7 posts tagged "Mark Lee"
Christine Quinn Addresses the Fashion Set
Cosmopolitan editor Joanna Coles invited Derek Lam, Rachel Roy, Steven Kolb, Barneys’ Mark Lee and Daniela Vitale, and about fifty other fashion insiders to lunch in the Hearst Tower to meet New York mayoral candidate Christine Quinn yesterday. By way of introduction, Coles earned a few laughs when she said, “I’d like to tell you what Christine would do as mayor, or rather, what she wouldn’t do. She would never take a picture of her crotch and send it to someone in the Midwest whom she’s never met, and then blame her computer for being hacked. I just want you to be reassured that that is not something Christine would do.” The Cosmo chief, of course, was referring to Anthony Weiner, the scandalized former congressman, who is testing the waters for a mayoral run of his own. During a long question-and-answer period, Quinn was quick to repeat an earlier statement that “whatever the next decision is for Congress member Weiner and his family, it’s a decision that they’ll have to make together, and I wish them well whatever decision they make,” and to point out that none of her rivals have the credentials that she does.
“It’s easy to criticize and issue press releases,” she said. “It’s much harder to deliver tangible results. If you look at my record, whether that’s working with the Brooklyn Navy Yard to bring more manufacturing jobs during the recession, or passing more legislation than any other City Council has to protect New York City’s tenants, or whether it’s working with the mayor to create the most comprehensive network of incubators to facilitate jobs in all different sectors, or passing the most comprehensive green building code of any city in America, I have a record of results that none of my opponents can touch.”
Quinn touched on topics such as crime reduction, the expansion of affordable housing, tourism, and public education, as well as the city’s first Design Week, scheduled for next month. “In all five boroughs, we’ll highlight 40,000-plus designers of all types,” she said. “We’re doing it, one, to say that we’re better than anywhere else, let me be perfectly clear; two, to thank the design industry; and three, hopefully to bring more attention to it, so we can bring more jobs to it.” She also got into the nitty-gritty about the Garment Center, a subject close to her audience’s heart, suggesting her Small Manufacturing Incentive Fund model might be a good fit.
As for what Quinn wore, she said, “A New York designer, Elie Tahari, an Alexis Bittar bracelet, David Yurman necklace, and earrings I bought in Sag Harbor from a guy named Lee.”
Neuwirth’s Night In
Last night, to celebrate Irene Neuwirth’s 2013 CFDA Fashion Award nomination for the Swarovski Accessories prize—her second consecutive nod in the category —Barneys New York CEO Mark Lee threw her a party. And when Mark Lee throws you a party, you know you’ve made it. “Barneys was my first account, about ten years ago—it’s the perfect home,” Neuwirth told Style.com. Speaking of perfect homes, Lee hosted the soiree in his swank Chelsea penthouse, replete with views due west to the Hudson and a luxe, quirky charm.
Neuwirth’s work, too, exudes opulence—yet with a bohemian spritz that’s often rare in the fine-jewelry business. Hyper-vivid color is her signature, from asymmetric starburst emerald earrings to chunky labradorite-and-rose-gold-disk rings to lapis-studded bangles—all trimmed with diamonds. “I love Mexican fire opals,” laughed the designer when pressed as to her favorite gemstone. “When you think of fine jewelry, you think of pieces that can be passed down forever, which I still want for my collection—but in a more colorful, creative, and artistic way,” she added.
“She’s way high up on the totem,” said Lee. “She’s built something really significant. We love Irene.” Given the fete’s friendly feel, not to mention the turnout (Allison Williams, Stefano Tonchi, Kate Lanphear, and Wes Gordon were all in attendance), we’d say Lee’s sentiment is the general consensus.
Linda Evangelista, Warthog Appreciator, And More Breaking Intel From Last Night’s Disney Meets Barneys Bash
To say Barneys was animated last night would be an understatement. The retailer’s holiday pop-up—in the mold of last year’s Gaga’s Workshop—is an epic collaboration with Disney, which extends from novelty gifts to a DVF-designed Mickey statuette to character confections available at Fred’s, the store’s ninth-floor restaurant. An entire block of Madison Avenue was reserved for the screening of its Electric Holiday promo film, where animated versions of fashion types faced off with Disney favorites: Daphne Guinness admiring Cruella de Vil’s runway walk, Carine Roitfeld and Cathy Horyn sitting front-row for a cartoon fashion show where Minnie Mouse wore Lanvin ruffles and her usually topless beau, Mickey, tried on a Balenciaga sweatshirt. Hostess Sarah Jessica Parker, in L’Wren Scott and Scott and Stephen Jones-designed mouse ears, kicked off the event, which, she noted, was the unusual one she could attend with both her fashion pals and her daughters, Tabitha and Marion. “I’m delighted my children could come to something I’m working on,” she said, “which is a rare opportunity!”
As partiers circulated, we had to wonder—as SJP’s old alter ego might say—who’s your favorite Disney character?
Bryanboy: “Mickey Mouse. I love his voice—he reminds me of David Beckham. So iconic!”
Lazaro Hernandez, Proenza Schouler: “We did Tiana from The Princess and the Frog [for] the movie they’re showing tonight. She’s the newest one—makes sense, I guess. She’s really, really cute. But secretly, Minnie Mouse.”
Jack McCollough, Proenza Schouler: “I like Mickey. Who wouldn’t? He’s the best.”
Linda Evangelista: “I love The Lion King; Pumbaa is my favorite. So charming.”
Mark Lee, CEO, Barneys New York: “Daisy Duck.”
Sarah Jessica Parker: “As Mr. Iger says, I will not pick a favorite. Too many wonderful memories associated with all of them.”
Simon Doonan: “I would have to say Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. She’s so beautiful—she has a Thierry Mugler, kind of Claude Montana look. High glamour. That eighties ‘evil glamour’ look!”
Barbara Walters: “Minnie, because she is an inspiration to all of us. She’s unmarried—she’s been living with Mickey in sin all these years and they never broke up. And her wardrobe is always in style. What an inspiration to every woman!”
Rachael Taylor: “Cruella de Vil. She always looked so amazingly badass. I love that she was a villain in a fabulous coat, heels, and too much makeup. In my world, more is more.”
Bob Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company: “I have a lot of favorites, but I’m never public about them because I fear offending those who don’t agree. But tonight there was a character here I’m fond of: Tinker Bell. Impish, cute, fun—and she flies!”
Ann Dexter-Jones: “Is Betty Boop Disney? I guess not. I actually like Dopey. He’s so slow, and we live in New York, where nobody ever slows down for a minute.”
Liya Kebede: “I love the Little Mermaid. I like how she looks out for her friends like Sebastian.”
Her son, Shul, added, “I like all of them—except the princesses.”
Master Class
It might have been a balmy after-work Friday evening, but an impressive fashion lot made their way to Washington Square to preview Helmut Lang’s latest show, titled simply Helmut Lang: Sculptures. The power players in the room, including Barneys’ Mark Lee, Ed Filipowski, and Cecilia Dean, were a testament to the designer-turned-artist’s lasting draw. “It’s really a confirmation of Helmut’s style,” said Giambattista Valli, who was in town for the Met gala and was taking in the rubber, foam, sheepskin, and tar stacked sculptures—modern totems of a sort (pictured). Valli, who has never met Lang, admitted he had long been an admirer. “He came into fashion and completely changed the aesthetic,” he said. “It went from the over-the-top eighties to his own clean and spare aesthetic. If you look around, his aesthetic continues to today.”
Lang’s forward-thinking, stark work contrasted particularly nicely with the classic parlor-floor town house space, including vintage moldings. The viewing venue came courtesy of art veteran Mark Fletcher, who co-curated the exhibit with Neville Wakefield. “It’s not easy to make the transition from fashion to art,” Fletcher said. “But when Helmut shredded his fashion archive, I thought ‘This guy is really serious.’ ” Fletcher was also quick to point out, though, that those with vision shouldn’t be restricted. “People like to keep people in specific arenas, whether it’s art, music, film, or fashion,” he said. “But transgressing cultural boundaries is what’s interesting. Look at Tom Ford.”
Helmut Lang: Sculptures, 24 Washington Square North, is on view until June 15.
Around The World With Maiyet
“We literally sat in the back of some man’s house and workshop in Kenya, with Silly Putty, making molds to show the artisans how to make this bracelet,” Maiyet president Kristy Caylor (pictured, right) told Style.com last night at the brand’s fête to celebrate its exclusive launch at Barneys. As she held up a sleek gold cuff, she explained, “The first time the bracelet came back, it looked nothing like this. The second time, it looked nothing like this. By the third time it was close, and by the fourth time it was beautiful. They came out with this huge smile on their faces when they knew they had finally achieved what we had asked for.”
Caylor, along with the brand’s co-founder Paul van Zyl (pictured, left) and creative director Gabriella Zanzani, shared similarly endearing stories about the making of Maiyet and their partnership with artisans in South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, India, and more throughout the dinner portion of the night. Among those seated at the Fred’s feast, prepared by chef Floyd Cardoz, was Christina Ricci (pictured, center), this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, Princess Khaliya Aga Khan, and Barneys’ Mark Lee. “I wish I had known who she [Gbowee] was in the elevator—I had no idea I was in the presence of greatness,” one female guest said as she sat down to the table.
Nearby, Ricci, who was dressed in head-to-toe Maiyet, told Style.com, “At first, I just looked at the designs and thought they were beautiful, and then hearing the concept behind the whole company, I thought it was really amazing.” Meanwhile, at the other end of the lucite table, wine glasses were breaking left and right as they fell into the water-filled moat running down the middle. “It’s still early in the night and people are already throwing glasses around,” joked van Zyl. “Well, as long as Lori Goldstein is OK, the evening can proceed,” he told the group as he looked at Goldstein, who was sitting directly to his right. Though Ricci had to head out after a few bites of her banana leaf-wrapped halibut (early-morning rehearsals for her off-Broadway performance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream called), the rest of the guests continued on through the Indian vanilla bean kulfi (well, assuming they didn’t lose their dessert silverware to the moat).