The incantation that begins Octo Octa’s “I Need You,” 30 seconds of euphoric moaning, could introduce any number of songs. A post-yoga chant could develop with layers of blissed-out voices and the hum of a harmonium. A ’90s house sound might emerge, with a diva calling the shots over groovy drums.
Year: 2019
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, there is a mini trend that comes along that is just too pretty to pass up, and the rhinestone/crystal belt with blue jeans is one of them. We had begun seeing these lovely embellished belts on Instagram, and then in shop window here in the city and fell in love with this simple and easy way to dress up an everyday look. Scroll through for some style inspiration and to shop...
Architectural Digest Editor Amy Astley shared the 1916 redbrick Stockholm mansion of sommelier Jeanette Mix on her personal Instagram page and of course, we were immediately taken with the grand chandelier dramatically hanging over the Calacatta oro marble island...
January always feels like the longest month of the year. It feels like ages ago we celebrated new resolutions and new beginnings and already I may have failed to keep up with the days without sugar, or with ‘Dynamo’ the Parisian version of Soul Cycle.
Most days were rainy and we saw the sun for just a couple of days, but we had a few spectacular sunsets and even a day and a half of snow.
Coming to the end of this endless month, here are some wonderful things that happened...
From time to time, I enjoy a wander in a neighborhood far from my own. On a recent winter morning I visited Brooklyn Heights, a charming corner in Brooklyn known for its beautiful architecture and serene charm. This neighborhood isn’t a shopping or dining destination, but it is a feast for the eyes and a place where you can leave with an appreciation of the city.
THE WEEKEND was spent rediscovering the city, little corners and places for a quiet drink or dimly lit and elegant hotel lobbies where the service is casual and the wine is good. Since keeping the new year’s resolution of reading a few pages from an actual book every morning with coffee instead of scrolling mindlessly through my phone, have already finished two books and am nearing the completion of a third with a few days still left of the month.
THERE IS SOMETHING utterly charming about John Derian's eclectic Manhattan apartment. It is one of those fascinating spaces where one could get lost for hours in another world—a world where French armchairs and Italian armoires co-exist, where a Swedish wall and Transylvanian linens intermingle comfortably side by side. There is a 19th-century canopy bed, open shelves filled with 18th-21st-century dishware, scatterings of area rugs and a well-worn chesterfield, oil paintings and other artwork, moody grey walls and plenty of wood, all bathed in a smokey, dusky light...
A beautiful snowfall was supposed to descend upon New York this weekend. I dreamed of walking through Central Park with my camera and a hot cocoa. Instead, we have freezing rain. It was the perfect weekend to stay in, read a good book and search for fashion inspiration.
THIS WEEKEND we rented a scooter (our first time!) and drove to the beach, the wind in our hair on the quiet city streets. Today, it’s a holiday here, the shops are closed and the city is quiet, with many out of town for an extra long weekend. If you had believed in the idea of “Blue Monday”—that is, the idea that the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year, good news: the concept is actually pseudoscience, made up by a holiday company in 2005 to sell summer vacation packages. Don’t you feel better now? January is really not that bad, for it is a time of new beginnings…
Here’s something weird! Billie Eilish is a 17-year-old pop singer with weirdo aspirations and with a massive online fanbase. Roma, on the other hand, is a slow, lyrical, beautiful Mexican art film about the life of a domestic worker who lives with a relatively wealthy family in Mexico City in 1970 and 1971.
In the Kenyan highlands a few miles north of the equator, lies Arijiju, a safari lodge. Located in Laikipia county, it also sits on the Borana Conservancy, a working cattle ranch and wildlife sanctuary. There are zebras and giraffes, gazelles, eland and hartebeest, lions and elephants, and most impressively, it is the home to twenty-two black rhinos, translocated from Lake Nakuru National Park, having reached its capacity of 70.
Despite being a new beginning of the year, filled with so much hope and so many new ideas, rarely does the month of January bring only joy. January—it’s the month of sales, people are tired of shopping and of queues, of agglomeration, of the grey days. Keeping a good mood may be a challenge.
If what we see shapes who we are, what better reason is there to make an effort to see art? For me, art is a prelude to discovery; it is a symbol of a point in time and history that can help navigate the present and future.
The Afrobeat-infused disco project Ibibio Sound Machine, based in London and fronted by Nigerian native Eno Williams, impressed us with last year’s Eiyo EP and the single “Basquiat.”