Christmas Grab Bag
Luxury Retail Celebrates, Making Merry With Cocktails, The Essential Diana Vreeland Trilogy
It took me a bit longer this year to get into the Christmas spirit. Usually the Christmas playlist kicks in the day after Thanksgiving. On Wednesday morning I finally mustered up enough spirit to hit play on seasonal tunes. As chance would have it Frosty The Snowman by Kiki and Herb, came up. The crazy, manic lyrics, adroitly delivered by Justin Vivian Bond was just what I needed to jolt me into the spirit. Now it’s Christmas music 24/7. Traditional mixed with fun, it’s all good.
Then on Friday, I successfully procured a tree. No easy task in Manhattan. That is the single biggest impediment to kicking off the holidays for me. I consider myself a live tree connoisseur and can’t abide by the monster bushes sold on the street. I dug deep and came up with a winner albeit 30 blocks north. Urban Garden, my fellow New Yorkers, for the best trees in town.
Now with holiday spirit finally in full swing, I offer you a grab bag of seasonal subjects starting with how the big guns in retail (and one museum) pay homage to the season.
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Christmas in New York
This beloved snowflake has adorned the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street since 1984. Though it measures 30 feet wide and is suspended 50 feet high, it’s dwarfed by the building size Louis Vuitton trunks. The trunks are actually scaffolding, akin to a Christo installation, first developed for the Paris flagship. It looks remarkably solid, complete with hardware, texture and the famous logo. Anyway, beats the hell out of looking at a construction site as they dismantle and rebuild the New York flagship store. I believe the snowflake approves.
The always anticipated Bergdorf Goodman Christmas windows delivered again. This year’s theme is an ode to Fifth Avenue with a side of toast of the town. Though not fully clear to me it doesn’t matter, I'm all in for the visual spectacle.
For a more traditional holiday vibe there’s the Ralph Lauren store on Madison Avenue. The men’s store pictured here was formally the Rhinelander mansion.
I happened to be walking by the evening they were installing it; no small production. A team of elves must have worked through the night to get it done.
The tree at the Metropolitan Museum of Art boasts enchanting 18th century Neapolitan figures depicting the nativity scene. A holiday tradition since 1964.
The holidays always bathe me in nostalgia. Maybe it’s the comfort of looking back fondly at simpler times, chic people and merry making. Back in the day, any gathering of note called for a classic cocktail, I propose to bring this custom back. Here are some classic cocktails I’ll be serving this season and images of the chic people who made an art out of imbibing in style.
Kir Royale, Vodka Gimlet, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, the last word on Martinis
Holiday Reads
Diana Vreeland (1903-1989) never pursued a career in fashion, she lived and breathed it her entire life. She was a lady of leisure living in Paris and London, known as a woman of uncommon taste and originality. Her husband’s job and dwindling cash reserves forced the family to return to New York. After a short stint at Town and Country, Diana was offered a job at Harper’s Bazaar and a fashion legend was born. Her work at Bazaar and later as editor in chief of Vogue marked the most innovative period of both magazines. She was also famous for her pronouncements and world-class wit.
There are three books in my library that I consider required reading for anyone with an interest in fashion. The first is Allure by Diana Vreeland with Christopher Hemphill. A tome of defining images hand picked by Vreeland, many from her days at Vogue. The second is DV by Diana Vreeland. To read it you can almost imagine sitting in her famous red Park Avenue living room as Vreeland regales you with her stories and musings. Last is the well-researched biography Empress of Fashion: A Life of Diana Vreeland by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart. This is the definitive Vreeland biography. It carefully reconstructs Vreeland’s life and examines the brilliance and impulses that motivated her.
Thanks for reading! Do you love the holidays or do they stress you out? I have a bit of both with so much to do to prepare. No matter, I always look back with fond memories.
Cheers!
xxx Jolain
Lovely article as usual, Jolian.
I had a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit too this year, there must be something in the air! However, I feel like the lower the expectations the better will be the outcome :)
Holidays totally stress me out. But posts like these help me celebrate from a distance (metaphorically and literally) and cheer me up immensely. They're so different from when I grew up (the part that stresses me out today because I've never been able to replace my old family traditions). Thank you, you captured the spirit from a different perspective, beautifully. (And I loved Diana Vreeland, this brought back memories from my mother pouring over Vogue... this inspires me to look up and read the books you mentioned, another thank you!)