You Go Grant!

Earlier this year, interior designer and blogger Grant K. Gibson was beyond excited to have his apartment shot for the April issue Domino magazine. Then, he was beyond devastated to learn that it would never be published when the magazine closed. So I am happy to announce that you can finally see his wonderful home in the New York Times! The best part that much of it was done on a budget not that you could ever tell! I especially love the bedroom which reminds me of a masculine version of Lanvin's blue bedroom. You go Grant! I'm so happy for you!

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You Go Grant!

Earlier this year, interior designer and blogger Grant K. Gibson was beyond excited to have his apartment shot for the April issue Domino magazine. Then, he was beyond devastated to learn that it would never be published when the magazine closed. So I am happy to announce that you can finally see his wonderful home in the New York Times! The best part that much of it was done on a budget not that you could ever tell! I especially love the bedroom which reminds me of a masculine version of Lanvin's blue bedroom. You go Grant! I'm so happy for you!

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Lanvin: Part Deux

No trip to Paris would be complete without a trip to Lanvin. We are lucky in New York that Barneys and Kirna Zabete carry some pieces of clothing and jewelry but that's nothing like having entire store full of nothing but Lanvin! It was heaven!

Lanvin is known for their creative window displays and we were treated to the new autumn displays that feature mischievous black cats. They happen to correspond to the new print ads and also harken back to the old advertisements for My Sin perfume that also featured a black cat.

This window with the cat sticking out of the handbag was my favorite!

The September 2009 issue of British Vogue just ran an interview with the designer of Lanvin Elber Albaz. In it he states that "the people I chose to run the store are nice. I cannot work with bitches." I can attest that the salespeople couldn't have been nicer or more welcoming and not just to the celebrities. Photographer Gilles Bensimon and girlfriend Diana Picasso (daughter of Picasso!) in the store when were shopping.

I wish I could have taken photos of the interior but I didn't want to push my luck so you have to settle for just the store windows!

Everyone keeps asking me what I bought in Paris so here you go. Before I even left, I knew that I wanted to treat myself to something special and definitely something that I couldn't get in New York. I saw a pretty bracelet in Roger Vivier but the exchange rate made it much too expensive. Lucky for me, we stopped at Lanvin right after where I did find myself a little something.

This Lanvin Happy Sac couldn't be better named because it makes me happy every time I see it and it was definitely something I would have bought myself in a heartbeat but it too was much too expensive to even consider. Although, I did see it in Barneys and might have to make it mine at some point. It's so me!

Instead, I settled on a set of bracelets. They are in a taupe/blush color that perfectly compliment my Phillip Lim necklace. I wore them out to a few fashion parties when I returned and they were a big hit. Even Stefan fell in love with the men's store across the street as did my friend's husband when they were in Paris this summer so it's not just for the ladies! I wish Lanvin would open a store in New York but until they do, it just gives me one more reason to plan another trip to Paris!

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Lanvin: Part Deux

No trip to Paris would be complete without a trip to Lanvin. We are lucky in New York that Barneys and Kirna Zabete carry some pieces of clothing and jewelry but that's nothing like having entire store full of nothing but Lanvin! It was heaven!

Lanvin is known for their creative window displays and we were treated to the new autumn displays that feature mischievous black cats. They happen to correspond to the new print ads and also harken back to the old advertisements for My Sin perfume that also featured a black cat.

This window with the cat sticking out of the handbag was my favorite!

The September 2009 issue of British Vogue just ran an interview with the designer of Lanvin Elber Albaz. In it he states that "the people I chose to run the store are nice. I cannot work with bitches." I can attest that the salespeople couldn't have been nicer or more welcoming and not just to the celebrities. Photographer Gilles Bensimon and girlfriend Diana Picasso (daughter of Picasso!) in the store when were shopping.

I wish I could have taken photos of the interior but I didn't want to push my luck so you have to settle for just the store windows!

Everyone keeps asking me what I bought in Paris so here you go. Before I even left, I knew that I wanted to treat myself to something special and definitely something that I couldn't get in New York. I saw a pretty bracelet in Roger Vivier but the exchange rate made it much too expensive. Lucky for me, we stopped at Lanvin right after where I did find myself a little something.

This Lanvin Happy Sac couldn't be better named because it makes me happy every time I see it and it was definitely something I would have bought myself in a heartbeat but it too was much too expensive to even consider. Although, I did see it in Barneys and might have to make it mine at some point. It's so me!

Instead, I settled on a set of bracelets. They are in a taupe/blush color that perfectly compliment my Phillip Lim necklace. I wore them out to a few fashion parties when I returned and they were a big hit. Even Stefan fell in love with the men's store across the street as did my friend's husband when they were in Paris this summer so it's not just for the ladies! I wish Lanvin would open a store in New York but until they do, it just gives me one more reason to plan another trip to Paris!

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Jeanne Lanvin's Apartment in Paris

One of my favorite things from Paris was viewing the reconstructed apartment of fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs. It consists of her boudoir, chambre de coucher and salle de bain that were designed for her by Armand Albert Rateau for her apartment at 16, rue Barbet-de-Jouy in Paris in . It's a little hard to see because it's protected by glass walls but it's beauty and wonderful details are worth making the trip. The blue of the bedroom is known as Lanvin Blue and is said to have been inspired by the blue sky in a Fra Angelico fresco seen by Jeanne Lanvin. Just another example of how art, fashion and interior design all converge to great effect!

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Jeanne Lanvin's Apartment in Paris

One of my favorite things from Paris was viewing the reconstructed apartment of fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs. It consists of her boudoir, chambre de coucher and salle de bain that were designed for her by Armand Albert Rateau for her apartment at 16, rue Barbet-de-Jouy in Paris in . It's a little hard to see because it's protected by glass walls but it's beauty and wonderful details are worth making the trip. The blue of the bedroom is known as Lanvin Blue and is said to have been inspired by the blue sky in a Fra Angelico fresco seen by Jeanne Lanvin. Just another example of how art, fashion and interior design all converge to great effect!

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Fernando Bengoechea's Photography Lives On

Last week, I was surprised to receive a message from Marcelo Bengoechea, the brother of the late photographer Fernado Bengoechea who was swept away by the tsunami of 2004. He is reviving his brother's art of weaving his photographs and is now offering them for sale for the first time since Fernando's death. I remember tearing out a page from a magazine many years ago that highlighted this unusual art form and thinking it was the most amazing and beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was a pleasure to hear more about the process from Marcelo and know that Fernando's photography will live on.

HC: Can you tell me how you decided to start this project?

MB: The revival is something totally new. I just could not let Fernando’s art share his tragic fate. He’s dead. I have no choice than to accept that. What I refuse is to accept the death of his beautiful work so I took it as a personal mission to revive it. As a designer myself, laid off a couple of months ago after 10 years as the Creative Director for the surf brand Reef, I realized that it is the perfect time to do something like this. I had been thinking about it for a couple of years and after a good conversation with Nate Berkus I just had to do it. The reception has been so positive that it keeps me motivated to continue the project. It is still too early to say if it is going to succeed or not (financially speaking) , but to tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter, it is a success to family and friends already.

HC: Do you feel that there is a sense of therapy to the work that you are doing?

MB: For sure there is some kind of therapy in the weaving process, but mostly I feel honored, loved and a sense of continuing our friendship and good times after his death. We had the kind of relationship where just by looking at each other we knew what we were thinking and most of the time those instances were during mischief or adventures. I know a lot of the stories behind the images and that brings me closer to them and to him. His death was my first close up experience with loosing somebody important in life and I do not think I’ll ever get over it. Weaving definitely helps.

HC: Do you do all the weaving yourself?

MB: At this point I am doing limited editions, hand weaving each one of them. I watched my brother weave those images and thought he was somehow insane, now I feel his energy pass through my hands as I weave and think this is crazy. Crazy in a good way, a proud way. Vivre.com just started offering them last week and it is the only place to find them for now other than through myself. One of this days I will have a new website and make them available there as well. I am following Fernando’s original concepts, including the framing style of his latest works (the Karma Trees series that was shown at Ralph Pucci Gallery), framing them in rich Peruvian Walnut and “floating” them the same way he did. I am even using a knitting needle as a weaving tool that once belonged to our grandma and he used to weave the smaller pieces. I am also adding my touch (please see Cabeza de Vaca I and II concept) to evolve and add some design as well.

"It is a collaboration between brothers. It just happens that one of them is dead. We were able to work together in several shoots for Reef that he shot and I directed and it is great to continue our team work this way. Since the beginning of our professional careers that was a goal of ours and I am proud to say that it is still going on." - Marcelo Bengoechea

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Fernando Bengoechea's Photography Lives On

Last week, I was surprised to receive a message from Marcelo Bengoechea, the brother of the late photographer Fernado Bengoechea who was swept away by the tsunami of 2004. He is reviving his brother's art of weaving his photographs and is now offering them for sale for the first time since Fernando's death. I remember tearing out a page from a magazine many years ago that highlighted this unusual art form and thinking it was the most amazing and beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was a pleasure to hear more about the process from Marcelo and know that Fernando's photography will live on.

HC: Can you tell me how you decided to start this project?

MB: The revival is something totally new. I just could not let Fernando’s art share his tragic fate. He’s dead. I have no choice than to accept that. What I refuse is to accept the death of his beautiful work so I took it as a personal mission to revive it. As a designer myself, laid off a couple of months ago after 10 years as the Creative Director for the surf brand Reef, I realized that it is the perfect time to do something like this. I had been thinking about it for a couple of years and after a good conversation with Nate Berkus I just had to do it. The reception has been so positive that it keeps me motivated to continue the project. It is still too early to say if it is going to succeed or not (financially speaking) , but to tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter, it is a success to family and friends already.

HC: Do you feel that there is a sense of therapy to the work that you are doing?

MB: For sure there is some kind of therapy in the weaving process, but mostly I feel honored, loved and a sense of continuing our friendship and good times after his death. We had the kind of relationship where just by looking at each other we knew what we were thinking and most of the time those instances were during mischief or adventures. I know a lot of the stories behind the images and that brings me closer to them and to him. His death was my first close up experience with loosing somebody important in life and I do not think I’ll ever get over it. Weaving definitely helps.

HC: Do you do all the weaving yourself?

MB: At this point I am doing limited editions, hand weaving each one of them. I watched my brother weave those images and thought he was somehow insane, now I feel his energy pass through my hands as I weave and think this is crazy. Crazy in a good way, a proud way. Vivre.com just started offering them last week and it is the only place to find them for now other than through myself. One of this days I will have a new website and make them available there as well. I am following Fernando’s original concepts, including the framing style of his latest works (the Karma Trees series that was shown at Ralph Pucci Gallery), framing them in rich Peruvian Walnut and “floating” them the same way he did. I am even using a knitting needle as a weaving tool that once belonged to our grandma and he used to weave the smaller pieces. I am also adding my touch (please see Cabeza de Vaca I and II concept) to evolve and add some design as well.

"It is a collaboration between brothers. It just happens that one of them is dead. We were able to work together in several shoots for Reef that he shot and I directed and it is great to continue our team work this way. Since the beginning of our professional careers that was a goal of ours and I am proud to say that it is still going on." - Marcelo Bengoechea

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The Evolution of Design Panel

There are so many exciting design events coming up at the D&D Building next week for Fall Market including one that involves me! I was very honored to be asked by The Editor at Large to take part in the October 7th 9:00am Keynote panel discussion, Evolution of Design, along with Michael Bruno of 1stdibs, and interior designers and bloggers, Jonathan Adler, James Andrew and Brad Ford. I hope all my friends and readers will come out for what I know will be a fun and lively morning! Definitely check out the schedule for other wonderful showroom events and book signings too! All events are open to the public not just the trade!

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The Evolution of Design Panel

There are so many exciting design events coming up at the D&D Building next week for Fall Market including one that involves me! I was very honored to be asked by The Editor at Large to take part in the October 7th 9:00am Keynote panel discussion, Evolution of Design, along with Michael Bruno of 1stdibs, and interior designers and bloggers, Jonathan Adler, James Andrew and Brad Ford. I hope all my friends and readers will come out for what I know will be a fun and lively morning! Definitely check out the schedule for other wonderful showroom events and book signings too! All events are open to the public not just the trade!

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Inspiring London Interior

Since I returned from Paris, I've been busy and so I just realized that I haven't posted any interiors. I been focusing on a lot of other things that I have going on right now but decided to go back through my files where I found one of my all time favorite inspiring interiors. I was going to say that the London flat was designed by interior designer Alex Papachristidis but after I looked again at the article from the November 2006 issue of Elle Decor where it appeared, I was reminded that it was really a collaborative effort between Papachristidis and the owner, Fruzsina Keehn, a fabulous jewelry designer. The result is that great mix of styles, periods and pieces that is right up my alley. I especially love the modern 1960's Italian round table surrounded by 18th-century Swedish side chairs that sits under a 19th-century Venetian chandelier in the entry. It's full of interesting details that make it look more collected not decorated...my favorite type of design. Enjoy!

Photos by Simon Upton

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