HORSES, HERMES, HARDY - OH MY!

MR. PIERRE HARDYPIERRE HARDY SPRING 2012 - STILETTO PLATFORMFrench designer Pierre Hardy is a busy man.   This shoe and accessory creative is the guy responsible for the ever increasing amount of over-the-top color combinations on platform shoes that have flooded the market since his collaboration with fashion house Balenciaga began in 2001.  (His multi-color collection for Fall 2007 has fashion fans foaming at the mouth).   Like the shoe designing legend Salvatore Ferragamo had done almost 100 years before him, Pierre Hardy changed the way the fashion world looks at shoes through his own label and with his multiple collaborations.  Hardy also changed the way most accessory designers combine colors when designing shoes. BALENCIAGA - "ROBOT LEGO WARRIOR" SHOES BY PIERRE HARDY- FALL 2007  (Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery..right?)    Amazingly, the same year Hardy began his collaboration designing shoes for Balenciaga, he was also named creative director of fine jewelry for the pinnacle house of chic French design - Hermes.  With the folklore, the savoir faire, and the global demand for the handcrafted treasures this house has created since 1837, being named Creative Director of Fine Jewelry must have been a special moment in Pierre Hardy's career.   After all, he is in the finest and most rarified of company,  as there are only a handful of legendary houses with developed Fine Jewelry divisions.   Chanel, Christian Dior, & Hermes have the legacy. 

In a brilliant move, Hardy began designing a capsule collection of shoes for mainstream fashion brand GAP in 2007.   This meant the designer was now able to serve fashion shoe fanatics from both ends of the price-point spectrum - a move few have been able to coordinate with skill.HERMES

After more than a decade with Hermes, Hardy seems to have only just begun,  as his designs are timeless and will become luxury collectibles.   The latest FJ collection pays tribute to the legacy of Hermes as the premiere Saddler in France.  Titled Centaur, it is masculine, sleek, and of course so luxurious. HERMES CENTAUR RING - BLACK JADE, ROSE GOLD, PAVE DIAMONDS  The homage to the hoof is clear and this grounding reference of strength makes these items as unique and innovative as they are timeless.   Black Jade, Rose Gold, and PaveTHE ICONIC HERMES SADDLE - & SO THE LEGACY WAS BORN Diamonds are the rarified elements you would expect to find on Fine Jewelry this exquisite.

Pierre Hardy is a modernist.  Too often modern designs are overlooked or underrated due to the "simplicity" of the creations.   This is a mistake.   There is nothing more complicated or challenging than designing a "modern" shoe, ring, jacket, or home for that matter.   The challenge being that modern design has the threat of becoming dated faster than any other style.   Great modern designs become classic over time,  while bad modern designs become tacky and dated references to a past look into the future.   There is rarely any middle ground.  Fortunately for Pierre, his work is nowhere near the middle.   Mr. Hardy also happens to be a nice guy.   With so many big egos in the world of design, Hardy is refreshingly down to earth and polite.   I spent one fun night a few years back driving around Paris in the back of Hardy's Jag as he and another friend chatted away in French catching up on old times.   We were headed to a house party.. (as one does in Paris) and Pierre wasA STABLE FULL OF LUXURY - HERMES FINE JEWELRY RINGS as unassuming in every social situation that night as any friendly student, even though he was one of the hottest fashion designers around!  

Pierre Hardy is one to remember, as his designs are here to stay.   They are also in-store to collect!  A visit to the Pierre Hardy Flagship in New York's West Village is a must for anyone planning a trip to NYC.  (Put it on the list in your Bleecker Street Pilgrimage). 

Click Pierre Hardy to read more about the designer and his creative world.

Click Hermes to visit the on-line encyclopedia of the brand.   Search for the store near you and telephone the boutique to ask about the Centaur Fine Jewelry Collection by Pierre Hardy.  Prices range from $25,000 to $880,000 - plan accordingly.

*Click images for more information*

SEMPE & ST. TROPEZ - FOREVER

ST. TROPEZ - ARRIVING BY BOATSt. Tropez is like a dream.   The infamous destination on the French Riviera is the hottest summer "see & be seen" spot - hands down.   The quaint village on the sea has some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in the world.   There is an ironic competition however between natural and manmade attractions.   While the beauty of the mountains, the color of the deep blue sea, and the overall landscape are breathtaking... it's the manmade creations that might have you gasping for breath.   Yachts, Breasts, & Lips - all get bigger season after season!BOTERO ON THE SQUARE - ST. TROPEZ

While it is the glitz, glam, and vulgarity of some of the tourists that make St. Tropez a guilty pleasure for people watching, somehow the excess is diffused by the spirit of the village. SUPER COOL YACHT IN ST. TROPEZ  It's the charm of the shops -tailored for this  "at the beach" experience.    The farmers market and antique fair on Sunday is not to be missed.   Where else can you buy Hermes & Heirloom tomatoes while in flip flops, and take a boat ride back home??

If you can - arrive by boat.   Traffic on wheels is insane.   I go on a friend's boat whenever I visit, but there are public ferries from a few nearby towns as well.   We make a day of it by arriving early and having breakfast on the harbour.  Then a little shopping around, maybe an ice-cream & we are out.  I never stick around long enough to make it to Les Caves du Roy at the Byblos hotel, but I'll leave that to Paris Hilton and whoever she is working for  that summer!  If you plan it well you can have lunch at one of the chic beach clubs West of the village.    This year we found a great alternative to Club 55.    Cabane Bambou is beautiful and breezy.   They have a super friendly staff and a clientele that is a bit less saturated with Americans than 55.   I love Club 55, but sometimes you want low key.  Of course there are so many options... New Coco,  Nikki Beach, Tahiti, etc.   If you have kept to your bikini diet all year, then hit the nude beach that is just next to Cabane Bambou - what's more exotic than being naked on the French Riviera?ST. TROPEZ FARMER'S MARKET - SUNDAYS

This year I was also so happy to see two amazing art exhibitions in St. Tropez.   The Botero sculptures are large and dominating - which is typical of the artist's work.   There is an overt sexuality to Botero's sculptures that is somehow able to be shock and sooth at the same time.    A perfect choice for St. Tropez!

At the Louis Vuitton boutique, the French fashion house hosted a showcase of an artist known for his witty cartoons of society and scenery.   Jean-Jacques Sempe and his creations are -oh- so French.  JASON AT LV BOUTIQUE IN ST. TROPEZYou probably recognize his unmistakable style from his numerous covers of The New Yorker.   Sempe (as he is usually referred to) always has an ironic twist on a situation.  Usually his aim is to make you laugh - which he achieves time and time again.   Many times, we are laughing at ourselves as we recognize the silly hypocrisies we all live with day to day.   Never mean spirited, Sempe's observations are more a pat on the head, than a slap in the face.JEAN-JACQUES SEMPE - HIS VISION OF ST. TROPEZ    Also a perfect artist to be shown in St. Tropez!   In fact, the artist has referenced this playground of the rich and famous many times over the years.    For a closer look at some of his work, and to learn more about Sempe - click LOOK.

CAMPAIGN WATCH 4- WINTER WONDERLAND

French luxury house Hermes never ceases to create beautiful ads that are chic and clever at the same time.

The timeless images are visually stunning and memorable.   Never one to follow trends or fads, the Hermes Fall/ Winter 2009 campaign is a perfect example of this mindset.  

What is more classically French than a silk scarf?  The French love silk scarves, and French women have made scarf tying an art form!  The house even produces a booklet to showcase different ways to wear your scarf.   Options are limitless.  Wear them around the neck, the waist, the head, the torso - etc.   Your own sense of style can really shine through when styling a scarf.

Bringing an age old art form to the modern day we live in, Hermes has a state of the art website section dedicated to silk scarves.   You can even browse by your choice of color theme!  Click Hermes-Scarves to shop.  What a great gift idea for the upcoming holiday season!

Less Luxury... Not less Luxe.

Happy New Year!   I thought we could all use a remind on this Monday after the long holiday weekend.   This is the day most of the fashion flock are back to work from their holiday trips to St. Barths, South America, Mexico, etc.   A hard look at the numbers of what happened over the last few weeks might make anyone happy to be reminded of new year cheer.   

Retailers went crazy with mark downs of up to 75% before Christmas!  This led to little excitement for shoppers after the holiday... with the stores setting themselves up for the disappointment.  

A message to the ladies out there...

In the new year you might see significantly less new designer hand bags, rtw, and shoes on your real housewife friends.   This is a good thing.   Yes, I said a good thing.   The U.S. was totally out of control over the last 3 years.   As many of you know, I spent a great deal of time traveling around the country in recent years.   I met many of you while hosting retail events in luxury department stores from coast to coast.    I must admit I was shocked by the amount of women who were buying $3,000.00 handbags like tic-tacs.   Many buying 2 or 3 at once!  This is not normal, and it is even revolting.    Of course, it meant great business for the sales associates in the stores and the powers that be encouraged them to sell, sell, sell.   They are not to blame as an adult should be able to take responsibility for their own purchases.    I hate to say that much of the "problem" women developed with their credit cards stemmed from a real lack of self worth and overall sense of being.   Women insecure because so and so has the latest, or the newest bag, shoe - whatever.   This is really sad.  Are we in high school?  I met countless women who could talk about little else than what celebrity was wearing what bag, or how many bags she had at home in her closet.   To both topics - who cares?   These same women lived in cities that are home to some of the greatest museums in the country, if not the world.    You all know who you are.... of course I'm not saying all women who like to shop have a problem.   The problem is not just limited to the ladies, I know some of you guys also got out of control.

This economic melt down is the wake-up call we all needed.    Today is a new day and a new year.   Take a hard look at yourself.   Make a list of things you are interested in that do not include shopping.   Get some hobbies, volunteer, join the gym, start a book club, etc.   Stop buying celebrity tabloid rag-azines and start buying fashion magazines again!  After all, those tabloids are aimed at a girl in her teens, not the strong woman you are.   Subscribe to Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, or Elle and READ the articles - don't just flip through the pictures!

If you have been cut off from shopping, it is not the end of the world.   If you were buying luxury items in the heyday, these items will be relevant for years to come.   You will not be out of fashion to wear them again and again - mixed with new items from inexpensive stores.   For example, white jeans can make just about any pair of shoes or handbag really pop!

The value of the pieces you own from Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc - is now higher than ever before.   When you can shop for a high price item, take your time and choose wisely. 

I'm in this with you.   Take a look around a Life of Style every week to learn about books, movies, cooking, decorating, etc.   Make 2009 the year you found the new you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!