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elevate "take-out" coffee to a new level!!!

THE RED PARTY

A SPECTACULAR, ONE-OF-A-KIND PERFORMA GALA BENEFIT EVENT INSPIRED BY THE SPIRIT OF RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVISM

Saturday, November 6, 2010 7 pm to Midnight 

508 West 37th Street, New York

Attire is RED

Featuring Master of Ceremonies ALAN CUMMING 

Honoring Visual Artist SHIRIN NESHAT

Special Performances by BARBARA SUKOWA and YVONNE RAINER

 

Installations by JENNIFER RUBELL, ZACH ROCKHILL, and KYLE GOEN 

Quickie Couture by KRELwear

 

Music by DJ TIKKA MASALA and DJ PIERCE JACKSON

Silent Auction of PERFORMA EDITIONS and EPHEMERA

To purchase tickets contact Adrienne Edwards at 212.366.5700 or adrienne@performa- arts.org. 

More information is available at 

www.performa-arts.org/blog/tickets/the-red-party/.

Keds has commissioned conceptual artist Jenny Holzer to design a collection of Keds based on her signature word-based art. The collection features classic canvas sneakers ..... black, grey, or white colors ..... low and hi-top silhouettes ...... with the text "PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT." The sale of these sneakers is part of Keds sponsorship of the Whitney Museum of Art's summer program.

My favorite thing on this visit was this divinely designed dinnerware by French product designer Jean Marc Gady. Attaching a series of different size white porcelain plates creates a wonderful venue for a meal of "small plates" or tapas, a trend that is very au courant and exactly how I love to eat!!!! 

One of the most extraordinary, interesting, and memorable "accessorations" I have seen lately is CASTAWAYS, a collection of kits designed to help kids create art. Each kit is a collection of various recycled cardboard pieces, taken from safe and clean manufacturing castoffs, packaged together for children to create individual "artworks" and to learn about ecology!!!!

"Trash for Teaching is a not-for-profit dedicated to environmental awareness and education through creative reuse. By making materials readily available to schools and teachers, we bridge the gap between the excess of waste created in manufacturing processes and the lack of materials in public education. Use of our materials also encourages critical thinking and stimulates the imagination by challenging children and teachers to find creative applications for non-traditional objects." 

Leave it to the French to come up with an amazing way to say "thank you," and create a wonderful shopping experience as well!!!! Marie-France & Bernard Cohen, founders of the French cult children's brand Bonpoint, opened Merci this past spring in the Marais district of Paris, "combining fashion with philanthropy, vintage with contemporary design and bespoke creations with mainstream brands." Housed in a 16,000 sq. foot former wallpaper factory, this industrial space features an innovative and interesting treasure trove of "everything" from fashion to furnishing!!!!  Merci, created by the Cohen's as their personal "thank you," donates 100% of its profits to a charity that helps deprived children in India and Madagascar. Having traveled extensively in that area of the world, Madame Cohen was extremely touched by the lack of education for these children and she made herself promise to help them. To achieve this goal, the Cohen's used their retail talents and vision to create this unique shopping experience. "Merci is accessible to anyone with an eye for the unusual and the bespoke."

This extraordinary philanthropic endeavor has gotten an incredible response from the designers, artists, musicians, actors, authors, stylists, and famous friends that the Cohen's went to for help. In addition to donations and the specially designed merchandise that is found only at the store, there is a continuously changing selection of eclectic, well designed product from French companies and various interesting flea market finds. Joining the Cohen's in their generosity, many of the designers and companies involved are also forgoing their profits, resulting in the price of the merchandise being 30% below traditional retail. In addition to gifts, clothing, accessories, and furnishing...... there is "Merci Fleur,'' a flower shop featuring florist Christian Tortu and the "Used Book Cafe" with a 130 foot rolling book wall of donated second hand books. Another wonderful feature is a selection of six scents from perfumeur Annick Goutal (Annick is Mdme. Cohen's late sister)  that are being sold in simple glass or aluminum containers like those used by perfumemakers in Grasse, rather than their classical decorative flasks, and aptly called "Merci Annick."

"Christmas at Merci" features a well curated holiday collection of accessories and apparel; as well as gifts from international designers such as Tom Dixon, Patricia Urquiola, Atelier, and Droog; plus a wide selection of one-off pieces, vintage items, and unique holiday creations designed exclusively for the store. An intriguing  selection of vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations completes the eclectic holiday assortment.