Let's Lift It

I refer to Andrea Stanford as my Fairy Godmother in Los Angeles and the description is apt.  We first met online years ago when I posted pics from C magazine where she was the Design + Style Editor.  She still contributes to the magazine that is worth reading even if you don't visit California all that often.  When I visited LA in 2010, she set up a whole day of meeting designers in their stores and offices.  And when I was shooting my book, she made more introductions.  For someone who is bff's with celebrities and could be a complete diva, Andrea is one of the most generous people I know. Her transition to One Kings Lane where she is Vice President of Merchandising, Designer, and Vintage Sales, has been a match made in heaven too. I'm surprised anything makes it to the online sales before she buys it for the Beverly Hills home she shares with her husband and three daughters. 

When I was in LA this past January, I was able to see Andrea in the new much larger One Kings Lane offices that are going to be beyond chic when finished.  It was there that she mentioned that The Coveteur was coming the next day to shoot her at home.  I did what any self respecting fashionista would do, I begged to come over to watch.  It was also a treat to meet founders Stephanie Mark and Jake Rosenberg in person.  Sadly, Erin Kleinberg was not in town for this shoot.  The shoot just went online today and it was so fun to see the end result.  As you can see, Andrea has a pretty chic home and even chicer closet.  And three very lucky daughters. 

Photos by Jake Rosenberg for The Coveteur

Weekend Inspiration

I was pinning images on Pinterest the other day and started to notice a pattern. 

Bon weekend!

all images via pinterest

Color My World

I LOVE this color block outfit (it's Prada) that Amanda Seyfried was wearing that was posted on Who What Wear today.  It's freezing again in New York and this ensemble is getting me even more excited for spring.  It also reminds me of a few other things I've seen recently. 

I have been stalking these Tabitha Simmons Alexa Bicolor Flats at Barneys because I can't decide which color I want to buy.  I'm leaning toward yellow but what do you think?

I also popped by Hermes yesterday to see their new Rallye 24 table top porcelain that was inspired by the iconic anchor chain and race track ovals. It's not available online yet but you can find it in the Madison Avenue store. 

Top photo via Who What Wear. Other photos from my instagram. 

Tommy's Turf

One of my favorite things that have come about because of my blog has been my friendship with interior designer Tommy Smythe.  I used to watch him on Design Inc. with Sarah Richardson and literally laugh out loud at all his funny quips.  Now I get to experience them in person and this time on his turf in Toronto. Not sure if he'll let me see his new home but I sure am going to try.  Until then, let's take another look at one of his previous chic homes that was featured in Canadian House & Home.  If that Hermes blanket is missing after my trip, I don't know anything about it. 

Photos by Michael Graydon for Canadian House & Home

Hermès Festival des Métiers

Those of you who follow me on Instagram already saw a sneak peek of the Hermès Festival des Métiers I attended to today but I wanted to share it with everyone.  Hermès has organized a "Festival of Crafts" through Sunday in New York to let the public, free of charge, see how some of its most famous pieces are made.  I watched a man make pieces for a Kelly bag, a woman hand sew silk ties, a saddle maker hammer a saddle together, and more.  The pièce de résistance was the 45 minutes I spent watching a craftsman silkscreen an Hermès silk scarf with 14 different screens!  I will definitely be posting my photos tomorrow but right now I have to go to bed to get my beauty sleep for the first day of fashion week. 

A tout à l'heure.

Top photo by moi via instagram

The Battle for Hermès

While preparing for the hurricane last weekend, you might have missed excellent article, The Battle for Hermès in the Wall Street Journal.  For those of you who don't know, Bernard Arnault, the owner of LVMH, has been buying up shares of Hermès in an attempt to add the venerable brand to his stable of luxury goods companies that includes Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Givenchy among others.  While I like LVMH brands, they seems to be a lot of more glitzy and glam than the understated luxury of Hermès.  It will definitely be interesting to see how this new French revolution plays out.  The feature was written by Dana Thomas, the author of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster and I love the accompanying photos by Brigitte Lacombe.  Also makes me want to take riding lessons so I can order a saddle.  They are almost more beautiful than the bags.

Photos by Brigitte Lacombe