High End Weekly™

Tête-à-tête with Vyna St. Phard

Vyna St. PhardIllustration: Damian DiCarlo What inspires you in your work? The obvious answer is nature. However, great design shouldn’t be overlooked. I’ve spent decades attending, and participating in high-end furniture fairs both in the US and abroad, observing people and the objects that affect their lives, and how they respond to them in the most meaningful way. Great design is a powerful…

MODERNISM IN DESIGN This article originally appeared on MAISON VSP Can modernism in design be reached by following the evolving landscapes of design gurus and social media influencers? It’s not for us to judge. So perhaps the even better question is: what is modernism in design? Modernism in design is all about escaping the fripperies of old-world design. And by that, we mean pre-war design. The…

Storytelling: An interview with New York-based artist Victor Garcia

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From Left: Marie Monique Steckel, President of FIAF, Charles Cohen, Jane Fonda, Sebastien Bazin at the FIAF 2018 Trophée Des Arts Gala. Monday, November 12, 2018, The Plaza Hotel. Photo By Amber De Vos©

Thomas Barrack, Sebastien Bazin, CEO and Chairman of AccorHotels with his Pilier d’Or award at the FIAF 2018 Trophée Des Arts Gala. Photo By Amber De Vos©

An evening of old Hollywood glamor: Sam Waterston, and Academy award winner, Jane Fonda. Photo By Amber De Vos©

Internationally celebrated artist, Jeff Koons, and Oscar winner , Jane Fonda. Photo By Amber De Vos©

Sam Waterston, Jane Fonda at the FIAF 2018 Trophée Des Arts Gala, November 12, 2018. Photo credit Amber De Vos©

The 2018 FIAF Trophée Des Arts Gala on November 12, 2018 at The Plaza Hotel, NYC. Photo credit Amber De Vos©

                    The annual gala also served as a reminder of the glamour, warmth, and elegance of French hospitality, as the Chairman and CEO of AccorHotels, Sébastien Bazin, received the Pilier d’Or award. Thomas Barrack Jr., who presented the Pilier d’Or to Sébastien Bazin, shared this question with the 510 guests who attended the annual gala, “When a friend who had introduced me to Bazin three decades before asked me why I was presenting this award, I said, well, it is because I lost a toss coin flip: I thought I was getting Jane Fonda.”

Santa Teresa Hotel, Sofitel. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AccorHotels. http://www.accorhotels.com

Santa Teresa Hotel, Sofitel. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AccorHotels. http://www.accorhotels.com

Santa Teresa Hotel, Sofitel. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AccorHotels. http://www.accorhotels.com

Raffles Hotel, Singapore. AccorHotels. All rights reserved

Raffles Hotel, Singapore. AccorHotels. All rights reserved

Raffles Hotel, Singapore. AccorHotels. All rights reserved

Grand Hôtel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port – by Sofitel. AccorHotels. All rights reserved.

Grand Hôtel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port – by Sofitel. AccorHotels. All rights reserved.

Grand Hôtel Beauvau Marseille Vieux-Port – by Sofitel. AccorHotels. All rights reserved.

                            Will all kidding aside, AccorHotels is one of the world’s largest hotel group, with over 30 brands, from luxury to economy. The hospitality giant boasts 4,500 hotels, 280,000 employees in 100 countries. Sébastien Bazin, during his acceptance speech, noted with humor that AccorHotels is number one “everywhere on the planet, except in America and China,” before adding, “it is too bad because these are the two biggest hospitality markets.” While echoing the educational mission of FIAF in New York City, the CEO of AccorHotels emphasized that the size of the market is not what drives him the most. Rather, he said, it is the 50,000 new people who join the hotel group every year from all parts of the world. “Ninety percent of the people we hire in Myanmar, in West Africa or in Chili, have absolutely no education. My duty to them is to transform them to be stronger persons and to have better chances in life.”

The World’s Best-Designed Hotels

The Beekman | New York City This story originally appeared in Tablet Magazine The Power of Interior Design, Part 1 Hotels aren’t as simple as they used to be. No longer just places to sleep, the best have evolved into works of art — performance spaces that allow guests to star in their own sort of theatrical production. And nothing sets this scene like the exceptional interior design, where every…

Supermodel Coco Rocha attends the Forevermark Tribute event on November 7, 2017, in New York City. (Photo by Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images for Forevermark)  Forevermark unveiled its Forevermark Tribute™ Collection, a celebration of women through diamonds, at a private cocktail event in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood.  The new Forevermark Tribute™ Collection pays tribute to the unique…

Pablo Picasso, 1936 Photograph by Man Ray Back in August, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection opened an amazing little show about the maestro of modern art, Pablo Picasso. Produced in collaboration with the Musée national Picasso-Paris, this exhibition focuses on one of Peggy Guggenheim’s favorite works of art, depicting a major outdoor theme of Picasso’s œuvre: the beach.…

Germany’s Bauhaus Archiv is presenting ‘greatest hits’ from the world’s biggest Bauhaus collection while it undergoes renovation (Credit: Schöning/Ullstein Bild/Getty) By William Cook 10 November 2017 Here in Berlin, Germany’s Bauhaus Archiv is throwing a farewell party. Next year this museum will close for renovation, and until then it’s presenting a display of ‘greatest hits’ from the world’s…

Isabelle Marino Trapnell and Ryan Hoffman. ©AmberDeVos

Peter Marino and Sidney Toledano, CEO of fashion giant Dior. ©AmberDeVos

Marie Monique Steckel, President of FIAF – Peter Marino – Robert G Wilmers. ©AmberDeVos

Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson attending the 2017 FIAF Gala. ©AmberDeVos

Charlotte Sarkozy. FIAF Gala 2017. ©AmberDeVos_4921_preview

Sophie de Betak. ©AmberDeVos

Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s artistic director, and Patrick Demarchelier.

2017 FIAF Gala The Plaza Hotel, NYC November 13th, 2017. Photo by Amber De Vos ©Amber De Vos.

                            Peter Marino and Sidney Toledano, both industry giants in their respective artistry were both honored at (FIAF) The French Institute Alliance Française’s gala on Monday, November 13, 2017, at The Plaza Hotel.

Sidney Toledano has been the CEO of  Christian Dior Couture since 1994, and will soon shift to chairman and CEO of the LVMH Fashion Group. Peter Marino, a world-renowned architect who is credited with redefining modern luxury through an equal emphasis on architecture and interior design was honored with the 2017  Trophée des Arts. One of Marino’s many talents is his unique trait to create spaces that will not compete with each other. He delivers and does not compromise on the quality. He has strategically designed boutiques for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Céline, Guerlain, the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris’s historic La Samaritaine: residences in Paris, Cap Ferrat, St. Tropez; and restorations of Château Rauzan- Ségla, Manoir de la Pipardière, and Château de Blérancourt. Sidney Toledano was among the honorees who took to the stage at The Plaza to receive the 2017 Pilier d’Or.

Famous Quotes Heard Throughout The Evening

‘”Whatever you do, do it with passion.”‘ Marie-Monique Steckel, President of The French Institute Alliance Française. quoting Christian Dior

““People ask me how I manage designers … I never manage them. I try to dance.” Sidney Toledano, CEO of Christian Dior

““Our mission is really Franco-American friendship and understanding. We are private, not government subsidized, and we always have to support everything we do with our own financing. The gala is essential to achieving the marvelous, diverse programming we draw from French culture.” Marie-Monique Steckel, President of The French Institute Alliance Française

“Sidney and I have had an incredible collaboration for 21 years, I love him, and I salute him.” Peter Marino, talking about his business relationship with Sidney Toledano while accepting his Trophée des Arts award at The Plaza Hotel on Monday, November 13, 2017

Designer’s Top Picks from The Salon Art + Design

The Salon Art + Design 2017 Luxury pillow designer Cynthia Murphy’s Top Picks from the opening night preview of the annual Salon Art + Design where she enjoyed an amazing display of the crème de la crème furniture and works of fine arts from well over 50 galleries that hailed from 11 countries. Above is a sneak peek of some of her top picks from the much talked about furniture fair from the…

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Founder of ARTrageous Linda Argila and daughter Ashley

Model Ubah Hassan

Linda Argila , Diana Widmaier Picasso.

Robert Polidori, Blue Car, Havanna, Cuba, 1998

Model Elena Kurnosova

ARTrageous Gala Dinner + Art Auction benefiting Hour Children’s 30th Anniversary. The gala is spearheaded by Linda Argila, founder of ARTrageous, for the anniversary of Hour Children, a leading nonprofit celebrating 30 years of aiding women, children, and families in New York City.

Peter Tunney, Audrey

Honorees: Janna Bullock, Diana Widmaier Picasso, Lydia Weiss, Kim Wepler, Peter Tunney

Cyndy Sherman, Utitled, 1980/2012

                            Last week, Linda Argila, Founder of ARTrageous hosted a celebration in the honor of Hour Children‘s 30 year Anniversary at Cipriani, 25 Broadway. The organization’s mission is to “help incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and their children successfully rejoin the community, reunify with their families, and build healthy, independent, and secure lives. To accomplish this, Hour Children provides compassionate and comprehensive services and encourages all to live and interact with dignity and respect.”

The evening honored the incredible philanthropic work of Diana Widmaier Picasso, Janna Bullock, Peter Tunney, Kim Wepler and Lydia Weiss. With over 550 guests, the star-studded creative black-tie fundraiser had over fifty prestigious live and silent auction featuring significant works-of-art plus luxury items and experiences.  The unique event benefiting children and families through art. Besides being a life-enhancing evening, it is a rare opportunity to collect renowned artwork from top artists, such as John Armleder, Donald Baechler, Damien Hirst, Stephen Hannock, Vik Muniz, Robert Polidori, Cindy Sherman and much more.

The Barnes Foundation Goes Tech!

  The city of love’s finest museum, The Barnes Foundation is set to celebrate its fifth anniversary. As a mark of the nation’s best cultural institution, the museum is launching a new collection website that enables visitors to explore thousands of works in the Barnes’s unparalleled collection based on aesthetics and download high-resolution images of over 1,400 works that are in the public…

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) Gala will honor artistic architect Peter Marino with the 2017 Trophée des Arts.

Peter Marino is a world-renowned architect who is credited with “redefining modern luxury through an equal emphasis on architecture and interior design. The New York-based architect has designed residences, stores, cultural and hospitality projects throughout the world. Revered for integrating art with architecture, Marino has commissioned more than 300 site-specific art installations, many of them celebrated for their contemporary French flair. His extensive design and cultural contributions to France include his celebrated work with Dior. Strategically located boutiques for Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Céline, Guerlain, the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris’s historic La Samaritaine: residences in Paris, Cap Ferrat, St. Tropez; and restorations of Château Rauzan- Ségla, Manoir de la Pipardière, and Château de Blérancourt.”

Peter Marino was responsible for the 2010 ‘Les Lalannes’ retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and is planning a porcelain exhibition for the Château de Chantilly for 2018.

As regards to this year’s honorees, FIAF President Marie-Monique Steckel remarked how delighted she was to “… honor these two visionaries and longtime collaborators on this special evening of French and American friendship. Both artistic architect Peter Marino and revered corporate leader Sidney Toledano have gathered New York’s most prominent Francophiles and philanthropists to celebrate their unique relationship and to support FIAF.”

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Sidney Toledano, President and CEO of Christian Dior Couture will be honored by The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) with the 2017 Pilier d’Or. Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage.

Jean-Paul Agon, Marie- Monique Steckel, Jeff Koons Trophée des Arts 2016. The Plaza Hotel, NYC, October 28, 2016. Photo by Amber De Vos.

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) Gala will honor artistic architect Peter Marino with the 2017 Trophée des Arts.

The annual FIAF Trophée des Arts Gala evening will raise funds to support FIAF’s educational and cultural programs. The gala will be co-chaired by Lauren Santo Domingo, William & Clémence Von Mueffling, Robert & Elisabeth G. Wilmers, Nancy Cain Marcus, Janine & J. Tomilson Hill & Nicole Salmasi.

Notable Facts about The annual FIAF Trophée des Arts Gala

The Pilier d’Or was established in 2006, and its goal was to recognize leading business figures, diplomats, philanthropists, for their outstanding contributions to the French-American community. Former honorees include Jean-Paul Agon (L’Oréal), Pierre Bellon (Sodexo), Thierry Breton (ATOS), Paul Desmarais Jr. (Power Corporation of Canada), Carlos Ghosn (Renault-Nissan Alliance), Fabrice Grinda (Internet Entrepreneur and Investor), Alexandre de Juniac (Air France – KLM), Jean-Bernard Lévy (Vivendi), Christophe de Margerie (TOTAL), and Bernard Poussot (Wyeth).

Created in 1992, the Trophée des Arts distinguishes an artist who shows FIAF’s mission of French-American friendship and cross-cultural exchange. French and American artists and cultural icons, including François Cluzet, Alain Ducasse, Jacques Grange, Marc Jacobs, James Ivory, Angélique Kidjo, Philippe de Montebello, Charlie Rose, Robert Wilson, Françoise Gilot and most recently Jeff Koons, have all been honored with the trophies.

To purchase tickets, please contact Carine Malaussena at [email protected], or 646 388 6632.

The Other Art Fair Opens This Week at the Brooklyn Expo Center

Keri Oldham Patchwork Notable Art Show of The Week This week The Other Art Fair will return to the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint from November 9 – 12, 2017 for its second U.S. fair. This notable show is different in that it lets the creator/artists take charge, by selling directly to the public without the barrier of a dealer or gallery. While New York City plays host to multiple art fairs…

LVMH Moët Hennessy’s Launch Clos19

Cecilia Dean Party of The Week The New York social circuit is never short of parties, and more often than not, some of them go down as not so memorable. However, when Stephanie Watine Arnault, Founder, and CEO of Clos19, held three intimate exceptional dinner parties in one evening last week, to celebrate the brand’s U.S. launch, they were collectively a huge success. What else would one expect,…