HEW Hotels
-
8 Best New Hotels in New York City
NoMad New York City, New York indoor Living room ceiling interior design furniture café living room restaurant Lobby window interior designer area wood.
THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON www.jetsetter.com.
WRITTEN BY SIOBHAN REID
8 Best New Hotels in New York City
The hottest new hotels in NYC offer everything from nightclubs to celeb chef restaurants and private art collections. Read on to find which ones we’re checking into this summer.
Photos courtesy of MADEMADE
In September, the NoMad district will see yet another hotel opening with the debut of MADE, the first hotel project by hospitality entrepreneur Sam Gelin. LA-based design studio MAI is behind the earthy-meets-modern interiors—all hand-carved benches, polished stainless steel surfaces, exposed bronze light fixtures, and hand-woven fabrics. And the bold look extends to the 108 guestrooms, which have concrete and wood surfaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and bathrooms with hand-painted wall tiles and carved stone sinks. A lobby bar pours espresso drinks during the day and cocktails at night, and there’s also a restaurant and rooftop slated to open early fall.
The James New York – NoMadNoMad’s culinary scene will only get hotter when The James New York-NoMad officially opens this fall, inside a historic Beaux-Arts building on Madison and 29th Street. The luxury 344-room hotel will be the site of award-winning restaurant Scarpetta—which is known for inventive, seasonally-driven fare and unmatched service— along with a soon-to-be-announced cocktail bar concept. Upstairs, guestrooms feel like urban sanctuaries, thanks to expansive glass windows, contemporary art by local artists, spacious bathrooms, and thoughtful details like yoga mats and in-room pantry filled with local snacks.
-
The World’s Best-Designed Hotels
The Beekman | New York City This story originally appeared in Tablet MagazineThe Power of Interior Design, Part 1
Hotels aren’t as simple as they used to be. No longer just places to sleep, the best have evolved into works of art — performance spaces that allow guests to star in their own sort of theatrical production. And nothing sets this scene like the exceptional interior design, where every inch is carefully considered and each element works toward a theme that offers a thorough departure from the outside world. It’s a chance to try on a whole different life, and in this series we’ll examine hotels that provide the greatest escape.
PART 1: THE PAST OR THE FUTURE?
Historical DramaWe start with the period pieces. Some designers are aces at turning back the clock and infusing their creations with the atmosphere of days gone by. These six hotels take you back to an idealized version of hospitality history, but with a present-day energy that ensures things don’t get stale.
The Beekman | New York City
Soprarno Suites | Florence, Italy
G-Rough | Rome, Italy
When you enter The Beekman, you enter a different time and place. This is an 1881-vintage skyscraper from the days when a skyscraper meant nine stories of terraced red brick and a towering central atrium. It’s a sort of Wes Anderson version of prewar Manhattan, full of historical resonance but viewed through a contemporary lens.
The weight of history is similarly lightened at Soprarno Suites in Florence, too — the hoteliers stocked a 16th-century villa with contemporary designer furniture and modern art — and at Rome’s G-Rough, a 17th-century villa with just a slight patina of decay, freshened up with design-museum-quality furniture from the Thirties, Forties and Fifties.
Maison Soquet | Paris, France
The Battery | San Francisco, California
No less devoted to its history is the decadent Maison Soquet in Paris. The Pigalle district’s “pleasure houses” were more or less exactly what they sound like, and this one, even after a makeover by Jacques Garcia, leans all the way in to the overt sexiness of its concept. It’s not hard to imagine the aristocratic debauchery that once took place here.
Though it’s not strictly a reconstruction of something historical, The Battery, in San Francisco, indulges in another somewhat nostalgic concept: the member’s club. Except this private hangout only requires you book a room to gain admission. And you’ll definitely want to — the vibe is dark, moody, and bohemian, with a sense of slightly old-fashioned decorum.
Dunton Hot Springs | Dolores, Colorado
From here you’re guaranteed to be transported to the Old West. A one-time prospector’s camp, Dunton Hot Springs is a bit more upscale in its new incarnation — though it’s still possible to get some serious ghost-town vibes as you stroll from cabin to cabin, immersing yourself in the intensely cozy interiors.
Modernist StagecraftAround the middle of the last century, design took on an added significance; no longer just ornament, it was an expression of the possibility of a better future. Now modernist design feels like something from an alternate universe — and these six hotels give you the chance to live there.
The Maritime | New York City
Villa La Coste | Provence, France
Though the seafaring vibe is an obvious overtone at The Maritime Hotel, it’s perhaps more reminiscent of the slightly utopian era of mid-20th-century modernism, when the new forms were replacing the old and it felt as though just about anything might be possible.
You’ll find a similar excitement at Villa La Coste, though it’s produced via very different means — if living on the grounds of a 17th-century Provençal farmhouse weren’t fantasy enough, you’ll find yourself surrounded by modernist furnishings and contemporary architecture by the likes of Frank Gehry, Oscar Niemeyer, and Tadao Ando.
Il Sereno | Lake Como, Italy
Katamama | Seminyak, Bali
Rising up on the shores of Lake Como, where stately old villas are the luxury norm, Il Sereno sets itself apart with striking interiors by the Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola, and features a mix of minimalist chic and futuristic whimsy.
Also playing against type is Katamama, in Bali, a beach hotel built almost entirely by local artisans, whose traditional craftsmanship sets the stage for a lovely collection of historically significant modernist furniture.
Downtown Mexico | Mexico City
South Congress Hotel | Austin, Texas
Sometimes a place comes with so much history of its own, the best thing for a designer to do is to strike a contrasting note. The ancient stone walls at Downtown Mexico contrast as starkly as possible with its ultra-minimalist décor and furnishings, and in the space between those two extremes, something deeply memorable is created.
Meanwhile, the South Congress Hotel in Austin puts forth a version of Texas that’s almost futuristic, but no less warm or organic for it — a place where modernist design and architectural minimalism combine to reveal a more cosmopolitan version of life in the Lone Star State.
-
The Must-Have of The Week
1. Peter Muller-Munk; Normandie pitcher 
2. Roi Fou Mat at Avenue Road 
The Milan Weave Grainy Leather Cesca Tote at Lulu Guinness 
Richard Schulman, Portraits of the New Architecture 2, Assouline 
Georges Pelletier, Glazed ceramic fish sculpture, signed, Circa 1970, France. 
Ocean agate table on patinated steel base, Curator’s Eye 
Antonio Pineda Modernist coffee set c. 1959-60 1. Silver to Steel: The Modern Designs of Peter Muller-Munk (www.cmoa.org). 2. Roi Fou Mat at Avenue Road , www.avenueroad.com. 3. Milan Weave Grainy Leather Cesca Tote at www.luluguinness.com. 4. Richard Schulman, Portraits of the New Architecture at www.assouline.com. 5. Georges Pelletier, Glazed ceramic fish sculpture, signed, Circa 1970, France, www.hartergalerie.fr. 6. Ocean agate table on patinated steel base, www.curatorseye.com. 7. Antonio Pieneda Modernist coffee set at www.historicaldesign.com.
-
Didier Ludot, The Style Harbinger
Vaughanb 1973 
Yamamoto 2006 
Alaïa – Summer 1992 Evening outfit in black cotton satin and white broderie anglaise Provenance: Bettina 
Pierre Balmain – Winter 1953 Black velvet cocktail dress embroidered with chiffon roses by the Lesage Company 
YSL Jump 2001 
Paco Rabanne Dany 1969 
Balenciaga, Oeillets, 1960 
Chanel 1960 
Chanel 1960 
Chanel Romy Schneider 1963 
Dior Louvecienne 1957 
Sothebys Paris Sale 
Mugler 1978 
Balenciaga – 1965 Evening dress in point d’esprit tulle by Brivet, entirely covered with appliqué pink feathers by Albert 
YSL 1969 On 8 July, www.sothebys.com’s Paris, in association with Kerry Taylor Auctions, will stage its first auction of Haute Couture, which gathers together 150 items from the private collection of Didier Ludot.
Didier Ludot, France’s greatest “fashion antiquarian”, surely needs no introduction: his legendary Palais-Royal gallery is a must for any fashion-lover visiting Paris. Specialising and dealing in vintage fashion for more than forty years, he has carefully selected and set aside many of the most important pieces he has handled for his own personal collection.With designs by Paul Poiret, Yohji Yamamoto, Madame Grès, Christian Dior, Cristobal Balenciaga, Azzedine Alaïa, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, John Galliano and Comme des Garçons, Didier Ludot’s collection provides a comprehensive overview of 20th-century fashion. The 150 items in the sale are a vibrant tribute to French haute couture and the time-honoured expertise of its craftspeople, including tailors, embroiders, leatherworkers, feather merchants and lace makers. Each piece was carefully chosen by Monsieur Ludot for its technical skill, its beauty, the trademark style of the couturier who created it, or the elegance of the woman who wore it. It is to these women, famous and anonymous alike, whom Didier Ludot owes his vocation. This sale unveils their wardrobes and personal style: Chanel’s sequinned “little black dress” owned by Romy Schneider; the Duchess of Windsor’s psychedelic 60s dress; Loulou de la Falaise’s Yves Saint Laurent hat; Mona Bismarck’s Balenciaga cape; the sculptural dresses Alaïa created for Bettina; the impeccable Dior jacket designed for Josette Day; Barbara Hutton’s Cartier jewel box – and so the list goes on. These elegant women of past and present are an endless inspiration for our fantasies.
-
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
-
Q&A with Fashion Designer Claire Ortiz
With a background in fashion, that evolved into the active realm over the last few years, designer and co-founder of Ortiz Industry, Clair Ortiz admits that good design philosophy, color theory, fitness, social and cultural demographics and trends, as well as dynamic aesthetics are key to every product that she design. “The biggest differences in fashion versus active is in functionality, end use, and audience.” We caught up with Claire and her business partner, Heather Park, at the Ducati showroom in Soho during their time in New York to talk about her brand, her design philosophy and her design goals for the future.
High End Weely: The Ducati brand is well-known for its distinctive Italian style, as well as its power, performance and sensuality. A
fter designing a number of activewears, including a variety of lines for Serena Williams and Roger Federer, what kind of challenge did your latest project present?Claire Ortiz: There are always sensuality, sex appeal, visual beauty, form and fluidity in my work. After all, apparel is an about emotion, visual appeal, and personal expression. After more than 25 years in the business – jumping from fashion to sport, and back again – I found I love both worlds and am inspired by each differently. I have an extremely sound technical background, and am an innovation junkie, while remaining rooted in hands-on craftsmanship. This fact, coupled with my love of visual language, color and style make this collaboration with Ducati quite effortless, and incredibly inspiring. Ducati has always been a brand that I have held in the highest regard.
With Ducati, there have been no challenges at all. There are organic synergies between our brands. Early in my career, I began to study and love Ducati’s design language, philosophy, history and innovation platform. My visit to Ducati in Bologne as a young designer is still one of my most inspiring trips. I have always been more inspired by design in art, architecture, motor sports, automobiles, etc. The world of design is so vast, there is so much to look at and learn from. I’ve always loved the intrinsic power of these beautiful machines, and the company’s masterful attention to detail is something that I also believe in wholeheartedly. Like Ducati, we believe in finally bringing innovation to the forefront, and never settling for “good enough.” They, like us, are very clear about who they are and what they represent. We have a very disciplined approach to design – it must be designed to perfection with hands-on craftsmanship and advanced innovation for pure performance, be useful, not decorative. Every component is carefully considered, adding value as a force multiplier to its user, uncompromisingly strong, confident, and highly functional. I know that Ducati’s philosophy is very much in the same realm as ours at Ortiz Industry. Thus, this was very much a natural fit.
HEW: Do you own a motorcycle?
Claire Ortiz: No – not yet. Many friends and ex’s have. Thus, I have had the pleasure to be a backseat rider. As a kid, I was quite the maverick – riding dirt bikes, scooters, skateboards, skates, etc. And getting a motorcycle was always top priority. I thought I would grow bigger though. Oh well. Getting a Ducati has always been on my list of things to-do. As a Ducati fan, my dream would be to get a custom Daivel, or Monster, which would fit my smallish frame. If Kat Williams has a motorcycle, I’m pretty sure I can handle one. No problem.
Motorcyclists have a pretty well rounded life overall…the uniform isn’t just padded leathers. Ortiz Industry only adds to the ability to ride without limiting you based on your destination.
HEW: Motorcyclists generally have a fixed mindset when it comes to their clothing. How did you plan to win them over with your new fashion line?
Claire Ortiz: Designing for any sport or category and introducing a whole new look generally gets a question like this. I have no intention of changing any mindset. This isn’t about me, or our team, or our philosophy. Motorcyclists will change on their own. They tell us what they want and need. There is a different barrier we must break and it is usually not the end-user who is reluctant to change. More often than not, it is the industry, or business. My business partner, Heather Park, and I have worked together for more than 15 years. In that time, we’ve come up against many challenges with introducing a new concept within a group. At Brand Jordan, where we met in 2000, we set out to change the “uniform” of basketball, and to drive a premium luxury apparel concept that was befitting of Michael himself. Our first collection concept was called “urban country club.” At the time, we were told we were crazy and that the basketball community would not get the sophistication of the modern prep look of the collection. That collection catapulted Brand Jordan to the forefront of basketball culture. The consumer – the ball players got it immediately. It represented the élite sophistication and powerful performance of the brand. With MJ’s blessing and the retail community questioning, we transcended basketball apparel based on what we knew for fact was what the kids who played really wanted.
High End Weekly: In meeting with the safety laws of motorcycle clothing, did this in anyway restrict your artistic talents?
Claire Ortiz: The collection was not designed as a protective outer layer. The collection is a base layer. All of our products are ergonomically engineered with full range of motion in mind. We create products that are restriction-less. Thus, the end-user can do as he/she wishes in it. Our clothing is fully ergonomically designed, so that on its own or underneath protective layers, the wearer is unrestricted. Our “master-sculpt” and “heroine chic” design philosophy is based on biodynamic motion – limitless in range – and focused on response and recoverability, breathability and, just like the body, intuitive. This allows for anyone to wear products with full range of motion. If the outer protective layers are as motion dynamic as our apparel, the wearer is golden!
When we met with Ducati SoHo team, we immediately spoke the same language. There was a need, they confirmed this need, and we came ready to provide it. There is also a change in the air when it comes to motor sports in all areas – the “gentleman” is on the comeback. We love the return of James Bond classic styling, with badass Matrix futurism, and full-on ninja warrior on a mission. There is a superhero in all of us.
High End Weekly: Can you share with our readers any of your future projects or collaborations?
Claire Ortiz: We have a massive R&D strategy for the next two to three years. We will go far beyond the current collection in terms of function and style. Our projects include e-wearables in the form of organic institute structure and design (no wires, traditional batteries, etc.), solar energy, communication via our wearables to a multitude of devices and end use, biodegradable materials and bio-ceramics/minerals as part of a sustainable functional future initiative, second skin, robotics, infrared energy, safety/protective, and so much more.
Our partners include some of the industry’s best, both inside and outside of apparel. We have collaborative efforts in place with DuPont in several areas of business as well as branding and apparel partnerships with UberRush (the NYC Uber bike messengers), and more in the works with global brands that are currently confidential, but will launch to market in 2015 and 2016.
-
Courtside Fashion
High Tea and Tennis, what more could you ask for?In honor of the US Open which starts today in Flushing, Queens, I’ve decided to revealed my continuous admiration for a sport which is so dear to me, and is in fact, part of my everyday life. In tennis, love means nothing, but I absolutely love these fun art and fashion photographs!
Photos via David Roserberg Photography
Photo via This Is KC
Above photos via Tennis Fashion Ads
Ludwig Hohlwein, Kaffee Hag from Swann Galleries
Above photos via Etsy Blog, and Ivy Style
Photo via Cole Haan
Photo via Tumblr
Photo via Pearls and Caramel
Photo via Jes Lacase Heart
Photo via Fashion Over Reason -
Men About Town
World renowned artist Wendell Castle looking dapper chic, as usual, during a recentVIP opening at Christie’s“A man should look as if he had brought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them.” Hardy Amies
A Roy Litchtenstein painting at MOMA
John Varvatos Madison Avenue Showroom during Watch Week
Reed Krakoff, New York fashion designer and former executive creative director of Coach, Inc.
Club Monaco
What does your watch says about you? A master watchmaker showing off the good at the John Varvatos flagship store during Madison Avenue Watch Week
F.P. Journe
A Pablo Picasso photograph during the Photography show at thePark Avenue Armory earlier this spring
Hublot
Guys, orange you glad it’s Kartell… and Laufen?
The King’s Choice: Richard Mille‘s spectacular timepiece for the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal
Hublot
The Place Vendome timepiece by Hublot
Tribal art advisor Cole Harrell, standing in front of a Wendell Castle sculpture
from the 1960s, R & Company
Monaco? timepiece from Chopard
A VIP moment at the Hublot’s store during Madison Avenue Watch WeekPhoto credit High End Weekly™All rights reserved -
Old World Glamor at The Met
Best Dressed: Sarah Jessica Parker in an Oscar de la Renta gownAnother year, another fantastic episode for The Met Gala? To be sure, the one that transpired a few hours ago contained more fashion misses than hits.And this was to no one’s surprise.The Met Gala has long proven to be an inflated “Oscars Night Look Alike” affair, especially for “celebrities” who normally would not get the time of day during Hollywood’s most sacred night. And so, before heading home last night, I kept a pulse on social media to see who received the most buzz for their fashion savoir faire. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, of course, but it amazes me to see comments like “fashion slayers” applied to some of the well-known fashion faux pas celebrities that we’re all so use to.Overall, there were way too much T&A on display at the venerable fundraising gala. Not to mention an underwhelming amount of garbs that were either too “safe” or just too “frumpy” for even grandma to wear. A number of household names whom I once praised for their great fashion sense – fell at the wayside. But then again, like show business, easy come, easy go.Belles of the Ball
Stella Tennant in a Burberry gown
Liu Wen
Lauren Santo in Oscar de la Renta
David Beckham in Ralph Lauren, and Victoria Beckham wearing a Victoria Beckham dress
Jessica Pare in a Michael Kors dress
Felicity Jones, Theory by Olivier TheyskensVenerable Eyesores
Tabitha Simmons in Dolce & Gabbana
Lupita Nyong’o in Prada
Jay Z in Givenchy Couture and Beyonce in Givenchy Couture
Chloë Moretz in Chanel
Erykah Badu in Givenchy
Lena Dunham in a Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Dress
Johnny Depp in Ralph Lauren Black Label and Amber Heard wearing a Giambattista Valli Haute Dress
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in Lanvin
(Note: Kanye’s attire was simply too charming for words. I loved it!)
Marion Cotillard in Dior
Rihanna in a Stella McCarthy dressAll images via VOGUE -
Haute Design in Brooklyn
Isn’t it great when art, fashion and design come together, and something beautiful and memorable become the result, and what’s more, it can all be classified as long-term? Not an easy task, especially when it comes to fashion, I know. However, two of France most darling creative forces, Jean Paul Gaultier and furniture giant Roche Bobois have done just that.Exactly one week to this day, I was fortunate enough to attend an exciting, and private tour of The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier. At the same time, I was introduced to an exhibition which highlighted beautifully the collaboration between the king of haute couture, and high end furniture maker, Roche Bobois. Of course, their collaboration together can be purchase at any of their retail stores, but this particular exhibition won’t be around after the Brooklyn Museum closes its door on Sunday evening (no snow in the New York City forecast, if you must know).
Dunkerque Indigo Rug with a pair of Ben Hur chairs by Jean Paul Gaulteir
Mah Jong Modular Seating in Couture Fabric
“Jean Paul Gaultier’s popular “Ben Hur”” chairs designed by acclaimed furniture maker, Rocher Bobois. The show “L’Art de Vivre” is at the Brooklyn Museum until Sunday, February 23, 2014″
Maschio lamp by Jean Paul Gaultier (in the background)
Jean Paul-Gaultier: From The Sidewalk to the Catwalk
I understand that Jean Paul Gaultier and Roche Bobois have worked together since 2010 to create a series of furniture which are iconic, in their own rights. The first one that comes to mind is the Mah Jong Modular Seating in couture fabric, and the beloved Ben Hur chair. This global furniture maker continues to seduce its customers by presenting a variety of collections that are in themselves synonymous as luxury.
