PhoebeNewYork @West Chelsea Contemporary Gallery

I took this photo of Phoebe NYC when I first moved to NYC, and it remains the screen saver on my phone--to this day!

"Phoebe" was one of my first acquaintances, when I arrived in NYC. She was here, there, everywhere...and equal parts inspirational and ironic. Phoebe was stylish. She was sweet, sassy and most of all--relatable. Spotting Pheobe on the streets of NYC was often a pick-me-up and always an insta-worthy moment. As Libby Schoettle's cutout gal gained popularity over the last decade, PhoebeNewYork has appeared in ads, magazines, collabs--and most recently a solo show at West Chelsea Contemporary. Click to read more...

Sabyasachi-- Stunning Style, Now Stateside

Inside the Sabyasachi store in the West Village

Walk into the Archive building at 160 Christopher Street, and step into Sabayachi's opulent imaginarium. A maximalist marketplace, luxe handbags and lavish jewelry are flanked by porcelain, jade, found treasures and meticulously intermingled antiques. A few short steps, and visitors are transported into a grand showroom equipped with plush dressing rooms, chandeliers and racks of cautiously-curated couture. Down a narrow hallway of floor-to-ceiling portraiture and a third wing of India-inspired wearables is intermixed with undeniable grandeur. Keep reading to have a look inside...

MACY'S FLOWER SHOW 2022

Macy's Flower Show 2022 @ Macy's Herald Square, NYC

Diorama windows brimming with brightly colored flowers signal the arrival of Spring... and Macy's annual spectacle de fleurs. Over 15,000 stems in vibrant red, pink, yellow, orange and purple hues--representing 60+ species--are arranged into floral rounds, sculpturesque displays and festive planters scattered across the ground and mezzanine floors. Keep reading for a look inside...

GRAND OPENING: HUDSON YARDS NYC

 The newly opened Hudson Yards at 34th street and 11th Ave.

At a time when "malls" have become unintentionally archaic, New York's skyline has a new addition and its landscape has received an insta-worthy makeover. Hudson Yards defies retail trends, becoming a trendsetter itself with its integrated living, dining and shopping space. Planned to be the largest private real-estate development in US history, the nearly 9 (and future 18) million square feet space includes a mall with selectively upscale vendors, a public plaza which includes the Vessel, 5-6 residential towers and a school. Peeking in a day after its opening, the view was exquisite. Keep reading to have a look inside...

PAMELLA ROLAND RESORT 2018 @BVLGARI

Behold the glamour and glitz of Pamella Roland SS 2018 at BVLGARI

Glasses of Veuve Cliquot, bites of salmon and minaudieres of steak tartare snake through  clusters of celebrities and camera-people Thursday evening as gilded gals parade through Bvulgari's Fifth Ave. flagship. An after-hours soirée of glitz and glitter complete Pamella Roland's 2018 Resort presentation, set in one of Manhattan's most coveted retail corners. Drawing muse from her garden, Pamella Roland's newest endeavor synthesizes the colors and cuts of Spring into a dynamic 30-piece collection that floats, shimmers and stuns. Keep reading to see the looks... 

JUDITH LEIBER: CRAFTING A NEW YORK STORY @ MAD MUSEUM

Fish minaudière w/rhinestones (1978)

Clutching a green toolbox, 26-year-old Judith Leiber landed in New York City in 1946. The box--credentials of a master craftswoman (and an ironic foreshadowing of minaudières to come)--signified both saving grace and an unusual ability to craft handbags from dream to designer showroom. As a Jew living at the height of Nazism, opportunity materialized in the form of family connections and a job at prestigious purse company Pessl. Trading chemistry and a future in the cosmetics industry for bag-making, 3,500+ exotic and Swarovski crystal-encrusted handbags were brought to life. Until August 6th, the Museum of Arts and Design celebrates the legacy of Judith Leiber through Judith Leiber: Crafting a New York Story--the second in a three-part series on craft. Keep reading for a look inside...

JCRT PLAID LISTENING PARTY & POP UP

 Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra at their JCRT Plaid Listening Party Pop Up, 350 Bowery St.

Fashion has its fair share of fair-weather friends and foul mannered fiends. Yet, the attitude and animosity that fuels my decisive exit from the industry is strangely absent from the mien of Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra. From initial encounter, good naturedness and rested acceptance command respect and leave me pining after their strategy for balancing industry survival and success. As the pair embarks on a new adventure, I'm excited to see what's next. The way forward is paired with a look back at musical inspiration. This week and next, JCRT tartan and tunes are packaged in a pristine popup on Bowery. Keep reading for a look inside... 

NYC X DESIGN: KATE SPADE NY HOME POP UP

#MakeYourselfAHome Kate Spade style is served; popping up at 411 West Broadway until May 2016

The cheeky charm and 'classy cute' of Kate Spade's handbags wear at my will to waive frivolous expenses. Fanning fate, my honey and I stop into Kate Spade's Soho store, Saturday afternoon. Awestruck at the artistic acumen of an aqua ice cream truck clutch and an adjacent wicker dalmatian, we were excited when a sales associate alerted us of the nearby home-themed popup. Keep reading to have a look inside...

CHANEL No.5 IN A NEW LIGHT

No5 In a New Light exhibit by Chanel popping up on 14th Street, NYC #N5NY

A fascinating fragrance of "5" and floral becomes the focus of Chanel's new sensorial pop up endeavor. On the heels of Karl Lagerfeld's Cruise 2015 presentation in South Korea, New York hosts No.5 in New Light, a temporary pop-up promoting Chanel No.5 Eau Première. The lighter, fresher, flavor of decades-old Chanel No.5 is deconstructed into 5 display areas: Creation, Cultivation, Composition, Abstraction and Revelation. From May 7-17th, visitors can stop by 461 West 14th Street to experience the core of Eau Première at #N5NY. Keep reading to catch a glimpse inside the exhibit... 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

The Cool Girls parading Parisienne chic at Chanel, Soho

In the wake of the week's activity in Paris, the mannequins in Chanel's Soho store promote a sense of style and solidarity, draped in red, white and blue. Carrying Chanel bags in place of "Je Suis Charlie" signs, these ladies have already proclaimed their allegiance to a certain type of acceptance. Where do you stand on freedom of speech? Figuratively and literally--join the 'identity' by downloading the "Je Suis Charlie" ap here. Keep reading to see the rest of this week's windows... 

HELMUT LANG @ SPERONE WESTWATER GALLERY

Helmut Lang at Sperone Westwater Gallery; Art made from the remains of his archives 

Shredded sentiment reincarnates in sculptural supremacy at Sperone Westwater Gallery this month. Since 2005, Lang's retirement from his namesake brand has brought the world drips and dabbles of artistic abstraction in his familiar aesthetic. Categorized as an "emerging artist" at the age of 58, Helmut Lang serves up a secondary dose of sedentary sculpture--this time in the limelight of Manhattan's Lower East Side. The exhibit, suitably titled Helmut Lang incorporates fossilized fragments from his former archives, conceiving art "with a certain history, elements with irreplaceable presence and with scars and memories of a former purpose. [source:Gallery Press Release]" Keep reading for the details...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

 An Enchanted Experience presented by Saks Fifth Avenue, Cinderella arriving at the Saks Fifth Avenuet to try glass slippers

Heroines and adversaries meet in a montage of spirited merriment this holiday season. Aptly entitled An Enchanted Experience, the culmination of 9,000 hours of creative craftsmanship begets a most spectacular display at Saks Fifth Avenue's 49th Street flagship. Merging fairytale maidens and 'Manhattan,' Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Little Red Ridinghood delight spectators from near and far. Keep reading to have a look at Saks' fantasy inspired holiday windows...

WIRED HOLIDAY POP-UP : YOUR LIFE. BETTER.

 Wired Pop Up, YOUR LIFE. BETTER at 459 West 14th Street [photo credit: Bryan Derballa/Wired, source]

Tourists and townies alike test out on-trend tech wearables and other digitally incentivized gizmos at the Wired Holiday Shop. Your Life. Better. is the theme of this year's pop up, highlighting a tightly curated selection of the latest and greatest in conceptual creativity. In honor of Wired Magazine's 10th anniversary, the Holiday Shop is open 10 days from Dec. 11th to the 21st. Entering into electronic ecstasy, visitors can play with the product, however purchases are completed online. I had a chance to stop by on the last day--have a look at a sampling of innovative items for the upcoming year... 

PLASMATIK @ GALERIA MELISSA

Crystalline Pendulum & Crystalline Pyramid by Kirsten Kay Thoen and Photoradio by Sean Augustine March

Shoes, sculpture and spatial enlightenment transform Galeria Melissa, Soho into a "PLASMATIK" paradise. Since Brazilian brand Melissa first hit home with its legendary "jelly shoe" in 1992, coveted collaborations with fashion innovators Vivienne Westwood, Gareth Pugh, Karl Lagerfeld and others have emerged, naturally blurring the line between fashion and art. Through concept spaces in Sao Paulo, NYC and London, Galeria Melissa showcases the artistic vision and inspiration of distinguished artists along with rotating influencers on the Melissa brand. This winter in NYC, Melissa shoes share the spotlight with five local artists in an installation curated by Natalie Kates Projects. Keep reading for a closer look.

SENSE THROUGH SCENTS @ GLADE BOUTIQUE

A mysterious outer entryway to the Glade Boutique, 408 W. 14th St. ; a pop-up that sells feelings

A medley of Orange + Green Tea + Marine Water + Fresh Greens + Crisp Ozone mixes with hints of Rose, Violet, Jasmine, Muguet and Magnolia to make Sunshine Showers, a scent capturing "the essence of an invigorating day under the sun" [source: Glade promotional materials]. Created to evoke feelings of "limitless," Sunshine Showers joins Poppy Groove, Honeybee Rhythm and a host of other fragrances at Glade's pop-up scent boutique. While exhibits traditionally emphasize the visual, Glade's #FEELGLADE popup departs from the norm, offering visitors a truly sense-sational experience. Keep reading for details...

DELICIOUS OBJECTS @ DRAFTspace

 Delicious Objects exhibit presented by DRAFTspace at the Highline Loft features 27 International designers

The tables are set at the Highline Loft and for 3 days--from November 13-15--guests are invited to feast their eyes on Delicious Objects, an exhibit of closely curated jewelry and handbags. Spread across two dining areas, drool-worthy accessories from 27 top emerging designers are splayed on plates, spilling from glasses and speared by silverware. Presented by DRAFTspace the exhibit was "conceived not only as a feast for the senses, but as a way to challenge conventional perceptions of fashion and style" according to Joseph Pastrana, the event's publicist. Keep reading for details...

TIFFANY T TRAIN @ DIA GALLERY CHELSEA

The Tiffany T Train, parked at DIA Chelsea gallery space

With a cabin full of precious cargo, the Tiffany T train rolls into DIA 545 gallery in Chelsea. A brief weekend stopover unveils the metallic splendor of Tiffany T, the premier compendium of Francesca Amfitheatrof, Tiffany & Co's first female design director. After boarding a full-sized train car, the public can preview the new collection and pretty up in true Tiffany style. Ranging from $350 metal rings to a $20,000 diamond bracelet, the architectural pieces embrace a subtle "T" smothered in rose gold, gold or silver. For purchase is the Tiffany T Square Bracelet; other pieces can be ordered for delivery via iPad. Keep reading for a look inside... 

MARYLAND TO MURANO : NECKPIECES AND SCULPTURES BY JOYCE J. SCOTT

Neckpieces & Scupltures by Joyce T. Scott @ Museum of Arts and Design, Lazy Girl Neckpiece (2007) [photo courtesy MAD]

At the masterfully accomplished hands of Baltimore native Joyce Scott, glass beads become a soapbox for cultural commentary. Scott builds dynamic neckpieces visualizing socio-political narratives of poverty, love, sex, stereotypes and African/American history. This Fall, the Museum of Arts and Design presents Maryland to Murano: Neckpieces and Sculptures by Joyce J. Scott featuring 34 neckpieces, 3 beaded wall-hangings and 13 Murano glass sculptures with beaded elements by the celebrated artist. The exhibit runs from September 30, 2014 to March 15, 2015. Keep reading for more on the exhibit and my conversation with Joyce Scott...

INOX: UNDENIABLY INDESTRUCTIBLE

One of 130 durability test at the Victorinox INOX watch launch

A collective gasp echoes through the 13,600 square foot event space as a bright red firetruck rolls over a shiny silver watch, leaving it unscathed. The 40-ton FDNY truck, a carafe of boiling water and a high-impact sand-blaster are no match for I.N.O.X, the new watch collection by Swiss brand Victorinox. Surrounded by secret testing stations, scores of firefighters and press, and a live band, Charles Elsner, CEO of Swiss Army brands and Rene Stuz, CEO and President of North America brands, introduce the "quintessence of Victorinox expertise" [source] Wednesday evening.

EXCLUSIVELY EVERLANE

Everlane promotes radical transparency in its 2 week pop-up. Everything inside contains a breakdown of elements and cost!

There's a fine line between partial truths and complete nonchalance when it comes to corporate responsibility in the fashion industry. Self-disclosure is a touchy topic; pique public interest beyond the "Made in [insert country here]" label and customers may become dissuaded by the hefty profit margin or questionable ethics over waste and wages. Fortunately for many brands, the average consumer is so far removed from the production process that the normalcy of what caused the catastrophe in Bangladesh or the child labor situation in Australia strikes as an unexpected surprise. So why is internet retailer Everlane taking to the City of New York with a campaign of conscience?