Last week I traveled across the country to sunny LA for Westweek. It was a fantastic show put on by the Pacific Design Center, but best of all it was a great excuse to catch up with many of our Designer Licensees at Kravet and Lee Jofa on their home turf for a glimpse into their design worlds.
Upon my arrival, Barclay Butera whisked me to his showroom on La Brea, which is so impressively merchandised, right down to the reading glasses on the nightstand of the bedroom setting. Dressed to the nines in crisp dark denim and a fitted blazer, every day I spent with him he was as perfectly manicured as his store.
Barclay Butera's showroom in La Brea
We lunched with Windsor Smith just before she was getting on a plane for a weekend in Puerto Vallarta---oh the LA lifestyle, I am jealous!!! At lunch she wore a printed linen tunic layered over a linen jacket with stacked bracelets and a chunky watch, so bohemian chic! Just like her fabric collection! She also shared some of her latest eclectic design projects. Boy does she work hard!!!!
At Kravet, Michael Berman posed for a photo with me on the new brightly colored Kravet window setting. He even art directed the shot, contrasting his sleek grey sharkskin suit with the season's bold colors, so on trend!
Next up the Doyenne of LA Design, Barbara Barry. As beautiful and elegant as ever in her signature cashmere twinset and pearls, she hosted me for morning tea. Her style is as classic and precise as her fabrics and furniture.
After that, I paid a visit to the newest location of Suzanne Rheinstein's store Hollyhock. She claimed it was barely ready to open but it looked pretty fantastic to me. BTW she won the LA 2010 Stars of Design award for Interior Design during Westweek with some other amazing talent like Lifetime Acheivement award winner Rose Tarlow! Here Suzanne poses among the winners, perfectly poised and utterly ageless, she looks fantastic!
From left: Jorge Pardo, Brandon Morrison, Karyn Millet, Suzanne Rheinstein, Rose Tarlow, Ron Flemming, Sean Knibb, Wallace E. Cunningham
What a busy but worthwhile trip ending with the piece de resistance....a personal appearance by Kelly Wearstler in the Lee Jofa showroom with a book signing of Hue, her latest book just going into a 2nd printing. The crowd was astounding! So gracious and humble, Kelly stayed late to make sure she personally spoke with each and every person including my favorite: a 10-year-old little girl that told her how much she loved watching her on TV.
Kelly’s signature boldness in her designs is definitely reflected in her personal style. She looked casual chic in white ruffles, bold bangles and a relaxed jean and not to mention.. not a stitch of makeup!!
I even got to pose with her. That’s me on the left!! Immediately after the event, we both left for our respective red-eye flights back to the east coast. I was going home, of course Kelly was on her way to South Beach. Sigh...sigh The Life!!!
-BG
