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Golden Eggs
photo by Chuck PryceArtist Chuck Pryce, a friend and colleague of mine, and his wife Candy recently sent me a lovely gift: a half dozen eggs from his country home where he keeps ten hens. One of the...
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Karakool
The first dinner I'm designing for Istancool 2011 is in Karaköy, a mostly commercial quarter on the Bosphorus, which was originally the meeting place for banks and insurance companies in the 19th...
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Türkiye Dinner
I am a bit behind on my postings. The idea was to show you before and after pictures of locations I used for some dinners this past weekend for Istancool. Saturday I had the good fortune of recreating...
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Palace is Burning
One of the best parts about having a home in Istanbul is being the occasional tour guide. The beautiful architecture, paired with a very long and extravagant history can be overwhelming, so when...
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Light Ascending a Staircase
I'm very proud to finally present some photos from the Istancool 2011 gala dinner, which included celebrity guests Kirsten Dunst, Michael Stipe, Stephen Jones, Terry Gilliam, and Tilda Swinton. Cem...
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Being with You
Earlier I posted some images of Karaköy, where the welcome dinner for Istancool took place. My hope was to share some photos from that night, but because of lack of time that day, I was unable to...
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Inhabited Sculpture
Since being back in New York after Istancool, I relish being in my store. It's really like coming home after a long journey. We held an event here last Wednesday, and I found myself proud of the...
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Sunglasses at Night
Last night my friend Katrina Pavlos invited me to the opening of the exhibition “Persol Magnificent Obsessions: 30 Stories of Craftsmanship in Film” at Center 548 in New York. Persol is one of my...
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Bathed in Light
I love being in my apartment during sunset . . . the glow is both dazzling and serene, and the energy of the rooms seems to fluctuate between the two. While awaiting a small group--including my friend...
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Market Stock
The French writer François de La Rochefoucauld said, "To eat is a necessity but to eat intelligently is an art." I think, especially presently, this quotation holds great weight. One doesn't have to...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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Market Stock: Autumn Harvest
I love the transition of seasons. Something in the air clicks, and the weather becomes a frenzy of variegation, layers of clothing become necessary, and what better time to visit the farmer's market...
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Stewing Over Okra
So last week I mentioned my great okra find at the Union Square farmer's market. I promised a recipe, and although I'm a bit late, you'll thank me when craving a warm night "in" this fall and winter....
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Love is in the Air
Most people believe Spring to be the most magical time for romance, and while maybe this is true I always find autumn to be full of romantic possibilities. Perhaps it's that time of year when people...
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Another Wedding in Another Hall
I must be in a romantic mood! This wedding came to mind after my last posting on Friday. I created this reception for 700 guests at the Four Seasons, outside, along the Bosporus during a late summer...
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Cutting a Rug
Probably my favorite place in the world to buy rugs can be found in Manhattan. Double Knot is located at 13 White Street in Tribeca and run by Murat, a Turkish man who is not only very knowledgeable...
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Thomas Fourgeirol
Photograph by Matthew RoseI bought my first Fourgeirol in Paris ten years ago after seeing one of his paintings in the very stylish L'Eclaireur. I made my way to his gallerist who in turn organized...
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God is in the Detail: Scaling Memory
It had been five years since my last visit to Berlin and before that, 31 years. That latter visit was so memorable because 1979 were those steely Iron Curtain days when West Berlin was an "island" of...
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A New Artist
Dear friends,A very good artist friend who I know as Michale has launched his website today (http://protagonisto.blogspot.com/). I found his first painting to be intense, crazy, enigmatic (even...
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