Style icon

David Bowie.
Then. Now. Always.

Listen

Another example of the perfect simplicity of new technology. The Bose i-pod speaker takes the place of stereo equipment and stacks of cd's and piles of cords, plus saturates your environment with velevety sound. Turn it as high as you like (there will be no distortion or thwacking). I love that Bose doesn't make it difficult by having a thousand models to choose from. They make one thing and the only choice you have to make is: white or black.

Super stainless steel

Stainless steel appliances have graduated to classic status by virtue of their mutability. They work with high-tech super modern decor as well as traditional and rustic and everything in between. They are the white shirt of kitchen design.

TV guide

Most of us have a television or two in our home. Most of us have struggled with designing a living space around the television at one time or another. Should we put it in a cabinet/armoire? Should we have it out or behind doors? What do we do with the cable boxes/ dvd player? How do we hide the hot mess of wires snaking out of the back of that thing?
This is what makes the flat-screen the greatest electronic advance since the I-Pod. Take something that most of us want in our homes and make it sleek and smart-looking even when it's not in use.

Classic cocktail

The martini will never go out of style. In a world where so much that was deemed the height of sophistication is now verboten ( cigarettes, fur, the one-night stand) a grown-up can still count on being able to proudly order a vodka martini, straight-up with a twist.

Two women

Anna Wintour is the editor-in-chief of American Vogue. Carine Roitfeld is the editor-in-chief of French Vogue. Both women have their own style and very much stick to their look and embody the concept of personal style.

Tom Ford is back

I would want to see this movie even if Tom Ford were only the costume designer. But he is the screenwriter and the director. I would also want to see this movie even if it did not get strong, glowing reviews, but it has. And can't you tell just from the poster that the look of the movie will be a powerful part of it's appeal? The angle of the shot, the gorgeous, disheveled beauty of Julianne Moore and Colin Firth, all pale skin and coppery hair, but punctuated by her black dress and eyeliner, and his glasses. This is a movie for grown-ups and I can not wait to see it.

Cover stories

Here are a few all-time classic album covers. For me just a glance at any one of these records brings back strong memories of times in my life that I associate with the music of each one, but more than that I think they are each also definitive imagery of the artists they represent. Bruce Springsteen = working class rock and roll; Fleetwood Mac = mystical melodies; Rolling Stones = sex gods; Carly Simon= smoldering songwriter.

Iconic photograph

Photograph of Nastassja Kinski by Richard Avedon published in Vogue magazine 1981.

Stylish foyer

I love the look of this foyer. Most of us don't live in a place with an expansive area in which to come and go. The large cabinet/console table is great for storing all of the things we grab on the way out the door, and for stashing the other things that we drag in.

I would add a chair or two flanking the cabinet and have fun changing out the display on top to reflect the seasons or holidays.

It's always about the shoes

Shoe styles come and go ( I'm talking about you, platforms ), but Manolo Blahnik classic styles are truly timeless. Always feminine and lovely, that thin leather sole holds up the woman who holds up the world.

Edit, edit, edit

Style is a simple way of saying complicated things. Jean Cocteau

Our life is frittered away by detail...simplify, simplify. Thoreau

Elegance is refusal. Diana Vreeland

Favorite things

What is there not to like from Hermes? I didn't even include great things for the house like the ashtray or beach blanket. Here are three favorite things from the iconic French store. The Cape Cod watch in white leather, the H buckle belt, and a billowing scarf in Hermes orange.

And of course the Birkin.

The jewelry wardrobe

The jewelry equivalent of the trench coat, the little black dress and the ballerina flat. All you really need.

Watch them for the clothes

Three of my favorite movies ( whenever I come across one of them I watch, regardless of whether it is the beginning, middle or end) have strong appeal to me because of the style of the leading ladies.

I realize that costume designers have tremendous influence on the look of a film, but when I watch these movies I feel like I am getting a strong idea of the personal style of each of these actresses.

Diane Keaton is probably the best example of a film icon who is so strongly associated with her quirky persona, and Gwyneth Paltrow is a fine actress who cannot escape her New York classic cool style. And Rene Russo may not be as known for her own look, but she epitomizes the sharp, seductive image in Micheal Kors throughout that movie.

Kelly Kelly Kelly

I was fortunate enough to stay at the Viceroy Hotel in Miami this past weekend and it did not disappoint.

This is a view from the rooftop on the fifteenth floor. It appears that the pool drops right off of the roof. Talk about an infinity pool.

The hotel is immaculate, the service is discreet and the Kelly Wearstler designed rooms are glamorous, especially the massive, marble-appointed bathroom.

There are many luxury hotels in South Beach, but I prefer the more grown-up appeal of downtown, and the Viceroy on Brickell is just that.

Beyond the sea

I love some coral, or anything natural for that matter, in a home.
Here are some examples of lovely objects that you may have in your home already but the fact that they are rendered in coral kicks them up a notch. White coral especially has such a wonderful rough beauty. I love the mirror in a foyer against a high-gloss dark wall, and the bowl is great on top of a stack of books or with some keys thrown in it.

Stylish because of what it is not...

Joe Allen is my favorite restaurant in Miami. It has been open since February 1998 but it feels like it has been around forever, which is a good thing for a restaurant, especially one so off-the-beaten path. There are other locations in London and Paris and the original in New York which opened in 1965.
It is the perfect restaurant because of the things it's not. No "themey" decor or towering wall of liquor bottles behind the bar. No small plates or fusion food. No twenty-minute introduction by the server. The menu is loaded with things you actually want to eat (especially the deserts) and service is understated and professional.
Joe Allen recently opened another place in Manhattan called Bar Centrale which serves bar food, but with the volume turned up (grilled fontina and bacon sandwich; quesadillas stuffed with lobster). I predict that one will be around forever, too.

Sexy, cool car

Every time I see a BMW Z4 I think, "what a sexy, cool car" and I'm not even a sports car person. I am way too practical and safety conscious. I am so practical that even my car fantasies end with me in a big Mercedes sedan.

But then I see one of these on the road and that involuntary desire kicks in. Midnight blue is the color.

Then I found these

I know I just showed black and white, but then I found these.

Simple, not plain

The L.L. Bean Boat and Tote is a perfect example of excellent design. Why?

Because it has nothing it does not need. It is classic American ( and I mean New England ) ingenuity executed with no frills. It will serve limitless uses and hold up long after anyone would tire of it. And even though it is immediately recognizable by it's shape alone, you can make it your own by choosing your own size, color and style and, of course, having it monogrammed.

I love them when they have been around awhile and get all banged up, but in a good way, like something humble that has been passed down through the family like a collection of old board games.

Black and white

Just a few examples of why black and white is always right.

Perfume icon

When in doubt about what to choose for yourself or what to give as a gift, Chanel No 5 is the correct choice. If you haven't tried it for a while take another whiff. It simply smells pretty and not at all stuffy or like "serious lady" perfume.
Of course you could just buy it for the packaging. The shape of the perfume bottle was such an unusual choice for a woman's perfume. It's kind of masculine for such a feminine fragrance. The label also an odd choice at a time when flourishes were the thing when advertising all things female. And the white box with black outline and just the legend Chanel No 5, well what else did you need?
Everything about it is just perfect.

Grey, not black

This may be the most useful garment in your closet (there is one in your closet, isn't there?).

The grey cashmere cardigan is great with a white shirt and a black pencil skirt, open or belted; over a strapless dress (any color), or my favorite way, with a white tee shirt and jeans.

You may think "grandpa" at first, but the current styles are more fitted and there is nothing old-fashioned about them. There is even something classic/sexy about wearing one with the sleeves pushed up, the top and bottom two buttons unbuttoned, no shirt underneath, with broken-in jeans.

That dress

Diane von Furstenberg's entire career as a fashion designer began with one dress. But what a concept. Design a garment that is throw on easy (a dress) and flattering (the wrap). Who wouldn't rush out to buy one?
And the concept and the dress and most importantly, the woman, live on.

Kitchen style

I love this kitchen.
First of all, it has that blinding, clean, bright whiteness, but the natural floor and wood-topped bar stools provide the comfort level you want in a kitchen. The appliances are state of the art, a nice contrast with the sort-of farmhouse look. The window over the sink, the arcing faucet that any pot will fit under, plus the sink with the same faucet in the island, the lighting (again, you want lots of light for cooking, but I'll bet they all have dimmers), the cabinets with the glass doors, and the smart little flat screen television on the counter. Perfection!