Eye On Design: 1920s Evening Dress

Mar3

1920s evening dress photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

Among the most popular types of evening wear during the 1920s were loose, sleek, chemise-style dance dresses with sleeveless armholes and wide-cut necklines, which could be pulled directly over the head.

1920s evening dress photo by gail worley

Profuse embellishment, often consisting of glass and metal components that would capture and refract light when in motion, counterbalances the minimalism of form. This 1920s Evening Dress by an unknown, possibly French or American designer, is made from a yellow cotton plain weave embroidered with gold metal paillettes, gold glass bugle beads, clear glass beads and seed beads, and clear glass crystals. These extravagant fashions were devised to glimmer within modern environments newly illuminated by electricity. They also mirror artistic tendencies at the time, such as the Art Deco attributes of geometric lines and shapes, contrasting metallic tones, and an overall streamlined modernity in form.

1920s evening dress photo by gail worley

Photographed as part of the Exhibit In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection, which closed in early 2020, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

Product Review: Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup From Spirit & Co.

Mar2

spirit and co vodka ketchup photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Do you like Ketchup? I sure do. Ketchup is one of my top-three favorite condiments of all time  — up there with Mayonnaise, and Trader Joe’s Green Tomatillo Chili Salsa, which is just insane — and if we are talking about Specialty Ketchups, don’t even get me started. If you can’t get your head around the thought of digging into a plate of crispy French fries without a generous side of ketchup for dipping, then let me introduce you to your new favorite thing: Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup from Spirit & Co.

vodka ketchup back label photo by gail worley

Spirit & Co.​ is the first company worldwide to exclusively use premium liquor in each of its products. If you are a fan of Penne with Vodka Sauce, you already know that tomato and vodka is a distinctive pairing that delivers an umami flavor comparable to, say,  adding truffle oil to almost anything. The flavor is unique and instantly recognizable, and even if you can’t pinpoint how the vodka makes the tomato sauce taste better, you understand that the result is crazy delicious. That said, I am willing to defend myself against accusations of being overly hyperbolic when I say that Spirit & Co.’s Vodka & Italian Tomato Ketchup will ruin you for all other ketchups: because it is absolutely the best ketchup I have eaten in my life.

Review Continues After The Jump!

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Modern Art Monday Presents: Thomas Fearnley, Study of Water and Plants

Mar1

study of water and plants photo by gal worley
Photo By Gail

This large study amply covers Norwegian artist Thomas Fearnley’s interest in rendering effects of light and reflection in water, as well as the flora growing on its banks. He painted this picture on September 23rd, 1837, in Surrey, during an extended sojourn in England. Fearnley learned to sketch directly before nature from his teacher Johan Christian Dahl, but this work also betrays the artists encounters with paintings by influential landscape painter John Constable.

Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art n NYC.

Pink Thing of The Day: Pink Poodle Candle

Feb26

pink poodle candle photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

On Sunday mornings, I go for a walk that often takes me through the historic district around Irving Place. There are lots tiny boutiques in the area and it;s fun to window shop.I spotted this Hot Pink Poodle Candle on display in the window of a place called Takamichi Beauty Room (located at 125 East 17th Street) which bills itself as a wellness store and ‘cabinet of curiosities.’ Despite the fact that the Poodle is perched atop a box for a candle by Cire Trudon (which retail for over $100 each) it is in fact a much more affordable product of Photerian and retails for just $15. Sweet.

Product Review: Koita Organic Coconut Milk

Feb25

puffins and milk photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

When Covid dictated a shift from working at an office to working from home, my daily routine changed in many ways. One small but significant shift involved what I regularly enjoyed eating for breakfast each morning while sitting at my desk. The office pantry always stocked fresh milk in the fridge for our coffee or cereal, so it was super convenient (and saved me a few bucks) to keep a box of my favorite cereal — Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins, available at Trader Joe’s — at work. At home, I rarely purchase dairy milk because it basically starts to go bad as soon as it’s packaged, and it’s easy to forget to use it up before the expiration date hits. Needless to say (but you can see I am about to) when I started working from home — one year ago — I stopped eating packaged breakfast cereal entirely. That changed recently, when I found out about Koita, a line of shelf-stable, plant-based milks from Italy! Today I’m going to review Koita Organic Coconut Milk, which has brought the joy of breakfast cereal back into my life.

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Eye On Design: Foscarini’s Lumiere Table Lamp

Feb24

lumière table lamp photo by gail worley
Photos By Gail

Foscarini, a leading Italian design and manufacturing company that produces masterful and innovative decorative lighting, is one of my favorite showrooms to visit in NYC’s SoHo design district. The company was founded in 1981 on the famous glass-blowing island of Murano in Venice, Italy, and their award-winning and iconic designs are the results of passionate collaboration with world-class designers. To create light is the central vision of each Foscarini project, never losing sight of the connection between the form and the function of illumination.

One of my favorite designs of theirs is the Lumiere Table Lamp, which was created for Foscarini by Milanese architect and designer Rodolfo Dordoni. The Lumiere has an elegant gradation of tones in the glossy finish of its blown glass shade contrasted with the finish of the characteristic tripod base.  This light is both beautiful and beautifully crafted. It has a elegant look and emits a soft light. Each of the elements, the glass shade and the metal stand, are well made and have a nice weight — which, with a table lamp, is a desirable. This is a classic lamp that will complement the decor of virtually any room. The blown glass shade comes in your choice of colors that include Polished Cherry (shown), Polished Turquoise and Warm White, with metal-base finishes of Champagne (shown), Aluminum, and Black Chrome. The Lumiere comes in small and large sizes, with this small size lamp retailing for $727.00.

lumière table lamp by foscarini photo by gail worley
Shown Here with The Lumiere XX Table Lamp

Shark Attack Uncle Sam!

Feb23

shark by capt eyeliner photo by gail worley
Photo By Gail

It’s obvious that this fun Shark paste-up by street artist Captain Eyeliner (@captain_eyeliner) has been out in the elements for a while, but I just noticed it while I was visiting Freeman Alley on my recent Birthday, and happened to walk west on Rivington toward Bowery instead on heading east towards Chrystie, which is my usual route. The message of Smash the Patriarchy, featuring an engaging image of Uncle Sam as a hungry Shark is both powerful and timely. A bit of research on Captain Eyeliner’s Instagram tells me this campaign is from 2019. Glad to see it has survived. Shark Attack on the Patriarchy, Bitches!