Personal shopper; Martin Margiela! on 1st dibs

Cleverly designed and very rare top composed of silk shirt sleeves from Martin Margiela dating to the Fall/Winter 2008/09 Archive/Artisanal (Line 0) Collection. 1 of 5 made in France at the Margiela atelier. Condition is excellent and has never been worn- Available on 1st dibs, $ 3500.00 via Jennifer Kobrin.

Inspiration, Mariem Besbes.

The biography of Tunisian textile designer and color alchemist Mariem Besbes is almost mythical in its themes of cultural history, family lineage, and personal destiny. Lucky for us, her story centers around the ancient art of weaving. I found out about her through my most cherished subscription to The World of Interiors, an investment that has paid in spades.

Jasmin Shokrian, Chiffon T's at the shop this summer.

Love all the pieces from Jasmin's Draft No. 17 line.

For the shop this summer, this beautiful chiffon tank, front in deep pink.

And back in a neutral blush color.

Inspiration for AP shop this summer

At auction we purchased an extensive amount of early 60's to 80's Joan Vass samples, never worn and so modern in design, caftans, pieces made from vintage fabrics found traveling, and beautiful hand knit pieces, which were her signature. The pieces are reminiscent of the caftan worn by the stunning Gloria Guinness above, photo by Cecil Beaton, 1970- and will be available in the shop this summer!

Randolph Street Spring Market, this Saturday & Sunday

I will be bringing this silk chiffon floral blouse by Yves Saint Laurent,

photo above from the YSL collection at the Met.

Saturday, March 24, 2012 / Noon-6pm
Sunday, March 25, 2012 / 10am-5pm
1340 W. Washington, Chicago, IL / Inside Historic Plumbers Hall /$10 at the gate

I will be bringing this silk chiffon floral blouse by Yves Saint Laurent,

 photo above from the YSL collection at the Met.

I will be bringing this silk chiffon floral blouse by Yves Saint Laurent,

 photo above from the YSL collection at the Met.

This just in! silk scarves by Janice, and a bit more.

Each scarf is naturally dyed by hand with roots, leaves, and tree bark, each is one of a kind and this color was made exclusively for AP shop!

Natural Dye on Silk, beautiful and very large, 96 x 45''.

Bakelite bracelets, 40's wooden necklace, and Beatriz Furest leather bag from Barcelona.

Our own leather color block necklace, all hand sewn with African bronze pendant.

Hermes Fall 2012, prints charming.

prints!!!  note to self-  save money for fall.

Some of the pieces remind me of 70's YSL, the prints and sheer chiffon blouse.

This one as well.

So modern.

Again, feels a bit like Ysl and Liberty.

The tights and matching gloves are amazing.

Hacienda Montaecristo

Francesca Bonato’s accessories line, Hacienda Montaecristo, was born of necessity. When she and her husband, the model Nicolas Malleville, opened their hotel, Coqui Coqui, in Tulum, Mexico, 10 years ago, ‘‘Calvin Klein didn’t sell linens here,’’ she says. So the couple made their own, working with local weavers for everything from towels to uniforms. Along the way, she fell in love with the traditional shawl called the rebozo, which she and her partner , Jacopo Janniello Ravagnan, use for their bags, sandals and jewelry. ‘‘We’re inspired by the synchronicity of the colonial and local traditions,’’ she says, ‘‘by the romanticism of Mexico.’’  Above, Francesca with Hacienda Montaecristo weavers in Vallodolid, Mexico.  Personally,  I am loving the rebozo's and the sandals!

The Hacienda Montaecristo collection is built from intricately woven scarves, braided leather shoes, and fringed leather necklaces. And, it seems inspiration doesn’t always come from the outside, pieces within the existing line are always spurring new creations.  “The fringe necklaces are the reinterpreting of the fringes made by hand in the crochet of the rebozos,” said Francesca, “We love to give a sense and a continuity to each of our products.”

Francesca's vintage rebozo collection.

Leather and rebozo sandals.

Many of the above photos from Nonsense & Sensibility.

Il Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, Puglia Italy

 

A former convent makes a beautific B&B in the luscious coastal countryside of Puglia. Owned by British aristocrats Alistair and Athena McAlpine, Il Convento di Santa Maria di Costantinopoli was Lord and Lady McAlipne's private home before they opened it up to paying guests in 2003. The eight room establishment is adorned with art and treasures from the couple's world travels and the library features an extensive collection of first-edition titles. We made our way there in 2004, before I had a digital camera!

A seating area in the internal courtyard.

The lovely Lady Athena McAlpine.

So much generosity and beauty,

Alistair McAlpine, proprietor, sexagenarian lord, treasurer of the British Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher, one of the world's great collectors,  and also, formerly a contributor to The World of Interiors magazine.

A typical breakfast, more fruit that you can imagine, we took a couple of pears on a walk and fed wild horses in an ancient olive grove.

The spring fed pool.

Another sitting room, on cool rainy afternoons there was a fire.

A typical lunch, everything fresh, local and served with wine from the cellar.

Fresh Burrata on just picked herbs.

I will scan additional pictures later. It was magic, the land, the food, the rare cacti collection, the herb garden, the wine cellar and the textiles! Highly recommend- no website, just call! Via Convento, Marittima di Diso; 44-7736/362-328; doubles from $300, including breakfast, lunch, wine, and laundry service.

De Vera

Established in San Francisco in 1991 by Federico De Vera as a creative undertaking in lifestyle, De Vera has come to symbolize a singular point of view in the beauty of objects as well as display. Curiosity of the natural world, passion for collecting and presentation, and desire to evolve has resulted in the opening of two New York City locations in 2003 and 2010.

Above photos from Federico De Vera's home.

a still life in the shop.

Gorgeous photos of assembled jewelry, from their book, De Vera Jewelry,  available through the website. Photography by Don Freeman, Anita Calero and Poul Ober. Text by Kristin Blandford and design by Randy Saunders.

Essays by Bruce Weber, Paul Smith and Lori Goldstein
Limited edition of 2500. To see more, visit-  De Vera