200 TRUNKS, 200 VISIONARIES: THE EXHIBITION

Paris Themed Trunk by Francesca Sorrenti

Enter the former Barney's building--currently clothed in pink, orange, yellow, red and blue stripe--and surround yourself with a celebration of creative ingenuity. 200 trunks with lights, labels... and even Legos... are slowly reveled as guests travel down dark corridors into mirrored, boldly colored, ominously dark or brightly lit rooms. In celebration of Louis Vuitton's bicentennial birthday, 200 trunks designed by the world's most iconic visionaries--whether architect, artist, musician, makeup artist or outspoken personality--are on display in 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition. Keep reading for a look inside... 

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...    

-WEEKEND WINDOWS-

Animated windows @LouisVuitton Fifth Ave. NYC

Morphing mannequins rock animated runways in the windows of Louis Vuitton Fifth Avenue this week. Set against moving motifs of the world's fashion capitals, the ladies of Louis V. cleverly flaunt spring styles. Do you prefer Paris to Milan? or Beijing to Hong Kong? Los Angelos or New York? Keep reading to see more.... 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton, Fifth Avenue, NYC

My mantra of 'memories over merchandise' extends through the last bit of 2018, with a jaunt through Hershey Park and a yurt weekend at Savage River Lodge. Much needed rest and relaxation is welcome, as is the new year! Where 2018 brings healing and repositioning, 2019 is poised to be be a year of success. Cheers to you and your families as the new year approaches. In the mean time, have a look at the ladies of LV and think about your upcoming endeavors for 2019... 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

 Louis Vuitton, 5th Ave. and 57th St. windows

Not easily influenced by inspirational quips and chain-letter insights, recent reflection uncovers a realization that the hidden truths in mass-market messaging may actually be relatable. Entering the Dog Year, mantras prompting "You're always one decision away from a totally different life" or "You are the author of your story. If you're stuck on the same page, remember that at any moment, you have the power to write a new chapter" present new challenges. How's your story starting off his year? Keep reading to see this week's windows at LV...

LOUIS VUITTON VOLEZ VOGUEZ VOYAGEZ

 Louis Vuitton presents #NYCVVV; Volez, Voguez, Voyagez, at the American Stock Exchange Building 86 Trinity Place

Almost immediate, a sense of adventure appears as guests queue to enter Louis Vuitton's NYC rendition of Volez, Voguez, Voyages. On entry, an animated train mesmerizes visitors, alluding to the forward progression and active evolution over the brand's 163 years. Building on its "art of travel" mantra, Louis Vuitton enlists the expertise of curator Olivier Saillard and artistic director/set designer Robert Carsen to saturate the former American Stock Exchange space with trunks, travel accessories and tales of historical significance. Fly, Sail and Travel with Louis Vuitton over 10 epic segments and one exhaustive journey through time. Keep reading to have a look inside...  

MASTERS JEFF KOONS x LV

Masters: Louis Vuitton x Koons pop up

$790 Million for the Mona Lisa may be perceived as outlandish, especially in an age of rampant reproductions. Fortunately--for a fraction of the cost--fine art is now portable, bathed in history and wrapped in luxurious sophistication. Honoring the artistic greats of all time, Jeff Koons and Louis Vuitton pair to produce a collection featuring mysterious 'Mona' and recognizable masterpieces from da Vinci, van Gogh, Reubens, Titan and Fragonard. Presenting a 'new context for old Masters,' Girl with Dog, Mona Lisa, The Tiger Hunt and A Wheatfield with Cypresses reface Speedy, Keepall, Neverfull, Zippy and other classic LV silhouettes. In lieu of walking into a retail store, experience styles from Masters: LV x Koons up close at the NYC pop-up at 655 Madison Ave. (60th St. and Madison Ave.) until July 31st. Keep reading for a look inside...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

 Jeff Koons x Louis Vuitton Masters windows at Fifth Ave and 57th St.; Rubens' The Tiger (1615-1616)

Fascinating reads this week: Why I Risked My Life to Drive in Saudi Arabia and Why I Risked My Life to Photograph an Assassin--both happenstance in the wait for public transit. The experiences of others begs the question, "would I have done the same?" and inspires a proclivity towards the 'strong independent woman' mindset. This week's windows at Louis Vuitton echo the sentiment of 'going bold' with a new take on old art. Keep reading for more and stay tuned for my post on the Jeff Koons x LV collaboration and pop-up...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

LLLLLLLLLLL... Louis Vuitton (Fifth Ave)

Oogling at the obvious, news and numbers initiate a rigor of unavoidable regularity. This week, fracture innate tradition and transform nuance into narrative; synthesize silence to reveal a breakthrough in moral adversity for informed decision making. After all, it's the untouchable and intangible that offers the greatest impact. Adding a bit of fun to Grecian sculpture, Louis Vuitton's Fifth Ave. windows illustrate the sunny side of straddling a line-- and stepping a pace beyond. Keep reading for a look inside...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton on Fifth Ave.

It's time! This weekend, impulsively indulge in those "once in a blue moon" activities. On Saturday, stare skyward to see the third of four full moons this season. Dubbed a 'blue moon,' its next return will be January 31, 2018! Sunday evening, Mars will be visible from dusk to dawn, shining 80 times brighter than usual as Earth wedges between the Moon and Mars. A week after "opposition," Mars will approach Earth--closer than any point in over 10 years. Apropos for the occasion, Louis Vuitton's Fifth Ave. windows digitally display the shifting stages of the Moon and Mars. To celebrate the solar system, my Honey and I have rezzies at Chef's Club by Food and Wine and brunch plans at Calle Ocho. How about you? Keep reading to see the week's windows...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Luxe ladies at LV Fifth Ave.

When it comes to food, bi-polar binging has been the means of mangé at the moment. Side-effect of stress? Certainly! Turbulent transformation is in store. Behind belief, brevity of breaks besets fun. Foraging feeds a fundamental gap; there's an interesting read here on the science behind stress-eating. Keep Reading for more...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton Fifth Ave.  

With age comes an affluent appreciation of time and increasingly affordable indulgences. Experience starts setting standards of 'success' and fancy food becomes one of many flavors of 'fun.' The course towards 'content' creates a caution to consciously curb catastrophe; life laments laziness. This week, revisit the bucket list--what have you crossed off so far? While contemplating, take a look at this week's windows at Louis Vuitton...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton 57th St. and 5th Ave.

"New" is the flavor of success this season at Louis Vuitton. A year since taking the reigns as creative director, Nicolas Ghesquiere has redefined 'timeless elegance' and modernized Vuitton classics. Sales are up an estimated 15%. Critics praise the brand, citing "However Ghesquiere works, he seems to be doing it right" [qz] and "Nicolas Ghesquiere is one of the few designers who can claim to set fashion's agenda each season" [fashionista]. Within the first two weeks of April, Louis Vuitton has already introduced a new watch, a new mega-store in Miami and a debut of its Objets Nomades collection in Milan. This week's windows present the brand new outlook of an iconic brand...

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton on 57th St. and 5th Ave.; CL = Christian Louboutin, one of LV's Iconoclasts

Both presents and "presence" steal the spotlight in Louis Vuitton's Fifth Ave. windows. A play on signatures and signature designers, LV features 6 iconoclasts in its 160th anniversary celebrating monogram campaign. Alongside their initials, Christian Louboutin, Cindy Sherman, Frank Gehry, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Newson and Rei Kawakubo each redefine the concept of 'signature' by injecting their unique personalities into an LV monogrammed piece. Keep reading for a peek at the products...

DOVER STREET MARKET HITS NY IN STYLE

Dover Street Market, Lexington Ave., NYC--Notice how nicely the hair color matches the Adidas shoes on that man!

The bold, the beautiful and the fanciest of New York's fashion fiends flock to Kips Bay this weekend to partake in the public debut of NYC's mega-iteration of London's Dover Street Market (DSMNY). Though shop-in-shops are not novel to the city's style scene, Rei Kawakubo's 'new school' take on this 'old school' concept is markedly revolutionary. With proper planning, the Beaux-Arts building on the corner of Lexington Ave. (and 30th St.) has transformed from an applied design school for women into a luxe shopping paradise, complete with physical and extra-sensory experiences. A hybrid of Anthropologie (decor) and Bergdorf Goodman (merchandise) has emerged, with a touch of Urban Outfitters and Alexander Wang (staff). 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton at 58th St. and Fifth Ave.

Surfacing first on paintings inside Egyptian tombs, doors traditionally symbolize new beginnings, transitions and gateways... and serve as an entryway leading in, out or in between two spaces. This week, mysterious doors and endless opportunities fill the windows at Louis Vuitton on Fifth Avenue. As the saying goes "When one door shuts, another one opens." Take a minute to regroup and consider the possibilities. Enter into majesty by exiting adversity and love every minute of the impending journey. 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

This lucky Spinosaurus takes her pick of the Alma bags in the windows of Louis Vuitton, 5th Ave. at 57th St.

The sun, sweat and sounds of summer in NYC bring back memories of June 1993 when Steven Spielberg's surreal safari struck home on the silver screen. Walking past Louis Vuitton this week, I can't help but chuckle at the devious dinos in the windows. Not quite as perilous as Jurassic Park, the sparkling 'saurs playfully torment the mannequins, all the while porting lustworthy looks from the Fall 2013 collection. 

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

 Louis Vuitton on 57th St and 5th Ave.

Growing up, hot air balloons symbolized wealth, adventure and freedom. Each year, the Festival of Ballooning in my hometown unleashed hundreds of ballons into the air, some of which landed in my parent's backyard. I'd watch the balloons with awe, dreaming of the places I'd go and and the opulence and romanticism that would follow. Be it a billowing hillside or a cabin at the edge of a lake, ballon rides always ended with a prince, a champagne toast and a picnic--in my mind. This week, Louis Vuitton's Fifth Ave. windows bring to life the dream of magnificent air-travel with velvet-lined gondolas, gold trimmed mechanisms and fashionable garb.

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton at Brown Thomas, Grafton St., Dublin

Spring flowers sprout new beginnings this April. At the LV boutique on Grafton St., Dublin, a sly spider has spun a floral surprise. Soft shadows stretch across the space and add depth to the display. So, now the important question--white or beige?   

-WEDNESDAY WINDOWS-

Louis Vuitton's 5th Avenue Windows designed by Daniel Buren

Complementing print ads and a 2012/2013 Spring runway show of the same aesthetic, Louis Vuitton extends the mod style and checkered print of French artist Daniel Buren to its 5th Avenue Windows. Whereas Yayoi Kusama's red dots took center stage last Fall, Buren's yellow, pink, green and red checkers combine with the concept of "twins" and geometry to debut the Spring collection in-store. First unveiled in NY and Paris on Feb. 4th, Buren's design concept will gradually spread to LV stores worldwide. Keep reading for more...