Can I tell you...about my Fall / Winter 2019 shoot in Paris.

Me and my friend Tais Fortes posing for our BTS moment.

It is no secret that I love Paris. After Manhattan, it is my second favorite city in the world. Every time I visit I want to make the most out of my trip. In 2017, I shot my Fall / Winter campaign here and I still love those images. I’ve always wanted to do another shoot in the City of Light. I mentioned the idea to my dear friend Bianca Monzon-Cueva who lives in Paris. Without hesitation, she offered to help me organize the talent and logistics. How could I say no to that?

Tais Fortes with the SARAH beaded crochet pouch on Pont Alexandre III.

Paris is one big film set full of iconic landmarks and and architectural vignettes everywhere you look. Shooting a campaign here can be both challenging and easy. If you’re not careful the city can take over and become the center of attention instead of your product.

The VANIA Wrist Clutch at Pont Alexandre III.

The SARAH beaded crochet pouch in coral.

As easy as this all looks, it does take a village. I relied on Bianca to organize the logistics and the talent. She introduced me to an up and coming fashion photographer Paul Clichy , who then brought in Pauline du Manoir , a hair and make-up artist. Coincidentally, my gorgeous friend and fashion model Tais Fortes, recently moved to Paris was more than happy to be the muse of the campaign. Voila, I had a crew.

BTS with Paul, Bianca and Tais.

The VANIA Wrist Clutch in cognac crocodile embossed leather.

The KIM Wrist purse in leopard print calf hair shot inside the Jardin du Palais Royal.

Pauline applying her magic on Tais.

The KIM Wrist Purse in black suede with multi color studs.

Bianca and I limited the shoot to a few locations to make the most of the limited light during the day. We started out at Jardin du Palais Royal, then moved to Pont Alexandre III, Les Parisiennes, eventually ending back at Hotel Saint-Marc where I was staying.

Tais taking a coffee break with my CHRISELLE minaudière at Les Parisiennes.

The AZURA Asymmetrical Minaudière, still iconic after all these years!

The AUDREY beaded pouch in navy velvet.

The STELLA Minaudière shot inside Hotel Saint-Marc.

I love Paris in the Spring time and I love Paris in the Fall. There is something about the light at this time of the year. Even on a sunny day, the light casts a cool tone on everything. As you can see from these photos I have every reason to be estatic. The images are exactly what I had envisioned. Merci beacoup to the team and to Paris!

Tais with the AZURA minaudière in violet oyster inlay inside Hotel Saint-Marc.

Can I tell you...about New Orleans.

Pardon my French. I could have meandered in the French Quarter all day. 

America only has three cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland. - Tennessee Williams.  

I live in New York, I've been to San Franciso and Cleveland isn't on my bucket list so when I got invited to a friend's wedding in New Orleans, I jumped at the chance to check it out.  

The Henry Howard Hotel in the Garden District.  

I booked a room at the charming Henry Howard Hotel in the Garden District. Built in 1867 this converted boutique hotel was once a pair of townhouses, and was designed by famed Louisiana architect Henry Howard. He designed so many homes in the neighborhood it could have been named after him. The location was ideal; just a short Uber ride away from the The French Quarter and relatively quiet in the evenings. 

Southern living at the Henry Howard.  

New Orleans or Nola is famous for vibrant live music, distinctive Creole and Cajun cuisine and for being a melting pot of French, African and American cultures. I was only here for a weekend so I needed to maximize my time in between wedding events.

Come to Cafè Beignet instead and avoid the insane line at Cafè du Monde. 

On the top of my to do list was hitting some of the antique stores in the French Quarter. Antiquing in New Orleans is serious business and can easily take up a whole day. There are more shops on Magazine Street in the Garden District but I only had a few hours to spare so I hit a few reputable establishments to see the best of the best. My first stop was Keil's Antiques on Royal street. They have been a family run business since 1899  and were one of the only stores in the area when they opened. They have 3 sprawling floors filled with objets d'art, furniture, jewelry and chandeliers enough to fill a plantation mansion. 

Keil's Antiques

I have a weakness for anything blue and white so I was immediately drawn to the beautifully carved French cabinet displaying a selection of Chinese and Delft 18th and 19th century porcelain. I was tempted but I managed to resist the urge to splurge.  

When I'm feeling blue.  Antique porcelain plates and chargers. 

Further up the street I peered into M.S. Rau Antiques' window and a gorgeous set of Tiffany tableware caught my eye. Don't be fooled by the unassuming shopfront because inside is a treasure trove of fine art and antiques.  Browse beyond the front of the shop and you'll be guided through a maze of rooms with exceptional pieces and curious objects that require deep pockets  should you wish to indulge.   

They have a private art gallery behind closed doors that houses museum worthy pieces showcased in a maze of several ante rooms and on different floors. 

Portrait of a Lady. Rita de Acosta Lydig by Giovanni Boldini.  

Behind closed doors.  

In a separate section of the store they had an exhibit about Napoleon comprised of paintings, furniture, sculpture and precious objects. It was a well curated show filled with rarely seen pieces. 

Napoleon crossing the Alps. 

Time will tell. Egyptian theme clock and decorative obelisks.  

Window shopping without any sustenance is no fun and fortunately for me, there is no shortage of good food in Nola. I had read rave reviews of Chef Nina Compton's Compere Lapin in the Warehouse District and I was desperate for a tasty meal. Set inside the Old 77 Hotel the restaurant is airy with lots of windows facing the street. For a brief moment while I sat in anticipation I felt like I was transported back in time when New Orleans was occupied by the French. Seated near me were a table of French speaking ladies having lunch; laughing and enjoying their lunch. It was tres charmant. 

Smoked tuna tartare  avocado and crispy bananas. 

Nina is known for cooking her take on Creole classics while skillfully infusing flavors from her Caribbean heritage. 

Lime cheesecake mango granita cashew krokant

The Lower 9th Ward has become infamous due to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

These cement stoops are all that remains of some of the homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  

Walking around the partially rebuilt streets of the Lower 9th Ward it's hard to picture what the scene was like in the aftermath of the storm.

Sustainable housing designed by Hitoshi Abe. 

Two years after Katrina, Brad Pitt visited the 9th Ward and was saddened to see that no rebuilding was being done. He decided to spearhead a non profit foundation called Make It Right that would build sustainable and affordable housing for the people living there. He enlisted 21 world class architects like Hitoshi Abe, Frank Gehry, Shigeru Ban and Thomas Mayne to design homes that were Leed Certified, Cradle to Cradle inspired and could withstand the next hurricane. Today there are over 100 homes that have been completed and have earned LEED Platinum, the highest level of certification offered by the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Duplex by Bild Architects  

The St. Roch Market is right across from the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood and  within walking distance from the French Quarter. There are over  food vendors to  choose from so that meant we would have to come back if we wanted to try more in which case we did the very next day.

St. Roch food hall.  

Charbroiled oysters

St. Roch had one unusual vendor who wasn't selling anything you could digest but rather something that you would want to keep forever, a poem. Cubs the Poet  will write a poem just for you armed based on a memory you'd like to share. Almost instantaneously he was in a zone typing away a poem just for me. I was so overwhelmed with joy that I'm having that poem framed.

Cubs the Poet wrote me my own poem.  

You can't go to Nola and not sample one of the live jazz clubs that line Frenchmen Street. The Spotted Cat was packed when I walked in and the New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings had just started their first set. They played classics from Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington and Cole Porter. They were so good we stayed on for a second set.

New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings crooning Cole Porter's " Night and Day".

I can't wait to come back next year for another wedding. And what about the wedding I attended? Well, that's another story. 

Can I tell you about ... Provincetown

Quintessential Cape Cod. 

Provincetown is where light, water and art meet. This sea side destination has been a source of inspiration for so many artists who for decades have come to paint the pastoral and seaside scenes.

My room with a view. 

I remember when I first visited over 15 years ago I was struck at how magical the light was at the break of dawn and at dusk. Those images are forever ingrained in my memory. I've always wanted to come back to see the light again.

Cotton candy sunrise.  

But how many times have you fallen in love with a place, swear you'll come back and then years go by.  A few months ago when my best friend, fashion designer Peter Som suggested we join them for the 4th of July weekend I couldn't pass it up. It is the busiest time of the year to go but we lucked out thanks to AirBnB. We found a beach front apartment on the East end of town. The location was perfect because it was a stones throw away from a scrumptious breakfast spot called Yolk and strong coffee at Wired Puppy. 

So quaint. So picturesque.  

Provincetown is famously eccentric and gay friendly. All year long you see gay and lesbian couples holding hands in the streets, bars, restaurants and beaches. Rainbow flags are proudly hung near the American flags at numerous homes, establishments and boats. 

Somewhere over the rainbow.  

Proud sailor. 

Where there are artists there are dealers. There are so many art galleries dotted along Commercial street you can easily spend an afternoon gallery hopping. We heard of a highly recommended group show inspired by Edward Hopper aptly titled , "After Hopper" at the Addison Art Gallery. We braved the weekend traffic and drove out to the town of Orleans to check it out. 

Gorgeous seascape.  

It was well worth the drive to see different artists paint their impressions of Cape Cod.  We stopped by the quaint town of Wellfleet for a juicy lobster roll at Mac's Shack.

Mac's Shack serves the best lobster roll in Wellfleet.  

Should I stay or should I go? Uncle Tim's Bridge in Wellfleet.  

The 4th of July parade was short and sweet. Drag queens, firefighters and a preppy school boys choir all joined in for the fun. The best part was that it was over just in time for brunch.

Ladies, start your engines. 

They should have auditioned for Glee.  

No parade is complete without a few drag queens.  

On the eve of the 4th my friends threw a casual dinner at Captain Jack's Wharf where they were staying. It is in my opinion the best spot to stay in Ptown. These former seamen's cottages are all decorated individually with a shabby chic aesthetic. 

Sunset by the wharf.  

Peter and I have this thing for stripes.  

Sunset cocktails at Captain Jack's Wharf

On our last day I woke up to the most incredible sunrise. Cotton candy pink morphing into violet like a Rothko painting. I just sat there in awe and snapped away trying my best to capture the moment and the light. 

Save the best for last.  

Can I tell you about ... Berlin

STAY

I stayed at Hotel De Rome because the location was ideal with surrounding historic buildings and I love Rocco Forte properties. Set in Berlin's former Dresdner bank, the hotel has been beautifully furnished by Tommaso Ziffer in shades of grey and black with accents of red. They offer a lavish spread for breakfast and the former bank vault is now a fabulous spa to retire to at the end of the day. 
 

DO

The East Side Gallery is one of the most visited landmarks in Berlin because it is a memorial for freedom containing the last remaining section of the Berlin Wall. The site is the longest and largest open air art gallery in the world consisting of 105 paintings by artists from all over the world. I wanted to see Dmitri Vrubel's "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" based on a famous photo of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker kissing each other. Seeing The Wall and all the murals depicting images of freedom made me realize how lucky I am to be living my life the way I want.
 

EAT

Walking into Berlin's hottest restaurant Pauly Saal, a former Jewish girls' school, is like passing through history from the 1920's bar lounge to the elegant dining room that used to be the school's gymnasium. On the opposite side of the restaurant is a Kosher Deli. The main dining room has a more contemporary feel with four gorgeous Murano chandeliers from Pauly et Cie (hence the name) and a gigantic rocket hanging over the open window to the kitchen. 
 

MUST SEE

The Boros Bunker. The bunker has been used for many purposes. It was originally built as air raid shelter against Allied bombing during World War II, then for fruit storage in the 50s, then in the early 90s for techno-rave parties and today as contemporary art gallery and private residence. A part of the private collection belongs to advertising entrepreneur Christian Boros and his wife Karen.On display currently are installations by Ai Wei Wei, Klara Liden, Michael Sailstorfer and photographs by Wolfgang Tillmans and Thomas Ruff. 
 

WHAT I LOVED MOST

Ever since the Wall came down in 1989, I have been itching to see Berlin. Over the past ten years the city has generated a lot of buzz in the fashion industry with the help of Bread and Butter, a trade fair featuring contemporary clothing and accessory brands from all over the world. I would definitely return to Berlin, because there is so much more than meets the eye.