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Proenza Schouler Reissues First Collection

The cool New York brand honors its roots at Barneys New York.

June 17, 2013

The "what's old is new" adage rings especially true in New York's fashion world. As such, in partnership with Barneys New York, quintessential New York fashion label Proenza Schouler presents a limited-edition, summertime reissue of its debut fall 2003 collection.

Ten years later, the appropriately named First Collection hits the racks of Barneys once again, as it did when the boutique department store bought the Parsons senior thesis collection of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, collectively known as Proenza Schouler. 

Featuring chic bustier tops, tissue T-shirts, and structured outerwear, First Collection is about much more than nostalgia. These designs, whose inspirations include youth culture and contemporary art, have clearly stood the test of time. So much so, in fact, that Barneys' Madison Avenue window display is featuring pieces from First Collection, the Proenza Schouler archives, plus a creative collaboration between McCollough, Hernandez, and Barneys creative director Dennis Freedman. Perhaps you've noticed those kinetic tanks of moving liquids and lasers vaguely reminiscent of your high school science class? If not, take a look at the above slideshow for a sneak peek. 660 Madison Ave., 212-826-8900

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH 


 

Renzo Piano Masterpieces at Gagosian

"Fragments" leaves Piano's creative process as exposed as the works themselves.

June 17, 2013

Light and its effect on built space is among the inspirations of Renzo Piano, the famed Italian architect whose work is the subject of an exhibition, "Fragments," opening June 27 at Gagosian Gallery. And the show—described as a "building workshop"—is as three-dimensional and immersive as the creations it presents. 

Twenty-four table-top displays of scale models, drawings, photographs, and video each walk us through the design process of a single building. Airports, museums, and libraries are featured, as well as private residences. In all, the exhibition accounts for more than 30 years of architectural projects by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, including such milestones as Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris; the Kansai International Airport in Osaka; the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens; and of course, New York's own Whitney Museum and New York Times Building 

Born in 1937 and raised in Genoa, Italy's idyllic coast, Piano is considered to be the world's most in-demand museum architect, renowned for his ability to create harmony between a building and the environment in which it lives. The Renzo Piano Building Workshop, founded in 1981, now has offices in Paris, Genoa, and New York, and a team of 150 innovative people. Don't miss the five free gallery talks by Renzo Piano Building Workshop architects. 522 West 21st St., 212-741-1717

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH 


 

West Village Welcomes SoulCycle

An old jewelry factory sets the scene for SoulCycle's new studio and headquarters.

June 14, 2013

SoulCycle rides into the West Village
Where the magic happens. 

Rockstar, athlete, warrior, and renegade. Those are just a few of the motivational words emblazoned on studio walls to welcome riders into New York’s newest SoulCycle location in the West Village.

“We’ve been looking for a location in the West Village for a long time,” says SoulCycle co-founder and West Village resident Elizabeth Cutler. “We got lucky and found an amazing old jewelry factory at Leroy and Greenwich Streets.”

Dubbed SoulCycle VLGE, the expansive space is home to not only a state-of-the-art cycling studio filled with 57 custom bikes, but it’s also the hub for the region’s teacher training program and the company’s corporate headquarters.

“We’re definitely excited about the space; the 4,000-square-foot studio is our second largest in downtown Manhattan,” says Cutler. The new location also features signature SoulCycle design details, including the Listening Bar, which is an iPod station to preview instructors’ class playlists, a Polaroid Wall, and clothing boutique with exclusive VLGE attire. SoulCycle VLGE opens today! 126 Leroy St.

BY KAITLIN CLARK


 

What We're Reading

A queen's message to young girls, letters from Marilyn Monroe, tweets from Hillary...

June 14, 2013

Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan has a message for young girls
Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan has a message for young girls

In a letter that begins, "Dear Girls of the World," Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan delivers an empowering message to young girls via CNN's "Girls Rising" project. The gist? "One girl with courage is a revolution," and there's "much more to you and for you" than "tiaras and cupcakes." Right on. [Buzzfeed] [CNN]

Speaking of powerful and inspiring women, Hillary Clinton graced the social media world with her presence on Twitter this week. Her bio and first two tweets are fun little reads. [Twitter]

Father's Day is this Sunday, and you can bet many fathers and sons will be spending some quality time at their favorite sports bar. Those looking for "kosher" bonding might check out the newly opened Gotham Burger—New York's first kosher sports bar on the Upper West Side. [Eater]

In the New York Post, writer Sara Stewart previews Love Marilyn. The new HBO documentary airs Monday and is based on the late icon's journal and letters, as read by the likes of Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood, and Glenn Close. [NY Post]

Is IQ an accurate predictor of success, or even intelligence? Some say no. In Fast Company's Create section, Jessica Grose breaks down some of the insights made in Ungifted, a new book by author Barry Kaufman (who is also an NYC adjunct assistant professor of psychology) about re-framing traditional definitions of smarts. [Fast Company

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORDAN PIX/GETTYIMAGES.COM


 

Weekend Recommender: June 13-16

The ultimate craft beer event, The Office's Jenna Fischer on stage, and more.

June 13, 2013

SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience offers samplings from 70 brewers
Sample more than 70 craft beers with food pairings at SAVOR

Mara Hoffman Sample Sale
June 13 and 14, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and June 15, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
New York womenswear designer Mara Hoffman rings in summer with an all-out sample sale. From gorgeous bikinis to beautiful, lightweight dresses, everything is marked down to 50 to 70 percent off retail price. Credit cards accepted, so there's no reason not to splurge. 242 Elizabeth St., 212-505-3020

SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience

June 14-15, 7:30-11 p.m.
Traditionally held in Washington, DC, the event comes to New York's Metropolitan Pavillion, offering tastings from more than 70 independent craft brewers paired with savory small plates. In addition to general admission, tickets can be purchased for tasting salons with favorite brewers. And with Father's Day weekend upon us, the timing couldn't be better. Tickets start at $170. 125-135 West 18th St.

Reasons to Be Happy at MCC Theater
June 13 and 14, 8 p.m. and June 15, 2 and 8 p.m.
Playwright and screenwriter Neil LaBute, whose dark, Tony-nominated comedy, Reasons to Be Pretty, hit Broadway a few years ago, returns with a just-opened sequel, Reasons to Be Happy. Produced by MCC Theater, where LaBute is playwright in residence, the comedy stars Josh Hamilton and The Office's Jenna Fischer. Tickets range from $69 to $89. Lucille Lortel Theater, 121 Christopher St., 212-352-3101

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH


 

1,000-Foot Photo Project in Brooklyn Bridge Park

"The Fence" features the work of 40 photographers all summer long.

June 13, 2013

1,000 foot photography installation, The Fence, in Brooklyn Bridge Park
"The Fence" in Brooklyn Bridge Park

If you happen to be strolling through Brooklyn Bridge park one fine summer day and come upon a 1,000-foot long outdoor photographic installation, then you've stumbled upon "The Fence," like more than a million passersby did last year. Now in its second edition, the 15-week long public art exhibition features the work of 40 photographers, their images all relating to the theme of community, within categories like home, street, people, creatures, and play.

The show kicks off Thursday, June 13 with a launch event featuring live music, ice cream, and a guided tour of the massive fence that doubles as canvas for these fun, thought-provoking photographic works. The meeting point for the tour is 6 p.m. in the picnic area near Jane’s Carousel in Dumbo.

"The Fence" is the brainchild of United Photo Industries, a Brooklyn-based cooperative that aims to bring the international photography community together, and also to champion new directions of the art form.

Check out the fantastical, fable-inspired images of Amelia's World by Robin Schwartz; young girls competing in Texas rodeos in Ilona Szwarc's Rode Girls; and Don Hamerman's Found Baseballs, which documents abandoned baseballs and resonates with a sense of youth, loss, and joy. Still on the fence? These are just three of the 40 photographers who contributed to this cool summer project. Feast your eyes. 

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFAN FALKE


 

Kicked Up Kale and Herb Cocktails

Fresh herbs and greens aren't just for dinner.

June 13, 2013

Milagro Tequila's Azoteas Verdes Margarita packs kale and bell pepper
Milagro's Azoteas Verdes Margarita packs kale and bell pepper

We've all heard of farm-fresh cuisine, but how about farm-fresh cocktails? Herbs and greens like kale and verbena leaves are all the rage in the cocktail world, explains Milagro Tequila ambassador Jaime Salas.

"Fresh herbs, herbs, and more herbs," Salas exclaims when asked to pinpoint this summer's singular, must-have cocktail ingredient. "From micro-greens to herb blossoms, herbs are this season's ingredient trend I see being used in most fresh cocktails. Whether they're being combined with fresh berries, fruits and vegetables, whole, or in syrups, the use of fresh herbs [has] caught on nationwide."

In addition to using fresh, seasonal ingredients, timing is also a factor in creating these green cocktails: "The fresher the better when it comes to fresh lime juice, for example. Citrus juice tends to oxidize quickly, so the closer you press your fresh juice prior to making your cocktails, the better," advises Salas.

Even the classic margarita can benefit from vegetables and leafy greens. Milagro's Azoteas Verdes Margarita recipe (made with Milagro Reposado, which is aged for six months in American oak barrels) features bell peppers, radish, and kale leaf. 

Azoteas Verdes Margarita
SERVES ONE

2 parts Milagro Reposado
1 part fresh lime juice
3/4 part agave nectar
2 green bell peppers
1 d'Avignon radish
1/5 kale leaf

Muddle all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Kale leaf garnish.

BY SIMONA RABINOVITCH


 

Dispatch: Fashion, Film, and Champagne

Jeffrey Slonim reports from the CFDA Fashion Awards, a Pedro Almodóvar premiere, and a Perrier-Jouet fête.

June 12, 2013


Blanca Suarez, Carlos Areces, Pedro Almodóvar, and Miguel Angel Silvestre at the premiere of I'm So Excited

The NSA likely already knows all of this, but if the rest of you weren’t listening in, director Pedro Almodóvar mentioned, at the premiere of his new film I’m So Excited!, that in Spanish, the phrase “I’m so excited” has an additional connotation: “horny.” Back to that debut momentarily.

Monday, June 3: Dispatches was merely excited to attend the CFDA Fashion Awards last Monday at Alice Tully Hall. Sofia Vergara wore a curvy green gown with a nearly 400-carat emerald choker by Lorraine Schwartz. “It chose me,” she told Dispatches. “I went in with this dress and I said, ‘Do I look like a giant asparagus?’ And they said, ‘No, ‘it’s fantastic,’ and they put this on me. It makes me feel like a Christmas tree.”  

>>PHOTOS: CFDA Fashion Awards Red Carpet Arrivals

Dispatches' big moment took place on the way to the winner’s circle backstage. Security kindly asked us to stand with our backs to the wall. And in walked a tall gent with a giant bow-tie, Oscar de la Renta, and a woman with honey blonde highlights and teardrop earrings, Hillary Rodham Clinton. She said that when she first encountered de la Renta, he noticed she was wearing him, and that he asked her to do a spin. Yep, he asked the former first lady for a 360 scan.

>>PHOTOS: CFDA Awards Afterparty

Dispatches asked Andy Cohen, who hosted the event, if Diane von Furstenberg had asked him to not say his buzz word, “mazel.” He nodded yes. “I ran into her at cocktail party,” he answered. "And she said, ‘Well, it’s a really cold room.’ And I said, ‘Oh, no, if you’re saying this!’ And Anna Wintour told me the same thing, that it’s a ‘really tough room.’” Tough room or not, Cohen did a great job as host. Mazel!

Tuesday, June 4: The Gordon Parks Foundation honored Swizz Beatz and Peter Beard at The Plaza Hotel. Beatz noted that he and wife Alicia Keys own images by Parks. “Gordon was a friend of mine,” mentioned the distinguished Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates—who did the PBS special Finding Your Roots, about DNA and genealogy—on his way to the ballroom. “I admired him very much,” said Gates. “We just hit it off; he had so much style.” Also styling, was wildlife photographer and author Beard, who arrived with his beautiful wife Najma and daughter Zara. Meanwhile, Entourage star Debi Mazar had her handsome husband Gabriele Corcos in tow. Together they host Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel.   


Sienna Miller at the Just Like a Woman premiere; Ali Larter and Hayes MacArthur at Perrier-Jouet's spring fête

Wednesday, June 5: The next night, Sienna Miller debuted her latest film, Just Like A Woman, at the Crosby Street Hotel. It's about two women in unhappy marriages who hit the road together—shades of Thelma and Louise. “It was wonderful,” said Miller of the journey from Chicago to Sante Fe. “Driving across the Mississippi felt like a moment.” Miller self-deprecated about her coif that night. “I didn’t have time to have my hair done,” she said. “I just threw it up in a ponytail, and my baby threw some yogurt in it as we were leaving the house. I wiped the yogurt out with a wet wipe.” 

Also Wednesday, on the roof of Hôtel Americano, I caught up with Ali Larter at Perrier-Jouet's spring fête. Champagne was everywhere and the bottom of the pool was decorated with the brand's logo. “Great place,” said Larter, a reed-thin blonde, who gave me a smooch and called me ‘Michael.’ Her husband, Hayes MacArthur, a 6’4 hunk, lounged nearby.

Thursday, June 6: At the Cinema Society and Girard Perregaux screening of I'm So Excited!, Almodóvar spoke about his hot new Spanish star Miguel Angel Silvestre, who apparently used to be a stripper. Only, Almodóvar amusingly pronounced it “striper,” asking Silvestre, “When was the last time you striped?” The answer? "Last night."

“My role is a guy on his way to Mexico to celebrate his honeymoon,” Silvestre told Dispatches at the DeLeón Tequila-sponsored event. “He has been partying his whole wedding and he has something inside of him that can make the people more happy and free, and he takes it out and they serve it.” He’s speaking of a drug his character has lodged in an orifice. The plane is going down and they serve the illicit substance. Let the inflight action begin. Fun flick. 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN GABBE (ALMODÓVAR); CINDY ORD (MILLER)

For more entertainment and society news, visit jeffreyslonim.com or follow @JeffreyJSlo on Twitter


 

Gilligan's Pops Up; Payard Does High Tea

Plus: Lobster specials at L'Ecole, Mixology Mondays at Melibea, and more food and drink news.

June 11, 2013


Gilligan's at Soho Grand (image via)

Gilligan's Pops Up at Soho Grand: The team behind Montauk pop-up Moby Dick's has opened a tropical-inspired outdoor eatery serving local seafood (think crudo and grilled whole fish), delicious pizzas, and frozen watermelon margaritas in the Yard at Soho Grand. Open through September, the pop-up will operate daily from 4 p.m. into the wee hours, with added brunch service on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 310 W. Broadway, 212-965-3000

Fourchu Lobster Specials at L’Ecole: Fourchu lobsters have been dubbed the “Rolls-Royce” of crustaceans and are only in season for a short window of time. At L’Ecole, the International Culinary Center’s restaurant, the sweet tasting lobsters will be featured on the menu in classic lobster rolls, steamed, and in various daily specials through August. 462 Broadway, 212-219-3300

Mixology Mondays at Melibea: Resident mixologist Raphael Reyes is slinging specialty $7 cocktails paired with complimentary canapés every Monday night from 6 to 9 p.m. At this week's kick-off event, Goldbar's Tim Cooper, also the brand ambassador for Spring 44 Gin, joined Reyes behind the bar. Upcoming sessions will also feature guest bartenders to be announced. 2 Bank St., 212-463-0090

Andaz Wall Street Biergarten: Happy hour no longer has to be just you and friends meeting up for drinks. During “Bark Hour,” every Wednesday between 5 and 8 p.m. through early October, Andaz Wall Street Biergarten offers dog owners a two-for-one drink special while Fido snacks on natural, locally-made treats from The Salty Paw, a pet boutique located nearby. 75 Wall St., 212-590-123

High Tea at Payard: François Payard recently introduced a high tea service on Fridays and Saturdays from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at his flagship Payard location on the Upper East Side. The $24 prix fixe features tea sandwiches, scones, small pastries, and a pot of Kusmi tea. For a decadent touch, a glass of prosecco is an extra $6. 1293 Third Ave., 212-717-5252

Late-Night Menu at Rouge et Blanc: Soaring temperatures in the summer results in many diners wanting to eat lighter and sometimes even later in the cooler evening hours. Starting June 14, Rouge et Blanc will serve a late-night bar menu and summer cocktails from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., Thursdays through Saturdays. Chef Macks Collins’ menu offers French-Vietnamese small dishes while owner and sommelier Thomas Cregan presents soju and fruit based cocktails. 48 MacDougal St., 212-260-5757

BY BAO ONG  


 

Father's Day Gift Recommender

Dads just want to feel hip again. So help them out with these fun, stylish gifts.

June 11, 2013


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