Livingston Manor : Staying and Seeing...Just the Highlights

Backyard view of the 'dome home' in Shandelee, NY

Between the onset of COVID and welcoming a child, the concept of 'vacation' has become a twice forgotten fantasy the last two years. As Summer fades and Fall finds its foothold, the time has come to take a 'together' trip. This Labor Day weekend, the three of us trek North to Western Sullivan Properties' 'dome home.' Shandelee + Livingston Manor become our sanctuary for three days as we detox from the day-to-day. Here is a peek at some of the serenity that successfully balances the buildup of stress and sleepless nights back home....

SABYASACHI Calcutta x BERGDORF GOODMAN "BENGAL BYZANTINE BROADWAY"

A 'Deconstructed Maharani Necklace' from the Sabyasachi Calcutta x Bergdorf Goodman "Bengal Byzantine Broadway" collection

He turned at my tap and smiled at my smile. The soft demeanor of Sabyasachi Mukherjee is pleasant and unexpected, given the strong statement pieces he creates. He is clad in all-white--symbolic of the American wedding--but shaped in a simple tunic-and-trouser silhouette representative of Indian culture. For a designer whose brand outfits Bollywood and stands as one of India's most admired purveyors of bridal fashion, ego and fame do not eclipse a cold conversation or an impromptu photo-op. Keep reading to have a look at the Sabyasachi x Bergdorf "Bengal Byzantine Broadway" collection...  

VIRGIL ABLOH "FIGURES OF SPEECH" @ BROOKLYN MUSEUM

What is Virgil Abloh? No, 7 (2017) photograph by Juergen Teller in Virgil Abloh "Figures of Speech" @BrooklynMuseum

Look here, look there--something fresh, something said. Something high, something low--all created with vision, passion and inspiration. Virgil Abloh "Figures of Speech" has landed at the Brooklyn Museum, after originating in Chicago and making stops in Atlanta, Boston and Qatar. With context, "Powerful" describes the installation honoring the last 2 decades of Abloh's legacy and "Considerate" describes the man being honored. A proverbial Jack of all Trades, Virgil Abloh shattered all limitations of "designer" or "artist," instead identifying as "Maker." Keep reading for a look inside...    

ADIDAS PRESENTS SHOWTIME AT FORUM FOREVER

Special Edition Forum high tops showcased at Adidas Showtime Forum Forever exhibit

From court to club, the Adidas Forum sneaker has found its way from the hard wood to the streets and the dance floor. Originally introduced as a basketball shoe in 1984, the Forum has evolved to become a fashion statement and a collaboration piece. Showcasing the Forum's legacy, Chicago/Annex partners with curator, artist and creative director Sean "Belchez" Cort to assemble a 2-floor, multi-room exhibit. Adidas' ongoing campaign--"Find Your Forum" and "Forum Forever"--embodies the concept of creating and celebrating safe spaces (or "forums") for self expression.  Keep reading for a look into the exclusive pop-up exhibition with contributions from over 16 artists and past + present Forum styles. 

FLOWER CRAFT @MAD MUSEUM

rings ceramic vessel by Emily Mullin as part of Flower Craft @MADMuseum

Flowers are delicate, tangible and temporary. Beyond pure beauty, Flower Craft at the Museum of Arts and Design explores the creative visions of artists in the context of aesthetic traditions, stages of a plant's lifecycle and personalized interpretations of botany as contemporary art. Over a six-week period, Kristin Alpaugh (FLWR PSTL), Doan Ly (a.p. bio), Lutfi Janania (ROSALILA), Noritaka Noda, Emily Thompson and Manu Torres will each present a week-long installation in the main gallery of MAD's second floor. Keep reading for a look at the display of vessels and Kristin Alpaugh's The Good Trip and Totem. 

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...

GARMENTING: COSTUME AS CONTEMPORARY ART @MAD MUSEUM

Mary Sibande The Domba Dance (2019) for Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art @MADMuseum

Garmenting as art vs. apparel has been debated for decades. Often an amalgam of both, 'clothes' are a malleable medium for all--whether creative, conservative or curious. Materials, manufacturing or meaning can transform the purpose of a single item of clothing. MAD Museum's Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art is the first global survey of clothing as a form of visual art. Curated by Alexandra Schwartz, the exhibit features over 60 works from 35 artists and occupies the 4th and 5th floors of MAD. Up close, each garment in this exhibition--wacky or wearable--appeals to the imagination. Click for a look inside... 

REINVENTION & RESTLESSNESS: FASHION IN THE NINETIES @FIT MUSEUM

[L] Versace S/S 1994 | [M] Byron Lars coat dress, red wool crepe embroidered white damask, F/W 1993 | [R] Vivienne Westwood Fall 1996

As a 'Generation X'er,' mix tapes, a discman, slap bracelets and rollerblades are defining artifacts of my life as a 90s teenager. In the final generation before cell / smart phones, sartorial simplicity prevails in the form of overalls (with one--or both-- strap(s) down), tracksuits, spaghetti straps, slip dresses and cargo pants. Curator Colleen Hill's latest exhibit--Reinvention & Restlessness: Fashion in the Nineties--at the Museum at FIT considers the trends during "a time that was filled with hope for the future and yet fraught with anxiety...a decade that not only heralded the end of a century but also the end of a millennium" [Colleen Hill]. Keep reading for a look inside... 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Last look at NYC's Holiday Windows @Bergdorfs

2021 brought a test of resilience --from welcoming a new president, to shocking supply chain shortages, to availability of COVID vaccinations (and boosters!) and a gradual re-opening of the world. We saw a FRIENDS reunion, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak with Oprah, #FREEBRITNEY and more... and we cringe as we revert back to: long lines for COVID testing, people dying and closed borders / stores / schools due to Omnicron. Given the positives, the negatives and the unexpected in-betweens, the last couple years whisper that the wise soak up the present and treat each day like a glorious sunset. The Present Moment windows @Bergdorfs echoes this sentiment, featuring vignettes of audaciously happy moments, frozen in time. A little late to posting, but what better way to ring in the new year, than with sequins, sparkle, style... and a little sass? Cheers to 2022! Keep reading for one last look at the holiday windows on 58th and 5th...

Janette Beckman - REBELS: FROM PUNK TO DIOR @ FOTOGRAFISKA NY

[L] Contact sheet from 1987 - Chuck D + Public Enemy // [R] Salt-n-peppa (NYC, 1987)

Despite a cultural burgeoning of NYC in the early 80s, an ethereal energy attracted Janette Beckman to New York's underground Hip hop scene. Armed with a camera and curiosity for photographing people, Beckman spent the better part of 4 decades documenting subcultures from rap and hip hop personalities to LA gangs and illegal girls' fight clubs. Familiar faces, immortalized by Beckman's lens, line the 6th floor  at Fotografiska, NY. Following a 40-year journey photographing musicians to high fashion, Janette Beckman REBELS: From Punk to Dior spotlights 11 key pieces that capture the essence of rebellious youth culture to recent collaborations for Levi's and Dior. Keep reading to see more...