Ice Skating in Central Park

On my absolute to-do list of outdoor activities before I left was ice skating in New York. The most popular places to do this are at Rockefeller Place or Central Park, and the latter is where Marc and I ventured to today. On the upper west side of the park is the Lasker skating rink where you can skate til your heart is content for $6 between 10am and 3pm. We picked a good time to go...not only was it empty, but towards late morning the sun is quite intense at that side of the park; pull some sweet moves and your cool cred won't be the only thing burning up. Apparently Marc is actually a figure skater in a past life, but I'm not boosting any egos more than they need to be.

Wall St/Trinity Church

I spent the better half of the morning around Wall St and the WTC site with Austin. There is a historical graveyard at the centuries old Trinity Church across the road from the site. Someone I know photographed it in the winter while it was snowing, and although it isn't quite cold enough for snowstorms just yet, the winter certainly adds to the aura. The church and graveyard dates back to the 1750s and so many of the graveheads have worn away with age, leaving unmarked resting places. It is a very interesting site.
My day was quite depressing after that...we also went to Century 21, a place which both freaks me out and enrages me because of the fashion commodity. I would never want my stuff to end up there. It is quite disgusting.

Museum of Natural History/Soho

Mark and I went to the Museum of Natural History this morning...a little bit on the repetitive side of things I've seen, although it was still thoroughly enjoyable and an educating experience. Disappointingly, the Big Bang simulator wasn't working...but I found out I weigh 20.1lbs on the moon apparently!
They have a really fantastic geological collection of rocks that my Papa would probably have enjoyed more than me. I liked the gemstones and diamonds room, naturally. But also what was cool, which Marc later agreed, was the room of human evolution from ape to man. I was comforted by the fact that old Neandethal ladies had saggy boobs back then too. What was super interesting was a wall of a collection of human skulls and skeletons over time...I learnt, from observations, that we have lost 2 knuckle joints in our fingers since our prehistoric ancestors!

I met up with another friend for cupcakes from Magnolia's in SoHo which were super yum. It was conveniently right near the Marc Jacobs bookstore, Bookmarc, so we mosied around there too. Fantastic selection of artsy books, but for such a small store, I don't understand the necessity of have 4 people working at the same time? Anyway, continuing down Bleeker st and into the heart of SoHo shopping, I came across an amazing vintage couture store called Roundabout which has this Issey Miyake piece I really wanted to buy. Other treasures included Yohji Yamamoto, Hussein Chalayan, Balenciaga, Junya Watanbe, Dior, Chanel, Gareth Pugh, etc etc eat your heart out, I die, etc. They are super reasonably priced also, and the pieces are in amazing condition.
Later had lunch at the Mercer cafe in SoHo, where we waited 25mins for a toasted sandwich, wtf! But it was satisfying, and I saw a guy wearing some crazy attire from the window so I popped up to steal a snap. We also went into Chanel which wasn't nearly as decadent or sophisticated as Prada. But whatevs.

Coney Island!

Well it was again a super cold day in New York when we woke up...but the sun looked inviting and so, as we've done each time the sky looks nice, we planned an outdoor adventure. This time it was down to Coney Island, which is a long standing icon of American amusement parks. To get there, it is an hour long, insightful train ride to the bottom shores of Brooklyn, passing through the suburbs along the way. When we got off the train the air was icy with a ghetto feel - you wouldn't want to wander around seemingly lost in this area. It is a very industrial part of town until you reach the amusement park grounds, which are eerie and desolate in the wintertime. There are no blaring lights and children running around screaming and laughing as depicted in the films...instead, the ocean winds swell around the grounds creating haunting sounds as they pass through the tall, inactive attractions.
In a sense though, it all seemed very right and peaceful. I felt no apprehension walking along the boards alone (because M&M have a tenacity to walk 2km ahead of me). It is still a very popular place for people who exercise (they look hilarious running around with something like pillows wrapped around their faces). And the cutest thing ever was an old couple huddled together on a bench listening to jazz radio.
But I can only imagine what Coney Island is like of a summertime when it is alive.

We of course had to go to the famous Nathan's Hot Dog joint near the boardwalk...I didn't have one, I had fries marinated in cheese...but I assure you, it was much more satisfying watching the boys eat those things.

Arts and Cultures Initiatives Conference at CUNY

I´m not going to admit I totally enjoyed the 12 hour day of conferences and fashion events seedy and hungover, but I am pretty proud that I lasted until 5.30pm without much to complain about, except that we were running nearly 2hrs behind schedule.
The first day of talks was engaging…very focused on the power of the consumer. We started the day ambitiously with an invigorating talk on the power play in fashion being driven by the consumer, and moved into the definition of style and current fashion. We had an amazing panel of empowering women in style, including lovely Tziporah Salamon who all of the fashion girls met at the cocktail launch and have fallen in love with because of her audacious nature. Our gathered notes defined style in 5 components:
1) Knowing and complimenting your body
2) Studying other people with style
3) Relying on vintage for rare and treasurable pieces
4) Avoiding or ignoring trends
5) Not only knowing yourself, but complimenting your personality and embodying the essence of your style.

The most fantastic quote of the day was "style is me only, fashion is me too", and with that we left a little more confident about our budding fashion aspirations.

The second day of the conference ran a little more smoothly and certainly had mmuch more resourceful information on offer. We had an upbeat and engaging talk by Anna Sui, who explained her identity as a designer as well as the inspiration behind her SS 11 collection. The collection references heavily the 1979 film Days of Summer and definitely put me in a seventies mood for when I come home. I am rushing out to find floaty, floral, feminine prints inspired by a sunset colour palette, soft chambrey denims and Western style tassles.
By far the biggest highlight of the day was glove maker ______ who explained, meticulously and tediously, the lengthy process of crafting a Couture glove. He had a lisp which made matters worse, but he was definitely entertaining (I couldn't keep the innuendous thoughts to myself). Hamish Bowles spoke about curating the Balenciaga exhibition we viewed last week at the Spanish Institute, and although I was super excited to meet him, his talk failed to meet expectations as it was generally just a drawn out reading of the exhibition catalogue.

My favourite speaker was in a panel discussing the values of vintage exhibitions. He was an outlandish Dutch designer who had emigrated to New York to expand his brand. What I love about Dutch people and miss about home is their complete audacity in having no qualms about expressing their controversial opinions. He emulated this all. The most interesting speaker was an artist from L.A. who worked in photo media and technology portraiture. Watch this space for a future collaboration.

As it was the last night for the girls and Kay, we joined them for dinner at a Dallas Texan Barbecue joint near home, where everything served is actually bigger than life (or what is capably edible). My spinach salad was actually a salad bowl serving of mushrooms and leaves, plus half a chicken carcass. Not even implementing mind over matter could have accomplished that feast. I think the most enjoyable and worthwhile thing offered on the menu is if you oorder a Texan margherita, which is actually a bowl-size goblet of slushy ice alcohol for $8. Really hits the spot.

Anyway, now I miss the girls and am spending the rest of the trip with the smelly boys. They're actually not that bad, but I am looking forwards to spending a lot of time travelling on my own to reflect on my practice and perceptions of where it is going.

Just....give me directions to Prada please

I felt so confident after getting lost at the Met, that I wandered off and spent the day with myself. Started the day with a coffee and a bagel…there is a super cute café near my closest subway called Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company. The guys who work there are super nice, and despite no one in America actually knows how to serve a bagel going LIGHTLY on the cream cheese, their coffee made up for it. Sew Good.
I walked up to the Fabric District bright and early because I knew I´d be spending at least a few hours there. First on my list was Mood, naturally, where I got swatches of a few different types of fabric blends I am interested in using for my graduate collection. I found some really amazing double faced cashmere for a sweet price, and I like the weight of it, which would suit the type of simplistic construction path of tailoring I am conceptualizing at this stage.
I also stumbled across an insanely crazy fabric store called Fabric Garden which specialized in insanely crazy ornamented fabrics, huzzah. Not that the pricetags could actually justify embellishing a bit of polyster with some sequins, but it would be fun for party costuming I guess. I came across it trying to find a store which specialized in tailoring materials and fabrics (satorialist guys, eat your hearts out at Beckenstein Men´s Fabrics on West 39th). En route, I found a silk house which specialized in pleated silk…so I also grabbed a business card for any future references.
Feeling accomplished, I felt the necessity of treating myself to some Prada after that increadibly superstitious dream I had the other night where Prada released their SS11 range of footwear and I beat Deb Quinn to be the first in Brisbane to acquire a pair from the collection. The Fashion and Garment district runs from 7th Av to Broadway, so after trawling a few streets and checking the Prada address and then happening to be ON Broadway, I thought it would be a cinch to wander down to the store (note…Broadway addresses at the Fashion District start at like…number 1120, Prada is number 575 Broadway…). Delusional. An hour and 15mins later, bothered, cold, hungry, needing to pee and lost in SoHo, I actually found myself BEGGING passers by to give me the directions to Prada. By this point my expectations of the store were pretty damn high, so lucky to you, Micciua, that your store is UHMAZING. I once heard someone married a momument…well I´d marry this store. Hello 2 levels of decadence and sophisticated beauty, yes sir you may cloak my jacket and large noob camera upon entrance. The main store feature, aside from the change rooms that frost up when in use, was a skate-bowl like arena with mannequins fashioning the Spring collection in large golden frames. Downeth thy stairs of heaven thou treadth into the depthful maze of womenswear, whose aisles are tread by the elite and AMEX husbands (literally, some decadent bitch was just trawling through the racks with her husband behind her, who was pulling out pieces to which she replied ´honey I already HAVE that one, it should be arriving tomorrow…´)
I had to visit the menswear on behalf of my elegantly refined companions at home…and gentlemen, you would be pleased to know I would never sell you a linted pair of tweed pants from a rack, unlike some (although extremely attractive) unattentive Prada employees.

I learnt my lesson from walking 40 blocks unnecessarily, so managed my way home on a transport mechanism called a SUB-WAAAAAY. Legit professional. Back home just in time to deck out in some RWB for the Arts Initiatives cocktail launch on Upper East. By the way, where is my hubby with an AMEX? You can put this dazzling number on it for a sheer $400 000 thank you and please. I will take some more Moet et Chandon too. The launch was amazing…I literally died being in the presence of so much glamour.

The night´s progression is a bit of a blur after the champagne and that ring…but I know I had an amazing dessert at ???? some amazing asian place.
Such a good day.

The Met!

We woke up and it was RAINING LIKE CRAZYTOWN with wind and chills and all kinds of horrible puddles in the cobbled stone roads. Perfect day for indoor activity…

Considering the many hundreds of discarded, destroyed and tangled umbrellas…I didn´t even bother using one because I know mine is only flimsy, so I braved the weather in my chic pants and beret. We made our way up to Upper East to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art…and I cannot even contain myself, the Met the most amazing thing I have ever seen or could ever imagine exist in the world. We spent over 4 hours there, I got lost many times but it still was no where near enough time to explore culture in the world over its expansive floor space and levels of discovery.
I have decided that I would like to collect the art of Chuck Close in my French Renaissance décor house, pioneer civilization like the American pilgrims, dress myself by mood each morning with a wardrobe akin to the archived periodical costume collection, aquire the wisdom of the great Japanese monks and then die happy, buried with dignity in a tomb like the Ancient Egyptians. The Met is just…out of this world amazing. Visual orgasm, get-in-my-pants-history-of-cultural-and-social-development amazing.

I am so pissed off, I didn´t know you could take photos. But I wouldn´t have wanted to review today behind a lens anyway. Perhaps I will go back before I leave.