Here are the songs we're listening to in the showroom to celebrate Valentine's Day. Enjoy!
If you've visited the 16th floor of the D&D Building lately, you may have noticed that we changed the window display outside our showroom.
Look closely because you might just miss one of the many creatures that now inhabit the window.
You've seen these little fellows in our blog before. They're made by artist Ann Wood, using bits of Fortuny fabric, and we just can't get enough of them.
Many thanks also to The Alpha Workshops for the lovely grapevine branch.
I love Paris in the Winter... And the Spring, Summer and Fall, as Cole Porter has written. So naturally, I felt extraordinarily lucky to attend Paris Déco Off this year. While the Paris of Cole Porter's song only drizzles in the winter, last week, Fortuny traversed the Atlantic to visit a snow-covered Paris for our second year participating in Paris Déco Off and Maison Objet.
Flying into CDG in the early morning--a long-shadowed view of the divvied up French farmland, dusted with snow.
Fortuny's Parisian home is in the Holland & Sherry Showroom, 13 Rue de l'Échaude. It was my first time visiting, and I was immediately in love with the location. A small, pedestrian-only street in the St. Germaine neighborhood, surrounded by small shops, other fabric houses and historic cafés such as La Palette.
La Palette, an old hangout of Picasso, Cezanne and Braque.
Paris, of course, is home to artists new and old. Directly across the street from the H&S Showroom I spy a Nick Walker piece.
On day one, we had the pleasure of bringing together a large group of friends, colleagues and designers at Hotel Mathis (thank you Malcolm!). They served a delicious, traditional French meal--lots of steak, cheese and butter! Mickey and I were able to eek a vegetarian dish out of them, too. The night ended with a few drinks and quite a lot of dancing at Le Mathis Bar across the hall.
The Le Mathis Elysées Hotel and Bar.On Thursday, we launched and demoed the Rounded Corners, build your own app website. More information to come, but for now, check out roundedcorners.com, where you can build a custom iPad app for your catalog or portfolio, regardless of your tech or design skills. Watch our video.
Friday was jam packed. We began the day at Maison Objet. Check out the beautiful L'Objet pour Fortuny room at the L'Objet booth.
We also found some beautiful salvaged antiques, that will arrive in the New York and Venice Showrooms this February.
I ducked out early to visit a friend at the Renzo Piano offices by the Pompidou. If you're ever in the neighborhood, you should walk by their street-facing work shop. This is where they make all of the models for their projects, worldwide. They also have offices for the architects in the back.
The Renzo Piano model work shop.That night, we had cocktails with the Leaders of Design Council, hosted by Tim Campbell at his beautiful apartment. From there, we dashed over to our own party, celebrating the European launch of our book, Fortuny Interiors, back at the Holland & Sherry Showroom.
On Saturday, Rota & Jorfida Public Relations hosted a party at their super chic offices. Check out the D3CO Disfatto Couch upholstered in Caravaggio Ebony & White.
On Sunday, Paris was struck by another snow storm, canceling many flights and delaying many more. While half of our party was stuck at the airport, the lucky few who had planned to depart on Monday snuck out to enjoy the snowy weather and have the croque monsieurs at Hôtel Le Bristol Paris. Without contest, the best croque monsieur I've ever had (sans jambon pour la végétarienne).
The snow truly set a theme for the weekend. There were constant, impromptu snowball fights between 19 year old French imbeciles and respectable, adult New York designers. I'm sorry to admit, there were more than a few slips and falls. And how could I forget our neighbor on Rue de l'Échaude, the snowman:
Till next year, Paris, au revoir.
Arden
The holidays are around the corner and we’re celebrating by giving away prizes each week. Congrats to Sarah S., who won a L’Objet pour Fortuny candle from our second giveaway!
This week, enter our third and final Holiday Giveaway contest to win a Fortuny umbrella (view our umbrellas at shop.fortuny.com).
Retail Value: $450.00
Enter the contest here.
This contest will end on Tuesday, December 18th, 11:59 pm (Eastern time). The winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 19th.
Good luck!
Beginning last week, many of you entered our first Holiday Giveaway Contest for your chance to win a coveted Fortuny journal or 2013 agenda. The result is in! In a random drawing, Mitchell R. was chosen as the winner - a man of luck since he also won one of our contests earlier this year. Congrats, Mitchell!
From now until Tuesday, December 11th, you could win a L’Objet pour Fortuny candle (view them at shop.fortuny.com).
An homage to Mariano Fortuny and the artisans of Venice, this candle is presented in an elegant porcelain body delicately textured to recall the distinguishable Fortuny pleats. With fragrant notes of both bitter and sweet, the name of the scent is taken from Fortuny's signature Venetian red, Bittersweet, reminiscent of the Venetian custom of an apertif of Prosecco infused with Campari or Aperol. Each candle is encased in a fine grey bisque Limoges porcelain with 14K gold accents and presented in a luxurious Fortuny fabric upholstered box, offered in 5 colors.
Dimensions: 3" x 3.5"
Retail Value: $125.00
Enter the contest here.
This contest will end on Tuesday, December 11th, 11:59 pm (Eastern time). The winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 12th.
Stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter for our next and last Holiday Giveaway of the season, featuring a Fortuny umbrella.
Fortuny y Madrazo: An Artistic Legacy analyzes the work of Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo within the context of his family of artists. The exhibition presents his visual artwork - he did consider himself professionally to be a painter first and foremost, after all - beside the textile and clothing designs for which he became known internationally. But it also juxtaposes his work with that of his forefathers, whose artistic styles and interests had a direct impact on his work’s recurring orientalist and ancient themes. This stunning exhibition is on view at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute from November 30th to March 30th.
This seminal exhibition was conceived and curated with Oscar de la Renta, chairman of Queen Sofia Spanish Institute’s board of directors, who worked closely with the Institute’s directors of exhibitions, Molly Sorkin and Jennifer Park, to develop and realize the show. Vogue’s Hamish Bowles, who had recently curated Balenciaga: Spanish Master at the Institute, introduced Molly and Jennifer to Mickey. About a year ago, they approached him about creating Fortuny y Madrazo.
We are thrilled to have been able to help the Institute, with set designer Stefan Beckman, lighting designer Christopher Gorzelnik, conservator Glenn Petersen, and upholsterer Felice Ciancarelli, put together this exquisite exhibition, which we viewed last night for the first time at the preview party. The event was a wonderful celebration - alongside Oscar de la Renta, Martha Stewart, and our friends and family - of Mariano Fortuny’s breathtaking work and his family’s artistic legacy.
