Kips Bay
- Art, Design, Galleries, Kips Bay, Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, Life and Style, Parties, The Weekender
Out On The Town: This Month’s Hottest Events
Clockwise: David Patrick Columbia and Vyna St. Phard (Doyle New York), Felicia Zwebner, Bryant Keller, Jennifer Duneier (Irene Mamiye Gallery), Thom Filicia (Mandarin Hotel), Solstiss Lace showroom, Nicky Haslam and Vyna St. Phard (Baroncelli), Irene Mamiyeand Stephen Dweck (Irene Mamiye Gallery).Kips Bay President’s DinnerOne week ago at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the annual Kips Bay President’s Dinner raised over $500,000 for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. It was a great evening that gathered New York’s influencers and design elite including Dennis Basso, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, Tony Ingrao, Randy Kemper, Vicente Wolf, Thom Filica, Bunny Williams, Margaret Russell, Mario Buatta, Richard and Marcia Mishaan, Jim Lebenthal, and James Huniford, among many others. The Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club choir also treated guests to two performances throughout the evening, the first was ’96,000’ from the Broadway hit In The Heights, the second was ‘The Prayer’, originally performed by Andrea Bocelli.
James Druckman, Tony Ingrao, Margaret Russell, Randy Kemper, Richard Mishaan, Jennifer Steinbrenner, Bunny Williams, Jamie Drake, Daniel Quintero
Tony Ingrao, Margaret Russell, Randy Kemper
Richard Mishaan, Margaret Russell
Thom Filicia
Bunny Williams
Richard Mishaan, Marcia Mishaan
Mario Buatta, Patricia Sovern
Susan Henshaw Jones, James Lebanthal
Jennifer Steinbrenner, Daniel Quitero
Michael Bruno, Lizzy Fraser, Mario Buatta
Kips Bay Boys & GirlsPhoto courtesy Patrick McMullanIrene Mamiye Soho Gallery OpeningNew York-based artist Irene Mamiye opens a gallery space at 89 Spring Street in Soho to showcase her fine art photography, furniture from the Chroma Collection, design and video. Mamiye is best known for incorporating various digital imaging techniques into her fine art photography. Inspired by light, color and movement, her work explores the intricate relationship between her complex personal history, the camera’s unique relation to reality, and the visionary possibilities of digital imaging. Mamiye’s work has been exhibited in prestigious national venues, including: Phillips De Pury & Company, Sotheby’s, Art Basel/Miami, HW Gallery in Naples, Hamburg Kennedy NY and East Hampton, 212 Gallery in Aspen, and Cheryl Hazan Gallery NY.
Irene Mamiye
Irene Mamiye Gallery in Soho
Irene Mamiye and Stephen Dweck
Felicia Zwebner and Charles Mamiye
Bryant Keller and Suzanne Eason
Alberto Villalobos and Mercedes Desio
Dana and Jennifer Duneier
Felicia Zwebner, Bryant Keller, Jennifer Duneier
Randall Tarasuk and Charles Pavarini III
Jack Lynch and Steven Stolman
Michael Gabriel and Eric Hilton
Elyse Mamiye
Nina Reeves and Beth Mitchell
Alyson Mamiye, Lisa Mitchell and Nicole Cohen
Photos courtesy Norbert Schramm - Audrey Hepburn, Celebrities, Decorative Arts, Eileen Gray, Fernand Léger, Fine Arts, Furniture, HEW Hotels, Interior Design, Joan Collins, John Lyle, Kips Bay, Kitchens, Mick De Giulio, Richard Avedon
High End Weekly’s Year on Art, Design, and Fashion
Audrey HepburnAudrey Hepburn tops our Number 10 List this year as the most popular post. No surprise there. She was the face of grace and elegance, and everything stylish. And eventhough she exited the world’s stage in 1993, she remains an inspiration and role model for millions of women all over the world.
Other memorable stories were my Q&A with furniture designer John Lyle, my series on the awesome works of Fernand Léger, The Kips Bay Decoration Showhouse, and more.
Higher Grounds: Twiggy with Richard AvedonWhat strikes me the most about Twiggy is that she has remained strong and confident throughout her career, and her popularity hasn’t waned as seasons passed. This is quite a feat considering that most models and actors usually do not experience this outcome.No. 3
A pretty pair of pink wing chairs from Leah Antiques, as well as painting of Joan Collins from the early 1960’s take center stage in this exceedingly lively room.No wonder Joan Collins chose John Lyle to design her New York City apartment, as she got ready to sell it through Core Real Estate. He is so intuitive, plus it doesn’t hurt to have a marvelous eye for great design.No. 4
Fernand LégerFernand Léger’s work in the 1920s made his international reputation. They combined that certain quality of surrealism and the strong characteristic of the plain forms which he came to be known for.No. 5
Eileen Gray Transat ChairAs an architect, Eileen Gray designed and furnished herself a new home, Tempe à Pailla, outside Menton, France. That building is an icon of Modernist architecture, and the design was an awesome example of form meets function.No. 6
Composition, 1940 – 1942, oil on canvas – Fernand LégerImage via 1artclubWith all the glory that later came as being a blue chip artist, Fernand Léger’s career spaned from early investigations of painting as a means of capturing modern sensations in abstract and near abstract dynamic compositions to heroic images of common life.No. 7
Furniture trends tend to follow not just changing tastes, but changing needs as the ways in which we live our lives alter over time.No. 8
Custom made red Zig Zag table stands as a tribute to the late designer Albert HadleyRaji Radhakrishman’s Le Bureau PrivéThe Curator’s OfficeNo. 9
Metal Boy CabinetMost Americans would agree that the kitchen is one of the most important room in a house, and should be treated as such. And de Giulio is happy to prove that point by providing them with some of the most inspiring kitchens to “live with”.No. 10
Christian Deydier, Corice Arman, Xavier SamsonA global group of esteemed guests both from the US and France, gathered at the French Consulate in March 2012 to celebrate the official announcement of the Biennale des Antiquaires which took place on September 14 through the 23rd. -
Kips Bay Designer Show House – Part 3 of 3
When I inquired about his selection, David explained how one cannot separate an interior from fine arts, that the art itself makes the interior. How true. His fine art collections have long been about gorgeous backdrops for fine furniture, as well as contemporary arts which are generally colorful. No wonder his clients continue to be absorbed in the art that he curates for them! While speaking to him, I also noticed his latest book: David Scott: Outside The Box. David explained how each chapter in the book is presented in these linen boxes which are distillation of the mood and concept which he likes to create.Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club40th Annual Decorator Show House 2012
David Scott in his Gentleman’s StudyThere is a rapture that comes from within when you are surrounded by beautiful objects, especially objects that are from the natural world of these two designers – David Scott, and Charles Pavarini III. I’ve long been an admire of David Scott’s work, and in fact, he was among the first ones I interviewed when I started blogging. At this year’s Kips Bay Show house, his Gentleman’s Study included all the things that I’ve come to love in a well appointed room: a painting by Larry Zox, which provided an open airy feeling in a smaller space, sculptured bronze etagere from Paul Evans, and custom omnibus chaise lounge from Vladimir Kagan. Let’s not forget the layered textures in the form of cashmere, silk, mohair, leather, wood, wicker, wrapped aluminum, alabaster, all essential elements for the ultimate luxurious room. His choice of fine arts was also extraordinary.
Charles Pavarini IIIBlack, White, and Red All OverEach box leads into a story – his projects which are usually filled with art collections, textiles, hard surfaces, are inspired by nature. David Scott’s room was handsome, incredibly elegant, and so very much outside the box.
Top: Charles Pavarini next to his custom bed and mirror by Jordan Ltd., Plaster Butterflies by Nina Helms.Clockwise: Paul Frankly ebonized walnut dresser from Craig Van Den Brulle,Art glass pottery by Maria Grazia Rosin from Maison Gerard. Imported lighting by OLED North American Philips Lighting. Charlotte” Bronze & Crystal Sculpture by Dawn Haviland Boutique.Photos courtesy High End Weekly™All rights reservedThis room was as forward thinking as Charles Pavarini III other notable interiors. He flew in several engineers from Germany to installed the OLED lighting system at the entrance of his super lacquered black, white and red room. Charles designed a glamorous bedroom with a crisp European flair that came with allot of personality. I liked the fact that he used the sculptured butterflies in the mirror as a symbol of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls. Yes, all the beauty of each and every room shouldn’t distract from the fact that they are designed to benefit a notable charity. Did you know that Jennifer Lopez was part of the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club when she was just “Jenny from the block”? All the glamor of Kips Bay stands to benefits the children of tomorrow, and I applaud Charles Pavarini III for bringing the importance of the children, and at the same time, designing a modern, and elegant bedroom that is fit for the modern day man and woman. If you haven’t made it to Kips Bay yet, this long weekend is the perfect time to do so, as you bask in the beauty of Charles’ room and all of the other outstanding designers who worked on a show house that I saw as one of the most breathtaking, and memorable decorator’s show houses in the states. -
Kips Bay Designer Show House – Part 2 of 3
A Chacun Son StyleGo beyond the hedge into the château, up the stairs and into the private suite where you’ll find a sumptuous original interior that is very much intact despite the passing of time of its subject matter. As an inspiration for this year’s Kips Bay Show house, Charlotte Moss have chosen three French châteaus from Dordogne and the Loire Valley that are well known for their extravagant beauty and notable gardens.Behind the hedge…
Charlotte Moss, Trompe L’Oeil in the Digital Age
Photos courtesy High End Weekly™
Being a lifelong gardener, and tireless traveller, I guess it was just a matter of time until Charlotte Moss shared her fascination with these great places by commissioning trompe l’oeil artist Osmundo Echevarria, and incorporating her own digital reproduced images in order to transport her spectators into a magical place where the interiors and gardens are as ornate as Château de Hautefort, Château de Losse and Prieuré d’Orsan. In the living room painted walls illustrate the celebrated gardens of Château de Hautefort, a place that I vividly remembered as a young adult. Vibrant patterns are incorporated in her fabric choice, for both the living room furnishings, and bathroom. The leather border runner is installed with grommets, a technique employed by Paul Chareau at Maison de Verre in Paris. Every details from this constructed paradise is exactly what one has come to expect from a designer who is clearly on top of her game. -
Kips Bay Designer Show House – Part 1 of 3
40th Annual Decorator Show House 2012
The Aldyn ResidencesWhile many will concentrate on the well deserved Albert Hadley tribute which those three design masters pulled together with a vitality that is so rarely seen in a room, I found it hard to take my eyes off from the gorilla in the room – Le Courbusier’ tapestry which adroitly anchored the room.Brian J. McCarthy Inc., Bunny Williams Inc. and David Kleinberg Design Associates
Living Room tribute to Albert HadleyThis tapestry is rarer than one thinks since Le Corbusier designed a total of fifty tapestries of which thirty eight are in France and twelve in Chandigarh. This one most likely made its way to the US by means of some public auction.
Catherine WalsiferRaji Radhakrishman’s Le Bureau PrivéThe Curator’s Office
Raji Radhakrishnan
Custom made red Zig Zag table stands as a tribute to the late designer Albert HadleyRaji Radhakrishnan is the type of designer that draws her clients in by using her charm, openness, skills, and genuine love for art and design. Being a museum hopper as well, I strongly identified with her subject matter – The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This home office for The Met’s Head Curator stems from Raji’s love for art and how she envisioned the various pieces that a Met curator would want to surround his or herself with. And what are they? Ancient and modern art, classical and contemporary architecture, fashion and the performing arts. She carefully chose furnishings dating back from the Secessionist, Art Deco and Modernist periods to the present day contemporary ones. I absolutely LOVED the Jules Leleu chairs from Maison Gerard.Susan Zises Green, Inc. ASIDThe Living Room: Soothing Surroundings Inspired by the Flow of The Hudson
If only my current projects called for this enormous sunburst mirror which drew me into the room even more… This showstopper is a reflection of the bright, lightness of the room, and it is simply glorious.
Available through Susan Zises Green at 212-710-5388.
Susan Zises Green’s room overlooked the peaceful flow of the Hudson River, and her color scheme is as soothing as nature itself. She envisioned this room as a grand living space for a newly married couple – and the furniture that you see are the combined efforts of two hearts which now beat as one. “Storage lockers opened and trucks were dispatched to collect the bounty within.” Unlike what we sometimes experience with large spaces, the soaring ceiling compliment instead of overwhelm the carefully selected furniture, textile choices and art pieces. Susan’s room is adjacent to Patrik Lönn’s dinning room, and the harmony between them ought to be explored and absorbed.Jamie DrakeThe Library
Jamie Drake in front of an Andy Harper painting from Danese Gallery
Jamie Drake loves Print!When I first met Jamie Drake a week before the decorator house was opened to the public, I was delighted to witness the enthusiasm that he showed for his latest project, his passion for books which he sees as a lost art, but holds ever so dear. I’m in total accord with these ideas. With all the modern gadgets at our disposals, thumbing through a good book is my choice and preference.
The idea behind this library was to create a sophisticated retreat for the book lover, and philosopher as they surround themselves with lacquered spruce green millwork that is contemporary, yet with a retro feel. These custom chairs are über chic and inviting. Along with the custom sofa they were inspired by a Maison Jansen design from the 1940s. The trims on the chairs, and the textile choices for the pillows are immaculate and compliment the lacquered wall to an exact science.
The Kips Bay Boys & GirlsPhotography by Monica Rich KosannLaura Bohn Design AssociatesKidz Rule
About one or two years ago, Laura Bohn designed a room for the Showtime House in which she displayed her interpretation of the hit show, Nurse Jackie. The representation was as real and believable as this children room that brought a flutter to my heart and big smile to my face. When you do visit, make sure you get to feel the white textured walls as you enter the room. The entire space is just too cool for school.Thom Filicia Inc.The Gallery
Thom Filicia Home Collection purple haze area rug for Safavieh
Did you notice the sketches on the right? They’re Albert Hadley sketches courtesy of Bunny WilliamsJames Rixner Interior DesignThe Family Room & Kitchen
James Rixner
No one can argue that there wasn’t enough green in the house this year, but that color choice did not saturate the interiors. Thank goodness for that! In James Rixner’s family room, I saw some of the accessories that I’ve come to appreciate over years, the metamorphosis floor lamp from Niedermaier, as well their Peter Ambrose sculpture and pedestal. Velvety soft pillow fabrics from Schumacher felt good to the touch, and the simple, yet elegant flowers looked incredibly well in their surroundings.Robert Schwartz and Karen Williams for St Charles
“Too Hot To Handle” Hot Design in a Cool Space
The kitchen was designed by award winning designers Karen Williams and Robert Schwartz
The Murano glass light fixture overlooking this vast kitchen stood out like no ones business. And that was a good thing. The latest effort from the designing duo, Karen Williams and Robert Schwartz was not what I would call an inviting kitchen, even though it had all the “right fittings”. Recognized brands like the flamberge rotisserie from La Cornue, faucets from Frantini USA, counter tops from New England Stone were overshadowed by the fabulous 1940s Murano glass tulip fixture which was a sight to behold.Chuck Fisher Studio, Inc.The Writing Room
Being that I am not a true fan of trompe l’oeil, I was surprised how well I took to it this time around – both in this room, and Charlotte Moss’ master bedroom suite (which I’ll discuss in part 2 of my Kips Bay coverage). Chuck Fisher used some clever brush strokes to illustrate a fantastical world filled with endearment and warmth.Patrik Lönn Design Inc.A Room For Supper
Patrik Lönn and friendWith much European flair and soft music in the background, Patrik created a sophisticated, yet casual room which evoked a strong feeling of romance and celebrated friendship. I loved the rich and exquisite materials that he used, like the grass cloth wallpaper, the textured rug, the silk taffeta window treatments, the soft linen that were chosen for the table, the stunning flower arrangement from my favorite florist, L’Olivier, and of course, the carefully curated art work. The modern feel of this dinning room exemplified what a romantic setting should look like – intimate and joyful.Shawn Henderson Interior DesignA Sensual Playroom
Pieces like the Mercury Daybed, the Carbon Stools, and the luxe swing from the Amalgam Collection, made up a relaxing, yet reinvigorating space.
Shawn Henderson next to a Mario Dal Fabbro sculpture from Maison Gerard
This room is as warm and approachable as the designer himself. The rich textures found throughout the interiors of Shawn Henderson’s project were supple, and quite stunning in appearance. As soon as I saw the swing by the window, I wanted to get whisk away to a world without care, and only concern myself with beauty and environmental responsibilities. Throughout his design career, Shawn has been known to respect the environment in every sense of the word by using craftsmen whose work is true to their art forms, working with sustainable materials, and using vintage furnishings and products that are honestly produced and well-made.Lynne Scalo DesignAfter the Party
Lynne ScaloThe collaboration between Lynne Scalo and photographer Norman Seeff payed off well with these two iconic figures, Andy Warhol and Steve Jobs. It’s no secret that Andy Warhol was all business, and turned his art towards commercialism in a big way. While the quintessential businessman Steve Jobs courted a generation of computer nerds with detailed art form in every piece of technology that Apple ever came out with.
Vintage Blenko glass designs from www.vmglasshouse.com
Brian Del Toro IncStudy
What a jeweled box! That is how I saw this study with its hard edge, avant garde mirror, hand-painted walls, glistering table lamps, and glamorous fabrics to die for. At first glance, the parchment chairs (pictured above) looked uncomfortable, but turned out to be two of the most functional chairs in the house.
Brian Del Toro
Patricia Grever QuackenbushMark Hampton LLCBedroom
Alexa Hampton
Wow x 3. This bedroom, designed by Alexa Hampton, was extremely impressive. Most of the rooms in Kips Bay this year had lacquered walls since the designers wanted to bring on the glamor with full force’s credibility. I liked the sentimental approach that she took by incorporating some of the most minute details. True, a bedroom is the most intimate place in a house, and this well designed hideaway lived up to the hype.Scott SandersThe Cabana
Scott Sander’s Cabana was too precious for words. I wanted to wrap it up and take it home with me. The designer’s personality is just as fun, and easy going. A couple of years back, he did a Family Room for the Hamptons Show house, and I had the same feelings then that I do right now. At least Scott stays consistent, eventhough his design skills keeps on growing every time.Neil Beckstedt StudioThe Conservatory
Neil Beckstedt’s room faced the pool on the 20th floor (the house has two floors, with a pool in each balcony), and at certain times throughout the day, you could see the waves of the water reflecting on the walls. That image creates a sense of calmness which the overall room seem to emanate so well. For me, this was a Time Out sort of room, when you need to decompress from the difficulties of a crazy day.
Neil BeckstedtAlexander Doherty DesignA Collector’s Bedroom
Alexander DohertyFine arts and decorative arts adorned the walls and floors of this Collector’s Bedroom. There was so many bedrooms this year in the house, that if one had a choice as to where to sleep for the night, I imagine it would be a hard decision. The art work displayed in Alexander Doherty’s room were strong, and dominated the space. A bit intimidating, I thought. But collectors like to surround themselves with art that best describe their personalities.OPENING PARTY
Members of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club
Left: Thom Felicia and friends
Color painting with Benjamin Moore
Katherine Scully from Luxe Magazine, and Susan Zises Green
The staff of House BeautifulPhotos courtesy High End Weekly™All rights reservedUPDATEDThe 40th Annual Decorator Show House opened this past Wednesday, and will run until June 14th. This is an absolutely MUST SEE show house with flawless decor and complete harmony. This post is the 1st of 3 posts on Kips Bay, so get ready for part two which will discuss the works of these three designers: Charlotte Moss, David Scott, and Charles Pavarini III. The Show House hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 11-5 p.m., Tuesday & Thursday 11-8 p.m., and Sunday 12-5 p.m. Additional information on the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and the Decorator Show House is available at www.kipsbay.org and 212-755-5733. A daily complimentary shuttle service will be available between the Park Avenue Armory (Park & 66th Street) to the Decorator Show house, every hour on the hour starting at 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM.Cheers!THE KIPS BAY LECTURE SERIESKips Bay Boys & Girls Club and Hearst Design Group will have a series of lecture titled “The Best Of” to be hosted by Sotheby’s and run concurrent with the dates of the 40th Decorator Show House, May 16 through June 14, 2012. Named for the caliber of speaker and subject of their individual choosing, the series will feature influential interior designers Miles Redd and Bunny Williams, gardening expert P. Allen Smith, Winterthur Museum’s Tom Savage, designer Hutton Wilkinson and Verdura CEO Ward Landrigan. Additional lectures will be announced shortly along with details of the exclusive wine tasting event with Eli Rodriquez on May 31, 2012.The $75 ticket per lecture (or $150 for a package of three) will include an on-site lunch or cocktail reception, depending on the hour, as well as entry and a shuttle service to the Show House, located at The Aldyn on Riverside Boulevard between 62nd and 63rd Street.- Monday, May 21st at 11 a.m.—Hutton Wilkinson presents “Tony Duquette, More is More”: At eighteen, Hutton Wilkinson began an apprenticeship under the great American design icon, Tony Duquette, and continued to work and collaborate on a myriad of projects with him over the next twenty-five years. In 1994, Wilkinson and Duquette officially became business partners and a few years later, launched a collection of one-of-a-kind, fine jewelry for Bergdorf Goodman, adored by the public, fashion press and used by Tom Ford, Gucci, Oscar de la Renta, and more. Since the passing of Mr. Duquette in 1999, Wilkinson as owner, creative director and president of Tony Duquette Inc. has continued to design and market his unique fine jewelry pieces as well as a collection of home furnishings, textiles, custom lighting products and hand made carpets and tapestries for other brands as well as tabletop accessories and interior decorations as “Tony Duquette” and Tony Duquette Inc. Hutton’s book “Tony Duquette” which he co-authored with Wendy Goodman, chronicles the great designer’s life and oeuvre (Abrams, 2007); “More Is More, Tony Duquette” (Abrams, 2009) is the companion volume. During the lecture, Wilkinson will bring the audience through this visual tale of Tony Duquette’s personal design philosophy and the artistic credo that inspired him to create his fanciful artwork, sculptures, jewelry, gardens and interiors.
- Tuesday, May 22nd at 11 a.m.—Bunny Williams presents “Making the Home Come to Life”: Bunny Williams is a designer with a modern vision, a sense of history and the confidence to take the unexpected path. Both a trailblazer and a tastemaker, Williams’ style is classic but never predictable. Currently, Bunny Williams has a thriving design practice, Bunny Williams Inc. formed in 1988, and a widely acclaimed home furnishings collection, BeeLine Home, launched in 2008. With her husband, antiques dealer John Rosselli, Williams owns Treillage Ltd., two unique decorative home and garden shops in New York. She is the author of On Garden Style, Affair with a House, Bunny Williams’ Point of View and currently in her fourth book, “Scrapbook for Living” published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang in November 2010, Williams’ offers inspiring tips for organizing and personalizing a home. “No matter how beautiful a home, be it large or small, the real magic happens when the door opens and one is welcomed into a home with soft lighting, delicious scents, offerings of drinks and food, sitting groups arranged for easy conversation. With planning and organization this becomes effortless.”
- Wednesday, May 30th at 11 a.m.—P. Allen Smith presents “Natural Elegance at Moss Mountain Farm”: The award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert P. Allen Smith will share how his life and travels inspire his work. He is the host of two public television programs, P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, P. Allen Smith’s Garden to Table and the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens and is the author of the best-selling Garden Home series of books published by Clarkson Potter/Random House, including Bringing the Garden Indoors: Container, Crafts and Bouquets for Every Room and the recently published cookbook, P. Allen Smith’s Seasonal Recipes from the Garden.
- Wednesday, May 30th at 6 p.m.—Iris Apfel and Dara Caponigro present “A Conversation About Style and Design”: VERANDA Editor-in-Chief Dara Caponigro will ask Iris Apfel about her lasting impact on style in the worlds of interior design and fashion, from her founding of iconic fabric house Old World Weavers to her status as one of today’s most recognizable fashion icons.
- Thursday, May 31st at 11 a.m.—Ward Landrigan presents “Verdura and Women of Style”: Celebrated jewelry expert, historian and Verdura Chairman, CEO and Co-Owner Ward Landrigan will focus on the life and career of 20th century jeweler Duke Fulco di Verdura and the style and glamour of the iconic women who made his jewelry famous. The archive of almost ten thousand designs Fulco left behind tells the intriguing story of these legendary style-makers…a story of love, humor, and style. Mr. Landrigan’s own interest in jewelry began in high school when he interned for a local jeweler and continued with his studies at the Courtauld Institute of Fine Arts in London and the Gemological Institute of America. He started his career at Sotheby’s auction house where, by age 24, was head of the jewelry department. Landrigan first heard Verdura’s name when he did an appraisal for Lily Pons in Texas in 1965 and was immediately drawn to the innate style and artistry of a particular piece: a shooting star set with pavé diamonds. When Mr. Landrigan left Sotheby’s in 1973 to form his own estate jewelry business, he bought and sold pieces from many of the world’s great jewelry designers. Nevertheless, Verdura remained his favorite.
- Thursday, May 31st at 6 p.m.—Wine Tasting with Eli Rodriguez: Space is limited! Eli is originally from Long Island and became interested in wine while studying at Cornell University. He learned the wine business, first at Best Cellars, then as a sommelier at Restaurant Daniel, working for one of the greatest chefs and most professional restaurateurs, Daniel Boulud, before joining Sotheby’s as an auction specialist in 2006. He was appointed as the Manager of Retail Sales when Sotheby’s launched their new, full service, retail wine business, Sotheby’s Wine, in September 2010.
- Friday, June 1st at 11 a.m.—Miles Redd presents “Fashion and Inspiration in Interior Design”: The internationally acclaimed interior design sensation, known for his quirky brand of cozy glamour will speak to his unique aesthetic vision characterized by a mélange of high and low, invigorated with whimsical splashes of color and modern gestures. Drawing on inspirations ranging from Richard Avedon fashion photographs to Rene Gruau illustrations, Redd has crafted interiors for a wide array of venues. His trademark approach to design has brought to life rooms infused with boldness, fantasy, and sophistication. Miles Redd embarked on his interior design career after graduating from NYU, honing his skills with luminary antiques dealer John Rosselli and decorator Bunny Williams. In 1998 he opened his own design firm in New York City’s NoHo neighborhood.
- Tuesday, June 5th at 11 a.m.—Tom Savage presents “Addicted to Old Houses: Iconic Rooms and Influential Interiors”: Winterthur’s director of museum affairs will lead a lively tour of historic interiors at home and abroad that have influenced and shaped his career. The Winterthur Museum is the former Delaware home of Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), the avid antiques collector and horticulturist. Today, Savage oversees the collections, exhibitions, public programs and marketing and communications departments. From November 1998 until August 2005, he served as Senior Vice President and Director of Sotheby’s Institute of Art for North and South America where he directed The Sotheby’s American Arts Course, an intensive nine-month professional training program in American fine and decorative arts of the seventeenth century to the present. He was also responsible for public programming, lecture series and travel programs for Sotheby’s.
Underwritten by Hearst Design Group, proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club offering innovative programs to more than 12,000 young people between the ages of 6 and 18 at ten locations throughout the Bronx. The Club is one of the most prominent and responsive youth development agencies in New York City and a “flagship” of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Over the course of four decades, the Show House has raised more than $17 Million and grown into a “must destination” for thousands of design enthusiasts as it is recognized for launching interior design trends throughout the world. Tickets available by calling 212-755-5733.
