Christmastime In The City

My Person Photos

Just popping in to say a quick hello and happy holidays. I hope you're all enjoying the season. I love this time of year and make it a point to savor every moment. If I may toot my horn for just a second; I must admit that I have a talent for being able to find that thoughtful and luxurious gift for just about anyone. It takes careful planning and precision to come up with the perfect gift for everyone on my list. By the time  Christmas rolls around I can barely contain my excitement. 

In recent years, it's really the little things that make Christmastime so special. A handwritten note of gratitude. Staying up until 3 AM baking cookies. Immaculately wrapped presents. Decorating doorways, mantles and trees. All of the traditions. Spending time with family over leisurely long dinners and talking into the wee hours of the night. 

I'm officially on holiday, but checking work email compulsively. I'm not the best at relaxing, but these last few days have been lovely...

PS- How charming is Charles St?

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Gift wrapping inspiration. I have to outdo myself each year. 

Everything looks enchanting during the holiday season

Everything is aglow

Van Cleef and Arpel's (always enchanting) Christmas windows. VCA and Tiffany & Co. are always my favorite windows.

Pretty Shoes are essential for Christmas Eve Dinner

Happy Christmas Eve! After weeks of soirees, planning and preparations; Christmas is finally here. This week has been a flurry of activity. My holiday finally commenced with a well-deserved trip to the spa. Christmas is huge for my family. The celebrations officially kicked off with my mother's birthday on Friday. Everyone is in town, which provides a lot of laughter.

A chilly afternoon was spent dropping off a few perfectly wrapped presents to friends; admiring all the decorations as I went on my way. Big or small, I love taking the care and time to wrap a present beautifully. I have to add my personal sense of style to EVERYTHING I do. It's always fun to see people's eyes light up, when they spy an elegantly wrapped present with their name on it. Most importantly, the night before Christmas is a time to spend with love ones*. I wish you all a joyous Christmas surrounded by friends and family. I hope it's a GLAMOROUS one too!

Since we're on the subject of friends, I thank each and everyone of you for being such wonderful, intelligent and inspiring readers. Through this blog, I've met some truly extraordinary people and made a few friends too. The holidays are always a time of reflection and I feel very blessed to have your support.

* Of course, Christmas Eve wouldn't be complete without a glamorous pair of shoes  to show off a pretty pedicure. 

CREDITS

1) This is Glamorous / 2) Lorena Arance/ 3) Martha Stewart Weddings / 4) My Personal Photo / 5) Refinery 29

Quick Change

My Personal Photos

3.1 Phillip Lim Dress, Wolford Velvet de Luxe Tights

The past couple of weeks have left me up to my ears in holiday merriment, in between wrapping up the year professionally. The other night, I hosted a meet and greet at Le Caprice. The room was filled with volunteers, who generously agreed to serve on the benefit committee for next month's fundraiser. It was heartwarming to see so many people out for the kickoff.

So, with nary a moment to spare, I dashed up Fifth; past the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, department store windows, the Fifth Avenue Star and all that makes New York magical during this time of year. As the hostess, I thought it would be nice to do it up a bit. Nothing feels more glamorous and instantly pulled together then being well-groomed. Pretty hair, glowing skin, expertly applied makeup and an exquisite piece of jewelry are paramount for evening, but sometimes a pretty dress doesn't hurt either. 

I picked up this dove gray dress from the 3.1 Phillip Lim showroom a few years ago. It was one of those items that I overlooked at first. After being prompted several times by the ever convincing PRs, I tried it on and there was something about it... A feeling, or instinct that even though the ornamentation is a departure from what I'm normally drawn to; the silhouette and fabrics suit my style perfectly. Only a few dresses ended up being produced, which is something I love. 

This dress has become one of the dresses that I keep on hand at the office for the myriad of gatherings that prompt a quick change. I love having a few changes at the ready.

Clothes Don't Make The Woman

Via The Gentleman

On Friday, I had the pleasure of finally meeting up with an alumnus from my undergraduate alma mater. After several email exchanges and a phone chat, it was nice to sit down over lunch. Some time ago, I volunteered to serve as a resource for alumni seeking and currently holding positions within my field. I'm always happy to share my career experiences. After discussing everything and the kitchen sink, we ended up on workplace dressing. It's impossible to come to my office and not be drawn to what people are wearing. I like my workwear to feel smart, sharp, tailored, purposeful, timeless and (most importantly) authentically me. Clothes should be an extension of ourselves and we all know I'm partial to a very polished/chic approach to dressing. 

Regardless of where I'm headed there's a consistency to my style. I can't imagine dressing like someone else for the office. Lucky for me I've always interned and worked for companies where casual isn't exactly in the lexicon and being polished is paramount. When it comes to office dressing, The Gentlewoman says it best- "She's opted for power dressing in it subtlest form, with superb fabrics sculpted to the body." Exquisite fabrics and tailoring make workwear all the more fun. Dressing to command respect is of utmost important when you look as young as I do. 

There's something refreshing about professional, no nonsense clothing, appearing in an editorial. I've been reading The Gentlewoman since the onset and it's become a favorite because of the inspirational women featured who are at the top of their fields and look quite wonderful doing it. The looks above are very similar to the separates I've been wearing to work lately. I love dresses for work, but there's something nice about separates that coordinate with one another. So who's ready for the work/school week to begin?

PS- If only the lovely Donna Hemmingsen was compulsively checking two phones... Yes, that would be me.

Photographer- Daniel Riera Fashion Editor/Stylist-Jonathan Kaye Hair Stylist- Christian Wood Makeup Artist- Petros Petrohilos Casting Director- Matthew Laskey at Starr & Co Model- Donna Hemmingsen

Photographer- Daniel Riera

Fashion Editor/Stylist-Jonathan Kaye

Hair Stylist- Christian Wood

Makeup Artist- Petros Petrohilos

Casting Director- Matthew Laskey at Starr & Co

Model- Donna Hemmingsen

Dance In Vogue

Maya Plisetskaya by Irving Penn 1959

Darcey Bussell and Cynthia Harvey entertain Arthur Elgort’s daughter, photographed by Arthur Elgort in 1989

Arthur Elgort

Jason Schmidt 2011

Annie Leibovitz 2003

 

What better way to celebrate the reopening of the Bolshoi Theatre, then with Vogue Russia’s “Dance in Vogue” special issue. Closed for six years for extensive renovation, The Bolshoi Theatre is home to The Bolshoi Ballet- one of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in world. Dance and fashion have a longstanding relationship. Both are preoccupied with beauty and illusion. Historically ballet dancers set trends in fashion. Many legendary photographers- Richard Avedon, Sir Cecil Beaton, Arthur Elgort, Horst P. Horst, Helmut Newton and Irving Penn loved photographing ballet and ballet dancers.

You can imagine my delight when “Dance in Vogue” landed on my desk earlier this fall. The comprehensive special issue features ballet dancers and ballet inspired shoots from numerous Vogues. I love when the various Vogues pool their resources for a project. There are images by the aforementioned photographers and many more. “Dance in Vogue” is a tantalizing mix of stunning photography that’s familiar and fresh imagery. Dancers who revolutionized ballet such as Maya Plisetskaya, Rudolf Nureyev, Diana Vishneva and Margot Fonteyn leap from the pages in beautiful clothing. The sheer volume of couture featured is remarkable.

As you know from this little excursion, I adore ballet. Each page of “Dance in Vogue” features a note from a ballet critic or dancer. In conjunction with the special issue, the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow recently opened an exhibition by the same name. The exhibition features 120 images from this incredible archive of dance images. A separate part of the exhibition titled “10 Days Before…” features performers backstage just before the renovation of the theatre. The backstage photos juxtapose the beauty of performing with the architectural decay of the iconic Bolshoi Theatre. I credit dance with providing me with my composure and carriage. Sartorially speaking, both are required when you naturally gravitate toward polished silhouettes.

“Dance in Vogue” is a collector’s issue. It’s available on the iPad, but there’s something nice about having the hard copy on thick glossy paper. I’m currently searching (to no avail) for a copy for my personal archive.