Voices In Color

Love Her Style – Margherita Missoni

Dominican Republic

I’m in the Dominican Republic for a wedding - this place is fabulous! White sand beaches, the surrounding area’s natural beauty, and a great resort has me so chilled out I can hardly remember my own name.

The people here are incredibly friendly and the hospitality seems so genuine (way more than in Puerto Rico where we were last week). Apparently where we are, Punta Cana, has the longest strip of white sand in the entire region. Many visitors mention crime and safety as a concern but we haven’t had any issuess. As long as you use some common sense you shouldn’t have a problem.

The Dominican Republic’s tucked amid Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico so it’s no surprise the culture here is a blend of Latin and Caribbean. This makes for an interesting (and delicious) mix when it comes to cuisine. Although the country is building and expanding rapidly, economic growth hasn't benefited everybody. The Dominican Republic is still poor, apparently even by Caribbean standards. And to add to this there’s also the issue of weather. Apparently hurricanes occur periodically so if you plan a trip take in to account the hurricane seasons.

So far we’re enjoying every minute of our stay here and I’m sure I’ll never want to leave.

Artist – Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley, a New York based artist from Los Angeles is a portrait painter whose pieces are based on photographs of young men who Wiley sees on the street. It’s clear in Wiley’s work that he not only embraces hip-hop culture but that he’s also hell bent on blurring historical lines, from the Renaissance era to today’s street life.

He recruits models from the Harlem neighborhood where he worked. His portraits use supercharged color, iconography, and ornamentation to reflect the garishness of hip-hop culture and capitalism. By highlighting conventions of the urban life he’s a part of (i.e., glorification, history, wealth, power, and prestige) Wiley presents these young men as both heroic and pathetic, autonomous and manipulated.

Gorgeous Style At Any Age – Iman and Rachel Roy

The Canary Islands

We used to frequent the Canary Islands when we lived in London since it was a short and cheap plane ride away. It's a beautiful place - I’d still make the trip even now that I’m back in the States. Seven main islands make up the Canary Islands which are located more than 600 miles south of the Spanish mainland and 70 miles from the north western coast of Africa. You would think this makes for an interesting cultural mix but interestingly the islands -- Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro – mainly have a Spanish look and feel with distinct island charms.

Tenerife is where we always visited. It’s the largest and best known island with a tropical environment and a volcanic interior. Mount Teide in its center, sort of strangely, has a snow-capped peak. Gran Canaria was where we’d go for lazing on the beach and a little nightlife. Fuerteventura is the closest island to the African coastline and has the best beaches of all the Canaries. Unfortunately we never made it to the other islands but we've heard that they're just as beautiful.

There are plenty of hotels on the islands, lots of golf courses, amazing water sports, four national parks and hundreds of volcanoes. For a little known (by Americans anyway) spot there’s plenty going on. If you choose to go you may have a hard time deciding between lying on the beach doing nothing and getting out and about discovering the islands.

Thakoon - I'm in Love

I’ll admit I have an uncanny knack for falling in love with designers I can’t afford, but why should I settle for mediocre fashion for the masses when I can dream big? Besides reality is so boring (my imaginary shopping angel agrees).

Boring is not an adjective anyone would use when describing the designs of Thakoon. One look at his perfectly minimalist Fall 2007 collection and you are captured by his restrained use of adornments and his ability to experiment.

Born in Thailand, Thakoon Panichgul and his family immigrated to Omaha when he was 11. A business school graduate of Boston U., Panichgul worked as a merchandiser for J. Crew, an editor at Haper’s Bazaar and was a student of tailoring at Parson’s School of Design. Now at the mere age of 31, he’s making his mark on the fashion world with his own designs. His movie premier/after party clothes are sold at Barneys, Harvey Nichols, and Jeffrey.

Thank goodness for Thakoon, or I’d have nothing to wear to my next Hollywood soiree (okay, I’m imagining things again).

Artist - Lorna Simpson

A film, photographic and conceptual artist, Lorna Simpson is best known for her combinations of images and text. Although she trained in traditional photography techniques at the School of Visual Arts in New York, she later began to explore more innovative approaches.

Simpson’s work references racism, slavery and other aspects of the African American experience in our society. She doesn’t tackle these issues head on, instead her approach uses suggestions, story-telling and metaphors. Her work draws from her involvement in the Civil Rights movement, current politics, and African American history.

A sample of her work can be seen at the Sean Kelly Gallery.

Wallpaper is Hot

In just about every home décor mag I pick up these days all I keep reading about is the return of wallpaper. I was very skeptical (thoughts of retro 70's prints and nasty colors made my stomach churn) until I came across twenty 2’s amazing designs. They feel a bit retro, but in a good way. The color combos and patterns are fun and fresh. I really love the Montague and Maxwell designs. While a whole room of wallpaper may be a bit too much for me, I could see doing a feature wall or even framing my favorite designs and hanging them as artwork.

Finding Art (That I Can Afford)

Some things just seem to signal that you’re an actual grown up - I think buying art is one of them. For me, buying art isn’t about a well known name or a certain style it’s more about falling in love with a piece. I came across Artaissance in a recent issue of Domino and found that their selection not only fits into my (miniscule) budget but they also have a range of styles that I really like.

Modern Painters

If you’re at all interested in art, I highly recommend a magazine called Modern Painters. It’s from the U.K. so it ain’t cheap but every time I pick it up I’m never disappointed.