Please enjoy this amazing video of the inspiring new Revson Fountain at Lincoln Center, NYC.

It's a beautiful Sunday morning and we are relieved that the rain has subsided. These bright and cheerful totes would be the perfect companion and are inspired by the above true story: "The plan for the posters was to relay a message from King George VI to his people that all capable measures to defend the Country were being taken". I think the sentiment is as true as ever, reminding us all to: Keep Calm and SHOP On. Available at Leffot, $45 USD.

Leffot website here.

From the website:

In a global initiative to promote retail, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion, U.S. and international editions of Vogue are coordinating evening extravaganzas in their respective world fashion capitals.

In the United States, American Vogue has joined with NYC & Company, the City of New York, and the Council of Fashion Designers of America to enliven again the consumer spirit that churns the economy and boosts the local industry of America’s fashion capital, New York City. Next only to finance, fashion is the second-largest sector of industry in New York City—the headquarters of more than 800 fashion companies employing 175,000 people and generating $10 billion in total wages. At City Hall’s May 20 press conference to announce Fashion’s Night Out, Vera Wang said, "To put it bluntly, if people don’t shop, people lose their jobs."

The first evening of New York Fashion Week, Fashion's Night Out will encompass festivities galore— from inventive window displays to model and celebrity appearances. Champagne may flow; hors d'oeuvres may be passed. Rumors of musical performances, downtown barbecues, shoe capsules, limited-edition rings, and sweepstakes abound. Apparently there will be makeovers, brow bars, and haircut stations at sundry spots, too.

Website here.

I have a friend (you know who you are) who is obsessed with socks. I haven't been wearing socks all Summer, but I don't plan on continuing that trend into the Fall/Winter. I never really gave socks much thought until I bought a pair of shoes that are a bit on the tight side and I required something ultra thin. Everything I saw that was thin was 100% nylon. Um, no. I was shown these socks at Barneys NY (which are made by Pantherella, the storied British sock maker) and decided to give them a try--80% cotton, 20% nylon, one in grey, one in black. I could not make the leap to 100% cotton socks that are sized. I do have my limits. My friend, who shall remain nameless, assured me that Pantherella are the best.

The Comme des Garcons socks were a gift from a store I frequent. I guess I have a new sock wardrobe for the Fall/Winter.

Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist, the prototypical fashion blogger, is interviewed by Carolyn Murnick of The Daily Intel at New York Magazine. A favorite excerpt:

How has the Wall Street crash affected you?
I think it's helped in a small way; people come to my site to find inspiration and ways to reinterpret the clothing they already have.

Full interview here.

Stefano Tonchi, Editor of T Magazine, The New York Times Style Magazine in his Editor's Note:

"A few weeks ago, sitting with Miuccia Prada and talking about the last golden years of fashion and the present financial crisis, I asked her if she thought people would change their attitude and not spend on fashion. Her answer was short and precise: we will always buy clothes because they let us live our dreams."

How serendipitous that I should receive this email from Neiman Marcus this week. I guess I am not the only one with Motorcycle jackets on the brain.

I have been considering a new camera for some time now. I don't think I am ready for an SLR because of the size. But, I have been going back and forth using my Panasonic DMC-FX37 and my Leica D-LUX 3 and something has been missing. I have read amazing reviews of the D-LUX 4 from Leica, but I didn't want to be redundant with the D-LUX 3. I really entered Adorama just to look, but as with everything else, I fell in love immediately with the color saturation and low light images from the D-LUX 4. They took my D-LUX 3 as a trade-in and here you have my brand new Leica D-LUX 4. Of course I got talked into the Leica branded leather case.

In a private ceremony in East Hampton, NY, artist Terence Koh has married his more than 10 year lover, graphic designer Garrick Gott. Terence wore his mother's wedding dress, to which he added yards upon yards of white tulle. This is NY State, and while they are not legally married, I celebrate their union and wish them all the best.

We acquired a piece by Terence Koh here. Cheers!

We saw these Luxury Motorcycle Helmets by Ateliers Ruby at Colette when we were in Paris in May 2009 and I thought they were fantastic. Most of the models were very graphic and colorful, but were of obviously high quality. I wish I would have paid more attention at the time, but as usual, I was upstairs trying on jackets and shoes.

Well, they have finally hit NYC. The Motorcycle Federation on 6th Avenue is offering an array of styles with the future option of special ordering your very own color combination. The quality is insane. The beautiful deep red interior is glove soft Nappa (lambskin) and delicate suede calfskin. The carbon fiber exterior technology is borrowed from the aerospace industry and is ultra light, yet super strong. Even the names reek of Luxury, referring to the most beautiful districts in Paris: St. Germain, St. Honoré, Grenelle and my personal favorite, Concorde. With the Concorde model, you can even see the carbon fiber material through the clear exterior shell. Born of pure French Luxury, of course the box is pure heaven. Price 750-1000 USD.

Read about Jerome Coste's vision on the Les Ateliers Ruby website here.

The Motorcycle Federation website here.

We went Whale Watching for the first time on this visit to Provincetown and it is transformative. You get so close to the the magnificent Humpback Whales and they are so at peace with their world, it puts everything into perspective. These giant mammals weigh 40-50 tons and get to between 40 and 50 feet long. Many of them have been in the area for years. I think we saw a dozen in total. I'm not a great photographer, but here is a sample of what we witnessed. I encourage anyone visiting the area to go.

We took the dogs for a stroll down Commercial Street this afternoon, in the heart of Ptown. We had to stop by Forbidden Fruit because last year my friend Donna bought a beautiful pair of Peacocks while we were here. I was pleasantly surprised that they had a new pair on display. This quirky shop is full of oddities and treasures. If you are in Ptown, it is a must see.

Website here.

I believe I have mentioned before that Provincetown, Massachusetts is extremely casual and laid back. There is very little room to be a fashionista or label queen. These are the four pairs of shoes I packed. I love my White John Varvatos Jack Purcell laceless sneakers because they are classic, comfortable and easy on and off. They are great on the bikes we rented! The Navy Blue Sperry Topsiders speak for themselves: weather and slip resistant and perfectly Preppy Handbook. The Hermès Izmir Sandals are for dinner reservations (I can't resist a little Hermès!). The Silver Havaianas flip flops are for the deck or the beach. I sometimes wish life was always this easy.

The Hermès Luxury brand has been in continuous existence since 1837, when they were primarily a saddlery or sellier. In 1892, Émile-Maurice Hermès, grandson of the founder Thierry, introduced the Haut à Courroies or HAC for short, which translates loosely as "High Belts", referring to the belt straps that are used to close the bag. The HAC was inspired by the totes he had witnessed the Argentinian gauchos using to carry their riding equipment on his recent trip to South America. Over the years the HAC has been produced in various sizes from 40cm - 60cm and is primarily used as a travel bag. Famously, Humphrey Bogart carried one that is on view at the Hermès Museum.

Like all Hermès bags, it is produced entirely by a single craftsperson with a double needle saddle stitch that is done completely by hand with beeswax coated linen thread. If a stitch should break, the bag will not unravel because of this double needle technique. The hardware is applied by a method unique to Hermès, called pearling: the plate is first nailed on and then the nail is cut off on the back side and the rough end is hammered down by hand until it resembles a pearl. This method is painstaking, but more permanent than screws, which can come undone. The handles, also produced by hand require several layers of leather and are shaped on the thigh of the craftsperson, so that they are all slightly unique. This attention to detail, in part, explains the cost.

In the 1930s, inspired by the new desire for ladies handbags, Hermès introduced the "Petit Sac Haut à Courroies", which was a smaller, single handled bag, which retained the closing straps of the original HAC. This bag was only a mild success until Grace Kelly started to carry it and was famously snapped by a paparazzo, while she tried to hide her pregnancy behind a large black crocodile version. This image was splashed across LIFE Magazine in 1956 making the bag as famous as the Princess carrying it. A short time later, this bag was renamed the "Kelly", in her honor.

In 1984, when songbird Jane Birkin found herself seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas, then President of Hermès, on an Air France flight from Paris to London, she took the opportunity to express the lack of a great leather travel bag for women--she pointed to the straw tote she had resorted to using. This discussion ended up with Dumas taking notes and making sketches. Dumas returned to the workshop and basically modified the HAC to Ms. Birkin's specifications, making it both smaller and shorter, but with longer handles, enabling it to be carried in the crook of the arm. The end result was delivered to Jane Birkin, creating the first "Birkin". It is my understanding that she receives a new one each year as a gift from Hermès and that she donates her old bag to a charity auction.

Ultimately, I believe that much of the success of Hermès can be traced back to the original and iconic HAC. The bag that inspired it all. Without the HAC, there likely would never have been a Kelly or a Birkin. I imagine that if the HAC has survived for over 100 years, it will survive another. The Kelly and the Birkin are so iconic that they are now part of the fashion lexicon.

A special thanks to Dana Thomas and her inspiring book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.

We wore these two Hermès bracelets on Gay Pride here in NYC. Mine is a classic Black Lizard Medor in Palladium (with the watch) and Eric wore another style that they no longer produce that was specifically designed for men.

I couldn't resist taking this photo of an Hermès Barenia Craftsman's Apron today. Barenia is the classic saddle calfskin of the Luxury house. It has a beautiful hand and a heavenly aroma.

The High Line opened about two weeks ago and I am thrilled that the City of New York has recycled this abandoned elevated train track into a perspective altering public space. We took a stroll for the second time today. I love the organic/industrial design of the benches that gracefully rise from the concrete. To quote Nicolai Ouroussoff, the architecture critic of The New York Times:

Designed by James Corner Field Operations with Diller Scofidio & Renfro, the first phase of the High Line, which opened on Tuesday, is a series of low scruffy gardens, punctuated by a fountain and a few quiet lounge areas, that unfold in a lyrical narrative and seem to float above the noise and congestion below. It is one of the most thoughtful, sensitively designed public spaces built in New York in years.

Read his entire review here.

I ride a Vespa everyday in Manhattan, where I live. I think it is the best form of transportation for an urban locale. I hate the subway and a taxi is so slow. I can zoom up to Madison Avenue in a flash or be in SoHo in minutes. I was getting on my scooter when I looked down and I thought this was a funny image. You see, I carry my bags on the hook between my handlebars, which works better than one would think.

Perhaps I have lost my mind or I am having an (ahem) very early mid-life crisis. I have been considering another tattoo for some time. I decided that something on my shoulder would be discreet as I never wear sleeveless shirts outside of the gym. Of course, I wanted something deeply meaningful to me and I was thinking so much about my recent beautiful visit with my partner to the City of Lights. It just hit me that I should honor my favorite city in the world and the birthplace of modern luxury: Paris.

My partner, in support of my blog, gave me this frame today for my recent "Art Acquisition", the Barbara Kruger "I Shop Therefore I Am" postcard from The Metropolitan Museum. Isn't that sweet?