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I❤️NY

“The great big city’s a wondrous toy,

 Just made for a girl and boy,

 We’ll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy”

 

-from the song, ‘Manhattan’ by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, published in 1925

 

Elizabeth and I travel to NY for work every February and August, the two absolute worst months of the year to visit. August is hot, humid and stinky and February can be wet and slushy or bitter cold and icy. Still, I’ll happily take it, as long as I can walk. Walking in Manhattan is my favorite pastime. I hate crowds, I loathe traffic and beeping horns, and yet, I am blissful in the middle of it all. What is THAT about? We are originally from New York (although we grew up in a suburb of Long Island) and I did live in the city for several years in the 80’s (aka the most fun a person could possibly have), but I don’t think it has anything to do with my history. At the risk of sounding ridiculous, I think it has more to do with my essence. Something deep and undeniable. When I’m walking in the city, I experience something akin to what I imagine a Starling must, flying in perfect unison with it’s flock. They move in mesmerizing, choreographed flight without chirping out directions or colliding into one another. Maybe that’s what I love about it. That synchronicity, like you are a part of something much bigger.

Walking in NY is something I look forward to weeks before I arrive, when I’m alone in my design cave, working on a new line. We inevitably finish right before we fly and usually get into the city late at night, but I still drop my bags and go, even if it’s just a couple of blocks for water. The brisk walk in the crisp, cold air is like a giant welcome mat just for me. I will say that on this most recent trip, I found myself looking up versus straight ahead. I was more attuned to buildings than people. Art Deco has always been an inspiration but right now it’s an obsession. Much like those Starlings, it is strong and bold and graceful and elegant. As I walked, I could feel it’s influence seeping into my bones. When I returned to my room each night, I drew the clean lines and expressive curves typical of the period. Expect to see some of them this fall. Plus diamonds, of course.


Dana's Suggestions

Check out: Richard Barnes’s photographic series ‘Murmur’, a hauntingly beautiful collection of Starlings in flight. The unique formations called, “murmations” are still a mystery to scientists, although avoiding predators is the leading theory. Interestingly, the flight patterns are best described by mathematical equations with more in common with physics than biology.

EMPIRE EARRINGS

Diamonds, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver

Check out: Richard Barnes’s photographic series ‘Murmur’, a hauntingly beautiful collection of Starlings in flight. The unique formations called, “murmations” are still a mystery to scientists, although avoiding predators is the leading theory. Interestingly, the flight patterns are best described by mathematical equations with more in common with physics than biology.

DIAMOND OMBRÉ FRINGE NECKLACE

Black Diamond, 14k Gold, Blackened Sterling Silver

Discover:  Rodgers and Hart’s first major Broadway revue, ‘The Garrick Gaities’, debuted in 1925. The show parodied current subjects such as the New York City Subway system and the Theater Guild. Go to You Tube to see video of their hit song, ‘Manhattan’.

Discover: Rodgers and Hart’s first major Broadway revue, ‘The Garrick Gaities’, debuted in 1925. The show parodied current subjects such as the New York City Subway system and the Theater Guild. Go to You Tube to see video of their hit song, ‘Manhattan’.

LINKED UP NECKLACE

Tourmalated Quartz, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver

Read: ‘New York Deco, A Guide to Gotham’s Jazz Age Architecture’ by Anthony W. Robins includes eleven walking tours accompanied by maps designed by legendary New York cartographer John Tauranac. Winner of a 2017/18 New York City Book Award, the colorful guidebook is a must have for visitors, natives and architecture aficionados.

Visit: 70 Pine Street, An Art-Deco-style, residential building built in 1930. The Financial District building houses City Acres Market, a gourmet grocer, Mint House, a modern hotel, as well as fine dining restaurants, Crown Shy and SAGA, on the 63rd floor and Overstory, a bar and terrace on the 64th floor, both with staggering views of the New York skyline as well as intricately crafted food and cocktails from the team of James Kent and Jeff Katz.

LINKED UP POSTS

Diamond, Sterling Silver

Visit: 70 Pine Street, An Art-Deco-style, residential building built in 1930. The Financial District building houses City Acres Market, a gourmet grocer, Mint House, a modern hotel, as well as fine dining restaurants, Crown Shy and SAGA, on the 63rd floor and Overstory, a bar and terrace on the 64th floor, both with staggering views of the New York skyline as well as intricately crafted food and cocktails from the team of James Kent and Jeff Katz.

DIAMOND BAR NECKLACE

Diamond, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver