The Cine Noir Film Society makes their mark in Greenpoint tonight,
right next to our signature water tower.
(See white square in lower left.)

The painted white square marks the spot.

We learned last night that there will be a free open-air summer film festival in Greenpoint. The Cine Noir Film Society will screen the films on Friday evenings at 8pm, starting tonight at the American Playground on Franklin Street between Milton and Noble. The setting is great: 16mm large screen presentations will be screened directly onto the old factory building next to Greenpoint's tallest free-standing water tower. If you get lost trying to find the place, just look up!

The selection is pretty wonderful too. Not a Rocky I, II or III on the roster. The focus will instead be "on films often overlooked by other film repertory outfits and many unavailable on home DVD and/or video." All screenings will also include "rarely seen short films drawn from Industrials, Trailers, Cartoons, and assorted cinematic curios." If last night's previews of French music videos from the 1950s are any indication of the quality of what will be shown (and I'm sure it is), we are all in for a treat! I wonder if Dee & Dee sells lawn chairs? I am off to find out.

Tonight, May 30
The Endless Summer
Bruce Brown director, 1966
The first surf film made.

Friday, June 6
Vintage New York City:
World's Fair & Amusement Park Films
Over 90 minutes of rarely seen archival shorts, promotional films and home movies. Coney Island in the 20s and 50s, NYC in the 60s, the NY World's Fair of 1939 and 1964!! I can't wait for this one.

Friday, June 13
Hazel Court: A Special Tribute to the Raven
with Vincent Price

Friday, June 20
Jason and the Argonauts

The New Museum on Bowery
glistening in the Memorial Day weekend sun.

Looking up from the front entrance.
Ugo Rondinone, Hell, Yes!, 2001.
Click to read more about the Facade's Sculpture Program.

When you enter the New Museum, a brand new shiny museum entirely wrapped in metal mesh and designed by Japanese architects Sejima + Nishizawa/SANAA, the staff instructs you to take the elevator to the 7th floor and work your way down. I almost hate to give away what you will see when the doors open. Suffice it to say, my photos don't do justice to the amazing view! Be sure to linger awhile, and perhaps have a beverage. What could be better than a relaxing afternoon at a museum?

Currently on view:
Tomma Abts
through June 29

Paul Chan: The 7 Lights
through June 29

Double Album: Daniel Guzman & Steven Shearer
through July 6


New Museum
235 Bowery
Lower East Side
New York

212.219.1222

A view from the seventh floor veranda.

A close-up of the building's metal mesh "wrapping" material.


Pleasant surroundings on the seventh floor.
A view of lower Manhattan, a spacious sitting area with modern furniture,
and the New Food mini cafe.


New Food at the New Museum.
I like the way the menu resembles the building itself.
Why do snacks at a museum always taste better? It must be the atmosphere.

John Derian's decoupage plates

Inside John Derian Company Inc in the East Village,
there are curious objects everywhere you look.

I love how Bergdorf Goodman recreated John Derian's signature aesthetic on the 7th floor last Tuesday to showcase the decoupage designer's debut furniture collection. So much so that I wanted to pay a visit to Derian's East Village shops, and study his smaller design objects more closely. He has two shops right next store to each other on 2nd Street, between Bowery and 2nd Avenue.

If you are shopping for one of Derian's decoupage designs, there is certainly no shortage of selection at his store. Wow! The density of the objects displayed is heady. The mix of objects is pleasing too: Astier de Villatte terracotta slip-glazed pottery (modern yet with a 19th century quality) are displayed alongside "finger sponges" and other natural objects that look more like scientific curiosities than things you can purchase. But purchase them, you can. I especially love the wall of "mushroom consoles" made by Mark St. Clair near the back of the store on the left.

John Derian's retail design and unique aesthetic seems to borrow from Charles Wilson Peale's ideas about museum displays (he was a naturalist and a painter; see this painting). When I browse through Derian's store, I feel like I am in a museum of ethnography from the late 19th century. There is a curious mix of curious objects excavated from times past, displayed in wood-frame glass vitrines where the glass has melted a bit. There is an overwhelming amount of objects to explore and the room can start to close in on you, but it is worth the time spent discovering.

Now this is what I call exciting. Brooklyn-sized street fair lemonade. A full soup container's worth with fresh limes and lemons for just $3. Found at the street fair next to BAM on Memorial Day. We also found super-delicious vegetarian curry at Nyota's Ting.

Big Sky Country in Williamsburg

The wall of bricked-up windows looks like a minimalist painting

I am certain there was a building here just recently, across the street from Beacon's Closet on North 11th Street in Williamsburg. On the way to Pierogi on Friday, I passed many of these work sites; too many for my tastes. I feel as though I should have photo-documented every block three years ago, so I could know now what used to be there.

Malia and Carol Mills at In Good Company Monday evening.

I responded the second after the email was sent out on April 24th. A special In Good Company Members-Only Event: Malia and Carol Mills, the sister duo behind famed swimwear company, Malia Mills, will speak about their business and their home-grown success story. RSVP ASAP, as attendance is very limited.

At this past Monday's event, I was like a bobble-head doll, nodding in recognition the entire time Malia and Carol Mills spoke about their 15 year-old swimwear brand, Malia Mills. Having been with my clothing brand for about the same amount of years, there were many similar situations I experienced, in terms of business growth, bumps in the road, problems to solve, decisions on wholesale and trade shows, and even coincidentally, design philosophy. I remember reading about Malia Mills years ago in Women's Wear Daily. When I was doing "Modular Dressing" where each item was conceived of as a sculptural separate that could be mix-matched into the collection in numerous ways, Malia Mills was doing item-based bathing suit tops and bottoms which also could be mix-matched to achieve an optimal fit, mood, or interesting texture combo. Sympatico!

And so, on Monday evening, having been very well-fed by organic catering company, Fancy Girl Table, I sat in the front row next to my designer friend Diana, nodding with her in agreement at Malia and Carol's experiences with overstock, with retailers, with trade shows, with customers, with cash flow, and with tough decisions about how to grow the brand. The grace with which Malia and Carol seemed to handle the bumps in the business were inspiring. I admit to getting choked up at one point, overcome with their total humanness (is the only way I can describe it) towards their employees and customers, and their passion for their endeavor.

Whenever I attend an In Good Company event, Amy Abrams and Adelaide Fives always deliver on their mission statement, connecting me with an energetic group of women entrepreneurs, supercharging my productivity, and putting me in touch with a way to connect to myself that is outside of myself. In essence, I always learn a lot, and feel more glad to be me.

The name is stenciled on the window at 170 Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn: Kill Devil Hill. That much we know. What kind of store it will be, we have no idea. My guess is vintage of some sort. But I wouldn't listen to me if I were you. I was way off on the bakery called "Heatherette," which turned out to be a wine store called "Dandelion Wine." Said wine store at 153 isn't open yet, by the way. I will keep you posted on further developments on Kill Devil Hill, Dandelion Wine, and any other new retail ventures that pop up on Franklin Street in the meantime.

Oh wait, I found a MySpace page. Well that tells us a tiny bit more, but not that much really.

I am sorry that I did not get a more clear shot of these espadrilles on the escalator in front of me this morning. We were in rather tight quarters, and it was difficult to maneuver my stealth camera without alerting others. Brown canvas open toe with ankle strap. The straw heel had brown strands braided into the mix. They captivated my attention the entire ride.

A room on the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman is devoted entirely to
John Derian's new furniture collection and his signature aesthetic.
To the left of the table: the "Field" tufted bench, $6160.
Against the wall: the "Dromedary" love seat, $4860.


The "Fritillaria" chair, against the wall at near the table.
Upholstered: $3410. Slipcovered: $3740.

The designer of the hour, John Derian, third from left.

Please turn to page 44 of your June/July 2008 issue of Domino Magazine. You will see a full-page spread of John Derian's new five-piece furniture collection which debuted last night at Bergdorf Goodman. The cocktail party, sponsored by Domino, was an extremely enjoyable event to attend. Beautiful spacious surroundings, great people-watching and delicious hors d'oeuvres, which included seared tuna on toasted black sesame rice crackers, vegetable spring rolls, fava bean hummus on baguette, duck in blinis, and miniature crab cakes topped with guacamole. The specialty cocktail of the evening was a vodka lemonade garnished with mint and sliced lemon. Very refreshing.

But let's get back to the furniture at hand. John Derian's new collection of classic antique-inspired couches and arm chairs were displayed in a room with a similar aesthetic found in Derian's East Village shop. The five shapes (four couches and one chair) are offered in muslin and two shades of linen, neutral tones which will please many a Hamptons summer home owner and interior designer. The collection will be offered exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, on the seventh floor.

A Derian-style vignette.


Domino staffers peruse page 44.

The signature cocktail for the evening:
vodka lemonade garnished with mint and sliced lemon.

It was a cold and wet evening, but

the rain did not dampen the celebration.

Three categories from Jo Meesters (Netherlands):
Pulp, a series of vessels made from paper pulp, polyurethane, epoxy, $480-640
Reshaping Wood 2.0, maple table, $5690
Ornamental Inheritance, sand-blasted ceramic combines contemporary symbols with
traditional Delftware design, $975

New glass design from Esque

The Evolution of Love (right, 3 figures) by British design team, Committee for Lladro

Last night, I checked out one of the featured parties and exhibitions running concurrently with the ICFF. (See Flavorpill, May 16). The Future Perfect Presents, 6 showcases new work from six global design talents, including Jo Meester, Esque, and Committee for Lladro, among others. The special exhibition is very intermingled with the retail store merchandise that you will have to search a bit to find all six, but it is worth checking out if you are in the area.


The Future Perfect
115 North 6th St
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718.599.6278

Anything that comes in a Bergdorf Goodman envelope has got to be good! I will tell you about John Derian's new furniture collection (available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman) and the party presented by Domino Magazine and Bergdorfs tomorrow. It is nice to be a blogger. I like perks!

The Bling-Bling Bling! Bag in the window. I was stopped dead in my tracks.
I think I went blind for 20 seconds.

Closer inspection reveals heart-shaped rhinestones in the mix. gee

I can say one thing with certainty about this oversized-rhinestone-encrusted bag: it will elicit a reaction. And for that reason, I would love to purchase one for $36 with my wholesale I.D. at Just Fantasies, Inc. on Broadway and 29th Street and carry it around, just to see the look on people's faces. I challenge all New Yorkers to try to be stoney-faced, non-plussed, disinterested, detached or jaded as they cross paths with The Bag. The Bag is possibly the most hideously beautiful horrible wonderful bag I have ever seen. $410 will get you a dozen.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor at Just Fantasies, Inc., in hot pursuit of this bag.
What I saw left me speechless. You must pay a visit to Just Fantasies, Inc.
and see for yourself. You don't need a wholesale I.D. to browse. Just to purchase.

Crisp, a brand new place for lunch with plenty of light and plenty of design,
on the corner of 43rd Street & 3rd Avenue

There are those Onda stools again!
Available at DWR.

I passed Crisp last night at around 6pm, soon after it opened, as it so happened. I started to take pictures, and a small crowd gathered around me, asking me what kind of place it was, and if it was open yet, and what they served. So I read the menu to them, and told them it was open. (I saw people ordering inside.)

Crisp certainly packs a lot of design into a small space. The popular Onda stools we saw at El Beit in Williamsburg, beautiful wood-grain counters, other-worldly torchier-meets-world's fair lamps, and flat screen electronic menus. Crisp offers an all-vegetarian menu of "handbag sandwiches" in (what I imagine will be fluffy Israeli) pita and "hummus bowls" with a small variety of vegetable toppings like eggplant or sauteed mushrooms. Sounds right up my alley. Prices are around $7-$10. The house-blended iced teas look tempting too: lychee red, gaucho mint, and apple mango, to name a few.

After reading a few articles and early reviews about Crisp, I found out that a "crisp" is a falafel which comes in all the "handbag sandwiches" and with the "hummus bowl." Why all the mysterious language? I think "pita sandwiches" in this day and age would suffice.


Crisp
684 3rd Avenue (corner of 43rd Street)
Midtown East
New York, NY
212.661.0000

Martin Gleit, The Tree

Perusing the blogosphere for any previews of the ICFF, I have read close to 15 articles about wallpaper this morning. Yes wallpaper is hotter than hot these days. And yes, The Tree by Martin Gleit, pictured above, priced at $94 per square meter, is wallpaper for your brick and mortar walls, not for your electronic devices. At $94 per square meter, The Tree can be custom-sized to fill your wall. WallCollection, a company based in Denmark that will ship anywhere in the world, offers vector-based wallpapers by designers, photographers and artists mainly from Denmark, including Wendy Plovmand, Mette Løber, Casper Balslev, Emil Kozak, among others, and Julia Rothman from Brooklyn. (Brooklyn is always in the house.) You can also upload your own image and WallCollection will create the custom wallpaper for you.

[page print from flavorpill.com]

My second piece is on the calendar for May 16. For full details, click here to read it on Flavorpill.

[page print from flavorpill.com]

I have news. I started writing about art and design for Flavorpill this month! I will keep you posted when new pieces are published. Two are on the site now.

My first piece is on the calendar for May 23. For full details, click here to read it on Flavorpill.

[image: glamourmagazine.uk]

Many wrote about Gwyneth Paltrow and her legs at the New York premier of Iron Man two weeks ago in this knock-out black lace halter dress; but no one wrote about who designed the dress. Since the dress is what is stealing the show, a little overt credit to the designer (and a link to the dress) would be nice. Or perhaps that is just my opinion.

Aha, found it. The Daily News reports (and with a better picture minus the flash) that the dress is by Stella McCartney. Click here to view her Autumn Winter 2008 Collection. The dress in question is Look #40 and appears towards the end of the show. Details below.

"Black Wool Cut Through Halterneck Embroidered Dress"
Stella McCartney, Autumn Winter 2008

[image: Grzywinski+Pons]

Grzywinski+Pons also designed the Hotel on Rivington that inhabits the neighborhood in a rather intrusive way, if you will pardon my judgment here. I guess I could say that I am a fan of their aesthetic, but not of their buildings' relationships with the surrounding spaces and with the idioms of the neighborhoods.

Once inside their spaces, the experience is quite different. Inside one of the rooms at this Lower East Side hotel, the city is your oyster (pearl included). The grey, white, and yellow color palette, pictured above, is minimalist and luxurious at the same time. And definitely on-trend this season. Have you visited a Kenneth Cole store this Spring, for example?

Speaking of "Hyper Design," the design show to top all design shows, the ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), starts this Saturday, running May 17-20 at the Javits. Don't forget, the 20th (Tuesday) is the Public Day where you can purchase tickets for $50. It is more economical to be a design professional, to be sure.

[images: Grzywinski+Pons by way of New York magazine]
click to here view additional photos

Speaking of New York magazine's "Hyper Design" issue, did you happen to see this eye-popping Modernist home, pictured above, in Flushing, Queens? Admittedly, I am looking longingly at the subterranean pool, and at the room off the pool, and at the furniture from Ligne Roset and Poliform. The owner, John Hsu, is a developer with high profile projects in Manhattan, including a new 60-room hotel in NoLita designed by the same architects that designed his home, Grzywinski+Pons. For the record, Hsu got a discount on all the furniture through his pre-existing relationships with Ligne Roset and Poliform from "work." How nice.

My question is this. If Hsu met with such opposition from the neighborhood over the design of his home, as the article describes, why would he want it published in such detail for all to see? I personally would want to lay low for awhile until the neighborhood rage subsided.

Pools of light on the ceiling at DC Moore

After reading about Modernist architecture in Preservation magazine last week, I found the lighting near the elevator banks at DC Moore Gallery particularly beautiful. I have never seen such fixtures that look like a cross between an exhaust fan and a space ship. And then I saw the same fixture this morning in New York magazine's "Hyper Design" issue. What are the odds? Check out the photo on the right in The DIY Artist Loft.

If you happen to visit the gallery before June 13, the current exhibition of paintings, Roger Brown: The American Landscape will help you see light in a new way too. His paintings make quite an impact.


DC Moore Gallery
724 5th Avenue (56th & 57th Streets)
Midtown
New York
212.247.2111

Joe, you are such a tease.

Enter on Lexington Avenue to find the promise of the latest Joe,
which will be store #4

Joe The Art of Coffee has been coming soon to Grand Central for the past several months. To which I reply, so I'm ready already. More on this later today.



More:
There are rumblings that the newest Joe, located in the Graybar Passage of Grand Central Terminal, will open at the end of this month. I called and found out that everything is still on schedule. This Joe will be mainly to-go, given the constraints of the space. I am eager to try their iced coffee. I would imagine, after reading about their serious approach to coffee brewing, a la El Beit in Williamsburg, that it will be an iced Americano instead of an iced American coffee, a la Bluedog on 25th and 6th Avenue. Still you can't beat the iced coffee at Macchiato just around the corner. Dark, delicious, and two dollars. I do have my loyalties. I like my person at Macchiato. She always has my order ready when I get to the register. The new Joe might create an internal conflict.

Mother's Day Window, Cole Haan, Madison Avenue & 61st Street

Anneke Jakobs, Chiquita Chandelier (and detail), recycled cardboard, 2003
[images: Anneke Jakobs]

Advertising is Good for You is a humorous, well-written, informative blog by Boston-area copywriter and creative director, Paula Zargaj-Reynolds. As of today, it is going on my list of weekly reads. The "Advertising Arts & Crafts" section offers some great examples of post-consumer recycling, like this ballgown by Jamie Kuli McIntosh. I also found the Chiquita Chandelier, pictured above, by Dutch designer and master recycler, Anneke Jakobs. If you would like to make one, the artist has graciously provided a digital how-to manual for you on her Website. As I have an affinity for both bananas and corrugated cardboard, I may just download it. Click on tekst> to access a PDF. For a list of Jakobs' projects, click here.

[image: core77]

Or maybe I just have Murakami on the brain, anxiously anticipating seeing his show at the Brooklyn Museum. Doesn't this image make you want to find out the meaning of this curious crown on the Eiffel Tower? It's worth the click. Perhaps you will discover a new favorite design resource: Core77. I have.

[image: yourdivineinspirations.com]

When you think about it, eating a muffin is like eating a hunk of cake. Or a cupcake without the frosting. How is a muffin a breakfast item? What was I saying a few weeks ago? Correction: a muffin equals calories.

I was given a copy of Preservation at the beginning of the week, an architecture magazine connected to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and I have to say, I have been devouring every word. This issue highlights the restrained beauty of Modernist architecture, and the importance of preserving examples of Modernism around the world. Being a fan of this period and aesthetic, I feel like I want to get out and do some advocacy work. There are a number of articles available online. I recommend all of them: The Modernist Manifesto, Air Age Gothic and Palm Springs Eternal, to name a few.