Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

My grandmother always said you should never love things, just people. But for many years I have loved Eileen Fisher's clothing. The quality is excellent, the materials lovely, the designs chic and comfortable, and the philosophy behind the designs is always wonderful. It's beautiful clothing with a message, making sustainability, ecology, recycling, reusing, rejuvenating and liberating catch phrases that we can all hang on to. Another thing I have loved for even more years is the New Yorker Magazine. When I was growing up, my mother read it from cover to cover and let me read it with her - I've always loved cartoons, and the New Yorker has some of the best, so even as my childhood's untutored brain could not necessarily understand all of the references, the drawings were priceless - funny and fun and full of playfulness while always having something very important to say. One of the first things I did when I first moved to New York was to get my own subscription, and it is the only magazine that I have continuously had in my home.

When I received an invitation to a New Yorker event where Eileen Fisher would be the focus of the evening, it was a perfect meeting of two of my all time loves. And to top it off, the event was held in the Conde Nast offices at One World Trade Center, a building that holds such a deep and resonant place in my life in New York, and one that I had not been inside of yet. The conversation was focused around Green Eileen, an initiative to reuse and recycle Eileen Fisher designs that had been purchased and worn and returned, and we were introduced to three exciting innovators, all graduates of Parsons School Of Design, who had won the Social Innovators Award and were now working with Eileen Fisher to create new and inspired clothing out of the many pieces that had been been returned through the Green Eileen program. The evening was in a word delightful - and I could go on for many more words, but I will let you see for yourself.

Cocktails And Conversation

Eileen Fisher And The New Yorker
Founder, Eileen Fisher Talks With Social Innovators Award Winners
Carmen Gama, Teslin Doud, and Lucy Jones

Conde Nast

One World Trade Center

New York, New York

www.eileenfisher.com

www.newyorker.com

An Amazing Building

An Amazing History

An Amazing Event

Art And Life

A few weeks ago I wrote about attending an amazing gallery opening in Chelsea, and the wonderful person I met as I was arriving. That same person who helped me be whisked past the guards that night introduced me to a gallery owner who is doing tremendous things on West 24th Street. Marina Dojchinov came to New York City from Australia by way of London, and it was a lifelong dream to live in the City that never sleeps. It is also a dream for New York to have such a lovely entrepreneur gracing the streets - Marina has vision and ambition that have brought her a long way and will continue to help her and those she embraces to thrive. 3Squared Gallery is her newest venture, in collaboration with The Mad Gallerist. An art space for everyone to have a place at the table, an open door to bring ideas and creativity, 3Squared Gallery is open to suggestions and discussion from artists and designers of all kinds. Marina and The Mad Gallerist have based their model on a kind of newer age Warhol Factory - a place where artists can mix and mingle and share creative space. The first show I went to was of the work of Richard DeCosmis, an astonishing collection by a creative genius who though he had been working for years in his studio has only recently been truly discovered. The artists' agent is none other than the lovely person I met as I was arriving at the gallery show a few weeks ago, Paul Larsen, one of those meetings that will always be memorable and continues to delight. When I met with Marina and asked about her goals, she's aiming to be the next Anna Wintour and to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 - a sky that with her hard work and dedication can be reached.

Marina Dojchinov, Curator and Co-Founder

At 3Squared Gallery

Current Exhibition The Art Of Richard DeCosmis

Artists' Agent Paul Larsen
Paul.Larsen@DesmondDavid.com
3Squared Gallery

157 West 24th Street

New York, NY
Marina@WinstonWise.com

www.winstonwise.com

Always A Delight To Meet Old Friends In A New Space

Yanni Kyriazis and Jeffrey Scott
Stopping In For A Visit

Mingling Of Music And Art

Joyfully Unexpected Mixing Of Art And Life

Doing Delicious Good

A few weeks ago when the weather was fine, I met a wonderful couple who have started their own charitable business. I had been to a gallery opening that I wrote about in these pages several months ago where they were hosting wine tastings, and I loved the idea so much that I started talking to people I knew to see if that was something I could bring to some of the events I plan and organizations I work with. I heard from one person that it was very difficult to do, but I kept asking, and one day when I walked into the yard of the Church Of The Holy Innocents in Hoboken where Rummage and Ruffage hosts their Saturday events I saw just the person I was looking for. Grapeful sells wines from selected vineyards that do not sell in stores, so every wine they share is something that is very special and unique to their list. Charitable organizations and fund raisers can open a Grapeful order site or host a Grapeful party, and in the words of the founders, "With every bottle purchased, your cause earns money." What could be better? Enjoy exclusive wines while supporting your own or another great cause - Grapeful has figured out how to win my heart.

Grapeful
www.drinkgrapeful.com

Outdoors At HOLA - Hoboken's Dual Language Charter School

Indoors At Hoboken's Church Of The Holy Innocents

At Rummage And Ruffage

Loving Your Neighbor And Yourself

There are some women I have written about in these pages before who are always doing wonderful things. Last Friday I met up with them and more of their friends at GG's Girls Night Out, an evening in their words of elegant music, fashion and fun, and a time to sip, shop, mingle and pamper. A portion of the proceeds would go to H.O.N.E.Y. Organization, and though I had a busy week, I knew I had to stop by to celebrate their goodness. Everyone there was having so much fun and all of the vendors were so full of light and life that I wanted to stay much longer than I could. There was so much to enjoy that I can only give you a sample of it here - check them out and follow them all to find out where and when you can meet up with them again.

GG's Girls Night Out

140 Sip Avenue

Jersey City, New Jersey

Butter Up

www.butterupbody.com