On Wednesday November 19 the New-York Historical Society presented Pilgrimage by Annie Leibovitz. More than 70 photographs evoke historical figures including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Marian Anderson, Robert Smithson and Elvis Presley, through landscapes, interiors and objects. The exhibition supports the release of her new coffee table book, Pilgrimage.

“From the beginning, when I was watching my children stand mesmerized over Niagara Falls, this project was an exercise in renewal,” said Annie Leibovitz. “It taught me to see again.”

The New-York Historical Society’s mission is to “explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.” Annie Leibvitz has captured a succinct, rich tapestry of history stemming from her unique curiosity of the world.

“The photographs in Pilgrimage are haunting, moving and often surprising, and we look forward to sharing their emotional power with audiences in New York,” said Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the New-York Historical Society.

There’s nothing more eye opening, to kick off the holiday season than seeing this breathtaking collection of images that Annie Leibovitz has captured throughout her travels. Her distinguished photography includes some of the most iconic portraits of our time.

Let this collection of artwork inspire you to reflect on what means the most this holiday season. The exhibition is open until February 22, 2015 at the New-York Historical Society at Central Park West and 77th Street in Manhattan.

SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDED:
Grace Coddington, Jessica Diehl, Anna Wintour, Annie Leibovitz, Louise Mirrer (President & CEO of the New-York Historical Society), Pam B. Schafler, Joseph and Diana DiMenna, Jane Foley Fried and Tom Wirtshafter

by Jonathan Cody
Photo credit: Don Pollard/ New-York Historical Society.

ADDRESS
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street)
New York, NY 10024
Phone (212) 873-3400
TTY (212) 873-7489

HOURS
museum galleries and museum store
Tuesday-Thursday, Saturday – 10am-6pm
Friday – 10am-8pm
Sunday – 11am-5pm
Monday – CLOSED

Jonathan Cody had the chance to catch up with dear friend, Design Director Todd Magill to explain this year’s careful application of color that was very refreshing at the Spring/Summer 2015 presentation. Todd Magill explained this season’s line was inspired by the mix of Sport and Classic American sportswear. “I see a lot of guys on the streets mixing their sport gear with their work clothes. Ultimately, the collection is about ‘urban utility’ so you can look good in transitional moments, like when you are in between work and running to or from the gym and then out to meet friends.”

Todd also talked about how he drew inspiration from minimalist painter Josef Albers. Todd said “He really understood that color is relationship: one to another, a pattern to its frame, the eye to the mind. Even simple blocks of it, placed with care, can create a whole greater picture than the sum of its parts.”

The bags are minimal on the exterior, but inside them the user will find function and utility to serve the function and floral camo and Chambray floral prints to pack the right amount of visual punch. Key fabrications include technical packable nylon, as seen in a trench and blazer that are lightweight enough to roll up and throw in your bag.

Artist Ian Hundley designed a special navy grid print for a capsule collection of bags and several apparel pieces inspired by aerial maps of the streets of New York.

Here are some favorite looks:

Notable guests who attended include: Nick Sullivan, Todd Magill, Wendell Brown, Geoff Bartakovics, Conor McGill, Kate Doerge, Paul Wilmot, Kelly Bensimon, Beverly Osemwenkhae, Andrew Freesmeier, Melissa Exides, Craig Leavitt, Deborah Watson

Look for this line to be hitting stores this coming spring.

- by Jonathan Cody

Photo credit for model shots: Patrick Mc Mullan’s J Grassi
Event shots Photo Credit: chervine.com

Kicking off the proceedings, Tony Bechara and Jorge Daniel Veneciano gave some welcome remarks to set the stage for the prestigious awards of the evening. Designer, Alejandro Ingelmo was honored with the Artistic Achievement Award, Presented by Teen Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Amy Astley.

Andy Unanue presented Maria Eugenia Maury and Dr. William A. Haseltine with the award, named after his father, Joseph A. Unanue Trustee Leadership Award. The Gala Chair was CuCu Diamantes and the Gala Co-Chairs were Andrés Levin, Anita Durst, Lex Fenwick, and Cathy and Alex López Negrete.

Artist CuCu Diamantes asked friends Ray Smith to do an artist invention and Jessica Sophia Mitrani to do the artistic details, which complimented Jerónimo Gaxiola Balsa’s events décor.

Gala Chair Cucu Diamantes put a spin on the night by bringing original art and sounds to the evening. Ray Smith also auctioned off 50 of his unique sculptures that night.

This year’s Gala featured a memorable performance by Gala Chair CuCu Diamantes. Co-Chair Andrés produced the Gala’s entertainment, which included a special reunion performance by Yerba Buena, the Grammy nominated Latin fusion band which Andrés and CuCu founded. The opening performance was by The Pedrito Martínez Group.

Cucu Diamantes & Andres Levin Performing at El Museo’s Gala

“This was an evening of great pride for Latins and an evening of great interest to non-Latins; we couldn’t possibly imagine a better moment for our band to make a special reunion appearance, the first in five years—it was special. The gala was like no other with dancing till the wee hours,” said the Gala Chair. CuCu Diamantes performed with her band and with Levin’s reuniting their band “Yerba Buena” – and debuted her new song “Pecados de Picasso” (sins of Picasso) in collaboration with artist Ray Smith.

The event’s décor and entertainment were both inspired by Pablo Picasso; the night was led by a group of music and visual artists donating their time to celebrate a museum that supports the El Museo community.

Cucu Diamantes, Ray Smith, Susan Sarandon, Jonathan Bricklin photo credit -Adhat Campos

Notable guests who attended include: Susan Sarandon, PJ Pascual, Gabriela Isler Miss Universe®, Jeisa Chiminazzo, Kiara Kabukurub, Alexandra Lebenthal, Shante Williams, Grace Mahary, Ambassador Sandra Fuentes-Berain, Francois Payard, Jessica Joffe, Amy Astley, Carlos Campos, Tony Bechara, Yaz and Valentin Hernández, Ray Smith, & Mark Seliger.

- by Jonathan Cody
Photography by Adhat Campos

David Datuna’s portraits of iconic individuals will resonate through their cultural significance. From Andy Warhol to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis these pieces are powerful milestones of world culture and would be an enhancement to any art collection. The medium is a very interesting use of prescription eye glasses against the images underneath.

It was a pleasure to see his work since his installation of Viewpoint of Billion: Portrait of America, a Google Glass-enabled, interactive exhibit in Washington DC in February 2014. David’s Smithonian National Gallery drew 23,000 visitor which made it one of the most viewed in three decades and this current exhibit Elements continues to individualize the view of iconic images.

We are certain that this is an exhibit that you don’t want to miss. The show is currently on display until June 7th.

- by Jonathan Cody

The mission of the Ali Forney Center is to help homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning youth be safe and become independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. The Ali Forney Center is committed to providing homeless LGBT&Q youth with the services they need to thrive, including shelter, HIV Prevention and life skills training.

When we talked with Andrej about the collection he said “I am very excited to be launching my jewelry line in collaboration with Sam. The pieces wonderfully capture postmodern elegance with a minimalist esthetic. However, my greatest pleasure is in having the line support the Ali Forney center and its efforts which are close to my heart.”

The “Pejic x Snyder” line is the latest jewelry collection from Sam H Snyder Design, the Pieces from the collection will be available in Silver, Palladium, 18k Gold, and Platinum.

- by Jonathan Cody

Pronovias presents the most classic and elegant styles, from long flowing gowns to shorter cut cocktail dresses. The more daring choices of the Fiesta collection feature sensual side slits and sexy mini-dresses that fit like a glove.

Always sophisticated and stylish, the Pronovias woman can choose between different kinds of flattering necklines including asymmetrical, one-shoulder, V-neck or strapless. More unique styles include jeweled halter dresses and crystal or pearl-embellished necklines that imitate a faux necklace.

The Pronovias woman can choose from an array of colors, most prominent is a signature shade of cherry, which contrasts with the collections’ pastel offerings in pink, lavender and beige. Pronovias of course offers the classic ‘little black dress,’ a piece whose style and simplicity make it a sure hit for any party.

www.pronovias.us/

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by Jonathan Cody

Photo credit: Sylvain Gaboury/PatrickMcMullan.com.

The exhibition includes iconic images of Kate Moss, Jean Paul Gaultier, Simon Doonan, and Naomi Campbell. Kicking off the holiday season, guests were treated to cocktails and holiday treats while bidding on luxury items from renowned brands and designers including Cynthia Rowley, Mara Hoffman, Lulu Guinness, Douglas Hannant, Nicholas Kirkwood, BCBG Max Azria, and Tod’s with the proceeds going to the cause.

Fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit introduced the night’s proceedings with notable guess included Dan Murphy, Joseph Parcon, Mario Loncarski, Kristen Blake, and Benedikt Angerer.

- Jonathan Cody

Photos by Angela Pham, bfanyc.com

The dynamic duo included an array of celebrity portraits including Bruno Mars, Douglas Booth & Poppy Delevingne. Their signature artistic approach is to create a veil over a photo by using these amazing acrylic colorways and the pieces are sure to inspire. The work makes the viewer want to be a part of that moment. We shall see what effect this artistic approach has on photography world today.

In addition, Hunter and Gratti have caught the eye of several powerhouse publications from Vogue to FLAUNT Magazine. The launch was hosted by Julia Restoin Roitenfield and the tunes for the night were DJ’d by Misshapes. Other notable attendees that were there to show their support include Dan Murphy, Dirk Staten, Dan Ragone, Micheal Barcley, Misshapes,Corey Kennedy, Cleo Wade, Mathew Woodhouse, Brian Shimansky, Tia Walker, Kelly Bensimon, Shala Monroque.

Jonathan Cody is a freelance contributor for Meniscus Magazine based in New York City.

Introducing the Mackage x PurseBlog Nomad Bag

The brand name, also a part of the family tradition, was inspired by Eran’s niece’s mispronunciation of “maquillage”—the French word for makeup. The designers each infuse their personalities and unique vision into the design, resulting in a collection with great balance. The designers’ expertise of high quality leather is apparent in this new handbag, “Nomad.”

“We chose the name ‘Nomad’ because it’s a perfect travel companion. As someone who often finds herself in a new city, I realize how important it is to pack items that can transform as my day evolves,” says Mahoney Dusil. “Elisa, Eran and I designed the perfect accessory to accompany my readers and the Mackage consumer as they journey through their day.”

Having a great and functional bag should be an investment. These bags are crafted with the finest leather from Italy. As designers their message to the consumer is that you can have have both quality and functionality, and still have a strong artistic statement to compliment your outfit.

The soho boutique was rocking with amazing cocktails named with inspiration from the accessory line and tunes from Brendan Fallis! It was inspiring to see how both Elisa Dahan & Eran Elfassy have continued to strengthen there collection with the new addition of the Nomad hand bag. There leather handbags actually have a great price range from $ 300 -$700.

While speaking with designers on how they came up with the concept to launch an accessory that would fit well with their RTW line, they said “We wanted to make sure that our customer could easily, wear it cohesively with anything in our collection.” They did a great job of using quality finishes for the hardware. Every piece has this sense of craftsmanship and detail that is sure to take your Fall/Winter look from Day to Night.

Some of the notable attendees that came out for the celebration where Theophilus London, Brendan Fallis, Kat Dewling , Laura Okita, Adrienne Bailon, Dahan & Eran Elfassy, and Purseblog’s Meaghan Mahoney Dusil & Vladimir Dusil.

- Jonathan Cody

Phillip Lim & Maria Sharapova

The collection launches in stores on Sept. 15. The event also featured the reveal of “STYLESCAPE,” a larger-than-life interactive photography display that showcased the limited-edition collection as worn by style tastemakers across the U.S. and Canada.
This was such an amazing collaboration when Target partnered up with Phillip Lim to celebrate his chic , effortless and wearable aesthetic.

There’s no doubt that this limited-edition collection of apparel and accessories, including an assortment of bags, shoes and scarves, for women and men on-the-go will remain staples in your fall wardrobe.
The collection consist of more than 100 pieces which range in price from $19.99 to $299.99 for apparel and $19.99 to $59.99 for accessories, 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target will be available Sept. 15 at most Target stores and Target.com.

GO GRAB & GET IT BEFORE IT’s GONE!

Reported by Jonathan Cody
Photos by Neilson Barnard/WireImage.com

Phillip Lim

Jessica Alba (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Sweatshirt, Pants and Handbag)

Solange (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Blazer and Skirt)

Maria Sharapova (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Blouse and Skirt)

Emile Hirsch (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target T-Shirt, Pants and Sneakers)

Tao Okamoto (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for
Target Dress)

Jessica Alba, Phillip Lim & Solange

Alyssa Miller (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for
Target Dress)

George Kotsiopoulos (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Jacket)

Hannah Bronfman (Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Blouse and Handbag)

Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent

Rachael Cairns & Natalia Kills (Both Wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Dresses)

Jessica Alba, Emile Hirsch & Solange

Phillip Lim

Sebastian Perrin

Wynter Gordon

Julie Henderson

Rochelle Aytes

Keren Craig