Amulette de Cartier

I can't quite begin to describe what an honor it is to be working on this campaign with Cartier, a brand I very much respect for their history and their unwavering attention to detail. Cartier recently launched the Amulette collection, personal charms inspired by the idea of talismans to capture one's wishes and dreams.



One thing I've always bemoaned about necklaces is how the clasp always slips to the front as I'm wearing it. The Amulette opens like a padlock so there is no visible clasp. It's quite a special piece, and mother-of-pearl is a material I can never stop admiring.



Cartier also recently launched a tumblr showcasing the Amulette collection. Next month, I'll be posting a second series of images for this campaign with a very different mood. It's still a work in progress, and I'm excited to share the final results.

*Special thanks to Still House for lending a few props for this shoot and Kira Corbin for her styling help.

ONA Bags Giveaway

The kind folks at ONA Bags are giving away one of their classic style camera bags, the Palma. I've long admired them for being what seems like one of the first companies to make camera bags that don't scream "camera bag". It's also impressive how small of a company they still are, given how much they do! Below is the lovely and subtle Palma crossbody satchel. It's already a great cognac shade and will probably look even better with some wear and patina.

And for you male readers (I know you're out there), you can win the stylish Brixton messenger.

To enter the giveaway, please either follow ONA Bags on Instagram or Twitter; then leave a comment here and a way to contact you. Apologies that this is only open to those living in the US. (Damn international shipping and customs!)

I will choose a winner at random next Tuesday night (4/29) at 9pm EST.

Thanks to ONA for hosting this giveaway, and best of luck to all entrants!



[Gratuitous snap of Avedon inspecting the bag.]

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to commenter #15 for winning the bag. Thank you all so much for entering!

'Tis the season

For peonies that is. So excited my favorite flowers are back (not that you can't get them at the flower market during the winter, but the varieties that are available during the proper season are what get me excited).

Just some naturey crap to kick off your weekend. If you've ever wondered where that tag came from, it's actually from the good old flickr days. I used to contribute all of my flower photos to the "Naturey Crap" group feed, so that kind of stuck with me. One of these is SLR and one was shot by iPhone. It's pretty obvious in this set which is which!

The silk trench

We don't get many nice spring days in NY (I swear it will be 90 and humid before we know it), so I'll enjoy them while they last. Today was one of them. It was the perfect temperature to wear my silk trench from MaxMara. I know it's not a very practical material for outerwear, but when I first tried it on, I was sold. It's a washed silk so it's slightly more durable, and I kind of feel like I'm getting away with wearing a very fancy bathrobe in public. As for the dry cleaning bills I'll have to look forward to, well... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.



A few weeks ago, I had my hair chopped again. What can I say? Short hair seems to be addicting.



I was thrilled that Everlane launched new warm-weather styles for their silk shirts. I ordered this white tank immediately, along with the bright blue sleeveless button-up. When it gets too hot and muggy for silk, I imagine I'll switch to the new cotton poplin tank that's set to hit in late May.



Now if I could just work some color into my wardrobe!

Afternoon delights

I was about to sit down to some tea – Thé du Hammam from Le Palais des Thés was my choice this afternoon – and chocolate, but couldn't help to stage a little shot to welcome my new teapot and tray to the prop mix. I picked these up from ABC Carpet & Home today (a dangerous place for me) along with some quince blossoms from the greenmarket. Here's to hoping they bloom!

Milan Color Play

I got back from Milan last might and am feeling extra loopy today. I usually love the jet lag from returning from Europe (i.e., waking up at 5 or 6am easily) but I never really adjusted while I was in Milan, so this "good" jet lag never happened. I'm just trying so hard not to nap right now.

I didn't take many photos while I was there (I was too busy eating and drinking!), but did manage to put together a little fun color play between street scenes and the local market scenes. The produce was really beautiful, and after endless months of winter vegetables here, it was quite refreshing to see beautiful greens again. Below are photos from the Viale Papiniano Market mixed with all-over street scenes from walking around.

(So many bikes!)

Recently

Pardon the lame update with photos I've already posted on my Instagram. I've been really bad about shooting personal work recently and have been slacking on the blog front. Good projects are in the works though!



I'm happy to have a print up for auction in Sang An's annual art auction to raise money for AIDS/LifeCycle. There is some beautiful work on his auction site, and it's a great opportunity to outfit your home with artwork, while getting a tax deduction :P. I am eyeing this one in particular myself.



A piece I shot for the WSJ Magazine is out this weekend. It was quite a treat to work with stylist Jocelyne Beaudoin, shooting artful piles of beautiful objects. Pretty much a dream assignment.



I'm leaving for Milan tonight, and it will be my first time in Italy. Mostly pleasure, tiny bit of business. In my usual fashion, I haven't planned a thing (except a visit to the flagship Gianvito Rossi shop...). So I'd love to hear any recommendations if anyone has them.

And if you missed it, I did a little "Day in the Life" feature for Design Sponge. It sounds like a pretty glorious day (and that particular day was), but trust me, it's not representative of my every day!