Sunday, February 18, 2024

A Sister Trip to London, January 2024: Part 1

 The Markel Sisters Descend on London Town

It was my idea to fly to London to see the Chanel show at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Word got out to the other Markel sisters, Susan and Jeanne, and the three of us decided it would be a fine adventure to do a London trip together. The exhibit, "Gabrielle Chanel, Fashion Manifesto" was sold out, but the V&A offers entry to members at any time so we signed up.

We stayed in the Kensington area within walking distance of the V&A and a handy underground station, Earl's Court, as a jumping off point for exploring London. We were lucky with the weather. It was cold, but sunny, and no rain at all except for a brief shower while we were enjoying silver coupes of ice cream at The Ivy.

Jeanne and I flew Virgin Atlantic. The flight attendants wear spiffy red uniforms.
We had Upper Class cabins on our flight from JFK. Susan flew from Miami on British Airways. We met her at Heathrow.
Susan and I standing in front of the grand entrance to the V&A, founded in 1899 by Queen Victoria. Its collections span over 5,000 years of human creativity in every medium.

 
Jeanne wears a version of a Chanel classic look: the Little Black Suit with a white collar.
In 1885 when Gabrielle Chanel was 12, her mother died. Her impoverished father left her and her two sisters at an orphanage run by nuns. There she stayed until she was 18. She learned to sew and absorbed the images of the severe ecclesiastical aesthetic of the nuns' habits. Here are some of my favorite garments.

A 1920s silk floral dress.
Gowns from a 1930's era collection.
An array of gowns on a mirrored staircase like the one
in her showroom at The House of Chanel, 31 rue Cambon.
An uncharacteristic multi-colored gown caught my eye.
Diva at the V&A
A bonus exhibit at the V&A was the exciting "Diva"
showcasing the power and creativity of iconic performers from
opera, stage, pop music and film.
We wore headsets and when you approached each vitrine, the 
appropriate music of the performer would play.

A costume worn by Mary Pickford.
The Red Feather costume worn by Cher and designed by Bob Mackie.
The Prince Display
Diva Jeanne at Harrods, our stop after the V&A. She did not buy the glasses, but she did buy some fake snow that the charming salesman demonstrated in the toy department.
Susan salutes the Harrods' doorman, made entirely of Legos.
Cherrio!

If I'm out to dinner, I"ll  have a Negroni. On our first night in London, we dined at The Shed, a "farm to fork" restaurant in Notting Hill. The chef brought out an amuse-bouche of Marmite and mushroom eclairs. Hmmm... were we "amused"?

More to come....
A Bientôt!










Sunday, February 11, 2024

A Beautiful Evening at My 80th Birthday Party

 A Magical Birthday Party. I am 80.

It was as if the guests were poured into flutes and

 fizzled up in gay camaraderie...

On a Saturday evening in January, my sister, Jeanne Markel, threw me a party for my 80th birthday. The consummate hostess, it was sublime. Guests traveled by train one hour north of Manhattan to the charming village of Katonah. There, Jeanne and her husband, Chris, live in a converted barn on a hill with a giant illuminated peace sign emblazoned under the rooftop. 

The party room was festooned with colorful crepe paper streamers, and the table alit with candles shining on vases of red tulips. Guests were greeted with flutes of bubbly. There was a frisson in the room as family mingled with friends from all corners of my life.

L-R. Jeanne, my brother, David, and me. I am wearing a party hat of my own design.


My step-daughter, Dianna, created this Barbie Birthday Card.
Jeanne compiled a History of Fashion from 1944 to 2024 in a book.
My nephew, Jack, painted a card for me.
Not to be outdone, our littlest artist, my great niece, Zephyr, made this card.
With my friend, Jean Stone, of The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas.
Jeanne and I with Inge Brouard Brown, artist, weaver, designer and founder of The Katonah Museum of Art.
The cake from L'Anjou Patisserie Française was both beautiful and yummy. As everyone sang Happy Birthday, I blew out all the candles in one breath.

Thank you to Jeanne, my family and friends, and to
Dianna and Michael who came all the way from
Chicago to celebrate with me.

       A Bientôt!





Thursday, September 14, 2023

Paul Levitt and Man Ray - September 2023

A Memoir of Man Ray Now at The Met 

Are you a person who loves a good story about a plucky art student who bolsters up his confidence to call a famous artist in a foreign city? Then you will love my friend Paul Levitt's book, Gathered Reminders: A Visit with Man Ray. It's now available at The Metropolitan Museum of Art book store.

In 1972, when Paul was a student at Tyler School of Art in Rome, he took a trip to Paris and met Man Ray, the American Surrealist, Dadaist artist and photographer. Paul had learned of Man Ray in college and admired his work. 

By luck, Paul got Man Ray's phone number and called him when he got to Paris. Man Ray invited him to visit. Paul's memoir tells the story of their meeting and contains the photographs that Paul took of him.

The cover of Paul's book shows a postcard  from Man Ray.
 It depicts Man Ray's art work, Le pain peint.
In 2015, my late husband, Richard, and I joined Paul at The Met to see the exhibit, China: Through the Looking Glass. On this occasion, Paul signed a copy of his book for us.


Paul with Alex at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris displaying a page from his book.

When Paul, a youthful art student, called Man Ray at his Paris studio, he was invited in and spent three hours with Man Ray and his wife, Juliet. Paul shot photos of Man Ray, who was wearing a beige pajama jacket, a black beret and large, black-rimmed eyeglasses. Paul remembered a quirky detail. The artist was wearing a shoelace tied in a bow as a necktie. 

Paul's photo of himself and Man Ray. They are obviously enjoying each other's company.

Paul and Richard at The Met in 2015.

I am sure you will enjoy Paul's intimate photos of Man Ray and the touching text which accompanies them. You can purchase "Gathered Reminders: A Visit with Man Ray" on eBay by searching for the book's title or by emailing Paul at paullevitt@hawaii.rr.com

À Bientôt!








Sunday, September 3, 2023

Lazy Girl in Paris and Orient: Summer 2023

 Potpourri - Paris to Poquatuck Park

I look up from my laptop. There are goldfinch on the bird feeder eating thistle seeds. I hear a ripe apple thump on the ground fallen from the perfectly shaped apple tree in the yard. A deer will later enjoy this apple as her two fawns cuddle against the white shingles of the garage.

I look across the lawn that the neighbor man mows every Tuesday. I see cars crossing the causeway in the distance on their way to the ferry which will take them to New London and points north. Beyond the fenced-in garden at the back of the yard, with its tall sunflowers, orange zinnias and blue Chicory, I see the "big pile of dirt". The neighbor who owns the house behind my rental has built a pool house this summer, and in doing so, has displaced a great deal of dirt to Latham's field. This BPoD with its fleet of assorted tradesmen trucks, cement mixers and cranes, has provided both visual distraction and fodder for commentary for the two months that I have been in Orient.

The beautiful pool house and BPoD.

Before I came out to Orient, I went to Paris in June. At The Picasso Museum, we saw a display by the British designer, Paul Smith, who provided decor for the exhibit.

Paul Smith's clever installation of the iconic black and white striped shirt favored by Picasso, hanging from the rafters at the Picasso Museum.

Picasso with Françoise Gilot in the South of France. Gilot died last year at the age of 101.  She was a painter, and the only woman to ever leave Picasso.

Bouquets from Deep Roots Farm, Southold, New York

A highlight of my trip to Paris was a picnic on the park grounds of Versailles where we had a catered luncheon sur l'herbe while our tour hosts, Cassidy Zachary and April Calahan, shared details about Marie Antoinette and her couturier, Rose Bertin.
"Marie Antoinette with a Rose" by Elizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, French, 1766-1842.
Oil on Canvas, 46 x 35", 1783

Cassidy and April speaking to us about Marie Antoinette and Rose Bertin.
Madame Bertin was a French fashion merchant and milliner. She is considered the first French fashion designer. She became the couturier to the Queen as well as her confidante and friend. She was known for the extravagant pouf hairdos made from pads and pomade and the chemise à la Reine.
Fashion historian and Dressed Podcast co-host, April Calahan, in her custom-made gown à la Marie Antoinette. April attended the Grand Masked Ball at the Versailles Palace, held on the last night of our Paris tour. It began at midnight.
April ascending the steps of Versailles at dawn.

A painting that I completed during my summer in Orient with doll furniture that I found at a yard sale. It's as if I am looking at a real landscape with real people, and with a blink of my eyes, I transform it to a fantasy world.
A house in Orient which provides inspiration for my work.
Sunset at Poquatuck Park, Orient, Long Island, New York

At Le Bouillon in Paris for our farewell dinner.

À Bientôt!








Monday, August 7, 2023

Lazy Girl in Orient: August 2023

 Femme et Fleur Goes to the Gala

Lazy Girl (me) loves a gala. You get to wear a special party dress and see all the other special party dresses coming to the party. It's party time!

On the first Saturday in August, the Oysterponds Historical Society (OHS) holds their Summer Benefit. That's the technical name, because after all, they are raising money for all their great programs. I call it a gala. 

The party takes place in Poquatuck Park overlooking Orient Harbor. A tent is put up with flags flying. There are picnic tables, a bar with lavender-colored cocktails, and toe-tapping music by the Peconic County Ramblers. Dinner is provided by Maple Tree Smokehouse Barbecue in Riverhead.

A big part of the evening is the live auction. Orient artists generously donate art work and other donors give exciting events, like four tickets to a Saturday Night Live show. 

I am wearing a Lisa Corti silk dress, beads of my own design and a knit bag with wood beads by Everyone's Mother. My shoes are Chinatown Mary Janes. That's not a brand. I actually bought them in Chinatown, NYC.
Jeanne Markel is wearing a dress by Ace&Jig.

Alison Ventura, Executive Director of OHS, lovely in a white, lacey dress.

An auction item from North Fork Flower Farm
Paula Marra in a striking ensemble from an Argentinian designer
Carl and Jen Valentino
Carl was co-chair of the benefit with Michael Ventura.
Jeanne Markel and Frank Passanante
Suzanne Gluck and Madeline McIntosh in floral frocks.

Christine Arthur (left) and Jessica Frankel
Two ladies with dress selections from the
same section of the color wheel.
Amy Schatz (left) and Elizabeth Gordon
Margaret Newman
Amnon and Kate Bar-Tur
 
Ian Fried and Irem Turner
Angela Meredith-Jones
Laura Weil and E.J. Camp
(left to right) Sarah Burnes, Elanna Allen and Emily Bellos
Sylvia Newman
Picnic on a hay bale
Gail Barlow
Ambriel Floyd wearing a charming 60's style dress.
Chris Wedge and Bea Lalli
The Webb House in Poquatuck Park


À Bientôt!