Vintage Inspirations from the Right Coast
Remembering:
I just got back from New York and Boston; here are some of my inspirations from my trip to the east coast…

Whenever I think I’ve figured out French interior designer Christian Liaigre‘s formula for the Mercer Hotel, I discover details like this skeleton keyhole, which must open the seasonal display next to the elevators. That little reveal is so much slicker than any hidden lock.

I visited the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, and one of its exhibits was about films’ carefully composed colors, which included Madonna’s movie W.E., and these René Caovilla shoes that were created for it…

A simple silver and gold dress from the same exhibit. Most of the costumes were copies of couture Wallis Simpson — the Duchess of Windsor and the W.E.‘s protagonist — really wore.

A few hours’ drive and I was in Boston, riding the escalator into the lobby of Liberty Hotel, a renovated 19th-century prison.

While in Boston, I visited the legendary warehouse of Bobby from Boston. There’s not much to wear, despite the immaculate racks of deadstock vintage and freshly folded, antique knitwear — unless you’re a Japanese hipster who flies in for the Rose Bowl Flea Market. There is, however, plenty of inspiration — which is why Ralph Lauren shops here.

If this navy evening clutch’s leather didn’t resemble cardboard, I’d have bought it from the warehouse. I love its soft curve in lieu of a clasp.

And check the lasting craftsmanships of its hinges.

Which is even more impressive in this 1936 evening muff. The fur has fallen off, but you can see its hardware is intact…

And that it opens into a clever hexagon — amusing, and more accessible than a traditional opening.

While too overtly feminine for my tastes, I love the concept of these shoes: a simple white sandal set off by a dazzling heel.
Click them together, and I landed back home…
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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Intel via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Intel.

