Perfect Hostess Present
While on sabbatical in Paris three years ago, I wrote about the magic of Laduree. Fortunately, Laduree is now on Madison and 70th. YUM!
Last week, I escaped the “New Economy” in New York and fled to Paris for a few weeks. I arrived at my hotel at noon to find that I was invited to a dinner party at the home of a couple I barely knew. My hosts were receiving at 8 that evening, and I had no idea how many guests would be attending. What to take as my hostess gift? Wine is too expected, and in France, can be really tricky. And, I thought I remembered that the hostess didn’t drink alcohol.
And then it hit me walking down the Champs Elysee! Macaroons from Laduree! I chose 32 multi-colored macaroons from the store’s flagship location (flavors including mango, pistachio, dark chocolate, orange blossom, lemon and mocha) Each cost approximately 1 Euro. The packaging for the macaroons was a treat in of itself….a peppermint green box with a pink ribbon.
www.laduree.com
Ladurée Champs Elysées
75, avenue des Champs Elysées – 75008 Paris
Tel : 01.40.75.08.75
Sixteen people came to dinner that night. The treats were a huge success served with coffee after dinner!
Los Carpinteros
Rumba Muerta is Los Carpinteros’ first exhibition at the gallery since their acclaimed 2008 show, Montaña Rusa. The central theme in Los Carpinteros’ work is the idea of transformation. According to the artists, that transformation sometimes occurs “in the morphology and physicality of an object and at other times in its meaning, interpretation and function.” As such, Los Carpinteros allow the titles “to reveal something, a certain form of meaning or to subvert the official meaning that people attribute to things.” The title of the new exhibition, Rumba Muerta, is meant to conjure up an imaginary world evocative of the dying notes at the end of a bittersweet song.
LOS CARPINTEROS
Cromo Tres, 2010
chrome bronze lamp
7 x 27 1/2 x 23 5/8 inches (18 x 70 x 60 cm)
The work is accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity
Inv# LC-10S068
€20,000
LOS CARPINTEROS
Cromo Uno, 2010
chrome bronze lamp
7 x 27 1/2 x 23 5/8 inches (18 x 70 x 60 cm)
The work is accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity
Inv# LC-10S066
€20,000
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
As I was walking by the Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Eylsees, I thought of a very good friend who is a ‘top reporter’ for a fashion rag. I’m always intrigued when she poses the question “what was your inspiration for this collection?”. I really think she’s asking “who did you copy, knock-off or exploit for this commercial venture?”.
In the Georgia, my people are able to artfully deliver an insult and absolve themselves of guilt by ending a slur with the phrase “Bless his or her heart”. (Hillary is intelligent, but has really fat ankles…Bless her heart). In fashion, designers absolve themselves of the guilt of exploiting other designers by “Paying Tribute”.
This year, Vuitton “pays tribute” to Stephen Sprouse.
www.welovesprouse.com
Orange, Pink and Lime Neon colors with allusions to Street Graffiti. I’ve seen it all before…everyone’s seen it all before.
Hadn’t MTV and Martha Quinn already brought punk to the proletariat in the early 80s? Grace made me a “Slave to the Rhythm” and Madge had me “Burning Up” as I walked around rural Georgia in my Vans, neon lime Parachute pants, cream Members-Only jacket with a boombox in one hand and black rubber bracelets dangling from my pre-pubescent wrist.
Yet, I began to obsess “are those clever Vuitton marketers looping WHAM’s Make It Big Album?”. Of course I couldn’t make it in to find out as there were over 100 Japanese tourists waiting in line to enter the flagship which looked more like a Disney Store than a Parisian Boutique. So I studied each window. Are those neon striped sneakers meant to be worn with dolphin shorts or with basketball shorts? Was I allowed to think of putting together my own outfit, or was I meant buy the coordinating Vuitton shirt, pants and sandals? Was the joke on me?
Did Vuitton really need to bring Punk back to the People? This campaign felt very “Bling” with an insincere Punk veneer. Bling is Boring and not very “New Economy”. Marc Jabobs, Wake me up before you go-go…..