sorbet all day

 

cafe chelsea at hotel chelsea 

easter energy

on central park south 

 

one way

LEAF flower show, meatpacking 

 

sky writing

after the verdict yesterday in Minneapolis, a huge storm this afternoon in NYC. 

outside my store, torrential rain came down in sheets, then stopped as quickly as it had begun.  

in the nearby west village, i was told heavy hail followed. 

by dusk, a big, blue-gray heart floated in the sky above, maybe even a double heart.

at least, it appeared as a heart to me when something made me turn to look back toward the river before heading east for my commute home.

look for a sign, my best friend has always told me in my moments of uncertainty. 

and hearts are always my signs. 

i pray for continued healing for the grieving family of George Floyd and for all communities suffering ongoing trauma, loss and fear.  

i pray that the heavens will help us find the way toward love, it's right there, before our very eyes...

meatpacking,
looking east from little west 12th street...

 

after isaias

 

on fifth avenue

tulips on the table

Sunday morning...

in the red

valentines day uws

hound and heart

on Central Park South...

the heart of the matter

discovering amy sherald's solo show at hauser & wirth gallery, through october 26th....

precious jewels by the sea, oil on canvas, amy sherald, hauser & wirth gallery....

https://www.vogue.com/article/amy-sherald-new-york-debut-vogue-august-2019-issue

fashion is love

a new week begins.  as a nation, we have barely processed the tragedies of the past weekend, our hearts heavy and our souls scarred yet again. our anger real.  

then the call came to me on Monday from a former Bloomies colleague to share the impossible news that we had lost our dear friend Tamera to her long struggle with Lupus disease, a battle which i have come to learn was more brutal than Tamera ever let on but not brutal enough to keep her from her equally fierce recent fight on behalf of human rights, active in her local Bay area and vocal in the name of those around the globe.  she gave a damn.  Tamera was too young, had too much more to do, and too many of us to inspire with her love, loyalty and light.  

i am so grateful to have literally bumped into her a few years back during New York Market Week where we stopped in our tracks in the Javits Center upon recognizing one another, immediately parked on the base of a few display mannequins, and chatted and hugged and laughed and promised to meet up again. 

Tamera was by then the proud owner of Kostum, a fashion consignment boutique she had acquired from a prior owner in Piedmont. she of course also heavily promoted emerging talent with small accessories buys and in store events, true to her Fashion Office roots at Bloomies and her accomplished industry career savvy.  clearly, the store was a passion project she led with both her head and her heart, sharing the entrepreneurial venture with her devoted husband, Robert, a true creative talent, and embracing the contributions of her dedicated staff. 

when Tamera and i did meet up a season or so later,  emailing and following one another on social media in between, it was aptly during September Fashion Week. following a fresh fall rain, i dragged her to an intimate trunk show event at Canon, a new boutique on Sullivan Street, and she coordinated a group dinner at Palma in the Village with another Bloomies alumna, the exquisite Ms. Gerry.

at the store party, Tamera enthusiastically talked small business with Stacia, the shop owner, and introduced her brother in law, Udo, a global fashion photographer, to the crowd, making new contacts and authentic connections left and right.

later in the evening, from across the rose strewn, votive lit dinner table, i can remember nothing but the music in her sweet voice, the life in her infectious giggle and the magic in her sparkling eyes.  at one point in our conversation, she did reference her medical trials and just as quickly, shrugged them away,  expressing pure joy at currently feeling healthy and strong enough to take on a Manhattan buying trip and realize her vision for her store.

this morning, social media revealed that we had lost another beloved, writer Toni Morrison.  my first thought was disbelief, and then a kind of instant calm.  i could only think that this larger than life being must have followed Tamera for a really worthy reason and that the two divine women will join forces to serve us and to guide us from a better place.

Ms. Morrison once wrote, "at some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. you don't need to photograph, paint or even remember it. it is enough."  sublime. and peaceful.  and yet, i have these few photos snapped during the special city reunion with my friend which i will, for the time being, cherish.

i miss you, T, sister, friend, role model, and will always honor your brave, beautiful, creative life! D

Tamera, Fashion Week, NYC...

so sweet

The Whitby Hotel

linzer love

Yura on Madison 

rainbow love

oh, the heart that Aidan added to the lobby tree....

riverside drive...

holidays, with heart

love is everywhere! 

crossing Canal Street...

details for days...

my wandering eye finds a heart in the center of a flower....

Valentino, Fifth Avenue...

here and there hearts

compo beach sky

upper west side sky...

upper west side sidewalk...

framework

William Cordova, Whitney Museum...

through a stained glass window...

Jean Paul Gaultier, MET Cloisters, Heavenly Bodies...