The Accessorator: July 2010 Archives

Coach Ice Cream Truck Roams NYC ....... & it's Free!!!!

July 29, 2010 1:00 AM

As everyone knows, I'm a country girl in the summer .......

but, occasionally I get home to NYC and find something tasty!!!

This time it was my summer favorite ...... ice cream ..... & it was free!!!!!!

I didn't know Coach has added a new merchandise category ...... ice cream!!!!! They have partnered with Van Leeuwen, the hip artisan ice cream truck entrepreneurs, and designed several yummie traveling "billboards" to advertise their Poppy Collection. The "accessorated" trucks are very chic, roaming around NYC giving out free cones!!!! Coach's signature flavor is a blend of vanilla ice cream with Morello cherries and Michel Cluizel chocolate (a bit Cherry Garcia!!) ....... but, the other traditional Van Leeuwen flavors are available too!!!

I had no idea about this ice cream bonanza ......

but I found truck on 58th Street next to the Time Warner Center .....

and having NO WILL POWER, I had a cone!!!!!

Sorry Coach, it was mint chocolate chip ....... my all time favorite ...... but, thank you!!!!

DIOR ....... NYC's Greatest Summer "Accessoration"!!!!!

July 29, 2010 1:00 AM

This is fabulousssssssssness personified ....... and I just saw it on 57th Street!!!!!!!

The Christian Dior store is closed for a re-do ........ and it had a major facelift!!!!

The facade is now a GIANT silver Lady Dior Top Handle Handbag!!!!!

The only thing missing is the hanging signature logo!!!!!

But, the loop is there ..... and I think the letters might be coming soon!!!!!

Will let you know if they do!!!!!

Jasleen Kaur ..... A Dialogue Between Two Cultures!!!

July 28, 2010 1:00 AM

In June, I was fortunate enough to see Jasleen Kaur's Royal College of Art graduate show.

It was found it intelligent, innovative, smart ...... and extremely thought provoking!!!!

I was particularly intrigued with her installation "Tools for Living." Branded "britesh made" with a well-designed logo, the project "explores how cultures continually evolve and adapt to new environments wilst keeping their traditions and subtle habits." This series of re-configured objects represent the melding of two cultures ...... blending them, rather than obliterating one or the other. They are displayed on brackets attached to pegboards, giving the illusion of being for sale in a hardware shop ....... a reference to her great granddad's peddling from door to door, and her family's current business.

Jasleen's project relates to her great granddad's move to Britan in 1950, referring to how he acclimated to living in the U.K., while continuing to honor his Indian culture. Her relationship and connection with him are also part of the project. Her "utensils," re-formulated from two distinct objects, are symbols of binding the two traditions and cultures. A prime example is the everyday stainless steel curry tray's (thaali) that are subtly changed with the addition of silver handles ........ Indian functionality joins traditional English formality.

"He made a living from pushing a homemade cart from door to door selling goods or spotting construction sites from afar and turning up to see if there were any jobs going. He dressed like a real gentleman, like one of those proud to be British types, with a well kept moustache and tweed hat (a modern replacement for his once traditional turban). He was an in-betweener, a hybrid of both Indian and British and in his undecided state, functioned beautifully in his new surroundings."

"The thing I observe and make are how I see my great granddad and myself Although constructed from many things, they just work. Because cutlery is not really used in Indian cusine I am making a series of "tools for living" that reference everyday habits rather than etiquette. They are built for how we do things, not for how we should do thing."

Jasleen's graduate project, "design as a cultural unifier," teaches us how generations adapt and evolve in new surroundings, while maintaining their cultural roots. Her great granddad's door-to-door business evolved into a chain of family-run hardware shops in Glasglow.

Jasleen Kaur website

Vuitton's Summer Colors on the Champs Elysees!!!!

July 27, 2010 1:00 AM

Color is the ultimate "accessorator" eye-candy ....... Stunning!!!

And these Louis Vuitton windows in Paris are YUMMY!!!!!!

Contemporary Design at Historic Sudeley Castle!!!!!

July 26, 2010 1:00 AM

Pablo Reinoso HUGE SUDELEY BENCH Painted Steel

Conceived in 2010, Edition of 8 + 4 AP's

Atelier Van Lieshout WELLNESS SKULL Fiberglass, Polystyrene & Plywood

Conceived 2007, Edition of 3

Sebastian Brajkovic LATHE X Aluminium

Conceived in 2010, Edition 8 + 4 AP's

Lionel Scoccimaro GIANT JAR Painted Aluminium

Conceived in 2010, Edition of 8 + 4 AP's

Studio Job POURING JUG Polished & Painted Bronze

Conceived in 2008 & Cast in 2010, Unique

Marcel Wanders BON BON GOLD Resin, Rope, & Precious Metal

Conceived in 2010, Edition of 20 + 2 AP's

This exciting "selling exhibition," a joint venture between Sotheby's UK, Studley Castle, and Carpenters Workshop Gallery showcases a series of one-off and limited edition pieces by leading international contemporary designers and artists. The works are utilitarian pieces that can work as functional objects or pieces that can be appreciated as works of art with "profound aesthetic appeal."

According to Alexander Planton & Simon Stock, Sotheby's curators of the Sudeley exhibition "Contemporary design is an area of the international art market that ha been making waves in recent years and the Sudeley show will present works by some of the boldest and most visionary talents in the field of design today."

Carpenters Workshop in London, one of the premier galleries featuring contemporary design, is know for encouraging up-and-coming young artists, as well as presenting extraordinary works from established artists such as Ron Arad, Marteen bas, Wendell Castle. This joint venture is the latest project that the gallery is involved in "to promote the careers and foster the careers of contemporary designers through exhibiting unique and limited-edition works in solo and group exhibitions and at international art and design fairs. It also aims to expose the public to the latest design aesthetic, enriching and enlightening the contemporary design landscape and discourse."

Sudeley Castle is located in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire. It was the royal household of Queen Katherine Parr during Tudor times. It is currently the home of Lady Ashcombe and the Dent-Brocklehurst family, who are dedicated to the restoration of the castle and it's gardens, with a particular emphasis on environmental sustainability. Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst has presented several exhibitions at the castle and says of this installation ..... "A thousand years of history at Sudeley represents a thousand years of design and creation and it is wonderful to be presenting such a current and visually exciting exhibition that is in such striking contrast to the historic castle itself."

I think this unique exhibition ..... the scope of the work is brilliant,

and the stunning surroundings add an extraordinary dimension to the collection!!!!

Carpenters Workshop Gallery website

Ecologically Inspired "Log Wall" in East Hampton!!!!!

July 23, 2010 1:00 AM

How divine is this "log wall" ...... a unique creation,

by a famous East Hampton "garden guru" for her own property!!!

Not just stunning ...... but amazingly ecologically exquisite ...

the logs are trees that have fallen naturally ......

then cut and stacked to create the wall!!!

Over time the weight of the wall pulls the trees back into the earth,

nature's way of bringing them back where they belong!!!

I think these walls are innovative & exciting, plus they aide to the survival of our planet!!!!

Not to mention, they are a fabooolous garden "accessoration"!!!!

Tord Boontje's Lace Designs @ Marsden Woo Gallery!!!

July 22, 2010 1:00 AM

Low-tech materials meet traditional craft skills, in Dutch designer Tord Boontje's innovative "tatted" raffia lighting pieces exhibited at Marsden Woo Gallery, London. "The Lacemaker," this installation of Boontje's latest works, rethinks our traditional concept of what lace is. According to this world renowned designer, also the Head of Design products at the Royal College of Art, "With lace, all the value is invested in the labour and so it seemed a good idea to start working with cheap materials ... but also, by changing the material you can change the references." In addition to the lighting pieces, the exhibition has a collection of other "lace" works ...... a black webbed sofa, lace screens, a raffia trimmed mirror, a raffia dress, and a selection of jewlery.

This collection is inspired by Boontje's participation in an exhibition at the University of Philadelphia's Design Center, "Lace in Transition." He spent three days immersed in the Center's archives, studying the collection of the Quaker Lace Company, resulting in a unique collection of his own designs.

I love Boontje's simplicity of materials & innovative designs ......

used to create these fabulous "accessorations."

They pieces are modern in visual and vintage in inspiration!!!

Tord Boontje website

Marsden Woo Gallery website

Instant Gratification ....... @ Vicente Wolf Home!!!!

July 21, 2010 1:00 AM

I am a collector supreme & collections are one of my favorite "accessorations" ......

Of course, I think two or more of anything is a collection!!!

I know building a collection takes time .... but if you're in a rush .... I've found a quick fix!!!

Internationally known, Cuban-born interior designer and author Vicente Wolf can be a big help!!!! His 3000 sq. foot Manhattan loft features VW HOME, an internationally sourced selection of furniture, lighting, & accessories all reflecting Vicente's style ........ and includes a series of "collections of collections"!!!!

So, if time is of the essence and you don't really want to "collect".....

But, would rather "accessorate" immediately ....

this is the place to go!!!!

VW HOME website

For Summer Style ...... This Bicycle Can't be Beat!!!!!

July 20, 2010 1:00 AM

I saw this gorgeous bicycle twice in the same day, in two different locations .......

So, on the second sighting I had to take these pictures!!!!

Divine isn't she ....... almost makes me want to bike around NYC!!!! You too??????

Handbag Artistry ...... Reclaimed Custom Couture!!!!

July 19, 2010 1:00 AM

BLACK BEAUTY- Tortoise plastic, open work frame , America circa 1940.

Black embossed calf, leather lined, braided handle.

CONCUBINE II- Gilt French frame circa 1010.

Japanese silk textile trimmed in black mink.

SNAKE CHARMER- Vintage French frame, glass, marcasites, & metal circa 1950.

Python suede embroidered with vintage silver trim.

INDIA DECO- Antique glass hand set, jeweled frame circa 1920.

Antique woven silk textile, unusual deco pattern.

LOCKING BAKELITE FRAME- circa 1940

Hand embroidered Chinese silk, carnelian beads.

CRYSTAL CLUSTER- Chunky lucite fame, hand carved, American circa 1950.

Contemporary French textile trimmed in clusters of multifaceted crystal beads.

Removable hand polished silver chain.

RED FORTUNE- Antique brass filigree frame, American circa 1940.

Asian silk textile with embroidery and hand beading. Silk tassel.

CHOCOLATE BASKET- Amber lucite frame, American circa 1950.

Italian calf with laser cut overlay.

LEWIS & CLARK SATCHEL- Apple juice bakelite frame, American circa 1940.

Natural deerskin, hand stitched with turquoise beading. Vintage silver & turquoise pull.

Hand braided handle.

VINTAGE BAKELITE FRAME- American circa 1940.

Hand painted asian silk

GARDEN OF EDEN- Apple juice bakelite frame, American circa 1940.

Giant python skin purse.

Connecticut handbag designer Joy Liotta Horvath is a serious "accessorator!!" She has designed a collection of unique and stunning "custom couture" handbags, using vintage frames, unusual textiles, and novelty leathers. Her company Gioia Handbags, celebrates "the marriage of handbag artistry and the tradition of creative handiwork."

I saw these bags over the weekend, and the collection was amazing ......

these are several from my immediate "must-have" list!!!!!

Gioia Handbag email address

A Collection of Unique & Unusual Design @ Ani Inc!!!

July 16, 2010 1:00 AM

My friend Ani Antreasyan is an "accessorator's" dream!!!

She is a fabulous "garden guru" and the purveyor of all things "accessoration" .....

from antique stone Turkish garden pieces to 1950's tables & chairs ...

and all things in between!!!

Part of her collection can be seen this weekend at the Bridgehampton Antique Show at the Community Center ...... where her booth is an eclectic mix of the most stunning design elements and the way they are "put-together" is an inspiration for all "design divas!!!"

Ani Ancient Stone website

Remember Flip Books ???? Now, There's a Flip Chair !!!!

July 15, 2010 1:00 AM

The "accessorator" loves to constantly change and rearrange .... and this chair fits the bill!!!

Reminding me of the flip-books of my childhood ..... it's always in motion!!!!

And I love the idea of changing the patterns endlessly!!!!

Last month at Design Miami/Basel 2010 Dutch design company Droog (see blog 12/1/09 & 12/3/09) presented New York-based designer Stefan Sagmeister's "Darwin Chair." The chair is a free swinging structure that is made up of over 200 sheets of printed Tyvek paper. Functionality is a major attribute of this chair ..... as a page gets dirty, or the owner gets tired of the pattern, it can be changed easily by flipping the pattern to the back or by tearing the page off at the perforation. The concept is similar to a large note pad, where you tear off a page and a new sheet appears with a different pattern. In addition, after tearing the pages off, the remaining perforation builds up to form a comfortable headrest!!!

Droog website

Paola Navone Designs Everything & the Kitchen Sink!!!

July 14, 2010 1:00 AM

In addition to the fabulous "finds" at Lina Kanafani's London design store Mint, which recently moved to 2 North Terrace, Italian designer Paola Navone has created the most divine kitchen downstairs ....... and "accessorated" it with her trade-mark white ceramics!!!!! Steel grey, black, and accented with red, this streamline store kitchen, with it's geometric cement block wall, is stunning!!! I love the shots of red on the hardware accenting the shallow oval marble sink ...... and the strips of red metal securing the glasses, dishes, etc. on the kitchen shelves are sensational!!! The chic simplicity of this mini-kitchen is incredible ...... so much detail & style..... so little space!!!!!

I adore the variety of Paola Navone's design work (see blog 4/21/10, 4/23/10, 5/17/10) .........

she is one of the design world's fantastically fabulous "accessorator's!!!"

Paola Navone website

Mint website

The Ultimate "Shop till you Drop" Shopping Bag!!!!!

July 13, 2010 1:00 AM

NewYork artist Brian Tolle's sculpture for this California mall is whimsical & witty ......

And what could possibly say "shopping mall" better than this giant shopping bag!!!

Installed this past month at the entrance to the Los Cerritos Shopping Center, the stainless steel sculpture is 20 feet high, 16 feet wide and 9 feet deep ...... and glows with LED's that project a changing range of color. Titled "Remembering Walter Deubner: Inventor of the Shopping Bag," the piece was commissioned by the Macerich Company, owners of the California property, and it is the center-piece of the $95 million mall expansion that has just been completed.

Brian, an award winning artist and graduate of Yale University School of Art, has done a number of complex site-specific public commissions....... including works in Battery Park and City Hall in New York City, for the Cleveland Public Art Project, as well as the University of Washington in Seattle. He is represented by CRG Gallery in New York.

"Brian Tolle's sculptures and installations emphasize a formal and iconographic dialogue with history and context. Architecture, site, and technology are recurring themes. Using a variety of media, his work draws from the scale and experience of it's surroundings, provoking a re-reading by cross-wiring reality and fiction."

CRG Gallery website

Bathroom "Accessorations"??? Anything's Possible!!!

July 12, 2010 1:00 AM

I love "big-hair" ....... and these "hippy" toilet brushes from Thailand-based

design company Gumption certainly have "big-hair"!!!!

What's bigger than an Afro!!!

My theory is you have to have great "accessorations" in every room .......

even the bathroom!!!

Gumption website

July 2010 Archives

Coach Ice Cream Truck Roams NYC ....... & it's Free!!!!

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DIOR ....... NYC's Greatest Summer "Accessoration"!!!!!

0 Comments

Jasleen Kaur ..... A Dialogue Between Two Cultures!!!

1 Comment

Vuitton's Summer Colors on the Champs Elysees!!!!

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Contemporary Design at Historic Sudeley Castle!!!!!

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Ecologically Inspired "Log Wall" in East Hampton!!!!!

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Tord Boontje's Lace Designs @ Marsden Woo Gallery!!!

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Instant Gratification ....... @ Vicente Wolf Home!!!!

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For Summer Style ...... This Bicycle Can't be Beat!!!!!

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Handbag Artistry ...... Reclaimed Custom Couture!!!!

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A Collection of Unique & Unusual Design @ Ani Inc!!!

1 Comment

Remember Flip Books ???? Now, There's a Flip Chair !!!!

1 Comment

Paola Navone Designs Everything & the Kitchen Sink!!!

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The Ultimate "Shop till you Drop" Shopping Bag!!!!!

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Bathroom "Accessorations"??? Anything's Possible!!!

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