Scenes from Abroad

Sorry for the delay in some of these, but it’s been a busy two months!


Salone this year was quite exciting, with Kartell “owning” its place amongst the greats! The Tokujin Yoshioka exhibition at the flagship store was absolutely fantastic. Not only were Tokujin’s concepts amazing to view and even more amazing to have been produced, but the design illuminated the night.

At the fair, Kartell once again proved its power in design with showcasing its new collection all in black and white. It clearly showed how intricate the design form and manufacturing thereof is. Having double the traffic on the first day of the Salone was indicative not only of the mood of the market, but how important Kartell is to that market.

Artek took a different approach and showed the new Fukasawa shelving system at Rossana Orlandi, way off site. The simplicity of the room was a perfect setting for the system. And, I got to meet Fukasawa!

Artek also showed the film by Enzo Mari and had the maestro himself there to talk and answer questions. Although all in Italian, his “colorful” language and strong opinions came across loud and clear! It was interesting that so many named designers came to hear him speak (Tom Dixon, Konstantin Gricic, to name two). We can all learn from these masters.

After Salone, ICFF came fast and furious. This year’s fair had a completely different vibe than last years. It was buzzing! The energy and business conducted made my heart sing! I went into about 30 booths and checked to see the reaction. All positive! Not having the Japanese pavilion was a miss for some, but other than that, it was the best show in years.

Artek's booth at ICFF; Artek's master upholsterer, Aki Lehtonen completed two chairs in classic Zebra fabric!

Directly from the ICFF, I hopped a plane to Munich to view the Alessi exhibition at Die Neue Sammlung in Munich. As a part of this exhibition designed by Alessandro Mendini will come to Philadelphia in the fall, I was really excited to see the opening. And it did not disappoint. It was truly a wonderland that is so Alessi – right from its roots back in the 20’s. The first night was dinner with Alessandro Mendini and Alberto Alessi – jealous? They are true gentlemen and so very incredibly smart. The jet lag and poor treatment by Continental Airlines (did you see my FB on this?), didn’t diminish the experience one bit.

Alessandro Mendini with some of his collection for Alessi

My next trip is to NEOCON in Chicago (not abroad!)…but nonetheless exciting. New introductions from Carnegie, Humanscale and a tremendous collection by Scott Wilson for Coalesse (did you see Metropolis’s last issue?), will definitely be highlights in Chicago.


Then a much needed vacation to ….where else? Italy! Stay tuned.

It's A Boy!

Three weeks ago I was living with 5 of my old college cohorts and our Miniature Boston Terrier, Sunny D, in suburban Elmhurst, Illinois. This past weekend I found myself in the company of design elites the likes of Adam Glassman (creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine) and Chip DeGrace (my boss’s boss of yesteryear and creative director of FLOR) in the city that Jonathan Larson once referred to as “the center of the universe”. The change has been quick and somewhat unexpected, but it has already been quite the exciting and humbling experience. My name is Sean Hurtubise and I am the newest (and only Y chromosome possessing) member of the BDE team. 

The U-Haul, prior to setting out on our journey

            Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, my sister, Beth, and I decided to take the New York City plunge a couple of months ago and found our idea’s fruition surprisingly expedited. Upon deciding to forge east, the siblings Hurtubise had come to terms with the fact that we were most likely going to be unemployed when exiting the Lincoln Tunnel and entering our new home. However, a week before the move I received word that Beth had been offered a job with a small marketing firm and that I would now be the lone ash in the unemployment urn. I moved with little more than a signed lease, a U-Haul filled with my material existence and one phone number in my Moleskine notebook of a woman who was a complete stranger to me by the name of Beth Dickstein. Five days, two interviews and several untimely almost terrorist attacks on the city later, I found myself employed.  

The view from my 6th-floor walk-up

            While at Elmhurst College, I majored in music education with a vocal emphasis and went on to work in both a customer service and retail capacity with FLOR. Suffice it to say that marketing and public relations are very new and fresh to me, not to mention the pulse and rhythms of this infinitely vibrant city. Though, I must admit, for a city with such an intimidating reputation the folks on the concrete jungle welcome wagon seem to be unseasonably warm.

--Sean Hurtubise

Restaurants for ICFF 2010

Beth’s Favorite Restaurants in NYC

Tribeca

*The Harrison - www.theharrison.com/harrison; 355 Greenwich Street

Odeon - www.theodeonrestaurant.com; 145 West Broadway

Bubby’s - www.bubbys.com; 120 Hudson Street

*LoCanda Verde - www.locandaverdenyc.com; 377 Greenwich Street

Soho

*Café Falai - www.falainyc.com; 68 Clinton Street

*Mezzogiorno - www.mezzogiorno.com; 195 Spring Street

*Aurora’s - www.auroraristorante.com; 510 Broome Street

Balthazar - www.balthazarny.com; 80 Spring Street

Lucky Strike - www.luckystrikeny.com; 59 Grand Street

*Omen-(no website – it’s that special); 113 Thompson St.

Near The Highline

Standard Grill - www.thestandardgrill.com; 848 Washington Street

Cookshop - www.cookshopny.com; 156 Tenth Avenue

*The Red Cat - www.theredcat.com/redcat; 227 Tenth Avenue

Bottino - www.bottinonyc.com; 246 Tenth Avenue

*Trestle on Tenth - www.trestleontenth.com; 242 Tenth Avenue

*Spotted Pig – www.thespottedpig.com; 314 West Eleventh Street

Del Posto-www.delposto.com – 85 Tenth Avenue

After the ICFF MoMA Party

Gordon Ramsay – www.gordonramsay.com; 151 W. 54^th St.

*Il Gattopardo – www.ilgattopardonyc.com; 33 W. 54^th St.

The Modern-www.themodernnyc.com; 9 W. 53^rd St.

*Russian Samovar-www.russiansamovar.com – 256 W. 52^nd St.

Thalia – www.restaurantthalia.com – 828 Eighth Ave. 

Some others I love:

I Trulli          www.itrulli.com                122 E. 27^th St.

Blue Smoke   www.bluesmoke.com        116 E. 27^th St.

Blue Hill        www.bluehillfarm             75 Washington St.

Le Singe Vert www.lesingevert.com        160 Seventh Avenue

And…you know…there’s so much more.  Email me for specific types of food; pricing and locations.  Happy to share. 

*Indicates big time favs

ICFF Party List

2010 Design Week Events

** Beth’s recommendations

Thursday, May 13, 2010

**MoMA Design Store

81 Spring St.

“Destination Portugal”

6- 8 p.m.

RSVP a must:  momastore@moma.org

PICNIC

511 w. 25^TH Street, Suite 805

6 – 8 pm.

NYDC

200 Lexington Avenue

Events from 4-9 p.m.

Check www.nydc.com

Friday, May 14, 2010

**The Conran Shop

@ABC Carpet & Home

888 Broadway

7 – 9 p.m.

**MANU by Emanuela Frattini Magnusson

Launch of luxury leather goods

Ameringer McEnery Yohe Gallery

525 W. 22^nd St.

RSVP a must:   RSVP4@bdeonline.biz

7- 9 p.m.

Personalissimo – Ideas from Lombardia

8 Bond Street

6:30 p.m.

RSVP17@bdeonline.biz

Inglass-Material for the Future

DOM / Valcucine

66 Crosby St.

6:30-9:30 p.m.

RSVP@DOMSHOWROOMS.com

Alu

138 W. 25^th St. 3^rd Floor

6-8 p.m.

RSVP: aluny@alu.com

Surface and Project No. 8 and E 15

38 Orchard St.

7-10 p.m.

CORE 77 – Kick Off Party

9 pm - Midnight

INVITE ONLY

Saturday, May 15, 2010

**ICFF OPENING NIGHT PARTY

MoMA

7-9 pm.

Tickets a must!  Go to:  www.icff.com

**Living Divani, Boffi, Porro

(By Invite ONLY)

**Murray Moss and Franklin Getchell’s  Poetic License

150 Greene St.

7 – 9 p.m. (Press 6 – 7 p.m.)

RSVP@mossonline.com

Areaware – 5 Years

45 Great Jones St.

7-10 p.m.

Surface & Cul is Cool @ Hudson Furniture

419 W. 14^th St.

6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

MATTERmade

405 Broome St.

6-9 p.m.

RSVP@mattermatters.com

Noho Design District curated by Sight Unseen

7-10 p.m.

BY INVITE ONLY  www.nohodesigndistrict.com

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Design within Reach –Emeco 111 Navy Chair

408 W. 14^th St.

6:00 – 10 p.m.

RSVP:  111navychair.com/nyc

Vitra and Creation Baumann

29 Ninth Avenue

6-9 p.m.

RSVP:  rsvp.vitrausa@vitra.com

Straight Forward – New Finnish Design

410 W. 16^th St.

7-9 p.m.

RSVP:  vip@straightforward-design.net

**HAND OF THE DESIGNER – MOLESKINE

INVITATION A MUST – CALL 212-353-1383

Harry Allen Design at Heller Gallery

420 W. 14^th St.

6- 8 p.m.

Harry Allen Design at Ace Hotel

20 W. 29^th St.

9 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Dror

Yigal Azrouel

408 W. 14^th St.

7 – 9 p.m.

Monday, May 17, 2010

**Alessi Takes the Cake” – Meet matali crasset

130 Greene St.

6: 30 – 8 p.m.

RSVP9@BDEONLINE.BIZ

**Artemide – NICE WHITE ICE PARTY

46 Greene St.

6- 9 p.m.

RSVP15@BDEONLINE.BIZ

**Kartell –WELCOME BLACK 2010 ISSUE

39 Greene St.

6 – 9 p.m.

RSVP18@BDEONLINE.BIZ

Fontana Arte

45 Greene St.

6- 9 p.m.

RSVP: info@fontanaartecorp.com

USM-The Architecture of Space

28-30 Greene St.

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

RSVP: info@us.usm.com

A & D Building

150 E. 58^th Street

6 – 9 p.m.

Pura Vida Book Launch at AFNY

22 W. 21^st St.

6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

By_Lissoni

BY INVITATION ONLY

Salone; Milan 2010

Last month, I traveled to Milan to attend the Salone del Mobile on behalf of our client, Kartell, who was participating in the fair.  The Kartell store in Milan was completely transformed by the creative talent of Tokujin Yoshioka who showed a couture collection of thick transparent pieces made of polycarbonate.  Back at the fair, Kartell showed 16 new striking pieces, all of which were showcased in black [or clear, or grey]. For those who did not make it to Milan, you’ll be able to see many of these items on display at the Kartell New York flagship during ICFF later this month. 

Kartell's "Black is Black" booth at the fair

Tokujin Yoshioka at the Kartell booth

Moleskine, as part of the special exhibition, "The Hand of the Designer”, brought us to Villa Necchi Campiglio, a true highlight. Commissioned in the 1930s by the Necchi Campilglio family, the villa was designed by Piero Portaluppi. Located in the heart of the city, it is considered a masterpiece of Rationalist architecture and also combines elements of Deco style.  Guests are able to walk through the entire villa, all equipped with the original furniture. For design week, Villa Necchi, was one of four house museums that participated in “Unexpected Guests; Yesterday’s houses, today’s design”. Each house had contemporary furniture dispersed in the rooms, illustrating how centuries and styles work together. 

The Villa Necchi from the outside

An ornate doorway in the Villa Necchi

We made it back to New York on the day we were scheduled to depart Italy. For those of you who followed the news of the volcanic cloud of ash wreaking havoc in Europe, you know this was the exception to what was going on all around us.  Of course, the trip back was not easy – we spent several hours on the phone with various travel agents + airlines.  Then we had to find a way to get from Milan to Rome.  At close to midnight, it was too late for a train, rental cars were unavailable, and the hotel concierge said that finding a driver would be impossible.  Beth had the brilliant idea to contact Salvatore, a driver who drove us around one evening during the fair.  Salvatore agreed!  And after an overnight car ride, we made it to Rome just in time for our flight back to NYC.  

--Marlene Capron

10 Questions For...Emanuela Frattini Magnusson, Manu Designer

In anticipation of the upcoming ICFF and Manu's big debut, we asked Emanuela Frattini Magnusson, designer of the newly founded luxury leathergoods line, ten questions about design, inspiration, and...Beyonce? Enjoy, and be sure to check out www.manumanu.com.

1.         Who is your inspiration?

Designing is an act of optimism, believing that it is possible to improve on something. To be inspired I have to be in a certain state of mind, of laying myself open to possibilities that appear. Inspiration can come from a person, from a place or an object, but mostly for me it happens when I travel, when I go outside my area of normal existence. Without actively looking for anything, truly seeing and experiencing new things stays in your subconscious and will surface at the right time.

2.         Who is your favorite designer? Why?

There is so much amazing talent around, difficult to say. I would have to choose both Ettore Sottsass and Tibor Kalman who have been constant role models, for their genuine curiosity and lack of jadedness to the very end of their lives.

3.         Where is your favorite place on earth?

Somewhere warm and on the ocean, Capri, Lamu, the Seychelles, on the right early summer morning the beach of East Hampton….

4.         What words do you try to live by?

Integrity, respect, fairness

5.         If you could choose a different career, what would it be?

I almost went to medical school, I would probably be a pediatrician or a neurologist with a very cool looking office

6.         What is one thing you would like to do before you die?

See the rest of the world and finish reading “Gödel, Escher and Bach” by Daniel Hofstadter

7.         What is the most challenging thing you have ever done?

Raise two happy, independent and very decent human beings

8.         What is your favorite book?

Demian by Hermann Hesse

9.         What is currently playing on your iPod?

Foo Fighters, Beyonce, Sting, Vasco Rossi

10.       What do you wish you had invented?

The Nespresso concept, brilliant. Great product, branding, distribution and execution. …. And Post It notes!

Manu's leather bracelets in spring shades. The bracelets will be on sale at Manu's debut event to benefit design-oriented charities.

And we couldn't resist asking a few more:

11.       What is a skill that you wish you possessed?

To be a fantastic guitar player, classic and rock

12.       What quality do you most admire in others?

Balance

13.       What is your greatest strength?

Focus

14.       What is your greatest fault?

Lack of

15.       If a movie were made of your life, who would play you?

Jodie Foster

16.       What's your favorite color?

It varies depending on many factors: object, geography, season, purpose.

Being in Miami vs New York for example changes things……

Having said all this, right now I love vibrant purple blue.

Life After Milan

My mom and me during her visit to New York

 My dad and me at the Cloisters

I have been very busy since my last post – a whirl wind trip to Milan for Salone del Mobile, finding our way back through the volcanic ash and gearing up for my half-marathon combined with a visit from my parents all the way from Georgia. My mom has not spent a significant amount of time in New York in about 25 years.  This was a true vacation for both my parents.  I was able to take them all over the island including their first visit to Kartell and Alessi.  I think my mom would like “1 of everything” from each store!  From SoHo, we ventured to the ultimate tourist destination – The Empire State Building.  Every New Yorker needs to go to the top.  It is such an incredible view!  The second day brought a visit to The Cloisters, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located near Fort Tryon park in Inwood.  This indoor/outdoor museum is a combination of art, artifacts, and huge pieces of medieval architecture.  This is an excellent place for a lovely view of the Hudson River and great place to bring a picnic and sit outside.  That same evening we had an incredible meal at Blue Ribbon for my mom’s birthday.  The weekend was filled with good food, visits to other New York landmarks, like the new Highline and Chelsea Market, and awesome hotels like the St. Regis and my favorite – ACE Hotel. 
 

 THE BIG RACE!

The weekend concluded with THE BIG RACE!  I was a little nervous because I had not reached the mileage goal I had intended, but I did it!  I ran the entire 13.1 miles in about 2:24.  This is my fastest time at that distance and I think a solid time for a beginner runner.  The one downer of the day was it poured rain for the entire run.  I found it a lot easier to run in those conditions when I knew I was running with 6,000 other women right next to me.  My nerves calmed when I realized that we are in it together.  It is an incredible sense of accomplishment when you have pushed both your body and your mind to the limit.  Running long distances like this is a true test of mind over matter.  After finishing this race in the rain, I can reaffirm that I can do anything I put my mind to.  Another special motivating factor, was having my husband and my parents there to cheer me on.  There is nothing like having mom and dad on the side lines to cheer you to the finish.  My mom actually ran one of the very first running races for women in Central Park in 1978.  Running in men’s running shorts and men’s running shoes, the “Mini-Marathon” was breakthrough for women’s running.

Going for the gold.

I am already looking for my next race.  Not quite ready for the full marathon, but another half or 10K will make me happy.  Thank you to the BDE team for cheering me on through my training.  It is so nice to be apart of such a supportive team.  Next time, we can run as TEAM BDE.  Lace up those running shoes!


--Emily Levin