Manhattan...A City of Colour? Or Monochromes?

I've always associated New York with graphic black and white, perhaps because New Yorkers are fond of black and white. And grey. And silver. And chocolate. I suspect this is because New York's skyline is a Gothamesque movie set of graphic blacks, whites and other understated shades. It's a city built on monochromatic glamour. But lately, I've started to notice that it's a town that actually loves colour. Bold, rich, shout-out-to-the-world-that-you-love-it colour. Okay, so it's not a city that tosses Pucci prints around like pennies, but it does seem to have a secret fetish for unashamedly bright Pantonesque shades.

What do you think? Is it a black and white city? Or does it have a colourful side?

C WONDER

C Wonder is the much-talked-about new(ish) store by the former partner of Tory Burch. A little Kade Spade, a little Jonathan Adler, it has taken colour to a whole new level for this city. Think Kelly green piano stools, teal ottomans and a bright Kelly green lacquered front door. I mean, Wizard of Oz bright. Some people feel it's too bright for NYC, but I think it's been done with wit, whimsy and unexpected class. You can even buy a bicycle in C. Wonder's signature lime green. 72 Spring Street (between Crosby and Lafayette Streets), Soho. {Image at very top via jrosestyle.blogspot.com.au}

THE BRESLIN, ACE HOTEL

Designed by that extraordinarily talented duo Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams, the Breslin is a pea-green and black lacquered delight. The designers  used high-gloss oil paint from Fine Paints of Europe to create the look, which was inspired by moody, Old World, vintage interiors. I'm not mad for the Ace Hotel but I adore this sister space. 20 West 29th Street,  New York. {Via Roman & Williams}

NEW YORK SUMMER STYLE 

When the sun comes out on Manhattan, New Yorkers put on a glowing sartorial show. It's a thrill just to walk up Fifth Avenue sometimes. {Image by Jamie Beck via plentyofcolour.com}

SEX AND THE CITY

Sex and the City perhaps did more for New York, for fashion and for colour than any other film or TV show about Manhattan has ever done. The outfits were notable for their lines and style but it was the colours that really grabbed your attention. Few costume designers do colour like New York stylist Patricia Field.

NEW YORK TIMES' STYLE

The covers of the New York Times' Style magazine are so creative they've almost become the kind you collect. The work the NYT team puts into each one is astounding.  Look at the Fall 2011 Travel issue that featured plants that shifted in colour as they changed through the seasons. And look the Shelf Life cover! So innovative.

CAITLIN McGAULEY

New Yorker Caitlin McGauley's exquisite prints have been featured a lot over the blogosphere, but she's still someone to highlight in a story about New York and colour. A former Ralph Lauren textile designer, she now works as a freelance illustrator. I'd love to commission her to do a whole book on the city. www.caitlinmcgauley.com

MADELINE WEINRIB

Madeline Weinrib is the master (or mistress?) of colourful rugs. Try entering her dazzling showroom and not leaving without buying a few. (Or at least wanting to.) ABC Carpet & Home, 888 Broadway, New York. www.madelineweinrib.com

LILLY PULITZER

The Lilly Pulitzer store on the Upper East Side is so colourful, it's like walking into the interior of a bunch of balloons. The three-storey boutique has been designed like a gorgeous, glamorous, Carrie-inspired townhouse (a trick Ralph Lauren utilised to make shoppers feel at home), and while it may not be to everyone's taste, it's certainly a whole lot of fun to wander around in. 1020 Madison Avenue. New York. www.lillypulitzer.com

SWEETIE PIE

Sweetie Pie is a kids' bistro but it's still loved by many adults – Gwyneth Paltrow amongst them. And who wouldn't love it, with an interior this delicious? 19 Greenwich Ave (between Christopher and 10th), New York. www.sweetiepierestaurant.com

ANDRE 3000

Musician, actor, dancer, producer, businessman and fashion designer André Benjamin (a.k.a. André 3000 from OutKast) is one talented man. He may not be a native New Yorker but he spends a lot of time there for work and before he launched his fashion collections in the city, he took advice from Anna Wintour. (I'm sure she told him to ramp up his colour palette even more than he usually does.) I love his style. I almost wish he'd produce a women's range of fashion. I think it would go down well in St Barts, Harbour Island, Miami or Portofino.

ARTHUR, THE MODEL GENTLEMAN

Have you ever seen such a handsome man walking the streets of New York? This beautifully turned out gentleman was snapped by Style Clicker and featured on the great blog Advanced Age. His name is Arthur and he's a retired model. (Oh come on Arthur, you've still got it!) On this day he had chosen to wear a tailor-made pink suit, Italian shoes, Stetson hat, and a custom-made tie & square. Now that's what I call a sense of style. {Via advancedstyle.blogspot.com}

FIRMDALE HOTELS 

The glamorous, finely tuned aesthetic from the Firmdale Hotel group, which own Crosby Street, is among the most admired in the design business. Just look at the hotel bedrooms – and the pencils they provide! I always purchase a box of pencils whenever I stay at a Firmdale Hotel. They perfectly reflect Firmdale's aesthetic: simple, sophisticated, creative. 79 Crosby Street, SoHo. www.firmdale.com

KATE SPADE

Ah, Kate Spade. How much do I love you? Let me count the ways. (Or the lines.) You may have been sold off and some of your magic may have disappeared, but walking into your New York stores is still a breath of fresh design air! 135 Fifth Avenue and 454 Broome Street, SoHo. www.katespade.com 

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Oscar de la Renta's show was arguably the highlight of New York's recent Fashion Week, and this lemon-lime chiffon dream was perhaps the highlight of Oscar's show. {Via stylebistro.com}

THE W HOTEL

This sexy rooftop terrace sits atop the sophisticated interior of the always-fabulous W Hotel. Wouldn't you just want to stay out here at night, watching the sky change colour and the lights start to glow? {Via W Hotel}

VESUVIO BAKERY

The always gorgeous Vesuvio bakery. This startlingly green facade has become so famous it has featured in a coffee commercial with Robert de Niro, ads for New York, and countless fashion shoots and video clips. 160 Prince Street, SoHo. {Note: I have heard it has closed, so if you're going to NY and want to see, perhaps investigate first?}

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The Woman in Black : A Film (Set) To Be Frightened Of

If you're a fan of studying the elaborate sets, costumes, details and backdrops that often form the production of extravagant films and television series, then sit back in that comfy lounge chair, pull up the rug and crack open the box of marshmallows and hot chocolate, because 2012 looks like being a fantastic year for fabulous film sets. There's the second series of Downton Abbey (which has yet to reach Australia). There's The Great Gatsby, which Buz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) is currently producing. There's A Dangerous Method with Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen, the scintillating, sexy, beautifully filmed new moved based on the story of Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and the woman who came between them. And there's The Woman in Black, the newly released supernatural film based on Susan Hill's bestselling horror of the same name.

Of all of these films, it's The Woman in Black I'm dying to see, as much for the setting as for the storyline...

I was alerted to this movie by the lovely staff of Avenue Books in Albert Park and I'm so pleased they did: I've now bought the book, read the story and am ready and waiting to be terrorised out of my very thin writer's skin. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) plays a lawyer called Arthur Kipps who ventures to an old house in a remote village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric. (Of course, lawyers rarely have time to do such things, but Daniel likes a bit of action so off he goes). Upon his arrival, though, he discovers the townspeople are keeping a deadly secret. What happens next will scare the bejesus out of you. The comments on forums seem to suggest it's one of the scariest movies for years. One 12-year-old said: "I don't know what the rating was for this film but it has now traumatised me for life!"

It was certainly one of the most chilling books ever released. Author Susan Hills said she was inspired by Henry James' classic Turn of The Screw and that the book "wrote itself, as if by magic". It proved to scare readers right from the start. When the secretary was typing up the manuscript, she found it so frightening that she could only listen if she was not alone in the house. (That secretary, Jane Tranter, eventually went on to become BBC television’s head of drama.)

As you can see, even the characters in the film are far from happy...

And the gardener's obviously found the haunted house all too much and nicked off to another job too...

But the ghost has done some decorating...

On this interior design note, I love this quote from a reviewer in The Telegraph: 

"The story is a melodrama, and the atmospheric set is richly stocked with a disturbing miscellany of stuffed monkeys and dusty clockwork toys. Personally, I don’t dismiss the Pavlovian power of such bric-a-brac: just show me a cracked porcelain doll, for example, and I’m already jumpy. .."

The official website is here:

www.womaninblack.com/#/trailer

There's a far scarier trailer here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=arixaTWmIA0

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Objects To Covet This Week

VINTAGE VOGUE PRINTS 

(AND VANITY FAIR. AND THE NEW YORKER)

So many of us love vintage Vogue covers and photos that it's no wonder Conde Nast has set up a store to cater for demand. Whether you're collecting them to frame, or just browsing for a beautiful gift for a stylish friend, these covers are completely irresistible. And covetable! Just look at this 1964 photo by Cecil Beaton. The Vanity Fair and New Yorker covers are fantastic too. www.condenaststore.com

SHOWER CURTAINS WITH WITTY WORDPLAY

Dave Eggers must do some serious thinking in his shower. The word meister (McSweeney's) has joined up with 826 Valencia, couture Parisian shower curtain manufacturer Izola and The Thing Quarterly to create an epistolary shower curtain. McSweeney was awarded a TED prize for his creative innovations. It's not surprising. The curtain is available as part of the current Thing Quarterly – a limited edition magazine that seems to be a little like Visionnaire magazine. Only edgier. {www.thethingquarterly.com}

LOVELY RUGS 

I love Dash and Albert rugs. The only problem is deciding which ones to buy. You start loving one, and then lean to another, and then wonder if you have room for a third? dashandalbert.com

A SWEET RETRO SWIMSUIT

I realise summer's almost over here in Australia, but it's still warm through to late March. And of course it's coming over the horizon up there in the northern hemisphere. If you haven't noticed that swimsuits are swinging back to the sexy, glamorous, Hollywood-style piece, then better check out the fashion mags. They're coming back to poolside lounges with a lycra vengeance. My fav new find is Sirens Swimwear, which has some of the prettiest pieces this side of the Beverly Hills Hotel. www.sirensswimwear.com.au

A NEW FROCK FROM MARLENE BIRGER

Danish designer Marlene Birger continues to produce clothes that are so sexy, they could stand on a street corner and pick up all on their own. The Summer 12 collection is dazzling. (Details on the website.) And if you haven't seen her book yet, do look for it. Her homes are as gorgeous as her clothes. bymalenebirger.com

ANOTHER NEW FROCK FROM ODD MOLLY

Have you discovered Swedish fashion label Odd Molly yet? No? Well, it's has THE loveliest things. And their pretty tunics are rapidly becoming the tops of choice for many fashion lovers. They're like old-fashioned frocks or pinafores (remember those?), with smocking, curious pockets in delightful places and even writing embroidered in secret spots. I've bought three. The tunics are the best – perfect for tossing over jeans, for picking up the kids, for ducking out to the supermarket, or even wearing to a casual picnic. They'd also be perfect for a weekend away, paired with jeans, some boots and a long cardigan if it's chilly. Browse the website. Some seasons are more subdued than others. The colourful collections are the best. And I just love the website. (For Australian shoppers, the label is available in Eco D stores.) www.oddmolly.com

AND PERHAPS ANOTHER FROCK FROM MIST

I've just discovered Mist. I know a lot of people already know about this cute little label but I must have been under a writer's rock somewhere, oblivious to everything. But after discovering this year's collection of dresses at Fenton and Fenton, I'm now a full Mist convert. Look how gorgeous they are? How could you not adore them? Made in Bali, they're full of charm, colour, details and delightful cuts. Great for summer but also fab for autumn wear (cute over jeans) or for throwing in a suitcase when you're travelling as an emergency dress or top if you encounter hot weather. www.mistasiapacific.com.au

A NEW PAIR OF WELLIES FROM JOULES

Everyone knows about Hunter boots but Joules wellies are lovely too – and they're cheaper and quite often prettier. I also love the story behind the company. As the website explains, country people are quite colourful people, but their clothing used to be quite the opposite. So Tom Joules, the founder, designed 100 bright pink wellies. They sold like hot cakes. And Joules was born. For he's a welly good fellow... And so say many of us. www.joules.com

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Paris When It Sizzles

Paris is beautiful any time of the year; when it rains, when it sizzles, when it changes mood from sunny to subdued. I've lingered in Paris so often I've come to think of it as my second home. In saying that, I'm having a torrid affair with New York at the moment so I'm actually cheating on the City of Love, I'm afraid to say. I do hope Paris lets me come back when I've had enough of Manhattan's wicked ways.

Here, in a travel tribute to Valentine's Day, are some of my favourite scenes, images and inspirations from what is still the most beautiful, most romantic, most spectacularly lovely place in the world. (Sorry, Buenos Aires.)   {Above image via the official Diana Vreeland website – dianavreeland.com – another woman who was mad for Paris.}

Audrey Hepburn as Gaby in Paris When It Sizzles (1964).

Filming Paris When It Sizzles atop a rooftop terrace with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Look at those gentlemen looking bored. How could you be bored going to work with a view like this  everyday? Pick yourselves up people!

Audrey in a promotional still from Funny Face. (This was the hat she went fishing in the Seine with. Isn't it gorgeous? I wish my fishing hat looked as glamorous.)

Pink peonies at the Rue Cler street market.

A deliciously pink patisserie in the 5th arrondissement.

Mrs Haris Goes To Paris. Apparently this book is delightful. As is the movie. I just adore the cover. And the whimsical title. Has anybody read it or see the film? Is it as really good as they say?

Schiaparelli pink walls at the Musee Nissim Camondo, Paris.

A hot pink door in the Left Bank. Who knew hot pink could look so sophisticated in a front door?

Chantal Thomass' French home, dressed in her signature pink. {Via Madame magazine, October 2009}

The gorgeously ornate facade of Chantal Thomass' Paris boutique. I'm not a fan of the lingerie but I'll take the architecture any day...

A scene from Vogue's fabulous shoot on French haute couture, wittily entitled A Handmade's Tale. This was taken in the Givenchy atelier.

Pale pink walls and panelling with two black-and-white striped chaises. Very Parisian! I love this image. It may not be Paris but it's clearly taking a leaf out of the place. From the book A Passion for Collecting.

The perfect handbag to have in Paris. By Kate Spade.

Another scene from Vogue's story on Parisian haute couture.

Sarah Jessica Parker dressed in Dior. Photographed by Mario Testino for American Vogue. Have you ever seen such a sumptuously beautiful gown?

Two of the designs created in a collaboration with Taillardat, a manufacturer specializing in luxurious high-quality reproductions of 18th century furniture including Marie Antoinette, Louis XV, Louis XVI, Empire, and Directoire styles. The company invited five key figures in the design and fashion worlds to create pieces of furniture that embodied the luxury of the 18th century style that they are known for. These two pieces were by Chantal Thomass. The top image is a glamorous pouf made of black varnished beechwood and nickel plated nails, with fabric by Pierre Frey. The image below it is a smoking chair with a cigarette box, made of black varnished beechwood and nickel plated nails, also featuring fabric by Pierre Frey. Too, too beautiful to sit on!

Fauchon department store, one of the most wildly colourful interiors in all of Paris. And the food is fabulous too. (Tip: Head here for a light lunch or a picnic-to-go: their takeaway meals are so exquisite, you'll have a difficult time deciding what to get.) {Via lesbonsbonsdesraisons.wordpress.com}

The Eiffel Suite of the Plaza Athénée, Paris. (The hotel Carried stayed in during the Sex and the City episodes shot in Paris.) Look at that view. {Via Plaza Athénée}

A lovely piece fom an old Balenciaga collection. Love the dress, the setting, the glorious glamour of it all...

Did you know there's actually a paint colour called 'Pink Chanel Suit'?

The islands of Paris, which are at their most beautiful at dusk.

A dress from the latest Dior collection. I'm so in love with this frock!

And one last image to end the Parisian fantasy... It's rare to see pink cafe chairs in Paris. How cute are the tables? {Source unknown}

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