DAZZLING DESIGN by Amanda Nisbet - Book Signing

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Sponsored by ELLE DECOR Magazine, The Duravit showroom was the venue on November 15th, when New Yorker Amanda Nisbet celebrated the publication and had the book signing of Dazzling Design.

In it, she brings a fresh approach to traditional luxury in interior decor. Color, texture, and form blend to create her trademark of comfortable elegance, combining function and style, classicism and modernism, in beautifully unexpected ways. With over 250 spectacular photographs of New York City apartments, country houses, and Hamptons beach homes, Dazzling Design shows readers how to bring punch and color to classic rooms. Nisbet’s broad knowledge, with its roots in her art historical studies in Italy and years at Christie’s auction house, is evident on every page. This gorgeously illustrated volume is a must read for those who enjoy luxurious decoration that’s eclectic, elegant, and warmly welcoming.

 

GRAPHIC DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE: A 20th-CENTURY HISTORY Presentation and Book Signing

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Richard Poulin, author

On February 13th at Flexform NYC, Richard Poulin, Founder of Poulin + Morris, Design Consultants, and author of the new book Graphic Design + Architecture: A 20th-Century History, had a panel presentation and book signing that turned out to be very popular. To say that the place was packed to the rafters may be a slight overstatement, but one thing for sure, I got there fifteen minutes into the event, and already the place was standing room only, with more and more people pouring in after me.

Couture Fashion Week Fall/2013: PEARL NAIDOO

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

For the Fall/2013 season, Couture Fashion Week presented Pearl Naidoo, a South African native who broke into the Fashion Industry in October of 2009, designing what she liked most; Fashion Accessories, specially beautiful pieces of jewelry.

At the age of 18 Pearl took her opportunity to leave her home in South Africa to live in America, always pushing forward in the Fashion Industry.

Eventually, Pearl met Celebrity Designer and Stylist Kythe Brewster. Brewster noticed Pearl's talent, and knew that she could excel in the fashion industry, offering Pearl her first job in the Fashion industry as his head assistant. Her first project was with Celebrity Tony Cohen, and she went on to work with other entertainers and high fashion models including Lucy Liu, Beyonce, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" Cynthia Bailey, JoJo, Raye 6, Danny Rodriquez agency, and more.

VOICES OF GOTHAM Fund Raiser

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Jay Gurewitsch

On February 4th, Voices of Gotham, the New York men's chorus group, was the beneficiary of Arcadia Spa & Home’s First Mondays Fundraiser.

Happening the first Monday of each month, First Mondays are free afterwork socials that benefit grassroots, local and NYC based charities. Over the evening, 10% of the evening’s sales and 100% of raffle proceeds are donated to the featured cause—part of Arcadia’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility.

Housing Works, Broadway Cares, Angel on a Leash, Trinity Place Shelter, GMHC and the PTAs for both Lab School and PS11 have benefited from First Mondays and shared almost $3,000 raised since May.

“Our First Mondays events benefit local charities that have real and positive impacts on our community,” says owner Jay Gurewitsch. “We want to foster those relationships and encourage connections between our customers and these causes.”

Couture Fashion Week Fall/2013: OLIVIA TARPEY

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Olivia Tarpey, one of London’s brightest emerging talents, presented her womenswear collection for the first time at Couture Fashion Week, at the New Yorker Hotel Grand Ballroom.

Olivia has made her name as a designer of individual, elegant designs displaying her rare gift for embellishment and embroidery. Intricate beading, hand made fabric flowers and hand painted designs, adorn a kaleidoscope of bright, beautiful garments in natural fabrics in Olivia’s newest, Haute Couture collection.

Fashion WeekFall/Winter 2013: ERIN BARR

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Erin Barr, a Wisconsin native, began her career in fashion as a hair and make-up artist. Although working at top salons, and working on editorial shoots, Barr yearned to design a more complete vision. She moved to London to study fashion design at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design. After a year, Barr returned to the States to complete her studies at Parson’s New School for Design, which she followed up with an internship at Alexander Wang, and a design assistant position at Cushnie Et Ochs. The Spring 2012 season found Barr debuting her own eponymous collection, titled “An American Tomboy in Paris”.

To see the previous article on Erin's Spring/ 2013 collection, click here

Couture Fashion Week Fall/2013: MARISOL HENRIQUEZ

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Prominent Dominican designer Marisol Henriquez presented her latest collection of hand made creations titled "Fall Magic," at Couture Fashion Week. The runway show was held in the Grand Ballroom of the New Yorker Hotel, in the city's Fashion District.

Couture Fashion Week Fall/2013: RUBY JOHNSON

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Ruby Johnson is the custom couture designer for Ruby Ellen Designs (R.E.D. Haute Couture) in Calgary, Canada. Ruby is quite the ‘afashionado’ when it comes to conceptualizing a woman’s dream dress. She Works closely with each client, providing an intimate and interactive setting, involving the client in the complete fashion experience.

Couture Fashion Week Fall/2013: KATYA SOL

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Rising design star Katya Zol premiered her latest collection at the three day event by Couture Fashion Week. The fashion show was held on February 15 at the New Yorker Hotel, in the heart of the city's Fashion District.

The Katya Zol brand represents the young generation of Mongolian modern and elite designers. Ms. Zol's designs are primarily made for the young professional, the trend setting forward thinker, who makes quality choices with the latest in fashion. Her designs are focused on unique long lasting style and appeal.

LUIS ALVES: Collage Art Exhibit

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

On February 7th at Something in Mind Boutique and Art Gallery, Luis Alves celebrated Fashion Week with with an exhibition of his art by introducing his new collage Series “SPECIAL K”, in which he explores his fascination with supermodel Kate Moss.

His work uses juxtaposed images to comment on the deep and delicate role the media plays in shaping the complexity of life and consciousness. Each collage is hand-manipulated with the goals of being pleasing to the eye as well as socially engaging.

Luis holds a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts from the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, 1988 

Publicist Julia with boutique owner Meilan and artist Luis Alves

Couture Fashion Week Fall/2013: AMAL SARIEDDINE

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Award-winning Amal Sarieddine is a young Lebanese fashion designer following in the footsteps of her mother, acclaimed designer Nawal Sarieddine, who established her own prominent design house some forty years ago. After earning her degree in fashion and interior design from the Lebanese American University, Amal launched her own collection in Beirut in 2004, home to such fashion icons as Elie Saab, Georges Chakra and Georges Hobeika. Amal's designs were immediately applauded and sought out by the cream of Middle Eastern society including many celebrities and the royal families of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Her clientele also includes prominent socialites and celebrities from Europe and the United States.

Couture Fashion Week Fall/2013: ALPHADI

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Alphadi is a notable Nigerian fashion designer often known as the "Magician of the Desert". He is Touareg on both his parents sides. Alphadi was born inTimbuktu, Mali, but moved to his parents native Niger at a young age.

Alphadi studied at Cardon Savard Studios in Paris, started his label in 1984, and his first haute couture line was released in 1985 at the Paris International Tourism Tradeshow. His line has since extended into sportswear and perfume. The Alphadi line, which has 'Complexe Alphadi' boutiques in Niamey, Ivory Coast and Paris, has won the 1998 Prince Claus Awards as well as numerous others. In 1998, he created the first FIMA, the International Festival of African Fashion which was located in Niger.

Alphadi maintains production facilities in Niamey and Morocco, and splits his time between homes in Niamey and Paris.

FENG SHUI for a Better Lifestyle

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Starting September 25th through November 27th, Benjamin Huntington ASID, FSIA, CID of Veritate Design, embarked on a series of presentations geared to professionals in the Interior Design industries about the art and philosophy of Feng Shui, which took place at the GE Monogram Design Center.

SCOOTER LaFORGE Art Exhibit

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Scooter LaForge with Munch

On October 26th at the Munch Gallery, Scooter LaForge had his one man show. His popularity and reputation, greatly enhanced by his hand painted T-shirts and other fashion accessories, which are carried by the Patricia Field Boutique are such, there was as much of a crowd out on the sidewalk as there was inside the gallery.

Even though I was having loads of fun, It was kind of difficult for me to get good photos of his art on the walls, with such a large crowd blocking the view. To see more of his art, click on his name link above and also on his portfolio page at the Munch Gallery web site.

CARL HANSEN & SONS Showcases New Acquisitions

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Carl's Grandson Erik Knud Hansen

On January 25th, at the showroom in Tribeca, Knud Erik Hansen, CEO and third generation of family-run, global company Carl Hansen & Son, introduced classic furniture designs of Kaare Klint, Mogens Koch, and Ole Wanscher to an American audience. With these pieces, Carl Hansen & Son, the world’s largest manufacturer of Hans J. Wegner designs, expands its offerings of Danish masters.

Although long known in Denmark and throughout Europe, Ole Wanscher’s Egyptian and Colonial Chairs, Mogens Koch’s Folding Chair and Kaare Klint’s Safari Chair have had little exposure in the US except to avid enthusiasts through direct sales, auction houses and antiques dealers. As of now, as Knud Erik Hansen explained, these designs which Carl Hansen & Son has recently acquired the license to produce, mark the beginning of an expansion into a wider offering of classic Danish designs to complement their Hans J. Wegner oeuvre.

Happy Birthday PATRICIA FIELD!

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

What is "Star Quality?"

As the paparazzo I was for many years, I can tell you Star Quality is the ability to be your unselfconscious self in front of the cameras and still photograph like a million bucks.

Birthday girl Patricia Field has it by the truckload, the reason why I decided to make this article about her birthday—wouldn't you know it, one of the biggest names in Fashion would have her birthday on February 10th, right smack in the middle of Fashion Week—mostly as a portrait album.

I am only sorry it had to happen during Fashion Week, what with me running around like a headless chicken all over the city and could only stay very briefly at the going ons taking place at TOY, a rather cool hangout inside the Gansevoort Hotel by the HiLine park.

Designers Collective Fall 2013: NICCI HOU

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Nicci Hou (Nicole Houston) embodies the true meaning of high fashion. Through a mixture of classic silhouettes and romantic detailing, she introduces the beauty and art of haute couture. As a teenager, she studied patterns and refined her style techniques by creating original designs local dance teams. She went on to graduate, in 2009, from Alabama A&M University with a degree in Apparel Merchandising and Design. Two years before graduating, she launched the Nicci Hou Collection. Nicci Hou is a luxury brand geared towards the elite woman. Her designs are creative with a mixture of feminism, romanticism and modernity. Each collection allows her to showcase her interpretation of Fashion Art. Her designs have been featured in several publications, fashion shows, and adorn on countless celebrity clientele.

To see the previous article of her Spring/Summer 2013 collection, click here.

TATTY DEVINE comes to Patricia Field Boutique

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

On February 2nd, British jewelry designers Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine, the creative brains behind Tatty Devine were at hand in NYC to present their beautiful collection along with their new book release How To Make Jewelry, and what better place than Patricia Field boutique, which will be carrying their wearable art pieces made from laser cut lucite and assembled by hand, which can be custom designed when ordered.