Completely Beauty: Biophilia, Bjork at NY Hall of Science
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Bjork and the Choir from her home country, Iceland performing Biophilia: Live at NY Hall of Science, Queens, NY
It’s our 4th concerts of Bjork. I feel blessed to go see her. Her Freedom and Beauty Completely Shakes Me. Her Fearless and Honest Voice Makes Me Cry. She is Way WAY Ahead of Where We Are at Right Now. I Completely Admire and Am Deeply Impressed. She makes me feel Humble. Her Intellectually Genius Musicality. Her Desire and Curiosity to know Technology. Her Restless Research.
She Rocks My World. Now She Rocks the Universe.
It happens to be Gael’s Favorite Museum. Flushing, Queens.
At the venue. Architectural details remind me of Casa Milla and Sagrada Familia of Gaudi in Barcelona.
Bjork’s one of the most beloved instrument, Harp. The opening lines of ”Pagan Poetry” and her new song , “Moon” all starts with Harp.
Bjork singing to “Hang”. A new generation instrument that makes this sort of softly vibrating and echoing a monk’s Bell like sound. It makes peaceful and unbelievably beautiful sound.
Bjork is my Hope for the Future.
When Fashion surpasses Art: Savage Beauty, Alexander McQueen, Met
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The Alexander McQueen exhibit: Savage Beauty at Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
I have been dreading to go to Met to see Savage Beauty as whoever went to the exhibit said, “It’s so popular you need to be in the line for so long like hours then it’s too crowded that it’s hard to see all in detail!” But regardless, I knew it was going to be amazing. ” Exhibit will make you cry!” that’s what I heard a lot too. I was lucky enough to get free private access to the Museum this Monday through a friend at the museum as the Museum is closed on Mondays. But due to the high demand of this show, Museum had introduced ” Met Mondays with McQueen” starting from June 6. And it will cost you hefty $50.00 entrance fee but I highly recommend it otherwise not sure how you can say you really saw the exhibition with all that big crowd. And very nice audio tour ( narrated by Andrew Bolton, Sara Jessica Parker, Philip Treacy and more!) is on the house with this special Monday tour I believe.
Last Year, The 40 years of YSL Retrospective at Paris was amazing, beautiful and unbelievable. But still it stayed in fashion. Beautiful clothing with impeccable workmanship in beautiful setting. But Savage Beauty definitely felt closer to an art exhibit. McQueen’s fashion surpasses countless Artists’ art out there today. And I like to pay a huge credit to Mr. Andrew Bolton, the curator of this exhibit and Costume Institute who handled many years’ yearly gala. I had a privilege to work with him personally on a small project related to the last year’s Gala, American women as Gap was major sponsor to the exhibit.
And Mr. Bolton, you’ve had beautifully executed Savage Beauty to translate Alexander McQueen’s dark, strong, complex and bold approach to his artful inner world. The rooms were perfectly McQueen. The lighting, the materials of the wall, the music and utterly dark and chick showcases and the stage. I absolutely loved it. The Colors in the room, runway clips, the most amazing head and shoulder pieces, the materials of the setting… I could go on and on about this. It felt beautifully expensive and perfectly regal but also completely modern and dare futuristic. Just like who Alexander McQueen was.
The entrance! Red tinted microscopic glass pieces and ostrich feather dress on the left and the infamous Razor clam shell dress on the right. It kills me. I highly recommend you to get the Audio tour. You get to hear stories behind from actual people who worked on or worn the actual pieces.
The first room, ”The Romantic Mind”, is dedicated to the tailored and mostly jacket pieces. Lots of these pieces were landed by the actual owners for the exhibit. McQueen’s Savile Row in London’s tailoring experience is showing through these pieces. Only showing a few pieces here.
The washed concrete wall and naive wood flank is familiar contrast we see everyday now but again it works beautifully against McQueen’s impeccable hard tailoring.
The second room, “The Romantic Gothic” filled with aged mirrors.
This guilded golden glass showcase is absolutely to die for and the amazing McQueen’s work…
“The Cabinet of Curiosity”, a room dedicated to many of McQueen’s amazing Accessories and their relationship to related items. This room truly made me fill like I was in a Art exhibition.
My heart deeply aching…. The Spine corset with a tail.
Approaching to the Fan dress. Just like those delicately cut out Japanese wooden fan.
Yes, She’s turning.
There are ton more in this “Closet of Curiosity” room. I kept going back in there. It was hard to end myself and move on.
” The Romantic Nationalism”, McQueen celebrates his root, London. He was very proud of the city where he came from.
“The Romantic Primitivism”
” Romantic Exoticism”
“Romantic Naturalism, the last room”
I only have a few pictures from the Savage Beauty in this post. You need to see All in person. It ends on August 7. So hurry up!
It was truly one of the most amazing exhibitions I have seen. Not just McQueen itself but the whole package, it is a great exhibition. Also excellent website.
And NEVER TO MISS, click on THIS to watch clips of McQueen’s runway shows.
Ultimate Summer Party: MoMA PS1, NYC!
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Awesome Breezy Entrance at MoMA PS1. Warm Up Ps1: the Ultimate Summer Party for NYC!
I can’t believe it’s already the 14th year now MoMA PS1 is holding this music, dance, art installation that’s all happening in one gigantic outdoor party on Saturdays all summer long at this cool industrial area in Queens, NYC!!! When we all heard then MoMA was branching out a sister MoMA out to Queens: PS1 taking over formal Public School #1 on Queens, We all were bit skeptical even though there are a few prominent Art and Design institutional places like Noguchi museum in the same neighbor hood. \It felt bit out of the way compare to the mail one is on posh and touristy uptown in Manhattan. But PS1 had proved that was only a worry that we didn’t have to have at all after all. PS1 now has grown into a proud and even more rebellious and interesting little yet not so little sister of MoMA fueling Powerful Energy of New and Young Generation of Cool NYC peeps. And maybe even of the “World” as you will be surprised to see and hear how many international visitors at not just “Warm” but maybe more of “Hot” summer Dance parties that PS 1 is housing year after year. Every year PS1 holds a competition to design and doll up their envious grand schemed concrete and grabbled awesomely modern yard, and I personally like to thank to MomA doing this so as this is an absolutely a brilliant idea and also a another definite reason what attracts me and sure all other visitors to go visit PS1 as the yearly brand new Summer installation is something that you must not miss.
This year’s simple yet breezy and green installation is another winner that you want to see and I highly recommend the actual exhibitions that are going on in this beautiful formal public school space as it’s filled with much entertaining (I rather like to call it entertaining! ) Rayan Trecartin’s Any Ever : the short film series, and my absolute favorite of all, a screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain ( the screening ends on July 24th) which I ended up buying the DVD at the bookstore is another one you should not miss!!
The Warm Up Summer party at PS1 runs until the September 3rd with various DJS from around the world, So you haven’t missed much but certain exhibitions will do end at certain point, so if you are not sure what to do on Saturdays, pS1 Warm up party will be the perfect thing to do for this entire summer!
Now I like to share some pics from my visit to PS 1 Warm Up party this Saturday, July 16!
Yes the kid are welcome, but if you like to bring your little ones go early and live early. It get’s bit intense for the little ones later on. The party hour is 2-9 pm.
Hay Garden. No Smoking!
Real good seating this year. Not too obscure to sit down and there were plenty of these to mingle and chat.
Loving the fact they had brought quite an amount of trees this year.
Gael, no worries, I promise you I’ll take you here! The September 3rd, We will come back all together with Dad!
Yes, we will play ping pong too! Love you. Miss you Gael!
Loving the Crowd. The People. All together. Can’t help it!
DJs and Bands rotating all day.
Inside the Museum building. Entrance at Ryan Trecartin’s.
There were 6 rooms I believe set up in all different way with Head sets for you to use. Plenty of odd and fun seating were built for the audience. And comfy!
Hospital beds turned to mega seating.
I have mixed thoughts and feeling about Laurel Nakadate: Only the Lonely work series. Hmmm , If anyone likes to discuss about it with me, shoot me an email!
I adore PS1’s staircase murals!
Permanent collection: James Turell’s ” Meeting”, 1986
Visitors gaging and enjoying this wonderfully opened up room with natural light and air coming through.
Here’s the movie I was talking about. Crazy, beautiful photography, not normal, disturbing, funny, sick, calm, tripping and everything else. Alejandro Jodorowsky: The Holy Mountain, 1973 and couple more scenes from the film below.
The Book store.
The cafe.
7:30. Now it’s really crowded! Music’s pumping, people are dancing, being silly, whatever!
Ahhh Emi, I so wished you were standing right next to me!! I miss you Emi!!
With Adriana and Dani.
Good job Sir! The last DJ.
If you haven’t yet, go check it out!!!
Tan and Dan’s Wedding, Freshford, England
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Tan and Dan happily walking down the hilly winding road of Freshford surrounded by loving friends and family after the ceremony, July 2, 2011.
Between Emi’s and my pictures, we may have good 600 photos emotionally following Tan and Dan’s this special day and one picture is more beautiful than another to my eyes as every moment is being celebrated and blessed by loved ones including myself over this new and young family with a just born little baby girl, and Tan’s amazing strength and Dan’s impressive support and diligence to Win it All is something we all took away to learn for our everyday’s life. “Love is bigger than anything.”
Tan and Dan, we are so happy for you two and a little one and truly wish the healthiest and happiest lives ever after for all of you!
Looking up to St. Peter’s Church at Freshford, England. The wedding begins now!
July 2, 2011
Tan, Dan and the Baby girl, the new Family.
Back to the Funky Town, David LaChapelle at Lever House, NYC
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My favorite piece of all, ” Raft of Illusion, Raging the Truth” by David LaChapelle at Lever House NYC. The Opening party!
It’s been a while to see David LaChapelle’s work at NYC. And it is my very first time to see him in person and it was quite fabulous to be there for his return to this funky town, NYC after he had left to Hong Kong to reside and work since 2006!
This all-glassed reception room was filled with incredible energy even without one single beat of music because of the artist himself there standing welcomed by the city and completely surrounded by million paparazzis and drag queens like Anna and big stars like Uma, Mr.LaChapelle ( I always envied his last name by the way) taught me again what NYC is all about! And his one big bunch of fun and friendly groupies and friends were definitely sweet eye candies.
Not to mention too much about it, today I have many many pictures to share that energy of successful opening night for return of David LaChapelle. Enjoy it! Also Check out this, www.lachapellestudio.com
LoVe NYC!
LoVE ArT!!!
Easter Buster, NYC
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What a beautiful day we had!! Waiting for the brunch to arrive at Bottega at Maritime hotel, NYC
Usually, Easter means a big lunch with bunch of friends for us. We would roast a big chunk of Lamb and some meaty green veggies, fresh salad and usual Easter sweets just came out of ” the Easter Care Package” from my In- laws in Italy. I could say, Emi and I have had hosted it for all for these many years, but this time, we got all lazy and just couldn’t get bothered and somehow decided to go out for a stroll and an easy brunch in Manhattan. The weather has been really dreadful in NY for the last many months, I felt SSSoo lucky to have such a lovely afternoon for the day!! We had parked the car in the meat packing district hoping we would get a small table out on the terrace of Standard hotel, then we turned and headed out to our all time favorite outdoor terrace of Bottega at Maritime hotel!
There were plenty of NYC folks in Easter spirit around the town as we strolled, and I hope all had a lovely one!
Chilled and relaxed. Good time in Easter!
What else do you need?
Sleep No more
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Main lobby of Mckittrick Hotel comes back to a life with “SLEEPNOMORE“, 530 west 27street between tenth and eleventh avenue, NYC
So Alex and Lara stopped by one night to pick up some hair product from Emi. It has been a while we all got together as everyone’s so busy with work. A glass of wine and some chatting felt so good. It’s always nice to have unexpected friends stopping by! Shortly before they headed back home, Alex talked about this interesting play, performance, dance sort of that interacts with you walking, touching, watching and browsing. ” Sleepnomore”
A quick history of the hotel here that I really don’t want to talk about it too much as YOU should be really GOING there and EXPERIENCE the whole thing and just get lost in the middle of all but I try to make it short as possible to share what this is all about at least a bit. Mckittrick Hotel was built back in 1939 to be the finest hotel that NY would ever have, then World War II had just started only 2 weeks before the opening date made Hotel never be able to open to the public till today. British theater company, PunchDrunk collaboration with Off Broadway company Emursive brings the hidden space in this long years of silence back to the life for this most intriguing and unique theatrical experience that you would ever have. Even in the city like New York.
The audience in simple yet modern and beautiful white masks freely walks around, follows the happenings, touches everything they wish, tries on, opens up, flips through and just “Be”. The hotel is completely and interestingly decorated for the play room by room and floor by floor that must have many original details of the hotel when it was built to open. Audience choose his or her own pace, path, spots and story lines of that moment what is happening in the hotel. You can even take a break if you wish. Each one of the audience becomes no one behind the mask yet is an absolutely most important part of this big play. Why? Because this theater and this play or performance whatever that is sssoooo need you to be there to physically follow after everything that is happening by interacting with all the details of this play down to the small prop.
Here are a few of my visual images to tell you what it all felt like. Myself behind that mask feeling somewhat safe from everything that was surrounding and happening then feeling somewhat naughty hiding my face from everyone, my mind was going through so many muses, tear sheets, dreams, films and stories, music and all. Mostly visually and attitude wise at least. Then there’s a surprising story line you will finally realize what this play was based on at the end!
First and definitely, I was in the movie of Stanley Kubrick,”EyesWide Shut”
then also I was maybe in one of HBO’s series, Carnivale!
then it also so much felt like the great “Great Gatsby “! Especially the costumes and general attitude of artists. Even this cover feels like ” Sleepnomore”!
Then there were also ” The others” moments…
Then the last supper in All versions…
How about Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express!
Then here we are with Shakespeare’s Macbeth! Or no?!!??
And…for the actual pictures of Sleep No more from NY Times’ review, Click on THIS.
Anyway, Go check it out yourself to know what it is all about!
It is a hell out of time you will have! One of the most stimulating things I have done in a long time…!
Entrance to F.I.T, NYC. Going up to the Board room to judge the best talents in Design schools around the Nation.
I have met Joe Medved a while ago. A nice and much approachable man who had founded Joe’s Blackbook, a fine recruitment and consulting firm in the creative, retail, luxury goods as well as fragrance and beauty industry. I always felt a bit different quality in Joe from any other headhunters in other recruitment companies. Definitely hip, more human and genuine yet also much much professional.
And I got a nice email from him not long ago inviting me to be the one of judges to vote the best talent in the US’ top design schools in Women’s and Men’s wear design to win the very first Joe’s Blackbook Scholoship, an impressive amount of $10,000 for each winner and two winners will be collaborating a line of product with NYC based Men’s wear designer, UNIS to be sold at hip and much happening ACE Hotel exclusively. The participating schools are as follow: FIT, Parsons, Academy of Art, Otis, California College of the Arts, RISD, Philadelphia University, University of Cincinnati, Kent State University, SCAD and CCAD.
It has been so many years that I have come to visit my own school, FIT. The buildings are the same as since I had graduated back in 1997! The dorm building are the same and the same trees… I guess the only change will be the new talents and new restless blood dreaming for the next best in Art and Design! Ahhh, It’s an exiting and beautiful thing to throw yourself at what you do and what you love with your talent that God gave you. Especially during the school years. Somehow it’s more pure and fearless. You may lack a bit of fine tuning but you are all the way out there not thinking of any commercialism which is the biggest and hardest wall you will hit when you step into the real battles after the school! Anyway, walking in to the C building lobby of FIT, so many flash backs are going through my mind and bit excite about over 120 portfolio submissions that I will look through!
Faculty Board room at FIT. Judges are flowing in. All the professional designers to Fashion forecasters of prominent US brands such as Gap (myself), TSE, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, DVF, J.Crew, Donna Karen and many more. I believe there are about 15-20 judges in and out of this voting process. It took me about 3 1/2 hours to go through all the work to score, comment and also to rank the top 7 young student designers out of over 100.
Kids are just fine. Kids are superb. Kids are great! Kids blew my mind in some cases. Certain schools definitely stood out. They are even quite professional in terms of presentation and even down to the building a mini collection. Strong separates and new shapes. Colors and all. I saw a new generation and new voices in couture’s world as well. Each project follows certain format in their own creative way. A typed up muse and concept. A mood board/ page to go with. Inspiration pics, fabric or whatever that is. The illustration of collection, Flats, Color stories, even a working sketchbook: by the way my favorite part of all! These kids were already selected by each school before they made to this point. So this compettion is actually really big if you think about.
There will be couple more rounds of judging by different professionals. So what I did was the first round with other designers. I believe most of them are at Director levels. Then second round with Recruiters of the employers and Joe was planning to present the work by the school level, which I thought was brilliant! Then there will be 6 finals to be boiled down to the 2 winners! The reception will happen at Ace hotel in March I believe and I will be surely there to celebrate and embrace the top 2 talents of this young generation!
Me and Joe!
Joe, I like to say how wonderful event you had put together. You are not competing at this point. You are leading the entire recruiting industry by doing this meaningful Scholarship project. You connected all the schools and had them got into a healthy competition and You had connected professionals in the industry. You are developing and finding the newest talents and supporting them. You went out on to the most right people and the right place to do this wonderful project. Thank you so much for the great opportunity for me to give back and a Huge Congratulation to your Very first Scholarship Program event!
Joe, You are Rocking the Fashion Industry! Cheers!
Valentine morning was unusually colorful. Or was it just me up earlier..? Beautiful Sun rising. Getting into a week long of Holiday presentation at work, honestly there’s no room for me to think about Valentine or anything else really, and Valentine is not a day that is on my list of things do in general. Chocolate? Naaaaaa.
But guess What I Get from my 2 coolest men!! The sweet smart free standing Robot Trophy, The LOVE!
Here’s the better picture of him. Isn’t he so cute? He’s heavy as I always like with anything. I Always associate the weight with the quality. So Emi and Gael did an awesome job by choosing my kind of heavy materials to create the robot!
The heart in magic clay was Gael’s contribution and his power to bring this robot to a life. I just can’t get enough of this! And his sweet and numbered face!
Robot’s awesome legs, two feet and adorable little bum!
His feet. Check out the cool studs under his right foot.
And the proud and happy winner!
And the Feast follows!
Fresh Salmon and Tuna Crudo with Lime Lemon Cilantro Rock salt dipping. It melts in your mouth. Soooo Goood!
What do you call it in a fancy way, the palette cleanser sort of. Truffled Honey and the Truffle Pecorino., the Double Truffle!
Followed by Truffle gnocchi with Enoki mushroom cream sauce. Creeaammyyy.
Gael’s Duct taped Valentine card for us. The main middle area design is a bird with dotted feathers… Rocking and Rolling Gael!
Now the after meal dessert!
Emi, You are the best father Gael can ever have and You are THE Love of my life.
LOvE you both So Much!
Thank you for the best Valentine I ever had!!!
Real. Woman. Glam. Fun: Tom Ford
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Relaxed. Dressing real women in all colors and shapes. Glamours. Sexy.
That’s why you are who you are. Tom Ford.