Creating an Ocean Kingdom for Sir McCartney

I'll leave it to the critics to judge Sir Paul McCartney's new ballet "Ocean's Kingdom", but the dinner that celebrated its world premiere was quite amazing.  And I had a great time designing it.  Although there were countless inspirations--Paul McCartney's music, Stella McCartney's costumes, Peter Martin's choreography, an ocean theme--the challenge was working with a not-for-profit budget using the fashion tents at Lincoln Center.  After imagining what it would be like if The Little Mermaid met Waiting for Godot, a modernist theme developed.

With the entire room awash in an undulating watery filter, I used aqua, sapphire, ice blue, and silver Lucite mirrors; color-blocked tables; a turquoise-mirrored dance floor reflecting trays overhead holding hundreds of small votives; sheer green-blue iridescent fabric panels on the ceiling, which moved so beautifully in the air conditioned space; and pools of water with floating candles (maximizing the sexy lighting effect).  The celebs, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Gilles Mendel, Lorne Michaels, Naomi Watts, Alec Baldwin, and Alicia Keys, seemed to enjoy the dinner and atmosphere, but it was the chair woman of the event, who told me that I had taken her breath away, which made me feel the event was a success.  Enjoy some of my pre-party photos.

Up the Garden Path

I recently discovered for myself the beautiful town of Ravello while attending my friend Seyhan Ozdemir of Autoban's wedding.  Perched above Italy's Amalfi coast, life here is sublime . . . the architecture, the gardens and views, the airy villas and palazzos.  I found myself quite happy inside the fairy tale setting.  After arriving by boat, I wandered through the town, and was instantly charmed by its subdued glamour.  The wedding took place in the gardens of Villa Cimbrone, best known for once being owned by Ernest Beckett, who hosted so many famous guests including T.S. Elliot, Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill, D.H. Lawrence, Greta Garbo, and Jean Piaget.  The elegant wedding and dinner echoed the talents and intrigue of all those visitors past . . . a wonderful summer experience, as the season soon draws to a close . . .

Caffè Break

A visit to Venice isn't complete without a stop at my favorite cafe, Caffe Florian.  Yes, two coffees do cost 30 Euros here, but one willingly pays to be surrounded by beautiful art, super smart waiters in white jackets, live bands, and a pulsing history of famous visitors, including Charles Dickens, Marcel Proust, and Casanova.  Opened in 1720, it is a contender for oldest coffee house in continuous operation, and yet still feels fresh and eagerly accepting of new patrons.  While the interiors are stunning, when the weather is nice, I like finding a table outside and sitting under the colonnade on St Marco Square, watching the beautiful world pass by.  If you haven't experienced the superb service and the tasty coffee and treats you own it to yourself to pay the piper and bask in one of modern Venice's oldest traditions.

God is in the Detail: Hotel Bauer

I'm raising a glass to my favorite place to rest whilst in Venice, the Hotel Bauer.  Its combination of old Venetian palazzo and fantastic Gothic architecture (designed by the 16th Century architect Andrea Palladio), combined with a mixture of opulent details, including eclectic doses of Art Deco, makes for a dazzling spectacle for the eyes.

Sweet Nothing

I've lost count of how many consecutive summers I've spent in Capri.  It remains one of my favorite locations in the world.  And a visit is incomplete without multiple reservations at the restaurant and beach club La Fontelina.  One can arrive early in the morning and hope to stake a claim to a spot along the rocky beach, but better in high season to call the concierge and book a seaside mattress a couple of days in advance.  Fresh mussels, handmade pasta, and house sangria between morning and afternoon swimming and sunning make for an unforgettable authentic Italian experience, la dolce far niente: the sweet of doing nothing.  I come for the crystal clear blue water against stunning rock formations, the brilliant colors meshing with subtle earth tones, the impeccable service, the perfect fresh food, and the most beautiful people in the world.  I hope you have some time to get away this summer, either to one of your favorite places, or off to explore somewhere entirely new.

Say a Little Prayer

I love these votive chapels, most tiny, as small as 5m x 3m.  There are literally hundreds to be found on any of the Greek islands.  One finds them dotting barren hill and mountainsides, along the roads, beside crowded and quiet beaches, and in the village squares.  It is said that each local family has built (most in the last two centuries) and continues to maintain a chapel.  Some even have a little old lady dressed in black sitting solo, keeping a watchful eye over the church, or you might catch them head down, peacefully asleep.  Some churches are private but there are many, especially ones designated as monuments by the Ministry of Culture, that anyone can enter.  If one enters, it's best to give an offering to express one's gratitude to the spiritual world.  I've seen so many different types of votive offerings, from money, photos, and food to pieces of paper and wood with writings of praise.  I find the tradition of these tiny alters quite beautiful, and I hope it continues for a very long time.

God is in the Detail: Grand Entrance

While there are definitely grand pieces of architecture and cityscape throughout Istanbul, I love stumbling across details that might normally go unrecognized if simply using a tourist guidebook.  Recently, on one of my walks through the city I noticed this amazing door on an unassuming Ottoman ministry building.  It reminded me a bit of Andre Arbus and those other French designs from the 1930s and 40s employing metal and star bursts.  Sometimes a little detail or accessory can make up for what might pass as ordinary.