Kelly Wearstler at Bergdorf Goodman

Do you ever get the feeling that it's Kelly Wearstler's world and we just live in it? I had the opportunity to attend her product launch and boutique opening at Bergdorf Goodman Friday night and the party was so hot that it set off the fire alarm! I knew it wasn't going to be a typical Bergdorf's party since some people paid to attend through House and Garden's Design Week. I don't pay to attend parties unless they are a benefit and you could tell those who paid because they hung around the perimeter staring at Ms. Wearster in star struck wonder. My friend and I on the other hand had no problem introducing ourselves to the woman of the hour and she was even gracious enough to pose for a photo. I have to say that she whippet-thin and unbelievably beautiful in real life and her new collection is beyond chic. It's also beyond expensive. I wish I had asked her if a lower priced line was in the works but it was so busy and crowded I totally forgot. If there isn't one, I may have to call up Tar-jay myself and suggest one so I can afford a little piece of chic from the most stylish woman in the design world!

If you've ever been to the 7th Floor of Bergdorf's, then you'll know that it has very low ceilings and is a maze of little rooms. Not exactly conducive to a party so the place was packed and hotter than Hades as summer doesn't want to seem to let autumn take over in New York. So I apologize for the following photos. They're definitely not the best I've ever taken but I wanted you to get a peak inside the Kelly Wearstler boutique.

The room couldn't be any bigger than 12 feet by about 6 feet. It's a tiny little jewel box of a space with niches on the back and side wall that frame little vignettes of merchandise while the middle table displays all sorts of objects d'art.

I think the mix of silver and gold is fun especially since I don't think it's someone would think to do at home. You usually pick one or the other.

Everyone was loving the hands that come in gold and silver. I picked up one to find that it was over $1400 and I think that was just for one, not even the pair. But then again, what would you expect at Bergdorf's. It's a store devoted to fantasy and luxury.

There were quite a few Roman inspired pieces like the foot above and a few busts like the small one below. While the metal spiked orbs were inspired by vintage pieces in Kelly's personal collection and are available in chrome and brass and three different sizes.

I know I look forward to seeing what Kelly Wearster comes up with next and I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'll be able to afford it! Until then, I'll continue to visit her boutique and drool. Oh, and in case you haven't had enough, the designer also graces the cover of A Fashionable Life, a special issue of Harper's Bazaar. See, I told you it's Kelly Wearstler's world and we're just living in it!

Have You Heard of Willy Rizzo?

I've been asked before how I come up with some of my post topics. I usually just write about what piques my interest. Sometimes, it's a magazine article or sometimes, this being New York, a special event or exhibition. Such was the case when I received an invitation to attend the Willy Rizzo exhibition of photographs and furniture at Mallett sponsored by Mallett and Paul Smith. Too bad the Post Office decided to deliver the invitation two days after the event had taken place. But it was too intriguing to just throw away so I decided to do some investigating and luckily I found the catalog in the office.

I love to learn about interesting and fascinating people and Willy Rizzo doesn't disappoint. I also really love how the exhibition came about because when I think of Mallett, I certainly don't think about photography or furniture from the 1960's and 70's. For those of you who don't know, Mallett is a very well known and well respected purveyors of rare English and Continental antiques and object d’arte. Nearly a year ago Thomas Woodham-Smith, a Director of Mallet and Nicholas Chandor, Head of Interiors for Paul Smith were having a discussion about who in the world of design and period furniture they really admired but who was also not as famous as they should be. Apparently they both immediately thought of Willy Rizzo.

Willy Rizzo is well known to the 20th century dealing fraternity but outside that world he has been woefully neglected. He is a superb portrait photographer working for many years for Paris Match and a designer whose imagination and severe neo-classical style defines the Italian style between 1965 and 1980. The range and quality of his work is truly outstanding and has and will stand the test of time. His legacy is a body of work which is both pleasing to the eye and stimulating to the intellect.

They were able to source many items that have never been on the market before as they have come from the Rizzo’s themselves. There are two experimental designs from the 1970’s that were never produced commercially and the furniture is accompanied by a selection of some of Willy Rizzo’s finest portraits displayed in frames exclusively designed for the exhibition by Rizzo, something he has never done before. Both these frames and the images are being produced in a limited edition of eight.

Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Cardin, 1965, Paris
‘I invited them to my studio without making them aware of each other's presence, as they were not then on very friendly terms. They mellowed later.’

Salvador Dali, 1950
‘When I arrived at his place, I searched the apartment to find the best angle for the shot, but his face was so spectacular that when he asked me, ‘What are we going to do?’ I picked up the magnifying glass from the desk and just photographed him.’

The reason behind Willy Rizzo's decision to start designing furniture came about after he bought a commercial space in Rome in which he planned to make an apartment and decided instead of decorating with antiques, he would start from scratch. He had never intended to become a furniture designer but of course his friends wanted him to design for them as well. His style is mostly clean with simple lines and incorporating chrome and brass that suited a leisurely lifestyle, hence the built in basins, perfect for holding champagne bottles, that are seen in many of his tables. It's completely unconventional but somehow works. I love the juxtaposition of the sectional sofa and modern coffee table against the antique chinoiserie screen.

I hope you'll check out more of his designs online because they really are original and very chic. Many thanks to Mallet and Paul Smith for introducing this interesting and innovative photographer and designer to a whole new audience. I must say I was very impressed and I look forward to the next designer they choose to exhibit.

"It was never about recreating classic styles in modern furniture, that wasn't the point. It was about creating something new for a traditional setting."