a LIFE of STYLE

JOHN BARTLETT - FASHION DESIGNERNew York fashion designer John Bartlett has never done things the easy way.  His fashion collection made waves from it's debut in the early 90's.   Bartlett designed his menswear collections with color and detail that was unlike most at the time.   Not feminine at all, in fact masculine, rugged, and classic.  In the uber conservative world of menswear,  however, not the norm.   Menswear designers were used to putting on their industry blinders when it was time to choose colors and add details. 

CLAIBORNE BY JOHN BARTLETTIvy league educated, Mr. Bartlett was obviously smart enough to know he was not taking the short road to any career success he might have mapped out in his head.   His determination to do things - as they should be done, won him kudos and respect from editors and buyers.   It also gained him the attention of Donnatella Girombelli, a Fellini-esque Italiana who ran the GENNY/BYBLOS fashion house.   Bartlett's collection would be backed by GENNY and produced in Italy in the late 90's.   John took the opportunity at the time to add Women's RTW to his runway.  (Genny had state of the art production facilities.   In fact, when Genny eventually went up for sale - Prada bought the house primarily for the factories).   Stylish and urban - John Bartlett's collection for women made sense.  JOHN BARTLETT WOMENS PREVIEW

As is the case with so many of the Italian-American fashion partnerships, it didn't last.   Someone should do that fashion movie one day.   The obscure Italian fashion houses - and the characters that run them!   Directors out there, here's three - Marriuccia Mandelli of Krizia, Donnatella Girombelli of Genny, and Mama Gerani of Iceberg.  The movie practically writes itself!

Fast forward to 2010.   Bartlett is fresh off a collaboration with Claiborne that saw him take his Men's collection to the masses in a way John had never done before.   The collection was clean and upbeat, and embraced by those that got their hands on the pieces.   I found myself fighting my way through the crowds of Herald Square to look for the collection at Macy's!   

Now with his own namesake boutique on 7th Avenue in Greenwich Village, Bartlett has the perspective of a seasoned veteran.   His decision to bring back his Women's collection for his Fall 2010 has garnered much anticipation by those following the New York fashion scene.   There are few designers that have a unique perspective and a narrative to tell.   John Bartlett is one of them.RG / JB T-SHIRT

A collaboration with Rogues Gallery has also developed a cult following for the cool T-shirts and bags that are available at the John Bartlett Retail Store.  Visit the website to shop for the men in your life- and ladies, you can hold your breath - Women's is coming shortly!!  

Shop on-line today.  click - John Bartlett Store.

Style 2020 will host a benefit for the Haitian Children's relief fund.   The Newport Beach, California based studio will host an evening of cocktails, silent auctions, & gaming to raise funds for the devastated children's charities of Haiti.   To learn more about the event, purchase tickets, or make a contribution to the cause - click on invite.

CELINE - SPRING 2010 - PHOTO: MONICA FEUDISo Fresh, So chic, so right on.   The first collection Phoebe Philo showed for Celine was a breath of fresh air for the French Fashion house - to say the least.   The collection is hitting boutiques as I type, and the pieces are sure to be coveted by fans of Philo's former work at Chloe - and any women who appreciate beautiful, classic fashion.PHOEBE PHILO

The collection was minimal in silhouette, yet luxurious in fabrication.   A perfect combination at a time when women are feeling strange about spending large sums of money, for clothing that seems too over the top or extravagant.   The Earth tones of tropical wool trousers and rich brown leathers give a feeling of heritage and permanence, but are cut in modern shapes that flatter.  Several dresses were strong points of the show and overall the palette was muted, but never mundane. CELINE - SS 2010 - PHOTO: MONICA FEUDI

It seems as if the few years Philo had away from the spotlight gave her a fresh perspective.   Her vision of Celine is relevant and accurate in her interpretation of what women want, and what Celine needs to recapture an audience.   While the house has a chic reputation - rarely has it rang true at the cash register. 

CELINE- SS 2010 PHOTO: MONICA FEUDIFormer creative director - Michael Kors , was never able to make the brand a household name in America.   To his credit, Mr. Kors was able to breathe new life into the ultra classic brand.  (Think Chanel before Lagerfeld).  This was of course before Mr. Kors was reborn as a judge on Project Runway- and had, himself, become a household name.   Timing is everything and maybe it would have been Celine boutiques popping up in every mall across America instead of Michael Kors boutiques, if things had been different.    I'm guessing Michael is happy with how that worked out! (Actually I know Michael from the beach and once, years ago, friends and I sneaked into his house to surprise him and his house guests.  We interrupted movie night by taking over the stereo to blast Beyonce's -Bootylicious and dance on his coffee table..we were neighbors and bored and obviously had enjoyed a few cocktails -but that is a story for another time..)  Bravo Michael, for having the foresight to say yes to Project Runway and for never taking yourself too seriously.   Your collection has never looked better!CELINE - SS 2010 PHOTO: MONICA FEUDI

As for Phoebe Philo and Celine - the best is yet to come.   Judging from the first collection for Spring 2010 - what is coming, should be fantastic!   The Spring 2010 collection will be limited to just 24 boutiques globally. CELINE - SS 2010 PHOTO: MONICA FEUDI Three locations are in the U.S.  

Available in New York at Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys, and in Bal Harbour, Florida at the Celine Boutique in the posh Bal Harbour Shops.   

I told you the collection would be coveted!   Click CELINE to visit the website.  Find the store nearest you, before the items are as long gone as my bootylicious beach memories! 

The latest film by director James Cameron has already topped $1 billion at the box office!  Avatar is an out of this world film in more ways than one.   Read more about the story, find out what version you want to see it in, and watch the trailer by clicking - AVATAR.

VEUVE CLICQUOT CHILLING IN A COPPER BUCKETHappy New Year to all my readers!  I hope that you had a fun night ringing in the new year.   There was much Veuve Clicquot where I was, at a friends weekend house in the country.  Hope you all had designated drivers!

This weekend is a great time to look back and reflect on the good and the bad from 2009.   It was a tough year for many, many people.   A wake up call to re-adjust our sense of what is important and what makes us who we are.   Economic hardship has a way of taking the shine off of friendships, social obligations, hobbies, you name it.    Spend some time this weekend to take a deep breath and exhale!  We made it, and 2010 is going to be a much brighter year!  

Set goals for yourself.   Make a list of things you want to do - big and small.   From cleaning out the garage, to getting that new job.   The power of suggestion is immeasurable.   Thoughts are the genesis of greatness.   Ideas we have today can shape our lives tomorrow.   While it is easy to focus on negative things, force yourself to stay positive.   If you find your mind wondering to bad thoughts, catch yourself and think of one of your goals.  Picture how happy and proud you will feel when you have reached it.  New Year's resolutions are great goals to set.

Start this new year off by acting like the person you want to be.   Dress the part, speak the part, and live the part.   Rearrange furniture in your house to set a new mood.   While it might seem superficial, it is a way to clean out the cobwebs that are psychologically keeping you stuck in the "old" you.

Please remember that my first motivation for writing aLIFEofSTYLE is to help people live the life they want to have.   Style is so much more than clothes.   It is everything about you.   The way you comb your hair, the movies you see, the trips you take.    I hope you find something in every article that inspires you to read about a new topic and do some research of your own.   Of course, let me know if you want to see more about a certain topic.   I love to research something I'm not familiar with.

I'm looking ahead to a bright 2010!   I know it will be an amazing year!  I hope you come back and visit often!  The site will have some exciting developments!  Happy New Year, and Happy New YOU!

SEX & THE CITY - THE SLOT MACHINE AT ARIAThe girls from Sex & The City have invaded Las Vegas this month with the opening of City Center.   That's right - Carrie, Miranda, Samantha & Charlotte have been immortalized in a slot machine that is as accessorized as the girls.   SARAH JESSICA PARKER - THE SEQUELLarge plush seats with built in speakers give you stereo sound of that addictive theme song, already heard nightly as the reruns of SATC play back to back on various cable channels.   The world has to wait until May 2010 for the sequel to the global hit - Sex & The City - The Movie, but you can press your luck and hope to win big - or Mr. Big now! 

Word has it that the sequel is more fun and more fashion!  The next time you go to Vegas, look for the girls at Aria resort & Casino in City Center.  As far as casinos go, Aria is in a class of it's own.  The lobby of the hotel has full grown trees, beautifully carved wooden screens, and an open air feel - all producing a sense of calm as you experience the hotel.  Also, there is enough marble to rival any ancient European city!   The smooth curved walls of the high limit poker rooms designed by NY Architect Peter Marino are out of this world!   Literally, you feel like you are walking in the quiet halls of some space ship that is taking you to a galaxy far, far away! 

Plan a trip to Las Vegas, stay at Aria, play Sex & The City, and HAVE FUN!!!  Click SEX to watch the trailer.

CITY CENTER FACADE - CRYSTALS SHOPPING COMPLEXWOW!…  What else can you say when you look at the future.. or experience it?   That is exactly what City Center, the largest and most dramatic urban complex ever to bow in Las Vegas feels like.   The latest project from the MGM Mirage Group, City Center is a work of art on a scale that mere mortals rarely accomplish.    Already dubbed “Dubai West” due to its size and opulence,  City Center sparkles, dazzles, and redraws a line in the sand – separating it from any other property in this already glamorous city.    I was thrilled to get an advanced looked at the complex early this week. JASON IN THE MIDDLE OF RETAIL HEAVEN It didn’t take much to get me on the plane to Vegas to be one of the first people to experience City Center!  Also, how often do you get to look at 8.5 Billion dollars?  That staggering budget won't be topped anytime soon.CRYSTALS INTERIOR - 500,000 SQUARE FEET

Despite the worst economic environment in 75 years, MGM pushed ahead with the uber project that broke ground back in 2007.   Bravo!   The company should be applauded for recognizing that when the economy recovers during 2010 and 2011, this property will be the luxury destination in Sin City, if not the world.     It will take years or at least a decade for any other future project to outdo this work of art.    Not to mention that since the credit crackdown of 2009 – who will ever be able to line up funding like this anytime soon?    

Crystals is the luxury retail complex that features astonishing boutiques from the biggest names in fashion.   Of course Louis Vuitton took the center by storm by opening  their largest boutique in the U.S.-  3 levels of open air design displaying the latest LV collection, as well as custom made products for Vegas like a traveling  roulette wheel in your own LV trunk!  Don't ask the price!     Tom Ford opens his second boutique in the US that will no doubt host the unveiling of the designers women's collection in 2011.    French “it” collection Lanvin also chose City Center to unveil it’s second state side boutique after Bal Harbour– opening early 2010.   Fellow French fashion house and luxury benchmark –Hermes- will also be a part of the massive atrium.

The real star of the Crystals shopping complex is the building itself.  There is over 500,000 square feet of luxury retail shopping destinations!   At the center of the building sits a three story wooden tree house designed by NYC based architect David Rockwell.  DAVID ROCKWELL'S TREEHOUSE The curved lines of this wooden Café / lounge in the sky makes me think of Star Wars – a futuristic image of a minimalist cantina.   At the same time, the shape and position of the tree house looks like an abstract heart, pulsating life to all corners of the Crystals.   Rockwell is known for breaking boundaries and taking projects to the next level.   He is a prolific talent - in the past year alone working on such diverse projects as the state of the art Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, the set of the 81st Annual Academy Awards, and this out of this world retail environment in Las Vegas. (And this is just his projects happening in North America).   Rockwell gave the building smooth lines that soften and calm the feeling created by Fellow Architect and dreamer, Daniel Libeskind, who designed the facade and outer building of Crystals.   Jagged edges of steel and glass envelop Rockwell's world of smooth wood and filtered light.  SMOOTH LINES AND CALM LIGHTING IN THE CRYSTALSThe overall effect is like some futuristic bio-dome where only luxury goods and those who can afford them have survived.   The Crystals and City Center are about as unlike any other structure in Las Vegas you can imagine.    City Center and Wynn are not only at opposite ends of the strip in Vegas, they are polar opposites when it comes to aesthetics.   

Amazingly, the 8 billion dollar City Center has only one gaming property – Aria.  The stunning hotel and casino has 4,000 guestrooms!  The lobby is unlike any casino - hotel you have ever seen.   Calm and serene with live trees everywhere you look.   To help Aria take shape, the powers that be enlisted another rock star of design, NYC architect Peter Marino to contribute to the casino itself.   Marino is the darling of the fashion world,  creating some of the biggest and most luxurious Fashion boutiques in the world for global brands like Chanel and  Christian Dior. CITY CENTER DRIVEWAY -VERY BLADE RUNNER   For City Center Marino created the VIP gaming area of Aria.   The inspiration was the curves and natural flow of the Grand Canyon.  HIGH ROLLER GAMING ROOMS BY PETER MARINO AT ARIA Marino outdid himself with this visually  stunning  space.   He was able to create a sense of calm for those who will be risking large sums of money on every hand!   Not only visually stunning, Aria is proud to have received LEED GOLD certification for the property – another first for a project this size.

The talent of the MGM management is that they are able to present this ultra luxurious property- while at the same time offering enough options for those on a more limited budget.   Case in point,TERRENE BOUTIQUE two of the retails stores owned and operated by the MGM management offers a range of price points that give the same look as the luxury designs for sale in the Crystals complex.    Terrene for Women and Viceroy  for  Men,  both stores off the lobby in Aria. 

I can’t even go into the restaurants here and do them justice.   There are 16 in Aria alone!   More to come on the eating options, but just be warned – don’t eat for a week before you go.  I'll be writing about this for days, as there are so many details to cover!   Oh, did I forget to mention, Elvis is in the building?   That's right, Cirque du Soleil has created another show for Las Vegas.   This time, honoring the King of Rock & Roll himself.   The theater at Aria houses the show and also has the only official Elvis store in Las Vegas.  

After you rock City Center, pop across the strip one night to Planet Hollywood to take in the former “Girls Next Door” star Holly Madison  in her new burlesque production - PEEPSHOW.  Holly went from being one of Hef's harem to being the hottest tease on the strip.. or something like that.  Hef who?   HOLLY MADISON OF PEEP SHOW

Bottom line, Get yourself to Las Vegas  in 2010!   With all the incentives being offered, there has never been a better time to go.   You are guaranteed have a great time.   There are so many great deals on airfare and many of the major hotels are offering packages with steep discounts.   Some are even giving casino dollars to spend on the property.   Jet Blue also has direct flights from the new terminal at JFK.  Good Luck!



If there is a boy or girl in your life who is writing that letter to Santa, you better tell him or her to hop to it and sign that baby already!   It's the 12 of December and Santa is putting the finishing touches on all the presents the elves are making at the North Pole!

Macy's has a direct connection to Santa and they have been helping organize the letters.   Click BELIEVE to visit one of the coolest Santa Claus websites around.   Macy's has all the bases covered!  There have been over 700.000 letters dropped off at Macy's locations around the country.   For every letter received, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish foundation (up to $1 Million).  So help your little one get excited for Christmas and help a child in need at the same time!  Look for the red mailbox at Macy's or check www.Macys.com for a store near you.

I caught a glipse of a meeting of the elves in Bryant park this past week!  I think Santa was giving them a big pep talk about all the hard work they are doing!!  The meeting was sponsored by ABC Family - who has some great Christimas programming lined up for Xmas.ELF MEETING - BRYANT PARK

Hope you have been nice!!  For anyone who has been naughty - there is still time to make amends!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!