Starting from 57^th Street, each of the five main Fifth Avenue windows examines the theme from a different perspective:

Built around a vintage collection of mixed-metal birds and jungle animals, “The Brass Menagerie” is set in a stylized tropical forest of metal and mirror and glimmers with leafy foliage of brass and steel.  Within this forest is a fantasy recording studio, with vintage microphones and a brass “primate” jazz combo.  A giant brass birdcage houses a surprise tenant, and the floor is covered several inches deep with a secret quantity of copper pennies.  For this window, a special dress was created by Naeem Khan.

“Breaking the Ice” invites viewers to a mid-afternoon arctic garden party whose guests include “couture plush” animals such as polar bears, a moose, an arctic mountain goat, a seal, and a of pair wolves.  All the animals have been upholstered in luxe white textiles and appliquéd with icy crystals, beads, and sequins.  A Baccarat chandelier adds luster.  The party hostess is the focus of attention in her specially designed dress and one-of-a-kind cape, all by J. Mendel.

Completely encrusted with hand-cut Italian mosaic tile, this intensely blue window is truly an undersea fantasy.  A single mannequin, in a seashell dress from the Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 collection, appears to be floating amid a massive collection of mosaic sea creatures. Everything is highly patterned, with swirling textures and oceanic colors.  “Testing the Waters” is quite the aquatic triumph as its production was 10 months in the making and is the most labor-intensive single window display in Bergdorf Goodman history.

“Teacher’s Pets” takes viewers inside a 3-dimensional paper classroom filled with black and white paper animals, including a life-sized paper zebra, ostrich, panda bear, aardvark, white peacock, and more.  As the “students” pose within a cascade of zoological textbooks, the teacher – dressed in a black and white lace Marchesa gown – presides over the paper bestiary.  Noted New York calligrapher, Bernard Maisner, provided hand-lettered labels, in Latin, for all the animals.

In the final window, “Artists and Models,” a diverse collection of wood and leather folk-art animals from all continents gathers together.  The setting is a sculptor’s studio out of a folk tale, with an enormous assemblage of wooden creatures.  A mannequin, dressed in a mélange of designers, assumes the role of sculptor, assisted by several antique wooden artists’ models and by a quartet of antic leather monkeys.

 Joelle’s Tips:

The Store:

Bergdoff Goodman

The Source:

Maybe they think I am working for the Sartorialist, or for a new hipster fashion blog, maybe they just like to connect because it’s Sunday or because New York can be very lonesome or too contagiously overwhelming. Do I mind?  After all these are my people. s The ones that every Sunday evening I take with me home captured trough the lens of a camera and stored directly into my computer.

Every Sunday eve, while I watch the new ABC TV series ‘ Once Upon a Time’ those who unconsciously attracted my attention and colored my day, are observed with attention, and immortalized on my library until will need them back in one of my new magazine articles.

This time, I have decided to revive some in this article . Others will come later not as a replacement but as members of a new collection. These are my street people. Yo! Shalom and Sarava!

I  recently came across  a quote that said: “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

I stayed up until past midnight to see both the new and the old year leave.

As my custom on this occasion,  I sit quietly and evaluate through meditation a strict check list of my previous year performances before starting  with a fresh list of new resolutions for the year to come.

I realize that actually I cannot complain. Being  am a very determined person and most of the time, when I decide to accomplish something, no matter the effort involved, I work very hard  to be successful on the goals have set to myself.

There is one small issue and that is beeing too hard on myself .  Due to my extremely committed nature, the list of my goals and new years resolutions is always far tool long.

Looking at the stars in a snowy starless night I realize with clarity that the price I have payed to take my life to the ” next level” was maybe not that worth.

I got extremely stressed during the journey,  just because I have all year aimed at perfection.

Like ballet dancer Nina in the psychological thriller ” Black Swan” personified by actress Natalie Portman ( a perfectionist in real life as well), aiming at perfection resulted in fragmenting even more,  my already tortured soul.

But then, the question is how will I transcend during this coming new year the burden of wanting to succeed in all areas in my life but still manage to stay unconditionally human?

Blinded by my deep quest, I search within the core of my essence answers that don’ t want to reveal themselves yet clearly  in front of me, but watching a flashback of the months that passed though, I have learned

that the destination is always important , but  the journey, the process, the enduring alignment of consistent efforts that translate into small steps going forward, one after the other is what definitely makes us evolve to a better place.

But again, where is the better place? Have we all got in mind what we call a better place?

I decide I am ready to open a fresh page on my new diary next to stars and the candlelight of my bedroom side table.

Outside large snowflakes falling down like soft cotton balls take me away from reality. Riding  of a  gold and ivory Pegasus  to a realm of dreams and visions I connect to the collective universal structure of my own my inner self.

And yes, I can perfectly design my new year to come.

Possibly reinvent myself as a whole new individual whose past victories and achievements are no longer important into this new  realm of energy .

Dressed like a 1930 adventurous pilot,  I imagine myself once again in a new  glamorous method of air travel.

I look back at the year that just left me and look ahead into the new set of aspirations, inspirations and realm of new possibilities.

The idea of being able to choose my itinerary, direction and perspective empowers me tremendously and make me feel i am alive.

And here my list starts with a trip, a voyage, a turning point a journey .

This journey will be about discoveries of my new self, a self melted into new environments, new challenges, exquisite ways to break new frontiers and on going missions.

To seek out new ways of civilizations and new forms of living life within and out the inner boundaries of my learned behavior and pure instinct.

Yes , this is my first thought while I read on line legendary astrologer Susan Miller’s predictions like  in every passage of a new month.

The people I know whose  signs that I recognize in my own ‘movie”  play one after the other a primordial role into the new set of predictions.

Amused I  figure out what the stars have reserved for me , and if pleased with their hints  I will use them as gifts to get great leverage into my designated path of  intelligent choices.

And if I don’t appreciate the directions the stars are heading me , I will use the prestigious Kabblistic concept that one soul can raise above the stars to meet with her  destiny through free will and absolute certainty knowing about the maximum potential of the divine sparkle within her DNA and a bigger universal plan.

I wish to travel well dressed, in good taste and luxury, with furs and precious jewelry, but knowing how to pay the right price for every item I decide to own.

The price is the one that will allow me to understand that acquiring what I wish to consume will enlighten another human being’s work of art, life devotion and satisfaction.

It will be though educated choice but practicing immediate detachment if indeed it might be the case,’  cause after all nothing stays forever on this earth and the awareness about the impermanence of reality is a must if we are to understand that what we desire in the material world is only an illusion a pure translation of how in reality we wish to feel.

I want to feel that my life like Gandhi’s is a message of integrity where what I feel, what I say and what I  do are all the same.

And I want to be healthy, and if I can why not immortal because after all I can be all I am .

I just have to remember  not to carry with me a heavy load in my luggage as  heavy load will slow me down in the earthy struggle defying gravity.

But who cares after all? As long as I will not let judgment step on my plans and understand I must learn from my mistakes,  universal mercy will never leave my sight.

So definitely ready at last, I am fastening my golden seat belt against all odds, and with my notebook filled of pretty thoughts and fresh resolutions I can now cross peacefully  the new year ‘s door expecting finally safe at heart , the best of what life  is yet to offer.

Joelle’s Picks:

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World famous models flaunted their curves in luxurious lingerie and magical wings as Victoria’s Secret brand is famous for its trademark “Angel Wings”.

Sexy and gorgeous models walked Victoria’s Secret 2010 Fashion Show runway on Wednesday November 10 in New York City and set the stage on fire with their brilliant performances.

Brazilian supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio walked the runway wearing those iconic enormous Angel Wings.

She sizzled in giant zebra-striped wings, ruffles and lavender bra as well as sexy corset and barely-there underwear.

Alessandra Ambrosio Victorias Secret look was really breathtaking and real treat for her fans.

Sexy angel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley added her presence on most sexy event of year in New York in some top of the line lingerie items.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Victoria’s Secret Angel opted for a VS Sexy Little Things Balconet push-up bra with matching panty, lace corset and spectacular gold studded multicolored wings.

The 23-year-old lady, showed off her enviable figure wearing many other eye popping outfits.

Talking about Karolina Kurkova look, she donned an animal print set with peacock wings and made a real impact. The gorgeous lady was one of the best VS angels out there and really looked outstanding.

Stunning Anja Rubik strolled down the glittery catwalk in white wings. She was also photographed in studded and spiked over-the-knee boots and matching black lingerie, and looked super hot.

Beautiful Chanel Iman was one of 33 Models who walked in Annual show and was snapped wearing lingerie and Victoria’s Secret wings.

Model strutted her stuff on the catwalk in seductive lingerie and looked mind-blowing.

It is not wrong to say that all models put on their best Victorias Secret lingerie and outfits showed off for audience.

Other Victoria’s Secret models at 2010 show seen on the runway with their spectacular looks included Candice Swanepoel, Isabel Goulart,

Selita Ebank and many more along with Katy Perry performance. Victoria’s Secret top models showcased powerful sexy styles in amazing way.

The Show 2010 screened on CBS on November 30 and after a quick cleaning services I sat comfortably on my couch and watched every single minute of it including the commercials. Inspired by those angelical beauties I decided to finally take my looks in charge and start getting advice. Below a few tips:

Justin Gelband, aka The Model Whisperer, has been training the VS Angels for years and has revealed his secrets to getting the best bod for you. He spends the 12 weeks in the run-up to the show doing thorough training with the ladies, but he does have some overarching tips for you

•    Don’t use heavy leg weights. Building bulky muscle won’t streamline the legs, focus instead on balance-reliant workouts for toning.

•    Straighten up! Posture is everything and toning up your core helps you build up strength to stand straight and tall. A great bod is nothing if it’s hiding behind a slouch.

•    Know your blood type. Justin believe in the science where blood types determine how your body processes food. Streamlining your diet this way will help you metabolize food more efficiently. Find out more at Dadamo.com.

•    Hips, inner thighs and stomach. These three main points are the best to target for a shortcut to a hot bod.

The rest is up to God!

Joelle’s Tips:

The Doctor: Dadamo.com.
Dr. D’Adamo
Ann Quasarano   1-203-761-0042

The Trainer: Justin Gelband / The Model Wishperer

The Brand: Victoria’s Secret

The Source : Zimbio.com

The Jeweler:  Damiani

I always  used to say: “When witches are out at night, little fairies stay in. ”

Even being afraid of dark, death, evil,magic, ghosts, witches, the devil, sharp teeth, ghouls, demons, vampires, werewolves, zombies, mummies, skeletons, black cats, spiders, bats, owls, crows, vultures, weird shiny eyes and blood, this year I have finally decided to courageously experience the world of darkness all at once — Halloween in New York City. After all, in my Tarot card deck, death is the representation of the end of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one.

The traditions of  the holiday of Halloween include activities like trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o’-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies.

Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century.

The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows’ Even (both “even” and “eve” are abbreviations of “evening,” but “Halloween” gets its “n” from “even”) as it is the eve of “All Hallows’ Day,” which is now also known as All Saints’ Day.

It used to be a day of religious festivities in various Northern European Pagan traditions, until Pope Gregory III and Pope Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints’ Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1.

A few friends call me to let me know the best venues, private parties, street parades and performances, musicians birthdays and galley openings.

Special events invitations from social networks like Facebook, A Small World, and the New York Magazine A-List are in my inbox, awaiting an RSVP.

Some of my friends suggested we rent a  white limousine for the whole night. I preferred to keep my itinerary free so that I could jump into extremely difficult-to-catch cabs and disappear like a little vampire whenever I felt like wandering in the streets or changing crowds, neighborhoods, energy and atmospheres. And this is exactly what did.

The first place I stepped into is to the  “Spook-A-Rama” exhibit at the renowned  Edelman Art gallery. Edelman Arts is a four-story gallery brownstone on East 63rd Street. It was opened last May, 2008 by Asher Edelman, and is home to an exciting new group of emerging, mid-career and established artists.

The crowd is exquisitely sophisticated and elegant, representing mostly other worlds’ noblesse costumed in intricate Saris of delicate colors, butterfly rich feathered masks, Marharajas turbans and expensive tunics embroidered in gold, Batman and Catwoman, Cleopatra and Counts of Dracula, Venetian-laced  aristocratic noblemen and a woman dressed in gold literally from head to toe.

On my way out, my friends and I separate, as I have the desire to cross the door of a private party at an Upper East Side three-floor brownstone whose entrance was surrounded by skeletons, bloody, suffering ghosts, a barking three headed dog, a hanging bloody pig with his head off, and carved pumpkins.

As a Brazilian and Italian, I realize I have no knowledge about those symbols. I therefore ask a tall, cigarette-smoking drag queen, waiting for exactly who I don’t know.

“A carved pumpkin, my dear, lit by a candle inside”, he says, “is one of Halloween’s most prominent symbols in America and is commonly called a jack-o’-lantern. Where in heaven or hell are you coming from to ask this question sweetheart?” I chose not to answer. He then carries on:

The ancient Celts, on Hallows Eve, would place a skeleton on their window sill to show the loved ones who passed away, kind of like we do jack-o-lanterns. Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga. Believing that the head was the most powerful part of the body, containing the spirit and the knowledge, the Celts used the “head” of the vegetable to frighten off any superstitions.”

Somebody else passing by adds: “Unmarried women were frequently told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear.

The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The mirror gaze was one of many forms of love divination around Halloween and other ancient holy days.”

Inside the house, a small child dressed as Alice in Wonderland next to a small skeleton with a white cape welcomes me in. In the dining room a coffin of a size of an adult lies on the main table surrounded with all kinds of candelabras filled with white candles. It’s freaky.

On one side of the room is a line of people waiting for a Tarot reader session by the coffin. And outside is a small porch where possibly a ritual is taking place between Dracula and a masked Phantom of the Opera smoking a cigar around a small bonfire.

Games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination. In Puic­n­ (pronounced “poocheeny”), a game played in Ireland, a blindfolded person is seated in front of a table on which several saucers are placed. The saucers are shuffled, and the seated person then chooses one by touch; the contents of the saucer determine the person’s life during the following year.

The hostess of the party suddenly tells me that my friends and I must leave at once. Maybe because my camera was interfering, maybe because it’s part of the theatrical game and atmosphere or maybe she thought we were somebody else. Under those costumes and masks it’s kind of hard to recognize who is a unwanted guest and who is your yoga pal.

This is exactly the reason why I chose not to show my face tonight and hide it under a mask where I can fully experience this world as a spectator and an attentive observant without having any social obligation of wearing the real mask of my daily life.

We hail a cab and head downtown in search of a brighter atmosphere. On the streets, it is clear that New York City hosts the United States’ largest Halloween celebration, known as The Village Halloween Parade, started by Greenwich Village mask maker Ralph Lee in 1973. The evening parade now attracts over two million spectators and participants, as well as roughly four million television viewers annually.

It is the largest participatory parade in the country if not the world, encouraging spectators to march in the parade as well it is sometimes compared to Mardi Gras.

We arrive in a recently opened lounge and contemporary Lebanese restaurant called Ilili. The owner Philippe Massoud is throwing a party where Brazilian models and young international jet-setters  in sexy lingerie dance to the sound of a funky 70′s mood band in an Old Lebanon architectural decor whose attitude and sexy lingerie  is unmistakably New York.

Marie Antoinette in impeccable XV century white wig with delicately stitched scars on her neck, a handsome doctor and bunny girls interlace with Diana Ross divas and Supremes girls while passing through sexy Che Guevaras, Rastafari Bob Marleys and beautiful very thin, long haired Russian model prisoners.

Pilots and hostess and Marine officers are hard to distinguish whether they came straight from JFK or they are in character costumes. Mafia guys dressed in striped suits drink champagne with 1930s French Charleston dancers wearing hairpieces of feathers and vintage brooches.

This crowd is very young and wild, a lot of smoke and I can hardly can get any precision or focus with my camera. I am getting bored. Let’s go somewhere else. Somewhere hot, very hot, where I am expecting to rise from the dead.

My group splits, some go to Times Square to watch the seventy-three Michael Jackson fans dressed as zombies and as the King of Pop himself breaking dancing through his exact steps. Today they are breaking not only the dance but also the Guinness World Record for the most people doing the Thriller dance at the same at Madame Trussauds New York. While Michael Jackson was not able to attend the event, I read he was thrilled with its success.

Prior to the record, participants took lessons on how to do the Thriller dance from Crunch fitness instructors, received zombie mini-makeovers and had the opportunity to take a photo with Madame Trussauds Michael Jackson wax figure.

But here I am. I think I have arrived in Hell. At the Buddha Bar on 9th Avenue, the party “Libertines and Concubines” was hosted by Re-Vamp entertainment. Great party, I haven’t enjoyed myself like that in years. Red chandeliers, high ceilings and DJ Behrouz played excellent mixing world music with tribal house.

From buttons to Buddhas, the East-meets-West wonderland boasted eclectic French-Asian fare in a former button factory. Greeting you with castle-like stone doors, the cavernous 15,000-sq.ft. space is filled with the bold, the Buddhas and beautiful, the people surprisingly friendly, too.

Complete with a jellyfish tank and jellyfish-inspired accent lamps, a sushi bar, an enclosed glass smoking room with a smoking-ban-approved ventilation system, and, of course, four elevated high-roller tables with glass flooring, Buddha Bar transformed itself into a heaven-hell landscape.

Creativity was everywhere, we did not know where to look. TV cameras were filming a few reserved tables of young Indians and little fairies probably children of movie stars.

A black man dressed as Adam, the first man on earth wearing just a bathing suit with a green leaf is at the coat check  with a woman vampire wearing in an 18th century bright red dress, a Zebra young South American man with his sophisticated 1930 British Colonial dressed with fringes blond girlfriend with a glass of champagne reserved a table near the Buddha Bar Palm trees. Very appropriate setting.

Militants, devils and rock stars danced with stunning divas and Russian Sado- Masochistic leathered women serving champagne, clowns and sexy school girls with quilted mini kilts and long wool socks talk loudly at each other while talking on their cell at the same time, probably to meet other costumed friends at a party nearby.

Astronauts and Chinese Empress dolls are spinning my head around. I am starting to get tired and I must still run to to check out Supermodel Heidi Klum’s Annual Halloween party presented by Absolut 100. Heidi and Seal wowed the crowd in their outrageously elaborate costumes at the 1 Oak Night Club in Chelsea.

After a press embargo and its fair share of bureaucratic problems, New York’s hardest door has opened — to those, ahem, who have been deemed worthy of entrance. The boys behind 1 Oak, Ritchie Akiva and Scott Sartiano (who own Butter), have apparently grown tired of New York’s repetitive club scene and are intent on creating a refined environment for the hippest urban influential in the city.

The West Chelsea area is all about atmosphere. And, as with any impossible-to-enter spot, 1 Oak has atmosphere aplenty. Though the exterior is refreshingly free of inappropriate designer cant, 1 Oak’ s interior, designed with leaden proficiency, embraces the noir angularity of patterns ripped out of a castle in the South of France. Dressed as a mixture of the Indian goddess kali, and a multi-armed Voodoo clansman she looks petrifying and wild.

It’s enough. I’ve finally dropped dead. I am ready to be reborn in my flowery bedroom on New York’s Upper East Side with my book of psalms by my side.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Joelle’s Tips:

The Clubs and restaurants:

ILILI Restaurant: 236 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY Tel + 1 212 683 23 22 / + 1 212 683 2929

Buddha Bar: 25 little West, 12 street, New York, NY tel + 1 212 647 7314

1 OAK: 453 West , 17 street New York, NY tel + 1 212 242111

Victor de Souza explore a fantasy world that combines elegant pastels and delicate ruffles with structured shoulders and silhouettes on silk blouses and dresses. The softness of the collection is offset with the occasional metal embellishment of shattered-glass embroidery.

These architectural pieces of modern romance appeal to the classic, yet experimental,women of today. With Pierrrot-inspired designs, one can see the power behind each piece. The strong, feminine shapes have both an avant-garde and futuristic feel while being light, playful and sophisticated.

Victor de Souza’s Spring 2010 collection is fitted and sophisticated with a futuristic edge and a touch of “armor.”  Key stylist, Mordechai, created a pulled back style with a rich, kink texture to it; to create almost a “helmet”.  The style is stark in the front however when the model turns, there’s also a romantic, feminine feel.

To achieve this look, he used the “figure 8 hair pin technique”, divided hair into sections then sprayed Phytovolume Actif to each section.  He then twisted the hair into a “figure 8” shape and closed the pins.

He then applied Phyto Pro Intense Volume Mousse and used a flat-iron to heat the hair and left it to set.  In the front, he used a crisper to create mixed textures.  After, he took everything out, brushed the hair and created a mattified look giving the hair a medieval feel.

He then brushed it back, and folded the hair to make it look like a cuff.  Victor uses cuffs in most of his collections and as of late has become his signature.  He finished the style with Phytolaque Soie light hold hairspray.

Joelle’s Tips:

The Designer: Victour De Souza

The Host: Michelle Harper ” The muse ”

The Stylist: Storm Pedersen

The Hair Stylist: Mordechai Alvow ( Watch the video it is amazing!)

The Hair Line : Phyto

The Make-up Artist: Yajara Velasquez

The Models are provided by Trump Modelng Agency, Q Models, Red Model Management, Major Model Management, Wilhemina Models

Sales: Caroline Vike – Vike@victorsouzany.com

The Space: EZ Studio

Watch the video  :  Victor de Souza Spring 2001

“We have tried to design a transparent building in the sense that we are not hiding what is happening behind the surface of the structure.”

Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa

The New Museum is the first major art museum to be constructed in downtown Manhattan in the city’s modern history. It is located in the Bowery, on what was an 8,000 square foot parking lot, and is New York’s only museum devoted exclusively to contemporary art.

Unlike MoMA or the Whitney, the New Museum is truly contemporary and is not suffering from an identity crisis. Designed by cutting-edge, Tokyo-based architects Sejima + Nishizawa/SANAA, it opened in December 2007.

The seven-story composition is a stack of rectangular boxes shifted off axis in different directions, clad in silvery galvanized, zinc-plated steel, and punctuated by skylights and windows offering vistas and vignettes of the city.

They have designed a breathtaking facility that features beautifully proportioned galleries, a theater, an education floor, a New Museum Store, a café, a top floor event space with roof terraces and more.

The New Museum of Contemporary Art occupys its own freestanding, dedicated building for the first time in the institution’s history and will be the first art museum ever built from the ground up in downtown Manhattan.

The building’s form was conceived to express the ever-changing dynamic of the art and ideas to be presented within. Dramatic full floor, column-free exhibition spaces  occupy three main gallery levels.

The broad, light-washed ground floor space — named the Marcia Tucker Hall in honor of the New Museum’s late founder — is an animated public space where visitors will find the Museum’s acclaimed store.

These features and spaces will provide a platform for the Museum’s far-reaching international programs, including exhibitions, installations, live presentations and performances, public education programs, and a highly original new global institutional partnership initiative, Museum as Hub.

At night, the building’s metallic exterior will be washed with artificial lighting from within.
Summarizing their approach to the design for the New Museum of Contemporary Art, SANAA has said:

“The solution emerged through an extensive period of trial and error. We made numerous study models based upon the New Museum’s program and the demands of the site, the zoning envelope. First we arrived at the notion of the boxes themselves; each one represents a specific piece of the program developed by the Museum.

Then we tried shifting the boxes to render the inside of the building more accommodating and open, with more possibilities for daylight to enter spaces and views to appear at various points in the interiors.

We designed the building from the inside out, based upon our understanding of the Museum’s needs.

Because of the kind of art the Museum shows and the curatorial approach they take, we wanted to design simple spaces – spaces without columns and with a lot of possibilities for different configurations, for placement of temporary dividing walls, and so forth – that would provide the widest range of options.

We do not believe that a building should overwhelm or compete with the art presented within it, particularly when it comes to contemporary art.  So we have tried to make spaces that are inviting but straightforward.”

Joelle’s Tips:

The Museum: New Museum 235 Bowery New York, NY 10002 / 212.219.1222
New York, NY 10002

The Architects: Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa SANAA LTD.
The Associate architects: Guggenheimer Architects, New York
The Project architect: Florian Idenburg
The Structural engineer: Guy Nordenson

The Main Photo:  photo of SANAA architect Kazuyo Sejima by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue (via Curbed). She’s holding a model of the building in her palm of her hand .

No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 in worked partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park  when the historic structure was under threat of demolition and created the public landscape with guidance from a diverse community of High Line supporters.

The High Line ,designed by an architectural team from Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is meant to offer a retreat from street life, a bucolic space floating 30 feet in the air with Hudson River views. Yet it will retain many elements of its gritty past: graffiti is prevalent on the buildings it winds through, and some of the rails have been restored in the park. That the park — which grew from an idea hatched in the 1990s into a $170 million project — exists at all is a marvel.

The project gained the City’s support in 2002. Much of the designers’ work has been devoted to seeking a balance between preserving what one called “the romance of the ruin” — wild grasses growing up through the metal skeleton of rails and rivets — and creating a fresh green corridor for pedestrians.

The High Line south of 30th Street was donated to the City by CSX Transportation Inc. in 2005. Condominiums, hotels and office buildings designed by architectural talent like Jean Nouvel, Annabelle Selldorf, Renzo Piano, and the Della Valle Bernheimer firm are sprouting along the park’s span.

André Balazs’s 18-story Standard Hotel, designed by Polshek Partnership Architects, is the only new building that rises directly over the elevated park. The towering structure is supported on massive concrete pillars, while a ground-floor restaurant and garden cafe are tucked underneath the High Line’s hefty steel frame.

Construction on the park began in 2006. The first portion of the three-section High Line, which runs near the Hudson River from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street, is  open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. There are entrances at Gansevoort Street (stairs) and at 16th Street (elevator); exits are located every few blocks.

The second phase, which extends to 30th Street, is under construction and expected to be completed by fall 2010. The third phase, up to 34th Street, has yet to be approved.The project has already transformed the area near its 22-block stretch near the river, prompting some of the most ambitious development in the city in years. The first two sections of the High Line cost $152 million, according to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, $44 million of which was raised by Friends of the High Line, the group that led the project.

The High Line runs through three of Manhattan’s most dynamic neighborhoods: the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton. When the High Line was built in the 1930s, these neighborhoods were dominated by industrial and transportation uses. Now many of the warehouses and factories have been converted to art galleries, design studios, retailers, restaurants, museums, and residences.

The Meatpacking District

Much of the first section of the High Line is located in the Meatpacking District. Around 1900, the district was home to more than 250 slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants.Before the High Line was built, trains on street level, as well as barges and ships from the Hudson River, brought goods to the district for processing

When the High Line was built, it carried freight trains full of meat and other goods directly to the upper floors of these meatpacking plants and factories. In recent decades, as industrial uses have declined in New York City, the Meatpacking District has seen a resurgence of other uses. Its historic cobblestone streets and low-lying industrial buildings are now home to many restaurants, nightclubs, design and photography studios, and fashion boutiques.

When the High Line was built in the 1930s, these neighborhoods were dominated by industrial and transportation uses. Now many of the warehouses and factories have been converted to art galleries, design studios, retailers, restaurants, museums, and residences. Around 1900, the meatpacking district was home to more than 250 slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants. In recent decades, as industrial uses have declined in New York City, the Meatpacking District has seen a resurgence of other uses.

Before the High Line was built, trains on street level, as well as barges and ships from the Hudson River, brought goods to the district for processing. When the High Line was built, it carried freight trains full of meat and other goods directly to the upper floors of these meatpacking plants and factories.

Its historic cobblestone streets and low-lying industrial buildings are now home to many restaurants, nightclubs, design and photography studios, and fashion boutiques.

In 2003, following a community-led effort, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission established the Gansevoort Market Historic District in recognition of the neighborhood’s historical importance.

The corner of Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, at the High Line’s southern end, is the future location of a new Whitney Museum of American Art facility. Pre-construction has begun on the site, and the facility is currently projected to open in 2012. Visit the Whitney’s Web site for more information.

West Chelsea

To the north of the Meatpacking District is the neighborhood of West Chelsea, where the majority of the High Line is located. West Chelsea shares the industrial past of the Meatpacking District, with large factories and warehouses lining its streets and avenues. West Chelsea is now home to the world’s largest concentration of art galleries.

In 2005, much of West Chelsea was rezoned by the Department of City Planning, to allow for the High Line’s reuse, to encourage the continued use of former industrial spaces as art galleries, and to encourage economic growth through residential development along Tenth and Eleventh Avenues.

Much of Chelsea was, and continues to be, residential; its tree-lined blocks of historic townhouses earned part of it designation as the Chelsea Historic District in 1970, with an extension added in 1981.

The creation of another Historic District, in West Chelsea, was recently approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. This District focuses on the industrial history of the neighborhood, and includes many historically and architecturally significant factory and warehouse buildings.

Clinton / Hell’s Kitchen

The High Line’s northernmost section runs through the southern section of the Clinton / Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Much of this neighborhood was part of the 2005 Hudson Yards Rezoning, which was meant to encourage large-scale development and the improvement of transportation infrastructure.

In the next decade or so, this neighborhood will likely undergo significant changes to its built environment.

High-lining- Fashion Statements

According Bill Cunningham on a covaerage for the New York Times the High Line fashion message is of the future.

30 feet above the ground and through the buildings you can witness the most interesting and cool downtown fashion promenade. Unlike Fifth and Park Avenue the fashion belongs to the art  and downtown crowd.

Sportswear, minimalistic dresses  short and long over the ground and not overly expensive reflecting the look of the of Meat Packing District shops are all seen at the High Line .

But as mesmerizing as the design is, it is the height of the High Line that makes it so magical, and that has such a profound effect on how you view the city.

Joelle’s Tips:

The Suspended Park: The High Line

Photo Credits: Joelle Lifestyle / The High Line Flikr Pool

Source: The New York Time : The High Line

You hear things.

Rumors. Conjecture.

Loose talk.

A lounge. Madonna.

A hot tub. Lohan.

Floor to ceiling windows—in the bathroom—overlooking the city from 18 floors up. And you’re…intrigued.

But a little visual proof would be nice. Something to confirm that this Shangri-La, this new Studio 54, actually exists.

Well, feast your eyes on the first shots of the brand-new Boom Boom Room, a throwback to ’70s carefree decadence

and the latest fun pit at Andre Balazs’s game-changing Standard Hotel, open now for private parties and later this week to the public.

From now on, this is where you party—and we mean really party.

The space is split into two modern-retro rooms,

but you’re going to want to start by setting up camp in the main area, filled with wavy cream-colored leather banquettes, golden fireplaces and starburst chandeliers.

The other, more intimate room is decked in black tiles and includes a mischievous, triangular hot tub—right smack in the middle of the room.

The whole place has the feel of a party lounge Donald Trump would have built on his yacht in 1979, only 18 floors above the Meatpacking District and filled with the likes of Bar Refaeli and Karolina Kurkova.

Many others were among  Andre Balazs guests. Most pictured by Patrick McMullan.

Andrew Saffir Calvin Klein, Courtney Love, Devon Aoki, Donna Karan, Glenda Bailey, Jared Leto, Jesus Luz, Jon Bon Jovi, Josh Hartnett, Jude Law,Kyle MacLachlan, Linda Wells, Nacho Figueras, Rachel Zoe, Steven Klein, Tory Burch

Others included Mick Jagger’s girlfriend L’Wren Scott , Kirsten Dunst and Margherita Missoni.

Check more pictures on the  photogallery.

Joelle’s Tips:

Boom Boom Room : Hotel Standard

Photo credits: Courtesy Patrick Mc Mullan

Source and interior photo credit : Urban Daddy

After eye inaugurating their first three locations (Portland, Seattle, and Palm Springs) from a far, I  was psyched to learn ACE Hotel was finally opening an east coast locale in New York City. I got the chance to check out the newly opened location in Manhattan a few weeks back, click through for impressions and as always a hefty dose of pics.

Located on 20 West 29th St, the new Manhattan ACE Hotel is a sight to behold from the inside, but easy to miss on the outside.  The entrance is  dark and reminiscent of a men’s club Hemingway may have been part of, the beginning of a decidedly masculine vibed hotel.

There’s a bar, reading areas, bookshelves lined with antique books, vintage steel furniture, even a stuffed Badger.

Digging thing that springs to mind — nor is the area around 29th Street and Broadway. So the lobby of the recently opened Ace Hotel came as a pleasant surprise. The latest effort by the Northwest-based proprietors of hip yet reasonably priced lodgings (and its first on the East Coast) was designed by Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of the New York firm Roman and Williams, who turned a decrepit landmark 1904 building that formerly housed the Hotel Breslin into a haven of too-cool-for-school bohemian chic.

The 18-foot-high lobby space, with its original mosaic tile floor and carved plaster ceiling, embodies what Standefer calls “the anti-boutique hotel concept.” She and Alesch were looking for that sense of familiarity common to old hotels in Europe, where you feel as if you’re sitting in someone’s living room. A comfortable clutter of found objects — “New furniture wouldn’t be familiar enough,” Standefer said — fills the space, from stuffed birds to old laboratory tables to bachelor-pad sectional seating and plaid wing chairs.

Atop an old bookcase, a tray holds a raft of mercury glass flasks; a large blackboard at the back of the room broadcasts the cocktails du jour in the bar area. There are magazines and newspapers for browsing, and the occasional appearance of one of the old hotel’s residents (it used to be an SRO, and some people refused to move) gives the room a down-to-earth, communal vibe. And the wall behind the staircase is home to an installation by the artist Michael Anderson, who copied his collection of 20 years’ worth of graffiti tags and turned them into a graphic black-and-white collage.

Roman and Williams (who did the redesign of the Royalton as well as the interiors of the Standard Hotel and its restaurant, the Standard Grill) are currently at work on two other spaces in the Ace — a restaurant called the Breslin, which will be run by the Spotted Pig’s Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield, and a branch of Portland’s Stumptown Coffee (for which the designers chose a 1960s Milanese look). When both open in the fall, this still-scruffy neighborhood won’t know what hit it.

On one of their deluxe rooms, I was floored with the attention to detail. King size bed draped with a Pendleton blanket, desk with leather blotter, pencil and Weber sharpener (old school), beautiful ACE hotel stationary, and even a record player with a half dozen vinyls to choose from.

On top of a small school desk, the survival kit guide written in old typing machine fonts, starts like this:” Welcome to the Ace Hotel New York. I keep this short so you have more time to experience the hotel and the city. You’re in a historic landmark building that originally opened in 1904 as the Hotel Bresling.

It has undergone many changes in its long life. We have tried to preserve as many features as possible, like the ornate coffered ceilings  … Be adventurous take the subway it will take you down to Soho, Union Square or Chinatown….. If something doesn’t work properly tell us we know how to fix it  We are happy you are here… Thank you for sleeping with us Cheers .. all of us of Ace Hotel New York”

Even the bathroom was finished in subway tile, and the shower had a fantastic shower head (a much overlooked detail). Did I mention the old school ice box even stocked the High Life?

With every corner and detail uncovered, I found myself nodding thinking, “that would look great in my dream loft apt.” Of course, that was the purpose behind the hotel designers who have turned this early 19th century building into hotel  you could have only designed in your imagination.

ACE Hotel NYC continues to drop the exclusives on their staff. Kinda makes you want to work there just to get access to the collaboration goods. “The staff at the Portland Ace have worn Jack Purcell shoes since its debut, and for NYC, Ace is partnering with Converse on special Chuck Taylor All Star shoes. An American icon, Converse is indelibly linked with the independent spirit and attitude of countless musicians, artists and athletes. Simple, understated, synonymous with rock & roll and coveted by all walks of life, we think Converse is a perfect fit for Ace.”

It’s hard to describe cool with words, but when you stay at the ACE Hotel in Manhattan you just know. The pics should do the rest of the talking.

Joelle’s Tips

Photo credits: Graffiti mural: Photo: Douglas Lyle Thompson / Room : courtesy of Ace Hotel / Collage and source : T magazine- ‘ Study Hall – The Ace Hotel Lobby”  by Pilar Viladas