Sweet Karlie Kloss

The thing I love most about models is they all look so different. My favorite model by far is Karlie Kloss, the midwestern born teenager who is one of the most respected faces in the industry. I actually had the pleasure of meeting her on a flight some time ago, when we were both flying to Chicago from New York. She was only 15 at the time and coming back from doing a photoshoot in Manhattan. She was so personable and so nice, I couldn't believe it when she told me what she was doing. I've followed her career since, which as skyrocketed to superstardom. In this most recent New York Fashion Week, she opened for Oscar de la Renta, and walked in countless other shows. But I suspect her crowning jewel was to walk in Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show, which should be an honor for every model. The pictures below are a mix of editorial and runaway snapshots, I had so many to choose from, I needed to narrow them down. 

This is my absolute favorite picture of Ms. Kloss because I cannot tell if this was a staged photo, or just a simply candid photo of her looking beautiful without even trying. 

All photos courtesy of Facebook

UPDATE: Filthy Rich Handbook

Since my most recent post was profiling one of my favorite novelties, The Official Filthy Rich Handbook, I thought I should discuss the author of the book because he is just as sophisticated and chic as what he writes about.

Christopher Tennant has a knack for observing people; he can look at a person and size them up immediately. This came in use when he decided to profile a group that has never been profiled before, the world's wealthy elite. He traveled to "all the Saints", including St. Moritz, St. Bart's, and St. Tropez. In the tropical locales, he was able to converse with high-networth individuals and interact with them, first hand. He even had the interesting conversation with a european on the benefits of swimming naked, and why the middle class just "didn't get it". Mr. Tennant moved to New York magazine where he worked at New York Post's Page Six. He cofounded Radar, where he is now a contributing editor.

When Emma Brown, of the Boston Globe turned the tables on him and asked what he would do if he suddenly had the means of his subjects, he stated, he'd buy a newspaper, to help rescue journalism from the death-grasp of the Internet. I respect his answer, because I fear for the print-journalism industry and how it's being crushed by the internet. There's nothing I love more than cracking open a newspaper on a weekend morning to read it with a latte and a bagel.

The Official Filthy Rich Handbook

The Official Filthy Rich Handbook is a book I stumbled upon while browsing Amazon.com, and it has become one of my favorite books to give as a gift. It's a hilarious study of the lives of the ultra-wealthy, dissecting every facet of their existence. It's a quick read and is not heavy on text, and has tons of pictures, much of them being diagrams. I really hope the author has a follow-up in the works, because this is has a second edition written all over it.

Ellen Barkin, The Great

After watching Twelve for the second time, I forgot how much I love Ellen Barkin. The New Yorker chooses her parts well, and she fits them to a tee. Some of her movies includes, Oceans 13, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Twelve. But her role in the independent movie Twelve is one of my favorite of her characters. A part of me hopes she wasn't really acting, because the role seemed to be a logical fit for her, a wealthy and (perhaps) single mother, who actually cares for her daughter and pushes her to succeed, but may seem otherwise. Her role wasn't very big, and didn't contribute too much to the plot, she still stole the movie, and left me asking for more of her.

If you haven't seen Ms. Barkin in a movie, you must do it immediately. And if you haven't read about her personal life, that is a must-do as well. Her short marriage to billionaire Ron Perlman is a bit of tabloid-fodder, but interesting none the less.

The Barnes Foundation

I recently watched The Art of the Steal, which is a documentary about The Barnes Art Foundation, which is one of the biggest private art collections in the world. However, the owner of the collection, held it captive from the public eye, by only allowing students and educators of art to view the collection, which was housed five miles outside of Philadelphia in a beautiful stone house, surrounded by an arboretum.

The collection maintained 181 works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 69 by Paul Cézanne, 59 by Henri Matisse, 46 by Pablo Picasso, 21 by Chaim Soutine, 18 by Henri Rousseau, 16 by Amedeo Modigliani, 11 by Edgar Degas, 7 by Vincent Van Gogh, 6 by Georges Seurat. A collection of this magnitude would seem to make sense in a museum, but not when the original owner of each of these pieces before they were even sought after, wanted to keep them for only the people who truly appreciated them. The original collector, Dr. Albert C. Barnes, a medical doctor from Philadelphia, started collecting post-impressionist, and modern pieces in the early twentieth century, when they were still being created, but was mocked by his peers for buying such pieces that were new or "immature" works of art. So he decided to take his newly acquired art and display it in a house where people who truly appreciated it could come and view it. Mr. Barnes charted a school for his collection, in hopes it would last forever as an educational institution.

The foundation has been plagued with controversy over the past twenty years in regards to control over the collection and where it should be housed, but none of the works of art have been sold off. The entire collection did go on a world exhibition in the 80s, to fund renovations for the Barnes Foundation building. In 2008, it was announced that the collection was getting a new home, in downtown Philadelphia. I find it to be very sad that the wishes of the original owner are not being met, by removing all of this beloved art pieces and moving them to the city, where he specifically took them aware from. With that being said, I am dying to visit the new museum to see all the great pieces.

Table Top Bars

My sister's birthday is rapidly approaching and I got her one of my favorite presents, booze! When she studied abroad in England a few years ago, she found a gin called Pimms that she loved. However, when she got back to America, Pimms was nowhere to be found. After a three year search, I finally found it on the website that would ship it to Chicago. The two bottles of Pimms arrived a few days ago, and I am so excited to give them to her, she is going to absolutely love it. I got her two, so she could drink one, and save the other for a special occasion. The bottles are so neat, I'm displaying them right now before I give them to her, which inspired me to round up a few different pictures of table top bars. A regular table display of liquor is so luxurious because it's an understated elegance that obviously makes people feel comfortable and at home. 

 David Hicks

 de Menil

Deborah Needleman 

Domino 

Eddie Ross 

Eddie Ross 

Ron Marvin 

Steven Gambrel 

Thom Filicia 

Tori Mellott 

Veranda

92nd Street Carriage House

This renovated carriage house on East 92nd Street in Manhattan has New York sophistication with a modern twist. The 25-foot wide carriage house has had a gut renovation, which lasted two years, but has the end result of a very modern urban dwelling with the look of a sophisticated boutique hotel.

The multiply-floor house has a number of rooms for gathering, but my favorite by far is the double-height library, with the floating bookshelves, and encased wood desk. I also really enjoy the dining room, with the circle table. In my opinion, it is hard to find circular tables in formal dining rooms, but I think they look luxe. Another thing I like about the whole house is the simple, yet worm color of the wood paneling that surrounds the fireplace.

As much as I like townhouses in New York City, I am still drawn to apartment or coops. I like the idea of a doorman, and the shared hallways, it's just so very New York.

My New Favorite Room

One of the biggest trends I've seen lately is painting walls and ceilings with a lacquer finish, creating a shinny and reflective surface. It's a really perfect way of brightening up the room, because you can make the sunlight reflect off it. One of the biggest events of the year in interior design in New York City is happening now, it's the Kips Bay Decorator Show House. The event happens every year, where a group of designers are chosen to design different sections of one house, and then open it to the public.

My absolute favorite room of the whole house is designed by Aman & Carson Inc., because of it's unique function as well as the luxe finishes in the room. The room is called the art collection room. It is suppose to house all of the collections of the owner of the home, and offer seating while viewing the artful collections. One of my favorite aspects of the room are the leather, tufted armless daybeds that flank the fireplace; the leather has a sheen to it which adds interest to the room while grounding the colors in the room because the walls and floors have very light hues. Because I haven't been the house myself, I don't exactly know the layout of the room, but I suspect there are a lot of nooks and crannies in the room, making for cozy spaces. I can't wait to use a high-gloss paint in a room, because I think it makes it look so chic.

Images by Habitually Chic

Ralph Lauren's RL

Chicago is known for its wide array of eating establishments, and one of my all-time favorites is RL Grill. It's owned by Ralph Lauren and is connected to Mr. Lauren's Michigan Avenue store. Side note, the shop on Michigan Avenue is the biggest Ralph Lauren in the world. But the restaurant that goes along with it is truly amazing! From what they serve, to the ambiance inside the restaurant is fantastic. The main dining room is paneled in the signature Ralph Lauren mahogany paneling and navy fabric, which is topped and covered from floor to ceiling with vintage oil paintings and photographs. The bar/lobby is a cozy place for a bowl of the delicious Lobster Bisque soup next to the fireplace, or for a nice cocktail on a snowy Chicago evening.

RL has been one of my favorite restaurants for a few years now, and will stay one of my favorites because of the exceptional service. The entire restaurant is run by the same group that manages Hugo's Frog Bar, and Gibson's steakhouse both a few blocks away on Rush Street.