Christmas | To Give + Get

Images via: The Moma / The New York Times / House Beautiful / Assouline / Haute Hippie

Everyone has been sharing their gift guides for the holiday season, so we thought we'd shine a light on a few items that have caught our eye this December. These are the perfect gift for any lady in your life. 

1.  Damien Hirst's mixed anamorphic cup and saucer set. This artfully inspired set of six espresso cups and saucers was produced in conjunction with Hirst's 2012 retrospective at the Tate Modern. The designs are direct reflections of his artwork, including Virtue, The Incomplete Truth, Beautiful Amore, Beautiful Cataclysmic, Doorways to the Kingdom of Heave, and For the Love of God.  What art lover (or tea taker) wouldn't want these? Available through the MoMa store here.
2.  You know we'd have more than one tea set on our list, right? This set by British designer Richard Brendon caught our eye in House Beautiful last month and is high on our list. These saucers are rescued from discard bins throughout England's finest antique stores and paired with bone-china cups painted platinum or gold. What a gorgeous, thoughtful gift.
3. Speaking of Damien Hirst, splurge for his collaboration with Alexander McQueen on a series of wearable art for the fashion house. With their gallery price tags, you just might want to frame them. Our favorite, shown above, is the Judecca. Available at Alexander McQueen stores and online here. 
4. Every gal loves a great coffee table book, and Assouline's SWANS: Legends of the Jet Society looks awfully inviting with its spreads of opulent lifestyles and exotic locations. Whether you're privileged or just a dreamer, this is the perfect book to inspire.
5. Clothes are always on the top of the giving and receiving list, but it's such a personal choice that it's often hard to find a good sartorial gift. However, Haute Hippie has the perfect mix of winter whites to hit the town come New Year's Eve. A gift that immediately gives, how 'bout that. 

billet-doux: The Chagall Collection

 

The beautiful and colorful imagery of Marc Chagall in The Chagall Collection by Bernardaud, currently available at the Dallas Museum of Art. Image courtesy of the DMA.

We are having a serious love affair with Bernardaud’s tabletop pieces entitled The Chagall Collection. The art of setting a table is taken literally with Limoges porcelain pieces depicting the Russian-born and French artist's work. Marc Chagall was known for his colorful painting, sculptures, and even costumes, especially in France. What we wouldn't give to see a full tablescape built around these gorgeous pieces of art. To see these beauties in person, get thee to the Dallas Museum of Art. Not to toot our own horns, but Dallas is the only U.S. city featuring Chagall's work then it's all back to France. To read more about this fantastic exhibit entitled Chagall: Beyond Color, co-organized by La Piscine Museum, Roubaix, France, and the DMA (and exclusively in these two cities)  visit here. 

Marc Chagall, Costume for a Clown (Aleko Scene II), 1942, Private collection, Paris © Archives Marc et Ida Chagall. © 2012 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

Marc Chagall, Model for the curtain "The Firebird", The Enchanted Forest, 1945, Private collection, © Archives Marc et Ida Chagall. © 2012 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

Marc Chagall, Between Darkness and Night, 1943, oil on canvas, private collection;  © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris

 

Weekend To - Do: Pop Culture

Besides tomorrow being the official first day of Fall (!!!), there are a million awesome things to inspire you this weekend. Nothing gets us excited like the art world and pop culture, so we are sharing a few of our favorite things that will undoubtedly have you seeing life in a whole new light. Enjoy!

 1. NYC Tabletop Market is always inspiring, but the Prouna Jewelry Line made a distinct impression on POSH. Laurel loved the use of Swarovski crystals in these elegant and impressive tabletop pieces. Talk about #tabletoplove. Clockwise from top left: Diana tea cup and saucer, Adonis set, Diana pot. More Prouna here. 
2.  Elegant brands that push the status quo make pop culture more exciting. There are probably none who have done or do it better than Marc Jacobs and the late Alexander McQueen. From left: We love this Alexander McQueen Hummingbird rug because of its free and happy vibe and want it hanging on our walls. Another happy vibe: The windows at Louis Vuitton in NYC featuring a collaboration with the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. It's a favorite because we love when the different worlds of art collide, especially when the result is a happy world of polka dots. 
3. The Goss-Michael Foundation always has the most amazing exhibits. This weekend is no exception with the MTV Staying Alive Foundation's AIDS benefit, featuring the works of Dave White (top) and Chuck Elliott (bottom). Learn more here.
4. The book we can't wait to peruse? Doris Duke's Shangri La: A House in Paradise. Beyond the beauty and history of her collections, it's the women herself that entices us to put this on our weekend reading list.
5. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel. Not enough can be said about this legendary editor of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, so of course we're dying to see the documentary, which happens to open today!

Toast: Andy Warhol

"An obsession with fame and brand names is the essence of Andy Warhol's influence, some say." This quote from the New York Times struck us as we were catching up on one of our favorite artists of all time, the godfather of Pop Art himself, Andy Warhol. Say what you will about his attitude, his methods, and his madness, there is no denying the talent of a man who transformed pop culture and the art world. We can now only imagine what his talents could have brought to an internet-savvy world. So today, on his birthday, we toast Andy Warhol. May his fifteen minutes of fame never end.

Andy Warhol with dog Archie, photographed by Jack Mitchell, 1973.

Mix your pop elements and add fun tabletop additions, like bright bouquets or quirky bananas, made famous by Warhol himself. Don't you just love the cupcakes with Warhol inspired images?

Rentals: Louis Ghost Chair in Jet Black, Blue & White China, Mercury Glass Trumpet Vase, Black Square Acrylic Charger; Linens: Gold Paillette Organza, Gold Sequin Mesh, both Resource One, Inc. Linens. All rentals available at POSH Couture Rentals. Florals from Bows & Arrows.

Top: Jackie O and Marilyn immortalized as Warhol prints. Middle: A pop art inspired birthday party. Bottom: A Bows & Arrows retro photo shoot.

Want more of the King of Pop? The Metropolitan Museum of Art relishes his legacy with "Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years," opening in September. If you can't make it, read more about Warhol here.

Chihuly Nights: Opening Night at the Dallas Arboretum

Dale Chihuly is an artist after our own hearts. His large-scale and glorious glass sculptures exude creativity, joie de vivre, and color in shapes and sizes that are beyond fascinating. After countless exhibitions around the globe, Chihuly finally came to the Dallas Arboretum for Chihuly Nights. 

And the POSH train pulls into station! Our guys worked several hours to set up for opening night.

Word has it that Dallas has been trying to get Chihuly here for the past ten years. Time and space were the only real constraints, and finally the Dallas Arboretum was chosen to set up a site for Chihuly Nights. Powered by Cirro Energy, this major wonder costs $1.8 million to maintain over the six month course of it's stay in Dallas. Yes, this is something you want to see. We were thrilled to be a part of the opening gala and piece of Dallas' growing cultural mecca. Get your dose of Chihuly from now until November 15th. 

Quite the scene! Our black chiavari are perfect for complimenting Chihuly's extraordinary colors.

A few snapshots from opening night. Amazing, right?

For more information, please check out these website:
www.DallasArboretum.org
 www.chihuly.com