.:. I GOT YOU BABE | Style Icon & Inspiration .:.

You must have picked up a copy of the December 2010 issue of Town & Country.  One of the highlights is a wonderful first person account by Carol Prisant of the six weeks in the summer of 1957 that she spent working for Babe and William Paley.  Barbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley continues to be a style icon more than 30 years after her death from lung cancer in 1978.  She was one of the famous Cushing sisters who all married well and sometimes more than once.  She was married to her first husband Stanley Grafton Mortimer, Jr. from 1940-1946.  Her daughter Amanda Burden was from this marriage.  It was her marriage to William S. Paley the founder of CBS in 1947 that seemed to really put her on the map.  Someone once said that they "don't make 'em like Babe Paley anymore" and I have to agree.  She was always impeccably dressed and well mannered.  In an age where reality stars like Snooki are the new style icons, I long for this ladylike look.  Bill Blass once observed, “I never saw her not grab anyone’s attention, the hair, the makeup, the crispness. You were never conscious of what she was wearing; you noticed Babe and nothing else.”  Those were the days.

Babe and William Paley leaving the famous restaurant La Côte Basque.  The New York Times called it "former high-society temple of French cuisine at 60 West 55th Street."  This is my absolute favorite photo of Babe Paley since it is one of the only shots of her smiling and looking genuinely happy. 

Babe Paley was photographed by Lord Snowdon in her apartment at the St. Regis in 1958.  Her necklace and bracelets are by Verdura.

The Paley apartment in the St. Regis was designed by Billy Baldwin.

In the Town & Country article, Carol Prisant remembers seeing the room upon her first meeting with Babe Paley. "And just over her shoulder was the world's most extraordinary room: walls curtained in red-brown print (and, in memory, a tented ceiling), French furniture artfully scattered on a needlepoint carpet stitched with blackamoor heads, and, above the whole, a Venetian chandelier centered by a clock.  I didn't know what to look at first."

Jeremiah Goodman's watercolor painting of Babe Paley's bedroom.

 Fashion illustration of Babe Paley by Kenneth Paul Block.

Babe Paley leaning out of the St. Regis in 1958 by Lord Snowdon.

Babe Paley at dinner in 1960.

Babe and William Paley, date unknown.

Gloria Guinness, William and Babe Paley at Truman Capote's Black & White Ball in 1966.

Babe Paley in 1946.

Babe and William Paley with the Duchess of Windsor.

Babe Paley being photographed for Vogue in 1946.

Babe Paley looking like she's on a cruise.

One of the most famous photos of Babe Paley take in Jamaica in 1959 by Slim Aarons.

Babe Paley with William Paley and Truman Capote in Jamaica.

Babe Paley in 1964.

Babe Paley in Capri.

Babe Paley (1915 - 1978)

.:. Chic & Skii | Where Cosyness Meets Chicness .:.

The previous post, was dedicated to Aerin Lauder’s home in New York, now let’s take a look to Ms. Lauder’s ski house in Aspen.

After seeing Aerin Lauder's home in the snowy mountains, I might just have to book a trip out to the Alps. Usually weekend ski houses seem to follow - a more is more theme of plaid, plaid and plaid which is a classic look but I am liking the cleaner lined pared down aesthetic of this house.  Interior designer Daniel Romualdez helped out with the decor which features a lot of wood that references the trees outside.  Looks like the perfect place to warm up after a day on the slopes. Speaking of, I wonder how big the bunny slope is in Aspen.

Photos by Francois Halard for November 2011 Vogue

.:. Inside of Aerin Lauder's Home | Elegant interior inspiration and decorating ideas .:.

Nothing hold me up when I descovered, Aerin Lauder's beautiful holiday decorated East Hampton home from the old House & Garden on Vogue.com.  It's also been seen in Elle Decor but with any family house it has evolved and changed over the years.  It looks like the living room has been repainted from a burnt orange to a deep blue charcoal grey.  The sofa seems to have been moved from against the wall to the middle of the room. Slipcovers may have been changed and artwork moved around but it's still just as chic. 

Just like Ms. Lauder herself.

New view of the living room.

[image source: vogue.com]

Marco Meneguzzi Interior Design

It’s been a while since I have posted any article about interior design and decoration. Today I have been reading many different blogs, and I found out one very talented interior designer- Marco Meneguzzi. His design is inspired from his travelling journeys, which can be seen by these pictures below. Meneguzzi tend to blur the exterior spaces with the interiors, making sitting areas in loggias or cabanas, extending spaces and using rooms in superficial ways. The relaxed contemporary lifestyle creates beautiful lines, rich textures and livable spaces.

Use of custom furniture allows for deluxe depths, generous scale and superior materials - all key to the sense of luxury and comfort. 

He is a master of sophisticated yet comfort and livable interior design.

-Edisa.

(Disi'sCoutureLifestyle®)