DWR events

Staging a house for resale? Planning a party? Have a surprise houseguest on the way? Speed Decorating is the ultimate guide to making a house look great - fast. Join us at DWR Flatiron for a book signing and presentation of the top ten fast decorating tips by Jill Vegas, professional home stager and author of Speed Decorating. Ciroc cocktails and light fare will be served. RSVP for Speed Decorating to flatiron@dwr.com by September 29.

When: Thursday, 10.1 at 7pm

Where: DWR Flatiron, 903 Broadway (at 20th), New York

Halloween preview party

Halloween is almost a month away but Ricky's is celebrating its NYC 20th Anniversary with a preview party this coming Thursday 10.1 at Hotel on Rivington. RSVP at RickysTurns20@d2publicity.com.

Have fun people!

The Lucky Boutique Crawl

From 6pm to 9pm tonight, you can sip, eat, socialize and shop at discounted prices in favorite West Village stores, courtesy of Lucky Magazine.

Click here to get the PDF cute map for your journey!

http://crawl.luckymag.com/

Cardboard Gallery opening reception - DUMBO Festival

The Cardboard Gallery presents its inaugural exhibition Barter and first exhibition outside Europe of the Ukrainian art collective SOSka Group.

The Cardboard Gallery is pleased to announce that it will be showcasing the work of Ukrainian artist collective SOSka Group for the first time in North America.

In SOSka Group’s video Barter (2007), the artists arrive at a Ukrainian village and set up a display of posters reproducing artworks by Chuck Close, Roy Lichtenstein and others in the hope of trading them for food with the local population. Within this alternative art market on the periphery of the commercial art world, the value of canonical contemporary works is established anew: a work by Cindy Sherman is exchanged for a live chicken. The video offers a playful glimpse into the perceived value of art, both as a commodity as well as a personal investment, evident in the accompanying photographs that record how the farmers choose to display the works inside their homes.

Curated by Vesna Krstich and Nikolas Drosos.

Opening Reception

When: on Friday, 9.25, at 7pm

Where: Washington str 30 1/2, DUMBO, Brooklyn

The Cardboard Gallery is an art space constructed from cardboard and other reclaimed materials, conceived by Vesna Krstich and Nikolas Drosos (Gemini Corporation) and designed by architect Marta Gazicka. Situated on the site of Robert Gair’s Bottle Cap and Cardboard Manufacturing Co., where corrugated cardboard was first invented and manufactured, the gallery inserts itself within the changing zoning patterns of this now gentrified warehouse district. Using locally salvaged cardboard as its principle material, the structure appropriates the aesthetics of temporary shelters and takes up rent-free occupancy on the street in front of the Dumbo Arts Center, positioning itself among other artist-run galleries, local businesses and real estate developments in the neighborhood. Since the gallery does not have an operating budget, a diverse, voluntary team has relied on alternative economic systems such as barter and gifting in order to design, build and operate this space. By doing so, the project explores how creative communities can forge alternative venues and collaborative opportunities in the wake of economic recession.

For more about the upcoming DUMBO Festival, click on http://www.dumboartfestival.org/

Maladrino Holiday/Resort Collection Preview and Reception

Catherine Maladrino invites you to preview the Maladrino Holiday/Resort 2010 Collection on Wednesday 9.23 and Thursday 9.24 from 11 to 8pm. Modeling and a Champagne reception between 4 and 8pm. At their store in Meatpacking, 652 Hudson street (at the corner with 13st str.).

Beauty to eat

Food tasting is five-sensory activity. You see colors, you touch texture, you smell, taste and even hear the food being prepared if you are arrive early. Since yesterday, food tasting may well have an added element, that of beauty. As an attendee at the Global HBA conference (the largest Product Development Event & Educational Conference for the Personal Care, Fragrance, Wellness and Cosmetic Industries) that took place together with the Spa and Resort Expo had the chance to taste beauty food! I am not joking. Companies worldwide have developed edible products to enhance beauty and well being. Shiseido's collagen drink was tasty but not as a proper juice and the Beauty Up drink full with antioxidants and who knows what else didn't disappoint me but didn't cheer me up either. The Gimme chocolate candies infused with probiotics was a healthier version of M&Ss and the Beauty style chocolate bar from South Korea was similar to an energy bar. Throw some dry raspberry beauty snacks from Germany and Collagen infused fruit and candy from Japan and you are all set! Your wrinkles disappear, your face looks younger, your skin will glow and you will never age while munching and chewing appealing in view foods. The taste is another issue.

But do you care for the taste if you are wrinkle-less?

Backstage at J. Mendel Show NYC fashion week

I arrived an hour before the runaway show. I said my name to the clip guy at the entrance and immediately entered backstage. I saw technicians working around in the main room - a Chelsea gallery that generously offered its space for the fashion show. Backstage, things were going fast: hairdressers were working at a fast pace on one model each (but were looking around and offered tips and items when needed), stylists were running with color palettes, dresses and hair spray, beauticians and make up artists had their brushes ready and everybody seemed to live in an adrenaline-land. Black was the dominant color -not of the collection but of the backstage professionals. Isn't there any other color on the planet? It's still summer, get some color people. The models were dressed casually, most of them in jeans or jean shorts waiting for their hair to be ready, then they were escorted to wear a J. Mendel dress. Nearly 45minutes later, things were still buzzing but the first girls were out and were getting photographed non-stop by numerous photographers across the world. Have a look at my pictures - all taken by blackberry. J. Mendel's dresses were simple, elegant and of amazing colors!

PS: to shut you up, the models were eating. Cookies, tiny sandwiches and grapes. I didn't see any drop of alcohol.

The New Amsterdam Market

There was a buzz a few weeks before the first, reinvented New Amsterdam Market at the South Street last Sunday. The PR people of the organization did a great job to pre-announce and promote the first food open market of the fall, with three more to follow. I arrived around 1pm with an empty stomach ready for the tastings. The first shocking experience was the more than expected bread stalls and cheese sellers. I guess New Yorkers gave up on the dairy-free, gluten-free diet. They indulge in hard core carbs throwing down large slices of white bread like ciapata, focaccia and the like. I tried some of those too, giving up on my gluten-free (painful and not easy to follow) diet by eating bread from the Sullivan street bakery, Balthazar, Hot bread kitchen and the French named Pain d’Avignon. Then I proceeded to the cheese stalls. I found most of them goaty and smelly but still tasteful. The best presented was the Narragansett Creamery with mozzarella sticks and ricotta cups with syrup. I surprised myself by skipping the wine tasting sections – maybe because they were crowded and the lines were really long- but I tasted the pear-flavored ice-cream from the Bent Spoon and the bacon-flavored peanuts at the Red head, both of which I declared exceptionally unique. Never say to some chocolate either, so the Taza chocolate and the Fine and Raw chocolate were both a pleasant surprise. I saw veggie and fruit stalls, pastry and marmalade and also new, alternative flavors from many. I guess the New Amsterdam Market came here to stay. With crunchy bread and smelly cheese. Nearly as the London Borough market but not quite the same.

Join InStyle and Moschino for a Special Celebration‏

Launch of Charity Sphere

Tuesday, September 15th at 7pm
7pm-8pm enjoy complimentary open bar Chari-tini Cocktails, complimentary hors d'oeuvres served from Ed's Chowder House

7pm Live Jazz by Stepane Wrembel and at 9:30pm Starlit Tracks with DJ Charlie Wonder
RSVP // ADDRESS // FULL DETAILS HERE: http://bit.ly/TR2Gj

Charity Sphere supports non-profit organizations and utilizes fashion to create sustainable income for development projects around the world. Join us for the launch of this exciting and high-anticipated new enterprise.

Classic Car Club Manhattan event

Happy Hour @ Core Club!

On Thursday 9.10, Classic Car Club's Happy Hour takes a road trip to Core Club (66 East 55th Street) for happy hour from 5:30 - 7:30. While there, good friend and director of Core, Pablo De Ritis, will give a tour of the club's incredible modern art collection.

For those of you that aren't familiar with it, Core Club is a private club that offers curated, personal experiences for its members.

RSVP is required, so send an email to: jeannettek@classiccarclub.com.

IKEA Lounge, Powered by "Geek Squad" at Fashion's Night Out‏

Happy ‘Almost Fashion Week!’ Do your plans this Thursday include Fashion’s Night Out? If so, make sure you stop by the plaza in the Meatpacking District where IKEA and Geek Squad are teaming up to bring you the Meatpacking’s newest, one-night only “hotspot”, the “IKEA Lounge, Powered by Geek Squad.”

Take a break from shopping and kick back and relax in style on comfy IKEA couches, while the Geek Squad keeps you connected with WiFi and tech support. We’ll have laptops available for use free of charge, and a “charging station” in case your wireless device can’t stay up as late as you can.

WHAT: “IKEA Lounge, Powered by Geek Squad”
WHEN: September 10, 6:00 PM ET - 11:00 PM ET
WHERE: The Plaza in the Meatpacking District (in front of Pastis)
WHY: This one-night only, unexpected destination decked out with IKEA furniture and Powered by Geek Squad is the place to meet friends, and recharge during an exciting night of shopping.

Kathlin Argiro invitation to Vogue's Fashion Night Out

A Global Celebration of Fashion http://www.fashionsnightout.com/

Please join for an evening of shopping and cocktailing! Be the first to see the unique and festive cocktail dresses of Kathlin Argiro and the sexy and beautiful lingerie of Zinke Designs!

Date: Thursday, September 10

Time: 6:00-8:00 PM

Location: Gabriella New York, 400 West 14th Street, Suite 2A, New York, NY

Fashion's Night Out at Saks

I won't be there as I am traveling out of the country but the event is promising. On Thursday, September 10, from 5 to 11 p.m visit Saks Fifth Avenue at the flagship New York Store at Fifth Avenue. You will get the chance to meet designers Carolina Herrera, Chris Benz, Donna Karan, Faraone Mennella, Giuseppe Zanotti, John Hardy's Guy Bedarida, and Ippolita Rostagno. Beauty greats Bobbi Brown and Frederic Fekkai and Supermodels Coco Rocha and Daria Werbowy.

With over 60 appearances by the biggest names in fashion and beauty and over 7,000 cosmetic giveaways!

Don't miss it. A good way to start the fall!

Art & Furniture: No Limits Opening Party

Peewee Herman, Carly Simon, Joe Perry and Britney Spears will be hanging out together (on the wall), at BoConcept as the global furniture enterprise hosts its NYC Release Party of its 2010 Collection in collaboration with New York City’s Art and Fashion world.

Five diverse NYC artists will represent: featuring pieces by American-Vogue identified, portrait photographer Chistrophe von Hohenberg (author of ANDY WARHOL, The Day The Factory Died); the stirring paintings of Sara Conca and Marc van Cawenbergh; the touching sculpture of Brian Ramnarine, and eclectic work of Rigoberto Samonte.

E-mail to reserve your spot at: BoConcept’s Art & Furniture: No Limits. 220 East 57th Street (Btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave) - New York. 09-09-09; 6-9 p.m. rsvp@boconceptny.com.

Aperture Exhibition Opening Reception

Nature as Artifice: New Dutch Landscape in Photography and Video Art

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 10, 6:00–8:00 pm

Exhibition on View: September 10–October 15, 2009

In keeping with the golden age of Dutch landscape painting four hundred years ago, a new visual statement on the landscape has emerged from the Netherlands. Expressed through the modern mediums of photography and video art, this new imagining of the Dutch landscape is urbanized and altered, depicting the Netherlands as the most artificial country in the world.

Coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Henry Hudson to New York Harbor aboard the Dutch vessel Halve Maen, Aperture Gallery is pleased to present the New York debut of Nature as Artifice: New Dutch Landscape in Photography and Video Art, curated by Maartje van den Heuvel, a major survey of new work by contemporary Dutch artists who, over the past twenty years, have taken contemporary Holland as their point of departure. The exhibition opened at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York—its first venue in the United States—on June 13, 2009, and will remain on view there through August 16, 2009. The Aperture Gallery exhibition of Nature as Artifice is made possible, in part, by the Mondriaan Foundation and the Consulate General of the Netherlands.

Where: Aperture Gallery and Bookstore, 547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor

Between 10th and 11th Ave

Emory Douglas Harlem Mural Dedication

at 11 AM, Thursday 9.3. Rain or shine.

WHAT

Dedication ceremony celebrating new mural in Harlem inspired by the work of legendary Black Panther artist Emory Douglas. The mural "What We Want, What We Believe" was painted by 15 teens with muralists Clare Herron and Chris Beck

LOCATION

VIM Store, 2253 Third Avenue (122nd St & Third Avenue)

NYC ORGANIZERS

Groundswell Community Mural Project, New Museum on the Bowery, and The Studio Museum in Harlem

ABOUT

The mural project is in conjunction with the major retrospective "Emory Douglas: Black Panther" featuring prints and posters from the Party's newspaper, and is currently on view at the New Museum (235 Bowery at Prince Street) through October 18, 2009. Visit newmuseum.org. Emory Douglas was the Revolutionary Artist of the Black Panther Party and oversaw the design for the party's newspaper the "Black Panther." Douglas created a vocabulary of images that exemplify how art can encourage political consciousness and function within an activist context. In preparation for the mural project, teen muralists learned about the history of the Black Power Movement; interviewed locals to discuss community issues; and used researched issues to "remix" images from Douglas's work to reflect the neighborhood's concerns. The resulting mural "What We Want, What We Believe" will be a reflection of past, present, and future.