On Tuesday, Starworks Group London held our AW2010 Press Day. When we weren’t calculating how we could move into the venue, we were showcasing our clients’ Autumn/Winter Womenswear, Menswear, and Accessories. We also screened films from DazedDigital.com, Swarovski.tv, and SHOWstudio. The editors and stylists loved the new looks, and the day was a massive success.

Nicholas Kirkwood's Everywhere!!

Alexis Mabille Accessories

Lisa Marie Fernandez

Atelier Swarovski jewels!

The Menswear Loft

REILLY

The Screening Room

For those of you unaware of Starworks Group London’s Clients, see the list below:

WOMENSWEAR
ALEXIS MABILLE, ALICE BY TEMPERLEY, HUDSON, MARIOS SCHWAB, MOTHER OF PEARL, NOBODY, ROKSANDA ILLINCIC, SWAROVSKI FASHION COLLABORATIONS, TRILOGY STORES AND TUCKER

MENSWEAR
A.SAUVAGE, ALEXIS MABILLE, HUDSON, NATURAL SELECTION, NOBODY, REILLY, TST AND WOOYOUNGMI

ACCESSORIES & JEWELLERY
ATELIER SWAROVSKI, DAVID MORRIS, JONATHAN KELSEY, NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD AND PAURIC SWEENEY

For press inquires, please email press@starworkslondon.com

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Meredith Monk at The Armory Show
By Melissa Bent

Last week amid The Armory Show and international art swirlings and whirlings an evening of fine food and company took place on Museum Mile. The celebration was to commemorate Meredith Monk’s seminal performance Juice: A Theatre Cantata at The Guggenheim Museum 40 years ago. Thursday night’s performance was titled Ascension Variations.

Cocktails and dinner were held down the street from The Guggenheim at The National Academy Museum, which I am embarrassed to say I had never been to before.

I said a few hellos and then wandered about the museums exhibition called American Waters, which was a collection of works celebrating the 400th anniversary of Hudson, Fulton and Champlain. The cocktails and menu were a collaboration between Rirkrit Tiravanija and Margot Henderson. I am huge fan of both Tiravanija and Henderson who runs Arnold & Henderson catering and The Rochelle Canteen in London’s Shoreditch. I went to an amazing wedding reception at the Rochelle School two years ago for my friends Duone & Max Bellhouse and ate at the Canteen when it first opened in 2006.

After the cocktails guests were escorted upstairs where two grand rooms were filled with no fuss long tables, an art world standard. The fresh duck pate and perfectly dressed beet salad were followed by a delightful and humorous tureen of Monkfish stew, which guests ladled themselves. I was sitting in between Cecily Brown who is about to birth a baby girl and Anton Kern.

As guests Angus Cook (my date) and Jonathan Caplan chatted with Hilton Als and Nicolai Ourousaff the wine and water flowed. There was an element of excitement as toasts were made and guests snatched up deliciously ripe pears and wedges of crudely cut cheese for dessert. We all hurried out and over to The Guggenheim where the rotunda had already filled with ticket holders seated on the floor and perched on collapsable sketch stools.

The performance was amazing, part harmony and part ululation. Pure magic with guests being allowed to wander up the sloped floors to see the show and then gently pushed aside as the singers reclaimed their positions. Everyone seemed enthralled, including the musicians Matt Sweeney and Andrew W.K who were both accompanied by their stunning women, Miss Annabel Mehran who was kadringling over preparations for her 30th extravaganza on Saturday night and Cherie Pourtabib who was in full length leopard and looked marvelous.

There was champagne at the end and then we strolled to The Carlyle for a nightcap with Jonathan & Angus, Patti and Elizabeth Peyton. A perfect ending to a perfect evening.

Merci M. Monk!
– Melissa

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Night at the MoMa
The Problem Perspective by Martin Kippenberger
Projects 89 by Klara Liden

By Melissa Bent

(MoMa’s Klara Liden show)

Tuesday night’s brisk winds didn’t stop me and many others from an evening in mid-town. The event was two fold at the MoMA, Martin Kippenberger’s “The Problem Perspective” and Projects 89 by Klara Liden.

I began the evening at one of my favorite midtown haunts, The King Cole Bar in the St. Regis. I was greeted by collection of people pre Klara celebration. Emily Sundblad and John Kelsey, Klara’s dealers from Reena Spaulings Fine Art, NY, had organized the gathering for a quick drink and ample wasabi peas, mini pretzels and those impeccable nuts.

The motley collection including Carissa and Klara and Malin gathered steam for the quick walk to the museum and managed to disperse into the rather youthful moma crowd upon arrival.

(MoMa Lobby)

The coat lines were long and the wilted potato chips shrieked recession but my partner for the evening, Annabel Mehran, and I made our way through the throngs of listless art participants, running into a jet lagged Terence Koh who had just returned from Holland and was not wearing any white (perhaps dry cleaning is just too out of budget these days).

(Garrick and Terence Koh)

His boyfriend Garrick and him had already seen the show so we shuffled past and through and up and over and into Klara’s project space. Liden had created a giant white cube in the white cube and collected a variety of boxes and building materials that perched on top.

(Klara Opening)

Almost giving the effect of being in a giant manhattan mini storage loft area. A huge white cake with trash frosting.

(Klara Liden Installation)

The space was open and squished at the same time with the areas around the cube being thin and an enormous window at the south end of the room opening up the space enough for perspective. Klara had taken out the wall that usually covers the windows along the building giving the space a soaring height. The taxis from the street below were close enough to read the meters and an archaic black box for Klara’s newest video piece was sitting squatly to the side where people gathered to get a better look on the installation and chat. Emily’s band had made the music accompanying the video which showed Klara from dark till dawn skipping stones and heaving wood and other items into the East River under the slowing emerging Brooklyn Bridge.

The Kippenberger was massive and wild and overwhelming with posters, hotel stationary sketches, sculpture, paintings, installations. You name it and he did it and did it well. So well. A wonderful and exciting show that needs more than one visit to take in.

(Annabelle Mehran and Melissa Bent)

As we made our way down the elevators and into the lobby snatching the fresh yellow flower arrangements before they were chucked there was an improvised coat pile that people kept diving into.

(MoMa opening’s Coat Pile of Bodies)

It gave the momentary feeling of being at a rave. But we were not on drugs or drunk or had glow sticks. Everyone was wearing funny clothing though. Anyway we went to the fascinating Bombay Palace, or rather K-Lounge around the corner from the museum, which was very convenient for an after show drink and chat. One of my favorite former classmates from my alma mater Sarah Lawrence came too, JD (nee Jocelyn Samson). She was in pitch perfect mood per usual.

(JD, Malin, Klara)

(Rachel K at the Opening Dinner)

It was getting late and I was hungry. I headed to Harlem where I was directed to the nastiest hole-in-the-wall Chinese spot with the tastiest and freshest Peking Ravioli. Another hidden Harlem gem.

All of the photo documentation from this evening was taken by Rachel Chandler who was sending the photos to Klara’s sister Hanna who was stuck on an island in Sweden.

Thank you Rachel!!!

–Melissa

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Floras’ Amid Flurries
By Melissa Bent for Starworks

(New mommy, Jessica Alba, Elle, March 2009)

Groundhog Day came and went, snow fell, and temperatures remained generally to be colder than a witch’s tit. Yet spring seemed to have sprung at the Diane von Furstenberg shop in the now sparkling Meatpacking district this past Wednesday.

The delicious lunch was held in celebration of Elle’s Spring issue with Jessica Alba on the cover. The food was heavenly. Lots of tasty couscous salads, tagines, perfectly dressed bib lettuce, teas and waters, and of course a touch of red wine.

I sat with Mariko Munro from 303 Gallery who is featured as a stylish and modern working woman in the magazine. She was with Inka Essenhigh who worked on the Downtown For Democracy fair with me and many others in 2004. How far we have come in 5 years!

(Inka & Melissa)

We ate with Amanda Brooks who is a creative director at DVF and always a friendly face with good stories at fashion shows and fetes alike. Chiara and Waris appeared a little late but ready for photos and chat. Chiara was debuting her film that evening at Film Forum and looked rested and glowing in a blue DVF number. Waris’ grey suit matched the couch we were perched on.

(Chiara Clemente & Waris)

All in all my favorite look was Diana Ross, who was as appropriately dressed for the chill as I was. She was in all black sweater with leggings and a marvelous thick belt at the waist, tall furry black suede boots, and billowing hair.

As people filmed a new program called “The City” which is real but not real, or sort of real, I chatted with Anne Slowey who looked fetching in a green YSL number. My sister Eliza had quipped when Ann’s Fashionista premiered that “One is a true New Yorker when your old job becomes a reality TV show.” (Anne was Eliza’s first boss when she moved to NYC 4 years ago). We lamented the economy, sample sales, and how neither of us made it to Miami Basel this year.

We filtered out with the others, complete with copies of Elle, and an Obama tote designed by DVF into the shiny but frigid afternoon. Many months will pass before the crocuses bloom.

–Melissa

p.s. Note from me and Mirabelle Marden: After 7 years, Rivington Arms is closing its doors. We’d like to thank all the artists we’ve worked with for making the gallery unique and exciting. Our office will remain open through February and the Rivington Arms website will be archived by the end of the month, including artists’ contact information. Please visit our website RivingtonArms.com to read the New York Times review of our final show, Uri Aran’s Geraniums. All the best in 2009!

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