Downton's Darlings

      This morning I discovered fashion illustrator David Downton, and nothing gets a fashion designers blood moving in the morning then some fabulous inspriation. David Downton was born in Kent, England in 1959 where he freelanced on various projects as an illustrator. It was not until 1996 when the Financial Times asked him to do illustrations of the couture collections that his career as a fashion illustrator began.

      I came across his work upon seeing his beautiful illustration for the new Oscar De la Renta perfum campagn.  Mr. De la Renta was bored with the many celebrities that blur together for the hundreds of various fashion and beauty campaigns, and he wanted to take a step back in time when advertising was entirely done by hand. Anyone who is a fan of Mad Men will surely appreciate this as well.

I love his lose hand and line quality, each illustration oozes glamour and sophistication.

His use of vivid color and saturated black marker is bold and eye catching, I am dying to try this on my next project!

I love the simplicity of this illustration, the way he can say so much with so little

This is another favorite of mine. I love his use of color, it is so modern, and so fresh yet with a dash of retro all at the same time.

     

A little bit of Heaven

     Every year since I was a little girl, my family packs up the car and heads down to my favorite place in the world, to the sleepy beach town of Charlestown, Rhode Island. Our house is on an special little street known as Hoxie Ave, and it stands across the street from the house my dad grew up in as a kid. Its the kind of place where everyone knows each other, and time never seems to pass.

  Rhode Island is one of the best kept secrets of the east coast, and it is a place filled with little treasures. Next June, I will be wearing a big white dress and celebrating my wedding on one of the local beaches and I wanted to share with everyone why it is so special

The week began with stormy weather, and I love the beach on an overcast day, the sky is alive with marbelized clouds and the ocean is angry and full of life

The best part of a cloudy day is having the beach all to yourself

My Yellow Umbrella 

Me and my Dad

The Ocean House is one of my absolute favorite places in Rhode Island, located in the elegant coastal town of Watch Hill. At one time, the Ocean House was the oldest hotel still standing on the East Coast, it took you back to another era, another world. It is the place where my father proposed to my mother and we have celebrated many birthday's and other special occasions. A few years ago, the old Ocean House was knocked down and rebuilt, restored to its original beauty, and few things in life would be more lovely then a cool glass of wine on its huge porches overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. 

Aunt Carrie's is a Rhode Island institution. Established in 1920 and located on the tip of Point Judith, they serve the best clam cakes, seafood and chowder around. It is a beloved place and it just wouldn't be a vacation without a visit to Aunt Carrie's

The town where I will be having the wedding is known as Narragansett, and upon entering you pass through the icon of the town, the Towers. Built in the 1880's as a resort and casino, it lights up the evenings over Narragansett Bay giving a magical atmosphere to this beach community

As you walk down the beach from the Towers, you come upon the North Beach Clubhouse where I will be having my wedding. A simple building with an AMAZING deck, you are right on the beach and steps from the ocean. There are few other places with a location like this, and I hope it will make for a memorable evening. 

The Sheltor Harbor Inn is a charming inn located in Charlestown. The food is fantastic and the rooms are filled with New England warmth and charecter, it is home to beautiful gardens and croquet courts and a short shuttle to the private beach. It is a lovely way to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and relax in Rhode Island. 

  

Just Kids

Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorp at the Chelsea Hotel

  I recently finished reading the biography Just Kids bye Patti Smith and was completely blown away. Just Kids is a memoir of the friendship and inseparable bond between Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorp, taking place primarily in New York during the late 60's and 70's. Patti writes with the same clarity and strength with which she writes her music, taking you through her humble beginnings with Robert and their steady rise to success.

Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorp, Coney Island

Reading this book has made me think of what it was like to live in New York during a different time. New York in the 70's was a very different place then it is today. Times Square was a place for prostitutes and drugs, the Chelsea Hotel was a haven for artists and musicians, and the Factory was home to Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick , and Jim Morrison.  It was all about music, art and inspiration. It was a time full of grit and glamour.

Bryan Adams at the Chelsea Hotel

I have become enamoured with the 70's in NY, and it has made me wonder where I would have fit into this bohemian world. As much as I love the idea of being part of this free spirited culture, I wonder if I would have felt like an outsider, although I don't know if that is my personality, or the effect that today's environment has had on me. Fashion and music in the 70's were a movement, today they are reality t.v. empires, it was a complete revolution that no longer exists in our organized online world.

Max's Kansas City

For now, I just want to be inspired by all of these amazing people, and imagine what it would have been like to have a shot of tequila at Max's with Patti Smith.

Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrision and now Amy Weinhouse, all young artists who have lost their lives at 27, a heartbreaking club of incredible talent and troubled lives. May they forever be remembered

Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick

The beautiful Edie Sedgwick

 The CBGB, the birth place of punk rock and a New York Institution. 

Chic C'est le Vie!

Simone d'Allencourt for Arachnee 

        I recently discovered the photographer Georges Dambier upon receiving an invitation to attend the gallery opening at the Bonnie Benrubi Gallery here in New York City. I only needed to look at one photo to know that I completely loved his style and his work. The 1950's and 60's are my favorite decades, I love how women put themselves together so flawlessly. It was an era filled with a certain kind of glamour and style that has long been lost along the way.

Marie Helene Arnaud, for Elle 

Georges Dambier was born in Paris in 1925, and it was here that he made his mark in the photography world. In the 1950's, he joined the team at Elle Magazine where he worked with the most beautiful women in the world: Suzie Parker, Dorian Leigh and and Bridgette Bardot. In every photo, he manages to capture the complete sensuality and charm of being a woman.  

Suzy Parker, Paris for Elle, in Givenchy. 

 Now this is GLAMOUR! 

Suzy Parker with Hydrangeas, for Elle. 

I love that she is in her own world, lost in thought on this charming Parisian street 

The Bikini Girl on the Boardwalk 

The original girl with a yellow umbrella

Karen with Matadors, for Palma de Majorique

I love the colors and the angle that this photograph captures, its so intense and striking 

Suzy Parker with Tulips, for Elle 

This is my favorite photograph, I have found it so inspiring. I love the pop of red in the flowers and in her hat, she is so effortlessly chic, so perfectly put together, I dream of being this girl! 

Jaques Fath in his Atelier

La Librairie, Jaques Fath 

My Manhattan

      There are many things that I love about New York, and I seem to find more by the day. Every day that I wake up and see the Empire State Building as I walk to work, I feel a jolt of electricity shoot through my body, I never cease to be amazed or inspired by this city. While there is much for me to love, I wanted to share the parts that bring me the most joy, the parts that make New York my kind of town.

1. Long Island City

     This is the neighborhood I call home. A short train ride to the other side of the East River and you feel like you are in another world. I left kicking and screaming, bribed into moving here by my persuasive boyfriend, and now, over a year later, I would not trade it for anywhere else. Voted one of the top 10 places to live in the tri-borough area, LIC is an up and coming neighborhood with beautiful riverside parks and incredible restaurants.  There are few things that bring me more joy then lounging in a hammock with a glass of wine enjoying a priceless view of the city I love.

2. Times Square and the Great White Way

     The lights, the crowds, the glitter and the gruff, when I find myself in the middle of Times Square on a beautiful night, its magical. There was a time that I dreamed of being more then just in the audience on Broadway, and I don't know that that dream will ever go away. It is a melting pot of different cultures and amazing diversity, people come from all over the world to see these famous lights of New York. From Broadway babies to the Naked Cowboy, the few blocks that make up Times Square are where dreams are born and history is made.

3.  Bodrum

   An intimate restaurant on the Upper West Side, Bodrum is a neighborhood gem and my second home. Run by a good friend, it is a restaurant where you can always be guaranteed an excellent meal, wonderful company and a refreshing glass of wine. Named after a hot spot on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, it serves all my favorite Turkish cuisine. Its a good thing I like Turkish food so much since it looks like I will be spending a lot of time in Turkey....

4. The Meatpacking District

   While most of my friends prefer to be in the East Village or Brooklyn, a little (ok, BIG) part of me has a fondness for a little neighborhood known as the Meatpacking District. From W. 14th St to Horatio St, it is such a great mixture of art and style, the best restaurants and high-heeled nightlife, I cant help but love the glamour of these few blocks.

                          

  

So proud of NY for marriage equality!

The Gansevoort Hotel is probably my favorite place in all of New York. My friends might say I am a little addicted, I say I just like a good cocktail and a beautiful view

the beautiful rooftop pool

An inspirational art installation on 13th St.

You cant come to this neighborhood without enjoying some of the best shopping in New York

One of the best parts of Meatpacking is a park known as the Highline. A few years ago, these old train tracks were converted into almost 20 blocks of park. Today, it is filled with wild flowers, lounge chairs and art installations. No where else can you enjoy a gelato high above the streets among beautiful scenery and some of New York's best architecture. 

There is so much to love in this amazing city, maybe that's why Travel and Leisure magazine just voted New York the best city in America. I cant wait to see what is going to be happening next!