A Life of Privilege

The art of Eric Buterbaugh never goes unnoticed.
(Photo courtesy of Stefanie Keenan www.stefaniekeenan.com)

I live a privileged life, and I always have.  I was privileged to attend an elementary school where music and art were just as important as math and reading.  It was a privilege to attend a public fine arts high school where I studied chemistry and English literature but also studied dance, acting, art and music practically in one day.  I was privileged to attend an all woman's college to focus on political science and dance and acting.  It has been a huge privilege to have every one of my education experiences filled with academics and arts.  And it is the blend of the two together that made those experiences so special, so challenging and so memorable.

Last evening I had the privilege of hosting a dinner for P.S. Arts at my home in Los Angeles.  I recently joined the Board of Trustees to this incredible organization, and it is most certainly my privilege to be even a small part of what they do.  Public schools in Los Angeles and throughout California have lost almost all their arts education funding.  P.S. Arts provides professional art teachers of all genres in underserved elementary schools throughout the Los Angeles area.  These teachers from P.S. Arts work in the schools all day, all year.  Reaching poverty level students who would never have a chance to take a ballet class, learn a music scale or hold a paint brush to canvas, P.S. Arts is enhancing the lives of over 15,000 children each year.  I urge you to take a look at the facts of what P.S. Arts is doing and the impact that arts education has over students (http://psarts.org).  And P.S. Arts is truly a map for how to bring arts education into your own community: arts education, a privilege that should be allowed to every child in the United States.  

And what a beautiful night we had as the skies shone down upon us to celebrate and learn more about P.S. Arts and its endeavors.  I am beyond grateful for my parents giving me the gift of arts education in my life, and I was surrounded by people who feel the same.  That was a privilege indeed.  

Hubs with the man that makes it happen, Patrick Herning, and the reason I have the privilege of being involved
(Photo courtesy of Stefanie Keenan www.stefaniekeenan.com)

Our guest speaker and former student Allison Luengas with Mort Gleberman, Rona Sebastian, Krsten Paglia (Executive Director) and Jennifer Leitch
(Photo courtesy of Stefanie Keenan www.stefaniekeenan.com)

My mentors!  Maria Bell (President at Large) and Joshua B. Tanzer (Chairperson of the Board)
(Photo courtesy of Stefanie Keenan www.stefaniekeenan.com)

The amazing staff with Executive Director, Amy Shapiro
(Photo courtesy of Stefanie Keenan www.stefaniekeenan.com)   

The ladies that make it happen:  Julia Sorken, Pamela Bergman (Immediate Past Chair), Leslie McMorrow and
Maria Bell
(Photo courtesy of Stefanie Keenan www.stefaniekeenan.com)

Delta Airlines has been an important part of this year as well.  Beyond a corporate sponsorship, they also sponsored the dinner including an elegant menu from their Executive Chef and a wine pairing by their Sommelier for International travel.  My vegan plate was fresh, beautiful and tasty; and I have two new wine favorites:  Ramey Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay 2008 (we were told to taste it in ten years) and Copain Pinot Noir "Les Voisins" 2011.  

(Photo courtesy of Stefanie Keenan www.stefaniekeenan.com)

Modern Women meet Tea and Morphine: Women in Paris

I attended an all women's college, Converse College, in Spartanburg, SC.  This school opened in 1889 when women had as few rights and choices as African Americans at the time.  I started my freshman year in 1989 - one hundred years later.  Then, I had no real understanding of what being a woman entailed, what hurdles I would face later in life.

I found the beautifully eerie exhibition at The Hammer Museum, Tea and Morphine: Women in Paris, 1880 to 1914, to be especially poignant.  Focusing on morphine use during La Belle Epoch is quite mesmerizing, but focusing on women's use during the time is both alluring and sad.  I learned that women were the majority of morphine users, while most of the artists during the time were men depicting these women.  There is only one female artist in the exhibition, Mary Cassatt; her Tea drypoint of a woman listlessly drinking tea in her own self-induced haze.  The connection between suffering prostitutes and high society ladies is clearly drawn, and it's something for us all to consider as women.  Class only separates us with brick and mortar.

Profil de lumière (Profile of light) 1886
Odilon Redon

Au bar (At the bar) 1897
Georges Alfred Bottini
*society ladies at the bar - something most of us can relate to

Ces dames des chars a l'hippodrome 1883-85
The ladies of the chariots at the hippodrome
James Tissot
*an image of the "modern woman" wearing headdresses similar to our own Lady Liberty by
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi

Mary Cassatt in the Louvre Museum of Antiquities 1879-80
Edgar Degas

Tea 1890
Mary Cassatt
*I just love the depiction of Cassatt by Degas compared to Cassatt's depiction of a woman having tea,
 stoned in her own world

Rayons de chaussures (The shoe department) 1895
Hermann-Paul
*unfortunately this shop girl and many like her could not afford to live on their wages alone, so often they doubled as prostitutes - this unknowing wife engages with the shop girl as she is most likely making another "sale" with the husband.  again, the line of class divided in such a sad way for women.

The Moulin Rouge 1895
Eugene Delatre
*the forlorn prostitute on the streets of Paris in the rain

Morphinomane (Morphine addict) 1897
Eugene Grasset
*perhaps the most gruesome of the show, a woman numbing herself for reasons unknown - most likely a prostitute blocking the reality of her life.  at the time morphine could be smoked, drunk or injected

Now, at 42 years old with an almost 12-year-old daughter, I am only beginning to understand the importance of women's relationships.  Not only about fun, shopping and gabbing (though those things I most certainly do appreciate), women need to support one another no matter the differences we have.  While mildly down after seeing the exhibition (even with the lovely pastel walls and serene quality to the gallery), I was also inspired.  Inspired to understand that we as women should respect and support.  And I had a true realization of how far we have come as women and how much further we have to go in regards to the treatment of our own gender.  La Belle Epoque, The Beautiful Era, may not have been as beautiful as we think.  I look forward to our own era of true equality for women and watching our daughters enter a truly beautiful world.  Shoes and all.

Spring Cleansing: Closet to Soul

Living in Los Angeles is always a little strange, as we don't have concrete seasons here.  And after watching an ice storm nearly destroy my hometown of Augusta, personally surviving another snow storm in New York during Fashion Week, and bundling up in furs in Paris for couture week, it is far time to enjoy the LA 80 degree weather and catch some spring fever.

The best way to catch that fever is to start with a little cleansing.  Yes, I love my green drinks, but sometimes some cleansing can come from the soul and the closet.  So I started digging around my closet.  In part because I had an assignment from Vogue China to present my couture collection to the magazine, but mostly due to the overwhelming need to purge and start anew.  And purging the clothes in your closet may actually help purge the fillers in your head and allow you to lose the negativity in your life.

Clothes are a bit like friends.  There are the staples in your life: the suit that you can never part with after you've worn it on a memorable occasion, the go to dress that will always make you smile and lift your spirits, the jeans that go everywhere you go no matter the location, and the evening gown that is so special that you keep it in a safe place where it will always be.  These are the pieces you keep.  These are the ammunition of your wardrobe, the building blocks.  Then there are the items that just have to go: the dress you bought that you can't believe you ever brought into your house and much less wore, the hideous pair of trousers that make you look and feel your worst, the cheap frivolous top that doesn't work with anything, and the tattered jacket that you should have gotten rid of years ago.

My spring purging has begun.  My closet is looking leaner and meaner.  I'm ready to add some new pieces that will only enhance what I already have, match the work I do in arts advocacy and take me through whatever season Los Angeles has in store.  Cleansed and ready!

Oh, and most of the shoes I kept after getting them cleaned up.  Those friends are mine forever.

A very provincial summer: Aix en Provence

It's not everyday I ride through a tunnel of trees to land in the pebble coated motor way of my house in Aix en Provence.  But it was for fourteen short days this summer.  I will never forget that drive.  That drive way.  That house.  That summer.  

Choosing a spot to vacate your life and spend time in the region of Provence can be daunting.  My second summer in a row, I can tell you that you really can't go wrong.  This summer was spent in Aix en Provence, a bit more northwest than last year, with as many wonderful things to do and see as the last.  The town of Aix is indeed charming.  Streets are crowded with shops, churches, squares, and people.  There is a joie de vivre that only can occur in France.  

  

The Festival D'Aix pulls many visitors in, especially those wishing to see music set in an unusual setting.  I was with a group of friends when we were able to see the Opera, Rigoletto, by Giuseppe Verde.  Shown at the intimate theater of Théâtre de l'Archevêché in the heart of Aix, we enjoyed a modern interpretation of an 1851 Opera story in the beautiful outdoor theater.  Spectacular.  Word to the wise: arrive on time.  Apparently when it comes to operas, the French are quite prompt.

Right in the middle of Aix is the Atelier Cezanne, his studio where he painted amongst the beautiful trees and flowers of Aix, 'chemin des Lauves'.  It's a quick visit, but one of the most personal.  His paint brushes remain from his death, as well as his over coat, canvas stretching machine, letters to Zola and Picasso, books and so much more.  

  

  

If you are looking for a shopping expedition, Aix has much to investigate.  There is the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday market at the place de Verdun.  Filled with sundries of old and items of new, there is something for everyone at the market.  Fruits and vegetables, cheeses, meats, desserts all abound.  And if you are feeling more corporate it's easy to pop into the local Hermes for some air condition and luxury goods.  My group especially loved the locally owned boutique Gago (24 Rue Fabrot, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France).  I scored a cobalt blue marabou feather jacket, saving to wear for Paris Couture Week! And the Michelin Star restaurant, Restaurant Pierre Reboul, will not disappoint.  In fact, it will amuse and surprise you!

Aix French Laundry

Market shopping with friend Kay Fernandez

A table fit for friends and foodies

If you have the need to get out of town, there are many options.  As a wine lover, I demanded (without much coaxing) from my friends that we visit Châteauneuf-du-Pape. First stop: Les Caves Saint Charles in its 13th Century Cellar.  This place feels, sounds and smells like an ancient monastery, and the Master Sommelier, Guy, plays the role of pope well.  We also stopped by a much smaller cave, Domaine du Banneret.  There we were able to taste wines from our birthday or anniversary years.  And we were even allowed to put a few labels on the wine bottles.  My favorite wine there was the 1997.  The year I was born.

  

Lunch outside at the beautiful Chateau des Fines Roches was exceptional.  A romantic spot to sit, eat and drink...  (They have great wine tour drivers to ensure the safest of day trips!)

 Walking the small, sweet streets of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is as special as the grape varietals.

  

Another great side trip is to rent a boat and cruise down the Mediterranean Sea.  No matter your destination, the shoreline is blue and calming.  You can choose to go north or south (we went south past St Tropez), and that is truly a coin toss.  We had a day cruising to .....  Stopping at St. Tropez's Club 55 is always a treat, no matter how quick the visit.

I'm glad to have just now written this post from July memories.  I'm already more relaxed and sun kissed just thinking about it.  I love Provence.  I'd like to go again and again, if the French are willing.  My favorite moments were spent at the house, by the pool or walking the grounds.  Whether alone or with family or a friend, there was a quiet peace there.  A serenity of wholeness that rarely comes in the real world.  Oh vacation...

Come Back Soon

Haute Couture F/W 2013

Now feeling like a sophomore of Paris Haute Couture week, I went to Paris knowing the lay of the land and, more importantly, which couturiers I wanted to see the most and which I thought I could skip this time. Less is more.

Hating to miss Versace (but instead enjoying a night out in London with friends), I kicked off my fourth visit to couture with Christian Dior Haute Couture.  What a way to start.  Raf Simmons has cleaned up this line in such a modern yet graceful way.  A cube-shaped tent secured the venue for the stunning video installation as decor of the photography artists Patrick Demarchelier, Willy Vandepeere, Paolo Roversi and Terry Richardson.  Blending the current fashion of art with the current fashion of couture, Dior showed a global view of fashion culture.  Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa were all apparent in the designs, and Raf seemed to be bringing back couture to the wardrobe.  

  

  

  

Next I hopped over to Alexis Mabille Haute Couture: The Boldini Collection.  A favorite of mine since my virginal visit of Couture Week, Alexis continues to embody the dazzling world of couture, using embellishment, lace, hand-painted fabrics and hair spectacle.  This was my favorite hair creative from Alexis thus far.  Getting a close up of a model afterward showed the curious detail that is Alexis.  His clothes are always about the womanly wonder and fantasyland of couture.  

  

  

  

Giambattista Valli Haute Couture was next.  The runway was set amongst striking alabaster Classical statues in all white.  Always romantic and feminine, Valli will never disappoint clients with florals, sheers, bustles and drama.  I preferred this collection to others in the past.  Bundled in four categories of famous china makers, Capodimonte, Wedgewood, Sevres, and Meissen, the collection did emulate the delicate work of handmade china.  I particularly loved the make up shown on the runway: a very simple, natural glow on each face with pulled back straight hair.  The yellow gown was the hit of the night!

  

  

The Chanel Haute Couture of Karl Lagerfeld can only be described as passionate.  Lagerfeld is cleverly able to show the iconic Chanel tweeds in the most refreshing ways with each collection.  And the venue is always a place of mystery and excitement.  Creating an apocalyptic setting of old wood stalls, a dilapidated stage and rubble inside the Grand Palais, it was an apparent bridge between the old world and the post modern world.  With low slung belts on almost every piece, even the clothes seemed to transport from old to new, classic to sic-fi.  Classic silhouettes in futuristic fabrics and details stomped from the stage of the shiny new city in the background.  All to opera.  With fan in hand, I was mesmerized and awed in a way that only Lagerfeld can do.  All the while wishing it would never end...

  

    

  

Ulyanna Sergeenko has become the one to watch.  There is something special, out of the ordinary and youthful about what she is doing.  I need to brave up and wear one of the pieces - if only I were taller, skinnier and more Russian-looking.  This was a much more subdued collection than I've seen before, and she is getting better and better.  As models entered through the dewey mist of the forest, her vision was clear: gothic Russian fairytale.  Russians have such a great and imaginative way of storytelling, whether through literature, music, dance, theatre or fashion.  I loved seeing the artfulness come to life in clothes.  And I truly loved the coats - especially the shaved beaver cape.  And the booties - so chic and cool.  My must have from the collection.

  

My true love, Jean Paul Gaulthier.  His Haute Couture shows are always a spectacle, no matter the clothes.  But this collection I was wishing I could buy from top to bottom.  The kitty kats escaped from the circus and found themselves on the runway of the Gaulthier.  Opening with the theme music from The Pink Panther, these women cats started strutting in different versions of leopard, from stockings to furs to painted leopard hair (goodbye ghastly pink or purple hair, it's time for leopard print hair).  Trousers, pockets and jackets inspired by clowns of the circus made an appearance as well,  showing a sense of humor.  But at the end of the day, you break these pieces down to simply, well-made additions to your wardrobe.  Gaulthier may show in a fantastic, cooky way, but when you see the clothes and try them on, his couture reads sophisticated chic.

  

Valentino Haute Couture seems to be the most somber and serious of all couture during the week.  Chiuri and Piccioli are the cerebral designers in the fashion world, and I love them for it.  Inspired by curiosities, as written "a thirst for knowledge", the collection uses colors and embroideries from objects like Zebra heads, coral, crystal, butterflies, beetles, bees etc.  The result is a quiet, dark, subtle collection with surprising bursts of colors.  Knowing the craftsmanship of Valentino, what may seem simple on the runway is sure to be intricate and beyond detailed in person.  Tweeds, embroideries with hidden images of objects, mink details, lace - all of it used in a very quiet way.  This duo is a duo of artists who created le rêve de la couture.

  

  

Attending the shows of Haute Couture is in and of itself a dream for me.  As a former dancer/choreographer and forever art world lover, this week is the perfect blend of art and fashion.  Add Paris, friends, family and parties to the mix, and you have the ultimate cocktail.

After a day of Couture and an evening with the family: perfect harmony