-
Q&A with famed designer Jacques Grange
December 2014Right after Jacques Grange was awarded the Trophé Des Arts award by FIAF, I sat down with the world-renowned talent, who designed such splendid interiors for the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, decorated the Château Gabriel, in Benerville-sur-Mer, in the style of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. Those projects are supremely impressive, but Jacques Grange’s list of stellar clients doesn’t end there. French actress Isabelle Adjani, Princess Caroline of Monaco, Alain Ducasse, François Pinault, Robert Agostinelli, Valentino, and Karl Lagerfeld are also among his long list of clients. In the US, the designer provided the decoration of Paloma Picasso’s jewelry shop, and The legendary Mark Hotel on Madison Avenue, to name a few.
Renowned interior designer, Jacques Grange. Photo by The Selby. My first encounter with Jacques Grange began while I was working for famed photographer, and antique dealer, Roger Prigent. And so it was only natural that we began our conversation at his hotel suite in The Mark Hotel, reminiscing about our late friend, and the people surrounding him during the last years of his life. Mr. Grange noted how Mr. Prigent had a premonition that his career will blossom in the US, and deemed Mr. Prigent as “Top Hat”.High End Weekly™: Looking back at your long and illustrious career as an interior designer, what does it mean to you to be awarded the Trophé Des Art?Jacques Grange: Receiving an award can feel somehow abstract. However, being on the stage, and seeing my friends and colleagues brought a lot of warmth to the moment. As you know, during the evening, there was a video in which the actress Catherine Deneuve spoke about our friendship, and my career … That instant really touched me. Feeling the love of so many people who I hold dear made the difference, that love ultimately made the moment unforgettable. It was not so much about the trophy and its significance, but it was more about the people’s acknowledgement.High End Weekly™: In an international scale, you have inspired a whole school of interior designers, taste makers, and creatives. What do you say to new designers who are entering the industry. In your opinion, how should they present their ideas to clients?
The Mark Hotel Jacques Grange: The interior designer should learn how to seduce the client by presenting fresh and creative ideas to the table. He or she must discover their own style. First of all, you have to Learn, Learn, Learn. Start your own vocabulary, and make it grow overtime. After that, you must become very honest with yourself, and above all, know who you are. The interior designer need to see design as a business, reinforce their design skils by building into them. It’s not easy, but it must be done that way. Also, the designer needs to ask himself some deep and personal questions, such as: Do I like design? How do I perceive it?Building a design career is not just about having talents. Many people have talents, but the designer need to go further than that. The role of the designer is to imput psychology into their work, as well as showing respect to the clients. You need to convince them of your ideas, as well as to carefully listen to theirs. If you know who you are, you will have a successful career.High End Weekly™: Your interiors are often described as eclectic, with an effortless elegance feel to them. Yet they are all carefully edited, constructed for fine living – in the most comfortable, and beautiful fashion. And so when you approach a project, what do you look for first?Jacques Grange: Space and light. As well as analyzing carefully the way my clients live. The stories of their life are translated into the projects. As I mentioned previously, a designer need to consider and respect their clients’ lives. It is that simple.
A bathroom at The Mark Hotel, designed by Jacques Grange 
Guest bathroom at The Mark Hotel High End Weekly™: I know that you like working with artisans in your projects. Here at The Mark Hotel, which you were commissioned to designed back in 2008, you tapped a number of artists, including Ron Arad, Eric Schmitt, Paul Mathieu, and others. Since you are constantly in demand and traveling the world, do you often look for new talents?Jacques Grange: Yes, absolutely. I’m always curious about new talents. And I love visiting all the great museums around the world, namely the ones in Chicago, and New York. I’m often looking at who the museums are introducing to the public, because normally, their taste level is high-end. When it comes to art, I like to see the quality of the art in these institutions, because when I visit the antique dealers in their galleries, I get to compare the quality. This is a fine reference for designing well, it is important for an interior designer to consider it.
Lobby of The Mark Hotel, designed by Jacques Grange High End Weekly™: During your travels, what do you look for in hotels when it comes to luxury?Jacques Grange: The sound of silence in the bedroom. [Pause, and smiles]. Light and harmony. Comfort in every details. For example, the bathrooms at The Mark Hotel are simply marvelous. The details are what I look for because they are very important. A hotel should feel like a home away from home.
Ron Arad lighting at The Mark Hotel “Renovating The Mark Hotel was so exciting, but it had its challenges. The lobby is small for a hotel, and so when I designed the floors, I wanted to keep the public’s attention right there. The whole idea of the black and white striped floors was to keep people’s attention away from the ceiling, which is in fact, quite low.” Jacques Grange
Sightseeing in New York: “Un Velo” at The Mark Hotel This concludes Part I of II of our tête-à-tête with Jacques Grange at The Mark Hotel -
Leading Actors Couple Up at the NYU Tisch Gala 2015
Morgan Macgregor, Michael C Hall The NYU Tisch School of the Arts annual gala honoring Michael C. Hall, Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman, with a special tribute to Mel Silverman, took place this past Monday, at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. The evening was hosted by Anna Deavere Smith and featured special presenters Peter Krause, Tyne Daly and Winnie Holzman. The gala performance, directed by Bill Castellino, celebrated the incredible accomplishments of Tisch students, both past and present. Proceeds from the gala supported the education of talented young artists from around the world. Tisch Big Apple Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Arts went to Steven Lutvak ’83 and Robert L. Freedman ’83. The evening concluded with the Tisch Big Apple Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Performing Arts to actor Michael C. Hall, Class of ’96.
Dean Allyson Green, Ewan McGregor 
Michael C. Hall, Dean Allyson Green 
Lauren Graham, Peter Krause 
Robert Freedman, Allyson Green, Steven Lutvak 
Ewan McGregor poses alongside his wife Eve Mavrakis on the red carpet while attending the 2015 NYU Tisch School Of The Arts Gala held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall 
Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause -
A New Way To Look at Photography
Cut Apple and Gingham Dress, Self Portrait Highlights of the 35th annual AIPAD Photography Show New York included several collections of contemporary, modern, and 19th-century photographs, as well as photo-based art, video, and new media. Cig Harvey‘s Cut Apple and Gingham Dress, Self Portrait (above) was certainly one of the photographs that brought social media to his heads, and created an incredible amount of renewed interest and admiration for the British artist. The fine art photography show was held at the Park Avenue Armory from April 16-19. Presented by The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), the show is the longest-running and foremost exhibition of fine art photography.
Steve McCurry, Fleeting Moments Of Beauty Frame By Frame 
Adam Katseff, River XI; River XII 
A series of prints on 19th Century Vintage Cabinet Card, 2014 
Earlie Hudnall, Jr., Mother with Sons, 1973 
-
Who Wore The Chicest Hats to The Derby?
Everyone’s a winner when it comes to receiving the best hat award at The Kentucky Derby right? We certainly think so, but with so many great choices to choose from, it soon becomes necessary to lay out the clear favorites. This year, a first on this blog, I’ve gathered more than a dozen hats from the celebrated horse race in honor of all the women (and men) who make the game worth playing for.
All images via USA TODAY
-
The Triumph of The Wine Culture
Former French Prime minister and Mayor of Bordeaux Alain Juppé Last Thursday evening, the former French Prime minister and Mayor of Bordeaux Alain Juppé, and former Maitre of the Commanderie de Bordeaux in New York and Managing Director of Epstein Becker & Green, PC, George Sape, officially launched “The American Friends of the Cité des civilisations du vin” during an international wine tasting extravaganza at the United Nations Delegates Dining Room in New York. As a result, the best wines from more than 50 countries, from Lebanon to Mexico, from Australia to Jordania, and of course from several French regions, was available during an “around the world” wine tasting and food pairing. Created in the heart of France’s famous wine region Bordeaux, the Cité des civilisations du vin aims to share the ancient culture of wine with an international public, to light the way, to contribute to protecting and passing down this intangible universal heritage.
“This is the first fund-raising effort for the American Friends of the Cité des civilisations du vin (AFCCV). “We plan to raise one million dollars to fund the naming of ‘The Thomas Jefferson Auditorium’ at the Cité, which will be symbolic of the unique history of close relations between France and U.S.” George Sape
The Cité des civilisations du vin, is expected to open to the public in 2016. “[This landmark] cries out for creativity and futuristic thinking not just the presence of wine,” Sape explains. “This magnificent new landmark that will house a new world center for wine is destined to become an international focus on wine and its role in our lives, past, present, and future. Not a museum, but a living and evolving center of all that wine has and will embody in our lives!”
Fun Facts: Did you know that while Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Father and future President of the United States, was the U.S. Ambassador to France (1785-1789), he discovered the wines of Bordeaux, and later introduced them to the United States? He later grew vines and produced wine on his beloved property in Monticello, Virginia.
Sylvie Cazes and Elisabeth Wilmers 
Julien Farel, Kiera Chaplin, SuelynFarel 
Stephanie Labeille and Alain Juppé 
Benedicte de Montlaur, Olivia Flatto and Alain Juppé 
Philippe Delouvrier, Carole Holmes Delouvrier, Marie-Monique Steckel 
Julien & Suelyn Farel and Kiera Chaplin 
-
Sotheby’s Kicks Off The Showhouse Seas
Dining Room by Russell Piccione Design with Russell Piccione This weekend is your last chance to visit the second annual Designer Showhouse at Sotheby’s. The much-anticipated showhouse opened to the public this past Saturday, and is scheduled to close on Sunday, April 20. Transforming the fifth floor exhibition space of Sotheby’s Manhattan headquarters into a home, thirteen interior designers and design firms curated a room, culminating in a dedicated auction on Monday, April 20, 2015. Each space, ranging from a bedroom and living room, to a dining room and library evoke the designer’s unique aesthetic, from classical to contemporary. Designers have selected nearly 300 items from an array of categories offered by Sotheby’s with estimates ranging from a few thousand to $250,000 – English & Continental Furniture, 20th Century Design, Contemporary and Impressionist Prints, African and European Sculpture, Carpets, Old Master Paintings, Latin American Paintings, Ceramics and Silver – all of which will be available for purchase by design and art enthusiasts alike during the 20 April auction.
Congratulations to all the participating designers!
Library by Capital C. Interiors with Juan Carretero 
Library by Capital C. Interiors with Juan Carretero 
Dining Room by Russell Piccione Design with Russell Piccione 
Dining Room by Russell Piccione Design with Russell Piccione 
Kitchen by St. Charles of New York and Gaggenau, Curated by Lindsey Schwartz 
Garden by Hanna Packer and Susan Cohen 
Sun Room by Meredith Ellis Design 
Master Bedroom by Trey LaFave Architecture and Interiors with Trey LaFave -
Hooked on Art
Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Fish Stories and the new acquisitions embody Crystal Bridges‘ mission to unite the power of art with the beauty of nature. “Game Fishes of the United States, one of the largest and most spectacular of American sporting books, was printed in 1879 -1880 at the zenith of late 19th-century American chromolithography. The work, which is included in the Crystal Bridges Library collection, features 20 color plates based on the original watercolor paintings by well-known sporting artist Samuel Kilbourne, with text written by ichthyologist George Brown Goode, head of the fish research programs of the US Fish Commission and the Smithsonian.”
“The collection in Fish Stories ranks among the most admired 19th-century color lithography and helps tell the story of American printmaking.” said Catherine Petersen, Crystal Bridges Library Director. “The exhibition provides a unique opportunity for art lovers, anglers, and families to explore distinctly American fish in their natural surroundings, many of which can be found in nearby rivers and lakes.”
The color plates capture a number of distinctly American fish in their natural surroundings, including the striped bass, sheepshead, bluefish, weakfish, red snapper, pompano, and brook trout. Each fish’s shimmering colors and delicate scales are amazingly vivid. This collection elegantly conveys the drama of sport fishing and highlights the exploration and celebration of nature in American art—one of the major themes in Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection.
Photo credit: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Library, Bentonville, Arkansas. Photography by Heugh-Edmondson Conservation Services, LLC.
-
Castelfalfi: Italy’s Best Kept Secret
I’ve long been interested in the restoration and preservation of the Castello di Castelfalfi. This charming Italian chateau forms part of a long series of operations to which the village of the same name has been subjected over the centuries, without ever undermining the fascination of this estate sitting between the provinces of Pisa and Florence.
Built around 700 A.D. by Faolfi from Lombardy, hence the origins of its name, the village changed hands several times over the years until finally becoming the property of Giovanni di Francesco Gaetani, husband of Costanza de’ Medici, who restructured it in 1475 and transformed it from a defensive medieval fortress into a stately residence for entertaining and official functions. If you love Italy’s old chateaus, and picturesque landspaces, you will not be disappointed during your visit to Castelfani. And even though the vicissitudes of history changed the village and its destination, the surrounding countryside maintained its natural features.
The village of Castelfalfi, set on an estate of just on 1,100 hectares, spreads over a hilly area with woodlands forming part of the Torrente Carfalo Natural Reserve.
The Castle overlooks a panorama with unmistakable Tuscan features that can be enjoyed in all its calming beauty from both the viewpoint terrace – soon to house the outdoor tables of the restaurant – and the rooftop terrace on the southern side.
-
Rediscovering Monet in New York
Le Palais Ducal 1908 Sotheby’s May evening sale of impressionist and modern art in New York will offer an outstanding group of six paintings by Claude Monet, spanning the 1870s through the 1910s and including many of his most celebrated subjects: water lilies, Venice, a snowscape, the Seine and the Normandy coast. According to the auction house, these works are emerging after significant time spent in their respective private collections, including a prime example of the artist’s iconic Nymphéas (‘Water Lilies’) series that was acquired by its present owner in 1955 (estimate $30–45 million*), and a Venice scene restituted to the son of legendary collector Jakob Goldschmidt in 1960 that is on offer from the collection of his grandson, the late Anthony Goldschmidt (estimate $15–20 million).
In total, the six Monet paintings are estimated to achieve in excess of $78 million. Each of the works will be on view in London from April 10 – 14, before returning to New York for exhibition on May 1st. Sotheby’s will hold the Evening Sale of Impressionist & Modern Art in New York in May 5, 2015.
Nymphéas 1905 
Bassin aux nymphéas, les rosiers 1913 “As new generations and new markets rediscover the master, the supply of strong examples remaining in private hands is shrinking fast.” Simon Shaw, Sotheby’s
Le Chemin d’Epinay, effet de neige 1875 
La Seine à Vétheuil 1901 
Au Val Saint-Nicolas près Dieppe, matin 1897 Images courtesy Sotheby’s
-
Asia Week NY 2015
High End Weekly’s first YouTube video is here! Well, it is actually a movie trailer. Wait a minute, does that mean there’s more in the works here? You just have to wait and see, yes? In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this little “work of art”. VSP
Video image description: A large cast iron relief panel of Kui Xing, Ming Dynasty, 16th – 17th Century, J. J. Lally & Co., Oriental Art.
