Lux Lotus

Saville Row

As an independent creative professional myself, I've always admired the innovative aesthetic approach and attitude of designer Peter Saville, who I heard speak at a conference a few years back. And I love that he was named creative director of Manchester. His latest project? Unveiling a font called "Kate Moss." And although I am more inspired by typography than fashion models (I'm more about the clothes than who's wearing them), it's a good match and an excellent application of "emotional branding." Noted: ‘Kate’ was really easy...But ‘Moss’ was difficult.

I <3 My Neighbors

Tunji + Dao

Just returned from dinner to run into my neighbor who I hardly ever see, except for last Friday morning I saw him riding his bike with his little dog in the basket while I was getting coffee. Turns out he is a fashion designer with a store on Bond Street that I promised I'd come and check out (oh my, a sigh and a dream: Gold Plate Seahorse Tail Ring!), and you should too.

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Windowlicker

This week's Windowlicker guest editor is Joanna Goddard. Joanna lives in New York, where she edits Bene Magazine, a new magazine about Italian life and style, and writes A Cup of Jo, a Lux Lotus fave focusing on "Art, Photography, Design and the People I Love."

As a magazine editor, I pretty much spend my days researching deliciously windowlicking things that are way out of my price range.

For example, here some daydreams from today...

This morning, walking to work in a torrential downpour, I was craving an umbrella...

By this afternoon, I had caught a cold. At my desk, I envisioned a cool embroidered handkerchief from young artist Shabd Simon-Alexander.

This evening, I was dreading another chilly wet walk home; instead, I imagined driving a convertable in sunny California. My daydreams turned to a vintage Alfo Romeo Spider, like this one driven by our man Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate...

Ahh, windowlicking. All in a day's work.

Hope you stayed dry today. Thanks, Lauren!

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST.

The Smart Set, April 16 - 22

In this week's edition of The Smart Set for MaudNewton.com, nine or more reasons to decide what song is playing when you walk down the street, right now--

Today I can't get "Hey Boy" by The Blow out of my head, but perhaps by tomorrow I'll be back to my usual Coralie Clement tune...

The Weekend Report

Learned some Scottish slang, reveled in the glamour of cinematic comparisons (when someone as impossibly soigne as Min Jin Lee says you look like Jane Russell), well then...), enjoyed a brilliant, excellent brunch with Katherine, was so delighted to catch up with Marcy, Lizzie and Jami at the Instant Love party, hung some gorgeous new silk curtains (well I didn't; thank you... you know who you are), collected compliments all 'round on my hot new scarf, hopped some bars and got sparkled (see above) with one of my favorite people (I even wait around while she takes the train in from Brooklyn), lingered over tea on the one nice afternoon at a sidewalk cafe, took a long, thoughtful walk by myself in the rain with my new umbrella, prepped for a big week work-wise, and enjoyed every moment of it all per usual. Right now, about to split a Cadbury Crunchie with Peach in the City while she practices talking points for her fancy fashion industry interviews. Big spring ahead with a million bold things just around the corner. What can I say? Watch this space...  

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Because New York Loves You (by way of Glasgow)

Living in a city where Aidan Moffat will sing his dirty love songs to you for free in a bookstore tonight is about as good as it gets, so join us!

Windowlicker

"The Casuarina scent in a simple, elegant bottle so you can cast the essence of island air around the room." Spring cleaning, done [India Hicks Island Living for Crabtree & Evelyn Room Fragrance, $22].

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST.

When Design Meets Desire

When I was in high school, most of the maxims bandied about in popular culture were easy to remember because they rhymed and were remarkably similar in terms of the ambitions they set forth: the Beastie Boys' late '80s braggadocio, "I got money in the bank/I can still get high/ That's why your girlfriend thinks that I'm so fly" gave way to Total Devastation's mid '90s, faintly more sobering credo of "There are only three things in life that I need/money, safe sex, and a whole lot of weed." Now that I'm a bit older, I realize that there's so much more to life, naturally. Like a Jaguar XKR and a Nakashima coffee table, for instance, both of which would suit me quite nicely. Fortunately, LX quells my longing momentarily with a short video feature on the latter, sponsored by the former (also above). At any rate, the show is called Gorgeous and features episodes on a variety of topics including "museum design at the new ICA in Boston" and "specifically features design elements of the subject we’re profiling, is no longer than 5 minutes in length and really spotlights and celebrates innovative and cutting-edge design." Many thanks to Lux Lotus reader Will Bressman for the tip! Do check it out.

The Smart Set: April 9 -15

In this week's edition of The Smart Set for MaudNewton.com: ten reasons to stop for a minute.

Wherewithal

Spent the holiday weekend on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with Kevin at his family's place, which I love in the way one loves all houses that have a name, having more fun than previously thought possible like we always do. I really treasure my time there, savoring the wide open, green spaces and the waterways and the swans and just the general tempo of the area. Now I'm back in New York, of course, and it's an entirely different beat. Earlier this evening, I was walking to meet a friend for dinner at Zucco and as I was crossing Delancey, I walked by this boy who I admired for the longest time because he has the best look (think Warhol, the remix, with a sexy edge) and then I met him last week and he said I looked fabulous tonight which was such flattery considering the source (I was wearing: knee-high black boots, a yellow skirt, black knit collared shirt, grey-and-cream striped trench and a vintage wool navy beret sort of hat). Anyway, I was slightly distracted but not too distracted to miss captain of the Kate Moss/Lindsay Lohan/Sienna Miller makeout train team, Jamie Burke, and what appeared to be his entire band trying to hail a cab. He's not my type at all but not bad looking in person.  After dinner, I stopped by Cake Shop to check out The Crier party. I love the idea of "an unconventional mix of stories on everything from art and culture to travel, science, and leisure" and can't wait to snuggle up with the newest issue and a cup of tea in a bit. Tomorrow I have a ton of work to get done during the day (Thursday in New York: y'all come!-- or, its Scottish equivalent) but look forward to the evening. I'll likely either be having a quiet night at home, hanging some rust-colored silk curtains I picked up down South for a song and listening to Neil Young: Live at Massey Hall 1971, or going to a party at Dior. We'll see which mood strikes me.