Assigned Reading

Do you have a book that you could read a thousand times over?

Most avid readers have one or two that every few years they will dust off and read through once more to recall why it meant so much in the first place.

For me they are Persuasion by Jane Austen, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and D.V. by Diana Vreeland. As you can see my literally tastes run slightly shallow and vanilla - most were forced to read Persuasion and Gatsby in high school or college. Sorry.

Truth be told - if I could find my copy of Danielle Steel's Wanderlust, I would add that to this already impressive list.

But, if you haven't read D.V. - I highly recommend the sparkling autobiography. It's chocked-full of witty stories from the former fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar and editor-in-chief of Vogue. If only life were just that fabulous. Sigh.

So - what about you? What old friend do you turn the pages of time and again?
I'm always looking for new reads - especially during a slow news day...


Stay tuned. More at 11.

The end of an era at Tiffany & Co.

After 30 years as Design Director at the one and only - Tiffany & Co., John Loring is retiring. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Loring while working for both Sotheby's and Phillips auction houses and can say there is not a nicer man in the jewelry business.

Just to give some perspective to Mr. Loring's contribution to the 170+ year old company - when he joined the firm in 1979, Tiffany & Co. had five retail locations and grossed in the nine figures. Today, the firm operates 200 stores (and counting) and last year earned a pleasing $3 billion. For a while you couldn't walk five feet without spotting a sterling silver Return to Tiffany heart tag charm bracelet. Well done, Mr. Loring.

During his tenure as Design Director he has also authored 25 books about Tiffany & Co., ranging in topics from table settings to silver and of course - jewels. All of his books are chocked full of interesting history, beautiful photographs and would make stellar additions to any coffee table.

Here are a few of my favorites...

All cover images courtesy of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Greeting from Andy: Christmas at Tiffany's is a wonderful little book with all of Warhol's Christmas card illustrations and drawings that he created for the firm, prior to his pop culture artist fame. Filled with quotes and stories regarding Warhol and his work, it is a wonderful gift for an art enthusiast.




Tiffany Style is the one volume you should you own. Mr. Loring compiled over 170 years of beauty, craftsmanship and American elegance in this book. Amazing.





Tiffany Diamonds chronicles the significant history of Tiffany & Co. and the precious stone - from Charles Lewis Tiffany being anointed the king of diamonds to how the firm is responsible for the engagement ring, as we know it today.




Tiffany's Palm Beach is a year book of who's who of Palm Beach society and just happens to highlight all their fabulous objects and jewelry from Tiffany. Published in 2005, it coincided with the grand reopening of the Palm Beach store.



Tiffany Flora & Fauna a spectacular box set, illustration of Tiffany & Co. designer's interpretation of Mother Nature's best works. (I had the privilege to make a small informational contribution to these...)

Tiffany Pearls is beautifully illustrated history lesson of the classic gem. A must have for anyone who adores pearls and their lustre...



A Tiffany Christmas is '90's excess at it its finest. A nice addition to an existing collection. See the tablescape below - a great example of being totally over the top.



Maybe not as fabulous as what might be contained in a little blue box, but the incredible history of providing the world with elegance somehow seems more important these days.

Enjoy!

Gossip Girl goes Hardcover Historical

Lately, I have had a hankering for historical reading material - but with some flair.
I picked this up before our trip and am totally engrossed - the parties, the homes, the sex, the lies, the gossip...the jewels. It's way better than Page Six and Perez.



It's mildly amusing to read names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt and Morgan used as examples of the nouveau riche. Greg King, gives great perspective to their fortuitous financial situations by providing 2008 numbers. (Could you spend $962,000 on clothing? I pride myself on my retail prowess and doubt I could do it without being hospitalized from exhaustion.)

He also gives the addresses of the incredible homes they built in New York. Amazing to know what still stands and has a new lease on life (Bergdorf Goodman) and what is sadly long gone.

If you are looking for the real-deal Waldorf's, this is for you...

Happy reading!