Our country, and the world, has stood to support Haiti.

Progress is slowly being made, but the needs are vast!

IN ADDITION TO UNICEF, THERE ARE MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE…

A $25 “Fashion for Haiti” T-shirt will go on sale February 12 at retailers across the country with proceeds benefitting the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which is raising funds for immediate, high-impact relief and long-term recovery efforts to help those who are most in need of assistance.

“The tragedy in Haiti has affected everyone and most of us individually have given money for relief,” said Diane von Furstenberg, President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. “However, I think it is now important to send a message and create a channel for funding from fashion as an industry.”

“The total devastation of Haiti is unimaginable. I am always amazed by the strength, talent and compassion of our industry and now more than ever it is essential we come together and help make a difference,” said Ralph Lauren.

“The devastation in Haiti has touched us all deeply,” said Tory Burch. “Now more than ever is the time to ban together and help them get back on the road to recovery.”

“As we watch the story unfold in Haiti, it is our obligation to act,” said Andrew Rosen, President & CEO of Theory. “We must move quickly to raise the much needed money and support for the relief efforts that are beginning now, and that will be required in the months and years to come.”

GO TO www.CFDA.com

VERIZON customers have donated in excess of $7.82 million to the Red Cross, by texting their donation on their Verizon wireless devices!

Here are SOME of the organizations you can support using your Verizon phone…

Text the word “QUAKE” to 20222 to donate $10
On behalf of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

Text the word “Haiti” to 20222 to donate $10
On behalf of the Clinton Foundation Haiti Relief Fund

Text the word “Haiti” to 52000 to donate $10
On behalf of the Salvation Army

Text the word “Hope10” or “UNICEF” to 20222 to donate $10
On behalf of UNICEF

Text the word “Save” or “Safe” to 20222 to donate $10
On behalf of Save the Children Federation, Inc.

Text the word “Give” or “World” to 20222 to donate $10
On behalf of World Vision Inc.

Other notes from Max… On Rome, and what you should know -
There are three St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, St. Peter in Chains, and St. Peter in Montorio. The last holds the jewel of all jewels, my favorite church in all of Rome. Called the Tempietto it was designed by Bramante at the beginning of the 16th century. The dome inside is so very simple, yet beautiful beyond belief.

One of my tricks of Rome is the self-timer on my camera. Place your camera on the floor of a church or the back of a pew and set the self timer, step back a few feet, and you will get a crystal clear picture of those amazing ceilings.

While you are on the Monte Verde try and get yourself a dinner reservation at Il Cortile di Aldo Salvi on Cia Alberto Mario, 26. The person who recommended it to me said it’s where ‘the serious Italians go to seriously eat.’ I have not gone wrong once eating there.

Don’t forget to read ‘Venus of the Empire,’ an amazing biography by Flora Fraser that charts the life of Pauline Bonaparte. Charlotte gave this to me for Christmas and it remained on my bookshelf for two whole months before I realized the eminent impact of said person on my learning here.

Charlotte also sent me the divine book ‘Built of Books: How Reading Defined the Life of Oscar Wilde.’ Reading this gave insight into seemingly every aspect of life– my pen rarely seems to lift from the page for lack of a line to quote in the future.

When in Rome…

E. Volpetti

Via Marmorata, 47, 00153 Roma – Tel (06) 57 13 77 59

Without doubt the most amazing deli, specialty food that store I, or anyone in my family, has ever been too.  From white truffles to fresh ravioli, to ricotta stuffed zucchini flowerettes, to prociutto some say is the ‘best best best EVER.’  NOT to be missed!

Fabriano Boutique

Via del Babuino, 173, 00187 Roma – Tel. (06) 32 60 03 61

Known for its amazing art supplies since 1264, the company has expanded and grown now selling spectacular leather goods, goregous invitation blanks, and pens from all over the world.

Renato e Luisa

Via dei Barbieri, 25, 00186 Roma – Tel (06) 68 69 66 0

Hidden away in an alleyway right off the Largo Argentina in the center of town, this restaurant is classic, classic Italian fare.  Little to no English, on the menu or spoken by the wait staff, always leads me to the best food–and this place is no exception. Try the swordfish and asparagus stuffed ravioli–if it is one of the day’s specials. I can attest that the filet with prune sauce is out of this world!

Felice a Testaccio

Via Mastro Giorgio, 27/29, Roma Tel. (06) 57 46 80 0

Known by Romans as perhaps the best restaurant in Rome, a reservation is required and the interior leaves a little to be desired (like most Italian restaurants), but once you have tasted the food all citicisms will fall to the wayside. Spaghetti with parmesan and black pepper is tossed at your table…considered the house specialty for a reason.

We look forward to more postcards from Max’s travel to Florence, Capri and beyond…. Coming soon!  Thank you, Max!

Photography by Max Sinsteden.

Graphics and Layout by Matthew Kowles.

LILLIAN BASSMAN WOMEN – INTRO BY DEBORAH SOLOMON (ABRAMS)

Gauzy, shadowed, blurred and bleached, Lillian Bassman’s photographs “…are romantic images that turn the blur into a surprisingly focused expression of female feeling.”  This year I acquired two of her photographs from Peter Fetterman in Santa Monica.  A large format of Carmen in Charles James (1950’s) and Lisa Fonssagrives (1960’s) in her convertible with her dog, head scarf and elbow gloves.  So many photos – take the time to savor them.  Richard Avedon said she “…made visible that heart-breaking invisible place between the appearance and disappearance of things.”

SAM HASKINS: FASHION ET CETERA

The eleventh volume of Haskins photographs to be published – and not to be the last, FASHION ET CETERA is the first assembled exclusively with archived material.  As he describes it, “…a trip into the archives becomes an adventure in rediscovering, repairing, and refreshing vintage images.”  Embracing technology as did Lillian Bassman, who said “you know, anything new is fun.”

And as Tommy Hilfiger describes Haskins in the foreward, “his subjects are full of life.”  Sam is 82, Lillian is 92…a potent message there, no?

NORMAN PARKINSON: A VERY BRITISH GLAMOUR – BY LOUISE BARING

With camera in hand doing what he loved and was brilliant at, Norman Parkinson died in Singapore in 1990 while on a shoot for Town & Country.  He described himself as an accomplished tradesman “with a bit of glass, a black hole and a bit of sensitive material –“ I guess that’s one way of looking at it.  And that little black hole left a library of haunting, beautiful pictures of Carmen, Wenda, his wife, who graces the cover, and his famous shoot of Jerry Hall in Russia in the 70’s styled and conceptualized by Grace Coddington.  The most comprehensive book to date, it includes many photos previously unpublished.

THE WORLD IN VOGUE: PEOPLE PARTIES PLACES

Just in case you forgot exactly what made Vogue into the  world’s litmus test for chic, the editorial team has created this lavish record.  Up to the moment, as fashion is and always will be, but with a prolonged glance back toward the legends of the 20th Century, this book is a feast of the most stunning photographs from decades of documenting beauty.  From Jackie Kennedy to Babe Paley to the models and socialites of today, our most elusive trait – style – moves forever in a forward direction.

CAPRI – BY PAMELA FIORI (ASSOULINE)

After reading Capri, I cannot wait to return.

Wandering and winding your way down narrow shop filled streets, another pair of sandals, a new coral bijoux acquisition, the smell of jasmine, a limoncello granita, linguine and a Tuscan wine under citrus trees by candlelight – reading and snoozing on the roof top terrace at the Capri Palace…see what I mean?  O, Pamela, I’ve got the bug!  Viva La Dolce Vita! Viva Italia! Viva Capri!

THE MARCHESA CASATI – BY SCOT RYERSSON, MICHAEL YACCARINO (ABRAMS)

If you are not familiar with the life of Casati you must buy this book.  If you are, you must buy this book!
Ryersson and Yaccarino have done it again, their first volume on the Marchesa was Infinite Variety. Their latest effort, a result of two decades of research, is a visual feast of her life and her influence as a ‘muse’ to fashion and more.  Photographed by Fortuny, Beaton and Man Ray, painted by Augustus John and Boldini they have all captured her as “a living work of art” – which is exactly what she said she wanted to be.
In her preface, Diane Von Furstenberg describes her as “muse, sorceress, über-hostess, femme du monde, icon…aesthetic visionary….”
The rest you must read for yourself.

VANITY FAIR’S PROUSTIAN QUESTIONAIRE

Robert Risko’s caricatures are more than enough to express the personality of the 101 celebrities here, but aided by the revealing Proust Questionnaire they make an amusing story each month.
For 16 years, the last page of Vanity Fair is the Questionnaire.  Each month, when I get my issue, I read the list of cover stories, peruse the table of contents, fast-forward to the Questionnaire, read it, then settle down to read the rest.   Vanity Fair is a healthy cover-to-cover read…sometimes I am just finishing when the next one arrives.

A few stats about the Questionnaire -
Paris – eight said it was their favorite destination (mine too)
Nelson Mandela – the most admired (agreed)
Jesus – two identified with him (scary)
Virginity – the most overrated (well, there you have it!)

Pick it up – you won’t put it down.  Perfect guest room reading!

ELEGANT ENTERTAINING – BY DOROTHY WALKER STAPLETON

With the beautiful background of the American Embassy in Paris, food prepared by Executive Chef Philippe Excoffier and the luscious photography of Francis Hammond, Dorothy Stapleton has put her stamp on French cuisine and entertaining with an American accent.  With recipes arranged by season and menus for all occasions, I look forward to preparing the incredibly simple recipe for pumpkin soup this fall – a capon stuffed with chestnuts, sultanas, apricots and apple, and a tarte fine with a glass of Veuve Cliquot at Christmastime.
Now I know why there were towers of macaroons on platters in one of the sitting rooms when I was there having lunch with the New York City Ballet last year, this book was a work in progress then – now a gorgeous (and appetizing) realité.

THE AGE OF COMFORT – JOAN DE JEAN

Just how long did it take before comfort became a priority in the home?  Well it took the English until the 1780’s.  The sofa was dubbed as “sinful” -  leave it to the French who had all sorts  of sofas throughout the  house, including bathrooms and dining rooms.  Indeed, the French invented what we call comfort today.  And for the cause – every piece of upholstery and technique that you can imagine.

IN HOUSE – DERRY MOORE

We have all found ourselves talking to the four walls of a room at one time or another.  In Derry Moore’s In House, it is the walls that are speaking.  Entirely composed of rooms that have withstood the test of time, there is a conversation with history in every frame.  These interiors have blossomed over and over again, growing stronger and more confident with each passing year.  Any good designer aspires to create something timeless and thoughtful.  And every good designer should have this book…if only for the fog-laden cedars of Lebanon in the garden at Chiswick House, or the game of hide-and-go-seek the camera plays with light on the cover.  To capture these qualities is true artistry.  And Mitchell Owens’ text is both authoritative and whimsical.

TRANSITIONAL STATES/PARCOURS MUSEOLOGIQUE REVISITEE – ROBERT POLIDORI

Somehow one would think that a 17th century building has little evolving left to do – until you have poured through the pages of Robert Polidori’s 744 page, three volume edition.  25 years in the making – some Versailles you have seen, some you have not….

STYLE & SUBSTANCE: THE BEST OF ELLE DECOR – BY MARGARET RUSSELL & THE EDITORS

As Margaret Russell describes in her foreword, Style & Substance is “your room-by-room guide to living well.”
How did these rooms make the cut for the book?  They exhibited personality, passion, joie de vivre and flair – executed by people with fearless style, curiosity and confidence.  The same can be said for every page in the magazine.
From cutting edge to traditional, the Style Guide in each chapter provides sound, idea-filled advice, punctuated with pithy sound bites from designers.  The visuals will most certainly have you rethinking a few rooms at home, and inspiring you for years to come.

MORE IS MORE - BY HUTTON WILKINSON

What more can be said?  Hutton Wilkinson on his late partner Tony Duquette.  Most of the text is in Tony’s own voice.

THE PRIVATE WORLD OF YVES SAINT LAURENT & PIERRE BERGE -

How one lives is truly who they are.  Creator, conceptualist, couturier…a romantic.   This magnificent book delves into his private surroundings – the inspired homes, from Paris to Deauville, to Marrakech, and the various collections that inhabit them tell it all….  This book should complete your library, on monsieur.

WALLPAPER – BY CAROLLE THIBAUT-POMERANTZ (FLAMMARION)

From the moment you pick up this gloriously illustrated volume you know you are in for a special experience.  The cover’s paper is unusually tactile for a book jacket.  How can I describe it?  You must see for yourself – Carolle has achieved her goal to “turn open a door unto a most magical world and enable readers to discover a unique area of the decorative arts.”

NEW CLASSIC INTERIORS – BY ALESSANDRA BRANCA

Sprezzatura: an Italian word that means a certain nonchalance – a gift for making bloody hard work look effortless – Alessandra Branca has just that!  For a girl confident enough to have red as her signature color….  Where boldness is an understatement – and exuberance, vitality and freshness are infused with integrity and history.  Bold scale is enhanced by decorative details in abundance.  As Alessandra says, “A wall isn’t just a wall.  It’s an opportunity.”  Amen.
The size of the book, the robust photography and graphic design completely capture the spirit of the designer.
Estro – yes, I get the picture, Alessandra is estro.  Brava Branca!

INSPIRED INTERIORS – BY SUZANNE KASLER (RIZZOLI)

At the same time modern and classic, Suzanne Kasler’s style is refreshing and modern.  Gallons of white, shades of one color – “repetition is very calming,” she says.  I agree.
A subtly layered look, sans clutter, knowing when to stop – she’s got that down to a science.  Oh, and another piece of advice, “Don’t rush.”  Decorating patience is a virtue rewarded in spades.  See for yourself.

MORE GREAT TITLES TO ADD TO YOUR LIST

THE CAMONDO LEGACY: PASSIONS OF A PARIS COLLECTOR - BY MARIE-NOEL de GARY

JUAN MONTOYA – BY JUAN MONTOYA

STAR PIECES: THE ENDURING BEAUTY OF SPECTACULAR FURNITURE – BY DAVID LINLEY, CHARLES CATOR & HELEN CHISLETT

THE WIRTZ PRIVATE GARDEN – PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARCO VALDIVIA

BEATRIX FARRAND: PRIVATE GARDENS, PUBLIC LANDSCAPES – BY JUDITH TANKARD

SPIRIT: GARDEN INSPIRATION – BY DAN PEARSON

PARIS & HER REMARKABLE WOMEN – BY LORRAINE LISCIO

THE ALLURE OF CHANEL – BY PAUL MORAND

FRENCH FEASTS:TRADITIONAL RECIPES FOR FAMILY MEALS & GATHERINGS - BY STEPHANE REYNAUD

REDEEMING FEATURES – BY NICKY HASLAM

THE SEARCH FOR NEFERTITI - BY DR. JOANN FLETCHER

DANCING TO THE PRECIPICE – BY CAROLINE MOOREHEAD

PARIS QUIZ: HOW WELL DO  YOU KNOW PARIS? – BY DOMINIQUE LESBROS

# # #

THE CORNER BOOKSHOP

As usual, I recommend my favorite corner bookshop, Archivia Books, on Lexington Avenue and 72nd Street.  I find it’s best to reach them by phone if you can’t make it into their wonderful store, at (212) 570 9565.

OR GIVE A MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION…

Have you ever stopped to think how many ideas arrive in your mailbox between the covers of a magazine?  Designers’ work, resources, recipes…things you otherwise would not have seen.  And the average magazine is only $3.95!  What a great gift – not once a year, but twelve times!

I always look forward to going home to Virginia.  My most recent trip was three days and three cities this Autumn.

Traveling to Charlottesville, I visited Monticello.  My visit ended most graciously with a lunch for four in Mr. Jefferson’s greenhouse.  After a morning of history and culture…I chose an afternoon of commerce! I went to visit my friend Kenny Ball’s antique shop on Ivy Road.  Kenny, unfortunately, wasn’t there as he was in New York running the NYC marathon that weekend.  Whenever I am in Charlottesville, I always find time to visit – and I always find something – or in this case somethings.   I found a brass and leather tray table, a red Moroccan leather box, a large pair of tole planters and a French Empire Chest.

After Monticello, off to Somerset to see the farm of a friend – a leisurely visit amongst enormous boxwoods in the shadow of tall white pines and walnut trees.  A restoration in process – I can’t wait to see their progress every step of the way.  We talked through the cocktail hour over icy martinis, then I was off to the Downtown Grill in Charlottesville to have dinner with family.

Saturday afternoon I headed to Richmond down I-64 awash in golds, ambers, russets and reds as the maples painted the roadside.  I have not been to Richmond for a while and I was very eager to get back to Kim Faison’s shop on Grove Avenue.

Layers of  furniture piled high, mostly French and Italian, cabinets full of delft and Faience….  I spied a pair of Empire arm chairs, a pretty French settee, a Spanish Samovar and a small and shapely Italian hall settee.

You can not do antiquing in Richmond and not go to Kim’s store.  An antique gene and finely tuned eye must run in the family.  Her mother Caroline Faison has a shop in Greensboro, North Carolina.  And when I was in Kim’s store this particular Saturday, her son Ben Cochrane was minding the store – three generations.

That evening I went to a cocktail party – my school reunion.  It was a walk down memory lane, full of laughs, with a background of Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Gladys Knight & the Temptations – the best dancing music EVER.  A trip to Starbucks the next morning, and back on the road to Irvington, Virginia.

Carter’s Creek is where my sister lives by the water.  A river view from every window – a postcard of Virginia.  Leaves turning under the warm Virginia sun, neighbors’ sailboats gliding by – the banter of Canadian geese was the only thing interrupting the silence.  Martha took me on a tour of the area…a trip to the “riv-ah” – the Rappahannock – and then to visit Comer & Co., where Alison Drake opened up early so I could shop.  Comer & Co. is a brand new store in Kilmarnock, the new ‘go to’ for antiques, decorative accessories, great paintings and watercolors, lamps, books, fragrance, etc.   Among my purchases was a bookstand where my own book was being displayed, a leather wing chair, an Empire chest, a gilded mirror, some creamware, a blackamoor, and…Woops!  Gotta stop there – the rest are Christmas presents!

Three Days, Three Cities, Three Great Shops…

Kenny Ball Antiques – Charlottesville

2125 Ivy Road #7 · Ivy Square, Charlottesville, VA 22903

www.kennyballantiques.com

434-293-1361

Kim Faison Antiques – Richmond

5605 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226

www.kimfaisonantiques.com

804-282-3736

Comer & Co.

21 North Main Street, Kilmarnock, VA 22482

www.comerandco.com

804-435-2100

All photography by Charlotte Moss.

Graphics & layout by Matthew Kowles.

For a real buffet experience, check out The Buffet Party exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center in New York, especially the live event on November 17th! On that Tuesday, from 6:30 – 9:00 pm. a festive buffet reception, as well as silent auction of delightful buffet “gear” will compliment the exhibition and benefit the Bard Graduate Center Scholarship Fund.

Following a splendid dinner party, what does one remember?  The ambiance.  Their hosts, and the good company of fellow guests.  And the food, especially the food – and the manner in which it was served!

What better way to ensure that guests leave with such memories than a spectacular buffet?!

The buffet, as we now know it, has had a lengthy evolution which can be summed up quite simply in that buffet-style entertaining is the best way to serve a large group of people, with a small staff, and guarantees that food will be piping hot and beautifully presented (if the hostess has done her homework).  Much more so than a seated dinner, a buffet-style meal also frees up the hostess to spend most of her time with her guests, and the options for decadent and creative recipes are endless….

More on chafing dishes…Eleanor Roosevelt was a big fan of chafing dishes and presided over one at her informal Sunday night dinners. She would scramble eggs in one for her guests. As the story goes, one of the first things she asked when she came to the White House was if they had a chafing dish. (They did not, but quickly acquired one for Mrs. Roosevelt.)

In their book entitled Corned Beef and Caviar for the Live-Aloner, Marjorie Hillis and Bertina Foltz impart recipes and advice for great entertaining.   Marjorie Hillis, as you may know, was an editor at Vogue and in some ways the Carrie Bradshaw of her day.  She was witty and was a positive role model for single women in the 1930s.  She advised single women that one way to entertain was to host an informal Sunday night supper where she cooked dinner herself – or at least pretended to.   She suggests the live-aloner mix canned spaghetti, onions and garlic in a chafing dish in front of her guests, and that by doing so, she would appear “appealingly domestic.”  Carrie Bradshaw indeed.

Domesticity, while appealing, can be slightly more developed than the charming approach of Marjorie Hillis…  Think about these ideas for creating a beautiful and impressive buffet spread.

What to serve…

1. Make dishes that can stay hot for long periods and by doing so become even more delicious.  Some of my favorites, and other great recommendations, are listed here.

2.  I would rather have 2 dishes of the same casserole because one large one often looks like its been massacred after a while.  (Not very nice  looking!!)

3.  Try to avoid individual seasonings, dressings and sauces that complicate the one plate approach.

Setting the table…

1. Use china plates, even if you have to combine several sets.  For picnics, decorative metal plates are great.  Paper plates can easily backfire -depending on what your serve.  A basket or a rattan charger can be very elegant.

2. Use oversized napkins, 22″ – 24″ square, that your guests can lay over their laps (and your upholstery!).  I roll them around flatware, and stack them at the end of the buffet table.

3. Stemless glassware is a smart choice!  We love the new stemless wine glasses from Reidel.

4. Use trivets to keep hot dishes off the table.

Entertaining large groups indoors…

1. Make a mental map of the evening.  Picture where everyone will sit, what adjacent furniture will be used for eating or resting a drink.

2. Create opportunities for guests to mix and mingle between courses.

3. I love the double buffet-line approach – duplicate your serving dishes so that two lines can move simultaneously and nobody has to wait!

4. Always have someone supervising the buffet, waiting for the inadvertent spill, and replenishing dishes.  Your guests will also appreciate a little help as often they are busy enjoying themselves (the true measure of your success)!

The Buffet Cookbook, by Ruth Langland Holberg.  Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York. 1951.

The Perfect Hostess Cookbook, by Mildred O. Knopf.  Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 1950.

The Gift of Southern Cooking, by Edna Lewis & Scott Peacock.  Alfred A. Knopf, New York.  2003.

Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make At  Home, by Ina Garten.  Clarkson Potter, New York. 2004.

The Perfect Host, by William Yeoward.  CICO books, London. 2009.

The Weekend Cookbook, by Mary Merrill and Mildred Falk Loew.  Coward-McCann, Inc; New York.  1957.

Corned Beef and Caviar for the Live-Aloner, by Marjoria HIllis and Bertina Foltz.  1937.

Martha Deane’s Cooking for Compliments, by Martha Young Taylor. M. Barrows & Co., New York. 1954.

Come for Cocktails, Stay for Supper, by Marian Burros & Lois Levine.  The Macmillan Co., London.  1970.

And of course, Emily Post’s Etiquette, edited by Elizabeth L. Post.  Harper Collins, New York.  1992.

Graphic design & layout by Matthew Kowles.

Those who love flowers inevitably love fragrance as well – and one’s sense of smell, we know, is very individual.  One may prefer the crisp green scent of freshly cut herbs, or the soft aroma of velvety rose petals.  To satisfy the human nose, perfumeurs have toiled for centuries to extract, and then capture, the elusive scents of the earth’s many rare delights.

A few facts about fragrance…

• Perfume began as incense in Mesopotamia.
• The Egyptians invented aromatherapy…Cleopatra’s ship was made from cedarwood.  She had perfumed sails, incense burners were everywhere and she scented her body with oils infused with violets, roses and almond oils with orange blossom.
• Alexander the Great had his tunics soaked in saffron.
• In ancient Rome perfume extended to houses and household pets…
• Louis XIV had, in effect, a staff devoted to his perfuming interests – his cloths were bathed in nutmeg, jasmine, orange blossom and cloves.
• Louis XV had perfumed doves that were released as partners, to scent the air -
• Napoleon, even while on campaign, insisted upon scented lotions, etc.

Perfume has a rich and fascinating history.  Too much to cover here, but a list of books at the end will enrich your library.

Start with a walk in the park.

In this case, the Tuileries, or perhaps the Luxembourg Gardens.  Then a stroll down the Quai de la Mégisserie, across the river, to all of the flower stalls.

Visit flower shops and shops that specialize in fragrance – perfume….  What they really specialize in is creating ambiance – mystery, romance, curiosity, seduction, charm, sensuality, and necessity.

A single rose, an abundant mixed bouquet, a flat of herbs or a tall planted clematis tied to bamboo – whatever your pleasure – you will find it.

Parfum de Feuilles

Found at L’Artisan Parfumeur, this fragrance is absolutely divine – for the same reason I love to mix roses with tomato leaves when making floral arrangements in the country.  Some might say they are an odd couple.   To me, opposites attract and create the essential contrast to make life interesting.

Diptyque

Not just one fragrance but a company philosophy of single-note fragrances.  When you want a particular fragrance go to Diptyque and try -

Figuer (Fig Tree) – for something dense and exotic, or Scented Geranium (Geranium Rosa) for a walk through the garden, as if you had just rubbed a leaf that released its perfume.  Other Diptyque scents include Feu de Bois (Firewood), Baies (black current leaves and Bulgarian roses) and Choisya (Mexican orange blossom).  All delicious!

Diptyque also has a cologne collection – fragrances not just for the home – L’Hombre Dans L’Eau (The Swan on the Water) and others.  They have also introduced a new body care line this year, with names like Byzantium…. Who wouldn’t feel indulgent enveloped in Damask Rose.  Many of the shops on our list carry scented candles and room sprays for the home – Explore, experiment and enjoy!

Poivre Samarcande by Hermès

One of the most brilliant perfumeurs today is Jean Claude Ellena, the alchemist behind the fragrances at Hermes.  His formulas are mysterious, puzzling – exotic, compelling and unique cocktails.  Of all the fragrances that I have worn, Poivre Samarcande elicits comments and compliments from everyone.

Golconda

Joel Rosenthal, the extraordinary jeweler – and an American – has created Golconda, which reminds me of that moment when night-scented stock are at their peak, intoxicatingly intense – beyond floral – other worldly.    Of course, I have no  idea what elements have been combined to make this intensely rich perfume.  It could even be the essence of truck loads of spicy carnations.  One never knows all the notes in a fragrance – after all isn’t that the perogative of any skilled perfumeur – to hold back on some elements – and don’t we love the mystique of it anyway?

Un Lys

I first discovered the fragrances of Serge Lutens in the Shisheido shop in the Palais Royale years ago.  If you have ever walked by the exquisite violet façade and not gone in – well, what can I say – you have been missing something.  Available now at Barney’s in New York and I am sure other places, I still buy mine in Paris.  The association of Un Lys, the violet shop and one of the most glorious places in Paris – the Palais Royale – just intensify the fragrance for me.  Other fragrances are available, I encourage you to find your ‘note.’

En Passant –

Frédéric Malle, proprietor of Editions de Parfums, whose boutiques in Paris boast futuristic, glass-enclosed fragrance chambers – has a coterie of talent under one roof.  Since launching his company in 2000, he has recently expanded across the pond, arriving at 19 East 72nd Street on the Upper East Side.

White Lilac – If you know anything about fragrance composition you know that a single note is not simply a single note.  These complex formulations have back notes that enhance and support, and allow that single flower to express itself completely, with no competition.
In the case of En Passant, what Olivia Giacobetti did with white lilac is magical.
Whatever supports this white lilac is the best of fragrance partners –
En Passant, as the name suggests, is quite like a waft, a breeze of white lilac, soft, feminine – and genuine.

Oh, and lastly, did we mention – Mariage Freres – and the hundreds of fragrant teas that they offer.  The delicate fragrance and color of meringues at Ladurée, the warm fragrant aroma of souffles at La Recamier.  And then, there’s the air itself – the lindens in blossom, and the omnipresent, appetizing aroma of freshly baked bread, pain au chocolat and then…and then…and then….

Fleuristes

Vilmorin, Casa Nova, Delbard and La Boutique – all nurseries along the Quai de la Mégisserie.

Le Cedre Rouge – 22 Avenue Victoria

Henri Moulie – 8 Place de Palais Bourbon

Mariane Robic - 39 Rue de Babylon

Stephane Chapelle – 29 Rue de Richelieu

Milles Feuilles - 2 Rue Rambuteau (Marais)

Flamant – Rue Furstemberg

Hysope & Cie – 104 Rue Vieille du Temple

Parfumeurs

Shiseido – Salons du Palais Royale – 25 Rue de Valois
www.salons-shiseido.com

Fragonard – 203 Rue St Honoré
www.fragonard.com

Parfums de Nicolai – 28 Rue de Richelieu

Hotel Costes Shop – 239 Rue St. Honoré

Roger & Gallett (Marionnard) – 1 Place du Palais Royale
www.roger-gallet.com

Editions de Parfums/Frederic Malle – 21 Rue du Mont Thabor

www.editionsdeparfums.com

Diptyque – 34 Boulevard Saint Germain
www.diptyqueparis.com

La Maison du Roy – 24/26 Passage Jouffroy

Guerlain – Champs Elysées – 35 Rue Tronchety

L’Artisan Parfumeur – 24 Boulevard Raspail

Cote Bastide - 4 Rue de Poissy

Aesop - 20 Rue Bonaparte

Agraria – www.agrariahome.com

From My Library on Fragrance

The Scented Garden by Eleanor S. Rohde

The Scented Garden by Rosemary Verney

A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman

The Book of the Scented Garden by F.W. Burbidge (circa 1905)

Gardening with Herbs by Emilie Tolley & Chris Mead

L’Ame Parfumée des Jardins by Catherine Laroge

And so many more….  Look for our Paris mix on iTunes.com, coming soon!

All photography by Charlotte Moss.  Graphic design & layout by Matthew Kowles.

Vintage magazine ads and Town & Country cover from a collection.

The end of summer quietly announces itself –
Roses on the wane, legginess in the herbaceous border, a potager less than plentiful – clematis paniculata blanketing anything and everything, and the apples soon ready for picking.

Each year during the last week of August and the first part of September, I gather what is still blooming, mix it with leaves, herbs, and often-times branches and vines from the woods nearby, to create my last bouquets of summer.  I photograph each one as a reminder of the ‘flower friends’ that cling to the end of the season.  They give me another reason to examine what worked in the garden this year, and the research needed to make it better next year.

This year I have harvested the lemon verbena, dried it in flat baskets and stored it in air-tight containers to make infusions after dinner parties this winter.  Leaves dried to be enjoyed all winter are an important note, connecting one year to the next.  Labor Day weekend pestos were made with parsley, combined with pistachios as well as several varieties of basil (which thrived this summer)… soon to be tossed with fusilli.

While I feel somewhat like a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter, there are many plants that are faithful September friends.  After a long Sunday morning beach walk with a good friend, we walked back to her home and took in the garden.  She is an expert gardener, with an enviable knowledge of horticulture.  Her garden includes perfectly clipped boxwoods, with pyramids of sculpted hornbeam and a wall of hydrangea serving as a backdrop.  I delight in my own hydrangeas each year.   The robust white clusters of these flowers announce the end of summer, and serve as symbols of hope.  They offer a visual and psychological transition – a smooth passage to another abundant season.

I came away with two ideas, as one cannot help themselves when visiting such a garden….  A gorgeous tree - fagus sybiatica rohani – a curly leafed member of the beech family, the dark green leaves of which are shadowed with red.  Where to place one in my garden?  Something to ponder this winter.

The other idea for borders, against walls or around my fountain, laburia guarantica – “Argentine sky,” beautiful and delicate spires of blue.  When my salvias have gone their flowering distance, this one takes the baton into fall.  I look forward to gathering more ideas – from other friends, or on my own , whenever that might be – visiting famous gardens or just reading a book by the fire, trying to visualize what I am plotting and scheming, perhaps dreaming.

As this summer melts into fall, I feel great about my garden this year.  A garden of twenty years – plotted, planned, bulldozed, ripped apart & replanted, prayed for and most of all enjoyed.  I have photographed every corner and every plant.  I have scrapbooks that remind me time and time again that gardens, like houses, are living breathing things.  They are ‘a work in progress.’  People often ask “are you done” – they clearly do not understand.  What does “done” mean?  I never want to be done – the joy is in the doing, the puttering, the planning, the planting, the arranging…that soothing cup of tea, the fragrant pesto for dinner and the flower arrangement for the table.  Simple pleasures – and luxurious ones at that!

All photography by Charlottte Moss.

Gardens are often obsessions – they provide distractions from other responsibilities, although having one is a responsibility itself.  Petrarch, the 18th C. Italian poet, considered gardens ideal for poetry, instruction and introspection.  They can provide food, maybe just flowers, or perhaps none of the above – simply a green tapestry clipped, pruned, espaliered or pleached.  Whatever its shape, size, location or purpose, we can unequivocally say that above all a garden is a source of delight – a patch of pleasure – a symbol of ourselves, a thing of beauty to be savored – every precious satisfying moment.

Every summer, when I plan a trip to Europe (I always create the time) it is  my opportunity to get away – really away – and completely recharge.  I plan extensively so that I can maximize each day visiting sites and soaking up the local culture.  This year, it was a tour of villas and gardens for 8 days on Lakes Garda, Como & Maggiore in Northern Italy.  Visits to France and England followed, for a photo shoot at Vaux-le-Vicomte and a visit to Mapperton House, nestled in the English countryside near Dorset, where the garden and surrounding parklands date back to the 16th Century.

The following is my travel scrapbook from three countries and four memorable gardens….

#1: Villa Balbianello

The undisputed star of lakeside villas, few places compare to the Villa Balbianello.  The villa is situated idyllically, between the cool wind descending from the Swiss Alps to the North, and the warm Tuscan sun to the South.  Built as a convent, the 18th Century date unknown, two small structures clung to the Dosso d’Avedo promontory – a jagged peninsula jutting out almost to the center of Lake Como.  It was developed over time by several aristocratic Italian families to become the spectacular property that it is today.  The 19th Century ushered in a new  appreciation for the romantic landscape of the lakes region, as a vacationland and hot-bed of European society.  Numerous paintings document the villa’s prominence, as it was passed from one illustrious familia to the next.  It seems that each owner so cherished the property – which is bordered on three sides by the lake and on the fourth by a lush, wooded hillside – that it was lavishly maintained, even when empty for decades at a time.  It not only survived occupation, a revolution, restoration and two world wars, it was never looted or defaced in any such way.  Following the death of her husband and the end of World War I, the mysterious widow the Marquise Marie Arconati Visconti Peyrat reluctantly sold the property to an ambitious young American, Butler Ames.  Ames and his wife spent every summer at the villa for the rest of their years (except during WWII), painstakingly restoring the 19th century interior.  The guest book holds some of the world’s most famous names, including those of Mary Pickford and Jacqueline Kennedy.

In the Ames’ will, it was stipulated that Villa Balbianello could not be sold until at least 20 years after their death.  Despite this romantic notion, that the villa would go on in its old world fashion, the family did sell exactly 20 years later, to the gentleman and world explorer, Guido Monzino.  Monzino could not have been a better choice, contributing to the villa his great energy, vast resources and exquisite taste.  He lived in the legendary house, inhabiting its hilltop perch, until his premature death in 1988.  The residence and a significant sum of money dedicated to its maintenance, were donated to the FAI (Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano or The Italian Fund for the Environment).

The Official Website

#2: Isola Bella

Her terraced gardens glittering with Italian baroque marble and statuary, she beckons.  One can only reach Isola Bella by water.   The 17th Century home of a legendary family, the House of Borromeo, the villa at Isola Bella is grand, with architectural details, mosaics and vistas at every turn.  However, the gardens are the elaborate, sensational frame around the picture.   I wandered the tree-lined promenades, gazing on sparkling waters and the labors of man -  elaborate stonework, garden ornaments and enormous topiaries provide focal points along the path.

#3: Vaux-le-Vicomte

Precursor to the divine opulence of Versailles, and the grand era of The Sun King, Vaux-le-Vicomte was the first collaboration of three legendary designers: landscape architect Andre Le Nôtre (1613-1700), architect Louis Le Vau (1612-1670) and the artist Charles Le Brun (1619-1690).  Built between 1658 and 1661 for Nicholas Fouquet, then Superintendent of Finance under King Louis XIV, the country chateau at Vaux-le-Vicomte was the largest, most elaborate and certainly the most expensive house ever to have been built in France.  The surrounding gardens and parkland was formerly the site of not one but three villages, which were purchased and then leveled to allow the vast sightlines, seeming to go on into infinity.   Revered as the first “real” French garden, Vaux-le-Vicomte combines the baroque style with a new, grander sort of pomp – a magnificence later to be associated with King Louis XIV.  The initial pleasure was short lived by the chateau’s owner, however.  Following an enormous and infamous fête, held on the 17th of August 1661, the proud Fouquet was arrested, imprisoned for life, and his wife exiled…a harsh punishment for having out-fêted the king!

Avenues, allées, vistas, colonnades and tunnels all act as garden architecture and create a feeling of ceremony, anticipation, excitement, protection and discovery.  Lime trees, hornbeam, beech, plane trees, apples, pears and more are planted according to mathematical formulas and then clipped and pruned with precision.

www.vaux-le-vicomte.com

#4: Mapperton

Not built as a “palace” to impress or to humble foreign leaders, this manor house was first built in the mid 16th century from the golden stone carved out of local hillsides.  Perfected over the centuries by only four families who have lived here, there are several layers of gardening to be excavated.  The buildings are set on a hill with a commanding view, starting with the formal gardens (as new as the 1920’s), the 17th century fish ponds, and followed by the lazy countryside….  Whether as a simple retreat from society, the perfect disembarkation point for a fox hunt,  or the inspiration for Nancy Lancaster’s  abstract topiary garden at Ditcheley, Mapperton stands as it has for almost 500 years – on its own.

www.mapperton.com

All photography by Charlotte Moss.

“You’ll be drooling over Julie & Julia!”

- Rex Reed, The New York Observer

The new hit film “Julie & Julia”, starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child,  is causing quite a “stir” around the country – stirring up fun, prompting “bring a dish get-togethers,” and reminding us that butter is a necessity!  Child was a visionary woman with discipline, desire and the guts to take the lobster by the tail.  And Streep plays her to perfection, expertly inhabiting her characteristic voice, gestures and iconic self-confidence as she turns out culinary pearls….  As Savarin writes “To know how to eat is essential to knowing how to live.”

And live it up we do at my house in East Hampton every year.  Last week and every year, my family descends on my country home, where there is fun, relaxation and of course…family dinners!  Only with the help of chef Mark Sanné, who has worked for me on all such occasions for – I can’t believe it, 17 years!  My sister Martha, who is an avid cook (caterer and private chef in a previous life), always contributes.  This year she made white peach cobbler and blueberry cobbler from my mother’s original recipes.  Have you ever had blueberry cobbler à la mode for breakfast?   My husband has….

Julia Child understood the power of good food, as do many women who have written on the subject.  Among them Lesley Blanch (Around the World in 80 Dishes), the prolific Elizabeth David, who sums up her love of cooking most perfectly in An Omelette & A Glass of Wine, and MFK Fisher (The Gastronomical Me, Consider the Oyster, The Art of Eating).  These women understood that the arts of living embrace an understanding and appreciation of decorating, fashion and good food, combined with hospitality.

In her introduction to The Gastronomical Me, MFK Fisher writes -

“People ask me: Why do you write about food, and eating and drinking?  Why don’t you write about the struggle for power and security, and about love, the way others do?

They ask it accusingly, as if I were somehow gross, unfaithful to the honor of my craft.

The easiest way to answer is to say that, like most humans, I am hungry.  But there is more than that.  It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others.  So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it, and the hunger for it…and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied…and it is all one.”

Simply serving food to eat is a bore.   One of the best parts of cooking, dining and entertaining for me is creating a beautiful presentation at the table.  Setting the table for two or twenty is everyday decorating, an opportunity to create something beautiful, however simple or elaborate as you choose to be.

When I travel, I am always looking for beautiful things for my table.  On a recent trip to Italy, I went straight into Milan after a long overnight flight to several shops, including G. Lorenzi.  Lorenzi has the most gorgeous implements for the dining table, writing, shaving, knitting, you name it!  The selection is broad – mother of pearl, horn, bone, bamboo, bronze, forged steel, carved wood – all of it DELIZIOSO!

All collections develop over time.  Whenever I find myself in a flea market or a country antique fair, even if I am on the hunt for a specific thing, one must always be prepared to expect the unexpected.  Stay open-minded, be spontaneous, consider things with possibilities – and above all, enjoy the hunt.

Some Wit & Wisdom on Cooking, Eating & Entertaining -

“Food must be succulent, nutritious, properly balanced, and as pretty as one can make it.  We eat with our eyes, you  know, and you can’t starve them.” – Van Day Truex

“In my philosophy of food, the perfect meal is the short meal, and at every meal there should be a surprise – a dish that, if possible, is a new dish presented in a new manner. We have tables with different size tops, and we choose colors, table linen, and china to suit the moment.” - Fleur Cowles

“Etiquette means being thoughtful.” - Joan Rivers

“If you accept a dinner invitation, you have a moral obligation to be amusing.” - The Duchess of Windsor

“Dining is and always was a great artistic opportunity.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” - Virginia Wolff

“A hostess must be like a duck – calm and unruffled on the surface, and paddling like hell underneath.” – Anonymous

“A host is like a general – it takes a mishap to reveal his genius.” - Horace

AND A FEW LAUGHS, TOO -

“Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat.” – Fran Lebowitz

“Anyone who believes for one second that the nouvelle cuisine has had any impact on the way Americans eat in their homes is crazy.  It  has nothing to do with anyone except possibly ten people who have chefs and are silly enough to think raspberries go with meat and kiwi with shrimp.” - Nora Ephron

“If you throw a lamb chop in the oven, what’s to keep it from getting done?” -Joan Crawford, in the movie The Women

“Reminds me of my safari in Africa.  Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.” – W.C. Fields

“A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch.” – James Beard

***

As quoted in Monday’s NEW YORK TIMES (8/24/09), Nora Ephron said,

“This was a secret dream, that the movie would sell a lot of books… I’m completely delighted that people are walking out of the multiplex and into the bookstore.”

AND WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

Carmel Snow’s prophetic words would within a few short years be held true, for in those early photographs at Harper’s Bazaar, she saw the hallmarks of what would become Richard Avedon’s style. Original prints, negatives, and notebooks that inspired Snow’s prediction are displayed alongside Bazaar issues form the 1940’s at The International Center of Photography’s exhibition, Avedon Fashion 1944-2000. Separated into three galleries chronicling the periods 1944-1949, 1950-1959, and 1960-2000, we begin to see Avedon’s technique mature, while his friendships with creative figures such as Chanel, Christian Berard, and Rudolph Nureyev blossom.

The earliest photographs are impressive as (even till today) they convey a ‘fresh’ quality in their graphic simplicity, and rather dynamic use of repetitive and radial shapes. In, ‘Renee, The New Look of Dior’, (Paris, August 1941) we see the outline of a sumptuously pleated skirt twirling against the Place de la Concorde’s rigid grid of stone pavers, meanwhile casting pools of mink grey shadows.
Another striking piece, a film strip taken at a Long Island beach, involves a young Elsie Daniels-esque model kneeling at the water’s edge beside a flock of birds. Within a few short slides we see her arms raise, head tilted toward the sun, smiling, while the birds flutter away as if light scattered through a prism. Here, all the traits of an Avedon work are evident; an outdoor environment, natural light, spontaneity, sanguinity, and sensuality.  The influence of Avedon’s mentor, Martin Munkacsi, photojournalist and Bazaar head photographer during the 1930’s-40’s was paramount and particularly noticeable here through the use of a seascape and the model’s sincere expression.  In regards to Munkacsi, Avedon is quoted as saying, “He brought a taste for happiness and honesty and a love of women to what was, before him, a joyless, loveless, lying art. Today the world of what is called fashion is peopled with Munkácsi’s babies, his heirs…. The art of Munkácsi lay in what he wanted life to be, and he wanted it to be splendid. And it was.”

Visitors are treated to further visual delights in one room entirely devoted to scenes photographed in Maxim’s rich, art nouveau interior and pool hall tableaux. Dramatically lit we see our favorite cohort of models; Dovima, Carmen, Audrey Hepburn and the omnipresent Sunny Hartnett, draped in gowns by Gres and Givenchy. Lit with such reverence, one feels as though they’re viewing Medieval illuminated manuscripts at the Morgan Library. Passing through this space one can’t help but wonder whether these pieces were inspired by the work of fellow Bazaar photographer Louise Dahl-Wolfe. This is for the viewer to discern.
In the last room we begin to see Avedon adapt to changes in printing techniques and technological developments. Photographs of Antonela Agnelli, Veruschka, and Penelope Tree line the walls, and while large in scale, this merely contributes to abstracting their features and emphasizing  an almost chiaroscuro lighting effect.  These photographs and many more taken throughout Avedon’s prolific career create for a rich meal that is surely not to disappoint, a belief Ms. Snow would attest to be true.

- Written by Charlotte Moss Staffer, Ross Alexander

Avedon Fashion: 1944-2000, May 15th – September 20th

International Center of Photography
1133 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
(212) 575-5333

Hours:
Tues: Thurs: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am–8:00 pm
Sat–Sun: 10:00 am–6:00 pm
WWW.ICP.ORG

READING LIST: Some Recommendations….

A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and her life in Fashion, Art, and Letters,by Penelope Rowlands
Diana Vreeland, by Eleanor Dwight
The Fashionable Savages, by John Fairchild
The Kennedys: Portrait of a Family, by Richard Avedon
Alexey Brodovitch, by Gabriel Bauret
Richard Avedon: Made in France, by Judith Thurman