Notes From The City

Sunday, December 30, 2018

An Abundant Life - A Wonderful Man

Hector R. Miranda has a way of seeing color and style that is extraordinary and gorgeous. I have always been interested in fashion, and have worked on and off in and around the fashion industry for many years, and though I am often attracted by images I see, it is rare that I am impressed by seeing something that is unique and new. Fashion trends tend to go in waves and be by nature derivative - styles come back from other times and eras, colors and textures resurface, and though the great designers have their own signature looks which can be thrilling to see on a runway or in a shop window, the actual embodiment of the clothing on a person living every day life and doing the every day things that people do sometimes doesn't translate. I have had the blessing of working with a couture designer, and I have known some wonderful stylists, and it is the gift that people of that level of excellence in fashion can give to the rest of us to help free our minds and vision so that we can learn that fashion is something to feel good in, to be comfortable in, and to help us feel and be the best that we can possibly be. Because of his extraordinary and gorgeous vision, Hector R. Miranda has the ability to bring us all to a higher ground.

It is interesting to note that Hector is color blind. If he hadn't told me I never would have known because the combinations he puts together are so beautiful, and in some wonderful way the fact that he doesn't see colors the way that many of us do opens his own eyes to the possibilities that many of us can't see. He is able to view designs and colors and textures from a distinct and unique lens, to intuit what will work for someone from a sense of knowing that is deeper and goes beyond what is on the surface. His is a vision that is visionary - a sense of deep understanding of the mystery of what is attractive, attracting, fashionable and stylish without feeling the need to conform to the expected or ordinary. He has styled Cher, Robert Downey, Jr., Oprah, Michelle Obama, Bruce Cohen, Andre Charles (Ru Paul), Matthew Broderick, Philipp Kirkorov and Alessandra Ambrosio among others, creating looks that were both timeless and of the minute, classic with an unmistakable uniqueness that takes fashion and trend and creates a personal style that highlights the star quality of the wearer.

I met Hector at Tah Vintage in Jersey City one evening when I went there during a holiday event to visit with the artist Stephen Cimini, who I have written about in these pages before, whose work had been chosen to be part of a collaboration with a company that puts contemporary artwork on material to be used for blankets and throws. In addition to the vintage clothing, accessories and home good that are sold out of their storefront, Tah Vintage has an important presence in the community because of the support they give to contemporary and emerging artists and artisans, and they were hosting the event as an introduction to the line of blankets and throws because they planned to carry them. When I arrived and met Hector, he was so friendly and welcoming and so interesting to talk to that I stayed for several hours. In our conversation he learned that I love to collect glassware, and so a few days later he sent me a text message to let me know that they had some new pieces that had arrived. I had been wanting to follow up with him to see if he had time to meet for a blog post, and so we set up a time to meet at the store. In another enjoyable afternoon into evening, I learned a bit more about his history, and I also learned that one of the remarkable things about Hector is that he doesn't like to talk about all of the wonderful things he does. He is so attractive and personable and he has been a part of so many high level projects that the experiences he has had are extensive, but though he had shared a few things with me about some of the people he has styled and some of the work he has done, he is so humble it was very hard to get him to really talk in depth about himself and his work. He did share his resume with me, and I'll add a few details from that illustrious history here, but when I asked him to send me photos, at first he only sent a few. Some photos he shared with me are from the work he has been doing at Tah Vintage - when he went into the store for the first time he liked the owners and wanted to suport their creative vision, and because he saw the potential he offered to volunteer with them to style windows and help with merchandizing. The work that he has done there is lovely and inspired, but there is so much more to his amazing talent that I went to his Instagram account and took a few screenshots from there to add more to this story.

He has sent me more photographs over time, and more information about his work over the years, and a picture is emerging of a truly amazing person. His is not the background of someone who has had an easy life or an easy entry into the fashion world. He has won the accolades he has because of the wonderfully talented and hard working person he is. He has a sense of fun and playfulness with fashion - during his time at Valentino he was known for his use of the concept of cross dressing that went beyond the simple idea of a woman wearing men's clothing and men wearing traditional women's designs. His styling made it possible for women and men to wear clothing that crossed boundaries while also combining a sense of the masculine and feminine, creating a space for different body types and personalities to feel comfortable in whatever styles they chose to wear. This sense of playfulness and moving through and beyond tradition is an inspiration to us all, an encouragement to find and wear the pieces that we enjoy wearing, and to allow ourselves to create our own unique style.

Kindhearted, humble, extraordinarily talented and knowledgeable with the good looks of a model and the ability to wear clothing in a way that shows its versatility, Hector R. Miranda has a way of seeing the world of fashion as a pure art form, and with a living and breathing human body as his canvas, he helps us all to look and feel vibrantly alive. An industry professional has called him "Boy Wonder," and I'll go one step further and say that he is a truly wonderful man, someone you can trust to guide you beyond the world of trends and fashion noise to find your own perfect place in clothing that will make you feel like you are the unique and beautiful person you are.

Hector R. Miranda

And His Visionary Style
Photographs Reposted
From Hector R. Miranda's Instagram Profile
https://www.instagram.com/sin_slim/

Marni

Spring Summer 2018

Marni

Spring Summer 2018

Marni

From Miami Fashion Week

Fall Winter 2018

Marni

Fall Winter 2018

Marni

Cross Dressing

The Same Clothing On A Woman

And A Man

Marni

Photographs Courtesy Of Hector R. Miranda

Valentino

Photographs Courtesy Of Hector R. Miranda

With Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli

At A Fashion Week Event

Sketches And Vision Board

From His Early Days At Valentino

Courtesy Of Hector R. Miranda

Etro

Photographs Courtesy Of Hector R. Miranda

Celebrity Style

Photographs Courtesy Of Hector R. Miranda

Personal Flair

A Statement Piece

From Valentino

Balenciaga

Layering Luxury

The Windows And Interior At Tah Vintage

With The Transformative Touch Of A Visionary
9 Erie Street
Jersey City, New Jersey
Top Photograph Reposted
From Hector R. Miranda's Instagram Profile
https://www.instagram.com/sin_slim/
All Other Photographs Courtesy Of Hector R. Miranda

Visionary Style For A Visionary World

Extraordinary In The Every Day

Photographed Here In Dolce & Gabbana

Photograph Reposted

From Hector R. Miranda's Instagram Profile

https://www.instagram.com/sin_slim/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

Sunday, December 23, 2018

An Abundant Life - A Door To The World

Paul Calendrillo's Gallery in Chelsea has a door that seems like it will take you to a hidden place, and indeed, when you walk through it and see the artwork on his walls, you are transported. The first time I saw that door I was in the building where his gallery is for another gallery opening. I had already met Paul and his lovely wife Marian somewhere, though none of us can remember where, but when I saw the door, and saw Paul and Marian, I remembered our conversation and how he had told me that he was moving to a new gallery space from his previous one on Roosevelt Island, and that the door was much smaller than a usual door, and he wasn't sure how he was going to get some of the larger works of art into the new space. Because the thing you see about Paul Calendrillo is that his eye for art is larger than life. A part of his goal as a gallerist is to create a dialogue and an opening for communication and education between artists and collectors and those who are interested in learning about art, and to bring artists to the forefront who are in his words "young, highly credentialed artists and brilliant more established artists who are ready to break through the recognition plateau and who are currently overlooked," and he does exactly what he promises to do. He represents artists from New York City and around the world, and he is always traveling to meet with artists and curators, visiting galleries and artist collectives and studios and thinking about ways to expand the visibility of not only the artists he represents but also the people he is in contact with. When I visited his gallery recently, he was on his way to a meeting with a group of other artists and gallerists in his building to begin some discussions about ways to highlight the building as a whole and connect with the larger community to increase outreach. His is a collaborative mindset, and just as he seeks excellence in the artists he works with, he is also always encouraging connections and making referrals and suggestions to help expand and strengthen the network of creative expression.

Since that first evening when I stumbled onto his space and saw that door and walked through it, I have seen several shows that have all been extraordinarily beautiful and out of the ordinary. A few weeks ago I wrote in this blog about the artist Zuz, whose work in fabric Paul not only hung on his walls, but who he also helped to host a fashion show for her couture designs and wearable art during fashion week. The evening of that fashion show was an overflowing extravaganza, with so many people that they were spilling out into the hallway - that is the kind of thing that Paul Calendrillo does and the type of events he creates around the artists he works with. His shows are spectacular and exciting and fun and beautiful, events that linger in the memory and create memories that bring people back hungrily for more.

We sat down the other day to talk a bit more in depth, and I got a chance to learn more about him. But the honest truth is that Paul doesn't really like to talk much about himself. When you sit with him or meet with him at the gallery, even if it is a normal day and not an opening he won't spend time bending your ear about his own life, though I'm sure there are many wonderful tales to tell. Rather he talks about art and artists, the experiences he's had with the people he's met, and he's always upbeat and encouraging, uplifting and uplifted. Knowing the art world as I do and having been around it for many years I know that there are always stories of many colors and kinds to tell, but Paul only ever seems to be supportive and positive - he's wise and an excellent business man, but he takes everything in stride and keeps it moving forward in a positive direction.

His gallery in the afternoon is a lovely one - previously I'd seen it only at night, and the light streaming in the windows even on a cloudy day gave it a zen-like quality. And of course there is that wonderful door that seems like it's right out of wonderland, a door that opens into another world and is open to the world around it.

Paul Calendrillo

At His Gallery In Chelsea

547 West 27th Street

Suite 600

New York City

https://www.paulcalendrillo.com/