Style & Culture – Frederic Magazine

See the New Exhibitions, Collections & Collaborations We’ve Got Our Eye On

Jill Simpson — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 19:01:31 +0000

OUR NO-FAIL CURE FOR THE WINTER DOLDRUMS? A well-timed dose of good design, of course. From inspiring art exhibits and once-in-a-lifetime tastemaker auctions to playful new brand collaborations and pop-up shops that bring far-flung treasures closer to home, this season’s buzziest debuts and drops are guaranteed to add some much-needed sunshine to even the dreariest days.

Victor Glemaud for Patterson Flynn

Victor Glemaud on Assinie, a hand-knotted wool rug featuring a coterie of unique animals and plants.

Melanie Acevedo

Glemaud’s nephews play on the Biétry flatweave rug, which pairs geometric medallions with a flower border in hand-dyed wool.

Melanie Acevedo

Haitian-American fashion designer Victor Glemaud is known for bold, inventive, inclusive knitwear that melds comfort with style. Having previously translated his artistic vision into fabrics and wallpaper for Schumacher, Glemaud has now turned his attention to rugs with a lush new collection for Patterson Flynn that draws on his travels in Africa to create imaginative menageries and rhythmic borders that are both elevated and welcoming. In hand-knotted wool, rustic handspun silk, and raffia, Glemaud’s innovative cut-out flower borders, vibrant patterns, and soft textures are designed to be inviting to style mavens and young families alike.

pattersonflynn.com

The Iris Apfel Online Auction at Christie’s

The grande dame herself, Iris Apfel.

Ruven Afanador

“Iris” Skirt by Stacy Bendet for Alice + Olivia, 2018.

Courtesy of Christie's

The inimitable American tastemaker, style icon, and businesswoman (she was the co-founder of Old World Weavers) Iris Apfel passed away last year at the age of 102. An online auction at Christie’s through February 13 showcases her fearless, totally original style through 220 lots of dramatic couture and ready-to-wear fashions, jewelry, furniture, and accessories (including her trademark oversized eyeglasses) from her homes in New York City and Palm Beach. See the collection in person at Christie’s in NYC from February 8–13.

christies.com

“Making Home” Exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt

In “The Offering” by Hadiya Williams and Nicole Crowder, six place settings and chairs around the table reference six decades, from 1910 to 1970, of the Great Migration.

Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Design Triennial at the Cooper Hewitt museum (in NYC’s landmark Carnegie Mansion), explores the meaning of home in all its manifestations, from “Seeking Home” to “Building Home.” Now through August 10th, discover 25 site-specific installations by a diverse array of artists, including Hadiya Williams and Nicole Crowder, who designed “The Offering” (seen above), a vignette of Black family life around the dining table that represents the Great Migration from the American South to the north.

cooperhewitt.org

Society Social x Nick Mele

Photographer Nick Mele enjoying his new gaming furniture collaboration with Society Social, including the Checkmate Game Table and Queen Barrel Back Lounge Chair.

Nick Mele

Society Social has teamed up with fine art photographer Nick Mele, known for his glamorous society photos, for “Pause Life, Play Games,” a collection of game-room furniture with a sophisticated edge. From the Checkmate Game Table, which includes a grasscloth-lined storage compartment and comes in a rainbow of high-gloss paint finishes, to the Gambit Gaming Chair, ergonomically designed for marathon PlayStation sessions and available in an array of designer-favorite fabrics, each piece is a delightful upgrade to any den or family room.

shopsocietysocial.com

A Vida Portuguesa x MoMA

A selection of wares at the A Vida Portugesa pop-up shop at MoMA.

Courtesy of MoMA

Alentejo Wood Child’s Chair, $195.

Courtesy of MoMA

Those in the know make pilgrimages to Lisbon design emporium A Vida Portuguesa for its creatively curated crafts and artisan-made products from around Portugal. Now you can shop their treasures stateside at a pop-up shop at the MoMA Design Store, open through March 10th. You’ll find traditional crafts like intricately woven blankets, colorful reed basket bags, and ceramics alongside basics like delicious tinned fish and stylish apothecary items (think vintage-inspired tubes of hand cream and toothpaste).

store.moma.org

The post See the New Exhibitions, Collections & Collaborations We’ve Got Our Eye On appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Artist William Rushton’s Portraits Have an Old-World Luminosity

Penelope Riley — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 23:52:23 +0000

When I was first introduced to William Rushton’s work, I was struck by how his pieces felt both old-world and contemporary at the same time. With a rigorous education at the Florentine atelier Charles H. Cecil Studios, loads of personality, and incredible talent, Rushton skillfully distills and translates his subjects into classic masterpieces. Here, the New York–based artist shares his background and creative process, his sources of inspiration, and the story behind his beautiful paintings and sculptures.

After studying and painting in Florence, Italy, for five years, Rushton began painting in a studio in Birmingham, Alabama.

BRIE WILLIAMS

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

I’m from Birmingham, Alabama. I loved art growing up, but at Colorado College, I majored in psychology because I didn’t see how art could lead to a job. During my junior year, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, and took a short course at Charles Cecil Studios, where we did cast drawing and figure drawing, and I loved it. One of my instructors suggested that I come back and do the full-time program. It seemed kind of crazy to me to move to Italy and ditch my psychology career. But I thought about it more and more, and talked to my parents, who said, if you really want to do it, now’s the time.

After I graduated college in 2015, I moved to Florence to do the full-time, three-year program. It’s sort of like an apprenticeship, and that’s how ateliers work in general. Spending five years there as a student and then as an instructor, I was able to do more than just painting and drawing; I also started doing sculpture on the side. I learned pretty much everything I know about painting in Florence. The studio’s founder, Charles Cecil, teaches the “sight-size” method of painting and beyond that, he creates a canon of painters to look at, learn from, and see the connection from one to another.

Loredana I, oil on canvas, 2023

courtesy of william rushton

Piero, oil on canvas

courtesy of william rushton

How would you describe your creative approach to portraiture?

When I think about creative process, it has a lot to do with what John Singer Sargent, Gainsborough, Velasquez, or Titian were all doing, which is finding natural beauty with just light and form, and through interaction with people—not just copying what was in front of them, but using it to create something that was oftentimes even more beautiful than nature or reality. The work is created from life because it’s so observational, but it’s also filled with lots of their own character and imagination. My creative process is still at the point where I just want to master and become really confident with the basics, and then also discover my own natural way of doing things—my own kind of signature.

Yasmina, terracotta, 2024

courtesy of william rushton

Joshua, terracotta, 2024

courtesy of william rushton

Where do you look for inspiration?

In Florence, got so much inspiration from the weekly lectures that Charles would give, so since I moved to New York, I’ve been trying to collect images and create sort of an image bank of photos and prints of old paintings. I have a Velasquez book sitting out on my coffee table all the time, and I even ordered another one so I can cut out and frame pages so I can see them in my studio. I’m also not too far from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so I go there often. I’m trying to start sketching there once a week and see artworks in person. One of my favorite Velasquez paintings, Juan de Pareja, is there. Being able to see it online is one thing, but being able to see it in person is much more powerful.

Geoff, oil on canvas

courtesy of william rushton

Rominha, oil on canvas

courtesy of william rushton

How do you deal with creative blocks?

Well, I don’t know if I necessarily have them at this point, because there’s the creative side of painting, and there’s the discipline, just the work of it. I do deal with burnout, where I’m pushing myself for weeks and months on end, trying to do as much as possible to improve. I think you need to add variety to your life or find hobbies that you care about or distractions, so that you’re not only thinking about work and your career, otherwise you’ll go crazy.

One thing that’s made a huge difference is that I try to divide my schedule between painting and sculpture. They’re similar, but they’re also completely different: One is dealing with paint, one’s dealing with clay; one’s dealing with color, and one’s not. I can go do this other thing and I’m reinvigorated. It’s a great way to avoid burnout and stay excited.

The post Artist William Rushton’s Portraits Have an Old-World Luminosity appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Editor’s Obsession: Liquid Gold

Penelope Riley — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 18:36:24 +0000

Gold may seem immutable and timeless (art objects have been found dating from 4200 BCE), but my favorite new pieces capture it in more evanescent, fluid forms, showcasing its light-catching quality in shimmering paillettes, drippy spangles, swishy beaded fringe, and molten silhouettes. The sense of movement gives these pieces—from a dazzling modern chandelier to luminous jewelry to a resplendent gold-fringed console table—a sensual quality that makes you want to reach out and touch them, to bask in their glow.

To experience more of gold’s irresistible allure and stunning craftsmanship, visit Solid Gold at the Brooklyn Museum through July 6, 2025.

Winter 2024, Look 49 by Burberry

uk.burberry.com

Louane Velvet Lamé Gown by The Row

$5,750, mytheresa.com

Shop the Look

Midas Grand Tier Chandelier by Fisher Weisman

Price upon request, fisherweisman.com

Starling Beaded Fringe by Schumacher

Price upon request, schumacher.com

Solanales Crystal Teardrop Collar Necklace by Alexis Bittar

$795, alexisbittar.com

Tassel Diamond Necklace by Solange

$20,038, solange.co.uk

Collier Entry Table by Casamidy

Price upon request, casamidy.com

Celeste Sequined Drawstring Shoulder Bag by Ulla Johnson

$550, bergdorfgoodman.com

Arbor Gold Candlesticks by Studio Palatin

Price upon request, studiopalatin.com

Everything on our website was hand-picked by a FREDERIC editor. We may earn commission on items you purchase.

The post Editor’s Obsession: Liquid Gold appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

How “Maria” Recreated the Exquisite World of Maria Callas

Jill Simpson — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:24:55 +0000

The post How “Maria” Recreated the Exquisite World of Maria Callas appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Our Favorite New Collections, Stores & Design Happenings

Martha Moskowitz — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 21:40:18 +0000

As you’re holiday shopping (for others or yourself!), here are some exciting new stores and collections to consider for special, not off-the-shelf gifts. ’Tis the season for creative collaborations as well, so be sure to check out these artful new partnerships.

Saved NY

SINAN TUNCAY

Saved NY, Sean McNanney’s line of handcrafted Mongolian cashmere blankets and accessories, has long been a favorite of the design and fashion cognoscenti. The brand is now expanding its retail footprint with two new locations: An uptown showroom in the storied Interior Arts Building space once occupied by John Rosselli, and a downtown outpost in the East Village, filled with home decor, clothing, gifts from Paris, and other one-of-a-kind treasures, both new and vintage. McNanney’s spacious Greenpoint, Brooklyn, studio (seen above), an incubator for new designs, is also open by appointment.

SAVED-NY.com

Ginori 1735 x Julie Hillman

COURTESY OF GINORI 1735

Each year, Italian porcelain manufacturer Ginori invites select artists to reimagine the brand’s classic white tableware with unique hand-painted designs through the Reborn Project. New York interior designer Julie Hillman created two lyrical collections inspired by ancient Greece and Africa that adroitly distill historical references with modern clarity. In addition to her tableware designs, we’re loving her trio of bold, graphic table lamps in porcelain (above).

ginori1735.com

Art/Artefact x Irene Owens

COURTESY OF ART/ARTEFACT

The Artist’s Eye, an imaginative collaboration between Art/artefact founder Audra Kiewiet de Jonge, miniaturist painter Irene Owens, and marbling maven Erika Stefanutti of Parvum Opus, features miniature paintings of women artists’ eyes set into antique jeweled brooches. Turning the concept of “the lover’s eye” (a Victorian token of courtship) on its head, these tiny portraits of artists from Berthe Morisot to Anni Albers celebrate the power of the female gaze. Each piece of jewelry is set into a beautiful handmade marbled-paper box by Parvum Opus, so it can be hung and displayed, or simply enjoyed when not being worn. (The marbled boxes are also sold on their own.)

artartefact.com

The Future Perfect Prize

COURTESY OF THE FUTURE PERFECT

In an exciting new outgrowth of The Future Perfect’s mission to promote and support designers and craft, the gallery has announced Bahamian ceramicist Anina Major as the inaugural recipient of its newly minted Future Perfect Prize. Major’s work melds the practice of Bahamian straw weaving with her chosen medium of clay to create pieces that blur the lines between craft and art. In addition to a gallery showcase in 2025, she will receive a grant of $20,000 and mentorship to support her emerging practice.

THEFUTUREPERFECT.COM

ADI Wallpaper by Annie Downing

COURTESY OF ANNIE DOWNING INTERIORS

Whimsical, graphic, and subtly retro, the debut wallpaper collection from Austin-based interior designer Annie Downing features five lively patterns printed on grasscloth and tactile non-woven paper. From the cheeky olives of “Antipasto” to the colorful motifs of “Lost Lotus,” these patterns will add a spark to spaces small or large.

ANNIEDOWNING.COM

John Derian x Astier de Villatte

COURTESY OF ASTIER DE VILLATTE

The latest collaboration between John Derian and venerable French ceramics firm Astier de Villatte takes a new direction, inspired by Derian’s collection of 18th-century Dutch and English delftware. The collection of 12 plates, ranging from small to generous in size, reproduces the delftware’s rich coloring and lively brushstrokes in detailed country scenes, fruit and flower motifs, and chinoiserie, all handmade in Paris.

johnderian.com

Schoolhouse x Clare V.

COURTESY OF SCHOOLHOUSE

Portland-based lighting and furniture company Schoolhouse has teamed up with of-the-moment L.A. handbag and accessories designer Clare V. for a colorful new home collection. From checkerboard shag rugs and striped sofas to rope-trimmed mirrors and glossy task lamps, the pieces feature trademark Clare V. flourishes—think perforated lighting details borrowed from a leather bag and bold checks and stripes found in Claire Vivier’s closet.

schoolhouse.com

The post Our Favorite New Collections, Stores & Design Happenings appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Step Inside London’s Buzziest, Most Beautifully Designed New Hotel

Martha Moskowitz — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 20:26:53 +0000

Strolling past One Sloane Gardens, a five-story red brick Victorian steps from Chelsea’s posh Sloane Square, you’d be forgiven for not realizing you’ve just walked by London’s buzziest new hotel. It wouldn’t be the first time: “When we opened, the first guests who entered asked if it was a private house,” recalls François-Joseph Graf, the lauded French designer behind its revitalized interiors. “They thought they had come to the wrong place!” In a sense, that’s just the way the team behind the 30-room gem intended: There’s no sign on the outside façade; the only hint you’ve reached the right spot is the numeral 1 above the arched door. “It doesn’t feel like a hotel,” adds Graf, “but like you’re being hosted in someone’s house.”

The intimate top-floor restaurant deftly projects Wiener Werkstätte, Neo-Grec, and Arts and Crafts motifs through the lens of Victorian England. The custom rug is based on a design by Austrian artist Koloman Moser.

Simon Brown

A roaring fire and red-drenched millwork create a moody backdrop in the bar. The hotel's light fixtures are a mix of original W.A.S. Benson pieces and reproductions.

Simon Brown

Inspired by James McNeill Whistler and Thomas Jeckyll’s famous Peacock Room, Graf filled Japanese-style carved shelves with ceramic vases he collected in Singapore.

Simon Brown

Once inside, you might also conclude that said house—originally built in 1888 by Edwin Thomas Hall, the architect behind the Liberty department store—had been painstakingly preserved over the past 130-or-so years, its original coffered ceilings and wainscoting, stained-glass windows, and marble mantels all restored to perfection. Wrong again. In reality, the building had been broken up into apartments and completely stripped of its Victorian charm by the time its current owner, Cadogan Estates, enlisted Graf and famed hotelier Jean-Louis Costes to transform it into a luxury hotel. “We tore everything out and rebuilt it from zero,” says Graf, who worked with a team of craftspeople to reintroduce authentic period details from boiserie panels to plaster cornices. “Everything from the proportions to the colors to the lights was carefully considered. The challenge was to create the idea that it was a real Victorian house that had always existed.”

In the lobby, carved ebony armchairs in the style of John Pollard Seddon add Neo-Gothic flavor to graphic tilework and leaded-glass doors.

Simon Brown

Sandstone mosaic tile floors repeat the neoclassical motifs.

Simon Brown

Ateliers Loire in Chartres, France, created the stained- and leaded-glass windows.

Simon Brown

Graf’s vision of Victorian London, it should be noted, feels worlds away from the heavy, hackneyed decoration so often associated with the era. Instead, the dramatic palette of blacks and browns and reds is buoyed with swaths of creamy white in the manner of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the William Morris wallpaper is recolored in subdued tones, and the W.A.S. Benson light fixtures deployed to showcase their sculptural appeal. James McNeill Whistler and Thomas Jeckyll’s Peacock Room is reimagined within the hotel’s restaurant, its Japanese carved shelves replicated in white (Graf and his team even visited the original in Washington, D.C., to take measurements) and laden with shapely vessels, each hand-selected by Graf in Singapore. And while pattern abounds, there is nary an English rose in sight; the bespoke rugs are boldly graphic, echoing the geometries of Koloman Moser, while the luxuriously embroidered curtains are trimmed with Neo-Grec motifs à la Villa Kérylos.

The curtains, by Phelippeau Tapissier in Paris, are in a custom Pierre Frey printed fabric.

Simon Brown

The hotel’s pitch-perfect W.A.S. Benson light fixtures were reproduced from originals procured by antiques dealer Oscar Graf.

Simon Brown

The result, much like the work of the artists who inspired it, is that At Sloane feels at once deeply storied and decidedly modern. “Rooms were so dark in the Victorian period. Then Mackintosh went to Vienna to follow the Wiener Werkstätte, and all of a sudden, everything became white,” says Graf. “It was so new, so simple. It still feels extraordinary today.” Most of all, though, it feels like London. “Even with the curtains shut,” adds Graf, “you know where you are. And, to me, that is the future of hotels. People want to go back to something special.”

A strict color scheme unifies a guest room’s myriad patterns and prints (including William Morris’s Artichoke wallpaper), while white millwork and a Charles Rennie Mackintosh–style table create moments of calm.

Simon Brown

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 14 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

The post Step Inside London’s Buzziest, Most Beautifully Designed New Hotel appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

See Designer Johanna Ortiz’s Tropical Reverie for Schumacher

Jill Simpson — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 14:58:49 +0000

Johanna Ortiz in her new boutique on Madison Avenue in New York.

COURTESY OF JOHANNA ORTIZ

Tayrona Palm Mosaic sisal wallcovering by Johanna Ortiz for Schumacher.

PIETER ESTERSOHN

Twirling around in one of Johanna Ortiz’s coveted dresses, it’s easy to find yourself drifting into a tropical reverie of swaying palm trees and lush jungles rife with orchids and parakeets. Ortiz, a native of Colombia, has spent the past 20 years crafting a juggernaut of a global fashion and lifestyle business that taps into our collective desire for escape—to verdant natural beauty, soft breezes, and perhaps a fruity cocktail—through ready-to-wear collections (she now shows on the Paris runway and recently opened her first store, on Madison Avenue no less), tabletop designs, and a brand-new fabric and wallcovering collection with Schumacher. Along the way, her female-fueled company has employed and empowered hundreds of fellow Colombians and collaborated with and elevated indigenous communities and artisans. In 2016, she started a school, Escuela Johanna Ortiz, to train at-risk women in couture seamstress skills to help break the cycle of poverty.

A Palm Is a Palm sisal wallpaper features a key motif in Ortiz’s collection for Schumacher: the majestic palm tree.

PIETER ESTERSOHN

For her new Schumacher collection, Ortiz drew on her “eternal muse”—the palm tree—as well as her Colombian heritage, melding block prints with meticulously hand-drawn Amazonian flora and fauna, tactile Andean embroidery with abstracted palm motifs, and toile de Jouy trees with African wax prints in a versatile, sophisticated palette. “We’ve woven the essence of the tropics into designs that evoke the magic and mystery of my corner of the world,” says Ortiz. “This collection is not just decor, it’s a portal to Colombia’s soul.”

Ortiz’s new Upper East Side store showcases her love of natural fibers and rich textures.

COURTESY OF JOHANNA ORTIZ

Amazonas Mystique wallpaper by Johanna Ortiz for Schumacher.

PIETER ESTERSOHN

Behind the Scenes with Johanna Ortiz

YOU’VE LONG BEEN A CHAMPION OF WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE. DID YOU HAVE STRONG FEMALE ROLE MODELS YOURSELF?
I’ve been surrounded by incredible women all my life. The social inequalities and lack of opportunities many women face have motivated me from the start to create a company with a purpose. I wanted to make a real impact on improving women’s lives, providing them with tools to succeed and be who they want to be, making a difference in the fashion industry, and giving back to my community.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE BUILDING A RAPIDLY GROWING EMPIRE WITH BEING A MOTHER TO THREE SONS—ALL WHILE STAYING SO GROUNDED?
Family has always been my priority. Being surrounded with their love and support has been my fuel. I also have a dream team at the brand that makes everything possible. Lastly, living in Cali, surrounded by nature, and taking time each day to meditate and be grateful has been invaluable.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE PRINTS FOR THE NEW SCHUMACHER COLLECTION? HAVE YOU EVER USED YOUR OWN FABRICS AT HOME?
We have a wonderful archive of prints—it was challenging to narrow down the selection! However, we made a very thoughtful decision to center the collection around the palm tree, with the vision of decorating different spaces around the world. I have always used my prints in my homes, adorning rooms with different favorites to give each one a unique vibe.

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP YOUR DISTINCTIVE COLOR PALETTES?
Each one evokes a different mood but is drawn from nature. I gravitate toward earthy colors that are versatile and stylishly timeless, that can last through many seasons. I want them to fit not just in the tropics, but in a house by the sea, or in an apartment in the city, or even a chalet in the mountains.

Shop the Story

Everything on our website was hand-picked by a FREDERIC editor. We may earn commission on items you purchase.

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 14 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

The post See Designer Johanna Ortiz’s Tropical Reverie for Schumacher appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

These Sculptural Earrings Are Wearable Art

Isabel Molster — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 17:04:02 +0000

Let your jewelry do the talking: A polished marriage of architecture and ornament, these sublimely sculptural earrings lend elegant intrigue to even the simplest outfit, highlighting the jawline’s natural curve with the gleam of metal for an instant dose of artful drama.

Leyla wears High Tide Earrings in 18k gold by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. ($3,700, tiffany.com). Knit Dress by Chanel ($4,300, available at select Chanel boutiques).

Thomas Slack

Corne Earclips in 22k virgin gold by Belperron ($23,500, belperron.com) and Women’s Black Jacket by Hermès ($4,000, hermes.com).

Thomas Slack

Large Fin Earrings by Bottega Veneta in 18k gold-finished sterling silver ($1,600, bottegaveneta.com) and Wool Twill Dress by Tory Burch ($1,998, toryburch.com).

Thomas Slack

Tigre Earrings in bronze by Ariana Boussard-Reifel ($525, arianaboussardreifel.com) and Women’s Knit Sweater by Hermès ($1,425, hermes.com).

Thomas Slack

Flame Earrings in 18k yellow gold by Fernando Jorge ($14,000, fernandojorge.co.uk).

Thomas Slack

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 14 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

The post These Sculptural Earrings Are Wearable Art appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Two Female Architects Are Reimagining Urban Renewal in Beirut

Martha Moskowitz — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 21:56:30 +0000

The post Two Female Architects Are Reimagining Urban Renewal in Beirut appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Diné Textile Artist DY Begay Weaves Past and Present

Martha Moskowitz — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 17:35:37 +0000

When DY Begay sits at her loom, she doesn’t sit alone. Alongside her are the five generations of women weavers who came before her, the deities of her people, the surrounding landscapes on the Navajo Nation reservation, and the plants, animals, insects, and minerals that supply her work. “It’s my culture, and it interlocks everything I do,” says Begay. And while culture is inextricably woven into the oeuvre of this indigenous Diné artist (the preferred term for Navajo), who has been working in her native lands of Arizona and New Mexico for nearly seven decades, she’s not bound by tradition. “I use the same tools that have been used for as long as the stories have been carried but feel free to express my own creative process,” she says. The result? Stunningly modern creations that reflect centuries of shared heritage.

DY Begay in her Santa Fe studio.

National Museum of the American Indian

A detail of Begay’s dyed yarns.

National Museum of the American Indian

An earth-to-easel artist in the truest sense, Begay dyes her own wool from Churro sheep raised by her sister; walking the land to collect materials is her biggest inspiration. “What I see in the buttes, the canyon walls, the washes on arroyos—those colors are planted in my mind, and the plants can replicate those colors,” she explains.

“Confluence of Lavender” (2016) is the artist’s dialogue with color, which gives energy to both dyed and undyed black and gray wool.

Courtesy of DY Begay

For Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay, her upcoming retrospective at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. (on view September 20 through Summer 2025), Begay looked back through her journals, mining what influenced her most, divining that the essence of her legacy is inheritance. “I’m trailing my great-grandmothers, and it’s an honor that they have preserved this tradition,” she says. “Now I’m passing on knowledge.” And ensuring all that beauty reverberates for generations to come.

Inspired by the abundance of vegetation that sprung from the ground after a monsoon, "Blessings of Rain" (2015) is woven from yarn dyed with plants the artist harvested herself. “I am captivated, elated and enticed by the abundance of rich, luscious hues carpeting the dry soil,” she says of the green vistas from which she drew her palette.

Courtesy of DY Begay

Like humans, indigo requires oxygen to thrive. "It's the oxygen that brings out the life of the brilliant colors. The process of extracting the dye from the plant is magical," says Begay, who used the pigment to create "Trails of Indigo" (2018).

Courtesy of DY Begay

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 14 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

The post Diné Textile Artist DY Begay Weaves Past and Present appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Go Glam With These High-Style Charm Bracelets

Isabel Molster — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 22:38:12 +0000

Nothing says layered luxury quite like the familiar jingle-jangle of a jam-packed charm bracelet. Made fashionable by Queen Victoria in the 19th century, this maximalist accessory is back in the spotlight with a playful twist—think organic shapes, colorful stones, and fanciful pagoda-topped pearls.

Stephen Lewis

Shop the Look

Cloud Pearl Charm Bracelet

$24,800, mishfinejewelry.com

Yellow Gold Shell Charm Bracelet

$11,900, cadar.com

Trianon Shell Charm Bracelet by Seaman Schepps

$6,375, 1stdibs.com

Wild Child Charm Bracelet

$10,175, jacquieaiche.com

Relier Link Charm Bracelet in 18k yellow gold

$11,445, rondeljewelry.com

Les Charmantes Charm Bracelet

$2,800, hautevictoire.com

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 13 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

The post Go Glam With These High-Style Charm Bracelets appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

The Design Lover’s Guide to Charlotte, North Carolina

Isabel Molster — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 21:09:21 +0000

West of North Carolina’s famed Outer Banks and east of its heavenly Mountain Region lies buzzy Charlotte—the “Queen City,” as locals fondly call it. Beyond the flashing lights of its professional sports teams and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the city is home to world-class shopping, hidden-gem restaurants, and an emerging art and design scene (hello, new Schumacher boutique!). We called on some of Charlotte’s most fabulous style mavens— interior designer Barrie Benson, Peachy editor-in-chief Blair Farris, and Laura Vinroot Poole, founder of Capitol, Tabor, and Poole Shop—to show us why, as the saying goes, “Charlotte’s got a lot.”

SHOP

Chris Edwards

CAPITOL BOUTIQUE

“A stunning boutique from Laura Vinroot Poole. She has the best eye and you will not find a better curation of women’s fashion than at this shop.” —Barrie Benson

4010 Sharon Road
Open Monday–Saturday, shop-capitol.com

Chris Edwards

SCHUMACHER BOUTIQUE

“For interior design and home accessories, we may be a bit biased, but the new Schumacher boutique is fabulous!” —Barrie Benson

301 East Boulevard
Open Monday–Saturday, schumacherboutique.com

Amy Kolodziej

Sydney Bernhardt

THIRTY-ONE JANE

“This mother and daughter team has thoughtfully curated looks from some of the best brands around.” —Blair Farris

908 Pecan Avenue
Open Tuesday–Sunday, thirtyonejane.com.

Courtesy of SoCo gallery

Courtesy of Tabor

TABOR, SOCO GALLERY, and NOT JUST COFFEE

“Full disclosure, I do own part of [TABOR], but it is truly my favorite place to spend a Saturday afternoon. Not Just Coffee has the very best coffee on earth, and if you are over-caffeinated, men’s clothing shop Tabor makes their own beer! At Soco, my friend Chandra Johnson curates work from exciting and talented artists from around the globe, as well as the book selection of your dreams. Come for a coffee, then happily linger on the porch for the entire afternoon.” —Laura Vinroot Poole

421 Providence Road
Open Monday–Saturday, taborclt.com and socogallery.com

Chris Edwards

R. RUNBERG CURIOSITIES

“R. Runberg Curiosities is also a must. Ruth is bringing unusual, show-stopping artisan items from all over the world to Charlotte. There is always something in her showroom that catches my eye.” —Barrie Benson

2321 Crescent Avenue
Open by appointment, rrunberg.com. Email curious@rrunberg.com or call (980) 244-1042

Claiborne williams

PAPER SKYSCRAPER

“Shop Local” doesn’t get any better than this. A terrific store for cards, candles, books, and more. The perfect place to find the perfect gift.” —Blair Farris

330 East Boulevard and 101 South Tryon Street
Open daily, paperskyscraper.com

SEE

courtesy of wing haven

WING HAVEN and THE ELIZABETH LAWRENCE HOUSE & GARDEN

“This is an absolute treasure in Charlotte, hidden in plain sight. Wing Haven’s gardens and bird sanctuary are an oasis in the middle of historic Myers Park, but for a garden nerd like me, Elizabeth Lawrence’s home and garden are absolute nirvana. Highly recommended.” —Laura Vinroot Poole

260 Ridgewood Avenue
Open Wednesday–Sunday, winghavengardens.org

SIMPSON’S PRODUCE at KINGS DRIVE FARMERS MARKET

“Situated on Kings Drive in Myers Park, this locally owned farmers market is a must. Of course it has fruits and vegetables, but you can also get seafood, eggs, baked goods, and the most gorgeous flowers.” —Blair Farris

938 S. Kings Drive
Open Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from April to December; learn more here

Chris Edwards

THE MINT MUSEUM

“The Mint Museum was established in 1936 in an actual U.S. Mint by Mary Myers Dwelle and a group of women as North Carolina’s first art museum. The Uptown location houses their stellar craft and design collections, but I’ve always been partial to the Randolph location, two blocks from where I grew up and spent hours mesmerized by the historic fashion collection and the Delhom Gallery.” —Laura Vinroot Poole

2730 Randolph Road & 500 South Tryon Street
Open Tuesday–Sunday, mintmuseum.org

"The Firebird" by Niki de Saint Phalle/ shutterstock

BECHTLER MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

“The Bechtler is an inspiring museum that has beautiful permanent collections as well as exciting shows throughout the year.” —Barrie Benson

420 South Tryon St.
Open Wednesday–Monday, bechtler.org

DINE

Kenty Chung

EVER ANDALO

“Ever Andalo, for their delicious cocktails and the cloud of parmesan you can order to pour over your favorite pasta dish.” —Barrie Benson

3116 North Davidson Street
Open Tuesday–Sunday, everandalo.com

Peter Taylor

LANG VAN

“The best Vietnamese food you didn’t know you wanted. Coming to Lang Van is like coming home for me. The owner Dan Nguyen will memorize your last order or even better, she’ll psychically read your mood and tell you what you want to eat… and she’s always right. For me, it’s Bánh Xèo with shrimp and tofu and a Vietnamese coffee.” —Laura Vinroot Poole

3019 Shamrock Drive
Open Tuesday–Sunday

Joshua Vasko

AMELIE’S

“Coffee, baked goods, and more. The salted caramel brownie is sinful but worth it!” —Blair Farris

4321 Park Road and other locations
Open Tuesday–Sunday, ameliesfrenchbakery.com

Peter Taylor

RESTAURANT CONSTANCE

“I love this restaurant for their thoughtful, farm-fresh menu. I have loved every morsel I’ve ever had there.” —Barrie Benson

2200 Thrift Road
Open Tuesday–Saturday, yourfarmsyourtable.com

Bruce VanLoon/Shutterstock

BEEF ’N BOTTLE

“Charlotte is a city that has been striving for more since its inception in 1755 as a trading hub between two rivers. With that ethos comes amazing progress, but it also means we knock down some of our favorite institutions in favor of innovation. Thankfully we’ve had the good sense to save some of our best, and Beef ’N Bottle tops this list. Since 1958, they have been serving the most delicious steaks and throwback cheese balls in a dining room with perfect lighting, straight out of Goodfellas.” —Laura Vinroot Poole

4538 South Boulevard
Open daily, beefandbottle.net

STAY

Catchlight Studios

THE DUKE MANSION

“Doris Duke’s childhood home is a Colonial Revival architectural marvel tucked away in the middle of Myers Park. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, so that means that most of the bathrooms are (nearly) original and things like Mrs. Duke’s shoe closets will never be destroyed. The gardens are an oasis and a cool respite in the North Carolina humidity. Try to book a room with a screened porch, especially in the fall!” —Laura Vinroot Poole

400 Hermitage Road
For rates and availability, visit dukemansion.org

Courtesy of Hyatt

THE HYATT CENTRIC SOUTHPARK

“The perfect location if you are staying in SouthPark. Beautiful rooms and lovely rooftop restaurant.” —Blair Farris

3100 Apex Drive
For rates and availability, visit hyatt.com

The post The Design Lover’s Guide to Charlotte, North Carolina appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Discover the Modernist Haven of Columbus, Indiana

Martha Moskowitz — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:37:18 +0000

Columbus, Indiana, is perhaps the most unlikely city in America. In the mid-20th century, when the small Midwestern town began its expansion, conventional wisdom—which remains all too prevalent today—had it that Modernism was a harsh and unfriendly style foisted on the public by egomaniacal architects and ruthless urban planners. Most municipal governments would take the path of least resistance, opting for the cheapest solutions when building. Developers and corporations cared only about return on investment, aesthetics be damned. And locals often considered modern architecture to be an affront to their traditional values.

Columbus proved all those assumptions wrong. More than 80 years after it unveiled its first Modernist building, this “Athens on the Prairie” remains a thriving community with a legacy of more than 90 innovative and beautiful structures that enrich the day-to-day life of its inhabitants while attracting thousands of architecture fans each year.

The office and printing plant of The Republic newspaper, designed by Myron Goldsmith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, was part of the master plan the firm developed for the town in the 1960s

EZRA STOLLER/ESTO

The town’s unique status is largely due to one man, J. Irwin Miller. Born in Columbus in 1909, Miller was in his mid-20s when he took over his struggling family business, Cummins Engine Company; following a stint in the Navy during World War II, he returned home to see his company flourish, becoming one of the country’s leading diesel engine manufacturers. But Miller wasn’t simply an astute businessman: He was also a civil rights leader, an active member of his church (at his suggestion, Elliel Saarinen was commissioned to design the town’s First Christian Church in 1942), and an ardent lover of modern architecture. In 1953, he and his wife, Xenia, commissioned rising star Eero Saarinen to design their house. Now considered one of the most iconic Modernist residences in America, the Miller House was renowned for its sleek glass walls and innovative sunken living room, Dan Kiley’s strikingly minimal garden design, and an interior that Alexander Girard filled with his own witty and colorful textiles and an array of furnishings and art from around the globe.

A loggia at the Miller House, designed by Eero Saarinen in 1953.

COURTESY OF INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART

The town, too, began to thrive in the postwar boom. But Miller was disenchanted by the way local leaders were handling its growth, which included the construction of two uninspired prefab school buildings. The businessman believed that his fellow townspeople deserved better, and that if Columbus took a more enlightened attitude to design, the town (and, by association, Cummins) could attract and retain the best people. So in 1957, he made a proposal: If the town would select the architect for any new public building from a list he provided, then the Cummins Foundation, which he had founded three years before, would pay the architect’s fees.

The First Baptist Church, 1965, by Harry Weese.

COURTESY OF THE GRAHAM FOUNDATION

The Lillian C. Schmitt Elementary School, designed by Harry Weese, became the first of many projects underwritten by the Cummins Foundation. As Miller had hoped, other civic organizations and business leaders were inspired to follow suit: Throughout the 1960s and ’70s, top-tier architects were hired not only for schools, libraries, and fire stations, but also for banks, churches, offices, factories, and health care facilities. The list of renowned architects who worked in the town grew to include Saarinen and his father Eliel, Kevin Roche, Richard Meier, Robert Venturi, Harry Weese, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, James Stewart Polshek, and Deborah Berke, among numerous others.

The interior of the North Christian Church, commissioned from Eero Saarinen in 1959.

BALTHAZAR KORAB

Of course, no town is completely shaped by a single man. And the reverence for forward-thinking design that Miller helped to instill has continued even after his death in 2004. Community engagement, enlightened local government, and a willingness to invest in preservation and promotion have endowed the town of 51,000 with an unmatched array of architecturally significant buildings. Now, at a time when it is difficult to get even the most basic affordable housing built in many of our towns and cities, Columbus stands as an inspiration—and a challenge to the status quo.

The nave of the First Christian Church, designed in 1942 by Eliel Saarinen, and considered one of the first Modernist churches in the U.S.

TRAVIS STANSEL

THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN VOLUME 13 OF FREDERIC MAGAZINE. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!

The post Discover the Modernist Haven of Columbus, Indiana appeared first on Frederic Magazine.

Discover the Pioneering Modern Jewelry Designs of Art Smith

Martha Moskowitz — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 20:06:05 +0000

The designer in his studio with his “Diminishing Spirals” necklace, designed c. 1958.

ART SMITH ARCHIVE, COLLECTION OF THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

If an admirer of Art Smith’s jewelry found a piece stylistically hard to pin down, that’s exactly how the pioneering Black designer would have liked it: He claimed to have been inspired less by any particular person or aesthetic school than by the freedom of the creative process itself.

“In other words,” he said in a 1971 interview with art curator and publisher Paul Cummings, “there really is another sense, not only smell, taste, sight and all those things, but there is this thing that is just plain creative and it’s perfectly abstract. You don’t get your things out of books, you don’t get your things out of other cultures, you don’t get your things out of outside stimuli like liquor or drugs or anything. It’s a perfectly abstract place of its own, see, your sense of creation.”

Smith’s connection to music is best exemplified in his “New Orleans” necklace, c. 1962.