Design Royalty

Sunday, at the AD 20/21 show at Boston's Cyclorama, I had a marvelous conversation with design Royalty charmers, husband and wife Vladimir Kagan and Erica Wilson. She was delighted I recalled her fascinating needlework show on WGBH. We talked about her books, videos and kits. We petted and posed with Bonsai, my buddy/colleague, Peter Levis' (Beyond Gorgeosity's) dachschund. Mr Kagan, vibrant and tanned, graciously dispensed business and design advice as he autographed his catalogue. An inspiring half hour!

The show itself had great exhibitors, including Greg Nanamura, Cara Antiques and Christopher Anthony soon to be relocating to Palm Springs.

Great design is alive and well in spite of this economy and it was great to see such a turn out.

MV

Scenting the through History

The toilette tray in someones home is often a great revelation. I peruse fragrances on TOP their vanity but certainly no further than the shelves above the toilet hoping for "scent evidence" into the individual.

Are they stocked up on Brut, Chantilly or English Leather? Hmm, I won't go there.

Justly said, I prefer super classic scents, and one day on a particular sniffing excursion my nose and brain were mesmerized by the contents of a nondescript, old fashioned bottle. The initial spray hit me as super-sweet but quickly turned into the most intoxicating, transporting scent. It was the perfectly powdery Melograno
(Pomegranate) from the venerable Italian Pharmacia, Santa Maria Novella.

Pomegranates, originally from Persia have been depicted in Egyptian tombs and in many of the greatest works of art, symbolizing wealth, fertility and abundance. How perfect for me! It is delicious.

Immediately, I researched and found this ancient Florentine company completely fascinating which of course appealed to my sense of time and history. While in New York this past weekend I treated myself to a bottle of this spectacular liquor and am sharing my secret. It was a great lift.

So, finding something that works with your sense of adventure, history or beauty as opposed to something packaged for the mass market by some ad-crazy mega corp

A good Parfumeria will have coffee beans to help your nose differentiate one new scent after another. So enjoy and experiment.

A scent is a simple way to transport one's self in these solemn days.

Happy sniffing!

MV