People always ask about the calendar hanging above my desk. Here’s the story... Designed by legendary graphic designer Massimo Vignelli in 1967, the Stendig Calendar is part of the Design Collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York…
A splash is the best that most can hope to make in fashion. Karl Lagerfeld made an explosion. And it was never boring.
... Because he just looked devastating in a simple black suit when some men might look like an undertaker or a Tarantino gangster wannabe... because he looked good clean shaven or not... because he wore chunky horn-rimmed glasses... because he…
In a numbing sea of sameness and conformity, Tom Wolfe stood out. He found a look (a really good one), latched onto it and committed to it totally. Instead of looking like everyone else and boring the hell out of himself and anyone who looked his way, he decided to dazzle. And dazzle he did.
Much has been said about legendary New York Times fashion photographer and chronicler Bill Cunningham since he died. All I can add is to share how he inspired me.
I can’t really add anything new to the buzz on the internet about Muhammad Ali. As a kid born in 1970, I certainly remember him vividly in our consciousness as a very big celebrity and a HUGE part of the ’70s. Very visible, funny, glamorous, all that. And I, of course, remember his signature title/tagline: The Greatest.
Today, I came across a quote of his that might be the best “how I want to be remembered” quote I have ever read:
“I’d like to be remembered as a black man who won the heavyweight title and who was humorous and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him and who helped as many of his people as he could – financially and also in their fight for freedom, justice and equality.”
Fantastic.
Beyond that, all else I can share are some of my favorite photos of this dazzling American icon.
It's got a thin plot with more than a few holes in it, but The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), directed by Norman Jewison, is an unmitigated treat for the eyes. The film stars icon Steve McQueen as Thomas Crown, a…
It’s official: the Oscars are possibly the worst occasion on which to observe well-executed black tie, with very few exceptions. Not only are simple tailoring cues missed by a mile, but there is also that unnecessary urge for some men to make a statement.
Say what you will or feel what you feel about Ricky Gervais. I care not, unless, of course, you love his brand of raw and honest humor as I do. I think he did a brilliant job performing his emcee duties in his unique “if they’re thinking it, say it” way at this year’s Golden Globes. For telling the brutal truth, hitting it all where it lives and ending the broadcast with “That’s it. We’re out of time. From myself and Mel Gibson: Shalom,” he won and earned the #ZeroFucksGiven award hands-down.
https://youtu.be/OR_xdZbMQiw The amazing Sammy Davis, Jr. killing on drums and piano at a UNICEF concert in Berlin, 1972. This makes me nostalgic for ruffled formal shirts, too. Fabulous.