in pursuit of
summertimefashion
airy and artful, complexity on holiday
As fragrances, they would be poured into clear glass bottles without names.
The scents are so familiar we know them by heart. White: pure and undiluted,
seductive with crisp acidity; cream: innocent, demure with vanilla undertones;
neutral: the evocative gathering of delicate notes. In a summer of open windows,
the home drinks in this light, easy palette. Not scrubbed or muted, but effortless—
simplicity is a sweet desire. We bring it inside with a selection of extraordinary
finds…and just a touch of luscious color.
The body that rests on linen from Chez M’Lain will sense it immediately,
draped in handcrafted shams and sheets sewn in Vietnam by skilled women.
Each fashionable, heirloom-inspired piece bears the name of its eponymous
birthplace. Amelia Fendell-Wipf and partner, Nguyen Thi Thuc Van, grant an
exclusive if not rare collection where artisan traditions are woven into wonderful,
masterful permanence.
For the bath, the skin is wrapped in sumptuous towels with deliciously discreet
trims from the utterly refined London line Josephine Home. Minimal and tailored,
the bespoke offerings from Stephanie Betts’ timeless series envelop like a
daydream. Where else does one find a laundry bag dressed so finely in Sevigne
linen and accented with embroidery and ribbon?
On the table, the fresh, white dishes, plates, bowls and varied delights from
Germany’s Hering-Berlin thrill like a blank canvas for the gourmand. Each one
handmade from the thinnest of porcelain and shaped into modern forms—
with a tactility that lends inherent beauty to our polite request for unassuming
elegance at every meal. The garden’s ripest tomatoes sliced in uneven chunks,
a mess of greens tossed in balsamic—the chef will splash, experiment and
serve on delectable Lucia table linen from Decopur. Designer Martine Kaesen’s
philosophy for this Belgian home textiles line is a mélange of the natural and stylish.
Everything stitched and fashioned by hand, there is a captivating subtlety to the
work; the Echelle table runner at first appears plain and unadorned, but close
admiration unveils its textured design. This is true of Astier de Villatte. Artisans in the
company’s Parisian workshop make ceramic tableware and accessories with such
opulent sensibilities, yet to hold a cup with its lustrous-milky wash is a sheer and
lovely informality.
The bien vivre, the good life. It is a spirited eternal pursuit, and one luxuriously
fulfilled by every object in the Culti repertoire, causing us to wonder, what is
this innate magic the Italians possess? For his sophisticated lifestyle collection,
aesthete Alessandro Agrati invigorates the ordinary, beckoning one to traverse
the countryside (or the greener city patches) and picnic with stunning tableware
accessories; to stylishly stow essentials in natural leather trousses—all of it easy
and graceful.
With the evening air cooler, time asking us to linger at the table bit longer. Ice
cubes have mixed in with final sips of curious drinks, and an empty glass reveals
exotic handmade lacquered coasters from Anha. Simplicity is this slow savoring—
the twilight look of summer flowers. A custom arrangement from New York florist
Banchet Jaigla expresses our ephemeral infatuation with purity. Her creations are
stirring; here evoking emotions with color and poise as if to say grandeur happens
in these succulent hues n Arianne Nardo see notebook for details
