For those of you that didn’t know, 90 is the new black. With chic, edgy fashion blogs like Advanced Style showing us older New Yorkers rocking killer style, the kind of personal style that most of us are not even capable of embodying at this stage in our lives, some of us wannabe fashion mavens in the younger set (under 90) are feeling a bit left in the dust.

Iris Apfel, one of today’s most current and unexpected style icons is quite the talk of the town. After the success of her 2005 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition displaying her vast, eclectic collection of clothing and accessories, Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel, the self proclaimed geriatric starlet’s image and presence has been in high demand.

Since the Met exhibit, Iris has modeled for the 2008 Coach ad campaign, designed a line of jewelry for HSN and for the über-hip Yoox.com, launched a makeup collection for MAC cosmetics, and has been filmed for a documentary by filmmaker Albert Maysles of the critically-acclaimed Grey Gardens.

In addition to those feats, the very busy trendsetter’s presence has been requested as guest of honor for numerous highbrow fashion events in the last year. And although she is retired from her former 9:00–5:00 of co-owning the renowned Old World Weavers textile firm with her husband, she is still constantly on the move, consulting and lecturing across the country on fashion and related topics. We would need a ginseng smoothie and some caffeine pills to keep up with this woman.

Apfel has the kind of personal style that will stop people in the street. She says that her mother “worshipped at the altar of the accessory” and thus she “got the bug.” Iris finds the accessory to be the most important part of her wardrobe—and it would be easy to make this assumption at a quick glance. She is known to often layer chunky, beaded necklaces and stack bangles of all shapes and colors on both arms from wrist to elbow. Her iconic extra-large, round, thick-frame glasses are her signature stamp, making everything she wears that much cooler. Apfel loves ethnic apparel and adornments, and has picked up most of her beloved pieces while traveling across the globe.

A New York native, Iris grew up in Queens, the daughter of two local business owners. Her mother ran a fashion boutique and her father owned a glass and mirror business. Raised in a household with an appreciation for the finer things, Apfel naturally chose a career focused on the arts and design. Studying art and art history in college, her first job out of school was an apprenticeship as a copygirl at Womens Wear Daily for mere $15 a week. She didn’t see much of a chance of moving up the ladder at WWD and found that interior design would be a bit more lucrative. Iris followed in the footsteps of her parents and began her own firm.

After working on several projects, she noticed that she was having a difficult time finding the fabrics she kept imagining for her designs. It was at this point that she and her husband Carl decided to launch the legendary textile firm Old World Weavers. During this time period, she served as the interior decorator for 9 presidents in the White House. (And Carl by the way, is also quite stylish—a couple peas in a pod, these two).

Iris and Carl’s three-bedroom Park Avenue home in Manhattan is a clear reflection of the adventurous, cultured, and elegant life they have built together. Intricate brocade fabrics as well as antique furniture, art and accessories from around the globe fill every square inch of their posh pad. Like all of her garments, every item in her home exudes her personality. As she puts it, “throughout history clothes represented who you were; they are a great vehicle for explaining who you are.” 

It makes us happy to see such an accomplished individual receive so much praise and attention for her looks and style, even so late in her years. As we are currently living in a world that is so youth-obsessed, it’s refreshing to find an inspiration in someone like Iris. We can’t wait to see what this true original does next.

And if you aren’t familiar with Ari Seth Cohen’s Advanced Style blog, we highly recommend you take a look. An Advanced Style documentary is in the works, set to debute this summer, and if features our girl Iris! Please take a momet to watch the trailor below. We are totally digging how whole heartedly Cohen is embracing the fashionable endeavors of New York City’s older set. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWKTfqivbRQ

Katherine Tyznik.HighStreet.New York

Twig Terrariums

Terrariums are THE hot trend in the interiors community these days. As the rejuvenating spirits of Spring near, now is the perfect time to delve into this rediscovered phenomenon. The clamor for these creations is in part due to their broad appeal — a hybrid of fine art, biology, design and horticulture. This crossover essence is why — as you may very well guess — HighStreet people do dig them. These labyrinthine concoctions satisfy prevailing trends of locavore, Victoriana, and found-object. “In a laboratory of living design, we conjure art and science to create unusual living objects of wilderness — inspired by far-away landscapes both discovered and imagined.”

HighStreet currently carries a collection of fabulous terrariums by local artist Amy Bogard. We would be remiss; however, to not mention that these wee little worlds represent a realistically attainable DIY project. Do not be intimidated, after all these objects are simply re-purposed old apothecary jars, dusty light bulbs, moss, twigs and figurines, right? Best of all is the fact that even the most concrete-encased urbanite can collect the majority of required materials during a quick stroll around the block — no consumerism needed. From the humblest of beginnings, whether refined or whimsical, most anyone can create a visually stunning, independent and self-sufficient microclimate.

As previously mentioned, terrariums are not a newfangled craze. The prosperity of Victorian era Britain resulted in many women and men with much spare time on their hands. One of the egalitarian hobbies of the time was collecting plants — particularly ferns. Like many greenery-obsessed Victorians, Nathaniel Ward was a London doctor by profession who had an intense enthusiasm for botany.

Installation by Paula Hayes

Dr. Ward’s plants, particularly his ferns, were having difficulty surviving the polluted air of 1820s London. It was intensely frustrating for a passionate collector to not be able to keep the plant of the moment alive. While puzzling over the problem with his ferns, Dr. Ward noticed that the plants placed in his covered insect jars (for studying moths and caterpillars) were actually taking root in the soil. It was a moment of clarity — Dr. Ward realized that his miniature greenhouse could actually protect the plants enough so that they would thrive. Soon after his display at the Great Exhibition in 1851 London, where he flaunted a vibrant fern that had not been watered in 18 years, a Wardian Case (the precursor to the modern terrarium) was promptly nestled in every decorous home.

Terrariums enjoyed a revival in the 1970s in America — picture kitschy and kooky giant brandy snifters dangling in macrame hangers. The creations of today, in contrast, possess a cool and sleek sophistication. Nathaniel Ward could not have dreamed of the fantasy worlds birthed by Paula Hayes, the “high priestess” of terrariums.  Having elevated them to objects of art with her ethereal creations, she is generating some serious buzz in today’s design industry. Hayes, originally from Concord, MA, is an artist who has showcased her works in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide. Her pieces have been seen in The New York Times, Artnet, Elle Decor, Interior Design, Garden Design, Vogue Living Australia, and more. What we love about her work is the modern approach of blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors while creating magical atmospheres. She refers to her primordial little worlds as verbs rather than nouns.

Although most famous for her exquisite, high-end art terrariums of organically shaped, handblown glass — her affinity for all things green extends to full gardens as well. She has created over twenty full gardens for private clients around the country. Hayes’s popularity among art collectors and the public has swelled dramatically over the past few years. Her installation in the lobby of MoMA, Nocturne of the Limax Maximus, garnered much critical acclaim and landed her a feature on CBS Sunday Morning.

What really sets the modern terrarium apart from its’ predecessor is the functionality that artists are bringing to the work. A prime example of this concept can be seen in the Furnibloom line, clear plexiglass furniture, designed by landscape architect Dagný Bjarnadóttir, that cleverly houses plants of all sorts.

Furnibloom

Terrariums make wonderfully thoughtful gifts and are smart weddig centerpieces.

These terrariums are surfing the wave of  interest in handmade crafts and do-it-yourself fever. Workshops are popping up in cities across the globe. Some of the better resources available online that provide instructions and inspiration are The Slug and The Squirrel, Twig, and Botany Factory. We at HighStreet believe that these multifarious little art objects are stunningly seductive. It also seems that the creative process wondrously soothes our need to nurture while offering fantasy and escape.

That is no small feat.

Moooi horse lamp via mmdesignassociates.blogspot.com

Do it. Go ahead. You know you want it.

That 1960’s psychedelic print vintage upholstered arm chair. You’re not quite sure why, but it’s been calling your name. You can’t get it out of your head. You know you love it, but you find it intimidating. “What will I ever do with it? Where will I put it?” you keep asking yourself. We know what you can do with it. Feature it. Be proud. Make it the focal point of your room.

Jean Paul Gaultier for Roche Bobois armoire via dailyfix.interiordesign.net

At HighStreet we believe you should love your things. We encourage people to let themselves fall in love with objects, and make them work within their homes. Walking into your living room does not have to remind you of flipping the pages of a designer furniture catalog. Not everything has to match. Personal style begins with working with the things you feel a strong connection to– and then filling in the blanks around those things. Find those items that you love and build your room around them.

If you are feeling a bit apprehensive about bringing an attention grabbing object into your home, play down the pieces around it. The moment you start feeling overwhelmed by your space, start taking things away– let your star item breathe. All it needs is a little room to shine. We can just about guarantee you can find a way to make the piece work if you really love it. Your attention grabbing piece of furniture or decor just needs the right backdrop.

ornately guilded sofa via livingetc.com

Flower of Life Chandelier via willowlamp.com

Here are some to-die-for feature feature furnishings we’ve stumbled upon…

• Limited edition Jean Paul Gaultier for Roche Bobois armoire. Its digital print tattoo design definitely makes it a statement piece.
• And who wouldn’t love the life-size horse lamp by Moooi keeping them company in their living room (square footage permitting of course).
• This lovely ornately gilded sofa gets a modern twist upholstered in black patent leather.
• Intricately beaded and designed around the flower of life geometry, this stunning chandelier by Willowlamp Studio is sure to stop your visitors in their tracks.

Decorating your house should be fun– don’t let yourself shy away from something that’s a little indulgent, avant-garde, or even childlike. You should enjoy your pieces, be courageous and try something bold. Your dinner guests will no doubt be impressed.

HighStreet.Cincinnati

After browsing through the Fall fashion issues of some of our favorite magazines, we stumbled upon an indulgently luxe New York interior space featured in Harper’s Bazaar. The Upper East Side apartment belongs to Jimmy Choo stiletto shoe founder Tamara Mellon, a recent London transplant who had a very distinct look in her mind for her new space. She hired L.A. Based interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard to revamp the old school-house-turned-residential apartment. “What I like about Martyn is that he can take your look, digest it, and then magnify it by a hundred,” she explains.

The image that caught our attention in this feature was the sitting room. Six heavily saturated large scale photographs of coiled, exotic snakes by Guido Mocafico hang framed above her modern white tufted leather sofa. The image is striking; perhaps a slight bit disturbing, but indubitably sexy at the same time. Deep shades of saffron, chartreuse, burgundy, and goldenrod are grounded by black and white– a palette that can be a bit on the masculine side is femmed up with luxurious fabrics and sparkly lighting. We find a great balance in Mellon’s house, something she calls “[her] own signature look, something that is both modern and old and glamorous, a bit of ‘70s but a bit minimal.”

Another one of our favorite spaces in the apartment is the entry which features an original work by Terence Koh. The piece was commissioned by Mellon at a dinner party and consists of a series of neon lights that read LOVE FOR ETERNITY.

Quite an avid art collector, Mellon has a Basquiat hanging in the kitchen, a Warhol in the sitting room, and framed photographs by Nobuyoshi Araki and Jim Lee displayed throughout the home. She explains “I never plan to buy a piece of art. I buy it in the moment. When you get divorced, you have to go through this awful thing of listing everything you own. When you actually sit down and write the list, you realize that the only good investments are art and property.”

We found these images of Tamara’s new home a great inspiration for transitioning into Autumn– the colors and textures are deep and sumptuous. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Katherine Tyznik.HighStreet.New York

Raising children is an experience that warrants many joys– and one of the joys that particularly excites us is the aesthetic kind. (We bet you didn’t see that coming). But yes, not surprisingly the design opportunities that come along with children fill us with all sorts of fun ideas. Letting your imagination run wild results in delightful spaces for your happy little youngsters. You don’t have to restrain yourself like you do in the rest of your house.

Children love color. Experiment. There are plenty of fun wallpapers out there. Try one. Let your kids write on the walls; paint a wall with chalkboard paint.

Kids also love little cubbies or hiding spots. Create a cozy nook for them to nuzzle up with their favorite book. Build an indoor tree house. Make a teepee. Create a forest canopy.

It’s easy to get clever with storage and organization too. Use colorful bins for toy storage on a bookcase. Build a cupboard that looks like a miniature sky scraper. Display toys like pieces of contemporary art on floating shelves.

We’ve gathered some inspirational photos for you to flip through. Have fun. That’s what your kids would want you to do anyway.

HighStreet.Cincinnati

Refreshing. Stimulating. Uplifting. Witty.  Native New Yorker Hester Diamond had a serious art collection, but was afraid of it being taken too seriously. She was determined to create a design for her Upper West Side apartment that accomplished showcasing her impressive art collection in an approachable way.

Hester Diamond is the mother of Michael Diamond, otherwise known as Mike D of the “Beastie Boys”. Little did we know, she is also an original, a talented interior designer and quite the visionary. Seeing the fresh approach to this interior, you can see now where Mike D got his ground breaking style.

Hester and her late husband Harold began collecting art in the 50s and became addicts. She continued her art habit after becoming a widow and then remarrying the former Dean of New York University in 1982. Their collection grew to consist of Mondrians, Kandinskys, Picassos, Veroneses, Brancusis, Pontormos, and Legers. She and her now-late husband got to the point where they started trading some of their other possessions for iconic works of art they fell in love with. They were in fact, serious about collecting their art.

After years in a career of social work, Hester decided to take a shot at interior decorating. Not surprisingly, with her innovative taste, she was a natural. After retiring from the industry in the late eighties, she came to a place in her own home where she wanted a change. She then evolved through phases of Mid-Century Modern and Neo-Classical/Renaissance styles in the home. She felt compelled to be, at regular intervals, refreshed and inspired. A few years ago she decided to again take on the redesign of her home and called on the assistance of her son’s friend Jim Walrod, a New York based interior designer and art consultant. Mike D referred to Jim as his ‘furniture pimp’ in a Rolling Stone article in the 90s and the nickname stuck.

Walrod co-owned the modern lifestyle store Form and Function in the 90s, specializing in Mid-Century Modern furniture with Fred Schneider of the B-52’s and song writer Jack Feldman. Jim has collaborated with designers and hoteliers on innovative interior concepts for hotels and restaurants such as The Standard in Los Angeles and The Park and The Thompson LES in New York. Hester hired him to help her bring her growing Renaissance art collection to life in a vibrant, modern setting.

The two collaborated and came up with a fresh, colorful concept. The look is totally original. Hester’s big drive was to find a color palette that was inspiring and happy, and brought her artwork to the forefront. Walrod and Diamond chose modern furniture pieces from Marcel Wanders, Tord Boontje, and Dune, setting them against citron painted walls and a candy colored patchwork carpet. The result is lively and cheerful, yet refined. In Hestor’s words, “It’s the most joyous place to live. It’s impossible to be depressed in this room.”

We’ve never seen anything like it, and that’s a quality we love. Pushing boundaries always results in something extraordinary, and kudos to Hester for being fearless. We have to say, she’s crafty. Enjoy these sumptuous photos filled with light, color and culture.

HighStreet. New York

At HighStreet, we are inspired by anything worthy — regardless of genre. Movies, music, history, nature, events, people, whatever catches the eyes or ears in a given day. But as we’ve mentioned, one of the fastest ways we get our fix is through the imported periodical . And certainly, flipping through a new copy of British interior design magazine Livingetc every month is quite the delight.

As you know, we are totally inspired by the Brits. They like to play and experiment… they are not afraid to have fun with design. Every issue is fresh, vibrant and colorful, full of lavish imagery. Mixing high-end products with inexpensive pieces is an area where the English excel. The Livingetc writers are always featuring clever do-it-yourself projects for you to try at home.

Next time you come to visit us at HighStreet, pick up a copy. We have not been disappointed by an issue yet.

HighStreet.Cincinnati.