happy

on west 26th street...

a visit to the fifteenth century for fashion week

Sunday... I took a break from where we are going to journey to where we have been...

the approach to The Cloisters...

In almost 30 years of living in NYC, I have never visited The Cloisters.

I do remember vividly though getting to cut school when I was young to come into the city with my mother for the exhibition of The Unicorn Tapestries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art...  Still spellbinding ...



'The Unicorn in Captivity', late Middle Ages, France

Immediately upon entering the museum, I was drawn to music in the 12th century chapel, where I came upon 40 speakers set up in a ring...
 
The 'installation' was by Canadian Janet Cardiff, the music from a choral masterpiece “Spem in Alium” composed around 1570 by Thomas Tallis.

Visitors were encouraged to wander between the speakers or to sit on the chapel bench to witness the sound.  I can only say that the experience set a transformative tone for my morning...


I loved the gardens, quiet and lush with various herbs and flowers; and apples on the trees! 

I thought it was strategic of Rockefeller to have purchased the land across the Hudson River when he assembled this site back in the 1930's, to protect the stunning views for the museum...

 

 

These were my 'picks', though the glass and copper and mother of pearl decorative objects and the religious treasures were equally magnificent to gaze upon...

 



Pouch, France, 14th century, embroidered, popular story or pastime theme...



Playing Cards, 15th century, ink, tempera and metal foil on pasteboard,
Franco-Flemish inspired models and hunt symbols


 

 

 

The Cloisters celebrates its 75th Anniversary through 2013. 

 

The magical Unicorn Tapestries live on....wool, silk, silver and gilded threads fit for the style of any great century!

 

 



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cloisters

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/arts/design/museums-embrace-works-made-of-sound.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

ready for their close up

Fashions Night Out! and the official start of Fashion Week!



a doll defile for passers by on a rainy monday in new york 


Jess Brown was in town on Monday to install windows for Bottega Veneta, who commissioned her to make full size versions of her signature cotton, muslin and linen rag dolls for select stores around the world, each fully accessorized with pieces from Bottega's Fall 2011 collection!



fashion week tete a tete; please note the heart shaped mouths hand stitched in felt


Perfect timing for Jess who herself launches her own women's and home collection later this month!



lint roller at the ready for a hair touch up!



This all started for Jess 11 years ago, with dolls she made (by hand) for her children out of old sweaters (cashmere) and antique bits and pieces. 

look closely and you can see jess in the window, also doll sized....

The dolls are now sold in specialty boutiques around the world, including Paris and London, and Jess collaborates with other designers from time to time on fashion collections to wardrobe them!

signature bottega minaudieres in the laps of  fashionistas

Jess works from a humble studio in Petaluma, California, where she also has her own store with a friend. Her dolls are hand dyed in Persian black teas and filled with sustainable cotton fiber stuffing, making them all the more fashionable by any eco standards.

I can't spill the details yet but there is more big news in store (and in stores) coming soon for Jess!



the dolls have a stylist to get every detail just right for their fashion week close ups

You can follow her fabulous Fall season on http://www.jessbrowndesign.com/ where 'events' will be posted and a slideshow sharing more details on the design and production process for the collaboration with Bottega Veneta, too.

Until then, do like the dolls, sit pretty at the shows this week, enjoy tea time, and don't forget to wear a touch of Fall's requisite red!