REVOL’S REVOLUTION

In fine restaurants when you order soufflé, gratin dauphinois, or even crème brûlée, chances are it will be prepared and served in Revol porcelain. Now from the most trusted name in French culinary porcelain comes a unique and modern ceramic collection.

Created from a patent-pending ceramic material, ‘Revolution’ cookware has a higher thermal shock resistance than any other non-porous culinary ceramic. These pots can be used on any kind of stove top, in microwave ovens and are dishwasher safe. Yes, that's right - they can even be used on an open gas flame. Just follow instructions for the transition between hot and cold.

Now cooking dinner - and cleaning up will never be the same. Leave it to the French !

Prices range from $50 to $300 for the tangine.
Available in five sizes with a Black, White, Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, or Orange lid.

http://www.revol-porcelaine.fr/

Time for Marimekko to Shine

NEW YORK, NY

Many Americans were first introduced to the classic Finnish design house when Jacqueline Kennedy wore several Marimekko dresses throughout the 1960 US Presidential campaign. The fashion statement was thought to have softened her look and shift public opinion in a favorable way at a key moment in history.

Since then there’s always been a representation of Marimekko in Crate & Barrel and the small shop on Madison Avenue. Now just in time for the company’s 60th anniversary a new 4,000-square-foot Fifth Avenue location has opened in the Flatiron District that offers the complete product assortment.

This is the only US store where the complete collection of fabrics and tableware, clothing, bags, furniture, and accessories will be available under one roof.

Shopping the collections on-line offers a very clever take on web navigation: Nest- for home furnishings, Wear- for fashion, Carry- as in bags & umbrellas, and finally Make- for the DIY folks and interior pros that want fabric by the yard in various finishes including a water proof coating.

So just as the days become shorter and the landscape shows a sign that winter is on its way, many American homes are about to get a bright jolt of color.

http://www.marimekko.com/

www.CrateandBarrel.com

The Intersection of Art, Fashion, and Commerce

FLORENCE, ITALY
MUSEO GUCCI



In celebration of the company's 90th birthday GUCCI opened a museum inside the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia located in Florence’s Piazza Signoria. The concept was to honor the company’s leather goods legacy and celebrate the connection with modern art.

Also in the museum is a cafe and a Rizzoli book shop. The museum store's reported best seller is a €95 T-shirt with a print of a figure in a suit of armor carrying two Gucci bags.

These days you cannot visit a major city without seeing a fashion designer features with top billing in art museums. The topic is certain to open a debate in curatorial circles. However the cash strapped non-profits are facing many challenges including lower attendance, so no one will debate the blockbuster appeal of say Alexander McQueen at the Metropoltain Museum. There was a record number of 661,509 vistors that flocked to the museum in just over three months this past summer. This made the MET's top 10 exhibitions of all time and impressed this visitor with the installation, music, lighting, and even special effects.

Perhaps this is the gateway to the new generation that may have never stepped foot into some of these museums. Now if the MET Opera could take some cues from this story they might be able to secure attendance for another generation.



images courtesy of www.Gucci.com