Burton as influence in some of these designs but they’ve inspired them in ways that are so new and details that make you want to touch every material and investigate the thoughtful assemblage of these pieces further.  The upholstered pieces that have already become new classics in my mind, like the Mayweather and Famechon sofas, Mancini chair bring jolts of color and texture to the tables and cabinets on display.  They’ve even collaborated with a textile designer who created a fabric out of moult peacock feathers and rayon giving the seat to the gravity- defying Mancini bench an other worldly iridescence and elegance.

Gavilan barstool

Gavilan barstool seat detail of silicon bronze, walnut and tangerine leather seat

Precision captured in the Gavilan barstool base in silicon bronze and walnut

Maxim bench in walnut, silicon bronze and peacock upholstery

Detail of peacock upholstery on maxim bench

Felix bench hewn from a single slab of statuary marble

As a professor of an advanced materials and finishes course at Parsons for many years I strive to think about the uses of materials and the properties that make them perfect for certain applications in interior design and custom furniture design.  Khouri Guzman Bunce combines marble, wood and metal in delicate but sensual ways that take detail to another level.  The Demarco dining table and side tables accomplish what I’ve always wanted to design myself, a pedestal table that is both sculptural and is an alternative to the eponymous Saarinen dining table combining form + function.  And the blackened steel base of the Overlin sofa table supporting the curvy block of statuary marble also elicits the same visual harmony to my eye.  Combining Japanese Sen wood and silicon bronze the Saxton cabinets and side table float above the ground with a center leg and two back legs and the Johansson cabinet juxtaposes exotic walnut burl with lacquered aluminum in a piercing green with milled copper pulls of linear precision.

Demarco dining table combining statuary and nero marquina marbles

Saxton cabinets with Pintor coffee table in foreground

Saxton cabinet detail

There is a mastery of materials that these pieces have captured and will continue to be at the top of my list for future projects when clients are looking for timeless design and auction worthy furniture of tomorrow and beyond.  Thanks so much to David Khouri and Roberto Guzman for sharing your exquisite designs with The Gilded Owl and to Ford Lininger for making it happen.

Khouri Guzman Bunce is located at 555 West 25th Street, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10001

www.kgb-limited.com

Downloadable PDF catalog

All photos by Andy Goldsborough

Armstrong bronze frame armchair and booker side table in quartered east indian rosewood and cast colored italian glass. both new to the collection.

DAVID MALLETT BY ERIN HAZELTON

I met David Mallett for the first time about nine years ago. Every time I went to Paris I was enamored with the way the Parisian women looked. They had this carefree elegance that I wanted to mimic. Their hair was never overdone; just well cut… the same went for their clothes.

I had been spending more and more time in Paris for work writing fashion and beauty articles, so I called one of the agents at Marilyn, one of the top modeling agencies in Paris, and I asked who gave the best haircut in Paris. David’s name was emailed back to me with no alternatives.

When I arrived at his salon, which was smaller then, but still in the same place, I was in love. It was my idea – everyone’s idea – of the perfect Parisian apartment. There was – and still is – an exotic array of taxidermy throughout the salon and a mix of modern furniture perfectly arranged amidst the architectural details of a 17th century French apartment.  David decorated the salon himself. Upon learning this fact (I had been Andy Goldsborough’s assistant before my time in Paris, so I appreciated good interior design when I saw it) – and this was before I met David face-to-face, before I knew about all the genius editorial he had done for several top magazines, before I knew that he styled the hair of the most beautiful French and American movie stars – I could see that his taste was insurmountable and I laid down any and all of the pre-haircut apprehension that I tended to carry with me into a salon. I was sick of bad highlights, rock-and-roll layers (this was the early 2000s) and, my personal favorite, up-dos that looked like I was going to a junior high semi-formal. I hadn’t had a good haircut in a long time and I was ready.

David ended up going for it and gave me my first crop of bangs since I was six years old. They looked amazing. When I went back to New York, everyone told me how “French” I looked. There is no bigger compliment in my book.

From that day forward David and I became friends. He was my go-to hair expert when I was writing about hair. He even gave me a beautiful, classic “Alexandre de Paris”-style chignon for my wedding. He also opened the salon for my bridesmaids and gave us all champagne. It is a wonderful wedding present and very glamorous memory to have.

That salon, like a David Mallett haircut, is perfect. Now that I am living in France, I want our very un-17th century house to look just like it. I know that this is impossible – we live in a medieval “chateau forte,” which is basically a burly, very masculine fortress where the charming woodwork that defines David’s salon would seem slightly amiss. But there are a few elements of David’s interior décor that I would love to implement into our home.

For one thing, his color palette is very much my style. It’s all grey. Anyone who visited us in our Soho apartment will know that we tend to shy away from crazy colors and try to make everything calm and soothing. Grey may sound cold, but done correctly (ask Andy) it can be quite comforting and inviting, just as it is in David’s salon. I also find it incredibly chic. Call me boring.

The main room that David uses to cut hair has the same hardwood, herringbone floors that we have in our “salon” – salon as in formal sitting room, not hair salon, although that would be amazing. The difference between his floors and ours is that his have a matte, natural, grey-toned stain on them and ours are varnished with an orange-y tone, high gloss finish. Very 1960s… but not in a good way. David is going to send me the name of the stain he used.

The furniture David put into his salon has all been collected on various trips to Paris’s Cligancourt, as well as flea markets in Belgium – which are apparently amazing (Andy – let’s go when you are here next week!).  The furniture that David has selected for the salon is a unification of 1950’s, 60’s and even 70’s pieces (think soft leathers on metal bases, Saarinen tables and lamps) and more ornate, Louis XIV chairs and mirrors. There is also the taxidermy: an ostrich, a leopard and two white peacocks. There is a horse head that fell off of a statue and a Poul Henningsen Artichoke Lamp that is suspended by a chain in the center of the “sink room.” I love staring at it as I get a luxurious head massage.

In a way, David’s salon feels a bit like a cleaner, greyer, more contemporary Carlo Mollino space…. If Carlo Mollino were French and not Italian, if that makes any sense.

The bones of each space demand a certain kind of decor, just like the body of each human should be dressed in a way that is most flattering to his or her form. David nailed his space… just like he nails haircuts.

David also recently launched a new line of beautifully packaged (no surprise) hair products. The minimal, old school “pharmacie,” yet very modern feel of the black bottles of the products will make any bathroom look a little more chic.

By Erin Hazelton

Photos by Nisuc

http://david-mallett.com/index.html

CASA MALAPARTE

Perched on the eastern side of the island of Capri on Punta Massullo is one of the most captivating houses I have ever seen.  I first visited Capri in 2007 and soon after we arrived at our hotel, my mother and I were on our first of several journey’s to see the magnificent Casa Malaparte.  It’s a breathtaking walk to get there and the views of the spectacular Faraglionilimestone rocks perched alongside one another and an azure horizon of sky meeting sea is like a dream.  Lizards crossing our path basking in the sun as we climbed incredibly steep and winding stone trails with bougainvillea in white and shades of peach and fuschia trailing everywhere.  I sat and contemplated how the man that designed this house could have chosen such an amazing site and then designed something so timeless and architecturally significant.  But I couldn’t linger too long on my first trip to the house.  Mom needed to see more of the island but I could have stayed there all day gazing at the sun beaming down on the water and the glowing red brick and flashes of light reflecting off the water and then glistening into the glass of this incredible house.

Casa Malaparte located on the eastern side of Capri overlooking the gulf of Salerno

View of the Faraglioni on the walk to Casa Malaparte

Casa Malaparte seen from my boat ride around the island of Capri

Designed in 1937 by Italian architect Adalberto Libera for the journalist, novelist and diplomat Curzio Malaparte. Born Kurt Erich Suckert, Malaparte’s chosen surname which he used from 1925 means “evil/wrong side” and is a play on Napoleon’s family name “Bonaparte” meaning in Italian, “good side”.  Malaparte rejected Libera’s design for the house and ended up building it himself with the help of Adolfo Amitrano, a local stonemason and the house was completed in 1942.  The house is composed of three floors with the private rooms, bathrooms and a library on the lower levels and then a grand salone on the upper level for living and dining with furniture Malaparte designed himself.  The minimalist pieces included oversized sofas and chairs, lamps and an altar like table made of concrete bases topped with wood planks that were polished but with live edges.  The floor of the grand space was made up of large broken pieces of stone but the centerpiece of the room is the sensational fireplace.  Made up of three sections of sculpted concrete capped with a wood mantle the outer sections for wood storage flank a window made of heat resistant glass framing another view of the waves and landscape below.

Fireplace with view of the sea beyond by Francois Halard

Interior salon by Francois Halard from his blog

Salon floor and window detail by Francois Halard

Curzio Malaparte in the main salon living space

Casa Malaparte floor plans

Casa Malaparte section view

Casa Malaparte played a significant role in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film Contempt (Le Mepris) when a tumultuous relationship between Brigette Bardot and Michel Piccoli comes to a head on the terrace overlooking the craggy rocks below.  The tapering stairs built into the design of the house are used to dramatic effect as is the swirling white painted concrete wall that resembles a sail atop this striking architectural masterpiece.  Bardot famously sunbathes topless in the film and wanders aimlessly in another scene as she contemplates her torn feelings between her husband and Jack Palance.  The gorgeous film score by Georges Deleruefurther enhances this beautiful film in which half of the movie takes place at the Casa Malaparte.  Following is the original movie poster and stills from the film.

Contempt film poster from 1963

Michel Piccoli on the approach to Casa Malaparte

Bardot and Piccoli on the roof of Casa Malaparte

Many books have been written about Malaparte’s dramatic house and it’s conceptual origin, design and relationship to the landscape of Capri.  I have been collecting volumes for years and following are some of my favorites.

“Malaparte a House Like Me” by Michael Mcdonough, 1999

“Casa Malaparte” by Karl Lagerfeld published, Steidl 1999

Villa Malaparte Francois Halard, Actes Sud 2003

In the past three years Casa Malaparte has also served as a backdrop for fashion and fragrance launches including this year’s UOMO by Ermenegildo Zegna and 2011’s Hugo Boss Spring Summer collection.  Ermenegildo Zegna’s website for the new fragrance gives a brief history of the house and relates it to the UOMO man with this description. “Casa Malaparte was envisioned and built in 1942 on the Isle of Capri by Italian journalist and writer Curzio Malaparte and it is a testament to masculine determination, a place where the Uomo man – who lives with passion and steps up to claim his destiny – acts out a compelling chapter of his own autobiography.” Here are some of the images from both campaigns highlighting details of the house and it’s materials and finishes and bold contrasting colors with the landscape of Capri.  Persol even designed a collection of sunglasses last year based on the architecture of the house called the Capri Edition.

Uomo, Ermenegildo Zegna’s new fragrance

Another image from the Zegna Uomo fragrance launch

Ermenegildo Zegna Uomo promotional image

Hugo Boss spring summer 2011 campaign

Hugo Boss spring summer 2011 campaign

Hugo Boss spring summer 2011 campaign

Persol Capri edition sunglasses

Persol Capri edition sunglasses detail

Malaparte called this surreal work “a house like me” since he was exiled there by Mussolini in 1933 but I can’t imagine a more picturesque place to build his dream home.  On my last night in Capri I watched the sunset one more time over this beautiful place and this incredible house that I will always remember and captured this image of Malaparte’s inspiring architecture.

More images and details of Casa Malaparte can be seen here as well as reviews of Jean-Luc Godard’s film Contempt.

www.lareviewofbooks.org 

www.nytimes.com / Architecture review by Herbert Muschamp

www.nytimes.com / A.O. Scott looks back at Jean-Luc Godard’s avant garde film

www.lolamcly.com / Additional history of Casa Malaparte

www.francoishalard.blogspot.com / Interior images of Casa Malaparte by Francois Halard

www.domusweb.it / John Hejduk’s description of Casa Malaparte in Domus magazine from 1980

www.youtube.com / UOMO the new fragrance by Ermenegildo Zegna

www.youtube.com / An essay on Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt and Jean-Jacques Beineix’s Diva

www.archoffilm.blogspot.com / More film stills from Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt

www.zegna.com 

www.hugoboss.com

www.ellengoebel.com / Art direction for Hugo Boss collection shot by Mario Sorrenti at Casa Malaparte

www.persol.com / The Capri edition video with architectural footage of Casa Malaparte

ALBERTO BIAGETTI

I’ve always been fascinated by the 80’s Memphis design and architecture group founded by Ettore Sottsass in 1981.  The name was taken from a Bob Dylan song “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” and was inspired by Art Deco, Pop Art and 50’s futuristic design.  The group fabricated and exhibited furniture and objects annually from 1981 until 1988 and their debut at the Salone del Mobile in Milan drew great acclaim.  The stellar group that Sottsass assembled were designers and architects Alessandro Mendini, Andrea Branzi, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, , Arata Isozaki, Shiro Kuramata, Matteo Thun, Javier Mariscal, journalist Barbara Radice and continuing the movement today Alberto Biagetti.

1984 Memphis group poster for exhibition

Alberto Biagetti was born in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy in 1971 and now lives and works in Milan.  He opened his Atelier in 2003 with the idea of creating an aesthetic factory that deals with fashion, art, design and architecture without distinction, creating a bridge between established forms of expression and new digital ones.  His work is the result of multiple inventions that end up being furniture objects, interiors, paintings, virtual dresses and installations in galleries and private collections.  Biagetti connects the real and virtual world, from excellent artisanship (collections designed for Venini) to the art direction of some of the most important websites (Yoox.com).  In addition he has worked with the Memphis – Post Design, DeVecchi and Zerodisegno.  His works have been exhibited in galleries including the Maraconi Gallery, Hangar Bicocca, Cartiere Vannucci and together with Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea.  In 2011, he presented a collection of unique pieces called “Diamonds” for the exhibit Mineralogy.

Treasure chest hand painted with acrylics. electronic opening device with wooden key from diamonds collection 2011

Post Design is the brand name under which Memphis S.r.l produces its new collections.  Post Design showcased Sottsass’ most recent works and the collections of international designers such as Johanna Grawunder, Pierre Charpin, Denis Santachiara, Nathalie Du Pasquier, George J. Sowden, Nanda Vigo, Alessandro Mendini and Ron Arad.  Post Design is also the name of the Milanese gallery that exhibits Memphis’ productions and following are highlights and descriptions of Alberto Biagetti’s beautifully crafted 2012 works.

The sky group features digital print sky as seen from above the studio in Milan with opaque brass bases and ultra white low iron glass

Sky piece detail showing high gloss red lacquer interior

The wire seat with varnished iron base, covered with natural leather and varnish colour gradation. Available in three colour combinations

Things you need to know about Alberto Biagetti Text by Angela Rui

“In the same way nature and its purest elements are contemplated as raw materials through which the design is developed. Fundamental and inevitable as the form, earth and sky, rivers and territories (Post Design 2012), traces of the purest pigments remain on the furniture (The River Armchair) and their eloquent surfaces.

A “light” presence not because they are as light as a feather, but because they are like paintings that create their own space. Others are ethereal and act as a tool for the imagination: the Sky, photographed above his studio in Milan, enters shyly as a mark and décor upon the furniture’s surfaces (The Sky Pieces). And imagining a downward trajectory, the carpets (The Grounds) hand knotted and made in Kathmandu, photograph portions of territories as if seen from a satellite.”

The river group sofa, armchairs and ottoman made of memory-foam with leather covering and varnish colour gradation.

The ground carpet the sky cabinet and the river armchair

The Ground carpet, The Sky cabinet and The River armchair

The wire table with opaque brass base and wood top, sandwich panel made of multilayered canadian pine wood

Alberto Biagetti

Thank you to Alberto Biagetti and his Senior Assistant Iris Roth for sharing these images with The Gilded Owl.  For more information visit

http://biagetti.net/

http://www.memphis-milano.com/

GILDED SHOES FOR SPRING

In anticipation of Tom Sachs: SPACE PROGRAM: MARS Show opening May 16th at the Park Avenue Armory, I’ve spotted a few gilded shoes to get you in the spirit for spring.

Marc Jacobs
Park Gold Metal Heel

Marc Jacobs Park Gold Metal Heel

Dior Homme

Dior Homme

Costume National

Costume National

Hugo Boss
Embossed Patent Leather Lace Up ‘Everso’

Hugo Boss Embossed Patent Leather Lace Up ‘Everso’

Maison Martin Margiela
Navy blue canvas lace up

Martin Margiela navy blue canvas lace up

CAMO + COMEBACK = TIMELESS

This Spring it’s hard not to notice the resurgence of camouflage and it’s enduring impact on the fashion industry.  From men’s style icon Nick Wooster to a broad spectrum of fashion designers this season – Lanvin, Dries Van Noten, Prada, Jimmy Choo and Kenzo’s Carol Lim & Humberto Leon – camoflauge is everywhere in the men’s collections and in so many inspired variations.  The graphic has become so prominent I decided to look into the history of it’s beginnings and try and decifer what makes this nature motivated pattern so hypnotic.

Lanvin camo silk bow tie at Bergdorf Goodman

Prada camouflage sequin evening loafer at Bergdorf Goodman

Jimmy Choo Sloane Men’s Calf Hair Slipper at Bergdorf Goodman

Introduced by the French army in the First World War in 1917, artists known as camoufleurs were employed to disguise tree observation posts and help soldiers blend into their environments.  Ship and plane camouflage soon followed in other countries and became a primary means of eluding the enemy and then finally into combat gear worn by the soldiers.  Many animals, fish, insects and other wildlife have this crypsis, or ability to avoid observation by other predators, so naturally we would use the same methods to protect ourselves.

Example of crypsis

Although I’ve never been hunting in my life, except once with my father where I sat alongside he and my brother in horror and fear of what would happen to the poor creatures in the woods, I was immediately drawn to the camouflage gear and clothing.  I guess that was my first clue that I would not be following in their footsteps but pursuing a creative design path instead.  My first awareness of camouflage as an art medium was in Andy Warhol’s extensive study of multiple color variations and then in his haunting self portrait of 1986 before his death the following year overlaying different color palettes of the pattern over his face.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art has the traditional color camo version of the portrait in its permanent collection and the Philadelphia Museum of Art houses the pink and red version.

Stephen Sprouse was given permission to use Warhol’s camouflage paintings and explored the pattern further with his fashion designs in 1987 and 1988, his cover design for Debbie Harry’s solo album Rockbird in 1997 and his graffiti camo for Knoll textiles in 2003.  I incorporated Stephen’s graffiti camo into a loft project I was doing in Soho at the time and my client loved it!  His designs still inspire me today and I won’t forget our many dinners and discussions about design and the way he expertly combined luxurious fabrics in a pop futuristic way.  One weekend upstate at Stephen’s house at Bear Mountain he even asked me to make draperies for the living room out of a day-glo fleece we found at a local fabric store and we talked about combining camo with his signature day glo colors.  I hope Knoll will reintroduce his camo textiles one day, they were so ahead of their time as were all of his designs.

Andy Warhol “Camouflage Self-Portrait” in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Andy Warhol “Camouflage Self-Portrait” Philadelphia Museum of Art

Stephen Sprouse sequin camouflage dress

Stephen Sprouse artwork and graffiti for Debbie Harry’s Rockbird album cover

Stephen Sprouse Graffiti Camo for Knoll color card (a prized possession in my fabric arsenal)

Sprouse graffiti camo on silver Knoll Saarinen chair

Jussara Lee created a bespoke camouflage jacket for me eleven years ago and it still feels new and bold.  When I wear it I certainly don’t blend into my environment but feel like I am part of an energetic New York City that is alive with creativity and forward thinking.  Who knows, maybe camouflage still has many other ways of being interpreted and redesigned to make it’s way into our homes in another medium.  It’s definitely something that I would like to explore in my own design aesthetic and I will!

Jussara Lee bespoke camo jacket

THE HUNT For STYLE By ERIN HAZELTON

When I was a kid all I did was look for inspiration; beauty. I religiously flipped through my mother’s monthly Better Homes and Gardens and her occasional Town & Country picking out the prettiest girls, the best dresses and the nicest rooms. I made it a game and I’d challenge my mother to see if she had the same ability as me to select the “right one.”

I subjected my Barbie dolls to the same sort of competition, laying them side-by-side in their outfits, flinging the “ugly” ones off to the side. I only wanted storybooks with beautiful illustrations and charming characters. Even the flowers in my neighbor’s gardens were subject to my quality control: I’d pluck the most perfect buds before they’d die and trot home with a bouquet for my mother, who would in turn scold me because Mrs. So-and-so called saying she saw me, again, destroying her garden.

My select tastes were reflected in my wardrobe. I was mostly concerned with wearing as many “pretty” things as possible and all at the same time. My favorite dress (usually my Christmas dress) didn’t necessarily match my favorite pink tights nor did any of it go with my turquoise suede loafers or my white Easter hat. But I liked each piece and was convinced they stood on their own, so I was only making a more interesting outfit by wearing them together. And so I did.

With Giovanna Battaglia on the way to a show in les Tuileries

Mary Jane Russell in an oriental inspired pantsuit, 1953. Photo by John Rawlings.

As I grew up, I became more concerned with melding the overall look, but I was still teased for my fashion sense. Oddly enough, I never let the other kids’ comments deter me. If fitting in meant melding into a homogenous group of Gap-clad kids, I didn’t want to. Eventually they accepted my eccentricities and I forgave them finally acknowledging that fashion wasn’t for everybody.

This difference was one of the main reasons I moved to New York when I was eighteen. I had been accepted to a few different universities, but NYU was in the middle of Manhattan and I knew that’s where all the magazines were, where all the designers lived and where all the crazies went to embrace their craziness. I knew I’d be able to fully splay my fashion feathers and I wouldn’t look like a weirdo doing it.

And so I did. The sidewalks became my runway and for the first time I knew people were looking at me because they liked my look; because I was a little out of the ordinary and it was interesting, not intimidating. So I pushed things a little further. I’d try my best to translate what I saw in the pages of Vogue and I’d wear necklines that were a little too deep (“But I don’t have big boobs, so it isn’t vulgar!”). I wore pointy shoes when most college kids didn’t realize they were chic just yet… just a little witchy. My Gucci bellbottoms? People were still a little confused, but maybe I was cool? And my bright red Dolce & Gabbana military coat? As conservative as it was – it was a calf-length coat! – it’s brazen color was like a wearing a red light, and I suddenly found myself accosted by a bunch of would-be johns. A pair of multi-color, wide-leg Tuleh trousers fresh off the runway? Apparently they belonged on a curtain rod according to a young man I passed on the street in Paris one day.

W Magazine’s Stefano Tonchi and Giovanna Battaglia

I liked to take chances and to figure out what made me feel best. Or what made me feel confident, or sexy, or intelligent, or cool, or whatever way I wanted to feel. These days, with street fashion and blogs, everyone is on top of fashion. The world is a runway and everyone wants to stand out. Okay, not everyone, but a lot of people. Even where I live, in a small village in the French Alps, people seem to get it. I’m not saying they all get it, I’ve seen some purple highlights, numerous facial piercings and some really bad shoes in the parking lot at my son’s school, but I have felt, on several occasions, a bit sorry that I didn’t try harder with my outfit when it came time to pick-up my son.

That said, because fashion is becoming more mainstream, I suddenly find it less inspiring. I’m not floored like I used to be by magazine editorials. And I really miss Carine Roitfeld at French Vogue! Now I pretty much look to my friend, the stylist and street style icon, Giovanna Battaglia for inspiration… literally and figuratively. She always looks perfectly polished, yet not too uptown lady. She’s cool and funny and incredibly chic. She does fashion in a real way and doesn’t (often) look like a fashion superhero like so many other newly minted street fashion stars do.

So I started to do what Giovanna – and every real stylist – does when she’s preparing for a shoot: I started pulling out books and old magazines for inspiration. I ordered Diana Vreeland’s The Eye Has to Travel, Guy Bourdin’s In Between and every other book containing his images, Marisa Berenson: A Life in Portraits, and Bals: Legendary Costume Balls of the Twentieth Century. I began scouring the Internet for 1950’s and 60’s Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar images. I went through my mother-in-law’s modeling portfolio from the late 60’s/early 70’s. I began following “shrimptoncouture” on instagram and her daily feeds of vintage images became part of my fashion sustenance.

The elegance and ingenuity of all of these old images, the quiet sensuality (and perhaps not so quiet in the Bourdin images) invigorated me. The hell with trends, I began to think, I just want to metamorphasize into these images. I’m not saying I’m only going to wear vintage, but I’m definitely bringing the old Bill Blass dress and jacket set that is a size or two too big to the tailor tomorrow, along with the amazing 60’s Geoffrey Beene ensemble I found at Patina last weekend in New York (I really, really wish Lenore Newman wasn’t closing that store!). I’m also going to save my pennies and invest in the latest Valentino, Rochas, Thom Browne and Oscar de la Renta collections, where femininity is embraced and accentuated.

Lanvin leather coat and belt, two vintage Geoffrey Beene dresses and Azzedine Alaia in my closet

I’m done with trying to find myself. I can express who I am, how I’m feeling within a tighter fashion vocabulary. I’m all grown up now and as much as my childhood tendency for piling on as many fads as possible, and as much as I want to try out every new style that pops out of the fashion machine every time I walk past a Zara, I’ve finally stylistically matured.

From now on I will be a lady. I will embrace my waist. I will show off my neck. I will knot my hair into tidy chignons. I will utilize my jewelry with unfettered abandon. I will not be scared of full skirts, nor will I shy away from a pencil skirt, even if she makes it difficult for me to walk. I will tuck my turtlenecks into my high-waisted trousers and skirts. I will wear clutches even in the day, if, of course, there is a reason for it (which usually only means during fashion week). I may even buy a cape.  I’ll never say no to an evening glove and in a few years, when I’m officially old, I’ll probably start wearing hats.

I will never be boring, nor will I look like an old lady that lives in the Upper East Side, or Geneva, for that matter (it’s closer to home now), though I will look to them for inspiration. You better believe my jewelry will be big and that my shoes will always be bold and over-embellished. I will always wear leopard prints… any animal print, for that matter.

Harper’s Bazaar cover; March 1959, Photo by Ben Rose, art director Henry Wolf.

Giovanna Battaglia in two trends of the season, animal prints and a cape

I will continue to unearth the past and yank it into the future. I will make the little girl I used to be proud of whom she’s become.

The Gilded Owl is honored and excited to have Erin Hazelton as its contributing fashion editor – always on the hunt for style!  Erin also writes about people influencing fashion, design, culture and more on her brilliant blog The People I Like.

HERVE VAN DER STRAETEN RALPH PUCCI

For many years I have been following the work of the uber talented French furniture, lighting and jewelry designer Herve Van Der Straeten. His inventive use of contrasting materials, mastery of proportion and unique treatment of surfaces have made him one of the most sought after and collected designers working today. Van Der Straeten began his career designing jewelry but quickly parlayed those forms into bronze chandeliers and sculptural furniture so beautiful that Ralph Pucci and many other design curators took notice.  In addition to jewelry and furniture design Van Der Straeten also designed the now iconic J’adore perfume bottle for Dior.  Some of his furniture designs have already been purchased by the Mobilier National, which has collected works of important artists since the 17th century.  An extraordinary achievement for a current contemporary designer but Van Der Straeten is in a league of his own.

Herve Van Der Straeten at home

J’adore perfume bottle designed by Van Der Straeten for Dior

425 Console Propogation and 445 Miroir Nebuleuse

Lacquered steel, bronze, colored resin, glass and gold leaf are used in the most interesting combinations to create Van Der Staeten’s arresting work.  Many of the pieces are reflective and have an incredible amount of depth to the surfaces and take serious amounts of time to produce.  Visible to the eye upon close inspection is the care that Van Der Straeten takes in designing and fabricating these pieces with his twenty plus master craftsmen in a suburb of Paris, called Bagnolet.  These pieces are being sanded, welded and polished in ways that are not seen in today’s furniture market and he even uses automotive painting techniques to produce the mirror finish surfaces in some of the new works that are fetching upwards of $100,000.00 as a result.  There is a clarity to the designs that seems to come from having so many talented metal, wood and other material experts crafting the works in one place with Van Der Straeten directing the show. It’s an old world way of working but as a team they are producing things that are very innovative and pushing boundaries in materiality.  In addition to the works on view currently at Ralph Pucci in New York, close up views of some of the jewelry, light fixtures and spectacular furniture is captured in his Paris gallery here on Interieurs.fr

416 Meuble Epines

424 Bout de Canape Inclination, 414 Console Passage Aluminum and 446 Miroir Lollypop on view at Ralph Pucci

446 Miroir Lollypop

Candlesticks from the “Dissonances” series

414 Console Passage Aluminum Laque Rouge

Thank you Ralph Pucci and Geordy Maish for sharing Herve Van Der Staeten’s show with The Gilded Owl.  The Herve Van Der Straeten exhibition will continue through May 15th at Ralph Pucci 44 West 18th Street 12th floor Penthouse New York, NY.

Galerie Van Der Straeten is located at 11, rue Ferdinand Duval 75004 PARIS

Photographs of the Ralph Pucci gallery exhibition by Antoine Bootz.

Portrait by Kourtney Roy.

www.ralphpucci.net

www.vanderstraeten.fr/en/

FONTANA ARTE GIO PONTI, PIETRO CHIESA, MAX INGRAND

On Thursday, March 7th Bernd Goeckler will host a book signing of the fantastic new publication Fontana Arte by Franco Deboni. The results of a lifetime of collecting lighting, furniture and objects from the famed glass company and three years of writing and assembling these incredible works, Deboni’s book is truly something extraordinary and the most complete document on the companies history and it’s three primary directors. Luigi Fontana established Luigi Fontana and Partners in 1881 in Milan primarily focusing on the sale of plate glass during a flourishing time of architectural growth in Milan and quickly became almost a monopoly. In 1893 Saint-Gobain opened a factory in Pisa supplying the raw materials in close proximity to the factory and eventually acquired a majority stake in the company in 1910. Fontana began expanding the use of glass to lighting fixtures and interior decoration and furnishings. The Villa Reale exhibition at Monza provided the initial contact between Luigi Fontana and Gio Ponti and led to a partnership in 1930 producing their first collection and two years later after acquiring Pietro Chiesa’s Bottega they launched the name Fontana Arte. Deboni’s book goes into great detail on the extensive background and history of the company with a focus on it’s three most significant directors.

Above: Chandelier of the Dahlia series, polished brass with 24 petals in coloured, curved and cut glass, arranged vertically; on each petal a small arm holds the lamping, c. 1954.

Gio Ponti

One of the most prolific Italian architects and writer of numerous books, his famous Amate l’archittetura (In Praise of Architecture), was published in 1957. Subtitled Architecture is a Crystal, the importance this material had on the architect’s design world was evident. To quote the book “Architecture is a crystal, pure Architecture is a crystal; when it is pure, it is pure like a crystal, magical, closed, exclusive, autonomous, uncontaminated, uncorrupted, absolute, definitive like a crystal. It is cube, parallelepiped, pyramid, obelisk, tower: closed forms that endure.” Ponti and Pietro Chiesa became friends in school in Milan and Chiesa was only a year younger than Ponti. Gio Ponti graduated from the Milan Politecnico University in 1921. He opened his first studio with Emilio Lancia and Mino Fiocchi and immediately began designing furnishings and became artistic director of Richard Ginori majolica and porcelain from 1923-1930. With his partners as well as Paolo Venini, Tomaso Buzzi and Michele Marelli, he founded Arredamenti (Venini Design) which later changed to Il Labirinto. In addition, Ponti created Domus in 1928 becoming one of the most important architecture journals in the world. The collaborations with these incredibly talented Italian architects were of critical importance in the development of Italian design and the birth of Fontana Arte.

Gio Ponti, coffee table with curved glass base, black glass top, c. 1931.

Gio Ponti, (The Mermaid and Fisherman) etched mirror with metal frame, c. 1931.

Polished brass table lamp, coloured curved sandblasted glass, c. 1960.

Pietro Chiesa

One of the most extraordinary figures of 20th century design, Chiesa was born in Milan and his father was completely against him having any career in art or design so he began studying law in Turin. Upon finishing law school World War I began and he volunteered in the Italian air force. After the war he was determined to follow his true vision and began to develop a strong passion for glass and wood and learning how to manipulate them in ways that had never been expressed before. He founded is own studio the Bottega di Pietro Chiesa in 1921 and it lasted over ten years. Renowned for his stained glass work and bringing modernism in design to an aesthetic and technical level that had not been seen in Italy. He received many important commissions as his business flourished such as the Vulcania, a huge dome in polychrome glass for a ship design by architect Gustavo Pulitzer. This morphed into his first lighting prototypes and although they were small in scale, critically they were very well received and became the foundation for his larger works becoming the second director of Fontana Arte in 1934. The friendship between Ponti and Chiesa and the creativity he shared with Luigi Fontana brought instant success to the company. Because Chiesa had such a depth of knowledge of glass he was able to use the material to its best and most elegant potential creating tables, liquor cabinets, mirrors and objects that were limitless in their innovation. Ponti noted the extreme essentialness of his works citing them as examples of purity, genuine artworks and expressions of a “Master supervised and performed to perfection.” In addition to his achievements for Fontana Arte, Chiesa was also a top-ranking interior designer working with major architecture studios on public buildings, business headquarters elegant residences and monumental works such as the Via Roma in Turin and the Piazza della Vittoria in Genoa which I visited last year.

Pietro Chiesa centerpiece composed of a sheet of cut glass, with three small metal flower bowls and coloured mirrored glass base, c. 1938.

Pietro Chiesa, wall lights formed by tapered satin finish glass cones, metal brackets, c. 1936.

Pietro Chiesa, thick glass bowl, lens hollowed, “torn” edges, c. 1934.

Max Ingrand

Born in 1908, the French designer was very similar to Pietro Chiesa in both his interest in glass early on and the parallels their early working lives had to one another in training that was crucial to providing him the knowledge he needed to be able to devote himself to this material. The third artistic director of Fontana Arte attended the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs and then began working in the studio of the famous master glass worker Jacques Gruber known for his wonderful Art Nouveau stained glass windows. Ponti took notice in the mid 1930’s published some of his most important works in Domus in March of 1936. “Max Ingrand, through constant research in the technique of acid and sand processing, surface and depth, achieved a truly masterly craftsmanship refinement. We show his works here as useful examples of decoration, ornament and design which to the perfection and precision of the crafting sometimes add a lyrical inspiration.” Among his most famous works for Fontana Arte are his Dahlia series shown in the first image here and on the cover of Deboni’s new book. An exceptionally large version was shown at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958.

Max Ingrand, ceiling lamp with glossy brass frame, with lens cut coloured glass bowl, c. 1954.

Max Ingrand, stippled brass wall light, profiled thick glass, curved and satin finish, with “torn” edges, smooth cut edges, c. 1956.

Max Ingrand, table lamp in nickel-plated brass, thick “gem” cut glass, c. 1968.

Max Ingrand, suspension lamp with nickel-plated frame, lights made of two thick sheets of profiled and cut glass, with satin finish central parts, c. 1960.

Max Ingrand, mirror in thick glass sheet in pale rose tint, profiled, satin finish with 12 “torn” glass circular roundrels, c. 1960.

Thank you to Bernd Goeckler, Sylvanus Shaw and Katje Hirche for the incredible images provided here and to Franco Deboni for this inspiring look into the magical world of Fontana Arte.
Book signing at Bernd Goeckler Antiques 30 East 10th Street on Thursday, March 7th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.
www.bgoecklerantiques.com

Other dealers of vintage Fontana Arte lighting, furniture and objects:
www.fredsilberman.com
www.donzella.com
www.alanmossny.com

AEDES DE VENUSTAS

Robert Gerstner and Karl Bradl’s opulent perfume boutique on Christopher Street in the village has an old world patina on the exterior but as you enter the shop your senses are stimulated like no other space I have ever encountered.
They opened Aedes De Venustas or “Temple of Beauty” in 1995 and have the most curated and exclusive collection of fragrances for the home and perfumes imaginable. The interiors are decorated with sparkling, cloudy crystal chandeliers and carved and gilded display vitrines that set off the stunning cut crystal perfume bottles and candles to great effect. Taxidermy peacocks and velvet draperies further enhance the experience likened to a Renaissance painting. Aedes carries some of the oldest European fragrances but also continues to update their inventory with newer lines. Testing the fragrances is just part of this sensory experience, the packaging and the attention to detail they give to gift wrapping is extraordinary. Sometimes the past and present meet harmoniously in a perfect crafted environment as evidenced in Aedes de Venustas!

Some of the perfume lines artfully displayed in the shop

Detail of one of the crystal chandeliers

For the perfect gift or to enhance your own home Aedes De Venustas is worth a trip. The shop is located at 9 Christopher Street, just off of Greenwich Avenue. Thank you to Rafael Santiago for the beautiful images captured here.
www.Aedes.com

SANTONI / RUBELLI + GIO PONTI

For my upcoming first gallery show of The Gilded Owl this spring I wanted the focus to be on design that I had previously covered over the past year that recognized outstanding craftsmanship. Since I was going to include works by Gio Ponti, Carlo Mollino and a collection of Chiavari chairs both old and new I decided to approach Rubelli, the renowned textile company founded in 1858 in Venice. Punteggiato is just one of six textiles Gio Ponti created for Rubelli in 1934 and they reintroduced the collection in conjunction with their Rizzoli monograph Rubelli: A Story of Silk In Venice.

The shoe manufacturer Santoni produced a capsule collection made of these exquisite fabrics and began producing them last month. Santoni was founded in 1975 by Andrea Santoni and his son Giuseppe now runs the 400 employee luxury shoe business. The made-to-measure shoes combine old world detailing and craft with innovative technology of today and the company also happens to be 90% sustainable with a state of the art facility where the use of natural resources allow lower levels of energy consumption. Great design and good for the environment but at the same time creating extraordinarily beautiful design, following are Santoni’s collection featuring Gio Ponti/Rubelli textiles.

Gio Ponti Punteggiato in Cina for Rubelli

Punteggiato, designed by Gio Ponti, is a velvet pointillist pattern rich in subtle tonalities and available in 7 colorways. The relief in playful placement and rigid geometry broken down into a feeling of fun two-pile ciselé velvet, cut and loop, on a metallic ground. This new version of the pattern, originally woven by hand since 1934 by Rubelli itself, maintains the features of the original design.

Santoni men’s shoes in Gio Ponti silk velvet Punteggiato for Rubelli

Gio Ponti Punteggiato in Madreperla for Rubelli

Santoni + Rubelli, the Venetian firm that represents a point of reference worldwide for high-end fabrics combines two excellencies of made in Italy sharing the same passion for timeless elegance. The result is a small romantic masterpiece of pure Venetian taste, a collection where baroque suggestions blend with the design mastery of Gio Ponti’s avant-garde spirit.

Santoni / www.santonishoes.com
Rubelli / www.rubelli.com